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Vol. 36 No. 35
Website: theaustinvillager.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 512-476-0082
Fax: 512-476-0179
January 30, 2009
Celeberty Chefs, Angela Shelf Medearis
and G. Garvin, to judge Soulful
Taste of Austin
RAPPIN’
Tommy Wyatt
Are you ready
for DTV?
On February 17, 2009, all broadcast television stations (ABC,
CBS, NBC, FOX) are required
to transmit programming in digital, which will leave views who
get their programming over an
antenna without a picture, unless they get a special converter
box.
The U. S. Senate passed a bill
that would extend the transition
to all-digital TV signals from
Feb. 17 to June 12, with the hope
that those who have not yet prepared for the switch will do so
in the additional months.
Why are they switching? Digital technology uses less radio
bandwidth, freeing up frequencies for police, fire and emergency services communications. The federal government
is proposing the February transition date, but President Barack
Obama is asking Congress to
consider postponing the switch
until the summer. The benefit to
the viewer is clearer audio and
sharper picture quality.
If you have cable television,
you will not have to make the
switch or get a converter box.
However, if you are on a satellite system, you will need to
upgrade your TV.
The government has been offering $40 coupons to offset the
cost of converter boxes, but recently ran out. Anyone who
applies now is put on a waiting
list.
According to a recent
Nielson Co. survey, 6.5 million
U. S. households or 5.7 percent
of all homes are completely unprepared for the upcoming digital transition (DTV). Of those,
9.9 percent are African American
households. Among other cities nationwide, Austin ranks
eighth in cities lease prepared
for the digital conversion at 8.45
percent.
As usual, African Americans
fall behind on making the necessary changes. We have a tendency to operate on CP Time
most of the time. However, if
you re one of those people who
have not made the necessary
arrangements, you need to get
in line now. It is not known just
how long the wait will be. If you
have any concern about what
you need to do, you may call
(888) 388-2009 or go to
www.dtv2009.gov.
Some people are constantly
asking how the election of
barack Obama will change their
lives. Well, I can tell you that
President Obama will only be
able to help those who help
themselves. He will only know
what we need is if we tell him
and his staff. However, most of
the request will have to first be
presented to the local elected
officials - city, county and state.
So, it is time to get organized and
starting doing research on what
we need to do to improve our
liver or to keep it going in a positive direction.
CAPTION: The Reverend Raymond McClintock
(left), associate minister at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, and Albert Black (right), Deputy Director
for Child Inc. join Congressman Lloyd Doggett on the
same Inaugural Platform, where only hours previously,
President Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. Albert and his wife Kathy,
Equal Opportunity Manager for the Department of Veterans Affairs in Austin, attended the National Prayer
Breakfast with President Obama as personal representatives of Congressman Doggett. They later viewed the
Inaugural Parade from the Presidential Reviewing
Stand.
Hip Hop Helped a
Dream Come True
By. Marcus A. Williams
Special to the NNPA
from the Afro-American
Newspapers
WASHINGTON
(NNPA)
Rappers,
songwriters, producers and
the creative minds behind the
scenes of the hip hop culture
worked overtime to encourage the youth of America to
get out and “Barack the
vote.” And this inauguration
weekend, they all fashionably flocked to the nation’s
capital to celebrate a job well
done.
Music and fashion mogul Russell Simmons, entertainment executive and social activist Valeisha
Butterfield, Dr. Benjamin
Chavis president and CEO of
the Hip Hop Summit Action
Network were the creative
forces behind the fourth annual Hip Hop Inaugural Ball
at the prestigious Harman
Center for the Arts in Washington, D.C.
The group of politically
savvy hip hop leaders included
industry executives and artists
like T.I., LL Cool J, Young Jeezy,
Bow Wow and the creators and
organizers of the Hip-Hop Caucus Respect My Vote Campaign.
Though hip hop has
grown into a mainstream phenomenon, there are still many individuals who know little about
the genre of music and view rappers as gangsters with no purpose.
It’s for that very reason,
artists say, this ball was so special; it allowed the world to witness a more humbled side of the
honorees.
For rappers Young Jeezy
and T.I. being honored at the
event was surreal.
“Give me a minute to get
my thoughts together, like
Young Jeezy said ‘it’s not often
that my name is called for doing
something good’,” T.I. said in
Who serves up the best
soulfood in Austin? All of
Austin is invited to come and
find out at the Austin Black
Expo, scheduled for Saturday, January 31, starting at
12:00 P.M., at The Monarch
Events Center.
The Soulful Taste of
Austin Cook-Off will feature
celebrity TV chefs Angela
Shelf Medearis, host of The
Kitchen Diva! T.V. and Radio Cooking Show and Chef
G. Garvin, host of Turn Up
the Heat with G. Garvin on
the TV One Network. The
Cook-Off is open to both professional chefs and individuals.
In addition to the Soulful Taste of Austin, the day
will feature a family-friendly
celebration of local AfricanAmerican culture and flavor
with shopping opportunities
from locally-owned businesses, a children’s Fun Zone,
and plenty of high-energy entertainment and music.
“Our objective in
launching the Black Expo
was to create a tangible and
engaging opportunity to connect the businesses and nonprofit organizations in Central Texas to the communities
that they serve” said Dr.
Chiquitta Watts-Eugene,
President and CEO of the
Capital City African-American Chamber of Commerce.
“We recognized that
food, music and fun are
among the best ways to con-
Kitchen Diva - Angela Shelf Medearis
nect people and unite communities. As such, the Black
Expo was designed with
plenty of all three,” continued
Watts-Eugene.
In addition to the Vendor Expo and The Soulful
Taste of Austin Cook-Off,
there will be a Step Show
Competition for $600 in cash
and prizes. Step Shows are
group competitions showcasing synchronized steps and
dance moves performed to
music. Once exclusively performed by African American
greek fraternities and sororities, thanks in part to mainstream movies like 2007’s
Stomp The Yard, more and
more people are becoming involved in step competitions,
from campus organizations
and church groups to high
schools and local communities.
The day’s activities
close out beginning at 9 P.M.
with an Ol’ School Jam featuring the best hip-hop and
R&B soul music of the 70s, 80s
and 90s. Ol’ School Jam attendees must be 21 and older
to attend. There will be a cash
bar available.
The Austin Black Expo
runs from 12:00 P.M. to Midnight at the Monarch Event
Center, located at 6404 N. IH
35, Suite 3100, in the Lincoln
Village Shopping Center. The
Vendor Expo, Soulful Taste of
Austin and Fun Zone activities are free. Tickets for the
Step Show and Ol’ School Jam
are $15 and available online
at austinblackexpo.com. Applications to be a vendor, enter a step team or enter the
cook-off are also available
online.
Obamas Upset over Beanie Babies Named
After Their Children
Russell Simmons
his acceptance speech.
“This may sound
funny but I want to thank
God for me dropping out of
the school, selling crack, living the street life, putting fear
in my heart, which made me
go out and buy machine
guns to protect myself and
now facing a year in the penitentiary,” he continued. “It
was those things that allowed me to be able to better
talk to the youth – I lived it
all so when I went out to tell
the youth to vote, they listened because they know I
am just like them and now
look what happened.”
“What’s happening is
beautiful,” Russell Simmons recounted. “When I stepped off
the plane I could feel it in the air
– I felt love and excitement from
everyone about what is preparing to happen. And it feels good
to know that hip hop had something to do with it.”
Those artists honored
couldn’t contain themselves
from reiterating how happy they
were to be recognized for their
efforts to help what once was a
lone dream of Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. manifest into a reality.
In honor of President
Obama singer and star of
“Dancing With the Stars” Mario
performed a moving rendition
of Michael Jackson’s “Man In
The Mirror” to echo the theme
of change that pervaded the
president’s campaign.
By. James Wright
Special to the NNPA
from the Afro-American
Newspapers
WASHINGTON
(NNPA) - President Barack
Obama and First Lady
Michelle Obama are not
happy with new dolls that
resemble images of their two
young daughters.
Ty Inc., makers of the
popular beanie baby dolls,
has created two 12-inch dolls
named ‘’Sweet Sasha’’ and
‘’Marvelous Malia.’’ The
Westmont, Ill.,-based company said, through spokeswoman Tania Lundeen, that
the dolls’ names were chosen
because they were ‘’beautiful
names.’’
‘’There’s nothing on the
dolls that refers to the Obama
girls,’’ Lundeen told the Associated Press. ‘’It would not
be fair to say they are exact
replications of these girls.
They are not.’’
The Obamas, through a
spokesman, said it would be
‘’inappropriate to use young
private citizens for marketing
purposes.’’
Also in the news, Mattel
Inc. announced it will launch
its first complete line of African-American Barbie dolls.
The line, which features three adult dolls, was
previewed one day after
America’s first African-
American president, Barack
Obama, took office.
The “So in Style” dolls,
expected to be released in fall
2009, come with little sisters
as part of a mentorship theme.
City to host Heritage Hills/Windsor Hills Round Robin Brainstorming
The public is invited to
attend the Heritage Hills/
Windsor Hills Round Robin
Brainstorming Session on
Wednesday, Feb. 4 from 6:30
p.m. to 8:45 p.m. at the Dobie
Middle School Library (second
floor), 1200 E. Rundberg Lane.
