Ms. Shanté Burke - the CPSA Courier

Ms. Shanté Burke
By: LaDon G. McNeil
As we continue the celebration
of Women’s History Month, I am so
pleased and honored to recognize
my colleague at Genesee County
Community Mental Health
(GCCMH), Ms. Shanté Burke. Ms.
Burke is a Flint native who loves her
city and community, is the proud
daughter of Flint residents Mr. and
Mrs. Tony (Gail) Burke, and the delighted mother of a three-year-old
son, Tereik. Ms. Burke attended Flint
Central High School where she competed in Track and Field and was
named one of the fastest sprinters in
the State of Michigan, was a Black
Scholar, and graduated with academic honors. She went on to attend Michigan State University on a
full athletic scholarship and was captain of the track team there for three
consecutive years. While at MSU,
she was a representative for her
sport on the Athletic Student Council dealing with issues concerning
student athletes. She graduated with
a degree in Kinesiology and is continuing her education at Wayne State
University pursuing an MBA with a
December 2012 graduation date. She
is currently working within the health
and wellness industry, helping others to achieve their fitness goals.
Ms. Burke is very passionate
about health and the well-being of
the human race. She believes that
everyone has a right to superior quality of health no matter what the economic status, race, or gender of the
person. She has been in the health
industry for over 13 years, starting
out in personal training, moving on
to direct and manage wellness departments in the field. She sits on
six different community committees;
all focusing on the restructuring of
the City of Flint in regards to land
use, healthy food distribution, and
eliminating the health disparities that
plague our city.
Ms. Burke has been at GCCMH
for the past three years where she is
the Health and Wellness Manager
of InSHAPE®, a wellness promotion
program that is the first of its kind in
Michigan. The purpose of the
InSHAPE® program is to lengthen life
expectancy and improve the quality
of life of persons with serious mental illness (SMI). The program includes an assessment of lifestyle
Dr. F. O. Hockenhull
Answered the Lord’s call
Dr. F. O. Hockenhull Answered the Lord’s
call on Friday, March 16, 2012 at McLaren Regional Medical Center.
Rev. Larry Walker, Sr. , Pastor of Oakland
Baptist Church, Detroit, MI. was the senior
Eulogist at the Friday Family hour . Funeral
services was held Saturday April 24 at
11:00AM. at First Trinity Missionary Baptist
habits and health status, along with
identification of personal goals for
making healthy lifestyle decisions.
InSHAPE® combines exercise, dietary changes, extensive personal
coaching, and the active use of
health care services to reduce individuals’ risk factors for chronic disease, improve their overall health,
and reduce the symptoms of mental
illness.
The Integrated Health Initiative at
GCCMH was derived from a study
indicating that people with SMI die
an average of 25 to 30 years earlier
than individuals in the general population (National Association of State
Mental Health Program Directors
Medical Directors Council, 2006).
People with SMI are at risk of weight
gain/obesity and associated adverse
outcomes due to sedentary
lifestyles, metabolic alterations related to psychiatric medications,
poor dietary habits, and tobacco use.
Premature mortality among persons
with SMI is directly related to these
health risk factors. This program has
had a huge impact on the SMI population at GCCMH. To date, 176 consumers have enrolled to participate
and there is already a substantial
waiting list. Since the program’s inception in August 2009, InSHAPE®
participants have achieved a combined weight loss of 984.4 pounds.
In terms of improvement in mental
and emotional functioning, one participant remarked, “Since I’ve started
InSHAPE®, I still get angry, but I
don’t show it anymore. My mind is
clearer.” The progression of the
InSHAPE ® program to date has
shown remarkable transformations
in such a short time. Mr. Danis
Burke
Continue On Page 7
Flint Mayor,
City
Council
Back on
the Job
An Ingham County Judge
Rosemarie Aquilina has restored authority to Flint’s Mayor and City
Council while ruling a state review
team violated Michigan’s Open
Meetings Act during the process
that led to a state-appointed emergency manager. The order is another
legal defeat for Gov. Rick Snyder’s
administration since the adoption of
a state law last year that gave emergency managers expanded powers
when appointed to help cities and
schools fix their finances. Aquilina’s
order comes in a lawsuit brought by
the leader of a union that represents
some city of Flint employees. The
decision invalidates last year’s appointment of Flint emergency manager Michael Brown. Snyder spokeswoman Geralyn Lasher said the state
will appeal the ruling to the Michigan Court of Appeals.
A Timely Discussion:
By: Quentin Barrett
It is safe to say many black people
in Flint have relatively deep ties to
the southern United States. Whether
the ties are family, culture or a specific region, the south is an area of
this country many regard as home.
It is not uncommon to hear someone
talking about their specific relationship to some facet of southern life
as a major part or defining moment
in their individual or family identity.
Many make choices or nurture values based what was taught in their
younger days in the south, or perhaps imagine what life would be like
if they were to return. Talks about
these connections come easy and are
a source of pride and a healthy medium to further cultural traditions
among black people.
Significant attention is paid to
geographic region. Black people are
often specific about where their families are from. I have ties to
Tuscaloosa, Alabama as well as Fort
Smith, Arkansas. The stories I have
been told about my family’s experiences in these places remain strong
in my memory and I do my best to
pass them on to my children. But my
connection to these southern places
is merely through stories, bloodline
and culture. I have little physical
connection with the land my parents
and grandparents have described to
me through the years. My literal relationship to land begins here in Flint.
How do I discuss my relationship to
land? What about Flint’s story of
land use among black people is like
or unlike those of other regions in
this country? The Courier spoke with
Church, 1226 Beach Street, Dr. Julius R.
Scruggs, Eulogist, President National Baptist
Convention USA, Inc.
Interment Monday, March 26, 2012 at Great
Lakes National Cemetery, G-4200 Belford Rd.,
Holly, MI. Friends and pallbearers will assemble
at the church 10:00AM Saturday.
BLACK LAND
Mistinguette Smith
Mistinguette Smith, founder of The
Black/Land Project, to address the
issue of land and black people.
When was The Black/Land
Project founded?
The Black/Land Project started
in the fall of 2010. I was on a trip
with some people who were observing people’s relationship to their
towns and cities and rural communities in southern Alabama. We all
noticed, from the perspective of our
professional disciplines, the unique
ways black people have relationship to land don’t show up as things
to think about when it is time to
make decisions about how to use
land or to answer questions in various professions that deal with land.
I looked for the conference where
some was talking about that. I
looked for the paper where someone was writing about that. I didn’t
find it. That’s how I began doing
this work myself.
How are you using the oral history component to influence you
NAACP FREEDOM FUND KEYNOTE SPEAKER
CHALLENGES
BLACK
BUSINESSES
AND
COMMUNITY
KENNETH L.
HARRIS
“Wow! He really let us have
it.’’ Was one comment from a
black business owner attending the sold out 31st Annual
NAACP Freedom Fund Gela,
The Keynote Speaker Kenneth
L. Harris, President/CEO of the
Michigan Black Chamber of
Commerce pulled no punches
as he delivered an ultimatum,
to not only to black business
men and women, but to the
entire black community. ‘We
are the only race of people who will
buy outside of our community, before we spend with our own”, said
Harris. He went on to say. “Other
cultures will exhaust their dollars
before going outside of their communities. We as black people on the
other hand, don’t give it a second
thought. In his speech he stated that
black people are the highest consumers of products in the U.S. and
the forth in the world. Harris went
on to say, “With this type of power,
we can change the economy by purchasing front black businesses and
hiring from within our own communities.”
