LED Street Lights Being Installed in CT Towns Even As Health Concerns Are Raised

The American Medical Association’s new policy stand “against light pollution and public awareness of the adverse health and environmental effects of pervasive nighttime lighting,” comes as municipalities across Connecticut and the nation are replacing longstanding lighting systems with LED lights in an effort to save money and improve safety.  The AMA however, is warning that the rapid pace of change could bring long-term detrimental health and safety effects. The AMA has noted that “it is estimated that white LED lamps have five times greater impact on circadian sleep rhythms than conventional street lamps. Recent large surveys found that brighter residential nighttime lighting is associated with reduced sleep times, dissatisfaction with sleep quality, excessive sleepiness, impaired daytime functioning and obesity.”

The organization noted earlier this month that “approximately 10 percent of existing U.S. street lighting has been converted to solid state LED technology, with efforts underway to accelerate this conversion.” The AMA’s Report of the Council on Science and Public Health on “Human and Environmental Effects of Light Emitting Diode (LED) Community Lighting” cautioned that “white LED street lighting patterns also could contribute to the risk of chronic disease in the populations of cities in which they have been installed. Measurements at street level from white LED street lamps are needed to more accurately assess the potential circadian impact of evening/nighttime exposure to these lights.

The AMA recommendations were developed to “assist in advising communities on selecting among LED lighting options in order to minimize potentially harmful human health and environmental effects”:

• an intensity threshold for optimal LED lighting that minimizes blue-rich light
• all LED lighting should be properly shielded to minimize glare and detrimental human health and environmental effects,
• consideration should be given to utilize the ability of LED lighting to be dimmed for off-peak time periods.

The concerns are not new, but they are receiving greater attention in the wake of the AMA’s formal community guidance and policy position, adopted at the organization’s annual conference in Chicago in mid-June.

Communities in Connecticut that have taken steps to switch to LED lighting include New London, Berlin, Plainville, East Hartford, Rocky Hill, Stamford, Southington, and Cheshire, according to published reports.  An article authored by UConn professor of Community Medicine and Health Care Richard G. Stevens, highlights red flags being raised by the AMA regarding the safety of LED lighting being installed in cities around the country.  The article first appeared on an international website, theconversation.com, and has since appeared on sites including CNN.  Stevens, an expert on the health impact of electric lighting, has raised concerns for more than a decade.

The Illuminating Engineering Society, founded in 1906 and based in New York, noted in a position statement that “exposure to optical radiation affects human physiology and behavior, both directly (acute effects including melatonin suppression, elevated cortisol production, increased core temperature) and indirectly (resetting the internal circadian body clock). There is no confirmation that typical exposures to exterior lighting after sunset lead to cancer or other life‐threatening conditions.” The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) is described as “the recognized technical authority on illumination.” The IES website indicates that the organization was “not represented in the deliberations leading to [the AMA document]. We intend to contact the AMA and work with them to ensure that any lighting related recommendations include some discussion with the IES.”

ANSES, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety, has published a report entitled (in English): " Lighting systems using light-emitting diodes: health issues to be considered," which focuses squarely on potential problems caused by LED lighting.  The LEDs Magazine website indicates that the full report is available in French only, but the report summary (in English) says that risks have been identified concerning the use of certain LED lamps, raising potential health concerns for the general population and professionals.

"The issues of most concern identified by the Agency concern the eye due to the toxic effect of blue light and the risk of glare," says the report, adding that the blue light necessary to obtain white LEDs causes "toxic stress" to the retina.

Back in 2011, a comprehensive report by Carnegie Mellon University’s Remaking Cities Institute (RCI) on the city of Pittsburgh’s transition to LED street lighting indicated that “Glare is an issue with LED street lighting. The RCI research team’s literature review and interviews with manufacturers and municipal agencies in cities with LED replacement projects indicate that the emphasis is being placed almost entirely on energy savings, to the exclusion of visual quality issues. The substantial glare caused by LEDs is not typically included as a measurable criteria in evaluation processes, and when it is, the tools of measurement are inadequate. As a result, glare persists as an issue.”

