Reversal of Fortunes: A Decade Up, A Decade Down for Connecticut’s Economy

Connecticut’s economy is now smaller that it was 2004. The state’s lackluster performance stands in sharp contrast with all of the other New England states, whose economies have seen real growth, as have those of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. The state’s economy contracted in 2017, as it did in 2014 and 2016, and its overall performance for the year ranked 49th, topping only Louisiana. An analysis by the University of Connecticut’s Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis (CCEA) points out that since 2008, Connecticut’s economy, measured in real GDP (corrected for inflation) has contracted every year, except for 2015. That year’s positive blip of 1.1 percent growth was quickly overtaken by contraction in the two subsequent years.

The suddenness of this persistent downturn for Connecticut has been dramatic.  Between 1997 and 2007, the state’s economy grew by 3 percent annually, outpacing Massachusetts (2.9%), Rhode Island (2.5%), and New York (2.3%), based on the compound rate of annual real GDP growth.  In the decade since, through 2016, the Connecticut economy contracted by 0.9 percent annually while Massachusetts and New York grew by 1.6 percent and Rhode Island by .6 percent, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

The Bureau reports the state's GDP shrank 0.2 percent last year—one of just three states with negative growth— after contracting by 0.3% the previous year.  At the same time, the national economy expanded 2.1 percent, CBIA recently pointed out.  CBIA economist Pete Gioia said “We are missing the economic growth party that the region and most of the country are experiencing."  He noted that through March this year, Connecticut has recovered just 80 percent of all jobs lost in the 2008-2010 recession, the slowest recovery in New England. The U.S. has recovered 219 percent of jobs lost.

At the same time the state economy has contracted, Connecticut has seen 78 continuous months of job creation, measured year over year, since 2010, the CCEA analysis acknowledges. While private sector jobs are now above their previous peak, public sector jobs- including those at Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun - have been contracting, and will likely continue to contract for a couple more years, points out Center Director Fred Carstensen.  He adds that jobs created in the private sector have been broadly of lower quality than that of jobs lost. Thus real personal income, like real output, has been contracting even as employment has grown.  So the common focus on job creation has been deceptive: rising job numbers has not meant economic growth.

Adding to the complexity of the situation in Connecticut, Carstensen explains, is the increasing number of residents who work out of state. Since 2016, more than 35,000 additional Connecticut residents have found job outside of the state —so the number of Connecticut residents employed is near an all-time peak. Unfortunately, those 35,000 all pay their income tax first to the state where they work, thus contributing to the fiscal crisis in Connecticut, Carstensen noted.

In 2017, Massachusetts led the way in New England with 2.6 percent growth, followed by 1.9% in New Hampshire, with Rhode Island (1.6%), Maine (1.4%), and Vermont (1.1%) all showing growth, unlike Connecticut. In November, 2017, the Connecticut Department of Labor reported that total payroll employment in the state had fallen below the level of February, 1989, according to CCEA.

“The dramatic reversal in fortunes for Connecticut, shifting from a decade and more of strong growth to a persistently contracting economy, is nearly unprecedented among state economies.  The next Governor and Legislature need to make a determined effort—absent to date—to understand what drove this climatic reversal of fortunes in Connecticut’s economy health.  Such an understanding is central to adopting policies and initiatives to reverse the state’s decline,” Carstensen argued.

The Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis (CCEA), under the direction of Carstensen, is a University Center located within the School of Business at UConn.  CCEA specializes in economic impact and policy analysis studies, as well as advising clients regarding business strategy, market analysis, and related topics.  CBIA’s research department, led by Goia, provides in-depth economic and policy analysis and survey research assistance to CBIA’s legal, insurance, and human resources divisions and member companies.

Quasi-Public Agencies Avoid Many Requirements, Controls

In addition to an array of nearly 100 state agencies of varying sizes and responsibilities, Connecticut has 15 quasi-public agencies, which operate under different rules of the road from run-of-the-mill state agencies. The main reason for establishing the “quasis,” as they’re often called, “was their organizational location outside the structure of state government,” according to a report this year from the Office of Legislative Research (OLR).  Thus, “they could avoid many of the requirements and controls imposed on governmental agencies.”

