Entrepreneurship in Connecticut Among Nation’s Top 15

The rate of entrepreneurial activity in Connecticut in 2011 was .34% - ranking at number 15 (tied with Arkansas and Louisiana) among states.  Tops in the nation was Arizona at .52%, California at .44%, Colorado at .42%, Alaska at .41% and Nevada at .39%   The bottom dweller?  West Virginia at .15% Across the nation, the rate of new business creation dipped during 2011 and startup founders remained more likely to fly solo than employ others, according to "Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity," a leading indicator of new business creation in the United States published annually and released this month by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

The Index shows that 0.32 percent of American adults created a business per month in 2011 – a 5.9 percent drop from 2010, but still among the highest levels of entrepreneurship over the past 16 years. The quarterly employer firm rate also remained essentially flat from 2010 to 2011 at 0.11 percent. Entrepreneurship growth was highest among 45- to 54-year-olds, rising from 0.35 percent in 2010 to 0.37 percent in 2011. The youngest group (aged 20 to 34) also showed a slight increase.

Blue-Blazed Hiking Trail Traverses 88 Towns, 825 Miles in CT

In the spirit of Earth Day, the Connecticut Forest and Park Association (CFPA) is highlighting Connecticut's progress through the years to preserve the environment.  CFPA has been a longstanding voice urging the state to set a national example for successful forest conservation and reverse the damage to Connecticut's natural resources. The impact - a century in the making - is worth noting:  when the organization began its work (in 1895), Connecticut was 20% forested: today it is 60% forested. CFPA remains vigilant and involved in the sound management and protection of land, water and wildlife resources.

In addition to protecting land for public enjoyment, CFPA's leaders established the Blue-Blazed Hiking Trail System in 1929 which traverses public and private lands throughout 88 towns in Connecticut and is enjoyed by thousands of citizens each year. Today, approximately 825 miles of trails are maintained by hundreds of CFPA volunteers working in cooperation with many public and private landowners, contributing approximately 15,000 hours to trail work every year.

Hartford Foundation Receives Recognition; Efforts in Education, Workforce Intensify

President Obama has pointed out that “there is no greater predictor of individual success than a good education.”  The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is certainly on the same page, moving to implement their most recent strategic plan which has two primary areas of focus – education and workforce development, described as the region’s “two toughest issues.”  The Foundation receives financial support from thousands of individuals and families, and is among the nation's largest public foundations.   In 2011, they awarded grants of more than $28 million to a broad range of area nonprofit organizations. The Hartford Foundation recently was announced as a recipient of the 2012 Wilmer Shields Rich Award for effective communication efforts to increase public awareness of foundations and corporate giving programs.  The award – one of 12 designated out of 140 entries in four categories – will be presented during the Council on Foundations Annual Conference, April 29-May 1, in Los Angeles, CA.

Finances Challenging Connecticut Nonprofits

The Nonprofit Finance Fund’s 2012 State of the Nonprofit Sector Survey reveals Connecticut nonprofits continue to face increased demand for services and decreased funding, with 29% of the 158 respondents closing the 2011 fiscal year with an operating deficit. According to the  Survey, in Connecticut alone:

• 84% of nonprofits anticipate an increased demand for services in 2012, yet only 45% of nonprofits expect to be able to fully meet the demand
• Nearly one-third (29%) of nonprofits surveyed ended the 2011 fiscal year with an operating deficit
• 47% of Connecticut nonprofits that receive federal funding report receiving late payments from the government
• 70% of the nonprofits in Connecticut that receive funding from State or local government report receiving late payments

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/668915#ixzz1sjTsx0cp

Record Temperatures Seen in Connecticut and Beyond

It was really never in doubt.  March of 2012 was a historic month of weather.   In Connecticut, there were record high temperatures in all regions of the state and the temperature actually reached 80° at Bradley International Airport! The average high temperatures were a stunning 4-5 degrees higher than normal.  To average that high above normal means there were consistent temperatures well above normal.Connecticut was not alone. During that historic week in late March when temperatures were in the 70’s here, over 6000 records were broken in the United States.  In fact, there were 15,292 warm temperature records set in March 2012 nationwide. This is a combination of 7,775 daytime records and 7,517 nighttime records. Hundreds of locations set all-time March records. There were 21 instances of nighttime temperatures being as warm or warmer than the existing record high temperature for the date. The map of red dots shows where daily record highs were broken or tied in March 2012.

Education & Health Services Top Private Employment Sector in CT

The Educational & Health Services sector leads the way in the private employment mix in Connecticut, according to the state Department of Labor.   Statistics indicate 317,000 people employed in that sector, followed by Trade, Transportation & Utilities, with 291,800,  Professional & Business Services, with 193,400 and Manufacturing with 167,900.  Rounding out the top ten are Leisure & Hospitality, 133,800; Financial Activities, 132,600; "Other Services," 59,800; Construction, Natural Resources & Mining, 50,200; and Information 31,700.  Data reflects totals as of August 2011.