That report also noted that “the public is informed that LEDs save energy told that they are better in quality (often false) and that more accurate in color (often false).” In addition, the 113-page report indicated that “While the use of bright lights is believed to reduce accidents, it actually creates dangerous conditions for drivers, especially when night vision is affected by sharp differences in illumination. Bright lights are particularly hazardous for older persons because the human eye’s accommodation reflex slows with age.”

Regarding health concerns that have been raised, the report indicates that “Bright white light suppresses melatonin, the hormone that regulates tumors. Blue light wavelengths are to blame, because they ‘reset’ the circadian clocks of humans, animals, and plants even at very low levels of blue light. This might account for the significantly higher rates (30-60%) of breast and colorectal cancer in night shift workers.”

Some have compared the growing controversy regarding LED lighting to the ongoing debate in towns around the country regarding the use of crumb rubber from recycled tires as fill for sports turf fields.  Federal, state, and municipal governments have weighed in on the discussion, but even as health concerns continue to be raised, fields using the materials continue to be installed and used by youth in Connecticut and across the country.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently launched a research project aimed at providing better answers on that safety question.

PERSPECTIVE: The Midnight Art of Pavement Markings

by Jennifer Paquin The long and short of line painting is – the world needs it! It keeps chaos at bay. Imagine going to a mall that does not have pavement markings, especially during the holiday season. Pavement markings help prevent accidents and, at the scene of an accident, are often used to determine fault. The markings are for your safety: they protect you and, most importantly, they guide you to where you want to go.

If you’ve ever traveled on a newly paved road or parking area before the markings have been painted, you quickly realize how dangerous life would be without them.

While you are sleeping somewhere soft and warm – workers in this profession are painting lines on parking lot pavement that will tell you where to park, turn, and stop when you pull into school, or a store, or the dentist’s office, tomorrow morning.

This is the world of highway and pavement “marking,” also known as line painting or line striping. It is one of the few services performed in the dead of the night, so that parking stalls, arrows, fire lanes and those cross-hatches will seem to have magically appeared when you arrive at work or hit the road the next day.

A typical night has many challenges, and on occasion, unexpected surprises. First we position our trailer in a safe, central location, which allows for quick and easy access to paint cans and necessary tools. Then, we wait. And wait. For the parking lot, or at least a section of it, to empty out. This could take minutes or hours, depending on how cooperative people are, intentionally or unknowingly.

And yes, there is always that one car. No one knows who it belongs to or how long it has been there – or how long it might remain unmoved. Patience is a requisite. This is especially true when you realize that you have finished painting an entire lot, loaded everything back into the trailer to head home, and then along comes the person who owns that one car.   

If the job is to repaint over old lines, the work begins with cleaning each line with a broom and a leaf blower. Next, we measure lines that are completely faded out, mark them with yellow crayon, and snap each line with blue chalk from a snap-line. This process, which can take hours, has a rinse, repeat cycle to it. If the weather is windy, the chalk dust will fly everywhere except on the line.

If the job calls for a brand new layout (as with new pavement for a new business) then additional time must be factored in. The measuring is more precise and close attention must be paid to the contractor’s blueprint. Strong math skills, along with precision and patience, are necessary in this profession if the job is to be done right.

The machine needs to be loaded with paint and the paint gun positioned based on what type of work will be done first. The process of filling the paint machine usually goes smoothly; however the paint must be strained through a colander to ensure that no lumps will block the machine pump. Lumps can shut down the whole operation from minutes to hours while the pump is taken apart to locate, and then relieve, the blockage.

Paint color is determined by the business owner or the town. Yellow is preferred for visibility, especially during the winter months. The paint gun position is a trial and error process with an array of different sized gun tips available. For example, when painting stencils such as the Handicapped symbol, a larger tip is used. A large fabric tarp is placed on the ground to pre-test the width of the spray. The objective is for the paint gun to spray a four inch wide line.

Then come the “stalls.” There are three types: Standard, Hollywood, and Handicapped. (Yes, it is really called “Hollywood” in the industry.) A Standard stall consists of two lines, nine feet wide by eighteen feet long; a Hollywood stall consists of two rectangular boxes, one on each side of the stall, to allow more room when opening vehicle doors; and the Handicapped stall size and layout is determined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the town.

