US DOT Looks to Future of Transportation Infrastructure, Taps College Consortium Including UConn for $14.2 Million Initiative

Connecticut’s deteriorating transportation infrastructure, and the lack of sufficient funding to make needed improvements, have been in the news often in recent months.  While not an immediate solution to pressing challenges, an announcement from the U.S. Department of Transportation may provide encouragement for those seeking longer-term remedies. The U.S. DOT has selected the University of Maine to lead the creation of a highly competitive University Transportation Center (UTC), to focus on “improving the curability and extending the life of transportation infrastructure.”

The initiative, to include the University of Connecticut and the Connecticut Department of Transportation, will be called the Transportation Infrastructure Durability Center (TIDC). TIDC aims to help save taxpayer dollars by extending the life of transportation assets, including bridges, roads and rail.

The U.S. DOT will provide as much as $14.2 million over five years for the UMaine-led coalition including UConn, University of Rhode Island, University of Massachusetts Lowell, University of Vermont, and Western New England University.

Additional partners include representatives from the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT), Vermont Agency of Transportation, Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT), Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT), and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Transportation and Development Institute.

“Along with our partners from all New England states, we look forward to leading research to extend the life of existing bridges, construct longer-lasting assets, and reduce costs for the DOT and the public,” said Dr. Habib Dagher, founding executive director of the UMaine Advanced Structures and Composites Center, and center director of the newly formed TIDC Center.

Officials explain that working with state DOTs, the new TIDC will seek to identify new materials and technologies that maximize the impact of transportation infrastructure investments. The center will work along four pathways:

1. develop improved road and bridge monitoring and assessment tools;
2. develop better ways to strengthen existing bridges to extend their life;
3. use new materials and systems to build longer-lasting new bridges and accelerate construction; and
4. use new connectivity tools to enhance asset and performance management while promoting workforce development, the release said.

According to the U.S. DOT, each University Transportation Center is a consortium of two- and four-year colleges and universities that come together to form a unique center of transportation excellence on a specific research topic.

“Together, they advance U.S. technology and expertise in the many disciplines comprising transportation through education, solutions-oriented research and technology transfer, and the exploration and sharing of cutting-edge ideas and approaches,” USDOT explains.

The U.S. DOT invests in the future of transportation through its University Transportation Centers (UTC) Program, which awards and administers grants to consortia of colleges and universities across the United States.  In the Northeast, other consortia with the same policy focus include a 9-institution UTC led by Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey and a 6-institution group led by Pennsylvania State University.

Other groupings include a 10-institution consortium led by the University of Florida devoted to reducing congestion; a 6-institution effort to promote safety led by the University of Michigan and a 8-institution initiative to improve mobility of people and goods coordinated by the University of Southern California.

The newly announced TIDC will harness the experience of 28 faculty researchers, including a team of five engineering faculty members from UConn, led by Civil and Environmental Engineering Department Professor Ramesh B. Malla, and will train 280 student researchers from all New England states. It will focus on real infrastructure needs identified by DOT partners, and prioritize extending the life of existing transportation assets to ensure cost-effectiveness.

“As a regional and national leader in transportation-related research, UMaine is prepared and ready to take on this work,” said U.S. Sen. Angus King of Maine. “The creation of this new center will allow the university to expand its efforts to tackle the infrastructure problems facing communities not just in Maine, but across the country. This project has the potential to save taxpayer money and improve quality of life.”

“We are eager to partner with this program to support research that will offer new technologies and techniques that ensure taxpayer investments continue to be maximized while also extending the lifespan of our investments,” said Maine DOT Commissioner David Bernhardt.  Officials noted that member universities of the new TIDC have an extensive record of accomplishments in transportation infrastructure research, education and technology transfer.

New England’s transportation infrastructure faces unique challenges due to harsh winter weather and short construction seasons. According to ASCE, Nearly 30 percent of New England roads are rated in poor condition which, on average, costs each motorist $584 annually in extra vehicle repairs and operating costs. Nationally, driving on roads in need of repair costs U.S. motorists $120.5 billion.

Since 1987, the UTC program has advanced transportation research and technology at colleges and universities across the country. Every five years, academic institutions nationwide compete to form their region’s UTC.

Fiscal Commission’s Work is Done (Technically), But Members Aren’t Going Away

They may be disbanded, but they’re sticking together – driven by a belief that the state’s future hangs in the balance. The Connecticut Commission on Fiscal Stability and Economic Growth, a panel of primarily state business leaders appointed by the state legislature and Governor last year to help the state grapple with its ongoing fiscal challenges, went out of existence on March 1 when they issued a comprehensive 119-page report following three months of public hearings and deliberations. 

