Connecticut as College Soccer Hotbed?

Connecticut is well known for its fans devotion to college basketball, but apparently college soccer in the Nutmeg State is gaining some notice as well.  The University of Connecticut finished the 2012 with the second highest average attendance in the nation, with 4,228 fans per game.  That’s just behind UC Santa Barbara, which finished first for the sixth consecutive season, with an average of 5,543 fans per game. Now comes word that the University of Hartford men's soccer team has developed notice in the Greater Hartford soccer community, and it shows in the NCAA's final attendance rankings for the 2012 season. In their seven home games, the Hawks drew an average of 998 fans per game to Al-Marzook Field at Alumni Stadium, which ranked 27th best in Division I men's soccer.  (Season total attendance was 6,985.)

The Hawks drew more fans to their games in 2012 than any other team in the America East. Part of the reason for Hartford's high attendance numbers in 2012 is attributed to support from the Red Army, a student fan group.

In 2011, the University of Hartford’s average game attendance did not reach the top 50 nationally.  UConn was #4 in 2011, averaging 3,600.  College sports historians will recall that UConn was #1 in 2000, 2002, and 2006, the last time any university has outpaced UC Santa Barbara in average game attendance.

Highlighting the Hawks' home slate was their 2012 debut at Alumni Stadium, a thrilling 2-1 overtime victory over neighboring rival Central Connecticut State University on Labor Day. Junior Anthony Santaga, who was later named to the America East All-Conference Second Team, scored both UH goals, including the game-winner 147 seconds into the extra period.  The 1,504 spectators who packed themselves in to Alumni Stadium proved to be a record-breaking crowd for the Hartford's men's soccer program.

In case you’re wondering, Maryland (3,153) Akron (2,778) and Cal Poly (2,709) rounded out the top-five in average game attendance during the2012 season.

Economic Impact of CT Hospitals Highlighted in Report

Connecticut hospitals contribute $20 billion to the state and local economies, according to a report, Connecticut Hospitals: Improving Health, Strengthening Connecticut’s Economy, compiled by the Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA). According to the CHA report, Connecticut hospitals provide more than 54,000 jobs, with a total annual payroll of $5.2 billion.  Earnings by Connecticut hospital and health system employees reverberate through the community, creating an additional 55,000 jobs in the local economy.

The four-page report, which focused on the economic impact of Connecticut’s hospitals and was released in the opening weeks of the state legislative session, noted that “hospitals and health systems serve as a magnet for other healthcare businesses and a stimulus for new businesses such as retail stores, banks, grocery stores and restaurants.”

Connecticut hospitals are major employers and purchasers of goods and services, spending $9.6 billion in 2011 – funds that help to stimulate further economic growth across the state.  Goods and services purchased by hospitals, and funding spent on buildings and equipment, create additional economic value.  With these “ripple effects” included, an additional $10.4 billion is added to the Connecticut economy, resulting in a total contribution of $20 billion by Connecticut’s hospitals to the state’s economy, CHA official pointed out.

The report indicates that Connecticut hospitals treat more than 1.6 million patients in their emergency departments, bring nearly 38,000 babies into the world, and care for more than 420,000 admitted patients, providing more than 2 million days of inpatient care.

“Connecticut hospitals are a critical economic engine,” said Jennifer Jackson, President and CEO, CHA.  “They are often a community’s largest employer, stimulating jobs and attracting other businesses.  At a time when the state has never relied more on its hospitals for the safety net they provide, it is critical – both to our quality of life and economic health – that these institutions remain strong and stable.”

CHA membership includes 29 acute care hospitals and health care organizations and facilities throughout the state.  The report was issued at a time of considerable change in both the healthcare delivery and business sides of the industry, with mergers and affiliation agreements having been reached or under active consideration among industry leaders in Hartford, New Haven, Waterbury, New London and elsewhere across Connecticut, as well as nationally.

Small Manufacturers Association Relocates to Naugatuck Valley Community College

The Small Manufacturers Association (SMA) relocated its headquarters this month to Naugatuck Valley Community College (NVCC). The Association's executive director, Cyndi Zoldy, who joined the organization last November, now operates from NVCC Technology Hall, which also houses the newly built Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center and the College's engineering programs and labs. The SMA, which meets monthly from September to May, has about 130 members in the state. Membership is open to all manufacturers in Connecticut who have 500 or fewer employees and who manufacture a product with a SIC code between 2000-3999.  The organization:

• Promotes the best interest of manufacturers in Connecticut
• Addresses problems common to all manufacturers
• Helps manufacturers improve productivity
• Assists manufacturers in evaluating new markets for their products
• Stimulates cooperative actions among manufacturers
• Provides access to resources aimed to assisting manufacturers

"This is a win-win for both organizations," said Zoldy. "Having a home base here and engaging with students regularly will reinforce the connection between employers and job training, which is a critical undertaking of the SMA right now."

