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Articles by Markeshia Ricks
Call for Speakers Now Open: 2nd Annual Inclusive Growth Summit
Cross-sector leaders invited to help shape conversations on economic mobility, innovation and inclusive growth “This Summit is designed to bring together people who are actively building, testing and advancing solutions that can help shape a more resilient and inclusive future.” ” — Dawn Leaks Ragsdale, executive director of The Center for Inclusive Growth NEW HAVEN, CT, UNITED STATES, June 2, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Center for Inclusive Growth has officially opened its Call for...
Chapel West Archives - New Haven Independent
During his Saturday night set at The Table & Gallery, New Haven born-and-raised Ghetto Guitar received a warm welcome home after three years making music in Atlanta. He had a few platinum records to his name already, producing for artists like Gunna and Wiz Khalifa. He’d performed with Latto on Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show and Late Night with Seth Meyers. For Saturday night, he stripped it back to instrumentals. “It’s refreshing. To be able to do this again,” Ghetto Guitar said.
Armada Brewing Rings In Its Eighth Year
Top: Armada Captain and Founder John "Johnny" Kraszewski working the bar during the anniversary celebration. Bottom: the anniversary raffle goodies. An impending snowstorm and gray fog provided the perfect wet and brooding vibes to encourage beer enthusiasts and connoisseurs to make their way into Armada Brewing Saturday like sailors longing for a respite from the seafaring life.
New Haven AKAs Sparkle At 60
By Markeshia Ricks, The Arts Paper newhavenarts.org The current members of Theta Epsilon Omega. Markeshia Ricks Photos. The New Haven members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. traded their signature pink and green for the sparkle and shine of diamonds to celebrate 60 years of service in the Elm City.
New Haven AKAs Sparkle At 60
Top: Theta Epsilon Omega Chapter past presidents. Bottom: The current members of Theta Epsilon Omega. Markeshia Ricks Photos. The New Haven members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. traded their signature pink and green for the sparkle and shine of diamonds to celebrate 60 years of service in the Elm City.
Culture Bearers Gather At The Orchid Gallery
Markeshia Ricks Photos. After successfully opening the Lab at ConnCORP in the former Newhall Street School, ConnCORP Chief Executive Erik Clemons had an idea of transforming a hallway of the building into an art gallery. He knew he needed a trusted artistic partner to help bring his idea to life—and found it in nico w. okoro and her husband Malik, founders of the bldg fund.
Arts & Ideas Takes Flight
Quiala talks about all things Arts & Ideas Festival 2024 at the kickoff reception. Markeshia Ricks Photos. The International Festival of Arts & Ideas turns 29 this summer. As it does, the upcoming celebration promises to weave together the cultural, political and intellectual threads of migration into a tapestry that is uniquely American and undoubtedly New Haven.
Deltas Recognize Five For Their 'Lighthouse Effect'
The members of the New Haven Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. staged a lighthouse themed brunch based on Steve Pemberton's book The Lighthouse Effect: How Ordinary People Can Have Extraordinary Impact in the World to honor five organizations that serve as beacons of light in their community.
Everyday Angels Get Their Wings
Everyday Angels (from left to right) Erica G. Bradley, Kia Levey Burden, Dori Dumas, Juanita Sunday Austin, Regina Mullings and Shaunda Holloway at Possible Futures. Karimah Mickens Webber phots. Dori Dumas is often called on to deliver remarks. As the president of the Greater New Haven Chapter NAACP, she is used to speaking extemporaneously at public events and is rarely at a loss for words. Dumas receives her flowers on the angel bench at Possible Futures.
One Love, One Tent
Barnum Festival 2024 Ringmaster Dr. Camelia Lawrence at a screening of the Bob Marley biopic "One Love." Markeshia Ricks photos. Bob Marley’s music is part of a global soundtrack of freedom that continues to influence modern movements and a group of people gathered in a sold out private screening to witness a new movie about his life, to pay homage to the legacy of the global icon and support a local Jamaican making history in her own right.