Nonetheless, the 14 members, mostly prominent business leaders, continue to seek opportunities to discuss their recommendations in public forums, regularly advocate for substantial changes in the management of state fiscal affairs, have begun meeting with gubernatorial candidates, and are urging business leaders across the state to keep up the pressure on state elected officials to take comprehensive action consistent with their wide-ranging recommendations.

“We committed to see it through,” said Commission co-chair Jim Smith, Chairman and former CEO of Webster Bank. “We knew it wouldn’t be one (legislative session) and done.  This is about policy, not politics.  We’ve all checked our politics at the door.  This is about the greater good, and how we change the course of Connecticut’s future.”

With all 187 legislative seats and the six state’s statewide constitutional offices – including Governor - up for election this November, the Commission co-chairs believe Connecticut’s best opportunity for much-needed systemic structural changes will be in the next legislative session, which begins in January. They intend to “actively engage” throughout this election season and in next year’s legislative session, and have already met with about half of the current field of gubernatorial candidates.

Smith and Robert Patricelli, former CEO & Founder of Women's Health USA, who co-chaired the panel, were featured along with Commission member Cindi Bigelow, CEO of Bigelow Tea, at an event coordinated by the Hartford Business Journal last week. It was one of nearly 100 forums, discussions and one-on-one meetings that the co-chairs and other commission members have had since their findings and recommendations were issued.

The Commission uses the analogy of a “burning platform” to describe the current budgetary process, fiscal structure and economic status of the state, a frame of reference that reflects the public’s concern about the state’s precarious standing.  Smith said he is encouraged by the response they’re receiving.

“When we talk about the platform burning, people are riveted.  They’re anxious to hear solutions,” Smith explains, noting that the approaches proposed by the Commission are resonating with audiences because they provide a comprehensive – if challenging – path to douse the flames and stimulate economic growth, achieve sustainable budgets long-term, and re-establish the state’s competitiveness.

“Our findings are irrefutable, inescapable and require action,” Smith told CT by the Numbers.  “That comes across loud and clear.”

The Commission leaders are committed to generating a spirited public conversation about their findings and recommendations.  They told an attentive audience in Hartford last week that the 14 members remain in communication, and have now been working longer since they ceased to exist as a Commission than during the 76 days that they were officially constituted by law.  And they have no plans to walk away from the work they began.

In underscoring their commitment to remain involved beyond the life of the Commission, the co-chairs have evoked the memorable phrase from the 1976 movie Network – they’re mad as hell and they’re not going to take this anymore.  In fact, their goal remains to do something about it.  Pursuing a public conversation and meeting privately with leading gubernatorial candidates are parts of the strategy.

Smith indicates that as the Commission’s work unfolded, members were concerned that the “platform was even hotter than we knew,” but encouraged that creation of the Commission reflected a willingness to involve the private sector in charting the path forward.

Patricelli, in fact, has floated the idea of having 500 businesses to sign a letter to the state’s elected officials urging action on the Commission’s recommendations, which include changes in spending, tax policy, investments, infrastructure, transportation and competitiveness. Only with sustained pressure, he argues, will the incoming legislature and Governor take action.  They point to the sustained drop in Connecticut’s Gross State Product (9.1% over the past decade), while the state’s New England and Tri-State neighbors saw growth, as among the numerous factors that led to their conclusion that substantial changes are needed in the state’s fiscal policies.

The co-chairs say it is understandable that more was not done with the Commission’s recommendations during the short 2018 legislative session, largely because an election was just around the corner.  Instead, the legislature opted to have the Office of Policy and Management (OPM) coordinate two studies, soon to get underway.  One would look at the Commission’s recommendations that involve “rebalancing of state taxes to better stimulate economic growth without raising net new taxes”; the other would conduct a study of the proposal for reform of the Teachers' Retirement System.

The legislature also voted to have OPM issue a request for proposals to hire a national consultant to study and make recommendations regarding efficiency improvements in revenue collection and agency expense management that will result in a savings of at least 500 million dollars.

Each is a potential step forward, but not nearly enough, the co-chairs have indicated since the session ended on May 9. Some aspects of the Commission’s work is evident in those actions, and the timing of those efforts, to be ready in January as newly elected officials take office, may provide pieces to build on.

Patricelli has also suggested that the state’s part-time legislature is not up to the task of governing a 21^st century state, by its very nature.  The legislature is in session for 5 months in even-numbered years and 3 months in odd-numbered years, in accordance with the state constitution.  That’s just not enough, he says, suggesting that a comprehensive study be done on the legislative systems in other states to determine what might be best for Connecticut.