His maverick style as described
by others became more apparent as
he pointed out the slaver, mentality
of some blacks. He stated. “There
are those with the thought processes of a field slave who will make
a break to try to make a better life for
themselves and there are those who
still embodies the house slaves mentality that will say to themselves,
things aren’t that bad,’ Harris chal-
lenged the black community by saying “If you have elected officials in
office that aren’t working on your
behalf, get them out of there”. He
went on to compliment State Representative Woodrow Stanley who
was in attendance, stating that “On
last Wednesday, more than 300 members of the Michigan Black Chamber
of Commerce from across the suite,
convened on Lansing and met with
the legislative body. Woodrow
Stanley’ as one of those whose door
leas open the entire day for us to
meet with. We need more like him.”
While the sold out crowd listened
intensely, some squirmed uncomfortably in their seats while others applauded, but all were equally impressed by the performance or
young ACT-SO Gold medalist, Master Moshe’ Benson. This young pianist performed flawlessly and entertained as dinner was served. Other
highlights of the evening were the
awards, such as the C. Fredrick
Robinson, Civil Rights Award given
posthumously to Dr. T. Wendell Wil-
liams, the Celia M. Turner Humanitarian Award went to Dr. Brenda
Rogers-Grays, and the Distinguished
Leadership Award was given to Pastor/Moderator Lewis Randolph. the
Flint Branch NAACP also acknowledged Captain Angelique D.
Simpson, the first black female nurse
to receive the 2011-2012 “Juanita
Redmond Award”, Air Force Nurse
of the year and Tuskegee Airman Eric
Love.
“Ken spoke to the people of Flint,”
said President of the Flint Branch
NAACP Prances Gilcreast. “When
he spoke to the betterment of black
people, he was speaking to the Flint
community as a whole”. All should
be invoked in bringing up those who
are affected by the economic state
we are in presently. He brought
awareness to the black businesses
and black communities concerning
what they can do to better themselves. People tend to not realize that
the NAACP was founded by two
blacks and four whites, it takes all of
Erycka Hunter
Flint’s Director of Human
Relations Takes On
Additional Responsibility
Flint, Michigan – Erycka Hunter is serving as the city’s Director of
Human Relations and Human Resources effective March 5. Hunter was
appointed Director of Human Relations in September of 2010. In her expanded role, she now assumes the administrative oversight responsibilities
of the Human Resources Department.
She replaces former Human Resources Director Gary Bates, whose temporary appointment expired on March 2.
Emergency Manager Michael Brown said Monday that the City continues to look for ways to cut costs and operate more efficiently. “As we
address the city’s ongoing financial crises, we must streamline our operations and find ways to reduce our expenses. Everyone is being asked to do
more and Ms. Hunter now joins our growing list of managers who are overseeing more than one department,” said Brown.
Hunter will earn an annual salary of $70,000 in her new role. The Flint
native and graduate of Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee said Monday that she welcomes her dual responsibilities. “I have a passion for this
community, so I am grateful that I will be able to continue my work with the
public through the Human Relations Commission while also working with
the employees of the city through my expanded role as Director of Human
Resources. It’s a great opportunity.”
social activism?
Our work is gathering
interviews…learn about black
people’s relationship to land and
place today and to turn those individual stories into bodies of data,
and to turn that data into something
communities can use in an actionable way around a contemporary issue.
What are some of the goals The
Black/Land Project is trying to
achieve?
The vision of The Black/Land
Project is to increase black people’s
self-determination in our relationship
to land and place. We consider that
a timely mission because whether
you’re looking at the rebuilding of
New Orleans or the re-sizing of postindustrial cities in the Great Lakes
area, or responding to gentrification
in large cities on the east coast, or
re-greening areas on the west
coast…those are conversations that
black people have not historically
been at the center of. There is an
opportunity for us to step up and
claim our voices. Part of our work is
to make connections. Land loss in
the rural south is the same phenomenon as land loss in the urban northeast through the foreclosure crisis.
Our goal in gathering these stories
is to return this information to the
communities that shared the interviews with us.
Mistinguette Smith and The
Black/Land Project are passionate
about creating a vision in the black
community about how we view our
relationship to land and how we
choose to use it.
“Often what happens in black
communities is there are issues
about which we have never been
engaged and are not thinking. And
when someone asks us how we
would like land in our community
to be used, most of us would have to
sit down and think about that for a
while. So I’m providing the opportunity to think about that in advance so when it’s asked, we have
an answer. If we don’t have an answer, other people who have been
thinking about it get their needs
met…because they are ready. The
Black/Land Project wants to help
Flint to be ready for the obvious
upcoming conversation about
changing land use in Flint.” Smith
said.
A Cleveland, Ohio native,
Mistinguette Smith is an NYU graduate and has a background in public
policy and performance measurement consulting. She and The Black/
Land Project will be re-visiting Flint
in late March to continue sharing the
information she has collected in her
efforts to engage black people in this
discussion of land usage. The theme
of the event is “Beyond Fields and
Factories”. To find out more about
the Black/Land Project and
Mistinguette
Smith
visit
www.blacklandproject.org.
RELIGIOU N OTES 2
COMMUNITY CURRENT EVENTS 2
AROUND TOWN 3
LOCAL CHURCH MINISTRIES
4&5
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
Sunday April 1, 2012
Jesus Testifies
to the Truth 6
SOCIAL SECURITY ISSUEs 7
CPSA COURIER INC.- Page 2
March 25, 2012
Religious Notes
Grace Emmanuel Baptist Church
3501 Lapeer Rd.
Pastor Marvin A. Jennings, Sr.
“A Man After God’s Own Heart”
The Men’s Ministry and the entire
Grace Emmanuel Church family invite you to attend a Praise and Worship Celebration, Sunday, March 25th
at 10:00 am. Pastor Marvin A.
Jennings, Sr. will bring the message.
For more information please call the
church office at 810-743-3900.
Macedonia MB Church
G-5443 N. Saginaw Rd.
You’re cordially invited to attend
the Macedonia Missionary Society
Annual Benefit program on Sunday,
March 25th at 4:00 pm. Our theme
for this service is: “The Harvest
Truly is Plenteous, but the Laborers
are Few”, Matthew 9:37. Our special
guest speaker and church will be Rev.
Marvin Jennings and the Grace
Emmanuel Baptist Church congregation of Flint, MI and the Macedonia
Mass Choir. All are welcome to come
uplift our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ.
Baptist Minister’s Fellowship
Alliance of Flint, MI
Rev. Wilbert Campbell, President
The Baptist Minister’s Alliance
will have a meeting on Saturday,
April 7th at 11:00a.m. The meeting
will be held at the Providence Missionary Baptist Church, located at
916 E. Jamieson St., where Rev. Edward Burns is Pastor. The meeting
will consist of teaching, preaching
and fellowship amongst Pastors and
Associate Ministers. For additional
information please contact Minister
Alcus Smith at (810) 394-6767.
Gethsemane M.B. Church
1258 E. Humphrey
Rev. Terry Randolph, Pastor
Gethsemane M.B. Church Ushers,
Nurses and Greeters Annual Day will
be held on Sunday, March 25th at
3:30pm. Our guests will be the
Shiloh M.B. Church Family of
Saginaw, MI, Rev. Delwin Tatum,
Pastor. On Sunday, April 1st at 3:30pm
we will celebrate our Men’s Annual
Day. Rev. Paul Broaddus and the
Truevine M.B. Church of Saginaw,
MI will be our guests. We cordially
invite all to attend these special occasions. Call the 810-789-4131 for
more information
Dozier Memorial C.M.E. Church
3212 S. Saginaw Street
Rev. R.L. Monmouth, Pastor
Dozier Memorial CME Church,
Rev. Reynard Monmouth –Pastor
will observe The Usher Board and
the Nurse’s Guild Annual Day Sun.