Constant alertness is needed on a job site. Cars and pedestrians can appear quickly, seemingly out of nowhere, so both painter and assistant need to watch and listen attentively, especially when the paint machine is running. Reflective vests and pants are a safety must, and a flashlight should be hooked onto your clothing as well, to be ready at all times.

Interruptions will occur throughout the night. People ask questions about what we are doing; onlookers are fascinated by the process; and cars can slip in and park without notice on larger jobs.

There is a lot of running around; it is in the nature of the job. Often, people come by to ask for directions, and as the night goes on, the questions can get strange. My favorite question has been, “Where is the nearest grocery store?” – as we were painting the grocery store’s parking lot! Another common question, “How long does it take for the paint to dry?” Answer:  It depends on temperature and weather conditions. On dry, hot days, it takes about fifteen minutes or less; but, when the temperature drops, drying time can take up to two hours.

When the sun starts to rise and the job is completed, we usually get a few early birds entering the lot before the paint has fully dried. Some people are annoyed about being re-directed to a different parking area, especially if they are late to their destination. Sometimes we have no choice but to reluctantly let them go, as they drive through the orange cones, because they have already driven over the paint that needed just a little more time to completely dry.

And now, as the clock reads 6:00 a.m., and the dawn awakens a new day, we are heading home. Another hundred-plus stall parking lot awaits us tomorrow.

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Jennifer Paquin is a seasoned legal marketing and business development professional, residing in Tolland County. She is currently writing her first novel and can be found frequently assisting her husband with his line painting business, A&A Line Painting.

PERSPECTIVE commentaries by contributing writers appear each Sunday on Connecticut by the Numbers.

Officials Seek to Turn State Schools “Red, White and Blue” Starting This Fall

Secretary of the State Denise Merrill and Education Commissioner Dianna R. Wentzell have launched what they’re calling the Red, White, and Blue Schools Initiative. The Initiative is a partnership between the State Department of Education and the Office of the Secretary of the State that will reward schools that develop programs that foster strong civic engagement among students. The program is available to all K-12 schools in Connecticut and will begin this fall with the start of the 2016-17 school year.

Each year, a theme will be announced and schools will be encouraged to teach the theme through interdisciplinary activities, whole-school events, extracurricular clubs/activities, student-centered learning and community outreach.

The theme for the first year will be “The Electoral Process,” since the year will include the presidential election, inauguration of the nation’s next president, and the beginning of the next session of Congress, as well as elections for all of Connecticut’s legislative and U.S. House seats and one of the state’s U.S. Senate seats.

“It is critical that we equip young people with the knowledge and perspective it will take to be informed, active citizens in a global society,” Commissioner Wentzell said. “The Red, White, and Blue Schools Initiative encourages schools to think outside the box about ways to engage students more actively in community and government.”

“A presidential election gives us so many opportunities to learn about democracy. Students can learn how voters are registered and polling locations are set up as well as how the votes are counted. What better time to learn about our democracy than an election year?” Secretary of the State Merrill said.  The Republican and Democratic parties will be selecting their presidential nominees this month, at national conventions held in Cleveland and Philadelphia.

Schools that want to participate in the program will have to meet certain criteria to be considered a Red, White, and Blue School. Requirements include integrating lessons about civic engagement into social studies classes and at least two other subjects and holding a whole-school event focused on student engagement, such as a mock election or a student-led candidate forum.

A fact sheet on the new initiative indicates that community outreach will be part of the program, urging that schools “work with local community organizations, business or government entities to increase student knowledge of implications and effects of elections on the community.”

Participating schools will be encouraged to take innovative approaches to teaching civics in the classroom and to consider involving extracurricular activities that promote civic and community engagement.

The new initiative was announced at the Timothy Edwards Middle School in South Windsor in June.  The program timeline calls for schools to complete their electoral process projects by January 2017, with the submission deadline for project material in March and school designations and award winners announced in May.  A website for the program is also planned.

