Project Undertakes Mapping CT With Precision From the Air

Unbeknownst to most of us, there is a world of difference between an aerial photograph and an orthophotography.  In fact, enough of a difference for the State of Connecticut to get behind an initiative to photograph the entire state. The results are to be made publicly available through the state’s Open Data Initiative.  The orthoimaging of Connecticut, now complete, was undertaken by the Sanborn Map Company, under a contract with the Capitol Region Council of Governments made possible by a grant from the state's Office of Policy and Management. It will provide Connecticut with its first statewide acquisition of datasets at this high level of accuracy, according to those involved with the project.

The Sanborn flight team overcame challenging spring weather conditions to successfully collect high-resolution imagery of the entire state of Connecticut and its coastline in just five weeks, according to the company.  Altogether, the firm collected more than 42,500 4-band, 3-inch resolution images during March and April, including more than 6,000 coastline images during low-tide conditions.

The Sanborn team, which included subcontractors, also collected more than 5,200 square miles of high-density light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data covering the entire state during the same time period. All of the data were collected during snow-free, cloud-free and leaf-off conditions, which makes them ideal for a host of products and applications.

A conventional perspective aerial photograph contains image displacements caused by the tilting of the camera and terrain relief, or topography. It does not have a uniform scale and one cannot measure distances on an aerial photograph as if it were a map.

In orthophotography, the effects of tilt and relief are removed from the aerial photograph by a computer rectification process to create an orthophoto, which then becomes a uniform-scale photograph. Since an orthophoto has a uniform scale, it is possible to measure directly on it, as with traditional maps.

The product combines the image characteristics of a photograph with the geometric qualities of a map; thus, it is possible to get direct measurements of distances, areas, angles, and positions.

That distinction can make a big difference for governments and businesses seeking such images. Brad Arshat, Sanborn director of strategic accounts in the Northeastern United States, estimates that statewide collaboration on the project will result in several million dollars in tax dollar savings, as opposed to each of the state's 169 municipalities acquiring its own data.

Sanborn is now creating mapping products from the data, which will be delivered later this year. These include 3-inch ground sample distance (GSD) orthoimagery; U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) QL2 LiDAR data; bare Earth digital elevation models (DEMs); and 1-foot contour maps.

Individual municipalities and state agencies also have options to purchase additional products as needed, such as 3-D building footprints, planimetrics, landcover maps, impervious surface maps and more, according to company officials.

"We need to support our communities by giving them the tools to do their jobs in a modern, efficient and effective way," Gov. Dannel Malloy pointed out in a Sanborn news release. "As a former mayor, I know how valuable this information is to municipalities. In addition, this information is critical to our state agencies."

Sanborn is a preeminent innovator in the geospatial industry, the company website indicates, delivering state-of-the-art mapping, visualization, Web GIS™ and 3-D solutions to customers worldwide. The firm, which marked its 150th anniversary in 2016, operates a fleet of 14 aircraft located strategically across the United States.

"Our flight team did an exceptional job of outmaneuvering the unusual weather present during the collection period (in Connecticut)," says Shawn Benham, Sanborn project manager. "The savings truly are astronomical when you merge many smaller project areas into a single large project because of the fixed costs associated with each mobilization," added Arshat in statement released by the company.

Pay to Play Worsens Widening Economic Gap Evident in America's Schools, Putnam Says in Hartford

The growing number of public schools that require students to pay a fee to participate in after school activities, such as sports or music, is exacerbating the economic class disparities in America’s schools, and diminishing opportunities for students from families of limited financial means. “Play to play must end,” said social scientist Robert Putnam, a professor of public policy at Harvard University, and author of the best-selling book Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis, appearing in Hartford in a special event sponsored by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.

Putnam, who rose to cultural prominence in 2000 with his book “Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of the American Community,” mixed riveting stories of the vastly different life experiences of the nation’s children, depending upon the financial wherewithal of their parents, and the dangers to every aspect of society - rich and poor - of permitting the growing disparities to continue unchecked.

According to his data, 86 percent of students from the highest-income families participate in extracurricular activities — slightly higher than during the 1970s — but participation among the lowest-income families is down about 15 percentage points, to 65 percent.

“No one talked (50 years ago) about soft skills, but voters and school administrators understood that football, chorus, and the debate club taught valuable lessons that should be open to all kids, regardless of their family background,” Putnam writes in the book.

Pay to play policies have been evident in Connecticut, as elsewhere across the country, for some time, as reflected in data compiled by the state Office of Legislative Research (OLR) in 2012.  The OLR report included information from 116 school districts. Of these, “44 charged a participation fee for high school athletics. The fees range from $25 per sport to $1,450 for ice hockey. Twenty nine school districts include a maximum amount that a student, family, or both can be charged during a single school year. Schools without a cap are generally those that charge the lowest fees.”

Following that report, legislation that would have prohibited local and regional boards of education from charging any student activity fees to students who are unable to pay such fees was considered in 2013 but not approved by the state legislature.

Last month, education officials in Norwalk proposed requiring student athletes to pay $100 each to participate athletic programs. Published reports indicated that students who participate in high school musicals in the city pay about $200 as a participation fee.

