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* ***********S5CH 3-DICIT 326 510 PI LIBRARY OF FLA. HISTORY 205 SMA UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA PO BOX 117007 GAIHESVILLE FL 32611-7007 S'em'a Tempora Mutantur Et Nos Mutamur In Illis DISTRIBUTED IN MIAMI-DADE AND BROWARD COUNTIES FOR OVER 87 YEARS Volume 87 Number 11 MIAMI, FLORIDA, NOVEMBER 18-24, 2009 50 cents (55 cents in Broward) Governor suspends Spence-Jones Only two members left on City Commission By Tariq Osborne tosborne@miamitimesonline.com Sandra J. Charite scharite@miamitimesonline.com Recently re-elected City Com- missioner Michelle Spence- Jones, posted a $12,500 bond Friday after turning herself in to law enforcement authori- ties. Spence-Jones was ar- rested on one count of second- degree grand theft which is a first degree felony. The arrest prompted Gov. Charlie Crist to suspend her from office. Spence Jones, 42, maintains her innocence, "I am not wor- ried because I know I have done nothing wrong," she said. She believed that the charges were a personal attack on her political seat. "This charge is about remov- ing me from office," said Spen- ce-Jones at a press conference Friday morning before turning herself in. Almost immediately after her swearing-in for another term, State Attorney Katherine Fer- nandez-Rundle held a press conference in which she al- leged that Spence-Jones stole $22,000 in grant money. CAREY-SHULER SPEAKS OUT The state's case hinges upon the testimony of former Com- missioner Barbara Carey-Shul- er, in which Spence-Jones was once her aide. The arrest report focuses on a pair of'$25,000 county grants to two nonprof- its 'supported by Carey-Shuler MICHELLE SPENCE-JONES Suspended City Commissioner in 2004. The money was later distributed by the Metro-Mi- ami Action Plan Trust, MMAP, a social-services agency man- aged by the county. Prosecutors allege that Spen- ce-Jones submitted a letter in Carey-Shuler's name instruct- ing MMAP to transfer the two grants to Karym Ventures, a company then owned by Spen- ce-Jones and her family. TRUTH COMES OUT "MMAP was dutiful and want- ed for additional verification be- fore releasing the funds," said Fernandez-Rundle. According to the State Attorney's Office, Carey-Schuler stated under oath that she did not autho- rize the letter and would never agree to sign it. The funds, according to Fer- nandez-Rundle, were actually slated for three District 5 proj- ects: Timbuktu Marketplace, and artist gallery and restau- rant, Ocean Village, a project to develop the storefronts along between Northwest 54th and 62nd streets along Seventh Please turn to SUSPEND 8A More cuts at Jackson Health System caused on continuing the won- Cuts will not affect patient outcomes says hospital management derful record of quality patient outcomes," he said. By Tariq Osborne The move comes as part of a Thus far, the affected facili- The cuts come in the wake tosborne@miamitimesonline.com greater effort to balance a $168 ties impacted are: North Miami of the financial crisis, which million deficit. Health Center, Juanita Mann both Roldan and Copeland de- The recent cuts made at Jackson Health Sys- tems may not be ,.- the last, according ' to John Copeland III, Chairman of the Public Health Trust. Jackson recently no- tified 93 employees that their positions will be eliminated in January. "You hate to do COPI things that! result in folks not having jobs, and we continue to look for ways to minimize the loss of employ- ees, but the dollars just aren't in the budget," said Copeland. El When Dr. Eneida Roldan took over as president and CEO of Jack- son Health System in June, she faced a $168 million deficit. She has since imple- mented cost-cutting measures that have saved $61.7 mil- lion--but it still isn't enough. LAND "It still left us a gap of 107 million," she said. "So we analyzed which programs we needed to either divest, reduce, or close," she said. The recent cuts were the result. -Northside Shop- ping Center, Jackson North Medical Cen- ter Mental Health Unit, Jackson South Wound Care Unit, Broward Liver Trans- plant and Heart & Lung Transplant. Roldan does not expect an affect on patients. "A majority of the services being cut are not within the hospitals," she said. "We have in mind the patient first, and then our employees. Copeland said much the same. "We are 100 percent fo- x~rb ROLDAN scribed, in sepa- rate interviews, as a "perfect storm." Jackson's fund- ing woes Jackson Health System is fund- ed by four major sources, accord- ing to Roldan. The first is a half-pen- ny sales tax, and the second is the Maintenance of Ef- fort, which is based upon real- estate taxes. When the hous- ing bubble burst, jobs were lost, which in turn drove down Please turn to CUTS 8A Good start for interim president FMU board continues to search for new president Sandra J. Charite scharite@miamitimesonline.com Four months ago, Dr. Sandra T. Thompson walked the Flor- ida Memorial University cam- pus completing her duties as Provost. The sudden removal of then President Karl S. Wright opened a door of opportunity for Dr. Thompson. She became the interim president of South Florida only historically Black university. "Since stepping in, it's been outstanding. The reception has been warm and support- ive. Students have been deter- mined and cooperative. Fac- ulty and staff have too' been supportive. The morale seemed to have lifted," said Dr. Thomp- son. Thompson, 61, who holds a bachelor's degree from Voor- hees College in Denmark, S.C., a master's degree from Fisk University in Nashville, T.N., a certificate of French from the University of Poitier in LaRo- chelle, France,a Ph.D. from the University of Florida in Gaines- ville, and a certificate from Harvard University Graduate School of Education's Institute of Educational Management, has a long history at the Uni- versity. Thompson was selected as the University's first Assistant Provost in 2002. Two years later, she was promoted to As- sociate Provost. Then in July 2006, she became Provost. In taking the interim presi- dent position, the Dr. Thomp- son has faced challenges. "The morale is still high but there are some concerns. As Please turn to FMU 4A -Miami Times photo / Sandra J. Charite Dr. Sandra T.Thompson, interim president at Florida Memo- rial University, sits in her office. Meet the candidates for Congress DISTRICT 17 By Sandra J. Charite scharite@minamitimesonline.comi U.S. Congressman Kendrick B. Meek's decision to run for the U.S. Senate in 2010, after Republican Mel Martinez announced he would not rerun, opened the doors for many South Floridians desiring a Congressional seat. Ten contenders have placed their name in the hat to be the next 17th District Congressman including; Leroy Adam, Miami- Dade County Teacher; Marleine Bastien, activist and executive director of Haitian Women of Miami (FANM) and Phillip Brutus, attorney and former State Representative. Also James Bush III, State Rep. of District 109; Shirley Gib- son, City of Miami Gardens Mayor; Rudolph Moise, Haitian actor and Miami's family doctor; Yolly Roberson, State Rep of District 104; Frederica Wilson, State Sen. of District 33; Roderick Vereen, prominent Miami attorney and Andre Williams, real estate agent and Miami Gardens City Councilman. Moise will make a public announcement about his candidacy Please turn to CANDIDATES 4A Burden in running for police chief The Miami Times Staff Report Major Miguel Exposito is the announced favorite of Mayor Tomas Regalado to replace outgoing Miami Police Chief John Timoney but don't bet any money on it with a deci- sion expected this weekend. Assistant Chief Adam L. Bur- den, 44, who grew up in Miami and joined the department in 1987 is very popular and the most educated of the four can- didates seeking the post. The other assistant chief is Thomas W. Cannon, 55, a graduate of Barry University who joined the police depart- ADAM L. BURDEN Assistant Chief ment in 1981 as a patrol of- ficer. He worked as a training officer on the SWAR team and Please turn to BURDEN 8A I,, 7Day Weather Forecast Weather.com WEDNESDAY 83� 670 T-SHOWERS THURSDAY 80� 600 PARTY ClOUDY 79� 66" PARTLY CLOUDY SATURDAY i 82� 700 PARTLY CLOUD SUNDAY i , 840 710 PARTLY CLOUDY MONDAY .-. 84� 71� SCATTERED SHOWERS TUESDAY 830 710 ISOLTEU TUSTORMS l 90158 00100 o OPINION 2A THE MIAMI TIMES. NOVEMBER 18-24, 2009 BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY .. .... . . District 5 needs an outsider With Mayor Tomas Regalado's announcement that rather than appointing someone to District 5's commission seat, he will hold a special election, District 5's constituents have been granted a rare oppor- tunity to try again. The voters should make a more careful selection, and avoid the most common mistakes. The ideal candidate to represent District 5 is a success- ful administrator. District 5 should look for both manage- ment and budgetary experience. Such a candidate may not be the best at shaking hands, kissing babies, and staging photo opportunities, but District 5 needs to look beyond the surface. Too often, voters are swayed by non-essen- tials. Due to a long history of being alternately ignored and patronized by the rest of the city, District 5 has began to take an "us vs them" mentality. While this is good in terms of holding the community together, it is bad in that voters will not support a candidate who isn't "one of us." But liv- ing in District 5 is already a legal requirement for the posi- tion. One need not have been born in District 5 to serve it competently. This is not to say that district-raised candidates should not be considered, but often the trouble with them is that they know the community a bit too well. They know who votes and who doesn't. They know where to go for cam- paign funding. And once elected--they know who they owe favors. With a group of supporters already established, they have less reason to listen to their remaining constituents. The result then, is a commissioner under no obligation to represent the entire community. While the financial crisis has made times difficult everywhere, they are hardest in District 5. Now, more than ever, everyone needs a voice-- and the best way tq make sure of this is to vote. What District 5 needs is an outsider. Often candidates tout.their "insider experience." T tell the constituents how many connections they have made downtown. The implication is that they can call in favors- -for the benefit of District 5. The district has tried such candidates. They have not been effective. The stadium deal; for example, was supposed to come with jobs and youth programs for District 5. The deal was approved. The jobs did not materialize. As the city's poorest district, District 5 needs a leader will- ing to be the dissenting voice on a largely pro-development commission. The district cannot afford another "insider" candidate. The district cannot afford a commissioner who will allow contractors to refuse to hire locally, bringing in their own workers instead. District 5's commissioner can- not look the other way on this issue in exchange for cam- paign contributions. A long list of developers on their list of contributors should be a red flag to the voters of District 5. What District 5 needs is an outsider, and Regalado has given them the opportunity to elect one. WHEN THE NEWS MATTERS TO YOU TURN TO YOUR NEWSPAPER I: GIe fliam i ime (ISSN 0739-03191 Published Weekly at 900 NW 54th Street, Miami Florida 33127-1818 Post Office Box 270200 Buena Vista Station. Miami, Florida 33127 Phone 305-694-6210 H.E. SIGISMUND REEVES Founder, 1923-1968 GARTH C. REEVES, JR., Editor, 1972-1982 GARTH C. REEVES, SR., Publisher Emenius RACHEL J. REEVES. Publisher and Chairman ,YvLARRY'LU AINPA Member of National Newspaper Publisher Association Member of the Newspaper Association of America Subscription Rates- One Year $45 00 - Six Months $30 00 - Foreign $60.00 7 percent sales tax for Florida residents Periodicals Postage Paid at Miami, Florida Postmaster- Send address changes to The Miami Times. P.O. Box 270200 Buena Vista Station, Miami, FL 33127-0200 * 305-694-6210 CREDO OF THE BLACK PRESS The Black Press believes that America can best lead the world rrom racial and national antagonism when ;t accords to every person, regardless of race. creed or color, nis.or her human and legal rights Hating no person, tearing no person the Black Press stnves lo help every person in the firm belief that all persons are hurt as long as anyone is held back. Ap p The Media Audit M .4i~ 2' *~ ~ ~ ' A ''* 2j: ': � Childhood obesity: Parents must set an example The next few weeks will bring many opportunities to splurge. When it comes to indulging in favorite dishes like sweet po- tato pie, iced sugar cookies and rich fudge, it's important to think not only about how it will affect your waist line, but how it will affect the youngest guests at your holiday dining table. Kids look to adults to set an example, and it's more impor- tant than ever to be a posi- tive role model: According to the Centers for Disease Con- trol (CDC), childhood obesity has more than doubled in the past 20 years, and the prob- lem continues to grow. Fortu- nately, there are changes the entire family can make to help children stay healthy and fit. Helping our children begins with understanding risk fac- tors for obesity. Environment, behavior and genetics all play a role in childhood obesity; the most important thing is to fo- 'Gre While Wednesday of the pat serviceme ery day is Internatio It is thi can porta dispaiche cus on changing those things we can control, like behavior. That's right-the old diet and exercise advice. But it's true: A lifestyle with balanced nu- trition and exercise is the best way to keep your children at a and children were more likely to be overweight than their white counterparts. We're even seeing toddlers suffering from obesity; the CDC found one in seven low-income preschool- ers are obese. Quite simply, n the Black community, we've become almost immune to the site of an overweight child. I'll be the first to admit I've blamed it on the old idea of "baby fat," but more often than not, there is a pattern of unhealthy behavior being formed. healthy weight. In the Black community, we've become almost immune to the site of an overweight child. Ill be the first to admit I've blamed it on the old idea of "baby fat," but more often than not, there is a pattern of unhealthy behavior being formed. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that Black teens there is no excuse for this. The consequences of child- hood obesity are staggering. Just a few extra pounds on the small frame of a child can lead to spikes in blood pres- sure and cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and asthma. Obese children are also more likely to be admitted to the hospi- tal and stay longer, according to a recent American College eters' give troops the homecoming they d the nation pauses "Our boys got a raw deal when shake or embrace; they comfort ly in annual observance they were over in Vietnam. ... We them with simple words of appre- riotism of this country's wanted to make sure that the ciation, some snack food and the n and women, nearly ev- government would not send our free use of cellphones. Veterans Day at Bangor boys into battle, or to defend our That might not seem like much final Airport. country in any way, without giving of a sacrifice until you consider rough this small Ameri- them credit for what they're do- that the troop greeters do this over I that many troops are ing. We made up our minds that and over again, as though each d to, and return from, that would never happen again," time they are there for a member Afghanistan and Iraq. It's at this airport in Maine that a small band of senior citizens has greeted ev- ery soldier, sailor, Marine and air- man who traveled through its cor- ridors since May 3, 2003. They're called "troop greeters," but in es- sence they serve a much greater purpose. They are the heart and conscience of a grateful nation. For far too many Americans, Vet- erans Day - Nov. 11 - is simply a day off from work that is barely distinguishable from any other holiday. But for Maine's troop greeters, who have seen more than 4,300 flights with nearly a million U.S. troops come and go, Veterans Day is almost a daily event - one they treat with great reverence. NO VIETNAM REPLAY W while most Americans view the conflicts inAfghanistan and Iraq with great detachment, the troop greeters take it personally. A contingent of them goes to Bangor's airport at all hours of the day and night to meet every plane that ferries troops into that facility. Bill Knight, 87, says in the open- ing scene of The Way We Get By, a documentary about the troop greeters that airs Wednesday on PBS. While most Americans view the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq with great detachment, the troop greeters take it personally. A con- tingent of them goes to Bangor's airport at all hours of the day and night to meet every plane that fer- ries troops into that facility. They welcome the troops with a hand- of their own family. "Once you start going to the air- port to greet the troops, if you stay home you go through withdraw- al," Joan Gaudet, 76, says in the film that her son, Aron Gaudet, directed. AGING PATRIOTS If this film were only about what these aging patriots do for the morale of the young people this nation sends to war, it would be worth watching. But it's about SBY JUDGE MATHIS Black jobs and wealth are disappearin The current recession has cer- tainly taken its toll on everyone. From large corporations to small businesses to families, most of us can fairly say that, in some way, we have suffered a financial loss. But African-Americans, more than any other group, are dispropor- tionately affected by the economic downturn. We are losing jobs at faster rates and, as a result, our net wealth is decreasing. Amid reports of an improving economy, many are still worried about their financial futures. America must continue to support its citizens so that they may withstand this downturn and not come out worse for the wear. The national unemployment rate is currently hovering around 10 percent. For African-Americans, that number is just over 15 per- cent and, in some states, Illinois for example, its over 18 percent. For Black teens, the number is as- tronomically high: nearly 41 per- cent. To be fair, unemployment rates have always been higher in the African-American community than they are in the general popu- lation. But the recession has in- creased the unemployment - and wealth - gap between Blacks and non-Blacks because key indus- tries, such as automotive and manufacturing, have scaled back considerably. It used to be that a Black worker could secure a sta- ble job in one of these blue-collar industries and work their way into the middle class. That day is long gone. To compound matters, preda- tory lending practices that locked many homeowners into high inter- est rate loans with ballooning pay- ments were prevalent in African- American communities. When the housing crisis reached its dramat- ic peak, Blacks stood out among the millions who lost their homes. Homeownership is the quick- est way to build personal wealth. Now, with so many African-Amer- icans having foreclosed on their homes, the financial health of our community is in jeopardy. We are being told the economy is getting better but that the eco- nomic growth of America will be irrevocably changed. Businesses will be more conservative when expanding so that they don't over- extend themselves. New jobs will be created at slower rates than in recent years. Knowing this, it is imperative that the American gov- ernment makes a commitment to re-train those workers whose in- dustries have been dramatically reduced. High-paying jobs in manufac- turing are few and far between; this is the information age and our citizens need to be ready to work in it. For our economy to stay vi- brant, government sponsored of Emergency .e' '' Physicians re- port. The harmful effects of early onset obesity can occur in childhood or later in life- sometimes it may take years for the obesity to develop, and just as long to reverse its ef- fects. That's why it's impor- tant to make positive changes as soon as possible. But it's not enough just to know about the dangers of childhood obesity. It's even more important to arm our- selves with the solutions. For most of us and our children, it comes back to the behavioral choices we make both at the dinner table and outside of the home. Our children deserve nutri- tious food and plenty of active play time to help keep them healthy and happy. With a lit- tle guidance from us adults- and a lot of willpower at the holiday buffet-we can help them do just that. Reserve more than that. It's also about how these people's lives are made better by the sacrifices they make for the servicemembers - a story that makes it compelling viewing. At home, Joan Gaudet uses a walker to get around and is afraid to go out of the house, especial- ly at night in the slippery snow of a Maine winter. But her gait strengthens when she enters the airport. The place has the same effect on Jerry Mundy, a 74-year- old retired ironworker. "Jerry lost one of his sons at an early age," Aron Gaudet told me. "He can't connect with his son anymore, but the thing he loves the most at the airport is to give these cellphones to the troops so they can connect with their par- ents." That's how they get by. They get past the pain in their lives by bringing some small pleasure to the troops America sends to war. And by doing so, they give new meaning to poet John Milton's words: "They also serve who only stand and wait." -g training programs for downsized employees must be implemented. Additionally, we must work to keep technology jobs here in America. Any compa- ny receiving government support or contracts must be required to hire American workers. If there are not enough skilled workers to fill the jobs, we must ensure that people are trained. Lastly, special monitored home loan programs for individuals who foreclosed on their homes during the recession should be created. Taking these steps would en- sure that all Americans are able to transition into this new and different workforce and begin to rebuild their lives. As an added benefit, African-American workers would be able to get the skills they need to stay marketable in the workplace while being allowed a fresh start on the road to personal wealth. MCe fMiami ?nime The Miami Times ,velcon',e:s and ercouraqe, letters: on its edircinal commen- raries as well as all other maleral in the nerispaper Such feedback makes tor a health dialogue among our readership and the community Letters musl, however be 150 .words or less brief and to the point and may be ediled for grammar st,le and r.larit, /ill letter mrusl be signed and must include the name address and eelaphone number of the writer for purposes of confirming autlhorship Send letters to L-tters to the Ediior. The Miami Times 900 N W. 54th Silrel Miami, FL 3i'I'27 or fa>' hem I;., 305-,0 2-oI 1 Email miamnlte- dltoral@'bellso.ith net Tb~e oltlami TIimeg; pi I m 1 I LOCAL BLACKS MUSIC CONTROL T'rHEIR OWN DESTINY OPINION 3A THE MIAMI TIMES, NOVEMBER 18-24, 2009 ,BY QUEN BROWN, COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS Spence-Jones arrest: Black community relives another nightmare The recent arrest of City of Miami Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones was a sucker punch to the voters in District 5. It was swift, unexpected and in- tended to cause as much harm as possible. Really, did the resi- dents in District 5 deserve the type of public spectacle that was used to take their Commissioner in custody? On Nov. 3, the vot- ers in District 5 overwhelming re-elected Spence-Jones. She was clearly the people choice. Did the voters even know that their beloved Commissioner was under a criminal investigation and had been for years by the State Attorneys' Office? Did it even matter that she was un- der criminal investigation? Af- ter all, we have heard stories of alleged misconduct by Spence- Jones every since she has been in office but she always seemed to come out unscathed and on top. It was just a few months ago that Spence-Jones and Gaston Smith, Senior Pastor of Friend- ship Missionary Baptist Church in Liberty City, were both being investigated by the State Attor- ney Office for criminal activity. This investigation led to the ar- rest of Pastor Smith. His arrest was expeditious and with much fanfare as he was led away handcuffed and in absolute dis- grace. Oh, in the meantime, Spence- Jones was cleared of all criminal charges according to local news sources. You see the repeated allegations, investiga- :ron s and public scrutiny by the State Attorney's Office of Spen- ce-Jones were starting to look suspicious. Was this another attack on a public servant? She was our public servant. Through the years, the South Florida community has wit- nessed several disgraceful re- movals or take down of some of the most prominent local individuals. Therefore, when I heard the news of Spence-Jones arrest, I couldn't help but think of those before her that had to walk this road. I began to reflect on Johnny Jones, Miller Dawk- ins, Howard Gary, James Burke and the late Arthur "Art" Teele and began to pray fervently for Spence-Jones. In no way am I justifying or excusing inappro- priate or criminal behavior by any individual in our commu- nity, especially those that are called to serve. However, I am expressing my disappointment in having to live this nightmare all over again. Although, I did not know Spence-Jones personally I was proud of her decision to serve the residents in District 5. For many years, this district has been plagued with much hope- lessness and despair. And somehow she seemed to fit in perfectly. She was a ray of light bringing hope and new begin- nings to the community. She was a natural. She came with wits, talent, youth, locked hair and a glowing smile that worked so well with the constituents in District 5. She came across like your baby sister, youngest daughter or sister-friend. I can see why the residents in Districts 5 grew to love and respect their Commissioner. Unfortunately, these things weren't enough to survive politics, Miami style. This morning, I asked my- self, was I wrong about Spen- ce-Jones being a perfect fit for the community? Was it all an act? Did the voters in District 5 also get it all wrong? Did the beloved Commissioner not care about their quality of life? Did Former Mayor Manny Diaz and Former Commissioner Barbara Carey Shuler get it wrong? She was hand picked as their pro- teg6; did she not have the char- acter and qualities of a leader? Or is it the State Attorney Of- fice that has somehow made a horrible mistake and will soon be making a public apology for their error and rescind their de- cision? Or perhaps could it be that it was the Commissioner herself that got it all wrong? Did Spence-Jones allow herself to become blinded by the fame and power that comes with holding political office? Will Spence- Jones be the one to come out and- make a public apology to her supporters and constitu- ents in District 5 for her failure to represent them in a way that was ethical and above board? Will she be willing to come for- ward and acknowledge that her conduct was unbecoming of an elected official and apologize for the disgrace she has brought on our community? I guess at this point we will have to wait and see until then pray for our city. BY D.C. CLARK Raising expectations in the Black community While having a conversation the other day with one of my partners, Darryl Holsendolph, he casually mentioned how he doesn't allow his son to bring home anything but A's from school. My first impression was damn, that's pretty harsh isn't it? I mean in today's world, just getting kids to attend school and hopefully graduate is a plus right? Wrong! Holsendolph is right. Not only do we not push our children hard enough, but we do not hold each other ac- countable to the extent that we should. From the preacher, to the teacher, to the politician, to the average Joe you see everyday in the street, we as a people ap- pear to have scaled back our ex- pectations of one another to the extent that is has become a det- rimnent to our community. We allow the preacher to do every- thing from have various affairs in church, to misuse building funds for personal use. All he has to do is fall back on that old refrain: "we've all falling short in God's eyes," and he, is given carte blanche by some in his congregation to do whatever he pleases. Of course, some of the sisters in church are very forgiv- en, as long as they are next in line to have old preacher come over and "pray" with them. neglecting those institutions by not providing the very resources that might get them back on par. Yes, being a teacher in to- day's schools is perhaps one of the most difficult professions around, but anyone who calls themselves a teacher or an ad- ministrator and not give their When will we find w~- ---i ourselves on par with other communities? With so much lying, with so much de- ceit, with so much corruption, why in the hell do we continue to elect and reelect the same cast of characters that does ab- solutely nothing for the growth and development of our com- munities? And as far as you and I are concerned, do we do all we cal to elevate our community? Do we mentor the neighborhood children? Do we join our Alma Mater's Alumni Associations or PTSA (Parent, Teacher, Student Associations)? Do we give back financially to various organiza- tions who are doing something positive in the- hood? Do we as- sist the elders in need? Do we join forces with other concerned neighbors and clean up our neighborhoods? On a more sim- pler note, do we pay one another the basic respect due when we are in each other's company? If not, it's time to get busy. We allow some among the teaching ranks, to pull a pay- check without going that extra mile for their students. Some openly tag their students as hopeless, without realizing that they have the power to trans- form their students in ways that even their own parents cannot. Even some higher ups at the School Board have targeted en- tire schools as failures, while U ~ all to the students that rely on them, is committing a felony at best. As far as the Black politician is concerned, all one have to do id take a close look at your com- munity. Where are your busi- nesses? Where are the services that a community need to sur- vive? Where is the redevelop- ment that was promised in the various campaign speeches? '*"w� f Is a college education worth its \ Dear Editor: * I have been in the field of college recruitment for over nine years. My job as a col- lege recruiter is to inspire and encourage students to attend college. However,.recently I am beginning to question the "val- ue" of an education. Value, in the context of this argument, suggests that by acquiring a college education a person will benefit financially. The cost of attending college is in- creasing every year while at the same time financial aid is decreasing for a great number of students. For the majority of students attending college, they can expect to experience a tremendous financial debt CORNER What should be the new mayor [Tomas Regalado]'s very first priority BARRY WRIGHT, 48 House Painter, Liberty City Creating jobs really. We've got a lot of people on the streets that don't have jobs, so they do things they shouldn't' be doing like rob and steal. I'm sure the mayor thinks the budget is the most important thing, but creating jobs would increase the tax base because more people would be working and paying taxes. It would also save the city money because there'd be less people committing crimes. So really cre- ating jobs helps fix the budget too. TERRY WATSON, 23 Unemployed, Miami The mayor's first priority should be help- ing the citizens who are looking for work find it. I've person ally been out of work for close to eight months. I've changed my appearance, cut my hair and everything and still nothing. It's been very difficult. So I know what I'm talking about when I say that the mayor should be helping people who want to work find jobs. JEFF TORRENCE, 49 Car Wash Attendant, Liberty City The firstthing he should do is something to stop the evic- tions and fore- . closures. Peo- ple are going through hard times. A lot of them are jobless or have had their full-time hours reduced to part- time. It's not really their faults if they suddenly can't afford their rent or mortgage. There should definitely be help for those who are still working, but just making less, or laid off through no fault of their own. There's nowhere to go. The shelters are full. That should be the first thing the new mayor takes care of. TONIA SCOTT, 40 Unemployed, Liberty City Getting us ." Black folks some jobs should be the mayor's first priority. It seems like his real first prior- ity was mess- ing with the police chief--proba- bly so he can put a Spanish man there. He needs to worry about housing and jobs instead of play- ing politics. DWIGHT WALKER, 58 Entrepreneur; Liberty City It should be either jobs or education. Both are im- portant. Some- thing needs to be done about the quality of these schools and people in this community need work. I talked to a guy this morning. He said he's out of work after 40 years. A lot of people are falling into that same category. If the mayor doesn't address this, peo- ple are going to resort to other ways of feeding themselves and their children. They've got to get money somehow. DESMOND JACKSON, 42 Concession worker, Liberty City ment. Period. We need the economy to move and that should be the mayor's ,first priority. I'm just working - part time for the arena right now, and I know a lot of people who are much worse off. Food stamps are all they've got. I know this is more the com- mission, but the mayor needs to find out what's going on with all those jobs the stadium was sup- posed to bring to this communi- ty. I know only one person who went for an interview about that and that's it. Subscribe after graduating. What does that mean in real terms? Af- ter four to five years of college, the student graduates and receives a credential. Then six to nine months after this great achievement the stu- dent receives a thick coupon book with several "repayment slips". A significant portion of their pay, if they are fortunate enough to be employed, is al- ready gone. So the lesson here is .for students and parents to devise a plan of action be- -cause, "Failure will not creep up on you!" Dr. Robert Malone Jr. Miami Is it true that prominent medical doctor, church official and community leader Nelson Adams is thinking about running for the vacant seat of U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek? People are saying its about time Miami-Dade puts up a solid, viable candidate for public office. Stay tuned. ******** No more buddy - buddy deals here. The Justice Department watchdog agency has challenged the role of retired Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Herbert Stettin as the chief restructuring officer in the pending bankruptcy of the leading Fort Lauderdale law firm headed by accused swindler Scott Rothstein. We have another Bernard "Bernie" Madoff case on our hands, and Stuart Rosenfeldt, who founded the firm with Rothstein, "only raises doubt as to the integrity of the process." ** *** * Look for South Florida to empty this weekend when Bethune-Cookman University and Florida A & M University supporters descend upon Orlando for the annual Florida Classic. An estimated 200,000 football fans regularly attend the bittersweet battle and party festivities. Miamians are continually being embarrassed by the misbehavior of its elected officials that have given this area the title of "Scandal City" instead of "Magic City." We can only hope that our recently elected Mayor Tomas Regalado will appoint some honest and committed members to the two vacanies on the city commission and not give more recycled hanger-ons at City Hall. In a controversial move, a government-sponsored organization is recommending against routine annual mammograms for healthy women in their 40s. It suggests women age 50 to 75 get the X-ray tests every two two years. The recommendations put the group at odds with two major cancer groups and came under fire. ******** Bad news for men, researchers said men at age 40 in the U.S. have a one-in-eight chance of suffering sudden cardiac death over the rest of their lives, a stark indication of the toll cardiovascular disease exacts on society. For women, researchers said, the risk is 1 in 24. The prevalence has long been of concern to heart and public-health experts, but lifetime risks for the condition haven't previously been estimated. " .. I for one believe that if you give people a thorough understanding of what confronts them and the basic causes that produce it, they'll create their own program, and when the people create a program, you get action ..." - Malcolm X A s far as the Black politician is concerned, all one has to do is take a close look at your community. Where are your business- es? Where are' the services that a community need to survive? Where is the redevelopment that was promised in the various campaign speeches? ~uriln~~mn~o~~ BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY 4A THE MIAMI TIMES, NOVEMBER 18-24, 2009 Thompson committed to maintaining FMU's positive image FMU continued from 1A we know every job in leadership, there are bumps along the way. FMU is facing some challenges. Challenges related to the media coverage," she said. SAFETY ON CAMPUS Last month, as a confronta- tion erupted on campus, an Al- lied Barton security guard, who was hired by the University, pulled his handgun and waved it at a crowd of students. One student Emory Mitchell, who was barricaded in a room by the security guards, was arrested for allegedly assaulting security guards. The incident was filmed by a student. Mitchell, 19, was suspended from the University. Since then, the charges have been dismissed. MITCHELL IS SEEKING JUSTICE The incident gave FMU un- favorable media coverage and brought up the issue of safety on campus. "As we look at what is going on across the country and Vir- ginia Tech or even the incident that occurred at the University of Miami, safety is an issue on campus," said Thompson. "At FMU, we take the matter seri- ously." Thompson says that the uni- versity has hired a security company to help monitor the campus. Unfortunately, at this time, FMU does not have its own security officers who un- derstand the student popula- tion but FMU looks forward to strengthening a relationship between the students and secu- rity officers. FMU is also installing a brand-new gate system for stu- dents to swipe their identifica- tion cards. Visitors will have to enter the other side of the gate and video cameras will appear throughout campus. Text mes- sages will help notify students in the event a situation occurs on campus. Dr. Thompson also wants to also implement a student patrol which will escort female profes- sors or students to their cars after late classes. Kathy Bartley, a junior Biol- ogy major at FMU, believes that FMU is an excellent school but there just some few individuals who don't know how to behave in a public arena. "I feel safe at my school," said Bartley. "I don't mind such mea- sures taking place but people Dr. Sandra T.Thompson, interi rial University, sits in her office need to be more careful because your actions affect others." Additionally, a Dean of Stu- dents will be hired to serve "as a bridge" between the faculty, staff and students. "We are doing everything we can to make sure that