Latino Community’s “Champions of Change” Have Leading Roles in 2013

Looking to 2013 as a year when “we can all increase our efforts to work together to affect change in so many arenas,” the website ctlatinonews.com has named five “Champions of Change” in the Latino community. The individuals “have accomplished change through various means, some through their professional work, others by generously volunteering their time, working for change through policy implementation or by using the legal system,” according to the website.  They were selected by the new site’s editorial team and represent many sectors that include: health, business, politics, media, art and law. In addition, ctlatinonews.com also selected Five Young Latinos already making a difference, Five Non-profit Organizations, Five Latinos in Media & Arts and the Most Visible Latino.

Connecticut’s top five Latino “Champions of Change” as selected by ctlatinonews.com are John Soto, Frances Padilla, Yvette Meléndez, Andres Ayala, and Beatriz Gutierrez.

Frances Padilla: Through her life-long personal commitment and volunteer work, and as well as being one of the state’s leading health reform advocates, Frances G. Padilla is impacting quality of life for all Connecticut residents. As president of the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut, Frances has provided strategic direction and visionary leadership.  She is initiating new partnerships, increasing outreach and deepening civic engagement on one of the most important public policy issues of our time.  A graduate of Wesleyan University and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Frances has also given much of her personal time over the years to benefit the state’s Latino community.

Yvette Meléndez: Yvette Meléndez had held several executive positions in key organizations where she has been able to affect policy change. She is currently the vice president, Government and Community Alliances, for Hartford Hospital. Prior to this post she served as chief of staff for the Connecticut State University System, deputy commissioner at the Department of Public Health and Addiction Services, and at the State Department of Education where she launched Connecticut’s entry into the charter school movement.She also serves as vice chair of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, and as vice chair of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.

Andres Ayala, Jr.: Born in Bridgeport, newly elected state Senator Andres Ayala Jr. is a champion of change in the political arena as well as through his role as a community leader, where he has spent his career building opportunities and opening doors for others. He was elected in November 2012 to represent the 23rd Senatorial District, the first Democrat Latino Senator in Connecticut history.   He previously served three terms as state representative for the 128^th district. Ayala’s political life began on the Bridgeport City Council, where he rose to City Council president – the first Latino ever to do so.   He worked to develop  Bridgeport’s school building plan, which created five new schools.   He is an educator in the Bridgeport school system, and has worked as a teacher, dean of students and advisor to the Aspira Youth Development Program.

Beatriz Gutierrez:  Beatriz Gutierrez is helping to change the future of Connecticut by making it more of a global player in the marketplace in her role as head of the Department of Economic and Community Development’s international business development efforts. She brings a unique perspective as a Latina with a strong business background and knowledge of the world.  Born in the United States to Colombian parents, and raised in Colombia, Gutierrez returned to the U.S. to study electrical engineering at Marquette University in Milwaukee,  graduating in 1990. Gutierrez’ office at DECD is currently developing a strategic plan for Connecticut to compete in international markets.

John Soto:  The owner of Space-Craft Manufacturing in New Haven, John Soto has used his business acumen and wealth for social and economic change through philanthropy. Born in Puerto Rico, he started his company 42 years ago with four employees and today Space-Craft Manufacturing is now recognized as an industry leader, Soto has personally donated hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years and devoted countless hours of his time to Latino related organizations, especially those whose mission is helping Connecticut’s youth.

CT Among Leaders in Heart Health; States Vary Significantly Study Finds

If  heart health matters to you and you live in New England – especially Vermont or Connecticut - you’re in good company.  Americans’ cardiovascular health varies greatly from state to state, according to new research in the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA) - the first study to assess cardiovascular health at the state level. Among the findings:  people living in the New England states – including Connecticut – generally reported having among the highest percentage with “ideal cardiovascular health.”  Only the District of Columbia had better across-the-board numbers.  Among the findings:

• The percentage of the population with ideal cardiovascular health varies from 1.2 in Oklahoma to 6.9 in Washington, D.C.
• The percentage of the population reporting ideal cardiovascular health — defined as having optimal levels of all seven factors — was lowest in Oklahoma, West Virginia, and Mississippi.
• Ideal cardiovascular health was highest in Washington, D.C. (6.9), Vermont (5.5), Connecticut (5.5), Virginia (5.0), Massachusetts (4.6), Maine (4.5), and New Hampshire (4.5).

