Information may be freely distributed and contributed by a variety of groups, organizations, communities and others all across the USA.

Larry Marino passed away peacefully at the age of 99 on Sunday (February 3, 2008) at Middlesex Health Care Center in Middletown after a brief illness. The wake/viewing was held on February 6, 2008 from 4 to 8 at D’angelo’s Funeral Home, 22 South Main St., Middletown. 

The funeral was held on Thursday, February 7, 2008 at 10 a.m. at St. Sebastian Church, 122 Washington Street at Middletown. 

Larry was involved in advocating for Deaf Seniors, thanks to his three well-known deaf siblings, Jack Marino, Marie Szopa and Anna Fronzcek. He had fought for the building for deaf elderly people at Middletown, and had seen his dream accomplished.

Our sympathy goes to Mr. Marino's devoted wife and children. Read about his obituary.

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) was asked by Pepsi Co to provide advice, feedback, and comments on a 60-second commercial filmed entirely in American Sign Language (ASL), with open captions for hearing viewers.

The Pepsi Co ad, featuring PepsiCo employees, was aired on February 3, 2008 during the Super Bowl pre-game program. More info at the NAD web site.

Interesting video news about the KFC operated by deaf owner and his deaf employees and they have a hearing person on staff to accept phone orders at Cairo, Egypt .

Failure to immunize
A recent survey of the Johns Hopkins University
cochlear implant patient population,
conducted by Dr. John Niparko

The survey revealed that despite repeated information bulletins from the University regarding the importance of vaccination, 29% of the parents/guardians of patients under 2 years of age were uncertain of the child’s vaccination status.

Vaccination status was unknown in 43% of children older than two years, and 12% were known to be not properly vaccinated. These findings strongly suggest that patients are not receiving vital preventive care that can reduce their risk of this life-threatening illness.

U.S. Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cochlear implant manufacturers, and professional societies to heighten awareness of the importance of vaccinations in the cochlear implant population. Recommendations to decrease the risk of meningitis in cochlear implant recipients.

Follow CDC’s vaccination recommendations. CDC has issued recommendations regarding which vaccines cochlear implant patients should receive and when the vaccines should be given. Because children with cochlear implants are at increased risk.

FDA Public Health Notification: Importance of Vaccination in Cochlear Implant Recipients
(issued on October 10, 2007)

New NTD Executive Director Mr. Aaron Kubey invites you to visit the NTD web site. The NTD reaches its 40th anniversary year with many achievements to its credit.

The NTD will sponsor its celebration this upcoming autumn 2008. (This date notice was recently announced since an original date of this event was this Spring.)

For more info, contact Betty Beekman, Tour Director at 860.236.4193, EXT 3025.

Hartford

The City of Hartford, Department of Development Services (DODS),
through Imagineers will accept 6,000 pre-applications
to be considered for its Housing Choice Voucher Program waiting list
through a computer generated lottery. The voucher
program offers rent subsidies to households who meet Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) eligibility
guidelines.

The pre-application form will appear 11/1/2007 in multiple area
newspapers, Hartford libraries, community service agencies,
Imagineers' office at 635 Farmington Avenue in Hartford, CT, as well
as websites:
http://www.das.state.ct.us/Business_Svs/HCVP/HCVP_Home.asp or
http://www.hartford.gov/Development/housing

Qualified individuals with disabilities may call 860-522-1028.

We will accept pre-applications from November 1, 2007 until November 21, 2007 through the mail only.

No pre-applications will be accepted
before 11/1/2007 or by hand delivery or fax or if the form is not
legible. The pre-application form will detail the specifics of where
to mail the pre-application form and other important information.
You will be able to submit a pre-application form if: you are
elderly, disabled, single or a family and are 18 years of age or
older or an emancipated minor and are a citizen, or a non-citizen with
eligible immigration status, and your income does not exceed the
income limits listed below based on family size:
Income Limit: Total household income cannot exceed the income limit
for each household size:
Household size 1 - 8 and Income Limit:

$28,100 for 1

$32,100 for 2

$36,150 for 3

$40,150 for 4

$43,350 for 5

$46,550 for 6

$49,800 for 7
$53,000 for8

Only one fully completed pre-application per envelope will be
considered per household.

You cannot submit more than one preapplication
in an envelope and for the same household.

All pre-applications must be completely filled out and legible in order to be considered for the lottery selection.

We are an equal housing provider and we do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, or
familial status.