During the session, meeting participants will develop
goals, objectives and neighbor-
hood plan recommendations
on trees, parks and recreation,
community health and the environment in the Heritage
Hills/Windsor Hills Planning
Area.
The brainstorming
session is part of the neighborhood planning process,
which began in Heritage
Hills/Windsor Hills in May
2008. The process is a collaborative effort between
neighborhood stakeholders
and City staff, which will
culminate with the Heritage
Hills/Windsor Hills Neighborhood Plan.
For more information
v
i
s
i
t
www.cityofaustin.org/zon-
Page 2/THE VILLAGER/January 30, 2009
EDITORIALS/COMMENTARY
Editorial, Commentary or Letter to the Editor Fax to 512.476.0179 Email to [email protected] Mail to 1223-A Rosewood Avenue, 78702
From Prophet King to President
Obama in 40 Years
By. Marc H. Morial
NNPA Column
‘’The arc of the moral
universe is long, but it bends
towards justice.’’ Martin
Luther King, Jr.
On behalf of the National Urban League and its
affiliates, I offer my heartfelt
congratulations to Barack
Obama and Joe Biden as they
officially assume their roles
as President and Vice President of the United States .
For millions of Americans and freedom-loving
people all over the world, the
inauguration of President
Barack Obama breathed new
life into our nation’s oldest
and highest values. Watching the ceremony at the U.S.
Capitol with the Lincoln Memorial in the background, I
was reminded of the 1963
March on Washington.
Then as now, the nation
was on the brink of dissolution and despair. And then,
as now a visionary leader
stepped forth with a message
of hope onto the stage of history.
In one of those rare acts
of divine timing, President
Obama was sworn-in one
day after the nation celebrated what would have
been the 80th birthday of Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
It is amazing to think
that the moral arc of the universe has given us a prophet
and a president in the span
of 40 years. With the inauguration of President Obama,
we have moved closer to realizing Dr. King’s dream. The
forces of inequality, injustice,
and division are clearly on
the run, but as long as those
forces hold sway in any corner, our work is not yet done.
In the time of legal segregation and denial of the
right to vote, Dr. King’s extraordinary moral authority
helped lead us to a better day.
In these times of unprecedented domestic and foreign
upheaval, we now have a
President who possesses
both the moral and political
authority to get this country
back on track.
But democracy has
never been a solo act or spectator sport. If we are to regain
our economic and moral
standing in the world, all of
us are going to have to get in
the game.
The National Urban
League is already working
with the new President and
Congress to pass a major
stimulus package designed to
create new jobs and put our
people back to work.
We will continue to be a
strong advocate for the urban
communities we serve. We
will give the new President
our support when we think
he’s right and we will not hesitate to tell him when we think
he’s wrong.
With so many challenges facing this nation,
within the next four years we
could very well reach a tipping point that will determine
what kind of America we
leave to our children. Will it
be an America that works
only for the wealthy and connected or will it be an America
where everyone who is willing to work and contribute
has an equal chance to live
out their dreams? In the
words of President Obama,
‘’Starting today, we must pick
ourselves up, dust ourselves
off, and begin again the work
of remaking America .’’
Marc H. Morial is President and CEO of the National
Urban League.
A Bailout for Our Students
By. Julianne Malveaux
NNPA Columnist
Why do banks and
businesses get breaks when
college students do not?
While some are getting
multi-billion dollar bailouts, the students who so
enthusiastically supported
Barack Obama are being offered scant relief from the
effects of our broken
economy.
Much attention has
been focused on keeping
people in the middle class.
What about those who are
attempting to claw their
way into the middle class
through education? We
need a broad-based stimulus package, and college
students need special help.
Thanks to a federal
government bailout, General Motors will be offering
cars to the public with zero
percent interest loans.
Banks, too, are getting subsidized loans.
Through federal programs, students pay between 5 and 9 percent for
government loans. When
their parents cannot
qualify for federal programs, they go to private
lenders, and pay as much
as 15 percent for loans to
cover college education.
Some pay for college
on their credit cards, paying between 18 and 24 percent for their children to go
to college. If we can offer
cars at zero percent, and
give banks subsidized
loans, why not offer students college loans at one
percent.
Rev. Jesse Jackson
calls it the one percent solution, and he is right on
time. One percent money
for students helps them
with better repayment
terms, and helps their par-
ents as well. And it helps
colleges maintain enrollment, because there are students who are dropping out
of school because they can’t
afford to pay.
When college students
have federally subsidized
loans, they are required to
begin paying them back
within six months of graduation. In this economy? We
need a reality check. As long
as the unemployment rate
exceeds six percent, students should have eighteen
months to begin paying
back their loans. Otherwise,
students are pressured to
pay their loans back by
whatever means necessary.
Some use credit cards, at 18
percent, to pay loans back.
Others struggle and find
that if they do not pay their
credit scores, or their lifetime
of opportunities, are affected.
Student credit rating is
not the only thing affected
by failure to repay. Colleges
are judged on the loan repayment rates of their students, and accrediting agencies penalize colleges who
have repayment rates over
25 percent.
But in a rotten economy,
it is understandable that some
students have difficulty repaying their loans. An economic
stimulus package that helps
students and colleges might
suspend sanctions for those
colleges with high loan repayment rates until the economy
is more stable.
Thirty years ago, students were more likely to get
grants than loans for college.
Indeed the equation was that
students paid for college with
one-third loans and two-thirds
grants. Now the equation has
been reversed. The Pell grant,
our need-based grant program, provides students with
$4750 a year toward their costs.
Bennett College costs
$22,000 for tuition room and
board, so where does the other
$17,500 come from. Further, the
Pell grant is granted fully to
students with the lowest incomes, phasing out when parent income is about $55,000 a
year.
President Obama proposes raising the Pell Grant
to $5350 a year. That’s help,
but it isn’t enough. The Pell
grant ought to be $10,000 per
year. It helps us train the
next generation, it helps
maintain college enrollment, and while it is high
enough to make a difference, it does not fully cover
the cost of education, forcing students, too, to invest
in their futures.
Already Republicans
are carping that they don’t
want the Pell Grant to go up.
But young people need help
with their tuitions. The average student graduates the
$20,000 in student loans,
and the average African
American student graduates with $26,000 in loans.
Our young people are
shackled before they begin
their lives, their loan status
dictating some career decisions.
The Obama Administration has also offered a
$4,000 tuition grant for students who do community
service. That grant program
is also a step in the right direction. I do hope that as the
regulations for this program
are developed, the Obama
Administration seeks input
from college presidents, and
also from students, about
ways the requirements for
service will be measured.
At Bennett College, far
too many of our students are
struggling with the effects of
this economy. When parents
lose jobs, students struggle to
stay in school. When parent
credit scores change, the ability to qualify for some loans
changes, and again students
struggle to stay in school.
Good students, dean’s list students, students with stellar
GPAs are beginning the spring
semester worried sick about
whether they can graduate
with the balances they carry.
The data is compelling, but the
challenges that some of our
young women face are all the
more challenging.
Students need a bailout!
They need one percent money
for loans, more time to begin to
repay their loans, and higher
Pell Grants. If we can find $138
billion for Bank of America,
and offer car loans at zero percent, can’t we provide a bailout for college students?
Julianne Malveaux is
president of Bennett College for
Women Shecan be reached at
[email protected].
Memo to Republicans: You Lost
George Curry
NNPA Columnist
I don’t know who is the
most ridiculous: Rush
Limbaugh, who said he hopes
President Obama fails, or Republican Congressional leaders,
who are not saying that, but trying to make Limbaugh’s wish
come true. Both forget that we had
an election on Nov. 4 and their
side lost. Handidly.
Limbaugh, the subject of a
book titled, “Rush Limbaugh is
a Big Fat Idiot,” picked his words
carefully when he said he wants
Obama to fail.
“My hope, and please understand me when I say this. I
disagree fervently with the
people on our side of the aisle
who have caved and who say,
‘Well, I hope he succeeds. We’ve
got to give him a chance.’ Why?
They didn’t give Bush a chance
in 2000. Before he was inaugurated the search-and-destroy
mission had begun. I’m not talking about search-and-destroy,
but I’ve been listening to Barack
Obama for a year-and-a-half. I
know what his politics are. I
know what his plans are, as he
has stated them. I don’t want
them to succeed.”
Limbaugh said his staff
had warned against wishing the
worst for Obama. But he ignored
them, declaring, “I am last the
last man standing.” In predicting an uproar over his remarks,
Limbaugh said, “I would be honored if the Drive-By Media headlined me all day long:
‘Limbaugh: I Hope Obama Fails.’
Somebody’s gotta say it.”
Obviously, he was that
honored. The next day he tried
to soften his attack, saying he
was supportive of the new president but not his polices, as if one
can separate the two.
“I support our president,
like I have supported all presidents. I just don’t support
Obama’s policies,” Limbaugh
said. “I don’t support the nationalization of banks, which has
happened. I don’t support the
nationalization of the auto companies. I don’t support the nationalization of the mortgage
business. I don’t like Barney
Frank and Chris Dodd running
things. And I don’t want that to
continue.”
Who care whether
Limbaugh likes Democrats
Barney Frank or Chris Dodd?
The voters like them and in a democracy, that’s all that matters.
Get over it, Rush. You lost. A big
fat idiot should be able to see that.
