Connecticut Gets An Additional Area Code - 959 to Join 860, Beginning in August

Some residents and businesses within Connecticut's 860 area code will have an additional area code to become familiar with beginning this summer.  The state Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) has announced that because of continuing local demand for telephone numbers, remaining unassigned telephone numbers in the 860 area code are expected to be exhausted by the end of this year.

To meet the continuing demand, the PURA approved a new area code, 959, to be assigned as an overlay to the 860 region. An overlay is the addition of an area code to the same geographic region as an existing area code. An overlay does not require customers to change their existing area code, personal telephone numbers, or the manner in which they dial local calls.

Connecticut is far from alone in the introduction of new area codes across the country, and it's not the first time for an area code overlay in the state.

Kentucky residents in the 270 area code saw the introduction of an overlay area code this week, as the 364 area code was introduced for some new customers.  Indiana introduced 10-digit dialing last week to prepare for the introduction of an overlay area code this fall.

According to the North American Numbering Plan Administration, which handles the allocation of additional area codes nationwide, sixty percent of the U.S. state regulatory commissions – a total of thirty - have ordered overlays as the method of area code relief.  Throughout 2014, 25 states will have overlays in place with five more states in various stages of implementation of their overlays.  Three states (Indiana, South Carolina and Tennessee) t ordered their first overlay late in 2013, while California, the most populous state in the U.S., recently approved what will be their sixth overlay – the 415/628 combination coming to San Francisco.

Current plans call for the new 959 area code in Connecticut to go into effect August 30, 2014. After that date, customers requesting new service, an additional line, or in some cases, moving their service may be assigned a number in the new 959 area code.  According to NANPA, area code 203, in the southwestern portion of Connecticut, has had an overlay of area code 475 available since December 12, 2009.  The first 475 phone numbers have been issued within the past year, according to PURA officials.

In Nebraska, however, overlay day is said to be four years away.  Published reports indicate that demand for new phone numbers has slowed as fewer people become first-time cell phone customers.

For most customers, the new 959 area code should have minimal impact:

• existing telephone numbers, including current area code, will not change;
•  customers will continue to dial area code + telephone number for local calls, and 1 + area code + telephone number for long distance calls;
•  local calling areas will remain the same;
•  prices for calls and coverage areas will not change due to the overlay;
•  customers will still dial services such as 911 (211, 411, 811, etc.) with just three digits.

The North American Numbering Plan Administratin (NANPA) is an integrated telephone numbering plan serving 20 North American countries that share its resources. These countries include the United States and its territories, Canada, Bermuda, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, Sint Maarten, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turks & Caicos.

The Atlantic reported last month that for a brief period in the 1990s, Lockheed Martin oversaw the administration of area codes; after Lockheed got involved with telecom concerns, however, the FCC decided that it needed a neutral and non-governmental body to administer the nation's numbers. Lockheed's numbering division divested itself and became Neustar, which remains under contract with the FCC, according to the magazine.

Local Connecticut customers should contact their respective carriers with questions about the new 959 area code, and are advised that they can check PURA's website (www.ct.gov/pura) for updates.

Drive for More Electric Vehicles Continues to Gain Support, Funding in CT

The advance of electric cars continues, as does Connecticut’s encouragement of the trend.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the Connecticut Automotive Retailers Association (CARA) will recognize state automobile dealers who sell or lease the highest number of electric vehicles (EVs) between February 1 and July 31, 2014 with the first ever “Connecticut Revolutionary Dealer Award.”  One award will be presented to the dealer that sells or leases the highest number of new EVs – including plug-in hybrids – and the other will go to the dealer who sells or leases the most EVs as a percentage of total sales during the period.

The announcement this week follows by just a few months the agreement by eight states representing nearly a quarter of U.S. auto sales – including Connecticut - to promote infrastructure and take other steps to increase the number of electric- and hydrogen-fueled cars, trucks and buses on the roads. The states involved are Connecticut, California, New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont.

By developing standards for charging stations, expanding financial incentives to buy the cars and lowering consumer electric rates, the states hope to make the vehicles more appealing, The goal is 3.3 million non-polluting cars on the road by 2025. Zero-emission vehicles include battery-electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel-cell-electric vehicles

State Funding Leads to More Charging Stations

State officials said that Connecticut is leading the nation in developing ways to encourage residents and businesses to buy electric and other zero-emission vehicles when making transportation purchases.  Since July 2013, the state has provided $177,600 to 48 towns, businesses, and schools to build 75 electric vehicle charging stations throughout the state.  It is estimated there are already more than 164 publicly available charging stations in Connecticut, including many located at auto dealers.

