AngelRiders Bicycle Across Connecticut to Help Children with Life Threatening Diseases

AngelRiders will pedal from the northwest hills of Connecticut down to the Mystic shoreline — totaling 135 miles over a two day stretch. It is a charity bike ride like no other, according to organizers, with the goal to raise money to support children who are battling life threatening diseases. More than 300 riders from across Connecticut are expected to participate in the 12th Annual AngelRide (#AngelRide #NeverStopClimbing), which will be held over Memorial Day weekend. Adult riders have the option to participate in a one or two day trek, May 23 and 24. There are also shorter rides for teens and children on Sunday.

The charity ride — named for Angela "Angel" Uihlein of Westbrook — began in 2004 with 32 riders raising $67,000. Angela was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 12 and attends the ride each year with her family. She has been in remission since the ride started and is now a registered nurse.

Growing steadily year after year, AngelRide has raised $4.6 million to benefit the Hospital Outreach Program (HOP) run by the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford. HOP brings the hopeful, playful spirit of camp to children and families in a hospital setting. In 2014, HOP covered 39 hospital sites in Connecticut Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, where 28 specialists made nearly 32,000 hospital visits to sick children in need of joy and laughter.

“There is no other bike challenge like this one,” said Lynn McCarthy, AngelRide co-founder of Lyme. “We have been able to grow primarily by word of mouth because of the amazing experience it offers. We pay attention to the details, serve great food along the way and provide an overnight adventure at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.” AngelRide is the only organization that has been granted the privilege to stay overnight at the camp.

Connecticut riders return year after year to the AngelRide — some to ride and some to volunteer for the statewide event.  Westbrook resident Dan Shapiro was the first rider to register in 2004, and he has been participating in the AngelRide every year since. “I couldn’t imagine Memorial Day weekend without AngelRide,” said Shapiro. “The spirit of this ride is off the charts. We are all trying to do something bigger for the kids.”

West Hartford resident Keith Knowles has been involved with AngelRide for the last 10 years, either as a rider, volunteer or web site developer. This year, his 8-year-old daughter Emily will become an AngelRider. “I am going to ride six miles because I had a sister who passed away from cancer when she was only 5 years old. She is my motivation and inspiration for doing this,” said Emily.

Knowles sees the ride as a metaphor for the journey of sick children. “The hills we face are nothing compared to the hills the kids face. I'm not a cyclist. I don't train too much. Pedaling through the climbs one slow churn at a time and reaching the finish line is humbling experience. I know it's not nearly as difficult as battling cancer or some other life threatening disease,” he said.

There are many options for AngelRiders:

• Two-Day Ride: Ride 135.4 miles across Connecticut over the course of two days. The two-day ride begins in Norfolk, and extends 85 miles to the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford. Day two begins at camp and ends 50 miles away in Mystic.
• One-Day Ride: Sunday only, ride 50 miles from the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp to Mystic.
• Young Adult AngelRide: For ages 11-14, this 22-mile ride begins in Hopeville State Park on day two and ends in Mystic.
• Young AngelRide: For ages 7 to 11, this is a 6.5 mile ride in Mystic.

Southington resident Tom Wood looks forward to ride each year and continues to recruit new people to either ride or volunteer. This year will be his eighth year as an AngelRider, which he does in honor of his brother who died of leukemia. “This is a great way to recharge your batteries. We have such an amazing and beautiful state. And it is not flat, so this is really a great challenge to undertake.”

“The renewal of body and spirit is exactly what the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp and HOP brings to a child with a life threatening condition,” said Dr. Brad Jubelirer, Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, UCONN School of Medicine in Farmington.

To find out more or to register for AngelRide, visit www.angelride.org . Registration remains open and encouraged; volunteers and donations are also welcome.

https://youtu.be/-r95hwj8DIw

The Comfort of Opinion Without the Discomfort of Thought

by John F. Kennedy …The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie—deliberate, contrived, and dishonest—but the myth—persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic. Too often we hold fast to the cliches of our forebears. We subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations. We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.

Mythology distracts us everywhere—in government as in business, in politics as in economics, in foreign affairs as in domestic affairs… In recent months many have come to feel, as I do, that the dialog between the parties—between business and government, between the government and the public—is clogged by illusion and platitude and fails to reflect the true realities of contemporary American society…

There are three great areas of our domestic affairs in which, today, there is a danger that illusion may prevent effective action. They are, first, the question of the size and the shape of government's responsibilities; second, the question of public fiscal policy; and third, the matter of confidence, business confidence or public confidence, or simply confidence in America. I want to talk about all three, and I want to talk about them carefully and dispassionately—and I emphasize that I am concerned here not with political debate but with finding ways to separate false problems from real ones.

If a contest in angry argument were forced upon it, no administration could shrink from response, and history does not suggest that American Presidents are totally without resources in an engagement forced upon them because of hostility in one sector of society. But in the wider national interest, we need not partisan wrangling but common concentration on common problems. I come here to this distinguished university to ask you to join in this great task.

