Concussions in NFL, Youth Sports Earn Attention from Media, Government, Coalition

A number of the nation’s most prominent youth sports organizations announced this week that they will be partnering with concussion specialists, sports medicine professionals and leaders at other levels of sports to create an unprecedented coalition to focused on concussions among young athletes.

The announcement comes the same week as a major report on the NFL’s two decades of denial of a connection between football and brain injury, aired on Public Broadcasting System (PBS) stations across the country, including in Connecticut, as part of the investigative “Frontline” series.

The National Sports Concussion Coalition expects to be "the most comprehensive alliance of its kind", with science and medical leaders in the fields of concussions, brain injury and sports medicine working directly with a cross-section of organizations and governing bodies that represent millions of athletes across major organized sports in the United States. The partnership aims to share data and identify best safety practices that can assist in coaching, playing and officiating across sports.

To help ensure the health and safety of young athletes, this past spring the federal government's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed the Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports initiative to offer information about concussions to coaches, parents, and athletes involved in youth sports. The  initiative provides important information on preventing, recognizing, and responding to a concussion.  A series of fact sheets and an informational video for players, coaches and families are available on the CDC website, www.cdc.gov/concussion.

The founding youth sports and medical members of the newly formed coalition include the National Council of Youth Sports (NCYS), Pop Warner Little Scholars, Sports Concussion Institute (SCI), US Lacrosse, US Youth Soccer, USA Hockey, American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), Amateur Softball Association/USA Softball, USA Basketball, USA Football and the Datalys Center for Sports Injury Research and Prevention. Coalition partners at the professional, college and foundation levels include the NCAA, NFL, NFLPA and National Football Foundation.

Connecticut Law

Just two weeks ago, Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy and Attorney General George Jepsen issued a news release reminding student athletes, parents and coaches that head injuries and concussions are serious and that Connecticut law requires students who suffer a blow to the head or receive a concussion diagnosis to sit out games and practices until cleared by a licensed medical professional.

“A concussion is a very serious injury, and an athlete who has suffered a concussion needs time to heal,” said Attorney General Jepsen. “While proper use of helmets and protective equipment is important, it’s critical to remember that no helmet can fully prevent a concussion. Preventing head injuries by limiting contact is key. Parents, athletes and coaches should educate themselves in order to recognize the signs of injury and prevent concussions in youth sports.”

Under Connecticut law, anyone who has a state-issued coaching permit and who coaches intramural or interscholastic athletics must be periodically trained in how to recognize and respond to head injuries and concussions. State law also requires coaches to take a student athlete out of any game or practice if the athlete shows signs of having suffered a concussion after an observed or suspected blow to the head or if the athlete is diagnosed with a concussion. Coaches must keep athletes out of games and practices until receiving written clearance from a licensed medical professional.  Connecticut's youth sports concussion safety law was signed on May 18, 2010 by Governor M. Jodi Rell, and the state was among the first in the nation to enact a comprehensive policy.

 “Sports have the power to change the lives of millions of young people in this country by encouraging a physically active lifestyle and by teaching lifelong lessons. We want to make sure no child loses that opportunity due to fear of injury,” said Jon Butler, executive director of Pop Warner Little Scholars. “By coming together in this very important fight against concussions we believe our collective efforts will transcend our individual sports and benefit everyone.”

"The NCAA is committed to broad concussion education outreach, and to research that will identify objective biomarkers and sound management guidelines. We are excited about our partnership in this important alliance," said Brian Hainline, M.D., chief medical officer of the NCAA.

Documentary Production

The PBS program “League in Denial” began as a joint effort between PBS and the ESPN program “Outside the Lines,” announced in 2012.  Earlier this year, ESPN removed itself from the collaborative endeavor.

In a statement at the time, the network said “Because ESPN is neither producing nor exercising editorial control over the Frontline documentaries, there will be no co-branding involving ESPN on the documentaries or their marketing materials. The use of ESPN's marks could incorrectly imply that we have editorial control. As we have in the past, we will continue to cover the concussion story through our own reporting.”

