Local News

ALL PRO-SEGARRA CROWD SWEARS IN HARTFORD MAYOR FOR SECOND TIME

By Johnny Mason Inquiring News
Hartford - Pedro E. Segarra was sworn in Tues- day to his first full term as Hartford’s 66th mayor to loud applause. “This is where the real work be- gins,” Segarra said to about 400 people who lined all three floors of the City Hall atrium. “I look forward to working with everyone to move Hartford forward.”

At left: Newly elected council member, Cynthia Jennings, (Re-elected) Larry Deutsch, (Center Back) Newly elected council member Kyle Anderson, (Center Front) Mayor Pedro E. Segarra, Newly elected council member Raul DeJesus and Elected City Treasurer Adam Cloud.
Photo by Merle Davis.

Shortly after being sworn in, Segarra listed his achievements and detailed his plan for rejuvenating Hartford. High on his list is investing in all city neigh- borhoods, education reform and creating jobs for youths, Segarra said.

The former city council president, Segarra has been mayor for the past 18 months – taking the oath minutes after the resignation of former mayor Eddie Perez in June 2010. “I think Pedro’s some- one who’s honorable, self- less and really sincere when it comes to doing things for the city,” said former state representative Art Feltman. The mayor referred to previous accomplishments of having blighted demol- ished and improving rela- tions between residents and City Hall workers. His top priorities, he said, will to be continue to fight crime, to make the city a safer place, to ease the tax burden for residents and business own- ers and to work closely with state leaders to receiving funding for jobs.
‘‘I like him a lot,” said longtime community activist Hyacinth Yennie. “He’s got a good heart. I hope he can work with the council because he can’t do it alone.”

Segarra thanked Daryl Roberts, recently retired Hartford police chief, for his three decades with the city police department and espe- cially for being a positive role model for city youths. “Today is a new day,” Segarra said. “Hartford, will you stand with me? ” Long- time City Hall critic and blogger Kevin Brookman questioned if anyone really wanted to hear his opinion on Segarra and the newly formed council. He was op- timistic, though, saying, as are other people, he’s hoping the council and Segarra can get along to work for the good of the people.

City Clerk John Bazzano, serving as master of ceremo- nies, opened by welcoming several state and local poli- ticians, including U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, Attor- ney General George Jepsen, and former Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz, who is running as an outsider for the U.S. Senate. Bysiewicz called the swearing-in cer- emony a “celebration of de- mocracy,” involving people who serve not for “financial reward, but “because they believe in the city.” “Pedro has done a terrific job,” she said.

In addition to Segarra, City Treasurer Adam Cloud and city council members also were sworn in Tuesday night. Cloud, a lawyer, who was elected in November to his first full term, was sworn in by his father, Sanford Cloud Jr., who gave his son a handshake and a hug.
The council is made up of re-elected Luis Cotto, Larry Deutsch Kenneth Kennedy and Alexander Aponte and newcomers Kyle Anderson, Raul DeJesus, Cynthia Jennings, David McDonald and Shawn Wooden, who was appointed council president.

The council debated be- tween Wooden and longtime council member Kennedy before picking Wooden, who before dropping out, had run against Segarra for mayor. ‘I think it’s an exciting time,” Cotto said. “With five new members, I think we have an interesting council.”

West Hartford, CT – December 14, 2011 – NBC Connecticut Anchor Keisha Grant has been named one of the “100 Most Influential Blacks in Connecticut” by the Connecticut chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The award was presented in a ceremony at the Hartford Hilton on Saturday, December 10th, 2011.
“NBC Connecticut is proud to have Keisha Grant as part of our award-winning news team. We are pleased that her hard work as a journalist is recognized by the Connecticut community,” said David Doebler, NBC Connecticut President and General Manager.

Grant joined the NBC Connecticut news team in 2003 and currently serves as the 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. co-anchor for the station’s newscasts. Earlier this year, Grant was also recognized by the New Britain, Connecticut Chapter of the NAACP with a Community Involvement Appreciation Award for her contributions to the community.

