Category: Hamden

Interview with Hamden mayoral candidate Salman Hamid

By Anna Sackel 

On November 7 the residents of Hamden will head to the polls for the mayoral election. In the running is current mayor Curt Leng and underdog Republican candidate Salman Hamid. HQ Press sat down with Hamid, a public school teacher and Quinnipiac alum, to discuss his run for office and what motivated him to do it.

Why are you running for mayor?

I got up and I was like I’m going to run for Mayor one day, and it’s been a series of things over time. It’s not just one in particular but the focal point it got to, I was at a bank and the banker goes ‘so I heard you’re running.’ And this was someone before the word really got out so I’m like ‘okay.’ And she’s like ‘why are you doing it?’ and I was like ‘great question.’ People didn’t really ask me in the beginning what is it that you’re doing this for and I said I’m not in it for the glory or the fame, I’m a public school teacher. What I really am doing it for is my kids and future generations of Hamden so I need to leave behind. I can’t sit in the sidelines anymore. I need to leave behind a sustainable Hamden for my kids and future generations to come. So I’ve always been about the idea that life is about service…and it got to a point where I’m like the taxes are too high, there’s blight all around town, traffic congestion is out of control it’s ridiculous, and it’s all reactive now instead of being proactive. So someone’s got to come in from the outside and clean up. And if it’s going to be me, then so be it. I will be happy to do it.

 

What is your opinion of the town’s relationship to Quinnipiac?

This is a college town, and I get that, but there also has to be a relationship between the college entity and the town and the residents there. You probably heard over and over of residents complaining about Quinnipiac student housing and so on and so forth. And this is what I’m talking about. That situation wouldn’t have happened if taxes were sustainable in town, because people have either foreclosed on their property or they rent it out to students because there is no other option because they can’t sell their homes. Unfortunately people have gotten more and more negative interpretations because there’s always a few bad apples who are out partying on Fridays and Saturday nights, hanging out on their lawns, and people have kids and you know they don’t want any of that. It’s got to be a sustainable relationship. So with the incoming president I plan to meet with him or her and work with them to develop more of that housing moving forward. But I also plan on having events, town events, at Quinnipiac also. People have to understand it’s a two-way street and Quinnipiac is aware of that and ready to own up to their end.

 

What is the first thing you would do in office if you were elected mayor?

Reestablish communication.  There has been a major lack of communication between the top entity in town, which is my opponent, and the residents. The communication only seems to happen when it’s an election season, but beyond that I hear constant complaints as I’m knocking on doors that the town has just stopped listening to our issues and concerns.

 

If you were to become mayor, what is the biggest thing you want to change over the next 4 years?

Can I say two?

Sure!

Well they go hand in hand. Refine the spending and bring commerce back into town. That will hopefully bring more people, more families back into town. I want to build a small business advisory council of existing shop owners here as well as ones that want to come in and do business as well because there are too many empty lots.

 

How do you deal with the racist comments directed towards you?

Being Muslim in a post-9/11 society has not been pleasant. Prior to that my race was rarely an issue, my religion was rarely an issue. Kids at my school would be like ‘fight me,’ and I was just like ‘why would I fight you, I don’t get it?’ and they would say ‘well your people blew up the twin towers,’ and it’s, oh my goodness. Yeah, there’s been a lot of stigma and that’s a lot of the reason I created American Muslims United. But at the end of the day I can’t get angry about this stuff. I love living in a country, as people don’t understand, I love living in a country where people can voice their opinions and not get killed over them. My family is from Pakistan and if you speak out against government you just go missing. I’m thankful to live in a country that people can voice their opinions. And I love it and if that’s what you have to say then say it. I appreciate your comment, thank you. But I also let people know that as an educator it is my job to inform people of what my faith is and how we act and interact in this community. And I mean, how many Muslim candidates have you seen run period? The state of Connecticut has probably had one Muslim mayor but beyond that, crickets. I’m also letting people know that Muslims are here, they’re active, and we’re part of the solution, not part of the problem. But I can’t get angry. As mayor I will represent everyone in town, even the people that write not so nice things, I will still represent them.

 

 

Why should the people of Hamden vote for you to be their Mayor?