The Bristol-based sports network has initiated major stories on the concussion issue in recent years, and ESPN reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru have written a book – published this week - about football and brain injuries -- "League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions and the Battle for Truth," and are prominently featured in the PBS program.

Veteran Astronaut from Connecticut Prepares for Next Launch, Followers Turn to Twitter

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will be among the agencies contributing crew members on upcoming missions to the International Space Station this fall, including a veteran astronaut who grew up in Waterbury.

Expedition 38, scheduled for launch in November, will bring three new crew members to the space station aboard the Soyuz TMA-11M to be launched by Russia.  They include flight engineers Richard Mastracchio of the United States, Koichi Wakata of Japan, and Mikhail Tyurin of Russia.  They are scheduled to remain on the space station until May 2014.

Graduated from Crosby High School in Waterbury in 1978, Mastracchio received a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering/computer science from the University of Connecticut in 1982, a master of science of degree in electrical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1987, and a master of science degree in physical science from the University of Houston-Clear Lake in 1991.  He worked for Hamilton Standard in Connecticut as an engineer in the system design group from 1982 until 1987.  During that time, he participated in the development of high performance, strapped-down inertial measurement units and flight control computers.  He was selected to serve as an astronaut in 1996.

Now a veteran of three space flights, Flight Engineer Mastracchio and his crew members will participate in a number of training activities to prepare them for their jobs on the upcoming mission, include a wide spectrum of disciplines, from science research and on-orbit medical operations to spacewalk procedures and robotics. His training will also include extensive travel to other station partner countries, such as Japan and Russia, to practice and learn the specialized hardware and equipment provided by these nations.

The Connecticut native will share with the public ‘behind the scenes’ of what it’s like to train like an astronaut for a mission aboard the International Space Station via Twitter. Follow @AstroRM to share his training experience during his finals months of mission preparations. Followers will learn about human space exploration, astronaut training and the research and technology aboard the International Space Station, according to NASA.

Mastracchio is one of two Connecticut natives currently among the active astronaut corp.  Daniel Burbank, who grew up in Tolland, concluded a 163-day mission on the International Space Station last year, returning to Earth in April 2012.  He is a graduate of Tolland High School and was selected to be an astronaut in 1996.  He served as Mission Specialist on two space shuttle missions and as Flight Engineer on Expedition 29 and Commander of Expedition 30 at the International Space Station.  He has logged 7 hours and 11 minutes of spacewalk time.

Since joining NASA, Mastracchio has worked technical issues for the Astronaut Office Computer Support Branch, Space Station Operations, the EVA Branch and as a CAPCOM.  He served as the display design lead for the Space Shuttle cockpit avionics upgrades in 2003.  From 2004 until 2009, he has worked various Constellation and Orion tasks including Cockpit design lead, and Constellation deputy branch chief.  Mastracchio flew as a mission specialist on STS-106, STS-118, and STS-131, and has logged nearly 40 days in space, including 6 EVAs totaling 38 hours and 30 minutes.

Since Expedition 1, which launched Oct. 31, 2000, and docked Nov. 2, the International Space Station has been visited by 204 individuals.  It is not only an orbiting laboratory, but also a space port for a variety of international spacecraft. As of June 2013, there have been 89 Russian launches, 37 Space Shuttle launches among the flights.

A total of 168 spacewalks have been conducted in support of space station assembly totaling more than 1,061 hours, or more than 44 days.  The space station, including its large solar arrays, spans the area of a U.S. football field, including the end zones, and weighs 924,739 pounds. The complex now has more livable room than a conventional five-bedroom house, and has two bathrooms, a gymnasium and a 360-degree bay window.

Tyurin, a Russian living just outside of Moscow, most recently was the Commander of Soyuz-13 (TMA-9) / Expedition 14, launching on September 18, 2006 from Baikonour, and docking with the International Space Station on September 20, 2006. He served as Flight Engineer during a six-month tour of duty aboard the space station, his second tour on the International Space Station. Tyurin performed five spacewalks accumulating 25 hours and 32 minutes of EVA time and a total of 215 days in space. The mission concluded on April 21, 2007 with a landing in the steppes of Kazakhstan.  In completing his second space mission, Tyurin has accumulated a total of 340 days in space including 25 hours and 32 minutes of EVA time in 5 spacewalks.