Dixwell Celebrates 'Forever' Constance Baker Motley
Top photo: Greater New Haven NAACP President Dori Dumas and Constance Royster, niece of the late Judge Constance Baker Motley, unveil a picture of the 47th Black Heritage Stamp. Markeshia Ricks Photos. New Haveners have a reason to stand a little taller when they’re mailing their letters and cards during this year’s Black History celebrations.
Kultrally Lit Launches Baldwin Centennial Celebration
New Haven Poet Laureate Sharmont "Influence" Little and Kulturally Lit Founder Ife Michelle Gardin at The Year of Baldwin launch party. Markeshia Ricks Photos. Famed writer and civil rights activist James Baldwin would be 100 in August had he lived and IfeMichelle Gardin and her team of cultural curators at Kulturally Lit are throwing him a yearlong birthday party that celebrates his life, the rich legacy of the artistic work he left behind and its relevance to today.
New Haven Independent
Cop of the Week by | Jul 23, 2021 12:16 pm | Comments (7) A distress call came in from a medical office: A patient was getting “vocal.” They needed help. Specifically, they needed the newest deescalation cop on the force. Continue reading ‘Officer Heidi Keeps The Peace’ by | Mar 23, 2020 1:25 pm | Comments (1) At around 6:15 p.m., Mayor Justin Elicker’s voice moved west with the speed of traffic on Grand Avenue.
New Haven Independent
Jobs Pipeline by | Apr 2, 2024 8:45 am | Comments (8) Instead of English educator Akimi Nelken being at the head of her Wilbur Cross High School classroom, a trio of students took a turn leading the day’s lessons. Continue reading ‘Cross Students Try Hand As Teachers’ by | Mar 6, 2024 4:25 pm | Comments (7) Some students remained after school at Metro Business Academy Tuesday to start getting a sense of what it might be like one day to come back — as teachers.
Brussels Sprouts Afresh On Chapel | New Haven Independent
The Brussels sprouts popped with delight when executive chef Drew Osbon immersed them in hot oil. The sound of fireworks in the kitchen at Atelier Florian, one of the city’s newest fine-dining restaurants, is just the start of the real party that would happen later ... in your mouth. Osbon deep-fried the sprouts to a crisp, blistered golden finish that probably would have been tasty all on their own.
The Great Pumpkin Arrives | New Haven Independent
John Brennan lightly browned parboiled perogies on each side in butter, giving them a firm, lightly crisp texture, and an almost nutty flavor. After hitting the perogies with some salt and pepper, Brennan—co-owner and executive chef of one of New Haven’s hottest new eateries, Elm City Social at 266 College St.—tossed in a generous amount of caramelized shallots into the hot pan. When the perogies were ready he added them to a plate with the crême fraiche.
An Eel, A Crayfish -- And Maybe A Career | New Haven Independent
“Oh! That felt really weird,” Keelin Mathews said. The 15-year-old was scooping macro invertebrates out of a tub of water, when a crayfish brushed against her plastic spoon, startling her. The Common Ground High School student (at right in photo) never thought much about the little critters in water, or what their presence means to water quality.
Over GOP Murmurs, Cycletrack Approved | New Haven Independent
by Markeshia Ricks | Jun 22, 2017 3:36 pm (28) Comments | Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author Posted to: Transportation, Dwight, Edgewood, Westville After nearly three years spent convincing Westville, Edgewood and Dwight neighbors of the benefits of a two-way cycle track stretching from Forest Road to Park Street, city planners found one group left to convince: Republicans.
Builder Can Start Work; Wharton Objects | New Haven Independent
A developer won permission to stockpile clean dirt in preparation for the cleanup and future development of a former Winchester Repeating Arms factory — over the objections of one City Plan commissioner who argued that the neighborhood has been shut out of the process. The developer, Double A Development Partners LLC, has plans to transform a 13-acre site formerly owned by Olin Corp, which bought out Winchester in 1931, into a yet-to-be detailed housing complex.
City Planners Honor Gilvarg | New Haven Independent
The City Plan Commission wasn’t going to let Karyn GIlvarg leave without at least a plaque and a flood of tributes to honor her more than two decades of guiding New Haven’s development. Gilvarg, who has served as New Haven’s City Plan Department chief since 1994, attended her last meeting of the commission Wednesday night before her planned retirement next month.
