Geeks, take note.
The Connecticut Science Center and the City of Hartford are partnering to offer grants up to $15,000 for projects related to the applied sciences, technology, or other innovations not connected to education or the arts. The awards can be used for capital projects, materials, or equipment.
There’s a catch: you can’t be wealthy to get this.
The Community Development Block Grant Program authorizes HUD to fund this, so applicants will need to meet their low- and moderate-income requirements.
There are a few other guidelines. Applicants should either own/rent space in Hartford for the business or live here. Businesses with more than five employees are not eligible.
Applications are not due until March 19th, but there are two public information sessions and a technical assistance session before then. The first info session is from 10-11:30 a.m. on February 4th at the Connecticut Science Center. The second info session is offered from 6-7:30 in the evening on February 8th.
The guidelines and application for the grant are available for download.
Eight office cleaners at the Hartford Courant lost their jobs in December.
There is no hope for recourse for many who suffer job loss. This has not been the case in Hartford, where the community has rallied around the janitors whose pay was deemed too costly at the same company that provided $42 million in bonuses for others at the Tribune.
On January 9, 2012, residents spoke out before a City Council meeting, urging officials to take some kind of action on this matter. Last Saturday, the Hartford Organizing Group held a “comfort food feast” to raise funds for the janitors. They raised nearly $1400, which will be presented to the cleaners today at the “Project the Truth” march and rally slated for 4:30 this afternoon. The protest will begin in front of the Old State House and conclude at the corner of State Street and Columbus Boulevard.
At the next meeting of the City Council, there will be discussion of the following resolution:
During the last meeting, there was talk of the City possibly advertising its job openings in local media sources that are not owned by the Tribune.
UPDATE: edited (20 Jan 2012) to show expanded version of the resolution
Although City Council took its first official action of 2012 last week, Monday evening was its first regular (read: not accompanied by ceremony) meeting.
The public comment session showed two prevailing issues on residents’ and stakeholders’ minds: housing and employment. Continue reading 'On Residents’ Minds'»
Following news that the Hartford Courant did not renew a contract with a unionized cleaning company, resulting in several jobs lost just before the holidays, it was announced this week that its parent company, the Tribune, managed to scrape together money to purchase publishing rights to Hartford Magazine.
Since spare change is no longer an issue, will we hear that the Courant will be rehiring those janitors, whose lost jobs saved the Courant $100,000?
“We been there all this time and they kicked us right out the door,” said Eddie Williams, a 20-year employee of Capitol Cleaners who has spent eighteen of those years working inside of the Hartford Courant building.
Williams is one of the janitors whose last day of work will be this Friday, due to the lost contract.
Razmik Hovannis and Anna Hit — also cleaning staff at the Courant and members of SEIU 32BJ — looked grim about their futures. Hovannis has worked ten years in the building and has been employed with Capitol Cleaners for 20 years; Hit has been with them for nine.
Although not ideal, the next move has been to try to secure their jobs at the building by applying for work with Pressroom Cleaners, the new cleaning contractor. Wojciech Pirog, a union delegate and representative for members employed by Capitol Cleaners, says the janitors have applied for work with with the new company, but have so far heard nothing. Continue reading 'Mourning Job Loss'»
The Hartford Organizing Group (they designed the poster/mock newspaper above) is planning this action for December 8th. Unionized cleaning staff at the Courant are expected to lose their jobs on December 12th.
If the police issue several traffic advisories letting the public know that they will likely be unable to use a street during part of the day, and then they barricade that street so that no vehicular traffic can use it, can activists who — after the road has been made impassable already — are physically blocking an entrance ramp on that block be arrested for impeding traffic?
Yes.
A dozen people, including some with SEIU, CCAG, and the machinists’ union, were peacefully arrested after blocking the Broad Street on-ramp to I-84 East. Peter Goselin, with the National Lawyers Guild, said that the arrests were carried out smoothly.
Continue reading 'Ramping Up Demonstrations'»
Activism, Asylum Hill, Economics, Frog Hollow, Hartford, architecture/design, audio, health care, photos, transportation, video, work
Occupy Hartford, like many other Connecticut residents right now, is directing its ire at CL&P. Besides a rally they have planned for this coming Saturday, the group has released a play on Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses.
In its entirety:
Disputation on the (Lack of) Power and (Absence of) Efficacy of (Executive) Indulgences Commonly Known as The 99 Theses.
By Occupy Hartford CT.
Out of love and concern for the truth, and with the object of eliciting it, we present the following reasons that CL&P must be held responsible for providing the services they promise and for which we pay them. We request that whoever cannot be present personally to debate the matter orally will do so in absence in writing.
1. Our Governor, Dannel Malloy stood at the podium and called for CL&P to “Repent,” which roughly translates to, “Do the job consumers pay you for”
2. The word “Repent” cannot properly be understood as referring to penance by the consumer in terms of increased rates.
3. Repentance means not only in the Executive’s heart; for such repentance is null unless it produces outward signs in various mortifications of the flesh. We mean increased staffing.
4. As long as hatred of the profit loss abides, the penalty of sin abides, viz., until we enter the kingdom of heaven, or refuse to pay our bills.
5. Jeffrey Butler and Co. have neither the will nor the power to demand any rate increases beyond those imposed by law.
6. Mr. Butler himself cannot remit guilt, but only declare and confirm that it has been remitted by CL&P. Clear case, the guilt remains untouched. Continue reading 'Occupy Hartford: 99 Theses'»
The viaduct — that eyesore that divides neighborhoods and requires repairs or removal — will be one site where local activists gather on Thursday for the “National Day of Action for the 99%” (also being called March and Occupy the Bridge for the Jobless).
Nationwide, people will be marching across bridges and in other public spaces to demand that Congress create jobs. Organizers say that “America’s crumbling infrastructure” needs to be addressed. Of I-84, they say “this interstate needs work and so do we. We could create millions of jobs repairing bridges and roads like I-84 in downtown Hartford, as well as schools and parks — fixing up our country will help us meet America’s education, transportation, and clean energy needs.”
Steve Thornton, who is with SEIU 1199 and will be taking part in Thursday’s action, noted that “public safety is not a priority” when it comes to government spending, “but tax breaks” have been in recent years. This action, he said, is designed to shine a light on “upside down priorities.” Continue reading 'Take it to the Bridge'»
“These make us look like the Village People,” Mayor Segarra commented while he and other officials donned construction helmets before digging with their ceremonial shovels at Friday afternoon’s groundbreaking for the “Capewell Townhomes.”
Future site of the Capewell Townhomes
Although plans had been announced months ago for the development of townhouses on the vacant parcel of land between Wyllys Street and Popieluszco Court, some details have changed. Continue reading 'Groundbreaking Ceremony for Capewell Townhouses'»
Comments (0) 
