I am coming into this Sunday heartbroken and heavier because the wrenching, tragic deaths by gun violence of two young New Haveners — Daily and Uzziah — in the last couple of weeks. It is an unimaginable loss, and there is weight and a shadow cast on our city. My deep condolences to all who knew and loved them both: Family and chosen family, friends in school, teachers, and neighbors.

Both young men are on my heart and mind as I think about what needs to be true to make our city safer for all our children: Investing in every neighborhood and more safe spaces for youth, getting guns off our streets, identifying trusted community leaders across the city to help, and continually reaching out to grieving families and neighbors impacted. To read about a beautiful gathering to honor the life of Daily, head here.

New 16-Bike Fleet Launched | East Rock School Bike Club

Was very proud to partner with East Rock School to launch a new 16-bike fleet for their afterschool Bike Club! This week, we hosted a ribbon-cutting and celebratory bike ride.East Rock School is heading into their second year of their after school Bike Club — which teaches students how to ride their bike safely and with pride. Thanks to a collaborative effort with Principal Sabrina Breland, Anna Ruth Pickett from East Rock School PTO, Elias from New Haven Coalition for Active Transportation, Ms. Stephanie Boeher, volunteers like Joel LaChance, The Devils Gear Bike Shop, and myself, we applied for and received a $5,000 Active Transportation Grant from the Connecticut Department of Transportation to purchase the new fleet 🚲For me, learning to ride my bike as a kid was about learning independence to get where I needed to go, freedom to exploring neighborhood, and — simply — healthy fun. Congratulations to East Rock School on the launch and for being such a champion of biking skills for youth, and thank you CT Department of Transportation for the generous support!