From March to July, 2009, Dr. Wakata flew as the first resident ISS crew member from Japan and served as a Flight Engineer and the JAXA Science Officer on the crews of Expeditions 18, 19 and 20 as well as a Mission Specialist on STS-119 and STS-127 (2J/A). His duties during the four-and-half month flight included the installation of the S6 Truss, the final assembly of Kibo, a variety of experiment operation in science, engineering, art, and education, as well as ISS systems operations and maintenance. He became the first Japanese astronaut to fly aboard Soyuz TMA spacecraft on orbit. A veteran of three space flights, Dr. Wakata has logged a total of 159 days, 10 hours, 46 minutes and 5 seconds in space.  Early next year, he is slated to be the first Japanese astronaut to command the ISS as part of Expedition 39.

UConn Strengthens Focus on Asian Studies, Hartford Library Offers Seminar Series

With the addition of six new faculty, there is newfound scholarly expertise in the area  of Asian and Asian American Studies  at the University of Connecticut.  The growth of the academic program is transforming UConn into a distinctive center that focuses on Asian populations - not just in Asia, but across the world.  The greater emphasis provides an increasingly global perspective to studies of Asian peoples, going beyond language.

The new group of professors brings a greater emphasis to cultures formed from diasporas, or the scattering of people from their traditional homeland; and alternate histories, such as local or regional histories that haven’t traditionally been recorded.

Daniel Weiner, UConn’s vice provost for global affairs, told UConn Today, “It’s a very exciting time to invest in faculty with expertise pertaining to Asia. It’s also exciting that UConn has an opportunity to construct the study of Asia in a unique way through inclusion of transnational and diasporic studies.”

“This focus allowed us to hire people who significantly build upon the established field of Asian studies by engaging contemporary and modern questions,” says Cathy Schlund-Vials, associate professor of English and director of the Asian American Studies Institute.

While UConn is strengthening its study of Asian peoples, there are also efforts underway in Connecticut to provide support for the Asian population currently in the state, particularly immigrants and those with limited English skills, lack adequate access to culturally and linguistically competent legal services.

The second in a series of free community educational seminars will be held on Saturday, November 2, 2 – 4 PM at the Mark Twain Branch Library in Hartford.  The series is supported by the Connecticut Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission, the Connecticut Asian Pacific American Bar Associations.   Topics to be discussed include immigration, business licensing, discrimination, and voter registration.

New Haven Foundation Issues 36-hour local 'giving challenge,' Waterbury Up Next

To celebrate its 90th anniversary, the Connecticut Community Foundation is coordinating Give Local Greater Waterbury & Litchfield Hills, a "challenge" to area residents to give generously online to the region's nonprofits over a 36-hour period from 7 AM on November 12 to 7 PM on November 13.

"Give Local" is based on the successful three-year effort by the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, which now underway with its annual 36-hour effort, running on October 2nd and 3rd - under the name "The Great Give 2013."  The effort concludes at 8 PM on October 3. [As of midnight on Oct. 2, 4,000 individual gifts had been received totaling nearly $400,000 for local nonprofits.]

CFGNH reports more than $1.3 million has been distributed in new and matching funds through its three previous giveGreater.org giving campaigns.  All donations made during the 36-hour period of The Great Give® 2013 to qualified nonprofits on giveGreater.org® will receive a pro- rated portion of the match pool.

In addition, there will be competitive grant prizes, including $1,000 to the first three charities to accumulate 100 individual donors and grand prizes of $15,000, $10,000 and $5,000 for charities with the greatest number of new donors. A series of “Golden Ticket” awards wil also provide funds, recognizing gifts such as those given between 2 and 4 a.m. or those given closest to midnight. In the current campaign, a total of $70,000 will be awarded in match incentive grants.

The Valley Community Foundation has set aside a matching pool of $20,000 for the Great Give. All donations made between $25 – $125 by Valley donors (residing or working in Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour or Shelton) or Valley Community Foundation fund holders during the 36-hour period of The Great Give® 2013 will be matched until the pool is exhausted.

