Bahamonde Receives Prestigious Award
George Bahamonde, President of the United Way of the Capital Area, received the Brillante Award for individual achievement from the National Society of Hispanic MBA's. The Brillante Award, the most prestigious honor granted by the Society, is given in recognition of exceptional contributions to the Hispanic community. The event was held in the Grand Ballroom of the New York Hilton and Towers earlier this month.
Mr. Bahamonde, a native of Cuba, began his human services career as a case worker for Catholic Family and Community Services in Bridgeport. His United Way career began more than 25 years ago with the United Way of Eastern Fairfield County in Bridgeport, and has taken him to Portland, Me.; Los Angeles, Calif.; and San Juan P.R. among other communities.
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Puerto Rico As 51st State? Tulisano Says Yes
House Majority Whip Richard D. Tulisano (D-29th) has offered his support for efforts to make Puerto Rico the 51st state. The veteran lawmaker believes statehood would provide the citizens of Puerto Rico with more stability and greater economic opportunity.
"Having long been a supporter of statehood for our Isle of Enchantment, my position has not been that of fairness and stability for the people of the island, but because of the economic opportunity that Puerto Rican statehood would create," Tulisano said. "The embracing of the Puerto Rican people will provide the United States with a competitive advantage and increased influence in the growing and emerging markets in Latin and South America."
According to Tulisano, the issue of Puerto Rican statehood is more critical now than ever before, due to a resolution currently before Congress that seeks to alter the definition of "commonwealth". The resolution threatens to deny U.S. citizenship to the children of Puerto Ricans if voters were to choose to maintain Puerto Rico's commonwealth status rather than statehood.
"Puerto Ricans have fought and died for our country and have become an integral part of our society," Tulisano said. "We must now, in all fairness, make the Puerto Rican people equal partners in the American Dream."
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Riverfront Recaptures Wins Top Award
The Waterfront Center, an international organization based in Washington, D.C., has selected Riverfront Recapture to receive its Top Honor Award for excellence on the waterfront.
A panel of jurors from three countries praised the Riverfront Recapture effort to reunite the Connecticut River with the community as "one of the most heroic waterfront projects" in the United States.
"Cities everywhere should take heart," the jurors wrote, because Riverfront Recapture is demonstrating that "bold undertakings can be accomplished, provided the vision and the will is there."
Riverfront Recapture, a private, non-profit organization created in 1981, has developed public parks and recreational facilities in Hartford and East Hartford that will be linked by a network of riverwalks.
The centerpiece of the project, a landscaped plaza over I-91 that will reunite downtown Hartford with the riverfront, is currently under construction. The Waterfront Center jurors called this work Riverfront Recapture's "boldest action".
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Sherriff Airs PSA On Deadbeat Parents
A thirty second public service announcement featuring Hartford County Sheriff Walter J. Kupchunos has begun airing on WVIT Channel 30 and will shortly be airing on other television stations.
The announcement, which includes video shots of deadbeat parent arrests, and the Lafayette Street lock-up, is aimed at the parents who owe a part of the $635 million statewide that taxpayers pay each year to support children who have been financially abandoned by their parents. The announcement also includes a statewide number for deadbeat parents to call in the event they would like to start paying their obligated support (1-800-228-KIDS).
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Two City Groups Get Help From Jaycees
The Greater Hartford Jaycees announced earlier this month three grants, two in Hartford, as part of foundation grants by the group.
The Center City Churches Center for Youth was awarded $14,000 from the Foundation allowing 50 third and fourth graders to participate in the program by covering additional staff salaries and supplies. The center is expanding its After School Program at the Maria Sanchez School. The tutorial/enrichment program currently serves first and second graders with tutoring and arts education.
The Foundation awarded $20,000 to fund the salary of a computer learning center coordinator for LEAP: Leadership, Education, and Athletics in Partnership, an organization that seeks to improve the lives of children at risk in housing projects across the state.
Finally, Love Made Visible Products (LMVP), a start-up candy company in New Britain affiliated with The Friendship Center, a homeless shelter, was awarded $10,000 by the Foundation to purchase equipment, pay operating expenses, and fund the salaries of two additional staff.
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Report Details School Private Sector Funding
A report by the Greater Hartford Chamber of Commerce last week on private sector funding in education said Hartford school-age children benefitted from contributions of more than $7.3 million in funding and in-kind services in 1996 from local foundations and corporations.
A total of $1.3 million went directly to schools and $6 million went to community-based organizations who serve school-age children in the city.
The report was presented to the Board of Trustees for Hartford Public Schools at their meeting October 14 at Weaver High School.
"The report provides a valuable starting point for the private sector, the superintendent, and the State Board of Trustees,"
said Thomas J. Groark, chairman, Education Committee, Greater Hartford Chamber of Commerce. "The data allows to develop a coordinated plan of action that will encourage collaborative, systemic, and strategic partnerships among funders and providers of volunteer resources that support school-age children through the Hartford Public Schools, and community-based organizations."
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The Hartford Acquires Omni Insurance
The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. announced on Thursday the acceptance of its cash tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of Omni Insurance Group, Inc., an Atlanta-based non-standard auto insurer.
The Hartford agreed to pay $31.75 per share for a total of $187 million. The transaction has been approved by the boards of directors of both companies, and by Omni Chairman and CEO Dudley L. Moore, Jr., and Omni president and COO J. Paul Kennedy, who agreed to vote their shares in favor of the acquisition.
"This important strategic acquisition will allow us to combine the management and distribution strengths of The Hartford's personal lines organization and the specialized expertise of the aggressive, rapidly growing Omni organization," said Ramani Ayer, The Hartford's Chairman and CEO. "We see an excellent opportunity to further expand this operation nationally across all our distribution channels." Omni will become a subsidiary of The Hartford.
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Rell and First Lady Fight Breast Cancer
Lt. Governor Jodi Rell and First Lady Patty Rowland participated Friday in a ceremony and placed a wreath at the State Capitol to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month and National Mammography Day.
The ceremony sought to demonstrate a commitment to fight the disease that is the second leading cause of death among women in the United States. It is estimated that 2,000 women in Connecticut will be diagnosed in Connecticut with breast cancer this year and approximately 480 will die from the disease.
Research has shown that breast cancer mortality could be reduced by at least 30 percent if women followed recommended screening guidelines.
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