"Great Give 2012" Aims to Boost New Haven Area Nonprofits

More than 200 organizations that feed the hungry, teach children, protect the environment, shelter animals, build community, promote healthy living, enrich our culture, support the aging in the Greater New Haven area are participating in The Great Give 2012.  Coordinated by the Community Foundation of Greater New Haven, it is a 36-period on October 16 and 17 when individuals interested in contributing to a range of charitable organizations can do so through a special website, and at the same time provide the organization they support with an opportunity to win additional contributions as part of the effort. Over the last two years, this event raised more than $800,000 for area non-profits. The organizers stress that “There are so many giving challenges competing for your attention in this great big world. What’s different about The Great Give 2012? Your donation stays right here, strengthening your local community.”  They emphasize that every dollar donated between 8:00 am October 16 and 8:00 pm October 17 will support a non-profit whose work impacts Greater New Haven and the Valley.

A special website has been set up, and individuals need only look up the non-profit that they wish to support, and “join others in making a secure gift online.” The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, with help from the Valley Community Foundation, is providing up to $170,000 in grant prizes to nonprofit organizations that receive the highest amount of contributions, with the Grand Prize organization receiving a grant of $20,000.

Surveys Say: Hartford Great for Working Moms, Retirement Readiness, Sweatpants & Manufacturing Jobs

If you sometimes wonder how the Hartford region stacks up against metropolitan regions around the country, the answers have been pouring in lately.  A variety of surveys – ranking retirement readiness, comfy apparel, manufacturing jobs and best places for working moms – have landed metro Hartford among the leaders. Forbes Magazine looked at the top 50 metropolitan areas in America to come up with their list of the best places for working mothers.  Columbus, Ohio, placed first followed by New Orleans, with Hartford at number three.  Providence, R.I. - the only other New England city in the top 20 - was at number five.  Criteria included average salaries, average commute time, education spending, violent crime rate and the cost of  daycare.  The region included Hartford, Tolland and Middlesex counties.

What could be more comfortable than sweats?  Experian Simmons asked survey respondents if they bought any sweats in the last 12 months, as well as the number of individual items they purchased, and for the second year in a row, the nation’s top per capita consumer of sweats is Philadelphia, PA.  Number two?  That would be Hartford, followed by Pittsburgh.  Boston is number six, just one slot ahead of New York City.

On Forbes magazine’s list of “Best Cities for Manufacturing Jobs,” Hartford landed in the top ten, at number eight, between Kansas City and Sacremento.  Topping that list was Houston.

The number of Americans who report making financial preparations for retirement dropped to 70% in 2012, the lowest level in three years, according to Ameriprise Financial's 2012 City Pulse Index. While 63% of respondents report having set money aside for retirement, only 37% feel “on track” for retirement.  The study, which examined consumer retirement planning in the 30 largest U.S. metropolitan areas, found that the country's most prepared and retirement-confident residents reside in Hartford-New Haven.  Following were San Diego and Minneapolis-St. Paul. The least prepared people, according to the survey, live in Indianapolis, Charlotte and Washington, D.C.

Taken together, that would suggest that for a working mom seeking employment in a manufacturing job, who enjoys wearing sweats in her off hours while planning for retirement, Greater Hartford is the place to be.

State’s 14 Regional Planning Organizations to See Demographic Changes Ahead

Most people are familiar with the leading numbers that characterize Connecticut… 169 towns, 8 counties, 5 Congressional Districts, and so on.  Fewer people – especially in the Land of Steady Habits – are aware of the 14 Regional Planning Organizations that divvy up the state’s geography. The Office of Policy and Management (OPM) is responsible for the designation and re-designation of planning regions within the state. Through local ordinance, the municipalities within each of these planning regions have voluntarily created one of the three types of Regional Planning Organization allowed under Connecticut statute –

• a Regional Council of Elected Officials,
• a Regional Council of Governments,
• or a Regional Planning Agency.

The mission of the organizations is to carry out a variety of regional planning and other activities on their behalf.  Under state law, each RPO is entitled to a grant-in-aid to support its various planning activities.

The University of Connecticut’s State Data Center has developed population projections for each of the RPO’s through 2030, including a range of demographic breakdowns.  In the Capitol Region, for example, the breakdown by race, between 2000 and 2030, is projected as follows:  white, from 513,283 down to 380,545; Hispanic, from 71,149 more than doubling to 150,321; African-American, increasing from 86,739 to 130,835; and “other” increasing 25,231 to 66,135 – all of which reveals a very different racial and ethnic make-up of the region anticipated in the coming decades.

OPM provides a map showing these regions and a list of municipalities within each region, including town populations based on the 2010 census.