Putnam noted that although many school districts that charge such fees provide for waivers for financial need, those tend not to be used because students would rather drop a sport than be stigmatized as  poor and needy.  And he emphasized that dropping out of participation in after school activities worsens development and lessens chances to break away from a life of diminished opportunities.  The absence of such extra-curricular participation adversely impacts both future circumstances and physiological developmental, Putnam said.

The OLR data indicated that in Trumbull, for example, a family could pay as much as $750 (or $900 including hockey) for students’ participation in sports; in South Windsor the payment was capped at $500 per family, or $800 including hockey.  In Region 10, which includes the towns of Burlington and Harwinton, there was a maximum of $450 per family for participation in sports.

The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference Handbook for 2016-17 includes reference to the organization’s “strong opposition to the local board of education policies which establish a fee system for students who wish to participate in co-curricular or extra-curricular activities, athletic and/or non-athletic.”

Among the organizational policy positions included in the handbook, the Administrators of Health and Physical Education “feel a direct assessment on the individual families of athletes is contrary to the educational philosophy so deeply rooted in our nation, and is wrong because it places an undue tax on selected members of the community.”

“Athletics as an extra-curricular activity is unique in that it provides a possible predictor of student success in later life; and affords adolescent boys and girls an opportunity to establish a physical and social identity along with the intellectual identity they develop while in the classroom,” the Administrators of Health and Physical Education policy statement says.

The handbook section on “pay to play” continues, indicating that “In support of that notion is a pair of studies conducted by the American Testing Service and College Entrance Examining Board. The former completed a study comparing four factors thought to be possible predictors of student success: achievement in extracurricular activities, high grades in high school, and high grades in college as well as high scores on the SAT. It was found that the only factor which could be validly used to predict success in later life was achievement in extra-curricular activities.”

Adds the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents: “Free public education includes the student’s right to participate in activities offered by a school district. The student should not be denied participation because of lack of funds or the refusal to pay a fee.”

Putnam, speaking at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts to a nearly filled Belding Theater audience, recalled attending Yale University in Connecticut, and speaking in Hartford 16 years ago, when Bowling Alone was published.  He stressed that there are fewer mixed-income neighborhoods than there were 50 years ago, and as a result children are less likely to go to school with people of a different social class.  

The top third of US society – whether defined by education or income – are investing more in family life, community networks and civic activities than their parents, while the bottom third are in retreat, as families fracture and both adults and children disengage from mainstream society, he pointed out. That is evident in a range of statistics,  he said, proceeding to share a series of graphs and charts that underscored his thesis.

Putnam identified causes of the widening opportunity gap for the current generation of young people as the collapse of the working class family, a substantial increase in single-parent homes among the poor, economic insecurity among growing cadre of working class people, and a cultural change of people no longer looking out for other people’s kids in a way that happened in the past.  The definition of “our kids,” he said, has narrowed for a community’s children, to the biological children of individual families.

This gap amounts, Putnam emphasizes, is a “crisis” for the American dream of equal opportunity. Advantages pile up for the kids born to the right parents, all but guaranteeing their own success in life – in stark contrast to the fates of those struggling at the bottom.

Among the statistics of concern raised by Putnam: affluent children with low high-school test scores are as likely to get a college degree (30%) as high-scoring kids from poor families (29%).  And he called for a focus less on the costs of community college and more on helping students unfamiliar with the bureaucracy and processes of college work their way through it.  “We need navigators to help these students navigate the process,” he said, making a comparison to health care, where newly diagnosed cancer patients, unfamiliar with the world they have just entered, increasingly have “health care navigators” assigned to them as guides to deal with the uncertainty they face.

Despite the preponderance of evidence showing stark disparities, Putnam says he is optimistic that the trends can be reversed.  “American did it once before, after the turn of the last century,” he explains, and can do so again.  He suggests that the remedy will more likely be driven from the grassroots, in individual communities, than from policies adopted by the federal government.

“We Are Danbury” Media Campaign Launches Drive for Businesses, Residents

Labelled “confidential and proprietary,” the city of Danbury’s “Playbook” for becoming a “City of the Future” is posted on the official website for all to see. That playbook came to mind with the announcement earlier this month that CityCenter Danbury would be launching a media campaign this month to promote the city’s downtown.

The campaign will initially include two 15-second videos and photos posted to various well-travelled websites. Among those featured in the video are Mayor Mark Boughton, the Danbury Titans hockey team, the Palace Danbury, Connecticut Institute for Community and Western Connecticut State University, according to published reports.    Additional videos featuring other businesses are to be featured later, as the campaign continues.

CityCenter Danbury is a partnership promoting Downtown Danbury, bringing together property owners, sponsors, businesses, non-profits, cultural arts, and volunteers.

“This campaign is to proactively go out and approach businesses to let them know downtown Danbury is the place to be,” P.J. Prunty, executive director of CityCenter Danbury, told the News-Times. “It’s the first time we’ve embarked on a specific campaign like this. We want to get businesses to plant their flag in downtown.”

According to Business Insider earlier this year, population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau indicate that Danbury grew more than any city in Connecticut from July 1, 2014 through July 1, 2015 going from 83,891 to 84,657, is a .9% population increase. That outpaced Stamford, Milford, Norwalk and New Haven, Connecticut’s five fastest growing cities.