NEW LONDON AREA

a House New London Homebuyer Assistance Program:
Downpayment Assistance for First-time Homebuyers

Through the American Dream Downpayment Initiative (ADDI), HouseNew London provides downpayment and closing cost assistance to first-time homebuyers. Qualified buyers may receive 6% of the purchase price of the home, or $10,000¡Xwhichever is greater. Additional assistance of up to $15,000 ($25,000 total) is available when needed to make the home purchase affordable to the buyer. Downpayment assistance is in the form of an interest-free loan secured by a second mortgage on the property. The loan is forgiven over 5 or 10 years depending on the amount of the assistance provided. Assistance is available only to buyers of single-family homes for owner occupancy; you must occupy the home as your primary residence throughout the full term of the loan.

Eligibility Requirements To be eligible for ADDI assistance, you must:

Be a first-time homebuyer, or a buyer who has not owned a
home in the last three years.

Be a Connecticut resident and purchase a home in New London
County, which includes the towns of:

Bozrah, Colchester, East Lyme, Franklin, Griswold, Groton, Lebanon, Ledyard, Lisbon, Lyme, Montville, New London, North Stonington, Norwich, Old Lyme, Preston, Salem, Sprague, Stonington, Voluntown, and Waterford.

Have a total household income that does not exceed the income
limits shown in the table below. New London County ADDI Income Limits

Household Size: 1-person 2-person 3-person 4-
person 5-person 6-person 7-person 8-person
Annual Gross Income:
$41,700
$47,700
$53,650
$59,600
$64,350
$69,150
$73,900
$78,650

Example:

If you are a 3-person family with a combined annual gross income of $48,000, you qualify for ADDI assistance because you make less than $53,650.

Complete the homeownership training course offered through
HouseNew London, or an approved comparable course.

Have a good credit history, as evidenced by a pre-approval
letter from a mortgage lender.

How to Apply

If you meet the eligibility requirements outlined above, please
complete the application and return it to Sally Williams at Eastern Connecticut Housing Opportunities (ECHO), 228 State Street, Suite 5, New London, CT 06320, or fax it to (860) 444-0574. The application must be filled out completely.

Reservation of ADDI assistance funding is on a first-come, first-
served basis to applicants who have satisfied all of the eligibility
requirements.

If you have already completed an approved homebuyer training course, include a copy of your Certificate of Completion with the application. Also enclose your pre-approval letter from a mortgage lender. The applicant will be called to schedule a meeting to determine eligibility once the 1) application, 2) homebuyer training course Certificate of Completion, and 3) pre-approval letter are received.

Applications without the homebuyer training course
Certificate of Completion and pre-approval letter from a mortgage lender will be accepted, but a meeting to determine eligibility will not be scheduled until ECHO receives all three documents mentioned above.

Finding your Home

Once you have been accepted for a reservation of ADDI funding, you will have three months to find the home you wish to buy, enter into a Purchase and Sale Agreement, and apply for your mortgage. You will then have three more months to complete the purchase.

The ADDI Program places no restrictions on what property you choose, except that:
It must be located in New London County.

The purchase price may not exceed 95% of the area median
purchase price (currently $280,155 for a single-family house).

It must meet HUD minimum Housing Quality Standards (HQS). If
the required HQS inspection reveals any deficiencies, they must be
corrected by the seller prior to your purchase.

ECHO will work with your mortgage lender to verify income and
financial assets. An estimate of the amount of ADDI assistance you
will receive is determined when your lender provides us with your
Loan Application and Good-Faith Estimate.

Some Questions and Answers:

Who is HouseNew London?
HouseNew London (HNL) is a partnership of four nonprofit
organizations that have joined to develop affordable ownership
housing and revitalize neighborhoods in New London, and to provide
homeownership training and home purchase assistance for the residents
of Southeastern Connecticut. The member organizations are: Alderhouse
Residential Communities; Eastern Connecticut Housing Opportunities,
Inc. (ECHO); HOPE, Inc.; and the New London Development Corporation.
ECHO administers the ADDI Program for HouseNew London.

How is this program funded?
Funding for this program is provided by grants from the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the State of
Connecticut through the Department of Economic and Community
Development (DECD). The number of homebuyers who can be assisted by
this program is limited by the grant amounts.

How is first-time homebuyer defined?
HUD defines a first-time homebuyer as an individual and his or her
spouse who have not owned a home during the three years prior to the
purchase of a home with ADDI assistance. Exceptions to the three-year
rule are made for single parents and displaced homemakers who
previously owned a home with his or her spouse.

What types of homes can be purchased with ADDI assistance?
ADDI funds may be used in the purchase of a one-family residence, a
condominium or cooperative unit, a combination of manufactured
housing and lot, or a manufactured housing lot.

