Longstanding Coverage of State Government to End; Drastic Reduction in Funding, Imposition of Content Limitations Cited

CT-N, which has provided coverage of State Senate and House sessions and all three branches of state government for nearly two decades, will cease operations on Friday, November 3, due to severe budget cuts and limitations on coverage being imposed by the legislature on the network’s operator, the Connecticut Public Affairs Network (CPAN). CPAN has operated the network, under a series of contracts with the legislature’s Joint Committee on Legislative Management (OLM), since March, 1999, and was among the first in the nation to provide comprehensive coverage of state government.

“CPAN was created with a nonpartisan, educational mission to run CT-N as a three- branches network, at arm’s length from the government,” CPAN Executive Director Paul Giguere wrote in a letter notifying the non-partisan OLM that CPAN would be ending coverage. “It was a mission and purpose once supported by the Leadership of the General Assembly. Even the state statute governing CT-N’s revenue intercept refers broadly to coverage of ‘state government deliberations and public policy events.’ The thinking has clearly changed.”

At least one of those contracts, covering November 2003 - October 2006, clearly delineates that CPAN’s operation of CT-N would provide coverage of “the legislature, events of public interest in the Executive and Judicial Branches and other events of statewide interest.”  That contract also indicates that “many of the executive branch events to be covered will be taking place at locations away from the Capitol Complex.”  A subsequent contract, which ran through last year, also stated that “CPAN retains full editorial discretion regarding day-to-day programming.”  CT-N broadcasts seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

CPAN’s most recent contact expired in September, was extended through October, and was on a day-by-day basis this week. The 33-person staff worked with an annual operating budget that was unexpectedly reduced by 65 percent in the budget approved by the legislature this week for the current fiscal year.  At the same time, the legislature sought reductions in coverage of state government outside the State Capitol, limitations on editorial content decisions, and cutbacks on public affairs programming.  Those changes, which were revealed in the RFP for a new five-year in April, drew sharp criticism at that time, which were renewed this week.

“For some time now, we have contended with encroachments on our editorial independence, despite our best efforts to be responsive to concerns while continually working to improve the CT-N service and over-delivering on every contract we have ever signed,” Giguere wrote.

The National Alliance of Public Affairs Networks (NAPAN), points out that while many variations exist in programming and operating models among state public affairs networks, a series of “Best Practices” can be drawn from “the most effective strategies used by highly regarded networks across the country.”

NAPAN points out that “citizens’ trust in all three branches of government is at all-time lows,” and “while the judicial, executive and legislative branches actively operate in states daily, the understanding of what and how decisions are being made at the highest levels go largely unreported and consequently unnoticed by the general public.”  CT-N coverage was available on television and on-line, both live and in archives that are easily accessible to the public.  CPAN also has provided educational materials for classroom teachers and the general public.

In his letter, Giguere, who brought the concept for such a network to the Connecticut legislature in the 1990’s and led its launch and development, said “the scope at which we would be obliged to operate CT-N would cease to provide any meaningful level of transparency:  even less so, if the few coverage decisions we would have the opportunity to make were controlled by the CGA (Connecticut General Assembly) to the extent that recent events convince us they would be.”  He continued:  “at best, CT-N would provide the façade of transparency, cloaked – at least temporarily – in the credibility and reputation that CPAN has spent 18 years building.  We will not abet that course of action by the CGA by participating in it.”

In recent days, CT-N has provided coverage of Gov. Malloy’s news conference announcing he had signed the state budget into law, a news briefing on state infrastructure and resiliency improvements since Super Storm Sandy, meetings of the Connecticut Board of Firearms Permit Examiners and the Governor’s Nonprofit Health & Human Services Cabinet, and a hearing by the legislature’s Judiciary Committee considering nominations of individuals to serve on the State Supreme Court and Appellate Court.

Earlier this year, Danbury State Rep. Bob Godfrey cited the role of CT-N in providing the public with access to government, noting that "The General Assembly itself has provided more public access to lawmaking through both our web site (www.cga.ct.gov) and the Connecticut Television Network (CT-N, at www.ct-n.com)."

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Five best practices for state public affairs networks are described on the NAPAN website:

1. Accessible to All: 24/7 programs on a dedicated channel across multiple platforms

A state public affairs network is most effective in connecting citizens to state government when it is available full-time to the maximum number of citizens possible, including a robust online presence with strong searchable streaming and on-demand content, accessibility enhancements such as closed captioning for the hearing impaired and a permanent archive of programming produced.

2. All Three Branches of State Government

A state public affairs network is most effective in connecting citizens to state government when it provides a nonpartisan, unbiased and unfiltered window on all official state business.

3. Operating at Arm’s Length

A state public affairs network is most effective in connecting citizens to state government when it is structured with an independent governing body using a set of agreed-upon operating guidelines to make programming and operational decisions free from political influence.