Per the agreement, the College will supply SMA with a furnished, technologically-equipped office and access to conference rooms and other campus resources during college hours. SMA will in turn help inform manufacturing and engineering programs, and the executive director will assist with internship and job placement for students.

Coming off of the success of its inaugural semester, the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center will particularly benefit from the presence of the SMA on campus, according to NVCC President Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Ph.D.

"We are pleased with student outcomes to date," said President De Filippis, "and this opportunity to partner with the SMA will ensure that our programs continue to respond to industry needs and that our students are given job shadowing and employment opportunities. This is a good thing for our students and for the communities we serve."

Zoldy took the helm at the SMA after selling her Watertown business after 12 years.  Her manufacturing experience includes accountant positions at ABS Pumps, Inc. of Meriden and B/E Aerospace, Inc. formally of Litchfield.  She holds a BS in Finance from Post University.

In November 2011, President De Filippis convened a group of community and industry leaders to advocate funding for the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center. At the same time, a Manufacturing Advisory Council (MAC) was established to advise curriculum and reinforce connections between training and local workforce needs.

As a result of this partnership, the idea to relocate SMA to NVCC was brought forward in November 2012 by MAC member Douglas Johnson, secretary/treasurer of SMA and VP of Operations at The Marion Manufacturing Company, as a way to close the circle between the College, SMA and local manufacturers.

"Preparing a manufacturing workforce is central to all of our institutional missions," said Johnson. "In a way this has been the year of education for SMA. We envision the best and brightest coming out of Naugatuck Valley. Having SMA on campus makes sense for everyone."

Charter Oak Cultural Center Sees Opportunity in Dollar-for-Dollar Match

For those familiar with the remarkable work of the Charter Oak Cultural Center, time is running out on a unique opportunity to support the dynamic organization’s exceptional community initiatives.  An anonymous donor has agreed to match contributions made to support the work of Charter Oak, dollar for dollar, up to $100,000 - through the end of this month. That means every contribution made by January 31 will be doubled.  For an organization that is brimming with distinctive and impactful programming ideas but often scrambling for sufficient resources, it is a chance to see more dreams become reality.

Charter Oak Cultural Center, a magnificent and historic landmark and vibrant arts center on Charter Oak Avenue just off Main Street in Hartford, contributes to the revitalization of the city by bringing the community together through open and equal access to the arts, through a deep commitment to social justice. The three main goals that characterize the organization’s mission are:

• To provide wide access to the arts for all who wish to engage in them, regardless of income
• To do the work of social justice through the arts
• To celebrate the heritage of our historic building and to preserve it in perpetuity.

To realize that mission, Charter Oak provides over 1,000 underserved Hartford children with free, sophisticated arts classes and regularly makes professional performances – dance, theatre, concerts – and film and visual arts exhibits accessible to all.  In addition, Charter Oak recently started Connecticut’s first “street paper,” a newspaper written by people who are or were homeless. They’ve also introduced other educational and employment opportunities for those without homes. Their Youth Art Institute has been selected as a finalist by the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, distinguishing it as one of the top arts and humanities-based youth programs in the country.

Charter Oak is seeking public support to allow them to take full advantage of what they’ve described as an “incredible offer” and “huge opportunity.”  Interested individuals can make a secure gift online, or mail a check to Charter Oak Cultural Center, 21 Charter Oak Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106.

There is more information about Charter Oak’s programming, which falls into four main categories, on the organization’s website.  The programs areas include:

• Youth Arts Institute:   Reaches nearly 1,000 of Hartford’s inner-city children, ages 6 through 18, with arts and literacy-based classes held after-school, during-school, and in the summer, as well as evening programs for families.  The classes, along with nutritious meals and snacks, are provided free of charge. The youth programming successfully integrates the arts with academic subjects and assessments show that on average, participating students show a 54% improvement over the course of the semester in their ability to meet the state’s Arts K-12 Goals and Standards.
• Professional Programming: Charter Oak hosts cutting-edge, thought-provoking visual and performing arts exhibitions and performances. As a matter of policy, they offer as many performances and events as possible for free, keep prices low and never turn anyone away who cannot afford the price of a ticket.  In the course of a year, they present over 100 professional events that include every variety of performing art—dance, film, theatre, concerts and more.  In two on-site galleries, both emerging and established artists from various cultural backgrounds exhibit their work.
• Social Justice Programming: Charter Oak offers a number of programs that focus on social justice and equality- raising awareness about important issues and/or serving individuals in need- all through the lens of the arts.  For example, Charter Oak Cultural Center developed and launched Connecticut’s first “street paper,” entitled Beat of the Street, designed and sold by individuals experiencing homelessness.
• Historic Preservation: When it was built in 1876, the temple on Charter Oak Avenue became the first building in Connecticut’s history to be constructed specifically as a synagogue.  Today, as the home of the Charter Oak Cultural Center, it is a vibrant hub for the community that provides programming for thousands of Hartford and Greater Hartford students, families and individuals each year.  The historic landmark is maintained and preserved as a vibrant resource for the community.

