Economic Survival is Daily Struggle for 35 Percent of State Households, Report Reveals

For more than a generation, the federal poverty level has been the threshold driving policy conversations about the working poor nationwide.  Now, led by United Way agencies in six states including Connecticut, the income level below which working families cannot make ends meet is being redefined. The result reveals what is described as a more realistic income threshold that is three times higher than the traditional poverty level.  And that means more than one-third of Connecticut’s population (35 percent) is facing very real, daily financial hardship, struggling to make financial ends meet.

The numbers have been hiding in plain sight, official say. The first-of-its-kind report documents that the number of Connecticut households unable to afford all of life’s basic necessities far exceeds the official federal poverty statistics. United Way calls this newly revealed demographic ALICE, an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.

Statewide, there are nearly half a million households (474,445) unable to pay for the costs of basic household needs in Connecticut, according to the study.

Every city and town in Connecticut has ALICE households. More than two-thirds of Connecticut's cities and towns have at least 1 in 5 households that fit the ALICE definition for financial hardship.  In four of Connecticut’s six largest cities – New Haven, Bridgeport, Hartford, and Waterbury – more than 50 percent of households have income below the ALICE threshold.

Even with one of the country's highest median hourly wages, 51 percent of all jobs in Connecticut pay less than $20/hour ($40,000/year if full-time). The average annual income needed by a family of four (2-adults with 1-infant and 1-pre-K child) in order to survive in Connecticut is $64,889. This is more than double the official U.S. poverty level.

Connecticut has joined with five other states (California, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, and New Jersey) to release statewide ALICE Reports in 2014. The Connecticut ALICE Report is sponsored by the sixteen Connecticut United Ways.  The original ALICE project was undertaken in New Jersey in 2009.  The reports are researched and coordinated by Rutgers University-Newark’s School of Public Affairs and Administration.

There are 35 municipalities in Connecticut with more than one quarter of their population under the ALICE threshold – struggling to pay for basic needs such as housing, healthcare, childcare, transportation and education.  They include the cities of Hartford, New Britain, New London, New Haven, Waterbury, Bridgeport, as well as communities including Windham, Ansonia, Norwich, North Canaan, West Haven, East Hartford, Putnam, Meriden, Killingly Torrington, Derby, Canaan, Naugatuck, Vernon and Groton.  Also among the 35 communities are Bristol, Winchester, Griswold, Sprague, East Haven, Middletown, Manchester, Thompson, Windsor Locks, Westbrook, Hamden, Plainfield, Canterbury and Southbury.

The ALICE threshold and report places a spotlight on a “large population of hardworking residents who work hard, but still struggle to make ends meet,” the report points out. “For some, this means not being able to save for their family's future or to weather an emergency without falling into poverty.”

The 129-page report is the most comprehensive depiction of financial need in the state to date, using data from a variety of sources, including the U.S. Census and the American Community Survey. The Report unveils new tools based on income levels and expenses, that quantify the number of households in Connecticut's workforce that are struggling financially. And the ALICE Report also seeks to analyze in more detail why many working families continue to struggle.

A total of 332,817 Connecticut households fall into what the study describes as the ALICE population. These are households earning more than the official U.S. poverty level, but less than the basic cost of living.

Noting that “the cost of basic housing, child care, transportation, food, and health care in Connecticut increased by 13 percent during this 5-year period,” the report points out that “there are serious consequences for both ALICE households and their communities when these households cannot afford the basic necessities. ALICE households are forced to make difficult choices such as forgoing preventative health care, accredited child care, healthy food, or car insurance. These “savings” threaten their health, safety, and future – and they reduce Connecticut’s economic productivity and raise insurance premiums and taxes for everyone. The costs are high for both ALICE households and the wider community.”

Among the key areas of concern highlighted in the report is housing.  “The cost of housing is especially high in Connecticut, and the units that are affordable to ALICE households are often far from jobs or older and in disrepair,” the report explained. “Structural changes that make quality affordable housing more available would ease the housing burden on many Connecticut families.”

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Municipal Equality Index Finds CT Above Average for LGBT Residents

Connecticut cities continue to rank above-average when compared with municipalities across the country in the level of equality provided to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) residents.  Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven, Stamford and Storrs (Mansfield) were the five Connecticut municipalities included by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest LGBT civil rights organization, in an assessment of LGBT equality in 353 cities across the nation.