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection provides an up-to-date list of all the charging stations in Connecticut, as well as those near the state’s border in neighboring states.  Just over 50 of Connecticut’s 169 communities have at least one charging station.  Both Hartford and New Haven each have nine stations. Stamford has six, Bridgeport has one, Waterbury has none, according to the January 2014 data from DEEP.

Nationally, automakers are under pressure from the federal government to increase the average mileage of the vehicles they sell. Zero-emission vehicles are also supposed to make up at least 15% of sales by 2025. The Electric Drive Transportation Association told CNN Money said the market for electric and hybrid vehicles is growing steadily, especially as word of mouth spreads from satisfied customers.

 Electric vehicles are “a ‘win-win’ for our state because they can cut costs for motorists while improving our environment and public health,” said interim DEEP Commissioner Ronald Klee.  “Cars and trucks burning gasoline and diesel are one of the largest sources of harmful air pollution and greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.” Expanding the number of publicly available charging stations in Connecticut is critical to meeting the goals of the eight-state agreement.”

Electric cars are powered entirely by an electric motor supplied by a large battery.  Unlike traditional hybrid cars, electric cars do not have a gasoline engine; they are “fueled” by plugging into an electric charging station.  A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle has an electric motor, an internal combustion engine and a plug to connect to the electrical grid.

The Connecticut Automotive Retailers Association is a statewide trade association representing over 250 franchised new car and truck dealerships primarily engaged in the retail sale of new and used motor vehicles, both foreign and domestically produced.

Last fall, Luis Ramírez, CEO of GE Energy Industrial Solutions joined Governor Malloy in unveiling the GE Electric Vehicle (EV) Solar Carport in Plainville.  The project, one of the most expansive undertakings of its type in North America, uses GE’s new smart EV Charging Stations to charge electric vehicles.  DEEP’s stated goal, former Commissioner Dan Esty said at the time, is to provide “publicly accessible EV charging stations within a 15-minute driving radius of any location in Connecticut.”

U.S. electric car sales have more than tripled from 17,000 in 2011 to 52,000 in 2012, according to data from the DEEP. Motorists bought more than 40,000 plug-in cars in the first six months of 2013, the most recent data available.

State's Public Transportation Commission Calls for Service Improvements, Safeguards to Transit Fund

With the start of the legislative session, one of the many reports landing on legislators desks include a series of six recommendations for improving public transportation services, developed by the Connecticut Public Transportation Commission and outlined in their recently released 2013 Annual Report. The recommendations, according to Chair Kevin Maloney, “do not call for any major new State-funded initiatives, though some of the recommendations would require incremental expenditures to current projects or services.”

The Commission, a 14-member advisory body comprised of gubernatorial and legislative appointees, and including members from industry and the public, developed the recommendations following seven public hearings in Norwalk, Putnam, Bristol, Orange, New Milford, Enfield and New London, and monthly meetings throughout the year.  The Commission:

1.  Strongly supports efforts to safeguard the Special Transportation Fund, stating that resources of the fund “must be reserved to address the needs of Connecticut’s roads, bridges and transit systems.”  The report noted that:

• transfer of Fund monies to the General Fund deprives Connecticut’s infrastructure and services of these much-needed resources
• the transfer of Fund monies violates the trust that the Special Transportation Fund’s supporting revenues and user fees will benefit the transportation services and facilities upon which those who pay the gas tax, gross receipts tax, fares and license and permit fees rely
•  “the continued deferred investment in our transportation infrastructure that the diversion of Special Transportation Fund resources causes will erode Connecticut’s attractiveness and make it harder to compete with other states for businesses and residents”

2. Recommends sustained support for adequate for the continued operation and growth of the Coastal Link bus service, operated by Greater Bridgeport Transit, Norwalk Transit and Milford Transit along the Route 1 corridor, be provided. The line – which the report describes as “highly successful” and “perpetually in jeopardy” due to insufficient funding - carries over 4,000 passengers per weekday and over 1.2 million passengers annually, and the buses running this service are frequently at or above capacity with some occurrences where riders must be turned away.  “At a minimum,” the report recommends, “additional investment of state funds would be required to support additional buses to provide a consistent level of services and improve service quality.”