Overall, in the nationwide study funded by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC):

• About 3 percent of the total U.S. population reported having ideal heart health.
• About 10 percent of the total population reported having poor cardiovascular health, with two or less heart-health factors at optimal levels.

Researchers collected information on the American Heart Association’s seven major heart-health factors: blood pressure, total cholesterol, smoking, body mass index, diabetes, physical activity, and fruit and vegetable consumption. (used as a proxy measure in the study for a healthy diet.)

“Since the CDC is funding state heart disease and stroke prevention programs, we thought it would be helpful to have cardiovascular health information on the state level,” said Jing Fang, M.D., M.S., an epidemiologist with the CDC’s Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention.  “Americans reported having on average more than four of the seven risk factors for heart disease,” Fang said. “We also found large disparities by age, sex, race/ethnicity and levels of education.”

Using 2009 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System – a telephone survey was conducted of more than 350,000 people in the 50 states and Washington, D.C. The report, in December 2012, could help state officials set goals to reduce risk of heart attack and stroke and improve cardiovascular health.

The American Heart Association goal is, by the year 2020, to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20 percent while reducing deaths from cardiovascular diseases and stroke by 20 percent.

CT Dog Ownership Ranks 49th in the USA; More Cats than Dogs in State

Cats – not dogs – are reigning in Connecticut.  The state ranks a lowly 49th in dog ownership and 23rd in cat ownership, according to a new survey. The data revealed that 28.3 percent of households in the state own a dog, 31.9 percent own a cat, and 54.4 percent own a pet, slightly below the national average. The state is middle-of-the-pack for overall pet ownership - ranking 34th in the country, as reflected in newly released statistics from The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) in its U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook.  The survey indicated that 379,000 Connecticut households own at least one dog, while 427,000 own at least one cat.   The number of cats in Connecticut exceed the number of dogs by 289,000 (796,000 to 507,000).

The survey is conducted by the AVMA every five years and includes a breakdown of pet ownership by state. The most recent survey, conducted in 2012 based on December 31, 2011 numbers, indicates that nationally between 2006 and 2011:

• the percentage of households that made no trips at all to the veterinarian increased by 8 percent for dog owners and a staggering 24 percent for cat owners. 
• about 81 percent of dog owning households made at least one visit to the veterinarian in 2011, down 1.7 percent from 2006.
• the decrease for cat owners was, once again, much higher, as only 55.1 percent of cat owners made at least one visit to the veterinarian in 2011, down 13.5 percent from 2006.

Connecticut’s dog ownership levels lagged in the 2006 survey was well, when the state ranked 47^th.  The only state to rank in the top ten for cats and dogs in the latest survey was West Virginia, which ranked #5 in dogs and #6 in cat ownership.  The number one state for pet ownership, Vermont, also led the way in cat ownership.  Nearly half the households in the state – 49.5 percent – own a cat, according to the survey.  Vermont is the only state to exceed 70 percent in overall pet ownership, with 70.8 percent.

National statistics reflect the affection for, and costs of, having a pet:

• Six out-of-ten pet owners, or 63.2 percent, considered their pets to be family members.
• There are approximately 70 million pet dogs in the U.S. and 74.1 million pet cats.
• The average veterinary expenditure per household for all pets was $375 (for 2011).

When it comes to veterinary visits, cats are feeling the pinch of the nation's economic downturn. Although 75 percent of cat owners believe check-ups are important, the number of households taking their cat to the veterinarian just once a year has dropped 13.5% in the past five years.  Of those surveyed, 22 percent said they didn’t take their cat to the vet because they couldn’t afford to do so.  Close to 30 percent of dog owners who didn’t take their dog to the vet in 2011 cited the same reason.