March 25th at 4pm. Guest Speaker
Rev. George Wilkinson, Pastor of
Word of Life Ministry. The Usher
Ministries and Nurses Guild of Dozier
Memorial Christian Methodist Episcopal Church will observe their Annual Day in a service Sunday, March
25th at 4:00 p.m. The Reverend
George Wilkinson and the Word of
Life Ministry will be guest pastor and
congregation. Pastor Wilkinson will
bring the Preached Word. All are
welcome.
Gospel Music Workshop of America, Inc. Flint Chapter.
Youth & Young Adult Department. Richard A. Battle, Chapter Representative.
In preparation of the Youth and Young Adult Department Spring Concert, the Y.Y.A will have rehearsal on the following date Tue. Mar. 26th 68pm @ Second Friendship Baptist Church. G.M.W.A. is a non-denomination Organization all youth and young adults ages 5-21 are invited to come
and participate in this CITY WIDE YOUTH MASS CHOIR regardless of
Church or community choir affiliation. For more information you may call.
Joyce Fykes -Rubin 810.287.8658 or Elder LeQuin R. Williams, Sr.
810.624.6508.Flint Chapter
Youth & Young Adult Department
The Gospel Music Workshop of America, Inc Flint Chapter Youth &
Young Adult Department will be having their spring Concert on Sunday,
April 1st at 6pm at Heavenly Host FGB Church 2202 W. Dartmouth St.
Flint, MI 48504. Bishop M.C. Akins Host Pastor. The final Rehearsal for the
Flint Chapter YYA Choir will be on Tuesday, March 27, 2012 6-8pm @
Second Friendship Baptist Church 6046 N. Clio Rd. Mt. Mor ris, MI 48458.
Any youth or young adults are welcome to come and participate in this
Y.Y.A. Mass Choir. For more information you may call Elder LeQuin R.
Williams @ 810.624.6508.
Tuesday Is The
DEADLINE
For All Articles and Ad
Faith Baptist Temple
1073 E Grand Blvd.
Pastor Freelon Threlkeld Jr.
Pastor and Sis. Freelon Threlkeld
Jr
We, the Faith Baptist Temple
Family, cordially invite you to worship with us as we celebrate Pastor
and Sis. Freelon Threlkeld Jr.’s 20th
Anniversary, Sunday March 25th, at
4:00 P. M. The theme for this occasion: “Be of Good Works.” Scripture:
Titus 2:14, 15. Our guests for this
special celebration will be: First New
Life Baptist Church-Pastor Fletcher
Johnson, Greater Love Ministries Pastor James Snead, and Peace Presbyterian Church - Pastor David
Galbraith. Pastor Johnson will bring
the message. We are looking forward, with great anticipation, to your
presence as we join together in this
celebration and worship experience
Family Missionary Baptist Church
2520 Dupont St.
Rev. Tellis Simon, Pastor
The Men of Family MB Church will
celebrate their Annual Day, March
25th at 4:00pm. Special Guest will
be New Creation Church of God, and
Dr. Herbert Banks. All are welcome.
Our email
addresss is
cpsa
courier
news
@yahoo
.com
cpsa
courier
.com
Mt. Tabor M B C
115 Welch Blvd
Pastor Floyd Fuller
Pastor Floyd and Sis. Lula Fuller
Mt. Tabor Missionary Baptist
Church Family invites you to worship with us as we celebrate the 17th
Pastoral Anniversary of Pastor Floyd
& Sis. Lula Fuller. We the Mt. Tabor
Missionary Baptist Church Family
Honor and thank Pastor Floyd and
Sis. Lula Fuller for 17 years of dedicated service to God and your
Church Family. The celebration services begin on March 18th-March
25th All services begin at 4:00 P.M.
March 18th Our Guest: Pastor James
Searcy and the Joy Missionary Baptist Church. Saturday March24th:
Appreciation Banquet Mt. Tabor
Fellowship Hall TIME: 5.00 P.M. (For
ticket information please call (810)
789-6385) March 25th Our Guest:
Pastor Donald K. Hughes Sr. and the
Austin Ave. Missionary Baptist
Church. All are welcome to join us
on this joyous occasion.
Mt. Pisgah Missionary Baptist
G-6415 N. Clio Rd.
Rev. Wallace Hill, III - Pastor
Every Sunday, The Village...of Mt.
Pisgah Church Ministry for ages 16, available for morning worship service. For more information, please
call (810) 687-2437.
Ministry Training Seminar
Convention Fellowship
Bishop Rory Charlton Cavette,
Presiding Bishop
The Ministry Training Seminar
Convention Fellowship will hold is
annual 7 Last Sayings of Jesus from
the Cross Friday April 6th (Good
Friday), 6:20 PM at Greater Galilee
Baptist Church located at 4418 Industrial. Rev. Latrelle Holmes, Host
Pastor. Speakers will include with
their churches and choirs. Pastor
Rodney Williams, Pastor Latrelle
Holmes, Pastor Robert McCathern,
Pastor Carlos Williams, Dr. Kirk
Whitmore, Dr. Birdis Shields and
Pastor Emery Varrie. For more information call 810-610-4816.
Mt. Sinai M BC
1215 E. Downey St.
Rev. Morris A. Collins, Sr., Pastor
. On March 25th we will be in fellowship with New Israel Baptist
Church where Rev. Daniel Bridges is
Pastor for their Ushers and Nurses
Day. If you have any questions, you
may contact the church office at
(810) 787-7099.
Holbrook Church of God
Benefit for the FIREmovement
Student Outreach Ministry with Nationally Renowned Clean Comedian
Horace H. B. Sanders Also Featuring Fred Jones, Flint’s standup comedian March 31 st at 7:30p.m.
(doors open at 7:00p.m.) IINN Banquet Hall (Corner of Saginaw &
Hemphill Rd.) 4800 S. Saginaw St.
Flint. Free admission. A love donation will be taken/ for more information: Holbrook Church of God 810785-9971
Peace Presbyterian Church
1521 N. Elms road (at Beecher rd)
Peace Presbyterian Church would
like to invite you to Acoustic Gospel
Jam 6-8pm every first Friday of the
month. Come to play or come to listen. All styles of Christian music are
welcome. Church opens at 5:15 for
musicians to warm up.
Christ Fellowship M B C
317 E. Hamilton Ave.
Rev. Mark A. Jones, Sr., Pastor
Christ Fellowship Missionary
Baptist Church Missionary Ministry
and Christian Women United Ministry will be celebrating their Annual
Day on Sunday, April 1, 2012 at
4:00 P.M. The Speaker for this Spirit
Filled Worship Service will be the
Rev. Lewis Randolph, Pastor of the
Antioch Missionary Baptist Church.
Rev. Randolph along with his congregation with be in attendance. The
Theme for this day will be “Edifying
the Lord By Praising and Serving
Him in Unity” Ephesians 4:12-13,
Psalm 100:1, 2. We are looking forward to a high time in the Lord. If
you have any questions please contact the Church Office at 810-2389605.
True Light M. B. Church
6917 M. L. King Ave.
Flint, MI 48505
Truelight M.B. Church. Come and
hear some good Gospel singing. Everyone is welcome. Will be celebrating their 55th Church Anniversary,
25th all services will begin at 4:00pm.
Our guest Churches are as follows:
El Shaddai Ministries
Pastor Steve A. Hawkins, Pastor
NOW Open every Friday 9:30 –
12:30 p.m. The Ezra Community Food
Pantry, 1250 Roosevelt Street, Please
call: (810) 767-6029 or (810) 767-4413
on Fridays. All are welcome!!
Mount Hermon M.B.Church
G-5283 Clio Road
Pastor K.D.Yarber
Mt. Hermon Missionary Baptist
Church Is Going To Greenville, Alabama! The Rev. Kim D. Yarber II will
be installed as Pastor of First Missionary Baptist Church departing
from Mt. Hermon (G-5283 Clio Rd.)