Learn more at www.charteroakcenter.org or 860.249.1207.

Three Cities Selected for Program to Bring Housing Downtown

Connecticut Main Street Center (CMSC) has selected Middletown, Torrington and Waterbury for its new pilot program, Come Home to Downtown. CMSC developed the mixed-use real estate planning pilot program to provide selected communities with new tools to strengthen economic health and restore vitality to their downtowns, facilitating the development of viable, interesting housing opportunities while improving downtown neighborhoods. The goal of the Come Home to Downtown program is to set the stage to attract developers and “mom and pop” building owners to redevelop vacant or underutilized buildings with a mix of uses and housing choices. CMSC will also provide local public and private champions and partners with strategic tools to allow them to create or enhance a strong downtown management program.  The Come Home to Downtown pilot was created in partnership with the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA), through a $250,000 investment using Community Investment Act (CIA) Program funding.

“Our Come Home to Downtown pilot communities were selected based on criteria we feel is vital for success, including local public and private sector leadership, a strong record of community engagement, success of previous downtown revitalization initiatives and multi-story buildings and property owners who are motivated to redevelop them,” said CMSC’s John Simone.

CMSC will work in concert with Middletown, Torrington and Waterbury, beginning with the collection of data, building analysis and the coordination of community engagement activities, exploring their downtown redevelopment issues in-depth and creating new strategies that respond to changing demographics and market dynamics.  Work will continue throughout the summer on consensus building, a downtown development audit for each of the towns, model building analysis, assistance to small-property owners who demonstrate a desire to redevelop their properties to include housing, and downtown management organizational development.

Connecticut Main Street Center is a statewide nonprofit that inspires great Connecticut downtowns, Main Street by Main Street. Its mission is to be the champion and leading resource for vibrant and sustainable Main Streets as foundations for healthy communities.

Norwich Will Host New York-Penn. League All-Star Game in August

A cold winter’s week is the perfect time to think ahead to baseball season.  And if thinking ahead is attractive, there’s nothing better than seeing future major league stars in action on the diamond.  The Norwich Tigers will make that possibility more accessible this year when they host the 2013 New York-Penn League All-Star Celebration. The 2013 New York-Penn League All-Star Game will take place on Tues. August 13 at 7:35 p.m. at Dodd Stadium in Norwich.

The All-Star Celebration logo honors the community's rich maritime history and it's affiliation with the American League Champion Detroit Tigers. Maritime flags, an anchor and a dock rope make up the nautical logo, combined with classic Tigers old English lettering.

"We're thrilled to be hosting this game," said Vice President/General Manager C.J. Knudsen. "It's a great tribute to our fan base and exciting for all baseball fans throughout the state of Connecticut."

Tickets - now on sale - for the All-Star Celebration Game are the same as the 2013 single game ticket prices: $10.00 for premium seat tickets, $9.00 for reserved seat tickets and $8.00 for grandstand seat tickets.  They can be purchased  online at www.cttigers.com and at the ticket office at Dodd Stadium.

The 2013 Connecticut Tigers schedule is now available online at cttigers.com and features six Friday fireworks games in addition to five Saturday promotional giveaways. The 2013 season begins on Monday, June 17 against the Lowell Spinners, the NYPL affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, at 7:05 p.m. at Dodd Stadium with fireworks after the game.

In 2012, the Connecticut Tigers ranked #182 in average attendance among all minor league and independent teams, with 1,660 fans per game.  The independent Bridgeport Bluefish were #162, with an average of 2,033 fans attending games, and the Triple-A New Britain Rock Cats were #47 with average home attendance of 5,061.  The top minor league team in the nation was in Lehigh, PA where the Lehigh Valley IronPigs drew 9,153 per game.

The All-Star logo was brought to life at Brandiose in San Diego, where the company generated top selling logos for teams ranging from the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs to America's oldest baseball club, the Cincinnati Reds. T-shirts featuring the All-Star Celebration logo will also be available through the Tigers' official website.