3. Commends ConnDOT for restoring funds to the Municipal Dial-A-Ride program – a “much needed program” that provides mobility to seniors and persons with disabilities across the state, and is “especially important to small rural communities.”  Funding had been reduced by 25 percent in 2011, which was restored in the FY2014 state budget, according to the report.  Approximately 130 municipalities apply for program funds each year.  The report notes that Connecticut is the seventh oldest state in the nation, with the over 65 population projected to grow by 64 percent by 2030. 

4. Encourages ConnDOT to apply the techniques used to inform the public about the progress and projected benefits of CT FastTrak (previously known as the Hartford-New Britain Busway) with information on other high profile projects such as the Stamford Transportation Center.   The report states that a “more vigorous and pro-active outreach effort...may pay dividends in lessening political headwinds and gain public support for these projects.”   Such actions “for other major transit projects such as the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield commuter rail service would also serve both ConnDOT’s and the public’s interests.”

5.  Urges State cooperation with an on-going effort by the Housatonic Railroad to develop a privately-run, unsubsidized passenger rail service between Danbury and Pittsfield.  With the commitment by Massachusetts of substantial funding for that state’s portion of the project, this proposal is starting to gain some momentum, the report indicates.

6.  Recommends “more effective dissemination of information about new and existing transit services,” recognizing that “the public does not have sufficient awareness of and information about existing transportation services to take full advantage of these services.”  The Commission indicated that this was a “recurring theme” at the Commission’s public hearings, and called for both high-tech and low-tech solutions.  The report noted that “addressing this need can be challenging,” because “ConnDOT has no dedicated marketing staff and no marketing budget,” and “marketing for individual services is often sporadic and inconsistent.” 

Additional topics were noted in the Annual Report as a result of issues raised during public testimony, including:

• the increasing popularity of cycling and the resulting demand for more bicycle amenities and facilities,
• the desire of several smaller transit districts to implement designated and signed bus stops to increase system visibility and assist their riders,
• the need for better communication on train platforms to alert riders as to which track an arriving train will be using,
• the increasing demand for inter-regional bus services, repeated accounts of train fares going uncollected, and
• the demand for bus and rail services which cross Connecticut’s boundaries into adjacent states.

The Commission is chaired by Kevin Maloney, President/CEO of Northeast Express Transportation, Inc. which operates NEXTAir, NEXTCourier and NEXTDistribution.  Commission members include Christopher Adams, Richard Carpenter, Morton Katz, William Kelaher, Yvonne Loteczka, Kevin Maloney, Edward McAnaney, Robert Rodman, Kiernan Ryan, Russell St. John, Richard Schreiner, Richard Sunderhauf, Alan Sylvestre, and John Zelinsky.  Among the ex-officio members are DOT Commissioner James Redeker, Sen. Andrew Maynard and Rep. Antonio Guerrera.

The Commission continues to meet monthly in accordance with state statute, with the next meeting scheduled for March 6 at New Haven’s Union Station.

Connecticut Talks Issues at Forums, Conferences Across State

The Connecticut legislature, now underway for 2014, is not the only place for conversation on key issues impacting Connecticut.  A range of news organizations, nonprofits, associations and community-based groups are sponsoring forums, summits and sessions to better-inform the public and bring interest and attention to specific issues.  Among them:

February 10  - Hartford’s Edgy Arts, Mark Twain House & Museum

The Hartford area attracts an array of creative people from actors to musicians, poets to painters.  What is it that so draws artists?  What to they need to flourish here?  A discussion of the creative economy, in the Capitol City.  Refreshments at 5:30; panel discussion at 6:15.  Advance articles published in The Hartford Courant; a program of Hartford Young Professionals & Entrepreneurs (HYPE), FOX Connecticut and The Hartford Courant.

February 20 - Pay-for-Success Informational Conference, Legislative Office Building

National leaders from the emerging field of Pay for Success will be speaking, with a focus on three key elements: 1) Offering high-quality preventative services; 2) Requiring rigorous measurement of results; and 3) Capturing savings or avoided costs. The 2014 Pay-for-Success (PFS) Informational Conference, 10:00-12:30 PM, will offer interested stakeholders the chance to discuss the field with leaders from around the country, while hearing about projects underway in the areas of early childhood, juvenile recidivism, health care and workforce development.  Sponsoring organizations include BlumShapiro, Connecticut Institute for the 21^st Century, Capitol Region Council of Governments, Connecticut Center for Social Innovation, Community Impact Strategies Ltd, and Connecticut Association for Human Services.

