Kicked By A SHU, Plus: State Of Kids, And There’s A Lobster Loose!

Paging Anthony Cernera!

Mr. SHU president, where are you? It’s great that Sacred Heart University is busting at the arteries, but not so great when the artery splatters the residents of the North End victimized by beered-up students from local rentals and dorms.

SHU campus proper is located in Fairfield. Decades ago, following formation by the Diocese of Bridgeport, SHU had identified itself as a Bridgeport school. But then someone said our front door is technically located in Fairfield. And gee we can put the dorms in Bridgeport!

While the kids attend school in Fairfield, right across the street is a towering SHU dormitory located in Bridgeport and beyond the dorm, on the streets of the North End, a boatload more SHU kids living in rentals and some creating havoc.

North End City Council members AmyMarie Vizzo-Paniccia and Michelle Lyons are doing their best trying to get SHU to reel in the kids. More neighborhood meetings on the issue are forthcoming. Hey, here’s an idea: let’s have an OIB party at SHU’s main gate. Who wants to bring the keg? Better yet, let’s make it bottled beer. How about the wrappers for hotdogs and hamburgers? How about a Port-O-John? Ah forget that, the SHU plants need watering.

North End residents are fuming about the kids and on Sunday one of them who did not want to be identified filed this report with OIB:

I live in the North End by SHU – each weekend (during the week as well) certain streets are littered with trash – I have written the President, his assistant as well as copied other University departments asking them to look into the issue. Mainly the “college” trash along Geduldig – by the SHU off-campus housing, the beer cans and cups that line Park Avenue and finally the corner of Eckart Street. These areas are littered with trash – snack wrappers, beer cans, red cups, alcohol bottles. I have personally picked up this trash and have asked the City of Bridgeport to come and pick it up, which they have.

What I find interesting is that 1) the University grounds are spotless 2) There are trash cans in the area 3) they have workers picking up trash from the corner of Jefferson, south to just shy of the corner of Eckart Street. This basically keeps up the appearance of a pristine college campus. However, the areas that are out of sight appear to be out of mind.

I have noted the same mess across the street from the Park Ridge for a week now. This mess consists of beer cans and empty beverage bottles.

The University does not seem to think this is a priority but I beg to differ – The students – the ones littering, since they have no stake in the community, treat it like their own personal dumping ground.

This problem is also on top of the housing issue. That is, neighborhoods having to deal with college students crowding into houses which is in violation of zoning laws.

The heart of it is, as the University grows, do they have a plan to take care of the surrounding community or just ignore it with the “Out of sight, out of mind” attitude? In addition, during school recesses and during the summer, the problem goes away – although there is litter it is greatly reduced and does not consist of beer cases, cans, red cups, McDonald’s bags etc.

News release from Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition

Bridgeport Children Feel Recession’s Impact

Juvenile arrests in Bridgeport decreased, but juvenile arrests for violent crimes increased. Infant mortality declined, but births to teens under the age of 18 increased.

These positive and negative changes affecting Bridgeport’s children are in the 2009 State of the Child in Bridgeport report, released today by the Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition. This thoroughly researched and well-documented report looks at key indicators of child well-being. The report compares Bridgeport’s children to children statewide. It also shows progress or its lack from one year to the next.

This year’s report shows that Bridgeport still lags far behind the state in childhood well-being. The rate of child poverty, at 28%, is more than twice the statewide rate of 11%.

The report earns an “F” on 16 of 21 indicators of child well-being, a slight improvement over last year’s 17 F’s. This year six indicators received an A for effort, compared to just four last year.

Though unemployment due to the recession has increased hardship for children and families nationally and statewide, Bridgeport has felt the pain more than most. With an unemployment rate of nearly 12%, Bridgeport’s unemployment is 50% higher than the statewide rate of 8%.

Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition conducted its own surveys of 2,000 Bridgeport families in the spring of 2009. The results showed devastating numbers of parents without work and without health insurance. Every month more families are at risk of utility shut downs, health crises, or foreclosure. The consequences for children are grim.

“Growing up in poverty has long-lasting effects on children,” says Barbara Edinberg, Acting Director at BCAC. Living in poverty puts children at great risk for poor health, poor school performance, homelessness, and community and family violence. “Parents need good jobs that move them out of poverty and enable them to be financially self-sufficient.”

The six “A”s in this year’s report reflect the decrease in juvenile arrests and a few other notable gains:

§ A drop of nearly 20% in the number of abused and neglected children, to its lowest level in five years

§ A decline of 20% in the number of days with high ozone levels

§ A decline of 17% in infant mortality

§ An 11% increase in the number of children entering school with pre-school experience

§ A rise of 11% in the number of children benefiting from after-school programs

“We’re pleased to see these improvements, but worried that last year’s gains were not sustained,” says Frances Newby, BCAC’s new Board Chair. “Despite the six “A”s, other trends are cause for great concern. Last year, for example, there were fewer arrests for juvenile violent crimes, but this year the number increased by more than 30%. The number of families on the waiting list for public housing jumped more than 30% compared to last year. We are concerned about the impact of the recession on children.”

“Bridgeport’s children need BCAC more than ever,” she continued. “We will continue to be strong advocates for Bridgeport’s children. We will continue to keep the needs of children high on the radar screen so they can get a good education, be healthy and safe, and have a roof over their heads.”

The Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition (BCAC) is a coalition of nearly 80 local agencies and community organizations committed to improving the well-being of local children. For 25 years BCAC has combined research, advocacy, community education and mobilization to ensure health, safety, and education for all of Bridgeport’s children. www.bcacct.org

This Was The Small One

I couldn’t help myself. At $3.99 per pound, what gives with lobster prices so accessible to common folk? I’ve been in good spirits. The Yankees heading to the playoffs, sweeping the BoSox over the weekend. Ms. Mo and I had to celebrate. But she gets squeamish when crunchy claws is croaked in the steamer. I held a funeral for this friend, a three pounder, before she arrived home from work. I can hear my vegan friends, “Lennie, you idiot! I’ll never read your blog again!” But at these prices, who knows, maybe we change the menu at the next OIB party.