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Freddie FIXER parade 2014 

Girl Boxer from The New York Times - Video on Vimeo.

Jesselyn Silva is only 10 years old, but she's already in the ring. By Emily Sheskin. Read the story here: nyti.ms/2pWRBQ7

Days of rain are causing floods in several southeastern states including South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee. Cars and other vehicles got stuck trying to navigate Charleston, South Carolina's flooded streets

At the London premiere of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2," Zoe Saldana reveals why she's glad that a new "Avatar" is finally on the horizon.

Each year, about 65,000 undocumented students graduate from U.S. high schools, and most are protected from deportation under an Obama administration policy called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. But many DACA students are on edge, unsure about what the future holds for them or their families. Special correspondent Kavitha Cardoza of Education Week reports

NEW HAVEN ELM CITY INNOVATION COLLABORATIVE SELECTED AS INNOVATION PLACES FINALIST

New Haven, CT– April 25, 2017 – The Elm City Innovation Collaborative today announced its selection as a finalist in CTNext’s Innovation Places program. Along with six other applicants, Elm City Innovation Collaborative will vie for a federal Implementation Grant that will help establish New Haven as an Innovation Place.

“Today is a significant step forward in my administration’s ongoing effort to transform New Haven into a center of innovation and business growth,” said Mayor Toni N. Harp. “We’re delighted to know our application was received so favorably, and we’re honored to be a finalist in the process. We thank the CTNext Board of Directors and the city’s legislative delegation – led by Senator Martin Looney – for creating the program and look forward to sharing more details of our vision as we move forward in the process.”

Innovation Places is a CTNext-run program created to help the state’s communities become centers for entrepreneurism and innovation, magnets for talent, and launching points for growth-stage companies. The program will ultimately distribute $30 million over a period of five years to the winning cities and communities to support implementation of their strategic plans.

“With so many worthwhile applications, we congratulate New Haven on being named an Innovation Places finalist and we look forward to learning more about their vision, team and approach in the coming weeks,” said Glendowlyn Thames, executive director of CTNext.

A public presentation on the Elm City Innovation Collaborative and site visit will be held on Monday, May 1, 2017 at noon at 195 Church Street, New Haven. Grant winners will be announced in June.

About CTNext

CTNext is Connecticut’s go-to resource for entrepreneurial support. The goal of the program is to build a more robust community of entrepreneurs and to accelerate startup growth by providing access to talent, space, industry expertise, services, skill development and capital to foster innovation and create jobs for people in Connecticut. CTNext launched in 2012 and has more than 1,700 members in its network. Visit www.ctnext.com

MAYOR HARP TO PROMOTE NEW BUSINESS, AMISTAD HOMECOMING, AND YOUTH MENTORING AT SEPARATE EVENTS TUESDAY

New Haven – Mayor Toni N. Harp is scheduled to welcome a new business to Dixwell Avenue, celebrate the homecoming of the schooner Amistad, and promote mentoring at a series of public appearances tomorrow.

At 11:30 a.m. Mayor Harp will be joined by Interim Chief of Police Anthony Campbell at the grand opening of the Community Health Pharmacy at 210 Dixwell Avenue. The owners and operators of this new business will have music, food, and other refreshments. A raffle is also planned for which a $500 scholarship, a television, and a Kindle or Fitbit are prizes.

Shortly thereafter, Mayor Harp will preside at homecoming ceremonies for the Freedom Schooner Amistad, a replica of the slave ship hijacked in 1839, at berth at Long Wharf Pier, 389 Long Wharf Drive.

The Amistad is now operated by Discovering Amistad, a new, nonprofit educational organization formed to provide full-year programming on its tall ship, in classrooms, and at historic sites of partner organizations. Tomorrow’s ceremony kicks off the availability fo public tours as follows: immediately following the ceremony on April 25 and then at 4:00 p.m. that day; and at 10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. April 26 through April 30.

Tomorrow evening, Mayor Harp will be joined by Interim Chief of Police Anthony Campbell once again, this time at the Impact Awards ceremony of the Greater New Haven Mentoring Collaborative. This event is scheduled from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at Church on the Rock, at 95 Hamilton Street.

The Greater New Haven Mentoring Collaborative (GNHMC) serves to collectively foster collaboration, offer training on Elements of Effective Practices for mentoring programs and raise mentor awareness

Farmers around the U.S. are worried that the Trump administration crackdown on immigrants will deprive them of the workers they need. American agriculture depends heavily on illegal labor to plant, raise and pick crops.