PHOTO: State Education Commissioner Dianna R. Wentzell, Secretary of the State Denise Merrill

CT is Most Expensive Energy State in the Nation, Analysis Says

With an average monthly energy bill of $404 per consumer, Connecticut is the most energy expensive state in the nation, according to a new analysis. Using a formula that accounts for residential energy sources including electricity, natural gas, motor fuel and home heating oil, analysts at WalletHub compared the average monthly energy bills in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.  Connecticut ranked at the top of the list, with other New England states close behind.  The 10 most expensive states in the analysis, after Connecticut, were Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, Georgia, North Dakota, Maine, New Hampshire, Indiana and Mississippi.  Among the least expensive energy states for consumers were Oregon, Colorado and Washington, where the average monthly energy bill was $218.

The monthly consumer costs in Connecticut average $155 for electricity, $104 for home heating oil, $100 for motor fuel and $44 for natural gas.

Connecticut ranked third in the price of home heating oil and second highest in the nation for home heating oil consumption per consumer, for an overall ranking as highest in the nation for home heating oil costs.

Regarding electricity consumption, as a relatively small state, Connecticut ranked 37^th.  However, for the price of electricity it ranked third, for an overall ranking of seventh when the two stats were combined for the overall Monthly Electricity Cost category.

"Connecticut ranked as the most energy expensive state mainly due to its high retail prices for energy,” analyst Jill Gonzalez told CT by the Numbers.  “The state has the third highest retail price for electricity and heating oil at $0.20 per kWh and almost $4 per gallon, respectively. Natural gas isn't cheap either, ranking 14th highest, at $14 per thousand cubic feet. These prices paired with high heating consumption in the winter months put Connecticut on top of these rankings."

The website notes that energy costs account for between 5 and 22 percent of families’ total after-tax income, with the poorest Americans, or 25 million households, paying the highest of that range.

Sources used to create the rankings, according to WalletHub, were collected from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Federal Highway Administration, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report.

The report was issued this month, as July typically produces the highest energy bills for consumers.

Student Loans Grow; Home Ownership Pushed Back 5 Years, on Average

An analysis on the cost of student loans and home-buying nationwide finds that it takes graduates with the average student loan debt of $28,950 about 5 years longer to save a 20 percent home down payment. Thereafter, these graduates have almost $50,000 less in home equity 15 years after graduation compared to debt-free graduates, according to an analysis by GoodCall, The Real Cost of Student Loans. In Connecticut, where 62 percent of students graduate with debt averaging $29,750, above the national average, and home prices tend to be higher than in most states, the challenge is particularly acute.  Delaware has the highest average student loan balances, at $33,808. Utah has the lowest, with $18,921, according to data compiled by the Institute for College Access & Success and included in the report.

Nationally, average debt for new bachelor’s degree recipients rose at more than double the rate of inflation from 2004 to 2014, but in some states it grew even faster.  In Connecticut, the percentage of graduating students with debt rose from 57 percent in 2004 to 62 percent in 2014; the average amount of debt increased by 57 percent (20^th highest increase among the states), from $18,906 to $29,750.

Homeownership has generally fallen over the past decade, and for college graduates with student loan debt, the downward trend is even more marked, according to research by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the report indicates. What is clear, the report notes, is that after college, graduates with student debt must use part of their income to pay down loans. This means less income is available for saving compared to debt-free graduates.

It also means that graduates with student loan debt will have to save at a higher rate than their debt-free counterparts to buy a home sooner. This points to another challenge student loan borrowers face: making tough decisions over whether to pay student loans off as quickly as possible or save for big purchases like a home, the report explains.

Waiting longer to buy a home can mean missing out on accruing home equity, an important part of building wealth and financial security over the long term. Home equity is how much of the home’s current value is owned by the homeowner. This is calculated by taking the current market value, which typically grows year over year, and subtracting any remaining mortgage payments.

A recent Harvard study noted in the report revealed the consequences for wealth building that these financial decisions can have over the long-term, where college-educated households with student loan debt were found to have significantly less in assets, cash savings, and net wealth compared to college-educated households without student loans.

Among the report’s key findings regarding the home buying timeline:

• A 23-year-old debt-free college graduate today will be ready to buy a home with a 20 percent down payment in 2021 at age 28. That’s five years earlier than the 33-year-old average home buyer today.
• Graduates with $12,000 in student loan debt can expect to save until 2022 before they’re able to put a 20% down payment on a median price home.
• A 23-year-old graduate with $28,950 in student loan debt today will be saving until 2026 before she can make a 20% down payment on a home, at age 33 – the current average age for home buying.
• Graduates with $50,000 in student loans will be saving until age 36 in 2029 before they’ll have enough for a 20 percent home down payment.