Prunty said the campaign will specifically target lower Fairfield County and Westchester County, N.Y., to try to lure companies from those areas to downtown Danbury where the rents, city services, cost of living and taxes are lower, the News-Times reported. A targeted campaign on social media will emphasize the housing as well as business options downtown. 

The campaign initiative will include brochures targeting young professionals and entrepreneurs, in an effort to increase their presence – living and working – in the city.  “We’re trying to convey that now is the time to strike while the iron is hot. We’re focusing on business recruitment,” Prunty said.

Some would suggest the effort is an outgrowth from the city’s Playbook, which states its intent to “help the City get started with practical and tangible strategic moves, or “plays,” that the City can begin implementing. Six themes were highlighted in the 17-page guide, completed last year:  governance, transformation of education, innovative service delivery, transparency, sustainability, and re-imagined quality of life.

The playbook, which focuses on changes to the way in which city government does business, also notes that “to be the City of the Future, we must become rich in spirit and culture, everready to overcome all challenges and realize all opportunities facing the 21^st century city.”  The report, prepared by the Connecticut-based consulting firm BlumShapiro, goes on to state that “by going above and beyond, Danbury is the creative and cultural center in the region.”

The playbook is included on the website of the city’s Office of Project Excellence, formed a year ago and led by Stephen Nocera, who previously was chief administrative officer in Stratford. The Office’s most recent Steering Committee meeting, in February (according to minutes posted on the city’s website) included items such as a new communications website, restaurant week and streetlight purchases.

As a member of the National Historic Preservation and the Connecticut Main Street Center, CityCenter follows the four principles of design, organization, promotion and economic restructuring. “We strive to accelerate the renewal of the city’s urban core, with quality of life as the underlying theme: building a lasting constituency for downtown; supporting investors, retailers and tenants while retaining those already downtown and making downtown clean, safe and attractive,” the organization’s website points out.

Danbury is certainly not alone among Connecticut communities – large and small – that are stepping up efforts to attract residents and businesses.

Neighboring New Milford announced plans last year to fund a branding and marketing effort with grant funds, spurred by local businesses seeking to draw more people to their downtown area. Local officials stressed that New Milford has the longest green of any town in Connecticut, along with historic architecture and an eclectic mix of shops and artistic offerings.  The grant was issued through the Connecticut Main Street Center.

In lower Fairfield County, the city of Norwalk launched a rebranding initiative earlier this year.  Using the new slogan “The Sound of Connecticut,” the campaign, according to Mayor Harry Rilling “was necessary to help reposition Norwalk. Our visual brand and identity system will become a recognized symbol of Norwalk’s progressive and connected vibe. We understand and live the brand’s values, goals and promises on a daily basis.” The Mayor added that “our brand strategy will influence and shape the way the community and others think, feel and respond to the City of Norwalk.”

Home Grown Start-Up Business Aims to Help CT Grow

“Simply redeveloping economic development.”  That’s how the leadership of Help Grow CT, a fledgling business dedicated to helping other start-up entrepreneurial enterprises, describe their endeavor.  As a playful video summarizes the serious intent driving the effort, “Several years ago, a group of entrepreneurs utterly frustrated with the bad press their beloved state was receiving, just couldn’t accept Connecticut as being one of the worst places to do business in the country.” Christopher Sacchinelli and a handful of colleagues quietly began the venture a few years ago, having spent some time at a Norwalk accelerator program and with a track-record in business start-ups.  They tweaked and revised their business model and platforms, traveling and researching economic development strategies that have been successful elsewhere, and why. About 50 businesses signed on, and helped refine the effort. 

Six months ago they began a public push to grow the business and this month a new member platform is being launched. The immediate goal is 3,000 small business owners, about one percent of businesses in Connecticut.  The company is about one-third of the way there.

“We knew that there had to be a way we could catalyze change via our own actions,” Sacchinelli said, recalling the drive to start Help Grow CT. “The goal is to help and empower Connecticut businesses.  To make it cheaper and easier to grow a business.”

In surveying the new business landscape, it became clear to Sacchinelli that “the problem that most small business owners were experiencing was high costs, not enough time and low profits.”   What they did as a result was develop a business that provides opportunities for new businesses to band together to succeed as individual enterprises, and by doing so, “help grow CT.”  It is an endeavor that aims to bring other businesses together as a group to drive economies of scale, reduce costs, increase efficiencies and grow profits.  And in doing so, boost Connecticut’s economy and turn around the state’s less-than-stellar reputation.

“The number one business killer is lack of action.  We focus on solutions,” said Sacchinelli, a Trumbull resident and lifelong entrepreneur born and raised in Norwalk who turned 27 this month.  “Connecticut is my community.  I’m vested in Connecticut.”  A previous venture landed him on the cover of the Fairfield County Business Journal in 2013, soon after graduating college. He has authored a book to encourage young entrepreneurs like himself, and has endeavored to use his expertise to encourage and guide businesses and potential business owners in his home state.

