Agencies, Organizations to be Honored for Efforts Advancing Local Downtowns

A high school AP economics class that engages students in proactive land-use planning, the owners of a downtown Segway tour company that let the community help name their new business, and the state’s Department of Transportation are among the organizations and initiatives chosen to receive a 2015 Award of Excellence from the Connecticut Main Street Center (CMSC). Seven recipients were selected for the prestigious award, representing initiatives in Mansfield, New London, Putnam, Simsbury, Waterbury, and Upper Albany in Hartford.

The other winning entries included a First Fridays series that draws thousands of visitors with its hands-on arts and cultural events; a massive, multi-cultural downtown gathering of dozens of ethnic groups to celebrate a common community pride; a multi-year, multi-million dollar public/private partnership to design and build a brand-new town center; and a local merchant who remains committed to the neighborhood and the state despite becoming an international success.

For the first time in the history of the awards program, a state agency was also selected to receive an award. The CT Department of Transportation received a special award for Starting a Revolution: Integration of Land Use and Transit in recognition of the progressive nature of CTfastrak, the bus rapid transit system opened earlier this year. The awards jury that selected the winners gave the award because they felt the new busway represents a cultural shift in how Connecticut views transit, and wanted to acknowledge the future promise of transit oriented development that will hopefully result around the station locations.

The Connecticut Main Street Awards annually celebrate and communicate the most successful and innovative efforts in Main Street revitalization in Connecticut. A jury comprised of industry-related professionals and CMSC staff judged the submissions on criteria that included innovation, replication, representation, partnerships utilized, and outcomes.

"Our members continue to impress us with how they support, encourage and implement new ideas from the ground up," said CMSC President & CEO John Simone. "They're constantly forming partnerships with new groups, working to sustain local merchants, and tirelessly promoting how wonderful our downtowns and Main Streets are. We're proud of their efforts and excited to share their achievements with everyone else."

The awards will be presented at the 2015 Connecticut Main Street Awards Gala on June 8th at Trinity-on-Main in downtown New Britain. This year's event will feature guided tours of downtown New Britain, including a Downtown Arts, Heritage & Culture tour, a tour of Walnut Hill Rose Garden & New Britain Museum of American Art, and a tour of CTfastrak in New Britain: Transportation, Housing & Main Street.

The full list of 2015 Awards of Excellence winners:

2015 Connecticut Main Street Awards of Excellence                 

Main Street Partnership

▪   Simsbury High School AP Economics Course, to Simsbury Main Street Partnership and Simsbury High School.

Planning

▪   Step by Step: Building a Downtown from Scratch (Storrs Center), to Mansfield Downtown Partnership, the Town of Mansfield, UConn, LeylandAlliance and the Citizens of Mansfield. (photo, above right)

Events & Programming  (Sponsored by Webster Bank)

▪    The Gathering (Downtown Waterbury), to the City of Waterbury, the Waterbury Observer, and Main Street Waterbury.

Award of Merit for Events & Programming

▪   First Fridays (Downtown Putnam), to the Town of Putnam, Putnam Business Association, and the Putnam Arts Council.

Business Owner of the Year

▪   Dawn & Kristin Harkness / Wheeling City Tours (New London), Submitted by New London Main Street.

2015 Main Street Pioneer: Outstanding Commitment to The Avenue  (Sponsored by Webster Bank)

▪    Vivian Akuoko / Evay Cosmetics (Upper Albany Avenue, Hartford), Submitted by Upper Albany Main Street.

Starting a Revolution: Integration of Land Use and Transit

▪   CTfastrak, to the State of Connecticut Department of Transportation and the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG).

The Connecticut Main Street Awards of Excellence were created in 2003 to recognize outstanding projects, individuals and partnerships in community efforts to bring traditional downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts back to life, socially and economically.  In recent years, the Awards Gala has been held in New Haven, Hartford, Manchester, Torrington and Bridgeport.

CT Ranks #21 for Working Women, New Analysis Finds

Connecticut ranks 21^st in the nation for working women seeking to balance the various aspects of work and family life, according to a new analysis by the Institute of Women’s Policy Research. The top five:  New York, California, D.C., New Jersey and Rhode Island. The bottom five:  Indiana, Utah, Montana, Mississippi and Wyoming. Women make up almost half of the workforce, according to the report, which notes that “few families have someone who can stay at home to take care of health emergencies, pick children up from school and supervise homework, or take an elderly parent to a doctor’s appointment.”  In half of all families with children, women are the primary or co-breadwinner, the report indicates, and low-income families are particularly likely to have all parents in the labor force.