I plan on committing and following through with the items that are spoken about on my platform, building an animal shelter, a business advisory council, getting a citizens council so we can hear their voices, reduce traffic issues and develop commerce back into town. I have never been part of the problem. I have not been in political office for 20 years. I have always been part of the solution in the background doing stuff. I’ve been given this opportunity to run and I plan on doing an effective job. I mean, I have to have morals and ethics. I’m a public school teacher, right? You know I have to teach future generations. My goal has always been to try and improve my community, and if this is the best way to do it, in this platform and this avenue by running for mayor on the republican ticket, then so be it.

 

What we are watching this week …

Mayor’s Night Out

By Dorah Labatte

Hamden Mayor, Curt Balzano Leng will be hosting a “Mayor’s Night Out” event next Monday, Oct. 23. Mayor Leng will be available to citizens to informally discuss neighborhood and town wide issues. The goal of Mayors Night Out is to enrich the Mayor’s relationship with Hamden residents. The event will take place at the Board of Education Health Quarters from 6 to 8 p.m.

Culture is not a Costume


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By Dorah Labatte

“My Culture is not a Costume” campaign by the Department of Cultural and Global Engagement will be hosting a kickoff event Monday, Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. in SC120. The event is an open discussion with students, faculty and staff to talk about Halloween costumes that appropriate different cultures.

 

 

 

 

 


Image from Google Maps

Image from Google Maps

Construction on Merritt Parkway

By Katherine Koretski

Motorists will continue to experience delays while traveling on the Merritt Parkway in Connecticut this week. The Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) is hosting an event on Tuesday Oct. 17 to discuss the Route-7 project. The plans are to improve safety, and overall access for users. Each roadway redesign has been put under environmental scoping and screening, according to Connecticut DOT. Scoping is the first part of the process required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Tuesday’s public scoping meeting will take place in the Norwalk City Hall Auditorium, 125 East Ave. Drop-in times are between 4 to 8 p.m., and the meeting will be an open house format with informational presentations at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.


Photo by Camila Costa

Photo by Camila Costa

Trump chooses new secretary

Embed from Getty Images

By Katherine Koretski

President Trump has chosen Kirstjen Nielsen for his pick to be the next secretary for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Nielsen served as General John Kelly’s chief of staff at the DHS, as well as worked as a member of the Resilience Task Force of the Center for Cyber & Homeland Security think tank.  Nielsen joined the White House team in September shortly after Trump named Kelly as DHS Secretary. President Trump announced his pick for the position on Wednesday Oct. 11 at the White House.

“I promised that my highest priority would be to secure America’s homeland. I pledged to protect our country from the many threats we face from all around the world, to keep our people safe and secure at home, and to give our full support to the men and women of law enforcement,” Trump explained in a statement released by the White House.

DHS was formed in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks, according to NBC News. Its purpose was to bring multiple agencies into one place. Nielsen’s final decision will go to the Senate for final confirmation.

What we are watching this week …

By Camila Costa

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and people from the Quinnipiac community, Hamden and the greater New Haven area are all doing something to help survivors.

In addition to the Hamden police department changing the colors of two patrol cars to pink, The American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is hosting a walk on Oct. 15, at 1 p.m. at Lighthouse Point Park in New Haven, Connecticut.

Registration for the event starts at 9 a.m. and there will be an opening ceremony at noon, an hour before the walk starts.

So far, Strides has raised $50,976, with six days left to achieve their goal of $101,000.

Earlier in the semester, Quinnipiac hosted Relay For Life and raised more than $33,000 to fight cancer.

Lynn Aureli, a Quinnipiac student and cancer survivor, participated in this year’s Relay For Life. She has also been a part of other events, including Light the Night Walks for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.


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“I think Quinnipiac does do a good job helping the fight against cancer.  We have Relay for Life, Saint Baldrick’s, and Bobcats Against Cancer.  I also know there is a fraternity whose philanthropy is the American Cancer Society and the new sorority, Tri Delta’s philanthropy is Saint Judes,” said Aureli. “I think it would be a good idea for all of these organizations to come together for one big event to help the fight against cancer.”

One of Quinnipiac’s own Chartwells workers, Leyenda DaSilva, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014 and after being cancer free for two years, the disease returned and spread to her lymph nodes.

Quinnipiac junior, Becca Denning, created a GoFundMe page to help raise money for DaSilva, and successfully raised $2,062 in two months.

To help causes like DaSilva’s, click here and donate to Strides to make a difference in the battle to fight cancer.

PARENTS WEEKEND

One of Quinnipiac’s most active weekends, Parents and Family Weekend, is being held on Oct. 13 to 15.