Hartford – (By Reggie Hales-Dec. 6, 2011 – 11AM - Inquiring News) –Members of Occupy Hartford on Broad St. called “ Turning Point Park., in Hartford were ordered by Hartford police to vacate area.

Hartford Mayor permitted the order to disband its two-month-old encampment amid safety concerns after reports of drug use and a sexual assault at the site.  Hartford Police Chief Roberts got the confirmed order and the event to place around 9-10 AM Monday. More to come..

MAYOR SEGARRA APPLAUDS SUCCESS OF GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM

More Than 100 Firearms Turned In At Saturday Event!

Hartford --- Mayor Pedro E. Segarra today announced the success of the collaborative gun buyback event, which netted approximately 120 firearms – nearly 30 percent more than the previous year. The program, a collaborative effort that included the Hartford Police Department, area hospitals and community agencies, is in its third year.

“At a young age I lost my father and two best friends to gun violence, so I am personally aware of how violent crime significantly impacts families and communities,” said Mayor Segarra. “More weapons were recovered this year than in years past, proof positive that our residents are committed to making our neighborhoods safer and stronger.”

This Year’s Program, “Gifts for Guns – Getting Them Off the Streets,” was held Saturday, December 3, 2011 at Community Renewal Team, 555 Windsor Street. The guns obtained Saturday exceed the number of weapons secured in the two previous years of the program, 89 in 2010 and 78 in 2009. In addition to CRT and HPD, the program was implemented in collaboration with Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Hartford Hospital, Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center, the City of Hartford, the Connecticut Emergency Nurses Association (CTETNA), and the Hartford State’s Attorney’s Office.

“The Hartford Police Department is grateful to our law enforcement and community partners in this effort,” said Chief Daryl K. Roberts. “The result of the gun buyback program is another step toward ensuring public safety and quality of life in our City.”

The program seeks to raise awareness about responsible and safe gun ownership. Residents who turned in guns received gift cards as compensation for the weapons. 

GOV. MALLOY ORDERS INVESTIGATION INTO EMERGENCY FEDERAL FOOD AID PROGRAM
Calls the Appearance of Irregularities and Possible Fraud “An Outrage”

HARTFORD, CT - (Inquiring News Staff Report Sunday, Dec. 4, 2011) – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that his administration is investigating multiple incidents of possible fraud against the state by individuals, including state employees, who received federal benefits from the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) after Tropical Storm Irene. The Governor also directed Department of Social Services (DSS) Commissioner Roderick L. Bremby to complete a systematic audit of irregularities in the applications for the emergency aid.

“The idea that someone would use the occurrence of a devastating storm as an opportunity to defraud a public program is an outrage,” said Governor Malloy. “The fact that some of this potential fraud may have been perpetrated by state employees makes this situation that much more offensive. One of the fundamental responsibilities of government is to ensure proper and honest conduct by its own employees. Unfortunately, we are finding examples of conduct that, if fully substantiated, could result in dismissal or even prosecution.

“I want to be clear that, at this point, I am only dealing with the appearance of impropriety. Each incident will be thoroughly investigated before action is taken against any individual,” the Governor continued. “But I also want to make it clear to the residents of Connecticut that I will not tolerate abuse of public programs by state employees. If warranted by a thorough investigation, individuals will lose their jobs and may face criminal prosecution.”

Federal D-SNAP funding was made available to low-income Connecticut residents who incurred disaster-related expenses from Tropical Storm Irene, including loss of income, temporary shelter costs and property repairs. While state employees may be eligible to participate in the D-SNAP program, an initial review of several applications found that some of them came from employees with incomes that exceed the program’s income requirements.

“If any of these state employees are indeed guilty I am disappointed beyond words,” said Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman. “This is a program for people in need and for their children. To abuse this program is not only a crime, it is nothing less than a moral outrage.”