Let us take first the question of the size and shape of government. The myth here is that government is big, and bad—and steadily getting bigger and worse. Obviously this myth has some excuse for existence. It is true that in recent history each new administration has spent much more money than its predecessor. Thus President Roosevelt outspent President Hoover, and with allowances for the special case of the Second World War, President Truman outspent President Roosevelt. Just to prove that this was not a partisan matter, President Eisenhower then outspent President Truman by the handsome figure of $182 billion. It is even possible, some think, that this trend may continue…

The truth about big government is the truth about any other great activity—it is complex. Certainly it is true that size brings dangers—but it is also true that size can bring benefits… Few people realize that in 1961, in support of all university research in science and medicine, three dollars out of every four came from the Federal Government… Generalities in regard to federal expenditures, therefore, can be misleading—each case, science, urban renewal, education, agriculture, natural resources, each case must be determined on its merits if we are to profit from our unrivaled ability to combine the strength of public and private purpose…

Finally, I come to the problem of confidence. Confidence is a matter of myth and also a matter of truth—and this time let me take the truth of the matter first.

It is true—and of high importance—that the prosperity of this country depends on the assurance that all major elements within it will live up to their responsibilities. If business were to neglect its obligations to the public, if labor were blind to all public responsibility, above all, if government were to abandon its obvious—and statutory—duty of watchful concern for our economic health-if any of these things should happen, then confidence might well be weakened and the danger of stagnation would increase. This is the true issue of confidence.

But there is also the false issue—and its simplest form is the assertion that any and all unfavorable turns of the speculative wheel—however temporary and however plainly speculative in character—are the result of, and I quote, "a lack of confidence in the national administration." This I must tell you, while comforting, is not wholly true. Worse, it obscures the reality—which is also simple. The solid ground of mutual confidence is the necessary partnership of government with all of the sectors of our society in the steady quest for economic progress…

The stereotypes I have been discussing distract our attention and divide our effort. These stereotypes do our Nation a disservice, not just because they are exhausted and irrelevant, but above all because they are misleading—because they stand in the way of the solution of hard and complicated facts…the unfortunate fact of the matter is that our rhetoric has not kept pace with the speed of social and economic change. Our political debates, our public discourse—on current domestic and economic issues—too often bear little or no relation to the actual problems the United States faces.

What is at stake in our economic decisions today is not some grand warfare of rival ideologies which will sweep the country with passion but the practical management of a modern economy… we require not some automatic response but hard thought…let us not engage in the wrong argument at the wrong time…while the real problems of our own time grow and multiply, fertilized by our neglect.

You are part of the world and you must participate in these days of our years in the solution of the problems that pour upon us, requiring the most sophisticated and technical judgment; and as we work in consonance to meet the authentic problems of our times, we will generate a vision and an energy which will demonstrate anew to the world the superior vitality and the strength of the free society.

President John F. Kennedy delivered the Commencement Address at Yale University on June 11, 1962, from which this is excerpted.  The text of the full address, and an audio recording, is at http://millercenter.org/president/speeches/speech-3370   

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CT by the Numbers publishes opinion articles of 600 words or less.  Submissions should be emailed to info@ctbythenumbers.info.  Perspectives are published at the discretion of CT by the Numbers. 

National Voting Begins as Three Local Community Programs Try to Win $25,000 Grants

Three Connecticut-based “causes” are among 200 across the nation currently vying for one of 40 grants of $25,000 to be awarded by State Farm, with voting now open to the public via Facebook. Regional Youth Adult Social Action Partnership in Bridgeport, Northwest CT YMCA: Winchester Youth Service Bureau, and Charter Oak Cultural Center in Hartford – BOTS Pots initiative are the three organizations whose programs are in the running for the grants.   Individuals may vote up to 10 times each day from May 14 through June 3.  The Top 40 winners will be announced on June 16.

The State Farm Neighborhood Assist began in 2012, and the annual program has three phases. First, Facebook users submit causes that they think deserve a $25,000 grant. Next, the State Farm® Youth Advisory Board narrows down the submissions to the top 200. Finally, Facebook users vote to select the top 40. Voting opened this week at https://apps.facebook.com/sf_neighbor_assist/  The Facebook site includes a “leaderboard” indicating the top ranked programs based on public voting.

Details of the three Connecticut programs, as featured on the State Farm website:

Charter Oak Cultural Center in Hartford – BOTS Pots initiative

BOTS Pots-- named for Beat of the Street, Charter Oak Cultural Center’s “street” newspaper written by individuals experiencing homelessness and their allies-- places large potted organic vegetable plants throughout the City of Hartford. Individuals who are experiencing homelessness are hired and trained to tend the pots and the vegetables are provided for free to anyone in need, addressing hunger in Hartford. In addition, local artists volunteer to transform the pots into public art.

