Bridgeport News: Love Your City! Challenge

BRIDGEPORT, Connecticut – Groundwork Bridgeport, a nonprofit organization that promotes environmental, economic, and social well-being in Connecticut’s largest city, today announced the launch of their first-ever “Love Your City!” Challenge.

 

Groundwork Bridgeport is calling on high school students from Bridgeport to come up with a beautification project they would like to implement to help breathe new life into one of the city’s parks located in the East Side Neighborhood. Thanks to support from a Social Venture Partners Pitch Fest that Groundwork Bridgeport won in October 2016, the winning team will receive $500 from Groundwork Bridgeport to make their project a reality.

 

“We don’t see this challenge as just a competition, but rather a fun and engaging way for students to build community pride and think differently about their city” says Executive Director, Christina Smith.

 

The “Love Your City!” Challenge is just one of many initiatives of Groundwork Bridgeport, which for almost two decades, has worked towards its mission of improving Bridgeport’s physical environment. Through programs that aim to beautify and revitalize the city, Groundwork Bridgeport has built community gardens, organized community cleanups, and planted hundreds of trees and flowers while at the same time providing numerous opportunities for local high-school youth to learn and engage with their community.

 

Recruitment for Love Your City! Challenge teams will begin in March. Entries will be judged in front of a panel in May with project implementation taking place in the summer.

About Groundwork Bridgeport

Last year, Groundwork Bridgeport had more than 120 students from Bridgeport participate in its programs. All high school seniors who were part of last year’s programs went on to graduate and attend college. Groundwork Bridgeport also created more than 80 paid jobs in 2016 for Bridgeport students to earn money and much needed experience.

 

To learn more about how you can participate in the Love Your City! Challenge or help Groundwork Bridgeport continue to have a positive impact on Bridgeport and its young people go to groundworkbridgeport.org

(Press release)

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Bridgeport News: Cars Damaged

7:30pm–#Bridgeport Connecticut– Police were called for kids jumping in and out of traffic at Alice and Madison Avenue.  Police discover a number of parked cards vandalized.  One teen is in custody.   If you live in the area and park on the street you may want to check your car.

 

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Bridgeport/Trumbull News: 3 Car Crash

UPDATE: One of the cars is now reported on fire. Everyone is safely out of all the cars involved. An off duty fire lieutenant is on scene.
5:00pm–#Bridgeport Connecticut– Police from Bridgeport and Trumbull dispatched to a 3-4 car crash on East Main at Broadbridge near Beardsley park.  Avoid the area if you can.

 

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Bill Proposing Legislative Approval For Rail Or Bus Increases

#HARTFORD – State Rep. Gail Lavielle (R-143) has introduced a bill the General Assembly that would require legislative approval in order to increase rail or bus fares.  This would alter the current system, where the Department of Transportation (DOT), an executive branch agency, can act unilaterally under the governor’s authority to increase mass transit fares.  The General Assembly’s Transportation Committee has scheduled a public hearing for Lavielle’s bill, HB 5773, this Monday, January 30, at 11:00 A.M. in the Legislative Office Building (LOB) in Hartford.

 

“Last year, commuters were subjected to new rail and bus fare hikes that brought them absolutely no benefits, and they were justifiably upset,” said Rep. Lavielle.  “This bill would protect commuters by creating a more deliberate and public process for imposing fare increases. Although the bill would not prevent any future fare hikes, proposals would be subject to floor debate and public vote, and would make legislators accountable for their votes to increase mass transit fares.”

 

On December 1 of last year, the DOT announced a Metro-North fare hike after the governor required the agency to make substantial cuts to its budget. 

 

Added Rep. Lavielle, “The increase represented neither service improvements nor rising costs, but was, rather, a means of making commuters pay for a deficiency in the overall state budget.”

 

Rep. Lavielle formed a group of legislators who worked together to circulate a petition on the morning trains and online. Along with the petition, they submitted a concrete proposal to the governor and legislative leadership for an alternative to the fare hike that would have generated revenues without imposing new obligations on commuters or taxpayers. While the legislature could have voted to approve an alternative source of revenue, majority legislative leaders, who had no obligation to intervene, were unresponsive. In that situation, Rep. Lavielle’s legislation would have required the legislature to be actively involved in the fare increase decision.

 

Concerned residents may testify at the public hearing at the LOB in Hartford this Monday at 11:00 A.M. Alternatively, they may submit written testimony at tratestimony@cga.ct.gov. All written submissions should include the author’s name and town, and mention “HB5773” in the subject line.

(State Rep. Gail Lavielle Press Release)

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Trumbull News: Lions Donate Pet Oxygen Masks

#Trumbull Connecticut– On Thursday, January 26th, the Trumbull Lions Club donated Pet Oxygen Masks to members of the Nichols Fire Department in Trumbull, Connecticut during their annual CPR refresher training.  Firefighters recertify in CPR and Automatic External Defibrillators (AED) every year.  Now, thanks to the generosity of the Trumbull Lions Club, Firefighters will have additional masks to help render aid to family pets in 2017.

 

Pictured accepting Pet Oxygen Masks from Dick Dalling of the Lions Club is Assistant Fire Chief John DelVento and members of the Nichols Fire Department.

 

Distributing Pet Oxygen Mask to Trumbull’s First Responders is just one of many initiatives of the Trumbull Lions Club, if you are interested in the club membership visit them on facebook https://www.facebook.com/Trumbull-CT-Lions-Club-District-23A-1526106487633443/?ref=page_internal

 

The Nichols Fire Department would like to remind all residents to always have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in their residence, because the most tragic loss of life is the one that could have been prevented with the installation of a new battery.  Visit us on https://www.facebook.com/Nichols-Fire-Department-208969189143563/

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