That status, according to OLR, meant “they could respond to problems and opportunities faster and more efficiently than a comparable state agency, while maintaining a degree of oversight and accountability.”

Some, such as the Connecticut Airport Authority, which runs Bradley International Airport and other airports in the state, the Connecticut Lottery Corporation, Access Health CT and the Connecticut Student Loan Foundation are relatively well known.  Others, such as the State Education Resource Center or the Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority, less so.

The full list of 15 quasi-public state agencies:

1. Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated (CII);
2. Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority (CHEFA);
3. Connecticut Higher Education Supplemental Loan Authority (CHESLA);
4. Connecticut Student Loan Foundation (CSLF);
5. Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA);
6. State Housing Authority (SHA);
7. Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority (MIRA);
8. Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA);
9. Connecticut Lottery Corporation (CLC);
10. Connecticut Airport Authority (CAA);
11. Connecticut Health Insurance Exchange (doing business as Access Health CT);
12. Connecticut Green Bank (CGB);
13. Connecticut Retirement Security Authority (CRSA);
14. Connecticut Port Authority (CPA); and
15. State Education Resource Center (SERC).

Each quasi-public organization has its own governing board, and funding sources for quasi operations varies, ranging from fees to ticket sales.

The law requires each quasi-public agency to submit an annual report to the governor and auditors of public accounts, OLR explains.  The report must, at a minimum, include:

• a list of all bonds issued for the prior fiscal year, including their cumulative value, value of outstanding bonds, and the state's contingent liability;
• a list of all projects, other than those pertaining to owner-occupied housing or student loans, receiving financial assistance during the preceding fiscal year, including each one's purpose, location, and funding amount;
• a list of all outside individuals and firms receiving more than $5,000 in loans, grants, or payments for services;
• a balance sheet showing all revenues and expenditures;
• the affirmative action policy statement, a description of the agency's workforce composition, and a description of its affirmative action efforts; and
• a description of planned activities for the current fiscal year

The law also prohibits quasi-public agencies from contracting with the same financial auditor or auditing firm for more than six consecutive fiscal years and each quasi-public agency must submit two quarterly reports to the Office of Fiscal Analysis (OFA).

All quasi-public agencies (except the Connecticut Lottery Corporation) must obtain the state treasurer's approval before borrowing any money or issuing any bonds or notes that are guaranteed by the state or for which there is a capital reserve fund that the state contributes to or guarantees.

The newest of the quasi-public agencies is the Connecticut Port Authority, established by the state legislature in 2015.

CT Employment Lags New England States; Slight Job Growth is Anticipated

Connecticut has recovered the number of private sector jobs lost during the previous recession. However, during the past six years, Connecticut’s job growth has been significantly slower than the nation’s and that of our neighbor states, according to the new issue of The Connecticut Economic Digest, produced by the state Department of Labor. Between March 2012 and March 2018, Connecticut’s nonfarm employment is up 3.0 percent, with the private sector up 61,900 jobs (4.4%) and government employment down 12,100 jobs or 5.0%.  In total, Connecticut’s employment increase over the six-year period is the lowest among the six New England states, at 3 percent.  The others: Massachusetts, 10.1%; New York, 9.3%, New Hampshire, 8.0%; Rhode Island, 7.0%; Maine 4.8%; and Vermont, 3.2%.

Health Care and Social Assistance makes up the largest combined industry sector in the state, as in all of the New England states, comprising over 18 percent of Connecticut employment. In the past five years (year ending 2nd Quarter 2012 to 2nd Quarter 2017) Health Care has grown by approximately 5,000 jobs while Social Assistance has added nearly 10,000, according to the data.

Accommodation and Food Services is the third largest growing sector, adding more than 11,000 jobs from 2012 to 2017. This is consistent with changing consumer preferences and is also occurring at the national level, report authors Matthew Krzyzek, Economist, and Patrick Flaherty, Assistant Director of Research, at the Department of Labor, point out.

