The New Community Journal

CommunityCommunityCommunity

Www.communityjournal.info Serving Nassau County’s

FEBRUARY 1, 2013—NASSAU EDITION African American Community VOL. 19 NO. 41

JournalJournalJournal CommunityCommunityCommunity

Crash in North Merrick kills 2

Crash in North Merrick kills 2 Originally published: January 27, 2013 9:13 AM

U p d a t e d : J a n u a r y 2 7 , 2 0 1 3 1 0 : 3 4 P M By TANIA LOPEZ AND LAUREN HARRI-SON [email protected],[email protected]

A car carrying five people from a birthday party ca-reened off the Southern State Parkway in North Merrick early Sunday and wrapped around the tree it struck, killing two passengers and injuring three others, including the driver, police said.

New York State Police said two passengers in the 2008 Nissan Maxima -- Bryan J. Rivas, 20, and Blossom J. Cas-tro, 22, both of Hempstead -- were pronounced dead at the scene.

Driver Kervens Boutin, 29, of Hempstead, was taken along with another passenger, Marlo Cabrera, 19, of the Bronx, to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, where they were listed in critical condition. Boutin, who relatives said had both legs amputated follow-ing the crash, was charged with reckless driving.

(Continued on page 4)

THE NEW COMMUNITY JOURNAL FRIDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2013

NASSAU COUNTY EDITION PAGE 2

PLEASE KEEP THE COMMENTS COMING AND PLEASE KEEP THE COMMENTS COMING AND IF YOU LIKE WHAT WE ARE DOING SHOW YOUR IF YOU LIKE WHAT WE ARE DOING SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FINANCIALLY CHECK OUT OUR NEW SUPPORT FINANCIALLY CHECK OUT OUR NEW

WEBWEB--SITE www.communityjournal.infoSITE www.communityjournal.info

Subscribe Today for only $9.95 for six monthsSubscribe Today for only $9.95 for six months

Hadiya Pendleton, teen performer at Obama

inaugural events, fatally shot in Chicago

A 15-year-old majorette who performed at some of President Barack Obama’s recent inauguration festivities has been shot to death in Chicago.

Police say Hadiya Pendleton died after she was shot in the back while hanging out with a group of teens in Vivian Gordon Harsh Park about 2:30 p.m.

Pendleton was taking shelter from the rain under a can-opy, when an unidentified man or boy jumped a fence and ran toward the group and opened fire, police said. The shooter then fled in a vehicle. The man fled the scene in a vehicle. No arrests have been made.

A teenage boy was also shot in the leg during the shoot-ing, which occurred in the 4500 block of South Oakenwald Avenue, near King College Prep High School.

The pair was taken to University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital, where Pendleton died at 3:10 p.m., ac-cording to police and the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.

Hadiya belonged to the King College Prep High School band, which performed at several inaugural events in Washington, D.C.

Police said Pendleton was not a gang member and was most likely not the shooter’s intended target. But most of the teens with her, who also fled the scene, are believed to

be gang members, police said. Residents of the upscale, white-collar neighborhood

were dismayed by the shooting, which some said was a first for their block.

"I was torn apart, shocked. I cried when I heard about it," said resident Robin Hollis, who has lived across the street from the park for about 20 years.

Earlier in the day 27-year-old Devin Common was shot dead while two other men were critically wounded in a Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood shooting, according to family members and authorities.

The three were shot shortly after noon in the 7400 block of South Champlain Avenue, police spokesman Michael Sullivan said. Police took at least one person in custody and recovered a weapon, the Chicago Sun-Times reported, cit-ing a source.

Source: http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Chicago-Teen-Performer-At-Inaugural-Events-Fatally-Shot--189007181.html#ixzz2JTkStK4u



THIS WEEKS COVER PAGE

WHEN YOU SEE THIS SYMBOL CLICK TO

READ MORE ...

Community Journal

a publication of Emerging Business Group, Inc.

©2006 New York all rights reserved

The Community Journal is a weekly publication, based in Baldwin, New York, dedicated to sharing news and information among minority businesses and residents which will enable positive action - economically, socially and politically - for the betterment of us all.

From our premiere issue, July 1, 1993, we have grown to be one of the leading African heritage news and information sources on Long Island.

As a community - based publication, we intend to expand our presence and to encourage greater participation from all members of the community in forging our shared destiny.

We are a "for-profit" business and hope to extend that s p i r i t o f e c o n o m i c empowerment to many other businesses in our community.

We are published each week unless otherwise indicated and a re d i s t r ibu ted th rough newsstands, independent sales agents, and subscriptions.

Publisher: Larry Montgomery

Mailing Address: 456 New York Avenue

Baldwin, New York 11510

MAIN ADVERTISING MAIN ADVERTISING SALES NUMBERSALES NUMBER: :

((516516) ) 384384--09610961 Fax (516) 208Fax (516) 208--64786478

ADVERTISING ADVERTISING

AND SALES COMPANY:AND SALES COMPANY: Make all checks out to:

EMERGING BUSINESS EMERGING BUSINESS

GROUP, INC.GROUP, INC. EE--mail:mail:

[email protected]@hotmail.com NEWS NUMBER:

(516) 384-0961

Www.communityjournal.info

Privacy PolicyPrivacy Policy We do not accept anonymous We do not accept anonymous comments. If you do not want comments. If you do not want your comments or your name or your comments or your name or address published tell us. address published tell us. Thank you from the Mgmt.Thank you from the Mgmt. www.communityjournal.www.communityjournal.infoinfo

DEPARTMENTS: AROUND THE WORLD

AROUND THE NATION

AROUND THE STATE

NASSAU COUNTY

SUFFOLK COUNTY

TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD

HEMPSTEAD VILLAGE

FREEPORT VILLAGE

EDUCATION

JUSTICE

HEALTHY LIVING

RELIGION

SPORTS

VILLAGE LIFE:

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

PLEASE KEEP THE COMMENTS COMING AND IF YOU PLEASE KEEP THE COMMENTS COMING AND IF YOU LIKE WHAT WE ARE DOING LET US KNOWLIKE WHAT WE ARE DOING LET US KNOW

TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT US AND ASK THEM TO TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT US AND ASK THEM TO SUBSCRIBE AND CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEBSUBSCRIBE AND CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEB--SITESITE

Www.communityjournal.infoWww.communityjournal.info



A fifth passenger, Antonio Rivas, 22, of Hempstead, was taken to Win-throp-University Medical Center in Mineola and listed in critical condition Sunday night.

The car ran off the road then crashed into trees near exit 23 in North Merrick about 5:45 a.m., police said. The area is on a stretch of the parkway dubbed "Blood Alley" because of the many fatal crashes between Exits 17 and 30.

The group was returning from the party in Amityville, said Tania Garcia, 22, of Danbury, Conn., but originally from Hempstead, adding she had been a friend of Blossom Castro since the two met in middle school.

Castro's cousin, Marlin Castro, 33, of Hempstead, said that while she was his biological cousin they were raised as siblings by his mother. His biological sister, Mayra Castro, is the girlfriend of Boutin and mother of the driver's 4-year-old daughter.

At NUMC's emergency room Sunday afternoon, about a dozen people waited for news about the victims being treated there.

"Everybody is devastated," Marlin Castro's mother, Araminta Castro, 58, said later at her Hempstead home.

She said her niece attended Hempstead High School but dropped out to get a job and was studying for a GED at Nassau Community College. Blos-som Castro hoped someday to be a police officer, said Araminta Castro, who said she was the victim's legal guardian through most of her childhood.

At the crash scene Sunday chunks of the mangled car and items from in-

(Continued from page 1)


Rev. Jesse Jackson kicks off the 16th annual Wall Street Project Economic Summit in

New York City African-American unemployment is slightly higher now than

it was when President Obama first took office four years ago, and remains at roughly twice the national rate at 14 compared to 7.8 percent. Now that the inauguration buzz accompanying the start of the president’s second term has diminished, leaders such as NAACP President Ben Jealous and Rev. Jesse Jackson of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition are turning a serious eye towards fi-nancial perils in the black community.

In a recent interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, Jealous said, “…right now when you look at joblessness in this country… White people in this country are doing a bit better. Black folks are doing a full point worse when to comes to [unemployment].

“[S]o with this president having said to us we need to invest in strate-gies to lift all boats, now that some boats are clearly more stuck, the ques-tion is will Congress join him in get-ting those boats unstuck, too?” Jealous asked.

Given the apparent deadlock in Congress over economic is-sues, Rev. Jackson is taking an innovative approach to this prob-lem. Jackson and his Rainbow PUSH Coalition are holding the 16th annual Wall Street Project Economic Summit, kicking off tonight, to focus on creating solutions for black financial ad-vancement that can complement government intervention.

“While our politics are up, and there is a lot of excitement in the air, our economics are down,” Rev. Jackson said during a con-ference call with theGrio. “We have less access to capital, credit and investment. Our communities are still facing devastating signs of redlining in terms of investment and access to credit.”

The goal of the Wall Street Project Economic Summit, taking place from the evening of January 30 through February 1 at The Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, is to remove theses obstacles. Through pressuring industry, working politically, and educating the public, Jackson hopes opportunities can be created and ac-cessed that improve the outlook in urban centers.

MINISTERMINISTER

LARRY MONTGOMERY, SR.LARRY MONTGOMERY, SR.

PUBLISHER AND CHIEFPUBLISHER AND CHIEF

COMMUNITY JOURNAL, INC.COMMUNITY JOURNAL, INC.

WATCH AND PRAY

God is about to release a 7 FOLD BLESSING. He is doing something new. SO WATCH AND PRAY. God Bless.

COLUMNIST:

IN THE BLACK

Larry Montgomery, Sr.

INSPIRATION

PERSPECTIVE

EDUCATION

Lisa Byers

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT:

“VILLAGE LIFE Magazine”

REASONABLE THINKING:

Jim Reed

HEALTHY LIVING

RELIGION:

Dr. Karen Deadwyler

Bishop Dr. Andy Lewter

LOCAL SPORTS:

BJ Robinson



BlackBerry names Alicia Keys its ‘global

creative director’ The newly renamed BlackBerry not only revealed its new operat-

ing system and two new handsets during its launch event today, it also announced that Grammy Award winning singer Alicia Keys will now serve as Global Creative Director, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Keys was introduced at the tail end of the event by BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins. She said that she is going to be working with developers, retailers and carrier partners to spread the gospel of Black-Berry.

Keys has a new album out and is one of the most respected and popular names in the music industry, especially among the younger demographic.

The pairing makes sense for a company that is struggling to re-shape its image from that of a stodgy business-only organization to one that is both business-friendly while still managing to be hip.

Keys isn’t the first celebrity to be named as the creative director of a tech company.

Polaroid did the same with Lady Gaga in 2010, and a year later, Will.i.am was named as Intel’s creative director.

How will immigration reform affect black America?

Let’s make no mistake about it: as the years pass, America is be-coming a “browner” nation. With the present discourse over immigra-tion reform, we have an extraordinary opportunity to mix our under-standing and appreciation for race, culture and language with public policy.

We, the people of America, have been wrestling with our self identity, and will continue to do so in the near future. With Black His-tory Month imminently upon us, we can not only celebrate our his-tory, heritage and culture, but we can also insert ourselves in a critical national debate on how to fix our broken immigration system.

Likewise, this immigration debate provides the black community an opportunity to learn more about the stories and challenges of black immigrants who increasingly populate our states as asylees, refugees, legal immigrants, and undocumented persons. The growing numbers of these black immigrants and their offspring have huge implications for the demographic makeup of black social and economic institu-tions, workplaces, places of worship, and ultimately personal relation-ships.

In recent years, the immigration debate has been centered around border security and subsequently, the media’s “Hispanicizing” the conversation into a narrow focus. On the contrary, our Ameri-can humanity is much more diverse than meets the naked eye of the headlines, or the naked ear of cable talk shows.

The black community has much at stake in the immigration de-bate, due to the broader implications for our economy. Black immi-grants can be seen and heard at all levels of society. They are our col-lege professors. The nurse in the ER. The janitor in your favorite ho-tel. The laborer on the construction site. The security guard in your building. The taxi driver taking you to your next appointment. The medical doctor at the local clinic. The small business owner at the lo-cal corner grocery store. They are at the ground level and heart of America.

The movement of black people to America for centuries — volun-tarily and involuntarily — places us directly in the middle of the changing DNA of the U.S. With this mind, national civil rights and advocacy organizations, such as the NAACP, Urban League, National Bar Association, and others would be advised not to take a passive role in this conversation. Rather, they should seek greater collabora-tion with other national immigration reform advocacy and civil rights groups. Likewise, the Congressional Black Caucus must be cognizant of the ever-changing dynamics of this issue on the national political scene and the impact on some of their constituents.

In this regard, we must ensure that any legislation drafted must include a pathway to an opportunity for residency and subsequently earned citizenship for undocumented members of our community, re-duced backlogs for family reunification, an enforceable and respectful border policy, provision of opportunities for skilled labor in our recov-ering economy, and the safety and security of all in the enforcement of our redefined immigration laws.

At first glance or thought, African-Americans may not inherently see themselves the product of immigration. The truth is, we are. Let’s not forget the roles and heritage of some of our historical figures in American history, such as Marcus Garvey, Harry Belafonte, Shirley Chisholm, Malcolm X, Rev. Theodore Gibson, Claude McKay, and Stokely Carmichael — all of whom were immigrants from the Carib-

bean. We must also remember that we cannot confront future political and legislative fights on our own without demonstrating solidarity with others who fight for equality, respect, and recognition as part of the American fabric.

As President Obama implored in his inaugural address, “when times change, we must change with it.” Black America is quietly changing with people from Jamaica, Haiti, Ghana, Brazil, Nigeria, Trinidad & Tobago, Panama, the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, and others joining the fabric of our community. Our dinner palates and ave-nues of communication are also transforming how we learn more about each other and how we reconnect with our common heritage in the melanin in our skin. The acclimation of this New Black America is just as important as that of the Hispanic/Latino community and other immi-grant groups.

Immigration reform is not solely a Latino issue. It is an American issue. We must ensure that we write the chapter for the black immi-grant, or at least play a role in writing the script. Let’s not simply “watch the ships sail in” and forget that those same ships brought us to America at different times in our history.

Marlon A. Hill is an attorney with the law firm of delancyhill, PA and civic commentator on WZAB 880AM, Caribbean Riddims, D’ People’s Politics, Saturdays, 4pm



Massachusetts gov Deval Patrick appoints African-

American Mo Cowan to John Kerry’s Senate seat

A top Democratic aide has confirmed to NBC News that Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) will appoint his for-mer chief of staff, William “Mo” Cowan, to be the interim pick to fill the state’s vacated U.S. Senate seat.

According to to the Boston Globe, “Cowan is a North Carolina native and Duke University graduate who came to Boston to attend Northeastern University Law School in the early 1990s — and never left the region. One of the city’s leading African-American lawyers, Cowan is a former part-ner in the politically connected law firm of Mintz Levin.”

The Globe also reports that “Patrick and Cowan built up a strong friendship over the years, in part, because both men have risen from difficult childhoods to prominence in Boston and in the state. Patrick also served as a mentor to Cowan when both were practicing lawyers.”

“Mo’s service on the front lines in our efforts to manage through the worst economy in 80 years and build a better, stronger Commonwealth for the next generation has earned him the respect and admiration of people throughout gov-ernment,” Patrick said in a statement. “The people of the Commonwealth have benefited from his wisdom and good judgment during his time in our office, and will again in the

Senate.”

Cowan is the second African-American to represent the state of Massachusetts in the Senate. Republican Ed Brooke was the first; he served from 1967 to 1979.

Once Sen. John Kerry was nominated by President Barack Obama to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton for Sec-retary of State, there was widespread speculation about who Gov. Patrick would appoint to replace him.

Some even speculated that he might select himself.

Retired congressman Barney Frank made no secret about his desire to fill the seat as a placeholder until a special elec-tion is held this June to fill that seat for the remainder of Kerry’s term.

“I’m very well suited to do it,” Frank said earlier this month. “You’re not going to have a long period to get ac-quainted with things.”

Kerry was nearly unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate yesterday to lead the State Department under Obama.

Republican Scott Brown, who lost his bid for re-election to the Senate this past November, has indicated that he may run again this summer.

Recent polls have shown him leading several potential Democratic contenders, including Patrick.



Equatorial Guinea Donates $30,000 to Queens Man for

the Goree Challenge The Goree Challenge is a 5,000 mile solo transatlantic row from Las

Palmas, Canary Islands to New York City and will begin later this year. The Goree Challenge mission is to encourage voluntary HIV testing, in-crease access to antiretroviral medicine for those who need them and ad-vocate for prevention for an AIDS-free generation. New York, New York - The Goree Challenge received support from H.E., Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the President of Equatorial Guinea. Vic-tor Mooney, AIDS activist and transatlantic rower of Queens will soon get another chance for a fourth bid to row across the Atlantic Ocean later this year from the Canary Islands to New York. Mr. Mooney has lost one brother to AIDS and has another battling the disease. With the immediate funding, Mr. Mooney can purchase an ocean row boat that’s currently in Brazil. On Sunday, Mr. Mooney visited St. Paul's Baptist Church and Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church in Brooklyn. In Manhattan, he was joined by H.E. Anatolio Ndong Mba, Ambassador for the Republic of Equatorial Guinea Permanent Mission to the United Nations at St. Patrick's Cathedral to share the good news. The 24 foot custom made ocean row boat was built by Flab - Con-strução. When the vessel arrives in New York, Kingsborough Community College and SUNY Maritime College will help get the boat ready for the Atlantic crossing and assist with Mr. Mooney’s nautical training. On Mr. Mooney’s third attempt in 2011, his boat sank and he drifted for fourteen days in a life raft before a Greek Amver ship Norfolk rescued and transported him to Brazil. He continues to hope that his voyage will encourage voluntary HIV testing, increase access to antiretroviral medi-cine for those who need them and advocate for prevention for an AIDS-free generation. About 1.2 million people in the U.S. have HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, and 20 percent of them are unaware they are infected. There are 53,000 new HIV infections diagnosed each year in the U.S., and 14 per-cent of these infections occur in 13 to 25 year-olds. Today, an estimated 34 million people worldwide live with HIV/AIDS, with more than two-thirds living in developing countries. Nearly three-fourths of the 2.5 mil-lion new HIV infections in 2011 occurred in these countries. Goree Challenge IV – Spirit of Malabo is a project of the New York City based South African Arts International (SAAI). SAAI has also re-ceived an unprecedented amount of in-kind and moral support from over seventy corporations, an array of governments and global health institu-tions.

Ed Koch dead, former NYC mayor was 88 O r i g i n a l l y p u b l i s h e d : F e b r u a r y 1 , 2 0 1 3 6 : 3 4 A M

U p d a t e d : F e b r u a r y 1 , 2 0 1 3 7 : 3 8 A M By THOMAS MAIER [email protected]

Edward I. Koch, mayor of New York City from 1978 through 1989 whose feisty, often controversial style became part of the city's revival, died Friday morning. He was 88.

Koch died at 2 a.m. at New York-Presbyterian / Columbia Hospi-tal, spokesman George Arzt said, The Associated Press reported. The funeral will be Monday at Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan.

Saying he was expressing his condolences on behalf of "all 8.4 million New Yorkers," New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg issued a statement Friday morning that read, in part: "Earlier today, New York City lost an irrepressible icon, our most charismatic cheer-leader and champion, Edward I. Koch. He was a great mayor, a great man, and a great friend. In elected office and as a private citizen, he was our most tireless, fearless, and guileless civic crusader. Through his tough, determined leadership and responsible fiscal stewardship, Ed helped lift the city out of its darkest days and set it on course for an incredible comeback. We will miss him dearly, but his good works - and his wit and wisdom - will forever be a part of the city he loved so much. His spirit will live on not only here at City Hall, and not only on the bridge the bears his name, but all across the five boroughs."

PHOTOS: Ed Koch (1924-2013) | Notable deaths Bloomberg ordered flags on all City buildings to be flown at half-

staff to honor Koch. Koch was elected mayor in 1977 after surviving an 11-candidate

Democratic primary, a runoff against second-place finisher Mario Cuomo and then defeating Cuomo, the future governor, who was on the Liberal line, in the general election.

He turned out to be a breath of fresh air for a city dispirited by the fiscal crisis of the 1970s, urban unrest, high crime, a graffiti-smeared subway system and a citywide blackout in July 1977 that led to wide-spread looting.

In later years, he served as a judge on "The People's Court," a tele-vision show, and was the subject of a documentary about his life, ti-tled simply "Koch," that debuted in Manhattan Tuesday night at the Museum of Modern Art.

Perhaps his singular most memorable moment came on the morn-ing of the 1980 New York City subway strike, when Koch could be seen on the Brooklyn Bridge, like a street-wise maestro, directing hundreds of commuters walking to work and encouraging them on. "How'm I doing?" Koch asked as they passed.

On his inauguration day in 1978, Koch rode a public bus to City Hall, apparently unaware that his new stature rated him a plainclothes police officer assigned to guard him.

He did know that another passenger was a reporter sent to chroni-cle the first day of what would turn out to be a 12-year tenure that would make him a national figure.

It was a much simpler city that Koch inherited that day. He moved




into Gracie Mansion, the mayoral residence on the East River, but the city's official directory in those pre-terror days still listed his home address: his bachelor pad at 14 Washington Square.

During the next 12 years he put his stamp on the city as firmly as any mayor since Fiorello LaGuardia, whom Koch admired.

