It’s 20 years in the making but Bassick High School will be moving from the West Side to the South Side at 115 Prospect Street. The new location for the school will allow for 1,250 students to attend with the population being a mix between Bassick and Bridgeport Military Academy (BMA) students. Mayor Ganim and state officials bragged about all the union jobs being used to build the $124 million facility but once completed there will be no union employees to run the facility. The mayor has proven not to be friendly to unions as it has been 690 days since the Bridgeport Police had a contract and it took over two years for the Bridgeport Fire Department to get a contract. With the construction of the new high school, Bassick High School students will now have access to a designated athletic field available for use. The new building will house 48 teaching classrooms, including labs for students and faculty to utilize. The school will also introduce new trade programs to the school that will include Advanced Manufacturing and Aeronautical Tech.
Federal funding will help close nursing shortage in Connecticut
[HARTFORD, CT] – Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Jim Himes (D-CT) announced $2,997,368 million in federal funding for The WorkPlace in Bridgeport to train nurses and create equitable opportunities for frontline healthcare professionals. The funding is awarded through the U.S. Department of Labor’s Nursing Expansion Grant Program, designed to create equitable pathways to careers in nursing.
Over the next five years, The WorkPlace will train 200 entry-level nursing professionals through both classroom instruction and on-site experience. Participants can pursue either an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and be eligible to pursue a high-skilled nursing career upon completion of the program.
The universities and healthcare organizations participating in this training program include Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), Griffin Hospital, iCare, Hartford Health, Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA), Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, Goodwin University.
The nursing profession faces significant staffing challenges as the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an average of 203,200 openings for registered nurses each year through 2031. A report shows that Connecticut needs 3,000 new registered nurses a year, but nursing schools in the state are graduating only 1,900 new candidates.
“This milestone grant will help train a new generation of nurses— meeting an urgent need to support health care heroes who feel overworked and overwhelmed. New nurses are especially necessary in communities with health care worker shortages, a result of superhuman burdens and burnout. Nobody does skill training better than The Workplace and we’re proud to have them as a partner. Each of these new nurses will be a force multiplier in the battle for better health outcomes,” said Blumenthal.
“This investment affirms our support for the training and mentorship of future health professionals from underrepresented backgrounds,” said DeLauro. “Through this funding we will be able to expand the nursing workforce pipeline by addressing education, practice, recruitment, and retention, while focusing on the health needs of underserved communities. It will bring greater employment equity in Connecticut and improve healthcare workforce diversity in our state – all while improving health outcomes for residents of our state.”
“It’s hard to imagine a more impactful program than one that connects unemployed individuals with pathways to careers and financial security, especially in a field as essential as nursing,” said Himes. “I’ll continue to work as hard as possible to bring back federal dollars to my district so that exceptional programs like The WorkPlace can achieve their mission of strengthening the workforce and making lives better in Bridgeport and across the state.”
“Healthcare is one of Connecticut’s largest employment sectors, but the combination of an aging workforce, employee turnover, and the COVID-19 pandemic has strained an already fragile system,” said Joseph Carbone, President, and CEO of The WorkPlace. “This funding will enable the upskilling of entry-level healthcare professionals to middle and high-skill positions such as LPNs and RNs. By leveraging our Health Career Academy, we will provide training pathways utilizing a high-quality curriculum resulting in more credentialed workers for the industry.”
The Stratford Library, 2203 Main Street in Stratford, Connecticut will return with its annual book sale Thursday, June 1 through Sunday. June 4, 2023. The sale, which is a major fund-raiser for the library, is being organized this year by the Board of Trustees under Chairman Shelley Hall of Stratford.
Browsers at this year’s sale will find thousands of books, CDs, LPs, DVDs, autographed books and much more in over 50 categories at bargain prices covering every conceivable subject from religion, business, music and art to philosophy, science fiction, biography, non-fiction and best-sellers.
The sale will commence with a “Preview” on Thursday, June 1 from 5:30-8:30 pm. The evening is open to everyone with no entry fee with books double the marked price. The general book sale (prices as marked) will continue on Friday, June 2 from 9 am-7 pm and Saturday, June 3 from 9 am-6 pm. Saturday’s sale will be held in conjunction with Stratford’s annual Main Street Festival. On Sunday, June 4 the library will offer a “Half-Price Sale” on all remaining books from 9 am-2 pm and $10 a bag from 2:30-4 pm (bags provided).
For further information, call the Stratford Library at 203.385.4161 or visit: www.stratfordlibrary.org.