February 24 -  The Knowledge Economy; Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges, CT Mirror, Quinnipiac University

Connecticut is home to almost 50 colleges and universities and has created an industry in surrounding towns and cities. What is expected as we continue into the 21st Century? Join the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges and The Connecticut Mirror in the lively discussion, "The Knowledge Economy," on Monday, Feb. 24 , from 7-9 p.m., in the auditorium at the Quinnipiac University Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine. This event is free and open to the public. No registration is necessary.  Panelists include Sal Filardi - Vice President, Facilities & Capital Planning, Quinnipiac University; Rich Jacob - Vice President for Federal and State Relations, Yale University; Todd Andrews - Vice President for Economic & Strategic Development, Goodwin College and Jeff Seemann - Vice President for Research, UCONN.

February 26 - Vital Voices in Entrepreneurship, Goodwin College

A special speaker series focused on the first-hand perspectives of leaders making a mark in business and the community. The next event at Goodwin College's Community Room on February 26 will feature Stew Leonard, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer of the unique, family-owned and operated farm fresh stores, Stew Leonard's. The keynote address will commence at 6:00 p.m., preceded by a networking reception at 5:00 p.m. with wine, beer and hors d'oeuvres.

February 28 – Retrofitting Our Towns:  Can We Add Density, Affordability and Walk-ability to Help Municipalities Survive…And Thrive?  The Lyceum, Hartford

Can suburbs and smaller towns reshape and respond to the demographic, economic and lifestyle pressures of the 21^st Century?  One of the nation’s leading experts – Lynn Richards of the EPA Office of Smart Growth – assesses four Connecticut municipalities and offers lessons for all the others.  Program 9:00-111:00 AM.  Sponsored by the Connecticut Main Street Center, Partnership for Strong Communities and the American Planning Association - Connecticut.

March  7  - An Honest Look at Mental Illness, Connecticut Forum, The Bushnell

The Connecticut Forum presents a conversation about perceptions, realities, and what it’s like to work and live with the stigma of mental illness.  Panelists include journalist and mental health advocate Andrew Solomon, Dr. Hank Schwartz, Chief of Psychiatry at Hartford’s Institute of Living, former NBA player Royce White and bipolar disorder authority Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison.   Founded in 1992, The Connecticut Forum is a one-of-a-kind 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving Connecticut and beyond with live, unscripted panel discussions among renowned experts and celebrities, and community outreach programs including the award-winning Connecticut Youth Forum.

March 14 – Hartford Business Journal Municipal Collaboration Summit, Goodwin College

An opportunity to learn about the benefits of collaboration which save money and leverage the purchases and agreements for towns.  The event will highlight people that are already implementing positive changes.   Panel discussions, workshops and Q&A with key leaders and a panel of experts.

March 26 - Student Debt and Financial Aid: What (if anything) can we do?, Southern Connecticut State University

Sponsored by the Center for Higher Education Retention Excellence, 9AM-3PM, at Southern Connecticut State University, featuring Sandy Baum, Research Professor of Education at the George Washington School of Education and Human Development and Senior Fellow at the Urban Institute, and  panel of Connecticut financial aid directors (representing a public university, community college and private college) and a student panel.  Registration now available; limit 75 attendees.

Whalers Return to Connecticut - On Lottery Tickets

If you’re wondering why you’re seeing and hearing more advertising featuring the logo and theme song of the defunct Hartford Whalers than the tryin’-to-survive Hartford Wolf Pack, the Connecticut Lottery is the reason.

The lottery is in the midst of a very visible media campaign prominently featuring the sound of “Brass Bonanza,” the former team’s distinctive anthem, and a computer animated rink with the Whalers logo glistening at center ice.

The television and web promotions for the scratch tickets come, coincidentally, as Gov. Dannel Malloy indicated in recent weeks that he’s spoken with “at least two groups” that are interested in acquiring an NHL team about the possibility of relocating or expanding to Hartford.

The Whalers were moved by their owner to North Carolina in 1997, despite solid attendance and a successful season ticket sale drive, after two decades in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League, first in Boston, then Hartford.

Last month, the State Bond Commission approved funds for improvements at the 34-year-old XL Center (formerly the Hartford Civic Center, rebuilt after a roof collapse three decades ago). Improvements will include an upgraded videoboard, a new fan club area, renovated bathrooms, concession stand upgrades, a new bar area within the arena bowl, renovated locker rooms and improvements in handicap accessibility. Construction is expected to take place in the summer and be completed by the start of the 2014-15 hockey season.