The 2014 Municipal Equality Index (MEI), the only nationwide rating system of LGBT inclusion in municipal law and policy, shows that cities across the country, including in Connecticut, continue to take the lead in supporting LGBT people and workers, even when states and the federal government have not.

The average score for the five municipalities in Connecticut was 74 out of 100 points, comfortably above the national average of 59.  The individual scores in Connecticut, largely unchanged from a year ago, were New Haven: 100, Hartford: 92, Stamford: 62, Storrs (Mansfield): 59, and Bridgeport: 57.  The scores earned by Hartford and Bridgeport dropped slightly from a year ago, and New Haven scored at 100 for the second consecutive year.  Because of changes in the legal landscape from year to year, the MEI report has revised the scoring assessment criteria, which has impacted scores in some municipalities.

Cities are rated on a scale of 0-100, based on the city’s laws, policies, benefits, and services. Key findings contained in the 70-page MEI report, issued in partnership with the Equality Federation, provide “a revealing snapshot of LGBT equality in municipalities of varying sizes, and from every state in the nation,” the report noted.

The MEI rates cities based on 47 criteria falling under six broad categories:

• Non-discrimination laws
• Relationship recognition
• Municipality’s employment policies, including transgender-inclusive insurance coverage, contracting non-discrimination requirements, and other policies relating to equal treatment of LGBT city employees
• Inclusiveness of city services
• Law enforcement
• Municipal leadership on matters of equality

The cities researched for the 2014 MEI include the 50 state capitals, the 200 most populous cities in the country, the four largest cities in every state, the city home to each state’s largest public university, and an equal mix of 75 of the nation’s large, mid-size and small municipalities with the highest proportion of same-sex couples.

The report found that “momentum for municipal equality is not a coastal trend or mega-urban phenomenon – it is something cities of all sizes in all parts of the country are doing because the people in those cities demand equality of treatment for all.”  Cities had an opportunity to review the draft scorecard and offer feedback prior to publication.

Equality and Economic Development

The report also indicates that “a growing body of research has shown that cities that have vibrant gay and lesbian communities have higher levels of income, life satisfaction, housing values, and emotional attachment to their community as well as higher concentrations of high-tech business. The Fortune 500 has long recognized that top talent is attracted to inclusiveness. In fact, the private sector has been using fair workplaces as a tool to recruit and retain top talent.”

The report adds that “Businesses will increasingly have to evaluate the legal landscape offered by a potential new location in its calculation of where to expand operations.”  Connecticut’s state laws – such as marriage equity and non-discrimination protections – provide a hospitable environment for its cities to employ equitable practices, officials said, but municipalities also have the capacity to take the lead, in Connecticut and elsewhere.  In ten states, cities fare well despite restrictive state laws.

“From Mississippi to Idaho, mid-size cities and small towns have become the single greatest engine of progress for LGBT equality--changing countless lives for the better,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “In just three years, the number of municipalities earning top marks for their treatment of LGBT citizens has more than tripled. Simply put, in this country there is an ongoing race to the top to treat all people, including LGBT people, fairly under the law, and it’s time our state and federal laws caught up.”

According to the report, the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Western regions of the United States – where marriage equality states have predominated – tend to do better than the national average when it comes to municipal equality. The reported pointed out, however, that every region has at least one 100-point city, such as New Haven. For example, in the Southeast, Florida boasts three 100-point scores, and Atlanta repeats its perfect score again in 2014; in the Southwest, Austin repeats its perfect score; and in the Plains, Iowa City joins two perfect scores in Missouri with St. Louis and Kansas City.

Thirty-eight cities earned perfect 100-point scores, up from 25 in 2013 and 11 in 2012, the first year of the MEI. New Haven earned a 100-point score, helping to set a standard of LGBT inclusiveness with exemplary policies ranging from non-discrimination laws and equal employee benefits, to cutting edge city services.

Among the report’s striking findings:  A dramatic increase in the number of cities offering transgender-inclusive healthcare benefits, and the fact that 32 million people have better protections from discrimination on the basis of gender identity at the local level then they do from state law. The full report is available online at www.hrc.org/mei.

Best Value School Districts? East Granby, Litchfield, Stafford

There are any number of ways to measure the effectiveness of local school districts, and the latest effort has placed East Granby, Litchfield and Stafford at the top of the list. Using school quality and cost-of-living measures, the national website NerdWallet has ranked the Connecticut school districts that best represent “the most bang for your buck” - affordable communities with good schools.