He got off to a bad start with the minority community, particu-larly African-Americans. He saw the city through the fiscal crisis with the benefit of a rising economy in the early 1980s and was fi-nally blindsided in his third term by a mix of corruption scandals involving his aides and political supporters.

One of the more prominent was a scandal in which a collection agent was found to have been paying off the deputy director of the Parking Violations Bureau, in exchange for contracts in 1986, the start of Koch's second term. Koch later admitted his administration failed to reveal corruption in the parking bureau.

Another was a bribery-conspiracy case against one of the closest colleagues of his campaign, Bess Myerson, who was acquitted in a defeat for then-U.S. Attorney Rudy Giuliani.

There were some exhilarating highs, such as 1982, when his aides and the New York Post -- which had strongly supported him for mayor in 1977 -- convinced him he should run for governor in the Democratic primary. His poll numbers were high in the city and he was expected to do better in conservative upstate communities than Cuomo, who was then lieutenant governor.

But then Koch mouthed off about life outside of Manhattan, tell-ing an interviewer: "Have you ever lived in the suburbs? It's sterile. It's nothing. It's wasting your life."

And the high turned low quickly, as Cuomo won 52 percent to 48 percent statewide -- and carried every black neighborhood in the city.

Koch later made his counsel, Robert Tierney, a proponent of the run for governor, his legislative liaison in Albany.

"Bob always did like it in Albany," Koch said with a chuckle that bordered on a chortle, or even a cackle.

His relationship with the city's minority community got off to a bad start in 1978 when he decided that Sydenham Hospital in Har-lem should be closed because it was underutilized and was a drain on the city treasury. It was during that dispute that a heckler at a church in Harlem yelled: "Don't let him speak. Send the Jew back to the synagogues," according to Koch.

It took almost four years before Koch listened to the advice of visiting President Jimmy Carter, who told him that the way into the black community was through its churches. Koch took the advice and his relationship with minorities improved somewhat, but it re-mained testy throughout his tenure. In a 2009 interview with The New York Times, Koch said he still felt guilt over the decision to close Sydenham -- even though the move saved $9 million -- be-cause, as he said, "black doctors couldn't get into other hospitals" at that time. "That was uncaring of me," he said. "They helped elect me, and then in my zeal to do the right thing, I did something now that I regret."

In a statement Friday, the Rev. Al Sharpton, who described him-self as one of the former mayor's "most vociferous critics," mourned his passing.

"Although we argued about everything from my marching in Bensonhurst, to Florida and Trayvon Martin, and although we dis-agreed on politics from his views on President Obama to other mat-ters, I have found that he was never a phony or a hypocrite," Sharp-ton, president of the National Action Network and an MSNBC host, said, in part, adding: "He would not patronize or deceive you. He said what he meant. He meant what he said. He fought for what he believed. May he rest in peace."

The confidence, even cockiness, that marked Koch's personality was not deflated by his decisive loss in the four-way Democratic primary in 1989 to David Dinkins.

Dinkins defeated Republican Rudy Giuliani in the general elec-tion, but some New Yorkers still wanted Koch, who took great de-light in saying he would not run again because the voters had turned him out and, "Now they must pay!"

The Almanac of American Politics had this to say in its 1998 edition: "Koch started as a liberal and became more conservative,

(Continued from page 7) and in the process lost the support of Manhattan by backing capital punishment, opposing racial quotas and questioning poverty pro-grams. But he left the city in far better shape, economically and fis-cally and governmentally."

Koch was born on Dec. 13, 1924, in the East Crotona section of the Bronx. The family moved to Newark in 1931 and Brooklyn in 1941. Koch attended City College in Manhattan.

He was drafted in 1943 and fought in the infantry with the U.S. Army in France and rose to the rank of sergeant. Although he was wounded and decorated, he chose never to publicly discuss his time in the service or in combat.

After an honorable discharge in 1946, he went to NYU Law School and was admitted to the bar in 1949. He practiced law for years, moved from his parents apartment in Brooklyn to his own place in Greenwich Village in 1956 and drifted into local Democratic politics.

In 1963 he was elected a district leader in the East Village, was a delegate to the state convention in 1964 and managed to get into sev-eral spirited battles for local races.

His fist-in-your-face approach to opponents and his boosterism for himself and the city at times left him like a caricature at times, obscuring his knowledge of the nuts of bolts of politics and govern-ment.

During a 1985 debate in the Democratic primary, the candidates were asked what one thing they would change if they could.

Koch put his finger on a major issue, repeal of the Wicks Law, but he almost put the room to sleep and quickly switched gears. To this day, the Wicks Law still governs bidding on public construction projects, wasting up to $400 million annually, according to its critics.

When he was catching the political bug in the 1950s he took to speaking every night in Sheridan Square in the village and claimed to enjoy the hecklers.

"If you know how to handle a heckler, he can be very good for you," Koch recalled in his 1984 autobiography, "Mayor."

"You can really make great points when there are hecklers in the audience," he wrote. "The only kind of heckler you can't use is the drunk."

His street training served him well after he became mayor and started to hold regular Town Hall meetings around the city with an open microphone for any citizen to complain or question.

A row of city commissioners and their aides usually sat on either side of Koch, and they could answer specific questions.

But on broader questions about himself and his policies, Koch handled the answer, and a questioner who wanted to argue overly long invariably lost the argument.

He could adroitly deflect criticism with an anecdote. One of his favorites was about his own comments to a group of senior citizens about crime.

Koch would recall how a judge he helped elect got mugged, and said later that the mugging would not affect his judicial decisions.

According to Koch, an elderly woman in the crowd rose and yelled: "Then mug 'im again!" Amid the laughter, people forgot the crime statistics.

After leaving Gracie Mansion, Koch joined a law firm, more for his public appeal than his legal acumen. He wrote books, starred as a television judge in a reality show, reviewed movies for weekly news-papers and was a frequent guest on news shows.

He became an outspoken critic of harsh sentences for nonviolent felons and teamed up in 1999 with Harvard Prof. Charles Ogletree Jr. and an old nemesis, the Rev. Al Sharpton, to form Second Chance, a group to help those inmates work their way back into society and erase their criminal record.

During the 2010 gubernatorial campaign, Koch endorsed Democ-rat Andrew M. Cuomo.

"In the '77 [mayoral] campaign, there were signs in Queens -- 'vote for Cuomo, not the homo' -- they were shocking, absolutely shocking," recalled Koch in a News 12 Long Island documentary. "And I thought that Andrew, as the campaign manager, was involved. He told me he was not. So whether he was or wasn't -- and I believe him that he wasn't -- if he were, I forgave him. That's the end of it. I won!"



PLEASE KEEP THE COMMENTS COMING AND IF YOU LIKE WHAT WE ARE PLEASE KEEP THE COMMENTS COMING AND IF YOU LIKE WHAT WE ARE DOING SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FINANCIALLY CHECK OUT OUR NEW DOING SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FINANCIALLY CHECK OUT OUR NEW

WEBWEB--SITE www.communityjournal.infoSITE www.communityjournal.info

Subscribe Today for only $9.95 for 6 monthsSubscribe Today for only $9.95 for 6 months

side -- sneakers, a New York Yankees baseball cap and head rests -- were strewn across an embankment off the parkway between trees and in the backyards of several homes.

Both of Boutin's legs were amputated, said Wilda Pi-erre-Louis, of Hempstead, who said she is Boutin's sister.

"He's fighting for his life," Pierre-Louis, 44, said by telephone from the hospital. "We're taking it one day, one minute at a time."

Boutin has a second young daughter and works as a se-curity guard at Roosevelt High School, she said.

Investigators spent the morning checking the area for evidence of how the crash occurred. Crews sliced the car in two after it wrapped around a tree next to the parkway.

The crash closed the westbound parkway for several hours.

Jason Todeschini, of Ott Lane in North Merrick, said he arrived home from work between 5:30 and 5:45 a.m. Sun-day and had just sat down to eat when he heard the crash.

"There was no screeching. Nothing. It sounded like the car was tumbling and then I heard the bang," he said.

When he went outside he saw what he described as a "mangled" car.

Crashes are frequent in the area of the parkway that is just 40 feet from his backyard fence, Todeschini said.

He said his house is one of two that touch the parkway and that he has been asking legislators to add a guardrail because of the number of recent accidents.

Christopher Clement, second assistant chief of the Merrick Fire Department, said his crews used heavy rescue equipment to try to free the people trapped in the mangled car, but stopped once it became clear that they did not sur-vive the crash.

The area of the crash is near a stretch of the parkway where nearly 40 people have been killed in crashes in the past six years. At least seven people were killed in crashes in 2012, one more than in 2011.

Four teenagers died in the early morning hours of Oct. 8 when a 17-year-old driver suspected of being high on mari-juana and with just a learner permit crashed his 2012 Su-baru Impreza WRX STI after it failed to take a curve be-tween Exit 18 and Exit 17, heading west. The force of that crash split the car in two.

The driver, Joseph Beer of South Richmond Hill, Queens, survived and was charged with aggravated vehicu-lar manslaughter and other charges in connection with the deaths of his four friends. Beer, who had been out of jail on bail earlier in the month, was sent back Thursday after test-ing positive for marijuana.

With Jennifer Barrios, Emily Ngo and Deon Hampton




Rep. McCarthy Remarks on New and Improved Assault

Weapons Ban being introduced

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/clip/4332249 YOU'D THINK AFTER ALL THESE YEARS OF BEING IN CONGRESS

AND FIGHTING FOR THIS ISSUE, I WOULDN'T BE NERVOUS STANDING HERE IN FRONT OF ALL OF YOU.

THIS BATTLE HAS BEEN A VERY LONELY BATTLE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.

I THINK A LOT OF THE VICTIMS THAT ARE OUT THERE AND A LOT OF THE GROUPS THAT HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR THIS FOR SO LONG PROBABLY FELT THAT WAY, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK OVER HERE AND SENATOR FEINSTEIN CAME BECAUSE OF GUN VIOLENCE THAT SHE WITNESSED, SENATOR SCHUMER WHO TOOK THE LEAD WHEN I WAS-N'T IN CONGRESS, DOING ALL THE WORK HE COULD TO GET THE FIRST ASSAULTS WEAPON BILL DONE.

SENATOR DURBIN, MY COLLEAGUES, THE MAYORS, POLICE CHIEFS, AND EVERYBODY BEHIND ME, THEN ALL OF YOU.

YOU KNOW, A LOT OF WORDS CAN BE SAID AND I'VE GOT A GREAT SPEECH HERE.

MY STAFF WORKED ON IT A LONG TIME AND I'M PROBABLY GO-ING TO DO WHAT THEY ALWAYS TELL ME NOT TO DO.

THAT MEANS JUST TALK FROM MY HEART. I'VE WATCHED THE SLAUGHTER OF SO MANY PEOPLE AND I HAVE

MET WITH SO MANY VICTIMS OVER THE YEARS. AND IN CONGRESS, NOBODY WANTED TO TOUCH THE ISSUE. AND THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS THE MASSACRES WERE GOING

ON MORE AND MORE. AND GOING THROUGH IT, I KEPT SAYING, WHAT'S WRONG WITH

ALL OF US?

HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO BE KILLED BEFORE WE DO SOME-THING?

I THOUGHT FOR SURE AFTER VIRGINIA TECH, WE WOULD GET SOMETHING DONE.

AURORA. BUT SOMETHING HAPPENED IN NEWTOWN. THE PEOPLE OF AMERICA SAID HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN? HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN TO OUR CHILDREN? YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH THE NRA OVER

THE LAST FEW WEEKS, GOING TO TRYING TO FIND HOW WE COULD WORK TOGETHER, IT'S BEEN FRUSTRATING, BUT I STILL HAVE GREAT HOPE, BUT TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I'M NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO TRUST THEM TO BE THERE FOR THE TOUGH VOTES.

AND THAT'S WHY ALL OF US, AND THE PRESIDENT, BY THE WAY, AND VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN, AND THOSE OF US THAT ARE GOING TO BE FIGHTING FOR THIS, ARE GOING TO SPREAD THE WORD TO THE CORNERS OF THIS COUNTRY.

NRA MEMBERS HAVE BEEN SPEAKING OUT TO GET SOMETHING DONE.

THESE ARE GOOD LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS. THEY WANT TO HUNT. THEY WANT TO GO DUCK HUNTING. AND THE GUNS THEY USE, DUCK HUNTING, YOU'RE ONLY AL-

LOWED THREE BULLETS. DEER HUNTING, DEPENDING WHAT STATE YOU'RE IN ONLY ALLOW

FIVE BULLETS. MOST HUNTERS WILL TELL YOU, IF YOU DON'T GET IT ON THE

FIRST TRY, YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO GET IT ON THE SECOND ONE.

AND YET, WE HAVE THESE MACHINES, WE HAVE THE LARGE MAGAZINES THAT CAN TAKE DOWN 20 CHILDREN IN SECONDS.

AND THE ONLY REASON THAT SLAUGHTER STOPPED BECAUSE OUR FIRST RESPONDERS WERE THERE AND THE KILLER ENDED UP TAKING HIS OWN LIFE.

SOME PEOPLE WILL SAY THIS BILL WON'T WORK. LET ME TELL YOU WHY IT WILL WORK. BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T HAVE THESE GUNS AND THE LARGE MAGA-

ZINES ON THE SHELVES, THOSE THAT HAVE DONE THESE HORRIFIC KILLINGS WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GO INTO A GUN STORE AND JUST



BUY THEM. THEY DON'T HAVE THE BACKGROUND TO GO AND LOOK TO

WHERE THE BLACK MARKET IS TO BE ABLE TO BUY THESE MAGA-ZINES AND GUNS.

THEY GO TO THE SIMPLEST PLACE. IF THEY'RE NOT IN THE STORES, THEY CAN'T BE BOUGHT. THINK OF THE LIVES THAT COULD BE SAVED. AND I BET A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS AUDIENCE WHOSE FAMILIES

HAVE GONE THROUGH A KILLING IN THEIR FAMILY, LOSING A CHILD, LOSING A HUSBAND, LOSING A WIFE, AND THEY WERE SINGLE KILL-INGS, AND WE MUST DO SOMETHING TO STOP THAT ALSO.

THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING. WE ARE GOING TO BE WORKING ON A HOLISTIC APPROACH. WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN HELP OUR YOUNG

PEOPLE SO THEY DON'T GO INTO THE WORLD OF DRUGS. WE SHOULD BE HELPING THOSE CHILDREN THAT MIGHT BE HAV-

ING PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS SO THEY DON'T FEEL THAT THEY HAVE TO TAKE A GUN TO EITHER COMMIT SUICIDE OR TO TAKE DOWN SOME OF THEIR CLASS-MATES. YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM SOME ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF MANY OF US THAT IT CAN'T BE DONE. I'M TELLING YOU IT CAN BE DONE. I'M TELLING YOU WITH ALL MY HEART AND SOUL IT CAN BE DONE. BUT WE, AS THE PRESIDENT HAD SAID, THE PEOPLE, HAVE TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.

NEWTOWN MADE A DIFFERENCE. THE KILLING THERE MADE US ALL LOOK UP AND INTO OUR-

SELVES AND SAY, WHY CAN'T WE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT? I AM TELLING YOU, BETWEEN THIS BATTLE BETWEEN NOW AND

WHEN WE GET THIS PASSED, YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM THE NRA. AN AWFUL LOT OF THEM ARE SAYING, THAT'S NOT GOING TO DO

ANYTHING. I'M SAYING TO YOU, WE CAN SAVE LIVES. THINK ABOUT THIS. SINCE NEWTOWN, JUST ABOUT 1,000 PEOPLE HAVE DIED FROM

GUNS. 1,000 PEOPLE. THOSE CHILDREN, THEIR DREAMS, THE DREAMS OF EVEN THOSE

THAT HAVE DIED THROUGH OTHER VIOLENCE NEVER TO BE FUL-FILLED.

THE DAY THAT THAT INCIDENT HAPPENED, I ACTUALLY WAS GIVING AN INTERVIEW AND IT WAS JUST A REPORTER FOLLOWING UP ON HOW DO I GET THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS.

SHE SAID TO ME, OH, MY GOD, DO YOU HAVE THE TV ON? THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF MY NIGHTMARE AGAIN AS IT IS

FOR EVERY VICTIM THAT HAS TO GO THROUGH IT EVERY SINGLE TIME WE HEAR OF A KILLING.

IT HAS TO STOP. IT HAS TO STOP, AND WE CAN DO IT AND WE CAN MAKE A DIF-

FERENCE. AND WE CAN SAVE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF LIVES. I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DID NOT SAY FOR THOSE THAT HAVE

SURVIVED THOSE HORRIFIC SHOOTINGS, AS MY SON DID SO MANY YEARS AGO, WHOSE LIFE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME, AND HOW MUCH IT'S COST THIS COUNTRY ON HEALTH CARE TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE VICTIMS, THAT IS WHAT THIS COUNTRY IS FACING.

WE HAVE TO LOOK AT EACH OTHER AND SAY, YES, WE CAN DO THIS.

WE WILL DO THE RIGHT THING. OUR POLICE OFFICERS WILL DO THE RIGHT THING. BUT IF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DON'T STAND UP TO THE LIES

THAT ARE BEING SAID THAT WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE, WHO LOSES?

THE FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN. THEY ARE THE ONES THAT LOSE. WE CAN DO THIS. PLEASE BE OUT THERE FOR US. THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ]

Sandy aid bill approved by House of Representatives

More than 10 weeks after Superstorm Sandy destroyed communities all along Northeast, the House approved $50.7 billion in emergency relief for the victims Tuesday night as Republican leaders struggled to close out an episode that exposed Congressional party divisions.

The vote was 241-180, and officials said the Senate was likely to accept the measure early next week and send it to President Barack Obama for his signature. Democrats supported the aid in large numbers, however, there was substantial Re-publican backing, too, in the GOP-controlled House.

The Senate approved a $60 billion measure in the final days of the Congress that expired on Jan. 3, and a House vote had been expected quickly.

But House Speaker John Boehner unexpectedly postponed the vote in the final hours of the expiring Congress as he struggled to calm conservatives unhappy that the House had just approved a separate measure raising tax rates on the wealthy. The delay drew a torrent of criticism, much of it from other Republicans.

"There's only one group to blame for the continued suffering of these innocent victims, the House majority and their speaker, John Boehner," New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said on the day after the delay was announced. Rep. Peter King of New York added that campaign donors in the Northeast who give to Republicans "should have their head examined."

Democrats were more politically pointed as they brushed back Southern con-servatives who sought either to reduce the measure or offset part of its cost through spending cuts elsewhere in the budget.

"I just plead with my colleagues not to have a double standard," said Rep. Caro-lyn Maloney of New York. "Not to vote tornado relief to Alabama, to Louisiana, to Mississippi, Missouri – with Ike, Gustav, Katrina, Rita – but when it comes to the Northeast, with the second worst storm in the history of our country, to delay, delay, delay."

Earlier, conservatives failed in an attempt to offset a part of the bill's cost with across-the-board federal budget cuts. The vote was 258-162.

Critics of the bill said the proposed cuts would crimp Pentagon spending as well as domestic accounts and said the aid should be approved without reductions elsewhere.

"There are times when a disaster simply goes beyond our ability to budget. Hurricane Sandy is one of those times," said Rep. Hal Rogers of Kentucky, chair-man of the House Appropriations Committee.

Sandy swept through several states in late October and resulted in 140 deaths and billions of dollars in residential and business property damage, much of it in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The storm caused power outages and in-terruptions to public transportation that made life difficult for millions, and the clamor for federal relief began almost immediately. As part of the effort to see the bill passed Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone made the trip down to Washington D.C., along with over 50 hurri-cane victims from across the island, in order to lobby congress to pass the bill.

“I want to thank Congressman Peter King and Congressman Steve Israel for leading the charge in rallying the votes necessary to approve disaster relief funds that will assist residents in recovering and rebuilding from the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy,” said Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano. “It was important that I along with a bus full of Hurricane Sandy victims put a face to our voice for support of the bill.”

The emerging House measure includes about $16 billion to repair transit sys-tems in New York and New Jersey and a similar amount for housing and other needs in the affected area. An additional $5.4 billion would go to the Federal Emer-gency and Management Agency for disaster relief, and $2 billion is ticketed for restoration of highways damaged or destroyed in the storm.

The leadership brought legislation to the floor, less than two weeks later, under ground rules designed to satisfy as many Republicans as possible while retaining support from Democrats eager to approve as much in disaster aid as possible.

Across the capitol, majority Democrats indicated they would probably not seek changes. "While the House bill is not quite as good as the Senate bill, it is certainly close enough," Sen. Charles Schumer of New York said. "We will be urging the Senate to speedily pass the House bill and send it to the president's desk."

Congress has already approved a $9.7 billion increase in a fund to pay federal flood insurance claims, much of it expected to benefit victims of Sandy.

In the weeks since the storm hit, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has spent about $3.1 billion for construction of shelters, restoration of power and other immediate needs after the late-October storm pounded the Atlantic Coast with hurricane-force winds and coastal flooding.

Officials say Sandy is the most costly natural disaster since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The storm damaged or destroyed 305,000 housing units in New York, and more than 265,000 businesses were disrupted there, officials have said. In New Jer-sey, more than 346,000 households were destroyed or damaged, and more than 40,000 families remain living out of their homes, according to officials.



DuWayne Wants You to Know: FREE LEGAL CLINIC FOR INDIVIDUALS AFFECTED BY SUPERSTORM SANDY

Did you lose income due to the storm? Did you lose your job?

Was your new job cancelled? Did you miss more than 4 days of work?

Are you self-employed and you’ve lost business? Apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance NOW!