“Yet, as mothers’ labor force participation has dramatically increased in the past decades (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2014) and the number of women and men aged 50 and older who provide care for a parent has tripled during the last 15 years (MetLife 2011), the development of an infrastructure to support workers with family caregiving responsibilities has been largely neglected," the report stresses.

The work and family composite compares states’ performance across three components of work-family policy—paid leave, dependent and elder care, and child care—and a fourth component, the gender gap in the labor force participation of parents of children under six, an indicator that highlights gender inequality in family care of young children.

Connecticut received an overall “C” grade in the analysis of work and family issues; no state received a grade higher than B.  In breaking down the rankings, Connecticut ranked 5th in paid leave legislation, 27th in Elder and Dependent Care, 34th in Child Care, and 12th in the Gender Gap in Parents’ Labor Force Participation Rates.  The report indicated that 11.6 percent of women in Connecticut have a person with a disability in their household.

The analysis pointed out that nationally “many workers lack access to even the most basic supports such as earned sick days and job-protected paid parental leave. Quality child care is also out of reach for many families because it is not affordable. Women are the large majority of family caregivers, and in the absence of reliable family supports, too many women are forced to make difficult decisions between keeping their jobs and caring for their family members.”

New York, California, and the District of Columbia have the highest scores on the work and family composite index, which reflects, in part, high rankings on paid leave. None of the highest ranking states, however, consistently ranks in the top ten states for each of the four component indices, the analysis indicates.

The large majority of mothers are in the workforce, according to the data cited in the report, including 62 percent of mothers who gave birth within the last 12 months (U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau 2015). The report indicates that Connecticut has 392,974 “breadwinner mothers in households with children under 18,” using 2013 data, ranking the state 25^th in the nation at 29 percent.

The Work & Family index was one chapter in a larger report card developed by the Institute of Women’s Policy Research, in their Status of Women in the States report.  Connecticut’s ranking was lowest in the Work & Family analysis.  The state ranked as high as 4^th in Poverty & Opportunity, 5^th in Employment & Earnings, 6^th in Reproductive Rights, 7^th in Health & Well-Being, 12^th in Political Participation, in addition to ranking 21^st in Work & Family.  Overall, Connecticut ranked 5^th when all the areas researched were considered.

The Institute for Women’s Policy Research conducts rigorous research and disseminates its findings to address the needs of women, promote public dialogue, and strengthen families, communities, and societies.  Among the partners in the study in Connecticut were the General Assembly's Permanent Commission on the Status of Women and Fairfield County's Community Foundation Fund for Women & Girls.

Stamford Population Grows as Most Cities See Drop in Past Year

The growth in Connecticut’s population in recent years is largest in Stamford and across Fairfield County, and Stamford is gaining on New Haven, the state’s second largest city.  The U.S. Census Bureau has reported the municipalities in Connecticut that have experienced the largest increases in population last year, and over the past four years, revealing population declines in most of the state's largest cities during the past year. The municipality gaining the most people in Connecticut between July 1, 2013 and July 1, 2014, was Stamford, whose population rose by 1,590 over the period.  Stamford was followed by Stratford, with a population increase of 502, Darien (310), Fairfield (230) and East Lyme (222). Between 2013 and 2014, Bridgeport, New Haven, Hartford, Waterbury, Danbury, New Britain, Bristol, and Meriden  lost population while Stamford and Norwalk  experienced growth, among the state's largest cities.

The estimated population in Stamford, the 208th largest city in the U.S., grew from 122,815 as of July 1, 2010 to 128,278 in 2014.  Bridgeport, ranked number 175 in the nation by population and Connecticut’s largest city, grew from an estimated 144,845 in 2010 to 147,612 in 2014, which was a slight drop of 174 residents, from 147,786 in 2013, according to the census estimate data.

Over the past four years, population also grew in Hartford, New Haven, Stamford, Danbury and Norwalk, but declined in some of the state’s other large municipalities, including Waterbury, New Britain, Meriden and West Haven.

In New Haven, the 198^th largest city in the nation, the population increased from 129,890 in 2010 to 130,282 in 2014.  Connecticut’s Capitol City and the state’s 4^th largest, Hartford, saw population grow narrowly from 124,314 in 2010 to 124,705 last year.  Hartford’s population is now ranked #218 in the nation.