Nearly 24,000 Connecticut residents were found eligible for the D-SNAP benefits during the September 21-27 application period.

Governor Malloy has directed Commissioner Bremby to deploy DSS’s anti-fraud staff to conduct systematic reviews of applications from the general public, as well as applications from state employees, as part of the D-SNAP investigation.

“This initiative brought in $12.4 million in additional federal food benefits for Connecticut residents and the Connecticut economy after Tropical Storm Irene,” Commissioner Bremby said. “We operated the program by the federal rules, which did not require any immediate verification of income or assets.

“However, our ongoing investigations are underscoring the point that federal acceptance of the ‘self-declaration’ of income and assets makes the program more vulnerable to fraud,” the Commissioner said.

As administered by states, the federal D-SNAP program is intended to provide food assistance to households not already in the SNAP program (also known as food stamps), and who had at least one disaster-related expense from August 27 through September 25, while meeting income and asset eligibility requirements.

Howard University alum, Adam Cloud, who received his undergraduate degree in 1991 and is also a 1996 alum from the law school, was elected to a four year term and serves as the first African American male to hold the position.

The duties of the Treasurer are to be the sole custodian of the City's assets, to be the fiduciary of the City's nearly $1b pension fund as well and to be the co-issuer of all of the City's debt along with the Mayor.

By Johnny Mason

Hartford - Angry protesters, upset with Connecticut Light & Power, and its handling of last month’s snowstorm, hit the street to voice their outrage and to demand change.

The protesters - a mix of disgruntled CL&P linesmen, Occupy Hartford participants, college students, immigration activists and other union workers - listed demands that CL&P hire more staff, reimburse its customers for storm-related damage and forget about any ideas for increasing consumers’ rates.  “What if this second outage happened in the middle of winter?,” (the first was during Tropical storm Irene in August) asked Ted Donoghue, a waste water system operator, who along with 75 protesters demonstrated Saturday outside Northeast Utilities, downtown Hartford office. “The people of Connecticut have to hold CL&P to a higher standard.”

Protesters such as those Saturday have taken to the streets across the city, demonstrating or holding “general assembly” or organizational meetings, to address concerns: corporate greed, economic injustice and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But much of the group’s outrage Saturday was directed at CL&P and its former president and chief operating officer, Jeffrey Butler. Butler, who resigned Thursday, came under intense fire for his handling of the widespread power outage following last month’s snowstorm that affected more than 800,000 households and businesses. Like many state legislators and town leaders, the protesters said CL&P management was unprepared for the storm and failed to adequately respond to residents’ needs.

“The whole system needs to be changed, including healthcare and utilities, because it’s all profit-driven,” said Tokuji Okamoto, a socialist, who supervises after-school programs for a non-profit. “Citizens would get better and more affordable service if utility companies were publicly-owned.”  What angered many of the protesters more than Butler’s actions was his reported severance package estimated to be worth millions. Carrying a pole with the American flag, college student Erik Gilbert, 22, led the group in chanting, “Where’s our severance package?” “You have corporate greed to the extent that they’re laying off people to make more money for stockholders and the CEO,’’ said Johnny Williams, an associate professor at Trinity College, who has supported the Occupy Hartford movement since its beginning two months ago.

Frank Cirillo, business manager for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 420, said he wasn’t there to “bash” CL&P. He hoped to convey the message that the American labor movement is dying. With unions representing only 12 percent, down from 47 percent, of the American work force, future work opportunities look grim for many of the young people at the rally, he said. “We’re going backward to the 1930s, a time of street riots and hungry people,” said Cirillo, who worked 20 years as a service mechanic. “American labor movement shouldn’t die.”

Works by more than 70 students form YWCA Hartford Region's Young Women's Leadership Corps (YWLC) & Covenant Preparatory School (grades 5 through 8). Created in Partnership with Hartford area artists to explore issues of justice and social injustice through various artforms. Come see a colalborative vision for a stronger community through the eyes of tomorrow's leaders.