As far as we know, the program is the only one of its kind in the country, although the model has been sought out by other cities asking how they can bring it into their communities. BOTS Pots brings food, jobs and art to Hartford and provides much-needed work experience and a resume line item for individuals experiencing homelessness. Charter Oak Cultural Center hires, fully trains and compensates members of the homeless community to tend the pots, providing much-needed work experience and a resume line item. Because of the cycle of homelessness, members of this community often have a great deal of difficulty in obtaining job experience, another key job requirement for future work. The compensation they receive for their work tending BOTS Pots, in the form of gift cards, allows them to purchase food, clothing suitable for a job interview and other necessities to help them move to the next level of independence.

Regional Youth Adult Social Action Partnership in Bridgeport

The mission is to keep teens safe and healthy from the dangers of alcohol by empowering them to become positive change agents.  Community need this cause addresses:  Alcohol is the most commonly used drug among teens. Almost half of young people have gone to at least 1 drinking party during the year. Making alcohol less accessible is a prevention strategy that works! It is important that alcohol is kept out of the hands of people who are under 21. In Connecticut, on average youth pick up their first drink before their 12th birthday. Consider that- they take those first sips even before most begin middle school?! If youth pick up a drink before age 15, they are 4 times more likely to have alcohol dependency issues later in life. As teens get older, alcohol puts them at risk of other dangerous situations. By their senior year, 35 percent of high school students say they have been drink at least once in the past 2 weeks.

Northwest CT YMCA: Winchester Youth Service Bureau

The mission is to create future leaders by fostering independence, confidence, and build self-esteem in at-risk youth in our community. In Winchester, there is a need to support secondary school students. At this age, there is a significant rise in the amount of severe disciplinary offenses; this includes reports of substance use, assault, weapon, and inappropriate sexual behavior. The graduation rate is average. However due to the vast low SES population in the area, of the students who graduate, only 78% of students go onto higher education. This is 8.8% below the average and consequently the students are 11.6% more likely to go from high school to the work force. The hope is to create programs to support this age group; currently there are no positive youth programs that can guide them to having a positive adolescent experience. In this program, students will be able to build independence, confidence, and self-esteem through team-building, service projects, and positive social activities. Students will be given the knowledge to help them shape their own futures and foster their personal, academic, and social growth.

Middle School Provides Clues on College Success; Americans Say College Grads Not Ready for Workforce

Summing up a new national Gallup poll, the analysis indicated that “If higher education was the auto industry, it would be forced to recall a quarter of all its graduates.”  But recent research also suggests that there are some early indicators that provide clues to the likelihood of college success – as early as middle school. The latest Gallup survey found that 96 percent of Americans say it is "somewhat" or "very" important for adults in the country to have a degree or certificate beyond high school. But the fourth annual Gallup-Lumina Foundation poll also indicated that only 13 percent of Americans strongly agree college graduates in this country are well-prepared for success in the workplace. That's down from 14 percent two years ago and 19 percent three years ago. The analysis described it as a "no confidence" vote in college graduates' work readiness.

Readiness for college, as any college administrator or faculty member will tell you, impacts college success, and ultimately workforce readiness.  Connecticut is among the states that have taken steps to better align high school and college, and adjust remedial programs to save students time and money, as well as improving their chances to bridge the academic gaps in their preparation prior to college.

Interestingly – or perhaps alarmingly - Americans with college degrees are much less likely to strongly agree college grads are ready for the workforce than Americans without college degrees – 6 percent vs. 18 percent, respectively.  As the Gallup analysts point out, the survey found that “those of us who earned a coveted college degree have even less confidence than the rest of us that college grads are well-prepared for success in the workplace.”

A previous Gallup survey found that 1 in 4 college graduates missed the mark on all six critical emotional support and experiential elements of their student experience. These graduates' outcomes -- on measures such as their workplace engagement and overall well-being -- show they fail to thrive in their careers and lives.

New research by Matt Gaertner and Katie McClarty of Pearson’s Research & Innovation Network recently combined rich student- and school-level data to evaluate whether more information makes for more accurate college-readiness predictions.

The researchers used data from more than 11,000 students in the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS) and 140 middle school variables to create six factors: achievement, behavior, motivation, social engagement, family circumstances and school characteristics. They then used these middle school factors to predict college readiness and college outcomes, the American Association of Community Colleges website reports.

They found some interesting results:

• With respect to college readiness, all six factors were valuable predictors. Academic achievement was the strongest predictor (accounting for 17 percent of the variation in college readiness), but motivation (15 percent) and behavior (14 percent) followed closely. Together, they found, motivation and behavior contribute more to college readiness than achievement on its own.
• With respect to college success, these six middle school factors predict college grades (cumulative GPA) and graduation better than the ACT or the SAT. In fact, using the six factors nearly doubles the ability to predict college graduation, compared with using test scores alone. Most notably, these predictions arrive in eighth grade — three years before the SAT or the ACT.

The results of this study have recently been published in Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice.