In addition to Smith, Patricelli, and Bigelow, Commission members were Pat Widlitz (Vice-Chair), former state representative from Guilford and Co-Chair of the General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Finance, Revenue and Bonding; Jim Loree, President and CEO of Stanley Black & Decker; Chris Swift, Chairman and CEO of The Hartford; Bruce Alexander, Vice President of State Affairs and Campus Development at Yale University; Greg Butler, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Eversource Energy; Roxanne Coady, Founder and CEO of R.J. Julia Booksellers; David Jimenez, Partner at Jackson & Lewis and a member of the state Board of Regents for Higher Education; Paul Mounds, Vice President for policy at the Connecticut Health Foundation; Frank Alvarado, Veterans Affairs Officer, Small Business Administration; Eneas Freyre, New York Life and Michael Barbaro, President, Connecticut Realtors.

PERSPECTIVE - Surprise! Connecticut is a Great Place for Small Business

by Caroline Goldstein When you think of Connecticut, you might think of fall foliage, Gilmore Girls, big casinos, Mark Twain, Mystic Pizza, Yale University, country clubs, and commuters (and, if you’re Senator Chris Murphy, pizza to rival New York’s City’s). You might not think of Connecticut as a great state to start a small business—but you absolutely should.

Local business is incredibly important in Connecticut: Small businesses make up 97% of Connecticut’s total businesses, and employ almost half of the state’s private workforce. And Connecticut takes small-business promotion seriously, offering a range of state-specific small business financing programs and Connecticut tax incentives that encourage business investment.

What does all that boil down to? Connecticut is a promising state in which to start a small business.  Out of 169 towns and cities in the state, we determined the five best cities in Connecticut to start a small business - cities that are ideal for entrepreneurs looking to start a new venture: Stamford, Norwalk, West Hartford, Danbury, and Fairfield.

Our methodology consisted of data culled almost exclusively from the U.S. Census and the Connecticut Department of Labor. We used additional data from AreaVibes, Sperling’s Best Places, Data USA, and reports from town resource centers.

Then, we weighed 10 metrics, which indicate the overall economic health of each town, their business climates, and their relative affordability. Next, we came up with a score for each town—a city’s highest possible score was 5. We also considered qualitative data like access to small business resources, overall quality of life, and economic and commercial development initiatives in each town to come up with a more holistic definition of the “best.”

The breakdown: Median gross rent (5% of score); Percentage of people with a bachelor’s degree or higher (5%); Total number of firms (5%); Unemployment rate (10%); Median household income (10%); Recent job growth (10%); Overall cost of living, compared to the state average (10%); Growth in median household income (15%); Total retail sales and total retail sales per capita (15%) and Projected job growth, compared to the national average (15%).

The top five communities are:

Stamford (3.45) - Stamford has long been home to some of the world’s biggest corporations, including nine Fortune 1000 companies. In particular, though, over the past year-plus Stamford has seen a “string of economic coups,” especially in the corporate market. Henkel are opening their North American headquarters in Stamford, ITV America just signed a lease for a TV production studio, Greenwich-based hedge fund Tudor Investment plans to relocate to Stamford this year, and WWE, Conair, and RBS have headquarters here, too.

Despite its reputation as a nerve center for Connecticut’s big business, the City of Stamford’s resources for small business owners are robust. That includes a comprehensive guide to starting your business in Stamford, help with finding locations for your small business, information on registering your business, and a guide to financial advantages including available grants and funding options. Business owners can also benefit from Stamford’s tax incentive programs, which includes a program for businesses that develop and reuse rehabilitated industrial areas.

Norwalk (3.45) - A few years back, Norwalk initiated a comprehensive economic development action plan. Included are efforts to “provide resources for start-ups, entrepreneurs and small businesses in Norwalk,” like free counseling programs, permit guidance and advocacy, information on funding, job-training programs, and quality-of-life initiatives to support local businesses and residents. Norwalk is small-business friendly, but its economy is boosted by big business, too. Major corporate headquarters in Norwalk include Pepperidge Farm, MetLife, Xerox, and GE Capital.

West Hartford (2.95) - In a recent presentation, West Hartford’s economic development officials showed that the community’s commercial districts are growing. Dozens of new small businesses—including restaurants (a total of 1,400 outdoor restaurant seats), cafes, retail, a new luxury boutique hotel, and other small firms—are opening this year, or are planning to open soon. Small businesses at 485 New Park, for example—one of West Hartford’s independent retail enclaves—include a comic book store, a vintage shop, a bakery, a photography studio, a boutique fitness studio, a kitchen and bath designer, an IT solutions company, and a brewery, among others. Similar growth patterns abound across the town, with small businesses dominating many of its commercial areas.