For more information about the AVMA or to obtain a copy of the U.S. Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook, visit www.avma.org. To learn more about Dog Owners vs. Cat Owners, check out the infographic at topreveal.com 

Volunteering in Connecticut Above Average, But Declining

The percentage of Connecticut residents who volunteer has dropped slightly, but the state remains above the national average, ranking 22^nd among the states.  The data, compiled by The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is the most comprehensive annual collection of information on volunteering and civic life in America, reflecting nation’s civic health. The National Conference on Citizenship is a partner on the project. The 2012 Volunteering and Civic Life in America report and website provide information allowing civic leaders, nonprofit organizations,and interested individuals to retrieve a wide range of information regardingdemographic trends and rankings for volunteering and civic engagement activities intheir regions, states, and metro areas.  The 2012 report is based upon data collected in 2011.  Overall, in Connecticut:

• 28.5% of residents volunteer, ranking the state 22nd among the 50 states and Washington, DC.  That’s a drop from 31.1% and a #15 ranking the previous year
• 793,710 volunteers.
• 81.7 million hours of service.
• $1.8 billion of service contributed.
• 29.3 volunteer hours per resident.

The report also noted that 72.8% of Connecticut residents do favors for their neighbors, 88.8% eat dinner with their family a few times a week or more, and 53.3% discuss politics a few times a month or more.  In a generational breakdown,

• Young adult volunteer rate ranked #16 (26.3%)
• College age ranked #24 (27.8%)
• Older adults ranked #14 (29%)
• Gen X ranked #23 (32%)

Among major cities, Hartford ranked #27 (just behind Boston at #26) in 2011, down from #15 in 2010.  (From 29.8% to 26.9%.)  The top three cities were Minneapolis-St.Paul, Rochester (NY), and Seattle.  The national volunteer rate was 26.8 percent.  Top states were Utah (40.9%), Idaho (38.8%) and Iowa (38.4%)  At the bottom were New York (20.7% ) and Louisiana (19.4%).

Nationwide, the number of volunteers reached its highest level in five years, as 64.3 million Americans  volunteered through an organization, an increase of 1.5 million from 2010.  Americans volunteered a total of almost 8 billion hours, an estimated economic value of roughly $171 billion.  A majority of Americans assisted their neighbors in some way and more than a third actively participated in a civic, religious, or school group.

The report also found that parents of school-aged children contributed more than 2.5 billion hours of their time to volunteer efforts nationwide in 2011, most of it to school-based projects, underscoring the pivotal role that schools play as hubs for local volunteer efforts.

Photos of Vietnam Fallen from Connecticut Sought for New National Memorial

It has been a year and a half since the effort began, and the Veterans History Project at Central Connecticut State University is closing in on the halfway point in their effort to collect a photograph of every member of the armed forces who was killed in Vietnam, to be displayed as part of a new national memorial to complement the Vietnam Memorial in the nation’s capital. The national Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF), in partnership with the National Park Service, is working to build an Education Center near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. Using the faces, stories, and remembrances attached to the names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Center will educate visitors about the Vietnam War and its impact on every community in the United States.

The Center will also provide information about the history and the significance of the Wall and preserve the legacy of the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. The Education Center will tell the stories of those who served and died in Vietnam through programming that will include interactive exhibits, primary source information, and educational programs.

One initiative under way is the national “Call for Photos” campaign, which endeavors to attach faces to the 58,272 names memorialized on the Wall. The Education Center will create a Wall of Faces exhibit to display all collected digital photographs once the Center is constructed. Meanwhile, the VVMF has created an on-line Virtual Wall at www.vvmf.org.

To ensure that 100% of Connecticut’s fallen are remembered , the Connecticut Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the Veterans History Project at Central Connecticut State University are working with volunteers and teachers to collect photos and remembrances of Connecticut’s 612 fallen who do not yet have photos on the VVMF’s Virtual Wall.

As of this month, 301 photos have been collected, and efforts continue.  Photographs and related information can be submitted electronically, or by mail.