As New Haven gained 392 residents during the past four years, Stamford gained 5,463, which narrowed the gap between the two cities to 2,004.  Just four years ago, the population differential was 7,075.  Stamford passed Hartford to rank as the state’s third largest city three years ago.

Waterbury saw a population decline over the past four years, from 110,331 to 109,307.  The Brass City is the nation’s 260^th most populous city.  Norwalk, the nation’s 355^th largest city, saw population growth from 85,992 to 88,145 over the past four years, while Danbury, ranked number 388, experienced an increase in population, from 81,354 in 2010 to 83,784 in 2014.

New Britain, ranked number 469, also experienced a decline in population, from 73,240 to 72,878, according to the census data, while Bristol (number 591) saw a slight uptick of just under 100 residents, from 60,477 to a 60,570.  Meriden (number 597) saw population slip from 60,868 to 60,293.  West Haven, the 677^th most populous city in the nation, also experienced a drop in populations, from 55,565 to 54,905.

The population estimates are based on annual population estimates since the 2010 Census and the data  includes annual estimates each July 1, through July 1, 2014.

San Jose, Calif., is now among the 10 U.S. cities with a population of 1 million or more, according to the new U.S. Census estimates.  California has three cities with 1 million or more people (Los Angeles, San Diego and San Jose), tying Texas (Houston, San Antonio and Dallas) for the lead among states.

New York remained the nation’s most populous city and gained 52,700 people during the year ending July 1, 2014, more than any other U.S. city.  Rounding out the top ten were Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas and San Jose.  The other top 20 cities are Austin, Jacksonville, San Francisco, Indianapolis, Columbus, Fort Worth, Charlotte, Detroit, El Paso and Seattle.

The only change in the rank order of the 15 most populous cities between 2013 and 2014 was Jacksonville, Fla., and San Francisco, each moving up one spot to 12th and 13th place, respectively, passing Indianapolis, which fell from 12th to 14th.

For the first time since Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, New Orleans (384,320) returns to the list of the 50 most-populous cities this year at number 50, with Arlington, Texas, dropping off the list.

Connecticut’s is the nation’s 29^th most populous state, with the population in 2014 estimated by the U.S. Census at 3,596,677, an increase from 3,574,096 in 2010.  However, the state's population  last year was less than the previous year (3,599,341 in 2013), down by 2,664 statewide, according to the U.S. Census data.

Pedals for Progress Sends Bicycles Overseas to Boost Opportunity, Improve Economic Conditions

Area residents with an adult or child’s bicycle in repairable condition are urged to consider a donation to Pedals for Progress (P4P) in West Granby this weekend.  The national organization rescues bicycles destined for overburdened U.S. landfills and ships them to developing countries where they are sorely needed and highly valued. Last year, bike collections were sponsored by approximately 41 community partners in six states, including Connecticut. P4P bikes are put to work not only as basic transportation, but are used as a supplement to school and community programs. The bikes are adapted for use as trash haulers, produce trucks, taxis, and farm machinery.

With overseas partners, the bicycles take on an even greater significance – to keep the bikes working, maintenance is necessary. Children and adults are trained in bicycle maintenance and repair, and the bicycles are sold within the community, fostering the development of a local economy. If a person would like to have a bicycle but cannot pay for it, that person has to work for the shop (and learn a new skill) in order to cover the cost of the bicycle.

P4P also arranges for the bicycle shops to have a supply of tools, parts, accessories, and lubricants for maintaining the bikes. With Pedals for Progress, a bicycle becomes a valuable commodity for trade, employment, transportation, local government – the list goes on.

Sponsored by Jackie Rubell Johnson with support from Holcomb Farm, bikes can be dropped off from 12 noon to 3 PM on Saturday May 23, 2015, rain or shine at Holcomb Farm, 113 Simsbury Road, in West Granby. [“Bikes for parts” or disassembled bikes are not accepted.] It costs $40 to collect, process, ship, rebuild and distribute each bicycle. A donation toward shipping costs is necessary.  Organizers ask for a minimum $10 donation with each bike or sewing machine to help cover the cost of shipping. Receipts are offered for value of donation including cash.

P4P collects 5,000 to 7,000 bicycles annually and transfers this material wealth to those in need. To date, more than 140,000 have been shipped to developing countries in Latin America, Africa and Eastern Europe.  Last year, the bicycles were donated to recipients in Nicaragua, Guatemala, Albania, Moldova, and Madagascar. 