Danbury (2.75) - Danbury is dedicated to revitalizing its commercial centers, drawing new business opportunities, and supporting both new and established businesses. Recently, the town invested over $100 million in their Main Street shopping area. Other small business resources in Danbury include an Office of Business Advocacy, which helps small business owners establish and expand their businesses and oversees economic development programs. CityCenter is an organization of property owners, sponsors, businesses, and more that contribute to projects to revitalize the downtown commercial area and support new and existing ventures.

Fairfield (2.6) - Fairfield is home to Fortune 500 companies GE and Bigelow Tea, but it’s also a college town, with Fairfield University and Sacred Heart University in the vicinity. These stalwarts feed Fairfield’s economy and boost its spending population. But the town offers support and incentives to small business owners, too. Fairfield’s Micro-Enterprise Assistance Program, for instance, offers entrepreneurs and small business owners with “training, technical assistance, and start-up capital needed to create and sustain viable and productive small businesses in Fairfield.

***

Forbes ranked Connecticut #5 for quality of life in the country—which makes this small state attractive to city workers to raise their families, buy country homes, or move to entirely (and bring their spending power with them).  And, despite that extreme wealth and massive income gap, the overall cost of living and doing business in Connecticut is much lower than its’ neighboring New York City.

So, consider starting your small business in one of these high-growth, resource-rich towns—and, who knows, you might eventually join the state’s 16 resident billionaires. (Can’t hurt to dream.)

_____________________________

Caroline Goldstein is a small business and finance writer at Fundera, where a longer version of this column first appeared. Before joining Fundera, she received an MFA in Fiction from New York University. She loves finding creative ways to help entrepreneurs grow, and is a Connecticut native. Fundera is a funding marketplace and resource site for small businesses.

New Leadership for New Haven Area Manufacturers

If the pendulum for Connecticut manufacturing is swinging in the right direction, women may be a good part of the reason why.  That dynamic was in evidence last week as the New Haven Manufacturers Association, the state’s largest manufacturers association, elected its officers for the coming year. Katherine Houlihan was elected as president.  She is a partner in Insurance Provider Group, a Wethersfield insurance brokerage serving clients in manufacturing and other industries, serving as Chief Talent Officer.

Elected as vice president was Jill Mayer, CEO of Bead Industries in Milford.  Bead Industries is comprised of two divisions: Bead Chain and Bead Electronics, and a wholly-owned subsidiary, McGuire Mfg. Company.

Overall in Connecticut, the manufacturing sector includes 4,500 businesses that employ 156,000 workers.  Each year, manufacturers export more than $15 billion, representing 96 percent of the state’s exports.  Manufacturing generates 11 percent of the state’s gross state product.

The election is yet another milestone for Mayer in just the past six months.  The great granddaughter of Bead Industries, Inc. founder, W. Calvin Bryant, she was promoted to CEO of the family-owned company at the start of this year. In addition to her duties as CEO and as an officer on the NHMA Board, she is a board member of the University of New Haven’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program.

“To be the first female CEO at Bead after more than a century of continuous operation isn’t lost on me,” she said in a statement in January.  Previously serving as Comptroller and Corporate President, Mayer is responsible as CEO for overseeing and supporting both divisions’ executive management teams as well as leading the company into the future through customer-focused growth and innovation.

At that time, the company also announced that Kristen Sawyer was being promoted to Chief financial Officer after serving as Corporate Controller for the past two years at Bead.  Prior to that, Sawyer served as Audit Manager for nearly 8 years at CohnReznick, where she served a variety of both public and private companies, primarily in the manufacturing sector.

In May, the company launched a new website as part of an overall re-branding initiative. Its responsive design makes it compatible with all digital devices, such as tablets and mobile phones.  The new website is part of the company’s reinvigorated look and strategy. 

“Our goal was to create a fresh, online experience with easy access to information, and I think we’ve accomplished that,” said Mayer. “It gives a nice overview of our product divisions, governance and long, family history that we hope will encourage people to engage with us.”

Founded in 1914, Bead started out developing and manufacturing Bead Chain® for electric light pulls. Using the same innovative metal-working process, it began fabricating products for the electronics market in the mid-1920s.