In 2010, Connecticut became the second state in the nation to pass legislation designating March 30 as Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day -- the date the last combat troops withdrew from Vietnam.  Additional information on the Call for Photos and the Veterans History Project is available from Eileen Hurst at CCSU at (860) 832-2976.

Consulates in Connecticut Promote International Connections

Connecticut is home to numerous international corporations and many more domestic companies that routinely conduct global business, but the number of official consulates in the state can be counted with just a few fingers. The Consulate General of Brazil is located at Constitution Plaza in Hartford, quite visibly on the corner of Market and State Streets just a block from the University of Connecticut School of Business downtown.   The Consulate General of Peru is also located in Connecticut’s Capitol City, on Main Street.

New Haven hosts the Consulate General of Ecuador, on the corner of Church Street and George Street in the heart of the city.  Just last year, Ecuadorian ambassador Nathalie Cely Suarez visited New Haven City Hall to meet with Mayor John DeStefano Jr. and New Haven’s Ecuadorian consul, Raul Erazo Velarde. New Haven is home to one of 19 Ecuadorian consulates in the United States, and the most recent U.S. census found that 21,000 Ecuadorians live in the state.

The state also has numerous honorary consulates – often no more than an individual and a mailing address – representing nations including Finland (in Norwich), France (in Middlebury), Romania (in Fairfield) and Italy (in Hartford).

The political title "Consul" is used for the official representatives of the government of one nation in the territory of another, normally acting to assist citizens of the consul's country, and to facilitate trade and friendship between the peoples of the two countries.  There may be several consuls,  in several main cities, providing assistance with bureaucratic issues to both the citizens of the consul's country travelling or living abroad and to the citizens of the country the consul resides in who wish to travel to or trade with the consul's country.  A consul is distinguished from ambassador, who is the official representative from one head of state to another.

Health of Connecticut Drops Slightly as Disparities and Challenges Are Noticed

Connecticut is now the nation’s sixth healthiest state, dropping from number four in the previous year, according to state-by-state data compiled by the United Health Foundation in collaboration with the American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention.  Among the findings about Connecticut highlighted in the report, America’s Health Rankings, which was compiled in 2012:

• While Connecticut has one of the lowest smoking rates in the U.S., there are 475,000 adults who still smoke.
• In the past 5 years, the high school graduation rate declined from 80.7 percent to 75.4 percent of incoming ninth graders who graduate in four years.
• In the past 10 years, the percentage of children in poverty increased from 8.9 percent to 14.3 percent of persons under the age of 18.
• In the past 5 years, public health funding increased from $57 to $71 per person.
• In the past 5 years, the rate of preventable hospitalizations decreased from 67.3 to 60.4 discharges per 1,000 Medicare enrollees.
• In the past year, the infant mortality rate decreased from 6.3 to 5.8 deaths per 1,000 live births.

The state’s strengths, according to the report, include a low prevalence of smoking, low incidence of infectious disease, low rate of uninsured population and high immunization coverage.  Challenges facing Connecticut are the state’s moderate high school graduation rate and moderate levels of air pollution, the report noted.

Among the key health disparities highlighted from the Connecticut data, obesity is more prevalent among non-Hispanic blacks at 41.4 percent than Hispanics at 28.6 percent and non-Hispanic whites at 21.0 percent; and sedentary lifestyle is more prevalent among Hispanics at 27.5 percent than non-Hispanic whites at 19.9 percent.

Overall, Connecticut has consistently ranked in the top 10 among the states since 1994. Vermont topped the list for the fourth consecutive year in 2012.  New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Hawaii were deemed healthier than Connecticut.  An interactive web-based 3D chart provides comparisons among the states.

The reports’ authors state that the “ultimate purpose of America’s Health Rankings® is to stimulate action by individuals, elected officials, medical professionals, public health professionals, employers, educators, and communities to improve the health of the population of the United States.”

