Mauro-Sheridan design by Boroson ARC ’84 supported pragmatic renovations
The Mauro-Sheridan Science, Technology and Communications Interdistrict Magnet School on Fountain Street opened Wednesday after a $47.5 million renovation by New Haven-based architect Kenneth Boroson ARC ’84. Boroson noted in a Thursday interview that while the notable “character and exterior” of the Beaux-Arts and neo-Gothic Sheridan school was maintained, the interiors of the building had to be gutted to install energy-efficient technologies and to increase classroom sizes. The overhaul also included the construction of a new wing and boasts a number of state-of-the-art amenities such as video/broadcasting and robotics laboratories.
—Amir Sharif

Superintendent stresses academic as well as aesthetic school reforms
When Superintendent Reginald Mayo introduced the newly renovated, $38 million Bishop Woods School, located on Quinnipiac Avenue, with a speech Wednesday morning, he stressed a New Haven public school reform initiative to increase accountability and encourage hard work and achievement, the New Haven Independent reported. Along with Mayor John DeStefano Jr.’s school construction initiative — 31 schools have been built or renovated — inside-out school reform should occur, Mayo said. This week, city officials met with local and national teachers’ union leaders to discuss further reforms to the New Haven public school system, focusing on, among other things, recruitment of top teachers.
—Greta Stetson

NHPD promotes 20 officers to new ranks
Twenty New Haven Police Department officers were promoted at a ceremony at the Nathan Hale School on Wednesday. One lieutenant was promoted to the rank of captain, three sergeants were promoted to lieutenant, five officers and four detectives were promoted to sergeant and seven officers were promoted detective, City Hall spokeswoman Jessica Mayorga announced in a press release. One of the officers promoted to sergeant was Robin Higgins, wife of Assistant Yale Police Department Chief Ronnell Higgins, and another is a Yale grad: Anthony Campbell ’95 DIV ’09. The last round of promotions came in January, when 13 officers received new ranks.
—Harrison Korn

Two hundred days later after passage of Recovery Act, Biden lauds tangible effects in Connecticut
Vice President Joe Biden yesterday hailed the effects of the stimulus bill in Connecticut before the 200th day since its passage. As a result of funding from the $700 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, 2,400 new education jobs were funded in Connecticut and work on major infrastructure projects, including work to I-95 in the New Haven area and Tweed-New Haven Airport is now underway. A significant portion of I-95 between New Haven and New York has been under construction for resurfacing, a project that began over the summer.
—Zeke Miller

City fire commissioner resigns after move to West Haven, Yale payroll
Francisco Ortiz Jr. resigned this week from the New Haven Board of Fire Commissioners, the New Haven Register reported. Ortiz currently works for Yale University as security director for West Campus. Previously he served for five years as the chief of police of the New Haven Police Department, during which time a corruption scandal caused three officers to be arrested. Ortiz was never implicated in the scandal. He said he resigned from the board because he moved out of New Haven to West Haven, the Register reported.
—Harrison Korn