On Thursday, April 19,2012 At
5:00pm Returning To Mt. Hermon on
Monday, April 23, 2012 accommodations will be made available at Hampton Inn, 219 Interstate Plaza Drive
Greenville, Alabama 1-334-362-0631
$282.00 For Double Occupancy Price
Includes Travel and Hotel. For More
Information and/or Register Contact
Sis G. Lou 1-810-785-4284 or Call The
Church Office 1-810-787-8121. Limited Seating Available (No Refunds,
Replacements Only!) Participants
Must Be Registered By Monday,
April 10, 2012.
You are invited and welcomed to
Late Night at Mount Hermon
9:00p.m. Second and Fourth Sundays. Come hear some of the nation’s
best choirs and soloist along with
dynamic preaching.
St. Peter CME Church
771 E. Pierson Rd.
Rev. William H. Bell, Jr. Pastor
St. Peter CME Church Lenten
Fish Fry Dinners offered between the
hours of 11:00 am and 3:00 pm. Call
in orders starting at 10:00 am at 7856321 Catfish, Perch and Tilapia Two
sides with salad, bread and dessert.
Delivery of 5 or more dinners to businesses, schools, and churches. No
private home deliveries.
The Ladies of My Sisters’ Keeper and The
Gentlemen of My Brothers’ Keeper Presents:
“Turn Up The Volume” Domestic Violence
Awareness Praise Walk-A-Thon.
This event is geared to bring awareness to a silent killer that plagues so
many people in our community. We “The Flint Keepers” invite you to partner with us as a church, an organization, or even a family to “Sound Off” as
we walk in honor of victims and survivors of Domestic Violence. The walk
will take place on April 7th, 2012 at Flint Northern High School G-3284
Mackin Rd. Flint, Mi. 48504. Registration begins at 8amand the walk begins
at 9am. There will be a brief ceremonial luncheon immediately following.
This event is free of charge; however a portion of all donations will be given
to a partnering agency in the name of our honoree. For more information
please contact Lynn L. King: (304) 982-3054 or email:
[email protected] free to visit our national website:
theladiesofmysisterskeeper.org
March
25, 2012
15
CPSA Courier - Page 3
In Hard Times, Democracy
More Important Than Ever
! Kids Korner!
Did You Know??????
Great Lakes’ Baptist District Association Young People’s Dept will
sponsor the 3rd Annual Spring Break Bowling Fellowship on Tuesday
April 3, 2012, 1-3 pm at Town & Country Lanes for ticket info please
contact Sis. Val Hawkins at 875-1224.
Don’t miss the Young People’s Dept. Spring Retreat
“Youth in Worship” Watch for details
Mark your calendar for April 28, 2012, the Annual Debutante Pageant
and Senior Oratorical Contest, 5:00 p.m. Mt. Calvary Baptist Church.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: Read Romans 12:12
Are you brave enough to pray in public?
Or are you sometimes embarrassed to talk to the Lord in front of
your friends? Talking to God is a very special privilege and it may
be an encouragement to other Christian kids. It will also be a testimony to those who don’t know Jesus. Sometimes it’s easier to pray
publicly if two or more pray together. Do you know another Christian
in your school? Have a conversation with them about this,
then perhaps you can eat and pray together.
DARE TO PRAY IN PUBLIC
Don’t Let Your Child
Support Obligation Control
You; Take Control of Your
Child Support Obligation
Genesee County Commissioner
Omar A. Sims, Family Court Circuit
Judge, Michael Theile and Genesee
County Friend of the Court Director,
John Battles have partnered to hold
a 2nd Annual March Madness informational seminar titled, “Don’t Let
Your Child Support Obligation Control You — Take Control of Your Child
Support Obligation” from 2:30-4:30
p.m. on Thursday, March 29,2012.
Pastor Chris Martin will host the
“March Madness” Seminar at the
Cathedral of Faith (Old Gundry
School) located at 6031 Dupont
Street, Flint, MI 48505.
The Friend of the Court has
granted amnesty for any individual
who attends this seminar. Anyone
experiencing child support issues is
encouraged to attend and learn what
options are available from our panel
of experts including:
Honorable Michael Theile,
Genesee County Family Court Judge
Commissioner Omar A. Sims,
Genesee County Commissioner,
Mr. Phil Walker, Representative of
Flint STRIVE
Jill Nylander, Director of Legal
Services of Eastern Michigan
Jack Battles, Director Genesee
County Friend of the Court
This informational meeting will
assist community residents in learning how to responsibly deal with
parenting time and child support issues with the cooperation of the
“new” Friend of the Court.
Topics of discussion will include:
Motion practice; Obtaining work
skills and employment training and
Options to take control of outstanding child support arrearages including waiver of past surcharges and
overdue support.
This seminar is to provide information and options on how to resolve parenting time issues and child
support issues and no one in attendance will be arrested on any Friend
of the Court bench warrants.
County Road Commission
Will Not Post Stop Signs
During Power Outages
The manager-director said due to confusion during power outages and
power restoration; the GCRC will no longer post Stop Signs. Drivers
should treat intersections as a four-way stop during power outages.
Michigan Council 25 kicks off their campaign to repeal Public Act 4, also
known as the Emergency Manager Law. (Photo by Mich. AFSCME News)
Rev. Jesse Jackson
Is democracy a luxury in
America, discarded when the going
gets rough? Apparently Michigan’s
Gov. Rick Snyder thinks so and Flint,
Detroit and other Michigan cities
have hit the wall. The Great Recession has devastated city finances.
Everyone agrees tough steps are
needed. Snyder’s response is what
Canadian author and social activist
Naomi Klein calls economic “shock
doctrine.” Use the crisis to force-feed
an unpopular far-right agenda: privatizing basic services; selling off public parks and assets for private gain;
breaking labor contracts; laying off
teachers, cops and other vital service providers. Meanwhile, the governor calls for cutting taxes for corporations, and his Republican colleagues in the House slash federal
support for states and localities, intensifying the pressure.
Citizens oppose this, so democracy itself must be trashed — particularly in majority minority cities.
In Flint, Benton Harbor and Pontiac,
the governor has invoked Public Act
4 and appointed emergency managers with extraordinary powers. The
emergency managers can break all
city contracts; abolish all city offices; sell off the public’s assets;
pass and revoke laws, all without
consultation or approval of the citizens’ elected representatives.
In Detroit, Snyder has said,
“Let’s have it so the city can keep
running the city.” But his formulation doesn’t include the elected City
Council members. Rather than invoking the economic martial law of
Public Act 4, the governor has offered Detroit a “consent agreement.”
Instead of an emergency manager,
the governor would create a nineperson “Financial Advisory Board”
with unlimited budgetary and economic development powers. The
mayor and City Council would name
three board members; the governor
would pick the rest. Not surprisingly,
the document has received a skeptical response from elected officials.
U.S. Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.)
said he objects because the proposal
“essentially asks the city to forfeit
its citizens’ rights in exchange for no
tangible benefit.” The governor offers no new assistance from the state.
While city workers face another
blow, corporate vultures are circling,
salivating at the possibilities of
gentrifying public parks or profiting
from privatized services. But Detroit
didn’t cause the housing bubble or
the Great Recession.
It is bizarre that Wall Street’s excesses cause the mess and then the
bill is sent to the victims. Moreover,
Snyder and other Republican governors are competing to lower taxes
on corporations and the wealthy,
even as they savage services for
working and poor families and sell
off public assets. The result will
starve vital investments — in infrastructure, in schools and children,
in health care and worker training.
This is a road to impoverishment.
What’s needed instead is more
democracy. Federal aid should be
increased to cities and states to
avoid layoffs. A regional development plan should be put together by
federal, state and local officials. In
the city, community meetings are
needed to discuss difficult choices.
