New Haven Independent

Hill Teens Get Heard

by Melissa Bailey | August 3, 2006 4:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As gubernatorial candidate Dan Malloy made the rounds at a Hill health fair Thursday, a handful of Hill teens filed through the tents towards the candidate. Lindsey Redd, 14, a Career High School student, got Malloy’s attention.

“What would you do to make the Hill a better place?” asked Lindsey (pictured at right). A handful of friends stood behind him, ready to listen. All high-schoolers from the Hill, they’re part of a six-week youth leadership program at the Hill Health Center. They spent the morning talking about the campaign and what to say to the candidate.

Lindsey and friends stood by for the Stamford mayor’s response: universal health care, more cops on the streets and a “second-chance” program for ex-offenders.

Sounded good to Lindsey. The two shook hands. Though he only got a moment of the candidate’s time, he was proud to have “found enough courage to ask him.” Through the camp based at the Hill Health Center, the 14 high-schoolers are getting civically engaged through neighborhood clean-ups, public surveys and political opportunities like Thursday’s fair.

Lindsey said he was tired of “seeing littering and violence” and wanted to do something. What can be done about the turf wars that took his friend 13 year-old Justus Suggs? “More police, and parents should know what their children are doing at all times.”