The Toyota Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford, Conn. will be hosting an exclusive concert for Quinnipiac students and their families on Friday at 8 p.m.

The performance will be “celebrating the fusion of classical music with classic rock features the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, five world-class vocalists and five top rock musicians,” according to an announement on MyQ. Tickets are going for $25 to $100 and you can purchase them here.


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If you are looking for other activities, the New Haven Register has put out a list of 50 things to do in Connecticut this upcoming weekend, including:

  • The Greater New Haven Columbus Day Parade

  • The 31st annual Washington Antiques & Design Show

  • Florence Griswold Museum’s annual Wee Faerie Villages and Faerieville USA

  • Pumpkins on the Pier in Milford

  • The Portland Agricultural Fair

  • The Quantico Marine Corps Band concerts

  • “Peppa Pig’s Surprise” performance at the Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford

  • Lyman Orchards’ corn maze

  • Artspace’s City-Wide Open Studios

  • The Hops Company in Derby celebration of Oktoberfest

Is the Starbucks line worth it?


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The Starbucks in the Quinnipiac Student Center has been open for just over a week and lines are consistently long. On average, students wait about 30 minutes to get a drink from the Quinnipiac Starbucks. There’s a Starbucks in the Hamden Plaza roughly 10 minutes away from campus and one in North Haven as well. 

Despite long lines throughout the day, there is one time period where you won’t have to wait too long. HQ Press ventured out to the Student Center Starbucks and the Hamden Plaza Starbucks at the same time and one location had a much shorter line. Watch the video to find out which Starbucks you should head to in the mornings. 

Understanding Hamden’s paving program


Paving is underway on Whitney Avenue. 

Paving is underway on Whitney Avenue. 

Photo by Katherine Koretski.

By Erin Reilly

Hamden will be getting a facelift this fall with the repaving of all or part of 56 roads.

“Investing in our road infrastructure helps build value in our neighborhoods, shows our residents that we care about the quality and appearance of our road system and reduces expenses from the liability presented by a damaged road,” Hamden Mayor Curt Balzano Leng said.

According to Leng, the paving will cover a total of about 11.5 miles. By the end of 2017, about 76.5 miles will have been paved in the past six years, which is about 31 percent of Hamden’s 240 miles of roads. Paving cost for the year will have a total of about $2 million.

Leng says the decision to pave these specific roads was determined by multiple factors, including pavement condition, amount of traffic and proximity to places like schools and parks.

“We prioritize which streets to pave using data,” Leng said. “All of Hamden’s roads are evaluated by an independent company and given a pavement condition index rating.”

The more damaged roads are, the lower their ratings. With lower ratings, these roads are more likely to be repaved.

Map by Katherine Koretski.

The map shows all the roads set to be repaved this fall. 

Bonnie Smith lives on one of the streets that will soon be paved and is looking forward to the improvements.

“The road has been pretty damaged for quite some time now so I’m glad it’s finally going to get fixed,” Smith said. “My car is very low to the ground so even though I always drive very slow I am always worried the potholes might damage it.”

While she is relieved that her road will be repaired, Smith is concerned about the timing of the repaving.

“Part of me thinks that they’re going to do all this work to fix these roads, but come winter they’ll all get potholes again,” Smith said. “I just wish they had fixed them earlier in the year so we could enjoy it longer.”

Smith also said that the parking ban for her road will be an “inconvenient hassle.” She says her driveway is not big enough for all of her family’s cars so she will have to find somewhere else to park and then walk the rest of the way to her house.

“I just hope it doesn’t rain those days,” Smith said.

Parking bans will be in effect for all of the streets that are being paved. Signs will be posted to inform residents of the ban at least 24 hours before paving starts. Cars will not be allowed to park on the street until the work is done.

The fall paving program will continue until Nov. 1. A complete list of the roads that will be paved can be found on Hamden’s website. The list does not include state routes that run through Hamden, including Whitney Avenue, that are being paved by the state.

 

Weather watchlist: current storms and past nightmares

By Michael Brennan and Julius Saporito


A map of Hurricane Maria hitting Puerto Rico and of Tropical Storm Jose approaching the northeastern United States, via NOAA.

A map of Hurricane Maria hitting Puerto Rico and of Tropical Storm Jose approaching the northeastern United States, via NOAA.