Six CT Communities to Receive "Preservation of Place" Grants to Boost Local Downtowns

Connecticut Main Street Center (CMSC), the downtown revitalization and economic development non-profit, has awarded six organizations and municipalities a total of $60,000 in 2013 Preservation of Place grants. These grants will be used to provide the communities and organizations with targeted resources to increase their capacity to plan for preservation and revitalization initiatives in their downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts. The winning organizations and initiatives - which will each receive a $10,000 Preservation of Place grant - are:

• the Town of Kent for a Planning & Engineering Study for its Village Center Streetscape;
• the City of Bridgeport for the Little Asia Historic Streetscape and Archway Project;
• the Town of Putnam for the Putnam Downtown Center Signage and Wayfinding Design Project;
•  the Town of Seymour for the Seymour Greenway Trail and Linear Park Master Plan;
• the Westville Village Renaissance Alliance for the Westville Village Public Parking Comprehensive Design & Marketing Plan; and the
• Northwestern Connecticut Regional Planning Collaborative for the NW CT Village Center Vitality Tourism Marketing Campaign.

The Preservation of Place grant program provides a source of funding for new initiatives that can be integrated into, and leverage, comprehensive Main Street preservation and revitalization programs. The funds are meant to be flexible to meet individual community need.

"Historic preservation and the revitalization of our Main Streets create jobs, bring vacant buildings back on the tax rolls and add value and vitality to adjacent buildings and neighborhoods," said John Simone, CMSC President & CEO. "The diversity of locations and the diversity of projects will allow each community to respond to their greatest current need, actively creating their direction of growth."

Since 2008, CMSC has awarded $288,030 through the Preservation of Place grant program to sixteen Connecticut communities, leveraging over $768,427 in local Main Street initiatives. The program receives support from the State Historic Preservation Office with funds from the Community Investment Act.

The mission of CT Main Street Center is to be the champion and leading resource for vibrant and sustainable Main Streets as foundations for healthy communities. CMSC is dedicated to community and economic development within the context of historic preservation, and is committed to bringing Connecticut's commercial districts back to life socially and economically. The Main Street initiative is one of the most successful economic development programs in the country. For every $1 spent on a local Main Street program, $73.13 is reinvested in Connecticut Main Street downtowns.

Traditional DUPLO Wins Award as LEGO Expands to New Products, Classrooms and Girls

At a time when LEGO, with North American headquarters in Enfield, is rolling out new themed products, enduring criticism for its increasing commercial tie-ins, expanding classroom connections, rebounding strongly from diminished sales, and launching new lines targeting girls, the company’s very basic DUPLO line for young children is winning new praise. Faculty and student researchers at Eastern Connecticut State University have named the company’s DUPLO bricks as the 2012 TIMPANI Toy (Toys That Inspire Mindful Play and Nurture Imagination). DUPLO bricks are colorful, plastic, interlocking building bricks.  Parents and teachers know them as a larger version of the popular LEGO bricks, sized for use by preschool-aged children.

The annual study, conducted through Eastern's Center for Early Childhood Education, examines how young children in natural settings play with a variety of toys. Nine toys were selected for the 2012 TIMPANI study, based on recommendations from parents, teachers and faculty. After the toys were chosen they were placed in the CFDRC's preschool classrooms and rated on three subscales: thinking and learning, cooperation and social interaction, and self-expression and imagination.

"DUPLO bricks pose many problems for children to solve, so there's a lot of deep thought that goes into building," said Jeffrey Trawick-Smith, the Phyllis Waite Endowed Chair of Early Childhood Education at Eastern and the study's principal researcher. "Construction toys have done well overall in our studies due to the fact that they don't suggest any one use. They can be used in many different ways, so children tend to interact more and negotiate what they want to build."

That’s not the only local news for LEGO.  The company is launching a new education program, and Enfield has agreed to be the first school system to take advantage of it, The Hartford Courant has reported.  The program is modeled after a program LEGO runs in Denmark and will be available in Enfield elementary schools beginning in September 2013. The implementation of the program will be phased in over two years, with all kindergarten through grade 5 students having access to the program by Sept. 2014.