Through Help Grow CT, member companies are able to save up to 30 percent on dozens of exclusives partners, apps and platforms, and participating businesses are said to achieve, on average, 9 percent annual growth.  Individuals, called Growth Analysts, work with businesses to navigate through their specific business needs.

By offering savings on back room operations, such as bookkeeping, Help Grow CT not only allows business start-ups to focus more on their business product or service and less on the paperwork, without sacrificing the important detail that can lead a new enterprise to sink or swim.  They point out that businesses with healthy ledgers are 76 percent more likely to succeed over a 5 year period.

“HelpGrowCT has helped small business owners identify areas in their business where they can cut costs, invest in inefficiencies and grow their profitability,” the company’s website points out, offering support in branding, social marketing, and growth strategy development, responding to what is often new business owners “feeling overwhelmed” as they navigate all that is necessary to propel a new endeavor forward.  “We work with the nitty gritty that can hold a business back,” adds Sacchinelli.

Thus far, the initiative has been self-funded.  As members, who will pay monthly fees for the service, are added, Sacchinelli hopes the venture will be self-sustaining, and ultimately, profitable.  The number of members will largely determine that.  He is also cognizant of the potential social impact of the venture, and aims for it to be a “sustainable, evergreen accelerator program,” that will also deliver value to existing businesses.

In addition to the resources provided directly by Help CT Grow to member businesses, “we can listen to problems and crowd source solutions,” Sacchinelli explains, bringing the power of the network of members to bear on individual business challenges.  “The vast majority of small businesses have some of the same problems.  Together, we can guide a business toward the solution.”  He was encouraged recently by the positive feedback (and new members) from among attendees at the Connecticut Business Expo in Hartford, where he raised the profile of HelpGrowCT with the first visible foray into central Connecticut.

HelpGrowCT is also interested in the opinions of Connecticut's business community as their own business evolves.  A companion website, www.helpgrowct.org, includes a brief online survey for start-ups, business owners, investors, residents and students, aimed at propelling the venture and giving voice to the state's growing entrepreneurial community.   And HelpGrowCT continues to seek talent as it grows, actively seeking "energetic, self-driven community leaders who share our passion" and can apply their skills in journalism, event planning, advisory services, or community advocacy," according to the website.

Never too far from the surface is the drive to turn around Connecticut’s reputation as inhospitable to new businesses.  Says Sacchinelli, “After reading article after article about how Connecticut is a poor place to do business, we’re trying to build something that matters.”

https://youtu.be/tPIrcx3oEz8

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Early Childhood Education Earns Strong Support in Both Political Parties, Poll Finds

As the national political conventions get underway, advocates of early childhood education are pointing to the results of a new national poll to underscore widespread support that transcends political party. In the midst of a polarizing election cycle, 90 percent of voters – including 78 percent of Trump supporters and 97 percent of Clinton supporters – agree that Congress and the next president must make quality early childhood education more accessible and affordable to low- and middle-income families, according to the national survey.

The survey, conducted for the advocacy organization First Five Years, found that by a three-to-one margin, voters prefer the next president be someone who focuses on solutions to the country’s problems, and they’ve identified investment in early childhood education as an important solution.

Key voter groups want the federal government to help states and local communities improve access to quality early childhood education – incuding 85 percent of Hispanics, 79 percent of suburban women, 65 percent of moderate/liberal Republicans, and 58 percent of Republican women, according to the poll released by First Five Years Fund (FFYF).

“Early childhood education isn’t a partisan issue, and the poll demonstrates that Americans of all political stripes are united in their demands to make quality early childhood education more accessible and affordable,” said Kris Perry, Executive Director of the First Five Years Fund. “Candidates looking to connect with voters should be hearing loud and clear that Americans see a need for quality early learning, ranking it a top priority alongside education broadly and good-paying jobs.”

At Connecticut Voices for Children, a highly regarded research and advocacy organization in Connecticut, officials agreed that “early childhood is an issue where Democrats and Republicans can find common ground, where all candidates must devote time and attention, and ultimately where they should invest in the health and well-being of young children, families and the economy.”

In the national poll, over two-thirds of respondents believe children do not start kindergarten with the knowledge and skills they need, driven in part by a lack of affordable and successful early childhood education programs. Americans also want to rethink our education priorities, with the majority calling for more or equal investment in early education over college.

The poll also found that voters want America’s leaders to prioritize early education: 72 percent say that ages one to five are the most important for learning. In addition, a majority of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents want to invest in multiple education opportunities, including home visiting, early learning programs, and preschool services.

The poll was commissioned by the First Five Years Fund in conjunction with a bipartisan polling team of Public Opinion Strategies (R) and Hart Research (D). The sample was distributed proportionately throughout the country and is demographically representative of the electorate. 

According to First Five Years, “Early childhood education for low-income children is one of the best ways to promote upward mobility that pays off for individuals and society. Every child needs effective early childhood education and development from birth to age five; research shows that low-income children are the least likely to get it. Those who experience quality early care and learning have better education, health, social and economic outcomes in life-increasing their productivity and reducing the need for spending later on.”