In these countries the bikes are reconditioned by partner agencies and distributed at low cost to poor working adults. These bikes provide reliable transportation for commuting to work, transporting product to market, or accessing health care and other services. Steady employment for is vital to the development and success of these economies.

In 2014, Pedals for Progress shipped a total of 3,634 bicycles, 274 sewing machines, and approximately $360,000 in bicycle parts and accessories, to seven nonprofit agency partners in seven developing countries. That brought the cumulative donations shipped in the last 24 years, since the organization’s inception in 1991, to 142,437 bicycles, 2,860 sewing machines, and over $12 million in parts and accessories donated to 38 countries.

Among the organizations providing support are the Clif Bar Family Foundation, FedEx and Thulé.   Connecticut organizations that participated in collecting bicycles in 2014, in addition to Jackie Rubell Johnson with support from Holcomb Farm in West Granby, include Newtown Rotary Club, Old Greenwich Presbyterian Church, and the Wilton High School Spanish Honor Society.

The organization also accepts working portable sewing machines and P4P seeks donations of wrenches for their overseas shops. All cash and material donations are fully deductible and a receipt will be available at the collection site.

Pedals for Progress is a 501 © (3) corporation and a registered charity in the states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Iowa and Connecticut.  More information about the organization is available at  www.p4p.org; for information about the May 23 pick-up in West Granby, call 860 653 7758.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0qfStNmS6k&feature=youtu.be

Percentage of Christians in America, Catholics in Connecticut Drops, New Study Finds

The Christian share of the U.S. population is declining, while the number of U.S. adults who do not identify with any organized religion is growing nationwide, according to an extensive new survey by the Pew Research Center.  The drop in the percentage of Catholic residents in Connecticut was the largest among the states, according to the Pew research data, while the percentage of unaffiliated remained steady. In Connecticut, 33 percent of residents are Catholic, 17 percent are Mainline Protestant, 13 percent are Evangelical Protestant, 5 percent area historically Black Protestant, and 3 percent are Jewish.  About one percent of the population in Connecticut are Buddhist, approximately the same percentage as Hindu, Muslim and Mormon, according to the Pew survey, based on 2014 data.   The survey indicated that 23 percent are unaffiliated with a religion.

While the drop in Christian affiliation is particularly pronounced among young adults nationwide, it is occurring among Americans of all ages. The same trends are seen among whites, blacks and Latinos; among both college graduates and adults with only a high school education; and among women as well as men, according to the Pew data.

The major new survey of more than 35,000 Americans by the Pew Research Center finds that the percentage of adults (ages 18 and older) who describe themselves as Christians has dropped by nearly eight percentage points in just seven years, from 78.4 percent in a similarly sized national Pew Research survey in 2007 to 70.6 percent in 2014.

Over the same period, the percentage of Americans who are religiously unaffiliated – describing themselves as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” – has jumped more than six points, from 16.1 percent to 22.8 percent. And the share of Americans who identify with non-Christian faiths also has inched up, rising 1.2 percentage points, from 4.7 percent in 2007 to 5.9 percent in 2014.

In Connecticut, the percentage of Catholics dropped from 43 percent in 2007 to 33 percent in 2014. The 10 percentage point drop among Catholics in Connecticut was the largest in the nation.  Massachusetts saw a nine point drop between 2007 and 2014, from 43 percent to 34 percent of that state’s population.

The percentage of Mainline Protestants (13% to 17%), Evangelical Protestants (9% to 13%), historically Black Protestant (4% to 5%), and Jewish residents (1% to 3%), all increased in Connecticut between 2007 and 2014.  For the first time, the percentage of Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu residents each reached one percent in the 2014 survey.  The percentage of unaffiliated was relatively constant in Connecticut, increasing from 22 percent in 2007 to 23 percent in 2014, as the national percentage grew from 16 percent to 23 percent, matching the Connecticut percentage.

Even as their numbers decline, American Christians – like the U.S. population as a whole – are becoming more racially and ethnically diverse.  Religious intermarriage also appears to be on the rise: Among Americans who have gotten married since 2010, nearly four-in-ten (39%) report that they are in religiously mixed marriages, compared with 19% among those who got married before 1960, the Pew analysis pointed out.

Because the U.S. census does not ask Americans about their religion, there are no official government statistics on the religious composition of the U.S. public, Pew noted. The most recent Religious Landscape Study was designed to obtain a minimum of 300 interviews with respondents in each state and the District of Columbia.