Hotel Duncan Renovation Sparks Vote For Hearing | New Haven Independent
by Markeshia Ricks | Oct 19, 2017 7:09 am (19) Comments | Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author Posted to: Business/ Economic Development, Housing, Downtown The City Plan Commission voted to host a discussion on how to preserve and encourage the development of affordable housing — but only if the Hotel Duncan needs its site plans reviewed.
Long Wharf 2.0 Dream Gets A Team | New Haven Independent
by Markeshia Ricks | Dec 6, 2017 7:16 am (14) Comments | Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author Posted to: Business/ Economic Development, Long Wharf, The Hill, True Vote The team that designed and planned a $2 billion transformation of a mile and a half stretch of Washington D.C.‘s Southwest waterfront has been tapped to create a strategic development and economic plan for the city’s Long Wharf District.
City Plan: "Reconsider" SRO Moratorium | New Haven Independent
by Markeshia Ricks | Jan 18, 2018 1:34 pm (21) Comments | Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author Posted to: Housing, Downtown, True Vote The City Plan Commission stopped short of urging the Board of Alders to kill a planned six-month development moratorium aimed at protecting endangered rooming houses — voting instead to urge a “reconsideration.” The vote took place Wednesday night at the conclusion of a four-hour passionate public hearing at this month’s City Plan meeting at City Hall.
New Haven Independent
Winter Storm Juno by | Jan 28, 2015 2:24 pm | Comments (4) 11-year old Sophie and 8‑year-old Jacob had a little more snow shoveling power left in the tank. Little sister Esther was ready to pack it in. Continue reading ‘Yetis #ROOAR Through Neighborhoods’ by | Jan 28, 2015 2:22 pm | Comments (2) David Oricchio was nearly out of “carbs” by 2 p.m. Tuesday — no “pastries, bagels, bread”; just a container of Trader Joe’s plain yogurt, some Irish oatmeal, and three day-old scones.
Practice makes perfect score
By MARKESHIA RICKS Thursday Jul 20, 2006 at 12:01 AM Jul 20, 2006 at 10:59 AM The second time was a charm for a 16-year-old Pine View student, who made a perfect 2400 on his SAT. SARASOTA COUNTY -- The first time Nathan Robinson took the SAT, he nailed it. His score of 2,310 was just 90 points short of perfect. Most anyone would have left it at that. But not Nathan, a 16-year-old student at Pine View School for the Gifted in Osprey who actually enjoyed taking the SAT. He signed up for a second try.
"Identity Politics" Illuminates Past, Present | New Haven Independent
As you reflect on Veterans Day, Khalilah L. Brown-Dean asks you to think of Jimmie Lee Jackson and Leonard Matlovich. And when you think of them she wants you to consider how their identities and the politics and policies that shaped their lives still have much to teach us today. Brown-Dean, an associate professor of political science at Quinnipiac University, is the author of the recently published book Identity Politics in the United States.
Sisterhood, Roped In | New Haven Independent
When Justice Smith was a fifth grader at Augusta Lewis Troup, she was introduced to double dutch by a friend and a woman looking to coach a competition team in the Elm City. She fell in love with the sport; now she’s passing that love on. Smith, now a 43-year-old mother of five, is the creator of an organization called Double Dutch in CT.
See You On Sabbatical | New Haven Independent
I’m taking a sabbatical. I’m taking an adult gap year. I’m taking a leave of absence from my job. I’m giving up my good, wage-paying job to do nothing, to do everything I want and can afford for at least the next six months, but hopefully a full year. I’m going on an adventure. I’ve been saying some version of all of this over and over throughout the last month since I’ve decided to step away from being a full-time journalist to be a full-time, quasi-vagabond.
Centenarian Credits Work For Longevity | New Haven Independent
Annie Bradley Gallman says that there’s no secret in living to be 100 years old; it just requires some work. And she should know. She joined the centenarian club Thursday — a decade after she finally stopped working. “I don’t feel no different,” she said of reaching the milestone. “Still the same, just the age.” Wearing a smart white dress suit, sparkling jewelry, and a tiara, Gallman accepted hugs, kisses, and well wishes for an even longer life during a party held in her honor at Ella B.