Connecticut Voices for Children Executive Director Ellen Shemitz said the poll results indicate that there are potentially great rewards for leaders to work on this issue, and not many penalties.  In addition, the results show the public’s willingness to devote money to this issue, and that people are looking to their elected leaders to make these investments, Shemitz pointed out.

Regarding Connecticut’s efforts to encourage and support early childhood education, officials at Connecticut Voices point out that “while we do invest in early childhood care and education more than many states, there is room for improvement to ensure both program quality and program access for children and families who need high-quality programming.”

The Connecticut Office of Early Childhood, established in 2014, recently urged public schools to focus on the attendance of kindergarten students, citing the importance of early childhood education for later academic success.

The Office’s website indicated that “study after study confirms the value of high-quality early childhood education for developing the cognitive, social and emotional skills that children need to succeed in kindergarten. But unless children attend these programs on a regular basis, they are not likely to benefit fully.”

The site pointed out that “unless we pay attention to attendance even among young children, we are missing the opportunity to use early educational experiences to build an essential skill: showing up on time, every day to school. A growing body of research and practitioner experience shows that paying attention to attendance for our youngest children is essential.

According to the Early Childhood website, “studies have found that children who are chronically absent in preschool are five times more likely to miss more days of kindergarten. For the 2014-15 school year, 12 percent of CT’s kindergarteners were chronically absent, that is almost 550 kindergarteners who were regularly not in school. Additionally, children who are chronically absent in kindergarten and first grade are likely to have poor attendance 5 years later.”

Last month, Connecticut Early Childhood Commissioner Dr. Myra Jones-Taylor testified before the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, urging Congress to allocate additional federal dollars to states for implementing key policy changes, first approved in 2014, to child care programs.

The Commissioner testified that the focus on quality, continuity of care, and basic health and safety are long overdue – and that focus should be celebrated. She pointed out, however, that the challenge for Connecticut and many other states is that the changes significantly increase the annual cost of care per child.

LED Street Lights Being Installed in CT Towns Even As Health Concerns Are Raised

The American Medical Association’s new policy stand “against light pollution and public awareness of the adverse health and environmental effects of pervasive nighttime lighting,” comes as municipalities across Connecticut and the nation are replacing longstanding lighting systems with LED lights in an effort to save money and improve safety.  The AMA however, is warning that the rapid pace of change could bring long-term detrimental health and safety effects. The AMA has noted that “it is estimated that white LED lamps have five times greater impact on circadian sleep rhythms than conventional street lamps. Recent large surveys found that brighter residential nighttime lighting is associated with reduced sleep times, dissatisfaction with sleep quality, excessive sleepiness, impaired daytime functioning and obesity.”

The organization noted earlier this month that “approximately 10 percent of existing U.S. street lighting has been converted to solid state LED technology, with efforts underway to accelerate this conversion.” The AMA’s Report of the Council on Science and Public Health on “Human and Environmental Effects of Light Emitting Diode (LED) Community Lighting” cautioned that “white LED street lighting patterns also could contribute to the risk of chronic disease in the populations of cities in which they have been installed. Measurements at street level from white LED street lamps are needed to more accurately assess the potential circadian impact of evening/nighttime exposure to these lights.

The AMA recommendations were developed to “assist in advising communities on selecting among LED lighting options in order to minimize potentially harmful human health and environmental effects”:

• an intensity threshold for optimal LED lighting that minimizes blue-rich light
• all LED lighting should be properly shielded to minimize glare and detrimental human health and environmental effects,
• consideration should be given to utilize the ability of LED lighting to be dimmed for off-peak time periods.

The concerns are not new, but they are receiving greater attention in the wake of the AMA’s formal community guidance and policy position, adopted at the organization’s annual conference in Chicago in mid-June.

Communities in Connecticut that have taken steps to switch to LED lighting include New London, Berlin, Plainville, East Hartford, Rocky Hill, Stamford, Southington, and Cheshire, according to published reports.  An article authored by UConn professor of Community Medicine and Health Care Richard G. Stevens, highlights red flags being raised by the AMA regarding the safety of LED lighting being installed in cities around the country.  The article first appeared on an international website, theconversation.com, and has since appeared on sites including CNN.  Stevens, an expert on the health impact of electric lighting, has raised concerns for more than a decade.

The Illuminating Engineering Society, founded in 1906 and based in New York, noted in a position statement that “exposure to optical radiation affects human physiology and behavior, both directly (acute effects including melatonin suppression, elevated cortisol production, increased core temperature) and indirectly (resetting the internal circadian body clock). There is no confirmation that typical exposures to exterior lighting after sunset lead to cancer or other life‐threatening conditions.” The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) is described as “the recognized technical authority on illumination.” The IES website indicates that the organization was “not represented in the deliberations leading to [the AMA document]. We intend to contact the AMA and work with them to ensure that any lighting related recommendations include some discussion with the IES.”

ANSES, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety, has published a report entitled (in English): " Lighting systems using light-emitting diodes: health issues to be considered," which focuses squarely on potential problems caused by LED lighting.  The LEDs Magazine website indicates that the full report is available in French only, but the report summary (in English) says that risks have been identified concerning the use of certain LED lamps, raising potential health concerns for the general population and professionals.