National Voting Begins as Three Local Community Programs Try to Win $25,000 Grants

Three Connecticut-based “causes” are among 200 across the nation currently vying for one of 40 grants of $25,000 to be awarded by State Farm, with voting now open to the public via Facebook. Regional Youth Adult Social Action Partnership in Bridgeport, Northwest CT YMCA: Winchester Youth Service Bureau, and Charter Oak Cultural Center in Hartford – BOTS Pots initiative are the three organizations whose programs are in the running for the grants.   Individuals may vote up to 10 times each day from May 14 through June 3.  The Top 40 winners will be announced on June 16.

The State Farm Neighborhood Assist began in 2012, and the annual program has three phases. First, Facebook users submit causes that they think deserve a $25,000 grant. Next, the State Farm® Youth Advisory Board narrows down the submissions to the top 200. Finally, Facebook users vote to select the top 40. Voting opened this week at https://apps.facebook.com/sf_neighbor_assist/  The Facebook site includes a “leaderboard” indicating the top ranked programs based on public voting.

Details of the three Connecticut programs, as featured on the State Farm website:

Charter Oak Cultural Center in Hartford – BOTS Pots initiative

BOTS Pots-- named for Beat of the Street, Charter Oak Cultural Center’s “street” newspaper written by individuals experiencing homelessness and their allies-- places large potted organic vegetable plants throughout the City of Hartford. Individuals who are experiencing homelessness are hired and trained to tend the pots and the vegetables are provided for free to anyone in need, addressing hunger in Hartford. In addition, local artists volunteer to transform the pots into public art.

As far as we know, the program is the only one of its kind in the country, although the model has been sought out by other cities asking how they can bring it into their communities. BOTS Pots brings food, jobs and art to Hartford and provides much-needed work experience and a resume line item for individuals experiencing homelessness. Charter Oak Cultural Center hires, fully trains and compensates members of the homeless community to tend the pots, providing much-needed work experience and a resume line item. Because of the cycle of homelessness, members of this community often have a great deal of difficulty in obtaining job experience, another key job requirement for future work. The compensation they receive for their work tending BOTS Pots, in the form of gift cards, allows them to purchase food, clothing suitable for a job interview and other necessities to help them move to the next level of independence.

Regional Youth Adult Social Action Partnership in Bridgeport

The mission is to keep teens safe and healthy from the dangers of alcohol by empowering them to become positive change agents.  Community need this cause addresses:  Alcohol is the most commonly used drug among teens. Almost half of young people have gone to at least 1 drinking party during the year. Making alcohol less accessible is a prevention strategy that works! It is important that alcohol is kept out of the hands of people who are under 21. In Connecticut, on average youth pick up their first drink before their 12th birthday. Consider that- they take those first sips even before most begin middle school?! If youth pick up a drink before age 15, they are 4 times more likely to have alcohol dependency issues later in life. As teens get older, alcohol puts them at risk of other dangerous situations. By their senior year, 35 percent of high school students say they have been drink at least once in the past 2 weeks.

Northwest CT YMCA: Winchester Youth Service Bureau

The mission is to create future leaders by fostering independence, confidence, and build self-esteem in at-risk youth in our community. In Winchester, there is a need to support secondary school students. At this age, there is a significant rise in the amount of severe disciplinary offenses; this includes reports of substance use, assault, weapon, and inappropriate sexual behavior. The graduation rate is average. However due to the vast low SES population in the area, of the students who graduate, only 78% of students go onto higher education. This is 8.8% below the average and consequently the students are 11.6% more likely to go from high school to the work force. The hope is to create programs to support this age group; currently there are no positive youth programs that can guide them to having a positive adolescent experience. In this program, students will be able to build independence, confidence, and self-esteem through team-building, service projects, and positive social activities. Students will be given the knowledge to help them shape their own futures and foster their personal, academic, and social growth.

CT Among Worst States For Business, Chief Executive Survey Says

Connecticut dropped one slot closer to the bottom of the list in this year’s Best & Worst States for Business, ranked by Chief Executive magazine’s survey of more than 500 CEOs nationwide.  The state was ranked 45^th this year, down from #44 a year ago. Connecticut’s Northeast neighbors were mostly in the same neighborhood on the rankings list, with New York (#49), New Jersey (#47), and Massachusetts (#46) also in the bottom ten, along with Vermont, ranked #41.  In the middle of the pack, Maine was ranked #30 and New Hampshire was #21.