students receive a quality education," said Dr. Thompson. WORKING WITH OTHERS Dr. Thompson describes FMU's hundreds of faculty and staff "the best of the best." II torically Black colleges and uni- -I versity are struggling to keep their classes running, Thompson ' says FMU is remaining a float and not sinking. "Right now, we are doing pretty Swell. Last year, we asked the fac- Sulty to teach an extra class with- . out extra compensation and they Were willing," said Thompson. - She credits the works of the Vice President for Business & " Fiscal Affairs in helping keep the . school running especially with the summer session. "Last summer, we had two summer sessions. The first was S for current students and the -MiamiTimes photo / Sandra d. Charite second session was for the new president at Florida Meo-students to give them an intense im president at Florida Memo- ^^g and preparation." training and preparation." . That group of students contin- She continues, "The staff is ued in the fall semester which exceptional. Many put in long increased enrollment. The goal is hours without complaining, not to increase enrollment but to You have faculty who work with help the students succeed says students on a one on one basis. Thompson. They care about the students." But Thompson insists that Dr. Thompson also thinks FMU is "looking for grants and highly about the Board of Trust- other funding services to expand ees. funding at the University." Such "They take time out of their projects that FMU is looking to schedule to see about the wel- bring forth include a new resi- fare of the school." dent hall, expand science build- ing, broadcasting program and SURVIVING FINANCIALLY aviation program. Across the nation, many his- Under her leadership, Dr. Thompson has implemented a new counseling center to help students deal with issues, bar- bershop and hair salon, activi- ties for the sophomore class and other plans that were already on the drawing board prior to her * appointment. THE FUTURE OF FMU When asked about the reason ofWright's sudden dismissal, Dr. Thompson said, "The Board of Trustees is conducting a search for current president who is more in keeping with the goals and direction of Florida Memo- rial University." FMU Board has been been seeking a permanent replace- ment, according to FMU Board Chairman Charles George. The board have hired a firm, which they will announce by the end of the week, to assist with the search. George did not want to offer any additional comments about the position. Dr. Thompson says that the Board have not objected to her applying for the position. "Whether I apply or not, the decision will be made on a later date. Right now, my responsibil- ity is that the positive image of this institution is maintained," she said. Candidates increasingly seek change on a national level CANDIDATES continued from 1A on Dec. 1. Rep. Ronald Brise (D-108), who was rumored to be run- ning, has opted not to. Among the ten candidates, Wilson currently leading in the amount of money raised with a total of $118, 921 followed by Brutus ($69, 224) and Gib- son ($66, 922). Adam has not raised any money. Brutus, Bastien, Roberson and. Moise (probably) are four Haitians hoping to become the first Haitian congressman/ woman. The post-Obama era has called many Blacks to seek higher positions in govern- ment which might be a reason why there are so many candi- dates seeking the Congressio- nal seat. Bush told The Miami Times that he is running "because I am familiar with the district. I have served my time and paid my dues." Bush, Gibson, Wilson, Rob- erson, Williams and Brutus are no strangers to the politi- I cal field as they have all sought political office. Newcomers, 4 Bastien, Adam and Vereen, are still com- ing strong. - What unites the candidates is in dur- ing the economic downturn, issues such as education, WILL immigration (the fight for Tempo- rary Protective Status for Hai- tians), jobs and housing have been affected and they seek to make a political progress 1 LI in Washington. "Running for the Congressional seat is an opportunity to carry the advo- cacy that I have car- ried throughout the house' and the sen- ate to another level," said Wilson. "The is- AMS sues as a congress- woman are different than at the state lev- el. As a state senator, I never had to address foreign wars. The district itself is basically the same except parts of Bro- ward county which is not in my Senate districts. It is all about serving people on a lo- cal or state and speaking for people who don't necessarily have a voice." Williams.agreed. "I have worked on behalf of the families of this community to save their homes and create jobs and I want to continue that hard work in Washing- ton 'D.C.," he said. Williams believes that this election is different than running for City Council because he has to work harder. Gibson, who leads the larg- est Black city in the South, announced her candidacy last May and believes that her track record speaks for itself in leading District 17. "Miami Gardens has been a stunning success story of self-empowerment and a tes- tament to what can be accom- plished when government is close to its people. I will bring the skills and knowledge I have gained to the congressio- nal floor as District 17's rep- resentative," said Gibson in a statement. ,,r Providing stability. Securing the future. Citl is committed to helping families keep their homes and acting quickly to support communities that are experiencing the Impact of foreclosures. Our Office of Homeownership Preservation is proud to work closely with local community organizations to provide education, resources and guidance to help stabilize and revitalize neighborhoods, Citl's Office of Homeownership Preservation (866) 915-9417 mortgaqehelp@citl.com Neighborhood Housing Services of South Florida (305) 751-5511 or (800) 401-7601 afernandez@mdnhs.org Citi never sleeps, 0 2009 CMuMOO Ine Moocr PMc, CMt, CID wfth kc Woen and CM nW tO WIua Wt, raulMed WV InOrO mwk, at 09umiiv Inc. 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Take delivery by 1/4/10.7 Visit onstar.com for coverage map, details, and system limitations. Services vary by model.and conditions. @2009 General Motors. CHEVYDEALER.COM * ,�-.- ..� p o. JAC ~ I 5A THE MIAMI TIMES, NOVEMBER 18-24, 2009 �"-~�4 ---- , �-Ga 40 L ; r t 0 BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY A 6 THE MIAMI TIMES, NOVEMBER 18-24, 2009 Special election to be held in District 5 SUSPEND continued from 1A Avenue, and Friends of Mar- tin Luther King, a project to continue King's legacy. None of those organizations ever saw the money. FUNDS VANISH Fernandez-Rundle alleges that Spence-Jones spent the money on personal expenses, such as airline travel, head grooming, restaurants, cloth- ing and even her family mem- bers. "That money did very little to improve the lives of District 5," she said. The timing of the arrest means that a commissioner will have to either be appoint- ed or a special election held. Fernandez-Rundle defend- ed the timing of the arrests. "This case came together so close to the election that we didn't want to interfere with that process," she said, add- ing "We sat many hours ago- nizing on how painful this would be for the community. At the same press confer- ence, Fernandez-Rundle also announced a misdemeanor charge against a second Mi- ami commissioner, Ahgel Gon- zalez, for securing a no-show job for his daughter with the politically connected Delant Construction Co. Gonzalez resigned on Monday, leaving the city commission without a quorum and unable to op- erate. Governor Crist has said he does not plan to name a com- missioner to either of the va- . i - ; . "., , Spence-Jones is replaced in a special election, the city char- ter will not allow her to retake her seat until the next city or state election, even if she is cleared of all charges. PRIOR CHARGES ed the State Attorney Office informing them of payments Spence-Jones received from the Mercy Hospital project, also referred .as the Groove Isle Project and the Cross- winds. Spence-Jones faced charg- cant seats. Mayor Tomas Re- galado has said that Spence- Jones's seat will be decided by a special election, which is likely to be held in January. Spence-Jones has said she is weighing the option of run- ning again. She would be technically able to do so as she has not been convicted. If Earlier this year, in a memo released by Miami-Dade pros- ecutor Joseph Centorino, chief of the public corruption unit, it said that charges against District 5 Commissioner for another case was cleared. The 2007 case was prompt- ed by former Miami City Man- ager Jose Arriola who contact- es including allegations of bribery, illegal kickbacks and inappropriate influencing of personnel decisions. Her Attorney Richard Alay- on said that "There was no credible evidence she did any- thing wrong." Spence-Jones maintains her innocence. Postal Service loses $3.8B even after cuts The Associated Press WASHINGTON - The Postal Service reported a loss of $3.8 billion last year, despite a re- duction of 40,000 full-time po- sitions and other cost-cutting measures. The loss was $1 billion more than the year before despite job cuts and other efforts designed to save billions of dollars. "Our 2009 fiscal year proved to be one of the most challenging in the history of the Postal Ser- vice," Chief Financial Officer Jo- seph Corbett said Monday. The post office has struggled to cope with a decline in mail volume caused by the shift to the Internet as well as the re- cession that resulted in a drop in advertising and other mail. Total mail volume was 177.1 billion pieces, compared with 202.7 billion pieces in 2008, a decline of almost 13%. For the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, the agency had income of $68.1 billion, $6.8 billion less than in 2008. Expenditures were down $5.9 billion to $71.8 billion. Postmaster General John Pot- ter is seeking permission from Congress to reduce mail delivery from six days a week to five, a move that could save the agency $3.5 billion annually. Potter has said the post office does not plan to raise rates next year on the items most common- ly used by the public, such as first-class mail. "We realize our customers are facing the same economic challenges," he said. In addition, the agency is con- solidating mail facilities, looking to close some offices and look- ing for new sources of income. The post office is required to make an annual contribu- tion of about $5 billion to pay in advance for medical benefits for future retirees. Congress reduced that by $4 billion for 2009, but that change was for one year only. The agency's independent auditor, Ernst & Young, ques- tioned whether the post office would have enough money to make the next payment Sept. 30, 2010, when $5.5 billion will be due. For the current fiscal year, the post office estimated it will have a further decline in in- come of $2.2 billion and a net loss of $7.8 billion even with cost reductions of more than $3.5 billion. It expects a reduc- tion in mail volume of 11 billion pieces. Though there are signs of eco- nomic recovery, Corbett said the post office tends to lag the economy by two quarters. In ad- dition, economists say the re- covery is likely to be slow to add jobs, and mail volume tends to rise when more people are working. Post Office may cut Saturday service By Hibah Yousuf NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - The U.S. Postal Service re- ported a $3.8 billion loss in the 2009 fiscal year, and plans to propose to Congress in 2010 that it drop Saturday delivery. The agency already reduced expenses by $6 billion during the year ended Sept. 30. Those measures included eliminating 40,000 jobs, howev- er the cash-strapped agency still employs over 712,000 people. The Postal Service also reduced overtime hours and lowered transportation-related costs. Additionally, the USPS low- ered the payments it made for retiree health benefits by $4 bil- lion in fiscal 2009. "To say this was a difficult year might be a bit of an un- derstatement," said the USPS chief financial officer Joseph Corbett, on a conference call with the media. Corbett blamed the agency's difficulties on the recession and "the continued migration [of customers] to electronic means." BIG CHANGES Corbett also said on the call that the Post Office will for- mally propose to Congress that it drop Saturday delivery. "We need more flexibility in our de- livery schedule. We've talked a number of times about reduc- ing from 6 to 5 days of service," he said. That move alone would save $3.5 billion. But even a 5-day de- livery schedule won't be enough to put the USPS into the black, Corbett said. So the agency will also propose to Congress that it reduce'the $5.5 billion in annu- al payments to pre-fund retiree health benefits that it is slated to make until 2016. ONGOING LOSSES This is the third year in a row that the agency has posted a loss; it lost $2.8 billion in fiscal 2008, and $5 billion in 2007. The USPS is a self-supporting government agency that re- ceives no tax dollars. It relies solely on the sale of postage and products and services to gener- ate sales. The Postal Service reported operating revenue of $68.1 bil- lion, down 9% from last year, while its operating expenses fell to $71.8 billion, down 7% from 2008. The service's total mail vol- ume plunged by more than 25 billion pieces, or 12.7%, to 177.1 billion pieces. That drop was twice as much as any mail volume decline in the Postal Service's history. There is a strong .correlation between unemployment and mail volume, according to Cor- bett, which means that mail vol- umes will continue to decline as the unemployment rate climbs. Former corrections officer to serve five years Ronald F. Hill, a former Mi- ami-Dade corrections officer was given a five-year prison sentence last week for fleeing a roadside DUI test. The incident occurred on March 3, 2006 in Hollywood, where Hill led police on an eight- mile chase, from U.S. 441 to the parking lot of a Miami-Dade Po- lice substation. The chase oc- curred around 4 a.m. Hill ran over one officer's foot and briefly dragged a second who attempted to cling to the widow of his Ford F-150. Broward Circuit Court Judge Kenneth Gillespie said that Hill tried to use his position as a corrections officer to get special treatment during the DUI stop. He was convicted of five felony charges, including battery of a law enforcement officer and flee- ing and eluding police. Jackson's revenue sources threatened CUTS continued from 1A spending. As a result, both of these revenue streams were greatly reduced. The third funding source is federal funding, which is being challenged as the government seeks to save money as well. The fourth, according to Roldan, is paying patients. The difficulty is that, as job losses increase, fewer patients have insurance. "In an economy like this, when people lose their jobs, they lose their insurance, so we've seen a dramatic increase in our charity care," said Roldan. "We finished our last fiscal year looking at 15 percent of our patients being unfunded. Now we're at 22 percent, and I don't think we've seen the worst of it yet," she said. The cuts at Jackson have even affected the executive leadership, who saw a ten per- cent salary reduction. "I can- not ask those working to do something we are not doing ourselves," said Roldan of the cuts. To date, the health system has cut 15 consulting con- tracts totaling $3.5 million and is realizing $5 million in savings through reductions in overtime and agency costs. - Lff! I b rt yCtySvii ,�: All. l: et~ I ' . .I . , .. . I -Photo / Shawn Williams Keynote speaker Retired Sergeant Major Art Wells reflects on three decades of close calls and conditions in the US mili- tary, as Commissioner Timothy Holmes, Mayor Joseph Kelley and Commissioner Dorothy "Dottie" Johnson listen. Opa-locka Commissioner salutes local veterans Special to the Times City of Opa-locka Commis- sioner Timothy Holmes, a Navy veteran and father of two who served in the U.S. Military, hon- ored the men and women of our armed services on Veterans Day at the annual ceremony which was held at the Family Picnic Historic City Hall. They began with special prayers for the 13 families of the victims as well as survivors of the Ft. Hood trag- edy. Holmes said he finds Veter- ans Day .particularly painful because of the lost of his son in the military during 1994, and because of other fallen he- roes that have paid the price with their lives. "By keeping their memories alive," Holmes stated, "we show appreciation and gratitude for their dedica- tion, commitment and unself- ishness." He added, "I also find it important to use Veterans Day to acknowledge and cel- ebrate the heroism of everyone who has fought and served so bravely for us to maintain our liberties and freedom." Holmes continued, "As for other Veter- ans among us, we have to also salute them, and keep in mind that many of them are carrying battle scars that we can not see. There are physical, mental and emotional wounds that will be with them the other 364 days of the year when we are not recog- nizing Veteran's Day." The keynote speaker was Opa-locka resident,. Retired Sergeant Major Art Wells, who served three decades in the Military. * Wells shared stories about surviving the jungles of Cambodia for days without food, water or supplies, after an ambush which killed 82 of the 126 marines in his battalion. "Once we were rescued, we saw body bag after body bag come in," Wells remembered. He also reflected on the "Smoke Pit" where soldiers shared valu- able information, and told of the mistrust developing among white higher ranking officials as black soldiers received the dis- turbing news from home of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King's assig- nation. "This," he said "unfold- ed in paranoia which resulted in the immediate separation of many of the black soldiers, for fear of rebellion, as they read about the riots occurring back home from King's death." In addition to Commissipn members, other veterans in at- tendance were invited to the' po- dium to give accounts of {heir experiences in the military. The program was followed by a fam- ily picnic. Veteran officer has good chance BURDEN continued from 1A was also a plainclothes officer in the narcotics unit. Exposito, 55, started with the police department in 1974 at the age of 19. He was in the department's first class of pub- lic service aides. While with the department, he went to night school at Barry Univer- sity, where he graduated with a bachelor's. Burden graduated from Bar- ry University. He started as a patrol officer in the north dis- trict. Burden worked as an un- dercover detective in the street narcotics unit and was then a sergeant in the unit. He worked in Internal Affairs as a lieuten- ant and was then promoted to be a major in the field support section. He later was the major in charge of the North District. He received a master's degree from St. Thomas University. As assistant chief, he oversees the budget, hiring and training, information technology, among other responsibilities in a divi- sion with an operating budget of more than $100 million. W4M II- D A D E - rMI M E WATER AN D SEERWER DEPARTMENT By Ana Maria Monte lores ,. 4 4 4 ,' , i'- , ," A Since April, 2006, when the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners ad- opted the Miami-Dade Water-Use Efficiency Plan, the County has been actively in- volved in improving management of traditional water supplies while encouraging the development of alternatives and improving the efficiency of our current water use. WATER CONSERVATION TIPS IN THE KITCHEN... Automatic dishwashers use the most water in kitchens -Approximately five gallons per run. Always use your dishwasher with a full load. When washing dishes in the sink, be sure not to let the water run excessively. Installing a High-Efficiency faucet aerator can save as much as two gallons of water per minute. (And remember, these are available ABSOLUTELY FREE, when you exchange your old showerhead for a new high-efficiency model). IN THE BATHROOM... Two-thirds of the water used in an average home is used in the bathroom, so it is prob- ably where you can most reduce your usage. Be vigilant about leaks and have them fixed as soon as you discover them. A slow drip can waste 15 to 20 gallons of water per day and a 1/16-inch faucet leak will waste 100 gallons of water in 24 hours. Toilet leaks occur when the toilet is out of adjustment or when parts are worn. Most toilet leaks are at the overflow pipe, plunger ball and flap- per valve. OUTSIDE... It's the law! Only water your lawn and garden before 10:00 am and after 4:00 pm. Also, be sure your sprinklers are positioned to water your lawn and not the pavement. Check www.malmidade.gov/wasd for additional information on watering restrictions. IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM... Regular washing machines use 40 or more gallons of water per load, so save up for a full load, and make your water work efficiently! If your washing machine can be ad- justed, remember to reset the water level for smaller loads. . " i State attorney Katherine Fernandez-Rundle holds press conference last week to discuss the charges against former City of Miami Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones. 7A THE MIAMI TIMES, NOVEMBER 18-24, 2009 BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY Commissioners' travels bring few results Taxpayers paid $217,000 in travel expenses in 2007 The International Trade Cc sortium, a county agency signed to open global mark for Miami-Dade businesses, i arranged nine trips--at a cos more than $217,000--for co missioners since 2007. Despite the agency's mission, there has not been a single contract signed as a result. < Thus far, the trips have included a week- long trip to Ireland for Commissioner Natacha Seijas, and a 12-day trip through Senegal and South Africa for Comm sioner Audrey Edmonson. In September, the day af commissioners laid off mi than 500 county workers a cut millions in funding to on- cial service groups, Seijas left to de- spend a week in Brazil. ets The ITC trips have included has stays in luxury hotels and even t of extended stays for personal va- im- cations in South Africa. In one ,case, the orga- nization flew a county staff- er across the country to help public officials change planes. The. County Commission MOSS created the ITC EDMO in 2002, with iis- the aim of establishing business ties between Miami companies ter and businesses around the ore world. To this end, the agency nd brings Miami businesses on as so- many as four trade missions a year to destinations ranging from Poland to Japan, with the businesses paying their own way. The difficulty is that, more often than not, commission- ers and county staffers have outnumbered the Miami-Dade businesses they were supposed to be promot- ing. In fact, on the most recent trip to Africa, no active Miami businesseswere present. 4SON Commission- S ers refuse to cut program A recent proposal to eliminate the ITC was defeated by com- missioners during September's budget debates, though fund- ing for the ITC was reduced from $1.6 million a year to $1.2 million. In the face of a 444 million budget gap then--the program will remain, despite the lack of evidence that missions are ac- tually spurring trade. In fact--the agency has stopped keeping track of results. Rather than reporting the number of contracts signed or anticipated sales, the ITC's annual report now includes sta- tistics like the number of business travelers JAS introduced to counter- parts in foreign lands. In the most recent annual re- port, that number is five. The agency spends money even before trips, often sending a county worker to scout sites months in advance. What's 'Good Hair'? Rock confronts taboo By Joyce King When Chris Rock was filming his new docu- mentary, Good Hair, he visited Black salons in search of a wide sampling of an- swers. The result is a witty, yet serious, look at a billion dollar business and what attracts its Black clientele. When several African Americans were asked to define "good hair," they said it means hair that is straight or relaxed. One woman in the film jokingly referred to the popu- larity of Black women running to the salon every six to eight weeks for touch-ups as being addicted to "creamy crack." For those who don't know, a chemical relaxer is an expen- sive salon treatment applied by a stylist with gloves to protect her hands. The white creamy relaxer is placed on any "new growth" to straighten the hair. Relaxing the hair is a process that - if the scalp is sensitive - can make the client's head feel as if it is burning. Since I'm a member of the hair crack club, I'll accept the role as a guilty spokesperson. What in the world could make otherwise sane women torture ourselves to simply have straight hair? In a word - and no pun intended - conditioning. From the time I was a little girl trying to navi- gate my way in a society where "blondes have more fun," the image of American beauty rare- ly included "imperfect" folks like me. But if straight hair is typically viewed by the masses as "good hair," does that make hair in its natural state bad or ugly? One thing this documentary has done is inspire people to dis- cuss a taboo subject that deals with standards of beauty and who set those to begin with. As a woman who has sported bead- ed braids, a gigantic Afro, Jheri curl, blonde extensions and more, I've loved each style. In a professional setting, though, like millions of women, I con- vinced myself that the straight look was more polished - and polite. I was wrong. Those salon vis- its aren't free. They also come with sacrifices, as in when all your real hair falls out from the stress of excessive relaxing. And then there's the stereotype that Black women, to protect their straight hair, forgo exercise so they don't sweat. Rock says he was inspired to make this film by his 7-year- old daughter, Lola, who was already feeling the pressure to have wash-and-wear tresses. Rock has said that the tribute to Black women sheds light on a business that is ultra person- al. What's his own definition? "Good hair is hair that makes you feel good," he says. Natural or relaxed, short or long, real or a-weave, looking at ourselves in the mirror isn't as satisfying as peering into our soul, where our real beauty lies. NO TEXTING WHILE DRIVING Teens under the influence of cell phones ...and texting By Nanci Hellmich About half of teens ages 16 and 17 who have cellphones say they have talked on the phone while driving, and about a third of those teens have texted while behind the wheel. Boys and girls are equally likely to report texting when they drive a vehicle. These are among the findings of a national poll of 800 teens, ages 12 to 17, conducted this summer by the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project. There is a large body of evi- dence on the dangers of inatten- tion and distraction when driv- ing, including using cellphones, says Amanda Lenhart, senior re- search specialist with Pew. Some studies indicate that talking on a cellphone is more distracting than talking to a passenger in the car, she says. She and researchers at the University of Michigan did focus groups with teens about the is- sue. Some wouldn't acknowledge the danger of texting or talking on the cellphone while behind the wheel, but many thought it was unsafe and wouldn't do it. They also object when a driver does it when they are a passenger in the car. "We heard from many teens that it's their parents who are texting or talking on the cell- phone when they are driving." Some teens said they wanted to stay connected with friends and felt compelled to answer the phone or text while driving, Lenhart says. But to avoid dan- ger, they would have a passen- ger text for them, wait until they stopped at a light to text, or hold the phone up high while texting so they could keep their eyes on the road. Grifters cash in on stimulus aid By Brad Heath WASHINGTON - Stimulus aid has sparked an economic boom for some unwanted entre- preneurs - con men. State and federal officials say they are fielding thousands of reports of scam artists, many operating from overseas, using the promise of money from the Obama administration's $787 billion economic recovery plan to entice people to hand over bank account numbers. The scams are so numerous, and the criminals hard to identify, that authorities say it's all but impossible to catch them. "People are being tricked out of their money," according to Federal Trade Commission law- yer Monica Vaca. Rip-offs based on current events are nothing new. In the past few months alone, scams have tried to cash in on Michael Jackson's death, the swine flu and foreclosure prevention. "These are true predators," says Tony Green, a spokesman for the attorney general's office in Oregon. When it comes to stimulus scams, he says, that usually means "appealing to people's desperation." Oregon officials warned con- sumers in August that con men were'sending out thousands of e-mails telling people they were entitled to stimulus money from the IRS. All people had to do, the e-mails advised, was pro- vide a bank account number. In another scheme, reported in New York, a telephone caller promised $1,000 worth of free groceries for any person willing' to provide a credit card number to pay a small processing fee. Exactly how many people have been conned is impossible to measure, but the numbers are likely substantial. FTC law- yers filed four civil cases this year accusing companies of using misleading promises of stimulus aid to persuade people to buy products or provide per- sonal information. They esti- mate that about 270,000 Amer- icans were victimized in those schemes alone, Vaca says. Detectives in Fort Lauderdale concocted a stimulus scheme of their own: In August, they mailed letters to people wanted for crimes ranging from failing to pay child support to attempt- ed murder, saying they were eli- gible for stimulus checks. When 76 of them showed up to claim the money, officers put them in handcuffs instead. "It looked very real," said Sgt. Frank Sou- sa, a police spokesman. Miami's police chief resigns Associated Press Miami's police chief is step- ping down from his post. City officials made the an- nouncement Wednesday to lo- cal media, saying Chief John Timoney would stay until a new chief is chosen. Phone and e-mail messages left by The Associated Press to Timoney's office and city officials were not immediately returned. Also Wednesday, newly elect- ed Mayor Tomas Regalado was sworn in at an inauguration ceremony. Regalado has said he wanted to remove Timoney from the position. Timoney has been police chief for seven years. He previously held leading police posts in Phil- adelphia and New York. He is generally credited with improv- ing a Miami department scarred by violence and scandal. t BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY 8A THE MIAMI TIMES, NOVEMBER 18-24, 2009 -AP photo/ Charles Dharapak PRESIDENT OBAMA BOWS as he is greeted by Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko as he arrives at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Saturday. Asia: Obama talks climate, arms control TOKYO (AP) - President Pacific free-trade partnership Obama and other world lead- to shape a new regional agree- ers agreed Sunday that next ment, a move seen as crucial to month's much-anticipated creating a possible Asia-Pacific climate change summit will free trade zone. be merely a way station, not But he said the pact must the once hoped-for endpoint, have broad-based member- in the search for a worldwide ship and "the high standards global warming treaty. worthy of a 21st century trade The 192-nation climate con- agreement." He also sounded a ference beginning in three sterner note, cautioning that weeks in Copenhagen had Asia's export-led growth must originally been intended to give way to more balanced produce a new global climate- strategies. change treaty. Hopes for that His chief focus, though, was have dimmed lately. But com- more on side meetings, includ- ments by Obama and fellow ing one later Sunday with Rus- leaders at a hastily arranged sian President Dmitry Medve- breakfast meeting here on the dev where he hoped to nudge sidelines of an Asia-Pacific forward a major new arms- summit served to put the final control pact. The two nations nail in any remaining expecta- are in talks on a successor to tions for the December sum- a Cold War-era agreement that mit. expires in December. UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS OBAMA AND "There was an assessment by MEDVEDEVAGREEMENT the leaders that it is unrealistic Obama and'Medvedev agreed to expect a full internationally, in April to reach a new nuclear legally binding agreement could arms reduction treaty to re- be negotiated between now and place and expand upon the Copenhagen which starts in 22 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction days," said Michael Froman, Treaty before it expires on Dec. Obama's deputy national se- 5. Later, in Moscow in July, curity adviser for international they agreed further to cut the economic matters. number of nuclear warheads The prime minister of Den- each nation possesses to be- mark, Lars Loekke Rasmussen, tween 1,500 and 1,675 within the U.N.-sponsored climate seven years. conference's chairman, flew U.S. officials say the two na- overnight to Singapore to pres- tions now have agreed on the ent a proposal to the leaders to broad outlines of a new treaty, instead make the Copenhagen which might be signed during goal a matter of crafting a "po- Obama's travels to Europe in litically binding" agreement, in early December to accept the hopes of rescuing some future Nobel Peace Prize. for the struggling process. Obama also was sitting down A fully binding legal agree- with Indonesia's Susilo Bam- ment would be left to a second bang Yudhoyono, president of meeting next year in Mexico the world's largest Muslim na- City, Froman said. tion and Obama's home as a Obama backed the approach, boy. cautioning the group not to let And the president planned the "perfect be the enemy of another milestone: joining a the good," Froman said. Ad- larger meeting of the 10-nation dressing the Asia-Pacific Eco- Association of Southeast Asian nomic Cooperation forum later, Nations that includes the lead- Obama talked of the need to er of military-ruled Myanmar, limit greenhouse-gas emissions also known as Burma. Obama "in Copenhagen and beyond." is sure to face criticism at Froman said the Danish pro- home, particularly from con- posal would call for Copenha- servatives, for doing so. gen to produce "operational A U.S. president has never impact," but he did not explain met with a leader of the junta, how that would work or to what one of the world's worst hu- it would apply, man-rights offenders. A MAJOR BILL DOCUMENT CALLS FOR A major bill dealing with en- ELECTION IN MYANMAR ergy and climate in the U.S., a In a final communique from domestic priority of Obama's, that meeting, ASEAN leaders is bogged down in the U.S. Sen- devoted a section to Myanmar. ate with scant hope it would While the document calls for be completed by next month, a general election in Myanmar giving the American president next year to be "conducted in a little to show in Copenhagen. free, fair, inclusive and trans- It was unclear Sunday wheth- parent manner in order to be er he would make the trip. credible to the international Obama arrived late Saturday community," it makes no men- night in Singapore for the an- tion of the release of political nual 21-nation APEC summit prisoners. that had begun without him Obama, in a broad policy early that morning. In remarks speech in Tokyo on Saturday, to the group Sunday, Obama made a point of mentioning reached out by announcing he Aung San Suu Kyi. would host the 2011 gathering But the leaders' statement in his native Hawaii. does not make any mention of But on trade - the subject of political prisoners - including most interest to rapidly grow- Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi, ing, commerce-happy East and who has spent 14 of the last 20 Southeast Asia - Obama had years in detention. The omis- a good-news, bad-news mes- sion is glaring, given the U.S. sage. He said the U.S. would had insisted on the inclusion of engage with nations in a Trans the clause in a previous draft. Sli il^ Former Rep. Jefferson sentenced to 13 years WASHINGTON (NNPA) - For- ,ham, mer U.S. Rep. William Jeffer- than son, the first Black elected to bribes Congress from Louisiana since lion. Reconstruction, was sentenced Jeffe: to 13 years in prison on charges of his of corruption on Nov. 13. a state District Judge T.S. Ellis III in during Alexandria, Va. handed down a report sentence that was a little more judge than what the defense had tencing hoped for and significantly less fled wil than the prosecution request- team. ed. According to the Associated Prose Press, Ellis said that he took have J the past service of Jefferson, a tody ir Democrat, into account when asked deciding his sentence but said main c that, "public corruption must can be be dealt with severely." possib] Jefferson's sentence is the to turr longest given to a congress- senten man, the AP reported. Former spend Republican congressman from ily. Elli California, Randy Cunning- sue on - . .= 1....... . . .. - MMH, , . -f^" . . ' '.. ;. % " :"^''.3 " ,- . :.Z -"'- was sentenced to more eight years for taking amounting to $2.4 mil- rson, 62, on the advice lawyers, did not make ement and barely spoke the proceedings, the AP ed. He did confirm for the that he'd read the sen- g reports and was satis- th the service of his legal ecutors filed a motion to efferson taken into cus- nmediately. The defense that he be allowed to re- on bond until an appeal made and, if that's not le, that he be allowed Himself in to begin his ce on Jan. 4, so he can Christmas with his fam- is did not rule on the is- Nov. 13. WILLIAM JEFFERSON Former U.S. Rep. In August, Jefferson was con- victed on 11 charges of receiv- ing nearly $500,000 in bribes in a scheme the prosecutor, Mark Lytle, claims would have brought Jefferson billions if it had been completed. Jefferson must return the $470,653.47, the AP reports, that a jury de- termined was distributed to shell companies held under Jefferson family control. Jefferson's lead attorney, Robert Trout, has asked Ellis to request that Jefferson be as- signed to a "low-security prison camp" facility in Pensacola, Fla. Ellis agreed to request a low-security facility, but "said only that he would recommend a facility close to New Orleans," according to the AP. An appeal for Jefferson, who served nine terms in Congress, must be filed within 10 days. Jefferson is free on bond un- til the resolution of a Nov. 18 hearing, during which Ellis will hear arguments about whether Jefferson is a flight risk. - -~ .4, *'o. al, ' -* * 1 ; -^s �^gj. 1ssf -f^l~ . / * '.� .