"The issues of most concern identified by the Agency concern the eye due to the toxic effect of blue light and the risk of glare," says the report, adding that the blue light necessary to obtain white LEDs causes "toxic stress" to the retina.

Back in 2011, a comprehensive report by Carnegie Mellon University’s Remaking Cities Institute (RCI) on the city of Pittsburgh’s transition to LED street lighting indicated that “Glare is an issue with LED street lighting. The RCI research team’s literature review and interviews with manufacturers and municipal agencies in cities with LED replacement projects indicate that the emphasis is being placed almost entirely on energy savings, to the exclusion of visual quality issues. The substantial glare caused by LEDs is not typically included as a measurable criteria in evaluation processes, and when it is, the tools of measurement are inadequate. As a result, glare persists as an issue.”

That report also noted that “the public is informed that LEDs save energy told that they are better in quality (often false) and that more accurate in color (often false).” In addition, the 113-page report indicated that “While the use of bright lights is believed to reduce accidents, it actually creates dangerous conditions for drivers, especially when night vision is affected by sharp differences in illumination. Bright lights are particularly hazardous for older persons because the human eye’s accommodation reflex slows with age.”

Regarding health concerns that have been raised, the report indicates that “Bright white light suppresses melatonin, the hormone that regulates tumors. Blue light wavelengths are to blame, because they ‘reset’ the circadian clocks of humans, animals, and plants even at very low levels of blue light. This might account for the significantly higher rates (30-60%) of breast and colorectal cancer in night shift workers.”

Some have compared the growing controversy regarding LED lighting to the ongoing debate in towns around the country regarding the use of crumb rubber from recycled tires as fill for sports turf fields.  Federal, state, and municipal governments have weighed in on the discussion, but even as health concerns continue to be raised, fields using the materials continue to be installed and used by youth in Connecticut and across the country.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently launched a research project aimed at providing better answers on that safety question.

Former UConn QB Cochran Says Football Puts Players in Harm’s Way, Urges End to "Cycle of Silence"

Former UConn quarterback Casey Cochran, who retired from the sport at age 20 after suffering his 13^th concussion, said this week that “There are problems with the game that need to be addressed. As it is played right now, tackle football — with its pads and helmets — puts players in harm’s way, all of the time, regardless of age and ability.” Cochran, writing a first-person story about his experiences with football and concussions in The Players’ Tribune, an online site founded by Derek Jeter, issued an alert to others who’ve journeyed through the sport, or continue to compete:

“I want to say to all former, current and future athletes who have or will suffer a concussion: Do not hide it. Tell your coaches, medical staff, parents, friends and teammates. Get treatment. The cycle of silence hurts more and more people each year.”

Cochran, from Monroe, explained that in the 18 months since his decision, after suffering a concussion on the last play of the first game of UConn’s 2014 season, against Brigham Young University, “I still feel the lingering effects from my many concussions. Life is a balancing act now. Some days it’s hard to wake up before noon. Sometimes I don’t want to leave my bed at all. In high school, I had a 3.9 GPA. Now I have trouble focusing and performing well in my graduate-school classes.”

He warned that “Those who play football, particularly those who begin in their youth, are given a glamorized version of the sport – one where camaraderie, discipline, toughness and leadership are highlighted and the wretchedness is ignored and swept under the rug. As a result, we fall in love with and value the good and push aside the bad.”

Cochran recalled that “I probably should have stopped playing football in eighth grade after my third concussion, but I was afraid to speak up. Afraid of disappointing people who had invested in my career. Afraid of who was I was without football. I wish I hadn’t hid the three concussions I had in one week during my junior year of high school, but I was afraid that college recruiters would find out.”

Even with increasing awareness of the risks of concussions, Cochran said the near and long-term effects haven’t led to enough changes.  “The only word I know to describe the first few moments after a concussion is limbo — there are a few moments between the world that you were just a part of and your new brain-injured reality,” Cochran explained.  “My head was seized with tremendous pressure, and that same awful, familiar depression from previous head injuries came over me — like a dark, heavy blanket, swallowing me up.”

With it all, he retains optimism: “There is life outside of the white lines. A lot of life. Stepping away from football was one of the scariest things I’ve ever had to do. I felt lost for a long time. For a little over a year, I felt like I was somewhere, deep in the ocean, being pulled by the currents. But what pulled me back from the depths was hope. Hope that things would get better.”

He now finds purpose in being an advocate for player safety, speaking to audiences, doing interviews and writing a book about his experiences.  To those going through what he did, during his 14 years of playing football, he says “If you feel alone, you aren’t. Chances are, there are a lot of people out there who have some idea of what you’re going through. Just keep looking. Reach out.”

Added Cochran: “Sometimes it’s nice to admit that things aren’t O.K.: ‘Hello, my name is Casey, and I have anxiety and depression.’ It may be permanent. It may be just the beginning. I don’t know what the future has in store for me and it will be some time before the medical field can paint a clearer picture for me. I may have CTE right now. I might have dementia at 50. My entire future is uncertain.”