The Connecticut Tigers are the NYPL affiliate of the Detroit Tigers and play a 76 game (38 home, 38 away) schedule from late June through early September.  The Dodd Stadium Box Office is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Fans that want to purchase tickets may call the Tigers at (860) 887-7962, visit the box office or log on to www.cttigers.com.   Play ball!  (Well, not quite yet.)

Foundation Seeks Loaned Funds to Launch Early Childhood Music in Hartford

A full page advertisement in The Hartford Courant recently sought individuals interested in “parking idle funds for education.”  The open request, designed to attract funds that would enable the organization to create a free early childhood music program in Hartford, came from the POTE Foundation, Inc., a Connecticut based organization committed to providing educational support and resources to youth. POTE, which is an acronym for providing opportunity though education, promotes the vision that success is achieved when opportunity meets preparation.  The organization, founded in 2007:

• provides financial and support services to all levels of the educational process—early childhood through higher education;
• strives to develop unique programs to encourage educational excellence for youth who encounter the lack of opportunity, either because of economic or intellectual barriers; and,
• engages the intellectual and financial resources of baby boomers along with corporate and foundation outreach.

The ad points out that POTE “has successfully provided cost free violin instruction to K and pre-K students in Connecticut,” noting that “early involvement in music enhances reading achievement and fosters and appreciation of music in the development of the child.”

It asks that interested individuals “grant an interest free term loan to provide investment income to fully fund enrollment” in the program, to be used to develop a learning facility in Hartford and provide investment income to fully fund enrollment.  “Loan principal will not be expended for either construction or operating costs,” the organization points out. And POTE emphasizes that “all funds collected from fundraising activities go to program services – there are no administrative costs for POTE activities,” according to POTE President Christopher Wolf.

In accordance with its mission statement, during the past five years, the Glastonbury-based POTE has:

•  Enrolled 90+ pre-k and kindergarten children in Suzuki cost free violin program over five years in Windsor Locks

• Provided major funding for 565 youth (ages 4 to 18) for inner city youth in the Waterbury Police Athletic League’s Safe Water Information Movement (SWIM) program
• Funded after school program for middle school youth for science, math and technology in Waterbury
• Used fees collected from consulting services, to fund $3,000 for water appreciation and nature walk for Waterbury’s West Side Middle School
• Provided $5,000 in grant funds to Hartford Conservatory for musical instrument acquisition, maintenance and repair

POTE provided $34,000 in funding for various youth educational programs during 2012.

POTE anticipates that if they are able to move forward with the new Hartford early childhood music education program, “local jobs would be created during the development phases” and the ongoing program would “employ local musicians.”  In the event that the program does not go forward, all proceeds would be refunded.

UConn Accounting Master’s Program Ranked in Nation's Top 10

The University of Connecticut is getting high marks for its online master’s degree in accounting, earning a spot in the top 10 nationwide among online business programs ranked by U.S. News & World Report. UConn’s program, run by the School of Business, was ranked No. 8 among 213 online graduate business degree programs that the publication’s editors reviewed at colleges and universities nationwide. UConn’s online master’s of science degree in accounting (MSA) received particularly high scores for the credentials and training of its faculty, along with factors that measure student engagement such as retention, selectivity, graduation rates, and class sizes.

U.S. News also praised the program last year in a broader review of online business school learning initiatives, though it did not issue overall rankings then. The rankings were released this month.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for accountants and auditors are expected to grow by 16 percent between 2010 and 2020.  The U.S. Department of Labor agency reports that “Stricter laws and regulations, particularly in the financial sector, will likely increase the demand for accounting services as organizations seek to comply with new standards. Additionally, tighter lending standards are expected to increase the importance of audits, as this is a key way for organizations to demonstrate their creditworthiness.”

The UConn program is designed to give students the knowledge they need for successful careers in public and private accounting, allowing current CPAs to expand their skill set and helping aspiring accountants meet the 150-hour educational requirement to seek CPA testing and licensing in most states.

“There are exciting innovations planned for the next year to continue keeping the MSA on the cutting edge. New tools will increase interaction and continue to develop strong online community ties,” says Amy Dunbar, the MSA program’s faculty director and an associate professor of accounting.

UConn’s MSA program started in 1999 and transitioned to a completely online program in 2003. It’s particularly popular with working professionals who want to boost their careers with advanced credentials. The average age of new entrants is about 28 years old, and the student body is split almost evenly between men and women.

New full-time students attend a one-week class in May at the Storrs campus to become familiar with the program, technology, instructors, and each other. They then take courses online during the following summer, winter, and spring semesters to complete the program’s requirements.