MAYOR HARP TO WELCOME

FREEDOM SCHOONER AMISTAD HOME TO NEW HAVEN

(New Haven, CT /April 24, 2017) On Tuesday, April 25 at 12:30 p.m., Mayor Toni N. Harp, will join representatives from Discovering Amistad to welcome home the return and tour Connecticut’s flagship, the Freedom Schooner Amistad to Long Wharf Pier, 389 Long Wharf Drive, New Haven.

Tours will be open to the public as follows: Immediately following the ceremony on April 25 and then at 4 pm that day; and at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. April 26 through April 30.

Discovering Amistad is a new, nonprofit educational organization that was formed at the recommendation of the State of Connecticut and which will provide full-year programming on its tall ship, the Amistad, in classrooms and at historic sites of partner organizations. It will enable children and adults in Connecticut and the region to discover the story of the Amistad and its impact on Connecticut and the nation. Importantly, the organization will provide learning opportunities for children and adults to discover the relevance of the Amistad to today’s world.

 About the Amistad. In 1839, Mende captives from Sierra Leone took control of the ship, the Amistad. Unable to navigate back to Africa, the ship was captured and towed into the port of New London Harbor in Connecticut.  The Mende were faced with slavery or execution, and their cause was taken up by many residents throughout Connecticut.  U.S. Circuit and District courts ruled in favor of the Mende. This case was then appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court and in 1841 this court agreed with the lower court decisions and the Mende captives were ordered freed. The role that Connecticut and its citizens played has been told and retold over the years, and in 1999 a new organization was formed and a replica of the Amistad ship was built in Mystic, Connecticut and launched in 2000.  For more information on the ship visitwww.discoveringamistad.org. 

The New Haven Police Department, as part of its Sergeants’ Leadership Training, will conduct a Critical Incident Training exercise beginning at 1:00 p.m. Due to inclement weather, this event has been moved and will be held at the Police Academy, at 200 Wintergreen Avenue.

This evening, the New Haven Fire Department will hold a promotion ceremony beginning at 6:00 at Hillhouse High School. An assistant chief of operations, three deputy chiefs, four battalion chiefs, 12 captains, and 12 lieutenants will be sworn in to their new ranks at Friday’s formal ceremony

On Monday, April 24, 2017 The City of New Haven will celebrate 379 Years of Tradition, Innovation and Idealism with pageantry and artistic expression on full display, including an “I Love New Haven” song by composer / performer Justin Johnson.

This year Mayor Harp will also recognize several “FIRSTS” for this historic city:

• ·         The arrival this summer of New Haven’s semi-professional soccer team, The Elm City Express;

• ·         The launch of three self-guided walking tour books celebrating three of New Haven’s most storied neighborhoods: Lower Dixwell, Wooster Square and Downtown. These informative and lively tours are the result of years of work by the Ethnic Heritage Center founded in 1988 and located on the campus of Southern Connecticut State University preserving and stimulating an interest among cultural and ethnic groups in New Haven by creating unique journeys back in time to view historic properties and “meet” along the way the thought leaders and change agents who shaped the contours of this beautiful city;

• ·         The exciting launch of Espejismo an art installation that invites its audience to reflect on the perspectives of others and share personal thoughts about seeing and being seen. On display from April 24 thru April 30^th @ Yale School of Management, a collaboration between SOM students, Colombian-American artist Yazmany Arboleda and the creative agency limeSHIFT (Brooklyn, NY);

• ·         The upcoming signing of a formal Sister Cities Alliance with Changsha, the provincial Capital of Hunan in China, championed by The Yale-China Association; and

• ·         The dedication of 3 murals depicting historical moments and “memory” of New Haven in City generously made possible by the family of Albert George.

In addition, Mayor Harp will have the distinct pleasure of recognizing five City Spirit Honorees whose passion for New Haven and contributions to the cultural vibrancy of our historic city is celebrated:

• ·         Mary Lou Aleski (International Festival of Arts & Ideas) and Peter Webster (Historic Wooster Square Association, Inc.)
• ·         John Bradley (Liberty Services)
• ·         Sheri Kaplan (Shubert Theater)
• ·         Willie Ruff (Yale School of Music)

Crystal Pepper says seeing her father removed from the Sunday flight was "exacerbated" by the fact it was caught on video and widely distributed

The bodies of four men, all described as having suffered "significant trauma," were discovered in a park in a suburban New York neighborhood that has for years contended with a growing problem of gang violence. (April 13