Connecticut Green Living

I participated in a symposium on the BP oil spill in 2011 that sought to bridge the divide between entities after a disaster, be they universities, corporations, small businesses or individuals. Now, similarly, I am learning about how academia is researching and trying to solve a problem, while admitting boots-on-the-ground experience is necessary. When I heard the alarm sound at a New Haven school where I was subbing in April, I froze. The principal then began talking on the PA very calmly: students and faculty could go into the halls but only en route to another class. We were then supposed to loc k our doors and stay put till further notice. It turned out to be a "partial lockdown" in that there was still some movement allowed, but this did not lessen the terror. Indeterminate gunfire had been detected in the area -- then a few hours later, we got the all clear. A teacher told me quietly, "That's if it is the truth." This particular school had had to have a p...

Couch surfing is the polite term for what I have experienced these past few months. But many on the streets of New Haven do not have the means to surf on a chair, let alone a couch. A man recently died on the streets, his unreported cause of death: sleep deprivation. Here is a solution: the Mayor could build sleep pods around the Green and other areas, to be determined. Each pod would be accessed only by tokens distributed by the City and specific shelters. The sleepy person would enter the pristine pod and sleep for up to six hours. At five hours, forty-five minutes an alarm would sound. After exiting the pod, City staff or volunteers would sanitize the pod. With Covid -19 cases rising, it is even more urgent to provide basic needs to unhoused persons. I am convinced that sleeplessness is an underreported scourge in the City. Losing sleep means a person risks heart attack, stroke, and other serious ills. The City could also build shower pods for use of 30 minutes. Anecdotally, two...