Limbaugh isn’t the only
Republican acting as though the
GOP won the election in November. Trickle-down Republican
policies were clearly repudiated
as evidenced not only by the election of President Obama but by
sizeable House and Senate victories as well.
Unfortunately, someone
forgot to tell that to House Minority Leader John A. Boehner
(R-Ohio). Appearing Sunday on
NBC’s “Meet the Press,” he said
Republicans are opposing the
Obama-backed stimulus plan
because it is seen as “a lot of
wasteful Washington spending,
padding the bureaucracy and
doing nothing to help create jobs
and preserve jobs.”
Don’t you love it when
people who spend all of their
time and money getting to Washington complain about ‘Washington spending?” Of course it’s
Washington spending; this is
where our federal government is
headquartered.
Even John McCain is acting as though he won. Yes, that
one. I read a story just last week
about how “the Mc is back,” how
McCain had returned to his maverick ways. He wasn’t a maverick before and he’s not one now.
Instead, we are being serenaded
with a remix of his campaign
rhetoric, the same talk that saw
him go down in defeat.
The rejected Republic
nominee for president was on
Fox TV Sunday, blabbing about
how he would not have announced the closing of
Guantanamo Bay without first
deciding what to do with current
detainees and his objections to
the proposed stimulus plan.
I am beginning to wonder
if Obama isn’t too nice to the
wrong people. He campaigned
for Joseph Lieberman and was
rewarded by the Connecticut
senator’s decision to campaign
against him in the general election and speak at the Republican convention in support of
McCain. What did Obama do?
He gently nudged his Democratic colleagues to let “Joe the
Traitor” keep his Homeland Security Committee chairmanship.
A similar pattern occurred
with John McCain, one of the first
people Obama reached out to
while he was still president-elect.
Obama has sought McCain’s
opinion on cabinet appointments
and honored him with a candlelight dinner of the eve of inauguration. Again, Obama was rewarded with a round of criticism
from McCain.
Earlier, in one of his saner
moments, McCain said the public had spoken in November and
voters made it clear that they
want Congress to get to work and
to work together across political
lines. Instead, we’re seeing the
same old posturing by Republicans, even after Brack Obama has
met them more than halfway.
The president was right
when he reminded Republicans
the he won the election. Now, he
needs to act like it. Conservative
columnist William Kristol got it
right when he wrote in the New
York Times, “All good things
must come to an end. Jan. 30,
2009 marked the end of a conservative era.”
George E. Curry, former
editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine and the NNPA News Service, is a keynote speaker, moderator, and media coach. He can
be reached through his Web site,
www.georgecurry.com.
Cost Savings is Profiting
Farrah Gray
NNPA Columnist
Cut coupons, cut costs all
around. They’re not just for groceries anymore.
Hard times call for action!
Your income may be the same,
or even shrinking, but food, gas,
and goods and services prices
continue to rise. What can you
do? You gotta eat, you gotta go to
work (hopefully) and you gotta
look good doing it, right?
Don’t stress. Get the scissors, and… get on the computer.
Coupons aren’t just in the Sunday paper or your favorite magazines anymore. You can find
them online and print them out
right there at home. We’ll get back
to that in a minute…
For years, many folks
have gone to the Sunday paper
for coupons. In fact, there are inserts now that contain nothing
but pages and pages of coupons.
And these coupon inserts,
often valued at hundreds of dollars in savings, reach far beyond
groceries. There are now coupons for everything from food
(of course) to hair products,
health care items (such as aspirin, cough syrup, vitamins, etc.,)
and toiletries. And, more and
more these days, you can find
money-savings for car care,
such as oil changes, tune-ups, tire
rotation, brake service – all
things we need to have to keep
our cars in good shape and runn
ing smoothly.
Think about it.. You are
going to have to get your oil
changed anyway, why not save
five to 10 bucks!
And that’s the key to using coupons… use them for
things you are going to buy anyway. Otherwise you are not really saving money.
As mentioned, the Sunday newspaper is a big source
for coupons. Everyday magazines you read or browse are
also ripe with money-saving opportunities. And most neighborhoods have monthly or even
weekly “penny saver” types of
publications that are free in racks
outside grocery stores, retailers
or restaurants, or many of them
are delivered in your mailbox..
For example, metro-Atlanta area residents receive
what’s called “Savvy Shopper.”
It is made up of coupons
and special offers, and most of
the offers are non-grocery. They
include savings at your local fitness center, discounts on home
and car repairs, restaurant coupons, reduced tickets to professional hockey and basketball
games, and other entertainment
events such as theme parks,
museums and shows.
Again, many of these items
are things you would be purchasing anyway, so why not
save a few bucks. You will be
surprised how these savings can
add up. And you can make it fun
by challenging yourself and
your family to see who can find
the most coupons with the most
value each week.
Another key to shopping
with coupons is to watch for
specials that complement your
coupons. Watch the store flyers
that you receive in the mail or
are available at the stores. For
example, if your kids like
Totino’s Pizza Rolls, buy them
with a coupon while they are
on sale. I was with a friend recently while she was grocery
shopping. She had perused over
a certain grocery chain’s flyer
and saw the pizza rolls her kids
love were on sale for $1 a box ( a
box normally ranges from $1.23
to $1.99), and she had a coupon
for 40 cents off if she bought
two.
Now, how about this!
That particular grocery
chain doubles coupons for
up to $1, so she received
80 cents off, and since they
were on sale, she basically got the boxes for
about 60 cents each.
Use your computer. In fact,
you may even find it easier and
more fun, and it will certainly
challenge and be fun for your
kids. There are a lot of free coupon sites, but be wary of the
ones that want you to sign up
for something to get to the coupons. You don’t have to do that.
A favorite and free coupon site
is www.coolsavings.com. Peruse the coupons and print out
the ones you want. They change
each week and you can even
go back and get the ones you
like again.
Also, go to the product web sites. For example,
Pillsbury, Land O’ Lakes
and Kraft are just a few
whose web sites are free
and that offer coupons on
their products as well as
free recipes.
By the way, did you
know that restaurant revenue has declined recently,
while the sale of recipe
books has increased?
Hmmm.... or should we say
Mmmmm!
WorkForce Job Fair was a great success
A big Thank You is due
to each and every one of the
employers that participated
in our Winter Job Fair. We
greatly appreciate you bringing job opportunities to our
customers and for dealing
with the mass of job seekers
in attendance. We especially
thank you for staying beyond
the planned end time to accommodate all those who
turned out.
To all the job seekers
that came in hopes of finding
employment, Thank You for
your patience and for the or-
derly way in which you conducted yourselves. We realize
that long lines and cold
weather were not pleasant. If
you were able to find employment as a result of the fair
congratulations! If not, don’t
give up – keep searching. It
may take longer than you’d
like, but you will achieve success.
One thing we learned
from this job fair is that due to
the current economic situation and the number of people
seeking work, we’ve outgrown our facility for such
TCUE needs your church
It’s a new day...of respect and dignity for the
buying power of African American churches our
members! The Texas Congregations United for
Empowerment, Inc. (TCUE) is a collective of
black churches vigorously advocating the black
church, the most effective vehicle to deliver economic empowerment, wealth building, and a community of educated consumers. We join together
leaders from faith and business for optimal economic empowerment for our members and communities they serve. TCUE invites all pastors to
join us to heighten our collective influence to accomplish our purpose, goals for churches, pastors
and congregations! Visit the TCUE Website: http:/
/www.tcue.org to submit a membership application. Contact Dr. Jacquelyn Donald-Mims
events. The layout, crowds,
etc. didn’t create the environment needed. Our next job
fair will be at a different and
bigger location so as to better
accommodate employers and
job seekers.
We want to serve you
(employers and job seekers)
better. You can help by letting us know how.
Send us your suggestions
by
email
to
[email protected].
Again, thanks to everyone who participated in the
Winter Job Fair. We look forward to seeing you at the next
one.
January 30, 2009/The Villager/Page 3
Round Rock Senior Citizens Foundation
Round Rock Daffodil
Festival
The 15th Annual Daffodil
Festival will be held March 7,
2009! The day’s festivities begin
with a new event, the Senior K
Walk. Registration for the Walk,
which joins the Festival at Round
Rock’s Allen R. Baca Center (301
W. Bagdad, Bldg 2), is from
8:00-8:45am; the Walk begins
at 9:00am.
Opening Ceremonies for
the Daffodil Festival are scheduled for 10:00am. The fun-filled
day is highlighted by free live
entertainment and free children’s
games with prizes. The excitement continues with the draw-
Dr. James L. Hill to Receive
“Friend of Education Award”
AUSTIN, Texas — Dr.
James L. Hill, senior vice
president and special assistant at The University of Texas
at Austin, has been selected
by the Austin Independent
School District’s African
American Heritage Program
Committee to receive its
“Friend of Education
Award.”
The award is presented
to an individual who has exemplified strong character,
excellent leadership and outstanding service in the field
of education. The committee
praised Hill’s academic accomplishments, including his
work through the years with
the University Outreach Program, Neighborhood Longhorns Program, Texas Longhorn Partners Responding to
Education Priorities, and the
recruitment and retention of
minority students, faculty
and staff.
The ceremony for presentation of the award will be
at 3 p.m. on Feb. 8 at the Dr.