Regional Planning Organizations

1. Capitol Region Council of Governments Website: http://www.crcog.org Executive Director: Lyle Wray
2. Central Connecticut Regional Planning Agency Website: www.ccrpa.org Executive Director: Carl J. Stephani
3. Council of Governments of the Central Naugatuck Valley Website: www.cogcnv.org Executive Director: Peter Dorpalen
4. Greater Bridgeport Regional Council Website: www.gbrpa.org Acting Executive Director: Brian Bidolli
5.  Housatonic Valley Council of Elected Officials Website: http://www.hvceo.org Executive Director: Jonathan Chew
6. Litchfield Hills Council of Elected Officials Planning Director: Richard Lynn
7. Lower Connecticut River Valley Regional Planning Agency Website: http://www.midstaterpa.org Executive Director: Geoffrey L. Colegrove
8. Northeastern Connecticut Council of Governments Executive Director: John Filchak
9. Northwestern Connecticut Council of Governments Executive Director: Dan McGuinness
10. South Central Regional Council of Governments Website: www.scrcog.org Executive Director: Carl Amento
11. Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments Website: www.seccog.org Executive Director: James S. Butler
12.  South Western Regional Planning Agency Website: www.swrpa.org Executive Director: Dr. Floyd Lapp, FAICP
13. Valley Council of Governments Website: www.valleycog.org Executive Director: Richard T. Dunne
14. Windham Region Council of Governments Website: http://www.wincog.org Executive Director: Mark N. Paquette

Holistic Chamber of Commerce to Launch in Connecticut

The Connecticut chapter of the Holistic Chamber of Commerce (HCC) will have its first meeting later this month, one of three new chapters around the country that are being launched.  (The others are in Houston and Washington State.)  The HCC – which began in California - is a growing national network of holistic professionals and businesses, and the organizations that encourage and promote a holistic lifestyle. The Connecticut chapter - led by local business owners - will kick-off at an inaugural meeting on Tuesday, October 23 at 6 PM at Sacred Rivers Yoga, 2934 Main Street in Glastonbury.  The newly forming Connecticut chapter becomes part of a member-based organization representing and promoting holistic and eco-friendly products, services and solutions for health, lifestyle and business, and supporting the professionals and practitioners who make holistic/eco-friendly choices available.

The organization promotes community outreach and social awareness of holistic and eco-friendly alternatives. Members also take part in networking opportunities, educational forums and learn business development skills designed to enhance business, life and community.  Individuals or business owners interested in learning more may contact Chapter President Kimberly Gedney at 860-965-1559 or CT@HolisticChamberOfCommerce.com.

AARP Forums, Survey Focus on Need for Social Security, Medicare Funding

The Connecticut chapter of AARP will hold public forums in the 4^th and 5^th Congressional Districts in the coming weeks, just prior to Election Day, highlighting the decisions that will need to be made next year by the newly elected administration and Congress regarding future of Medicare and Social Security.   The forums – which will detail the issues involved to assist people to decade amongst candidates  - will take place on October 29 in Waterbury and November 2 in Bridgeport. As a backdrop to the forums, AARP commissioned the development of a website focusing on the future of Medicare and Social Security, earlier this year.  More than 10,000 Connecticut visitors to the site have responded to AARP’s questionnaire to date.

Interestingly, 86 percent said they believe that Medicare and Social Security will need some combination of more funding or benefit changes. The majority of respondents (58 percent) think Social Security is okay as is or needs only minor changes, while 54 percent feel the same about Medicare. Only 18 percent of respondents believe Social Security is in immediate crisis and only 14 percent believe Medicare is in immediate crisis.

New Book on Grasso Recalls Tough, Popular, Groundbreaking Leader

When Ella Tambussi Grasso ran for governor of Connecticut in 1974, she had not lost an election since she was first voted into the state's General Assembly in 1952. The people of Connecticut chose her as the nation's first woman to be elected governor in her own right--the capstone of a long and successful career dedicated to public service, effective government, and the democratic process. That is the theme for a new book written by Jon Purmont, emeritus professor of history at Southern Connecticut State University, and a former Grasso administration staffer.  Purmont will be John Dankosky’s guest on WNPR’s Where We Live, discussing the late Governor.

Grasso, of Windsor Locks, played key roles in Connecticut Democratic politics during the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s. Those decades saw emerging consumer protection laws, greater government transparency, the Vietnam War, and the rise of feminism. During her tenure as governor, Grasso's leadership was tested in the face of fiscal problems, state layoffs, and budget shortfalls. The daughter of Italian immigrants, she endeared herself to her constituents during the great Blizzard of 1978, when she stayed at the State Armory around the clock to direct emergency operations and make frequent television appearances.  Before being elected Governor, she served as a member of Congress and Connecticut's Secretary of the State.

Purmont worked for Grasso for 22 months, from the beginning of her second term through her resignation in 1980, to her death in 1981.  More than 30 years later, the New Haven Register reports he has written what may be the first piece of scholarly work on the state’s first female governor, using interviews, documents and his own personal recollections.“Ella Grasso: Connecticut’s Pioneering Governor,” to be released later this year, is being published next month by Wesleyan University Press.