The CT Lottery received permission to use the Whalers logo for this promotion from the National Hockey League (NHL), which retains rights to the logo.  The scratch game tickets cost $3 and the maximum winning prize is $30,000.  It is anticipated that 1,200,000 tickets will be sold, and the overall odds of winning a monetary prize is 1 in 3.67.  The game launched at the start of the hockey season last fall, and will continue “until the last top prize in the game is claimed” according to lottery officials.

As of last Friday, there remained two $30,000 winning tickets, 15 tickets with  a prize amount of $1,979, 105 tickets worth $500, and 300 tickets worth $250 yet to be claimed.  More than 7,500 winning tickets between $25 and $100 have also yet to be claimed.

The CT Lottery's use of the Hartford Whalers® logo is a first for Connecticut, according to lottery officials  Other CT Lottery sports branded scratch tickets have included the NY Giants®, NY Yankees® and the Boston Red Sox®.  The last time that the Whalers were front and center on a CT Lottery ticket was in 1992, when the team was still in town.  At the time, “Whalers Power Play” tickets cost $1, with prizes ranging from  $2 to $1,000, including some drawings between periods at Whalers games.

“I have encouraged at least two groups that have expressed interest in acquiring a team to do so and that we would be active participants should they acquire a team and win the rights to that team,” Malloy said last month.  In the meantime, die-hard Whalers fans in Connecticut can buy lottery tickets - as they hope that an even bigger bonanza is in the cards.

Nonprofit Seeks Support for STEM Mentoring Initiative Focused on Women, Underserved

It is, after all, National Mentoring Month.  It makes perfect sense, therefore, for a fledgling Connecticut-based nonprofit devoted to mentoring young women and students of color to increase their presence in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math) to launch a fundraising initiative.

ManyMentors, a nonprofit that promotes peer mentoring to increase the interest, pursuit and attainment of STEM degrees among underrepresented students, has kicked-off an Indiegogo crowdraising campaign aimed at supporting the development of “the world’s first mobile mentoring app and complementary online platform,” according to the campaign’s website. 

Online contributions will also support the ongoing outreach and advocacy activities of ManyMentors in Connecticut, and support outreach activities planned for establishment of student chapters at universities nationwide.  The fundraising initiative runs through February 10, 2014.

The organization’s website notes that “of the 20 fastest growing occupations projected for 2014, 15 of them require significant mathematics or science preparation.”  The nonprofit hopes to “make STEM mentoring more mainstream among middle and high school students, college and graduate students, as well as working professional.”  As their slogan emphasizes, “If they never know, they will never go!”

Keshia Ashe, co-founder and CEO of ManyMentors, gave a well-received TEDx talk in Springfield, MA last fall about the important role of mentors and role models to encourage our young people to pursue degrees and careers in STEM. Keshia Ashe is a University of Virginia alumna, and current Ph.D. candidate in Chemical Engineering at the University of Connecticut. Since the age of 11 she has been actively involved in several youth-serving groups and advisory boards, and has had many opportunities to travel nationally and internationally as a speaker and trainer.

The ManyMentors program primarily serves middle and high school students located in the state of Connecticut. The organization currently implements onsite mentoring opportunities with local community partners, and is piloting the mobile mentoring with a select number of mentor/mentee pairs.  Supporting organizations of ManyMentors include the CBIA Education Foundation, Granville Academy of Waterbury, and CPEP (Catalysts Powering Educational Performance).

Tiffany St. Bernard, the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of ManyMentors, is a University of Connecticut alumna, and current Ph.D. student in Genetics at Cornell University. She is passionate about ManyMentors because she has experienced first-hand the positive benefits of having many mentors guide her through academic life, beginning during her years at Tunxis Community College.

Using social networking, ManyMentors aims to connect students from a wide variety of academic and ethic backgrounds with the hopes that these relationships will stimulate, sustain, and support students’ interest in, pursuit, and attainment of STEM degrees.

Among the upcoming activities ManyMentors is sponsoring this year are a series of “STEMinars” at UConn, beginning in February, aimed at “Preparing Tomorrow's Female STEM workforce, Today.”  The sessions are designed to “increase awareness of female STEM workplace issues by being exposed to female STEM professionals who will discuss topics such as career placement basics, salary and promotions, communication, creating support groups, being culturally aware, finding a work/life balance, and appreciating the value of staying true to oneself in male-dominated fields.”

ManyMentors is moving forward with three central efforts:

• Creating partnerships between K-12 students, institutions of higher education and STEM professionals to stimulate and sustain student interest in the STEM fields.
• Selecting college mentors with a vested interest in sharing their best advice, wisdom, and insight to support the academic, professional, and cultural development of their mentees.
• Providing ongoing trainings for mentors to share best practices and cultivate a community of STEMentors.