A Second Chance In Washington State | New Haven Independent
Tarra Simmons thought she was going to escape the fate of the family she was born into — a family where everyone had been incarcerated and everyone suffered from a substance abuse disorder. And for a while she did. “I thought I was doing pretty well,” said Simmons, who is the executive director of Civil Survival, an advocacy organization for the formerly incarcerated.
Ruling: Ed Board Twice Violated Law | New Haven Independent
The state Freedom of Information Commission has again found that the New Haven Board of Education violated open meeting laws. In two separate decisions, the FOIC ruled that the BOE illegally held by email a meeting about a Creed High School student’s suspension and illegally went into executive session last year to discuss firing part-time employees.
Capoeira Kicks Up The Green | New Haven Independent
Rhythm and sound from Brazil woke up the Green midday Friday as people kicked and flipped at the intersection of Chapel and Church streets. It might have been easy to mistake the men and women in white delivering those swift high kicks over each other’s heads and deftly avoiding a foot to the head with the grace of a ballet dancer for being engaged in some sort of fight. Except they never stopped smiling at each other. That is the magic of capoeira.
New Haven Independent
Chapel West by | Oct 19, 2023 3:33 pm | Comments (3) It’s Cezerye, pronounced jehz-air-yeh. It’s made with carrots, nuts, and sugar, and it’s coated with coconut flakes. It conjures an ancient city of mosques and narrow streets, the sounds of a bustling marketplace, the warm, dry Mediterranean air. “This is only from Latakia, only we do this,” said Ammar Chekhess who, along with his partner, Mohammad Ali, recently opened Marshmallow, at Chaps Grille, on Chapel Street near Park.
Lot Transformed Into "Parkside Crossing" | New Haven Independent
City and state officials joined Randy Salvatore to cut the ribbon — and to enjoy the view from a tricked-out rooftop — on his latest completed upscale development project, in the Hill. The event marked the opening of Parkside Crossing at 22 Gold St., the first of five apartment complexes Salvatore is building as part of New Haven’s broader Hill-to-Downtown Community filling in land between the train station and Yale’s medical district..
Worker-Owned Laundry Plan Sped Up | New Haven Independent
Alders have sped up approval of plans for transforming a former welfare office building into a worker-owned laundry in Newhallville. The alders of the Community Development Committee did that during a meeting held at City Hall Wednesday night.
Vegas-Stye Strip Club Proposal Has An Opponent | New Haven Independent
The owner of a local sign making company does not want a proposed “Las Vegas-style” strip club to become his neighbor. And he stopped by the City Plan Commission to say so. The owner, Joseph Villano, is the CEO of J. Villano Sign Co., which has been on East Street for decades.
Vegas-Stye Strip Club Proposal Has An Opponent
Markeshia Ricks Photo Joseph Villano addresses City Plan commissioners. The owner of a local sign-making company does not want a proposed “Las Vegas-style” strip club to become his neighbor. And he stopped by the City Plan Commission to say so. The owner, Joseph Villano, is the CEO of J. Villano Sign Co., which has been on East Street for decades.
NAACP Call: "Defeat Hate ... VOTE!" | New Haven Independent
The Greater New Haven Branch of the NAACP put the vote on the agenda for its 102nd Freedom Fund dinner. The event was held at the Omni Thursday night. Organizers emphasized the value of the most basic civil right — the right to vote — and how now, more than ever, people should exercise their rights. The theme of the evening was “Defeat Hate ... VOTE.” Many of the city’s movers and shakers packed a ballroom for the dinner to hear from the Rev.
Plans OK'd For Mid-Block, Tower Lane Projects | New Haven Independent
Two developers got the green light to move forward on projects that will transform the landscape on two blocks in and near Downtown and bring hundreds more apartments to the city. At their monthly meeting Wednesday night in City Hall, City Plan commissioners voted unanimously in favor of site plans the two projects: a six-story, mixed-use building on a vacant lot at the corner of Orange and Chapel Street and another one to the intersection of Tower Lane and Church Street South.