Quality of Life Diminishes for CT's Latino Community, Study Reveals

A newly completed comprehensive statewide survey of Connecticut’s Latino population reveals a community increasingly under siege from the economic downturn and diminished prospects for progress in critical areas including jobs, education and healthcare.  The study, for the state's Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission (LPRAC)  points to “declines in socio-economic conditions in most areas,” including key aspects of daily life where the “declines are significant.”  Among the findings:

• Nearly two-thirds of all respondents indicated there was a time when they wanted to pursue additional education but could not because of cost.
• Concerns regarding discrimination remain strong, as respondents said they have felt discrimination in the workplace (38%), when pulled over by law enforcement (35.4%), when job seeking (31%) or when seeking housing (27.5%) or a loan (21.3%).

• When asked to rate the Connecticut court system on delivering justice in a fair manner, only 22.3% offered a positive rating, while nearly twice that number - 43.2% - provided a negative rating.
• As for their views regarding their local police department, 39.5% provided a positive rating as “treating people with respect” while one-third (32.8%) provided a poor rating.
• Regarding their overall quality of life, 28.3% said that when compared with two years ago, it was either “the same, but poor” or “worse.”  That is double the percentage offering those responses in 2007 (14%).
• Those who said they were “unemployed” or “looking for work” totaled 12% - more than double the percentage (4.8%) in 2007.
• The number of people holding 3 jobs quadrupled to 2.9%, from 0.7% in 2007 and 0.5% in 2002.
• Among those who own their own business or would like to do so, less than half (42.4%) indicated they would know where to go for advice or financial help to begin or expand a business.

Hartford is Hotbed of Gen Y Interest in Major League Baseball

Nearly half (49%) of all American adults are Major League Baseball fans and 15% are Avid Fans, according to the new Scarborough Sports Marketing study, released this month. The study also reveals that there is ample opportunity to turn young fans into lifelong MLB enthusiasts, as 44% of Generation Y are MLB Fans and 13% are Avid Fans.  Surprisingly, Hartford is a hotbed. The top local markets for Gen Y MLB Fans are Milwaukee (76% of Gen Y are MLB fans); Philadelphia (70%); Hartford (66%); St. Louis (66%) and Albany, N.Y. (62%). According to the findings, almost a third (30%) of Gen Y MLB Fans are willing to spend $25-$49 on a single game MLB ticket and 12% are interested in purchasing season tickets.  Gen Y MLB Fans are also 37% more likely than all MLB Fans to have bought MLB apparel with a team logo in the past 12 months.

Scarborough defines the different American generations as Generation Y (age 18-29), Generation X (30-44), Baby Boomers (45-64) and the Silent Generation (65+).

Be Happy. CT is ranked ninteenth in National Survey

For the third year in a row, the Aloha State gets is the happiest U.S. state, with Hawaii residents scoring highest in the 2012 Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.  Runners-up? North Dakota and Minnesota. Down towards the middle of the pack was Connecticut, at #19, sandwiched between Washington State and Oregon.  West Virginia's residents showed the lowest well-being scores. To understand state well-being, Gallup relied on six measures: life evaluation (self-evaluation about your present life situation and anticipated one in five years); emotional health; work environment (such as job satisfaction); physical health; healthy behavior; and basic access (access to health care, a doctor, a safe place to exercise and walk, and community satisfaction).

The telephone survey was carried out in 2011 and included a random sample of 353,492 adults, ages 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.  The top ten:

•  Hawaii: 70.2
• North Dakota: 70.0
• Minnesota: 69.2
• Utah: 69.0
• Alaska: 69.0
• Colorado: 68.4
• Kansas: 68.4
• Nebraska: 68.3
• New Hampshire: 68.2
• Montana: 68.0

Building a New American Dream to Keep Young Professionals in Connecticut

Connecticut  is close to the bottom in retaining skilled, educated young workers.  The state's 28% drop in that demographic group between 1990 and 2010 ranks third in the nation.  Only Maine and New Hampshire lost more young adults during those two decades.  While the loss of population in the 25-34 year-old cohort is in part a national phenomenon (that age group tends to move around) being close to the top of that list - in the past decade alone, Connecticut still ranked 7th in the nation in population loss in that age group - is not good news for the state's future growth and vitality. A series of proposals to slow and ultimately reverse that trend, which together are described as "A New American Dream," have been crafted by 135 adults in their 20's and 30's convened by the Partnership for Strong Communities, a state organization working to develop healthy neighborhoods and to create more affordable housing opportunities for workers, young professionals and families.  (More signatories are welcome.)

Among the elements included in the four page document, which highlights interest in becoming more involved in civic and community life, and "more densely populated settings where everything we need is nearby, allowing us to drive less and spend more time working or living,"  is that "what young adults want is compatible with what most people want - a decent place to live that we can afford, aesthetically-pleasing surroundings, interesting things to do and a sense of community."  Said the 135 signatories to the document, "we want the American Dream, too - we just see a different one."