Bead, with 300 employees, celebrates its 104th year in continuous operation this spring. Bead Chain® is used on vertical blinds, securing marine parts, key chains and many other products. Bead Electronics, a division of Bead Industries, manufactures end to end, solid wire, and tubular contact pins for the telecom, automotive, connector, and lighting industries. McGuire Manufacturing Co., based in Cheshire, is a producer of high end, commercial grade plumbing fixture trim.

Also elected to the NHMA Board this month with Houlihan and Mayer were: second vice president, Roy Jaoude, planning manager for Radiall USA Inc., in New Haven; treasurer, John Ermer, principal in New Haven/Fairfield accounting firm Beers, Hamerman, Cohen & Burger PC; and secretary, Marcy Minnick, chief operations officer, Excello Tool Engineering & Manufacturing Co. in Milford.

The New Haven Manufacturers Association membership includes manufacturing and non-manufacturing companies, including firms in fields such as electronics, pharmaceuticals, instrumentation, information systems, consulting, metalworking, gas and electric utilities, banking, insurance, education and more.  Current members employ over 12,000 people.

https://youtu.be/UFkFxrhpeQo

High School A Risky Time for CT Students, Survey Finds

The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System was designed to focus the nation on behaviors among youth related to the leading causes of mortality and morbidity among both youth and adults and to assess how these risk behaviors change over time. In Connecticut, the times they are a changin’.  Data released this week by the state Department of Public Health highlights changes over the past decade, and disparities among current students depending upon their grades in school.

The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System measures behaviors that fall into six categories:

• Behaviors that contribute to unintentional injuries and violence;
• Sexual behaviors that contribute to unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV infection;
• Alcohol and other drug use;
• Tobacco use;
• Unhealthy dietary behaviors; and
• Inadequate physical activity.

The 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) includes randomly chosen classrooms within selected schools, and is anonymous and confidential.  It was completed by 2,425 students in 38 public, charter, and vocational high schools in Connecticut during the spring of 2017. The school response rate was 76%, the student response rate was 81%, and the overall response rate was 61%. The results are representative of all students in grades 9-12, according to the state Health Department.

The survey found that during the past decade, the percentage of students who rarely or never wore a seat belt has declined by one-third, as has the percentage who drove a car at least once in the previous month after they had been drinking.  That drop was between 2013 and 2017.

The percentage of students who “felt sad or hopeless” almost every day for a two week period “so that they stopped doing some usual activities” during the previous year climbed from 228% in 2007 to 26.9% in 2017 – more than one-quarter of students.  The survey found that in 2017, 13.5% of students seriously considered attempting suicide and 8.1% attempted suicide during the past year.

More than one-third of students (34.6%) of students did not eat breakfast every day in the week preceding the survey, and 14.1% did not eat breakfast on any of those days.  The percentage of students who got 8 or more hours of sleep on an average school night dropped from 26% in 2007 to 20% in 2017,

The survey also found that 25.8% of students with mostly A’s and 48.6% of those with the lowest grades (D or F) have used marijuana at least once in their lifetime.  More than one-quarter of students, across all academic grades (A-F) responded that they drank alcohol at least once in the month prior to the survey.

The survey found that 38 percent of students whose grades were mostly A’s texted or e-mailed while driving a car on at least one occasion in the 30 days prior to the survey.  The percentage was slightly less among students with lower grades:  31% of students with mostly B’s, 30% of students with mostly C’s and 23% of students with mostly D’s and F’s.

When it came to the percentage of students who rode with a driver who had been drinking alcohol (one or more times during the 30 days prior to the survey), students with better grades did so less often, ranging from 12% of students with mostly A’s to 26% of students with mostly D’s and F’s.

The survey also found that 1 out of 5 students (20.1%) whose grades were mostly D’s and F’s did not go to school because they felt unsafe at school or on their way to or from school, on at least one day during the 30 days prior to the survey.  Among those with mostly A’s, that percentage was just under 4 percent.

Among those with the lowest grades, 38.9% were in a physical fight at least once during the previous 12 months, and 19.7% were threatened or injured with a weapon on school property, such as a gun, knife, or club, at least once during the past year.  Among those with mostly A’s, the percentages were 10.2% and 3.6%.

https://youtu.be/d63xyYs9s94

CT Aerospace Industry Seeking Strong Presence at International Airshow

Described as “the largest industry event on the aerospace calendar,” the Farnborough International Airshow, to be held in mid-July in Great Britain, boasts more than 1500 exhibitors from more than 50 countries.  Among them will be a contingent from the State of Connecticut, if the state’s aerospace industry suppliers step up and sign on.  At the most recent Farnborough show, in 2016, $14.5 million in sales was reported by Connecticut exhibitors. The State Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) and the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT)  have invited Connecticut aerospace manufacturers to participate in promoting the state’s world-class aerospace industry at the upcoming show, July 16-22, 2018.  Exhibit space is available on a first-come, first-served basis, with the cost per exhibit set at $11,000.