-. I c- � Operation Mountain Viper put the soldiers of A Company, 2nd Battalion 22nd Infantry Division, 10th Mountain in the Af- ghanistan province of Daychopan to search for Taliban and or weapon caches that could be used against U.S. and allied forces. Soldiers quickly walk to the ramp of the CH-47 Chinook cargo helicopter that will return them to Kandahar Army Air Field. High costs weigh on troop debate for Afghan war By Christopher Drew While President Obama's deci- sion about sending mornr troyp.s to Afghanisi.. is .i', pinmAfl1l'. I military one. It-.'also has sub- stantial budget implications that are adding pressure to limit the commitment, senior administra- tion officials say. The latest internal government estimates place the cost of add- ing 40,000 American troops and sharply expanding the Afghan security forces, as favored by Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the top American and allied com- mander in Afghanistan, at $40 billion to $54 billion a year, the officials said. Even if fewer troops are sent, or their mission is modified, the rough formula used by the White House, of about $1 mil- lion per soldier a year, appears almost constant. So even if Mr. Obama opts for a lower troop commitment, Afghanistan's new costs could wash out the projected' $26 bil- lion expected to be saved in 2010 from withdrawing troops from Iraq. And the overall military budget could rise to as much as $734 billion, or 10 percent more than the peak of $667 billion under the Bush administration. POLITICALLY VOLATILE Such an escalation in military spending would be a politically volatile issue for Mr. Obama at a time when the government bud- get deficit is soaring, the econ- omy is weak and he is trying to pass a costly health Care plan. Senior members of the House Appropriations Committee have already expressed reservations about the potential long-term costs of expanding the war in Afghanistan. And Mr. Obama could find it difficult to win ap- proval for the additional spend- ing in Congress, where he would have to depend on Republicans to counter defections from lib- eral Democrats. One senior administration of- ficial, who requested anonymity in order to discuss the details of confidential deliberations, said these concerns had added to the president's insistence at a White House meeting on Wednesday that each military option include the quickest possible exit strat- egy. "The president focused a lot on ensuring that we were asking the difficult questions about get- ting to an end game here," the but would expand mainly the training of Afghans, the officials said. The estimated $1 million year it costs per soldier is higher than the $390,000 congressional re- searchers estimated in 2006. official said. "He knows we can- up strategy. Sending 30,000 not sustain this indefinitely." more troops, for example, would cost $25 billion to $30 billion a 30,000 COST $25 BILLION year while limiting how widely Sending fewer troops would. Armencan forces could range. lower the costs but would also:,. 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Today Pa- lin's book, Going Rogue: An American Life, presales of which made it a best-seller more than a month before its release, will be in bookstores. The former Alaska governor was first propelled into the na- tional spotlight in August 2008 when Republican presidential candidate John McCain picked her as his running mate. But what started out as a rapid as- cent onto the national political stage with her speech at the Re- publican National Convention quickly nose-dived three weeks later with her disastrous inter- view with CBS News anchor Ka- tie Couric. When Democrat Barack Obama defeated McCain in the November election, Palin seemed destined to end up as a historical footnote: the first female vice presidential candi- date on a GOP ticket. EYE ON 2012 Instead, Palin - the darling of many conservatives - seems to be in full dress rehearsal for the 2012 presidential election. Since resigning Alaska's gov- ernorship in July, she appears to have busied herself with plotting for a return to the big stage. Though most failed vice presidential candidates quietly exit the political arena, Palin will use her book to skirmish with those in the news media who crossed her and to com- plain loudly about how she was mistreated and mishandled by members of McCain's campaign staff. The conventional wisdom is that Palin is wasting her time that this i�'-ntt a-path- that II lead her to the GOP nornina- tion, or get her into the \lhiite House without an invitation. I'm not so sure. Winning elections is about being able to campaign. It's not about whether you can govern. That's especially true of the quest for a party's presiden- tial nomination. Palin's unan- nounced campaign for the GOP nomination begins in earnest Wednesday. She will depart on a three-week book tour that is scheduled to take her to at least seven battleground states to / 7FF I I \ '�, 1^ -. .i . Itt^ 111:' hawk her book and, no doubt, to test the presidential waters. CAMPAIGN KICKOFF? While a lot of news media folks, and members of Washing- ton's elite, see Palin as a politi- cal lightweight who gets by on her good looks as well as the novelty of being a female first, to the GOP's social conserva- tives she is a favored standard- bearer for the next presidential race. In a recent Gallup Poll about possible Republican candi- dates, Palin came in a close sec- ond to Mike Huckabee among GOP voters. When asked whom they would "seriously consider supporting" in the 2012 presi- dential election, 71% said they could possibly back Huckabee, while 65% said the same about Palin and Mitt Romney. If these numbers hold or in- crease in the coming months, Palin will force other Repub- lican contenders to move to the right to win a nomination process that's controlled -by the GOP's right wing, even as More U.S. students going abroad, and vice versa By Mary Beth Marklein The number of U.S. college students studying abroad - and the number of international stu- dents in the USA - are at all- time highs, show data released today. But those increases do not reflect the impact of the recent economic downturn. They're based on the latest data avail- able, which date back two years. And while the report suggests that numbers of U.S. students abroad will grow more despite the recession, the outlook is mixed on whether international growth will continue, says the two-part report, Open Doors 2009, published by the non- profit Institute for International Education, which 'tracks inter- national enrollments for the State Department. AMONG FINDINGS: SA record 262,416 U.S. stu- dents studied abroad in 2007- 08, the latest data year available. That's up 8.5% over the previous year, and "it is likely that trends toward less expensive destina- tions and shorter stays will con- tinue, reflecting the effects of the economy," the report says. It also notes that student in- terest in study abroad has his- torically remained strong in bad economies, and that financial aid will remain available. The State Department, for example, expects to provide study abroad - scholarships to more than 1,700 low-income students this aca- demic year, more than double the 820 it awarded two years ago. * A record 671,616 foreign students enrolled in U.S. col- leges and universities in the 2008-09 academic year, the lat- est year data available. That's up 8% from the previous year, the largest percentage increase since 1980-81. But a more recent survey of 700 U.S. institutions found a range of trends this fall. Half re- ported increases, 24% declines and 26% no significant changes in the number of foreign stu- dents on campus. They cited the economy and swine flu con- cerns. The impact also varies by country, with surging numbers of students coming from China and other countries, says IIE president Allan Goodman. the political middle has become the important swing vote in the general election. While Palin is far from a shoo- in to lead the Republican effort to unseat Obama, she isn't a stalking horse, either. She has voter appeal, an underestimat- ed savvy and now, thanks to her best-selling book, a level of personal wealth - something serious candidates must have. She also has enough time to crash and burn, or to be sho: down by enemies But the at- tention Sarah Paln is generat- ing this week leaves little doubt that she has undergone a politi- cal resurrection. Thanksgiving festival Sponsored by Commissioner Audrey Edmonson Curley's House of Style Celebrate Thanksgiving With Music and rood Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Olinda Park 2101 NW 51 St. Miami Srree Thanksgiving meal-turkey and all the trimmings! * Free entertainment-local choirs wilt perform beginning at 1 p.m.! * Free distribution of groceries * Kids run Zone and Bounce Houses ComeJoin us and share with your neighbors of District 3! Everybody reads South Florida's oldest and most popular weekly One family serving our community for 87 consecutive years FREE THE LIBERTY CITY SEVEN IUA I nE IVIIAIVII I IIVILJ, I(�VV�PLII Luvz I __ ~s~i~-��~----- -~----c----�rp--� --..--h----+--L----- IPI~C-LII~ -r, - v I � i r ~i i � 1.~.. r�- J-;l~; BLACS MST ONT~l HEI O~v DETIN hATHEMIAI TIESNOVMBE 1824,200 THE FOURTEENTH ANNUAL M. ATHALIE RANGE MUSICAL CELEBRATION OF LIFE GALA 'Ua BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY I11A THE MIAMI TIMES, NOVEMBER 18-24, 2009 ,-"^n �'a`~n t� ~ie~s ** ~'' I I . � c~rc"rg. The Miami Times Faith MIAMI, FLORIDA, NOVEMBER 18-24, 2009 MIAMI TIMES Children in the Internationnal Rescue Commit- tee in West Darfur. Without family planning... ... poverty will spread across the globe, and children will die By Ashley Judd Victor Subi-Kapaya and Therese Masian- zambi, married for 30 years. share a powerful, tender bond. He is thin, wiry and has a bum eye. She is younger than I, which is incredible to consider. Her hair is tinged with orange from malnutrition. She has enormous cheekbones and sweet, soft eyes, especially when her hus- band is looking at her, which he does often. They live in a tin . stifling home in Kinsha- sa in the Democratic Republic of Congo with just two pieces of furniture, a collapsed sofa and a broken refrigerator that serves as a cup- board. The family s two toothbrushes hang from the ceiling near their only decoration, a plastic pine cone. They sleep on the floor next to their six children, the loves of their lives, apart from each other. The family eats once a day, and sometimes not at all. Their drinking water causes recurring episodes of diarrheal disease. Victor and Therese did not wish to have so many children, whose survival they cannot ensure. Yet Therese has had three additional pregnancies, which ravaged her health. PI BLIC HEA LTH CRISIS Unregulated fertility is an under-recognized global crisis. In Congo, 600,000 babies a year are born only to suffer and die. My husband and 1 despondently call these precious little ones 'the born to dies." This year, 8 million children worldwide will die before their fifth birthday, which is actually an improvement from recent years This is a genocide. Individ- uals and societies pay an incalculable toll in emouonal trauma, illness and lost productiv- ty. Women, and in many cases their partners, do not wv'ant it to be this way. In Congo, 20% of men and women approached in 2007 said they did not wish to have more children. An addi- tional 25% of women wanted to delay child- bearing or space births by at least two years. Yet counseling is so scarce that only 6% use modern family planning. In developing coun- tries worldwide, the numbers stagger: 200 mil- lion women lack access to family planning, re- sulting in 80 million unintended pregnancies in 2007 alone. To address this public health emergency, Population Services International (PSI) - a global health organization I work with - uses human-rights-based grassroots programs to reach the most vulnerable and poor with medi- cal services and an assortment of strategies to change behavior. Please turn to PLANNING 17B HOW DO YOU DATE OUTSIDE YOUR CULTURE WITHOUT BETRAYING YOUR ROOTS? By Ria Rodriguez -I I C- The public's outlook on socially and culturally sensitive issues such as interracial dating is changingwith tume. After the legalization of inter- i racial marriages in 1967 to the cur- rent legalization of gay marriages, it is evident that. given time, society learns to accept change. Interracial dating and romance is more popu- lar and is becoming well established throughout North 4merican society. SInterracial daters are generally con- tented with the know ledge that they can both maintain their own culture Sas well as learn another Learning a new culture doesn't make interracial couples feel like they are betraying their roots. Infact, More often than not. parents are the one who stress their children into n ot abandoning their culture by not Dating interracially However, when ~BI it comes to other people outside the relationship, most individuals are willing to accept interracial dating or multicultural dating. However, when it endangers their own cus- toms and beliefs, those same indi- viduals are against it. Many parents are concerned that interracial dat- ing will somehow dilute their own culture and will threaten the preser- vation of their cultural beliefs. And to them, the only way to control the weakening of their cultural bonds is to restrict the actions of their chil- dren i.e. prevent them from dating interracially or outside of their cul- ture. They feel that falling in love with someone of a different culture might make their children sacri- fice their own traditions in order to make the relationship work. Technically, it's not the place of the parents to make such decisions. Please turn to DATING 17B 71. V - .*^ , . .. :(teudi :* .' * . ; ^ ! " -.l: I , - --- --- he best way for interracial couples to deal with their differences in culture is to compromise. Many kids feeil reatened in thh eassroom IHealthDay Nev.sl - It is often assumed that the schoolyard is \ here bullies go to make oth- er kids miserable, but a new study suggests that classrooms are another popular site. The study, presented recently at the Ameri- can Public Health Association's annual meet- ing in Philadelphia, is based on survey results from more than 10,000 middle-school students who anonymously answered questions online. Of those surveyed, 43 percent said they'd been physically bullied within the last month. A bit more than half said they'd been teased in an unfriendly way, and half reported being called hurtful names. About one-third said groups had excluded them to hurt their feelings. Twenty-eight per- cent said their belongings had been taken or broken; 21 percent said someone threatened to hurt them. According to the results, two-thirds of the students said they'd been bullied in more than one \wa over the previous month, classes, or avoiding some area of the school to The study authors noted that eight percent avoid encountering a bully. of respondents Bullies did much of their intimidating in the said they'd classroom, lunchroom and school hallways, the research- Of'those surveyed, 43 percent said ers found. Those Owho were bullied they'd been physically bullied within the in the classroom last month. A bit more than half said felt more threat- they'd been teased in an unfriendly way, ened and unsafe and half reported being called hurtful on campus than other students. "These find- ings show that . skipped school it is erroneous to think of the classroom at least once as a safe haven from bullying and to think during the school year because of fear of be- that more remote or less-monitored areas of ing bullied. Twenty-five percent said they'd school are necessarily the greatest risk for taken other actions, such as skipping recess, students," H. Wesley Perkins, lead researcher not going to the bathroom or lunch, skipping on the study. More Blacks becoming Muslims By Jesse Washington The Associated Press Although the FBI was careful to say those arrested in Detroit were not mainstream Muslims, it has accused other Black Muslims of similar crimes, most recently in May, when four men were charged with plotting to blow up New York synagogues and shoot down a military plane. Yet the Muslim faith continues to convert many average Blacks, who say they are attracted by Is- lam's emphasis on equality, disci- pline and family. "The unique history Blacks have faced, we're primed for accepting Islam," said Sekou Jackson, 31, who grew up in a secular home LOUIS FARRAKAN JAMIL ABDULLAH AL-AMIN and converted to Islam when he was about 18. "When someone comes to you with a message that everyone is equal, that the only difference is the deeds that they do, of course people who have been oppressed will embrace that message," Jack- son said. "It's a message of fair- ness." It was a message of Black pride in the face of dehumanizing preju- dice that launched Islam in Amer- ica in the 1930s. Please turn to MUSLIMS 17B S 00"~J �dll 13B THE MIAMI TIMES, NOVEMBER 18-24, 2009 BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY ..... ... ........ ........ 6. Miami celebrates philanthropy with the 24h anniversary of the National Philanthropy Day Awards Luncheon to be held at the Regency Hyatt in Downtown Miami at 11 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 18. 305-803-6003. ******* * Miami-Dade Mayor, County Commission and Transit will hold their second annual Transit Summit at the Stephen P. Clark Center, County Commission Chambers, from 5 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 18. 786-469- 5675. The Greater Miami Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women will host a membership informational meeting at the North Dade Regional Library located in Miami Gardens at 6 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 18. Sheryl Watts, 954-612-6130 or visit: www.NCBW100Miami.org Miami-Dade County Agricultural will host a Farmers Market to celebrate Farm City Week at the Stephen P. Clark Center Lobby, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 19. 305-971-5091 or visit: www. miamidade.gov/agriculture ******* * Miami-Dade County Mayor distribute donated turkeys to registered participants as part of the 13th Annual Thanksgiving Turkey Drive at the Robert King High Senior Center, from 10- 11 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 19. Elsie K. Hamler, 305-577-3738. Miami-Dade County Mayor and the Board of County Commissioners invite you to an opening reception of "Faces of Freedom: Behind the Looms" at the Miami International Airport, from 2-5 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 19. 305-876-0749. Miami-Dade delegation, Miami-Dade County Council of PTAs/PTSAs representing over' 370 local units in Miami-Dade County. will host a community discussion about Florida's Redemption M.B. Church will host the Ministers and Deacons Union of the New Life M.B. Association from Nov. 18- 21. Rev. Pickney, 305-696-9964 or Rev. McCrae, 305-793-7388. Wimberly Sisters Outreach is sponsoring a musical program at Holy Cross, at 3 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 22. The Gamble Memorial Church of God in Christ invites the community to their annual free Thanksgiving dinner and fundingforpublic educationwith parents, students and leaders. The meeting will be held at the Miami-Dade County School Board Administration Building at 6 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 19. Mindy Gould, President, Miami- Dade County Council of PTAs/ PTSAs, 305-995-1102 or e-mail MindyGouldPTA@aol.com Dade County BarAssociation Young Lawyer Section and invite you to their seventh annual Bids for Kids Fundraiser to held at the BNY Mellon, from 6-9 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 19. 305- 371-2220. ******* * The University of Pennsylvania in South Florida presents international, national and local women's health experts will host a forum at the LaGorce Country Club, from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 20. Cori Rice, 305- 443-5454 or email:cori.rice@ hillandknowlton.com Our Kids of Miami-Dade/ Monroe, the local lead agency for child welfare in Miami and the Keys, along with their Full Case Management Agencies, will celebrate National Adoption Day with the finalization of 70 foster care adoptions'in Miami- Dade County at the Miami Children's Museum, from 8:30 -9:30 a.m., on Friday, Nov. 20. Visit: www.ourkids.us Miami-Dade Superintendent of Schools will host a benefit concert at Miami Beach Senior High School at 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 20. 305-995-1930. You are invited to Rick, DellaRatta and Jazz For Peace on Friday, Nov. 20. Marla Warrington, 786-223-2554 or email: marlaw@EventRhythrn. com Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden will host the Ramble-A Garden Festival, from 9:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., Nov. 20-22. Visit www.fairchildgarden.org service, from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m., Nov. 26. 3-5-633-7235 or 305- 821-3692. Ebenezer United Methodist Church will have their sixth annual HIV/AIDS Benefit Health Fair and Concert starting at 2 p.m. on Dec. 5. 305-635-7413. House of Bethlehem A Place of Bread Ministries is inviting everyone to participate in their tour bus trip to Holyland, from Tues.- Thurs. Deacon Arthur Robinson, 786-624-7979. The Greater Hollywood YMCA Family Center is pleased to announce their third annual Turkey Trot at 7:30 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 21. www. YMCABroward.org. The secondannualDowntown Miami Riverwalk Festival and Boat Parade will be held from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21. 305-416-6868 or email: urbantoursmiami@aol.com Iota Phi Lambda Sorority Inc., Gamma Alpha Chapter cordially invites the community to their 23rd "Apple for the Teacher" Luncheon honoring outstanding school teachers at the Rusty Pelican at 11 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 21. 786-356- 0992. Miami-Dade Public Library System is seeking budding young artists for its annual Make-a- Bookmark Contest. Children, ages 6-12, are invited to submit a drawing, of a favorite character or scene from a book, to reflect the theme "Readiscover Your Neighborhood@ the Library." Contest entry must be original work, and will be judged on creativity and neatness. Entries must be submitted by Nov. 21. Visit: www.mdpls.org. Miami Dade College Kendall Campus present the Fall Fest 2009, from 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 21. Call 305- 237-2321 or visit www.mdc. edu/Kendall/ The founders of Vankara School in Opa-locka will celebrate 30 years of Educational Services at a Street Naming Ceremony at 10 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 21. 305-681-6121. ******* The African American Gospel Choir will be having their 19th reunion concert in Fort Lauderdale at 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 21. 786-597- 4994. Miami-Dade District 3 Commissioner and the Curley's House of Style will sponsor a Thanksgiving Festival at the Olinda Park, from 11 a.m. to 6 A Mission With A New Beginning Church invites the community to come fellowship at 11:15 a.m., on Sundays and Bible class weekly at 7 p.m., Thursday. Redemption M.B. Church is sponsoring a fundraising breakfast and yard sale on Friday and Saturday. Redemption will also host a ministers and deacons Union of the New Life M.B. Association on Nov. 18-21. Rev. Silas Pinkney, 305-696-9964. Pastor Willie McCrae, 305-793-7388 or 305- 836-1990. Note: Calendar items must be submitted before 3:30 p.m. on Monday. New focus in breast cancer screening By Liz Szabo Most women don't need to get mammograms until they reach age 50, according to a contro- versial new report that recom- mends that far fewer women undergo the breast cancer screenings. For years, mammograms have been recommended every year or two for women begin- ning at age 40. The new report from the U.S. Preventive Ser- vices Task Force, issued Mon- day night, now says women this age should simply talk to their doctors about the benefits and risks. The group also says there's no benefit to performing breast self-exams. The recom- mendations, which help shape how doctors practice, don't af- fect women at high risk, such as those with strong family his- tories of cancer. The task force also says old- er women don't need as many mammograms: Women ages 50 to 74 should be screened only every other year, not annually, as currently recommended. The independent panel of ex- perts updates its recommenda- tions as new research becomes available, says task force vice chair Diana Petitti, a doctor at Arizona State University in Phoenix. The authors say there are good reasons to change mam- mogram advice: Younger wom- en have the least to gain, and the most to lose, from screen- ing. Mammograms cut the risk of dying from breast cancer by about 15%, both for women in their 40s and 50s. But because younger women have such a low overall risk -- the 10-year breast cancer risk for a 40-year-old is only 1.4% -- their absolute re- duction in death is very small, the report says. Yet younger women have a much higher risk of being harmed from the tests. That's not because the procedures themselves are dangerous. In- stead, women are at risk from false alarms, also known as "false positives," which occur when mammograms produce suspicious findings in women who are actually cancer-free. These women may experience additional pain, expense and worry because of follow-up scans and biopsies. An estimated 64% of 40-some- thing women have had a mam- mogram in the past two years, along with 72% of women ages 50 to 65, according to an edito- rial published with the recom- mendations in today's Annals of Internal Medicine. More than 193,000 American women will develop breast cancer this year, and 40,000 will die of it. p.m., Sunday, Nov. 22. American Jewish Committee of Greater Miami and Broward will host their fourth annual Thanksgiving Diversity Breakfast at the Jungle Island at 8:30 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 24. Tina Svetkova, 305-670-1121, ext. 24 or email: svetkovat@ajc. org ** The City of North Miami Beach will debut, From Farms and Fields to the Future: The Incredible Story of North Miami Beach with a launch, talk and book signing at the city's Littman Theater, at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 24.Christopher Heid, 305-948-2966. EPIC hotel is celebrating the 25h anniversary of White Party Week in Miami, the world's oldest and largest HIV/AIDS fundraiser, and offering special rates for those visiting Miami to enjoy White Party Week events and festivities from Nov. 25- 30. 305-424-5226 or visit www. epichotel.com. ******* * The Big Blue any You Foundation presents Kids Ocean Adventure Series at the Newport Beachside Hotel and Resort Sunny Isles Beach from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 28. 954-558-9664. University of Miami's Maurice Gusman Concert Hall will present Festival Miami now through November 30. 305-284-4940 or visit: www. festivalmiami.com The community is invited to get on the bus to the Florida Classic on Saturday, Nov. 21. For more information. Also, come take a ride to the Holy Land in Orlando, Fla. On Dec. 12. Call Phillip, 786-873-9498. South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee Will host their kickoff luncheon at the Land Shark Stadium, from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Monday, Dec. 7. 305-614-7555. The Mandarin Oriental Hotel will host the celebration of the Miami Music Festival on Brickell Key, from 6-7:30 p.m., on Wednesday, Dec. 9. Email: mkomfeld@intunepartners.com ******** The Florida Alliance for Arts Education (FAAE) is hosting a Florida symposia at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, starting at 9 a.m., on Dec. 10. Email: info@ faae.org or visit www.faae.org ******* M.W. Cypress Grand Lodge, A.F. and A.M., is sponsoring its annual Christmas festival and toy-give-away at the Masonic Temple, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 12. George E. Pitts, 305-467-5609 or email: gfitts@carolina.rr.com The fourth annual World Salsa Championships will take place at Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Dec. 17-19 . Miami-Dade County is seeking outstanding women nominees for the 22nd annual In the Company of Women Awards Ceremony which will be held in March 2010. The deadline for nominations is 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 18. Lisa Fernandez, 305- 480-1717 ext. 104. Rainbow Ladies-Our Space will be having their second annual Holiday Gala at the Fantasy Ballroom at 9 p.m., Dec. 19. 305-772-4712. ******* Miami Northwestern Sr. High Class of 1965 is preparing for their July 8-11, 2010 Reunion. Classmates are urged to reconnect through the contact information listed below, providing your address, phone, cell & email. 321-733-0958 or 305-299-5549, reunion6t5@cfl. rr.com Miami Jackson Alumni Association is calling all former cheerleaders, majorettes, drill team, dance line, flagettes and band members for their upcoming Alumni Pep Rally. 305- 804-5371 or 786-256- 2609. National Investment Development (NID) Housing Counseling Agency, a HUD approved organization, is offering free Housing and Legal Counseling for Homeowners at the Experts Resource Community Center, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., M-F. Call 305-652-7616 or 786-512-7400 or email: lgreen@expertsresources.com or lougreen2@yahoo.com for appointments. Miami Jackson Alumni Association is seeking Reunion Organizing Committee Representatives from the Classes of 1981 -2008 to call 305-904-5371 or 786-256- 2609. The Florida Film Institute presents Cinerama Saturdays at, the Little Haiti Cultural Center, from 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., until April 10, 2010. 305- 891-3456 or register at www. flfilminstitute.org A&A Associates is currently hiring approximately1000 people for the 2010 Super Bowl and Pro Bowl football games which will be held at Land Shark Stadium in Miami Gardens. 561- 533-5303 or email Annette@ associatestaffing.com Rendo -Goju-Ryu Karate Academy will be offering free Karate lessons at the Liberty Square Community Center from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursday. 305-694-2757. _ ____ ., ~.. . ,...,. f, ..^,-.-'.. .ji. V I I 2 Serving the community since 1984 4 COSMETIC DENTRISTY .A* Teeth Whitening 1 hour * Porcelain Crowns & Bridges ic * Porcelain Veneers " . 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P'oi,.nI,.:.nl, -_ -_- - - - - - - --------- Insurance Welcome We offer Financial Arrangements Lab On Premises * Repairs While You Wait Evening and Saturday Appointments The Patient and any other person responsible for payment has the right to refuse to pay, cancel payment or be reimbursed for payment for any other service examination or treatment which is performed or as result of and within seventy-two (72) hours of responding to the advertisement for the fee, discounted fee or reduced fee service,examination or treatment. Imle wit [Confidene i ~ JII# I'll � - 11 " , ,If '� - BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY A 41 THE MIAMI TIMES NOVEMBER 18- 009 Obama backers want to reshape judiciary Nea y 100 vs offede c floor votes. Democrats have ac- ate five appellate nominees, and Obama officials, too, point with of hours of volunteer work rep- early 100 vacancies o federal courts caused Republicans of stalling four of them had already been pride to their record on diversi- resenting indigent clients. them by raising obstacles to confirmed. And he had made 42 ty. Of Mi. Obama's 12 appellate The officials also spoke of the By Charlie Savage pen in the midterm elections. No votes on uncontroversial nomi- district court nominations, of nominees, six are women, four administration's approach of one wants a blown opportunity." nees. Republicans counter that whom 24 had been confirmed. are black, one is Asian and one quietly announcing a nomina- WASHINGTON - President The White House contends that Democrats. too. used procedur- M. Edward Whelan III, presi- is Hispanic. By contrast, about tion every few weeks, in contrast Obama has sent the Senate far fewer judicial nominations than former President George W. Bush did in his first 10 months in of- fice, deflating the hopes of liber- als that the White House would move quickly to reshape the fed- eral judiciary after eight years of Republican appointments. Mr. Bush, who made it an early goal to push conservatives into the judicial pipeline and left a strong stamp on the courts, had already nominated 28 appellate and 36 district candidates at a comparable point in his tenure. By contrast, Mr. Obama has of- fered 12 nominations to appeals courts and 14 to district courts. Theodore Shaw, a Columbia University law professor who un- til recently led the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc., said liberals feared that the White House was not taking ad- vantage of its chance to fill va- cancies while Democrats enjoy a razor-thin advantage in the Senate enabling them to cut off the threat of filibusters against nominees. There are nearly 100 vacancies on federal courts. "It's not any secret that among the civil rights community and other folks there has been a growing concern about the pace of nominations and confirma- tions," Mr. Shaw said. "You have to move fairly quickly because things are going to shut down before you know it, given that next year is an election year and who knows what is going to hap- the number of confirmations, not nominations, is what matters. They argue that they were pro- ceeding more methodically than Mr. Bush's team - in ways like making a greater effort to con- sult with home-state senators - and so a higher percentage of Mr. Obama's nominees would ul- timately become judges. By this point in 2001, the Senate had confirmed five of Mr. Bush's appellate judges - al- though one was a Clinton pick whom Mr. Bush had renomi- nated - and 13 of his district judges. By contrast, Mr. Obama has received Senate approval of just two appellate and four dis- trict judges. Those numbers could rise rapidly. Four appellate and four district court nominees have cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee and are waiting for al tactics to slow or block some Bush nominees. There has been some recent movement. Last Monday, the Senate confirmed Andre Da- vis to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Cir- cuit, shifting the balance on the Richmond-based panel - once considered the nation's most conservative - to a majority ap- pointed by Democrats. And on Tuesday, Democrats moved to vote on confirming Da- vid Hamilton as an appeals court judge for the Seventh Circuit, based in Chicago. The nomina- tions of both Mr. Davis and Mr. Hamilton had been stalled before the full Senate for five months. Mr. Obama's appeals court re- cord compares somewhat more favorably to former President Bill Clinton's. By Nov. 20, 1993, Mr. Clinton had sent the Sen- dent of the conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center, said it was "surprising" that Mr. Obama had made so few nominations. "On judges as on so much else, this administration seems to be much less competent than both its supporters and critics expected," Mr. Whelan said. Unlike Mr. Bush, Mr. Obama had an early Supreme Court va- cancy, and his team expended significant effort in the selection and confirmation of the new jus- tice, Sonia Sotomayor. Similarly, Mr. Clinton's first year included Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's confirmation. Still, the time Supreme Court nominations require has added to liberal anxieties. If, as antici- pated, there is another Supreme Court vacancy in 2010, there could be scant time left for low- er-court judgeships. The administration's nomina- tions team is reviewing potential Supreme Court picks, but offi- cials have disclosed few details. They also would not discuss plans to replace Ms. Butts. Two associate White House counsels who worked with her on judges - Susan Davies and Danielle Gray - remain in place. Liberals also complain that the Obama team's selections have been too moderate to coun- terbalance the strongly conser- vative appointees of Republican presidents, echoing an accusa- tion they made during the Clin- ton administration. -- ..A r." ' B. . It ,I,,"," .." .' ..'