The mayor and the City Council
should insist that the city’s creditors
share in the sacrifice. Union workers
have made significant concessions;
they must not be trampled. It simply
isn’t right to claim that contracts with
banks and creditors are sacrosanct,
while those with workers can be discarded. The financial elites who
caused the mess should not be given
dictatorial powers to clean it up. And
democracy isn’t a luxury; it is a fundamental right.
Genesee County Treasurer’s
Postponement of
Foreclosure
Due to Hardship
Genesee County residents facing foreclosure on their homes for 2009
delinquent property taxes may be eligible for a postponement on the foreclosure. The Genesee County Treasurer offers a one-year hardship postponement to eligible residents who own and reside in their homes.
If you have delinquent 2009 taxes, contact the Treasurer’s office before
the April 2, 2012 foreclosure date at 810-257-3059 to see if you may qualify
for a hardship postponement.
March 25, 2012
CPSA Courier - Page 34
LOCAL CHURCH MINISTRIES
March 25, 2012
CPSA Courier - Page 35
African-American Achievement in the Age of President Barack Obama
President of the United States of America Barack Obama
used as Band-Aids for a commuStacey Walker, theroot.com
In the age of Barack Obama, noth- nity that was suffering. We, the “speing seems out of reach. Up from sla- cial ones”, were doing just fine but
very and into the White House, so it seemed as if our society was playing out DuBois’ talented tenth
the narrative goes.
But while we have come a long theory.
We have an obligation to stop
way, there are still far too many African Americans in prison, unem- the bleeding ourselves by first acployed, marginalized and discon- knowledging that a few Band-Aids
will not serve as a cure-all for a
nected from the larger society.
For these reasons, the time is al- larger endemic.
We also must not allow the
ways right to think about the overall condition of our people. Even as larger society to escape its duplicwe celebrate our shining stars, a ity and pat itself on the back for the
beacon of hope must remain for successes of the black community.
By demanding the same excelthe rest of the race.
In talking with a friend, whose lence of ourselves as our ancestors
life path is similar to mine, we re- demanded of us, there will be no
counted stories of rising to the more room for society to catch the
tops of our communities, receiving favorite child syndrome.
We as a people should be deawards and solidifying our roles as
the crème de la crème, “special manding excellence and see it as a
rallying cry. I’m aware of those who
ones” or tokens of our race.
This is not to say that our hard tirelessly preach the “pull yourself
work and scholastic prowess should up from your bootstraps” sermon,
not be recognized. Yet in retrospect, pointing to their own success as a
it sometimes felt as if our achieve- model. Yet how soon do they forget
ments and advances were being that many people have not even the
boots, let alone the bootstraps to
grab for the pulling?
I am a strong believer in Ralph
Ellison’s notion of self-reliance, but
this exorbitant naiveté is an affront
to those who work hard every
single day to combat the shear hopelessness and despair that has consumed their lives.
It provides ridiculous and inhumane fodder for those who believe
social safety nets are simply a cozy
home for the poor and lazy.
Indeed, I am suggesting that we
take a lesson from the greats of the
past by setting lofty goals and working tirelessly to reach them.
We must try to be change makers
like them. We must inspire our peers
and the next generation to dream
big and strive for excellence not so
they may be better off than their
parents, although they can; not so
they may be on equal footing with
every other race, although they
should, but because instilling a
culture of excellence is beneficial for
everyone.
Both groups of change makers
past and present deserve recognition. Had it not been for the writings of James Baldwin or Langston
Hughes, there would be little foundation for Bell Hooks and Brent
Staples to stand on today.
Perhaps Hughes and Baldwin attribute their insights to being colored
by Frederick Douglass or Jupiter
Hammon who came before them?
In what context could we judge
the great scientists and academicians of our time like Dr. Benjamin
Carson, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and
Cornel West without first recogniz-
ing the work of George Washington
Carver, Carter G. Woodson, and
W.E.B DuBois?
And it goes without saying the
crown jewel of black achievement
to date, the presidency of Barack
Obama has such monumental cultural significance due in large part
to the struggles that were endured
by front line political and civil rights
activists of the past.
We’ve come a long way in a hard
fought battle for equality in the Cities, Counties and States of this country, and it is not over yet. We have
not arrived yet we’re progessing
everyday and thus it feels good to
honor our past heroes as we look to
the future.
African American
Achievement
Continued on pg.6
March 25, 2012
CPSA Courier - Page 36
S UNDAY S CHOOL L ESSON
Dr. Turner Hartfield
March 18, 2012
Jesus
Testifies to
the Truth
John 18:28-38
Pilate therefore said unto him,
Art thou a king then? Jesus
answered, Thou sayest that I am a
king. To this end was I born, and
for this cause came I into the
world, that I should bear witness
unto the truth. Every one that is of
the truth heareth my voice. John
18:37
Lesson Outline
I.Pilate Listens
John 18:28-32
II.Pilate Questions
John 18:33-38
Lesson Introduction:
For our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, my wife and I returned to
the site of our honeymoon: Victoria,
British Columbia. After we checked
into our hotel, we were surprised to
learn that Queen Elizabeth II was in
town and would make a public appearance the next day on the steps
of the parliament building.
As Americans, we owed no allegiance to the queen, but were curious nonetheless. So we walked from
our hotel to the parliament building
lawn and were lucky enough to be
quite close to the speaker’s platform.
We observed the queen to be impeccably dressed and coiffed, well spoken, and a little shorter than we expected. She was a person of great
dignity and commanded respect. But
she also was just a human being like
the rest of us.
Most reading this lesson are like
me, having very little experience with
kings or queens. Royals seem out of
place in our modern world; often they
serve in ceremonial ways with little
actual author ity. Such was not the
case in the days of the New Testament. Almost everyone in the ancient
world had a king of some type,
whether a tribal chief tain, a city king,
or the Roman emperor.
Lesson Background:
Both the Greeks and Romans had
a history of republics (forms of democracy with no king), but those
days were long gone by the time
Jesus came on the scene. Palestine
in the time of Jesus was ruled by the
Roman Caesar (sometimes called a
king, see John 19:15) and his proxies.
The Jewish people also had a long
history of kings. That history began
with King Saul in 1050 bc and ended
when Jerusalem was conquered by
the Babylonians in 586 bc. There was
no king in Jerusalem for quite a while
after that. Judas Maccabee and members of his family were considered
to be kings after that man liberated
Jerusalem in 165 sc, although this
was done with the approval of the
rising world power of the period, the
Romans.
The title of king over the Jews was
taken from the Maccabean dynasty
by Herod the Great in 37 sc. Herod,
however, served only at the pleasure
of the Romans. The reign of Herod
ended rather badly, and his kingdom
was divided among his sons. The
son given the reign over Judea,
Herod Archelaus (Matthew 2:22),
was such a poor ruler that the Romans exiled him and installed a Roman governor in his place.
Because of this history, there were
great tensions between the Jews and
the Romans when it came to kings.
The Jews of Jesus’ day hated their
Roman overlords and longed for a
savior like David or Judas Maccabee
who could raise an army and oust
the Romans from their land. They
wanted their own king, someone who
would restore their sovereignty and
keep their holy covenant with the
Lord. The wary Romans were not
about to tolerate any such thing,
however.
As the Roman Empire grew, many
provinces were added. ‘Those areas
under the direct control of the Roman senate were called senatorial
provinces. The governors of senatorial provinces were from the ranks
of the senators themselves and were
usually called proconsuls. Two such
proconsuls are named in Acts 13:7
and 18:12.
Other Roman provinces were under the supervision of the emperor
and were known as imperial provinces. Imperial provinces were less
stable and usually had Roman legions stationed within them. The
governors of these provinces were
known as prefects or procurators.
