New Haven Prepares for the BIG READ April 13-June 10

FAQ about the BIG READ:

• The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest.
• The Big Read-New Haven is a collaboration between the International Festival of Arts & Ideas & the New Haven Free Public Library and is funded by a grant from the NEA.
• To Kill A Mockingbird is New Haven's selected book.
• Information about the NEA's Big Read program is at http://www.neabigread.org/books/mockingbird/
• For details about New Haven's Big Read, contact Festival of Arts & Ideas at 498-3710 or The New Haven Free Public Library at 946-8125.
• Do not miss special events throughout the Big Read celebrating a great American classic, To Kill a Mockingbird.

p/t position open at North Haven Library

North Haven Memorial Library has p/t opening (19 hrs./wk) in the Children's Department for variety of clerical tasks including typing, public service, computer literacy. Prior library experience a plus. Schedule will include evening and Saturday hours. Salary $12.04/hr; no benefits. Apply in person 8:30-4 M-F to Finance Office, Memorial Town Hall, 18 Church St, North Haven.

Young Artists invited to submit work for Arts Council Show

The Arts Council of Greater New Haven's Young Artists Show is open to all artists age 18 and under. To volunteer to hang the show or set up the reception, please call the Arts Council. We would love to have your help.

Artwork Drop Off: March 13 through March 22, 9-5 Monday-Friday at the Small Space Gallery at Arts Council of Greater New Haven, 70 Audubon St.

Pick up:
Monday, April 30-May 7.

Details: Debbie Hesse 772-2788 x17 or dhesse.ac@cshore.com

Volunteers needed to mentor young men in New Haven

The Chamber's New Haven Network for Public Education is assisting the Governor's Prevention Partnership on a new mentoring project, Developing Tomorrow's Professional. The program is a partnership between the CT Dept. of Ed., SCSU, and the Governor's Prevention Partnership.

We need 40 professional men of color to volunteer to participate in this project, to commit to 60 hours of workplace mentoring over a 10-week period May 19-September 17 (with a training the week of April 30). This is an excellent opportunity for these men to share their knowledge, experiences and insight with young men in the New Haven Public Schools. (These young men are between 15 and 18 years old, and enrolled in Wilbur Cross, Hillhouse, and the City's Adult Education programs.)

If you are interested, or would like to nominate someone to be a mentor, please contact me by end of day, Monday, March 19.
submitted by
Patricia A. Scussel
Executive Director
Greater New Haven Leadership Center/New Haven Network for Public Education
Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce
203-782-4314

ESL Classes Available at Wilson Branch Library Saturday mornings 10-noon

New Haven Adult Education is offering free tutoring at the Wilson Branch Library for Spanish-speaking adults who want to improve their English skills. Please call 946-2228 for details.

Marijuana Policy Project

Grant Application Deadlines: May 1, 2007; September 1, 2007; and January 1, 2008.
The Marijuana Policy Project( http://www.mpp.org/ ) provides grants of up to $60,000, for efforts that foster measurable changes in U.S. public policy that will lead to marijuana's being regulated similarly to alcohol and to marijuana's availability for medical use. http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/10006515/mpp
More RFPs in Substance Abuse are at http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/cat_substance_abuse.jhtml

Patricia Dobler Poetry Award

This contest is open to any woman writer over the age of 40 living in the U.S. and writing in English, who has not published a full-length book of poetry (chapbooks excluded). Winner will receive Patricia Dobler Poetry Award, in the form of round-trip travel and lodging as a participating guest of Carlow’s MFA residency in Carlow, Ireland, June 12–22, 2007. Details: http://gradstudies.carlow.edu/creative/dobler-award.html

War Resisters League seeks Office Coordinator

War Resisters League seeks a self-directed, collaborative and motivated administrator to coordinate and maintain the national office (NYC). Current projects include the Not Your Soldier Project, the Stop the Merchants of Death Program, and a number of local and regional anti-war organizing projects. Full job description at http://warresisters.org/

Timely Tax Information

The U.S. government has been forced to make available a total of around $20 billion in refunds ($10 billion to individuals; the other $10 billion to businesses, nonprofits, schools, etc.) that have been illegally collected on our phone bills. These refunds are not automatic -- they must be claimed, but early indications are that a large number of people who have already filed are not requesting this refund. The approximately 15 million low-income people in the U.S. who are not required to file a tax return must file a simple form 1040EZ-T to claim their refund--find it at www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040ezt.pdf.

In addition, Refunds For Good (www.refundsforgood.org) is a website that educates people about the War Tax refund, and then encourages them to redirect their refund to one of three charities: PeaceJam Foundation, Solar Electric Light Fund and Physicians for Social Responsibility. The window of opportunity slams shut on April 16th. Any unclaimed refunds will be retained by the government and used to fund, among other things, the current war.
submitted by Barry Felson, (203) 687-4340
www.NextGenLeaders.org

Broadwater LNG Project Environmental Impact Statement is now available as a pdf report at the Library

Check at the Information Desk to review the report.

March is Women's History Month

Several local events this month that are of special interest to women:
March 3--13th Annual Celebrating Women's Creativity conference, at Quinnipiac University. Francine Prose, author of Reading Like a Writer, keynotes. Tickets $35 at door/$25 seniors/$15 non-Quinnipiac students/$50 for two. For complete program, visit www.quinnipiac .edu or call 582-8954.
March 4--5th Annual Women's Health Conference, at Water’s Edge Resort, Westbrook. 2 Keynote Speakers• 21 Breakout Sessions• Continental Breakfast & Buffet Lunch• Raffle, Vendors & Booths• Free Massages! 458-6699 or http://www.womenandfamilylifecenter.org/healthconference.html
March 10: Women's History Month: screening of Iron-Jawed Angels, recent HBO film about events leading to the ratification of the 19th Amendment providing voting rights to women, starring Hillary Swank and Angelica Huston, at the New Haven Public Library, 133 Elm St. Free. Information will be provided about the Community Foundation's Women and Girl's Fund. Details: nhfplevents@gmail.com or call 946-8835.
March 15, 6-8pm--Women's Business Dev't Center's Fast Trac New Venture, 8 workshops for the aspiring business owner, hosted by GNH Chamber of Commerce's Business Assistance Center. $2500 tuition grant assistance to successful applicants. Details: wrauch@ctwbdc.org or call 1-877-999-9232.

Artist Housing Workshop March 26

On Monday, March 26, 10-2, The Arts Council of Greater New Haven presents an Artist Housing Workshop at Kehler Liddell Gallery, 873 Whalley Ave. $20/Arts Council members, $25/nonmembers, includes breakfast and lunch. Advance registration is required by Friday, March 23: 772-2788 or visit www.artscouncilgnh.org.

The workshop begins with a walking tour of artist spaces, both ownership and rental models, in the heart of Westville village, followed by a workshop led by Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven on how to decide if renting or owning is the right path for you. The afternoon will conclude with a keynote talk by Esther Robinson, filmmaker and founder of ArtHome in New York City.