In Waterbury, the effort is underwritten by Naugatuck Savings Bank Foundation and Crystal Rock. The Connecticut Community Foundation hosted five workshops between September 10-16 for nonprofits in its 21 towns to explain the initiative.

For more information: contact (Waterbury)Edwin Rodriguez, (203) 753-1315 x102, erodriguez@conncf.org; and (New Haven) Tricia Caldwell, (203) 777-7090, tcaldwell@cfgnh.org.

Connecticut Convention Center Journeys Nationwide to Attract New Conventions, Record-Setting Numbers

In the final days of the National League pennant race last week, a suite at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. was filled with convention planners – hosted not by the home team Washington Nationals or visiting Atlanta Braves, but by the Connecticut Convention Center.  The 17 convention planners and their guests enjoyed the playoff run of the competing teams that evening, while hearing highlights of the state-owned facility in downtown Hartford.

While it’s too soon to tell if the gambit in the nation’s capitol will bring convention business to Connecticut’s capitol, a glimpse at the upcoming calendar demonstrates that despite a continuing sluggish economy, conventions are definitely coming to town.  In fact, four first-time conventions highlight the October schedule, and next month promises to be the top November for overall attendance in three years.

The first-time events slated for October, when overall attendance at programs and events is estimated to reach nearly 18,000:

• New England Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (NEHRSA)/ International Health Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) Fall Conference & Tradeshow (October 3-4) - NEHRSA & IHRSA have joined forces to create the premier event for the health & fitness industry in the Northeast.  This event will offer educational tracks for club owners & managers responsible for sales, marketing, social media, operations & fitness training.  (Anticipated Attendance: 250-400 people)
• 2013 Crisis Intervention Team International Conference (October 14-16) - Crisis Intervention Team International is a non-profit membership organization whose primary purpose is to facilitate understanding, development and implementation of Crisis Intervention Team programs throughout the United States and worldwide. Its mission is to promote and support collaborative efforts to create and sustain more effective interactions among law enforcement, mental health care providers, individuals with mental illness, their families and communities, while working to reduce the stigma of mental illness. (Anticipated Attendance: 650-800 people)
• The 2013 Northeast Regional Youth Mentoring Conference (October 17-18) - The region’s only annual conference focused exclusively on supporting quality mentoring, it brings together practitioners, researchers and stakeholders in the mentoring field.  This year’s theme, “Today’s Vision: Tomorrow’s Reality” focuses on the outcomes that can be achieved when a caring adult is brought into a young person’s life through quality mentoring.  (Anticipated Attendance: 175-350 people)
• YMCA Celebrates Champions (October 24, 2013) - The event celebrates the “champions in our lives.”  These champions surround us every day and help to make the lives of others brighter.  They are parent, teachers, volunteers, mentors and others.  The event benefits the many life-changing YMCA programs and services available to underserved families.  The event includes dinner, program and silent and live auctions. (Anticipated Attendance: 350 people.)

 During next month, attendance at all convention center events is anticipated to reach 24,000, which would exceed the 21,747 people who journeyed to the facility in November 2012 and 15,558 who visited during the month in 2011.  The largest conventions scheduled for November include the National Association for Campus Activities, the American Association of School Librarians National Conference and Exhibition – expected to attract 2,000 people - and the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action Annual Conference.

Since the beginning of June, in the quest to bring future conventions to the facility, representatives of the Connecticut Convention Center have participated in conference planning events in Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Austin, Denver and Palm Beach, Florida.

The Connecticut Convention Center is described as the state’s premier meeting venue, and is the largest full-service convention facility between New York and Boston. Overlooking the Connecticut River in downtown Hartford, it features 140,000 square feet of exhibition space, a 40,000-square-foot ballroom and 25,000 square feet of meeting space, as well as ample sheltered parking.

The facility – opposite the Front Street entertainment district that has recently been gaining traction- is served by more than 6,500 local area hotel rooms, including the 22-story Marriott Hartford Downtown, adjacent to the Convention Center. The venue is professionally managed for the State of Connecticut by Waterford Venue Services, an affiliate of Waterford Hotel Group.