These imperial governors were usually from the equestrian class, a citizen class below the noble senatorial
class.
First, he was expected to keep order within his province, using military force if necessary. Sec ond, he
was charged with keeping the stream
of tax revenue flowing. The threat of
revolt was also a threat to the tax
income, and these threats were not
taken lightly by the governors.
Lesson Background:
Pontius Pilate was one of the imperial gover nors. Bible scholars at
one time identified him as a procurator. But an inscription uncovered in
1961 at the ruins of Caesarea Maritima lists Pilate as a prefect, a lesser
title than procurator. Pilate was the
fifth Roman governor of Judea, serving AD 26—36. That was an unusually long term. This indicates Pilate
had little motivation to return to
Rome, although we do not know why.
Perhaps his prospects for enrichment
were greater in the province, so he
stayed.
We think the Roman governors
of Judea spent most of their time in
the beautiful little seaside city of
Caesarea Maritima. Roman governors did not stay in Jerusalem any
more than necessary, but tended to
be there during the time of Passover
and other festivals. This was a precautionary measure in case the large
crowds of Jews got out of hand. The
Romans wanted to nip any rebellion
in the early stages. The Romans had
a fortress headquarters in Jerusalem
where their troops were garrisoned;
it was near the temple. Pilate and the
other governors, however, stayed in
Herod’s palace on the west side of
the city when they were in town.
I. Pilate Listens
John I8:28-32
28. Then led they Jesus from
Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment:
and it was early; and they themselves
went not into the judgment hall, lest
they should be defiled; but that they
might eat the passover.
There are two high priests involved in Jesus’ trials (see Luke 3:2).
Annas served as high priest until AD
15, when he was deposed by the
Romans. By the time of Jesus’ arrest,
Caiaphas, the son-in-law of Annas,
had become the high priest (John
18:13). Some Jews do not recognize
the Romans’ authority to demote
Annas, and therefore consider him
still to be the high priest.
Rather than becoming rivals,
Annas and Caiaphas work together
as joint high priests in certain respects. After His arrest, Jesus is first
taken to the house of Annas (John
18:13) and then to the house of
Caiaphas (18:24). Since Caiaphas is
the one recognized by Rome, any
request for Roman judgment has to
come from him.
The hall of judgment is the
Jerusalem residence of the governor,
probably the former palace of Herod
the Great, who has been dead for
more than 30 years. John’s actual
term for this place is praetorium, a
Latin word used to refer to a military
headquarters (see this word in Mark
15:16).
This place has an inner hall where
the gover nor can receive audiences.
But the Jewish leaders accompanying Jesus do not enter. To do so
would put them in contact with Gentiles, resulting in ceremonial uncleanness. Such a defilement would render them unfit to continue participating in the Passover festival. The day
of the week is Friday, and the next
day is particularly important to the
Jews (John 19:31).
29. Pilate then went out unto
them, and said, What accusation
bring ye against this man?
Pilate accommodates the Jewish
leaders by going out unto them. This
may be to a balcony or platform overlooking an open courtyard below, as
this scene is often depicted by artists. If so, it means that Pilate has
the upper hand psychologically, as
the Jews are forced to look up at him
while he looks down on them.
Pilate offers no polite small talk,
but begins business talk immediately,
almost rudely: What accusation
bring ye against this man? The
Greek word translated accusation is
where we get our word category. So
Pilate is asking for formal, categorized accusations based on written
legal code. Perhaps Pilate already has
the charges, but he wants the Jewish leaders to speak them publicly. It
is unlikely that this scenario has been
played out many times in the past.
To ask for Pilate’s help would be very
humbling to these proud men, a reminder that they are not the masters
of their land, but are living under
Roman occupation.
30. They answered and said unto
him, If he were not a malefactor, we
would not have delivered him up unto
thee.
The Jews may be trying to make
things easier for Pilate, as in, “We’ve
already convicted this person; all you
have to do is sign the death warrant.”
31. Then said Pilate unto them,
Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore
said unto him, It is not lawful for us
to put any man to death.
The Romans allow the Jews a
great deal of authority in the rule of
the city of Jerusalem. For example,
the Jews are allowed to collect a
“temple tax” for support of the religious establishment. The Jews also
have their own courts and judges,
including the Sanhedrin, a type of
Supreme Court.
The decision of the Sanhedrin in
the case of Jesus is that He is guilty
of blasphemy in claiming to be the
Son of God (see Matthew 26:63-65;
Mark 14:61-64). The crime of blasphemy carries the death penalty according to Leviticus 24:16. But the
Sanhedrin has no authority to execute anyone because of the restrictions imposed by the Romans. Thus
the need to approach Pilate.
Pilate is likely aware of the charge
of blasphemy already, for he doubtlessly maintains an efficient network
of spies. Thus his suggestion judge
him according to your law is a taunt,
and both sides know it (compare
Acts 18:15). Later, however, the
charge of blasphemy that is voiced
to Pilate is played like a trump card
(John 19:7).
32. That the saying of Jesus
might be fulfilled, which he spake,
signifying what death he should die.
If the Jews themselves could execute Jesus, it would be by stoning
(again, Leviticus 24:16). But this
would not fulfill Jesus’ prophecy
concerning His death: that He must
“be lifted up” (John 12:32), a reference to being raised on a cross
(12:33). This lifting up on a cross fits
the pattern established by the brass
snake of Moses, which saved those
who looked upon it (see 3:14, 15, last
week’s lesson). Elsewhere, Jesus
foretells His death by a Gentile court,
which also indicates that He is not
to be stoned by the Jews (see Matthew 20:18, 19; Mark 10:33, 34).
II. Pilate Questions
John 18:33-38
33. Then Pilate entered into the
judgment hall again, and called
Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou
the King of the Jews?
Jesus is being kept inside in the
judgment hall. The Jewish leaders
have no concern for His own ritual
cleanliness, for no one expects Him
to con tinue participating in the
weeklong festival.
John pictures Pilate as roaring
back into the hall and barking at
Jesus, voicing the charges at the
heart of the matter. He does this by
asking a series of questions. His first
question—Art thou the King of the
Jews? is an accusation. He is saying, in effect, “You claim to be the
Jewish king? Don’t you know I have
been warned to move quickly against
anyone trying to reestablish the Jewish monarchy?” The Romans have
zero tolerance for the idea of a Jew
sitting on a royal throne in Jerusalem.
We don’t know how much Pilate
knows about Jesus. Pilate’s spy network probably keeps him informed,
but there is no record of his showing any interest in investigating
Jesus or His disciples before (unlike
Herod Antipas, per Luke 23:8).
34. Jesus answered him, Sayest
thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?
Jesus calmly responds with a
question of His own. This presents
a marked contrast with Pilates’
abruptness. Jesus knows the answer,
but He wants Pilates’ manipulations
out on the table. Jesus is asking,
“Who accused me of being a king?”
35. Pilate answered, Am I a Jew?
Thine own nation and the chief
priests have delivered the unto me:
what hast thou done?
Pilate’s second question Am I a
Jew? is a complaint. He wishes he
had not been dragged ay into this
mess. Perhaps he sees no way out at
this point; it’s a losing situation no
matter what he does. If he protects
Jesus, he enrages and further alienates the most powerful leaders in his
province. If he executes Jesus, he
allows them to manipulate him in a
way that may cause problems in the
future. He does not want to be their
own. Therefore, Pilate wants Jesus
just to be straight with him: what hast
thou done? Pilate must know.
36. Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would
my servants fight, that I should not
be delivered to the Jews: but now is
m kingdom not from hence.
my g
Jesus’ answer indicates that He
is not a threat to Rome, since Jesus’
kingdom is not of this world. Jesus
does not intend to challenge the
Romans in any political or military
way (see Mark 12:17; John 6:15). As
evidence to this effect, Jesus points
out that His followers did not
up a fight at His arrest to keep Him
from being delivered to the Jews
(with the minor exception of Peter’s
swordsmanship, quickly corrected;
see John 18:10, 11).
Pilate likely has received a report
about the arrest and knows that
what Jesus says is true. But Jesus’
answer does not solve Pilate’s dilemma. If Jesus has no designs on a
political kingdom and is not resisting arrest and trial, then He is even
more of a puzzle. Why are others so
angry with Him?
37a. Pilate therefore said unto
him, Art thou a king then?
Pilate’s next question is similar to
the first with a slight twist. This time
he asks Jesus if He is a king rather
than “the King of the Jews” (John
18:33) We might interpret this as a
follow-up to Jesus last answer, His
claim to be something other than an
earthly king. Pilate is askin , “What
sort of king are you?
37b. Jesus answered, Thou
sayest that I am a king. To this end
was I born, and for this cause came I
into the world, that I should bear
witness unto the truth. Every one
that is of the truth heareth my voice.
Jesus’ answer may confuse Pilate.
Perhaps Pilate is expecting Jesus to
say that He is the king of some small,
nonviolent group of holy people.
Maybe such a group intends to
found some kind of monastic community in the desert, as the Essenes
have done.
But that is not the implication of
what Jesus says. He is directing the
discussion away from politics (even
away from religion) to the truth.
Jesus says, in effect, that He is the
king of those who love the truth. We
note in passing that Paul refers to
Jesus’ response to Pilate as “a good
confession” (1 Timothy 6:13).
38. Pilate saith unto him, What
is truth? And when he had said this,
he went out again unto the Jews,
and saith unto them, I find in him
no fault at all.
Pilate’s final question What is
truth? is one of the most ringing
queries in all of human history. Sadly,
Pilate is not interested in Jesus’ answer. Pilate has all the answers he
wants and is tired of this game. So
he returns to the Jewish leaders and
announces that he has found no
fault at all in Jesus. Thus he presents the Jewish leaders with a logjam, and the next move is theirs.
The resulting dialogue between
Pilate and the Jewish leaders is tragically ironic. Pilate should be enraged
by Jesus’ claim to be a king, and the
Jews should be encouraged by it.
Instead, the Jews want Jesus dead,
while Pilate wants to let Him go.
Pilate continues to taunt the Jews,
presenting Jesus as a broken, helpless man while still naming Him as
their king. This pushes the Jewish
leaders to exclaim “We have no king
but Caesar” (John 19:15). The very
men who chafe under Rome’s oppressive rule claim loyalty to the
emperor! All this would be comical if
it were not so tragic, cruel, and unjust.
Thought to Remember
Never Compromise the Truth
of the Gospel.
Local Church Ministries
735 E.
Wagner Ave.
Church
Pastor James A. Waldon
Sunday School ................................................... 9:45 a.m.
Morning Worship .............................................................. 11:00 a.m.
Evening Worship ................................................................. 6:00 p.m.
Midweek Service ............................................................... 6-8:00 p.m.
Tuesday Bible Study Morning 10:00 a.m.
Tuesday Bible Study Evening ............................................. 6:00 p.m.
“A friendly Church Exalting Our Lord And Saviour, Jesus Christ”
African American
Achievement
continued from pg. 5
Black America has a strong, consistent, unwavering, undeniable history
of striving towards excellence, and we must continue that tradition in order
for us, as a people, to move forward.
But it’s not about being able to write as prolifically as James Baldwin or
as intelligently as Eugene Robinson.
It’s not about being able to articulate a point as effortlessly as Melissa
Harris-Perry, or being able to speak as eloquently as Sojourner Truth.
It’s about being thankful for those pioneers, patriarchs, role models,
and getting out there and trying it for yourselves.
We all have a responsibility to be the catalyst for the change we wish to
see in this world. We can be this change and we must be this change.
This much we owe to the next generation.
March 25, 2012
CPSA COURIER INC. - Page7
SOCIAL
SECURITY
Issue
The Greater Flint Afro-American
Hall of Fame Inducts New Members
By Cynthia W. Edwards
Public Affairs Specialist
Cat in the Hat Inspires
Mouse in the House
The National Education Association’s “Read Across America” celebration is an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for
every child in every community to celebrate reading on March 2, the birthday of beloved children’s author Dr. Seuss.
Taking some pointers from the Cat in the Hat, Social Security’s own
Mouse in the House has something for you to read. You may learn a thing or
two …
The sun was not shining. Outside it was wet.
Grandma was whining, all full of regret.
I sat there with Granny. Just looking outside.
I asked, “What’s wrong?” Then she almost cried.
She said, “I’m unhappy. You want to know why?
I turned 66, and it’s time to apply!
But outside it’s so wet and so slick and so cold,
When the weather gets better, I might be too old!”
LaTonya
Mechelle White
Basketball/Track
and Field
Daryl Turner
Multiple Sports
Calvin Mc Queen
Track and field
Courtney
Hawkins
Multiple Sports
Jeff Grayer
Basketball
Felix (Toots)
Miller
Basketball
John Fisher
Wrestling
Marie Williams
Finley
Basketball
Every One here in Oneville, when they reach the right number,
Applies for Social Security. To forget is to blunder.
But all we could do was to wait, wait, wait, wait.
To wait for nice weather. It wasn’t so great.
And then, something went CLICK!
That click made our hearts tick!
We looked, and remembered what we had in our house.
We looked and remembered! Our house had a mouse!
The mouse said, “I know it’s bad weather for driving.
But today’s just the right kind of day for onlining!
I know a good website, one that you’ll love.
And I call it Social Security dot gov!”
We logged on the computer and went to the site.
In a matter of minutes, Granny’s smile was on tight!
The mouse said, “Online is the way to apply!”
With a grin on her face, Granny said “Oh my!”
Granny cheered, “Look, look!” And she shook with glee.
“I’m done applying! That was so, so easy!
The application was so slick and so fast and so fun,
Let’s go dance in the rain, now that I’m done!”
Then Grandpa woke up, looking quite down.
His pajamas were frumpy. On his face was a frown.
His age was rising and so was the water.
“I don’t want to go out in that rain, but I oughter.”
“What will I do,” Grandpa asked about later.
“I need to apply, and I’m not a good wader.”
Granny and I did not know what to say.
Should we tell him about what we’d done here this day?
Should we help him get to Social Security online?
We did. And now Granny and Grandpa are fine.
When retirement age comes to someone you love,
Take them to Social Security dot gov.
Burke
Continued From Page 1
Russell, CEO of GCCMH stated,
“Under Ms. Burke’s leadership,
InSHAPE® has grown from a ‘good
idea’ into a very valuable resource
that is giving our consumers a better quality of life, and ultimately,
lengthening those lives. Her knowledge and passion make the program
the success it is.”
Ms. Burke emphasizes, “It is very
gratifying to have the program become so well received in the community and in Genesee County.” She
continues to strive to grow to be one
of the best health educators she can
be to continue the “Fitness Movement”. Ms. Burke is a firm believer
of the scripture “I can do all things
through Christ who strengthens
me.” Phil 4:13. She is a faithful member of Christ Fellowship Missionary
Baptist Church for over 30 years and
is a member of the choir and has
helped in the youth department.
We are so blessed to have Ms.
Burke a part of our GCCMH team and
a member of our community. As always, have a blessed week and remember, “Only what you do for
Christ will last.”
WANTED
P
L
HE
‹Ad Person
to sale Newspaper Ads on Commission
For more information contact the
CPSA Courier Office at
(810) 234-8770
or apply in person at
109 Welch Blvd
at M. L. King Ave. or email resumes to
[email protected].