Research has long documented the importance of instilling a college-going culture starting in the middle grades, if not earlier, Pearson Research & Innovation Network points out.  According to ACT’s 2008 report, “The Forgotten Middle” the level of achievement that students attain by eighth grade has a larger impact on their college and career readiness than anything that happens academically in high school.

The Connecticut State Board of Education, in a draft report based on an Ad Hoc committee review, indicated that “it became clear that the middle school had a role to play in ensuring success for all students. Recent research of major urban school districts has identified that students who are at risk for completing high school begin to demonstrate these factors at about Grade 6.”

Beginning with the 2012 school year, a state law has required that each Connecticut student have a “Student Success Plan,” which begins in the 6th grade and continues through high school, to provide the student support and assistance in setting goals for social, emotional, physical and academic growth, meeting rigorous high school expectations, and exploring postsecondary education and career interests, according to the State Board of Education website.

Connecticut High Schools Rank #3 in USA

Connecticut has some of the nation’s best high schools according to U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings.  Overall, the caliber of the state’s high schools made Connecticut the number three state in the nation.  The schools were ranked using state assessments in math, science and English language arts. Maryland was ranked at the top of the list, with nearly 30 percent of it’s schools earning gold or silver medals. California came in second with 27 percent, and Connecticut had 25 percent.

Connecticut’s top ranked high school, the Connecticut International Baccalaureate Academy in East Hartford, earned a place in the nation’s top 50 high schools, ranked at #34.

Here are the top 10 high schools in Connecticut, according to the list:

1. Connecticut International Baccalaureate Academy in East Hartford
2. Amistad Academy in New Haven
3. Academy of Aerospace and Engineering in Hartford
4. Conard High School in West Hartford
5. Weston High School in Weston
6. Simsbury High School in Simsbury
7. Staples High School in Westport
8. Darien High School in Darien
9. Wilton High School in Wilton
10. Farmington High School in Farmington

In the 2015 U.S. News Best High Schools rankings, Connecticut has 14 gold medal schools, 35 silver medal schools and nine bronze medal schools. One of the bronze medal winners, Sports & Med Science, is in Hartford.

On the national list, Connecticut’s second ranked high school, the Amistad Academy in New Haven, was ranked #145.  The Academy of Aerospace and Engineering in Hartford was ranked #171 in the nation.  West Hartford’s Conard High School was ranked #203, Weston High School was #264 and Simsbury High School was ranked #300 in the nation.

Just outside the top 10 high schools in the state, Ridgefield High School was #11, Hall High School in West Hartford was #12, Joel Barlow High School in Redding was #13 and Greenwich High School was #14.

To produce the 2015 Best High Schools rankings, U.S. News & World Report teamed with North Carolina-based RTI International, a global nonprofit social science research firm.  The magazine used a  three-step process to determined the Best High Schools. The first two steps was designed to ensure that the schools serve all of their students well, using their performance on the math and reading parts of their state proficiency tests as the benchmarks. For those schools that made it past the first two steps, a third step assessed the degree to which schools prepare students for college-level work, the magazine explained.

CT Among Worst States For Business, Chief Executive Survey Says

Connecticut dropped one slot closer to the bottom of the list in this year’s Best & Worst States for Business, ranked by Chief Executive magazine’s survey of more than 500 CEOs nationwide.  The state was ranked 45^th this year, down from #44 a year ago. Connecticut’s Northeast neighbors were mostly in the same neighborhood on the rankings list, with New York (#49), New Jersey (#47), and Massachusetts (#46) also in the bottom ten, along with Vermont, ranked #41.  In the middle of the pack, Maine was ranked #30 and New Hampshire was #21.

According to Chief Executive, which is published in Greenwich, the results of the 11th annual survey show that CEOs favor states with progressive business development programs, low taxes and a quality living environment.  States are measured across three key categories to achieve their overall ranking: Taxes and regulations, quality of the workforce, and living environment, which includes such considerations as quality of education, cost of living, affordable housing, social amenities and crime rates.

The top ranked states were Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Nevada and Arizona.  Texas and Florida were also ranked one-two last year.  Texas has topped the list for a decade.  Tennessee and North Carolina traded places from a year ago. 

Among the CEO comments highlighted by the publication:  “A difficult tax structure like the ones in New York or Connecticut makes incentive-giving easy, but penalizes existing businesses. The climate for coming is better than the climate for staying.”

Of a maximum five stars in the CEO ratings, Connecticut received 1.5 for Taxation and Regulations, 3.0 for Workforce Quality and 3.0 for Living Environment.  The data used in determining the states' rankings included state GDP for 2013 vs. 2012, the unemployment rate in December 2014, state debt per capita in 2013, and state-local tax burden.  Key companies in the state highlighted by the website reporting of the survey include General Electric Company, Xerox Company, Aetna Corporation, The Hartford, and Stanley Black & Decker.