MAKE THE ROAD NEW YORK INVITES YOU TO… FREE LEGAL CLINIC

FOR INDIVIDUALS AFFECTED BY SUPERSTORM SANDY

The deadline is February 4. Come to our free legal clinic. Our lawyers will help you apply.

Please bring the following with you: · Social security number (if you have one) · Driver license (if you have one) · Telephone number and Address · Alien registration card (if you have one) · If self-employed: 2011 income tax return

HEMPSTEAD PUBLIC LIBRARY

ADULT WORKSHOP RESUME WRITING AND E-MAIL

Hands On Workshop – Part II

Wednesday, February 27th, 2013

6:30P.M. –8:30P.M.

For immediate release* * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * *

advance Registration needed * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Contact: Reference* * * * * * * * * * * * *481-6990

We provide the computers! In this hands-on class, you will learn how to use your computer to create, style, format and e-mail a powerful resume. In addition, you will also learn how to use Micro-soft Word to create your resume as well as how to attach a file to an e-mail. Writing a cover e-mail and various letter styles will also be covered. This is the second part of a two part workshop. A basic knowledge of computer usage as well as a current e-mail address is required to attend this workshop.

The program will be held in the Community Room. Registration is required for this free program.

SBA Hurricane Sandy Loan Approvals Surpass $1 Billion As Congress Makes

Additional Funds Available for Recovery WASHINGTON – Less than 90 days after Hurricane Sandy struck, the U.S.

Small Business Administration has approved more than $1.1 billion in disaster loans to 16,800 residents and businesses in the federally declared states affected by the storm. This milestone comes as Congress passed emergency legislation that will add $799 million to SBA’s disaster assistance program budget to help meet the demand for loans from Hurricane Sandy and future disasters.

“Getting money into the hands of individuals and businesses in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy continues to be one of our top priorities,” said SBA Adminis-trator Karen G. Mills. “My pledge to those affected by the hurricane is that SBA, working together with our local and federal partners, will help you rebuild. I am pleased Congress took the important step of appropriating much-needed funds to help us keep our promise.”

Here’s how the supplemental appropriations will be used:

$520 million for disaster loan subsidy costs, which would support $5 billion in SBA low-interest disaster loans to homeowners, renters, businesses and non-profit organizations;

$249 million to cover the administrative costs of SBA disaster loan making and servicing;

$20 million to support SBA’s resource partners—the Small Business Develop-ment Centers, SCORE, Women’s and Veterans Business Development Centers—as they provide assistance to businesses rebuilding in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy;

$10 million for additional administrative expenses, which include IT security and financial management costs related to SBA’s Hurricane Sandy response.

In terms of SBA disaster lending, Hurricane Sandy is the third largest disaster in U.S. history, followed by Hurricanes Katrina/Rita/Wilma (Aug./Sept. 2005, $10.8 billion) and the Northridge (CA) earthquake (Jan. 1994, $4 billion). The SBA currently has a disaster staff of 2,400 supporting the Hurricane Sandy re-sponse in seven states (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Mary-land, Virginia, North Carolina) and Puerto Rico, as well as assisting in recovery efforts for other disasters nationwide.

For more information about SBA’s disaster loan program, visit www.sba.gov/sandy, or call the Disaster Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955.



Editorial: Nassau's 'miraculous' surplus is too good to be true

Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano and Comptroller George Maragos say the county generated a budget surplus in 2012. "It's miraculous, in a way," Maragos commented, as if Mangano had done a loaves-and-fishes maneuver with a stack of hundreds, turning the county's poverty into a feast of plenty for the taxpay-ers.

Maragos had warned in July that the county would have a deficit of $45 mil-lion. But on Monday, he said it would instead finish up with a $25 million surplus -- a swing of $70 million. Even in November, Mangano projected Nassau would end 2012 shy $12 million in a report to the Nassau Interim Finance Authority.

But now they say Nassau is rolling in dough. In reality, and according to generally accepted accounting principles, the

county ran a huge deficit last year, spending and running up in bills at least $100 million more than it took in. Masking this with $17 million in money borrowed for long-term projects that went to pay other bills is mismanagement. Paying practically nothing on more than $70 million in tax certoriaris and not reflecting those debts on the books is misdirection. Using rainy day-reserves and borrowed cash to pay about $40 million in termination costs is a mess.

And none of it's a miracle. In addition, superstorm Sandy pulled down sales tax receipts as it was driving overtime and other expenses up. Those expenses have been

masked by $188 million in Sandy borrowing, but the county likely won't see the 100 percent federal reimbursement that would make it a wash. So more unbudgeted bills may be waiting in the wings, some already run up and others yet to come.

Nassau County is more than $3 billion in debt. The hole is getting deeper every year. In the face of this, Mangano has reduced county spend-ing significantly, and faced revenue challenges. A miracle would be heavenly, to part this sea of debt and deliver the county to financially safe ground. Until one comes, though, mere mortals like Maragos and Mangano would be wise to stick to earthbound accounting methods.



Uniondale A True Global Village The Uniondale Public Library hosted their 19th Annual “Uniondale A True Global Village” community

event to honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his principle of living in a culturally di-verse world. Town of Hempstead Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby congratulated Trina Reed, Library Direc-tor, members of the Library Board, library staff, Uniondale Board of Educaion and Valencia Hopkins who wrote an essay about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Opportunities For Local Businesses

The Hempstead Chamber of Commerce hosted an “Opportunities for Local Businesses” free workshop at the Hempstead Public Library. Topics included funding sources for businesses impacted by Superstorm Sandy, options for business opportu-nities, and how Minority/Women Business Enterprise Certification can help you. Town of Hempstead Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby congratulated Pres. Al Forde, mem-bers of the Hempstead Chamber of Commerce and presenters from FEMA, SBA and IDA for bringing this important information to the community.



From the Desk of Mayor Hall

On Monday, January 21, I traveled to our nation’s capitol for the second inauguration of President Barack Obama, held on Martin Luther King Day. Attending the inauguration was a profoundly rewarding experience for me as a citizen, gov-ernment official, Democrat and African-American. Watching the President speak I reflected on how far our nation has traveled, much of that journey riven with conflict and dissen-sion, but ultimately triumphed by compassion, justice and love.

The symbolism and substance of the President’s inaugu-ration occurring on the Rev. Dr. King’s birthday reinforced the message that though we have traveled far, the journey is still not over. It reinforced the message that civil rights are no longer about black and white — they are about gay and straight; Christian and Muslim; male and female; black, brown, white and every shade in between. They consist of the rights belonging to all of us as members of the human family and as citizens and residents of the greatest democ-racy in the world.

President Obama renewed his vow for another term, say-ing “America’s possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands: youth and drive; diversity and openness; an endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention.”

He acknowledged that our nation is at a crossroads that can strengthen our role as a global leader defined by our pro-tection of the vulnerable and our leadership on climate change, or we can succumb to partisan bickering and fail to rise to the challenges of our times.

The President laid out an agenda that was formidable, compelling and necessary — an agenda that the crowd and a majority of other Americans support. He emphasized that America’s prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class. “We know that America thrives when every person can find independence and pride in their work; when the wages of honest labor liberate families from the brink of hardship,” he said.

Listening to the President’s words, I and the other atten-dees were moved. His speech was bookended by rousing bouts of applause. Later, as I and many of the other mayors and political leaders discussed his speech, the consensus was that the President was deeply in touch with the fears, hopes and dreams of ordinary Americans and equally com-mitted to creating change. We left the inauguration feeling inspired, and motivated to do more to help improve the life circumstances of our constituents.

“My fellow Americans,” said the President, “we are made for this moment, and we will seize it -- so long as we seize it together.”

No leader, no matter how visionary, can surmount the formidable challenges confronting our nation without the support of the people. As our nation moves forward, I am committed to working in concert with our President and lo-cal and national leaders to address our country’s challenges.

It is my hope that we in Hempstead can work together in the spirit of cooperation so that every member of our com-munity has an opportunity for all that our President spoke about: the right to quality jobs and education; a future that is debt-free and laden with opportunities for our children, with access to quality healthcare; the right to love whom we choose; and the gift of a sound and healthy environment.

To learn more about what is going on in the Village of Hempstead, visit www.villageofhempstead.org. You may also join our electronic mailing list by sending your name and email address to: [email protected]. To keep abreast of the downtown revitalization, visit www.renewhempstead.com. On that site, you may share your ideas for the redevelopment and/or provide your feed-back on the plan.

Sincerely,

Wayne Mayor Wayne J. Hall




ADULT WORKSHOP

ONLINE JOB SEARCH AND RESUME TECHNIQUES

Lecture and Demonstration – Part I

Wednesday, February 13th, 2013

6:30P.M. –8:30P.M.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE* * * * * * * * * * * ADVANCE REGISTRATION NEEDED * * * * * *

CONTACT: REFERENCE* * * * * * ** *481-6990 Learn how to use the Internet to find that perfect job! In this lecture and

demo class, you will learn how to develop and create a powerful resume, find and use online job search websites, and formulate a job search process that will work for you. Such topics as online applications, the do’s and don’ts of resume writing, customizing cover letters and thank you notes will also be covered. This is the first part of a two part workshop. A basic knowledge of computer usage as well as a current e-mail address is required to attend this workshop.

The program will be held in the Community Room. Registration is required for this free program.


ADULT WORKSHOP

JOB SEARCH SECRETS

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

6:30pm – 8:30pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE* * * * * * * * * * * *

ADVANCE REGISTRATION NEEDED * * * * * * *

CONTACT: REFERENCE* * * * * * * * *481-6990

Job Search Secrets is a positive interactive workshop, focusing on a set of specific actions job seekers can take to significantly improve the effectiveness of their job search strategy. A variety of valuable resources will be shared and discussed throughout the workshop. This is an informative PowerPoint presentation and handouts will be made avail-able to all who attend. This free program will be held in the Community Room of the library. Registration is required.



What can be done about persistent racism in technology?

Some things that go unspoken within the tech industry are advan-tageous: things that need to be kept secret, such as an upcoming product re-design or a soon-to-be-announced change of CEO. But many inside the tech industry have said that a certain level of nega-tion based on race has existed in an unspoken manner for far too long causing missed opportunities and delayed dreams. In fact, an incident earlier this year has caused greater concern about this very issue.

Several weeks ago a video gaming company called Kixeye (working to position itself as a competitor to companies like Zynga and Entertainment Arts) fired four employees for what it considered

to be racism. The incident began when a company manager made negative remarks about black and Latino employees. The CEO of this company said this type of behavior was unacceptable.

Although it’s unclear what inspired Kixeye’s CEO in this case, often such sensitivity comes as a result of being a part of diverse teams — something that rarely happens in today’s world of technol-ogy.

Look around at the high-five photos from companies just recently awarded funding. Or stroll through the offices of most young to mid-aged tech-related companies from Silicon Valley to Silicon Alley. It is clear that there is not much in the way of color. Often, conversa-tions initiated about such concerns are pushed aside with many te-chies even becoming aggressive when questioned about the current lack of diversity within the industry.

“This [issue] is a sad reality — something which people in Sili-con Valley don’t like talking about because they like to pretend the Valley is a meritocracy,” Vivek Wadhwa, a respected scholar and columnist on technology, told theGrio. “But if you even look just at the founders of startups, you will find that they are predominantly male and white, Indian or Chinese. You won’t find many blacks or

Hispanics anywhere in the Valley. And I’ve taken considerable fire from some of the Valley’s heavy-weights for speaking up about this as I’ve written [about it in noted business publications].”

Andre Brock, assistant profes-sor of Library and Information Sci-ence at the University of Iowa, concurs with Wadhwa, yet elabo-rates on the psychological and so-ciological parameters that encour-age racial discrimination in tech. “Engineering and coding culture is highly masculinized and heterosex-ualized; corporate homogeneity and educational segregation lead to

the dominance of white males at all levels of computational technol-ogy enterprises,” he said. “This is despite the fact that women domi-nate university admissions. Engineering and computer science are still male bastions.”

Brock also underscores that current attempts at making computer-related fields more diverse have been a little lazy. “Regardless of the growing presence of Asian and South Asian engineers and coders (who are often used as examples of ‘diversity’), the Valley and other tech environs are still mostly white guys — hence the ‘brogrammers’ and the recent problems at Kixeye.

“The strong reaction by techies to accusations of racism also draw from ideologies of information technology,” he continued. “IT is heav-ily promoted as ‘liberatory’ and ‘democratic’ — even as it powers re-gimes of surveillance at levels Orwell couldn’t have imagined. When you’re programming code while operating under these ideals, it’s a kick in the stomach to be accused of ‘deviant’ behaviors such as sex-ism and racism.”

One has to question why people remain blind to the possibility of racism existing in their field given the fact that they exist within a cul-


IN THE BLACKIN THE BLACK



THE ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS

OF NEW YORK STATE

ELECT NEW OFFICERS FOR 2013 ALBANY, NY- The Associated General Contractors of New York State (AGC NYS) today announced the

2013 LLC Board of Directors who were elected at the January 26, 2013 Board meeting. Paul Posillico, senior vice-president of Posillico Civil, Inc., Farmingdale, was elected as Chairman of AGC

NYS, LLC. Other officers elected to serve in 2013 include: Vice Chairman Vincent Iannelli, president of Iannelli Construction Company, Inc., Brooklyn; Treasurer Gary Hill, president of Union Concrete & Construction Corp., West Seneca; Secretary Patrick Murnane of Murnane Building Contractors, Inc., Plattsburgh; and Immediate Past Chairman Mike Benson, president of BCI Construction, Inc., Albany.

Elected to serve a three year term on the Board is: Howard Rowland, president of E.W. Howell, Plainview. Appointed to serve as Director at Large was David Collins of D.A. Collins Construction, Wilton.

The AGC of New York State represents more than 500 Members, 250 of which are general contractors en-gaged in public and private construction throughout New York State, and is the New York Chapter of the Associ-ated General Contractors (AGC) of America. The AGC of America represents over 7000 general contractors na-tionwide. Visit the AGC NYS at www.agcnys.org.

Maragos: County Is Effectively Monitoring

Medicaid Eligibility County Medicaid Expenditures at $1.8 Billion Annually

Mineola, NY- Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos released his review of the Nassau County Department of Social Services (DSS) Medicaid Unit’s effective-ness in managing Medicaid costs and preventing abuse. In 2011, the Medicaid Program spent approximately $1.8 billion while handling approximately 94,000 cases. The Medicaid Unit was found to be effective in managing the Medicaid Program with relatively few instances of weaknesses.

“We were pleased to find the Medicaid Unit operating efficiently, and protecting taxpayer money,” Comptroller Maragos said. “The Medicaid Unit and the Mangano Administration should be commended for handling a large and growing caseload with reduced staff and with little error while providing benefits to eligible residents.”

During the review auditors found only 13 cases, totaling $29,315, involving clients who moved out of state and who contin-ued to erroneously have their Managed Care premiums paid. This represented about 0.014% of the total annual case volume man-aged by the Medicaid Unit. The Department reviewed these cases and was able to recover almost $9,000 to date. It also tightened policies to better safeguard taxpayer dollars.

Additionally, the auditors found that out of 23,183 new Medi-caid cases processed in 2010, 10.7% or 2,482 required more than 45 days and 2.5% or 582 cases took more than 90 days to deter-mine eligibility due to extenuating circumstances. On average, cases were disposed within 24 days. New York State law requires that disability cases be processed within 90 days and all others within 45 days. The Medicaid Unit has already implemented a proprietary tracking system to better track application type and due date.

The Medicaid Unit was also found to be effectively verifying applicant income and eligibility. In 2010 and in 2011 the Unit re-ferred about 2,100 questionable applicants for formal investigation. The following are some examples of fraud which was uncovered:

A 51-year-old Great Neck man falsely reported that he was a part-time security guard for a retail store and falsified records to indicate that his family paid $750 in monthly rent, in order to ille-gally qualify for $40,722 in Medicaid benefits. A DSS investiga-tion revealed that the man actually owned a successful clothing store in Manhattan and owned a home in Great Neck purchased in 2006 for $856,000;

A 52-year-old Merrick man illegally obtained $42,322 in Medi-caid and Food Stamps benefits after concealing income he re-ceived from several businesses that he owned. Despite reporting that he was either unemployed or working as a day laborer at various times, a DSS investigation revealed that the man and his family owned four businesses, a $613,000 home in Merrick, a 2010 Cadillac and a 2011 Chevy Camaro;

A 52-year-old Plainview woman and her husband failed to re-port their true income, resulting in $33,618 in illegally obtained Medicaid benefits; and

A 56-year-old East Meadow man failed to disclose his true in-come and falsely stated that he was working part-time at a piz-zeria in order to illegally qualify for $15,844 in Medicaid and Food Stamps benefits. A DSS investigation revealed that the pizzeria that the man reportedly worked for does not exist and that he is employed as an “Executive Chef” at an upscale restau-rant.

All of these cases were referred to the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office for criminal fraud prosecution, and full restitu-tion.

The total Medicaid cost per year in Nassau County amounts to approximately $1.8 billion. The County’s portion of this fed-eral, state, and local program costs Nassau County taxpayers ap-proximately $226 million or about 12.5% of the total expense.



which graduation is not the norm. *In 2002, 23 percent of all black students who started public high school left it prepared for college, compared to 40 percent of whites. *On average, African Ameri-can and Hispanic twelfth-grade students read at ap-proximately the same level as white eighth graders. *About half of poor, urban ninth graders read at only a fifth- or sixth-grade level. * The National Assessment of Educational Progress reports that 88 percent of African American eighth graders read below grade level, compared to 62 percent of white eighth graders. * The twelfth-grade reading scores of African American males were significantly lower than those for men and women across every other racial and ethnic group. A disproportionate number of failing schools, across grade levels, are predominantly comprised of poor, racial, and ethnic minority students. These segregated schools tend to have fewer financial, human, and material resources than schools in more affluent areas. By the time students who attend these schools reach high school, the academic challenges they face have been compounded by years of substandard education. What Can Parents Do? We could spend hours discussing the state of education for African-American children. The research is voluminous and thorough. While the school boards and politicians fight over funding and teacher evaluation systems, our children lose valuable time and resources. People live where they can af-ford but that doesn’t mean they should stand for substandard schools. Parents have to take a much more active role in their children’s education. Here are my tips for parents:

Make sure your child has good nutrition. Make sure your child has enough sleep. Make sure your child does all homework, assignments and

readings. Read to your child and insist older children read everyday. Ask ‘wh’ questions while you read to improve comprehen-

sion skills. Turn off the TV and video games and read. Take them on outings and improve vocabulary and expo-

sure to new things. Visit the library and library shows. They are free and in-

formative. Learn the curriculum for your child’s grade and reinforce

skills at home. Watch educational TV like Discovery Channel, National

Geographic and PBS! Have a good relationship with your children. Emotional


ASK LISA-ANNE How are African-

American and New Immigrant Children Doing

Academically? Q. As we celebrate Black History Month, what is the

state of academic achievement for African-American chil-dren and new immigrant children at this time?

A. The stats are still poor. Overall, African-American students score lower on standardized tests, graduate at lower rates and are considerably more likely to be expelled, suspended or placed in special education. If they are poor and new immigrants the gaps are even worse. If students are new immigrants who speak another language like His-panic, African or Haitian students the ability to achieve is hindered even more. Research shows that African-American children tend to attend districts with substandard teachers, administrators and resources. Some districts resort to moving their low functioning minority students to alter-native schools or special education so that their low scores will not pull down the overall scores of the district. One would think that districts would implement researched based programs proven to be effective with poor minority and new immigrant students but all school districts are complaining about is little to no funding. Those who do research in education will often list what poor children need to succeed, what minority children need to succeed and what second language learners need to succeed aca-demically however, it is rare to find school districts that im-plement these kinds of programs. Often these three compo-nents overlap. Two recent reports, one from the Council of the Great City Schools and one from the American Insti-tutes for Research, reveal that the achievement gaps are still large between African-American and white students. But concerted efforts in certain states and districts have shown that the historical trend doesn't have to remain the same, and overall the picture may have brightened slightly over the past decade or two, according to statistics and anecdotal observations.

According to the Alliance for Excellent Education, Afri-can-American high school students are notably falling behind their white counterparts in graduation rates, dropout rates, lit-eracy rates, and college preparedness rates. * In 2005, only 55 percent of all black students graduated from high school on time with a regular diploma, compared to 78 percent of whites. * In 2005, the on-time graduation rate for black males was 48 percent nationally; for white males it was 74 percent. * Nearly half of the nation’s African American students, but only 11 percent of white students, attend high schools in



health is just as important as physical health. Have good routines for homework, meal times and sleep. Stay in touch with your child’s teacher often. Ask what you

can do to help. Join your schools PTA. Be active and present at school. Attend all meetings at your child’s school. Let your children know education is a priority and non-

negotiable. Encourage writing skills. Help them write about a book

they just read or a show they watched. Let them write letters to family on paper or online.

Make sure your child is in good health. Have your child’s vision and hearing tested. If your child is struggling academically have him/her evalu-

ated early for a learning disability so there can be early intervention.

Attend school board meetings and know what is happening in your district.

Make sure your child has all school supplies needed. Expect much from your district and teachers. Ask the teacher for resources you can reinforce at home. Find out what your child will be learning next week so you

can introduce it over the weekend. Get a tutor if you can. Professional tutors can be expensive

but you can connect with your local high school and ask for a student who is good in math, for example, who you can pay a stipend to tutor your child.

If you can let your child learn to play an instrument, join a sport or join a club. Kids who are engaged in a group do better in school because they are more focused, tend to have more friends, and have better self-esteem.