4. Citizen Engagement

A state public affairs network is most effective in connecting citizens to state government when it seeks to demystify the process of governing by providing additional information and context through on-screen graphics, online reference materials and links to other resources.

5. Programming Breadth

A state public affairs network is most effective in connecting citizens to state government when it provides a broad range of high-quality public affairs programming beyond gavel to gavel coverage of government proceedings, as well as official emergency information from appropriate state public safety agencies.

More Changes Proposed as Enrollment Drops at State Colleges, Universities; Feedback Sought on Consolidation Plan

The recent decision by the Board of Regents of the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities (CSCU)  to begin offering students from New York and New Jersey the considerably lower in-state tuition rates in an effort to stem an increasing drop in enrollment at Western Connecticut State University may be the tip of the iceberg. Since 2011, enrollment numbers at higher education institutions in Connecticut have been moving in very different directions, according to data developed by the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges (CCIC) from the National Center for Education Statistics.

The data show that the state’s community college system has experienced a net loss of 7,126 students, and the state’s four regional universities – Western, Central, Southern and Eastern Connecticut – saw a net loss of 3,518 students between 2011 and 2016.

Trending in the opposite direction has been the University of Connecticut, with a net increase of 1,502 students, and the independent, non-profit institutions, was an increase of 4,626 students.

CCIC member institutions include Albertus Magnus College, Connecticut College, Fairfield University, Goodwin College, Mitchell College, Quinnipiac University, Rensselaer at Hartford, Sacred Heart University, St. Vincent's College, Trinity College, University of Bridgeport, University of Hartford, University of New Haven, University of Saint Joseph, Wesleyan University and Yale University.

Currently, in-state students pay $10,418 in annual tuition at Western, while out-of-state students pay $23,107.  Published reports indicate that enrollment at the university has dropped by more than 700 students over the past six years.  The university serves about 5,700 students, with more than 90 percent of them coming from Connecticut.

Similar initiatives at the other three colleges are less likely, as they are located in Willimantic, new Haven and New Britain, not adjacent to any state line.  Central Connecticut State University is the largest of four universities within the CSCU system, serving nearly 11,800 students--9,800 undergraduates, and 2,000 graduate students.

Last year, in a program that was promoted with radio advertising, the CSCU board approved a plan that permitted Asnuntuck Community College in Enfield to admit students from Massachusetts to enroll at in-state rates. And last spring, the board allowed six other community colleges located near state borders to do the same starting this fall.  The plan boosted enrollment at Asnuntuck; data on the other colleges is not yet available. 

Earlier this year, the CSCU system proposed merging the 12 community colleges into one college with 12 branch campuses, as a cost-saving measure, and, officials say, to direct more resources to students.  That plan is pending.  If approved, the change would make the newly named Connecticut Community College the fifth largest in the country with more than 52,000 students, reports indicate.  Officials indicate that "Only a few of these recommendations will require policy changes by the Board of Regents. The majority of the administrative recommendations can be implemented as soon as time and resources are available to complete."

Currently, the system is soliciting feedback on the proposal with an on-line poll on the CSCU website.  The survey asks respondents to offer opinions on the plans, as well as suggestions and opinions on strengths of the 12 into 1 plan.  The survey is open until Nov. 20.

Award-Winning Accelerator Prepares for Next Cohort of Start-up Businesses

reSET, a Hartford-based non-profit organization supporting entrepreneurs, has opened applications for its highly regarded business accelerator program for 2018. Tailored for impact-driven businesses but available to early-stage ventures across all industries, reSET’s Impact Accelerator was a winner of the U.S. Small Business Administration Growth Accelerator Competition, and was the only Connecticut accelerator to receive the award, in 2015. Running from next January through May, the five-year old program will provide entrepreneurs with access to the knowledge and resources they need to grow their businesses and impact. Applications are being reviewed on a rolling basis; the final deadline is December 8, 2017.  Applicants are not limited to the Hartford area or Connecticut; in previous cohorts, participants have been from other states and nations.

reSET is a nonprofit organization whose mission is advancing the social enterprise sector. Its strategic goals are threefold: to be the “go-to” place for impact entrepreneurs, to make Hartford known as Impact City, and Connecticut the Social Enterprise state. reSET meets entrepreneurs wherever they are in their trajectory and aims to help them take their businesses to the next level.

The accelerator program has graduated 80 businesses to date. Recent participants have experienced success in advancing their businesses, including competitor acquisition, venture capital investment, and nationwide sales and recognition. 

Among the businesses are Almasuite, CareerPathMobile, Phood, Pelletric, Eureeka, Save America, and Genius Box. Kate Pipa, co-founder of Genius Box, which develops and sends science kits to elementary and middle-school age children, credits the Impact Accelerator with helping her business gain traction.

“reSET’s Impact Accelerator was a great stepping stone for getting introduced to and more involved in Connecticut’s startup scene.  Just being in reSET’s community allowed for access to workshops, mentors and service providers to answers questions and provide advice on different challenges that can come up when starting your business.”