Indiana ranked first in the Midwest and sixth nationwide as the best place to do business. It was the only Midwestern state ranked in the top 10.  Among neighboring states, Kentucky ranked 28th, Ohio ranked 22nd, Michigan ranked 43rd and Illinois ranked 49th.  Among the largest moves up the list were Idaho (from #28 to #18), Pennsylvania (from #42 to #35), Iowa (from #19 to #13) and Maine (#36 to #30).

Chief Executive magazine is a bi-monthly publication for top management executives published by the Chief Executive Group LLC., founded in 1977, and headquartered in Greenwich.  According to the publication, state governments use the survey results to help determine how to improve their regulatory environments to attract more businesses, while corporations use the data to decide where to build facilities and attract vibrant workforces.

Last fall, Connecticut economic development officials and leading companies were featured in videos touting the state's efforts to attract and retain businesses.

https://youtu.be/sqNs8aaWpd0

https://youtu.be/CmDCxvRIC3I

Ten CT History Organizations Honored for Innovative, Effective Initiatives

When the Connecticut League of History Organizations (CLHO) hosts its annual conference and awards ceremony in Meriden on June 1, ten local organizations will be honored for their effective work in connecting state residents and history. The theme of the all-day conference is “Making History Collections Relevant in a Modern World.” Sessions will explore the many traditional and non-traditional ways that museums, historical societies, historic houses, and archives make their collections accessible and relevant to their communities.

The conference, which is open to the public,  includes an awards ceremony, as the CLHO presents Awards of Merit to institutions and individuals who demonstrate the highest of professional standards and who enhance and further the understanding of Connecticut history.  Along with opportunities for networking, there will be speakers, panel discussions, and how-to practical presentations.

The awards will be presented to the Wethersfield Historical Society, Weslyan University Press/Connecticut Explored/The Amistad Center, Norfolk Historical Society, Mattatuck Museum (Waterbury), Lyman Allyn Art Museum (New London), Kent Historical Society, Florence Griswold Museum (Old Lyme), Cheshire Historical Society, Bated Breath Theatre Company (Hartford), and Archaeological and Historical Services, Inc. (Storrs). [See details below]

Keynote speaker Rainey Tisdale is an independent curator specializing in city history. Tisdale led the consortium of local museums, libraries, and archives in collecting and interpreting the 2103 Boston Marathon Bombing, with emphasis on programming for the one-year anniversary in April 2014.

Tisdale’s most recent book, Creativity in Museum Practice, helps museum professionals unleash creative potential throughout their institution. She will discuss “The Poetry of Objects,” a wide-ranging meditation on the power of objects to move, inspire, and build community.

The awards ceremony features an award-winning performance by Bated Breath Theater Company, "Freedom In Three Acts." Admission to the conference is $75 per person, with discounts for members, students, and early registration, and covers all events of the day and lunch. Reservations  can be made at www.CLHO.org.

For over 60 years the Connecticut League of History Organizations has strengthened and built connections among those who preserve and share the stories and objects of our past by sharing knowledge and experience, and promoting best practices.

https://youtu.be/LM5xtk23cv0

The CLHO Awards of Merit will be presented to:

Archaeological and Historical Services, Inc. - Storrs, CT

Publication - Highways to History: The Archaeology of Connecticut’s 18^th-Century Lifeways

Highways to History is a publication describing the lives of ordinary residents in 18^th century colonial Connecticut. Based on a combination of historical and archaeological investigations at four buried homesteads, the book opens a new window into how people in Connecticut lived in colonial times. Distributed around the state, and made available online, Highways to History provides an accessible and engaging account of how ordinary colonial Connecticut citizens lived, and demonstrates the strength of combining archaeological and documentary evidence.

Bated Breath Theatre Company (a collaboration with The Amistad Center for Art & Culture) Hartford, CT

Educational Program - Freedom: In 3 Acts

Freedom: In 3 Acts is a collaborative performance between The Amistad Center for Art & Culture and Bated Breath Theatre Company. This innovative program responded to and amplified The Amistad Center’s exhibition, Emancipation! The three act performance incorporates song, movement and narrative to explore the struggle for freedom and justice for African Americans. Since its initial performance, Bated Breath Theatre Company has performed Freedom: In 3 Acts at a variety of venues, using its innovative and engaging approach to bring the original exhibit off the walls and out of the exhibit cases to engage audiences around Connecticut.

Cheshire Historical Society - Cheshire, CT

Educational Program - Cheshire Heritage Tour – An App for Mobile Devices

Looking to bring a traditional walking tour of the center of Cheshire alive, The Cheshire Historical Society developed an app that appeals to people of many ages and interest. Free to download, the app combines humor, seldom-seen images from the Historical Society’s collection, and contemporary photos and maps to guide the user around the center of town. With the help of two characters, Alonzo the Adventurer and Emmy, the Magical History Box, the Cheshire Heritage Tour keeps visitors engaged while learning about the history of the area.