Best Bargain for Retirees? Waterbury Ranks 10th in the USA

Headed towards retirement?  Keep Waterbury in mind.  A new ranking of the best bargains for retirees has the Brass City holding down the final slot on the top ten list.  The list, developed by the website GO Banking Rates and running on the CBS Moneywatch website, ranks Waterbury as the 10^th best town in the country for retirees. The site said of Waterbury: “Waterbury is in New Haven County on the Naugatuck River, close to Hartford and New York City. Waterbury has a colonial history with historic houses, and the downtown is clean and has many trees. You will find art and cultural events, and great health care facilities.”

A 2015 report by the Government Accountability Office found that about half of households led by people ages 55 and older have no retirement savings at all. Among households with retirement savings, the median amount of those savings is just $104,000 for households ages 55-64, and $148,000 for households ages 65-74. Such modest savings make it difficult to keep up with expenses during retirement. Americans 65 years of age or older average nearly $44,686 in annual expenses, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

And Waterbury, apparently, can make those dollars go further.  The GOBankingRates website ranking considered several local factors, including:

• Housing — rental prices for a one-bedroom apartment, rounded to nearest dollar.
• Percentage of retirees — in the local population as of April 1, 2010.
• Walkability — scores ranging from 25 for Montgomery, Ala., to 65 for Allentown, Pa.
• Safety factors — scores ranging from 6 for Rochester, N.Y., and Louisville, Ky., to 30 for Boise, Idaho.

Each city was given a weighting for each of the criterion and was ranked based on the overall score.  The top 20:

1. Boise, Idaho
2. El Paso, Texas
3. Allentown, PA
4. Grand Rapids, MI
5. Champaign, IL
6. Charlottesville, VA
7. Lincoln, NE
8. Bloomington, IN
9. Cedar Rapids, IA
10. Waterbury, CT
11. Colorado Springs, CO
12. Missoula, MT
13. Rochester, NY
14. Greensboro, NC
15. Fort Worth, TX
16. Billings, MT
17. Phoenix, AZ
18. Lexington, KY
19. Omaha, NB
20. Columbus, OH

The City of Waterbury’s website highlights “the sense of neighborhood identity and pride is so important that Waterbury has some of the most active neighborhood associations in the state.”  The site explains that “their efforts focus on protecting the small-town character and livability of their communities as they plan neighborhood block parties, concerts and beautification projects.  And with over twenty distinct and diverse neighborhoods-- many with their own commercial center, park, school, and sports associations-- there is truly a place for everyone in Waterbury.  These well-preserved and diverse neighborhoods are often recognized as one of the city's greatest assets.”

The original settlement of Waterbury – the 9^th largest city in New England - dates back to 1674 and the city's name is reference to its proximity to the Naugatuck River and its many tributaries which flow through the heart of the city.

https://youtu.be/4MZDO2vFPjA

Connecticut to Join The Boston Fed's "Working Cities Challenge" to Help Communities Improve Economic Outcomes

Connecticut will be the latest state participating in the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s Working Cities Challenge competition, an economic development effort that builds cross-sector collaboration and leadership to solve challenges affecting urban communities. Businesses and organizations from the private sector throughout the state, along with state government, have played a significant role as a catalyst in bringing the Working Cities Challenge to the Land of Steady Habits. As part of this initiative, cities in Connecticut will have the ability to apply for competitive funding to be used toward addressing local issues in a sector of their choosing, be it education, workforce development, small business development, or other areas that can improve economic outcomes for residents. This summer, the Boston Fed will begin conducting meetings across Connecticut to provide more information about the Working Cities Challenge. Cities will be able to apply for design grants in the fall of 2016.

The Boston Fed will lead the competition, providing technical support and staff resources.  A steering committee composed of local and national partners will determine the cities in Connecticut that will be eligible to apply.  An independent, expert jury that does not include the Boston Fed will select winning cities.

The Boston Fed launched the program in Massachusetts in 2013, building on research that identified cross-sector collaboration and leadership as the key ingredients in resurgent smaller cities across the county. The State of Rhode Island has also joined Massachusetts as a participating site of the Working Cities Challenge.

Funding for the competition prize awards will be provided both by the State of Connecticut, which has committed $1 million, and an additional $2 million commitment from private partners.  The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, Living Cities, NeighborWorks America, The United Illuminating Company, Stanley Black & Decker, Boehringer Ingelheim, Travelers Companies, Inc., The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, Webster Bank, Eversource Energy, Liberty Bank Foundation, Hartford HealthCare, Barnes Group, Hoffman BMW of Watertown/Hoffman Auto Group, United Technologies Corp., Charter Communications, and Fairfield County’s Community Foundation have all committed to participating in the challenge.

“This Working Cities Challenge is about delivering collaborative, transformative projects that will improve the economic outcomes in our cities, creating strong, resilient, and inclusive communities,” Governor Malloy said.  “To build a stronger Connecticut, we must build upon the strengths of our urban areas, and I commend the Boston Fed for their leadership on this effort.  We look forward to working with them in support of Connecticut and cannot thank our private partners enough for their participation.”