 Photo:  Keshia Ashe (left) and Tiffany St. Bernard

High Tech Firms Driving the National Economy; Connecticut Slowed as Other Regions Grew

If you’ve wondered why Connecticut has been devoting significantly increased economic development attention on high tech start-up businesses, encouraging and nurturing their development and offering financial incentives at every turn, a new national report on business start-ups in the sector may provide ample rationale.

High-tech startups are a key driver of job creation throughout the United States, according to research by technology policy coalition Engine and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The report, “Tech Starts: High-Technology Business Formation and Job Creation in the United States,” finds that high-tech startups are springing up at a higher rate than all private-sector businesses – and in more places around the nation.   A total of 384 metropolitan areas were analyzed, including four in Connecticut, using comprehensive data through 2010, the most recent available.

Relative to their share of firms in the economy, high tech is 23 percent more likely, and the ICT sector (Information and Communications Technology), as a segment of high tech, is 48 percent more likely, than the private sector as a whole to witness a new business formation.

Though they start lean, new high-tech companies grow rapidly in the early years, adding thousands of jobs along the way, according to the study findings. In fact, high-tech startup job creation is so robust that it more than makes up for the job destruction from early-stage businesses failures – a key distinction from the private sector as a whole where job losses from early-stage failures turns this group into net job destroyers, the report indicated.

However, as the density of high tech firms has grown in metropolitan areas across the country, it has not happened in Connecticut, as data reveals a reduction in the density of high tech firms in the state’s major metropolitan areas during the past two decades.  (The U.S. average is 1.0.)

New Haven-Milford’s start-up density went from 1.1 in 1990, when it was one of nearly 70 metropolitan areas above the national average, to .5 in 2010, while the ICT sector start-up density dropped from above average at 1.2 in 1990 to .5 twenty years later.    The Norwich-New London metropolitan area reflects a drop from 1.1 to .8 in high tech start-up density and 1.1 to .9 in the ICT sector comparing 1990 and 2010.

The data indicate that the Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford area reflected decreases from .9 high tech start-up densities in 1990 to .6 in 2010, and .8 ICT start-up density in 1990 to .7 two decades later. The Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk metropolitan region showed a drop from 1.4 to .9 in high tech start-up density over the 20 year period, moving from above to below the national average, and a parallel drop of 1.6 to 1.1 in ICT start-up density.

The website Engine, which collaborated in the report, observed that “Each of the high density metro areas has one of three characteristics, and some have a combination of them all: 1) They are well-known tech hubs with highly skilled workforces, 2) They have a strong defense or aerospace presence, and 3) They are university cities.”

The report noted that “”high-tech startups are being founded across the country fueling local and national economic growth…and are a pervasive force in communities throughout the country.”  The Top 10 Metro Areas for High-Tech Startup Density (1990 and 2010 data):

1. Boulder, Colo.  (High-tech 4.0 to 6.3; ICT 4.7 to 6.1)
2. Fort Collins-Loveland, Colo. (High-tech 1.0 to 3.2; ICT 1.1 to 2.6)
3. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif.  (High-tech 3.0 to 2.6: ICT 4.4 to 2.9)
4. Cambridge-Newton-Framingham, Mass. (High-tech 2.0 to 2.4; ICT 2.0 to 2.3)
5. Seattle, Wash.
6. Denver, Colo.
7. San Francisco, Calif.
8. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-Va.-Md.
9. Colorado Springs, Colo.
10. Cheyenne, Wyo.

"This report confirms the dynamism of the technology sector and its disproportionate contributions to the U.S. economy. It also underscores the need for policies that enable and support that dynamism," said Dane Stangler, director of Research and Policy at the Kauffman Foundation.

The report, released earlier this year, used data from the Business Dynamics Statistics (BDS) series, which is compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau and tracks the annual number of new businesses (startups and new locations) from 1976 to 2011.  Ten of the 14 high-tech industries can be classified as information and communications technology (ICT), while the remaining four are in the disparate fields of pharmaceuticals, aerospace, engineering services and scientific research and development.

In explaining the report, Engine noted that “While high-tech firms start small, they scale rapidly in the early years. So much so that young high-tech firms--those aged one to five years--contribute positively to net job creation overall. The opposite is true across the private sector as a whole, where the substantial job losses stemming from early-stage business failures - about half of all firms fail in their first five years - make young firms as a whole net job destroyers. Even when we remove the job destruction from all early-stage firm failures, surviving young high-tech businesses create jobs at a rate twice that of surviving companies in the private sector as a whole.”