Exalton and Wilhelmina
Delco Activity Center, 2601
Pecan Brook Drive.
ing of our raffle winners and a
live auction with the best of
Round Rock up for bids! Come
hungry for your favorite festival
foods, and don’t plan on leaving empty handed as we have a
wonderful array of vendors with
jewelry, arts & crafts, products
and services to share. The fun
only lasts until 4:00pm, so come
early to take advantage of the
Festival’s many activities.
Interested volunteers and
vendors can contact 512-7058901or
visit
www.rrdaffodilcapitaltx.us
and www.rrtxsrfoundation.org
for more information.
Thank You,
Rosewood Oaks Primary would like
to thank the friends of Rosewood Oaks Primary, our parents
and the East Austin community for making 2008 one of our
best years ever for our East Austin campus. Our friends’
support has made it possible for us to offer more benefits to
our parents in 2009. With your help we were able to open
an infant center at our East Austin campus to service
the full family. We thank God for our friends who gave their
time and generosity to make this such a successful year.
MIRACLES
We ask God for blessings and miracles each and
everyday. However some of us fail to realize our
blessings because we have so much fear and mistrust
in our hearts. When dealing with your friends you have to
open up your heart so you can receiveyour blessing. A friend
is a very unique person – each one brings with them their
own little blessing. When you place all of those little
blessings together you have
your—————————————————MIRACLE.
HAVE A SAFE AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR
Rosewood Oaks Primary*
2600 Rosewood Avenue
Austin, Texas 78702
Office – 472-8007 / Fax – 472-0964
E-mail: [email protected]
Church news, announcement?
If so, contactthe Villager at
476-0082
DOUBLE “R” GROCERY
We cash ALL Tax Refund
Checks
HOSPITAL PHARMACY
Serving Austin since 1970
Let us Fill your next Perscription!
SAVE TIME
Check Out
Ask your doctor to call
your prescription in to us
and we’ll have it ready for you
when you get here!
2115 E. MLK Blvd.
512-476-7338
THE AIRPORT FLEE MARKET
Saturdays and Sundays
Austin, Texas 78702
www.PHRX.Net
450l East Martin luther King Blvd.
Open Mon-Fri 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sat 9 a.m. - Noon
1149 Airport Blvd.
Visit the church of your choice on Sunday
David Chapel Missionary Baptist Church
2211 East MLK Blvd.
Office: 512-472-9748
Fax: 512-472-5399
Agape Baptist Church
In “The Centre” Bldg. F-15 7801 N. Lamar Blvd. (SE Corner of N Lamar and 183)
AGAPE is a chuch for all people. “Where Jesus Christ is Magnified and the love He exhibited is
Exemplified.” Come, receive God’s unconditional lovefor you. For there is no greater love!
Church Services
Sunday Services
Discipleship Training 8:15 A.M.
Sunday School
9:00 A.M.
Worship
10:00 A.M.
Rev. Joseph C. Parker Jr.
Pastor
Nursery services available
St. Peter’s United Methodist Church4509
Springdale Road 512- 926-1686 Fax 512-929-7281
We invite you to come and worship with us
Sunday Services
Worship
Sunday School
Worship Service
Rev. Jack C. Gause
Pastor
8:30 A.M.
9:45 A.M
11:00 A.M.
6:00 P.M.
Ebenezer Baptist Church
1010 East 10th Street 512-478-1875 Fax: 512-478-1892
Radio Ministry (KIXI 970 AM
TV Ministry (ACTV. Ch 32)
Bus Ministry
9:00 A.M.
9:00 A.M.
Call 512-478-1875
Sunday Services
Sunday School
10:00 A.M.
Worship Service
11:00 A.M.
WEDNESDAY Bible Study
6:30 P.M.
SATURDAY New
Rev. Lois Hayes, Pastor
Jesus is Coming Again
The church fellowship where everybody can be somebody!
Sunday Services
Sunday School
Morning Service
Wednesday Service
9:00-10:00 A.M.
10:00 A.M. -12Noon
7:00 - 8:00 P.M.
Floyd Fontenot, Sr., Founder Floyd Fontenot, Jr., Pastor
Imani Community Church
Davis Elementray Auditorium
5214 West Duval Road
Sunday School
9:00 A.M.
Worship Service
10:00 A.M.
•Power Hour Bible Study
6:30 P.M.
Imani Complex, 1st and 4th Wednesday
Imani Complex & Office,
11800 Mustang at Duval
Austin, Texas 78727
Rev. Dr. Jacquelyn Donald-Mims
AFRICAN ASSEMBLIES of GOD
CHURCH
A growing church ministering to African American and
other nationals
Come worship with us
Sunday Services
Worship Service
Sunday School
Discipleship Training
Worship Service
8:00 A.M.
9:00 A.M.
10:00 A.M.
11:00 A.M.
Wednesday
Rev. Marvin C. Griffin
Pastor
JOSHUA CHAPEL CHRISTIAN METHODIST
EPISCOPAL CHURCH
1006 Yeager Lane, Suite 102-A
Austin, Texas
4930 South Congress Avenue, C-302 512-750-4628 512-804-2537
Member Assimilation 10:00 A.M.
Wednesday
Evening Bible Study
Sunday
School
9:30 AM
Sunday Worship
11:00 AM
Mid-Week Service
Thursday: Praise, Prayer and Bible Study 7:00 PM
Call 454-1547 for Transporation
Website www.agapebcaustintx.org
Rev. H. Ed Calahan
Pastor
MaranathA Faith Center
Midweek Prayer Service
7:00 P.M.
Child Development Center
Ages 0-5 years
(Daily) 512-478-6709
Sunday Worship
Wednesday Prayer Meeting
11:30 A.M.
6:45 P.M.
Rosewood Avenue Missionary Baptist Church
1820 Rosewood Avenue, Austin, Texas 78702
(512) 476-8201 Fax (512) 476-5693
“Divine Enpowerment for Bold Ministries”
Weekly Services
Sunday School 9:30 a.m.
Sunday Worship 11:00 a.m.
Wed. Night Bible Fellowship 6:30 p.m.
Place of Worship
The Church of Glad Tidings 2700 Northland Dr. Austin, TX 78756
For more information, contact Pastor Jonah Ghartey
512-873-8103 [email protected]
Aligned with Matters
of Eternity
St Annie A.M.E. Church
1711 Newton Street
Austin, Texas 78704
Voice mail (512) 444-4509
E-mail: [email protected]
Sunday School
9:30 A.M.
Morning services 10:45 A.M.
Rev. Derwin D. Gipson, Pastor
Rev. Coby Shorter, III
Pastor
The Spencer & Ora Lee Nobles
“Hope Center” (512) 476-6722
We b s i t e :
w w w.rosewoodbaptistchurch.org
Mount Sanai Missionary Baptist Church
5900 Cameron Road
Austin, Texas 78723-1843
(512) 451-0808 (512) 302-4575 Fax
Web Site - www.themount.net
WORSHIP SERVICES
Sunday Worship - 7:45 a.m. & 11 a.m.
Church School - 9:45 a.m.
Bible Studies - Mon, 6:30 p.m. & Wed., 12 noon
Wednesday Night Worship - 7 p.m .
“Ministries For Mankind” Luke 4:18
A.W.. Anthony Mays, Senior Pastor
Page 4/THE VILLAGER/January 30, 2009
Sponsorship
Available
Call for info
476-0082
Youth of Today. Hope of Tomorrow.
Last week was an
historicdayweek
(during 8th period and
Alon Rodgers
Kelly Lane Middle School
The Knights had a
four day week last week in
what is also a historic week for
the country. Villager Youth
Brigaders joined in the annual
Martin Luther King Day
march from the Capitol to
Huston-Tillotson University
on Monday; and Tuesday was
the inauguration of our 44th
President and the nation’s first
African-American president.
All social studies classes were
able to watch the ceremonies
live or through streaming
Internet video. The day made
for some interesting class
discussions.
The School play
“Once on this Island” will be
performed on January 29th/
30th at 7 p.m. in the cafetorium.
A Pep Rally was held
on January 27 at the end of the
Catapult) instead of the
morning. This is great because
our boys and girls basketball
teams are doing very well. The
girls’ had really exciting games
against Westview and
Parkcrest last week. Both the
boys and girls teams face
Deseau this week.
The Starry Knights Coffee
House performance will be 7
p.m. Friday Feb. 6. Admission
is free and refreshments will
be sold.
Next week, Feb. 2-6 is
National Teen Dating
Violence Awareness Week at
our school. During that week
students will be given
information through posters,
classroom discussion, and
written material. During the
week before Spring Break, 8th
grade students will be shown
an informative video depicting
true stories that contain
positive messages on what
healthy relationships look like.
Pflugerville ISD
invites all parents to attend an
evening
of
valuable
workshops the second
Tuesday of each month.
February’s conference will be
held at Murchison Elementary,
2215 Kelly Lane. Register on
line
at
http://
www.pflugervilleisd.net/
forparents.cfm.
Volma Overton Elementary
School dedicated
Tayla Terry
McCallum High Schol
The year 2009 has
brought some good things and
good change in our lives.
Well, there is a new
school in town, Volma Overton
Elementary School. This school
is named after a very special
man.. Mr. Volma Overton Sr.
was a person who worked for
education of children and
equality. His son , Mr. Volma
Overton Jr. was one of the
speakers for the ocassion. There
were people there of all ethnicities
from the community, churches,
my family and school district.