The report also highlights the impact of student loans on the age at which people decide to get married, their job choices, starting salaries and retirement savings – and the impact those choices have on their ability to pay off student loans.

New Milford’s McCusker Earns Spot on Gymnastics Junior National Team

Every four years, America’s attention turns to gymnastics, as the Olympics push the U.S. team to the forefront of competitive sports.  The road to Rio, and the 2016 Summer Games, is underway, but for Connecticut residents following the sport, the run-up competitions are providing an opportunity to look not only at this summer’s climactic event, but down the road a few summers. Connecticut’s top junior gymnast, Riley McCusker of New Milford, put herself squarely on the radar screen for the future with a solid second place finish in the P&G Gymnastics Championships junior women’s event, held in St. Louis.  That earned McCusker, who turns 15 this month, a slot on the eight-member U.S. National Junior Women’s Team, with international competition on the horizon.

In addition to finishing in second place overall, McCusker finished in second place on the uneven bars, floor exercise and balance beam, reflecting solid performances on both days of the competition.

McCusker  is joined on the eight-member U.S. National Junior Women’s Team by Shania Adams of Plain City, OH; Jordan Chiles of Vancouver, WA; Morgan Hurd  of Middletown, DE; Emma Malabuyo of Flower Mound, TX; Maile O'Keefe of Las Vegas, NV; Gabby Perea of Geneva, IL and Trinity Thomas of York, PA.

“I had no expectations coming in,” McCusker said. “This was my first season as an elite and first P&G Championships. I just came in, did my gymnastics and then waited to see what would happen.”

What happened was about as good as it gets, and reinforced her trajectory in the sport.  She told CT by the Numbers: "Qualifying to the national team was the best day of my life because I realized then that all of my hard work and sacrifices have started paying off!”

Last month, competing at the Secret Classic at the XL Center in Hartford – with the vocal support of friends and family from New Milford, McCusker had stand-out moments and finished 9^th overall in a crowded field.  That experience under her belt, the arena in St. Louis was yet another step forward in a progress-filled year.

The USA Gymnastics Elite Program is designed to provide competitive experiences for athletes aspiring to the National Team. The National Teams (Senior and Junior) are selected from the USA Championships each year. These athletes represent the United States in international competitions.

McCusker is coached by Maggie Haney and Victoria Levine at MG Elite in Morganville, New Jersey.  Her teammate, Lauren Hernandez, earned a spot on the U.S. National Senior Women’s Team in recent weeks, followed this week by being named to the U.S. Olympic Team for this summer’s Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  The U.S. Olympic Trials were July 8 and 10 in San Jose. The 16-year-old Hernandez was the 2015 junior national champion, and is a competitor that McCusker trains with and is inspired by.

McCusker, who began gymnastics at age 6, was enthused to have childhood friends – many of whom hasn’t seen her compete at the elite level – in the stands in Hartford.  Their handmade signs of support were quite visible, as were the vocal cheers.

Proud of her Connecticut roots, McCusker’s Instagram page includes a memorial honoring the victims at Sandy Hook elementary School in December 2012. And she was thrilled to participate in the Hartford competition earlier this summer, recalling when she was in the stands with family watching the competitors just as her dedication to gymnastics was taking root.

If her accomplishments during the past month are any indication, there will be more opportunities for fans to gather in support of Connecticut’s home town girl in the future.

As one of the many commenters opining on social media after her P&G performance noted, “2020 here she comes.”

PHOTOS:  Riley McCusker in St. Louis (John Cheng photos); with Lauren Hernandez.

https://youtu.be/ZfXeDEdO6Dc

Hartford’s Innovation, Manufacturing History Highlighted in Exhibits at Smithsonian and State Capitol

On Wednesday, July 13, the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History will make public a special portion of their collection with “Objects Out of Storage: Hartford, CT.”  The special exhibit, led by curator Susan Tolbert and historian Eric Hinz, will take place at noontime in the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation in the nation’s Capitol. Describing Hartford’s prominent manufacturing history, Hinz said “Hartford, CT, is a classic story in the history of American technology. If you have ever wondered why people refer to “Yankee ingenuity,” this is what they are talking about.”  He adds, “In the mid and late 1800s, the United States overtakes Great Britain as the world’s foremost economic superpower, largely on the strength of its prowess in inventing and manufacturing new technologies. Hartford is at the center of that revolution.”