.", ., t . The confirmation of Andre Davis to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit shifted the court's balance. two-thirds of Mr. Bush's nomi- nees were white men. But Mr. Obama raised eye- brows among liberal groups by nominating Albert Diaz to the Fourth Circuit, where he would be the first Hispanic. Mr. Diaz is a North Carolina business court judge who, at his former law firm, made his name in part by defending the tobacco giant Philip Morris, an unlikely r6- sume item for a Democratic ap- pointee. White House officials said it would be unfair to define Mr. Diaz as a tobacco lawyer, noting that he had had many other cli- ents, had a long career as a mil- itary lawyer and did hundreds to Mr. Bush's making a political event of announcing his first group of appellate nominees in May 2001. But Nan Aron, president of the liberal Alliance for Justice, warned that picking moder- ate judges and low-key tactics might not work. "It's a mistake to think that by going slower and lessening the visibility of nominations, Republican acrimony will be reduced," she said. "It didn't work with Clinton and it won't work now because Republicans will do everything in their power to hold open as many seats as they can for a future president to fill." One of shuttle's final journeys gets off on trouble-free launch By James Dean capeP' CANAVERAL - At- lantis and six astronauts are chasing down the Inter- national Space Station after a flawless launch Monday, leaving five more flights be- fore the nation's shuttle fleet is retired. "It's starting to hit home,' said shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach. Atlantis' blastoff was the fifth successful launch of 2009, following three other visits to the station and -- on Atlantis' previous flight -- a final overhaul of the Hubble Space Telescope. Five more trips are planned next year to finish more than 10 years of station construction, after which about 7,000 Kennedy Space Center employees face layoffs. Atlantis' 11-day mission is designed to deliver large spare parts and bring home a sta- tion flight engineer. The shut- tle is scheduled to dock with the orbiting research outpost just before noon Wednesday about 220 miles above Earth. Over the next several days, analysts will review launch images and more pictures to be taken from the station as the shuttle approaches and performs a back flip to expose its belly to cameras. Once the two spacecraft are linked, the Atlantis crew will immediately begin to install the first of two large pallets of spare parts outside the station. They include: two steering gyroscopes, a group of tanks and pumps for the station's cooling system and a hand for a robotic arm. Only the shuttle is able to haul so many of the bulky parts at once, putting the station in position to serve as a research laboratory for an- other 10 years. "The individual parts, some of them could fit on other spacecraft, but then they'd have to be launched indi- vidually, one at a time," said Williamff" Gesterifaier, asso- ciate administrator for Space Operations. "There's no way that you could do what Atlan- tis is doing this time." Three spacewalks totaling mission Commander Charlie "Scorch" Hobaugh radioed after gettiii a final "go"'"-or launch. The shuttle is scheduled to return home the day after Thanksgiving, carrying an additional crewmember. Ni- -AP photo John Raoux Space shuttle Atlantis lifts off from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral nearly 20 hours are planned during the mission. "We're really excited to take this incredible vehicle for a ride and meet up with an- other incredible vehicle, the International Space Station," cole Stott is nearing the end of her three-month. stay.in or- bit and will be the last long- duration station resident to fly on a shuttle. Dean reports for Florida To- day in Brevard County, Fla. -Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP/Getty Images) Fighters with the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) prepare for an operation against the Nigerian army in Niger Delta on September 17,2008. Nigeria militants start peace talks By Bashir Adigun Associated Press ABUJA, Nigeria - Nigeria's main militant group in the oil- rich Delta region said Sunday that it had started formal peace talks with the country's presi- dent for the first time since it declared an indefinite cease-fire last month. The Movement for the Eman- cipation of the Niger Delta called Saturday's dialogue with Presi- dent Umaru Yar'Adua useful. "This meeting heralds the be- ginning of serious, meaningful dialogue between MEND and the Nigerian government to deal with and resolve root issues that have long been swept un- der the carpet," militant group spokesman Jomo Gbomo said in a statement Sunday. The president's spokesman, Olusegun Adeniyi, said Satur- day that Yar'Adua met with a group of negotiators "in contin- uation of his efforts to find last- ing solution to the problem in the Niger Delta and following on PRESIDENT UMARU YAR'ADUA USEFUL his earlier promise to meet with any individual or groups in that direction." The group had declared an in- definite cease-fire on Oct. 25 af- ter a meeting between the Nige- rian President and its longtime leader, Henry Okah. Gbomo had said that after the meeting, Okah had "indicated the willing- ness of the government to nego- tiate" with the militant group, which then formed a team to negotiate, Gbomo said. Gbomo said Sunday the nego- tiating team that met with the president included four men. Okah and another field com- mander, Farah Dagogo, sat in the meeting as observers, he said. Attacks by the militant group and unrest in the Delta region had cut Nigeria's oil production by about a million barrels a day, allowing Angola to overtake it as Africa's top oil producer. The group's key commanders, Dagogo, Government Tompolo, Ateke Tom and Ebikabowei Vic- tor Ben, are among more than 8,000 militants who surren- dered their arms in the govern- ment's amnesty program, which ended Oct. 4. The militants say they are fighting to force the federal gov- ernment to send more oil rev- enue to the southern region that remains poor despite five decades of oil production. U.S. mulls combining war plans By Peter Spiegel WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama wants to blend together elements of the dif- ferent troop-increase options presented to him Wednesday to formulate a new strategy for the Afghan war, Defense Secre- tary Robert Gates said Thurs- day. Speaking a day after the eighth cabinet-level meeting of Mr. Obama's war council, Mr. Gates said the president asked his advisers to re-examine the four scenarios to see if ele- ments of each could be mixed. Mr. Obama aims to find "how can we combine some of the best features of several of the options to maximum good ef- fect," Mr. Gates said. "There is a little more work to do. I do think that we're getting toward the end of this process." During the meeting, accord- ing to a White House official, Mr. Obama unexpectedly re- quested more information on the four scenarios and ex- pressed new concerns about corruption in Afghan President Hamid Karzai's government. The four options would increase U.S. troop levels by 10,000 to 40,000 soldiers. A White House official said the new informa- tion requested could directly affect the number of troops the president chooses and the length of their deployments. -Brendan Smialowski forThe New YorkTimes The selection and confirmation proceedings of Justice So- nia Sotomayor, shown at her Senate hearing in July, occupied President Obama's judicial selection team early in his tenure. SUBSCRIBE TODAY! END THE INCONVENIENCE OF EMPTY NEWSPAPER BOXES, FIGHTING THE WEATHER AND HUNTING DOWN BACK COPIES The Miami Times leath SECTION B MIAMI, FLORIDA, NOVEMBER 18-24, 2009 By Ariel David and Maria Cheng Associated Press ROME - Nearly 200 million children in poor countries have stunted growth because of in- sufficient nutrition, according to a new report published by UNICEF Wednesday before a three-day international summit on the problem of world hun- ger. The head of a U.N. food agency called on the world to join him in a day of fasting ahead of the summit to highlight the plight of 1 billion hungry people. Jacques Diouf, director-gen- eral of the Food and Agriculture Organization, said he hoped the fast would encourage action by world leaders who will take part in the meeting at his agency's headquarters starting Monday. The U.N. Children's Fund published a report saying that nearly 200 million children un- der five in poor countries were stunted by a lack of nutrients -UN Photo/Tim McKulka Children displaced by flooding collect water from a sub- .merged hand pump in Aweil Sudan. in their food. More than 90 percent of those children live in Africa and Asia, and more than a third of all deaths in that age group are linked to undernutrition, ac- cording to UNICEF. While progress has been made in Asia - rates of stunted growth dropped from 44 per- cent in 1990 to 30 percent last year - there has been little suc- cess in Africa. There, the rate of stunted growth was about 38 percent in 1990. Last year, the rate was about 34 percent. South Asia is a particular Please turn to HUNGER 16B Walk your way to better health (NewsUSA) - Want to get outdoors, improve your health and socialize with friends? It might be time to put on your walking shoes. Regular physical activity may help control weight and lower the risk for certain diseases. Some exercise is always better than none. If you're not used to exercise, walking is a great way to be- come more active. Walking requires a pair of sturdy walking shoes to get started, and proves a viable way to burn calories, build bone density, reduce the risk of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease, and socialize with friends. Not sure how to get started? Sisters Together: Move More, Eat Better, a national initiative of the Weight- control Information Network (WIN) designed to en- courage Black women to exercise and eat healthier foods, offers the following tips to get moving: * Make it fun. Find a partner. Your walking part- ner should be able to match your speed. * Find proper footgear. Wear shoes with proper arch support, a firm heel and thick, flexible soles. * Wear clothes that will keep you dry and comfort- able. Look for synthetic fabrics that absorb sweat and remove it from your skin. * Divide your walk into sections. Warm up by walking slowly for five minutes. Then, increase your speed and do a fast walk. Finally, cool down by walk- ing slowly again for five minutes. Do light stretching after your warm-up and cool-down. * Try to walk as often as possible. To avoid stiff or sore muscles and joints, start gradually. Over sev- eral weeks, begin walking faster, going farther, and walking for longer periods of time. Aim for 30 min- utes of walking a day on most, if not all, days of the week. * Set goals and rewards. A goal might be partici- pating in a fun walk or walking continuously for 30 minutes. Reward yourself when you meet a goal, but not with high-calorie foods. For more information and tips, visit the WIN site at www. win.niddk.nih.gov. Services * Complimentary Dental Services with No Co-Pay * Primary Care Physician * Laboratory * Gynecology * Diagnostic Ultrasound * EKG - Electrocardiogram * ECHO- Echocardiogram * X-Rays * A Comprehensive Chiropractic Service Center * Pain Management *. Massage Therapy * Free Concierge-Style Transportation with Private Vehicle * Activity Center * Education * Exercise Program * Nutrition * Osteoporosis screenings 6405 NW 27th Avenue Miami, Florida For information or appointments, cal: 305-403-4003 Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:oo p.m. -Health First MAldl'aI Center ', Maximum Quality Medical Care for our Community I *�'i~:"�~i~ I'l' "Fr; �� ..r �;~�"' I i'; 1 I BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY 16B THE MIAMI TIMES. NOVEMBER 18-24, 2009 There is good news in the midst of the storm A Have you ever read and meditated on Psalm 42? This psalm is especially timely for so many believers at this time. The psalmist clearly loves God. He yearns for His presence. In fact, in verse 1, he says that he longs for God the way that a deer longs for water. This is a good place for us to begin in beginning or changing our re- lationship with the Lord. Are your feelings for Him safe and mild? Or do you yearn for Him? Is He the rea- - son that you get up in the . morning? Do , : you realize '.. .. that it is He and He alone that is responsi- ble for the very breath that you breathe? The psalmist thirsts for God. We often want God to give us His very best. We want Him to treat us and bless us and give us His best, but we do not give Him the same. The psalmist is clearly hurt- ing. He admits that his heart is breaking and he is in tears because of the treatment of his enemies. They taunt him and abuse him. He remembers that it was not always like that. He remembers being a part of the worshippers in the temple of God. Perhaps you remember that your situation was not al- ways as it is now. Perhaps you remember when you went out to dinner more often. You remem- ber when you and your fam- ily went on vacations regularly. You might remember when you did not lie awake worrying about the mortgage or other bills. You ;remember when you looked for- ward to going to church and serving in the choir and nurs- ery - but no more. Now you, as the psalmist, are sad and discouraged. But wait - do you, as the psalmist, push aside those feelings of despair' and remember that you have a God and Savior who loves you and cares about you? The psalmist admits in verse 5 that he is greatly discouraged, but he remembers His God, and he will praise Him again. Yes, he can hear the storms and waves crashing over him, and seem to consume him. Yes, he knows that he encounters trials, and is tormented; but he also re- minds himself that God's love is unfailing. Every night,.,He sings songs of praise to Him, his God, who gives Him life. How do you spend your evenings? Do you spend them chasing af- ter someone or something who cannot give you life? Do you spend the evenings depressed and angry because life does not seem to be fair to you? Even as the night comes and appears to cover you, do you lift up your voice in praise to your Almighty God? In verse 9, the psalmist feels as though God has forgotten him. Even the best of us can fall into despair and be dis- tracted by bills, family prob- lems, unemployment or ill health. The worst of it is that people who know that you are a Believer mock you. People who know that you go to church faithfully, pray and praise daily make fun of you. They laugh and ask "where is your God now? Is your God going to pay your mortgage or prevent your car from being repossessed? Will your God find a new job for you? What will your God do for you?" Oh, yes, dear saints, I know fully how talk like this can cut and maim. You feel that you really can't answer because you wonder too why it seems that God has abandoned you? If you can barely keep your head held high, how can you possibly give them a reply? The good news is that you don't need to. You do not need to explain God to anyone. He even tells us that our ways are not His ways. He means that we cannot always understand His reasons for doing or not doing something. We will not always understand why He did not come when we think that He should come. God is God. He does not think as we do. We cannot fully fathom His thoughts and His ways. Just rest assured that he loves you. He has not forgotten you. Don't look at your situation. Look in the face of your God. There you should see His love, and His concern, and you should be able to trust that He will do what is best for you. Verse 11 says it all?' "Why am I discour- aged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise Him again - my Savior and my God!" Nations must invest in small farmers HUNGER continued from 15B hotspot for the problem, with just Afghanistan, Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan ac- counting for 83 million hungry children under five. "Unless attention is paid to addressing the causes of child and maternal undernutrition today, the costs will be consid- erably higher tomorrow," said UNICEF executive director Ann M. Veneman in a statement. Diouf said he would begin a 24-hour fast on Saturday morn- ing. The agency also launched an online petition against world hunger through a Web page fea- turing a video with Diouf count- ing from one to six to remind visitors that every six seconds a child dies from hunger. The U.N. children's agency called for more strategies like vitamin A supplementation and breast-feeding to be rolled out more widely. That could cut the death rate in kids by up to 15 percent, UNICEF said. Not everyone agreed. "It is unrealistic to believe malnutrition can be addressed by any topdown U.N. scheme," said Philip Stevens, of Inter- national Policy Network, a 'London-based think tank. "The progress UNICEF's report points to in improving nutri- tion is almost certainly a result of economic growth, not U.N. strategies." The Rome-based FAO an- nounced earlier this year that hunger now affects a record 1.02 billion globally, or one in six people, with the financial meltdown, high food prices, drought and war blamed. The agency hopes its World Summit on Food Security, with Pope Benedict XVI and some 60 heads of state so far expected to attend, will endorse a new strategy to combat hunger, fo- cusing on increased investment in agricultural development for poor countries. The long-term increase in the number of hungry is largely tied to reduced aid and private investments earmarked for ag- riculture since the mid-1980s, according to FAO. Countries like Brazil, Nige- ria and Vietnam that have in- vested in their small farmers and rural poor are bucking the hunger trend, FAO chief Diouf told the news conference. They are among 31 countries that have reached or are on track to meet the goal set by 'N - a _A - t.. -UN Photo/Olivier Chassot A woman and kids are on their way to the water distribution site in Tora, Northern Darfur. world leaders nine years ago to cut the number of hungry peo- ple in half by 2015, he said. "Eradicating hunger is no pipe dream," Diouf said. "The battle against hunger can be won." FAO says global food output will have to increase by 70 per- cent to feed a projected popula- tion of 9.1 billion in 2050. To achieve that, poor coun- tries will need $44 billion in annual agricultural aid, com- pared with the current $7.9 billion, to increase access to ir- rigation systems, modern ma- chinery, seeds and fertilizer as well as build roads and train farmers. Agriculture investment from the private sector is also con- sidered vital, and FAO is host- ing a two-day forum in Milan starting Thursday with execu- tives and business representa- tives to discuss how to coordi- nate such efforts. CDC's swine flu toll: 4,000 dead, 22 million ill By Lauran Neergaard Associated Press WASHINGTON - Estimates of deaths caused by the swine flu have grown to nearly 4,000 since April, roughly quadru- pling previous estimates. But that doesn't mean swine flu suddenly has worsened. Instead, the federal numbers made public Thursday reflect a long-awaited better attempt to quantify the new flu's true toll. Most cases still don't require a doctor's care. Swine flu has sickened about 22 million Americans since April and killed about 540 children. And it's still early in the sea- son. "I am expecting all of these numbers, unfortunately, to continue to rise," said Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Preven- tion. "We have a long flu season ahead of us." Tight supplies of vaccine to combat the illness continue: Not quite 42 million doses are currently available, a few mil- lion less than CDC had predict- ed last week. A new Associated Press-GfK poll shows nearly 1 in 6 parents has gotten at least some of their Musical Program Wimberly Sisters Outreach Inc. is sponsoring a musical program, 3 p.m., Sunday, No- vember 22 at Holy Cross, 1555 N.W. 93rd Terrace. Groups appearing will be Unbelievers Gospel Brothers, Pompano; The Ministry Gospel Singers, Clewiston, The Free- man Gospel Singers, Pahokee, The Gospel Angels, Delray, UBH Choir, Ft, Laudedale, South Florida Singers, Ft. Lauder- dale, Wimberly Sisters, Miami, Soul Seekers, Miami, Southern Echoes and many more. No Ad- mission! children vaccinated against swine flu since inoculations be- gan last month. An additional 14 percent of parents sought vaccine but couldn't find any. Only about 30 percent of chil- dren routinely get flu vaccina- tions during a normal winter. That even this many have got- ten vaccinated against the new flu, which scientists call the 2009 H1N1 strain, despite the short age suggests CDC's tar- get-the-young message has got- ten through. But three times as many adults have tried and failed to find vaccine for themselves as have succeeded. And interest among the young adults who also are at high risk is waning fast, found the AP- GfK poll of 1,006 adults nation- wide. Schuchat urged patience in seeking vaccine. "It's a marathon and not a sprint," she said. "More vaccine is being ordered and delivered and used every day." Until now, the CDC has con- servatively estimated more than 1,000 deaths and "many mil- lions" of new H1N1 infections. The agency was devoting more time to battling the pandemic than to counting it. Earlier -fig- ures were based on laboratory- confirmed cases even as doc- tors largely quit using flu tests months ago - and experts knew that deaths from things like the bacterial pneumonia that often follows flu were being missed. Thursday's report attempts to calculate the first six months of the new H1N1 strain's spread, from April through mid-Octo- ber. The CDC said: * Some 98,000 people have been hospitalized from this new flu or its complications, includ- ing 36,000 children, 53,000 adults younger than, 65 and 9,000 older adults. * Deaths could range from a low of 2,500 to as many as 6,100, depending on how the Pre-Thanksgiving Concert Marie Brown Bennett proudly presents Lee Williams and The Spiritual QC's of Tupelo, Mis- sissippi, 6 p.m., Sunday, No- vember 22 at Mt. Pleasant Mis- sionary Baptist Church, 11591 S.W. 220 Street, Goulds, Dr. James C. Wise, Pastor. Also featured on the program are The Smiling Jubilaires, Ft. Lauderdale, Artise Wright, The Spiritual Harmonizers, Miami, Lil Rev. and The Second Gen- eration, Miami. Adult tickets are $30 in ad- vance and $35 at the door. Stu- dents, 13 to 17 years old, $10 and children 5 to 12, $5. For tickets contact Marie Brown Bennett at 305-258- 8207 or Lil Rev., 305-693-9336. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. Special Direct ONLY Cremation $45000 2111 N.W. 139 Street, Bay Oversized extra charge All Work Done on Site #18, Opa-Locka, FL 33054 I O FF IC E : 3 0 5 -9 5 3 -E l data's analyzed. CDC settled on 3,900 as the best estimate. * Some 8 million children have become ill, 12 million adults Younger than 65 and 2 million older adults. RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR A PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH STUDYTESTING AN INVESTIGATIONAL DRUG You may qualify to participate if you are: a healthy male or female between the ages of 65 and 80 Participants who are enrolled will be compensated for their time in the research study For more information call:, SEA VIEW RESEARCH 305-646-6785 SSEAVIEW E RESEARCH SUBSCRIBE TODAY I I I - .-j I IF x A e� ---- X, I__1 I WWW.MARCELSCREMMIONS.COM I c'~P .. "'. ' r rp Is :C :p. 17B THE MIAMI TIMES, NOVEMBER 18-24, 2009 BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY FAMU to honor Olympic champ Bob Hayes TALLAHASSEE - A Florida A&M University (FAMU) alumni chapter in Washington, D.C. is coordinating the effort to hon- or Robert "Bullet Bob" Hayes and raise funds for the univer- sity with a limited edition com- memorative T-shirt in honor of Hayes. The T-shirt was designed by Carlyle Webb, FAMU Class of 1999, and Joe Hayman of Bod- iband, LLC. The T-shirt is sup- ported by the Dallas Cowboys organization, who has allowed their logo to appear with the Rattler. The T-shirt sells for $35- $37 with $19 being donated to FAMU athletics. The T-shirt comes gift-boxed with certificate of authenticity and each T-shirt is individually numbered. It is a limited edition. T-shirts can be purchased online at www.dcfamualumni. org or call (301) 437-5074. Hayes was enshrined during the National Football League Pro Football Hall of Fame En- shrinement Ceremony on Fri- day, August 7, 2009 in Canton, Ohio. From the moment the Nation- al Football League announced in January that he would be part of the 2009 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction class, Hayes' many accomplishments dur- ing his athletic career came to light again as the enshrinement weekend drew near, thanks to the Internet and the varied me- dia outlets including ESPN and NFL Network. His many great sports mo- ments from his days at FAMU in both football and track, his Hall of Fame track career, which culminated in the two Olympic gold medals he won in the 1964 Tokyo Games, to his pro football performance during an 11-year career (Dallas and San Francis- co), which many credit with rev- olutionizing the staid old NFL of the 1960s, left many in awe of this singular personality. In suppoi-t of Hayes in Can- ton were members of his family, classmates and friends from old Matthew Gilbert High School in his native Jacksonville, Fla., along with FAMU classmates, teammates and coaches. . FAMU President Dr. James H. Ammons headed the of- ous, along with Athletic Direc- ficial FAMU party which in- tor Bill Hayes, and Dr. Joseph cluded former presidents, Dr. P. Ramsey, II, chairman of the Walter L. Smith, Dr. Frederick FAMU Sports Hall of Fame Humphries and Dr. Fred Gain- Steering Committee. MacArthur North football team excels on the field Special to the Times Miami Douglas MacArthur High School - North, which was recently named Young Men's Academy for Academ- ic and Civic Development, is making history. The school's football team, the Eagles, has won its' first District ti- tle Championship and play- off berth in the history of the school. MacArthur Senior High School North won the District 8-1 B championship. Their record is 7-1. The school first and only loss was to Miami Country day 14-15. Since that time, it has been all up- hill with wins against Palmer Trinity 40-0, Coral Springs 50-0, Christian Highlands 46- O, Christian Sheridan Hills 40 -3, Christian Upper Room 22- 8, Boca Christian 50-22 and Hollywood Christian 36-0. # ,(: ] S~r71J Ip wf* ici ei !i t tllP"It Crn Mr , .. HF .VI from I: "M'iWWIWAH . k's a w'l# I,- iRI 5534 First row: Dedric Dukes, Daryl Baker, Thristan Hanson, Benjamin Brown, Davaris Mckenzie; Second row: Corey Ashley, Akeem Martindale, Latavius Thomas, Nadrian Vail, Michael Shot- well, Shayne Bayne,Assistant Coach James Smith;Third row:Assistant Coach Willie Bankston, Head Coach Michael Floyd, Reynald Honorat, Robert Miller, Romano Babel, Brandon Turner and Assistant Coach Blanton Harris. MacArthur-North will head to the playoffs for, state cham- pionship against Glades Day School out of Belle Glades, Fla. at Florida International University on Friday. Kick-off starts at 7:30 p.m. Reynald Honorat and Bran- don Turner both seniors have been selected to participate in Miami-Dade County's North vs. South All-Star football game at the Curtis Park Com- plex on Monday, Dec. 21. The "Mac" has begun a leg- acy of excellence in athletic sportsmanship for future stu- dents to emulate. More Blacks are faithful Muslims MUSLIMS continued from 12B Created by a mysterious man named Wallace Fard, the "Lost- Found Nation of Islam" strayed far from the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, but its mixture of self-reliance, Black supremacy and white demoni- zation resonated with many Blacks. Some 30 years later, Malcolm X began the Black movement toward traditional Islam when he left the Nation of Islam, went on a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia and proclaimed that all whites were not evil. In 1975, the Nation split into two factions: a larger group that embraced orthodox Sunni prac- tices, and another, led by Louis Farrakan, that maintained the Nation's separatist ideology. Today, it is difficult to deter- mine the number of Muslims in America. A 2007 Pew sur- vey estimated 2.35 million, of whom 35 percent were Black. Lawrence Mamiya, a Vassar College professor of religion and Africana studies and an expert on American Islam, said Mus- lim organizations count about six million members, a third of them black. Most Black Muslims are ortho- dox Sunnis who worship in about 300 mosques across the country, Mamiya said. The second-largest group follows Farrakhan's Nation of Islam, which has about 100 mosques in America, abroad and U.S. prisons, Mamiya said. He said the third-largest group is the Ummah, founded by Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, the Black ac- tivist formerly known as H. Rap Brown. The group has about 40 or 50 mosques. The Detroit mosque raided Wednesday was part of the Ummah, the FBI said. "The vast majority of Black Muslims are using the religion to strengthen their spiritual- ity," said Mamiya, who has in- terviewed many Black Muslim leaders and congregants. He said the number of black Muslims is growing, but not as fast as before the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Few white Americans convert to Islam "because the tendency is to view Islam as foreign," he said. "For Blacks, it's part of their African heritage. There's a long tradition (in Africa).... It moves them away from the Christianity they saw as a slave religion, as the religion that legitimized their slavery." At the Quba Institute in Philadelphia, a black Sunni mosque, the worshippers are a mix of blue-collar workers, young college graduates, pro- fessors, law enforcement offi- cers, and "regular people who are just trying to worship God and live a decent life," said the imam, Anwar Muhaimin. Poverty will spread across the globe PLANNING continued from 12B When local PSI staff first arrived at my new friend's household, Victor was out. Therese listened keenly, told her husband what she had heard and together they went to a PSI clinic. At first, Victor was concerned con- traceptives might have some hidden detrimental effect on Therese's health. But medi- cal staff eased his doubts. They now happily use an in- jectable contraceptive every three months. The cumulative results of such personal decisions can- not be overstated. Research confirms that having fewer children is linked to higher educational attainment for women, greater income gen- rating ability and, critically, improved health among her other kids. When a woman can regulate her fertility, it affects not just the number of children she has, but also the timing and spacing of those kids, who benefit from their mother's better health, time, attention, and having a greater share of scarce re- sources. FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE In my work around the world with PSI and our many partners, I have seen irrefutable evidence that unregulated fertility un- dermines every other ef- fort to improve health, liv- ing standards, the economy and the environment. Thus, empowering reproductive health is low hanging fruit. In helping women and their families prevent unintended pregnancies and space out births, we improve outcomes in every area of human en- deavor. PSI and its partners are doing just that, showing that grassroots access to modern family planning is achievable, by scaling up awareness and capacity. In 2008, PSI helped avert 3.1 million unintended pregnancies, with funding from USAID, the Bill & Me- linda Gates Foundation, and others. Those reached can now concentrate their scarce resources and human capi- tal, taking better care of their children and improving their lives. But unless we reach millions more Thereses, the dream of ending poverty in our time will not be realized. Muhaimin was born into a Muslim family after his par- ents embraced Islam in the 1950s. He grew up in Saudi Arabia, "but was very clear from a young age that I was and am an American citizen." "America is my country, I love the United States," he said. "I don't agree with every- thing our politicians do in our name, but that doesn't mean I'm not a citizen of this coun- try." A Gospel Explosion Lil' Rev presents, 'A Gospel Explosion', 3 p.m., Sunday, November 29 at Holy Cross Church, 1555 N.W. 93rd Ter- race. Featured acts will be: Smil- ing Jubilees, Ft. Lauderdale; Sistuz, Ft. Lauderdale; Faithful Few and others. Special guests will be Spiri- tual True Light, Tupelo, MS. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Call Lil' Rev., 305-693-9336. Student volunteers The Inner-City Battle of the Bands needs volunteers for Saturday, December 12, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Ted Hendricks Stadium. Volunteers will receive 25 community hours toward graduation. Non volunteer students who purchase a ticket and attend the event, will receive 10 com- munity hours toward gradua- tion. No matter what school you at- tend, you will receive the com- munity hours. Deadline for sign up is No- vember 24. Tickets are on sale now for $10. For more information, contact Big Mo at 786-318-6020. ~E17 p \~ I- - -Photo by Ryan Holloway/Miami-Dade County Steve Auger, Executive Director of the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, Lloyd J. Boggio, Principal of Carlisle Development Group, Audrey Edmonson, Miami-Dade County Commissioner, Mat- thew S. Greer, CEO of Carlisle Development Group, Diane L. Ross, SVP, Bank of America, Sam Diller, Executive Director of Little Haiti Housing Association and Ken Fairman, Board Member of Florida Housing Finance Corporation. District 3's Poinciana Grove: Affordable housing for seniors Special to the Times Miami-Dade County Com- missioner Audrey M. Edmon- son took part in the grand opening of Poinciana Grove, a new affordable housing de- velopment in District 3, on Nov.12. The property, located at 5601 Northwest Second Ave- nue, features 80 units reserved for seniors who are living on a fixed income and are in most need of affordable housing. The project came to fruition due to a joint effort from the Miami-Dade County Surtax Program, low income hous- ing tax credits from the Flor- ida Housing Finance Corp., and the Carlisle Development Group. At the grand opening, Ed- monson emphasized the need for more affordable housing in Miami-Dade. "We must employ will power and cooperation between pri- vate sector and government so that we provide our senior citi- zens with the opportunity to enjoy their lives in safe, pleas- ant and moderately priced sur- roundings," she said. 111,000 jailed immigrants may be deported By Julia Preston Federal authorities have iden- tified more than 111,000 im- migrants with criminal records being held in local jails, during the first year of a program that seeks to deport immigrants who have committed serious crimes. Among the immigrants iden- tified through the program, known as Secure Communi- ties, more than 11,000 had been charged with or convicted of the most serious crimes, including murder and rape, domestic se- curity officials said Thursday. About 1,900 of those have been deported. At a news conference in Wash- ington, John Morton, the top official at Immigration and Cus- toms Enforcement, called the program "the future of immigra- tion enforcement," because, he said, it "focuses our resources on identifying and removing the most serious criminal offenders first and foremost." About 100,000 of the detained immigrants identified through the system had been convicted of less serious crimes, ranging from burglary to traffic offenses, the officials said. Of those, more than 14,000 have been deport- ed. Obama administration offi- cials have worked to distinguish their immigration enforcement strategy from the Bush admin- istration's, which centered on high-profile factory raids and searches in communities for im- migration fugitives. The Bush operations drew an outcry from immigrant advo- cates, who said they led to racial profiling, especially of Latinos, and ensnared many immigrants who lacked legal status but had not committed crimes. Obama administration offi- cials said Secure Communities, which was started under Presi- dent George W. Bush but rap- idly expanded under President Obama, is a relatively low-cost way for the authorities to con- centrate resources on deport- ing the most dangerous immi- grants.' Interacial dating your choice DATING continued from 12B Realistically, the parents have the power to decide as many children fear disapproval or even worse, isolation. The best way for interracial couples to deal with their dif- ferences in culture is to com- promise. It sometimes is the best way to bridge the gap be- tween the varying ethnicities. Choosing the most important traditions from each culture, and including parents' opin- ions, will allow the partners and their parents to feel equally significant in the interracial re- lationship and the blending of cultures. Much as the parents may never be entirely happy with the choices their child has made, at least they won't feel like they are being stripped of their family roots.Couples from different cultural backgrounds usually aren't uptight about learning new customs and traditions. New partners may readily accept the challenge of engaging in the practices of different cultural groups. Exposure to new customs doesn't mean one leaves their roots behind. Our cultures make us who we are, and that can never be taken away. And blending your culture and your interracial love's, culture is what will make you who you are in your interracial union. rncgs - Anniversaries - Funeralls� Birthdays ~iCALL NOW!MI �.OFF ANYNI � ARRANGEMENT N EXPIRES t1/25109 ~0 iihZw I _ _ ~ 18B HE IAM TIMS, OVEBER18-2~, 009BLAKS Msr ONTOL HEIRO\V DEtiI Pre-Thanksgiving Concert Marie Brown Bennett proudly. resents Lee Williams and The pirItual QC's of Tupelo, Mis- ssippi, 6 p.m., Sunday, No- ,;- ember 22 at Mt. Pleasant Mis- onary Baptist Church, 11591 .W. 220 Street, Goulds, Dr. ._ James C. Wise, Pastor. Also featured on the program are The Smiling Jubilaires, Ft. Lauderdale, Artise Wright, The Spiritual Harmonizers, Miami, Lil Rev. and The Second Gen- eration, Miami. Adult tickets are $30 in ad- vance and $35 at the door. Stu- dents, 13 to 17 years old, $10 and children 5 to 12, $5. For tickets contact Marie Vankara celet On Saturday, November 21 at 10 a.m., Reverend and Mrs. Taylor, the Founders of Van- kara School, 13485 Alexanria Drive, Opa-Locka, will celebrate 30 years of educational services at a street naming ceremony, sponsored by the Opa-locka City Commission. Vankara is inviting all former students and staff to attend. For additional information call 305-681-6121. LEE WILLIAMS Brown Bennett at 305-258- 8207 or Lil Rev., 305-693-9336. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. )rates 30 years 1--n : REV. JOHN H. AND VICE MAYOR MYRA L. TAYLOR Bible publisher selling handwritten version GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) - A copy of the Bible written by hand, one verse at a time, by more than 31,000 people throughout the United States is on the auction block. Christian book publisher Zondervan said Thursday it's selling the book on -eBay and donating the proceeds to Bibli- ca, a group that translates, pro- duces and distributes Bibles. The leather-bound three- volume handwritten Bible has 2,200 pages. It's one of two original hand- written Bibles that Grand.Rap- ids-based Zondervan created Pastoral Appreciation Celebration The members of Mt. Vernon Missionary Baptist Church in- vite you to fellowship with us in our 18th Pastoral Apprecia- tion Climax Celebration for Rev. Wilfred A. Miller Jr., on Sunday, November 22 at 11 am with Rev. Ophelia Hayes-Jones and 3:30 p.m. with Rev. Vincent Davis, Pastor, New Providence Mis- sionary Baptist Church. Both services will be held at Mt. Vernon Missionary Bap- tist Church, 1323 N.W. 54th Street. REV. WILFRED A. MILLER JR. The Miami Times -.J: is announcing our A4 EW CHURCH LISTINGS - 'Beginning january\ 2010 For iformatrion conrac 'our nc'. church as i;ranc, borah RoIker. 3Ir-94-.-2 Ii e'[iT 12 C.fearl% spice 1. Uii. cd * N.- , ' ir during a nine-month motor home tour of 40 states to mark the 30th anniversary of its modern-language New Interna- tional Version Bible. Members of the public wrote the verses into the books dur- ing the tour, which ended in June. A published version will be sold in stores beginning Dec. Exp__ Authorized Signature Name Address City- State Zip _ Phone email *Includes Florida sales tax Send to:The Miami Times, 900 NW 54 St. * Miami, FL 33127-1818 or Subscribe online at www.mymiamitimes.com I,- --'I Apostolic Revival Center 6702 N.W. 15th Ave. Order of Services Wed rl rreu,,ry Proye, Morning ir, ll II ao ., Su. f� wour". 7 31) .. lue, Proyer M enq 1 )p Ebenezer United Methodist Church 2001 N.W. 35th Street Order of Services 1w, ,dly 6l .,s' .ll ; 8itsl.# \ludr [u,,da' Plluvr Merrhrn , Iv, r, ,pm St. John Baptist Church 1328 N.W. 3rd Avenue %I ZY; ~lrZII# Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church 1140 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. Order of Services Mon. thru Fri. Noon Day Prayer Bible Study, Thurs I p.m. Sunday Worship 7-11 a.m. Sunday School 9:30 a.m. St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church 1470 N.W. 87th Street Order of Services H ,nday ;lll '.d n1,.,m l il)lJum u.dil chol Iu day ; p m Bl bl " Iudy 3 IB]^ pm Praye M.IYr.m Temple Missionary Baptist Church 1723 N.W. 3rd Avenue SOrder of Services r,,,M.rrII , "I I I lI ,r IW M Mr,, 1m,.4. I l Thw - --t�.M~r t 0p Jordan Grove Missionary Baptist Church 5946 N.W. 12th Ave. I llrI I, I I;!I _ Bethlehem Cathedral Outreach Ctr. Miami 8610/8620 N.W. 17th Ave. Order of Services C .gddr Wo,.'oY a ,' uild un .. e.mu p , plvre. alnd p,: r l c:u,'.,l. ' llddl f blu %n,',ur t, ,, . MT. ZION A.M.E. CHURCH 15250 N.W. 22ND AVENUE I I l ti Order of Services SUNDAY: Worship Servike 7:30 & 11 a.m. Church School 9:30 a.m. WEDNESDAY Feeding Minislry 12 noon Bible Study 7 p.m. Zion Hope Missionary Baptist 5129 N.W. 17th Ave. Order of Services Murnmng P.d. W110.:hi0 11 da.. ir.rlh j T.',d cndud P, dlr Merloq & Ible $Sudy lue .dy 7 p l New Birth Baptist Church, The Cathedral of Faith International 2300 NW 135th Street Order of Services Sunday Worship 7 a.m., 11 a.m., 7 p.m. Sunday School 9:30 a.m. Tuesday (Bible Study) 6:45p.m. Wednesday Bible Study 10:45 a.m. 1 (800) 254-NBBC 305-685-3700 Fax: 305-685-0705 www.newbirthboptistmiami.org Bm Victo T. CrII.DD S irat/e h Pembroke Park Church of Christ 3707 S.W. 56th Avenue * Hollywood, FL 33023 Order of Services Sunday Bible Sludy 9 a m * Morning Worship 10 a.m. Evening Worship 6 p.m. Wednesday General Bible Study 7:30 p.m. Television Program Sure Foundation My33 WBFS (omaol 3 * Saturday- 7:30 a.m. www pembroleparlhur(hi lohriii rum * pembrokeparkcoc@bellsouth.net ABB~flvnDanelsr. Logos Baptist Church 16305 NW 48th Ave. Order of Services 'ii, d, U N' .,. 93rd Street Community Missionary Baptist Church 2330 N.W. 93rd Street *~ll~i~l' I, Cornerstone Bible Fellowship Church 2390 NW 87 Street Order of Services H ^u.. ln WO.,, il,11 . I I, )1)i 0 i 'u i .i . i i i [.I , eWr. i pt, p . Brownsville Church of Christ 4561 N.W. 33rd Court Order ofl ervires W~.., r ,' , u .T. ,. W'" I I ' ,r. I, ,d ,,HJ.,, 1 tl,, i*f** $ f, ,c , Hosanna Community Baptist Church 2171 N.W. 56th Street I *l 'l' Ir-,glas mm I Order of Services ,iuidaii 5',hoiil 45 a m Worh.p II n Bibl Slud Ihl .., ,il, 3 i p . Min.l M.l.unlry M'o. Wed 6 p .T Rev .Ch-i New Vision For Christ Ministries 13650 N.E. 10th Avenue Order of Services flrly �ufdilm W,.i hip 11l3U 11 fl S ,.day *:h,,i l 'I 3i lll T. 