It was exciting and
educational to me.
I went to the dedication
because my dad was the artist of
the Volma Overton Sr. portrait
that will be on a special wall in
the front hallway of the school.
The portrait was honored by
everyone in the Overton Family.
The people at the ceremony loved
the picture my dad drew of Mr.
V. Overton..
The newspaper and news
stations were there to give a
report about this event. My dad,
Tony Terry III was a part of this
history and I am so proud of him.
I really enjoyed watching my
dad give his speech about the
portrait and how much hard
work and time he put into it for
success. I loved watching how
excited and amazed the people
were about my dad’s art work.
My dad, Tony is a special man
too.
Let’s all make a
“change” and stay in school and
stay off drugs! Obama Change
Has Come!
Peace Out People,
President Barack Obama 44th President
of the United States
Jeremy Henderson
McCallum High School
On Tuesday, January 20,
2009, History was made as
Barack Obama took the presidential oath in Washington D.C.
All the students and teachers of
McCallum watched the inauguration and it was great. I was very
excited to watch and see it all.
He gave a powerful inaugura-
tion speech that had everyone in
D.C. and around the world
watch. In his speech, he was basically saying that we should get
ready to work on fixing the
country’s problems. We should
work together to get the job done.
I really enjoyed his speech and
really appreciate what he has
accomplished so far. He has
motivated everyone around the
world and has changed the face
of the United States. I hope that
President Barack Obama will
continue to do well and do great
things. I hope that everyone will
help President Barack Obama fix
the United States and that we
pay attention to what he does.
Congratulations and Good
Work President Barack
Obama!!!!!!!!!
January is School Board
Recognition
Month
sion, ensuring schools are ac-
Marissa Hornsby
Connally High School
January is designated
School Board Recognition
Month, and Pflugerville ISD
would like to express its appreciation to the Pflugerville
Board of Trustees, as they
work together to provide a
better future for all students
served by the District. Board
of Trustees members serve as
key advocates for students
and are responsible for communicating the needs of the
District to the public and the
public’s expectations to the
District. “As citizen leaders,
individual school board
members face complex and
demanding challenges, and
few people fully understand
the scope and far-reaching
implications of board members’ responsibilities,” Superintendent of Schools Charles
E. Dupre said. “Each of our
board members plays a vital
role in the District’s goal of
preparing Each Child for
Their Future in Our World.”
The Board of Trustees is charged with establishing a vision for the District’s
many programs, designing a
structure to achieve that vi-
countable to the community,
and strongly advocating continuous improvement in student learning. That job entails
an endless string of meetings
and school functions to attend; reams of reports, agendas, proposals, and other information to read and study;
and a host of difficult decisions to make.
Board members contribute hundreds and hundreds of hours each year leading their districts. Whether
crafting policies, hiring key
administrators, listening to
staff and student concerns, or
recognizing outstanding programs, board members always keep their eyes on the
goal of student achievement.
Take a moment to
thank our school board members for making the time to
share their vision and voice
about the future of our children.
Pflugerville Independent School District Board of
Trustees Carol Fletcher, Ph.D.,
President, serving the District
since 2001; Elva Gladney,
Vice President, serving the
District
since
2001;
Vernagene Mott, Secretary,
serving the District since
2004James Hamann, serving
the District since 1999Paul J.
King, serving the District
since 2001 Jimmy Don
Havins, serving the District
since 2005; Cynthia Graves,
DDS, serving the District
since 2006.
Board members will be
presented with a special gift
honoring their leadership role
in Pflugerville.
A Week to Remember
With Hope for the Future
Cherreigne’ Smith
Del Valle High School
Wow! The week of January 19, 2009 was amazing.
Monday, January 19th was a
holiday for Del Valle Students
in recognition of Dr. Martin
Luther King. I participated in
the MLK March that started
from the Capitol and ended
with a big celebration at
Huston-Tillotson University.
At the MLK March there were
so many people who came
together to participate in the
MLK March from all races. It
appeared to me as though the
famous speech “I Have a
Dream” by Dr. Martin Luther
King was happening in front
of my eyes. It was awesome to
see so many people come together in order to support the
dream of equality for all
people that Dr. King had
dreamed of.
The next day an unforgettable historical event happened. On Tuesday, January
20th the first African American was sworn in as President of the United States of
America. The world watched
this amazing event as President-Elect Barack Hussein
Obama took the oath of office
and became our Commander
in Chief with his wife
Michelle, and daughters
Malia and Sasha standing by
his side. Del Valle Students
were allowed to go the library
or the cafeteria during our 3rd
period class to witness the
swearing in of President
Obama, and to hear his inaugural speech. Being able to
witness the history of having
a black president during my
senior year of high school
blew my mind. Although I
was not old enough to vote for
President Obama, watching
him become our president
and seeing how he appeals to
everybody and bring people
together was encouraging.
Now that America has
elected a black president, I
have more hope, more excitement and higher expectations for my future. I believe that President Barack
Obama and his administration will make great
changes for our country. I
believe that things will only
get better for me and for my
country. As an African
American female, I believe
anything I want to achieve
is possible. For our country
I believe … Yes we can! Yes
we will! Yes we did! …Go
Cardinals!
Congratulations to Assistant
principal Willie Gipson
Alonzo Black
Hendrickson High School
Hendrickson High
School Assistant Principal
Willie Gipson was inducted
into the Texas A&M
Kingsville/ Texas A&I Hall of
fame. Gipson was a student
trainer for Texas A&I from
1968-1972, and later returned
to the university as the head
trainer. During Principal
Gibson’s tenure, Texas A&I
won four national championships.
Gibson first came to
Pflugerville as an assistant
principal, a position he held
until 2004, when he joined the
Hendrickson high school
staff. Gibson briefly left the
district, but rejoined the HHS
staff in 2008. Gibson has re-
cently been presented a with
a fifteen year service award by
UIL. He was also a member of
the national Athletic Trainers
Association, and has a ten
year service award from the
University of Texas Track and
Field association.
The Athletic Booster
Club met this week and the
Hawk Football Banquet is
6:30 p.m. Thursday Jan. 29 at
Pflugerville Lions Club. This
will be a special event since
this was the best season in
school history with the team
making it all the way to the
state quarterfinals. In other
athletic news, baseball season is finally underway after
a week of parent meetings the
first day of baseball practice
is Friday Jan. 30. The boys’
and girls’ basketball teams
play in Lampasas Friday Jan.
30 and then face Hutto at
home on Tuesday Feb. 6. Varsity games start at 7 p.m. and
Freshman JV teams beginning
at 5:30 p.m.
The Theatre Department is producing “Little
Shop of Horrors” 7:30 p.m.
Friday Jan. 30 and Saturday
Jan. 31 and a matinee performance at 2:30 p.m. Sunday
Feb. 1 in the Performing Arts
Center.
T.D.Jakes Makes MLK
Keynote Address
Montsho Hughes
McCallum High
The Annual MLK
Celebration in Austin
usually has three events: the
presentation of the Youth
Achievement Awards, the
MLK March, and the MLK
Keynote Address. The
Address usually features
prominent
African
Americans who have made
significant social, political,
civic, artistic or spiritual
contributions
to
the
community. Past guests have
included; Maya Angelou,
Andrew Young, Marion
Wright Edelman, Chris
Gardner
and
Harry
Belafonte. This year’s speaker
was Bishop T.D. Jakes.
The evening of
January 24th saw every seat
of St. James Missionary
Baptist Church filled with
spectators who’d come to see
Bishop Jakes give his keynote
speech. Clearly linking the
events and people of the civil
rights movement with the
recent victory President
Baract Obama, on one side of
the stage was a red graphic
image of Martin Luther King
Jr. and on the opposite side
of the stage was a blue
graphic image of our new
President.
When T.D. Jakes took
the stage, the entire sanctuary
went silent. And as he began
to speak the audience was
immediately rapt. Bishop
Jakes is an immensely
powerful speaker. He spoke
of all the people who died in
order for our nation as a
whole to have the courage to
elect President Obama. He
pointed out a distinct line
leading from Dr. King’s work
in the civil rights movement
to Obama’s election, “Dr.
King is the root, and Barack
Obama is the fruit”, he said.
Then he started to talk about
one of Gods greatest gifts to
man, “The Thing”, he said it
didn’t matter how handsome,
tall, black, white, or smart you
are, some people just have
“The Thing”, and when you
have it, you know you have
it, and everyone else knows
you have it. It may come only
every once and a while in
every generation but those
people who have the thing
are destined for greatness.
Dr. King Had “The Thing”,
and Obama has “The
Thing.” After that address, it
was needless to say that
Bishop Jakes also has “The
Thing.”
Rights Lawyers Await Appointment of
New Civil Rights Chief
By. Hazel Trice Edney
NNPA Editor-in-Chief
and in general had more of a
relationship with defendants
in civil rights cases.”
Shaw says the Bush Juscareer attorneys in the Civil tice Department was more
Rights Division. In doing so, concerned about defendants
he violated federal law – the found in violation of civil
Civil
Service Reform
ActCulture
– and rights laws than with civil
Arts
and
Department policy that pro- rights lawyers and plaintiffs.
hibitAnderson
discrimination in fedEvelyn Martin
“The one thing that the
eral employment based on
political and ideological affiliations, and committed misconduct.”