The most affordable school districts in Connecticut were determined based on three factors:

• Standardized test scores. NerdWallet combined 10th grade CAPT scores and SAT scores in 2012.
• College readiness. The website factored in equally weighted scores for the graduation rate and the percent of high school graduates seeking higher education in 2012.
• Class size. They also considered the student-to-teacher ratio in select school districts.

The top ten in Connecticut are: 1) East Granby, 2) Litchfield, 3) Stafford, 4) Canton, 5) Farmington, 6) Bolton, 7) Regional District 19, 8) East Lyme, 9) Regional District 8, 10) Regional District 4.

The next ten in the rankings are Simsbury, Glastonbury, Avon, South Windsor, Westbrook, Granby, Somers, Waterford, Regional School District 18 and Regional School District 15.  NerdWallet evaluated 121 unified and secondary school districts in Connecticut, utilizing data from the U.S. Census Bureau or the Connecticut State Department of Education.

According to the website, the East Granby School District has a high graduation rate of 94% and students scored an average of 1641 on their SATs, well above the state average, and CAPT scores are in the top third for the state.  Litchfield’s four-year graduation rate of 97% is one of the highest in the state.  The Stafford School District is described as “an ideal setting for parents who want more individualized attention for their kids, with one of the lowest student-teacher ratios in the state at 14.2:1.”

Last month, East Granby school officials announced the start of a manufacturing training program at East Granby High School in collaboration with Asnuntuck Community College in Enfield.  Students who participate in the five-year program can earn a high school diploma and an associate's degree in advanced manufacturing technology from Asnuntuck.  It is the first of its kind in Connecticut, according to officials, and includes internships at local manufacturing companies while attending Asnuntuck. Students who earn their Associates Degree are automatically accepted into the Connecticut State University System and the University of Hartford.

Regional District 19 includes E.O. Smith High School in Storrs.  Regional District 8 serves Hebron, Andover and Marlborough.  Regional District 4 includes Chester, Deep River, and Essex.

Network TV, National Advertising, Breakfast Food Boost UConn

UConn is making a splash these days in some unfamiliar places. Think iconic stadium, all the news that’s fit to print, and cereal– all of which have headlined the state’s flagship university in recent days. This past Saturday, the Huskies football team played Army at Yankee Stadium – the University’s first appearance at the ballpark in the Bronx.  While UConn came up short on the scoreboard, the game was competitive and offered the school visibility in the New York metropolitan area and on CBS Sports Network, which televised the game. 

Fans who happened to be reading the print edition of The New York Times on Friday may be been surprised to see a full-page ad promoting the university.  The ad touted the university’s “unprecedented moves to unleash the solutions of tomorrow,” specifically highlighting a $3.6 billion investment in additive manufacturing, gnomic medicine and cybersecurity, the hiring of 300 faculty in fields including cognitive science human rights and intellectual inquiry, and recruiting 6,500 additional students to “lead their generation in addressing the most important challenges of our time.”

The ad was a one-time placement strategically timed to several significant events happening in New York City, including the Army-UConn game, an alumni gathering, and a meeting of the UConn Foundation board.  UConn has a very active and robust alumni network in New York City and the region, officials noted.

The ad was purchased at a negotiated rate and ran not only in New York City, but nationwide in The Times. It was paid for with funds from the university’s marketing budget (approximately $43,000) and private dollars (approximately $10,000), specifically designated by donors to elevate the University through advertising.  The UConn tagline, “Innovation unleashed,” was included in the ad, which featured text reading “Dear UConn, Thank you.  Sincerely, The Future.” Total average print circulation for The New York Times for Monday-Friday was 680,905, as of March 2014.

For those who read their morning paper with a bowl of cereal – there’s more UConn to come.

Just arriving on the market is a new, limited edition Husky Heroes cereal.  “The one and only cereal to honor both the UConn Women’s and Men’s National Championship basketball teams,” according to a newly launched website, is a honey nut toasted oat cereal and comes in a 14 oz. box.  Basketball coaches Geno Auriemma and Kevin Ollie are each featured on the commemorative cereal box, which is sold in a two-pack. 

Marketed by Pittsburgh-based PLB Marketing, described as the “premier source for athlete-endorsed, quality food products,” there is a limited edition of 25,000 boxes being produced.  The company also is currently promoting Miggy’s Salsa, with a likeness of Detroit Tigers star Miguel Cabrera, Fastball Bars, a chewy chocolate chip granola bar featuring his teammate Justin Verlander, and Gronk Flakes, featuring New England Patriots’ tight end Rob Gronkowski.