Praise your child for his/her strengths. He may not be on the honor roll but he may be an excellent writer or de-bater or an excellent artist. Praise progress, improve-ment and good effort as if it was an A+.

Make sure your child attends school! It’s hard to grasp something new if you were not there to learn it and prac-tice it.

Keep your children actively learning through the summer months. They can still have fun and read a book and do a few pages of work, too.

Some information gathered from the www.all4ed.org and www.districtadministration.com websites.

Lisa-Anne Ray-Byers is a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist who has worked in education for over two decades. She holds graduate degrees in speech-language pathology and multicultural education. She also holds certi-fication in educational administration. She is the author of the books, They Say I Have ADHD, I Say Life Sucks! Thoughts From Nicholas, They S S Say I’m a St St Stut-terer, But I S S Say Nothing! Meet Kelly and co-author of the book 365 Ways to Succeed With ADHD available by contacting her. She is a member of the National Education Writers Association and the Education Editor of the Com-munity Journal newspaper in Long Island, New York. You may contact her at [email protected] or by visiting her website at www.AskLisaAnne.com.


18 CITIES CALL ON DUNCAN & DEPT. OF EDUCATION TO END DISCRIMINATORY CLOSINGS OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS National "Journey for Justice" Movement Gains Speed In Wake Of Mass School Closings & Turnarounds That Vio-late Civil Rights & Promote Divestment In Low-Income Communities of Color

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Students, parents and advocacy representatives from 18 major United States cities testified today at a community hearing before Arne Duncan and the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C. on the devastating impact and civil rights violations resulting from the unchecked closings and turnarounds of schools serving predominantly low-income, students of color.

Approximately 500 students, parents and community representatives, impacted or at risk of impact by school closings, represented 18 cities from across the country at the hearing including: Ambler, Pa.; Atlanta; Baltimore; Boston; Chicago; Cleveland; Detroit; District of Columbia; Eupora, Miss.; Hartford, Conn.; Kansas City, Mo.; Los An-geles; Newark; New Orleans; New York; Oakland, Calif.; Philadelphia; and Wichita, Kan.

"Cities across the country are experiencing the racially disparate effects of top-down, neglectful actions by the closing and turnaround of schools serving low-income stu-dents of color. The devastating impact of these actions has only been tolerated because of the race and class of the communities affected," said Reverend Krista Alston, parent leader with the Kenwood-Oakland Community Organiza-tion in Chicago. "Hundreds of youth and parents are mak-ing their voices heard today and it is crucial that policy-makers hear the issues, recognize the discriminatory and destabilizing impact these closings and turnarounds have brought about and take immediate steps to put a morato-rium on school closings to stop the divestment in our youth."




“The Alpha College Tour—One of the

“Go to High School, Go to College”

Programs The Eta Theta Lambda Education Foundation, a non-

profit subsidiary of the Eta Theta Lambda Chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., is currently preparing high school students to participate in its 2012 31st Anniversary GO TO HIGH SCHOOL, GO TO COLLEGE, HISTORI-CALLY BLACK COLLEGE TOUR. This great opportunity for New York City area, Connecticut, New Jersey and other high school students to visit 15 outstanding Historically Black Colleges and Universities will begin on October 20, 2012, and end on October 27, 2012. The basic cost of the Tour is $625.00 and includes hotel accommodations and bus transportation for the week. In addition to the College Tour, participants can at-tend Leadership Development Workshops which focus on topics such as College Prep, Financial Literacy and Devel-oping Study Skills & Academic Integrity. A Parent-Student Orientation session is required of all participants, and a post-trip debriefing for all participants is scheduled annu-ally where a video of Tour highlights is finalized for pro-duction. In its 31th year, the Eta Theta Lambda Education Foundation conducts an invigorating College Tour, which will visit approximately 15 Historically Black Colleges and Universities. This year's Tour will span five states over a seven-day period. Since 1981, the College Tour has as-sisted approximately 3,000 high school aged youths by helping them give serious consideration to their future edu-cational pursuits. Chaperoned by members of the Eta Theta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and female vol-

unteers from our communities, the students who participate in the Tour can expect to meet with admissions officers of the schools visited, obtain applications and financial aid in-formation, tour the campus environment, and meet with for-mer students of the Tour to compare and share educational experiences. In addition, while on the Tour students will participate in youth development activities that foster lead-ership skills, as well as keep up with homework assign-ments. The itinerary for the 2012 College Tour is as follows (*itinerary subject to change): Morgan State University, Howard University, Bennett College, Johnson C. Smith Uni-versity, Fisk University, Meharry Medical College, Tennes-see State University, Claflin University, South Carolina State University, Morehouse College, Spelman College, Clark-Atlanta University, North Carolina A&T State Univer-sity, North Carolina Central University, Hampton University, Virginia State University. We may be able to work into our schedule a pilgrimage to the recently dedicated MLK, Jr. Memorial on the National Mall in DC, and a visit to the Mar-tin Luther King, Jr. Center in Atlanta. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (the nation's oldest Black Greek Letter Fraternity founded on a college campus) was founded in 1906 at Cornell University and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2006. The Eta Theta Lambda Educa-tion Foundation's mission is to promote scholarship and academic achievement among African-American and Latino youths. Representatives from the College Tour Committee are available for presentations at schools, churches and com-munity groups. For more information, contact the Eta Theta Lambda Chapter hotline at 516.733.0442 or via email [email protected], visit our website @ www.etlEducationFoundation.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Start early, secure your seat on The Alpha College Tour…for next year, the 2013 College Tour, the 32nd. Call now!



ture that still has many issues regarding race. Simply stepping behind a keyboard will not delete all conscious and sub-conscious feelings about other races. Brock agrees that racism in technology is merely an extension of the prejudices most absorb through society.

“This attitude is industry-wide: investors, financiers, corporate shops, development houses, tech manufacturers, tech media, and even audi-ences,” suffer from biases, Brock told theGrio. “Information tech is perceived as a masculine (and primarily white) endeavor. This is particularly evident when you look at videogame blogs. When authors such as Evan Narcisse and Patricia Hernandez bring up issues of race and gender in gaming, the comments are filled with pejoratives, dismissals, and even profanity.”

Naturally, not all technology companies nor all members of the technology powerati fall into this category. Microsoft, for example, has a string of diversity awards and accolades (even though they declined our request for an interview regarding this article).

No, the issue is not multi-nationals who benefit by following certain rules, regulations and incentives surrounding diverse hiring practices and making philanthropic overtures to organizations such as the National Urban League. Discrimination is more of a problem among the new entrants; those who have said they wish to defy all policies and creeds for the sake of innovation.

However, Wadhwa “can’t blame the startups because they are too busy surviving. They really will take anyone they can get who has the skills,” he said.

Of course, the black and La-tino communities have some cul-pability. Our demographics don’t produce the highest number of STEM graduates — those special-izing in science, technology, engi-neering, and mathematics. But, even examining the positions within marketing, sales, HR or public relations at young tech companies, these positions are still rarely filled by people of color.

Is there a bright side to all this? Might these challenges en-courage more African-Americans to strike out on their own? Per-haps.

“It’s the big, pink elephant in the room that no one wants to ad-dress because there is this illusion that racism doesn’t exist in this country,” Erin Horne Montgom-ery, president and executive direc-tor for National Association of Multicultural Digital Entrepre-neurs, told theGrio. “The lack of diversity found in the tech start-up community, and the tech industry in general, definitely leads black entrepreneurs to strike out on their own or leave the industry. It’s not by choice, but rather necessity. When you are continuously ex-cluded by your peers and passed over for opportunities that you are qualified [for in favor of someone] less qualified, you are forced to create new ways of survival.”

However, this route may also bring with it certain challenges. “[I had the opportunity to] interview Omar Wasow, co-founder of BlackPlanet.com,” Brock noted. “He mentions that when his team was pitching BP to investors, they highlighted their innovative con-cept of allowing users to create and modify HTML webpages as part of their social network profile. They were consistently asked ‘but who’s going to use it?’ with the





tering those actions as discriminatory toward low-income, minority communities.

Representatives from cities filing Title VI Civil Rights complaints testified at the hearing on the civil rights viola-tions and the destabilization of their children and their communities. Case studies were presented illustrating the lack of transparent criteria and processes used for school closing and turnaround actions, specifically, the dispropor-tionate number of actions affecting minority students com-pared with overall student populations, the history of ne-glect and deprivation of resources and the sabotage of per-forming schools serving predominantly minority communi-ties to force situations for closure.

"The closing of schools is going unchecked and is a veiled attempt to destabilize communities and speed gentri-fication of poor neighborhoods," said Cheyenne Walker, student from Keep the Vote/NO Takeover, Detroit. "These are serious actions to take without understanding the im-pact in a community and this ongoing neglect and disregard sends a message that these students are not worthy of in-vestment and that educating low-income African American students is less important than the education of their peers. This is a civil rights issue."

CALL FOR COMMUNITY-DRIVEN PROCESS FOR SUSTAINABLE SCHOOL TRANSFORMATION

In the process of closing these schools, districts have implemented an opaque process that fails to reveal actual criteria for school actions and, at the same time, has elimi-nated the voice of the people in the communities directly impacted. Parent and community input and proposals for school improvement have been ignored as neighborhood schools are brokered to private companies. This elimina-tion of community-driven school improvement has eradi-cated the role of minority, low-income parents in protecting the interests of their children's educational opportunity.

Additionally, the current issues with the elimination of voice and accountability to the public do not improve by turning schools over to private brokers. A recent study from the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) at Stanford University cited that many of the au-thorizers for charter schools fail to provide accountability for these schools and thus fail to deliver on the original charter promise of accountability for flexibility.

"We don't just have failing schools; we have a failing system of epidemic proportions. Community and parent voices have been removed from the process and the privati-zation has removed all checks and balances so that the sys-tem is no longer accountable to the public," said Karran Harper-Royal, parent with Parents Across America, New Orleans. "The answer is not charter schools, the answer is fortifying traditional public schools through a community-driven process."

The hundreds of participants in the hearing have called on the Department of Education to issue a moratorium on school closings until a new national policy has been formed.

"To have effective and sustainable school transforma-tion the people directly impacted need to help shape what


As publicity for the hearing intensified, cities including Philadelphia, New York and Detroit accelerated activities and debates to address the devastating impact and civil rights violations resulting from school actions. On Thurs-day, January 24th, 2013, the Philadelphia City Council voted 14-2 in favor of Philadelphia Coalition Advocating for Public Schools (PCAPS) nonbinding resolution for a one-year moratorium on school closings. Debate heated up in New York City as representatives took the issue to the state capitol and Detroit confirmed that the Department of Education Office of Civil Rights had launched a probe into its Title VI Civil Rights complaint.

Demands of the U.S. Department of Education include a moratorium on school closings until a new process can be implemented nationally, the implementation of a sustain-able, community-driven school improvement process as na-tional policy, and a meeting with President Obama so that he may hear directly from his constituents about the devas-tating impact and civil rights violations the current policy is perpetuating.

The community hearing was followed by a candlelight vigil at the Martin Luther King Memorial to continue to raise the voices of those impacted by the destabilization and sabotage of education in working and low-income commu-nities of color.

FEDERAL POLICY CAUSED CURRENT ISSUES

Despite current research showing that closing public schools does not improve test scores or graduation rates, closings have continued primarily because current federal Race To The Top policy has incentivized the closing and turnaround of schools by supporting privatization.

However, the federally incentivized privatization of schools has resulted in unchecked actions and processes where the primary fallout is on those in low-income com-munities of color including:

Displacement and destabilization of children and neighborhoods already in potentially vulnerable situations;

Significant negative impacts to learning;

Increased violence and threats of physical harm as a re-sult of re-assignment; and,

Destabilization at schools receiving the displaced stu-dents.

"For low-income, minority students the only outcome within the current strategy is failure. By choosing not to make an investment in these students and schools, this cre-ates an unstable environment that leads to significant learn-ing setbacks," said O'Cynthia Williams, parent leader with NYC Coalition for Educational Justice, New York. "The current federal Race To The Top policy has essentially doomed these students because of their demographic."

SCHOOL CLOSING & TURNAROUND PROCESS VIOLATES CIVIL RIGHTS

More than 10 cities have filed, or are in the process of filing, Title VI Civil Rights complaints with the U.S. De-partment of Education Office of Civil Rights, citing the closing of schools and the criteria and methods for adminis-




that change looks like," said Kayla Oates, student from Fannie Lou Hamer Center in Eupora, Miss. "It is now up to policy-makers at the federal level to do the right thing, put a stop to these discriminatory actions and create a national policy where those of us who are directly impacted can help reform our schools and our education. This is about our lives and our future."

In the wake of the hearing, the 18 participating cities, along with additional cities in the process of organizing, have formed a national movement to unite students, parents and advocacy organizations across the country to spread awareness of mass school closings and their impact on tar-geted communities.

ABOUT JOURNEY FOR JUSTICE ALLIANCE

Journey for Justice is an emerging alliance currently comprised of grassroots community-based organizations from 18 cities across the United States representing con-stituencies of youth, parents, and inter-generational organi-zations who have been impacted by the closing, turn-around, and charter expansion of schools in communities of color. The goal of the Journey for Justice alliance is to bring the voice of those directly impacted by discrimina-tory school actions into the debate about the direction for public education in the 21st century and to promote sus-tainable, community-driven school reform for all school districts across the country.


All Saints Regional Catholic School starts

Catholic School Week with five family Masses and a successful Open House

On Sunday, January 27, the All Saints family welcomed many parents and children to learn more about the excitement that is going on at the

school at Saint Patrick on the Hill. Located in a venerable gothic style building, All Saints has been enjoying a re-vival of hope and spirits with its new administration and new vision. The five supporting parishes each held a fam-ily parish in which All Saints students and parents trans-mitted this good news and invited other to come and see what ASR has to offer.

Father Elias, the Headmaster, celebrated the Mass at Saint Patrick’s with seventy children and teachers from the school. During the homily, he emphasized that Catho-lic education is a mission for all Catholics, whether or not they have children attending the school, because it is a work of social justice and a work of charity. Catholic edu-cation has the power to change the world for the better because it helps boys and girls to fulfill God’s purpose for them, namely, to know, love and serve God and to be happy with him in the next (to cite the Baltimore Cate-chism). He encouraged everyone to open the minds and hearts to the transformative possibilities for the local com-munity through a vibrant All Saints.

After the Masses, alumni, families and students wel-comed numerous visitors to see for themselves what is happening. With Smart Boards and smiles everywhere, the guests toured around the multilevel school currently decorated by the fascinating ninety Global Church Pro-jects in which the fifth through eighth graders reported about the Catholic Church throughout the world. As visi-tors met the faculty and staff, they learned about the inno-

vative plans for next year including a new grammar track for first-fourth grade to prepare for Latin in the fifth grade, a new geography initiative and finally, clergy taught religious education in seventh and eighth grade. With new plans for scheduling, looping and other forms of team teaching, the parents learned about All Saints’ implementation of the new Common Core curriculum. After two joyous hours, the Open House drew to a satisfying conclusion that many new faces and new families had visited the school.

If you want to learn more about All Saints, you can visit one of the future Open Houses on March 6th (with empha-sis on art and science) and April 10th



Grand Opening of Achiever's of NY Tutoring in Baldwin A Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting was held in honor of Achiever’s of New York Tutoring Center located at 1082 Grand

Avenue in Baldwin. Town of Hempstead Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby presented a Certificate of Recognition to owner/founder Lori Jones-Dessalines and offered her heartfelt congratulations for bringing this much needed service to the commu-nity. Photo: Kamilah Vance, Tony Lynch, Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby, Lori Jones-Dessalines, Ade McCoy, Chris Spence

Magic Johnson Giving Away 30 Scholarships To

Minority Students The deadline to apply is February 2, 2013. Nationwide (BlackNews.com) -- In 1998, Magic Johnson,

through his Magic Johnson Foundation, created the Taylor Michaels Scholarship Program, named after Taylor Michaels, one of his former employees who passed away during that year. Throughout her life, Taylor was known for displaying an intense passion and commitment to youth development, and so for the last 14 years, he has carried her passion forward via the scholarship program.

Each year, they select approximately 30 scholars who dem-onstrate a strong potential for academic achievement, but face socioeconomic challenges hindering their full expression. Win-ners will get $2,000 - $5,000 annual tuition assistance-renewable up to 5 years, and a free laptop during their fresh-

man year. They will also have access to in-ternships and mentors.

The dead-line is February 2, 2013. Incom-plete and late applications will not be ac-cepted.

To apply for the Taylor Michaels Scholarship Program, visit: www.scholarshipsonline.org/2012/11/taylor-michaels-scholarship-program.html

To find other 2013 scholarships, visit: www.ScholarshipsOnline.org



Four Star had submitted 923 fraudulent rebate coupons and was reimbursed $22,240. An investigation by the DA’s Office revealed that Schuman in-structed his employees to fill out the vouchers by instructing cashiers to use the phone book to find people who lived in the area and fill out a voucher in his or her name, even though they didn’t purchase a CFL and may never have been a customer of his store. Schuman gave the cashiers a daily quota of vouch-ers to fill out.

In the first quarter of 2011, the investigation revealed that Four Star was submitting approxi-mately five coupons on behalf of each purported customer, and that it submitted 66% more rebate coupons than all Long Island Lowe’s store combined.

Schuman stole an additional $19,200 from the utility as a partici-pant in a LIPA-sponsored advertising program that reimbursed mer-chants that advertised the sale of CFLs. Schuman would advertise in the Long Island Pennysaver or Clipper magazine and then submit in-voices that inflated advertising costs in order to be eligible for a higher rebate.

“Mr. Schuman used every trick he could think of to line his own pockets, even forcing employees to assist him in his scams,” Rice said. “He victimized every honest ratepayer on Long Island, and now he’ll have to face the consequences of his actions.”

Assistant District Attorney Vickie Curran of the Government & Consumer Frauds Bureau is prosecuting the case for the DA’s Office. Schuman is represented by F. Scott Carrigan, Esq.

The charges are merely accusations and the defendant is pre-sumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice

ATTENTION STUDENTS, PARENTS,

AUNTS, UNCLES, GRANDPARENTS AND

TEACHERS! IN AN EFFORT TO PRAISE AND ENCOURAGE OUR

CHILDREN IN THEIR EDUCATIONAL

ENDEAVORS, WE WOULD LIKE TO SPOTLIGHT A STUDENT A

WEEK WHO HAS ACCOMPLISHED

SOMETHING SPECIAL IN SCHOOL!

If you know a student from kindergarten - college who has

graduated, won a certificate, passed an exam, written a poem, created or invented something, has significantly improved his/her grades, wrote a fantastic essay, joined the track team, sang a solo, has a part in a play or painted a beautiful picture, let us know and we’ll show him/her off in the paper! Contact Lisa-Anne Byers at [email protected]

Farmingdale Hardware Store Owner Charged With Bilking LIPA Out of More

Than $40K

Schuman stole cash by submitting hundreds of fraudulent rebate coupons and advertising

invoices

MINEOLA, N.Y. – Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced today that the owner of a Farmingdale hardware store has been charged with stealing more than $40,000 from the Long Is-land Power Authority (LIPA) by submitting hundreds of rebates for compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) that didn’t exist and over-reporting advertising costs.

Thomas Schuman, 44, of St. James, was arrested this morning by DA Investigators and charged with two counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree and seven counts of Offering a False Instru-ment for Filing in the First De-gree. He faces up to seven years in prison if convicted and is scheduled to be arraigned later today in First District Court, Hempstead.

Rice said that from 2009 to 2011, Schuman, the owner of Four Star True Value Variety Store on Main Street in Farmingdale, participated in LIPA’s Compact Fluorescent Light coupon rebate program. The program allows stores to offer discounts on CFLs ranging from 50 cents to $3 per bulb. Buy-ers would fill out a rebate coupon for the stores to submit to LIPA, and LIPA would then reimburse the store.

In December 2011, LIPA conducted an audit and discovered that



LOOKING FOR PART TIME WORKLOOKING FOR PART TIME WORK

CALL EMAIL US CALL EMAIL US

GO TO OUR WEBGO TO OUR WEB--SITE SITE AND EAND E--MAIL USMAIL US

www.communityjournal.infowww.communityjournal.info

In 2005, I chose to run for public office for the first time in my life because I felt I had the energy and ideas to make a dif-ference in a county I care so much about. Nearly two terms later, I’m proud to have kept my promises and to have helped the district attorney’s office become one of the most profes-sional, independent and innovative prosecutor's offices in the nation.

While our strides have been bold and our progress steady, I believe I have more to contribute to an office that we all rely upon to protect our families and to ensure the integrity of the criminal justice system. That’s why I’m so excited to announce my candidacy for a third term as Nassau County’s district attor-ney.

Our work over the last two terms is something we can be proud of. our office has become a national leader in the fight against drunk and drugged-driving. We’ve cut plea-bargaining and toughened prosecutions of violent criminals and cyber predators. We’ve gone after corrupt officials who abuse the public’s trust and we've recovered millions of dollars of mis-used taxpayer money. Our community and school education programs have received widespread praise and our efforts to help rehabilitate non-violent offenders and reduce recidivism have put our office on the forefront of the criminal justice re-form movement.

We’ve done all this as non-political, independent prosecu-tors not guided by fear or favor, but instead by what’s right and what’s wrong. If you give me the opportunity to continue my public service as your district attorney, I can promise that you will get more of the same independence that has become the hallmark of our time in office. And you will always know where I stand on the issues.

My top priorities for a third term are clear: I will to continue to crack down on violent and cyber crime.

I will redouble investigative efforts targeting those who steal from taxpayers or abuse the public’s trust.