'u',day M.irn,,,,,] W hhi) II li ,, : Slur. my.rnl. Snr.l p ta ., [ J.uy ,,', r.in t.b'l ' lI i ipn. d f day liN bleJi B in dy I 1)1 'T Rev. Mich S. een. b Word of Faith Christian Center 2370 N.W. 87th Street Order of Services 1 iid !dul Mi rniilg >,r>i- l i ' ,,rhirn ii a ,iiu ii i a, Seed Time and Harvest Faith Ministry International 21485 N.W. 27 Ave. Order of Services B , .r0i, l , plall 3, I II Royand ou .e M~adiT enihr,..tT . First Baptist Missionary Baptist Church of Brownsville 4600 N.W. 23rd Avenue *ili m i [lfrmi lilt Liberty City Church of Christ 1263 N.W. 67th Street Order of Services utdiic ih ' ..i'hol Ii u ai m , .L'rdllOv ...ii.li t, In Mu.; fi.r ll06 . 7 0 . lue B-bl, (l0 .. ' ,pm STh,, F U. ..I . W I. , r 1 ., m Antioch Missionary Baptist Church of Brownsville 2799 N.W. 46th Street www.nshilohmbc.orgl Order of Services (hturlh ~''n .,il u,, i t )eA ri an W ,, r.,, ; . ,,, , T . e . . . L,,o.I' t 1 I- New Shiloh M.B.pe SDA Church 8400 N.W.25th SAve. www.nshilohmbc.org Order of Services Alpha Sunrie MiAgassionary Baptist Church n 3087 N.W 60 hutreet ch 3087 N.W 60 Street smbsposrur 44iiI - ud~~ aal (vom Order ol Services i m . . ..... "I'd, l,d .1 m " I '. I W ll... 11 rl pr S. si ve si S. Friendship Missionary Baptist Church 740 N.W. 58th Street f305-759-8875 BLACKS MusT CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINYY ,_ .. 18B THE MIAMI TIMES, NOVEMBER 18-2k: 2009 1 19B THE MIAMI TIMES, NOVEMBER 18-24,2009 BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY Wright and Young MOTHER DIANE W. CARR, 60, owner of Miracle Conch Restaurant and First Lady of House of God Miracle Temple of Miami, died ' November 12 at Mt. Sinai Hospi- tal. Survivors include: husband, Thomas Carr; children, Gloria (Ruffus) Williams, Edwin (Livee) Carr and Troy Beasley; sibling, Joe Wesley, Jr., Eddie Wesley, Georga Wesley, Dottie Mae Wes- ley, Donnie Lee Wesley, Linda. Hall, Nathaniel Wesley, Ethel Lee Henderson, Carrie Bell Champell, Ronald G. Wesley and Allen Wes- ley. Viewing 9 - 3p.m., Friday, in the chapel and 4 - 8 p.m., House of God Miracle Temple of Miami. Service 11 a.m., Saturday, House of God Miracle Temple of Miami. ELIZABETH ANN BOYLES, 87, nurse, died November 14. Survivors in- clude: son, Dwayne (Cher- yl) Boyles, Sr.; sister, Marion (George) Davis; granddaugh- ters, Nicole, Gabriella and Ilesia; grandson, Dwayne Boyles, Jr.: Service 11 a.m., Saturday, in the chapel. DERRICK BUTLER, JR., 24, died November 11. Survivors include: father, Derrick Sr.; brother, Der- non, Fredder- ick, Delrick and Derrick; aunts, Darlene, Shela and Angela. Service 2 p.m., Sat- urday, St. Mark MB Church DOMINIC JAMAR JACKSON, 20, died No- vember 12. Sur- vivors include: mother, Ayn- thia 'Thomas; father, Marion Sr.; brothers, Marion Jr. and Trentwan; sis- ter, rakiyha. Service 12 p.m., Sat- urday, Jordan Grove MB Church. Gregg L. Mason DOROTHY JONES BROWN, 76, bus aide for Miami Dade County, died November 14 at Aventura Medi- cal Center. Sur- vivors include: son, Ronnie Jones(Pricilla); daughters, Vera Jones, Verna Jones, Eva Phillips and Della Brantley; brother, Bobby Jones (Francis); sister, Marie Scott. Visi- tation 5 -9 p.m., Friday, St. Mary's Baptist Church, 1550 N.E. 152 Terrace, Service 1 p.m., Satur- day, Zion Hope Missionary Baptist Church, 5129 NW 17 Avenue. In- terment: Southern Memorial Park. Richardson JAMES HAWKINS, 82, laborer, died Novem- ber 9. Service 11a.m, Fri- day, New Birth Church. KAREN SIMMONS, 54, cor- rectional officer, died November 9. Service 12 p.m., Saturday, Antioch Baptist Church of Carol City. E.A. Stevens AMY LOUISE HAMILTON, 73, nurse's aide, died November 11 at Westside Regional Hospital. Ar- rangements are incomplete. Honor Your Loved One With an In Memoriam In The Miami Times Royal -_- , Jay's- . ROBERT CARTER JR., 22, la- JAMES PARRISH, JR., 41, borer, died No- i died November member 10. Ar- 9. Service was rangements are held. incomplete. M i ANNIE GILBERT, 83, RN, died November 11. Visitation 4 - 9 p.m., Friday. Service 12 p.m., Saturday Me- morial Temple Baptist Church. LARRY STANFORD, 60, died November 14. Visitation 4-9 p.m., Friday. Service 11 a.m., Saturday in the chapel. TOMMY OTIS, JR., 27, electron- ic technician, died November 15. Visitation 4- 9p.m., Fri- day. Service 10 a.m, Satu(day, Holy Faith Mis- sionary Baptist Church. JESSE JAMES, 30, laborer, died November 6. Service was held. PARKER WHIPPLE, 74, la- borer, died November 11. Service was held. CATHERINE ABERCROMBIE, 63, died November 12. Visitation 4-9 p.m., Thursday. Final rites and burial Monticello, FL. JEANETTE BAGLEY, 63, housekeeper, died November 9. Service was held. GARY OTIS, 56, nurse aide, died November 10. Service was held. PATSILINE MALCOLM- BROWN, 63, LPN, died Novem- ber 9. Visitation 4-9 p.m., Friday. Service 10 a.m., Saturday, Grace Church of The First Born. LINDA BELFOUR, 49, laborer, died November 9. Arrangements are incomplete. Hadley-Davis BARBARA ANN ELLIS, 53, homemaker, died November 11 at University of Miami Hos-i pital. Survivors include: daugh- ters, T.C. Sheryl Ellis, Barbara A. Elie, Barbara J. Elie; son, Robert J. Elie(Mirna); husband, Marvin Jenkins, and other sorrowful relatives.Service 2 p.m., Saturday, Highway of Holi- ness Church. FERNANDO A. BRITO, 66, mechanic, died November 13 at Jackson Medical Center. Service 4 p.m., Wednesday (to- day), in the cha- pel. BISHOP JIM T. HOLT, 72, long- shoreman, died November 8 at Mt. Sinai Medical Center. Service was held. Grace .4 DAVID ROBERT SHEINER, 62, safety director, died November 10 at Mt. Siani Medical Center. Ser- vice 11 a.m., Wednesday (today), St. Patrick's Catholic Church. TREVOR ANDERSON, 72, as- sembly worker, died November 16 at North Shore Medical Cen- ter. Final rites and burial, Phillips Funeral Home, St. Catherines, Jamaica. SHAMIAH C. HUGGINS, 4 months old, died November 11 at Jackson Memorial Hospital. Ar- rangements are incomplete. BEVERLY ADAMS, 51, died November 15. Arrangements are incomplete. ANNIE PEARL CAMPBELL, 69, childcare worker, died November 11 at Homestead Hospital. Ser- vice 11 a.m., Saturday, Morn- ingstar Baptist Church. DENISE FARELY, 55, died No- vember 13 at South Miami Hospital. Ser- vice 1 p.m., Sat- urday, Glendale Baptist Church. 6 JURL WALKER, 75, homemak- er, died November 12 at Jackson Memorial South Hospital. Service 1 p.m., Saturday, House of God. DELORES MORANT GREEN, 57, died November 16 at Kindred Hospital. Arrangements are in- complete. Poiter ERNEST ADAMS, 63, televi- sion technician, died November 14 at Aventura Hospice. Ar- rangements are incomplete. ALONZO CLARK, 60, truck driver, died No- vember 9 at Unity Health Rehabilitation Center. Service was held. RONALD DEMERITT, 85, truck driver, died No- vember 10 at VA Medical Center. Service 11 a.m., Thursday , St. Agnes Episco- pal Church. DOROTHY RANDOLPH, 68, physical thera- pist, died No- vember 6 at Jackson South Hospital.Ser- vice 12 p.m., Saturday, House of God Miracle Revival Fellowship Church. INFANT BERNARD S. HER- RING, 6 weeks old, died Novem- ber 10 at Jackson North Medical Center. Service 10 a.m., Saturday, New Vision for Christ Church. BOBBY PARRISH, 56, laborer, November 10. Arrangements are- incomplete. Carey Royal Ra'n PEARL MURRAY, 92, died No- vember 9 at home. Service was held. ANTHONY PAUL, 32, cashier, died November 13 at Cleveland Clinic. Service 2 p.m., Saturday in the chapel. LINDA ROWLAND, 62, home- maker, died November 9 at South Miami Hospital. Final rites and burial Teaneck, New Jersey. VALERIE MOSS, 79, died No- vember 15 at home. Arrange- ments are incomplete. Hall Ferguson Hewitt In Memoria ' In Memoriam TRUENELL HILL, 98, retired nurse's aide, died November 10 at Univer- sity of Miami Hospital. Sur- vivors include: sister, Rosalie ' Hughes; daugh- ter, Lena Hill- Smalls (Ronald) and Marva Hill; grandchildren, Jill Bethel, Karen Ford and Jason Smalls; great- grandchildren, Keisha Williams and Malachi Smalls; special god daughter: Celestine McCrea (Cal- vin). Memorial 7 p.m., Friday in the chapel. Service 1 p.m., Satur- day , Ebenezer United Methodist Church. WILLIS O'BRIAN, 76, retired US Postal Car- rier, died No- vember 12 in Atlanta, GA. Service 1 p.m., Saturday in the chapel. DAVID ARMSTEAD, JR., 87, brick mason, died November 13 at Franco Nursing Home. Service 11 a.m, Saturday, New Shiloh Mis- sionary Baptist Church. MARY FUSSELL, 90, home- maker, died November 10 at home. Ser- vice 12 p.m., Wednesday (to- day), Mt. Siani Missionary Bap- tist Church. RUDOLPH GATHER, 90, driver, died No- . vember 12 at Jackson Memo- rial North Hos- pital. Survivors -. include: wife, Thelma Gaither. Service 11 a.m., Wednesday (to- day), St. John Instructional Mis- sionary Baptist Church ELIZABETH WASHINGTON, 69, cook, died November 8 at Mercy Hospital. Service was held. Happy Birthday 'ji r~E'. In loving memory of, JOHN W. HAGAN 11/17/37- 0111/04 A dear husband and father. It's hard to believe it's been six years. We miss you each and every day. You are always in our thoughts and in our hearts. Your loving wife, Dorothy; son, Michael; and Family MARY J. WILLINGHAM 11/15/26 - 11/18/96 The beauty of your life is with us every day. Thirteen years have passed since our hearts were. broken because of your untimely de- mise. Our faith in God has sus- tained us. One as sweet as you, and kind as you were can never be forgotten. Your loving family, hus- band, Alphe Sr; sons, How- ell and Alphe Jr; daughters, Gail Willingham and Diane Rashada (Samuel); sister, Es- tella B. Deshazor; niece, Kar- en Forbes; nephew, Kurwood Forbes; six grands; four great- grands, two godchildren and a host of relatives and friends. Card of Thanks The family of the late, DEACON ROBERT BRADLEY with great appreciation and gratitude, wishes to say thank you to Rev. Jodie Al- exander and the members of Soul Saving Missionary Bap- tist Church, Rev. Dr. Jimmie L. Bryant and the members of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church of Liberty City, The Masonic Joshua Lodge #1, Central West Transportation, the neighbors of 58th Street and 30th Avenue, Ms. Iwanda Jenkins, family and friends for all of your kind deeds, prayers and compassion you showed us during our hour of bereavement. Special thanks to Bernard Poitier and the Poitier staff for treating our family with dig- nity and compassion. We will always be grateful to all of you. May God bless each of you, is our prayer. The Bradley Family St. Fort's" JEANINE SAINT PRE, 73, died November 11 at Jackson Memo- rial Hospital. Final rites and burial Haiti. FRITZ DESIRE, died Novem- ber 15 at home. Arrangements are incomlete. LORRAINE ST. JULIEN, 83, died October 31 at Aventura Hos- pital. Final rites and burial Haiti. In loving memory of, JAMES NEVILLE FLOWERS 03/01/1940 - 11/19/94 A hallowed place within our hearts is where you will al- ways remain! Lil, Anthony, Makeva, Levita and The Flowers Family Happy Birthday In loving memory of, CARRIE BELL HAYNES 11/18/36 - 07/21/79 Mother, it has been 30 years, since we last saw you, and not a single day has passed without thinking of you. Your boys are now men, and your teachings live within us to- day. Thank you for all you did in the short time, we spent to- gether. Love Peter; Alvin;-Alan *and- the family. Happy Birthday In loving memory of, HUBERT ARNOLD DAVIS 11/17/45 - 01/21/09 Paradise VERNETTA ERWIN EDGE- COMB, 55, teacher, died Novem- ber 10 at Baptist Hospital. Service 11 a.m., Saturday, Martin Memo- rial, Richmond Heights. THEODORE BROOKS, 62, died November 13 at Jackson Memorial Hospital.Service 2p.m., Saturday in the chapel. 'vloin ti� z/ CALL 305-694-6210 BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY 20B THE MIAMI TIMES, NOVEMBER 18-24, 2009 DC sniper's ex-wife, children cope with execution WASHINGTON - One of sniper mastermind John Allen Muham- mad's ex-wives says it was "very difficult" to watch her children grieve as their father was executed. Mildred Muhammad told The Associated Press on Thursday that she and her three teenage children watched news coverage of his Virginia execution in complete silence at their Maryland home Tuesday. She says the children asked to see their father but he did not meet with them. Mildred Muhammad maintains she was the real target of the 2002 sniper attacks that killed 10 in the Washington, D.C., region. Her ex-husband was executed for killing Dean Harold Meyers at a gas station during the spree that terrorized Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., over a three-week period. Racial disparities in diabetes linked to living conditions Special to the NNPA The higher incidence of dia- betes among Blacks when com- pared to Whites may have more to do with living conditions than genetics, according to a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The study, available online in advance of publication in last month's Journal of General Internal Medicine, found that when Blacks and Whites live in similar environments and have similar incomes, their diabetes rates are similar, which con- trasts with the fact that nation- ally diabetes is more prevalent among African-Americans than Whites. Researchers from the Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions and Case Western Re- serve University School of Med- icine compared data from the 2003 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) with the Explor- ing Health Disparities in Inte- grated Communities Southwest Baltimore (EHDIC-SWB) Study. The Baltimore study was con- ducted in a racially integrated urban community without race differences in socioeconomic status. In recent decades the United States has seen a sharp in- crease in diabetes prevalence, with Blacks having a consider- ably higher occurrence of type 2 diabetes and other related com- plications compared to Whites. "While we often hear media reports of genes that account for race differences in health outcomes, genes are but one of many factors that lead to the major health conditions that account for most deaths in the United States," said Thomas LaVeist, PhD, director of the Hopkins Center for Health Dis- parities Solutions and lead au- thor of the study. Some researchers have spec- ulated that disparities in dia- betes prevalence are the result of genetic differences between race groups. However, LaVeist noted that those previous stud- ies were based on national data where Blacks and Whites tend to live in separate-communities with different levels of exposure SUBSCRIBE TODAY! END THE INCONVENIENCE OF EMPTY NEWSPAPER BOXES, FIGHTING THE WEATHER AND HUNTING DOWN BACK COPIES to health risks. The EHDIC- SWB study accounts for racial differences in, socioeconomic and environmental risk expo- sures to determine if the dia- betes race disparity reported in national data is similar when Black and White Americans live under comparable conditions. "I don't mean to suggest that genetics play no role in race dif- ferences in health, but before we can conclude that health disparities are mainly a mat- ter of genetics we need to first identify a gene, polymorphism or gene mutation that exists in one race group and not others. And when that gene is found we need to then demonstrate that that gene is also associated with diabetes," LaVeist said. "On the other hand, there is overwhelm- ing evidence that behavior, medical care and the environ- ment are huge drivers of race differences in health. It seems more likely that the answer to health disparities will be found among these factors." Researchers in this study found that within their sample of racially integrated commu- nities without race differences in socioeconomic and environ- mental factors, prevalence es- timates of diabetes are similar between Blacks and Whites. According to the study, previ- ous research has demonstrated that when Blacks and Whites access similar health care facil- ities their health care outcomes are more similar. The study's authors said their findings support the need for future health disparities re- search and creative approaches to examining health disparities within samples that account for socioeconomic and social envi- ronmental factors. Death Notice In loving memory of, VERNETTA ERWIN EDGE- COMB, 83, died November 10. She was born June 19, 1925 in Savannah, Georgia and was the youngest of five chil- dren. Vernetta graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics from Savan- nah State College in 1950 and began teaching with Mi- ami-Dade Public Schools in 1957, until her retirement in 1985. In 1960, she met and married Eldric L. Edgecomb until his passing in 2003. A member of Alpha , Kap- pa Alpha Sorority, Phi Delta Omega Chapter, as well as a devoted member of Martin Me- morial A.M.E. Church, serving in all factions of the Lay Orga- nization, including serving as past president, member of the Steward Board, Women's Mis- sionary Society and the Senior Ministry. Mrs. Edgecomb is survived by: son, Andre, Los Angeles; three daughters, Roslyn (Ewan) Brown, Sharon (Prest) George, and Wanda Parker and a host of nieces, nephews, grandchil- dren and other relatives. Public viewing Friday, 1 p.m., to 5:30 p.m., at Para- dise Memorial Funeral Home, and 6 p.m., to 8 p.m., at Mar- tin Memorial. Funeral service will be held, 1 p.m., Saturday, at Martin Memorial A.M.E. Church, 14700 Lincoln Boule- vard, Richmond Heights. is announcing our NEW CHURCH LISTINGS By Church Denomination Beginning January 2010 For more information contact our new church assistant, Deborah Roker, 305-694-6210 ext. 102 Call early, space is limited * New Pricing SYLVESTER LeROY BELL SR 'Coach Bell' 05/20/54-11/18/07 Two years have passed since our family had to say goodbye. All of our hoping, all of our dreaming cannot change the past. Proudly we reflect on our lives that were touched by a man who nurtured our hopes and sheltered our dreams. As your family we stand together. We gain strength from your memories. We teach from our hearts and as your family, we live because you showed us how. We love because yours was unconditional. We lead because your example is our guide. Love always, The Bentley, Bell & Davis Families and a host of other family and friends PUBLIC NOTICE As a public service to our com- muruty, The Miarrml mes prints weekly obituary notices submit- ted by area funeral homes at no charge. These notices include name of the deceased, age, place of death, employment, and date, location, and time of services. Additional information and pho- to may be included for a nominal chargk.The deadline is Monday at 3:30 p.m. iwaru or I n The family of the late, MOTHER GUSSIE LEE GUESS, 75, church mother of Crooms Temple COGIC, died November 15 at Mt. Sinai Hospital. Survivors include: brother, Bishop John P. Lee Sr., Brook- lyn, NY; children, Cleo George Reynolds, Deirdrea Guess, Helena Guess, Larry Leroy George, James Guess Jr., Darryl and Charles Guess; 13 grandchildren; nieces, neph- ews and a host of relatives and friends. Memorial service and view- ing 5 to 9 p.m., Friday, Crooms Temple COGIC, 2090 N.W. 151 Street. Service 11 a.m., Saturday, Gamble Memorial COGIC, 1898 N.W. 43rd Street. Honor Your Loved One With an In Memoriam In The Miami Times THOMAS HARCORD MARSHALL extends her warm and sin- cere appreciation to Richardson Mortuary, Mr. Dwight Jack- son, Director; The Historic St. Agnes' Episcopal Church-The Rev. Canon Richard L.M. Bar- ry, Rector and Priest, Deacons Shedrick Gilbert and Doris Ingraham,Churchmen Group One, The Male Chorus, Choirs and Ushers, all from St. Agnes'; Friendship Missionary Baptist Church- The Rev. Gaston Smith, Pastor and Friendship's Pastors Aide Ministry; Active and Retired Members of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; FAMU National Alumni Associa- tion; BTW High School Alumni Association; BTW High School Class of 1953; FAMU Gold Coast Alumni; Retired and Active Mem- bers of the Black Police Officers Organization; Bernard Ancrum, Videographer; Lulu Colebrook, Basheva Bryant and Cupidine Dean for their extraordinary kindness and concern and to everyone who called, sent tele- grams, cards, floral pieces, mon- etary gifts, food items or just thought of her in your prayers during this most difficult time. It is very comforting to know that so many people cared. "Bossman" would have liked that. God Bless you all. His loving and devoted wife, Alyce Marshall ~+ / 02%1. 01 1 55 ,I tfle/iuli'.A I'ml//I tlflvu/lvci, lv/fvv'f I �r/ e there. /Icp/Ic1711� 1"l Pit Slop. h'-stileillol Im M 011. o e '5 else thipli,.II~'tmkcipSne frin //I% W (1, #1IW I; fh /Il/ h llt.A- ItlW.1111/1 Jw %V g II, hee My spirit will know the way No money exchange. Ticket not necessary The Holy Spirit will be myr guide on the trip back home. MAy heart longs for thie peacefid place called Heaven which is my home. My Heav- enly -ather longs for me to return and wants His child to come home. He remembers, He sent me on this journey and it's not time to come and be with Him. There is much work for me to do He says be- fore I letyou my child come Home. I'll let r,,n know when your journi.) comes to an end. Only then can you come home. -By Elizabeth Garard Officer Simmons was employed by Miami- Dade County Corrections since '1985 until she was called home. She is survived by children, LaSonja, lan, Kia; puppy, Sammie; brothers, Richard Kitchen, Alexander Nottage, Kennethe Not- tage, the late Glenn Nottage i(eclinal'. Keith Nottage (Melanie); sisters, .i irklitiI,, Nottage- Meadows (Stephen) and Melinda -ii,-.l, grandkids, Darren, Jarrell, James, Joseph, Dhimani Tai, Rodney, Tiombe and Amari. Special friends, Brenda Worlds, Elizabeth Garaid, and Patricia Sauiulei s aind a host of loving aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cous- ins, and dear friends. I I W; �, 'W'l-i The Miami Times Li esty Le SECTION C MIAMI, FLORIDA, NOVEMBER 18-24, 2009 THE MIAMI TIMES "Sesame Street" Is Now 40 Years Younger Even if you were watching "Ses- Who could have imagined that unique characters.. ' ame Street" when it first went on Big Bird would make the cover of "Three years ago, I got to - the air in 1969, I'm betting 40 Time magazine? meet Abelardo, Big Bird's ' years later every character, every "It was always a good idea," Hen- Mexican cousin on "Plaa 'za Muppet is still as imprinted on son told CBS News when "Sesame Sesamo." -, your. now-middle-aged brain as Street" turned 20 in 1989. "But We here at "Sunday Morn- the letters of the alphabet they all even when the show went on the ing" have -experience inter- taught you. air, it immediately had a wonder- viewing Muppets. Almost from the beginning, ful response from the audiences, Now here's the thing: You know there were celebrity visitors to which even that came as a sur- you're talking to a shred of the neighborhood, such as a thin prise because, like, we Were w6rk- polyester shag. There's Jay Leno with black hair riding ing on a fairly small, little chil- a puppeteer right around on a tricycle in a cowboy dren's show." there, but you forget suit. Funny how they've aged, but A few months later, Henson died and can't help but be Big Bird and company haven't. Is suddenly. By then the show was enchanted by the likes it something in the water? already a global phenomenon. of friends like Pancho A group picture from 40 years Today. it's seen in 140 coun- Contreras and Lola. ago includes Joan Ganz Cooney, tries. That's nearly three-fourths On Tuesday, when the "Sesame Street"'s founder, and of all the recognized countries in new season begins, first Jim Henson, who created the existence. lady Michelle Obama will Muppets. Cooney and Henson A 2006 documentary "The find 'her way to "Sesame had the radical idea that televi- World , According to Sesame Street" to plant a garden and 0 sion could be used to educate 'Street" shows the kinds of places promote healthy eating. preschool-age children and enter- it reaches, like the AIDS-ravaged Over the years, the show has tain them at the same time. Little South African townships where been subtly updated to reflect did they know what would come Kami, the HIV-positive Muppet on current issues and popular of that notion. "Takalani-Sesame," is famous. culture, but the educational In their wildest dreams they International productions are message is still there. couldn't have predicted that Ker- not just translations of what Take, for example, actor mit the Frog would become an in- American kids see. They address Jake Gyllenhall with the ternational star. local concerns and have their own octopus on his head. Broadway revival of 'Ragtime' plucks at the heartstrings Broadway revival plucks at the heartstrings By Elysa Gardner The musical Ragtime is based on E.L. Doctorow's sprawling his- torical novel, which offered food for thought by tracing the dawn of 20th-century American society through real and imagined charac- ters. But those who plan to see the theatrical version, now in revival (***V2 out of four) at the Neil Simon Theatre, are advised to put away their thinking caps and bring their hankies. As a work of social com- mentary, Ragtime, introduced on Broadway in 1998, is hokey and pedantic, much like that other, plodding musical adaptation of his- torical fiction, Les Miserables. Ragtime's unabashed sentimen- tality is more compelling, though, thanks to the relative wit and grace of its creators. The score, composed by Stephen Flaherty with lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, is hardly A-list, but the songs are well-crafted and on occasion are genuinely soulful. And Terrence McNally's book tugs at your heart and conscience with such artful aggression that only an ogre could resist the urge to weep at some points and smile at others. In this new Kennedy Center- based production, which opened Sunday, those assets are exploit- ed by a supple cast under Marcia Milgrom Dodge's vibrant direction. The creamy-voiced Christiane Noll provides a warm, elegant anchor as Mother, the upper-class ma- tron who, while her haughty hus- band is off traipsing the North Pole with real-life explorer Robert Peary, crosses paths with a black couple and a Jewish immigrant. Her first encounter with the immi- grant - Tateh, a starving artist who will later reinvent himself as a film director - is fleeting. But Sarah, the desperate lover of a Harlem musi- cian, becomes family after Mother rescues her baby son. The musician, a good-natured, upwardly mobile young man named Coalhouse Walker Jr., tracks Sarah down and endears himself to Moth- er and her own young son. --fnoto/By oan Marcus The way for young lovers Sarah (Stephanie Umoh) and Coalhouse Walker Jr. (Quentin Earl Darrington), a Harlem musician, is not smooth at the turn of an earlier century. Mike Tyson locked up Police are investigating con- flicting accounts of an airport scuffle between Mike Tyson and photographer that resulted in both men being booked and re- leased on suspicion of misde- meanor battery. The former heavyweight box- ing champion and photographer Tony Echevarria, 50, want to press charges of misdemeanor battery against each other, po- lice said. Challenger stealing thunder from champ The photographer told police that Tyson struck him once, Los Angeles airport police spokes- man Sgt. Jim Holcomb said. The photographer fell to the ground and was treated for a cut to his forehead at a hospital. Tyson's spokeswoman Tammy Brook said the boxer was travel- ing with his wife and 10-month- old child when he was attacked by an overly aggressive paparaz- zo. "Mike acted in self defense as a father protecting his child," she said. "There's a lot of different ver- sions to this story and that's all going to come out later," Hol- comb said. "Some witness state- ments support Tyson's version, others support the photogra- pher's." Police also were checking if there was any surveillance video of the incident. Tyson was cooperative as he waited in a holding cell at the airport police station, Holcomb said. Echevarria was booked and released after he was treated at a hospital, police said. Lebron James seeks to honor Michael Jordan LEBRON JAMES NBA Player NBA player LeBron James is ready to give up his jersey number 23 in honor of Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, and he wants other NBA players to do the same. Cavaliers star James has worn 23 since his high school playing days, but he told the Cleveland Plain Dealer news- paper after a game in Miami on Thursday night that Jor- dan's impact on the game deserves recognition. "I just think what Michael Jordan has done for the game has to be recognized in some way - soon," James said. "There would be no LeB- ron James, no Kobe Bry- ant, no Dwyane Wade, you name all the best players in the league right now and the last 10 years, there would be none of us without Michael Jordan." James said he had been thinking about the move for some time and would be will- ing to change to number six - his US Olympic team jersey number. He wants to start a peti- tion to get every player in the league wearing 23 to give up the number. "It's time," James said. "He's the best basketball player we've ever seen. Mike does it on the court and off the court. If you see 23, you think about Michael Jordan..." ~sr BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY 2C THE MIAMI TIMES, NOVEMBER 18-24, 2009 On a beautiful Sunda, if- ternoon. Shatara Y. Fran- ciso, bride, anid Jevaun E.Martinbors, groom, ma-r- ried at Church of the Op.in Door. Rev. Dr. R. Joaquin Willis, pastor, officiated the ceremony. Keith Lavar- ity provided the ambience. The couple chose beige and purple as their colors. The females dressed in purple gowns and the men in white tuxedos with purple acces- sories and a beige bouton- niere. Carla Francisco pre- sented the bride and Karen Marinboro presented the groom. The flow- er girl was Isabella J. Biscombe and the ring bearer was Mar- tin A. Seals. Landon L. Biscombe was the greeter at the church and the Banquet Hall BL on North Bayshore Drive. The wedding ceremony included the lighting of the family candles, prayer, scrip- ture reading, message on marriage, exchange of vows, ring ceremony, pronounce- ment, closing prayer, and recessional led by the newly wed in their white stretch limousine. Kudos go out to the cousins who sponsored the reception; such as Sharon Davis, Barbara Martin, and Sandra Seals. * * * * ** *** * - Nikki Young, pr sident. and . l .-ta Phi Lambda . Sororit5 Inc., Gamma Alpha Chapter recently kicked off their new season with the Annual Ann B. Smith Schol- arship Prayer Breakfast at Florida Memorial University with Mildred Moore as mis- tress of ceremony. She be- gan the program by bringing on Effie Culmer for invo- cation. Gi Gi Tinsley then read the scripture. Welcome was administered by JoAnn Jones followed by a brief history of the sorority and how pro- ceeds from the prayer breakfast are used to provide scholarships to local high school students every year. USH One of the high- lights of the day was the introduction of the newly formed singing group, "The Iota Ensemble" under the direction of the very talented musical conductor and pia- nist, Lloyd D. Brockington. The newly-formed group stirred their souls listening to "Total Praise" and "This Day", the group received several standing ovations. Introducing the keynote speaker for the afternoon was Drabina Dunn Wash- ington. She did a brilliant job of bringing Reverend Richard P. Dunn, pastor, Bahamrians werr sadden to hear of the demise of Beryl Hanna. .ife of Gover-nor Arthur "AD" Han- na who died lat Wednesday in Nassau. Francina Lewis-Robinson \will attend the funeral along with. other family members. Congratulations to Soror Careshia "Nikki" Moore, daugh- ter of Soror Tangier Scott, for her recent passing of the Geor- gia Bar exam. Gladys Braynon is relocating to Rockledge, Fla. Soror, we will miss you. Members of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Frat House who attended Howard University homecoming in Washington D.C. were Miamians, Dr. Herman Dorsett, Dr. Roland Burroughs and wife, Barbara. By the way, Roland's mother, Jocelyn Newbold-Smith, is doing well in New York City. Morris Brown College Alumni Association (Miami-Dade, Bro- ward chapter) presents their sixteenth annual "Les Baety Hol- iday Extravanganza" which will be held at the Miami Shores Country Club, Sunday, Dec. 13. Marvelyn Davis is president of the alumni. Call Mary Bannerman or Jaunita Lane for tickets. You are cordially invited to our annual seasonal Cal- endar Tea featuring Michael Smith, Sr. on the Organ and St. Agnes Men's Choir at 4 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 15. A lavish sea- sonal reception follows in Blackett Hall. Are you ready to dance the night away? Miami Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated in part-. nership with Delta Educational, Health and Cultural Initiative presents 2009 Royal Poinsetta Gala featuring Mel Waiters cocktails and dinner will be served at the Marriott on Satur- day, Dec. 19. Wedding anniversary greetings go out to Oscar J. and Me- lissa F. Braynon II, Nov. 9, their 3rd and Timothy A. and Delores S. Smith, Nov. 10, their 2nd. Our Soror Dr. Sandra T. Thompson, interim president at Florida Memorial University, was honored by Miami Alumnae and Dade Alumnae Chapters of "Delta Dears" (retired Sorors) for her commitment to excellence. Among our Sorors present for this occasion included Gussie Ervin, Dr. Mildred Berry, Dr. Mona Jackson, Beverly Nixon, Maureen Bethel, Doro- thy Bendross-Mindingall, Edna Thompkins, Dr. Bernice Smith, Alice Sidney, Vera Wyche, Martha Day, Pat Daniels, Nancy Dawkins, Dorothy Saunders, Gladys Lynch, Darlene Gay, Annie Ruth Brown, Dorothy Graham, Bloneva Smith, Frances Kearse, Patricia Warren, Charlie Ann Richard- son, Florine Welch, Jaunita Lane, Marsha Jackman, Re- gina Sanilands, Gwendolyn Clarke, Erma Welloms, Dr. Al- ice Johnson, Brittany McKnight, Shakevia Parks, Erica Thompkins, Samine Andre, Shanice Felix, Norminicka Clare, Stephanie Williams, Semone Phillips, Crystal Jack- son, Jacara Adams, Laquina Avant and Dionna Prince. Dr. Thompson is a Miami native. Congrats to Teneramie C. Smith on her new cd entitled "Be Still and Know" which is available on iTunes. Congratulations to my Soror Susie Austin as she celebrates 36 years of service in the Broward School System. Welcome to the club of Retired Sorors whose love is now getting up and going to bed when you please. How sweet it is! Brothers of the Beta Beta Lambda Chapter at the recently held conference of the Florida Federation of Alpha Phi Alpha met in Deerfield Beach on Oct. 16-18. The following Alpha men attended: Ola Aluko, Earl Brundage, Franklin Clark, William Clarke III, Corey Frazier, Gregory Gay, Joseph Gay, Samuel Gay, Shantay Johnson, Aubyn Jones, Michael Grubbs, Dana Moss, Gordon Murray, Sr., Gordon Murray, Jr., Trevor Wade, David Wilson and David Young. By D. Rihar Strcha ......... i ?5-1 Faith Community Baptist Church. He spoke on the prayer breakfast's theme "Pray Until Something Happens". There wasn't a dry eye in the building and Rev. Dunn had everyone on their feet praising God as he talked about prayer and praising God through all cir- cumstances good and bad. After his dynamic ser- mon and breakfast being served, Evangelist Ladi Jen- kins was called to the lec- tern to lead the prayers for the family, youth, and guests, while prayer for the universe was led by Rev. Mark An- thony Gardner, Pas- tor, Northside Church of God. Ronrica Mor- gan, chairperson, thanked the guest speaker and all of the BULI prayer warriors for a spiritually uplifting pro- gram, as well as the commit- tee who put it together. President Nikki Young gave closing remarks and thanked all guests for their attendance and support in making the prayer break- fast a huge success. She also acknowledged the so- rority's "Men of Iota", such as Charles Mitchell, Gary Copee, Vincent McGee who were impeccably dressed in their emerald green ties and the MOI embroidery. Some of the other guests in attendance were Gwen Bryant, Cameron Culmer, Clarence Dunn, State Rep. James Bush, businessman and philanthropist Sam Gilmore, Reatha Boone Fye, director, Office of Black Affairs, Maybell Wilson, Gwen Smith, Billie Thom- as, Gerald Wise, Jediah Dawes, Hattie Burnett, Winifred Beacham, Van- nie D. Barr Fisher, Leanne Smith, Corliss Sellers, Franciel Tooks, Thelma Burnett, Teria Brown, Al- bertha Barry, Anna Mitch- ell, Leola Adams, Betty Hicks, Lillie Williams, Helen Reed, Bertha Ca- son, and Shauna Lee. Now, Asked and Answered I Miss J of 'Top Model' Courtesy of Miss J The divine Miss J. Alexander. J. Alexander, better known as Miss J on "America's Next Top Model," is a well-loved figure. We were in Savannah, Ga., together a few months ago for the SCAD graduation fashion show, and when we sat down at a quaint little ice cream parlor at least 10 people came up to our table, fumbling for cellphones to get a picture with the modeling coach diva. (He does not allow pictures taken with phones, only with cameras, thank you.) With the debut of his first book, "Follow the Model," we are sure all those fans will be eager to learn a bit more about the man who mod- eled in drag in Japan, loves cake and hates the word "fierce." Q. I saw you on 14th Street the other day and called out, "Miss J!" and you sashayed away. Are you over people calling your name? A. If you yell my name, I may keep on walking Because if I stop and look for who is calling me I may see someone hanging out a car window asking to be on the show. Sorry, I was probably just in my zone and running my errands. Q. What is your opposition to using the word "fierce"? "Fierce" can be fiercely miss- used! And Christian Siriano took it as his and now it's associated with him. "Fierce" has been used for years in the gay community and not in the same context as Christian is using it. That's my little white sister's word, so let's move on. Q. I know you have never dab- bled in drinks or drugs. Why? A. Because I was too damn poor to buy them I've not even sniffed a glue bottle or crushed up a thing. I wish I could think the same way about sugar. I love a good cake. But I do get high over an amazing ball gown. Q. You grew up with some tough love in your family. Do you apply the same tough love to the models you work with? A. Yes I do! We don't know ev- erything, even if some of these models think they do. I will never forget when I was at a fitting at Frank Sorbier's and I was tell- ing the seamstress Madame Jac- queline that I was embarrassed I didn't know something. She looked up at me from the floor, where she was hemming my gown, and said, "You are not here to know, you are here to learn." She read me! Q. You had a comp card at Elite that had a shot of you as a man on one side and in drag on the other. Do you think that would be possible for a male model these days? A. I think it would be a full-on tranny who lives her life that way. I never wanted to be a woman, but the Japanese loved my drag look. When I was out at the clubs in New York, Monique Pilar from Elite saw me and suggested I go to Japan. Boom! I was there and the Japanese ate it up. Q. What is one of your favorite fashion moments? A. I would have to say one of the top faves was when I was work- ing for Lars Nilsson at Bill Blass and Andre Leon Talley came over to the studio with Elizabeth Tay- lor's epic movie "Booml" which Karl Lagerfeld did the costuming for. We got down on some fried chicken, corn bread and popcorn shrimp and were in fits of hyster- .1 -Photo/ Miss J The divine Miss J.Alexander. ics well into the night. We went from working with models who don't eat all day to watching all of us get down on some soul food! A. But I have so many high- lights. From working with Al- exander McQueen on a fashion show to working with Galliano on makeup or just spending time with two of my oldest friends, Marc Jacobs and Robert Duffy. It's hard to narrow it down. Q. You mention in the book that writers and producers want- ed you to say things