Ted Shaw
Federal law states that
alignment with the conservasuch
hires
must not include
tive views of Bush, confirms
By. Evan Barnes
political
considerations;
but
a recent report.
Special to the NNPA from
the Los Angeles Sentinel
“We’ve got to get back rather, civil rights qualificato civil rights,” says Con- tions, which the report said
(NNPA) As President of
gresswoman Eleanor Holmes was often excluded.
Because Schlozman is the United States, Barack
Norton (D-D.C.). “You can’t
do anything there unless you no longer a DOJ employee, Obama’s love of sports is no difhave a whole new set of he is not subject to disciplin- ferent than that of his predecesactors…We were dealing ary actions, the report con- sors.
But while most identified
with perverse treatment of the cludes, but recommends that
law, much of it stated, so his illegal activity at the DOJ with baseball (George W. Bush)
we’re talking about direct evi- be considered if ever seeks or football (Gerald Ford starring
federal employment again.
for Michigan in the 1930’s),
dence.”
The report also says that Obama has become synonyA joint investigation
and report by the DOJ’s Of- division managers “failed to mous with basketball – a game
fice of the Inspector General exercise sufficient oversight that helped him “forge an idenand Office of Professional to ensure that Schlozman did tity” according to his memoir
Responsibility reports that not engage in inappropriate “Dreams From My Father”.
Bill Clinton was perhaps
Bradley S. Schlozman, a hiring and personnel pracformer senior Division offi- tices. Moreover, Schlozman the first President openly concial, “hired lawyers for career made false statements about nected to the sport. He cheered
positions based on their po- whether he considered politi- from the stands as his Arkansas
litical or ideological affilia- cal and ideological affilia- Razorbacks won a NCAA title in
tions when he gave sworn tes- 1994 and lost to UCLA in the
tions.”
The 65-page report, re- timony to the Senate Judiciary 1995 championship game.
And who can forget that
leased publicly on Jan. 13, Committee and in his written
says that Schlozman, based responses to supplemental he, along with his wife Hillary
on employee interviews, went questions from the Commit- and vice-president Al Gore, was
a secret character in the video
as far as to use terms such as tee.”
In a nutshell, the crucial game NBA Jam and its sequel
“commies” and “crazy libs”
in emails when describing civil rights division is said to NBA JAM: Tournament Edition?
people that he aimed to weed have been left in a mess.
“What the Bush adminBut to the public, it’s
out of the division between
istration did was particularly Obama’s background with the
2003 and 2006.
The report concludes, abandon civil rights enforce- game that stands out. Numerous
“The evidence in our investi- ment on behalf of African- videos have been shown of him
gation
showed
that Americans – especially Afri- driving to the hole or pulling up
Schlozman, first as a Deputy can-Americans,” says Ted for that lefty jump shot.
He played pick-up games
Assistant Attorney General Shaw, former director-counand subsequently as Princi- sel of the NAACP Legal De- before every primary election as
pal Deputy Assistant Attor- fense and Education Fund, well as on the day of his historic
ney General and Acting As- who is now a law professor election. Even grainy footage
sistant Attorney General, at Columbia University. has been uncovered from his
considered political and ideo- “They focused where they days at Punahou High School
logical affiliations in hiring could on finding so-called re- in Hawaii, where he was a recareer attorneys and in other verse discrimination cases, serve on the team that won the
personnel actions affecting refused to use the full pano- 1979 state championship.
ply of civil rights enforcement
And yes, many know by
tools that were available to it
PASSALONG ••
WASHINGTON
(NNPA) – After a blistering
report released early this
month confirmed that a senior official in the Civil Rights
Division of the U.S. Justice
Department illegally hired
and fired career attorneys
based on their political alignment with President Bush,
Civil Rights lawyers around
the country say the new head
of the Civil Rights Division –
yet to be named by President
Barack Obama – will likely be
“pivotal” in his presidential
administration.
“The assistant attorney
general heading the Civil
Rights Division will perhaps
occupy a pivotal seat in the
Obama administration. President Obama has been quite
publicly critical of the DOJ’s
positions on civil rights issues and with three major
cases raising important race
issues, that person will have
a full plate from the beginning,” says Charles Ogletree,
executive director of the
Charles Hamilton Houston
Institute for Race and Justice
at the Harvard University
Law School. “The Civil
Rights Division was the key
agency pushing an agenda of
racial justice in the 1960s, and
if we are going to address race
discrimination cases, voting
nights violations, racial profiling, and mass incarceration, particularly of young
black males, the new [assistant attorney general] for civil
rights must hit the ground
running the moment he or she
is confirmed.”
Little progress has been
made in the enforcement of
significant civil rights laws
over the past eight years as the
leadership of the Civil Rights
Division politicized the hiring
and firing of career attorneys,
based on their philosophical
Obama’s Eye Has Always Been
on the Ball
TEACHERS’ INNOVATIONS CAN GAIN
FUNDING FOR SCHOOLS
Austin, Texas – Time
Warner Cable Central Texas
is seeking entries for its fifth
Annual Spotlight on Education Awards for the 20082009 school year. The deadline for submission is March
20, 2009.
Spotlight on Education
is a Time Warner Cable
(TWC) initiative honoring
teachers who have developed
creative learning experiences
using cable and Internet technology providing a valuable
classroom experience for students. Teachers of all grade
levels (K-12) at state accredited public or private schools
are eligible to participate.
At least three exemplary
teacher projects will be recognized as Spotlight on Education winners. Winning entries
will be announced at a May
2009 ceremony, and each
honoree will receive a $500
personal award in addition to
a $1,000 grant for his or her
school. Additionally, all finalists will be considered for the
TWC National Teacher
Award celebration this June
in Washington, D.C.
Last year, six area teachers received a local Spotlight
on Education Award and five
teachers received Time
Warner Cable’s national
teacher award. “Winning the
Time Warner Cable National
Teacher award has inspired
me to integrate even more
educational programming
into my lessons to help make
my classroom an extraordinary place for learning,” said
Jennifer Atkinson, first grade
teacher at Metz Elementary
School in Austin. “My students have been able to gain
January 30, 2009/THE VILLAGER/page 5
department is going to have division, that won’t be done as
to do is restore its relationship quickly. That will take some time
with the civil rights commu- to do.”
nity,” he says. “I think that
Political chatter about
can be done fairly quickly. new leadership at the Civil
But, the damage has been Rights Division is escalating as
done in terms of the career at- the civil rights world awaits the
torneys that have been lost outcome of the delayed confirfrom the division, the morale, mation of Eric Holder, Obama’s
and the turn over within the nominee for attorney general.
a deeper understanding of
concepts presented to them
because of the exceptional
educational TV programming
offered to teachers by Time
Warner Cable.” National
award winning teachers received an all-expenses-paid
trip for two to Washington,
D.C. for the gala celebration,
$2,000 personal cash grant, a
$3,000 school technology
grant, and a Crystal Apple
commemorative award.
Time Warner Cable’s
local and national teacher
awards also provide local
teachers with an opportunity
to showcase their exemplary
students while increasing the
use of technology in the classroom. “As a technology specialist, I have seen my teachers increase their use of technology and cable resources
because they wanted to show
off their ideas and students’
work through these awards,”
said Donna Bownds, Instructional Technologist at Clear
Creek Elementary school in
Killeen. “As a past winner
myself, I would like to thank
Time Warner for being a motivating force in the education
of our students!”
Entry forms and full
submission criteria may be
found
at
www.timewarnercentral.com.
The deadline for submission
is March 20, 2009.
Time Warner Cable is
the second-largest cable operator in the U.S., with technologically advanced, wellclustered systems located
mainly in five geographic areas — New York state (including New York City), the
Carolinas, Ohio, southern
California (including Los Angeles) and Texas. As of June
30, 2008, Time Warner Cable
served approximately 14.7
million customers who subscribed to one or more of its
video, high-speed data and
voice services.
Black Expo
now that Oregon State men’s
basketball coach Craig
Robinson is his brother-in-law.
To those who follow
sports closely, it’s his statements
about wanting a college football
playoff instead of the BCS, that
have taken plenty of notice and
far more significance.
Ever since he told ESPN
his desires on November 3 – and
reiterated it this month when
asked during a recent press conference - it added one more voice
to the argument that many who
watch college football have
made since the BCS was instituted in 1998.
An argument that grew
loud again this month when USC,
Texas and Utah felt that they
should’ve played for the national title against Florida.
But is that unique? It
wouldn’t be the first team a
President would be accused of
throwing his weight in a sports
issue.
Richard Nixon once suggested a play call to Miami
Dolphins head coach Don
Shula before Super Bowl VI. It
doesn’t matter that it didn’t
work; the fact that he did it
showed that he followed the
sport enough to make the
guess.
It’s hard to imagine
Obama calling up a team during the NBA Finals and making any recommendations.
His campaign, however,
did attract a variety of athletes
to his behalf. Athletes of all
walks of life rallied behind him
and normally apolitical figures
like Michael Jordan and Tiger
Woods were moved to act.
Woods spoke on Sunday during the “We Are One”
pre-inauguration concert/celebration and for someone who
is known for not speaking out
on things, it says a lot that the
Obama camp convinced him to
be there.