Connecticut is Nation’s Fourth Most Innovative State, Data Reveals

Connecticut is ranked as the nation’s fourth most innovative state, in a new analysis from Bloomberg Technology.  The state’s ranking was based on factors including education, professionals in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, state research and development spending, and technology companies.

The state’s overall score in the analysis, 76.45, is just behind top-ranked Washington’s 83.25, California’s 81.97 and Massachusetts’ 80.93. States were ranked on a scale of zero to 100 in six factors, and received an overall score that was an average of the six. Because productivity consisted of two sub-factors, each was weighted 50%.

 Connecticut’s ranking was based on the following factors:

• STEM professionals as a percentage of state population: 2.72% (CT ranked #7)
• Science and tech degree holders as a percentage of state population: 10.2% (CT ranked #6)
• Utility patents granted as a percentage of U.S. total: 1.74% (CT ranked #17)
• State government R&D spending as a percentage of U.S. total: 2.79% (CT ranked #8)
• Gross state product per employed person: $114,891 (CT ranked #5)
• Three-year change in productivity: 0.88% (CT ranked #32)
• Public tech companies as a percentage of all public companies based in the state: 17.65% (CT ranked #17)

Sources of the data include Bloomberg, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Science Foundation, U.S. Census, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.  The analysis was updated in November 2013, and the rankings were published this month.

The remainder of the top 20 innovative states were:

5. Oregon 6. New York 7. New Jersey 8. Colorado 9. Maryland 10. Minnesota 11. Virginia 12. Texas 13. Utah 14. Arizona 15. North Carolina 16.  Illinois 17. Pennsylvania 18. Kansas 19. New Hampshire 20. D.C.

At the bottom of the list of innovative states were Louisiana, Tennessee, Wyoming, Mississippi and Arkansas.

Two-Thirds of Drivers Use Cell Phones While Driving Despite Dangers, Survey Says

It turns out that the problems is much greater than just teens.  Texting while driving – like texting – is cutting across the population, presenting dangers that are well-documented and increasingly ignored.  And it’s not only texting – it is the use of phones while driving as well that is causing concerns among safety experts.

New research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety indicates that high school-aged teens report using their phones or texting while driving substantially less often than adults do.  The AAA survey found that adult drivers ages 25-39 were the most likely to admit engaging in these risky behaviors behind the wheel.

Though the practice is hazardous at any age, two out of three drivers reported using a cell phone while driving within the past month. Forty-three percent of adults ages 25-39 reported doing so fairly often or regularly while driving, compared to only 20 percent of teens.  Motorists age 60 and up were the least likely to report using a phone.

“Using your phone while driving may seem safe, but it roughly quadruples your risk of being in a crash according to previous research,” said Stephen Rourke, manager of driving school administration for AAA. “None of us is immune from the dangers of distracted driving. The best advice is to hang up and drive.”

More than one-in-four motorists reported sending a text or email while driving within the past month. Adults ages 25-39 reported texting and driving most frequently, while those age 60 and up reported doing it the least.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, one out of every ten fatal crashes involves distraction, resulting in more than 3,000 deaths per year, although experts agree the numbers are likely underestimated.

Previous research shows that hands-free cell phones offer no significant safety benefits over handheld phones – hands-free is not risk-free.  Earlier this year, Connecticut by the Numbers reported on a proposal in Connecticut to ban the use of electronic devices in vehicles.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety collected the data as part of the 2013 Traffic Safety Culture Index. The data are from a sample of 2,325 licensed drivers, ages 16 and older, who reported driving in the past 30 days.

Nonprofits See Tangible Benefits from Leadership Greater Hartford’s Quest Program

Four Hartford-based nonprofit organizations have received a boost from some of the region’s up-and-coming leaders participating in the flagship program of  Leadership Greater Hartford (LGH).  The Hartford Consortium for Higher Education, Oak Hill School, CountMeIn! Hartford and GreenShare Technology saw rising and established leaders from diverse career backgrounds - corporate, government, small business, academia and nonprofit – work on key projects as part of the Quest program.  It is the most recognized community-based leadership development program for professionals working throughout the Greater Hartford region, a landmark initiative of LGH for more than three decades.

The 11-month program kicks off with an orientation and retreat in January and ends with November class presentations and commencement. Workshops throughout the program focus on learning about one’s own leadership personality, participatory decision- making, effective group dynamics and leadership practices, including change leadership. The field experiences allow participants to meet the area’s key players and organizations, better understand the region’s assets and challenges, and gain a greater understanding of creative problem solving while leveraging limited resources.