The occupational category of Transportation and Warehousing has seen strong growth in recent years. From 2012 to 2017, the sector has added nearly 5,000 jobs including 2,300 since 2015, largely due to online retailers such as Amazon adding warehouses and distribution centers in the state.  The consumer preference shift to online shopping is seen as responsible for the increase in Transportation and Warehousing employment, but has also negatively impacted Retail Trade, which lost jobs throughout 2017.

Manufacturing, the sector with the most losses since 2012, is down 8,600 jobs in the five-year period. Educational Services employment (public and private) which has long been a sector with employment growth, declined during the 2015 to 2017 period, influenced by decreases in school-aged population and state and local budget issues.

Current projections for Connecticut, for the two-year period from the second quarter of 2017 to the second quarter of 2019, suggest overall employment in Connecticut will increase by 1.1 percent. Connecticut’s projected 2017- 2019 job growth is slower than projected by most other states, although it is faster than the growth projected by seven states, including Delaware, Kansas and Maine, the Department of Labor review and analysis indicate.

Projections for the New England states range from anticipated growth of 2.9 percent in Massachusetts to .2 percent in Maine.  Connecticut’s expected job growth is second lowest among the six states.

Major Industries that are projected to have the largest percent employment increases are the Other Services, Leisure and Hospitality, and Construction sectors, which are projected to grow 3.0 percent, 2.4 percent, and 2.1 percent, respectively.

The occupational groups expected to increase the most are Personal Care and Service Occupations, up 3,664 jobs, Food Preparation and Serving Related, up 3,592 jobs, Transportation and Materials Moving Occupations, up 2,367 jobs, and Healthcare Practitioners and Technical, up 2,308 jobs, according to the analysis.  The three major occupational groups projected to decline over the two-year period are Office and Administrative Support, down 1,736 jobs, Sales and Related, down 979, and Production Occupations, down 160 jobs.

“Connecticut’s short-term projections show that Connecticut’s slow employment growth over the recent few years is likely to continue, and sectors will continue to shift. Manufacturing is picking up while Education expected to slow. Connecticut is also part of a national trend which sees increases in warehousing and transportation while retail is under pressure,” the analysis points out. “Our best judgment is that the rapid growth seen in early 2018 will moderate but that growth will continue through the end of the projections period.”

Trinity's Berger-Sweeney, Barack Obama, Tom Hanks, Yale Faculty Are Among American Academy Inductees

The 238th class of new members of the highly selective American Academy of Arts and Sciences, to be inducted later this year, include many household names - and one prominent local individual.  The academy is one of the country’s oldest learned societies and independent policy research centers, and its members include some of the world’s most accomplished scholars, scientists, writers, and artists, as well as civic, business, and philanthropic leaders. Being added to the ranks this year are, among others, former president Barack Obama; actor Tom Hanks; Netflix CEO W. Reed Hastings Jr.; NASA climatologist Claire L. Parkinson; Supreme Court Justice Sonia M. Sotomayor;  pediatric neurologist Huda Y. Zoghbi - as well as Trinity College President and Professor of Neuroscience Joanne Berger-Sweeney and three Yale professors in the schools of divinity and medicine.

“This class of 2018 is a testament to the academy’s ability to both uphold our 238-year commitment to honor exceptional individuals and to recognize new expertise,” said Nancy C. Andrews, the academy’s chair of the board. “John Adams, James Bowdoin, and other founders did not imagine climatology, econometrics, gene regulation, nanostructures, or Netflix. They did, however, have a vision that the academy would be dedicated to new knowledge—and these new members help us achieve that goal.”

The 238 newly elected members represent 25 categories and 125 institutions. The new class will be inducted at a ceremony in October 2018 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The full class of new members is available at www.amacad.org/members.

“This is truly a great honor that I share with my family and friends and with Trinity College, which I’m privileged to serve,” said Berger-Sweeney. “To be elected to the academy is an extraordinary highlight of my career in science and education.”

Berger-Sweeney has served as president of Trinity College since July 2014. Over the past four years, she has, among other accomplishments, overseen the completion of the college’s strategic plan, Summit, which will guide Trinity toward its bicentennial in 2023 and beyond; the creation of the Bantam Network mentoring program for first-year students; the launch of the Campaign for Community, a campus initiative promoting inclusiveness and respect; and the expansion of Trinity’s footprint to Constitution Plaza in downtown Hartford.