As a nation that loves its
sports as much as anything else,
Obama’s connection with it mirrors many of his supporters.
Those who play basketball can
identify with him playing pickup games and those who play
fantasy sports know that he’ll
be among their ranks come football season.
Some think that it’s stereotypical to continue associating
the nation’s first Black president
with basketball -a sport that has
been identified more and more
with Black players. They think
that it plays on certain assumptions about how Blacks enjoy
their leisure time.
One has to ask, though,
that for someone who has been
hailed as a role model for Black
youth, wouldn’t it be a positive
to see that person doing things
that they perhaps might do.
That’s what makes him
unique as a sports-loving president. Not just that he plays basketball like most who seek recreation, but he’s someone that
fans of all races can relate to
because he thinks like them.
He lives and dies with his
local teams (Chicago Bears and
White Sox) and has opinions on
the issues of the day.
Don’t be surprised if
when he gets called the nation’s
No. 1 sports fan, it won’t feel
like a ceremonial title.
Page 6/THE VILLAGER/January 30, 2009
Capital MetroRail Station
Events in February
Capital Metro invites
the community to five open
house events at stations
along the MetroRail line during February. These educational events aim to familiarize customers with all aspects
of how to ride MetroRail: touring the train and station, understanding the schedules
and using the new ticket
vending machines. Capital
Metro representatives will be
at every event to orient customers and answer their questions about the Red Line, beginning service March 30.
The open houses are
free, come-and-go events,
open to the public. Except for
the Leander Station open
house, parking will be limited. Riding the bus or
carpooling is encouraged.
Sign Language interpreters for the Deaf will be
available, and other reasonable accommodations can be
requested at least three days
in advance by contacting
Nancy Crowther at (512) 3897583.
Capital
MetroRail
Open Houses:Leander Station – Saturday, Feb. 7 10 a.m.
– 2 p.m. 800 N. US 183 Plaza
Saltillo Station – Saturday, Feb. 14 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
412 Comal Street Bus routes:
4, 320
Crestview Station – Saturday, Feb. 21 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
6920 North Lamar Blvd.
MLK, Jr. Station – Saturday, Feb. 21 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
1719 Alexander Ave
Bus routes: 18 Limited parking next to station
Downtown Station –
Friday, Feb. 27 2 p.m. – 7 p.m.
401 E 4th Street Bus
routes: All local and ‘Dillo
routes
Bus routes: 1, 101, 300,
320, 350
Access St. Johns for limited parking at adjacent development.
Travis County Sheriff’s Office Sponsors
Free Child Safety Seat Inspection
The Travis County
Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with Texans in Motion,
will have a Child Safety Seat
Inspection (By Appointment
Only) on Feb. 4, 2009, in the
parking lot of the Del Valle
Softball Complex, behind the
South Rural Community
Center & Health Clinic, 3518
FM 973 South. This is a FREE
MYEC
Texas Lottery
service. Call (512) 854-6615 or
(512) 854-7786, Monday
through Friday from 8am to
5pm to schedule your FREE
inspection.
For more information
on this event or on Child Passenger Safety, contact Carrie
Fortner, (512) 854-6615, or
Nicole Durand, (512) 8547786.
CRIME COMMISSION PROVIDES
EMS MOTORCYCLES
Austin/Travis County
EMS Pilot Program Will Enhance Downtown, Highway
and Special Event Response
AUSTIN, TEXAS — The
Greater Austin Crime Commission will provide Austin/
Travis County Emergency
Medical Services
(A/TCEMS) with two
specially-equipped motorcycles as part of a pilot program to improve downtown,
highway and special event
response. Former Austin
Mayor Roy Butler and Joe E.
Holt will make the presentation Friday, January 23, 2009,
10:00 a.m., at
the A/TCEMS vehicle
compound (15 Waller Street).
The motorcycles and medical
equipment are valued at more
than $25,000.
“The Greater Austin
Crime Commission and its
members are proud to provide
the start-up equipment for the
EMS
motorcycle pilot program,” said Joe Holt, president
of the Greater Austin Crime
Commission and chairman of
JPMorgan Chase
(Austin Region). “Improving EMS response capabilities will undoubtedly save
lives.”
The A/TCEMS motorcycle initiative is one of only a
few similar programs in the
United States, including the
successful
Miami-Dade Motorcycle
Emergency Response Team
(MERT). Growth in the Austin
area and the resulting traffic
strains
traditional ambulance-
Austin Celebrates Black
History Month with
In honor of Black History Month, the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau is
teaming up with the City of
Austin and George Washington Carver Museum & Library
to present free screenings of
Kings of the Evening, an
award-winning African
American film shot on location in Central Texas, on Feb.
6 at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. at
the Carver Museum’s Boyd
Vance
Theatre
(1165
Angelina Street)..
Due to limited seating,
members of the public are encouraged to RSVP to 512-9744926. Seating is on a first
come, first served basis.
Agenda is as follows:
10:30 a.m. Public
screening with City Officials
and Kings of the Evening cast
member Reginald T. Dorsey
in attendance. Interview/
Photo opportunities include:
• Mayor Pro Tem
Brewster McCracken (Welcome
and
Acknowledgements)
• The Honorable
Samuel Biscoe, Travis County
Judge (Public Address)
• Members of the public in attendance to celebrate
Black History Month
• Reginald T. Dorsey,
actor, Kings of the Evening
2 p.m. Public screening,
film only.
based emergency services. The
BMW “authority model” motorcycles, purchased through
Lone Star
BMW/Triumph, are
equipped for Code 3 emergency response (i.e., lights and
sirens) and will carry advanced life support
equipment, including
automated
external
defibrillators.
The EMS motorcycle pilot program is part of a traffic
safety public awareness campaign that the Greater Austin
Crime
Commission will launch
in Spring 2009. Major program
sponsors include Temple-Inland, Inc., Richard and Rae
Hill, Adm.
Bobby R. Inman, USN
(Ret), Betty D. King, Congressman Michael and Linda
McCaul and Signature Science, LLC.
The Greater Austin
Crime Commission was
founded in 1997 to support
Central Texas law enforcement
and raise public
awareness about crime
prevention. The organization,
which is led by Joe E. Holt of
JPMorgan Chase and a board
of business
and community leaders,
promotes numerous public
safety and youth outreach programs. Previous presidents include the late
Mack Wallace (1997–
1999), Dr. William H.
Cunningham (1999–2001),
Adm. Bobby R. Inman, USN Retired (2001–2003),
Roy Butler (2003–2005)
and Ralph Wayne (2005–
2007).
empowering Families
KIPP
DANICA ROBIN MCKINNEY
NAMED HUSTON-TILLOTSON
UNIVERSITY’S MISS UNCF
(AUSTIN, Texas) —
Danica Robin McKinney, age
21, was crowned HustonTillotson University’s Miss
UNCF at a recent coronation.
McKinney, is a junior English
major with a minor in sociology.
She is an HT Hatton
Sumners Scholarship recipient and was awarded the
prestigious United Negro College Fund/Mellon Minority
Undergraduate Fellowship
(MMUF). McKinney is also a
W.E.B. DuBois Honors
Scholar, a member of God’s
Anointed Angels of Praise
(G.A.A.P.), an A.P.P.E.A.L.S.
mentor, president of the PreAlumni Council, and vice
president of the Upsilon Alpha chapter of Zeta Phi Beta
Sorority, Inc. She will represent the University at the national United Negro College
Fund pageant in Greensboro,
North Carolina.
McKinney, born and
raised in Seguin, Texas, is the
daughter of Ola McKinney
and the late Donald Ray
McKinney and the granddaughter of Theodore and
Sarah Cunningham.
McKinney is an aspiring actress and writer. After
undergraduate school, she
plans to pursue her master’s
and doctorate.
Huston-Tillotson University, the oldest institution of higher education in
Austin, Texas, is a charter
member of UNCF, which is
the nation’s oldest and
most successful minority
higher education assistance
organization, founded in
1944. Today, UNCF provides financial support to
its 39 member institutions
and increases minority degree attainment by reducing
financial barriers to college.
UNCF institutions
and other historically black
colleges and universities are
highly effective, awarding
25 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees.
UNCF administers more
than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship
and fellowship programs,
mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and
faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at more than 900 colleges and universities
across the country.
Dell Agrees To Refund Consumers
Under Settlement With 34 States
Special to the NNPA from
the Seattle Medium
SEATTLE (NNPA) Washington State Attorney
General Rob McKenna has
announced an agreement between the Attorneys General
of 34 states and Dell under
which Dell will provide restitution to customers who experienced problems with the
company’s financing promotions, rebate offers, technical
support and repair policies.
“It’s time for a reboot of
Dell’s customer service system,” McKenna said. “Our
agreement requires disclosures to prevent future communication breakdowns and
ensures that customers who
are owed money are promptly
paid.”
Under the agreement,
Texas-based Dell, Inc., and its
subsidiary, Dell Financial
Services, LLC, admit no
wrongdoing but agree to pay
$1.5 million in restitution to
eligible consumers who file
claims postmarked by April
13, 2009. Dell cooperated
fully with the attorneys general during their investigation.
Dell will pay an additional $1.85 million to the
states for reimbursement of
legal costs and other expenses. Washington will receive $200,000 of that amount.