I will help lead local and state reform of the juvenile justice system so that we can reduce recidivism and redirect non-violent teen offenders to paths of prosperity.

I will fight to get illegal guns off our streets and I will lobby Albany and Washington for sensible gun-control laws.

I will continue to push for reforms that better safeguard the integrity of our criminal justice system.

I need your help to make sure that the progress that has im-proved the safety of Nassau County families continues. If you share my belief in the importance of keeping the office in the hands of prosecutors who are committed to innovation and inde-pendence, then please take a moment to contribute to our cam-paign (link below), forward this email to your circle of contacts, or visit our website, Facebook or Twitter accounts using the links below. Additionally, our first event of 2013 is next Thurs-day, January 10 at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City. As a homicide prosecutor, as an assistant U.S. attorney, and as Nassau County’s district attorney, I have spent my entire life advocating for victims of crime and for reforms that make our criminal justice system more effective. I ask for your sup-port so that we can build on our successes and continue to make Nassau County a safer, more prosperous place for us all.

Sincerely, Kathleen Rice

Roosevelt Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Murder of Police Officer; Will Serve

25 Years in Prison Cop shot Benitez three times after being

shot in the arm and back

MINEOLA, N.Y. – Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced today that a Roosevelt man has pleaded guilty to attempted murder after shooting a Hemp-stead police officer who had responded to a report of a street robbery.

Michael Benitez, 23, pleaded guilty to Attempted Mur-der in the Second Degree shortly after opening arguments were made in his trial. Judge Tammy Robbins agreed to sentence Benitez to 25 years in prison in exchange for his plea. He will be sentenced on March 11.

Rice said that at approximately 3 a.m. on December 2, 2011, two Hempstead Police Department officers were pur-suing Benitez, one on foot, to question him about a robbery that had taken place earlier that morning. A third officer, re-sponding to the radio call of a suspect being chased on foot, eventually spotted Benitez in a parking lot running west on Cooper Street towards Washington Avenue.

Upon seeing the officer, who was dressed in full uni-form and moving towards him, Benitez fired multiple shots at the officer, striking him in the left arm and back. Despite being shot, the officer was able to return fire, hitting Benitez in the groin, thigh, and arm. When Benitez refused to drop his gun after falling to the ground, the officer shot the gun out of his hand. Officers responding to the scene placed Benitez under arrest. The bullet that struck the officer in the back was stopped by his bulletproof vest.

“This is an incredible example of the danger our police officers face every day, and the incredible talent and bravery they possess,” said Rice. “The communication, quick re-sponse time, and commitment of these officers guarantees that this dangerous criminal will no longer be able to threaten our communities.”

Assistant District Attorney Martin Meaney of the Major Offense Bureau is prosecuting the case for the DA’s Office. Benitez is represented by Dana Grossblatt, Esq.



Freeport Man Sentenced to 47 Years to Life for Murder

After Shooting Rival Outside of a Hempstead Bar

Smalls was convicted by a jury last month; two co-defendants previously pleaded guilty

MINEOLA, N.Y. – Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced today that Ramiek Smalls has been sentenced to 47 years to life in prison for shooting a rival gang member to death in the parking lot outside a Hempstead bar.

Smalls, 24, of Freeport, was convicted of Mur-der in the Second De-gree, Assault in the Sec-ond Degree, and Crimi-nal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree last December. He was sentenced by Nassau County Judge Norman St. George. Rice said that at ap-proximately 12:35 a.m. on May 31, 2011, Smalls and two other men, Michael Toney, 33, of Uniondale, and Richard Paul, 24, of Floral Park, were at the

Rumba Sky nightclub to confront rival gang member Law-rence Hartman, 28, of Freeport over a year-long feud. A fight broke out in the bar’s parking lot shortly before Hart-man was set to perform in a hip-hop show at the bar. Smalls shot Hartman in the abdomen and left thigh. Hart-man died from his wounds two hours later at Nassau Uni-versity Medical Center in East Meadow.

Smalls, Toney, and Paul fled the scene immediately, but were arrested in late June 2011 after an investigation by the Nassau County Police Department’s Homicide Squad and Bureau of Special Operations, and the Freeport Police Department. Toney pleaded guilty to Gang Assault in the Second Degree and Attempted Assault in the Third Degree and was sentenced to a year in jail. Paul pleaded guilty to Manslaughter in the First Degree and is awaiting sentenc-ing.

“Today’s sentence will never undo the pain and suffer-ing that this defendant has caused, but I do hope that it brings some semblance of closure to Mr. Hartman’s loved ones,” Rice said. “While our streets are safer with Mr. Smalls in prison, my office will continue to work with our fellow law enforcement agencies and community organiza-tions to combat the destructive cycle of gang violence.”

Assistant District Attorney Melissa Lewis of the Major Offense Bureau is prosecuting the case. Smalls is repre-sented by Dennis Lemke, Esq.

implication being that blacks don’t code or [in 2001] even use the Internet.”

Attitudes such as this can make the projects of black entrepre-neurs a difficult selling proposition, even if you have the coding chops.

One hopes that venture capitalists have come a long way since 2001. David Teten, partner with ff Venture Capital and founder and chairman of the Harvard Business School Alumni Angels of Greater New York, thinks so. And he has invested his social capital in in-creasing tech sector diversity.

“I actually strongly suspect the biggest drivers [for black tech en-trepreneurs] are the same that motivate all entrepreneurs as a class: the chance to build something meaningful, have autonomy, and make significant wealth,” Teten told theGrio. “[To that end] Harvard Busi-ness School Alumni Angels of New York, which I chair, started the HBS Alumni Angels initiative focused on women and minority en-trepreneurs within our first year of activity. ff Venture Capital has funded numerous entrepreneurs of color and women entrepreneurs, prior to the inception of our Venture Capital Access Program.”

Perhaps Teten and his team will encourage greater a broadening in the venture capital community of the types of projects funded. One would hope that similar sentiments would spread, leading to the di-versification of boards of companies such as Twitter, which is more frequented by people of color than Caucasians. This is key, because boards are where influence and power in the tech world reside.

When Teten was asked why we don’t see more diversity on the boards he cited the “same reasons that they’re lacking diversity at all levels of the pyramid.” Presumably, racist assumptions are one of those reasons.

How do we move from this state in which prevailing attitudes towards race are replaced with new ones? Attitudes that would bene-fit the industry through increasing the pool of talent through diver-sity?

“The way to change this is for people who have been successful from the disadvantaged communities to help others behind them,” Wadhwa believes. “Indians did that and achieved extraordinary suc-cess. This is building on itself.”

But Brock does is not as optimistic. “What do I see the future be-ing? This is an easy question and a tough one,” he said. “The patri-otic answer is that as America continues to increase in diversity, then the tech industry will have to change. Unfortunately, as a critical scholar, I believe that tech elites will continue to retrench and con-solidate their power over the production, design, and development of information technology artifacts; they will maintain dominance over the affluent sectors of tech (which are financing and design), while growing wealthy over the outsourcing of labor to China for manufac-turing and India for coding.”

However, Montgomery tends to echo Wadhwa. “Our community could at least better the situation of black entrepreneurs by support-ing their business concepts,” she tasked of minority consumers. “As either an investor or consumer, we have the power to create the nec-essary cash flow to spark economic growth in innovation.”

Thus, the almighty dollar, technology success and the effects of cultural norms are still inextricably tied. However, to Montgomery’s point, the power to impact overall social change has and will always rest with the consumer and user, whose activity drives company earnings. Well, make that the consumer or user who is awake and aware rather than acting like the little lemming.

Many are starting to scratch their heads wondering what is truly at stake as we mover deeper into the era of haves and have nots; an era that will be based very much on today’s moves being made within the tech game.

The question remains: what will it take for blacks and Latinos to be players in the game with prominent pieces on the board?

Lauren DeLisa Coleman is part of the new technorati-to-watch. She is a mobile strategy specialist and analyst specializing in the convergence of Gen X, Y with hip tech platforms, and the author of the new e-book, Rise of the Smart Power Class. Follow her on Twitter at @mediaempress.



Robin Roberts returns to ‘Good Morning America,’ but

black bone marrow donors still needed

Robin Roberts returned to the set of Good Morning America yes-terday morning for the first time since her bone marrow transplant this past September.

The popular television host was diagnosed last year with MDS (myelodysplastic syndrome), a rare blood disorder that affects bone marrow. Roberts discovered that her sister was a perfect bone marrow match during the course of her treatment.

“What a thrill to be back at GMA’s Times Square studio this morning and see the best folks in the world, my GMA family,” Rob-erts announced.

Although she did not resume her usual duties as a morning co-host that day, she returned to the studio before the show began to start the slow process of transitioning back to work, which included testing out the bright studio lights, get-ting used to wearing makeup again and assessing the risk of infection on set.

While the GMA host’s medical journey has given hope and inspiration to many viewers, her story also sheds light on another important issue in the medical com-munity that often goes overlooked — the lack of African-American donors in the bone marrow registry.

“It’s bad enough to get a disease, but it’s even worse when you’re not able get the best available treatment out there [if you can't find a marrow match],” says Jim Fox, director of communications at the New York Blood Center.

Fox recently wrote an article for New York’s Daily News that de-tails his sister-in-law’s battle with leukemia.

Like Roberts, Fox’s sister-in-law was also lucky that one of her relatives was a match for her.

But the odds of having a relative be a perfect match are quite low. Fox says there is only a roughly 30 percent chance that a relative will be a bone marrow match.

That is when these desperate patients turn to the bone marrow registry.

Minorities in need of bone marrow transplants currently have the lowest chance of finding a donor within the registry according to Fox. Because DNA is used to make bone marrow matches, a person is more likely to find a match within the same racial or ethnic group.

African-American donors only comprise of seven percent of the nation’s 10 million registered bone marrow donors. Black patients also only have an estimated 66 percent likelihood of finding a willing and able donor on the registry, according to Be The Match Registry.

Of the 55,000 transplants that were facilitated since Be The Match Registry launched 25 years ago, less than 5 percent of those transplants (roughly 2,500) were for African-American pa-tients. Currently the bone marrow registry consists of 70 percent Cau-casian donors with minority groups representing 30 percent.

“Whenever someone like Robin Roberts comes along, it’s a gift for us. People really ‘get it’ because they understand who exactly

they’re helping,” Fox says. “Every day we’re always asking people to donate, give blood and register, but it doesn’t resonate with people unless it’s someone they identify with.”

When Roberts announced her diagnosis in June, more than 16,000 people registered to be bone marrow donors that month, which is 7,000 more than the registry would normally receive in that period. While the sudden spike in numbers seems promising, the overall percentage of African-American donors remains at nearly the same rate, according to Fox.

Twelve thousand people every year in the U.S. seek bone marrow donors from outside their family; however, only about half of them end up receiving a bone marrow transplant from the registry, accord-ing to the most recent data from 2011. There were no statistics avail-able on how many of those transplant recipients were African-American.

One related case that recently shook the African-American com-munity was the story of 11-year-old Broadway star Shannah Tavarez who played young Nala in the musical The Lion King. The budding musical star died in 2010 of acute mye-loid leukemia after failing to find a match in the reg-istry. Being both African-American and Hispanic, Tavarez had an even harder time locating a match, because there are very few donors of mixed ancestry registered in the system. Fox says there are a host of conditions leading to

the fact that minorities, especially African-Americans, are unlikely to donate to the bone marrow registry. These include the historical mis-trust of the medical system, the disparities of medical access between whites and blacks, and even the fear of the donating process itself.

But Fox clarifies that donating is a very simple and relatively painless process. To register as a bone marrow donor, a person sim-ply swabs the inside of his or her cheek to provide the DNA that will be used to identify a bone marrow match. Furthermore, donating bone marrow in the majority of cases only requires a process similar to donating blood.

“It’s not a painful process to donate bone marrow anymore. A lot of people are afraid of needles… It used to involve going into the hip bone with a large needle,” Fox explains. “Most of the time now, they will give [a person] injections to release bone marrow into the blood-stream and then they will simply draw blood. It’s very similar to what you would do for a blood donation.”

He further explains that the blood is then transferred to a machine that extracts the bone marrow from the blood. Most donors return to their daily routines on the same day, yet some may require one to two days to recover fully because of the amount of blood drawn. This is far less than the week-long recovery time the procedure has previously required.

Roberts’ public journey fighting leukemia has allowed her to campaign for more African-American bone-marrow donors to regis-ter, but Fox says more work needs to be done to increase diversity within the bone marrow registry.

“People just need to take a little time out of their schedule to put a q-tip in their mouths,” Fox says.

And that simple q-tip swab could save someone’s life. To register for the bone marrow registry on Be the Match,

click here. Follow Brittany Tom on Twitter @brittanyrtom



3 easy ways to get rid of your beer belly

It’s true. Losing belly fat may be easier than you think. And for men the benefits go way beyond your good looks.

For one, too much “shelter over the playground” can interfere with your love life. Recent studies have shown an association between belly fat and erectile dysfunction (ED).

Also, fat that accumulates within the abdominal area – known as belly fat, poses the greatest risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer.

Motivated yet? The following three tips will help you get rid of belly fat, improve your health and put a little “spice” back into your life.

Lose the booze. Men of all ages are prone to develop belly fat, but drinking moder-

ate to high intakes of alcohol can also affect body fat distribution. In the presence of alcohol and fat, the body chooses to rid itself of

the toxic alcohol first by using it as the preferred source of energy. The body will then store the fat – which it perceives as being harmless. As a result, alcohol promotes fat storage – particularly around the abdominal area, causing the “beer belly.”

“Drinking alcohol stops fat metabolism in the liver causing it to build up around the waistline,” says Manuel Villacorta, a national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and author of eating free™ The Carb-Friendly way to Lose Inches.

Villacorta suggest men “make a drinking policy” and have no more than two drinks a day. If you’re looking to “chill” after work, that’s all it should take to elevate your mood and spare you from long term harm to your health.

One drink is equal to a 12 oz beer, alcoholic lemonade, or alcoholic carbonated drink; 10 oz wine cooler; 5 oz wine; or 1.5 oz of hard liquor – such as 80 proof whiskey, gin, brandy, rum or vodka.

Eat three squares a day. Studies show that people who skip breakfast and eat fewer times

during the day tend to be heavier than those who eat a minimum of

three meals daily. This is likely because those who skip meals tend to feel hungrier later on, and eat more than they normally would.

“Skipping and delaying meals increases the release of the hunger hormone ghrelin,” says Villacorta, “it makes you emotionally hungry and leads to craving high calorie foods like pizza and fries.”

To help his patients control their appetites and keep ghrelin in check, Villacorta advises them to eat every three to four hours. These meals should be “balanced with carbohydrate and protein to knock down ghrelin” he notes.

Learn to reduce stress. Villacorta cautions that “stress throughout the day can lead to in-

creased cortisol and fat disposition around the waist line.” Cortisol – often referred to as the “stress hormone,” is excreted dur-

ing times of stress. And research has shown that stress and elevated cor-tisol levels trigger fat accumulation around the abdominal area.

So how do you reduce stress? First and foremost learn to relax – it allows the body to regenerate

itself. Aim for eight hours of sleep daily and then find time to relax during the day. A leisurely walk in the park or on the beach can be very relaxing. Many men find listening to smooth jazz or just sitting quietly helps them to relax. Figure out what helps you to relax, and then prac-tice it daily.

Villacorta offers a suggestion: “Do some deep breathing exercises throughout the day,” he says. “Just close your eyes in front of your com-puter and take ten deep breaths. It’s that simple.”

Studies show that deep breathing is actually one of the best ways to lower stress. So men, start breathing!

Constance Brown-Riggs, MSEd, RD is an award winning registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator, and national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She is the author of The African American Guide To Living Well With Diabetes and Eating Soulfully and Healthfully with Diabetes. Follow Brown-Riggs on twit-ter @eatingsoulfully.



Washington vows to try to keep weed in state — but

how? SEATTLE (AP) — So far, no one is suggesting checkpoints or

fences to keep Washington state’s legal pot within its borders. But Gov. Jay Inslee insists there are ways to prevent the bulk smug-

gling of the state’s newest cash crop into the black market, including digitally tracking weed to ensure that it goes from where it is grown to the stores where it is sold.

With sales set to begin later this year, he hopes to be a good neighbor and keep vanloads of pre-mium, legal bud from cruising into Idaho, Oregon and other states that don’t want people getting stoned for fun.

It’s not just about generating goodwill with fellow gover-nors. Inslee is trying to persuade U.S. At-to rney Gene ra l Eric Holder not to sue to block Wash-ington from licensing pot growers, proces-sors and sellers. Marijuana remains illegal under federal law.

“I am going to be personally committed to have a well regulated, well disciplined, well tracked, well inventory-controlled, well law-enforcement-coordinated approach,” said Inslee, who is due to give Holder more details this week.

Keeping a lid on the weed is just one of the numerous challenges Washington state authorities and their counterparts in Colorado — where voters also legalized pot use — will face in the coming months.

The potential of regulatory schemes to keep pot from being diverted isn’t clear. Colorado already has intensive rules aimed at keeping its medical marijuana market in line, including the digital tracking of can-nabis, bar codes on every plant, surveillance video and manifests of all legal pot shipments.

But law enforcement officials say marijuana from Colorado’s dis-pensaries often makes its way to the black market, and even the head of the Colorado agency charged with tracking the medical pot industry suggests no one should copy its measures.

The agency has been beset by money woes and had to cut many of its investigators. Even if the agency had all the money it wanted, the state’s medical pot rules are “a model of regulatory overreach,” too cumbersome and expensive to enforce, Laura Harris said in a statement.

Last fall, voters made Washington and Colorado the first states to pass laws legalizing the recreational use of marijuana and setting up systems of state-licensed growers, processors and retail stores where adults over 21 can walk in and buy up to an ounce of heavily taxed can-nabis.

Both states are working to develop rules for the emerging pot indus-try.

The Obama administration could sue to block the legal markets from operating, on the grounds that actively regulating an illegal sub-stance conflicts with federal drug law. The DOJ is reviewing the laws but has given no signals about its plans.

It has never sued states like Colorado that have regulated medical

marijuana, even though it could under the same legal principles. Part of the DOJ’s political calculus in deciding whether to sue is

likely to be how well the department believes the two states can keep the legal weed within their borders. During a meeting with Inslee last week, Holder asked a lot of questions about diversion, Inslee said.

Alison Holcomb, who led Washington’s legal pot campaign, said it’s important to respect states that haven’t legalized weed by not flood-ing their black markets. The first step, she said, is for the state to figure out how much pot should be produced, and then grant licenses accord-ingly.

“Excess supply creates incentive to divert outside the state,” she said.

Washington’s Liquor Control Board is planning a comprehensive survey to estimate how much marijuana is consumed in the state.

Inslee has boasted about the effec-tiveness of the State Patrol’s high-way interdiction program in stop-ping drug traffick-ing. Traditional police work, com-bined with inven-tory controls, will be key to clamping down on diversion, he said. Digital tracking of the weights of marijuana ship-ments between processors and re-tailers would help make sure there isn’t “10- to 20-

percent shrinkage that’s going to the black market,” he said. But even if the state can prevent bulk pot from being diverted,

there’s nothing to keep customers from walking into multiple stores, or returning to the same store, to collect more than their 1-ounce limit. Some traffickers could recruit many people to buy weed for them.

Tom Gorman, head of the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug-Trafficking Area, said efforts to keep a lid on legal marijuana simply don’t work.

Pot from Colorado’s medical marijuana system — often described as the most closely regulated in the world — routinely makes its way into Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming and points east, often from dispensa-ries that have sold out the back door, he said.

A brief law enforcement survey the organization conducted last summer turned up numerous cases in which suspects had made pur-chases at Colorado dispensaries before being busted in other states.

In the past two years, Colorado’s medical pot regulators have levied 54 fines against licensed businesses, but have never revoked or sus-pended a license.

Matt Cook, the former director of Colorado’s Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division, defended the “seed-to-store” regulations in the state.

Cook, who is applying for a job as a consultant to Washington’s marijuana regulators, noted that at any time officials could check the digital records, pull the surveillance video or drop in for an inspection — and the fear of getting busted keeps people in line.

Bob Hoban, whose law firm represents nearly 100 medical mari-juana businesses in Colorado, agreed, and noted another incentive for dispensaries to behave.

“It’s a cutthroat business,” he said. “If somebody sees something unusual, they’re going to provide a tip. … There’s just about as good of a safeguard as you can have for diversion in the state of Colorado, and a lot of that is Big Brother watching you.”



Interfaith Harmony Week 2013

A Panel Discussion:

Co-operation between peoples of Different Faiths, Beliefs and Culture for the Greater Good of the Com-munity

The United Nations - ECOSOC

7 February 2013, 1.15 P.M.

Interfaith Harmony Week will once again bring together peoples of all different faiths, beliefs and cultures in the continuing search for peace and co-operation among communities worldwide. The meeting takes place at the United Nations, New York City, on February 7.

A panel discussion hosted by The United African Congress (UAC) and the Give Them a Hand Foun-dation (GTAH), along with Co-Sponsors the Perma-nent Mission of Ethiopia to the United Nations and the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Indonesia to the United Nations, will be one of the high points of Interfaith Harmony Week, observed annually during February.

The discussion takes place in the ECOSOC Con-ference Room in the North Lawn Building on 7 February starting at 1.15 P.M. and will feature a dis-tinguished panel examining the theme “Co-operation between peoples of different Faiths, Be-liefs and Cultures for the Greater Good of our Com-munities”. For the first time a representative of Afri-can traditional spiritualism will be participating in this program.