The Husky Heroes cereal is available on-line at www.huskyhereoscereal.com, with delivery anticipated later this month.  The price is $14.97 for a two-box set, plus UPS shipping charge of $9.95, for a total of $24.92. The cereal is officially licensed by UConn through the university’s licensing agency, the Collegiate Licensing Company.  The university receives a standard 12 percent royalty on sales of all licensed products bearing UConn trademarks.

In addition to web purchases, the cereal will be distributed locally in the coming weeks to some Connecticut retail locations by Bozzuto’s (retailers to be announced).  It will also be sold at the UConn Coop.  For those inclined to stock up early, bulk orders of 500 boxes are eligible for special pricing directly from PLB.  Advance sales are just underway, and as of Monday afternoon there were 24,848 boxes remaining.

25th Anniversary of Fall of Berlin Wall Is Focus of Forum at Southern

Today’s college students have known only one Germany in their lifetime, but those from previous generations recall the post-World War II nations of East Germany and West Germany – until the wall separating those countries dramatically came down. That event – 25 years ago this weekend – will be the focus of a special program at Southern Connecticut State University that will feature Nicholas Burns, a career U.S. diplomat who played a key role in how the Bush Administration dealt with the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Burns, who was involved in the discussions on Berlin and Germany before and during that pivotal time in history, will be the keynote speaker at a Monday, Nov. 10 forum on campus.  The program, “Remembering the Fall of the Berlin Wall: 25 Years Later,” is free and open to the public, and will run from Noon to 2 p.m. in the Michael J. Adanti Student Center.

Burns served in the United States government for twenty-seven years. Today, he is a professor of the practice of diplomacy and international politics at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. He is a member of Secretary of State John Kerry’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board at the U.S. Department of State. He also writes foreign policy columns for the Boston Globe and Global Post and is a noted lecturer on U.S. foreign policy.

On November 9, 1989, jubilant crowds gathered on both sides of the Berlin Wall to celebrate the opening of border crossings between eastern and western parts of the city – an act that seemed impossible for decades, but would within a year lead to the reunification of Germany for the first time since World War II.

A panel discussion will follow the keynote and is scheduled to include:

• Troy Paddock, chairman of the SCSU History Department and an expert on German history;
• Kevin Buterbaugh, SCSU professor of political science and an international relations specialist;
• Steven Breese, dean of the SCSU School of Arts & Sciences who lived in West Germany in 1989;
• Eileen Kane, assistant professor of history at Connecticut College, where she specializes in modern Soviet/Russian history.

Video clips of major historical milestones pertaining to the fall will be shown, and a question-and-answer period will follow the panel discussion.  The video will include a look at the construction of the wall, as well as clips from speeches at the wall by President John F. Kennedy ("Ich bin ein Berliner") and President Ronald W. Reagan (Tear down this wall!).

As a career Foreign Service Officer, Burns was Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs from 2005 to 2008; the State Department’s third-ranking official when he led negotiations on the U.S.–India Civil Nuclear Agreement; a long-term military assistance agreement with Israel; and was the lead U.S. negotiator on Iran’s nuclear program. In 1990, he was appointed by President George H.W. Bush to the National Security Council, a post he held until 1995, bridging the administrations of Bush and President Bill Clinton.

Burns was U.S. Ambassador to NATO (2001–2005), Ambassador to Greece (1997–2001) and State Department Spokesman (1995–1997).  He worked for five years (1990–1995) on the National Security Council at the White House where he was Senior Director for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia Affairs and Special Assistant to President Clinton and Director for Soviet Affairs in the Administration of President George H.W. Bush.

Transfer Credit Policy, Job Placement Key to Online Students, Distance From Institution Matters Less

A national study of students pursuing on-line degrees found that cost and financial aid are important, but not critical in the decision-making process for those considering an on-line program of study.  In addition, the data indicates that job placement messaging resonates, and transfer credit policy makes a difference in attracting online students. The “Online College Students 2014: Comprehensive Data on Demands and Preferences” report, is a joint project of Learning House and Aslanian Market Research, a division of EducationDynamics.  The standard benefits of an online program, such as convenience and flexibility, are no longer enough for colleges and universities to differentiate themselves, according to the study. Instead, students are looking for value, both in earning their degree and in how the degree will help their career. Among the key findings:

• Although students reported that cost was a primary selection factor when choosing an online degree program, approximately two-thirds of respondents said they did not choose the most inexpensive program. Only 20% said they would not attend an institution if financial aid was not offered, although approximately half said they would need financial aid.