Hartford, described as “one of the birthplaces of American mass production,” is well represented in the ongoing exhibit, Places of Invention, which “takes visitors on a journey through time and place to meet people who lived, worked, played, collaborated, adapted, took risks, solved problems, and sometimes failed—all in the pursuit of something new.”

The exhibit notes that by the 1850’s “Hartford became the center of production for a wide array of products—including firearms by Colt, Richard Gatling and John Browning; Weed sewing machines; Royal and Underwood typewriters; Columbia bicycles; and even Pope automobiles.”

The Lemelson Center is located at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, Constitution Avenue between 12th and 14th Street NW, in Washington, DC. The Lemelson Hall of Invention and Innovation is located on the Museum's first floor in its Innovation Wing. In the exhibit, which debuted  last summer, Hartford is featured with Silicon Valley and just four other locations: Hollywood, home of Technicolor; the Medical Alley of Minnesota, where cardiac innovations of the 1950s flourished; the Bronx, N.Y., birthplace of hip-hop in the 1970s; and the current, clean-energy innovations of Ft. Collins, Colo.

Among the featured innovations on display is the bicycle, manufactured for the first time in the United States in Hartford.  As the Smithsonian historian explains, “sensing a commercial opportunity, Albert Pope began importing bicycles from England and hatched a plan to produce them domestically in 1877. Within a year, Pope rode the train from Boston to Hartford, then, ‘to the amazement of the city’s onlookers, rode his high-wheeler from the station down Capitol Avenue to the Weed Sewing Machine Company.’”

The history continues: “Pope approached factory superintendent George Fairfield with a proposal: would Weed agree to build a test run of 50 bicycles under contract? When Fairfield agreed, Pope (via the Weed Sewing Machine Company) became the first domestic manufacturer of bicycles in the United States. By 1895, Pope’s expanded Hartford operations included five factories set on 17 acres, employing 4,000 workers, making him Hartford’s largest employer.” Pope manufactured bicycles, motorcycles, and automobiles.

That chapter in Hartford history has recently captured the imagination of a well-known Hartford artist, whose cut-paper recreations of that chapter of the city’s transportation and recreation breakthrough is now available for display, having just completed an exhibition at the Connecticut State Capitol.

Jeanne Manzelli, a resident of Windsor, has a BFA in Sculpture from the Massachusetts College of Art and her MED in Art Education from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Her experience includes a 20 year career in design, manufacture, appraisal and sale of jewelry, two decades as mural artist working closely with interior designers as an industry professional, and 14 years teaching basic and advanced drawing, sculpture and 3D design as well as color theory at Tunxis Community College.

Her latest endeavor is a departure, and a salute to an innovation from a century and a half ago. The intricate designs, accompanied by information panels highlighting the history, are now available to be displayed at public facilities, such as schools, libraries, and community centers.  Manzelli looks forward to sharing her work (and is seeking a sponsor to underwrite the exhibit), as well as stimulating a conversation about innovation in Hartford, then and now.

PERSPECTIVE: CT Independent Colleges Among National Leaders in Student Completion; Working to Reduce Disparities

by Jennifer Widness Recent news coverage labeling Connecticut’s private, non-profit institutions of higher education as “drop-out factories” is a flawed conclusion based on incomplete data and requires additional scrutiny.  While more always can and should be done to improve the outcomes for low-income students in our higher education system, Connecticut’s private, non-profit colleges have made this issue a priority and in fact are among the nation’s leaders in completion rates for all students.

First, let’s address the limitations of the data used in the report.  To conduct their analysis, the authors from the Washington, D.C. think tank, the Third Way, used data compiled for the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.  As the authors noted in their study, but the reporter failed to mention, this data set only includes full time, first time students that have received a federal loan.  This accounts for less than 40% of the undergraduate students enrolled at these institutions.  There is no accounting for students that transfer, in or out, or a student that has taken a semester off and returned.  Given the evolution of how people access higher education, this is a significant omission.