Image of Hurricane Maria via NASA on September 19 at 11 a.m.

Image of Hurricane Maria via NASA on September 19 at 11 a.m.

MARIA

  • Nine people have been reported dead so far from the storm, with two from the French province Guadeloupe and seven from Dominica.

  • Hurricane Maria has hit Puerto Rico as a category four hurricane and has now downgraded to a category two storm, according to the NHC, as updated Sept. 20, at 11:45 a.m. EST. 

  • Its path is projected north after hitting Puerto Rico according to the NHC, but the potential impact to the United States is too soon to know.

  • The entire territory of Puerto Rico is without power according to Abner Gómez, head of the Puerto Rican disaster management agency. 

  • Puerto Rico’s governor Ricardo Rossello is asking President Trump to declare the territory as a disaster zone according to CBS News. Trump tweeted to Rossello on September 20 that he hopes the people of Puerto Rico are safe.

  • Even government officials are holding shelters; the Prime Minister of St. Kitts & Nevis will be holding as many people as he can for shelter from the storm.


A projected path of Hurricane Jose, expected to hit Massachusetts as a tropical storm, from the National Hurricane Center.

A projected path of Hurricane Jose, expected to hit Massachusetts as a tropical storm, from the National Hurricane Center.

JOSE

  • On Sept. 18, FEMA officially released a statement telling people in the paths of Jose and Maria to prepare for the storm now.

  • Jose was officially downgraded to a tropical storm on Sept. 19.

  • While the projections do appear that Jose will hit Connecticut, the National Hurricane Center has issued tropical storm warnings for Massachusetts-based areas such as Block Island and Martha’s Vineyard.

  • Tropical storm Jose is the less dangerous storm of the two, but people should still be cautious of it for the next few days.


Tropical Storm wind projections, showing up to 30MPH winds expected to hit New Haven county over the next few days, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Tropical Storm wind projections, showing up to 30MPH winds expected to hit New Haven county over the next few days, according to the National Hurricane Center.


Photo by: NASA

Photo by: NASA

IRMA

  • More than 40,000 federal personnel are working in support of preparedness in response to Hurricane Irma, according to FEMA.

  • Fema also states, “As of September 14, 2017, FEMA transferred approximately 6.6 million meals and 4.7 million liters of water to states in the Southeast, at the states’ requests. In addition, nearly 578,000 meals, 383,000 liters of water, 13,600 sheeting covers, 150 rolls of blue tarps, and 30 generators were transferred to St. Thomas and St. John.”

  • A total count of deaths have been labeled across several areas due to the storm.

           Deaths-38 ( Caribbean)  according to Wall Street Journal

           Deaths -10 (Cuba) according to Wall Street Journal

  • According to MiamiHerald, a total of 18 counties in the South Florida area have suffered deaths from damages from storm (drowning), carbon monoxide, and cardiovascular disease.

  • In addition, it is a category four wind.

  • Fresh meals and water have been provided to the residents in the areas of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina to help those in need of care and protection.

  • According to MiamiHerald, there have been 42 deaths partially due to carbon monoxide (South Florida- Hollywood, FL).

  • FPL Maps has been continuously updating power outages and recoveries across the state.


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HARVEY

  • Houston, Texas suffers a huge tragedy in 82 deaths according to CBC news. Updated on Sept. 14 at 4:13 p.m. EST.

  • In addition, nearly 140,000 homes were wrecked in the storm and many families were left homeless or in need of repairs.

  • According to FPL Maps, a total of 35 counties around the area have completely lost power due to the storm.

  • Because so many houses were affected by the hurricane and need to be restored, the large cost to repair those damages might be the potential problem for the country.

  • FPL Maps has been continuously updating power outages and recoveries across the state.

  • CBC news says, about 5,250 people are still living in shelters and working with the rest of the community to build their homes back to normal.

  • Hurricane Harvey is currently the biggest cost in U.S. disaster history, at an estimated price of $180 billion according to CBC news.

Hamden mayor wants Amazon to consider his town

By Owen Kingsley

Mayor Curt Leng says Hamden could be a strong candidate for a new Amazon headquarters, according to an interview in the Hamden Patch, after the company announced earlier this month its intentions on building new headquarters in North America.

This news has brought a wave of candidate towns and cities coming forward including right here in Connecticut. New Haven, Danbury, Bridgeport and Hartford have already voiced their interests.