• When given a choice of 18 marketing messages, the overwhelming favorite was “90% job placement.” The top-ranked marketing message categories were:  Career Opportunities (28%), Personalization (19%), Speed to degree (17%), Scholarships/Promotions (17%), Quality/Reputation (11%), and Student Support (8%).

• Approximately 80% of students have earned credit elsewhere, and those students want to bring that credit with them. Having a clearly defined, generous, and easy-to-navigate transfer credit policy can help institutions stand apart.

Overall, the study found that 54 percent of students attend an institution within 100 miles of where they live, showing a three-year trend of students increasingly willing to attend an institution farther from home. (In 2012, 80% reported attending an institution within 100 miles of where they lived. This declined to 69% in 2013.)

The number of individuals working full time declined from 60% in 2012 to 46% in 2014, while the number of those who are unemployed rose from 16% to 30% over the three past consecutive studies.

“For institutions looking to expand their online footprint, it’s critical to communicate the right message to students,” said Dr. David Clinefelter, Chief Academic Officer at Learning House and coauthor of the report. “Colleges and universities need to not only think about what sets their institutions apart, but also track student outcomes to provide quantifiable data about the value of their degrees.”

In Connecticut, Charter Oak State College's degree completion programs enable adults, who already possess college credits or work experience, to complete the Associate or Bachelor's (Baccalaureate) degree that meets their needs. Connecticut's public online college has been ranked number one in affordability among online degree programs in-state by AffordableCollegesOnline.org (AC Online). The  College offers a number of workforce relevant programs for adults who want to advance their careers, change careers, return to work, or validate their training and educational experiences.  Majors that can be completed using Charter Oak courses exclusively include Cyber Security, Health Care Administration and Health Information Management.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2012 approximately 2.6 million students were enrolled in fully-online degree programs, while 5.5 million were taking at least one online course.

13 CT High Schools in Nation’s Top 500, Up from 8 Last Year; Four CT Schools "Beat the Odds"

Thirteen Connecticut high schools rank among the nation’s top 500 according to a report compiled by Newsweek Magazine – an increase from eight schools a year ago. Connecticut did not have a school ranked in the top 100.  The highest ranked Connecticut school on the list is Amity High School in Woodbridge, which placed at #112, up from #667 last year.  Connecticut’s top-ranked high school in last year’s analysis, the Connecticut IB Academy in East Hartford, also ranked #112 that year.  This year the IB Academy was at #140, the second highest ranked school in Connecticut.

New to the top 500 from Connecticut this year were Litchfield High School, Greenwich High School, Daniel Hand High School in Madison, South Windsor High School, Fairfield Warde High School, East Lyme High School, Wolcott High School, East Lyme High School, Wolcott High School, Lyme-Old Lyme High School, Haddam-Killingworth High School, Pomperaug High School in Southbury and Cheshire High School. 

Every year Newsweek announces the nation’s best high schools that do an outstanding job of preparing students for college.  The magazine teamed up with a research group to compile the list.  They said their methodology was more stringent than ever with new measures of quality and a high standard of data, utilized a College Readiness Score that was based on the following six indicators:

• Enrollment Rate—25 percent
• Graduation Rate—20 percent
• Weighted AP/IB composite—17.5 percent
• Weighted SAT/ACT composite—17.5 percent
• Holding Power (change in student enrollment between ninth and 12th grades; this measure is intended to control for student attrition)—10 percent
• Counselor-to-Student Ratio —10 percent

The number one spot in the nation went to Thomas Jefferson High School in Alexandria, VA.  Connecticut’s 13 high schools ranked in Newsweek’s Top 500 include:

• Amity High School in Woodbridge (#112)
• Connecticut IB Academy in East Hartford (#140)
• Litchfield High School (#164)
• Greenwich High School (#168)
• Daniel Hand High School in Madison (#179)
• South Windsor High School (#226)
• Fairfield Warde High School (#227)
• East Lyme High School (#228)
• Wolcott High School (#337)
• Lyme-Old Lyme High School (#352)
• Haddam-Killingworth High School  (#336)
• Pomperaug High School in Southbury (#386)
• Cheshire High School (#401)

A year ago, there were eight Connecticut high schools in the top 500.  The top-ranked school in the state was the Connecticut IB Academy in East Hartford, at #112.  Also ranking in the top 500 in 2013 were Weston High School at #190, Staples High School in Westport at #196, New Canaan High School at #227, Ridgefield High School at #270, Farmington High School at #405, and Valley Regional High School in Deep River at #441.  All but the Connecticut IB Academy fell out of the top 500 this year.