What ADDI-approved homebuyer training courses are available?
To become eligible for ADDI assistance, you must complete at least
one 8-hour homebuyer training course that is approved by the
Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA). The Opportunities
Industrialization Center (OIC) in New London offers the 8-hour course
for individuals with good credit standing, as well as a 10-week
program for those in need of credit repair. Call 860-447-1731, ext.
307, for enrollment information.

Other organizations offer the 8-hour course in New London, Norwich,
Willimantic, and various other locations around the state. For times,
locations, and contact information, visit www.CHFA.org (click on
Homebuyer Programs and then Counseling Class Schedule). Please note
that the CHFA-approved 3-hour course is not acceptable training for
the ADDI Program.

How good does my credit have to be?
ADDI assistance will be provided only to applicants who can
demonstrate a history of meeting their financial obligations. For
this program, ¡§good credit¡¨ is defined as the ability to obtain a
fixed payment, 30-year mortgage loan at a rate no greater than 1.5%
above the then-current CHFA rate, with a loan origination fee no
greater than 2%. Under no circumstances will ADDI assistance be given
in conjunction with adjustable rate mortgages.

One page 1 of this Fact Sheet, it ¡s stated that $10,000 (or 6% of the
purchase price) is available to qualified applicants and that up to
$15,000 in additional assistance may be available if needed. How is
it determined whether the ADDI assistance will be $10,000 or a
greater amount?
All ADDI¡Vassisted buyers will receive downpayment assistance of
$10,000, or 6% of the purchase price of the property¡Xwhichever is
greater. Assistance more than this amount will be available, when
needed, to reduce the buyer¡¦s total monthly housing expenses to an
affordable level. The state and federal governments consider
homeownership affordable when total housing expenses (i.e.,
principal, interest, real estate taxes, and insurance) do not exceed
30% of the buyer¡¦s gross income. In cases where a buyer would still
be paying more than 30% of his or her income on total housing
expenses after receiving ADDI assistance of $10,000, or 6% of the
purchase price, up to $15,000 in additional ADDI funds will be
available to reduce total housing expenses to that level.

Are there restrictions on the use and re-sale of a property purchased
with ADDI assistance?
Yes. Buyers will be bound by certain restrictions during
the ¡§affordability period.¡¨ The affordability period will be five
years for most buyers. (For properties with a purchase price that
exceeds $250,000, the affordability period will increase to 10
years.) During this time, you must occupy the property as your
principal residence.

Also, if you sell the property during the affordability period to a
buyer whose income exceeds the ADDI Income Limits then in effect, you must pay back the ADDI assistance from the proceeds of the sale (if funds remain after paying off the first mortgage and sales expenses).
Because the assistance loan is forgiven over the term of the
affordability period, the amount you must repay depends on how long
you have owned the home. For instance, assume you received $20,000 in ADDI assistance and have a five-year affordability period. If you
sell the property after owning it for three years, 60% of the
assistance loan ($12,000) will have been forgiven, and you will have
to pay back $8,000. If you sell after five years, the ADDI loan will
have been completely forgiven, and you will owe nothing.

If you sell during the affordability period to a buyer whose income
is below the then-current ADDI Income Limits, the State of
Connecticut may permit the amount of the ADDI loan remaining at the
time of sale to be assumed by the household purchasing your property. In this case, you will not be required to pay back the remaining loan amount.

Are there any costs to the homebuyer?
There are two costs to the homebuyer. One is the $189 fee that the
homebuyer¡¦s attorney will charge to record three ADDI documents
immediately following closing: the Declaration of Land Use
Restrictive Covenant, Mortgage Deed, and Assignment of Note &
Mortgage. The other is the $55 cost of the required HUD Housing
Quality Standards Inspection. If the property fails and requires a
second inspection, the homebuyer will owe another $55. The homebuyers
may have inspection costs deducted from their ADDI grant funds, or
they may write a check made payable to ECHO.

For More Information
Contact Sally Williams at Eastern Connecticut Housing Opportunities,
Inc., 228 State Street, Suite 5, New London, CT 06320 at

(860) 447- 8055 or swecho@sbcglobal.net.

Time: 11:42 minutes, Speed: 1.04 Mbps, Filesize: 93 mb

Encourage your local public officials
(Police officers, Firemen, Emergency Medical Technicians, etc.)
to review this videotape.

Location: FSW, Room 2B

Time: 11:00-12:30 pm on Mondays

Schedule of Dates and Topics:

February 25, 2008:
Application

March 10, 2008:
Interviewing Skills

March 24, 2008:
Behaviors at Interview/During Work

April 7, 2008:
ADA & Employment

April 21, 2008:
How to Look for Jobs/Dress for Success

For more information, contact Job Club Facilitator Jill Shiloski at 888.676.8554 extension 5577. 