Over the course of four weekend summits during the accelerator program, participants selected for the 2018 cohort will be connected to customers and industry-specific mentors. Up to 20 entrepreneurial teams will have access to:

• 20+ optional workshops covering a range of topics in business and social enterprise
• Numerous structured and unstructured opportunities to engage with investors and advisors
• 1-year reSET membership (includes access to co-working, programming and the on-site Entrepreneur-in-Residence)
• Exclusive discounts on business software packages and other resources

The accelerator will be free for accepted entrepreneurs and no equity will be taken from their operations. Graduates will also have an opportunity to compete for $20,000 in unrestricted funding at a culminating Venture Showcase in Spring 2018.

“As an entrepreneur myself, I have experienced the ups and downs of launching a new business,” said Jeremy Szechenyi, reSET’s Programs Manager. “Between reSET’s physical office and programs, we give entrepreneurs the resources and network that is critical to surviving and bringing their work to the next level.”

An information sessions will be held at reSET  (1429 Park Street, Hartford) on October 26 from 12:30-1:30pm, and November 15 from 5:30-6:30pm.  The sessions will be informal and meant to address prospective candidates questions.

reSET serves all entrepreneurs, but specializes in social enterprise ― impact driven business with a double or triple bottom line. In addition to providing co-working space, accelerator and mentoring programs, reSET aims to inspire innovation and community collaboration, and to support entrepreneurs in creating market-based solutions to community challenges.

Cybersecurity Remains Top Business Concern As Risks Mount; State Task Force Formed to Investigate

National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, marked annually in October, is sandwiched this year between one of the largest reported data breaches in history and the busiest online shopping period of the year. Now, the Connecticut Better Business Bureau says a new study shows small businesses are having difficulty calculating the cost versus risk of strengthening protection of their vital information.  And state and federal authorities have formed a new statewide task force to investigate cybersecurity crimes. The study, conducted by  the Council of Better Business Bureaus concludes that while most small businesses are aware of specific threats, the majority are at odds about how to prevent becoming a victim.

"Awareness of the potential and perceived cybersecurity threats is a crucial starting point," according to Connecticut Better Business Bureau spokesman Howard Schwartz. "The study shows that most small businesses are strengthening their data protection to some degree, however, it concludes they must place more emphasis on employee education to prevent cybercrime."

In an online survey of 1,100 businesses in North America, The State of Small Business Cybersecurity in North America finds 81 percent of small businesses use basic data protection tools such as antivirus software, and 75 percent protect their systems with firewalls. The downside is that the report reveals less than half of respondents concentrate on employee education, which is considered by the authors to be one of the most cost-effective prevention tools.

The most compelling reason for small businesses to take stronger cybersecurity measures, BBB points out, is because half of the study's respondents said they could not remain profitable for more than one month if their essential data was stolen.

Even though small businesses may be easier targets for determined cybercriminals, data breaches at the largest commercial, industrial and government networks yield information that is of much greater value because of stolen information's quantity and content, officials point out.  BBB urges businesses to train employees about data security protocols, because firewall and antivirus protection are not sufficient if your employees don't know how to detect and steer clear of suspicious online activity.

The Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA) points out that “getting hacked can destroy customers’ trust and cost companies millions of dollars in legal fees, investigations, damage control, and lost income,” adding that “too many companies underestimate this threat or simply don’t know how to protect themselves until its too late.”

CBIA is holding free webinars for CBIA member companies this fall, with sessions upcoming on Oct. 25, Nov. 15 and Dec. 15.

The State Director of the Connecticut Small Business Development Center, Emily Carter, points out that for many small business owners, cybersecurity doesn't extend beyond using antivirus protection.  "It's something they think is only a threat for large corporations and big brands, but that's inaccurate," she explained.  SBDC recommends that small businesses train employees on best practices upon hiring and regularly provide training on cybersecurity.  SBDC has developed a workbook that lists resources that small business owners can access for free training, and a step-by-step guide to create a cybersecurity plan for their business.

“One of the most important things an employer can do for their business in the fight against cyber terrorism is to educate their employees," said Lynn Souza,  CEO of KyberSecure, with Connecticut offices in Fairfield and Rocky Hill.  "Cybersecurity is the responsibility of everyone, and end users are the gate keeper.  Teach them how to spot fraudulent emails, remind them weekly to be vigilant, and post cybersecurity information in public spaces.  Warren Buffet was quoted as saying ‘It takes 20 years to build a reputation and 5 minutes to ruin it.  If you think about that you’ll do things differently.’  However I like to change that just a bit and say ‘It takes 20 years to build a reputation and one click to ruin it. If you think about that you’ll do things differently.'  Teach your employees to always ask before clicking on anything and empower them with the tools and training they need to help protect your business,” Souza added.