Among this year’s top 500, Greenwich High School was #573 a year ago, Daniel Hand High School in Madison ranked #589, Amity Regional High School in Woodbridge was #667, and East Lyme High School was #723.

"Beat the Odds" Schools

In a separate ranking of the nation’s top schools for low-income students, which Newsweek describes as "Beat the Odds Schools," the highest-ranked Connecticut high school was the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, which ranked #266.  It is one of four Connecticut high schools to reach the nation's top 500, according to the Newsweek analysis.  The Connecticut IB Academy was the second-ranked Connecticut high school on this list as well, coming in at #275.  Bunnell High School in Stratford was #290, and Common Ground High School in New Haven was #316.

With the list, Newsweek sought to “recognize schools that beat the odds, performing better than statistically expected for their level of poverty.” Schools were ranked on how well they prepare their students for college, taking students’ socio-economic background into account.

Postpartum Psychosis More Prevalent Than Most Realize

Listeners to the National Public Radio program “On Point” this week heard a Connecticut resident discussing the progress being made on a one-on-one basis, as well as through international efforts, to respond to the prevalence of postpartum psychosis. Teresa Twomey of Cheshire is co-coordinator in Connecticut for Postpartum Support International (PSI) the leading organization dedicated to helping women who experience perinatal mood disorders, working to increase awareness among public and professional communities.

Approximately 15 percent of all women (1 in 8) will experience postpartum depression following the birth of a child, according to the nonprofit organization. Up to 10 percent will experience depression or anxiety during pregnancy. When the mental health of the mother is compromised, PSI explains, it affects the entire family.

A woman with postpartum depression might experience feelings of anger, sadness, irritability, guilt, lack of interest in the baby, changes in eating and sleeping habits, trouble concentrating, thoughts of hopelessness and sometimes even thoughts of harming the baby or herself.

In a TEDx talk in Hartford a year ago, Twomey described her own postpartum psychosis, which was both unexpected and severe.  While initially reluctant to discuss her circumstances publically, the well-publicized deaths of children in the U.S. at the hands of their mothers while suffering from postpartum psychosis prompted her to action. 

Based on her personal experiences, Twomey is the author of “Understanding Postpartum Psychosis: A Temporary Madness.” In an interview with FOX Connecticut when the book was published five years ago, she said "while most women who suffer postpartum psychosis eventually recover without harming anyone, they most often do so in silence.” Paranoia is a common symptom, explained Twomey, and “that moves women to hide their symptoms from everyone around them. The woman can hence appear normal, but be putting both herself and her baby at risk. We can prevent and treat this, but we need to recognize it by better screening of women postpartum."

While many women experience some mild mood changes during or after the birth of a child, 15 to 20 percent of women experience more significant symptoms of depression or anxiety, according to the PSI website. Women of every culture, age, income level and race can develop perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Symptoms can appear any time during pregnancy and the first 12 months after childbirth.

PSI stresses that there are effective and well-researched treatment options to help advance recovery. Every perinatal mood disorder, no matter how strong the symptoms are, is temporary and treatable, PSI points out.

PSI Coordinators are volunteers who offer caring and informed support and resources to moms and their families. They also provide information and resources for area providers who are caring for pregnant and postpartum families.  In Connecticut, the volunteer organization has support groups based in Middletown, New Britain and West Hartford.  Support services provided are free of charge.

The organization states that there is no one cause for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Women who develop depression or anxiety around childbearing have symptoms that are caused by a combination of psychological, social, and biological stressors, and there does not need to be a family history of depression.  “Developing a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder is not your fault,” the website emphasizes. “You did not do anything to ‘get’ this.”

PSI headquarters is located in Portland, Oregon and has members all over the world, including volunteer coordinators in every one of the United States and in more than 36 other countries. PSI disseminates information and resources through its volunteer coordinators, website and annual conference. Its goal is to provide current information, resources, education, and to advocate for further research and legislation to support perinatal mental health.