Representatives of different faiths will say a brief prayer at the start of the program, followed by an equally brief statement on “Forging coalitions be-tween different peoples for the greater good”. The session will conclude with questions and recom-mendations from the audience.

The expected outcome is the preparation of a document outlining the commitment of the partici-pating faith-based leaders to develop specific and concrete plans for implementation of activities, first locally, then extending outwards that can bridge the divide between peoples who perceive differences between themselves and other groups within the lar-ger community.

In 2010, in implementation of General Assembly Resolution A/Res/65/5, the Secretary General of the United Nations proposed designating the first week of February each year as Interfaith Harmony Week and encouraged all States to initiate activities that would bring together peoples of different faiths, be-liefs and cultures with a view to engendering peace and harmonious relations between nations and peo-ples.

Last year, the United African Congress and the Give Them a Hand Foundation, together with the Permanent Mission of Ethiopia to the United Na-tions, responded to the call of the Secretary General and organized the first meeting under the banner of Interfaith Harmony on 6 February at the UN. The meeting had as its theme “The Diaspora, a Force for Good” with the objective of engaging the Diasporas now domiciled in the United States to engender bet-ter relations amongst themselves and their new communities and especially amongst the often di-verse groups within their respective homelands.

The successful event saw the participation of leaders of the five major world faiths: Buddhist, Christian, Islam, Jewish and Hindi. The leaders and the audience felt that the meeting was productive and suggested that the momentum should be main-tained by taking Interfaith Harmony beyond the confines of the conference room and towards practi-cal application.

As a result of that meeting the United African Congress and the Give Them a Hand Foundation or-ganized a series of Relief and Recovery efforts for the victims of Hurricane Sandy Sandy in a number of locations, relying on the co-operation of adher-ents of the Islamic, Buddhist and Christian faiths in particular, as well as members of the Hebrew faith. In this regard, Imam Shamsi Ali, the Venerable Chueh Chuan and the Reverend Jean Montas, all key participants in last year’s Interfaith Harmony Week event, were major contributors through their respective groups. Rabbi Robert Kaplan another key participant in the 2012 meeting has also been very active with his organization in Hurricane Sandy Re-lief and Recovery

The theme of this year’s Interfaith Harmony Week draws especially upon the experience gained from the response of New Yorkers and Jerseyites to Hurricane Storm Sandy.



believe that you are not wor-thy or that you are to old, to young or not educated enough to be able to possess this new assignment or territory. But the devil is a liar…

We must recognize that sometimes we cannot conquer our fears alone. We need help! However there comes a time in your life that the help of people just will not do. You need what I call divine help. You need divine intervention to stop these fears and obstacles that have you bound. Thank God for the Bible, which gives us in-structions. For in the word of God we learn to over-come our fears through faith.

So the answer for all of us is this “Faith in Christ will conquer the Fears of Life.” For the Bible sim-ply says I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me….

Dr. Karen Deadwyler is a new author inspired by God. Her first book titled “His Miraculous Way” speaks of her victory through Jesus Christ. This book can be purchased at her website www.godlypleasures.org She is the Visionary and Co-founder along with her husband Ronnie Deadwyler of Glory Temple Ministries.

Life Changing Words

“The Power of Fear” 2 Tim 1:7 KJV “For God hath not given us the

spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

What I have found is one of the greatest obsta-cles that we face in life is fear. Many of us live our life daily in fear. We have fear of people, fear of failure as well as fear of success. If you are not careful fear will cause you to give up on life and on your hopes and your dreams. If this emotion is not dealt with correctly it will even cause you to lose your mind. Fear is a very powerful and dangerous weapon that the enemy satan uses against us. What we have not realized is that fear is a form of bond-age.

It can keep you from moving forward in the things of God as well as in the things of this world. The devil uses fear to stop us from getting to our destiny. See God has a purpose and a plan for your life; and what happens is as you venture into new territory or into a new assignment the devil puts thoughts in your mind to stop you. He makes you

COMING TO A PEW NEAR YOU

3/1/13



Rosa Parks’ 100th birthday to be commemorated with US postage

stamp Rosa Parks, the late legendary civil rights activist, is receiving a special honor

this year to commemorate what would have been her 100th birthday.

According to USA Today, the U.S. postal service will be unveiling a stamp that features her image.

Parks became a household name when her act of civil disobedience (refusing to sit in the back of a bus during the segregation era) helped spawn the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955.

“Stamp collectors and other people travel to events like this because they want to be part of history,” Don Neal, editor of Reflections, a newsletter published by the Ebony Society of Philatelic Events and Reflections, told USA Today.

The unveiling ceremonies are scheduled for February 4th at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit and the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.

Happy Birthday Rev. Donnie Baker A Black Tie Birthday Celebration was held in honor of Rev. Donnie Baker at the El Elyon Fellowship Hall in Hempstead. Town of Hempstead Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby presented a Certificate of Recognition to Rev. Baker and wished him heartfelt happy birthday wishes.



Question: "Do Christians have to obey the laws of the land?" Answer: Romans 13:1-7 states, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing au-thorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authori-ties that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to sub-mit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of con-science. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.” This passage makes it abundantly clear that we are to obey the government God places over us. God created government to establish order, punish evil, and promote justice (Genesis 9:6; 1 Corinthians 14:33; Romans 12:8). We are to obey the government in everything—paying taxes, obeying rules and laws, and showing respect. If we do not, we are ultimately showing disrespect towards God, for He is the One who placed that government over us. When the apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, he was under the government of Rome during the reign of Nero, perhaps the most evil of all the Roman emperors. Paul still recognized the Roman government’s rule over him. How can we do any less? The next question is “Is there a time when we should intentionally disobey the laws of the land?” The answer to that question may be found in Acts 5:27-29, “Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 'We gave you strict orders not to teach in this Name,' he said. 'Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood.' Peter and the other apostles replied: ‘We must obey God rather than men!'“ From this, it is clear that as long as the law of the land does not contradict the law of God, we are bound to obey the law of the land. As soon as the law of the land contra-dicts God's command, we are to disobey the law of the land and obey God's law. How-ever, even in that instance, we are to accept the government’s authority over us. This is demonstrated by the fact that Peter and John did not protest being flogged, but instead rejoiced that they suffered for obeying God (Acts 5:40-42).

Question: "Why wasn't Cain’s punishment death (Genesis 4:14)?" Answer: After Cain killed his brother Abel, God gave the following judgment to Cain: “And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth” (Genesis 4:11-12). It would seem to many that Cain received a lesser punishment than he deserved for murder. Why wasn’t Cain given capital punishment? First, the punishment he received was severe. Cain believed it to be worse than death. He replied to God, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugi-tive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me” (Genesis 3:13-14). Previously, Cain had been “a tiller of the ground” (Genesis 4:2, NKJV), so this particu-lar punishment took away his livelihood. In addition, Cain feared death at the hands of another person. To prevent others from killing Cain, God marked him somehow (what type of mark is uncertain). Instead of being put to death, Cain was forced to live the rest of his life with unfruitful work and the guilt of having killed his brother. Second, God had additional plans for Cain’s life. Cain’s family line is found in the

verses that follow the pronouncement of his judgment. Many notable achievements are attributed to Cain’s family members (Genesis 4:20-22). On a negative note, a descen-dent named Lamech is mentioned as also committing murder. While the reason for this detail is not given, one possible explanation is to reveal that the judgment upon Cain extended to some of his descendants who also lived violently. Another reason some suggest for Cain’s punishment not being death was that there were too few people on the earth. While this is one possible reason, it is not given as a clear answer in the text of Scripture. Instead, Cain had a wife (one of Adam and Eve’s other descendants) and built a town. Adam and Eve had Seth and certainly other chil-dren who provided the world’s other initial inhabitants. Later, when God instituted the Noahic Covenant, murder became a capital crime (Genesis 9:6). The death penalty was codified in the Mosaic Law in Numbers 35:30-31, 33. Cain lived before God required death as a punishment for murder. So, God provided an appropriate punishment. The Judge of all the earth always does right (Genesis 18:25).

Question: "What was the mark that God put on Cain (Genesis 4:15)?" Answer: After Cain killed his brother Abel, God declared to Cain, "Now you are un-der a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth" (Genesis 4:11-12). In re-sponse, Cain lamented, "My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driv-ing me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me" (Genesis 4:13-14). God responded, "Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him" (Genesis 4:15-16). The nature of the mark on Cain has been the subject of much debate and speculation. The Hebrew word translated "mark" is 'owth and refers to a “mark, sign, or token.” Elsewhere in the Hebrew Scriptures, 'owth is used 79 times and is most frequently translated as "sign." So, the Hebrew word does not identify the exact nature of the mark God put on Cain. Whatever it was, it was a sign/indicator that Cain was not to be killed. Some propose that the mark was a scar, or some kind of tattoo. Whatever the case, the precise nature of the mark is not the focus of the passage. The focus is that God would not allow people to exact vengeance against Cain. Whatever the mark on Cain was, it served this purpose. In the past, many believed the mark on Cain to be dark skin—that God changed the color of Cain's skin to black in order to identify him. Since Cain also received a curse, the belief that the mark was black skin caused many to believe that people of dark skin were cursed. Many used the “mark of Cain” teaching as a justification for the African slave trade and discrimination against people with black/dark skin. This interpretation of the mark of Cain is completely unbiblical. Nowhere in the Hebrew Scriptures is 'owth used to refer to skin color. The curse on Cain in Genesis chapter 4 was on Cain himself. Nothing is said of Cain's curse being passed on to his descendants. There is absolutely no biblical basis to claim that Cain's descendants had dark skin. Further, unless one of Noah's sons' wives was a descendant of Cain (possible but unlikely), Cain's line was terminated by the Flood. What was the mark that God put on Cain? The Bible does not say. The meaning of the mark, that Cain was not to be killed, was more important than the nature of the mark itself. Whatever the mark was, it had no connection to skin color or a generational curse on the descendants of Cain. To use the mark on Cain as an excuse for racism or discrimination is absolutely unbiblical.



Randy Moss calls himself ‘the greatest receiver ever to

play this game’ NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Randy Moss strolled to the podium on

Super Bowl media day — his 49ers hat tilted slightly to the left, his sleeves rolled up high to reveal a cross tattooed on one arm, a large “R” tattooed on the other.

He carried himself very much like the star he once was. “I don’t know how many questions I’m gonna give you,” he barked

to reporters, before breaking into a smile. “So go ahead.” Then, for the next hour or so, he was the center of attention — a

role he seemed perfectly suited for, even though he kept saying over and over that he just wants to be treated like anyone else.

Moss proclaimed himself “the greatest receiver ever to play this game.” He urged all the coaches out there to listen to their players every now and then.

“I’m me,” Moss declared. “I just do it my way. That’s just how I feel. I don’t try to be better than the next man, or break any laws or any rules. Nothing like that. But what do I believe in? I believe in myself. That’s just the way I’ve always done it.

“I know,” he quickly added, “there’s some people out there who like me, and I know there’s a lot of people out there who don’t. For what reason, I don’t know and don’t really care.”

Moss was once the NFL’s most dominant receiver, but those days are long past. He’s 35 now, clearly on the downside of a career that actually seemed over a year ago. After bouncing around to three differ-ent teams in 2010, he didn’t play at all last season. But, he wasn’t ready to walk away from the sport just yet — and San Francisco gave him a chance to come back for another shot at the ring.

There was one big caveat: Moss would no longer be the center of the offense.

The 49ers had plenty of others — from receiver Michael Crabtree to tight end Vernon Davis to running back Frank Gore. Now that Colin Kaepernick has taken over at quarterback, it’s easy to forget that No. 84 is even on the field. Sure, Moss is savoring the 49ers’ run to the Su-per Bowl, where they’ll face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, but he’s still struggling to get his arms around the idea of being an afterthought on the field.

“I’ve always considered myself a playmaker,” he said. “Blocking? Yeah, I understand that’s part of the game. Me going out to be decoy? Yeah, I know that’s part of the game. But for me not to be out here making plays is something I just don’t understand.”

Then, he remembered why he’s here. “If that’s going to win me a ring,” Moss said, “yeah, I accept that.” He came oh-so-close during the 2007 season, teaming with Tom

Brady to lead New England to an unbeaten regular season and two more wins in the playoffs. Then, in the game that really mattered, the high-powered Patriots were shut down in the Super Bowl by the New York Giants, who rallied for a stunning 17-14 upset after David Tyree — not Moss — made a catch that left everyone in awe.

It’s a game Moss has never bothered to watch on video. It’s a game (Continued on page 39)

Meet the first Latino leader of the world-renowned Harlem Globetrotters

by Kristina Puga, @kristinapuga

5:00 am on 01/31/2013

Kevin Daley, otherwise known as “Special K” on the basketball court, is 6 feet 5 inches and full of energy. He has to be, to play the most prominent role on the world-renowned Harlem Globetrotters team — “the Showman.” He combines theater and comedy while dribbling a basketball.

Originally from Panama City, Panama, Daley is the fourth Latino to be recruited on this talented circus-like team, which dates back to 1926. He’s also the only Hispanic to have the most prominent role on the court in its history. Daley is mic’d during the entire game, be-cause he has to call the plays and make jokes during the entire per-formance.

“That’s why my voice is a little hoarse right now,” laughs the 36-year-old who has been living in a non-stop whirlwind for the past nine years. “I wake up around 9, get on the tour bus for the next few hours, go to the gym, play at 7, and I’m completely done around 10…talk to my family, relax, and go to the next city the next morn-ing.”

In a week, he says he could visit seven or eight cities, and he travels about nine months out of the year. Four months out of the year is for the U.S. tour — the rest of the travel is international.

“One memory that stands out easily is when I played for the first time with the Globetrotters in Panama in 2010 — we sold out the arena,” says Daley, who moved from there to Los Angeles when he was 13. “It was great to see the support of the whole country…It was very special to see my family and friends show their support.”

He says he’s currently on his way back to Dallas, Texas, his home base, and where his 7-year-old daughter resides. It’s also the next stop for the team’s North American tour, which encompasses 230 cities and 280 games. In a year, more than one million fans come out to cheer them on in the U.S. alone.

“I fell in love with basketball,” says Daley about when he was a young boy in Panama and vowed to himself he would make basket-ball his career. “I didn’t know how or where, but now I’ve been liv-ing that dream for many years, so it’s been very special for me. I also love to entertain.”

From his favorite athlete, Michael Jordan, he says he learned you can become great with hard work.

“Every summer I would play in different summer leagues with NBA players, because I knew that would attract a lot of attention —




Like Harbaugh, Kaepernick loved watching game tape. Growing up, Kaepernick studied players like Cunningham, while also learning the nuances of finding weaknesses in opposing defenses on tape.

TheGrio: Top 10 greatest black QBs of all time He’s also acutely aware that his physical prowess is what makes

him dynamic, so he’s typically the first 49er to arrive at practice every day, even beating out future Hall of Fame linebacker Patrick Willis.

“I know that Kap’s a guy who works every day and he’s very confident in himself, not conceited by any means. But, if you see what we see every day, I get there and, I’m the type of man I don’t like to be out-worked, but honestly I get there to the facility and he’s outside al-ready warming up,” [said Willis].

It’s that preparation that’s also helped Kaepernick step in immedi-ately and be a leader. His command of the huddle and tactical approach to the game have impressed teammates and 49er fans.

“He’s a coach on the field,” said Kaepernick’s offensive coordi-nator in high school, Brandon Harris. “That was exactly him. Don’t let the tattoos and everything fool you. This guy’s an intellectual.”

Kaepernick is an incredibly exciting player, and it’s easy to imme-diately credit his rise to stardom to his freakish athletic ability. He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs to play baseball, and had the ability to play basketball in college, so clearly he’s one of the game’s premier athletes.

He may be revolutionizing the game on the field, but off the field, he’s following the same playbook as the greats that came before him: discipline, hard work, film study and preparation.

Fans love what Kaepernick does on Sundays. But the work he’s put-ting in from Monday through Saturday may ultimately determine how we perceive the future black quarterback.

Sloane Stephens in, Williams sisters out for US Fed Cup team

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) — Sloane Stephens will lead the U.S. Fed Cup team that is without the Williams sisters for the World Group first-round match against Italy on Feb. 9-10.

U.S. captain Mary Joe Fernandez also included doubles specialist Liezel Huber and rookies Varvara Lepchenko and Jamie Hampton.

Stephens is ranked a career-high No. 17 after beating Serena Wil-liams to reach the semifinals of the Australian Open. She is in line to make her Fed Cup singles debut against the Italians.

Serena Williams, who hurt her back in the quarterfinal loss to Stephens, played in the most recent U.S. match in the Fed Cup — a 5-0 victory over Ukraine in a World Group playoff in April last year.

The match will be played on indoor red clay in Rimini, Italy. The Italian team is led by No. 7 Sara Errani and No. 16 Roberta Vinci.

Colin Kaepernick’s dedication off the field led him to Super Bowl Sunday

Colin Kaepernick may be the poster boy for where the quarterback position is headed.

Or maybe – where it already is. The second-year San Francisco 49ers quarterback has revolution-

ized the position. His cannon of an arm and gazelle-like speed and elu-siveness have made him nearly impossible to contain, especially in the ‘Pistol’ offense.

He’s transformed a good team into an elite one. What he does through the air and on the ground has made him a fan

favorite and media darling during these playoffs. But it’s what Kaeper-nick does off the field that has put him in position to lead the 49ers to their first Super Bowl in nearly two decades.

Kaepernick is an example of how effective a quarterback can be with a big arm, pinpoint accuracy, and the ability to take off in an in-stant. He follows a long line of African-American quarterbacks like Randall Cunningham, Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick, Cam Newton and more who possess the ability to beat defenses in a variety of ways.

TheGrio: Black quarterbacks changing perceptions in NFL playoffs Typically with athletic quarterbacks, the general perception is they

get by simply on athletic ability alone. These “freak athletes” have God-given abilities that allow them to throw bombs downfield and run 4.3-second 40s. Players like Vick, Vince Young, JaMarcus Russell, and even Newton to an extent have been accused of not putting the time in the film room, and instead relying on their natural talent.

This is where Kaepernick breaks the mold, and if he wins the Super Bowl this Sunday, may change the perceptions of how we view dual-threat quarterbacks forever. For all the Vick and Newton Kaepernick has in him, he may have just as much Peyton Manning in him too.

And that should be mentioned, praised and noted as much if not more than his mobility in and out of the pocket.

Kaepernick has always been just as impressive in the classroom as he was on the football field. He held a 4.0 in high school and a 3.5 at the University of Nevada. He scored an impressive 37 on the NFL’s Won-derlic intelligence test (which is still unfairly seen as a barometer for NFL intelligence).

One of the reasons 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh – a noted film junkie – traded up in the second round of the draft last year to get Kaepernick, was because the young player’s work ethic mirrored his own, as noted in Peter King’s Sports Illustrated column in May 2011.

“Kaepernick’s a football junkie, and he’ll be trained 24/7/365 by Jim Harbaugh to be an NFL quarterback. Every aspect of his life will be about being a quarterback. Perfect guy for Harbaugh,” [said ESPN NFL analyst and former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer]. As another draft ana-lyst told me Sunday: “Harbaugh drafted himself.”



Ray Lewis says he’s ‘agitated,’ not angry

about deer antler spray story

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Smiling, even laughing, at questions about a report linking him to a company that purports to make per-formance-enhancers, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis says he “never, ever took” the stuff.

Lewis also says he’s “agitated,” not angry, that the story has be-come part of the Super Bowl-week prelude to Baltimore’s game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

He said Wednesday that he’s certain his teammates won’t be dis-tracted by the report in Sports Illustrated. The magazine said Lewis sought help from a company that says its deer-antler spray and pills contain a banned product connected to human growth hormone. Lewis is the leading tackler in the NFL postseason after returning from a torn right triceps that sidelined him for 10 games.

that sticks with him to this day — and probably will forever, even if the 49ers win on Sunday.

“There’s just something about ’07, being undefeated going into a Super Bowl and losing it like that,” he said. “I’ll never forget that moment because it’s not fun when you’re sweating and you have con-fetti dropping down and sticking to your face and knowing that you’re not on the winning side of the confetti.”

Surely, someone asked, winning this time would ease the pain from five seasons ago.

Not so, Moss replied. “If I win this one, that means I could have had two,” he said.

“That’s something I’ll never forget.” Moss’ last big season came with the Patriots in 2009, when he

had 83 receptions for 1,264 yards and 13 touchdowns. The following year was a mess, largely of his own making.

His days in New England were numbered before the season opener when Moss complained about not getting a contract extension and said he didn’t feel wanted. After week four, he was traded back to Minnesota, his original team, but that didn’t last, either. Moss griped about then-coach Brad Childress and was waived, finishing out the dismal, miserable campaign in Tennessee.

Not surprisingly, no one jumped at the chance to offer Moss a job in 2011.

It looked as though retirement had arrived, whether he wanted it or not.

Moss used the off year to reconnect with his children, to get in some fishing, to watch some games on Sundays. But he also shed some tears, pained at the idea of ending his career before he was ready to go. He made sure to stay in shape, just in case someone wanted to give him another chance.

“I love this game of football so much,” Moss said. “I don’t like everything that comes with it, but going out on the field between the white lines and playing football is something I’ve always done. I’ve been doing it since I was 6 years old. For me to be able to just walk away from the game, knowing that I wasn’t ready, mentally or physi-cally, it really hurt me, man. It really depressed me.”

Then came a call from the 49ers, who had come up just short of the Super Bowl during his season away. They felt Moss was one of those players who might help them get over the hump — not so much for what he could do on the field, but the impact he might have on the youngsters in the locker room.