According to Chief Executive, which is published in Greenwich, the results of the 11th annual survey show that CEOs favor states with progressive business development programs, low taxes and a quality living environment.  States are measured across three key categories to achieve their overall ranking: Taxes and regulations, quality of the workforce, and living environment, which includes such considerations as quality of education, cost of living, affordable housing, social amenities and crime rates.

The top ranked states were Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Nevada and Arizona.  Texas and Florida were also ranked one-two last year.  Texas has topped the list for a decade.  Tennessee and North Carolina traded places from a year ago. 

Among the CEO comments highlighted by the publication:  “A difficult tax structure like the ones in New York or Connecticut makes incentive-giving easy, but penalizes existing businesses. The climate for coming is better than the climate for staying.”

Of a maximum five stars in the CEO ratings, Connecticut received 1.5 for Taxation and Regulations, 3.0 for Workforce Quality and 3.0 for Living Environment.  The data used in determining the states' rankings included state GDP for 2013 vs. 2012, the unemployment rate in December 2014, state debt per capita in 2013, and state-local tax burden.  Key companies in the state highlighted by the website reporting of the survey include General Electric Company, Xerox Company, Aetna Corporation, The Hartford, and Stanley Black & Decker.

Indiana ranked first in the Midwest and sixth nationwide as the best place to do business. It was the only Midwestern state ranked in the top 10.  Among neighboring states, Kentucky ranked 28th, Ohio ranked 22nd, Michigan ranked 43rd and Illinois ranked 49th.  Among the largest moves up the list were Idaho (from #28 to #18), Pennsylvania (from #42 to #35), Iowa (from #19 to #13) and Maine (#36 to #30).

Chief Executive magazine is a bi-monthly publication for top management executives published by the Chief Executive Group LLC., founded in 1977, and headquartered in Greenwich.  According to the publication, state governments use the survey results to help determine how to improve their regulatory environments to attract more businesses, while corporations use the data to decide where to build facilities and attract vibrant workforces.

Last fall, Connecticut economic development officials and leading companies were featured in videos touting the state's efforts to attract and retain businesses.

https://youtu.be/sqNs8aaWpd0

https://youtu.be/CmDCxvRIC3I

Aging Issues in CT Highlighted for White House Conference

When the White House Conference on Aging is held later this year, there will be no shortage of anecdotal stories accompanied by demographic information, comprehensive reports and recommendations, and a treasure-trove of data emanating from Connecticut, with the nation's 7th oldest population.  Officials received a preview this week at a public hearing that included these sit-up-and-take-notice items:

• Connecticut is undergoing a “permanent and historic transformation” in its demographics
• Between 2010 and 2040, Connecticut’s population of people age 65 and older is projected to grow by 57%, with less than 2% growth for people age 20 to 64 during the same period
• Residents born in Connecticut today can expect to live to be 80.8 years old—the third highest life expectancy in the nation.
• In Connecticut’s 65 to 69 year-old age group, 39% are in the labor force, as are 21% of Connecticut residents aged 70–74, and 7% of those 75 years and over. These rates are among the highest in the country

Those were among the facts highlighted by Julia Evans Starr, Executive Director of Connecticut’s Legislative Commission on Aging, which also explained that Connecticut, with the nation’s 7^th oldest population, will see that population grow dramatically in the coming decade.  By 2025, virtually every town in Connecticut will have 20 percent or more of its residents over age 65 – the largest percentage in state history. 

The White House Conference on Aging is held every 10 years, and has served as a key platform for the development of aging policy for the past 50 years.  Organizers are now holding a series of regional public forums around the country.  New England’s session will be in Boston later this month, and the testimony presented at the Connecticut State Capitol, in a forum sponsored by the state Department of Aging and the Legislative Committee on Aging, will be passed on to officials there.

Among those speaking in Hartford were Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman, State Aging Department Commissioner Betsy Ritter, and George Kuchel, Director of UConn’s Center on Aging.  AARP Connecticut Director Nora Duncan and Chris Fishbein of the Area Agencies on Aging also provided presentations.

Wyman, noting that life span is increasing, said "we have quantity of life, we want to make sure there is a quality of life."  In a theme that was repeated by others during the session, Wyman said that "we can change the way people are viewing people who are aging."