Before coming to Trinity, Berger-Sweeney served for four years as dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Tufts University. Prior to Tufts, she spent 13 years as a member of the Wellesley College faculty and as associate dean from 2004 to 2010. Berger-Sweeney received her undergraduate degree in psychobiology from Wellesley College and her M.P.H. in environmental health sciences from the University of California, Berkeley. While working on her Ph.D. in neurotoxicology from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Berger-Sweeney did the proof of concept work on Razadyne, which went on to be the second-most-used Alzheimer’s drug in the world. She completed her postdoctoral training at the National Institute of Health (INSERM) in Paris, France.

Also being inducted in this year's class are John J. Collins of the Yale Divinity School and Gerald I. Shulman and Haifan Lin of the Yale School of Medicine.

Collins is Holmes Professor of Old Testament Criticism and Interpretation at Yale.  A native of Ireland, Professor Collins was a professor of Hebrew Bible at the University of Chicago from 1991 until his arrival at Yale Divinity School in 2000, and previously taught at the University of Notre Dame. He has published widely on the subjects of apocalypticism, wisdom, Hellenistic Judaism, and the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Dr. Shulman is the George R. Cowgill Professor of Medicine, Cellular & Molecular Physiology and Physiological Chemistry at Yale University, where he serves as Co-Director of the Yale Diabetes Research Center and Director of the Yale Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Center. He is also an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Dr. Shulman has pioneered the use of magnetic resonance spectroscopy to non-invasively examine intracellular glucose and fat metabolism in humans for the first time.

Haifan Lin is Eugene Higgins Professor of Cell Biology, and Professor of Genetics and of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences; and Director of the Yale Stem Cell Center. Current study is focused on molecular mechanisms underlying the self-renewing division of stem cells. There is a focus on small RNA-mediated epigenetic programming and translational regulation that are required for the self-renewal of germline and embryonic stem cells, according to the Yale website, which notes that he continues to explore the clinical implications of recent findings.

https://youtu.be/RK5vvvRhGEA

Pratt & Whitney to Receive State's Medal of Technology

Pratt & Whitney has been selected as the 2018 recipient of the Connecticut Medal of Technology in recognition of its accomplishments in creating the groundbreaking geared turbofan (GTF) technology with unprecedented reductions in fuel consumption and noise, representing an incredible technological achievement in mechanical engineering and aircraft propulsion. It marks the first time in recent memory that the Medal will be presented to a business; previous recipients have been individuals.  David B. Carter, Senior Vice President of Engineering will accept the award on behalf of Pratt & Whitney at the 43rd Annual Meeting & Dinner of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE) on Thursday, May 24, 2018 at the Red Lion Hotel in Cromwell.

Pratt employs thousands of engineers and workers with headquarters, research and development organizations and production facilities in Connecticut. United Technologies Corporation, parent company of Pratt & Whitney, spent more than $10 billion on research before launching the GTF engine.

With more than 8,000 engines sold to date, the GTF represents several hundred billion dollars of economic activity in Connecticut over the next few years. Numerous airline customers have chosen Pratt & Whitney’s PurePower® turbofan engines because of the superior architecture and performance, as well as economic and environmental benefits.

“At Pratt & Whitney, we are in a very competitive industry and our continued success depends on our people driving innovation into every part, process and service,” said Carter. “Our customers have depended on Pratt & Whitney innovators literally for generations, and with the GTF, they can continue to count on us for the next generation.”

“From the smallest detail of our engine design to the last stage of our manufacturing line, they are continuously improving how our engines are designed, manufactured and serviced. In the GTF alone, we matured or invented at least 48 technologies to drive performance benefits and we have over 3600 patents and patent applications filed globally to protect our investment in innovative GTF architecture. These technologies go beyond the gear and include advancements to the fan blade, engine core, materials, monitoring systems and a host of others.

Pratt & Whitney has had a long-term commitment to and association with the State of Connecticut. “The State of Connecticut is proud to award the Connecticut Medal of Technology to Pratt & Whitney,” said Governor Dannel P. Malloy.