Who’s hearing the sales pitch?  Among the planners on hand for the Nats-Braves game: LaKeesha Wilson, American Association of Blacks in Energy; Adam Martin, American Public Transportation Association; Amy Gorman, United States Council of Mayors; Antoinette Dixon, American Staffing Association; Susan Cairnes, Management Solutions Plus; Marci Glavin, Helms Briscoe; Lori Kolker, Elle K Associates; Alyssa Murphy, Windrose Media; Brian Peterkin, Vertanesian-BoardSource.

This past summer, Michael Costelli, General Manager for the Connecticut Convention Center, was interviewed on TALK BUSINESS 360 regarding the facility’s operations and growth.  TALK BUSINESS 360 is a talk show that educates and entertains millions of travelers by presenting one-on-one interviews with business leaders and top executives from a variety of industries.  The broadcasts run on American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and US Airways.

Hartford Marathon Prepares for Hand-off to New Title Sponsor

More than 1200 volunteers, 30 bands and local entertainers, and thousands of participants and spectators will flood into the Capitol City on October 12 for the annual ING Hartford Marathon.  It will be the last time they do so under the ING banner, as the company is not renewing its sponsorship of the race after this year’s edition, their sixth as title sponsor.

This year’s race is expected to attract 18,000 runners and 57,000 spectators.  Prior to ING, United Technologies had been the title sponsor, following Aetna in the lead role since the race’s inception.  The Hartford Marathon has served as an increasingly impactful economic stimulus to Greater Hartford, helping to fill hotel rooms, bars, restaurants, and other tourist attractions throughout the region.

In 2012, the marathon brought in at least $11 million of economic value to the Hartford area, according to an analysis by Witan Intelligence Strategies Inc. About 29 percent was spent on lodging, 26 percent on recreation, and 20 on percent meals. The remaining expenses were for transportation and shopping, the Hartford Business Journal reported.

ING U.S., with major operations in Windsor, will end its association with the state's signature running event as it separates from its Dutch parent and rebrands into a new company — Voya Financial.  ING U.S. is also dropping its title sponsorships of races in New York and Miami. ING employs more than 1,700 people in the state, mostly in its Windsor campus on Day Hill Road.

The Hartford Marathon Foundation is already searching for a new 2014 title sponsor, which it hopes to have in place by the end of this year.

ING will have 200 volunteers at this year's event. ING staffers will anchor water stations, hand out material (including medals for participants), and assist in various capacities.  Water and carbo fluid stations are to be located at mile 2, mile 4 and every mile thereafter on both the the Marathon and Half Marathon courses, officials say.

In addition to more than a dozen major sponsors drawn from the ranks of Connecticut’s leading corporations (including United Technologies, Hartford Hospital, Power Station, legrand, Aetna, Travelers, Baribault Jewelers and Executive Auto Group), volunteers each year include staff members from Connecticut businesses, community groups and organizations that devote volunteers as a group service effort.

In addition to the Hartford Marathon, ING also sponsors Run For Something Better, a program that encourage kids to participate in the sport of running and make healthy lifestyle choice.  Participants in the initiative run various times per week in the weeks leading up to the race, and then arrive on marathon day to complete their final mile.

In addition to the race itself, numerous associated activities have grown up through the years.  For the first time last year, the “Mile Barkers", members of Sea Tea Improv of Hartford performed at mile markers as runners pass by. They’ll be back this year.  A new "Psyching Team" is available before race day, at the start, on the course and at the finish.   Hartford's Post-Race is "one of the best in North America," says The Ultimate Guide to Marathons.

The event has also developed a national reputation for extensive greening initiatives.  New this year are collaborative efforts with the UCONN EcoHusky Club and EcoHouse Learning Community and Hartford's Knox Park.

Connecticut Music Awards Recognize Talent of Top Local Performers

The 2nd Annual Connecticut Music Awards brought together the best of the state’s music scene for one night of celebration at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, earlier this month.