Nora Duncan, state director of AARP-CT, said the organization's focus will be on short-term actions that can have a more immediate impact, such as preventing exploitation, fraud and scams and providing information on financial products and improving retirement security.  Rose Biaggi of the state Department of Public Health pointed to the health disparities among the aging population, noting that 60% of older adults with the highest incomes indicate that their health is very good or excellent, while only one-quarter of those with lowest income feel that their health is very good or excellent.

Kuchel, who suggested that the nation may be at a “tipping point” regarding a national policy on aging, said the future focus needs to be:

• Proactive: There must be a focus on prevention and improvements in health and function across the lifespan.
• Predictive: We need tools to predict individual risk, target therapies and monitor success of interventions.
• Personalized: We must address differences at the level of each individual and time point in life as regards personal aging trajectories.
• Gerontology: Health care must always be defined by patient needs first, driven by science and supported by evidence

Common themes that have begun to emerge nationwide as the hearings have progressed, according to officials, include: how to ensure we prepare for financial needs in retirement; how to remain healthy as we age; what types of services and supports can help older Americans remain independent in the community as we age; and how to support this care and the caregivers who provided it; and how to protect older Americans from financial exploitation, abuse and neglect.

The co-chairs of the legislature’s Committee on Aging, Sen. Mae Flexer and Rep. Joe Serra, were to lead the session, with Flexer noting that “Older individuals want to remain in Connecticut and be active, independent members of their community.  How we accomplish this, how we fund it, what services we need to have in place – these are some of the questions we are seeking input on today.”

In testimony provided to the committee, the state’s Permanent Commission on the Status of Women indicated “women, who make up 58% of residents age 65 and over, are disproportionally impacted by economic insecurity as they age and are therefore much more likely to live in poverty than their male counterparts. In fact, 10.7% of women age 65 and over live in poverty compared with 6.2% of men.” PCSW also cited data that found Connecticut women are more likely to work in part-time jobs that don’t qualify for a retirement plan.

The legislative Commission on Aging also pointed out that “the comparatively low rate of older adults in poverty (8 percent) provides evidence that programs like Social Security and Medicare have been extremely effective at reducing poverty among this population and serves as a testament that these programs warrant continued support and modernization.”  Federal officials have noted that this year’s White House Conference on Aging takes place as the nation marks the 50^th anniversary of Medicare, Medicaid and the Older Americans Act, as well as the 80^th anniversary of Social Security.

CT-N coverage of the Connecticut forum on May 5, 2015.

Connecticut Ranks #16, Above National Average in Online Job Ads for College Graduates

Connecticut ranks as the 16^th best online college labor market in the U.S., according to data compiled by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.  In Connecticut, 53 percent of online job ads seek college graduates.  That translates to 28,700 online job ads, and places Connecticut – just barely – in the top tier of the states. Massachusetts provides college graduates with the best odds of landing a job, according to the national survey. Using online job ads, the report provides information about where the jobs are for college graduates for each of the 50 states to help students, educators, and policymakers make better decisions.

The report ranks the states by how many job openings there are per college-educated worker overall and within industries and career fields. College graduates seeking work in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers, for example, have the best odds in Delaware, Massachusetts, and New York.  Connecticut is in the middle of the pack.

Nationwide, between 60 and 70 percent of job openings are advertised online, and even though only 35 percent of workers have college degrees, nearly half of online job ads cater to college graduates.  The top five best online markets for college graduates are Massachusetts, Delaware, Washington, Colorado, and Alaska.

The survey found that in Connecticut:

• 36% of online job adds for college graduates are for managerial and professional office occupations
• 22% of online job ads are in the consulting and business services sector
• The fastest growing occupational cluster for college graduates is in food and personal service, growing by 73 percent between the 1^st quarter of 2010 and 2^nd quarter of 2013
• The fastest growing industry sector of college graduates is construction, with a 92 percent increase in employment between the 1^st quarter of 2010 and 2^nd quarter of 2013

The top occupational groups reflected in the online job ads were 1) computer occupations, 2) software developers, 3) sales representatives,4) accountants and auditors, 5) registered nurses, 6) managers, 7) financial managers, 8) financial analysts, 9) computer system analysts and 10) medical and health services managers.

The distribution of online college job ads by occupational cluster shows that the largest percentage (24%) are in managerial and professional office occupations, followed by sales and office support (23%), STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math (15%) and blue collar jobs (9%).

Connecticut employers with the largest online recruiting presence were General Electric Company, United Technologies Corporation, Yale-New Haven Health System, Yale University, Cigna Corporation, UnitedHealth Group, Travelers Insurance, Deloitte Development, The Hartford Financial Group, and Hartford Healthcare.