Moss started only two games, finishing with 28 catches, 434 yards and three TDs. But he had the desired impact on Crabtree and Kaepernick, passing on his many experiences to those who will carry the franchise into the future.

“One thing that impressed me the most about Randy is the way that he works with all the other guys, and not even just the receivers,” 49ers fullback Bruce Miller said. “He’s so knowledgeable about the game of football that he coaches other positions and has all kinds of tips and reminders for everyone.”

so I played my best and the Globetrotters noticed me,” says Daley. “I felt I would be a perfect fit for the team.”

He says the Globetrotters recruited him because of his basketball ability, and the more seasoned players taught him the tricks.

“I had to take it upon myself to get better and better,” says Daley. “Now I’m teaching some of the younger players how to do tricks.”

Slick Willie Shaw, one of Special K’s 28 teammates for nine sea-sons, says he considers Daley as close as a big brother. Afterall, they see each other more than their real families — practicing together seven days a week.

“Regardless if he is under the weather, he gives 110 percent every single night,” says Shaw. “It makes me want to do the best I can, and keep my energy up.”

A lover of people and what makes them tick, Daley says that’s why he also chose to get bachelor’s degree in sociology from Azusa Pacific University in California.

“I always wanted to make my family proud — especially my dad,” he says. “Every time I did something, I would always think, ‘What would my dad think?’ That was always my motivation.”

For now, Daley says he plans on being a Globetrotter as long as his energy tank remains full.

“After that, I’d like to some motivational speaking, maybe TV, but definitely motivational speaking,” he says.


Arts

, Cul

ture

and

Ent

erta

inm

ent M

agaz

ine

Arts

, Cul

ture

and

Ent

erta

inm

ent M

agaz

ine

Vo

lum

e 1

Nu

mb

er

41

Vo

lum

e 1

Nu

mb

er

41

VILLAGE LIFE MAGAZINE FRIDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2013 Page 2

ONLINE EDITION PAGE 2



Gordy, music and lyrics from the legendary Motown catalog and choreography by Patricia Wilcox and Warren Adams.

Motown: The Musical is the real story of the one-of-a-kind sound that hit the airwaves in 1959 and changed America forever. This exhilarating show charts Motown Founder Berry Gordy’s incredible journey from feather-weight boxer to the heavyweight music mogul who launched the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson,

Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robin-son, Marvin Gaye and so many more.

Featuring all the classics you love, Motown: The Musical tells the story behind the hits as Smokey finds his unique voice, Diana skyrockets to stardom and Berry fights against the odds to turn his improbable dream into a triumphant reality. The music that shattered barriers and shaped our lives finally comes to the Broadway stage in the sea-son’s most highly anticipated world-premiere event, Motown: The Musical… Get ready, ’cause here we come!

Broadway previews for Motown: The Musical begin on March 11. Tickets to the show are on sale

now.

First look: ‘Motown: The Musical’ on Broadway

Motown: The Musical will make it’s Broadway debut this spring, and by the looks of things, fans of the legendary Motown sound are for a treat.

TheGrio.com has the exclusive first photos from Motown:The Mu-sical‘s Broadway advertising and promotional campaign.

Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, the musical stars Tony Award nominee Brandon Victor Dixon (The Color Purple) as Berry Gordy, Valisia LeKae (The Book of Mormon) as Diana Ross, Charl Brown (Jersey Boys) as Smokey Robinson among a cast of 40.

Motown: The Musical is pro-duced by Tony Award winning pro-ducer Kevin McCollum (Rent, In the Heights, Avenue Q), Sony Mu-sic Entertainment Chairman and CEO Doug Morris and Motown founder Berry Gordy and features a book by Mr.



Ohio Players frontman Leroy

‘Sugarfoot’ Bonner dead

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Leroy “Sugarfoot” Bon-ner, frontman for the hit-making funk music band the Ohio Players, has died in the U.S. He was 69.

A spokeswoman for an Ohio funeral home con-firms he died Saturday. There is also a posting about his death on his current band’s Facebook page.

The Ohio Players topped music charts in the 1970s with hits such as “Love Rollercoaster,” ”Fire,” ”Skin Tight” and “Funky Worm.” They were known for their brassy dance music, catchy lyrics and flamboy-ant outfits.

Bonner helped form the Ohio Players in the 1960s. He had remained active in recent years with a spinoff called Sugarfoot’s Ohio Players.



Rihanna on dating Chris Brown: ‘If it’s a

mistake, it’s my mistake’

NEW YORK (AP) — Rihanna says if dating Chris Brown is mistake, she’s OK with that.

The singer tells Rolling Stone in an interview that dat-ing Brown makes her happy and “if it’s a mistake, it’s my mistake.” She adds that she’s ready to go public with her singer-boyfriend.

Four years ago, Brown attacked Rihanna and was charged with a felony. But rumors about their relationship emerged after the singers collaborated on songs and ap-peared in photos together.

Rihanna says she knows that her history with 23-year-old Brown is “not the cutest puzzle in the world.” The 24-year-old also vows that Brown is “disgusted” by what he did in the past. She says the two have matured and they “know exactly what we have now, and we don’t want to lose that.”

The magazine’s new issue hits newsstands Friday.

SPEND YOUR SABBATH OR SUNDAY AT ONE OF THE PLACES OF WORSHIP

LISTED HERE IN OUR NEW CHURCH DIRECTORY FOR FREE



ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT, MOVIES, MUSIC, LITERATURE, MUSEUM, RADIO, CABLE TELEVISION, RELIGION, CULTURE, HOME AND GARDEN, DINING

Village Life Is a publication of

Emerging Business Group, Inc. ©2012 New York all rights reserved

Village Life Magazine is a weekly publication, based in Baldwin, New York, dedicated to sharing business, cultural, entertainment and religious information among minority residents which will enable positive action - economically, socially and politically - for the betterment of all.

Village Life is a footprint of the Communi ty Journa l newspaper which premiered on July 1, 1993, since then we have grown to be the leading African heritage news and information sources on Long Island.

As a community - based publication, we intend to expand our presence and to encourage greater participation from all members of the community in forging our shared destiny.

We are a "for-profit" business and hope to extend that s p i r i t o f e c o n o m i c empowerment to many other businesses in our community.

We are published each week unless otherwise indicated and a re d i s t r ibu ted th rough newsstands, independent sales agents, and subscriptions.

Publisher:

Larry Montgomery Mailing Address: 456 New York Avenue

Baldwin, New York 11510

MAIN ADVERTISING MAIN ADVERTISING SALES NUMBERSALES NUMBER: :

((516516) ) 384384--09610961

ADVERTISING ADVERTISING AND SALES COMPANY:AND SALES COMPANY:

Make all checks out to:

EMERGING BUSINESS EMERGING BUSINESS GROUP, INC.GROUP, INC.

EE--mail:mail: [email protected]@hotmail.com

NEWS NUMBER: (516) 384-0961

Www.communityjournal.info

Privacy PolicyPrivacy Policy We do not accept anonymous We do not accept anonymous comments. If you do not want comments. If you do not want your comments or your name or your comments or your name or address published tell us. address published tell us. Thank you from the Mgmt.Thank you from the Mgmt. www.communityjournal.www.communityjournal.infoinfo

THE TEMPTATIONS and THE FOUR TOPS

Friday, March 15th at 7:00PM

NEW DATE

THE TEMPTATIONS & THE FOUR TOPS AT THE NYCB THEATRE AT WESTBURY – FRIDAY, MARCH 15



THE TEMPTATIONS & THE FOUR TOPS

AT THE NYCB THEATRE AT WESTBURY –

FRIDAY, MARCH 15 Westbury, NY – Live Nation is pleased to

present The Temptations and The Four Tops at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury on Saturday, February 9 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $69.50 and $49.50 plus applicable service charges and are available online at www.ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at 800-745-3000 or at the West-bury box office. Event, date and time are subject to change. For more information visit www.thetheatreatwestbury.com.

For nearly fifty years, The Temptations have prospered, propelling popular music with a series of smash hits, and sold-out performances throughout the world. The history of The Temp-tations is the history of contemporary American pop. An essential component of the original Mo-town machine, that amazing engine invented by Berry Gordy, The Temps began their musical life in Detroit in the early sixties. It wasn’t until 1964 however, that the Smokey Robinson written-and-produced “The Way You Do the things You Do” turned the guys into stars. An avalanche of hits followed, many of which...”My Girl,” for in-stance...attained immortality. With “Get Ready,” “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” “Beauty Is Only Skin Deep,” and “I Wish It Would Rain”...the hits kept coming. When the sixties and seventies turned political, The Temps got serious. They changed their tone, dress and music. The Temp-tations sound burned with intensity on songs like “Cloud Nine,” “I Can’t Get Next to You,” “Papa Was a Rolling Stone”, and “Psychedelic Shack.” Today, the current lineup consists of founder Otis Williams along with Ron Tyson, Terry Weeks, Joe Herndon, and Bruce Williamson. There current CD is the aptly titled "Still Here."

The Four Tops are four powerful voices led by original member and founder Abdul “Duke” Fakir. Their first hit was “Baby I Need Your Loving” in 1964. Their songs, soulful and bitter-sweet, were across-the-board successes. “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch),” a no. 1 R&B and Pop smash in 1965, is one of Mo-town’s longest-running chart toppers; it was quickly followed by a longtime favorite, “It’s The Same Old Song” (no. 2 R&B/no. 5 pop). Their commercial peak was highlighted by a ro-mantic trilogy: the no. 1 “Reach Out I’ll Be There,” “Standing In The Shadows Of Love” (no. 2 R&B/no. 6 pop) and “Bernadette” (no. 3 R&B/no. 4 pop)—an extraordinary run of instant classics. Their hit making streak continued well into the eighties making them one of the few groups to have hits in three consecutive decades. In 1990, with 24 Top 40 pop hits to their credit, the Four Tops were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. Though they would no longer have hits on record, the group continued to be a hit in concert, touring incessantly, a towering testament to the enduring legacy of the Mo-town Sound they helped shape and define.

About Live Nation Entertainment:

Live Nation Entertainment is the world’s leading live entertain-ment and eCommerce company, comprised of four market leaders: Ticketmaster.com, Live Nation Concerts, Front Line Management Group and Live Nation Network. Ticketmaster.com is the global event ticketing leader and one of the world’s top five eCommerce sites, with over 26 million monthly unique visitors. Live Nation Concerts pro-duces over 20,000 shows annually for more than 2,000 artists glob-

ally. Front Line is the world’s top artist management company, repre-senting over 250 artists. These businesses power Live Nation Net-work, the leading provider of entertainment marketing solutions, ena-bling over 800 advertisers to tap into the 200 million consumers Live Nation delivers annually through its live event and digital platforms. For additional



Radio Show host Don Durant of Living, Caring, and Sharing Hosts Live Show in New York

Link -

http://www.prlog.org/11933857

THE FOUR TOPS FRIDAY, MARCH 15th at 7:00pm Four Tops are an American vocal quartet, whose rep-

ertoire has included doo-wop, jazz, soul music, R&B, disco, adult contemporary, hard rock, and showtunes. Founded in Detroit, Michigan as The Four Aims, lead singer Levi Stubbs (born Levi Stubbles, a cousin of Jackie Wilson and brother of The Falcons' Joe Stubbs), and groupmates Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton remained together for over four decades, having gone from 1953 until 1997 without a single change in personnel.

Among a number of groups who helped define the Motown Sound of the 1960s, including The Miracles, The Marvelettes, Martha and the Vandellas, The Temp-tations, and The Supremes, the Four Tops were notable for having Stubbs, a baritone, as their lead singer; most groups of the time were fronted by a tenor. The group was the main male vocal group for the songwriting and production team of Holland-Dozier-Holland, who crafted a stream of hit singles, including two Billboard Hot 100 number-one hits: "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" and "Reach Out I'll Be There". After Holland-Dozier-Holland left Motown in 1967, the Four Tops were assigned to a number of producers, primarily Frank Wilson. When Motown left Detroit in 1972 to move to Los Angeles, California, the Tops stayed in Detroit and moved over to ABC Records' Dunhill imprint, where they continued to have charting singles into the late-1970s. Since the 1980s, the Four Tops have recorded for, at various times, Motown, Casablanca Records and Arista Records. Today, save for Indestructible (owned by Sony Music Entertainment), Universal Music Group controls the rights to their entire post-1963 catalog (through various mergers and acquisitions), as well as their 1956 single, "Could It Be You".

A change of line-up was finally forced upon the group when Lawrence Payton died on June 20, 1997. The band initially continued as a three-piece under the name The Tops,[1] before Theo Peoples (formerly of The Temptations) was recruited as the new fourth mem-ber. Peoples eventually took over the role of lead singer when Stubbs suffered a stroke in 2000 with his position assumed by Ronnie McNeir. On July 1, 2005, Benson died of lung cancer with Payton's son Roquel Payton re-placing him. Levi Stubbs died on October 17, 2008. Fa-kir, McNeir, Payton, and Harold "Spike" Bonhart, who replaced Peoples in 2011, are still performing together as the Four Tops. Fakir is now the only surviving founding member of the original group.



their chances, but that also remains to be seen.

Whatever, I hope that eve‐ryone running will consider the needs of the electorate, not their needs to win and en‐joy the gifts of victory. It will take a lot of hard work to turn our County around, and it will take many talented people to make that happen. Perhaps, we can get “locals” with tal‐ent to enter our government rather than hiring people from New York City, or up‐state. Maybe, just maybe, we can hire more competent peo‐ple rather than hiring those who have done favors for the candidates (put out campaign signs, given a cocktail party or two, made a hefty campaign donation, etc.). You get the picture!

Well, those are my thoughts for this week, or at least some of them, and I’m sticking with them. Send me your thoughts as to what is‐sues you find important, what changes need to be made, what mistakes need to be righted, what will make our County a better place to live in, work in, and raise a fam‐ily. You may e‐mail me a t : j i m ‐[email protected]. Thank you for your birthday wishes, and have a GREAT week!

promises galore and suggestions unlimited which may or may not be imprementedor is just more hot air, expressed explicitly to get our vote, and possibly, get the pronouncer elected to office.

The first election that comes to mind is our Nassau County County Executive race which should be quite interesting and most cer‐tainly challenging for the candi‐dates. First up, is our current County Executive, Edward Man‐gano, who valiantly fought, tooth and nail, blood, sweat and tears, to get this position.

Ed’s timing was bad, since there was soooo much wrong with our system, our economy, etc., but he fought the good fight and pulled out a victory out of the ashes of the last CE election, much to the surprise and chagrin of the Democrats and Democratic Party.

Democrats had thought that then current CE, Two‐term CE, Tom Suozzi was a shoo‐in, which he was, but he appeared to take it a bit too lightly, not campaigning as diligently as he should have, and, the registered Democrats seemed to take a vacation when polling time was here. The turn‐out was low, and, at first, it seemed that Mr. Suozzi had pulled another rabbit out of his hat, an apparent victory where there was none for him and his party.

Mr. Mangano prevailed in the election and proceeded into a dis‐aster that wasn’t to be expected at the time he first started cam‐paigning. Talk about getting what you wish for!!! It wasn’t just Nassau County that was in trou‐ble, it was nationwide, and world‐wide. What a time to be victori‐ous. What a challenge to be over‐come, and, without all the re‐sources one needed.

Well, here we are almost four years later and the jousting has just begun. Potential candidates declared, and others waiting in the wings as they dip their toes into the shark‐infested waters to check the temperatures and whether the sharks will give them “professional courtesy” that will give them the courage to begin a campaign that will certainly have

“REASONABLE THINKING” By Jim Reed There are many factors that affect us in our daily lives – heat, cold, rain, traffic, wars, and so on. Com‐

ing up soon, we will have another long election season upon us with

to be hard‐fought is they can fathom that they will win.

There is, of course, our incum‐bent, Ed Mangano, sitting in a very good position AS the incum‐bent. They always seem to have a leg up on the competition for so many reasons. Rumor has it that Mr. Mangano will receive three party lines to run on – Republican, Independence and Conservative – making it well nigh impossible for his opponents to win since they will have to make up a deficit of some 35,000 votes when you look at enroll‐ment figures, OR, Ed will have to make a pretty big mistake or be in‐volved in some sordid scandal (or maybe one of his top aides) for him to be discredited.

On the Democratic Party side, we have the hard‐working David Denen‐berg who appears to be lacking a treasury sufficient to put on a good campaign, but one never knows. Things change in a hurry when people see HOPE and a viable candidate.

Then, we have former CE, Tom Suozzi, who has a knack for raising funds, is a visionary, and who will certainly work harder in this cam‐paign. When he will declare, which he will, is anybody’s guess, but look for a more aggressive campaign this time around. DEMOCRATS, don’t stay home on election day or the re‐sults will be the same, especially with 35,000 votes to be overcome!

Now, we have the newcomer to the political scene, the 48‐year‐old financier and restauranteur, Adam Haber, who appears very sincere in his declared candidacy with $2.1 mil‐lions in his treasure trove ready to be spent. He is another very bright indi‐vidual, but he needs political oarty backing and will be seeking to win the Democratic Party Primary which will definitely take place, expecially with Mr. Suozzi entering the race. Mr. Haber is not afraid to work hard in this campaign, and his task will be difficult. He doesn’t seem to be a quitter in his quest for CE.

Still to be seen is HOW the De‐mocratic, or any opposition will over‐come the 35,000‐vote figure. Per‐haps, the opposition candidates can come to some sort of agreement to run together as a team to strengthen



NYCB THEATRE AT WESTBURY SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

A Tribute to JOHN DENVER

A ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH CONCERT FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1 at 8 PM Tickets are $39.50 and $29.50

THE SPINNERS

LITTLE ANTHONY and THE IMPERIALS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16 at 8 PM

Tickets are $69.50 and $49.50

CHRIS YOUNG SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 17 at 8 PM Tickets are $29.50

ARTIE LANGE LIVE!

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23 at 8 PM Tickets are $61.50 and $51.50

HOW I BECAME A PIRATE

SATURDAY, MARCH 2 at 1 PM Tickets are $39.50 and $29.50

Family Four Pack Tickets available at $19.50 each.

FITINGO MUSIC presents An Evening of Sophisticated Soul

EN VOGUE, LILLO THOMAS & FRIENDS SATURDAY, MARCH 2 at 8 PM

MARTIN SHORT

SATURDAY, MARCH 9 at 8 PM Tickets are $79.50, $49.50 and $39.50

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

& DOODLEBOPS LIVE SUNDAY, MARCH 10 at 1 PM

Tickets are $49.50, $39.50 and $19.50

THE TEMPTATIONS & THE FOUR TOPS FRIDAY, MARCH 16 at 7 PM Tickets are $69.50 and $49.50

DOO WOP EXTRAVAGANZA

Starring BOBBY RYDELL LOU CHRISTIE

Willie Winfield & THE HARPTONES Vito Picone & THE ELEGANTS

THE KNOCKOUTS – THE TOYS and THE BROOKLYN REUNION

The Mystics - The Passions – The Classics SATURDAY, MARCH 23 at 7 PM

Tickets are $59.50, $49.50 and $39.50

THE BEACH BOYS (featuring Mike Love & Bruce Johnston)

THURSDAY, APRIL 4 at 8 PM Tickets are $69.50, $49.50 and $39.50

TNA WRESTLING

FRIDAY, APRIL 5 at 7:30 PM Tickets are $75, $54, $44, $24

JERRY LEWIS SATURDAY, APRIL 6


PAJANIMALS LIVE! PAJAMA PARTY

SUNDAY, APRIL 7 at 1:30 PM and 4:30 PM Tickets are $59.50, $39.50, $29.50

FRANKIE VALLI & THE FOUR SEASON

FRIDAY, APRIL 12 at 8 PM SATURDAY, APRIL 13 at 8 PM

Tickets are $71.50, $61.50 and $46.50

WAYNE NEWTON SUNDAY, APRIL 21 at 3 PM

Tickets are $69.50, $49.50 and $39.50

LEWIS BLACK: THE RANT IS DUE FRIDAY, APRIL 26 at 8 PM

SATURDAY, APRIL 27 at 8 PM Tickets are $59.50 and $49.50

MIKE TYSON: THE UNDISPUTED TRUTH

SUNDAY, MAY 5 at 7 PM Tickets are $59.50 and $39.50

A limited number of $300 tickets available include Meet & Greet and Photo Opportunity

POPOVICH COMEDY PET THEATER

SATURDAY, MAY 11 at 1 PM Tickets are $39.50, $29.50 and $19.50

JOHNNY MATHIS

FRIDAY, MAY 17 at 8 PM SATURDAY, MAY 18 at 8 PM Tickets are $79.50 and $49.50

CHICAGO

SATURDAY, MAY 25 at 8 PM SUNDAY, MAY 26 at 8 PM


BOLDER & FRESHER 2013 TOUR BILL O’REILLY & DENNIS MILLER

SATURDAY, JUNE 1 at 8 PM Tickets are $133.00, $73.00 and $53

A limited number of $508 tickets available include Meet & Greet and signed book.

BUY TICKETS AT WWW.TICKETMASTER.COM. CHARGE BY

PHONE AT 800-745-3000 SELECT TICKETMASTER LOCATIONS and THE WESTBURY BOX

OFFICE. ALL DATES, ACTS & TICKET PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITH-

OUT NOTICE. TICKETS SUBJECT TO APPLICABLE SERVICE CHARGES Visit www.TheTheatreAtWestbury.com for more information.