The course content is delivered through course-specific websites on a School of Business server. As a result, the activities do not have to take place at the same time for all students. That gives students flexibility to finish their work on their own timeframes, as long as it is completed by the assignment’s deadline. There are also several part-time options, including completing the degree over two summers or taking 10 courses over multiple semesters.

Recently, Robert Half, the world's first and largest specialized financial recruitment service, projected accounting salaries would grow 3.3 percent in 2013, while technology salaries will grow approximately 5.3 percent.

The UConn program has been recognized by the United States Distance Learning Association for best practices in the field, and it is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

Connecticut Has 4th Highest Costs for Residents of Assisted-Living Facilities

The average monthly cost of a room in an assisted-living facility is higher in Connecticut than in 48 states.  Only Delaware, New Hampshire and the District of Columbia, on average, have higher rates than the Land of Steady Habits. The top twelve, as reported by the Wall Street Journal:

1. District of Columbia         $5,933
2. Delaware                             $5,249
3. New Hampshire                $5,086
4. Connecticut                        $4,935
5. Maine                                   $4,881
6. Alaska                                   $4,850
7. New Jersey                        $4,794
8. Vermont                              $4,741
9. Massachusetts                  $4,660
10. Hawaii                                   $4,659
11. Maryland                             $4,546
12. New York                            $4,011

The data reported in the WSJ was compiled by the MetLife Mature Market Institute, based on a survey of nearly 6,700 long-term care providers nationwide. At the other end of the spectrum, 12 states had average monthly costs that were below $3,000.  Lowest rate?  Arkansas at $2,355 – less than half that of the eight most costly states, including Connecticut.

In Hartford on Inauguration Day, Giving Meaning to Freedom

Convergence  is defined as the “independent development of similar characters” and “a representation of common ground between phenomena.”  That is precisely how January 21, 2013 will be remembered by those who spent the afternoon at the Amistad Center for Art & Culture and the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, programmatic collaborators on a noteworthy day. During a multi-faceted program (dubbed EP150) developed by the Amistad Center that included observations by community leaders and a range of musical selections, the landmark Emancipation Proclamation’s 150^th anniversary was observed and celebrated, as President Abraham Lincoln was reenacted and recalled. (Including an in-character recitation of the EP.)

First, those gathered from across the region watched live televised coverage of the second inaugural address of President Barack Obama from Washington, DC.  They listened as he declared that “preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action,” having reaffirmed his oath of office with two Bibles – one previously used by Lincoln, the other by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The historic Wadsworth Atheneum, the nation’s oldest public art museum (pre-dating the Civil War), invited the community in at no charge to reflect on the life’s work of Dr. King on the anniversary of his birth.  The day-long kid-friendly programming included a recorded video of the renowned “I Have A Dream” speech, 50 years ago this summer, played within sight of an audience of local school children – many of whom had just completed a special activity – creating visual remembrances (hand-drawn lunch bags) honoring the children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown last month.

They were guided by Americorps Community Healthcorps volunteers from throughout the state.  Special collections inviting retrospection while invoking the memory of Sandy Hook were highlighted by the Atheneum, and musical performances drawing on themes related to MLK  Day drew appreciative visitors amidst the traditional and contemporary works on display.

The most poignant moments, given the intersection of historic figures and events, may have come in the poetic words delivered by about a half-dozen local students, winning participants in “What Emancipation/Freedom Means To Me” a competition sponsored by the Connecticut Civil War Commemoration Commission, the Amistad Center for Art & Culture, and the state's African American Affairs Commission, for grade-schoolers through high school.

Freedom, they passionately and powerfully described, is not only historic - it is personal.  The convergence of the day’s events was reflected in the eloquence of their original poems, which had been selected by a panel of local judges responsible for reviewing more than 100 entries.

“Where Freedom Lives,” written and recited by Kassidi Jones, a student at the Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, vigorously issued a challenge not inconsistent with that outlined earlier from the steps of the National Capitol.  A few phrases of her work convey the tone and tenor:

It is imperative that we all start shattering shackles

Incumbent on every man of every color to crack the locks of the barriers between us

Freedom will not come just because we need it to; we have to want it too

A balance must be established because justice and liberty go hand-in-hand

 And in whichever place the colors of all of our skins smudge into one people

There… there is where freedom lives.

The Amistad Center plans to add each of the winning poems to their website, www.amistadartandculture.org   The Connecticut Civil War Commemoration Commission co-chair, Matthew Warshauer, a member of the history faculty at Central Connecticut State University, served as emcee for the EP150 program, which was supported by Travelers.  The Wadsworth Atheneum's Community Engagement Initiative is supported by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.