Last July, Gov. Malloy announced a cybersecurity strategy for the state that included business among other sectors, and this week United States Attorney Deirdre M. Daly and representatives of federal, state and local law enforcement announced the formation of the Connecticut Cyber Task Force to investigate complex crimes in cyberspace.  The state strategy indicated "person, agency,organization and business in Connecticut faces some degree of vulnerability. You are affected whether you are a major corporation or the convenience store down the block."  It warned that "today’s firewall is tomorrow’s soft spot. Cyber risks are inherently complex and changing."   One of the key areas of focus for the Task Force is "to identify and disrupt criminal organizations that use computer intrusions to defraud companies of their money and information."

The Connecticut Cyber Task Force will be based at the FBI in New Haven. It includes representatives from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Connecticut State Police and 11 police departments from across the state, including the Bridgeport, Bristol, Fairfield, Greenwich, Hartford, New Canaan, New London, Norwalk, Stamford, Torrington and Westport Police Departments.

“The broad reach of cyber criminals can be felt almost every day in Connecticut,” said U.S. Attorney Deidre Daly.  “Day after day, we learn of companies, municipalities, educational institutions, hospitals, public utilities, nonprofits and citizens being targeted by bad actors.  These cyber criminals seek to disrupt our work, steal our intellectual property, compromise the personal or financial information of employees, customers and citizens through dedicated denial of service (DDOS) attacks, spear phishing campaigns, ransomware and malware attacks and other computer hacks or cyber intrusions.”

Adds Carter, "Cybersecurity is becoming a bigger and bigger issue, and it's not going anywhere."

Business owners can learn more about cybersecurity steps they can take through "5 Steps to Better Business Security" at bbb.org/cybersecurity. BBB also offers these tips to help protect personal and financial data while doing business and browsing online:

• Look for HTTP"S" - You will find it in your web browser's address bar. The "s" stands for secure and it will be accompanied by a padlock icon. That means the business is using technology to secure information between your digital devices and its website. Avoid using free wireless connections for shopping - Scammers can set up a fake wireless network with a legitimate-looking name in a coffee shop, restaurant, library, airport, hotel or anywhere else. Unless you verify the name of the establishment's real network, a hacker can burrow into your computer. Experts also recommend avoiding conducting any commerce or logging on to your accounts using a free public wireless network.
• Greeting cards can come at a high price - It's not unusual to receive an online greeting card at this time of year, but you can lessen the chances of downloading a virus if you confirm with senders that they emailed the card link to you. Clicking on a fake holiday card can cause big trouble and infect your computer.
• Educate your family - Explain why it is potentially dangerous to click on email or social media links or attachments, unless they are absolutely certain the sender is legitimate. Use the same caution on websites when clicking on hyperlinks or downloading files.
• Update and scan - Antivirus and firewall software do not provide sufficient protection unless you update it and scan your computer or smart device regularly.

With Varied Stories to Tell, State Authors Win 2017 Connecticut Book Awards

The Connecticut Book Awards returned from a five-year hiatus with a rousing ceremony and the selection of winners from among finalists in four categories:  Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry and Young Readers.  The competition was coordinated by Connecticut Humanities and the Connecticut Center for the Book, and the awards ceremony was held Sunday at the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford. West Hartford author Okey Ndibe was awarded the 2017 Connecticut Book Award for Non-Fiction for Never Look an American in the Eye, published by Soho Press.  The Fiction winner was Robert H. Patton of Darien for Cajun Waltz, published by Thomas Dunne Books.  In the Young Readers, The Weight of Zero, written by Karen Fortunati and published by Delacorte Press, was selected. The Poetry winner was Fugitives by Danielle Pieratti, published by Lost Horse Press.

One hundred nine titles were submitted as candidates for the Book Awards between January 1 and April 19, 2017 and after review against the guidelines, one hundred titles were admitted into the judging process. Books published in 2016 were eligible for the awards.

Each category had five judges with expertise in the literary arts. They reviewed the titles over three months using criteria appropriate to the category.  Seventeen titles made it to the finalist list. Nominated authors must currently reside in Connecticut and must have lived in the state at least three successive years or have been born in the state, or the book must be substantially set in Connecticut.

In accepting the award, Ndibe, a journalist and educator, said that “literature is central to what binds us together as a community.”  Ndibe’s funny, charming, and penetrating memoir tells of his move from Nigeria to America, examines the differences between Nigerian and American etiquette and politics; recalls an incident of racial profiling just thirteen days after he arrived in the US, in which he was mistaken for a bank robber; considers American stereotypes about Africa (and vice-versa); and juxtaposes African folk tales with Wall Street.

Fortunati, who described her debut novel as a “story of hope and resilience” in accepting the award, recently completed Trinity College’s master’s program in American Studies.  She recalled that as part of her studies, she visited the Mark Twain House & Museum, which made the ceremony location especially fitting.