like, "Oooh child, girl! Nuh-uh, honey child!" and your response was, "I. AM. NOT. THAT. GIRL." Explain. A. I'm not that gay boy. I don't scream, "Chiiiiildel" You can't script me to act like that. I don't speak like that. I don't pop my fingers or screech. For me, I fig- ured the person who was writing this must be straight because he had no idea about who I am. Be- cause of my background I like to give constructive criticism and help make something work, not belt out, "Gurl, you look like a cow!" I Young has begun to plan for the next event. Congratula- tions and thank you. James Fayson, chair- person, Black and White Gala, met with his commit- tee to finalize plans for Fri- day, Jan. 8, at the popular Doubletree Hotel and Spa where the extravaganza will be held. It will be an invi- tational event and interested persons should contact Fay- son or any member for an invitation. Some of the members to con- tact are: Lawrence Adams, Dr. Brad Brown, Rep. Edward Bullard, Hosea But- ler, president, Ron Butley, JaShjon ARD Fayson, Hollot Fer- guson, Craig Hall, Frank Hall, Milton Hall, Milton Hall, II, Nelson Jen- kins, John Kelly, Dr. Astrid Mack, Dr. Bennie Reeves, Arthur Simms, Dr. Rich- ard J. Strachan, Dr. Arthur Woodard. Guests will enjoy music by the Psi Phi Band, door prizes, in- cluding a weekend at the Doubletree Hotel -� and Spa, a silent auc- tion, and a choice of prime ribs, salmon, or chicken a la orange. SWEI Remember, cocktail begins at 6 p.m. and dinner is served at 7 p.m.. And, of course, the money earned will be used for scholarships for students to be selected in April, 2010. Speaking of students, Os- car Jessie, an Omega man and supporter of Fort Valley State University has been inviting high school bands from Miami-Dade to partici- pate in the Annual Home- coming Game and Parade at Fort Valley, GA. This year, he invited and sponsored The Miami Central Rockets marching band to add the pomp and circumstance to the event. He said the band par- ticipated in the parade and the Homecoming Festivities at the game and was well received and their behavior was excellent from Miami to Fort Valley and back. Kudos to the band director and band parents for your chaperoning and making all Central alumni happy. I was a band parent when my sons Richard and Reginald were in the same band and made BRA. a trip to Germany. Reginald bought a $25.00 fur coat for his moth- er which sold for $1,000. in Miami. She is still wearing it from 1987. Another student who was in the band during that time was Jawara Sturrup who graduated in 1995 and used his experience with the "Men Of Tomorrow" to better himself and strive for success. Presently, he is founder and manager of the Bahamian Junkanoo and uses his spare time , doing odd jobs as a handyman. He also has a unique philosophy of life that has developed his mind, body and soul to be successful with his skills. He is ETING also very interest- ing to talk with and he comes from Vernon and Gail Sturrup, both of whom are NAACP workers and do- ers. South Florida lost an- other icon, last week, in Gloria "GiGi" Braynon Watson who made a leg- endary impact in Miami from working in the fam- ily grocery store over town, being a teacher, journal- ist, linguist, motivational speaker, author, a graduate of BTW, FAMU and studied Latin, Spanish, French, German, Russian, Italian, Creole, at La Sorbonne in Paris, France. I knew her as Y my mentor for writing the column, "Chatter That Mat- ters". I enjoyed her style, especially her description of wedding gowns brides wore and she captured for the column. My taking over the column came as a re- sult of her moving to Atlanta, GA and her substitutes El- liot and Judy Scav- ella lasted for two weeks and they had to travel to New York to meet with their Snowbirds as an annual event. And, of course, I began in 1992 and never missed an edition. GiGi and I talked regu- larly and collaborated and wrote the events of the Snowbirds at Gibraltar I for which she would attend. She was raised in St. Paul AME church in Miami and served as a Sunday school teacher and the first presi- dent of the Cathedral Choir, along with being devoted to Delta Sigma Theta sorority, Inc. for 50-years. She will be missed by Earl G. Watson, husband, Kytiwa Watson, son, Kyti- wa Watson, Jr., grandson, Dr. Edward Braynon and Judge Harold Braynon, El- eanor Braynon Brassfield, Bertha Smith, Claranda Sargent, Gladys Braynon and Lenora Smith, and, of course, her Delta Soror- ity Sisters. Sisters who at- tended her service included: Ursula Anders, Margaret Baulkman, Bobbie Bowen, Sonia I. Cleare, Martha Day, Gloria Demps, Darlene Gay, Helen Gay, Yvonne Goggins, Janice P. Hop- ton, Gussie Irving, Juanita Lane, Gladys Lynch, Jess- lyn McLeod, Beverly Nixon, Dr. Zandra Rucker, Dorothy Saunders, Dr. Angela Shan- non, Anna G. Sweeting, An- nette Williams, Kathy and Vera Wyche. Her legacy also includes penning YES I CAN and President Barack Obama using the phrase to win the election. L1 3C THE MIAMI TIMES, NOVEMBER 18-24, 2009 BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY Shaquille O'Neal's wife calls it quits Ir The is-they-is or is-they- ain't Shaq & Shaunie show is in full effect again. So for now, it looks like Mr. and Mrs. Shaquille O'Neal are calling it quits again. That's right. They've been down this path before back in Sept of 2007. At the time, tThe Miami Herald broke the story that the then (Mi- ami) Heat center had filed to divorce Shaunie, his wife of nearly five years. Interest- ingly, they also quoted from the petition that "The mar- riage between the parties is irretrievably broken." However, the couple void- ed the divorce and resumed their marriage. Fast forward to today, and according to TMZ, "Shaunie filed legal papers yesterday in L.A., even though the cou- ple lives in Florida. The peti- tion says although Shaunie is filing for legal separation, she intends to file for divorce. She lists irreconcilablee dif- ferences' as the reason for separation." The gossip site says Shau- nie pulled her kids out of school in Florida several days ago and they are with her now in L.A. They say the date of separation is listed as 11-9-09. They also answered the question you're probably asking. Why would Shaunie cross the county to file in L.A.? Their answer: A spouse gen- erally does a lot better in the spousal support department here in California. SHAUNIE AND SHAQUILLE O'NEAL Author Maya Angelou honoured by Glamour But the biggest ovation at Glamour Women of the Year awards, a star-studded af- fair at New York's Carnegie Hall, went to 81-year-old poet Maya Angelou, whose soaring words on the pow- er of womanhood brought many to tears and nearly ev- eryone to their feet. Women, Angelou told the crowd in her speech, "are rainbows in the clouds." "I am grateful to be a wom- an," said Angelou. "I must have done something .great in another life." As for the men: "You have to write your own poem," the poet said to laughter, including from the man who presented her award, former President Bill Clinton. Glamour magazine's annu- al Women of the Year awards always honor a group of eclectic women, and this .year was no exception. Pop star Rihanna was honored, and her presenter, the model Iman, referred to the singer's ordeal early this year, when she was as- saulted by boyfriend and fellow singer Chris Brown. Rihanna initially returned to Brown but said last week that she regrets it, because it sent the wrong message to her fans. Brown has pleaded ducer Lorne Michaels, who spoke admiringly of how Poehler performed her fa- mous Sarah Palin rap skit when she was nine months pregnant. Poehler's advice to the young women and girls in the crowd, which included a vociferous contingent of Girl Scouts: "Girls, if boys say something that's not funny, you don't have to laugh." Also honored was fashion designer Stella McCartney, daughter of Beatle Paul. Her dad wasn't there, but Mc- Cartney was shocked to see that three Beatle wives were presenting her award: Yoko Ono, widow of John Len- non; Olivia Harrison, widow of George; and Ringo Starr's wife, Barbara Starkey. guilty to felony assault. "Now I am even more im- pressed with her dignity and courage," Iman said, noting that Rihanna would serve as By"MinerU ARIES: MARCH 21 - APRIL 20 At a point where you're taking a gi- ant step forward, others are taking two steps back. Any conflicts you have stem from not being on the same page. If there's no harmony here now, it'll return in a month or so. Lucky numbers 8, 12, 24, 26, 31 TAURUS: APRIL 21 - MAY 20 You can pretty much do what you want. Much to your surprise, whoever you thought would interfere with your plans has backed off. Now that you have all the control, what are you going to do with it? Lucky numbers 10, 13, 15, 25, 298 GEMINI: MAY 21- JUNE 20 Differences of opinion about how things should be have stirred up trouble in paradise. If you can keep a sense of humor this won't turn into a scene. Everything will improve if you can just agree to disagree. Lucky numbers 6, 9, 10, 15, 19 CANCER: JUNE 21- JULY 20 Things haven't settled down enough for you to think that you're made peace with this. Whatever you're fine with, oth- ers are having a hard time forgiving you for things that came about because you copped out. Lucky numbers 15, 18, 21, 23, 26 LEO: JULY 21- AUGUST 20 You've seen this too many times to get upset about it. Loving someone through something one more time is one of those Karric things. This may be tiresome but lessons in compassion underscore the need for patience. Lucky numbers 13, 18, 21,35,38 VIRGO:AUGUST 21 - SEPT 20 Something got triggered a while back and you've been flying high ever since. Holding your own in the midst of diffi- culty is easier when your heart knows how to see the light even in the worst- case scenario. Lucky numbers 7, 14, 26, 28,30 LIBRA: SEPT 21 - OCT 20 You've gotten so right about whatever you're doing there's no room for anyone who doesn't see it your way. Don't close yourself off. The mark of an evolved per- son is their ability to tolerate others. Lucky numbers 9, 12, 15, 25, 29 SCORPIO: OCT 21- NOV 20 Obsess less and play a little more. Don't drive yourself nuts wondering why life isn't going the way it's supposed to. You won't get anywhere if you keep push- ing the river. Lighten up and go with the flow. Lucky numbers 14, 16, 18, 26, 31 a role model to victims of do- mestic violence. Comic actress Amy Poe- hler received her award from "Saturday Night Live" pro- SAGITTARIUS: NOV 21 - DEC 20 Old friends and the old track have become a bit of a drain. You're so done with this. At this point in your develop- ment you'd do better to hang with peo- ple who know where you're going and who you're becoming. Lucky numbers 14, 19, 24, 31, 35 CAPRICORN: DEC 21 - JAN 20 You'd love it if things would settle down. Guess again! Finding the joy in this craziness will require you to be open to the idea that there's a purpose to it and you're just here to find out what that is. Lucky numbers 12, 16, 19, 25, 28 AQUARIUS: JAN 21- FEB 20 Your attitude has changed about a lot of things. The old way of seeing it doesn't work anymore. Opening your mind has allowed some unusual people to enter your life. Make no mistake; they will teach you a lot. Lucky numbers 6, 9, 13, 15, 19 PISCES: FEB 21- MARCH 20 Don't be in a rush to move forward. What's left of the past is still there and you have no clue about what's next. As you clean up the remains of the day, be grateful for unseen blessings already on their way. Lucky numbers 15, 21, 23, 25, 28 ....SH r " . . --Poio/Kevin Mazur/ wireimage Chris Brown Chris Brown Drops New Single, 'Sing Like Me' Chris Brown debuted the third single from his upcom- ing Graffiti album on Thursday, a ballad titled "Sing Like Me." The song, which Brown tweeted is "for all the ladies," is an R. Kelly-esque slow jam that finds the singer bragging about his skills with females over a classic 808 drum-machine beat and Asian-sounding strings. "Soon as I step out the whip, they spot me," begins the song, which is streaming on Brown's site. "Girls snapping pictures like the paparazzi/ So many differ- ent type of women I'm into/ And I can't take 'em all with me is my only issue." In the chorus, Brown brags, "I gotta girl singin' like me." The cover of the song shows the singer - who is launching a "fan appreciation" tour on Saturday in Houston - sporting a retro boy-singer look, with tai- lored black pants, shiny black boots, black turtleneck, red cardigan and sunglasses. The styling is in keeping with the look of the Graffiti album cover. So far, Brown has unleashed the ballad "Crawl" and the club track "I Can Transform Ya,",which are cur- rently vying for time at radio with a trio of singles from ex-girlfriend Rihanna, who has also dropped three tracks from her upcoming album, Rated R. While "Crawl" appeared to be a plea from Brown for forgiveness and a second try with Rihanna - whom he pleaded guilty to assaulting in February - the new song finds Brown back in seductive lothario mode, fantasizing about leaving the club with at least five women, none of whom he likes enough to "put a ring on it." Explaining the barrage of new releases, Brown tweeted, "I'm trying to give all the fans more music, that's why I put out so many singles." Brown appeared on BET's "106 & Park" on Thursday night, discussing the Rihanna assault, and is scheduled to appear on "The Wendy Williams Show," where he will also debut the "Crawl" video, on Friday. ALL 0 *" gRk ! *M 115, M jW1 Adrienne Arsht Center presents HOT PEAS 'N BUTTER Winner of the 2006, 2008, and 2009 "Parent's Choice Awards," Hot Peas 'N Butter is a unique children's musical group, that incorporates elements of traditional Latin music, Afro-Caribbean rhythms, jazz, folk, and rock. 11 AM, 2 PM and 5 PM Carnival Studio Theater (at the Ziff Ballet Opera House) * $15 Florida Grand Opera presents SUOR ANGELICA & PAGLIACCI 2 PM * Ziff Ballet Opera House $13.75, $22.75, $27.75, $ 62.75, $81.75, $99.75, $132.75, $178.75 Adrienne Arsht Center and Ghetto Youths International presents THE AWAKE TOUR: JULIAN MARLEY FEATURING STEPHEN AND DAMIAN "JR. GONG" MARLEY Julian Marley and the Uprising featuring Stephen Marley and Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley will perform with soulful vocals inspired by life and spirituality. 8 PM * Knight Concert Hall * $24.50, $34.50, $44.50 SUOR ANGELICA & PAGLIACCI 7 PM * Ziff Ballet Opera House $13.75, $22.75, $27.75, $ 62.75, $81.75, $99.75, $132.75, $178.75 SUOR ANGELICA & PAGLIACCI 8 PM * Ziff Ballet Opera House $27.75, $52.75, $81.75, $ 99.75, $132.75, $178.75, $228.75, $253.75 -FIDCMBR4] Adrienne Arsht Center and Larry Rosen presents JAZZ ROOTS: AN EVENING WITH DAVE GRUSIN Featuring: Jon Secada, Arturo Sandoval, Nestor Torres, Sammy Figueroa, and the Mancini Institute Orchestra.Featuring Grusin's classic jazz arrangement of West Side Story, plus many of his acclaimed film scores, including Heaven Can Walt, The Milagro Beanfield War, Havana, and many more. 8 PM * Knight Concert Hall * $25, $45, $55, $85, $125 Adrienne Arsht Center presents Masterworks Sanford and Dolores Ziff Dance Series BATSHEVA ENSEMBLE Batsheva is one of the most influential, fresh and exciting dance companies on the planet, and one of Israel's leading cultural ambassadors. 8 PM * Ziff Ballet Opera House * $25, $35, $45, $60, $75, $90 VMRMRO- BATSHEVA ENSEMBLE 2 PM * Ziff Ballet Opera House * $25, $35, $45, $60, $75, $90 FREE GOSPEL SUNDAYS: FEATURING RICHARD SMALLWOOD Grammy and Stellar award-winning gospel legend Richard Smallwood is the featured guest on this Free Gospel Sundays holiday program. 4 PM * Knight Concert Hall * FREE Hot Peas N Butter The Awake Tour Julian Marley Jazz Roots: An Evening with Dave Grusin Betseva Ensembe Batsheva Ensemble C,, - , , * .e* * - s- *- * S Free Adrienne Arsht Center Tours: Mondays and Saturdays at noon, starting at the Ziff Ballet Opera House lobby. No reservations necessary. PRELUDE NOW OPEN 1 I r t t I SIX NIGHTS AWEEKI _ FULL-SERVICE DINING .AT THE CENTER!7 ;^m ia Call 305.949.6722 MAYA ANGELOU Author/Poet 0. . r ITT CONCNH BAf TER - MADE FRESH ou have to taste it to believe it. Special seafood sauce included. "- 954-559-3739 I 1R;r~ :�k5 't C-Tolmlowl,"Imm, LTUE NOVEMBER 24) M-, IMMMMUM ----------" I I BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY 4C THE MIAMI TIMES. NOVEMBER 18-24, 2009 '2012' film tops the box office, is this Chiwetel Ejiofor's year? By Donna Freydkin "I'd be very choosy. It would just be fam- ily and close friends. Sorry, dude, it's a short list," Ejiofor says with a laugh. Ejiofor plays presidential science ad- viser Adrian Helmsley in the environmen- tal-disaster epic 2012, which was tops at the weekend box office. While shooting the film, Ejiofor picked up a few point- ers about weathering a major global col- lapse. "Keep a survival guide handy, because you.never know. And my advice is: canned peaches. Canned peaches are very good. They last a long time and they're very good food to have in the apocalypse. I don't go anywhere without them," he says. Ejiofor, 35, has a dry, understated sense of humor. When asked about be- ing named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his theater and film work in his homeland, Ejiofor jokes with a twinkle that he and his fellow officers "meet at Buckingham Palace at 5." "You feel it instinctually if you're Brit- ish and meet a fellow officer. It's a little flutter," he says. "I was incredibly proud of that and happy about it. It was a great honor." Thandie Newton considers Ejiofor a friend after collaborating with him both on the 2000 film It Was an Accident and 2012. "To work with him again all these years later and see how much he's evolved as an actor is something special," Newton says. "He has gravity. He stands firm in his beliefs when he plays his characters. There's a real weight and rootedness to what he does. He's very confident." In real life as well, she reveals. "He's a very true person. There's no need to people-please. The friendship you develop with him takes longer but tends to be stronger and deeper," she says. "I've known him for a long, long time. It takes a while to get to know him. He doesn't give it up easily." Indeed, Ejiofor isn't one to wear his heart on his sleeve. Yes, he'll play a piano tune for you before sitting down to an interview at the SONY club in Manhattan. But he won't regale you with stories about, say, working with Angelina Jolie on next year's paranoid thriller Salt. "We had a very professional relation- ship. I don't think any of them were in Manhattan. We didn't have a chance to paint the town red. She's very, sort of, busy," he says with a shrug. Ejiofor isn't exactly gifted at extolling his own virtues and artistic gifts. He'd prefer to let his work speak for itself. His performance as a drag queen in the 2005 comedy Kinky Boots- which earned him a Golden Globe nomination - was singled out by Roger Ebert, who praised Ejiofor for "taking a character bundled with stereotypes, clearing them out of the way, and finding a direct line to who the character really is. Just in the way she walks in those kinky red boots, Lola makes an argument that no words could possibly improve upon." His stage work has been acclaimed, in- cluding his 2007 turn as Othello in the Donmar Warehouse production in Lon- don. Ejiofor, opined John Lahr in TheNew Yorker, "brings to the character a natural nobility and a decency that are a kind of poetic revelation." The London native, who has played ev- erything from a Nigerian doctor forced to work as a cabdriver in 2002's Dirty Pret- ty Things to a ruthless villain in 2007's American Gangster, now calls Los An- geles home. -Photo/ByTodd Plitt Chiwetel Ejiofor (pronounced chew-it-tell edge-oh-for) says he's prepared for any 2012-like disaster: canned peaches. "They last a long time." 'Self Destruct' won't raise 50 Cent's rap worth much By Edna Gundersen What's 50 Cent's value in today's hip- hop market? Returning after a back- lash over his pop-rap crossover hits, the once-bulletproof Eminem protege is banking on the familiar tropes and nar- ratives of '90s gangsta rap to hike inter- est in his stagnating career. Before I Self Destruct (* * 1/2 out of four), in stores Monday, isn't likely to renew 50 Cent's currency. Though packed with tough beats, dense production and 50's most fero- cious delivery in years, the gloats about shootings, drugs and bloody 'hoods feel about as fresh as a Saw sequel. With the release of 2003's Get Rich or Die Tryin', which sold 1.7 million cop- ies in its first 11 days, 50 Cent joined Eminem and Dr. Dre at rap's summit, solidifying his position with 2005's The Massacre, which moved 1.14 million copies in four days. In 2007, Curtis opened with first- week sales of 691,000, behind chart- topper Kanye West's Graduation with 957,000. In an era of declining .CD sales, those numbers showed, clout, but 50 Cent, the target of tepid reviews and waning radio attention, clearly was losing ground. The Massacre's lighter, radio-friendly fare, plus 50's mainstream hawking of branded vitamin water, condoms and Power fragrance, had fans doubting his street cred. Enter this fourth solo effort, which comes bundled with a DVD of the same- named movie, which 50 wrote, directed and stars in. The album is a throwback to gangbanger glory days, where kind- ness is a weakness and body counts are badges of honor. Guns, dope, cash and booty demarcate success. If some of Self Destruct's thug themes sound tired, Fitty doesn't. He comes across as tough and de- termined to re-establish himself as gangsta rap's kingpin, even if that genre has receded from hip-hop's bling-encrusted hub. Reminding listeners of his first entrepreneurial rise as a crack dealer, he slings boastful, stinging rhymes with a care- less brutality, slug- ging away in 50-Cen- tric rants at enemies, peers, former al- lies, ex-girlfriends. He's rap's Grinch: a grouchy, resentful loner. While he stumbles on Gangsta's Delight, a meek retooling of Sugarhill Gang's Rapper's Delight, he's sharp on the fierce So Disrespect- ful, hurling venom at rivals Young Buck and The Game. Amplifying this Scarface paranoia are the darker pro- duction textures, courtesy of Dr. Dre, Tha Bizness, Scott Storch and others. While 50's street tales are hardly wholesome, they seldom stoop to the nox- iousness of the clumsy soft porn peddled in such comically oafish tunes as Could've Been You with R. Kelly. Janet Jackson blames Murray for MJ's death Michael Jackson's baby. sister, Janet Jackson, is finally speaking out about his death and who she thinks is re- sponsible. It's no surprise that she's putting the blame squarely on Dr. Conrad Murray. In an interview with ABC's Robin Rob- erts, Janet Jackson says the doctor should no longer be allowed to prac- tice medicine. "He was the one that was adminis- tering," she says. "I think he is respon- sible." As has been reported, Dr. Murray, Michael Jackson's personal physician, remains the focus of a manslaughter investigation into the pop star's death. Murray has admitted to administer- ing the anesthetic propofol, but has denied giving Michael anything that should have killed him. Janet Jackson, who hasn't spoken out or shared her thoughts about her brother's death, opened up to Roberts in an exclusive interview that will air, Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 10pm E/P. "It's been a tough year," she said. "You have your days where it's just re- ally - it's hard to believe. And a day doesn't go by that I don't think about him." Janet Jackson recounted the details of the morning of June 25, the day that rocked her world. "I was at my house in New York. You know, another day. Another morn- ing. And I get a call ... [my assistant] said, 'Your brother's been taken to the hospital. It's on CNN right now.' I called everyone. There's a line busy or - someone wasn't picking up. I spoke to mother. I spoke to Tito. I spoke to my nephew, Austin. I spoke-to my sister, La Toya." "I told them to call me when they got to the hospital. And I remember think- ing, 'Nobody's calling me back,' so I tried calling again, and that's how I found out that he was no longer ... I couldn't believe it," she said. She told Roberts she and the entire family were in a state of disbelief. Wanda Sykes, her busy life's an unending adventure By Kelley L. Carter Wanda Sykes is always up for a challenge. Bowling? Sykes, 45, won't draw a sweat at a 7/10 split. Comedy? Her standup routine made President Obama laugh at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner this year. And snowboarding? Well, that's a battle her French-born 35-year-old wife, Alex, is winning. "Yeah, my wife learned how to do it on the Swiss Alps and what not, which annoys me. I was so happy when she got pregnant. I was like 'Aw. We're go- ing to miss snowboarding season. Too bad,' " Sykes deadpans. "Of course, a couple of days after she gave birth, she was like, 'We can go snowboard- ing again!' " Snowboarding is the least of Sykes' concerns these days; she's got a full plate. Her challenge is juggling two TV shows, being a good mom to twin babies (daughter Olivia Lou and son Lucas Claude, born in May) and stay- ing on the front lines of gay rights is- sues. Sykes is still co-starring with Julia Louis-Dreyfus in The New Adventures of The Old Christine (8 p.m. ET/PT Wednesday, CBS), and she's launch- ing her talk show, The Wanda Sykes Show, which premieres Saturday at 11 p.m. ET/PT on Fox. Her hour-long show will feature panel discussions and her biting per- spective on current events. There also will be pre-recorded skits. The show won't be a platform for her gay rights activism - that began after she publicly came out in Las Ve- gas last year, shortly after California passed Proposition 8, which says that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid in that state. But she will talk about her family life, as she did in her HBO special that aired last month. Sykes says she hadn't planned to come out. She and her wife were le- gally married for about a month when Sykes wrapped up a show at Planet Hollywood and ventured into the city to find a rally protesting Prop 8. "They called me out in the crowd and I went up to the mic and I just said what I wanted to say. And it was so funny, because as soon as I left the podium, my wife was like 'Do you know what you just did?' I was like, 'Yeah.' " Not-so-quiet on the episode of her talk she set: Wanda Sykes at -Photo Bob Riha J work on the first The Miami Times Business SECTION D MIAMI, FLORIDA, NOVEMBER 18-24, 2009 THE MIAMI TIMES it SAW oil '-- . Out.,' jq Foreclosures dip 3 pct. in October from September By J.W. Elphinstone Associated Press The number of homeowners on the brink of losing their homes dipped in October, the third straight monthly decline, as foreclosure pre- vention programs helped more borrowers. But foreclosure filings are still up 19 percent from.a year ago, RealtyTrac Inc. said Thursday, and rising job losses continue to threaten the stabilizing trend. More than 332,000 households, or one in ev- ery 385 homes, received a foreclosure-related notice in October, such as a notice of default or trustee's sale. That's down 3 percent from September. Banks repossessed more than 77,000 homes last month, down from nearly 88,000 homes in September. New state programs, like one launched in Nevada in July, that require mediation before banks can seize a property have helped stem foreclosure activity, said Rick Sharga, senior %ice president at RealtyTrac. Also, anecdotally, lendies are delaying fore- closure as they evaluate which borrowers might qualify for the federal loan modification program, he said. "That's the reason there's been a buildup of homes that are seriously delinquent but not foreclosed," he said. Despite Nevada's legislative efforts to slow foreclosures, the state still clocked in the na- tion's highest foreclosure rate for the 34th month in a row, followed by California, Florida, Arizona and Idaho. Rounding out the top 10 were Illinois, Michigan, Georgia, Maryland and Utah. Among cities, Las Vegas had the highest rate, the report showed. One in 68 homes there re- ceived a foreclosure filing in October, more than five times the national average. Seven of the top ten metros were in California, led by Vallejo and Modesto at No. 2 and 3. . Please turn to HOMES 8D By Christopher S. Rugaber Associated Press New claims for unemployment insurance fell more than expected last week, evidence the job market is slowly healing as the economy recov- ers. Nevertheless, President Barack Obama said Thursday that he will hold a summit in De- cember to look at ways of boosting job growth, acknowledging that high unemployment is one of the "great challenges" facing his administra- tion. Obama said while his administration had taken bold steps to tackle the economic crisis, "economic growth has not led to the job growth we desperately need." Speaking at the White House before leaving on a week-long Asia trip, Obama said chief ex- ecutives, trade union leaders, small business owners and economic experts would be invited to the summit. Earlier Thursday, the Labor Department said first-time claims for jobless benefits dropped to a seasonally adjusted 502,000 from an upward- ly revised 514,000 the previous week. That's the fewest claims since the week ended Jan. 3. The four-week average, which smooths fluc- tuations, dropped to 519,750, lowest in almost a year. It has fallen more than 20% since its peak in the spring. Economists watch initial claims as a gauge of the pace of layoffs. But claims also can pro- vide a signal about the willingness of com- panies to hire, because laid-off workers who can find jobs are less likely to request ben- efits. Many analysts estimate that claims must fall to around 450,000 to signal that the economy is adding jobs. And many analysts worry the nation could Please turn to be in for a "jobless recovery" as the unemployment rate rises despite some economic growth. Retailers hope gift cards pay off during holiday shopping By Sandra Block Robyn Davis Sekula of New Alba- ny, Ind., gives gift cards to friends, family and clients every year, and this year will be no different. Many people on her gift list live far away, and gift cards are easy to ship. But the main reason she gives gift cards is that she loves receiving them and believes others - especially her "mom friends" - do, too. "For me, a gift card is a license to shop with somebody else's money," says Sekula, a 38-year-old market- ing consultant. "It's a wonderful ex- cuse for me as a mom of three little kids to go into a store and shop and do all the things I don't do when my kids are with me." With the holidays approaching, retailers hope gift cards will provide one of the few sparks in a shop- ping season that's otherwise likely to be lackluster. Gift cards remain the most-requested item on con- sumers' gift lists, according to the National Retail Federation, making them attractive to value-conscious shoppers who don't want to waste money on unwanted presents. Lower inventories also could lift gift card sales this year, says Ralph Rolen, general manager of Stored Value Solutions, a company that processes gift cards for retailers. Last year, retailers were forced to slash prices to move items out of stores. That hurt gift cards, he says: "If you have a choice between buying something at 70% off or a gift card, you're more likely to give something at 70% off." This year, retailers have reduced inventories, making such deep discounts unnecessary, Rolen says. That means shoppers will be more likely to give gift cards that al- low the recipients to pick out what they want, he says. Scott Palmer, 39, of Baltimore, says the cloudy outlook for the re- tail sector is one reason he won't give gift cards this year. "You see something like Cir- cuit City go out of business - one month they're fine, and the next month they're not honoring their gift cards," says Palmer, who works in research and development for a software company. A little advice America: The time to create jobs is now By Julianne Malveaux NNPA Columnnist Pretend you are on a church pew. . Worshipping, eight of you. If you are sitting up in the Black church, two of you eight do not have a job. Multiply that by the whole church. The two in eight number gets even worse. Someone sitting jobless is connected to a family with a job, a. family who feels con- nection and responsibility, a need to help. The family member with the 'job is more frightened than frightened can be. Pookie needs a loan, and she can offer it today, but what will happen tomorrow to Pookie and the family. The entire ex- tended family is traumatized by Pookie's job loss. Pookie, of course, is a Black man. Unemployment has hit Pookie and Tanya hard- er than it has hit the entire population, but it has hit all of us hard. The double-digit unemployment rate which was released on Friday, 10.2 percent, is a lovely fiction, a glossing over, of the church pew reality. The fact is that one in six Americans, and more than four Blacks are out of work. ter unemployment rates by excluding the military and manipulating the number so that the more than 10 percent rate was less that it might have been. At the same time the Bureau of La- f the same proportions apply to the African American community as to the overall community, the black unemployment rate is 26 percent. That means look around you at the church pew. One in four people are not working. Maybe one in three because the data don't capture black folks like they do the rest of the world. The unemployment rate is one we have not seen in over 25 years, when Ronald Rea- gan was President. Then, the spin-doctors tried to al- bor Statistics reported that 10 percent could be higher if discouraged workers, those who worked part time but wanted to work full time and those otherwise underem- ployed were counted. Here we go again. The Bureau of Labor Sta- tistics has been reporting al- ternative measures of unem- ployment for a long time. The media has not often picked them up. I was delighted to hear that, finally, the media is getting it, noting that 10.2 is a beautiful fiction. Accord- ing to BLS the unemploy- ment rate is as high as 17.5 percent. If the same propor- tions apply to the African American community as to the overall community, the black unemployment rate is 26 percent. That means look around you at the church pew. One in four people are not working. Maybe one in three because the data don't capture black folks like they do the rest of the world. The church is teeming with un- employment. So where do these spin doctors get off talking mess about an economic recovery. They say unemployment is a lagging indicator, which means that unemployment rates trend down only after Please turn to JOBS 8D c Unemployment claims fall; Obama plans jobs summit Obama plans j*obs summit j __ THE MIAMI TIMES, NOVEMBER 18-24, 2009 Who knew? Getting everything together for a turkey dinner doesn't have to be so complicated. Use the recipes we've provided, along with this sequence, to streamline your holiday dinner Log on to public. com for more recipes and ideas BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY For an 8-12 Ib turkey (6-8 servings), preheat oven, prepare turkey following our recipe (or package instructions); and begin to roast about 3 1/2 hours before you would like to serve About 45 minutes before your turkey is done roasting, prepare green beans, mashed potatoes, or other family-favorite side dishes. Prepare Apple Sage Dressing (recipe included) for baking. ENJOY SAVINGS ON THE FINEST INGREDIENTS FOR YOUR THANKSGIVING MEAL. -.691. Publix Young Turkey We have a mide variety of sizes of young. bro3d-breasted, USDA-Inspected, Grade A frozen turkeys so you can choose the one perfect for your gathering. 8-lbs and up Limit five SAVE UP TO .60 LB (More Than 5 Publix Turkeys Ib 99) PUBLIC WILL BE CLOSED THANKSGIVING DAY, NOVEMBER 26 We're taking the day off so our associates can spend time with their families and loved on . . We will be open regular store hours on Wednesday, November 25 and-f iday, November '' ' " weWil. e o enre ula soreho rson ed e~d yNo em er25 n "F 'iay .._ _.a vo , _ . -r. **: ';:: ;" ,,,...,..,,. -- ..,,.,.., . ... ..:,.. ,..i .J. , i,$ a*.,,' HERBSEASONe Publix Baby Cut and Peeled Carrots.... California-Grown, H':h in Vitamin A, 1 to 3-lb bag Quantity rights reserved. SAVE UP TO 1.70 .....Free Potato Rolls, 12-Count ........... ................ 249 Baked Fresh Daily, Soft Tasty Rolls, From the Publix Bakery, 15-oz pkg. SAVE UP TO .50 Pepperidge Farm Stuffing.....................@ 4R Assorted Varieties, 12 or 14-oz bag SAVE UP TO 1.38 ON 2 Publix Sweet Cream Butter..................... Salted or Unsalted, Four Quarters, 16-oz box SAVE UP TO 1.09 Jimmy Dean Sausage ............ o 5 0.0 Assorted Varieties, 9.6 to 16-oz pkg. SAVE UP TO .98 ON 2 Swanson Broth........ .................59 Assorted Varieties, 14-oz can SAVE UP TO .50 CARVING THE TURKEY IS EASY WITH THESE EXPERT TIPS. See the complete video of how to prepare and carve your turkey-even make gravy!-at publix.com When your turkey is done, remove it from the oven, cover with foil, and let it sit for 15-20 minutes before placing on a clean cutting surface. Separate the drumsticks from the thighs by holding the tip of each drumstick and cutting through the jbint where it. meets the thighbone. Hold each drumstick by the tip, resting the larger ends on the cutting board. Slice parallel to the bones until all meal is sliced 6D 60 In M r~ ~s~il WON MR I o"'Ime~ BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY 7D THE MIAMI TIMES, NOVEMBER 18-24, 2009 Remove your turkey from the oven when your meat thermometer-inserted into the thickest part of inner thigh and breast (not touching bone;- reaches 165'F After you've removed your turkey, let it stand 15-20 minutes before carving Increase oven temperature to 450�F and bake dressing. Put the final touches on your side dishes and carve the turkey. Remove dressing from oven and use the residual heat in the oven to warm rolls for dinner and pie for dessert. Serve WE CAN HELP MAKE THANKSGIVING DINNER EASIER. AND MAKE SURE IT TASTES JUST AS DELICIOUS AS IT SHOULD. ON F- PA N TURKEY, VEGETABLES, AND GRAVY Prep and Cook: 3 1/2 hours (Makes 8 servings) 3 niedium paisnils (Innredl 5 medium carrots (rinsed) 4. elerY rLt.. irln.ed 2 large onions (rinsed) 2 bay leaves 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 4oz unsalted butter (1 ir:,k; 1/2 :up flI.ur 2 (14.-I car. re-du.:edl.sidim :rn,..en brd.lh 1 (12-lb) turkey (thawed, following package instructions) 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning 1/2 teaspoon pepper aluminum foil 7prorns. 1. Preheat oven to 325"F. Peel parsnips and carrots. Cut parsnips, carroi , anid celery into 1-inch-long pieces. Peneiie eni, ;ana r.pEl skin from onions; cut both into quarters. Place vegetables, bay leaves, and 1/2 leasp. n if the salt ino r, urkey roasling pan 2. Place butter in microwave-safe bowl; cioer anrd mrcrcowrave or HIGH 30 seconds or until melted. Whisk in flour and . r an orf he chicken broth uniil blended Pour Inlo pan over vegetables. Place wire roasting rack in pan over vegetables. 3. Remove turkey from par -aging i remroiv gitlls and n ck k.r another use.) * Sprinkle turkey evenly with pouliry i.esorning, pepper, and remaining 1t2 teaspoon salt Place on roasting rack, breast side up; (wash hands). Roasi lurkey about 2 nours. 4. When turkey is golden brown, cover loosely with foil. Roast 1 more hour or iusi until internal temperature reaches 165*F. Use a meat thermometer to ac.uralely ensure done- ness. (Ovens and size of turkeys vary; adjust time, as much as 30 minutes, as needed. Refer to packaging to determine time for larger turkey.) Transfer turkey to carving board; let stand 15-20 minutes before -arving Transfer vegetables to serving dish; remove and discard bay leaves (cover to keep warm). 