Central to the Quest program is the community service component, a collaborative team project working alongside various nonprofits in the Hartford region. Through real world community projects, Quest participants work in teams and learn the tools and insights needed to become collaborative leaders. The four community-based projects tackled by the 2013 Quest participants, now completed, included:

Working with the Hartford Consortium for Higher Education (HCHE) to create a media device that would tell the story of the Career Beginnings program, which connects Hartford-area high schools, businesses, volunteers/mentors and parents in a coordinated effort to increase the percentage of Hartford teenagers who graduate from high school, pursue higher education and fulfill career goals.

One of the Quest project groups created a magnificent 25-page booklet – which has now been produced by HCHE and is being distributed to interested parties throughout the region - that effectively tells the story of the students who are a part of the Career Beginnings program.  They presented the publication to stakeholders of Career Beginnings at an event held at the Artist Collective.

 Working on the project were Brenda de los Reyes (Corporation for Independent Living), Diana Marsh (United Healthcare), Cara Farrrell (Women’s Health USA), Teresa Nieves (Village for Families and Children), Shawnee Baldwin (Archdiocese of Hartford), Lisa Galinski (Wild Heart Coaching), Brenda Pabon (Aetna), Vivek Mukherjee (OptumHealth), Karen Bernard (retired; Dept. of Correction), William Tarinelli, Jr. (Travelers), Alice Ferguson (HIV/AIDS Commission) and Shazia Chaudry (Alzheimer’s Resource Center). They coordinated with Martin Estey, a Quest 2012 participant, the executive director of HCHE. 

Working with Oak Hill School on a new, all abilities/inclusive wellness facility that is being built in Bristol, a second Quest group was charged with developing aspects of a recruitment plan for members and staff for the wellness facility.  They produced a video montage for marketing and a recruitment plan for staff and facility members.  The group worked with a 2012 Quest graduate, Leslie Sanborn.  The wellness center is projected to open in late 2014 or early 2015.

The participants in the projected included Bob Bourett (ConnectiCare), Pat Sebring (Imagineers), Kent Limson (Phoenix), Alex Cuevas (Stone Academy), Neville Brooks (Hartford Police), Leilany Rivera (Harc Inc.), Jim Mindek (UConn), Chris Baker (American Red Cross), Anne Hayes (Travelers), Casey Bandarra (Eastern Connecticut State University), Mel Camacho (United Way of Central and Northeast CT), and Dan Wenner (Day Pitney).

CountMeIn! Hartford is a new, local think tank whose mission is to provide thought leadership for individuals who want to turn an idea into an organization.  The third Quest group – anxious to help start an endeavor from scratch – set out to provide organizational structure.  The group focused on marketing, strategic relationships, board development and fundraising, breaking into subcommittees to develop a document with plans outlined in each of these areas.  They worked with Scott Orsey, a Quest 2009 participant , who is leading CountMeIn! Hartford.

The project team included Betty Ann Grady (Hartford Foundation for Public Giving), Aliza Finn-Welch (Junior League of Hartford), Mike Fritz (Shipman and Goodwin), Lee Hameroff (Goodwin College), Dartanion Reed (Hartford Arts Center), Jay Arcata (Halloran & Sage), Lindsay Ryan (Ryan Marketing Partners), Jas Millette (CT1 Media), Mick Connors (CCMC), Kiran Panati (OptumHealth) and Christian Sager (Travelers).

The fourth Quest group shared a passion for closing the digital divide for residents of Hartford, and worked with GreenShare Technology, a social enterprise and one of the first reSET Social Enterprise Trust projects, now operating in Hartford.  The organization refurbishes computers and then sells them to organizations that might not otherwise be able to afford computers.  The group developed and held a fundraising event which raised sufficient funds to purchase six refurbished computers that could then be donated to area nonprofits that the group had visited as part of their Quest program.

Working on the GreenShare Technology project were James McLaughlin (Murtha Cullina), Corey Fleming (Hartford Public Library), Jessica Gagliano (Lincoln Financial Group), Anthony DeSalvo (Travelers), James McLoughlin (Hartford Fire Department), Rasheed Ali (Phoenix), Christopher Pagano (Travelers), Jennifer Carrier (CRCOG), Matthew Wallace (CCMC), Dalyn Delgado (CNG) and Kim McPherson-Shiffrin (OptumHealth).

 Photo: Leadership Greater Hartford's 2013 Quest class