An anticipated 73,000 industry professionals “from across the globe and a range of aerospace sectors” are expected, including “key global influencers plus the latest thought leadership and industry insight,” according to organizers.  Farnborough’s news network will run a series of talks, panel discussions and seminars, and high-profile keynote speakers “will challenge current perceptions and provide ideas for the future.” Among the featured sessions will be “meet the buyer,” described as a structured approach to putting sellers in front of targeted buyers.

The biennial event is widely recognized for its role in connecting the worldwide aerospace market. It has traditionally been a backdrop for the announcement of multi-billion dollar deals, and for the launch of major innovations.

The state’s exhibit space is to include a prime location in the U.S. Pavilion, with Connecticut companies to receive allocated space to display graphics, literature and parts; pre-arranged B2B meetings at discount price; access to the U.S. Exhibitors Lounge and meeting rooms; company listing in two show directories and logistical support prior to the show and on-site.

Among the participating companies is Connecticut Coining, based in Bethel, a leading manufacturer of deep-drawn metal parts used in aerospace, medical, defense and high voltage tubes.  The 50-year-old company includes among its customers industry leaders manufacturing bellows, joints, bleed, duct (anti-ice, telescopic) assemblies as well as silencers, and crossover & oil cooler systems.

Satisfied Connecticut companies in 2016 include Windsor-based Aero Gear: “I have been trying to get a foot in the door with Rolls Royce for years. This air show allowed me to make the contacts necessary to develop them into a customer. The show was a home-run for Aero Gear,” said Doug Rose, who founded the company in 1982, developing expertise in the design, engineering and manufacturing of gears and gearbox assemblies for the global aerospace industry.

Countries including Mexico, Turkey and the U.S. will be vying for business alongside a significant European presence from Germany, France and Spain as well as the U.K.  Organizers say the 2018 edition will see the largest presence yet from China, with 70 per cent growth in participation since the 2016 show. Japan has increased its presence with a second Pavilion, joining Malaysia, Korea and Indonesia representing Asia.  It all comes just weeks after escalations in tensions among the world’s leading industrialized nations, reflected in the G7 meeting in Canada last week.

Stamford's InventLab Looks to Nurture Technology Innovation

Stamford-based Whitmyer Group, patent and trademark attorneys and litigators with expertise in intellectual property and technology, has launched InventLab™ in its downtown Stamford offices. Described as providing an opportunity for companies developing inventions to “tap into WHIPgroup's tech and IP Law know-how in order to grow and expand their businesses,” the expansion is drawing praise from local entrepreneurial enterprises. It is designed to build upon WHIPgroup’s successful Stamford Tech Entrepreneur Meetup (meetup.com/whipgroup) by offering direct support to qualified local tech startups.

InventLab™ companies are provided with office space and parking, a custom package of complimentary and discounted IP Law services, WiFi Internet, printing, use of conference rooms, kitchen, and space to host Meetups, events. The direct support includes IP legal advice and office space with professional-grade tech amenities at no cost, and is intended to help these companies access other resources in Fairfield County and beyond.

WHIPgroup founder Wes Whitmyer, Jr. explained that “while the firm tends to service the IP needs of large international companies, we saw the exciting growth in Stamford and wanted to share our expertise with local tech firms.  Our recently-expanded offices are ideal for this purpose.  We look forward to getting to know startup and technology businesses in our area, and to helping them with their intellectual property strategies.”

“We are thrilled that WHIPgroup has decided to invest in the growth of Stamford’s Innovation District, and specifically, the local tech community,” said Sam Gordon, program manager for Innovate Stamford. “Following in the footsteps of other top tech communities like Boston and Boulder, this program is a perfect fit for Stamford. We look forward to seeing companies thrive at WHIPgroup’s InventLab™.”

Whitmyer, with patent, trademark and litigation departments, describes the firm as “a law firm built by technology to serve technology companies.” Applications for WHIPgroup’s InventLab™ should be sent to inventlab@whipgroup.com.  Further information about InventLab™ is be available online at whipgroup.com. IP specialties include physicists, mechanical, civil, electrical, biomedical and chemical engineers, computer scientists, and trademark attorneys on staff.