In the interview with Hamden Patch, Leng does not hide his excitement.

“I don’t think it’s far-fetched at all,” he said. “In fact I think we can most certainly make a push for it. There are a couple potential parcels that come to mind and we’re beginning to explore them. I’m personally going to try to reach out to their real estate folks at Amazon just to let them know we would talk to them for sure.”

The new headquarters would produce as many as an estimated 50,000 jobs for the surrounding area. This would give a boost to the Connecticut economy after the state has seen the loss of General Electric and Aetna’s Headquarters in recent years to both Boston and New York City respectively.

Leng cited a Yale Daily News article on Facebook last Thursday about the headquarters saying Amazon should consider this Hamden collaboration.

“Hamden and the Greater New Haven area has so much to offer and could be an amazing home for the new Amazon HQ,” he wrote. “Most certainly worth fully exploring what could be a wonderful opportunity for partnership for our region.”

Amazon’s main requirements for a new headquarters location are that they be in an urban or suburban area, within a metropolitan area of at least one million people, according to the New York Times. Hamden would certainly meet all of those requirements being a Suburban town with Union Station next door in New Haven that directly connects to New York City.

Hamden would join Seattle, Washington as the only other Amazon Headquarters in North America.

President Trump ending DACA, thousands affected

By Owen Kingsley

President Donald Trump announced on Sept. 5 the decision to end an Obama-era program known as DACA that protects young undocumented immigrants from deportation.

Obama created and implemented DACA by executive order, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, in June  2012. The purpose of DACA is to provide protection against deportation for eligible youth who immigrated to the United States when they were children. The policy calls for deferred action for undocumented individuals that currently meet certain criteria outlined by the Department of Homeland Security.


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Individuals who meet these criteria can apply for DACA. If approved for the program, DACA provides undocumented immigrants with a work permit and protection from deportation. In other words, undocumented immigrants are not granted citizenship, but they are permitted to work and learn in the United States without fear of deportation.

However, as of last week, the Trump administration formally announced the decision to end the program. According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, DACA had protected nearly 800,000 young undocumented immigrants across the country. The termination of the program now places pressure on Congress who, according to President Trump, has six months to pass a law to replace DACA.

The end of DACA has stirred up controversy from government officials, U.S. citizens and DREAMers across the nation. Connecticut Governor Malloy expressed his criticism of the termination in a statement featured in an article in the New Haven Register.

“President Trump’s wrong-minded decision to turn back the clock on DACA is completely nonsensical,” Malloy said in the release. “From elementary and secondary education, to post-secondary education, to supports for vibrant, safe communities – we have invested so much into undocumented children who have grown up in America. Denying these youths with access to work opportunities and affordable higher education goes against the very core of who we are.”

Governor Malloy was not the only Connecticut government official to express disappointment regarding the termination of DACA. U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut also released a statement condemning President Trump’s decision.

“DREAMers have followed the rules, gone through the entire application process, and been approved to stay in our nation,” DeLauro said. “We should not betray them by threatening their ability to learn, work, and live in this country.”

Other members of the Quinnipiac community are standing up for DREAMers, urging Quinnipiac to take a stand against the termination of the program. Junior class president Jack Onofrio wrote an open letter to President Lahey urging him to sign onto the Pomona Statement. A letter signed by over six-hundred University Presidents in support of DACA.

“I just think it’s incredibly important, especially when you look at all of our peer institutes that have already done this that we make the statement,” Onofrio said when asked about the importance of this decision. “Because if we don’t we’re going to go down as that school that was silent, the school that didn’t take a stand, and I really think it’s going to paint us in a bad light in the future.”

Renee Redman, an Immigration Attorney in New Haven, is in absolute disagreement with the President’s decision to end the DACA program.

“I think [his decision] is horrifying,” Redman said. “Not only for humanitarian reasons but also because it just doesn’t seem very logical.”

Redman says that all of the President’s recent decisions are impacting her clients–especially cancelling DACA.

“People are afraid,” Redman said. “They don’t know what’s going to happen and what they have rights to do and what their future holds.”

Your Hamden-Quinnipiac News Headquarters

Today we are launching a new publication for the Hamden and Quinnipiac communities. Each Monday we’ll help you start your week by presenting some of the most significant stories from across Connecticut and beyond. Return to us throughout the week – here and on social media – for continued coverage of our campus and the surrounding neighborhoods.

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