LEGO education products are already used independently by more than 9,500 schools in North America, and are said to enhance learning by sharpening creative, critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.  All products, curriculum guides, laptops and software will be provided by LEGO.  The school system will also be assigned a LEGO pedagogic adviser. Over five years, LEGO hopes to reach 15,000 students in Connecticut and Massachusetts as the program grows.

It has also been reported recently that sales of the LEGO Group’s newest line of construction toys designed to appeal to girls exceeded expectations despite complaints that it reinforces gender stereotypes.  Michael McNally, brand relations director at LEGO in Enfield, told the Associated Press that the company has sold twice as much of the Lego Friends line as expected when it was introduced early this year.  Lego’s intention was to raise the number of girls who play with Lego bricks, he said. “In 2011, only 9 percent of Lego sets sold in the U.S. were intended for girls,” McNally said. “To date, 28 percent of Lego sets purchased in the U.S. have been for girls.”

LEGO’s efforts in recent years to extend the brand to books, television and video games have endured some criticism (LEGO with detailed how-to instructions?) but the company says its products are still creatively minded and aimed at driving kids “back to the playroom.”  Those decisions have apparently helped the company’s bottom line which after take a drubbing a decade ago, has seen a 17 percent increase in revenue in 2011.

Also this month, LEGO Systems, Inc. announced LEGO® Legends of Chima™, an original LEGO property set in a mythical land of magical animal tribes who compete for CHI, a valuable energy source which gives them extraordinary powers over one another. The company reports that the “story comes to life through a universe of products across the company's entire play system including classic building sets, collectible social competition kits, buildable figures and board games, and will be fueled by digital gaming.”

According to the folks at Eastern Connecticut’s TIMPANI, the basics are still best.  The university has posted a video featuring DUPLO, and young children, at play.  Eastern researchers announced the results of the 2012 TIMPANI Toy Study at the University's Child and Family Development Resource Center (CFDRC).

The LEGO Group is a privately held, family-owned company, based in Billund, Denmark. It was founded in 1932 and today the group is one of the world's leading manufacturers of play materials for children, on sale in more than 130 countries.

Middletown, Bridgewater, Granby, Stamford Top Turnout List in 2012 Elections

In a presidential election year, high voter turnout is possible – it’s just not easy. Secretary of the State Denise Merrill has presented the 2012 “Democracy Cup” for the highest voter turnout percentage in the 2012 Presidential election in Connecticut to the town of Bridgewater (94.75%) and the city of Middletown (89.86%).   Overall, statewide voter turnout was 74%, slightly less than the last Presidential election turnout of 78.14% in 2008, in what may have been a result of difficulties in transportation and communication due to power outages and downed tree limbs from Hurricane Sandy.

The award is given annually to the small, mid-sized, large towns and city with the highest voter turnout on Election Day. The other winners of the 2012 Democracy Cup for voter turnout are Granby (86.22%) and Stamford (71.6%).

Under Democracy Cup criteria, towns with fewer than 5,000 registered voters are considered small; municipalities with between 5,000 and 14,999 and voters are considered mid-sized, towns with 15,000 and 49,999 registered voters are considered large towns. Cities with more than 50,000 registered voters are their own category.

Each community awarded the Democracy Cup will be able to host and display a trophy through next year’s November elections. Trophy presentations were held for Middletown, Bridgewater, Stamford and Granby.

“The voters in Bridgewater, Middletown and the other communities who win the award this year really set an example for all of the voters in Connecticut of why elections and participating in democracy are important. I congratulate both Bridgewater and Middletown for doing such a wonderful job with 9 out of 10 registered voters participating in the 2012 election – it is some of the highest voter turnout in the nation!” Co-sponsored by the East Haddam Civic Association since 2000, the Democracy Cup was created as a way to encourage voter participation in each year’s elections. Merrill said Connecticut was seventh in the nation in voter turnout. Traditionally, she told the Middletown Press, Connecticut has placed 20^th. “One week before a major storm, 100 of our 730 polling places were out of commission, so it took a lot of work by a lot of people to get us back online,” Merrill said.