Twomey said that postpartum psychosis should be treated as a public health issue, so that greater attention could be focused on prevention.  Although retelling and reliving her story is difficult, she does so because “if this helps one family, saves one life, it is worth it.”

Innovation and Impact of Manufacturing Companies in CT Is Focus of New CPTV Documentary

With Election Day less than two weeks away amid intensifying discussion of job growth in Connecticut, CPTV zeroes in on modern manufacturing and the role of innovation in companies. The CPTV Original documentary Made in Connecticut premieres Thursday, Oct. 23 at 8 p.m. on CPTV. Twelve businesses that exemplify the diversity of successful manufacturing “located and thriving right here in Connecticut” are featured in the program.

The documentary is part of a three-year, multi-platform initiative by Connecticut Public Broadcasting that celebrates Connecticut’s manufacturing future, from high-tech to hand-made.  The initiative includes additional special programming airing on CPTV and WNPR/Connecticut Public Radio.

Against the backdrop of such timely issues as outsourcing and a global economy, the Made in Connecticut documentary explores topics including:

• the value that manufacturing provides to the state’s economy;
• how the manufacturing sector is contributing to the creation of jobs in Connecticut;
• how advances in technology have changed the nature of manufacturing and the skills needed to work successfully in the manufacturing environment; and
• how science, technology and innovation are transforming manufacturing endeavors around the world, the nation and the state.

Featured in the documentary are:

• Barnes Group headquartered  in Bristol, which started as a spring company in 1857 to supply the clock industry and has now exploded into a global leader in industrial and aerospace manufacturing;
• Curtis Packaging in Sandy Hook, a nearly 170-year-old family-owned company that has reinvented itself as a world leader in luxury packaging and environmental stewardship;
• Ola! Granola in Norwalk, where a mother of three produces hand-made granola in mouth-watering flavors such as vanilla almond, cranberry orange pecan and chocolate banana-chip;
• Oxford Performance Materials in South Windsor, a plastics company on the edge of science fiction-like technology, using 3-D printing to create cranial implants for people who have suffered traumatic brain injury;
• Pratt &Whitney in East Hartford, the industry leader in aerospace, creating breakthrough technology with its PurePower jet engine that will revolutionize air travel;
• Protein Sciences in Meriden, which has a game-changing flu vaccine that takes just weeks to mass produce to fight pandemics worldwide;
• Severance Foods in Hartford, a snack food company founded by three friends who invested in a tortilla-making machine in the 1980s, and now employs more than 85 people to produce 40,000 pounds of tortilla chips a day;
• Tucci Lumber, which makes baseball bats in South Norwalk and was founded by a former Major leaguer.

Connecticut’s unemployment rate dropped to 6.4 percent last month as nonfarm jobs reached a new recovery high point. The unemployment rate last month was the lowest it has been in the state since November 2008, according to a state Department of Labor report.  The employment gain of 11,500 jobs in September is the largest since April 1994, the seventh monthly nonfarm employment gain this year and a "vigorous bounce-back" from the revised decline of 1,200 jobs in August, the Department of Labor said.  As the state takes proactive steps to ensure people are trained for manufacturing jobs, employment numbers are simultaneously rising. In the most recent data, manufacturing jobs increased from 163,500 last year to 164,100 this year, Fairfield County Business Journal reported.  The manufacturing industry plays a crucial role throughout Connecticut communities, U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy's office pointed out recently, noting that Connecticut’s 4,602 manufacturers account for 10.2% of the state’s jobs and 87% of the state’s total exports.

To prepare future workers, Manchester Community College will lead the state's 12 community colleges and Charter Oak State College in a federally funded effort to expand manufacturing education in the state as part of a $15 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, announced this month.  The grant  will support an expansion of the Connecticut Advanced Manufacturing Initiative, which trains students for jobs in the field. The grant will pay for equipment to provide hands-on training, new teachers and educational assistants and the development of registered apprenticeship programs for high-demand manufacturing occupations, among other investments.

“In recent years, technological advances, as well as human innovation and creativity, have put Connecticut on the forefront of a manufacturing revolution. This revolution is not only exciting, it’s important to the local economy, as it’s helping to create jobs. Manufacturing has always been an important part of Connecticut’s culture and economy,” said Jerry Franklin, President and CEO of CPBN, who is to be honored next week by Hartford Business Journal with the publication’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his leadership in the broadcast industry.