The book’s subject is mental illness, specifically bipolar disorder, and “it explores the shame, stigma and anxiety that often complicate the management of this chronic condition,” Fortunati explains on her website.  “The issue is personal to me having witnessed the impact of depression and bipolar disorder in relatives and friends.  My goal was to write a story of hope for teens who struggle with mental illness.”

Pieratti, who teaches English at South Windsor High School, relocated to Connecticut from upstate New York five years ago.  She said “I have been nurtured by this state since I moved here,” and expressed appreciation to her colleagues in South Windsor.  She has taught at the college and high school level, and was recipient of the Idaho prize for Poetry in 2015.  Her poetry “explores the mundane moments and materials that make up ordinary days and finds there the ambiguities of mystery, shadow, and song,” the CT Center for the Book indicated.

Cajun Waltz, the Fiction winner by Robert H. Patton, is set in southwest Louisiana, a "tale of family, music, love, and picturesque mayhem" that explores “three generations of the volatile clan” as they “grapple with the region’s economic struggles and racial tensions.”

In addition to the award recipients, Gray Jacobik, University Professor Emerita at Eastern Connecticut State University, received Lifetime Achievement recognition in Poetry.

The awards were presented annually between 2002 and 2011, and were re-established by CT Humanities this year.  The nominated books for the 2017 Connecticut Book Awards, by category:

Fiction

• Back Lash by Chris Knopf
• I’ll Take You There by Wally Lamb
• Shadows of Paris by Eric D. Lehman
• Cajun Waltz by Robert H. Patton
• Beneath a Shooting Star by Susan Harrison Rashid

Non-Fiction

• Rare Light by Anne Dawson
• Never Look an American in the Eye by Okey Ndibe
• The Lost White Tribe by Michael Robinson

Poetry

• The Banquet by Gray Jacobik
• Barrel Children by Rayon Lennon
• The Meeting House by Marilyn Nelson
• Fugitives by Danielle Pieratti

Young Readers

• All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook by Leslie Connor
• The Weight of Zero by Karen Fortunati
• Ada’s Violin by Susan Hood
• The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson
• Good Night, Bat! Good Morning, Squirrel! by Paul Meisel

Images above (L to R): Okey Ndibe, Karen Fortunati, Danielle Pieratti, Robert H. Patton

Three Foundations Join Forces to Advance Obesity Prevention Efforts in Connecticut

If an ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure, efforts in Connecticut may hold the key to turning around the nation’s obesity epidemic – especially among children. Connecticut has the 10th lowest adult obesity rate in the nation, according to a study released earlier this year. The state’s adult obesity rate is 26 percent, up from 16.0 percent in 2000 and from 10.4 percent in 1990.  That places Connecticut 42^nd among the 50 states.  The childhood obesity rate is 30 percent for 10-17 year olds, ranking 29^th among the states, and 15 percent for 2-4 year olds qualifying for federal nutrition assistance, the 12^th highest obesity rate in the country.  And that is where the focus of three Connecticut-based foundations will be, as they combine forces to award $194,884 in grants for obesity prevention projects in Connecticut.

The grants are being funded with contributions from the Children's Fund of Connecticut ($139,884), the Connecticut Health Foundation ($30,000), and Newman's Own Foundation ($25,000) and will be administered by CFC's non-profit subsidiary, the Child Health and Development Institute (CHDI).

Funded projects will inform and advance efforts to prevent obesity by improving early feeding practices for diverse socio-economic, racial, and ethnic groups across various early childhood settings.

"Childhood obesity is a wide-spread public health crisis disproportionately impacting racial and ethnic minorities and low-income children. Once obesity sets in it is very difficult to reverse; however, we are still searching for effective ways to prevent it," said Judith Meyers, President and CEO of the Children's Fund of Connecticut.

"New research on infant and toddler feeding practices shows promising results. These grants to improve infant and toddler feeding practices will help us learn more about what works so we can get ahead of the curve."

The competitive application process administered by CHDI yielded the following funded projects:

• Healthy Eating through Group Well Child Care: $59,904, Yale University

Under the direction of Marjorie Rosenthal, MD, MPH, the project examines the impact of embedding a healthy eating curriculum within group well child care, an evidenced-based model of primary care delivery at the Yale New Haven Hospital Primary Care Center. Expected outcomes include less rapid weight gain for infants in the first six months and improvement in mothers' weight over the first year of her child's life.

• Barriers to Participation in CACFP in CT: $64,998, UConn, Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity

Tatiana Andreyeva, PhD, Associate Professor at the UConn Rudd Center, will lead a study that documents and addresses barriers to participation in the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) among Connecticut child care centers serving infants and toddlers from low-income families. Connecticut has one of the lowest CACFP participation rates in the nation. The project team will use surveys and stakeholder interviews to assess perceived and actual barriers to CACFP participation and assess outreach and recruitment strategies currently used in Connecticut to increase center enrollment in CACFP.