Malloy said that “Connecticut is the proud home of some of the nation’s most talented aerospace and defense manufacturers and suppliers, and Pratt & Whitney is certainly among them. This company continues to conduct cutting-edge aerospace research, providing exciting new opportunities for top engineering and science graduates from our state’s colleges and universities. We applaud Pratt & Whitney for their ongoing innovations and continued commitment to the State of Connecticut.”

The Connecticut Medal of Technology is awarded to individuals, teams, and companies/non-profits or divisions of companies/nonprofits for their outstanding contributions to the economic, environmental and social well-being of Connecticut and the nation through the promotion of technology, technological innovation, or the development of the technological workforce.

By highlighting the importance of technological innovation, the Medal also seeks to inspire future generations to prepare for and pursue technical careers to keep Connecticut and the nation at the forefront of global technology and economic leadership.

The Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering was chartered by the General Assembly in 1976 to provide expert guidance on science and technology to the people and to the state of Connecticut, and to promote the application of science and technology to human welfare and economic well-being.

Modeled after the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, this award is bestowed by the State of Connecticut, with the assistance of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, in alternate years with the Connecticut Medal of Science.

The Connecticut Medal of Science was presented last year to Professor Robert Schoelkopf, Sterling Professor of Applied Physics and Physics and Director of the Yale Quantum Institute.  Previous Connecticut Medal of Technology recipients include Cato T. Laurencin (2016) Professor at the University of Connecticut andCEO, Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, and Frederick J. Leonberger (2014), Principal of Ovation Advisors, LLC and Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer (ret.), JDS Uniphase Corporation.

For more information about the Academy, visit www.ctcase.org.

CT Ranks 15th Among Best States for Millennials, Analysis Reveals

The only state in the nation with a higher percentage of millennials living with their parents than Connecticut is New Jersey.  That is just one finding in a study of the best and worst states for millennials, in which Connecticut ranked fifteenth overall.  Why do so many millennials in Connecticut live with mom and dad in Connecticut?  Analysts say that high housing costs are to blame. Pushing Connecticut toward the top is the state’s third place ranking in the Education & Health category.  Pulling the state down are rankings of 41^st in Affordability, 29^th in Economic Health and 23^rd in Quality of Life.  The state ranked 17^th in Civic Engagement among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The best states for millennials, according to the analysis by the website WalletHub, are the District of Columbia, North Dakota, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Iowa, Wisconsin, Utah, Nebraska and Colorado.  Among the other New England states, New Hampshire came in at #12, Vermont at #14, Rhode Island at #26 and Maine at #28.

Connecticut's #15 ranking is filled with plusses and minuses in the component elements of the study.  The state, for example, has the 7th highest average annual cost of early childcare as a share of average earnings for millennials, at 23.85 percent. In housing cost for millennials, Connecticut ranks 38th, the average two-bedroom rent being 36.99 percent of this age group's average earnings, WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez points out.

The state has the second highest percentage of millennials who visited a dentist in the past year at 74.60 percent; the 8th highest percentage of millennials who had a routine checkup in the past year at 66.37 percent; and the 7th smallest percentage of millennials with no doctor visits in the past year due to cost, at 11.70 percent.

According to the Pew Research Center, millennials are expected to overtake Boomers in population in 2019 as their numbers swell to 73 million and Boomers decline to 72 million. Generation X (ages 36 to 51 in 2016) is projected to pass the Boomers in population by 2028.

The five dimensions, mentioned above, were weighted to determine an overall score on a 100 point scale using thirty relevant metrics including the cost of living, rate of home ownership and insurance, average student loan debt, voter turnout rate, unemployment rate, percentage diagnosed with depression and the average price of a latte at Starbucks.

Data used to create the rankings were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Council for Community and Economic Research, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United Health Foundation, TransUnion, Corporation for National and Community Service, Indeed, Child Care Aware of America and WalletHub research.