Across the country, college-educated workers will have the best odds of finding a job in STEM, managerial and professional office, and healthcare professional and technical occupations. The jobs of the new economy are prevalent for college graduates across the 50 states. Employers in information services, consulting and business services and financial services sectors post the most online job ads per college-educated worker.

The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workplace is affiliated with the McCourt School of Public Policy.  The study was done by Anthony Carnevale, Tamara Jayasundera, Dmitrirepnikov and Artem Gulish.

“The promise of this information is the ability to connect real people with real jobs in real time,” said Anthony P. Carnevale, the report’s lead author and director of the Center. “By combining information on online job ads with traditional employment data we are able to get a more complete picture of job opportunities available to college graduates in each state,” said Tamara Jayasundera, the report’s co-author.

In Massachusetts, 63 percent of job openings are for college graduates, while in West Virginia, only 36 percent of job openings are for college graduates.

State Tourism Front and Center in Connecticut with Conference, Television Ads

Connecticut may be facing tough budgetary decisions, but unlike a handful of years ago when tourism promotional efforts were virtually eliminated in the midst of a recession, the state’s tourism initiatives are gaining renewed attention. The Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), Office of Tourism will host a 2015 statewide tourism conference for industry professionals in the state’s leisure, hospitality and tourism sector on May 12.  The all-day Connecticut Governor’s Conference on Tourism will run from 8 am to 4 pm at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford.

The goal of the conference is to bring together professionals from every aspect of Connecticut’s tourism industry — including hotels, restaurants, casinos, tourist attractions, entertainment venues, historic sites, and cultural and arts institutions — to share best practices and learn from national tourism and travel experts.  The statewide conference is managed by the DECD Connecticut Office of Tourism in partnership with the Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau.

This day-long industry conference will feature speakers presenting the latest research and best practices, sessions for industry professionals, an overview of the state’s higher education resources,  a focus on New York City meeting planners, experts on capturing a share of the international tourist market, ways to maximize use of social media, Tourism Awards for outstanding industry leaders, and an array of workshops on areas including mobile marketing and group bus tours, as well as an exhibition of the most innovative products and services in the tourism sector, according to state officials. Cost for the conference is $99, for industry professionals.

In addition, the conference will feature a special report on the results of the state’s still revolutionary campaign over the last three years. The keynote speaker will be Peter Yesawich of MMGY Global, a travel marketing expert who will share research-driven insights about the very latest trends in the travel industry and how they can affect Connecticut’s tourism efforts.

Traveler spending of $8.3 billion generated $14 billion in economic activity statewide in 2013, according to a study released recently by the office of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.  The study shows funds generated directly, through traveler spending, or indirectly, as employees, businesses and other beneficiaries turned around and paid for goods and services. Travelers to Connecticut destinations spent 3.0% more in 2013 than in 2012.  Of all Connecticut travelers in 2013, nearly two-thirds were day travelers (66%). The tourism sector supported more than 118,500 jobs in 2013, according to a recent state report.

The state’s tourism efforts are also quite visible on television, with a series of promotional commercials highlighting various attractions in the state.  Standard Directors, a Greenwich-based live action production company, is producing a series of six on-air commercials for the Connecticut Office of Tourism, working in conjunction with Avon ad agency Adams & Knight.

The campaign features six spots across the state that highlight Connecticut’s small towns, parks, beaches, vineyards and sightseeing attractions. Standard Directors was founded in 2013 and creates commercials for local, state and national companies and agencies. Among the attractions featured in the commercials are Silverman’s Farm in Easton, Mystic Aquarium, Craig Castle in Meriden and Hartford Stage.

“This campaign is entirely location driven, pairing two locations in the state that can be visited in one day, without having to travel too far, by families, couples and friends,” said Brian Bennhoff, partner and executive producer, Standard Directors, and a New Canaan resident. “We spent a lot of time … selecting beautiful locations that represent the state.”  Philip McIntyre, a Greenwich resident and partner in Standard Directors, said the majority of the 20-plus person crew were local hires and all 19 actors were local talent. Editing, he said, was done both at Standard Directors’ office on West Putnam Avenue and at Palace Production Center in South Norwalk, according to the Fairfield Business Journal.

Lead sponsors for the Tourism Conference on May 12 include Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun, Waterford Hotel Group and the Connecticut Convention Center.

https://youtu.be/JHSPwk-Y4RM

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