• Supporting Healthy Eating in Low-Income Toddlers: $64,982, UConn, Allied Health Sciences

Under the direction of Valerie B. Duffy, PhD, RD and Jennifer L. Harris, PhD, MBA, the project will develop and assess a coordinated communications program to deliver consistent messages to low-income parents in East Hartford about best practices for feeding toddlers (1-2 year olds). The messages will be delivered through pediatric clinics, WIC offices, and Family Resource centers in East Hartford. The project will coordinate infant feeding messages and promote responsive feeding across diverse populations and settings.

Funding is also supporting Connecticut Children's Medical Center's Office for Community Child Health to develop and disseminate training for pediatric primary care providers. The training will address key messages to educate parents about best practices in feeding infants and toddlers.

These projects represent the second cycle of funding from CFC in the early childhood obesity prevention arena. Since 2015, CFC has awarded more than $420,000 to advance early childhood obesity prevention.

The work of the first round of grantees helped CFC and CHDI identify public policies that contribute to obesity prevention, test the effectiveness of messages promoting obesity prevention in infants and toddlers, support breast feeding strategies for hospitals, and harness existing medical record data to identify early childhood obesity risks.

The current round of funding was informed by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's recently released Feeding Guidelines for Infants and Young Toddlers: A Responsive Parenting Approach, which highlights new areas of research and practice in obesity prevention.  The data-rich State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America, published earlier this year, was a project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Trust for America’s Health.

With Continued Funding in Doubt, Gov. Rell, Former Legislators to Reprise Campaign Finance Reforms

Former Governor M. Jodi Rell, who supported and signed Connecticut’s landmark campaign finance reforms into law just over a decade ago, will be the keynote speaker later this month at a day-long conference that will bring many of the key players in that debate together again.  The October 26 event at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) comes the same week that the state legislature may be voting on a new state budget for the fiscal year that began on July 1, with the continued existence of public financing of state political campaigns – a core component of the reforms - in serious doubt. Among the panelists will be former Senate President Pro Tempore Don Williams, former House Speaker James Amann, former Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, and former House Minority leader Lawrence Cafero. They will be joined by former House member Tim O’Brien, who served on the Government Administration and elections Committee, and Senate Co-Chair of that committee, Sen. Michael McLachlan.

In addition to the legislators, key players in the debate including Karen Hobart Flynn, President and CEO of Common Cause, Jeffrey Garfield, former Executive Director of the Connecticut State Elections enforcement Commission Tom Swan, Executive Director of the Connecticut Citizen Action group, will be part of a second panel.

A week ago, in an op-ed published in Connecticut, Flynn criticized those who would now eliminate public funding of campaigns, known as the Citizens Election Program (CEP), which she described as “a remarkably successful alternative to the corrupt system that earned our state the unfortunate moniker ‘Corrupticut’ in 2004.”  A budget narrowly approved by the legislature and vetoed by Gov. Malloy late last month would have eliminated funding.  It has been estimated that $40 million would be disbursed to statewide office and legislative candidates in 2018, surpassing the $33.4 million distributed to qualifying candidates in 2014.  Recent studies suggest that the program has been effective in reducing special interest money in campaigns.

Flynn added that the law, passed in 2005, “allows candidates and officeholders to look out for the interests of all their constituents rather than being consumed with the needs of their major campaign contributors. It gives talented, motivated citizens who've never had the money or the connections traditionally required for success in politics a chance to seek and win public office with neither big money nor connections.  Now, nearly 80 percent of all candidates for legislative and state offices use the program.”  Qualifying candidates must raise $5,000 to $250,000 — depending whether they are seeking a statewide office or legislative seat — in $100 increments or less in order to receive a grant of public funds from the CEP.

Rell, in signing the plan into law at an Old State House ceremony flanked by legislators from both political parties in 2005, said "This is the bipartisan spirit that people want.  It takes special interests out of elections and is putting elections where they should be, in the hands of the people."

At the time, Connecticut was the first state to pass a public financing system that affects all statewide races including the legislature. The law took effect on Dec. 31, 2006.  Additional reforms were passed by the legislature in 2008, designed to strengthen the 2005 law by expanding the authority of the State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC) and enabling the state’s public financing system to operate more smoothly, Gov. Rell’s office said at the time.

The Oct. 26 program is coordinated by the Center for Public Policy and Social Research (CPPSR) at CCSU. The CPPSR has been designated a Connecticut Higher Education Center of Excellence, and is noted for offering innovative academic research and outreach programs which promote a greater understanding of the history, structure, processes, personnel and policies of State government. The center incorporates the Governor William A. O'Neill Endowed Chair in Public Policy and Practical Politics.

The program, "Campaign Finance Reform  in Connecticut," will be held in the Constitution Room of Memorial Hall on the CCSU campus in New Britain, from 8:30 to 1: 30.