Opioid Epidemic Evident in CT Communities Large and Small; Data Show Rapidly Growing Health Crisis

In 2012-13, 111 of Connecticut’s 169 towns had at least one death attributable to opioids, and one city, Hartford, had more than 100 deaths that were caused by the drug.  Just four years later, in 2016-17, 138 towns saw at least one death during the two-year period, an increase of 24 percent, and the number of cities with more than 100 deaths had quadrupled, as Hartford, Bridgeport, New Haven and Waterbury each saw the death toll climb past 100. A review of data from the Connecticut Medical Examiner by the Connecticut Data Collaborative found that “opioid deaths have doubled and tripled in some towns in Connecticut in only six years.” The analysis found that although Bridgeport, New Haven, Waterbury, and Hartford have the highest rates per population, “many smaller towns have seen their rates of death triple as well.”

In comparing the average annual opioid-related death rates per 100,000 population in 2012-13, 2014-15, and 2016-17, the dramatic increases across communities statewide is quite evident. The data analysts point out that data are where deaths from 'any opioid' (meaning some type of opioid were found in the person) take place. Therefore, they explain, one would expect to see higher rates in places with large hospitals (hence high rates in cities). They add that one can also not discount that these places are also seeing higher rates among its residents.

In Danbury, for example, the rate of deaths nearly tripled from 2012-13 to 2016-17, from 6.88 to 18.20. In Enfield, it more than tripled, from 2.01 to 6.70.  In that northern Connecticut community, the rate translates to 9 opioid-related deaths during the two years of 2012-13 to 30 in 2016-17.

In Norwalk, the rate quadrupled from 2.57 in 2012-13 to 10.70 in 2016-17, when 25 people died from opioid-related causes.  The rate in New Britain more than tripled from 8.78 to 29.65 – from 24 deaths over a two-year period to 81 in the same period four years later.  In Hamden the number of deaths from opioid-related causes doubled from 8 to 16 in four years; in West Haven there were 7 deaths in 2012-13 and 29 in 2016-17.

The Connecticut Data Collaborative has posted on its website an interactive series of state maps that allows visitors to compare the number of opioid deaths in every town in Connecticut in each of the three years.  The maps indicate “the breadth of the problem” and “intensity of the issue.”

Earlier this year, Connecticut officials launched a statewide public awareness campaign aimed at reducing opioid misuse.  The "Change the Script" campaign provides information on prevention, treatment and recovery provided by local health departments, prevention councils, healthcare providers, pharmacists, and other community partners and stakeholders.

The state departments of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), Consumer Protection (DCP) and Public Health (DPH) are working together on the campaign, which grew out of the Governor's Connecticut Opioid Response (CORE) Initiative, a three-year strategy to prevent addiction and overdoses.

https://youtu.be/Uy3IVFjUAjE

New Citizens Sworn In, Distinguished Immigrants Honored at State Capitol Ceremonies

Fifteen recent immigrants living in Connecticut took the oath of allegiance as American citizens on Wednesday during a special court session to be held at the State Capitol.  Minutes after the new Americans were sworn in as citizens, the Connecticut Immigrant & Refugee Coalition (CIRC) honored eight longtime state residents who have made significant contributions to life in Connecticut. The individuals honored on the 21^st Annual Connecticut Immigrant Day came to the United States from Belarus, Italy, Vietnam, Poland, Egypt, Pakistan, India and Taiwan.  The new Americans citizens came to the U.S. from Brazil, Canada, Ecuador, Guatemala, Iraq, Italy, Jamaica, Kenya, Mexico, Russia and Syria.

“Immigrants have always been – and continue to be – an abundant and enduring strength of our great nation,” said Robert Fishman, Executive Director of the Connecticut Immigrant & Refugee Coalition (CIRC), which sponsored the observance with the Office of Secretary of the State. “Connecticut is fortunate to have many remarkable individuals who have contributed tremendously to our state, and as we honor them we are also inspired by the newest group of proud and determined immigrants to take the oath of allegiance as Americans.”

The court session that administered the oath to 15 new Americans was presided over by The Honorable Donna F. Martinez, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of Connecticut.

Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman shared brief remarks at the ceremony, recalling her grandfather’s journey to America.  The CIRC award recipients at this year’s 21st annual ceremony included residents of Avon, Trumbull, Farmington, Norwich, Monroe and East Hartford, in addition to West Hartford.  The National Anthem was led by Chris Nelson, a native of Ghana and current Goodwin College student.  The Governor’s Foot Guard presented the colors at the start of the ceremony, which was led by Chris George of Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services.