1 Night, 13 First Dates | New Haven Independent
David Weinreb stood on the platform of the elevated seating area of Crown 116 and laid down the rules: Choose between a prompt that helps you to “connect” or “play” with your date. It’s OK to take notes. When the three-minute bell rings, say thanks and move promptly to the next date. Welcome to Elm City Speed Dating.
LCI Previews Plan To Tighten Rental Licensing | New Haven Independent
The city’s anti-blight agency is preparing a plan to give it a better ability to inspect rental property and to hold landlords accountable, even charge them criminally if they don’t keep their property up to code. The plan would reward landlords that do the right thing.
From Community Health Patient To CEO | New Haven Independent
When Cornell Scott Hill Health Center CEO Michael Taylor was a kid growing up in West Philadelphia, he didn’t know that he would one day lead one of Connecticut’s oldest and largest community health centers. He just knew he wanted to help people like his friends who one by one found themselves incarcerated. “Very simply put, I am a kid still from the ghetto in Philadelphia,” he told Jeff Grant, co-host of WNHH FM’s “Criminal Justice Insider,” during a recent episode. “That was my upbringing.
Oak Haven's Kitchen Hits The Road | New Haven Independent
The farm-to-table dining experience Oak Haven Table & Bar brought to Upper State Street six years ago will be pulling up to farms, festivals, and fairs this summer. That’s because the restaurant, which specializes in craft cocktails and modern American cuisine, now has a new roady-ready beast of a “mobile kitchen.” “It’s not just a food truck,” said Albert Greenwood, who owns the restaurant and the truck with Craig Hotchkiss.
Oak Haven’s Kitchen Hits The Road
Markeshia Ricks Photo Oak Haven Chef Kevin Wolcott inside the new mobile kitchen. The farm-to-table dining experience Oak Haven Table & Bar brought to Upper State Street six years ago will be pulling up to farms, festivals, and fairs this summer.
New App Makes Local Politics Xentral | New Haven Independent
Finding out information about your local political representatives could get a lot easier thanks to a new phone app created by two homegrown developers. William Ruiz and Abdul Ahmed, two sons of New Haven who attended middle, high school and college together in the Elm City, are the creators of the app, called PolitiXentral. It centralizes information about local representatives.
Where Do We Go From Here? | New Haven Independent
Faith and community leaders are asking how best to move forward in rebuilding trust with the police after Hamden and Yale officers shot at two unarmed people in the Newhallville section of the city. That question was posed at a forum held at Varick Memorial AME Zion Church on Dixwell Avenue Thursday evening. Retired New Haven Police Chief Anthony Campbell had an answer for the nearly 25 people who showed up. He told them to keep talking and bring more people.
'Tactical Urbanism' Is Coming | New Haven Independent
Six neighborhoods will learn two new words this summer and fall: “tactical urbanism.” The hope is the term will help make their communities safer to bike and walk. Acting city transit deputy Karla Lindquist told Westville/West Hills neighbors at a community management team meeting Wednesday night that the city is embarking on an active transportation master plan. Part of it will involve the creation of six “tactical urbanism” projects.
Schools Make End-Of-Year Attendance Push | New Haven Independent
Gemma Joseph Lumpkin, Michael Fox and James Newton knocked on a door a Blake Street apartment building. A woman inside answered. No children could be heard at play. That was a good sign. It could mean that the children who live there were in fact at school on Tuesday.
Hillhouse Reigns In Track, Basketball | New Haven Independent
The Hillhouse Academics continue their dominance in track and basketball, bringing home more state championships for both sports this year. On Monday night, they were recognized by the Board of Alders for their prowess on the track, the court and in the classroom. Teams and coaches for both sports were feted during the alders’ regular bimonthly meeting at City Hall. It was not a first trip for the track teams, both of which are state champions.
Election-Repair Crew Scopes Out Clemente | New Haven Independent
The Registrar of Voters office, a new consultant and a handful of moderators got to kick the tires on New Haven’s upcoming mayoral primary with the first of a series of tours of polling places. With just four months until the Sept. 10 Democratic primary election, and with efforts underway to correct problems that have created years of botched elections, the tour pulled into Roberto Clemente at Columbus and Howard avenues in the Hill Monday.
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