Where is Childhood Least Threatened? CT Ranks 5th Among States

The child poverty rate in Connecticut’s rural areas, 7.8 percent, is the lowest in the nation.  It is considerably higher in urban areas, 13.1 percent, which ranks 12^th among the states.  Overall, in an assessment of where childhood is most and least threatened, Connecticut ranks 5^th, according to Save the Children, the Fairfield-based organization that annually assesses the threats to childhood in the U.S. and internationally.  The state ranked sixth a year ago. The ranking does not capture the full extent of deprivations or hardships affecting children. Instead, it focuses on some key rights, or “guarantees” of childhood: life, healthy growth and development, education and protection from harm. If a child experiences all of these, his/her childhood is considered to be “intact.”

The ranking tracks a series of events that, should any one of them occur, mark the end of an intact childhood. These events are called “childhood enders” and include: child dies, child is malnourished, child drops out of school, child is a victim of violence, child has a child.

States were ranked according to performance across this set of enders, revealing where childhood is most and least threatened.  Connecticut’s average ranking across all categories was 8.2.

Connecticut had the 15^th lowest percentage of students dropping out of high school, ninth lowest infant mortality rate and 11^th lowest malnutrition levels.

The report indicates that “Save the Children hopes this report will stimulate discussion and action to ensure that every last child fully experiences childhood.”  The data reviewed includes the infant mortality rate, food insecurity rate, high school graduation rate, child homicide and suicide rate, and teen birth rate.

The report notes that “While children are only 20 percent of the population, they are 100 percent of America’s future.” Save the Children’s ranking reveals children in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire are far more likely to experience safe, secure and healthy childhoods than children in Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and New Mexico.

Connecticut is the only state in the nation where fewer than 1 in 10 rural children live in poverty. It is followed by New Hampshire, Massachusetts, North Dakota and Wyoming, all of which have rural child poverty rates below 12 percent.

Rural child poverty rates exceed urban poverty rates in 40 of 47 states with available data. Only Connecticut, Indiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio and Wisconsin have more urban child poverty than rural child poverty. However, in most of these states, the urban and rural child poverty rates are similar. The difference is less than two percentage points, with the exception of Connecticut and Massachusetts.

PERSPECTIVE: Eliminating Transcripts Draws the Shades on Government a Little More

by Michele Jacklin and Jeffrey Daniels Continuing their effort to draw the shade over the window of government accountability and transparency, General Assembly leaders have abandoned the longstanding practice of routinely transcribing the testimony presented at hundreds of public hearings held during legislative sessions.

The decision, made without the benefit of public input, marks the latest setback for Connecticut’s 43-year-old Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which was once the strongest in the nation and a model emulated by other states and countries.

To the surprise of many, transcripts of the vast majority of public hearings held during the recently adjourned 2018 legislative session don’t exist. Officials from the Office of Legislative Management and the House and Senate say transcription services have fallen victim to budget cuts.

The Connecticut Council on Freedom of Information, the state’s preeminent guardian of the FOIA, and other open-government advocates, strongly condemn this action, and believe it marks the continued erosion of the public’s right to know about goings-on at the State Capitol and in state government.

Most bills, including spending and tax proposals, are subject to public hearings at which state officials, special interests, lawmakers and, most importantly, Joe and Jane Q. Public are able to voice their opinions.

Although written testimony still will be available on the legislature’s website, the give-and-take between those testifying and committee members will be known only to the people in the hearing room. That’s unfortunate because the commentary provided by lawmakers is often used to ascertain legislative intent. Moreover, not everyone who testifies submits written copies.

Colleen Murphy, executive director of the state Freedom of Information Commission, says transcripts are important because public hearings provide the first cut of history and the first glimpse of the impetus for proposed bills. Testimony also offers insight into what the tensions and concerns are, as well as the initial impressions of the legislators who will later vote on the measures.

“As such, public hearing transcripts, which preserve the dialog and lines of inquiry, are a valuable component of legislative history and serve an important historical and archival function,” said Murphy.

Murphy was a member of a task force that met in 2010 and was charged with making recommendations regarding the conversion of legislative records from paper to electronic form. According to the group’s final report, “the task force was presented with an overwhelming amount of testimony opposing elimination of public hearing transcriptions.”

Among those testifying were members of the legislative, judicial and executive branches, including the offices of the attorney general, chief court administrator, chief public defender and the Division of Criminal Justice. Others included the Connecticut Bar Association and the Southern New England Law Librarians Association. Ultimately, the vote to oppose elimination of the transcripts was unanimous.

Opposition has not abated and open-government advocates, including CCFOI, view the decision by legislative leaders as yet another step in limiting accountability and curtailing transparency.