Graduation rates are complicated and hard to calculate given limited access to good data but the National Student Clearinghouse is the most complete data set available as it does have the capacity to track transfer students.  As illustrated in Figure 1 below, it recently calculated the 6-year completion rate for students that began at a four-year private, non-profit institution in Connecticut at 84.72%.   This is the second highest completion rate in the country and ten points above the national average for the sector (20 points above the national average for the 4-year publics).  Connecticut’s private, non-profit institutions are some of the most productive in the nation.

Further, the authors misappropriated the term “dropout factories” by applying it to institutions with graduation rate of 75% or less.   This is a threshold used for K-12 schools by the U.S. Department of Education.   If all higher education institutions with a graduation rate of less than 75% using data compiled by the College Scorecard were considered “dropout factories” nearly all institutions in Connecticut, public and private, would fall into that category.  See for yourself here.

Nuances with the data and terminology used in this particular report aside, average completion rates in all sectors of higher education across do need to be improved.   While Connecticut’s higher education institutions have some of the highest completion rates in the country, our state faces one of the largest post-secondary degree attainment gaps between whites and minorities.  The authors of the Third Way are right to point out that high-risk populations need greater access to higher education.   We agree.

This has been a priority, and always will be, for Connecticut’s independent colleges.

CCIC’s member institutions have redoubled efforts to focus on this challenge by providing more resources to student support services, increasing financial aid to unsustainable levels and creating innovative programs that support a diverse student body to enroll, persist and complete college.

The state, on the other hand, also needs to play a greater role in this area. Why?  Connecticut’s Strategic Plan for Higher Education lays it out perfectly.  In essence, our economy will increasingly require a talented, well-educated workforce to thrive and the only way to guarantee this talent pool exists is to ensure our state residents have access to and complete a post-secondary education.  While severe budgetary constraints exists given shrinking revenues, we cannot afford not to do a better job in coordinating this work across all sectors of higher education and the workforce.

Connecticut is fortunate to have some of the best, most productive and diverse public and private higher education institutions in the country.  Labeling them inappropriately is untrue – and even worse unproductive.  These institutions are some of our state’s greatest assets.  If we want to see Connecticut grow and thrive again we have to capitalize on our strengths and put these institutions to work.

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Jennifer Widness is President of the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges. 

PERSPECTIVE commentaries by contributing writers appear each Sunday on Connecticut by the Numbers.

Also of interest… Do Community College Students Go Begging?

Former UConn QB Cochran Says Football Puts Players in Harm’s Way, Urges End to "Cycle of Silence"

Former UConn quarterback Casey Cochran, who retired from the sport at age 20 after suffering his 13^th concussion, said this week that “There are problems with the game that need to be addressed. As it is played right now, tackle football — with its pads and helmets — puts players in harm’s way, all of the time, regardless of age and ability.” Cochran, writing a first-person story about his experiences with football and concussions in The Players’ Tribune, an online site founded by Derek Jeter, issued an alert to others who’ve journeyed through the sport, or continue to compete:

“I want to say to all former, current and future athletes who have or will suffer a concussion: Do not hide it. Tell your coaches, medical staff, parents, friends and teammates. Get treatment. The cycle of silence hurts more and more people each year.”

Cochran, from Monroe, explained that in the 18 months since his decision, after suffering a concussion on the last play of the first game of UConn’s 2014 season, against Brigham Young University, “I still feel the lingering effects from my many concussions. Life is a balancing act now. Some days it’s hard to wake up before noon. Sometimes I don’t want to leave my bed at all. In high school, I had a 3.9 GPA. Now I have trouble focusing and performing well in my graduate-school classes.”

He warned that “Those who play football, particularly those who begin in their youth, are given a glamorized version of the sport – one where camaraderie, discipline, toughness and leadership are highlighted and the wretchedness is ignored and swept under the rug. As a result, we fall in love with and value the good and push aside the bad.”

Cochran recalled that “I probably should have stopped playing football in eighth grade after my third concussion, but I was afraid to speak up. Afraid of disappointing people who had invested in my career. Afraid of who was I was without football. I wish I hadn’t hid the three concussions I had in one week during my junior year of high school, but I was afraid that college recruiters would find out.”