TIME MAGAZINE’s #1 Musical of the Year "Porgy and Bess is a glowing tribute to a phenomenal stage production that transcends time and race: polished, respectful and packed with the

creme de la creme of Broadway talent." -BET

The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess has triumphantly returned to Broadway, in an electrifying new staging as timeless as ever presenting themes that reflect the cultural landscape of America, featuring such leg-endary songs as "Summertime," "It Ain't Necessarily So" and "I Got Plenty of Nothing," plus a remarkable cast led by four-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald, Drama Desk nominee Norm Lewis, and two-time Tony nominee David Alan Grier. Experience the show TIME Magazine declares, "Exquisite, intimate and musically ravishing. A don't-miss theater event!" and The Associated Press calls,“A gor-geous version of The Gershwin Masterpiece!”

“AN INDISPENSABLE TICKET! It’s hard to imagine any hurricane matching the tempest that is the extraordinary Audra McDonald.” -The New York Times “AS RAPTUROUS AS EVER! Norm Lewis is a revelation.” -USA Today “A luscious piece of musical Theatre! David Alan

Grier is terrific!” -Newsday GET YOUR TICKETS NOW AND SAVE!

Sunday through Friday performances: Orchestra & Front Mezz - $89(Reg. $139) Rear Mezz, Rows A to F - $69 (Reg. $87) Rear Mezz, Rows G & H $49 (Reg. $67) Saturday performances: Orchestra & Front Mezz - $99Reg. $139) Rear Mezz, Rows A to F - $69 (Reg. $87) Rear Mezz, Rows G & H $49 (Reg. $67) Three easy ways to get your discounted tickets: CALL 877-250-2929 and mention code: PBDWK Visit Ticketmaster.com and enter code: PBDWK Bring this e-mail to the Richard Rodgers Theater Box Office, (226 West 46th Street, between 8th Avenue and Broadway). Valid for performances through 7/8/12. Offer subject to availability and prior sale. Limit 12 tickets per order. Offer valid on select seat loca-tions. All sales are final. No refunds or exchanges. Offer may be modified or revoked at any time without notice. All phone and internet offers subject to standard Ticketmaster.com service fees. All above prices include a $2 facility fee. Not valid on previously purchased tickets and may not be combined with other offers. For group sales please call 718-703-2260 For more information, visit PorgyandBessonBroadway.com



ABOUT THIS BOOK: “THE WAY STATION” (Genre: Christian fiction) By Minister Larry Montgomery, Sr. Author of the ‘U.S. Marshal Harry Bailey Parables of Life Series’ The Way Station is a fictional account of what could happen immediately following a person’s death. This book is about the mo-ments’ right before the souls of six strangers transitions to either the other side of life, better known as the ‘hereafter’ or to the next phase of life, known as the second chance to get it right. This book was written on the the-ory that either you learn the les-son you were sent into this world to learn, or you can be recycled, given another chance to get it right before it is finally too late. Seven people take an elevator ride together, each from a differ-ent walk of life, but unbeknownst to them; they are each riding into either their next destiny or a sec-ond chance. In their minds, they are all going to the top floor of an office building owned by a world renowned charitable or-ganization, to receive a cash re-ward for doing something good but none of them really remem-bers exactly what. None of the six awardees are known to one another but during the elevator ride to the top-floor office they each have a chance to talk about that part of his or her life, they believe earned them this recognition. As they tell their story, they recollect the trials and tribulations they went through which they believe made them worthy of this honor. Each per-son’s story is of no consequence to any of the other recipients, but the seventh person on the elevator seems to know a lot more about their lives then even they realize. Once each of the awardees reaches their individual destination they are ushered off the elevator to confront life’s ultimate choice; to choose their soul’s next destination. Each awardee is left to choose between two doors. Each door holds a different destiny behind it. So, don’t be fooled by the majesty or outward appearance of either, the one selected is the one each recipient is most worthy of. One door is made of solid OAK1 and the other solid Birch2 wood. Ride with these six people to their final destination and read how each of them chose their soul’s next resting place based on the trials and tribu-lations that made up their lives. Then think how your life compares to theirs; if at all, and you just may find out more about what really awaits you at the ‘Way Station.’

I hope you will consider my first Christian Fiction effort about the after

life. Available for only $4.99 for a limited time. Just click and enjoy...

http://www.amazon.com/THE-WAY-STATION-ebook/dp/B00AVECUM6/ref=la_B00AVKMARA_1_1?

ie=UTF8&qid=1357229984&sr=1-1



LISTEN TO: www.blogtalkradio.com/usmarshalharrybaileycom Friday afternoon’s at 2:30 PM for live readings or visit

www.usmarshalharrybailey.com for archived readings and purchases.



AVAILABLE NOW

AMAZON.COM

eBOOKS



WE DID IT AGAIN! IF YOU REMEMBER LAST YEAR THIS TIME

OVER 80 ADHD EXPERTS AND COACHES, INCLUDING ME,

COMPILED THEIR BEST ADHD STRATEGIES INTO A BOOK TITLED

365 WAYS TO SUCCEED WITH ADHD! WELL, WE DID IT AGAIN WITH THIS FASCINATING BOOK CONTAINING 365+1 IDEAS ON

HOW TO SURVIVE WITH ADHD. IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN

PURCHASING EITHER BOOK JUST LET ME KNOW!

Lisa Byers [email protected]

The ADHD Awareness Book Project: The ADHD Awareness Book Project:

365+1 new ways to succeed with ADHD365+1 new ways to succeed with ADHD



SISTAS ON FIRESISTAS ON FIRE New Talk Show:

Station: Cablevision Channel 20Station: Cablevision Channel 20 Day: Tuesdays Time: 10:30 AMDay: Tuesdays Time: 10:30 AM

Plus, we're still on Saturdays at 3 AMPlus, we're still on Saturdays at 3 AM



ORDER YOUR BLACK YOUR BLACK EXPRESSION HOLIDAY DAY GIFTS FROM US GET A FREE SIX MONTH SUBSCRIPTION TO THE COMMUNITY JOURNAL.

INBOX US AT [email protected] FOR DETAILS



Museum Mission Statement The mission of the African American Museum of Nassau County

[AAM] is to provide programming and events that foster the intellectual development of community members and visitors with an interest in Af-rican-American art, history and culture. A primary goal is to dissemi-nate the history of African-Americans on Long Island and the African-American contribution to the social and cultural development of Ameri-can society through material and visual culture. The AAM, located in

Hempstead, New York, opened in 1970, at the height of the black power movement, as the Black History Exhibit Center. It is the only African American history museum on Long Island, and is located to serve Nas-sau County’s largest African-American population. The museum is a multi-disciplinary cultural institution that provides art installations, historical exhibitions, film programs, commu-nity service events, and educational program-ming. This 6,000-square-foot facility, offers a rotating series of exhibits showcasing local and national African American artists. The Afri-can American Museum also houses the African Atlantic Genealogy Society. This organization provides workshops and individual research instruction in family genealogy. The museum has installed a new E-Learning Program that offers an innovative pedagogical approach, using subject headings relative to Americans of African descent, for con-ducting research on the internet. The AAM is currently working on methods to expand the community’s understanding of knowledge or-ganization methods, literary warrant, and information retrieval and how these relate to African-American social history.

African American Museum and

Center of Education and Applied Arts

110 North Franklin Street

Hempstead, New York 11550

516-572-0730 fax: 516-572-032

Mr. David Byer-Tyre, Museum Di-rector/Curator

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.theaam.org

Hours of Operation

Monday: by appointment,

Tuesday-Friday: 12-8, Saturday: 10-5, Sunday: Closed

ONLY ON CABLEVISION CHANNEL 18

Roots & Culture Sunday at 7:00 am

The Minority Report Monday at 5:00 pm

The Nassau Channel Tuesday at 9:00 pm

The Brain Child /Diaspora

Wednesday 5 & 8 pm

L.D. 1 Report Thursday at 9:00 pm

About the Town Thursday at 6:00 pm

What’s Going On Friday 6:00 pm

Reporters Roundtable Saturday 8:00 pm

PLEASE KEEP THE COMMENTS COMING AND IF PLEASE KEEP THE COMMENTS COMING AND IF YOU LIKE WHAT WE ARE DOING SHOW YOUR YOU LIKE WHAT WE ARE DOING SHOW YOUR

SUPPORT FINANCIALLY CHECK OUT OUR NEW SUPPORT FINANCIALLY CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEBWEB--SITE www.communityjournal.infoSITE www.communityjournal.info

Subscribe Today for only $9.95 for six monthsSubscribe Today for only $9.95 for six months



Beyoncé to finally face media over inauguration

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Beyonce is expected to face the media Thursday as she previews her halftime perform-ance at the Super Bowl football championship, but the fo-cus will likely be on her performance at President Barack Obama’s inauguration earlier this month.

The superstar hasn’t spoken publicly since it was al-leged that she lip-synched her rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the inauguration. Since she hasn’t ad-dressed the controversy, it’s expected the topic will be the main focus of her afternoon press conference in New Or-leans.

Her critically praised performance came under scrutiny less than a day later, when a representative from the U.S. Marine Band said she wasn’t singing live and the band’s accompanying performance was taped. The group soon backed off its initial statement and said no one could tell if she was singing live or not.

The singer likely would rather concentrate on questions about her set list for Sunday and her upcoming HBO docu-mentary, “Life Is but a Dream.”

There has been plenty of speculation about Beyonce’s Super Bowl performance, including reports there would be a Destiny’s Child reunion with Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland, though Williams has shot down such speculation. Some are also curious about whether her hus-band, Jay-Z, will join her onstage, as they often do for each other’s shows.

Beyonce has teased photos and video of herself prepar-ing for the show, which will perhaps be the biggest audi-ence of her career. Last year, Madonna’s halftime perform-ance was the most-watched Super Bowl halftime perform-ance ever, with an average of 114 million viewers. It gar-nered more viewers than the game itself, which was the most-watched U.S. TV event in history.



HOLIDAY WEEKEND MEANS EXTRA FUN AT CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

A oliday weekend is com-ing up and Long Island Chil-dren’s Museum is filling its programming calendar with extra doses of family fun. En-joy abstract art workshops and become part of a spring exhibition, celebrate Black History Month with an exciting musical performance and get ready for some clown antics with the Remarkable Renaldo.

Bonus Monday: LICM Open Monday, February 18 (Presidents Day)

Program Schedule: Feb. 12-18, 2013

Love Rocks Tuesday, February 12

through Friday, February 15 from 2:30-4 p.m. Join us in the Inner Lobby to decorate an adorable little rock “buddy” to show your love for a special person in your life!

All ages. Free with Mu-seum admission.

David Pleasant pre-sents SHOUT, JUBA, and JIVE Saturday, February 16 and Sunday, February 17 at 1 and 3 p.m.

Celebrate Black History month at LICM. Join David Pleasant for a hands-on music and movement class high-lighting the percussion style of Gullah/Geechee, which originated from the Sea Is-lands off the coasts of Geor-gia and South Carolina. The workshop will culminate in a percussion orchestra in which kids perform on a variety of instruments. Ages: 3 and up. Fee: $3 with Museum admission ($2 LICM mem-bers) Feeling Color with de Kooning

Saturday, February 16 through Monday, February 18 at 11 a.m. and 1 and 3 p.m. Red, Indigo, Violet, Tanger-ine, Periwinkle! How many different colors can you imag-ine? Take a journey where art and poetry come together in a beautiful colorful adven-

ture. Play with the sound, feel, and story of color. Be inspired by art, poetry, and music as we brainstorm what mood you think Willem de Kooning was in when he cre-ated some of his abstract paintings. Create a colorful abstract painting using differ-ent mediums and shapes that express your feelings for the day. This program is funded by The Willem de Kooning Foundation. Ages 3 and up. Fee: $3 with Museum admission ($2 LICM members).

Circus Renaldo

Monday, Febru-ary 18 at 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m.

Witness the juggling, pranks, magic and humor of the Remarkable Renaldo, the ring-master clown of Cir-cus Renaldo. Renaldo has performed with the leading circuses around the world, including Big Apple Circus, To-ronto’s Garden Brothers Cir-cus, England’s Zippo’s Circus, SeaWorld in Florida, Circus Sarasota and the Royal Han-neford Circus. Come celebrate the holidays with hu-mor. Renaldo’s alter ego, Al Calienes will be present too; signing copies of his children's story book "Renaldo Joins the Circus."

Ages: 3 and up. Fee: $5 with Museum admission ($4 LICM members); $10 Theater Only

New Exhibit - Sound Showers

Get ready to be im-mersed in sound and music as you enter an immersive envi-ronment to explore sound-scapes of the imagination, create rhythms using instru-ments from around the world and experience the fun of cre-ating music using objects found all around us. Sound Showers features three gal-

lery experiences exploring the concept that “sound is music and music is sound” and en-courages visitors to “look” with their ears to uncover the unexpected rhythms that are all around us. The exhibit is funded by a generous grant from the Gertrude and Louis Feil Family.

All ages. Free with Mu-seum admission.

Traveling Exhibit: At-tack of the Bloodsuckers!

Through Sunday, May 5 Be the first to explore the sci-

ence of what’s eating you in this skin-crawling exhibition! Examine the what, why, when and how of mosqui-toes, fleas, ticks, leeches and other parasites known as sanguinivores (creatures that eat

blood). Learn why blood-suckers are important to the ecosystem -- and how to keep them out of your system!

Attack of the Bloodsuck-ers! offer visitors the chance to:

Look a real leech in the mouth;

Pull off your socks and test your bug-appealing foot odor;

Receive a big hug from a giant, inflating tick;

Get itchy and knotty with the life-size game of "Twitcher" — a buggy varia-tion on Twister™!

Attack of the Bloodsuck-ers! is produced by EEC! -- the Environmental Exhibit Col-laborative (ECHO Lake Aquar-ium and Science Center, Bur-lington, Vermont; EcoTarium, Worcester, Massachusetts; and the Children’s Museum of Maine, Portland, Maine) -- and made possible by grants from Jane's Trust, Cabot Family

Charitable Trust, and the In-stitute for Museum and Li-brary Services.

KaleidoZone - Don’t Play with Your Food!

Tuesday, February 5 through Sunday, April 28

Don’t play with your food! We’ve all heard that phrase at the dinner table as we grew up. Artist and Art Educator Julianne Zegers challenges that rule by mak-ing sculpture out of her food. She arranges food sculptures to look like land-scapes and portraits. She then makes oil paintings and monotypes of her sculptures. Julianne Zegers’ playful nar-rative paintings and prints are appealing to children of

all ages who have tried to resist playing with their food. All ages. Free with Mu-seum admission. Early Childhood Programs* stART (Story + Art): Tuesday to Fri-day from 12:30-1 p.m. † Music and Move-ment: Wednesday and Friday from 11:30 a.m. -12 p.m. † Messy Afternoons: Saturday-Sunday,

from 3:30-5 p.m. * †Fee: $3 with Museum

admission * President’s Day

Schedule: Messy Afternoons will be offered Feb. 18 from 1–3 p.m.; no other Early Childhood Programs will be offered this day. Sign-up re-quired at Orange Studio; lim-ited capacity. All activities will be held at the Long Island Children’s Museum, 11 Davis Avenue, Garden City, NY. Children must be accompa-nied by an adult. Museum Hours: Tuesday-Sunday from 10 am.-5 p.m. and most school holidays. Museum admission: $12 for adults and children over 1 year old, $11 seniors, FREE to museum members and children under 1 year old. Additional fees for theater and special programs may apply. For additional in-formation, contact 516-224-5800.



‘Real Husbands of Hollywood’ represents

the best of BET In the opening of BET’s new series, The Real Husbands

of Hollywood, Kevin Hart lounges in the backseat of his luxury car, basking in his own success, and reveals: “Before my daddy got on drugs, he once told me that for every boss there’s a hundred wannabe bosses. I had no idea that those wannabe bosses would be my boys.”

What unfolds in the 30 minutes following Hart’s ‘revelation’ may be one of the best shows BET has ever done.

The premise of the show is simple, and has actually been done before: a spoof on the wildly popular Real Housewives of… reality shows, featuring a group of seem-ingly successful men, slightly overshadowed by their more successful Hollywood wives.

Hart debuted his version of the concept as a series of in-terstitial shorts during the 2011 BET Awards. Yet there was actually another husbands show back in 2009, and I won’t be surprised if you’ve never heard of it. The dismal House-husbands of Hollywood aired just 10 times on the Fox Real-ity Channel.

It’s doubtful that Hart’s take on the concept will suffer the same fate. Calling on major star power co-stars like Bo-ris Kodjoe, Nick Cannon, Robin Thicke, Dwayne Martin and J.B. Smoove, the group of friends playfully depreciate themselves and each other, which gives the audience an in-sider feel to the comedy the show is commanding.

The show’s cast is called upon to poke fun at their pub-lic reputation: Kodjoe, billed as the “pretty a** motherf**ker,” Cannon, who gamely sports an “I Heart

Mimi” apron, Dwayne Martin as the Hollywood Hustler of the crew, and Hart amping up his small dog with the big bark act that has made him famous.

In episode one of The Real Husbands of Hollywood, Hart sets himself up to be biggest star of the show, which may be true in the real world, but on his fake reality show, it’s just a delusion. He arrives to a party at Cannon’s house with two scantily-clad women in tow, only to realize that its a kid’s party.

He later gets jumped by one of these kids over a baking dispute (yes, there are fists over pies), which results in a falling out with Cannon and a show down with Robin Thicke. It’s unexpected and funny, with all the characters/celebrities buying in to this alternate reality that Hart has created.

The show’s winning formula is that it feels genuine, never forced. A mix of scripted comedy and improv, the show takes its cues (and a producer), from HBO’s hit series Curb Your Enthusiasm, and delivers it an a relatable pack-age for black audiences.

While seeing a bunch of celebrities hang out on camera will certainly draw in viewers, their fame is less interesting than the friendships that they share, which is either a credit to their acting skills or a testament to these actors’ real life bond off camera.

Plus, there’s Kevin Hart. The comic’s been unstoppable for the past few years, and The Real Husbands of Holly-wood can only work to extend his brand and star power. A good move for BET to partner with the comedic genius — Hart knows how to hit audiences’ funny bone.

Here’s to hoping BET invests in more great talent: hopefully the incredibly funny Husbands of Hollywood is a sign of more good things to come from the network.



Jennifer Hudson to sing with Sandy Hook

chorus NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The NFL says Jennifer

Hudson will join the chorus from Sandy Hook Elementary School to sing “America the Beautiful” before Sunday’s Su-per Bowl game.

The chorus features 26 children from Sandy Hook Ele-mentary in Newtown, Conn., where 20 first-graders and six adults were killed in a Dec. 14 shooting rampage.

The performance will be part of CBS’s pre-game show before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens, and will be broadcast live. Alicia Keys will sing the national anthem.

Children who survived last month’s shooting rampage also recorded a version of “Over the Rainbow” to raise money for charity. Proceeds benefit the United Way of West-ern Connecticut and the Newtown Youth Academy.

Happy birthday Oprah Winfrey! A

look back at her most memorable hairdos

Today is Oprah Winfrey’s 59th birthday.

Nearly two years ago fans of The Oprah Winfrey Show said farewell to the talk show queen after 25 years.

A sometimes overlooked part of Oprah’s legacy, her hairstyles have progressed over a quarter of a century — adapting to the cur-rent fashions along the way.

The talk show host has frequently mentioned the man behind her mane, Andre Walker, who has been her hairstylist since the Oprah Winfrey Show began in 1986. Last season Oprah said, “I’ve had the same hairdresser for 24 years, That’s why I still have my hair.”

We’ve compiled some of the talk show host’s most memorable hairdos and asked experts to decide whether they were hits — or misses. We enlisted the help of Essence Magazine beauty director Corynne Corbett and Veronica Wells, resident hair guru and Associ-ate Editor of Madame Noire.



THE SPINNERS &

LITTLE ANTHONY & THE IMPERIALS

BRING THEIR POP & CLASSIC R&B HITS

TO THE NYCB THEATRE AT WESTBURY ON FEB 16

Westbury, NY - Live Nation is pleased to present THE SPINNERS and LITTLE ANTHONY & THE IMPERIALS for one night only on Saturday, February 16 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $69.50 and $49.50 plus applicable service charges and are available online at www.ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at 800-745-3000 or at the Westbury box office. Event, date and time are subject to change. For more information visit www.thetheatreatwestbury.com.

Sophisticated up-tempo R&B with precision choreography defines a Spinners show. With over 60 million records sold in their illustrious career, the mighty Spinners have per-formed for Presidents, re-ceived 6 Grammy nomina-tions, and have appeared on TV too many times to count. Founded in 1961 in Detroit, The Spinners have been active for over 50 years and had a long run of hit singles that topped the pop and r&b charts in the seventies. Led by original members Henry Fam-brough and Bobbie Smith, the group's principle lead singer, The Spinners are best known for hits such as "I'll Be Around," "Cupid," "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love" and "They Just Can't Stop It (the Games People Play)." The group's hit sin-gles also included "Then Came You" a duet with Dionne Warwick, as well as " R u b b e r b a n d M a n , " "Working My Way Back to You/Forgive Me Girl." "It's A Shame" and "One of a Kind (Love Affair)."

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009, Little Anthony & The Imperials are a New York soul group that released their first single in 1958. "Tears On My Pillow" be-came an instant hit and more songs followed the single to the top of the charts making them one of the era's most influential vocal groups. "Shimmy, Shimmy Ko-Ko-Bop," "Goin' Out of My Head," and "Hurst So Bad" are just a few of their most popular hits. Their appearances on numerous television shows including The Ed Sullivan Show, Hullabaloo, Ameri-can Bandstand, Shindig! and The Tonight Show made them cultural icons.

The New Community Journal

Documents

Transcript of The New Community Journal