The mission of CIRC, a coalition of about a dozen organizations across Connecticut, is to promote the rights and opportunities of immigrants and refugees in Connecticut and to foster their civic participation.

The individuals honored are:

• Bassam Gayed, born in Egypt, is Multicultural Services Coordinator at the Otis Library in Norwich.
• Irena Rak Dzierzbinski, born in Belgium, teaches French and Spanish in middle school in Darien and is active in Girl Scouts. She hosts a Polish-English radio program at Fairfield University.
• Naeem Khalid, born in Pakistan, started Sam’s Food stores and employs 1,000 in his businesses. He formed a charity, Sam’s Children, to assist needy children in Connecticut and is active with the Pakistan American Association of Connecticut.
• Ruth Lazowski, born in Belarus, is a Holocaust survivor who speaks with school groups.
• Cary Lakenbach, born in Italy, is the current Board Chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford and an actuary.
• Bruce Tsan-Tang Liang, born in Taiwan, is the Dean of the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.
• Vani Nidadavolu, born in India, operates an Indian Dance School and works part-time for Edward A. Jones. She holds an MA in Commerce and is a Philanthropist.
• Trinh K. Duong, born in Vietnam, came to Connecticut as a refugee and now works with new refugees and immigrants, helping them to resettle. She received her degree in Accounting from UConn.

In addition, Alicia Kinsman, Director and Managing Attorney of Immigration Legal Services at the Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants received the Myra M. Oliver Memorial Award, and two student groups were presented with the Angela R. Andersen Memorial Award, created to honor students who demonstrate deep commitment to issues impacting refugees and immigrants.

Sixth-graders from the Interdistrict School for Arts and Communication in New London were recognized for their project, “Community Faces-Humanizing the Immigrant Label,” parts of which were on display at the Capitol.  The second group was Teens4Citizenship, a Hartford Public Library and Hartford Public Schools collaborative program. As "Citizenship Guides," these high school immigrant students support family and community members on the path to Citizenship and upon turning 18 pursue their own citizenship.

Member organizations in the Connecticut Immigrant & Refugee Coalition include: Milan Cultural India Association, Polish American Foundation of CT, The American Place at the Hartford Public Library, Catholic Charities Migration Services, Connecticut Coalition of Mutual Assistance, Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants, Integrated Refugee & Immigrant Services (IRIS), Jewish Family Services of Greater Hartford, Legal Assistance Resource Center, Center for Urban Research, Education and Training, Pakistani American Association of CT, Hellenic Society of Paideia and World Affairs Council of Connecticut.

Goodbye Columbus? Indigenous Peoples Day Gains Another CT School District

West Hartford’s Board of Education voted this month to mark Indigenous People’s Day, rather than Columbus Day, in the town’s schools beginning next year.  Bridgeport schools made the change in 2015, and the New London school district replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day in 2016. There are no Connecticut municipalities that have voted to change the name of Columbus Day. In 2017, Rep. Josh Elliott of Hamden introduced legislation at the state level to make the change, but the proposal died in a legislative committee and was not voted on by either the House or Senate.

Instead of honoring Christopher Columbus, the Indigenous Peoples’ Day recognizes Native Americans, who were the first inhabitants of the land that later became the United States of America. Advocates for the switch to Indigenous Peoples Day argue that Columbus did not “discover” America in 1492 but instead began the colonization of it.

The states of Minnesota, Alaska and South Dakota celebrate Indigenous People’s Day or Native Americans Day, instead of Columbus Day.

TIME magazine has reported that with the exception of Santa Cruz, Calif., and the state of South Dakota, which adopted the similar Native American Day in place of Columbus Day in 1990, the jurisdictions that have chosen to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day have done so relatively recently, with cities like Minneapolis and Seattle voting to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day instead in 2014, and Los Angeles doing so last year, with the observance to begin in 2019.  In 2016, the state of Vermont (by gubernatorial proclamation) and city of Phoenix, AZ celebrated Indigenous Peoples Day. When the city of Austin adopted Indigenous Peoples’ Day in October 2017, the resolution stated that the city wanted to encourage schools to teach this history.