Connecticut Had Nation's 4th Lowest Birth Rate, New Federal Data Shows

The number of births in the U.S.  fell for the fourth year in a row in 2011, and Connecticut’s birth rate was among the lowest in the nation.  Nationally, experts said the declining birth rate was a reflection of the weak economy, which has dampened enthusiasm for having children.  The decline in 2011 was one percent – following a two to three percent drop in other recent years. Falling births is a relatively new phenomenon in the U.S. Births had been on the rise since the late 1990s and hit an all-time high of more than 4.3 million in 2007.  But fewer than 4 million births were counted last year - the lowest number since 1998.  And Connecticut's birth rate was tied for the fourth lowest in the U.S.

The breakdown by race/ethnicity in Connecticut:  37,280 births, including 21,541 white, 8,388 Hispanic, 4,777 black, and 2, 289 Asian or Pacific Islander, according to the National Vital Statistics Report developed for the federal Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That’s a birth rate of 10.4 per 1,000 total population, the report indicated.  Only Maine (9.6), Vermont (9.7) and New Hampshire (9.7) had lower rates; Rhode Island also had a birth rate of 10.4.  The highest birth rates in the nation were in Utah (18.2), Alaska (15.8), the District of Columbia (15.1) and Texas (14.7).   The overall U.S. average was 12.7 births per 1,000 population.

The report, released on October 3,  is a first comprehensive look at 2011 birth certificate data compiled from state health departments.

Historic Bulkeley Bridge Turns 104; Oldest River Crossing in Hartford

The Bulkeley Bridge, carrying I-84, US 6 and US 44 across the Connecticut River, connects Hartford and East Hartford.  It's the oldest river crossing in the Hartford area, and will celebrate it's birthday this weekend. The bridge opened on Oct. 6, 1908, and was preceded by an older bridge that burned down in 1895. Each day over 140,000 drivers pass directly over one of New England’s most important architectural treasures. The bridge is currently listed on the United States National Register of Historic places as a heritage site.

Construction began in 1903, and the bridge was named after a former Mayor of Hartford and Senator at the time of its construction Morgan G. Bulkeley. The bridge was proposed to replace a two-lane covered toll bridge that opened in 1818. The 974-foot span carried horse traffic, and in 1890 trolley lines were added, connecting Hartford to East Hartford and Glastonbury.

On May 17, 1895, the bridge was destroyed in a raging fire. The legislature looked for a way to replace the old wooden bridge with a more permanent and iconic bridge that would hold up to the elements, honor Connecticut’s heritage, and perhaps most importantly keep Connecticut hiring in-state.

The costs of construction are estimated at roughly $3 million for the State of Connecticut which - adjusted for inflation - has been considered to be the most expensive bridge project  in Connecticut history.

Report: CT Lacks 'Top Performing' Hospital

Connecticut is the only New England state - and one of just three nationally - to have no hospitals designated as "Top Performers" by The Joint Commission. The organization issues an annual report gauging the performance of more than 3,300 accredited hospitals on 45 accountability measures linked to positive patient outcomes. The Connecticut Health I-Team reports that the commission evaluated 620 hospitals in 47 states that it says are "leading the way nationally in using evidence-based care processes closely linked to positive patient outcomes." The Joint Commission report notes that many hospitals not recognized as top performers "are still performing well on accountability measures, but there is room for improvement."

Every state has at least one hospital on the list except Connecticut, North Dakota and South Dakota.  Ten hospitals in Massachusetts, four in Maine, four in New Hampshire, three in Vermont and one in Rhode Island were designated as top performers. The top-performer designation is based on performance related to accountability measures for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, surgical care, children's asthma care, inpatient psychiatric services, venous thromboembolism (VTE) care, and stroke care.

Of the 620 hospitals recognized as 'Top Performers on Key Quality Measures," 26 percent are rural hospitals, 45 percent are nonprofit hospitals, and 49 percent have between 100 and 300 beds.  Major teaching hospitals account for 5 percent of the recipients.  The number of hospitals recognized by the Joint Commission increased more than 50 percent from the list's debut last year, when one Connecticut hospital - Griffin, in Derby - was included.   The full list of Top Performers on Key Quality Measures is available at www.jointcommission.org.

"Pink Party" Launches Focus on Breast Cancer Awareness

The stark statistics underscore the importance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in Connecticut, which kicks off with a “Pink Party” in the thriving Blue Back Square in West Hartford on Thursday, October 4 from 5:30 to 7:30.  The festivities – including food, music, dancing and fashion - have a serious backdrop encouraging financial support for education, prevention and treatment:

• About 3,140 Connecticut women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.
• About 20% of breast cancers nationwide occur among women younger than age 50.
• Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among U.S. women.
• One in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer curing their lifetime.
• Most women with breast cancer do not have a family history of the disease.

Numerous hospitals, radiology facilities and clinics - as well as some retail outlets - throughout Connecticut have special programs throughout the month, aimed at ensuring that women take preventative steps such as screenings and mammograms.  The Pink Party supports  Komen Connecticut, which provides about $1 million in grants annually to support the work of health care organizations statewide.  The American Cancer Society is sponsoring additional awareness events, many with the support of local media and businesses.