"Learning to read unlocks so much for our kids, stimulating their imaginations and opening doors to knowledge. The Family Literacy Center will provide the tools Danbury needs to ensure that their kids are ready to learn and parents can keep them on the path to success," said Murphy.

The Center will provide support and resources to families in Danbury to foster child and family education success. This funding provides the seed money to establish the Center and purchase materials and services, and will position the Danbury Public Schools to seek additional grants to sustain the Center.

[...]

"The Danbury Board of Education has placed a major emphasis on parent involvement, and with this grant we will be able to support parents and students in ways our regular budget could not afford to," said Dr. Pascarella.

In recent weeks, both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate passed H.R. 1105, the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations bill, sending it out of Congress and to President Obama's desk for his signature. This legislation, which includes the $262,000 for Danbury's Family Literacy Center proj ect, wraps up work on the Fiscal Year 2009 appropriations bills, and works in tandem with the economic recovery package, making investments that address the country's immediate needs while investing in our long-term economic strength.

Father James Manship, pastor of St. Rose of Lima Church, was in State Superior in New Haven Thursday morning, answering charges of disorderly conduct and interfering with a police officer. After a two-hour wait, the charges against the priest were dismissed in less than a minute. State prosecutor David Strollo said the state did not have sufficient evidence to go forward with the case.

Manship was arrested by East Haven police on Feb. 19 while videotaping what he described as systematic police harassment of Latinos in East Haven. East Haven business owners say local police have targeted them and their customers for intimidation and traffic stops without reason.

Father Manship’s video footage of his arrest, which he released two weeks ago, contradicted the police arrest report and undermined the prosecution’s case. Thursday was his second court appearance, following a plea of not guilty three weeks ago.

With their priest exonerated, Manship’s parishioners are now going on offense. Angel Fernandez, a parish leader at St. Rose of Lima, announced that Yale attorneys filed a complaint with the Department of Justice on Thursday morning seeking a federal investigation into allegations of race-based harassment by East Haven Police. East Haven Latinos and their advocates said they hope that a federal investigation will result in oversight and reform of East Haven’s police department.

[...]

“Can you imagine being arrested for no reason?” Father Manship asked rhetorically at a press conference on the New Haven green following his court appearance. He said that he had been fortunate to be a white man and a priest, represented by a team of attorneys. Others facing false charges are not so lucky, he said.

“I’m happy that this case is over. It’s been a distraction,” the priest continued. “Now we can get to the business at hand.”

The business at hand, announced St. Rose parish leader Angel Fernandez (pictured), is a federal investigation of racially motivated police harassment in East Haven. This abuse, Fernandez said, includes Latino drivers being pulled over without reason, Latinos being beaten while in police custody, and the systematic harassment of Latino businesses in East Haven.

Student attorneys from Yale’s Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization, a clinic at the law school, have collected over 20 personal stories of alleged police harassment and compiled them into a formal complaint, which they sent to the U.S. Department of Justice. The 14-page complaint requests an investigation of East Haven’s police department.

The document alleges a “pattern and practice of race-based violence and racial profiling against Latinos in East Haven.” It outlines four main areas of concern: racially motivated violence against Latinos, harassment and intimidation directed at Latino motorists and business owners, the “tacit approval” of the police department, and police retaliation against Latinos that have spoken out. Fernandez said that police abuse has escalated in East Haven in recent weeks, since Latinos have gone public with their experiences.

Justin Bernier, the former head of the Office of Military Affairs, is set to announce his candidacy for Congress this Thursday at 9:45 am at Farmington’s Community and Senior Center. Bernier, who currently lives in Plainville, is a Farmington native. He’s also a veteran of Afghanistan, and was appointed by Jodi Rell to be the head of the Office of Military Affairs in 2008. In 2005, he was a member of Rob Simmons’ staff, and played a role in keeping the Groton Sub Base open.