Florence Griswold Museum - Old Lyme, CT

Project - Thistles and Crowns: The Painted Chests of the Connecticut Shore

In 2014 the Florence Griswold Museum presented the exhibition Thistles and Crowns: The Painted Chests of the Connecticut Shore to highlight the distinctive beauty and historical significance of a group of painted chests made in Old Saybrook and Guilford, Connecticut between 1700 and 1740. Bringing together a selection of these chests from six museums for the first time since 1950, the exhibit asked visitors to look at aspects of construction, decoration, use and history. Accompanied by a full-color catalog, Thistles and Crowns highlighted stories about Connecticut’s artistic, cultural, and historical legacies that can be found in unexpected places.

Kent Historical Society - Kent, CT

Project - Iron, Wood, and Water: Essential Elements of the Evolution of Kent

As the site of the second most valuable iron ore deposit in Connecticut, Kent became a desirable place to live for iron works, and the impact of their activities had deep influence on the evolution of Kent into the community it is today. While much scholarly research explores the technicalities of the iron making process and the entrepreneurs who ran the industry, the exhibition, Iron, Wood and Water: Essential Elements of the Evolution of Kent told the story of the common men who toiled daily in the mines, at the furnaces, and deep in the woods. It was these workers who left impressions on the community and played a large role in transforming Kent first from an untamed wilderness to a bustling industrial town, and later to a community of dairy farmers and finally to the home for artists and writers that it is today.

Lyman Allyn Art Museum and Stephen Fan, Guest Curator - New London, CT

Project - SubUrbanisms: Casino Company Town / China Town

In 2014 the Lyman Allyn Art Museum opened Suburbanisms: Casino Company Town/ China Town. Using a variety of approaches the exhibit documented and historicized the development of a suburban Chinatown surrounding the Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut. Built up by a large number of Asian casino patrons and workers – many recent immigrants - this innovative exhibition presented an under-explored topic in Connecticut’s and the nation’s history. In addressing key themes in suburban, housing, labor, and immigrant history, the exhibit used history to bridge cultural divides and to question the future ecological, social, and economic sustainabilites of the ever-changing American suburban ideal.

Mattatuck Museum - Waterbury, CT

Project – The Way We Worked – Connecticut At Work

As one of seven venues selected to host The Way We Worked, a traveling exhibition created by the Smithsonian Institution in 2014, the Mattatuck Museum sought to create a parallel group of exhibitions and a series of programs to bring the story home to Connecticut audiences. Know as Connecticut At Work, the resulting local exhibitions, film series, lectures, and programs engaged broad and diverse audiences and addressed issues of immediate concern. Through providing a local backdrop for the Smithsonian’s exhibition, Connecticut At Work merged the national story with the regional one.

Norfolk Historical Society - Norfolk, CT

Project - From the Mills to the Main Street: The Irish in Norfolk

From the Mills to Main Street: The Irish in Norfolk was an inventive interpretive exhibition mounted by the Norfolk Historical Society in 2014. Using historical documents, artifacts, photographs, and ephemera, many not previously on view, the exhibit explored the contribution and assimilation of the Irish in the town of Norfolk from 1836 to 1920. The well-attended exhibit and related programming that included lectures, gallery talks, and walking tours, brought to life the importance of a significant immigrant group to the economic and cultural landscape of Norfolk.

Wesleyan University Press, Connecticut Explored, The Amistad Center - Middletown, CT

Publication - African American Connecticut Explored

African American Connecticut Explored is the first book published for a public history audience that provides the long arc of the African American experience in Connecticut with an emphasis on the African American perspective. Through more than 50 essays by more than 30 of the state’s leading historians, curators, and writers, the book covers a wide range of topics. Published by Wesleyan University Press, it was developed by Connecticut Explored, The Amistad Center for Art & Culture, and representatives from the State Historic Preservation Office.

Wethersfield Historical Society - Wethersfield, CT

Project - Castle on the Cove: the Connecticut State Prison and Wethersfield

Mounted in 2014, and on view through 2016 the exhibition Castle on the Cove: the Connecticut State Prison and Wethersfield, explores the Connecticut State Prison during its years of operation between 1827 and 1963 in Wethersfield, Connecticut. The prison was an integral component of the town’s identity during these formative years as Wethersfield transitioned from rural town to suburb. Exploring both previously undocumented and often requested materials the exhibit looks at the prison from the perspectives of the inmate, employee, and local resident to present the history of the prison within a broad context and to encourage visitors to consider the impact of the prison on these three groups.

PERSPECTIVE l Partnering Far to Benefit Near

by John Simone Only a couple of weeks after the Connecticut Main Street Center’s (CMSC) workshop last month on Building Lasting DownTOWN/GOWN Partnerships, our friends and colleagues at the Connecticut Economic Development Association,  a not-for-profit membership organization committed to advancing economic development, hosted an event at Middlesex Community College (MXCC) on how community colleges are leveraging resources to meet community workforce needs.