Even with increasing awareness of the risks of concussions, Cochran said the near and long-term effects haven’t led to enough changes.  “The only word I know to describe the first few moments after a concussion is limbo — there are a few moments between the world that you were just a part of and your new brain-injured reality,” Cochran explained.  “My head was seized with tremendous pressure, and that same awful, familiar depression from previous head injuries came over me — like a dark, heavy blanket, swallowing me up.”

With it all, he retains optimism: “There is life outside of the white lines. A lot of life. Stepping away from football was one of the scariest things I’ve ever had to do. I felt lost for a long time. For a little over a year, I felt like I was somewhere, deep in the ocean, being pulled by the currents. But what pulled me back from the depths was hope. Hope that things would get better.”

He now finds purpose in being an advocate for player safety, speaking to audiences, doing interviews and writing a book about his experiences.  To those going through what he did, during his 14 years of playing football, he says “If you feel alone, you aren’t. Chances are, there are a lot of people out there who have some idea of what you’re going through. Just keep looking. Reach out.”

Added Cochran: “Sometimes it’s nice to admit that things aren’t O.K.: ‘Hello, my name is Casey, and I have anxiety and depression.’ It may be permanent. It may be just the beginning. I don’t know what the future has in store for me and it will be some time before the medical field can paint a clearer picture for me. I may have CTE right now. I might have dementia at 50. My entire future is uncertain.”

Best Bargain for Retirees? Waterbury Ranks 10th in the USA

Headed towards retirement?  Keep Waterbury in mind.  A new ranking of the best bargains for retirees has the Brass City holding down the final slot on the top ten list.  The list, developed by the website GO Banking Rates and running on the CBS Moneywatch website, ranks Waterbury as the 10^th best town in the country for retirees. The site said of Waterbury: “Waterbury is in New Haven County on the Naugatuck River, close to Hartford and New York City. Waterbury has a colonial history with historic houses, and the downtown is clean and has many trees. You will find art and cultural events, and great health care facilities.”

A 2015 report by the Government Accountability Office found that about half of households led by people ages 55 and older have no retirement savings at all. Among households with retirement savings, the median amount of those savings is just $104,000 for households ages 55-64, and $148,000 for households ages 65-74. Such modest savings make it difficult to keep up with expenses during retirement. Americans 65 years of age or older average nearly $44,686 in annual expenses, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

And Waterbury, apparently, can make those dollars go further.  The GOBankingRates website ranking considered several local factors, including:

• Housing — rental prices for a one-bedroom apartment, rounded to nearest dollar.
• Percentage of retirees — in the local population as of April 1, 2010.
• Walkability — scores ranging from 25 for Montgomery, Ala., to 65 for Allentown, Pa.
• Safety factors — scores ranging from 6 for Rochester, N.Y., and Louisville, Ky., to 30 for Boise, Idaho.

Each city was given a weighting for each of the criterion and was ranked based on the overall score.  The top 20:

1. Boise, Idaho
2. El Paso, Texas
3. Allentown, PA
4. Grand Rapids, MI
5. Champaign, IL
6. Charlottesville, VA
7. Lincoln, NE
8. Bloomington, IN
9. Cedar Rapids, IA
10. Waterbury, CT
11. Colorado Springs, CO
12. Missoula, MT
13. Rochester, NY
14. Greensboro, NC
15. Fort Worth, TX
16. Billings, MT
17. Phoenix, AZ
18. Lexington, KY
19. Omaha, NB
20. Columbus, OH

The City of Waterbury’s website highlights “the sense of neighborhood identity and pride is so important that Waterbury has some of the most active neighborhood associations in the state.”  The site explains that “their efforts focus on protecting the small-town character and livability of their communities as they plan neighborhood block parties, concerts and beautification projects.  And with over twenty distinct and diverse neighborhoods-- many with their own commercial center, park, school, and sports associations-- there is truly a place for everyone in Waterbury.  These well-preserved and diverse neighborhoods are often recognized as one of the city's greatest assets.”

The original settlement of Waterbury – the 9^th largest city in New England - dates back to 1674 and the city's name is reference to its proximity to the Naugatuck River and its many tributaries which flow through the heart of the city.

https://youtu.be/4MZDO2vFPjA