Connecticut's Top Teachers Lead Classrooms from Ashford to Westport

There will be an Awards Ceremony next month to honor Connecticut’s 2018 Teacher of the Year – Erin Berthold, who teaches at the Cook Hill School in Wallingford – along with Teacher of the Year nominees from throughout the state.  The ceremony is scheduled to take place in Hartford just days after Berthold’s application, representing Connecticut, is due at the National Teacher of the Year selection committee. Berthold’s selection was announced last week at her school.  She is the first Wallingford educator to be selected for the annual award.

“I’m beyond thrilled and surprised,” Berthold told the Meriden Record-Journal.  She is in her 11th year of teaching. “I never really thought I’d win an award for teaching. It’s my job, it’s what I do. Working with six-year-olds is the real reward of teaching.”

The teachers who were earned recognition as finalists in Connecticut, along with Berthold, included LeAnn Cassidy, Social Studies, Memorial Middle School, Regional School District 15; LeAnn Cassidy, Social Studies, Memorial Middle School, Regional School District 15; and Courtney Ruggiero, Social Studies, Bedford Middle School, Westport.  Their teaching will also be honored, along with a dozen semi-finalists.  It is the culmination of a process that touched school districts throughout Connecticut, as local districts shined a spotlight on outstanding teachers in their respective communities.

The process begins with the Commissioner of Education sending Teacher of the Year applications to every district superintendent in the spring, encouraging them to participate in the recognition program.  The Teacher of the Year Program seeks to recognize exemplary teachers and does not try to identify the “best” teacher in the state, according to the Teacher of the Year website.

District teams identify one exemplary teacher from within their teaching populations.  Each district nominee completes the state application in the ensuing months and submits it to the State Department of Education.  Applications are distributed to members of a reading committee, and the results are tabulated to identify approximately fifteen semi-finalists.

Semi-finalists are invited to an interview with the Selection Committee at which they present a prepared presentation and respond to several questions related to education issues and current trends.  Four finalists are chosen from among the semi-finalists.  A committee of 12-18 people then travels to each of the finalists’ schools to observe the teachers in action and to interview teams of parents, teachers, support staff, students, administrators, and Board members. 

Following the site visits, the selection committee travels to a neutral site where they deliberate and vote to determine who will emerge as the next Connecticut Teacher of the Year.  Once that selection is made, the announcement follows shortly thereafter, in early October.

The 2018 Connecticut Teacher of the Year semi-finalists teach in school districts all across the state are:

• Katie Amenta, English, Berlin High School, Berlin
• Rebecca Aubrey, World Languages, Ashford School, Ashford
• Kevin Berean, Technology Education, Amity Middle School, Regional School District 5
• Martha Curran, English Language Arts, Walter C. Polson Upper Middle School, Madison
• Cheryl Gustafson, World Language, Somers High School, Somers
• Brian Kelly, Music-Band, John Wallace Middle School, Newington
• Kristen Keska, Social Studies, East Hampton High School, East Hampton
• Yolanda Lee-Gorishti, Science, Crosby High School, Waterbury
• Jeanne Malgioglio, English Language Arts, Madison Middle School, Trumbull
• Candace Patten, Social Studies, Southington High School, Southington
• Colleen Thompson, Music, Simsbury High School, Simsbury
• Vincent Urbanowski, Mathematics, The Academy of Information Technology, Stamford

The Connecticut Teacher of the Year Program is made possible by contributions made to the Connecticut Teacher of the Year Council, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides recognition for exemplary teachers and excellence in teaching.

Berthold has taught at Cook Hill for three years and was previously a special education teacher at Yalesville School and Moses Y. Beach School in Wallingford, the Record-Journal reported. Earlier in her career, Berthold taught at Lincoln Middle School in Meriden and Woodhouse Academy in Milford.

The Connecticut Teacher of the Year and Teacher of the Year finalists serve as teacher-ambassadors for public education. They are appointed to various education advisory committees and become consultants to the Commissioner of Education. In addition, they present workshops; speak at education conferences and meetings; address student, civic, college and university, and governmental groups; and operate special programs in accordance with their interests and expertise throughout the coming year.

For Berthold, there is one additional assignment. The National Teacher of the Year application is due to the National Teacher of the Year office, Washington, DC on November 1.  Just two years ago, Connecticut’s Teacher of the Year, Jahana Hayes, a high school social studies teacher at John F. Kennedy High School in Waterbury, was also selected as National Teacher of the Year and was honored at a ceremony at the White House with President Barack Obama.

Lauren Danner, a General Science/Biology teacher and Science Department Leader at North Branford High School was Connecticut’s Teacher of the Year in 2017. Cara Quinn, a sixth-grade teacher at the Sunset Ridge School in East Hartford, was named the 2015 top teacher in Connecticut. In 2014, John Mastroianni, a music teacher at West Hartford’s Hall High School, was selected.