Finalists in 18 different categories gathered to find out who'd be taking home the top prizes in the state's Grammy-styled music awards show, which featured live performances, acceptance speeches, and enthusiasm for the uptick in live performance venues and supportive audiences around the state.

While media coverage of the evening was rather limited, the recognition was well received.  Among the winners:

Best Overall Band:  Waterbury-based Fight the Fear

Best New Band: Violent Mae

Best Blues – Balkun Brothers, based in West Hartford

Best Country – John Mayock & the Homesteaders

Best Cover/Tribute Band – 7 Below – (A Tribute to Phish)

Best DJ – DJ M.E. (Miles Elliot of Hartford)

Best Rock – 1974

Best Singer/Songwriter – Kate Callahan

Best Jazz – Isaac Young Quartet

Best Folk/Traditional – Goodnight Blue Moon

Jepson, Blumenthal Seek Federal Action to Limit Electronic Cigarettes As Concerns Grow

On September 6, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the use of electronic cigarettes by middle and high school age children had doubled in the past year.  Less than three weeks later, the Attorneys General of 40 states – including Connecticut - announced that they are calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue regulations by October 31, 2013, addressing the advertising, ingredients and sale to minors of e-cigarettes.

The CDC survey noted that an estimated 1.78 million students reported having used e-cigarettes as of 2012. Additionally, an estimated 160,000 students who reported using e-cigarettes had never used conventional cigarettes. “This is a serious concern,” the CDC pointed out, “because the overall impact of e-cigarette use on public health remains uncertain. In youths, concerns include the potential negative impact of nicotine on adolescent brain development, as well as the risk for nicotine addiction and initiation of the use of conventional cigarettes or other tobacco products.”

In a bipartisan letter this week, the attorneys general asked the FDA to regulate e-cigarettes as “tobacco products” under the Tobacco Control Act and to prohibit their sale to minors. E-cigarettes – rapidly growing in popularity among both youth and adults – are battery-operated products that heat liquid nicotine, derived from tobacco plants, into a vapor that is inhaled by the user.

“Nicotine in any form is highly addictive,” said Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen. “While some marketing claims imply that e-cigarettes are a safe alternative to smoking, the fact is that the health effects of e-cigarettes have not been adequately studied. Without sound research, we simply do not know whether the chemicals a user is inhaling are safe.”

At present, no federal age restrictions prevent children from obtaining e-cigarettes, and e-cigarettes are available in fruit and candy flavors – including bubble gum, gummy bear and chocolate – that appeal to youth and have been banned from cigarettes.

Earlier this week, U.S. News reported that Sen. Richard Blumenthal,  the state's former Attorney General, "is one of the most vehement advocates of restricting the sale of electronic cigarettes. "  The magazine reported that Blumenthal says the vapor-producing devices, which are booming in popularity, have become "gateway nicotine-delivery devices" for children and he advocates banning flavor options and online sales.

U.S sales are expected to double this year to $1.7 billion, according to a Wells Fargo Securities estimate published in August. Year-to-date retail sales were estimated at around $700 million and online sales were pegged at $500-625 million.  "I think flavors ought to be banned," Blumenthal told U.S. News. It's "completely disingenuous" to say adults are the primary users of popular flavor options, he said.  "There may be a handful of adults who like bubble gum-flavored e-cigarettes, but the overwhelming purpose," he said, "is to appeal to kids."

In addition to Connecticut, attorneys general from Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington and Wyoming signed the letter sent to the FDA today.

“Given the rapid increase in use and youths' susceptibility to social and environmental influences to use tobacco, developing strategies to prevent marketing, sales, and use of e-cigarettes among youths is critical,” the CDC report stated.

Good News, Bad News as Connecticut Seeks Economic Rebound

The assessment of the Connecticut Economic Resource Center (CERC) is good news, bad news for Connecticut’s economic recovery.  In a presentation to The Alliance for Nonprofit Growth and Opportunity, CERC Vice President of Research Alissa DeJonge and Research Analyst Carmel Ford reached two central conclusions:

•  Connecticut has structural problems that continue to make its economy recover more difficult.  Structural problems include workforce and industry compositions that are not particular strengths in the overall U.S. ecnomy.
•  Connecticut has advantages in some areas such as healthcare employment, and we may see improvements in the state’s housing market as forecolousres start to diminish and inventory supply inequities become smaller.