For decades, Native American activists have advocated abolishing Columbus Day, which became a federal holiday in 1937.  On the 300th anniversary of Columbus’ landing, the Society of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, organized the first celebration of Columbus Day on Oct. 12, 1792, according to the Library of Congress. In 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt designated Oct. 12 as the national holiday called Columbus Day. It became a federal holiday honored annually on the second Monday in October in 1971.

Tracey Wilson, a former social studies teacher at Conard who is also town historian, told we-ha.com that it’s important to “help our students distinguish between nostalgia and history.” Today’s world is different than it was when Columbus Day was first celebrated in 1892 and when the day became a national holiday in 1934, she said.

Women's History Month Focuses on Current Issues, Locally and Globally

As Women’s History Month unfolds in the light of #METOO and #TIMESUP, two Hartford-area events bookend the month and underscore the evolving contributions of noteworthy women on the local and global scene. The World Affairs Council of CT and the University of Saint Joseph Women’s Leadership Center “work to motivate women to continue to be bold, to press for progress and take groundbreaking action that truly drives the greatest change for women locally and across the globe.”  The two organizations will present “Global Changemakers” on March 7, in observance of International Women’s Day.  The event, on the University campus, opens with a 5 p.m. reception followed by a 6 p.m. program and audience questions.

On campus will be:

Bayartsetseg Jigmiddash has held senior government positions in the justice sector and has been at the forefront of Mongolia’s far-reaching reform initiatives. Currently, she is CEO and Founding Director of Veritas Consulting. From 2012 to 2016, Jigmiddash served as Secretary of State of the Ministry of Justice of Mongolia, becoming the first woman appointed in this position. Under her leadership, the legal policy on gender-based violence has been significantly improved, including criminalization of domestic violence. Prior to this top civil service post, she served as legal advisor to the president of Mongolia, and has been involved in the judicial reform as well as abolishment of death penalty in Mongolia. She has extensive civil society experience and pioneered an array of initiatives to promote human rights and access to justice.

Stephenie Foster is a Partner in Smash Strategies and a former Senior Advisor and Counselor to the Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues at the U.S Department of State. As a member of the leadership team, she coordinated, managed and implemented a wide range of policies and programs, including the women, peace and security initiative, women’s political participation and women’s economic empowerment. At the State Department, Ms. Foster represented the United States in various multilateral and bilateral forums. She served at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, focusing on women and civil society, travelling extensively throughout the country to work with individuals and organizations advancing the role of women in Afghan society. Ms. Foster served as Chief of Staff to two United States Senators, Barbara Mikulski and Christopher Dodd.

Josepha M. N. Musabyemariya is the United States Rwandan Community Abroad (USRCA) Commissioner for Gender and Social Affairs. She also is President of Rwandan Community Abroad (RCA) in Maryland, District of Columbia and Virginia (DMV). She has more than 25 years of experience in handling special projects and initiatives designed to positively impact lives of people in her home country of Rwanda,  the communities in and outside DMV and around the globe. She works for the African Union in the U.S.  In this office, she was among the handful of individuals charged with setting up the African Union office in Washington DC which was just prior to the arrival and assumption of duties of the first Permanent Representative in 2006. Josepha’s passion lies in dealing with all issues concerning gender and women empowerment.

Later this month, “The Evolving Role of Women in Politics and Governance” will be presented by Duncaster, the Hartford area’s first LifeCare community, located in Bloomfield.  With more women than ever running for public office in the United States, including in Connecticut, organizers say, the discussion will focus on their evolving roles on the local and national political stage.  The panelists will include:

• State Senator Beth Bye of West Hartford
• Mayor Suzette De Beatham-Brown of Bloomfield
• Assistant Attorney General Claire Kindell of Bloomfield, a candidate for Connecticut Attorney General
• Mayor Erin Stewart of New Britain, who has an exploratory candidacy for statewide office.

The program will be moderated by Carole Mulready, the past president of the Great Hartford League of Women Voters.  It begins at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, March 23.  The event is free, but pre-registration is required.