“We are pleased to bring the Working Cities Challenge to Connecticut and are thankful to Governor Malloy for his support of the effort, as well as the Hartford Foundation, the Doris Duke Foundation, Living Cities, The Kresge Foundation, and many others,” Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren said.  “The partners have come together to make it possible to bring the competition to Connecticut – precisely the model of cross-sector collaboration that forms the basis of the Working Cities Challenge.  This competition focuses on the residents of the state’s postindustrial cities – places with unique assets that taken together can help to build civic leadership infrastructure, which our research shows is a key component of economic resurgence.”

“Collaboration among the nonprofit, private, public and philanthropic sectors and residents is fundamental to ensuring our communities thrive,” Linda J. Kelly, President of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, said.  “We are proud to support the Working Cities Challenge as a proven approach for the coordination across multiple systems and stakeholders that is necessary to strengthen our urban centers and benefit the entire state.”

 “It’s gratifying to see the strong support from Connecticut companies, foundations, and the Malloy administration for the Working Cities Challenge under the thoughtful  leadership of the Boston Fed,”  James C. Smith, Chairman and CEO of Webster Bank, said.  “By encouraging the development of civic infrastructure as a prerequisite to physical infrastructure, the Working Cities Challenge promises to revitalize Connecticut’s smaller cities economically and transform the lives of inner city residents.”

“Across the country many, many communities lack cohesive leadership to make use of their disconnected assets,” Rip Rapson, President and CEO of The Kresge Foundation, said.  “The Working Cities Challenge offers a short-term incentive for smaller communities to come together for a prize.  But its true value will be felt when those communities find the long-term benefits of collaborations that engage citizens to right economic wrongs and provide for widespread opportunity.”

 Working Cities video

Encore Entrepreneurs Look to Start New Businesses in CT

To paraphrase a commercial phrase from years ago, it isn’t your grandfather’s entrepreneurship.  In fact, the new version isn’t only for twenty- and thirty-somethings.  The fifty- and sixty-somethings are, in increasing numbers, looking to launch what AARP describes as “encore entrepreneurship.”  And the infrastructure to give those new entrepreneurial notions a boost is growing too, including in Connecticut. The most recent gathering, at the reSET business factory in Hartford, brought solid attendance and an array of experts to work with individuals with a full career under their belt, but nonetheless looking to start their next career. 

AARP and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) hosted the free educational and networking “Boot Camp” seminar for Connecticut entrepreneurs and small business owners.  reSET, usually populated by a predominantly younger set of entrepreneurs, indicated that age and entrepreneurship are not mutually exclusive, and Community Developer Brandon Serafino went on to explain the availability of working space, expert mentors and consultants is areas ranging from law to accounting to marketing on hand to provide guidance.

Nora Duncan, state director of AARP, led the program presentations and described a strong portfolio of services available – and some surprising numbers that reflect the strength of encore entrepreneurship nationwide.

It turns out, she said, that there is research to show that not only do more older people start businesses but also that businesses started by older people are actually more successful on average.

A study by the Kauffman Foundation found, for example, that the average and median age of U.S.-born tech founders was thirty-nine when they started their companies. Twice as many were older than fifty as were younger than twenty-five.

A recent report in Business Insider indicated that one in three new businesses in the U.S. were started by an entrepreneur age 50 or older.  Describing “running a business as the new retirement,” the news report cited an infographic in easylifecover that highlighted those aged 55-64 in the U.S. have actually had the highest rate of entrepreneurial activity in the last 10 years, noting that the founders of McDonald's, Coca Cola, and Kentucky Fried Chicken – among others - were all over 50 when they established their businesses.

The interactive “Boot Camp” event at reSET – open to people of all ages with a special focus on the 50 and over –included short presentations from local resource organizations, networking opportunities and valuable information on the programs and tools available to potential business owners.  Attendees were updated on the necessary steps and tools to launch a business, and had opportunities to talk one-on-one with local mentoring organizations, lenders, small business advisors and community leaders for advice and assistance.

AARP state offices and U.S. Small Business Administration District Offices are in the midst of hosting events for Encore Entrepreneurs specifically designed for those age 50 and older who want to start or grow a small business.  Summer of Encore Mentoring events are being conducted during June, July and August, in Connecticut and around the country.  (Next event is June 29 at CCSU)

Among those on hand at the reSET event in mid-June were representatives of the Office of Secretary of State (where new businesses are registered), Hartford Economic Development Corporation, and the Connecticut Small Business Development Center.  SBA Connecticut District Director Anne Hunt outlined the businesses expertise available at offices throughout the state to support business start-ups and help navigate the hurdles that new businesses face.

The SBA-AARP strategic partnership is designed to jointly counsel, train, and mentor encore entrepreneurs on small business creation. For many 50+ individuals, officials say, entrepreneurship training is the toolkit that empowers them to use their experience, knowledge, and skills to become business owners and job creators. Since the partnership began in 2012, the SBA and AARP have educated more than 300,000 existing and budding potential encore entrepreneurs nationwide.

reSET serves all entrepreneurs, but specializes in social enterprise ― impact driven business with a double and sometimes triple bottom line. In addition to providing co-working space and accelerator and mentoring programs, reSET aims to inspire innovation and community collaboration, and to support entrepreneurs in creating market-based solutions to community challenges. The organization’s goal is to “meet entrepreneurs wherever they are in their trajectory and to help them take their businesses to the next level.”