Public Service Announcements have been produced and have gone out to the major TV stations in the state. To view the PSA's, click video clip via Windows Media Player. (3 minutes and 5.3 seconds)

Karen Northrop Coordinator of Public Programming and Development Aetna Foundation Children's Center Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center 114 Woodland Street Hartford, CT 06105 860-714-5039 voice 860-714-7922 TTY 860-714-7960 fax.  

St. Francis is using an encrypted wireless card so that they can wheel their video phone around to the whole hospital!

You may see it not only in the emergency room, but also up in Labor and Delivery, in the pediatric clinic, or if you stay overnight in any other part of the hospital. Now you will be able to have an interpreter for doctor's rounds in the morning, or if something happens with your overnight stay that is unexpected.

Yale New Haven is currently using the video interpreting in their Emergency Department only. The triage staff there are so happy to be able to understand why you've come to the emergency room just as fast as any other patient who walks in. They hope to expand to other parts of the hospital system in the coming months. Waterbury has their VP equipment, and will be soon developing their internal procedures and training in order to start using it.

John Dempsey Hospital (UCONN Medical Center in Farmington) is in the same position. Major grant funding was provided by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and they want to know how it's going!

FSW staff will be asking you to answer a few survey questions about your experience. Your name and specific situation will not appear in our reports. They will continue to provide interpreters who go to the hospital as they are needed, and you have a choice. If you cannot or do not want to use the VP for interpreting, please tell the Video Interpreter or the nurse, and they will send one for you.

Updates will be announced later on the CCOSD website as they happen. If you have an experience with VRI at the hospital that you would like to talk about, please email A. Worster.

Family Services Woodland (FSW) began providing emergency interpreter services via VRI technology starting October 2, 2006.  Initially services are offered at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford.  Other Hospitals will join the project in the following months.

During October, FSW utilizes current staff to cover hours from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.  Starting in November, services will be available 24 hours a day 7 days a week.  The following staff have been hired to man the VRI service:

Ami Worster – Coordinator
Rachel Spillane
Andrea Koolis
Heather Bohman
Stephanie Trent
Krystin Lemay

FSW continues to provide on site interpreters as we have in the past. They still have interpreters on call every evening and weekend.  VRI services are intended to provide more immediate response and make the program better.

Nursing Program/free tuition

If you know of anyone between 18-28 years old, interested in the Nursing field, University of the District of Columbia (UDC) is offering FREE tuition, FREE books, a $250 monthly stipend, and guaranteed job placement as a nurse at Providence Hospital upon graduation (it's a 3 year program) with a starting salary of $40,000. The program is recruiting new students now!! Please contact Ms. Beshon Smith (202) 266-5481 or e-mail to: Bsmith@urbanalliance.org.

DeafDigest of February 11, 2007 mentioned the discarding of TTY machines in many deaf households that may lead to 911 crisis. A solution to this crisis, however, is like trying to find light at the end of the tunnel.   Anyway, for those that have stand-alone fax machines, the crisis is solved!

If an emergency comes up, all the deaf person has to do is to dial 911 on the fax machine phone extension.  Assistance will come to the house once the
911 dispatcher tracks down the origin of the 911 call.

This suggestion was submitted by a DeafDigest subscriber.

[Please try to test this but first notify and warn the 911 dispatcher that you are just testing to see if it works.]

The first Deaf resident at Middletown’s Monarca Place is moving in today, another unit will be filled next week and at present 9 units are accounted for all Deaf, leaving six (6) yet to be filled.  There still is time for more applicants!!!! -

If you are interested to apply to live in a new apartment at the Monarca Place (brand-new building designed for deaf and hard of hearing residents) run by Housing Authority of the City Of Middletown, CT, please contact as soon as possible:

Karen Brown, Public Housing Supervisor

Housing Authority of the City Of Middletown

40 Broad Street

Middletown, CT 06457

tel: (860) 346-8671  [Dial  711 for relay service]

fax:(860)347-0534

Domestic Violence Survivors must work with a Domestic Violence Program i.e. CONNSACS etc. to access these funds:

National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) -- Allstate Education and Job Training Fund

Application Deadline: There are no deadlines for submissions. Description:
The Education and Job Training Assistance Fund is a fund established by the Allstate Foundation, in partnership with the NNEDV Fund, to channel small grants to survivors of domestic violence in order to achieve their educational and job-related goals.

Funding Amount: The NNEDV Fund will disburse grants of up to $1,000 per application.

Who May Apply: Local domestic-violence programs can submit applications on behalf of a domestic-violence survivor. For more information, go to: NNEDV Fund Org web site