The documentary Made in Connecticut is produced and hosted by Emmy Award-winning journalist Christina DeFranco. Funding was made possible by Founding Sponsor, KBE Building Corporation. KBE Building Corporation is a full-service, single-source commercial construction company strategically positioned to serve the Eastern and Mid-Atlantic, with offices in Connecticut and Maryland.

“We’re passionate about fostering innovation in Connecticut’s manufacturing and technology spaces, and we just happen to have built more technical high schools around the state than anyone else.  We’re thrilled to shine light on this critical aspect of the state’s current and future economy,” said Mike Kolakowski, KBE Building Corporation’s President and Principal Owner.

See preview on You Tube.   

Tri-State Weather Conference at WestConn Features Local Meteorologists

For weather experts and enthusiasts, all roads lead to Danbury on Saturday. The Fifth Tri-State Weather Conference will be held on from 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Science Building on the mid-town campus of Western Connecticut State University on White Street in Danbury. The conference is presented by the Meteorology Program at Western Connecticut State University and co-sponsored by the WestConn Student Chapter of the American Meteorological Society (AMS), the New York City/Long Island Chapter of the AMS, NOAA/National Weather Service/Upton, N.Y and NOAA/National Weather Service/Taunton, MA.

The purpose of the conference is to enhance education, professional development and communication among private and public sector meteorologists, researchers, educators, students, emergency management officials, and weather enthusiasts.

Research posters highlighting high impact weather events that affected the Tri-State region of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut will be on display.

The master of ceremonies for the conference will be Lonnie Quinn, the chief weathercaster of CBS 2 News at 5, 6 and 11 p.m. weekdays. He also serves as the national weather anchor for “CBS This Morning” Saturday. Quinn is a native of Cheshire, who joined WCBS-TV in 2007 after a five year run at WTVJ in Miami.

Among the presenters at the conference will be Ryan Hanrahan, a Connecticut native from Guilford who joined the NBC Connecticut First Alert Weather Team in December 2005 and currently serves as the weekend evening meteorologist and as a general assignment reporter on weekdays. His interest in the weather was sparked by the 1989 Hamden tornado, hurricanes Gloria and Bob, along with the blizzards of '93 and '96, according to the station’s website.

Topics of presentations during the conference include:

Doppler Radar Signatures Associated with Connecticut Tornadoes 1995 – present. Ryan Hanrahan, NBC Connecticut – West Hartford, CT

Exploring Tri-State Climate Variability and Change Dr. David A. Robinson, New Jersey State Climatologist, Rutgers University

Hurricane Sandy - Boundary Layer Structure Affects on Winds and Storm Surge  Jeffrey S. Tongue, NOAA/National Weather Service, Upton, NY

NWS Weather Ready Nation initiative and how science is a critical and integral part Dr. Jason Tuelll, Director, Eastern Region NWS, Bohemia, NY

Operational Applications of GIS - The Development of A Flash Flood Potential Index for the Tri-State Area Nancy L. Furbush and Adrienne Leptich, NOAA/National Weather Service, Upton, NY

The GOES-R Satellite:  A New Eye in the Sky Eleanor Vallier-Talbot, NOAA/National Weather Service, Taunton, MA

Tornado Outbreak Quincy Vagell, Freelance Meteorologist – Naugatuck, CT

Tracking Hurricanes and Saharan Dust Storms from Space Jason Dunion, NOAA Hurricane Research Division in Miami, FL

Winter 14-15...Will Our Long Standing Ideas Win Out? Joe D'Aleo, Weatherbell Analytics LLC

Conference registrations are open to the public and may be submitted online atwww.wcsu.edu/weatherconference. The registration fee is $30 per person, and includes a continental breakfast, lunch and refreshments during breaks.

Quinn is not the only Cheshire native to handle weather forecasting on local television in the region.  The Western Connecticut campus is familiar turf for meteorologist Dan Amarante, who has been with FoxCT since January 2011.  He remembers being 8 years old and venturing outside during thunderstorms, much to his mother’s dismay, according to the station’s website. He spent a good chunk of his childhood reading weather books and watching tornado chasing videos.

Dan graduated from Western Connecticut State University with a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology. While at WCSU, he produced and anchored many school run weather broadcasts for the University’s website, as well as forecasts for the school’s radio station. After college, he began working at WGGB ABC40/FOX6 in Springfield, MA, where he was the weekend weather anchor. He also has filled in as a weather producer at CBS 2 in New York City, and became snowed in at the station during the Blizzard of 2010.