Address to Rev. Wilbert Campbell
Genesee County Road Commission Ends
Posting Stop Signs During Power Outages
Drivers will be on their own in
deciding who drives through intersections first during power outages
at some of the county’s busiest
crossings effective immediately. The
county Board of Road Commissioners changed its policy in the event
of what officials call “dark signal”
situations — times when traffic signals are not lit because of an areawide power outage. When traffic signals like this one go dark during
power outages, the Genesee County
Road Commission will no longer
place temporary stop signs at intersections.
“In order to create uniformity be-
March is
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tween the Michigan Department of
Transportation road system and the
Genesee County Road Commission,
and to minimize driver confusion ...
no further action will be taken by the
Road Commission” until power is
restored, the Road Commission said
in a news release.
Until now, the Road Commission
placed temporary stop signs at intersections under its jurisdiction
during power outages. Daly said
placing stop signs at an intersection
can cause a confusing situation for
drivers when power is restored. The
manager-director said drivers
should treat intersections as a fourway stop during power outages.
CPSA COURIER INC. - Page 8
March 25, 2012
Broad Range of Career
Options Featured
at M C C
15th Annual Criminal
Justice Career &
Information Fair
When faced with a sluggish
economy, widespread layoffs and
job cuts, finding a career with longterm growth potential can be a challenge.
While a tough economy can affect most sectors in the workforce,
the field of criminal justice is one of
the occupations with a good job
outlook. The list of available positions in criminal justice covers a
broad spectrum, calling for individuals from a variety of professional and
educational backgrounds. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the outlook for nearly all careers in the criminal justice field continues to be favorable. Employment
for private detectives and investigators, for instance, is expected to grow
18 percent through 2016, faster than
the average for all occupations.
Mott Community College offers
an excellent opportunity each year
for individuals to explore a variety
of career options in the criminal justice arena. MCC’s 15th Annual Criminal Justice Career & Information Fair
will take place 4 to 6:30 pm Tuesday,
April 3, 2012 in the Ballenger Field
House on MCC’s main campus, 1401
East Court Street, Flint. This event
is free and open to the public.
Ongoing concerns about crime
and terrorism plaguing our society
have contributed to a constant need
for qualified personnel to fill a variety of positions within criminal justice and law enforcement.
“We’re living in a more securityconscious society, and the unfortunate incidence of crime and related
issues continue to make the criminal
justice field a growth industry with
viable career options and excellent
job opportunities,” said Avon Burns,
Ed.D., professor and coordinator of
the criminal justice program and the
Criminal Justice Career & Information Fair at Mott Community College.
“Our Criminal Justice Career &
Information Fair gives students and
job seekers a visual sense of the
number and variety of opportunities
available in criminal justice,” Dr.
Burns added. “Law enforcement is a
major area of interest, but there are
so many more areas.”
Representatives from more than
40 federal, state and local law enforcement departments and agencies
will be on hand at this year’s event,
including the F.B.I.; U.S. Secret Ser-
CORRECTION
In last week’s column featuring
Mrs. Carolyn Meekins. It mentioned
that Mrs. Mary Pringle, mother of
Mrs. Meekins, is deceased, that is
incorrect. Mrs. Pringle is alive and
well.
Our email
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vice; various branches of the U.S.
Armed Forces; several police and
sheriff’s departments from across
Michigan and the region; security
firms; public safety, crime prevention
programs and human services agencies.
MCC’s Criminal Justice Career &
Information Fair offers participants
several benefits, including career information, networking opportunities,
a chance to brush up on job seeking
skills as well as the possibility for
interviews with employers on site.
Attendees should be dressed appropriately in professional attire and are
encouraged to bring several copies
of their resumes.
Mott Community College’s Criminal Justice program provides a number of options for individuals interested in pursuing careers in criminal
justice. Students can earn an
Associate’s degree or a Certificate
of Achievement that will prepare
them for employment opportunities
in a variety of settings, including industrial and department store security; township, local, county and
state law enforcement; correctional
facilities; substance abuse and juvenile detention centers. Students
can also complete a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at Ferris State
University of Southeast Michigan,
conveniently located at the University Center on the MCC main campus in Flint. For information about
MCC’s Criminal Justice program,
please call (810) 762-0332.
For more information about the
Criminal Justice Career & Information Fair, call the MCC Student Employment Center at (810) 232-3285.
Funding for the Criminal Justice Career Fair was made possible by the
Carl D. Perkins Grant.
“Get Your Plate
In Shape”
Pastor Chester Payton
”Your Christ
Like Spirit Will
Remain In Our
Hearts
Forever.”
We the family of the late pastor
Chester Payton, Sr. Pastor of
the Rising Star Missionary Baptist
Church. The family convey sincere
appreciation and gratitude to each
one for the various acts of sympathy shown during our time of bereavement. You cannot possible
know just how much your support
of the many prayers, flowers, calls,
cards, tender words, visits, food, that
was a blessing of strength and comfort to all of us. We like to express
special thanks to Hurley Medical
Center Department, Dr. E. Saeed and
Dr. Elain, daughter, Mary Wicks, Son,
Wendal Payton, granddaughter
Sherrithia Haire, Rev. Derrick Aldridge
and the 2nd Chance Church family,
Pastor Lewis Randolph and the
Antioch M.B.C., Pastor K.D. Yarber,
of Mt. Hermon Church, Bishop
Urundi B. Knox, of Ebonezer Ministries, Pastor Roosevelt Deloach,
of Upper room Baptist Church and
the members of Rising Star Baptist
Church. U.A.W. Local 598 / g m flint
truck Assembly, Lawrence E. Moon
and staff.
”Your Christ Like Spirit Will Remain In Our Hearts Forever.”
The Payton Family
Linda K. Boose
March is National Nutrition
Month. This year, the focus is on
eating more of the right foods and
portion size. “Get Your Plate in
Shape” is the theme to remind us to
eat more vegetables and fruit and
reduce the amount of meat and
starches in our meal. Half of your
plate should have fruits and vegetables. Include whole grain foods,
such as, pasta, whole wheat bread
or rolls for example. Fish, salmon,
various seafood, turkey, chicken are
the recommended instead of red
meat. Red meat can be served in
moderation. Include beans more often in your weekly menu. Beans can
be served hot in casseroles or cold
in many delicious salads. If you notice in several restaurants, salad buffets include different types of beans
and peas. Our bodies where created
to eat the foods grown from trees
and from the ground. Natural, unprocessed foods are easier to breakdown in our system. Processed
foods have a lot of chemicals that
can harm the natural digestive process and cause many illnesses. Most
additives mixed in processed foods
cause headaches and other medical
problems.
Use olive oil and canola oil to
braise or fry meats. Baked meats are
the preferred choice to eliminate excessive fats consumption. Select
fruit and vegetable in an array of
colors: red, orange, yellow, white,
black, brown, green, and purple. You
should eat 2 cups of fruit and 2 ½
cups of vegetable per day. Eating
raw fruits and vegetable is suggested. The benefit is that your
body will receive the required amount
of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and provide body with many antitoxins to
protect the body. Eliminate using too
much salt. Try using different herbs
and spices to enhance your food.
Basic food items to have in the home
are wheat flour and bread, packaged
beans, fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, whole fat milk, unsweetened
whole grain or wheat cereals. Don’t
forget to include low-fat dairy products. Nuts, raisins, dates make a
wonderful snack.
Besides daily exercise, our bodies require the proper nutrition to
fight of disease, regenerate healthy
cells, simulate brain cells, to build
strong muscle and bones, and to help
with weight loss.
Eating a well balance meal will not
only help you to feed better, you will
also look better. “But the excellence of knowledge is that wisdom
gives life to those who have it.”
Ecclesiastes 6:12