While this topic was touched on at the CMSC workshop, with Enfield’s Assistant Town Planner Courtney Hendricson and Asnuntuck Community College President James Lombella describing how they’re partnering to meet the town’s needs, the CEDAS event delved more deeply into emerging workforce trends in Connecticut, namely the expected growth in media-based jobs and a looming shortage of skilled manufacturing workers.

According to MXCC’s Center for New Media, Connecticut can expect an 11.7 percent job growth in all media categories – arts, sports and media, and entertainment through 2020 (the national average is 4.3 percent). And according to Marjorie Valentin, Associate Dean of Three Rivers Community College, without training there will be a critical skills gap of new and existing manufacturing employees, as an aging skilled workforce leaves the field and a stigma of the profession remains, leaving a shortage of skilled workers that threatens the future of manufacturing in Southeastern Connecticut.

In response, these and several other community colleges are partnering directly with manufacturers like Electric Boat, who offer input into the curriculum to ensure graduating students have the skills necessary to perform. And MXCC recently opened a beautiful, state-of-the-art Center for New Media, complete with high-tech classrooms, a high-definition studio, a video control room, green room, audio production studio, and a radio station.

While it was impressive to see and hear how much our community colleges have to offer today’s students, truly preparing them to succeed in a competitive workforce, what really struck me was our need to think beyond just our downtown borders when building strategic partnerships.

While we should absolutely strive to create fruitful relationships between our main street organizations and local anchor institutions, we also need to keep in mind that as a state, our successes and failures are often shared. So while Windsor may not have a community college within its borders, it may have high school students and a manufacturer who could benefit from a training program offered in Norwich. Meanwhile, a student can benefit from learning medical animation in Middletown, working at a downtown Hartford hospital during the day, before going home to Portland at night.

Offering attractive, inviting downtowns and Main Streets with a variety of housing, businesses and resources accommodates a population that is fluid not just over the course of a lifespan, but often over the course of a day!

By being mindful that a wider, regional or even state-wide partnership can benefit our towns and downtowns at a very local level, we ensure our successes are complementary, not exclusive.

John Simone is President & CEO of Connecticut Main Street Center, which provides solutions that help communities create great downtowns across Connecticut, revitalizing downtowns as the social and economic heart of the community. At the local level, CMSC works with dedicated stakeholders including municipal employees, business owners and volunteers to help them craft an inviting, vibrant downtown.  Learn more at www.ctmainstreet.org

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CT by the Numbers publishes opinion articles of 600 words or less.  Submissions should be emailed to info@ctbythenumbers.info.  Perspectives are published at the discretion of CT by the Numbers. 

National High School Mock Trial Championships to be in Hartford in 2017

The 2017 National High School Mock Trial Championship, promoting an understanding and appreciation of the American judicial system through academic competitions and related programs for high school students, will take place May 11-13, 2017 in Hartford. The national mock trial championship was initiated in 1984 in Des Moines, Iowa, with high school teams from Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin participating. After the success of the inaugural tournament in Iowa, more states became interested in participating and the tournament became an "All-State" Tournament and now attracts competitors from across the country and internationally.

The tournament is hosted annually by different states to ensure that the cost of running the tournament doesn't fall disproportionately on any particular state.

The Carolina Center for Civic Education is making final preparations for the 2015 National Championship, which will be held May 14-16 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Connecticut will be represented by the team from Weston High School, the 2015 High School Mock Trial State Champions.  The winning team was one of three from the school that participated in the statewide competition in March.  The finals were held in the State Supreme Court chamber in Hartford.  The students on the winning “Weston Red” team were Ursula Alwang, Cameron Edgar, Sam Glasberg, Zoe Howard, Alex Ishin, Scarlett Machson, Ben Muller, Jack Seigenthaler, Henry Tracey, and Micah Zirn, the Weston Forum reported.

The Idaho Law Foundation will host the 2016 National Championship in Boise, Idaho. Last year's competition in Madison, Wisconsin included a total of 46 teams, including Guam, South Korea, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, and State Champion teams from across the country.

In Connecticut, the mock trial competition is sponsored by the nonprofit organization Civics First. Throughout its history, thousands of students and their teachers have participated in the program.  In recent years, the program has included over 700 students from more than 50 Connecticut high schools.

The high school mock trial competitions are held each year in the fall. Regional trials are held in early winter in superior courts throughout the state, followed by quarter-finals, and semi-final contests. The state final mock trial competition is held at the Connecticut Supreme Court in Hartford.

For the national competition, each state’s "official team" includes six to eight student team members; one primary teacher coach; one primary attorney coach, and the State Mock Trial Coordinator, for a maximum of 11 members of the "official" team.

In recent years, the competition has been held in Madison, Wisconsin (2014), Indianapolis, Indiana (2013), Albuquerque, New Mexico (2012), Phoenix, Arizona (2011), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2010), and Atlanta, Georgia (2009). The Executive Director of Civic First and state coordinator for the high school mock trials in Connecticut is Beth DeLuco.