Photos:  (Above) Erin Berthold; (Below)  LeAnn Cassidy, Regional School District 15; Martha Curran, Madison; Courtney Ruggiero, Westport.

Municipal Leaders to Urge Community Involvement at Rell Center Forum

Municipal leaders from Essex, Hampton, Norwich, West Hartford, and Wethersfield will gather to discuss how citizens can make a difference in local communities at a panel discussion, “Better Government Begins at Home: How to Make a Difference in Your Community,” presented by the Governor M. Jodi Rell Center for Public Service at the University of Hartford. The discussion, to be held on Thursday, October 12, at 6 p.m. in the Harry Jack Gray Center’s 1877 Club on university campus, will include:

• Anne Gruenberg, the President of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education and a member of the Hampton Board of Education;
• Norwich Mayor Deb Hinchey;
• Essex First Selectman Norm Needleman;
• former Wethersfield Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman Rich Roberts.

West Hartford Town Manager Matt Hart will serve as moderator and lead a discussion about the importance of public involvement in local politics and how residents can take an active role in town governance.  Hart became town manager this summer, moving from Mansfield, where he was town manager since 2006.

Deb Hinchey was elected in November of 2013 and took the oath of office in December of 2013, becoming Norwich’s first female Mayor. Prior to being elected Mayor, Hinchey served on the city council.  She is not seeking re-election this year.  Norm Needleman is serving his third term as First Selectman, and is a successful local business owner.  He is currently seeking re-election.

Attendance at the program is free. More information is available at www.hartford.edu/rellcenter or 860.768.4234.

The program will focus on the many ways that individuals can get involved in local government service.  Some communities, such as Wethersfield, list individuals serving their local communities on the town website, also including vacant positions that need to be filled.

The mission of The Governor M. Jodi Rell Center for Public Service at the University of Hartford is to provide a community and academic forum for the discussion of ethics in government, the importance of civil discourse in politics, and citizen involvement in public service and government.

This fall, Leslie Smith of Hartford was named director of the Rell Center. Smith has taught American government at the University of Hartford since 2000 and directed the Politics, Economics, and International Studies Department’s internship program since 2005.  The Center seeks to encourage students and others to pursue careers in public service and to assist in providing a clearinghouse for student public service internships.

Unhealthy Food Marketing Targets Hispanic Youth, UConn Researchers Find

Hispanic children and youth, particularly youth in Spanish-speaking households, visited food/beverage websites at higher rates than their non-Hispanic counterparts, despite fewer visits to the Internet overall, according to a research study published by University of Connecticut faculty members. “The frequency with which youth in Spanish-speaking households visited popular food and beverage websites compared with primarily English-speaking Hispanic youth raises further concerns due to the potential for these sites to reinforce preferences for an ‘‘American’’ diet among less acculturated youth, which could contribute to Hispanic youth’s worsening diet with greater acculturation,” Maia Hyary and Jennifer Harris point out in the inaugural issue of the journal Health Equity, published in September.

They stress that “Further research is needed to understand why Hispanic youth disproportionately visit food/beverage websites to help inform potential actions to reduce their exposure to unhealthy food marketing.”

The researchers warn that “given higher rates of obesity and diet-related diseases among Hispanic youth, food and beverage companies should not target marketing of unhealthy products to Hispanic youth online.”

Dr. Jennifer L. Harris is Director of Marketing Initiatives at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity and Associate Professor in Allied Health Sciences at University of Connecticut. She leads a multidisciplinary team of researchers who study food marketing to children, adolescents, and parents, and how it impacts their diets and health. Maia Hyary is a PhD student at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University and a former Rudd Center Research Associate.

Food and beverage companies often target marketing for nutrient-poor products such as candy, sugary drinks, snack foods, and fast-food restaurants to Hispanic audiences, including youth, the researchers state.  They cite previous research that has documented disproportionate exposure to unhealthy food marketing by Hispanic youth in their communities and on TV, but theirs is the first examination of the phenomenon on the internet.

Sites that were relatively more popular with Hispanic youth than with non-Hispanic youth included ChuckeCheese.com, HappyMeal.com, the Lunchables website, FrostedFlakes.com, and two Spanish language websites (ComidaKraft.com and McDonald’sMeEncanta.com). Among Hispanic children (under 12 years), ChuckECheese.com, FrootLoops.com, HappyMeal.com, TacoBell.com, LuckyCharms.com, and SubwayKids.com were relatively more popular.

Health Equity is a new peer-reviewed open access journal that “meets the urgent need for authoritative information about health disparities and health equity among vulnerable populations,” according to the publication’s website, “with the goal of providing optimal outcomes and ultimately health equity for all.” The journal intends to provide coverage ranging from translational research to prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management of disease and illness, in order to serve as a primary resource for organizations and individuals who serve these populations at the community, state, regional, tribal, and national levels.

PHOTO:  Dr. Jennifer L. Harris, Maia Hyary