5. Thin the reserved gravy in the roasting pan, if needed, by heating the remaining chicken broth (up to 1 can) in microwave or on stovetop. Gradually whisk heated broth into gravy until desired consistency. Transfer gravy to serving dish. Carve turkey and serve. APPI.E SAGE DRESSING Prep a td Cook 40 km,,iult ,'MaI S .*er%,og.i . 1 ib ground pork sausage wair sage 8 rz irinnr, ii/r. reih Jced onrins, peppers, celervi 1.2 cup dried berry medley deniess and rai.inst 1 large Granny Smnlh apple (rinsed) 1 lableipoon liOur Si 14-o.o )an reduced-sodium chicken brclh 1 16-oz) box or 2 cups cornbread stuffing mix coo ing pray 1 Preheat o/n to1 450"F Preheal large sauie can on medium high 2-3 minutes Crumble sausage ini paon (wash hards). stir in trinlly mix and berries Cook 5-7 minutes, stirring often, unril meal ,s browned and vegetables are tender Mear,wrile peel apple. cut into small pieces 2. Stir flour inro sausage mixture, cook 2 minutes. stirring often, until flour is nut and well blended inlo mni1ure. 3 SIir in apple. rotlh. and stuhing mix Coat 2-quart baking dish wilh cuLhking spra/. add sluifrig mixture Bake 20-25 mirules or until internal lemperalure reaches 165'F Use a meal Ihermomeler o1 accurately ersure doneness Let stand 5 minutes before serving ENTERTAINING MADE EVEN EASIER Pick up our free Start SomethingO party-planning guide and create a delicious menu from our Publix Deli, ,*-.P- , ubtix Bakery, and Seafood platters, Then stop by your neighborhood Publix and place your order. Our associates will take care of the rest. .69 St. Francis . F Chardonnay Wine ........ ......... ree 750-mi bot. Quantity rights reserved. SAVE UP TO 14.99 C elery ............. .. ....... ...... .. ........ Tender, Western-Grown, Great for Stuffing, each SAVE UP TO 1.00 Granny Smith Apples................99l Excellent for Snacking, Salads, Pies, or for Baking SAVE UP TO .70 LB Pumpkin or 00 Sweet Potato Pie........... ...... ....... 6 - Each Pie Made From Fresh Harvest Pumpkins or Sweet Potatoes With Just the Right Spices, From the Publix Bakery, 24-oz size SAVE UP TO 5.98 ON 2 - . Ocean Spray r Cool Whi ,,,;, Cranberry Sauce ................ Frree Whipped Topping .............I Free Jellied, Whole Berry, - Assorted Varieties, 8-oz bowl or Cran-Raspberry, 14-oz can Quantity rights reserved. Quantity rights reserved. W SAVE UP TO 2.13 SAVE UP TO 1.55 Mai'e a deep rirhrljroiI curji into the bre.3st meal lIu.: atiove [he v ing From the outer top edge of each breast, continue to slice Irom he tlop down to the horizontal cut made during the previous step. Repeat steps 4-5 on the other side. Remove wings by cutting through the joints where the wing bones and backbone meet. Prices effective Thursday, November 19 through Wednesday, November 25, 2009. Only in MiIamiDade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St Lucie, Indian River, Okeechobse and Monroe Counties An item carried by Publix GreenWise Market will be at the Publx advertised sale price. Quantity rights reserved. public com/ad publix . com / ad Publix. I BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY D S THE MIAMI TIMES, NOVEMBER 18-24, 2009 Retail sales climb in October, auto sales jump Sales at retailers rose more than expected in October, boosted largely by auto sales, but the pre- vious month's figures were revised sharply downward. In a report that points to a grad- ual improvement in spending, the Commerce Department said retail sales rose 1.4 percent last month, largest advance since August, af- ter dropping a revised 2.3 percent in September. Sales in September were previously reported as de- clining 1.5 percent. Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast retail sales rising one percent in October. Sales were boosted by a 7.4 percent jump in new vehicle and parts sales. Excluding motor vehicles and parts, retail sale rose a smaller- than-expected 0.2 percent in Oc- tober after increasing 0.4 percent in September. Auto sales had slumped 14.3 percent the previous month after the expiration of the government's popular "cash-for-clunkers" in- centive program that had buoyed demand for motor vehicles. Previ- ously, the government had report- ed auto sales falling 10.4 percent in September. The Commerce Department also reported Monday that businesses slashed inventories for a 13th consecutive month in September although the pace of reductions slowed from the previous month. The economic rebound is expect- ed to remain tentative until busi- nesses switch to rebuilding their stockpiles. The ratio of sales to inventories held steady in September at 1.32. That means that it would take 1.32 months to deplete stockpiles at the September sales pace. The September decline reflected a one percent drop in inventories held by manufacturers and a 0.9 percent fall in stockpiles held by wholesalers. Retail inventories rose 0.6 percent. With government stimulus be- hind the bulk of the economy's 3.5 percent annualized growth rate in gross domestic product in the third quarter, there are fears that rising unemployment will contin- ue to weigh on consumer spend- ing and hold back the recovery. The hope is that even a small increase in demand will prompt factories to boost production and help sustain the recovery in the coming months. The September reduction i was the 13th consecu- J tive decline, the longest ' stretch since invento- ries dropped for 15 straight months in 2001 to 2002, a pe- riod that covered the last recession. The . last growth in inven- tories was a 0.1 per- cent rise in August 2008. Gasoline station sales were flat in Oc- tober after rising 0.9 percent in September. Small US cities lose luster in recession By Hope Yen Associated Press America's small cities are losing some of their traditional appeal to upwardly mobile families seeking wholesome neighborhoods, a stable. economy and affordable living. A review of newly released census data shows, for example, that smaller cities of between 20,000 and 50,000 residents have lagged behind their larger counterparts in attracting higher-educated residents in this decade. The smaller locales include remote towns, inner suburbs, the distant suburbs known as exurbss" and other distinct areas. In 2000, the smaller cities ranked at the top in the share of people with college diplomas. They slipped to No. 2 last year with 30 percent holding degrees - in between medium-sized cities, which had 31 percent, and big cities, at 29.8 percent. Poverty is growing in the small cities, fueled partly by population growth, although average median income of $60,294 in those communities is still higher than other places. Small cities looking more and more like bigger cities over the decade ranged from places like Hobart, Ind., and Mount Pleasant, Mich., to Anniston, Ala., and Greenville, Miss. Compared with previous years, they had smaller incomes, higher housing costs, longer commutes, more poverty and more single-parent families. Demographers attributed some of the shifts to the housing market collapse and a spike in gasoline prices, which has hit residents in the far-flung exurbs harder. Black male unemployment compares to 'Great Depression' By Pharoh Martin While the nation is reeling over double-digit jobless rates show- ing up for the first time in de- cades, Black males are looking at numbers almost twice as bad. Almost one in five Black men 20-years-old or older are with- out a job, according to figures re- leased by the U.S. Bureau of La- bor Statistics earlier this month. The seasonally-adjusted Octo- ber unemployment rate for Black males is above 17 percent where- as the jobless rate for White adult males and females is under dou- ble digits at 9.5 percent and 7.4 percent, respectively. At 12.4 per- cent, joblessness for Black wom- en also skews above the national rate, which is currently at 10.2 percent, approaching the Decem- ber 1982 level of 10.8 percent. The disparate rates of Black male unemployment have tee- tered near recession-type num- bers above eight percent since 2001 but since April the rates have surged to around 17 per- cent, numbers which are com- parable to the Great Depression of the early 1930s, according to Dr. Rodney Green, chairman of ,the economics department How- ard University and the executive director of the Howard University Center for Urban Progress. "There has been a consistent pattern of Black male unemploy- ment rates that are twice the unemployment of White, even in good or bad times," Green said. He said this is due to con- tinuing discrimination against Black males in the labor market and also a split in the labor market where job loss is greatest in indus- tries that employ large numbers of Blacks such as construction, service and re- tail. The typical cli- ch6 is 'last hired first fired'. The pattern usu- ally holds true in many of these recessions that Blacks and Hispanics get hit very hard early in the recession and are slower to recover once the economy starts picking back up. ' Federal jobs program needed immediately JOBS continued from 5D economic recovery occurs. Tell that to the woman standing outside the toy store, trying to buy a holiday present. Calling somebody a lag- ging indicator is like calling them' out. How does it feel to be a lag- ging indicator in an economy that is shedding jobs so fast that it is frightening? How does it feel to be a lagging indicator when some say there is economic recovery? Do I repeat myself when I say that it is time for a federal jobs program? Health care has gotten narrow Con- gressional approval, but health care without employment is like romance without finance, and the choir should now all holler, "a nuisance". In other words, much of the health care passed is employer connected health care. When people don't have jobs, they don't have opportunities. We have examples from the 1930s, the 1950s, the 1970s, and the 1980s of ways the federal government has been involved in creating jobs. It is time to create jobs now, to deal with a Works Progress Administration type program to put our nation back to work. Too many people have been hit too hard, too long - with nearly 16 million out of work, with more than a third of those having been out of work for half a year. We know the numbers, and they are daunting numbers. Accord- ing to the Bureau of Labor Statis- tics, one in ten of us is out of work. That statistic is an amazing fiction; the reality is nearly seventy percent worst - 17.5 percent of us are job- less. Congress extends tax credit for home buyers HOMES continued from 5D After three years of declines, home prices reversed course in June and have been rapidly climb- ing month-over-month. This will rebuild home equity and reduce the number of borrowers that owe more than their homes are worth. Still, foreclosures remain near record highs and the mortgage in- dustry is still struggling to manage the onslaught. The government has had to push many lenders to participate in the Obama adminis- tration's loan modification plan. The Treasury Department said Tuesday that more than 650,000 borrowers, or 20 percent of those eligible, had signed up for tempo- rary trial plans lasting up to five months. But since the beginning of September, only about 1,700 modifications had been made per- manent. The Treasury Depart- ment expects to release updated data later this month. Congress last week also extend- ed and expanded a key federal tax credit for homebuyers that has been credited for boosting home sales recently. Buyers who have owned their current homes for at least five years are eligible for tax credits of up to $6,500, while first-time homebuyers - or anyone who hasn't owned a home in the last three years - would still get up to $8,000. To qualify, buyers have to sign a purchase agreement by April 30, 2010, and close by June 30. "Anything that stimulates buy- ing activity," Sharga said, "will go a long way to mediate the foreclo- sure problem." U.S. consumer sentiment drops amid rising unemployment Confidence among U.S. consum- ers unexpectedly fell in November for the second consecutive month as surging unemployment shook households. The Reuters/University of Michi- gan preliminary index of consumer sentiment decreased to 66 from 70.6 in October. The gauge was projected to rise, according to the median forecast in a Bloomberg News survey of economists. A jobless rate that jumped to a 26-year high last month and is pro- jected to remain above 10 percent through the first half of next year is weighing on Americans as they head into the holiday shopping sea- son. "People are extremely concerned about their jobs and incomes," said Nigel Gault, chief U.S. economist at IHS Global Insight in Lexington, Massachusetts, who had forecast a decline. "Well be losing jobs until the middle of next year, though at slower pace. Consumer spending is going to be subdued and well have a fairly lackluster holiday season." Stocks trimmed gains following the report. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 0.4 percent to 1,091.01 at 10:25 a.m. in New York. Lower than forecast The sentiment index was forecast to rise to 71, according to the me- dian of 69 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Estimates ranged from 67.5 to 75. During the expansion that began in late 2001 and ended in December 2007, the index aver- aged 89.2. A report from the Commerce De- partment today showed the trade deficit widened by 18 percent in September, the most in a decade, reflecting rising demand for im- ported oil and automobiles as the economy rebounded. The gap grew to $36.5 billion, larger than antici- pated and the highest level since January. Imports surged by the most in 16 years, swamping a gain in exports. The gauge of current conditions, which reflects Americans' percep- tions of their financial situation and whether it is a good time to buy big-ticket items like cars, decreased to 69.6 from 73.7. The index of consumer expec- tations for six months from now, which more closely projects the direction of consumer spending, dropped to 63.7 from 68.6. Consumers in the survey said they expect an inflation rate of 2.8 percent over the next 12 months, compared with' 2.9 percent '-ii the prior survey. Higher prices Over the next five years, the fig- ures tracked by Federal Reserve policy makers, Americans expected a 3.1 percent rate of inflation, com- pared with their 2.9 percent fore- cast last month. YOU DON'T NEED A HURRICANE TO CALL ME - $$$ GET CASH $$$ - Bathroom - Kitchen Plumbing Leak' ; .." Ceiling Damage, Fire Damage, Broken Pipes? -iewspaper ? .I, Ik I)\ I Si BSCRIBE TOD s.5. 4. - - 32' FOR 12-MONTH FOR N-MON �. SUBNCiRIF'TITJN SuBISr2R PI 0 Jr O CHECK OR MONEY ORDER ENCLOSED J CHARGE MY CREDIT CARD ' Exp_ Exp_ Exp_ 'e i Authorized Signature Name Address State _Zip City Phone e-mail "includes Florida sales tax Send to: The Miami Times, 900 NW 54 St. * Miami, FL 33127-1818 or Subscribe online at www.mymiamitimes.com CALL PATRICIA TODAY! 305-651-2252 I - , z m , . , I --------- ~ t�..- -..; "� � -;-�� ' '''. �; �-�~:� ': TH SECTION D Apartments GREAT NEWS!!! PINNACLE PLAZA APTS 3650 NW 36th St. Miami, Fl 33142 A NEW RENTAL COMMUNITY NOW LEASING ONE, TWO AND THREE BED- ROOM APARTMENTS STARTING AT: $698.00 APARTMENTS ARE: FULLY TILED, ENERGY EFFICIENT APPLIANCES, CEILING FANS AND MUCH MORE!!! PLEASE VISIT US AT SISTER PROPERTY FRIENDSHIP TOWER COMMERCIAL AREA) LOCATED AT 1553 NW 36TH STREET FOR MORE LEASING' INFORMATION STARTING: JULY 7, 2009 (305) 635- 9505 "Income restrictions apply. rents are subject to change 101 N.E. 78 Street Three bdrms Special $875, two bdrms $815 and 1 bdrm, $700.- nice and clean, park- ing. Section 8 OK! 786-326-7424 101-A CIVIC CENTER AREA FREE 32-INCH LCD HD TV. One bedroom $650, Two bedrooms $760. Central air, free water, ap- pliances, parking, laundry Quiet Area 1545 N.W. 8 Ave. 786-506-3067 "Limited Time Offer' 1140 N.W. 79 ST. One bedroom one bath $550. Free Water. Mr Willie #109. 305-642-7080 1212 N. W. 1 Avenue , $500 MOVE IN One bedroom one bath. $500 stove, refrigerator, air 305-642-7080 1215 N.W. 103 Lane Two bdrms, gated security, tile. $700 mthly, $1000 to move in. 305-696-7667 1215 N.W. 103 Lane Two bdrms, gated security, tile. $700 mthly, $1000 to move in. 305-696-7667 1229 N.W. 1 Court $550 MOVE IN! One bedroom, one bath, $550, stove, refrigerator, air. 305-642-7080, 786-236-1144 1245 N.W. 58 Street One bedroom, one bath, $495 per month, all appli- ances included. Free 19 Inch LCD T.V. Call Joel: 786-355-7578 1250 N.W. 60 STREET One bedroom, one bat $525. Free Water. 305-642-7080 1261 N.W. 59 STREET One bedroom, one bath. $550 Free Water. 305-642-7080 1281 N.W. 61 Street Renovated one bdrm, $525; two bdrms, $725. One Free Month. 305-747-4552 1317 NW 2 AVENUE $425 MOVE IN. One bdrm, one bath $425. Ms. Shorty #1 786-290-1438 13190 Aswan Road #2 MOVE IN SPECIAL! Reno- vated, one bdrm., one bath, $800. mthly. Section 8. 786-229-6567. 1348 N.W. 1 Avenue One bedroom, one bath $450. Two bedrooms one bath $525. 305-642-7080 13880 NE 6 Avenue One bedroom, $680 mthly. Efficiency, $500 mthly. First, last and security. References Required. 305-769-3740 140 N.W. 13 Street $525 MOVE IN. Two bed- room, one bath $525. S786-236-1144/305-642- 7080 140 S.W. 6 St. HOMESTEAD Two bedrooms, one bath. $450 monthly Call:305-267-9449 14047 NE 2 AVENUE Two bedrooms, two baths, central air. Section 8 okay. $950 Other vacancies. 305-254-6610 1425 NW 60th Street Nice one bdrm, one bath. $600 mthly. Includes refrig- erator, stove, central air water $725 to move in. 786-290-5498 1450 N.W. 1 AVENUE One bedroom, one bath $425. Two bedrooms one bath. $525. 305-642-7080 1459 N.W. 60th Street One bedroom, one bath, brand new appliances, tiled floors, $600 monthly. One month moves you in. Call 305-458-3977 1525 N.W. 1 Place MOVE IN SPECIAL! First month moves you in. Three bdrms., two baths, $695 monthly. All appliances in- cluded. Central ai. Free 19 Inch LCD TV. Call Joel 786-355-7578 1525 N.W. 1st Place MOVE IN SPECIAL! One bedroom one bath $395 monthly. $600 to move in Newly renovated All appliances included Free 19 inch LCD TV Call Joel 786-355-7578 1969N W 2 Court $550 MOVE IN! One bedroom, one bath, $550, stove, refrigerator, air, free water. 305-642-7080, 786-236- 1144 20380 N.W. 7th Avenue Two bdrms, two baths, cen- tral air, gated. 305-527-1103. 210 N.W. 17 Street One bedroom, one bath. $475. Call 305-642-7080 2121 N.E. 167 STREET One bedroom, one bath. $650. Appliances, free water. 305-642-7080. 2131 NW 100 STREET One bedroom, stove, refrig- erator, air, bars, water, fenced and more. 305-948-6913 2141 N.W. 91st Street One bedroom, one bath, private driveway, air. $625 monthly. 786-663-0234 220 N.W. 16 STREET Two bedrooms, one bath. $600 Appliances 305-642-7080 - 2295 N.W. 46th Street One bedroom $625, newly renovated, appliances includ- ed. Call Tony 305-213-5013 2416 N.W. 22 Court One bedroom one bath $600 Two bedrooms two bath $725 Air, Free Water. 305-642- 7080 2701 N.W. 1 Ave MOVE IN SPECIAL. One bedroom, one bath. $500 month. $750 to move in. All appliances included. Free 19 inch LCD TV. Call Joel 786-355-7578 2751 N.W. 46th Street One bedroom, remote gate. $650 monthly. 954-430-0849 2804 N.W. 1 AVE MOVE IN SPECIAL! Two bedrooms, one bath $600 mthly, $900 to move in All appliances included. Free 19 inch LCD TV, Call Joel 786-355-7578 2972 N.W. 61 Street Large one bedroom, one! bath, $550. Free Water; 305-642-7080 3220 NW 135 STREET Studios $550; all utilities included One bdrm. $650 Two bdrm. $750 No Application Fees Section 8 Welcome 786-853-8313 3301 N.W. 51 Street One bedroom, one bath. $600 moves you in. Appliances in- cluded. 786-389-1686 � 3330 N.W. 48th Terrace One bdrm, one bath. $600 mthly. 305-213-5013 3669 Thomas Avenue One bedroom $550, two . bedrooms $650, stove, re- frigerator, air. 305-642-7080 3900 N.W. 165 STREET Two bedrooms, one bath. Central air, tiled floors. $950 monthly. 786-223-3353 411 N.W. 37 STREET Studios, $395 monthly. All appliances included. Call Joel 786-355-7578 50th Street Heights CALL FOR MOVE IN SPECIAL Walking distance from Brownsville Metrorail. Free water, gas, window bars, iron gate doors. One and two bedrooms from $490-$580 monthly. 2651 N.W. 50th Street, Call 305-638-3699 Ss MIAMI, FLORIDA, NOVEMBER 18-24, 2009 tral air, $1050. One bdrm, one bath, remodeled, $700. 12108 N.E. 5 Avenue. 305-206-1566 wB~i 5520 S.W. 32nd Street Hallandale FLORIDA Two bedrooms, one bath, with living room and washer and dryer connection, $850 monthly, $1450 move in. 786-370-0832 5755 N.W. 7th Avenue Large one bedroom, park- ing. $625 monthly. $1000 to move in. Call 954-394-7562. 60 and 61 STREET One and two bdrms. renovat- ed, security gate, $595 and $695. 954-638-2972 6020 N.W. 13th Avenue CALL FOR MOVE IN SPECIAL Two bedrooms, one bath, $520-$530 monthly. One bedroom, $485 monthly, win- dow bars and iron gate doors. Free water and gas. Apply at: 2651 N. W. 50 Street or Call 305-638-3699 6832 N.W. 5th Place Studio, $105 weekly, $450 to move in. 786-286-2540 6900 NW 2 AVENUE Two bedrooms, two baths. Section 8 o.k. 786-295-9961 7001 NW 15 AVENUE Move-in special One bed- room one baih $399 per month. $600 to move in. All appliances included Free 19 inch LCD TV. Call Joel: , 786-355-7578 7520 NE MIAMI COURT One bedroom, one bath, free water. $650 monthly, $650 to move in. 786-277-0302 7625 N.E. 4 Court One bedroom, one bath $600. Stove, refrigerator, free water. 305-642-7080 800 N.W. 67 Street One bedroom, utilities includ- ed. $800 moves you in. 786-389-1686 8475 N.E. 2nd Avenue One and two bdrm apts. Section 8. 305-754-7776 912 NW 55 TERRACE #2 Two bedrooms, one bath, $675 monthly. Contact Rastee, 678-575-0940 ALBERTA HEIGHTS APTS CALL FOR MOVE IN SPECIAL One and two bedrooms, from $495-$585 monthly. Free water, window bars and iron gate doors. Apply at: 2651 NW 50 Street or call 305-638-3699 ARENA GARDENS' Move in with first months rent FREE BASIC CABLE Remodeled one, two, and three bedrooms, air, appli- ances, laundry and gate. From $450. 100 N.W. 11 St. 305-374-4412. BEAUTIFUL 5120 N.W. 23 AVENUE One bedroom, one bath, wa- ter included. $600 monthly. George 305-283-6804 CAPITAL RENTAL AGENCY 305-642-7080 Overtown, Liberty City, Opa-Locka,'Brownsville. Apartments, Duplexes, Houses. One, Two and Three Bedrooms. Same day approval. For more informa- tion/specials. www.capitalrentalagency. com Carver Ranches Two bedrooms one bath. $650 monthly, includes water garbage and sewer. 954-885-9641 .DOWNTOWN BISCAYNE 1312-1315 N.E. Miami Court. One bdrm, one bath, safe, clean, new kitchen, new tile, fresh paint, secured parking, $595-$650. 305-528-7766 HAMPTON HOUSE APARTMENTS Easy qualify. Move in special.One bedroom, one bath, $495, two bedrooms, one bath, $595. Free water! Leonard 786-236-1144 L & G APARTMENTS CALL FOR MOVE IN SPECIAL Beautiful one bedroom, $540 monthly, apartment in gated community on bus lines. Call 305-638-3699 LIBERTY SQUARE One and two bedrooms, tiled. 786-267-3199 MIAMI GARDEN APARTMENTS One bedrooms from $575. Remodeled, gated, parking. 522 N.E. 78 Street. 305-776- 7863ai742 2 MOVE IN SPECIAL Corner of N.W. 103 St. Beau- tiful two bedrooms. $700 monthly. $1000 to move in. Gated, security, tiled floors, central air. 786-402-0672 N. DADE Section 8 OKI! One and two bdrms. No De- posit For Section 8. 786-488-5225 NORTH MIAMI AREA Two bdrms., one bath, cen- mthly. 786-426-6263 OPA LOCKA AREA 2405 N W. 135th Street 1/2 Month FREE. one and two bedrooms, central air Appliances and water in- cluded. Section 8 welcome with no security deposits 786-521-7151 305-769-0146 OVERTOWN AREA One bdrm, one bath, $475 monthly. Call 786-262-4536. READY TO MOVE IN! 750 NW 56th Street Very nice one and two bdrms.. Gas, water included, Section 8 OK! 786-262-6958 Condos/Townhousesi 13480,NE 6 AVENUE Two bedrooms, two baths, corner unit, two balconies, central air. $950 monthly. Section'8 OK. Call: 305-255-6330 2911 N.W. 194th Street Newly renovated, three bdrms, one bath, $1400 a month, fenced yard, close to shopping, schools, and Sta- dium. Section 8 okay. Call 786-267-4979 CAROL CITY AREA Recently renovated three bedrooms, one and a halt bath Section 8 Welcome Call Morns for Move In Special' 305-525-3540 DOWNTOWN MIAMI Two bedrooms, two baths. penthouse, ocean view $1100 monthly. 1000 square feel Section 8 Welcome 786-260-5708 Cell 305-652-2257 Office www themiamicondo corn NORTH MIAMI BEACH A must see! Bright and airy, super clean, tiled, three bdrms., one and half bath with walk-in closet, extra storage space, updated patio, central air, minutes from malls and schools. Section 8 okay. Call now 305-321-5936. READY TO MOVE IN! 15600 NW 7th Avenue Large one bedroom condo! MUST SEE. Water included Section 8 OK 786-262-6958 Duplexes 10070 N.W. 12 Avenue Two bedrooms, one bath. $900 monthly. 786-277-8287 1023 N.W. 47 ST Newly Remodeled three bedroom one bath, one bedroom one bath. Appli- ances. Free electric, water. 305-642-7080, 786-236- 1144 1080 NW 100 TERR Three bedrooms, two baths. $1300 monthly. 786-315-8491 12400 N.E. 11 Court Three bedrooms, one bath, three bedrooms two baths $1000-$1100), two baths. Appliances, central air. 305-642-7080 1245 N.E. 111th Street Two bedrooms, one bath, $850 monthly. Section 8 OK. 786-357-8885, 786-290-0768 1302 NW 1 PLACE Two bedrooms, one bath, $650 monthly. All appliances included. Section 8 OK. Call 305-255-6330 1441 N.E. 153 TERR. Two bedrooms, one bath, under $800 and Three bed- rooms, one bath, under $900. Efficiencies also available un- der $600. Section 8 ok. 305-456-4961 1455 NW 59 STREET One bedroom, one bath, air, tiles, bars. $650 monthly. 305-490-9284 1456 N.W. 60 STREET Two bedrooms, one bath. $800. Stove, refrigerator, air. 305-642-7080 1477 NW 2.AVENUE Two bedrooms, two baths, townhouse style, central air, gated. $750 monthly. Section 8 OK. Call: 305-255-6330 168 NW 53 STREET One bedroom, one bath. $600 monthly. All appliances included, gated. Section 8 OK. Call 305-255-6330 1737 N.W. 47 TERR. Two bedrooms, one bath. $900 mthly. Section 8 OK. 305-751-6720, 305-331-3899 1812 N. W. 50 Street Two bdrms, one bath, $900 mthly, Section 8 OK. 305-751-6720, 305-331-3899 1857 N.W. 50th Street Two bedrooms, one bath, $725 monthly. 954-496-5530 1875 NW 43 STREET Two bedrooms, one bath. Central air, tiled floors. $900 mntly. Section 8 welcome. 305-331-2431 2035 NW 69 TERRACE Two bdrms, air, appliances and utilities included. $950 r 21301 N.W. 37 AVE. Two bedrooms, air. $895. 786-306-4839 2228 NW 82 ST Two bedrooms, one bath, central air. $1000 mthly. 305-685-9909, 305-776-3857 2257 N.W. 82 ST Two bedrooms, one bath $850 Free Water. 305-642-7080 2401 NW 95 STREET Two bdrms, one bath, wash- er, dryer, central air. Section 8 OK. $1,175 mthly. Matthew 954-818-9112 2416 N.W. 22 CT One bedroom one bath $600 Two bedrooms one Datn $725. Air Free Water 305-642-7080 2632 N.E. 212 TER Two bedrooms one balh $950 Appliances 305-642- 7080 2927 N.W. 61 STREET Three bedrooms, two full baths, air, appliances. $1300 month. First, last, security. 305-962-2666 3030 N.W. 19th Avenue One bedroom, Section,8 Welcome. Call 305-754- 7776. 3190 N.W. 135th Street One bedroom, one bath, air,' stove, refrigerator, water in- cluded. Section 8 Welcome. Call Marie 305-763-5092. 338 N.W. 59th Street Huge one bedroom, one bath, central air. Section 8 welcome. 305-490-7033 42 N.W. 57th Street Two bedrooms, new kitchen, central air, bars, water, $900 monthly, 305-310-7366. 4693 NW 18th Avenue Two bdrms, one bath. $775 mthly, air, $1400 tp move-in. 305-322-8966 5809 N. MIAMI AVE Two bdrm, one bath $825 Special. 305-758-7022 Frank Cooper Real Estate 6250 N.W. 1 Ave Newly Remodeled. Two bedrooms one bath, one bedroom one bath. Ap- ploances, Free electric, water. 305-642-7080. 786- 236-1144 68 NW 45 STREET Two bedrooms, one bath, central air. $650. Four bed- room also available. 786-431-5520 6922 N.W. 2nd Court Huge two bedrooms, one bath, central air. Section 8 welcome. 305-490-7033 745 N.W. 107 ST. Two bedrooms. Air. $895. 786-306-4839 7521 NW 1 AVENUE Huge three bedrooms, two baths. ALL NEW! Impact Windows, central air. $1350 monthly. 305-793-0002 7820 N.E. 1 AVENUE Two bdrms, one bath. $925. Appliances, free water. 305-642-7080 8276 NE MIAMI COURT One bedroom, one bath, pri- vate yard with rear toward N. Miami Avenue. $700 monthly. Section 8 OK. Call 305-255- 6330 8451 N.W. 19 AVENUE One bedroom, water, new kitchen, air, tile. $650 monthly, $1500 to move in. Not Section 8 affiliated. Terry Dellerson, Broker 305-891-6776 86 Street NE 2 Ave Area Two bedrooms. Section 8 Welcome. Call 305-754-7776 9357 NW 31 AVENUE Three bedrooms, two baths, air, tiled floor. $1150 monthly, first and last. Not Section 8 approved. 305-625-4515. COCONUT GROVE KINGSWAY APTS 3737 Charles Terrace Two bdrms, one bath duplex located in Coconut Grove. Near schools and buses. $595 monthly, $595 security deposit, $1190 total to move in. 305-448-4225 or apply at: 3737 Charles Terrace NORTH MIAMI NORTH MIAMI BEACH Two bedrooms, one bath, central air, tiled, $900 monthly. 786-985-1624. NORTH MIAMI AREA Two bdrms, one bath, Section 8 accepted, 786-389-2118. NORTHWEST AREA One bedroom, three bed- rooms, $500 - $1000. 305- 749-6749,305-335-6132 Efficiencies 100 N.W. 14th Street Newly renovated, fully furnished, utilities and cable (HBO, BET, ESPN). 24 hour security camera, $185 wkly, $650 mthly. 305-751-6232 1756 N.W. 85th Street $500 moves you in. Call 786-389-1686. e Three bedrooms, one bath. $1075 monthly. Call 407-497-8017. 2245 NW 92 STREET One bedroom, furnished, one person only. All utilities paid. $500 monthly, $1000 to move in. 305-835-7681 2253 N.W. 94 ST. Rear Furnished. Includes water and light. $500 monthly. Move In Special $1000. 954-802-2423 3153 N.W. 53rd Street Starting at $450 monthly. First, last and security. 305-751-6232 350 N.W. 45th Street Furnished efficiency. Utilities included. $575 monthly. First and last. 786-718-5223 4245 N.W. 24th Ave Free Lights, free water. $150 weekly. $500 to move in. 786-357-3958. 5541 N.W. Miami Court Newly renovated, fully furnished, utilities and cable (HBO, BET, ESPN),from $185 wkly to $650 monthly. 305-751-6232. Close to Miami Avenue on N.E. 84th Street Laundry room, water includ- ed, new ceramic tile floors. $525 monthly. Call 305-970- 5574 MIAMI GARDENS AREA Private entrance, air, cable and use of pool. 305-343-2732 READY TO MOVE IN! 2125 N.W. 36 Street. Renovated! Efficiency.and one bdrm. Gas,water included Section 8 OK! 786-262-6958 Furnished Rooms 1010 N.W. 180 TERR Free cable, air and use of kitchen. 305-835-2728 13377 N.W. 30th Avenue $85 weekly, free utilities, kitchen, bath, one person. 305-474-8186,305-691-3486 1368 N.W. 70th Street $500 mainly, washer and dryer, kitchen access, air, cable available. Call 305-691-0458 1500 N.W. 74th Street Microwave, refrigerator, color TV, free cable, air, and use of kitchen. Call 305-835-2728. 1525 NE 158 STREET Rooms available. 305-693-1017, 305-298-0388 1845 N.W. 50th Street $100 weekly with air, $200 to move in. 786-286-7455, 305- 720-4049 1887 N.W. 44th Street $450 monthly. $650 moves you in. 305-303-0156. 2170 Washington Avenue OPA LOCKAAREA Clean rooms, $110 weekly, $476 monthly. 786-277- 3434,786-298-4383 3042 N.W. 44th Street Big rooms, air, $115 weekly, move in $230. 786-262-6744 4220 N.W. 22 Court $85 weekly, free utilities, kitchen, bath, one person. 305-474-8186, 305-691-3486 53 Street and 14 Ave. Own entrance, bed, own bath- room, refrigerator, air and mi- crowave. $600, first and $300 Security to move in, includes water and electricity. 305-710-1343, 786-486-6613 7110 N. W. 15 Court Share House $125 weekly, air. Appointment only. 305-254-6610 8275 N.W. 18th Avenue Clean rooms available. Call 305-754-7776. MIAMI AREA Three quarter way house. Nice Area. Bed space in a shared room. Hot meals, hot shower, all for only $15 a day. 305-919-9253, 786-704-5143 MIAMI GARDENS AREA Clean room, side entry, patio, cable. 305-688-0187 NICELY FURNISHED Air, cable, TV, utilities. $150 wkly. 786-290-0946 NORLAND AREA Nice quiet room, near bus ter- minal. Call 305-766-2055 NORTH MIAMI AREA $120 weekly, $240 to move in, includes cable, central air. 786-277-7150 NORTH MIAMI AREA Large bedroom, cable, central air, parking, utilities included. Call 954-274-4594 NORTHWEST AREA 62 Street N.W. First Avenue $450 monthly $650 move in Call 305-989-8824 NORTHWEST AREA Clean quiet room with security bars. $65 weekly. Call 305-769-3347 NORTHWEST AREA Large clean furnished rooms. Call 786-597-0871 NORTHWEST MIAMI AREA Nice room with privileges like home, responsible person preferred. Call 305-696-2451. Houses 105 N.E. 55 STREET Large five bedrooms, two baths, massive yard. Central air, tiled kitchen. Section 8 Welcome. $1750 monthly. Call 786-390-0582 1131 N.W. 64th Street Three bedrooms, one bath, central air, $850 monthly, Section 8 OK. 786-252-2791 14082 N.E. 2nd Avenue Four bedrooms, two baths, new townhouse located in nice area, Section 8 ok! Only $999 security deposit. 954-826-4013 1430 N.E. 71 ST. Two bedrooms, one bath. $925. stove. refrigerator air 305-642-7080 1460 N.W. 44 ST. Three bedrooms, one bath. $1250 mthly. Section 8 OK. 786-556-9111 14620 Monroe St. Richmond Heights. Beautiful three bedrooms, one bath. $900 mthly. 786-267-1682 1747 N.W. 45 STREET Two bedrooms, one bath, large living, dining and Florida room. 305-624-6176 17500 NW 40 AVE Large, two bedrooms, one bath, central air, remodeled, covered patio, laundry room. $1200 monthly. All utilities in- cluded. 786-853-8313 1832 N.W. 49 STREET Two bedrooms, one bath $995 Central Air, appli- ances, ceiling plans 305- 642-7080 1840 N.W. 185 STREET Three bedrooms, one bath. central air, fans. Section 8 OK! 305-829-8100 1861 N.W. 166 STREET Three bedrooms, air. $995. 786-306-4839 1863 N.W. 91st Street Beautiful one bedroom, total- ly remodeled, all appliances. $650 monthly, first and last. 305-746-4551 19030 N.W. 43 AVE. Three bedrooms, two baths, den, Section 8, HOPWA. Central air. 954-392-0070 191 St N.W. 11 Ave. Area Four bdrms, two baths. Section OK! 305-754-7776 20027 N.W. 32nd Place Three bdrms, one and half bath, $1366 , security deposit required. Section 8 preferred. Call 954-547-9011. 20061 NW 14 PLACE Two bedrooms, one bath, appliances. Section 8 Wel- come. 786-356-1686 20700 NW 25 AVENUE Three bedrooms, one bath, newly renovated, central air, huge, fenced yard. Easy com- mute. $1250 monthly. Section 8 preferred. 305-479-3221 2441 N.W. 104 ST Three bedrooms, one bath. Call 786-238-3071 2485 N.W. 55th TERRACE Two bedrooms, one bath, se- curity bars, new kitchen, new bathroom, tiled floors. $975 monthly. Section 8 welcome. 305-663-9353 280 HARLEN AVE. Opa-Locka. Two bedrooms, one bath. Central air, huge yard. Section 8 OK! 305-829-8100 288 N. W. 51 st. Street Three bedrooms, two bath house. $900 monthly All appliances included Call Joel 786-355-7578 2902 N.W. 162 STREET Four bedrooms, two baths. $1500 monthly. Section 8 OK. 305-510-28411 3330 NW 214 STREET Four bedrooms, two baths, huge den. $1395. 786-306-4839 4900 N.W. 26th Avenue Completely renovated two bedroom house with fenced yard in nice Brownsville neighborhood. Air-condi- tioned and ceramic tile floors throughout. Stove and refrig- erator. Only $750 per month, $1500 to move in. Includes free water and free lawn ser- vice. Contact Rental Office 2651 N.W. 50th St Miami, FL 33142, 305-638-3699. 6717 N.W. 6 AVENUE Three bedrooms, two baths, big yard, central air. Section 8 accepted. 786-326-2789 LIBERTY CITY AREA Lovely three bdrms, one bath, nice tile, storage, big yard, schools, and bus line. Section 8 ok. Call 305-321-5936. MIAMI AREA Three bedrooms, one bath, good neighborhood, fenced yard, $975 a month. Call 786-260-4648 MIAMI GARDENS AREA Four bedrooms, two oaths, central air, tiled, fenced yard. Section 8 OK! $1300 monthly. 305-388-7477 MIAMI GARDENS AREA N.W. 133 St. and 18 Ave Three bedrooms, two baths. Call 305-754-7776 Office Space Prime Golden Glades Office Space for rent, from $300 to $500 monthly. 305-681-9600. 3361 N.W. 207 STREET Three bedrooms, remodeled, central air. Try $900 down and $799 monthly with new mortgage. We have others call and come by for list. NDI Realtors 305-655-1700 290 N.W. 183 Street *ATTENTION' Now You Can own Your Own Home Today "'WITH.' FREE CASH GRANTS UP TO $65.000 On Any Home/Any Area FIRST TIME BUYERS Need HELP??? 305-892-8315 House of Homes Realty NEW CONSTRUCTIONS SINGLE FAMILY HOMES Three bedrooms, Two baths Starting from $70,000 *After grants and subsidies Also subject to qualification NO CLOSING COSTS 305-801-5868 COMPLETE HOME REPAIRS Plumbing, electrical, stove, washer, dryer. 786-273-1130 TONY ROOFING Shingles, re-rodfing, and leak repairs. Call 305-491-4515. FREE DAYCARE For Teenage Parents. Free Daycare for VPK. Reduced Daycare for All Ages. CDS Accepted. 15 Slots Avail- able. McDonald's Playworld 6375 N.W. 2 Avenue 305-754-1132 Duhart's Daycare 5580 N.W. 7 Avenue 305-751-2684 BROWARD ROUTE DRIVERS We are seeking drivers to deliver newspaper to retail outlets in the Broward Area. Wednesday Only You must be available be- tween the hours of 6 a.m. and 1 p.m. Must have reli- able, insured vehicle and current Driver License. Apply in person at: . The Miami Times 900 N.W. 54th Street Mystery Shoppers Earn up to $100 per day un- dercover shoppers needed to judge retail and dining establishments. Experience not required. Call 877-471-5682 Don't Throw Away Your Old Records! I Buy Old Records! Albums, LP's, 45's, or 12" singles. Soul, Jazz, Blues, Reggae, Caribbean, Latin, Disco, Rap. Also DJ Collections! Tell Your Friends! 786-301-4180. BE A SECURITY OFFICER \ $60. Be prepared for Super Bowl employment. Traffic School, four hours, $28. 786- 333-2084 BEST PRICES IN TOWN!ll Handyman, carpet cleaning, plumbing, hanging doors, laying tiles, bathroom remodeling. 305-801-5690 * I S I I BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY 10D THE MIAMI TIMES, NOVEMBER 18-24, 200O I Fed requires OK for overdraft fees B I S&&UM' Debit card, ATM users can have transactions rejected limit thetnumber of feesJ F I z.