Civics First is a private, non-profit association that promotes and conducts law-related education programs and projects in Connecticut's public and private schools, courtrooms and communities. Its goal is the incorporation of citizenship education into the curriculum of all schools, from kindergarten through high school.

Photo: The Weston High School Mock Trial Red Team won the Connecticut state championship . (This photo originally appeared in the Weston Forum.)

Aging Issues in CT Highlighted for White House Conference

When the White House Conference on Aging is held later this year, there will be no shortage of anecdotal stories accompanied by demographic information, comprehensive reports and recommendations, and a treasure-trove of data emanating from Connecticut, with the nation's 7th oldest population.  Officials received a preview this week at a public hearing that included these sit-up-and-take-notice items:

• Connecticut is undergoing a “permanent and historic transformation” in its demographics
• Between 2010 and 2040, Connecticut’s population of people age 65 and older is projected to grow by 57%, with less than 2% growth for people age 20 to 64 during the same period
• Residents born in Connecticut today can expect to live to be 80.8 years old—the third highest life expectancy in the nation.
• In Connecticut’s 65 to 69 year-old age group, 39% are in the labor force, as are 21% of Connecticut residents aged 70–74, and 7% of those 75 years and over. These rates are among the highest in the country

Those were among the facts highlighted by Julia Evans Starr, Executive Director of Connecticut’s Legislative Commission on Aging, which also explained that Connecticut, with the nation’s 7^th oldest population, will see that population grow dramatically in the coming decade.  By 2025, virtually every town in Connecticut will have 20 percent or more of its residents over age 65 – the largest percentage in state history. 

The White House Conference on Aging is held every 10 years, and has served as a key platform for the development of aging policy for the past 50 years.  Organizers are now holding a series of regional public forums around the country.  New England’s session will be in Boston later this month, and the testimony presented at the Connecticut State Capitol, in a forum sponsored by the state Department of Aging and the Legislative Committee on Aging, will be passed on to officials there.

Among those speaking in Hartford were Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman, State Aging Department Commissioner Betsy Ritter, and George Kuchel, Director of UConn’s Center on Aging.  AARP Connecticut Director Nora Duncan and Chris Fishbein of the Area Agencies on Aging also provided presentations.

Wyman, noting that life span is increasing, said "we have quantity of life, we want to make sure there is a quality of life."  In a theme that was repeated by others during the session, Wyman said that "we can change the way people are viewing people who are aging."

Nora Duncan, state director of AARP-CT, said the organization's focus will be on short-term actions that can have a more immediate impact, such as preventing exploitation, fraud and scams and providing information on financial products and improving retirement security.  Rose Biaggi of the state Department of Public Health pointed to the health disparities among the aging population, noting that 60% of older adults with the highest incomes indicate that their health is very good or excellent, while only one-quarter of those with lowest income feel that their health is very good or excellent.

Kuchel, who suggested that the nation may be at a “tipping point” regarding a national policy on aging, said the future focus needs to be:

• Proactive: There must be a focus on prevention and improvements in health and function across the lifespan.
• Predictive: We need tools to predict individual risk, target therapies and monitor success of interventions.
• Personalized: We must address differences at the level of each individual and time point in life as regards personal aging trajectories.
• Gerontology: Health care must always be defined by patient needs first, driven by science and supported by evidence

Common themes that have begun to emerge nationwide as the hearings have progressed, according to officials, include: how to ensure we prepare for financial needs in retirement; how to remain healthy as we age; what types of services and supports can help older Americans remain independent in the community as we age; and how to support this care and the caregivers who provided it; and how to protect older Americans from financial exploitation, abuse and neglect.

The co-chairs of the legislature’s Committee on Aging, Sen. Mae Flexer and Rep. Joe Serra, were to lead the session, with Flexer noting that “Older individuals want to remain in Connecticut and be active, independent members of their community.  How we accomplish this, how we fund it, what services we need to have in place – these are some of the questions we are seeking input on today.”

In testimony provided to the committee, the state’s Permanent Commission on the Status of Women indicated “women, who make up 58% of residents age 65 and over, are disproportionally impacted by economic insecurity as they age and are therefore much more likely to live in poverty than their male counterparts. In fact, 10.7% of women age 65 and over live in poverty compared with 6.2% of men.” PCSW also cited data that found Connecticut women are more likely to work in part-time jobs that don’t qualify for a retirement plan.

The legislative Commission on Aging also pointed out that “the comparatively low rate of older adults in poverty (8 percent) provides evidence that programs like Social Security and Medicare have been extremely effective at reducing poverty among this population and serves as a testament that these programs warrant continued support and modernization.”  Federal officials have noted that this year’s White House Conference on Aging takes place as the nation marks the 50^th anniversary of Medicare, Medicaid and the Older Americans Act, as well as the 80^th anniversary of Social Security.

CT-N coverage of the Connecticut forum on May 5, 2015.