2023-05-21@8:07pm–#Bridgeport CT–The Bridgeport ECC received several 911 calls reporting a party shot in the 500th block of Boston Avenue. Bridgeport Police and AMR dispatched and on-scene reports indicated a gunshot victim with an injury to their leg. Medics transported the party to BPT Hospital. Uncertain extent of injured at this time. Bridgeport Police actively investigating the incident.
2023-05-21@7:04pm–#Bridgeport CT– Police are investigating a crash on Madison Avenue near Center Street Extension and Fairmont Avenue near the jail. Witnesses told me the driver of the car got scared and allegedly drove from the scene to Fairmont Avenue.
Blumenthal announced the legislation today at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo on the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Representative Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) reintroduced the Extinction Prevention Act, legislation to provide much-needed funding for some of the country’s most imperiled yet vastly underfunded wildlife species, including threatened and endangered North American butterflies, various Pacific Island plants, freshwater mussels, and Southwest desert fish. Blumenthal announced the measure today during an event at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo to mark the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act.
“This legislation recognizes that saving wildlife from extinction requires more than just rhetoric—real resources are essential,” said Blumenthal. “Endangered species and their habitats can be sustained, but only if we back words with action.”
“The biodiversity crisis demands immediate and meaningful action to safeguard wildlife while we still have the chance,” said Grijalva. “Every species, regardless of its popularity or charisma, plays a vital role in the functioning of a natural ecosystem. Democrats secured crucial funding in last year’s Inflation Reduction Act to bolster endangered species recovery and this legislation builds on those investments by ensuring continuous funding to recover some of our nation’s most underappreciated endangered species. As we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act this year, we must renew our efforts to protect our unique wildlife heritage and build resilience in the face of climate change. I thank Senator Blumenthal for joining me in this significant endeavor.”
The Extinction Prevention Act addresses the longstanding issue of insufficient funding which has plagued efforts to recover these at-risk species, in some cases, for decades. It authorizes $5 million annually for each species group to fund conservation projects related to:
restoration, protection, and management of ecosystems;
research and monitoring of populations;
development and implementation of management plans;
enforcement and implementation of applicable conservation laws; and
community outreach and education.
Habitat protection for these less charismatic species is chronically underfunded despite them being among the species most at risk of extinction.
North American butterflies—one of the fastest declining groups of all endangered species—have not seen a single species improve among the 39 listed.
The situation is equally dire in Hawaii and the Pacific Islands, where nearly 400 plant species are threatened or endangered, representing about 22 percent of all listed species. In Hawaii, over 200 plant species have dwindled to fewer than 50 wild individuals.
Freshwater mussels are currently the most imperiled animal group in the country, with 70 percent of U.S. species at risk of extinction and 38 species already lost.
Southwest desert fish are being threatened by drought and water scarcity, resulting in significant population and habitat reductions. Currently, 42 species are listed as endangered or threatened.
Eligible applicants for funding include relevant states, territories, tribal governments, or any other entities with the expertise required for the conservation of the particular species group.
The legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and U.S. Representatives Steve Cohen (D-TN), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (D-CNMI), Darren Soto (D-FL), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), and Joe Neguse (D-CO).
“In Hawaii, native plants are crucial to the islands’ history, culture, and environment, which is why our communities prioritize the preservation of our unique biodiversity,” said Hirono. “I’m glad to join my colleagues in reintroducing this legislation to invest in the conservation of some of our nation’s most vulnerable species. It is important that we protect endangered species so they can continue serving important ecological roles for years to come.”
“Scientists in the field are sharing their work and advocating for solutions needed to protect endangered species around the country,” said Merkley. “We must do more to help prevent the extinction of the western monarch and other critically important butterflies crucial to supporting life on earth as we know it. The Extinction Prevention Act supports this work by providing funding to help prevent the disappearance of the species at the highest risk of extinction: North American butterflies, freshwater mussels, desert fish, and Hawaiian plants.”
The legislation is also endorsed by the Endangered Species Coalition and the Center for Biological Diversity.
“Many of the smallest imperiled animals and plants don’t get the funding they need, even if they create tremendous benefits. Freshwater mussels are a great example—providing clean water. It is so appropriate, therefore, that the Extinction Prevention Act is being introduced on Endangered Species Day—a day of celebration for the Act’s many successes. This funding will increase the Act’s successes,” said Leda Huta, Executive Director of the Endangered Species Coalition, primary sponsor of Endangered Species Day
.
“For 50 years, the Endangered Species Act has saved hundreds of animals and plants from extinction, despite being severely underfunded by Congress,” said Stephanie Kurose, a senior policy specialist at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Thanks to Rep. Grijalva and Sen. Blumenthal this legislation provides a much-needed lifeline to those species that have slipped through the cracks.”