�Ai that can be charge. By Kathy Chu The Federal Reserve released a long-awaited rule Thursday requir- ing banks and credit unions to get consum- ers' permission before charging steep fees to pay debit card and ATM overdrafts. The final rule, which comes amid intense congressional scrutiny of bank overdraft prac- tices, will take effect by July 1, 2010, for new customers and Aug. 15, 2010, for existing customers. The Fed released a preliminary rule on debit card and ATM overdrafts late last year, but didn't say then if it would re- quire banks to get con- sumers' consent before signing them up for these programs. Yet, Scott Talbott, chief lobbyist for the Financial Services Roundtable, which represents the nation's largest banks, says the restrictions will "result in confusion- and frus- tration" for millions of Americans whose debit card and ATM over- drafts are rejected. Consumer advocates also criticized the Fed rule, saying it doesn't go far enough to curb overdraft fees that are pushing some people into financial turmoil. The regulation, for instance, doesn't re- strict fees charged by banks for overdrawn checks and recurring debit card transac- tions, such as monthly bill payments. Legis- lation introduced by Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., and separately by Sen. Chris Dodd, D- Conn., would restrict both check and debit card overdrafts. "The Fed is acting 10 years late to par- tially solve a problem that Congress is going to have to completely solve," says Ed Mi- erzwinski, consumer program director for the U.S. Public Inter- est Research Group. "They're trying to do the least that they can get away with." Overdraft fees have long been a profit cen- ter for banks, but USA TODAY research has found that they are now the industry's single-largest driver of consumer fee in- come. In 2009, banks are expected to reap a record $38.5 billion from overdraft and in- sufficient-funds fees, Broward Ponzi scheme total could top $i billion By Kevin McCoy In potentially the biggest Ponzi scheme since the Bernard Madoff case, the FBI said Thurs- day that a suspected scarn run by a high- profile Florida lawyer could top $1 billion and involve victims across the U.S. and overseas. The FBI called for burned investors to provide details of their dealings with Scott Rothstein, a wealthy Fort Lauderdale at- torney whose luxury cars, yachts, bank accounts and other properties were seized or targeted for forfei- ture this week as the investigation escalat- ed. "I would put this as one of the biggest al- leged fraud schemes we've investigated in South Florida," said John Gillies, special agent in charge of the FBI's Miami office. The FBI asked in- ves- tors t o contact the agency by calling 800-225-5324, wait for the options and choose the Rothstein option, or send e-mail to Rothstein.Invest- ment@)ic.fbi.gov. Rothstein, a major contributor to Florida charities and politi- cians, has not been criminally charged. He recently left Flori- da for Morocco before returning to meet with investigators. His law- yer, M a r c Nurik, did not re- spond to a message seeking comment. Madoff, arrested in December, is serv- ing a 150-year prison term for running a scam in which losses top $21 billion so far. Although authorities this year have un- covered numerous similar scams, the top individual case loss totaled about $700 million. According to a for- feiture complaint prosecutors filed this week, Rothstein alleg- edly solicited inves- tors since 2005 for purported settlements of sexual harassment and other labor-relat- ed lawsuits. The cases purportedly involved money tthe plaintiffs were scheduled to get over months or years. Rothstein allegedly offered investors a chance to buy settle- ments at a discount in deals that would pay the original plain- tiffs a smaller lump sum immediately. The investors would then collect a given settle- ment's full value over time. For instance, the complaint alleged that one investor was told in September he could buy a $450,000 settle- ment for $375,000. The full value of the settlement was to be paid to the unidentified investor in $150,000 increments over three months - an annual percentage yield high- er than 80%. Tax credit to steady, not rescue, shaky U.S. housing Don't expect the ex- panded home buyer tax credit to be a per- manent cure for the U.S. housing market. It won't. Take the spike in mortgage demand cre- ated by the tax credit this summer. It was followed by a plunge as the incentive was set to expire, showing how housing's recov- ery is tethered to gov- ernment aid. As the economy emerges from a reces- sion triggered by the housing market cri- sis, increasing home sales is viewed as es- sential. Housing and related business ac- count for about 20 -percent of the econ- omy, and more sales means more spending on everything from dishwashers to ener- gy-efficient windows. The Obama admin- istration last week extended an $8,000 first-time buyer cred- it, added a $6,500 provision for move-up buyers and increased income limits. Eligible borrowers must sign contracts by April 30 and close loans by June 30, 2010 in- stead of closing by the end of this month. Both the credit and another major gov- ernment action -- the purchase of more than $1.4 trillion in mortgage-related se- curities aimed at cut- ting home loan rates -- will now end within weeks of each other. The purchases stop by March 31. Unless the employ- ment picture bright- ens around that time, housing does not have enough footing to forge a re- covery on its own, most economists and industry experts said. "Housing was go- ing to fall off a cliff if they didn't do it," said John Burns, presi- dent of John Burns Real Estate Consult- ing in Irvine, Califor- nia. "We're" still ex- pecting a leg down, but it shouldn't be as significant" as his prior estimate, which called for sales to plunge as much as 30 percent. Advanced Gyn Clinic Professional. Sale & Confldenlial Servries - Termination Up to 22 Weeks - Individual Counseling Services - Board Certified OB GYN's - Complete GYN Services ABORTION START $180 AND UP 305-621-1399 CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA NOTICE OF COMMISSION MEETING DATE CHANGE PLEASE ALL TAKE NOTICE THAT the City Commission meeting scheduled for November 19, 2009 is rescheduled to December 3, 2009 at 9:00 AM because of a lack of quorum in the City Commission Chambers at City Hall, which is located at 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, Florida. All interested persons are invited to attend. Should any person desire to ap- peal any decision of the City Commission with respect to any matter to be considered at this meeting, that person shall ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made including all testimony and evidence upon which any appeal may be based (F.S. 286.0105). In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, persons need- ing special accommodations to participate in this proceeding may contact the Office of the City Clerk at (305) 250-5360 (Voice) no later than two (2) business days prior to the proceeding or at (305) 250-5472 (TTY) no later than three (3) business days prior to the proceeding. Priscilla A. Thompson, CMC City Clerk .--. (;yi) (#003325) nearly twice the $20.5 billion they stand to collect from credit card penalties. Mierzwinski says Congress should force institutions to disclose APRs when extending overdraft credit and Some experts warn that as regulators re- strict certain prac- tices, banks will just find new ways to make money off vulnerable consumers. "Banks are highly acclimated to exploit- ing the next great leg- islative loophole," says Jake Drew, a former vice president in MBNA and Bank of America's revenue-optimization group. "The best bank- ing reform efforts of the Federal Reserve and Congress, so far, are merely symptom- atic and reactive." City of Miami Notice of Request for Qualifications Title: Construction Engineering & Observation Services for NE 2nd Avenue Improvements Project (Segments B1 & C) and Citywide ADA Sidewalk Improvements Due Date: December 9, 2009 RFQ No.: 08-09-049 For detailed information, please visit our Capital Improvements Program webpage at: http://www.miamigov.com/capitalimprovements/ pages/ProcurementOpportunites/Default.asp THIS SOLICITATION IS SUBJECT TO THE "CONE OF SILENCE" IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 18-74 OF THE CITY CODE. Pedro G. Hernandez, P.E., City Manager DP No. 009083 I , '" CITY OF MIAMI ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Titles: NE 2 Ave Roadway Reconstruction Segment B1, 36-42 St., B-78508 NE 2nd Ave Roadway Reconstruction Segment C, 57-69 St., B-78508 Due December 21, 2009: Seg. B1 at 10:00 a.m.; Seg. C at 2:00 p.m. Non-mandatory Pre-Bid Conferences: Segment B1, Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. Segment C, Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. ITB Nos.: 08-09-066 (Seg. B1); 08-09-067 (Seg. C) For detailed information, please visit our Capital Improvements Program webpage at: www.miamigov.com/capitalimprovements/pages/ ProcurementOpportunities/Default.asp. THIS SOLICITATION IS SUBJECT TO THE "CONE OF SILENCE" IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 18-74 OF THE CITY CODE. Pedro G. Hernandez, P.E., City Manager DP No. 009053 ~~11~2 - CITY OF MIAMI ADVERTISEMENT FOR PROPOSALS Sealed Proposals will be received by the City of Miami City Clerk at her office located at City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, FL 33133 for the following: RFP NO. 127087 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO PROVIDE A TURNKEY TROLLEY SERVICE OPERATION FOR THE CITY OF MIAMI HEALTH DISTRICT WITH ADDITIONAL OPTIONAL FUTURE ROUTES CLOSING DATE/TIME: 2:00 PM, MONDAY, JANUARY 11, 2010 VOLUNTARY Pre-Proposal Conference: Thursday, December 3, 2009 at 10:00 AM Location: Main Conference Room, 10th Floor at MRC Building, 444 SW 2nd Avenue, Miami, FL 33130. Deadline for Request for additional information/clarification: 12/11/2009 at 3:00 P.M. Detailed for this Proposal (RFP) is available upon the City of Miami, Purchasing Department, website at www.miamigov.com/procurement. Telephone No. is (305) 416-1913. THIS SOLICITATION IS SUBJECT TO THE "CONE OF SILENCE" IN ACCORDANCE WITH CITY OF MIAMI CODE SECTION 18-74 ORDINANCE NO.12271. Pete Hernandez CITY OF MIAMI City Manager AD NO. 008968 A Hialeah Women Center & Family Planning AAA Attorney Referral Service Adrienne Arsht Center Advanced GYN Clinic Alba Medical Center Anthurium Gardens Florist CarePlus CitiBank City of Miami Capital Improvements Program City of Miami City Clerk City of Miami Purchasing Department Do It Yourself Credit Repair Don Bailey's Carpet Dr. Rozalyn Paschal M.D. Family Dentist Florida PCI General Motors Health First HSBC Mortgage Corporation Marcel's Cremation Inc. Miami-Dade Water & Sewer Authority SOffice of Comissioner Audrey M. Edmondson Publix Seaview Research SunTrust Toys R Us Wright Young Funeral Home * Accidents * Arrests * DUI 8 Tickets * Bankruptcy * Criminal Defense * Wills/Probate * Personal Injury * Divorce/Custody 100's of Lawyers Statewide iB o It"Yrlourse.lf dit epair SSAVE 1000S FOR ONLY 00P$19.95! " . FOR MORE INFO AND HOW TO ORDER CALL S 1(800) 724-2184 OR GO TO 550 850 GOODCREDIT911.COM Rozalyn Hester Paschal M.D.P.A., F.A.A.P INFANTS, CHILDREN, AND TEENAGERS Established Since 1953 * One of the oldestpediatric Practices in Dade County * Over 50 years of Child Care S,,* ~ WEBSITEE St www.rozalynhpaschalmd.com NORTHSIDE PLAZA PLANTATION OFFICE 7900 NW 27 Ave Ste 50 660 N. State Rd 7, Ste 3A Miami FL. 33147 * Phone 305-758-0591 Plantation FL 33317 * Phone 954-880-8399 JACKSON MEDICAL PLAZA PARKWAY Formerly, Parkway Medical Plaza 16800 NW2Ave.Ste 203 N. Miami Beach FL 33169 * 305-652-6095 Pregnant? LOW COST ABORTIONS Local or general Anesthesia TERMINATION UP TO 22 WEEKS Open Monday thru Saturday ALBA MEDICAL CENTER 4210 Palm Ave * Hialeah, Florida Call: 305-827-3412 20% discount with AD - &,g &. , -g .y -g -g -g - t;���- -� �� " -" " �.j � : . -`1IPI "`j -~-~T~ c~r BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY 11D THE MIAMI TIMES, NOVEMBER 18-24, 2009 FOR THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 17 - 23, 2009 AM Ld h, L-.. 'mmsr^ Stillman Sports Photo QUINN PORTER: SIAC ALL-STAR and black college rush- ing leader (133.6 ypg.)of TILT Stillman among invitees ON Tto black college all-star ON TAP game SC STATE, PRAIRIE VIEW CLINCH; THREE ALIVE FOR SWAC EAST TITLE; HBCU BOWL? UNDER THE BANNER WHATS GOING ON IN AND AROUND BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS HBCU SENIOR BOWL: The Russell Athletic HBCU Bowl is scheduled for Dec. 19 at 2 p.m. at Sthe Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Al. The game will feature top draft- S. eligible senior talent from the black ,j ' . college ranks playing in an East/ West format. According to the game's web- site (hbcubowl.com), the East team comprised of MEAC and CIAA Shaw Sports Photo QUINTEZ SMITH: players will be coached by Joe Shaw DB slated to Taylor of Florida A&M and the play in black college West team comprised of SWAC all-star game after and SIAC players will be coached leading CIAA and.Div. by Reggie Barlow of Alabama 1 in interceptions (9). State. Some player invitations have gone out with the official rosters to be named this week. Synergy Sports of Atlanta has partnered with the city of Montgomery Parks and Recreation Dept. to stage the game. Questions about the game can be directed to 888-496-7331. SCORES NOVEMBER 12 Grambling State 47, Texas Southern 33 NOVEMBER 14 Alabama A&M 13, Jackson State 5 Austin Peay 24, Tennessee State 2 Azusa Pacific 37, Langston 3 Bethune-Cookman 21, Howard 10 Edward Waters 44, New Orleans 12 Hampton 25, Florida A&M 0 Miss Valley State 16, Lincoln (MO) 6 NC Central 18, Winston-Salem State 10 Norfolk State 21, Delaware State 16 Prairie View A&M 34, Alcom State 14 SC State 37, Morgan State 13 Southern 34, Alabama State 24 S. Nazarene 30, Texas College 18 Stillman 37, Concordia 28 Urbana 40, Central State 8 Webber Intl 35, Savannah State 20 NCAA DIV. II PLAYOFFS California (PA) 42, Fayetteville State 13 West Alabama 24, Albany State 22 ............... HOW THEY DID IT - -.---- - West Alabama 24, Albany State 22 - Juan Bongarra missed a 36-yard field goal with 16 seconds remain- ing as Albany State lost in the first round of the NCAA Division 11 play- offs for the fifth consecutive year, falling to visiting West Alabama (8-4). The Golden Rams end the season 8-3. ASU QB A. J. McKenna threw for 153 yards (15 of 28) and his lone TD to Antwan Harris of 16 yards with 4:24 left brought the Rams within 24-22. His two-point PAT rush attempt tailed. After stopping UWA, McKenna drove the Rams to the UWA 29 before Bongarra missed the kick wide left. McKenna also rushed for 113 yards and a TD). Bongarra had two other field goal attempts blocked. ASU RB Demetrice Johnson ran for 131 yards and a TD. - California (Pa.) 42, Fayetteville State'13 - California (Pla.) held FSt to 55 first-half yards and jumped out to a 21-0 lead at the break and then added 21 unanswered third-quarter points to subdue the CIAA champion Broncos (8-4) in a first round Div. II playoff game. FSU scored both its touchdowns in the fourth quarter on a 12-yard pass from Benjamin Williams to B. J. Washington. Williams added a 15-yard "ID run with 4:04 to play. Richard Medlin led the FSU ground attack with 85 yards on 18 carries. Williams finished 12 of 27 with 2 picks for 136 yards. - South Carolina State 37, Fayetteville State 13 - South Carolina State (9-1, 7-0) used outstanding contributions from its offensive stars to clinch its second straight MEAC title and FCS playoff berth with a dominating win over Morgan State (3-4, 5-5). SCSU junior QB Malcolm Long continued his sterling play com- pleting 21 of 32 passes for 319 yards and 4 TDs with no interceptions. .Long broke his single-season passing yards mark set last year and became the first Bulldog in the program's 102-year history to pass for over 2.000 yards in a single season. He now has 2,082 passing yards with 18 TDs and just 4 interceptions. Senior wide receiver Oliver "Tre" Young hauled in six passes for 166 yards and I'D grabs of 45 and 12 yards and became the Bulldogs' all-time receptions leader. SCSU senior RB Will Ford, already the program's career rushing leader, hauled in a 19-yard pass to open the scoring and rambled for 1(07 yards on 20 carries. Ford needs 105 yards in his final games to become the MEAC's all-time leading rusher. - Prairie View A&M 34, Alcorn State 14 - Prairie View A&M (7-1. 6-0) won its first SWAC West Division title and a spot in the Dec. 12 league title game in Birmingham with a decisive win over Alcorn State (2-6, 2-4). Junior QB K. J. Black and RB Donald Babers again paced the Panthers. Black completed 24 of 30 passes for 213 yards and 3 Tl)s, two to tight end Marion Allen. while Habers rushed for 134yards on 26 carries and scored on a 5-yard fourth quarter run. Black is the SWAC's passing efficiency leader completing 69.1% (121 of 175) of his passes for 14 T)s and just 3 interceptions. Bahcrs is second in SWAC rushing stats. averaging 88.5 yards per game. - Hampton 25, Florida A&M 0 - Florida A&M lost prolific starting QB Curtis Pulley before the end of the first quarter and also lost the back-up QB and the two starting wideouts before the game was over in a shutout loss to Hampton (3-4, 5- 5) that almost surely knocks the Rattlers (5-2. 7-3) out of the FCS playoff picture. Pulley aggravated a groin injury suffered in last week's win over N. C. A&T in the first quarter and did not return, His back-up, Eddie Battle, lasted until the final quarter before he went down with what is believed to be a separated shoulder. Wideouts Isaac West and Kevin Elliot both suffered ankle injuries. Hampton, meanwhile, got perhaps first-year coach Donovan Rose's most significant victory. dealing former Hampton head coach Joe Taylor in Taylor's first return to the program he led for 16 years before leaving last year. I lampton RB Steve Robinson led the Pirates. who racked up 341 rushing yards. with 150 yards on 17 carries. Robinson scored on 2- and 1-yard runs. David Legree rushed 14 times for 87 yards and scored on a 15-yard jaunt C IAA CENTRAL NTECOLLEOIATE wIAA ATHLETIC ASSociATION DIV ALL E. DIVISION W L W L 'BowieState 5 2 6 5 Virginia Union 5 2 6 4 Eliz. City State 5 2 7 3 Virginia State 4 3 6 4 St. Paul's 2 4 3 6 Lincoln (PA) 0 0 3 7 W. DIVISION Fayetteville State 6 1 8 4 Shaw 5 2 8 2 St. Augustine's 4 3 4 6 J.C. Smith 2 5 3 7 Chowan 2 5 2 8 Livingstone 0 7 0 10 SWon con loss or Otv title PLAYERS OF THE WEEK OFFENSE Benjamin Williams, 08, FSU - Completed 12 of 27 passes for 134 yards and 1 TO with 1 int. n loss to Cal (Pa.) in first round of 2 playolls. DEFENSE NA M1EAfC MID EASTERN M EA ATHLETIC CONFERENCE CONF ALL W L W L SCState 7 0 9 1 Florida A&M 5 2 7 3 Norfolk State 5 3 6 4 Bethune-Cookman 4 3 5 5 Morgan State 3 4 5 5 NC A&TState 3 4 4 5 Hampton 3 4 5 5 Delaware State 2 5 3 6 Howard 0 7 2 8 #W-Salem State 0 0 1 9 # Not eligible for title MEAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK OFFENSE Oliver Tre" Young, Sr., WR, SCSU - 6 receptions tar 166 yards and 2 TOs vs. MSU to become SCSU's all-time receptions leader. Had 313 all-purpose yards (4 punt returns for 104 yards). DEFENSE TensIl Whitehead, Sr., , NSU - Team high 10 tackles, 6 solos, 1 sack, 2 Its. vs. DSU. ROOKIE Kory Kowatlkl, Fr., PK, BCU -3o-3 on PATs and 7 punts for 35.7 average vs. Howard. SPECIAL TEAMS Jahmal Blanchard, Sr,, P/PK, HAMPTON 5 punts for 42.4 yard average. LINEMAN Markeece Preston, Jr., OL, NSU - 4 pancakes. 90% grade vs. FAMU. S IAc SOUTHERN INTIEICOLLEGiAT S IA C ATHLETIC CONFERENCE CONF ALL W L W L 'Tuskegee 8 1 8 2 Albany State 7 2 8 3 Morehouse 6 3 7 3 Fort Valley State 6 3 7 4 Benedict 6 3 8 3 Kentucky State 4 5 6 5 Miles 3 6 4 7 Clark Atlanta 3 6 2 7 Stillman 2 7 4 6 Lane 0 9 0 10 ' Clinched conference lille SIAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK OFFENSE A. J. McKenna, 08, ASU - Passed for 153 yards (15 of 28) and one TD (16 yards) and ran lor 113 yards on 13 carries with 1 TD(24 yards) In first round Div. II playofl loss to West Alabama. Demtrice Johnson, RB, ASU - Ran for 134 yards on 22 carries including a 7-yard TD run and caught 2 passes lor 17 yards in lost lo UWA DEFENSE Mario Fuller, DB, ASU - Led the Golden Rams oith 11 tackles. 10 solos and 2 tar losses of 6 yards in loss to UWA. SWAC C SOUTHWESTEN SWACATHLE I C OoNFEBENCE DIV ALL E. DIVISION W L W L AlabamaA&M 3 3 6 4 Jackson State 3 3 3 6 Alcom State 2 4 2 6 Alabama State 1 6 4 6 Miss Valley St. 1 5 3 7 W. DIVISION PrairieView A&M 6 0 7 1 GramblingState 4 2 6 4 Texas Southem 3 2 4 5 Ark. Pine Bluff 3 2 5 3 Southern 3 2 6 3 SWAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK OFFENSE Bryant Lee, Sr., OB, SU - Completed 29 o139 passes lor 384 yards and 4 TDs (18, 51, 5, 33) wit 1 int., also rushed 8 times for 44 yards in win overAlabama State. DEFENSE Christian Anthony, Jr,, DE, GSU - 5 tackles, 3 solos and 2 for losses, 1 sack, 2 faced tumbres, 1 recovery and 1 intercep- tion vs TSU. NEWCOMER K.J. Black, Jr., 0B, PV A&M - Comleted 24 of 30 passes for 213 yards and 3 TDs and rushed for 31 yards in W. Div. title- clinchg win over Alcom State. SPECIAL TEAMS Andrew Lyons, So.,PKIP, ALAB.$TATE - Convered 3 fdd goalst(28, 19, 21) and averaged 38 yards on 4 punts. INDEPENDENTS W L Langston 8 3 Concordia 5 4 Tennessee Stale 3 7 W. Va. State 3 7 Savannah State 2 5 N. C Central 3 7 Central State 1 9 Lincoln (Mo.) 0 10 Edward Waters 1 10 Texas College 0 11 Cheyney 0 11 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK OFFENSE Calvin McNalrl, QB, TSU - Completed 17 of 23 passes for 189 yards and 3 TDs in loss to Austin Peay. Also had 42 rushing yards on 13 carries. DEFENSE DonaM Laster, Jr, LB, NCCU 8 tackles, 2.5 for tosses, 1.5 sacks and 1 interception vs WSSU, John Jones, TSU - Led the BlueTigers with Oladrdes, 5 solos, and 2 B huries vs. Austin Peay. SPECIAL TEAMS Landen ayer, P, WSSU - Averaged 40.1 yards on 8 punts vs. NCCU, five inside the 20. SWAC East down to final week LUT WILLIAMS BCSP Editor With South Carolina State's 37-13 win over Morgan State Saturday that clinched the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference championship and an automatic berth in the FCS playoffs and Prairie View A&M's 34-14 win over Alcorn State that earned the Panthers their first-ever Southwestern Athletic West Division title and first-ever spot in the Dec. 12 league championship game, all the regular season champions are in, right? Wrong! There's just one more bit of business to be taken care of. This Saturday Alabama A&M. Jackson State and Alcorn State all enter the final games of their regular seasons with a shot ait tle SWAC East Division title and a berth opposite Prairie View in the aforementioned title game. Here's how it breaks down. Alabama A&M (6-4, 3-3) has the simplest route. The Bulldogs win the East with a win Saturday (1 p.m.) over Mississippi Valley State (3-7, 1-5). JSU (3-6, 3-3) and Alcorn State (2-6, 2-4) first need A&M to lose. If so, whoever wins their tra- ditional season-ending Capital City Classic battle Saturday (1 p.m.) in Jackson, Ms., wins the East title. Jackson State has represented the East in the past two SWAC Championship games in both seasons of head coach Rick Comegys' tenure, losing to (rambling last season and beating the G-Men in 2007. Alabama A&M went to three championship games, two under current head coach Anthony Jones before winning the 2006 title over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Alcorn State has never reached the champion- ship game since the contest was re-instituted in 1999. The Braves are in their first year under head coach Earnest Collins. Elsewhere in the SWAC, Henry Frazier's THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19 ESPNU - Live Eastern Illinois vs. Tennessee State in Charleston, IL SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21 Alabama A&M vs. Miss Valley State in Huntsville, AL Delaware State vs. Howard in Dover, Del. Hampton vs. Morgan State in Hampton, VA Norfdlk State vs. Winston-Salem State in Norfolk, VA Prairie View A&M vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Prairie View, TX NC Central vs. Savannah State in Durham, NC SC State vs. NC A&T in Orangeburg, SC CLASSICS Capital City Classic Jackson State vs. Alcom State in Jackson, MS Florida Classic XXX - ESPN Classic - Live Florida A&M vs. Bethune-Cookman in Orlando, FL NAIA PLAYOFFS (First Round) Langston vs. Lindenwood in St. Charles, MO STILL ALIVE: Veteran coaches, Anthony Jones of Alabama A&M (1.) and Rick Comegys of Jackson State (c.), and rookie head coach Earnest Collins (r.) of Alcorn State, all have teams alive for the SWAC East Division title headed into final regular season games Saturday. Panthers of Prairie View A&M (7-1, 6-0) will look to complete their historic run with an unblemished conference record as they end the regular season Saturday hosting Arkansas-Pine Bluff (5-3, 3-2). Prairie View is up to 20th in this week's Sports Network Top 25 poll. The real battle in the SWAC West how- ever is for second place where the other four division teams - Arkansas-Pine Bluff (5-3, 3-2), Grambling State (6-4, 4-2), Southern (6-3, 3-2) and Texas Southern (4-5, 3-2) - are still alive. A win over division champ Prairie View Saturday would give UAPB, in its second year under former Washington Redskins' linebacker Monte Coleman, a nice feather in its cap. UAPB closes out the regular season with a Nov. 28 date vs. Texas Southern. UAPB beat Grambling and lost to Southern. The other loss on its division ledger was to Alabama A&M. Texas Southern is off this week but closes with dates vs. UAPB in Dallas (Nov. 28) and at home vs. Southern (Dec. 5). TSU has lost to Grambling and Prairie.View. Grambling is also off this week and clos- es with 'next Saturday's (Nov. 28) annual New Orleans date with Southern at the Bayou Classic. The G-Men have division losses to Prairie View and UAPB. Southern, likewise, is off this week before dates vs. Grambling and TSU. Southern has a loss to Prairie View and a loss to Jackson State that counts on its division ledger. MEAC 1 South Carolina State (9-1, 7-0) finishes the 1 regular season at home Saturday (1:30 p.m.) vs. 1 North Carolina A&T (4-5, 3-4). The Bulldogs 1 will then find out on Sunday who they will face 1:30 in the first round of the FCS playoffs. 1:30 SCSU head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough said after Saturday's win over Morgan State that it 1 would be great for Bulldog fans if his team could host a first-round playoff game. That scenario 2:30 appears likely after SCSU moved up to seventh and received two first-place votes in this week's 1:30 Sports Network FCS poll. But they also probably BCSP Notes MEAC 2009-10 Basketball TV schedule The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) has announced the 2009-10 basketball television schedule today with a collection of men's and women's competitive matchups on the ESPN family of networks. As part of its seven-year partnership with ESPN. the MEAC will high- light nine men's and three women's regular season games as well as both men's and women's tournament championship games. The 2010 MEAC Championship Tournament will also air on the ESPN networks with the women's championship game scheduled for a taped- delayed broadcast airing on March 14 at 11 a.m. on ESPNU while the men's championship game will broadcast live on ESPN2 beginning at 2 p.m. The 2009-10 television schedule tips off with a double-header on Monday, January 11. Last year's tournament runner-up Hampton Lady Pirates will host the Morgan State Lady Bears at 4:30 p.m. The action continues in Hampton, Virginia with the Hampton Pirates hosting the defending champion Morgan State Bears at 7:30 p.m. In women's action, the defending MEAC women's champion North Carolina A&T Lady Aggies will close out the women's regular season lineup in a matchup against the Maryland Eastern Shore Lady Hawks on Monday, February 8 at 4:30 p.m. Morgan State, who was picked to finish atop the MEAC standings again this season, highlights the men's television schedule with three appearances. 2009-10 MEAC MEN'S TELEVISION SCHEDULE Jan. 11 - Morgan State @ Hampton (ESPNU) 7:30 p.m. Jan. 18 - Howard @ Norfolk State (ESPNU) 9 p.m. Jan. 25 - Delaware State @ Coppin State (ESPNU) 7:30 p.m. Feb. 1 - S. C. State @ Florida A&M (ESPNU) 9 p.n. Feb. 5 - B-Cookman @ Coppin State (ESPNU) 7 p.m. 1. SOUTH CAROLINA STATE (8-1) - Beat Morgan State 37-13 to clinch second straight MEAC title and FCS playoff berth. NEXT: Hosts NC A&T to end regu- lar season.. 2. PRAIRIE VIEW A&M (7-1) - Won over Alcom State 34-14 to clinch SWAC West title and championship game spot. NEXT: Closes out the regular season host- ing Arkansas-Pine Bluff. 3. SOUTHERN (6-3) - Whipped Alabama State,. 34- 24. NEXT: Idle. 4. FLORIDA A&M (7-3) - QB Curtis Pulley injured, shutout by Hampton, 25-0. NEXT: Bethune-Cookman in Orlando. 5. ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF (5-3) - Idle. NEXT: At Prairie View A&M. 6. GRAMBLING STATE (6-4) - Beat Texas Southern, 47-33. NEXT: Idle. 7. NORFOLK STATE (6-4) - (ot by Delaware State, 21-16. NEXT: Hosts Winston-Salem State. 8. FAYETTEVILLE STATE (8-3) - Lost to Cal (Pa.) in first round Div. II playoff game, 42-13.. NEXT: Season over 9. TUSKEGEE (8-2) - Idle NEXT: Idle again. 10. ALBANY STATE (8-2) - Nipped by West Alabama in Div. II playoffs 24-22. NEXT: Season over. need a convincing win over A&T to get the home game. In last year's playoffs, the Bulldogs went on the road to face three-time FCS defending cham- pion Appalachian State and fought gamely before succumbing 37-21. They trailed just 24-21 with nine minutes left. Pough said his team proved a year ago that it belonged in the company of the best FCS play- off teams and looks forward to returning to that venue. His team has looked dominant while run- ning thru the MEAC this season and appears ready to perhaps end the conference's nine-year playoff losing streak. In other MEAC games this week, Florida A&M (7-3. 5-2), who suffered a big blow Saturday when quarterback Curtis Pulley went out with a groin injury in the first quarter of a 25-0 shutout loss to Hampton, faces in-state rival Bethune- Cookman in Orlando (2:30 p.m.) in their season- ending Florida Classic battle. The game will be carried live on ESPN Classic. After rising as high as 21st in the FCS Top 25 poll, the Rattlers fell out of the poll following the loss to Hampton. To have any shot at a playoff berth, Joe Taylor's Rattlers must defeat B-CU. After starting the season 0-4, 0-3 in MEAC play. Alvin Wyatt's B-CU squad (5-5, 4-3) has won five of its last six games. With a win Saturday, the Wildcats could end up tied for second in the conference with Norfolk State and FAMU, Feb. 8 - MD-Eastern Shore @ N C. A&T (ESPNU) 7:30 p.m. Feb 15 - S C. State @ Morgan State (ESPNU) 7 p.m. Feb. 22 - S. C. State @ Norfolk State (ESPNU) 7 p.m. Mar. 1 - N. C. A&T @ Morgan State (ESPNU) 9 p.m. Mar. 13 - MEAC Men's Championship (ESPN2) 2 p.m. 2009-10 MEAC WOMEN'S TELEVISION SCHEDULE Jan. 11 - Morgan State @ Hampton (ESPNU) 4:30 p.m. Jan. 25 - Delaware State @ Coppin State (ESPNU) 4:30 p.m. Feb. 8 - UMES @ North Carolina A&T (ESPNU) 4:30 p.m. Mar. 13 - MEAC Women's Championship (ESPNU) 3/14; 11 a.m. Albany State wins 9th straight SIAC volleyball title; ASU, Chowan move on The Lady Rams of Albany State captured their ninth consecutive SIAC volleyball title defeating Kentucky State, 3-0, in the championship match. ASU swept through the tournament field without dropping a single set. Leading the way for Albany State was Tournament MVP Latrice Lewis who finished with 14 kills. Sabrina Garcia chipped in with 12 kills on the night while All-Tournament member Priscilla Sena finished with 27 assists. All Tournament selections Mercedes Parker and Brittany Stewart finished with 11 kills and 22 digs respectively. Nikki Douglas added nine digs in the losing effort. ASU Head Coach Robert Skinner was named the Outstanding Coach of the Tournament for the ninth consecutive time. The Lady Rams (20-7) will play at South Region No. 1 seed and host Tampa (28-2) from Nov. 19-21. CIAA champion Chowan (27-8) will play at Atlantic Region No. 1 seed California (Pa.) (32-4) also Thursday thru Saturday. 200g B ACKCO LEG F OTBA L (esutsStadin s an -Wekyonrs BLACKS MUST CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY 12D THE MIAMI TIMES, NOVEMBER 18-24, 2009 Job hunters seek employment outside the U.S. By Paul Davidson Here's one way to deal with the bru- tal U.S. job market: Leave the country. With the nation's unemployment rate at a 26-year-high of 10.2 percent, more Americans are hunt- ing for, and landing, work overseas, ac- cording to staffing companies and exec- utive search firms. Jeff Joerres, CEO of Manpower, the No. 1 U.S. staffing company, says about 500 clients are seek- ing jobs abroad, up from a few dozen six months ago. "It suddenly looks like there may be better opportunities outside the U.S.," Joerres says. "It is a phenomenon we haven't had before." While the number of globe-trotting job candidates is still relatively small, the trend reverses a long- time pattern of far more foreign workers seeking jobs in the U.S., Joerres says. Fifty-four percent of executives said they'd be likely or highly likely to ac- cept a foreign post, according to a survey of 114 executives Fri- day by talent man- agement company Korn/Ferry. Just 37 percent of those sur- veyed in 2005 said they'd go abroad. The hottest inter- national job markets include India, China, Brazil,Dubai and Singapore, recruit- ers say. International companies are large- ly seeking candi- dates in engineering, computer technol- ogy, manufacturing, investment banking and consulting. Although the global recession hit Asian economies, they did not suffer as deeply as the U.S. and are rebounding faster, says economist Na- riman Behravesh of IHS Global Insight. Contact Singapore, which recruits exec- utives in that coun- try, says it's seeking "global talent to help foster innovation" for fields such as digital games. Steve Watson, chairman of ex- ecutive search firm Stanton Chase In- ternational, says he recently sought a CEO for a Dubai manufacturer, and "three or four peo- ple quickly raised their hands. I do not think we would have had that two years ago." After completing his junior year at Georgia Institute of Technology, Charles Wang, an industrial engineering major, worked as a project manager for, Unit- ed Parcel. Service in Dubai from July 2008 until last May. His task: develop a delivery system for the Arab state's first-ever network of streets and address- es. After graduating next month, he plans to return to Dubai for a permanent job. It's "because of ... my inability to find good jobs in the U.S.," says Wang, 22, adding he'll stay in Dubai until the U.S. job market is "back to normal." At MIT's Sloan School of Manage- ment, 24 percent of 2009 graduates got jobs overseas, up from 19 percent last year. It's "tied to the (U.S.) economy," says career development head Jackie Wilbir. Obama announces White House forum on jobs -Richardn ^r~ ~ 1 6 1^fc President Barack Obama announced Thursday that he'll host a White House summit next month on fighting the chronic joblessness that con- tinues to be a drag on a struggling economy. "We are open to any demonstrably good idea to supplement the steps we've already taken to put America back to work," Obama said before taking off for a trip to Asia, where U.S. and global busi- ness prospects will be among the key issues under discussion. Speaking at the White House, the pres- ident called a report showing fewer claims for jobless benefits "a hopeful sign." But with millions of Americans out of work, Obama said the government has "an obligation to consider every addi- tional responsible step we can" to get people back to work. The nationwide un- employment hit 10.2 percent last month, the highest jobless rate since 1983. Economists believe more jobs will be lost, and the unem- ployment rate could possibly reach 10.5 percent next year because employers remain reluctant to hire. The December jobs "forum" will bring in public and pri- vate sector experts to talk about how to get the job-creation en- gine running again, Obama said. Because economic prosper- ity at home is tied to economies around the world, the president said he also plans to talk about a strategy for growth with lead- ers in Asia. "It's a strategy in which Asian and Pa- cific markets are open to our exports," Obama said. "Prosper- ity around the world is no longer as depen- dent on American con- sumption and borrow- ing, but rather more on American innovation and products." IRS: Offshore tax crackdown should produce billions By Kevin McCoy More than 14,700 Americans with se- cret offshore bank ac- counts applied for a recently closed federal tax leniency program, part of a crackdown on international tax eva- sion, IRS Commission- er Douglas Shulman said Tuesday. A "flood" of tax evad- ers applied in the days before the program's Oct. 15 deadline, tak- ing advantage of IRS guarantees they gen- erally would not face criminal prosecution if they agreed to pay back taxes, interest and reduced civil pen- alties. Shulman said the applications, com- bined with 4,450 American accounts at Swiss banking giant UBS that are being disclosed urder recent court settlements, will generate "billions of dollars" in new federal income. Although the lenien- cy program has ended, Shulman encouraged those with hidden off- shore assets to con- tinue to come forward and talk with the IRS. "It will be much worse for them if we find them first," he said. The rush of appli- cants for leniency rep- resents a big "win" for Americans who rou- tinely pay their taxes, says Shulman, be- cause the previously secret account owners will pay federal taxes for years to come. "We have now gained access to thousands of taxpayers and bank accounts that we have never had before," Shulman said, adding that the IRS-Justice Department crack- down shows "we are serious about piercing the veil of bank secre- cy" some Americans have used to hide as- sets offshore. Shulman and other IRS officials say appli- cants for the agency's voluntary disclosure program had accounts ranging from just over $10,000 to more than $100 million. Appli- cants hailed from more than 70 countries and every continent except Antarctica. The program, launched in March, al- lows applicants to pay back taxes and interest for a minimum of six years, plus penalties of 20% to 25% on income that was either undis- closed or understated. Although sizeable, the payments represent a discount on the 50% penalties the IRS oth- erwise imposes for non-disclosure. Shulman says the IRS is using financial data and other evi- dence from the appli- cants to target foreign financial institutions and intermediaries who helped Americans hide income offshore, Many of those institu- tions and intermediar- ies are in Switzerland and elsewhere in Eu- rope, others are based around the globe, IRS officials say. The voluntary disclo- sure program accom- panied the IRS' legal battle with UBS, which in February agreed to pay a $780 million to settle criminal al- legations that it had secretly sent bankers into the U.S. to help wealthy American cli- ents evade taxes. To settle a subse- quent civil lawsuit, UBS gave federal au- thorities financial data for as many as 250 U.S. clients whose accounts bore signs of tax eva- sion. The Justice De- partment filed criminal charges against several of those account hold- ers, including three who were sentenced in recent weeks after pleading guilty to hid- ing income offshore. PROFESSIONAL CARE HfRS CERTIFIED. LOW COST SERVICE. SERVICE UP TO 10 WEEKS. $175 SDaily appointments Treatments upto 12 weeks. SAbortion without surgery. Lejune Plaza Shopping Center 305-887-3002 - 697 East 9th St or Hialeah, Fl. 33010 786-379-0415 BaRINGImis AD! Costco drops Coke products By Emily Fredrix Associted Press Costco customers may have to look else- where for Coca-Cola products now that the retailer has stopped carrying-them because the pair are fighting over prices. The public squabble between one of the na- tion's largest wholesale club operators and the world's largest soft drink maker is likely to fizzle quickly. But it reveals real tensions as retailers and product makers square off on prices. As shoppers continue to grapple with the re- cession, retailers want to win their favor by giving them low prices. But that has been cre- ating tension between product makers like Coca-Cola (KO), who are working hard to maintain profit margins while meeting retailer demands. Typically such ne- gotiations take place behind the scenes, but once in awhile, a public dispute erupts. "Beneath this surface of harmony, it's a dog- fight out there," Gerry Khermouch, editor of Beverage Business In- sights, said Tuesday at an investor meeting held by the soft drink maker at its hometown of Atlanta. Retailers want to wield more power in de- termining pricing with product makers, who they depend on to stock their customers' favor- ite brands, Khermouch saidCostco (COST) has been aggressive in put- ting up signs on store shelves and notices on its website. "Costco is commit- ted to carrying name brand merchandise at the best possible pric- es. At this time, Coca- Cola has not provided Costco with competitive pricing so that we may pass along the value our members deserve," said a message on the company's website la- beled "Price Alert!" |