Hometown Heroes

Women's History Heroes' Trail Blazed

by | Mar 20, 2023 11:37 am | Comments (0)

Allen Samuel Photos

Women paying tribute at Sunday's event (clockwise from top left): Ethnic Heritage Center Walk New Haven Coordinator and JHSGNH Past President Rhoda Zahler Samuel, close Schiff friends Rachel Leff and Sara Fraim, Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford Executive Director Elizabeth Rose, JHSGNH President Marjorie Drucker, Yale Alumni Magazine Editor Kathrin Day Lassila (holding Yale Medal awarded to Schiff).

The Jewish Historical Society of Greater New Haven (JHSGNH) kicked off a tradition Sunday: An annual Judith Ann Schiff Women’s History Program. The event took place at New Haven Museum in conjunction with an exhibit about Trailblazing Jewish Women” from New Haven and Connecticut. The first event honored Schiff herself, the people’s historian” who served the City of New Haven as well as Yale and helped found the JHSGNH, and who died last year at the age of 84. Following is the published JHSGNH tribute to Schiff, written by Carole Bass.

Continue reading ‘Women's History Heroes' Trail Blazed’

Praise, Frustration Follow Star Teacher's Departure

by | Feb 10, 2023 2:55 pm | Comments (27)

Lucy Gellman / New Haven Arts Paper Photos

"Ms. B" helping a student-actor get ready for Newsies, Jr. in January.

Briana Bellinger-Dawson left her dream job” as an arts educator at Nathan Hale School earlier this month after deciding that she could no longer afford to work part-time and not receive the support she needed to get her teaching certification.

Her departure has left a community of Morris Cove families already feeling the beloved teacher’s absence — and speaking out about their frustration that the city’s public school district didn’t do enough to hold onto a life-changing role model who went above and beyond to bring performing arts to city students.

Continue reading ‘Praise, Frustration Follow Star Teacher's Departure’

New Havener Of The Year

by | Dec 23, 2022 11:01 am | Comments (10)

Maya McFadden photo

Honda Smith at the Shack: Banking on trust and community.

Honda Smith made a promise to herself and to her West Hills neighbors that, after retiring from three decades of working for the city, she would find a way to keep serving her neighborhood.

As a reborn westside community center thrives under her watch and neighbors keep busy and fed, that promise has been well kept.

Continue reading ‘New Havener Of The Year’

Newhallville Neighborhood Heroes Honored

by | Dec 21, 2022 9:11 am | Comments (2)

Kimberly Wipfler photo

Ann Swain and Kim Harris at management team holiday party.

Ann Swain wiped tears from her eyes as Newhallville Community Management Team Chair Kim Harris listed all of the little reasons that make her a neighborhood hero — from returning trash cans to neighbors’ homes after the garbage truck comes to going door-to-door to making sure every kid on the street gets treats from block parties they couldn’t attend.

Continue reading ‘Newhallville Neighborhood Heroes Honored’

At NHPS Convocation, Teachers Matter

by | Aug 25, 2022 10:20 am | Comments (5)

Maya McFadden photo

Phara Dorleans: "I'm not giving up on the kids."

A city celebration of educators and school staff reminded Mauro-Sheridan Magnet School French teacher Phara Dorleans of the moments that have kept her in the profession for seven years and counting.

At the top of that list: When her then-kindergarten student cried all weekend to her father, I want to go to school to see mademoiselle. I miss her!” 

Continue reading ‘At NHPS Convocation, Teachers Matter’

Term Limited, City Plan Veteran Mattison Moves On

by | May 26, 2022 1:44 pm | Comments (3)

Thomas Breen photo

Ed Mattison (center) chairs a 2019 City Plan Commission meeting.

For the past 14 years, Ed Mattison has had as up-close of a view as anyone of New Haven’s changing built environment — and has helped guide that development through countless volunteer hours spent trying to balance the strictures of land-use law with the real-world needs of people and neighborhoods. 

It was a good run. Mattison announced Wednesday that, thanks to an obscure and sometimes overlooked city law, he’ll be stepping down from his post on the City Plan Commission to make way for new voices to take the lead.

Continue reading ‘Term Limited, City Plan Veteran Mattison Moves On’

NAACP, Raheem DeVaughn Take To The Shubert For "Freedom Fund" Return

by | May 15, 2022 2:48 pm | Comments (0)

Maya McFadden Photos

Raheem DeVaughn performs at Shubert.

Freedom Fund 2022 honorees.

After a three-year hiatus, the annual Freedom Fundraiser held by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) returned full-force Thursday evening with a rhythmic and intimate remixed celebration at the Shubert Theater. 

Continue reading ‘NAACP, Raheem DeVaughn Take To The Shubert For "Freedom Fund" Return’

Winfred Rembert Wins Posthumous Pulitzer

by | May 11, 2022 3:31 pm | Comments (7)

Melissa Bailey Photo

"The guy keeps winning": The late Winfred Rembert in the Newhall Street apartment where he made the magic happen.

Estate of Winfred Rembert / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Looking for My Mother, 2019; reprinted in Chasing Me To My Grave.

Lillian Rembert dropped her mail sack on Shelton Avenue to see why her phone was blowing up with alerts — to discover that her late father won a Pulitzer Prize.

Continue reading ‘Winfred Rembert Wins Posthumous Pulitzer’

Portrait Of Fallen Officer Diane Gonzalez Unveiled On NHPD Memorial Wall

by | Mar 15, 2022 7:36 pm | Comments (2)

Maya McFadden Photos

Gonzalez's daughter Diane Mora-Valez and grandson Nathaniel check out honorary portrait.

City police, elected officials, and family celebrated the life of Officer Diane Gonzalez at the unveiling of a memorial portrait and plaque two months after she succumbed to injuries suffered in an on-duty car crash.

Continue reading ‘Portrait Of Fallen Officer Diane Gonzalez Unveiled On NHPD Memorial Wall’

Omicron Couldn't Keep This School Down

by | Jan 7, 2022 3:03 pm | Comments (8)

Nora Grace-Flood photos

Social worker Glenn Xavier: Without us, where would the kids be?

Upon learning that his colleague had tested positive for Covid-19, Matt Tremper did double duty: He taught history to his seventh-graders on one side of the library while overseeing a science experiment for another class assembled across the stacks.

Learning continued — even though the Omicron variant was doing its best all week to render schools inoperable.

Continue reading ‘Omicron Couldn't Keep This School Down’