“The people of Connecticut deserve open and accountable government and this is leadership in the wrong direction,” said Cheri Quickmire, executive director of Common Cause Connecticut. “It has the practical effect of further isolating citizens from those in Hartford who are supposed to be acting on our behalf. We need more information — not less — about issues being debated in the General Assembly. It is unacceptable for decisions related to access to information be made in the dark, without public input.

Quickmire, Murphy and CCFOI President Zachary Janowski are among those who are urging legislative leaders to reverse their decision.

“Legislative leaders need to restore public access to their public hearings,” said Janowski. “Why invite citizens to testify if that part of the process isn’t going to be available to them or to citizens who, in the future, are trying to understand why certain decisions were made? Making open government an option instead of a requirement will ensure that Connecticut residents won’t get transparency when it’s needed most: when lawmakers have something to hide.”

The elimination of most transcripts comes in the wake of the legislature’s move to restrict the public’s ability to observe their state government in action via CT-N, the cable channel owned by the legislature. For 18 years, cameras operated by the Connecticut Public Affairs Network (CPAN) were focused on all three branches of government, giving TV viewers unfiltered access to state government operations.

However, legislative leaders failed to renew the contract in late 2017 and wrested control of the operation from CPAN, halting the airing of activities by the executive and judicial branches and training the cameras exclusively on themselves. The move was seen as a public relations ploy designed to give lawmakers more exposure. The seizing of editorial control by legislative leaders also halted coverage of press conferences, state nominating conventions, the program “Capitol Reports,” which summarized the weekly activities of the legislature, and Election Night results.

Of this latest action, Murphy said: “Eliminating transcriptions from the public sphere is essentially like eliminating the corner piece of a puzzle. Lawyers, judges and members of the public often search for that piece to completely understand the topic they are researching — the puzzle’s picture. If the legislative hearing piece no longer resides in the puzzle box, legislative history and legislative intent, like the puzzle, will forever be incomplete.”

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 Michele Jacklin and Jeffrey Daniels are the legislative co-chairs of the Connecticut Council on Freedom of Information.  This article first appeared on CT Mirror's Viewpoints. 

CT's BIO Industry Has Strong Presence at Record-Setting International Convention

Connecticut was one of 18 states to have a strong presence at the BIO International Convention, held this week in Boston. It was a record-setting year, as 18,289 U.S. and international attendees – the most in the last 10 years – participated in what was described as “the epicenter of the biotechnology industry” for four days of programming, 46, 916 partnering meetings (setting a new Guinness World Record for “The Largest Business Partnering Event”) and entertainment. More than a dozen Connecticut companies had a presence in the state’s pavilion at the event:  Jackson Laboratory, Sema4, Genotech Matrix, AlvaHealth, RallyBio, Cantor Colburn, Pfizer, e-Path Learning, Thetis Pharmaceuticals, XViVO, Clarity Quest, Lucerna, Wyant Simboli, Boehringer Ingelheim, Aeromics, LambdaVision, Pattern Genomics.

Also participating were Southern Connecticut State University, Yale University and the University of Connecticut, as well as the City of New Haven, and the town of Branford, along with BIO CT, Connecticut Innovations and the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development.  Additional companies from the state were on-hand, although not as part of the state’s coordinated effort.

All told, there were more than 1,000 companies from dozens of nations represented at the 25^th anniversary conference.  The organizations represented at the BIO International Convention include the world’s leading biotech companies, top 25 pharma companies, top 20 CROs and CMOs, and more than 300 academic institutions including the major research labs and government agencies. Organizers indicate that one out of three attendees based outside of the U.S. and nearly 40 percent are C-level executives at their respective companies.

"If you are or want to be any type of a life science hub, you need to be at this convention," Dawn Hocevar, president and CEO of BioCT, recently told New Haven BIZ. "Connecticut participated in the last two conventions, however, this is the largest footprint we've ever had." BioCT is the bioscience industry voice for the state of Connecticut.  BioCT is dedicated to growing the vibrant bioscience ecosystem in Connecticut by supporting innovation, collaboration, networking, education, talent engagement and advocacy. 

This year’s educational programming was more robust and diverse than ever before, according to organizers, with more than 180 educational sessions, including brand new tracks on genome editing, opioids and corporate best practices.

Among the presenters, panelists, and featured speakers was Scott Gottlieb, Commissioner of Food and Drugs at the U.S. Food and drug Association, a graduate of Wesleyan University in Middletown.

https://youtu.be/rT-HCSKcsqU