Among the key stats that contributed to the overall analysis from CERC:

1. Connecticut ranked 5^th lowest among the states in per capita energy consumption in 2010.  However, Connecticut ranked 3^rd highest in total energy prices and had the highest energy expenditure among all New England states.
2.    Connecticut’s youth unemployment rate was 17.1 percent in July 2013, compared with the national rate of 16.2 percent.
3.   The unemployment rate in New London county hasn’t decreased significantly since 2010, and in Tolland County since 2011.  Overall, the states unemployment rate by county has been decreasing steadily in the state’s other six counties.
4.   Median prices of single family homes in Connecticut increased 2.7% to $429,000, according to most recent data, and the inventory of single homes went down by 12.9% compared with a year ago.
5. Newly issued housing permits in July 2013 incased slightly to 420 from 375 in July 2012.
6. Connecticut remains the richest state with a per capita income of $58,908.

The CERC officials also pointed out that some of Connecticut’s leading industry categories, such as insurance and finance, are not performing well nationally, thus slowing the opportunities for the state’s economy to advance.

Based in Rocky Hill, CERC is a public-private partnership that provides economic development services consistent with state strategies, leveraging Connecticut’s unique advantages as a premier business location.  CERC was recognized earlier this month  for excellence in economic development marketing by key industry group, the Northeastern Economic Development Association (NEDA).  The award was presented at the recent NEDA annual conference in Portland, Maine among more than 130 economic development professionals from across the Northeast.

Vaccinating Babies: CT Ranks #6 in the Nation

Connecticut is ranked #6 in the nation in the percentage of children, between 19 months and 35 months old, who have been inoculated with the seven vaccines recommended by the nation’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The data, compiled by Bloomberg.com, indicates that 74.5 percent of Connecticut children have all seven vaccines.  The states with the highest overall percentage are Mississippi (76.0%), New Hampshire (75.8%), Kentucky (75.1%), Georgia (75.0%), and Tennessee (74.6%).  Rounding out the top ten behind Connecticut are North Dakota (74.3%), Wisconsin (73.3%), Virginia (72.8%) and Nebraska (72.5%).

The specific vaccinations, and the percentage of Connecticut children who have been inoculated, are: DTaP for Diptheria, Tetnus, and Pertussus, also known as Whooping Cough (90.4%), polio (96.4%), MMR for measles, mumps, and rubella, (95.3%), Hib for influenza type B (86.5%), PCV (95.2%) and hepatitis B (93.1%).

The CDC points out that vaccines contain the same germs that cause disease. (For example, measles vaccine contains measles virus, and Hib vaccine contains Hib bacteria.) But they have been either killed or weakened to the point that they don’t make individuals sick, according to the CDC. Some vaccines contain only a part of the disease germ.

A vaccine stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies, exactly like it would if an individual were exposed to the disease. After getting vaccinated, individuals  develop immunity to that disease, without having to get the disease first.  This is what makes vaccines such powerful medicine, the agency stresses --  unlike most medicines, which treat or cure diseases, vaccines prevent them.

Connecticut is #1 in the nation in the percentage of children, 95.2 percent, having been vaccinated for chickenpox, and also had the highest percentage of children taking the PCV vaccine which targets the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia.  The state also ranked #2 in the percentage of young children vaccinated with the MMR, #3 in DTap and Hib, #5 in the polio vaccine, and #9 in the percentage of hepatitis B vaccines administered.

The data utilized in the state-by-state rankings, which was published this month, are for the period July 2011 through June 2012, the latest available according to Bloomberg.com.  The CDC produces a vaccination schedule guide with age-specific vaccination information.  The rankings were compiled just ahead of Children's Health Month, which is observed throughout October led by the U.S. Office of Children's Health Protection and the Environment.a Protection Agency.

Among other states in the region, New York ranked #46, with 61.5 percent of children inoculated, Maine ranked #26, Rhode Island #24 and Massachusetts #20.