Assistant Attorney
General Katherine Tassi of the
Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division
said Washington and Connecticut jointly led an investigation into Dell’s sales practices after customers complained about an array issues.
Some applied for zeropercent financing then were
charged higher interest rates.
Others had trouble obtaining
warranty service on their Dell
computers. Many said they
never received promised rebates.
“The deals Dell made
and the terms computer buyers thought they agreed to
didn’t always compute,”
Tassi said.
One consumer said she
made a purchase with zeropercent financing for 18
months and made her payments on time. But the last
payment was applied late.
The customer was then billed
$668 interest for the entire financing period.
Under the settlement,
Dell agreed to the following:
FINANCING AND
CREDIT OFFERS
• Disclose in advertisements for promotional credit
offers that the majority of consumers who apply won’t
qualify for the best annual
percentage rate (APR), and
disclose the range of initial
APRs that consumers who
are not considered the “most
qualified borrowers” are
likely to receive.
• Inform consumers
considering applying for promotional financing that the
application is for a revolving
open credit account, that minimum monthly payments are
required and that approval of
the account does not guarantee that the consumer will also
qualify for conditional financing promotions (such as zeropercent interest for 90 days).
Explain how finance charges
are calculated, disclose any
penalties and inform the consumer whether subsequent
purchases made using the
credit account will be subject
to the same or different financing terms.
• At the time of credit
acceptance, disclose whether
the applicant has qualified for
any conditional financing
promotion.
WARRANTIES AND
SERVICES
• Fulfill its warranty
obligations within 30 days
from the date of notification
or receipt of a defective product.
• Disclose whether
phone-based troubleshooting
or remote diagnosis is required before Dell will pro-
EMPLOYMENT/BIDS/PROPOSALS/PUBLIC
INFORMATION/FOR SALE/FOR RENT/MISC
Request for Proposal
AUSTIN COMMUNITY
COLLEGE DISTRICT (ACC) is
soliciting bids from qualified vendors to provide uniforms for the
ACC Police Department.
Invitation for Bid
No. 200-09008VJ
Complete bids must be submitted to the Purchasing Department no later than Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 2:00 p.m., Central
Time. Bid packages are available on
the ACC Purchasing website at
http://www.austincc.edu/purchase/
In addition, the bid document
is available in the ACC Purchasing
Office [(512)223-1044] between the
hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.,
Monday through Friday.
Bids, when submitted, must
be properly identified, sealed and
returned to the ACC Purchasing Office, ACC Service Center, 9101
Tuscany Way, Austin, Texas 78754,
by the deadline for submission.
ACC reserves the right to
accept or reject any or all proposals, in whole or in part, to waive
informalities or technicalities, to
clarify ambiguities, and to award
items or groups of items as may be
in the best interest of ACC.
$$$$$$$$$
Let our
Classifieds
work for you.
Call
476-0082
for more
information,
look us up on
the web at
www.theaustinvillager.com
$$$$$$$$$
Employment
Austin
Community
College
New Jobs for the
Week of
01/26/09
Senior Cashier
Multiple locations
40 hours per week, hours
include weekends.
$2,239-$2,557/Monthly
Job #0901011
Administrative Assistant II
Northridge Campus
Monday –Friday, 7:00 a.m.
– 4:00 p.m.
$2,239-$2,557/Monthly
Job #0901012
Testing Center Supervisor
Northridge Campus
40 hours per week, some
evening and weekends.
$2,878-$3,598/Monthly
Job #0901013
Journalism Instructor (Half
Time Position)
Northridge Campus
Monday –Friday, 7:00 a.m.
– 4:00 p.m.
$2,239-$2,557/Monthly
Job #0901012
Location as assigned.
Hours as assigned.
Salary assigned according
to the Faculty Salary Scale.
Job #0901014
English Instructor (Early
College Start Program)
Location as assigned.
Hours as assigned.
Salary assigned according
to the Faculty Salary Scale.
Job #0901016
Document Imaging Clerk
Highland Business Center
Monday – Friday, 8:00
a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
$2,255-$2,819/Monthly
Job #0901017
Apply at HR
5930 Middle Fiskville Rd.
6th Floor, Austin, TX 78752
Job Line (512) 223-5621
hhtp://www/austincc.ed
EEO/AA/M/F/D/V
vide on-site repair or warranty-related service.
REBATES
• If a rebate is available,
provide the necessary rebate
documentation at the time
product is delivered or the
service is provided
• Mail rebates within
the specified timeframe, or
within 30 days if no date is
specified.
ADDITIONAL PROCEDURES AND POLICIES
Implement written policies to ensure compliance
with the settlement, including
procedures that address issues such as:
• Informing consumers
of their right to cancel orders
made with the Dell Credit
Account within three days
after receiving final credit
approval and the written
terms and conditions.
• Communication between Dell and Dell Financial
Services when a consumer
returns a product purchased
with credit.
• Removing consumer
accounts from collection
agencies and providing accurate information to credit-reporting bureaus.
• Substantiate any
claims Dell makes about the
quality of its customer service.
Dell can use the term “awardwinning” to describe its customer service only if the company received such an award
within the past 18 months.
The following states
participated in the settlement:
Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware,
Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine,
Maryland, Massachusetts,
Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska,
Nevada, New Mexico, North
Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma,
Oregon,
Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, West
Virginia, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
CONSUMER REFUND
REQUESTS:
It’s not yet known how
many consumers in Washington or nationwide may be entitled to refunds under the
settlement. Consumers may
be eligible for restitution if 1)
They have a valid complaint
concerning a product that
was purchased between
April 1, 2005, and April 13,
2009, and is addressed by the
agreement and 2) Dell owes
them money.
Consumers can also
call 1-800-551-4636 between
10 a.m. and 3 p.m. weekdays
to request a form by mail. The
deadline to submit claims is
April 13, 2009.
Eligible consumers
who previously filed complaints with the Attorney
General’s Office on or after
April 1, 2005, will be mailed
claim forms. If you believe you
are eligible and do not receive
a claim form within two
weeks of today’s date, download one from our website or
contact the Attorney
General’s Office for a claim
form.
Consumers in participating states should contact
their Attorney General’s Office.
The amount of money
issued to individual consumers depends on the number of
eligible recipients and the total amount claimed.
Chec
k out
Check
our website
for mor
e
more
cur
currrent
inf
orma
tion
informa
ormation
and how you
can
ad
v er
tise
adv
ertise
tise..
www
.theaustin
villa
ger
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.theaustinvilla
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er.com
January 23, 2009/The Villager/Page 7
Mother Grieves Over Son
By. Larry Miller
Special to the NNPA from
the Philadelphia Tribune
PHILADELPHIA
(NNPA) - Anyone in the African-American community
knows it is dangerous for
young Black men and how
quickly and senselessly a life
can be ended.
Murder can happen
over a drug deal gone wrong,
a real or imagined insult, a
misspoken word to someone
else’s girlfriend or for a few
dollars left over from a paycheck.
Nikisha
Ramsey,
35,the mother of Dwayne
Canty, 17, said it might have
been a robbery in which her
son died, but she is certain he
was set up and that he knew
the people who gunned him
down on a cold January night
last week.
“The way it happened,
I believe he was set up. He
knew the people that did
this,” she said, clutching a
teddy bear affectionately
named Rufus. “He made a
couple of phone calls and
had just left the house. He
wasn’t outside for two minutes before I heard gunshots.”
Law enforcement experts would agree that in most
cases the murder victims and
the killers know each other.
And many times both have a
history of prior arrests or
prison records.
But not this time, sometimes the victim just happens
to be a good kid with a clean
record who was on his way to
the store. That is what homicide detectives say happened
to Dwayne Canty on Jan. 20,
just after 7 p.m.
“This was a young man
who dreamed of joining the
United States Navy and seeing
the world,” said Capt. James
Clark of the Homicide Unit.
“Mr. Canty did not have a police record and had never been
in trouble with the law.”
According to Clark,
Canty was gunned down in
the 2100 block of North
Newkirk Street, about half a
Caption: Nikisha Ramsey, the mother of 17-year-old Dwayne Canty,
says she knows her son was set up and knew the people who gunned him
down last week. Credit: Abdul Sulayman/Philadelphia Tribune
block from his residence. He
was rushed to Temple University Hospital where he
was later pronounced dead.
Clark said Canty’s
mother had sent him to a local KFC for dinner. At an
empty lot on the way he was
approached by two or more
robbers who demanded his
money.
“At this point we think
this was a random killing,”
Clark said. “His mother
asked him to go to a KFC to
pick up dinner for himself and
his siblings. At the top of the
block there is an empty lot and
Canty was approached by
two or more robbers who took
his money and then shot him
several times. We think they
took between $120 and $140.
Basically this gives new
meaning to the words senseless killing. This was just
cold-blooded murder.”
Canty’s family, like
many Americans, had been
celebrating the inauguration
of President Obama, a history
making event that for many
African-Americans has
brought a renewed sense of
pride and direction.
Ramsey has three other
sons, Deandre Canty, 16,
Darnell Canty, 19, and
Darren Anderson. Anderson
still lives in Georgia, but she
had moved to Philadelphia
several years ago and was
planning to move back to Savannah.
“It’s just too crazy up
here,” she said.
Clark said detectives
had spoken to several witness
and were still trying to piece
together exactly what happened.
“Dwayne Canty was
earning his GED and had
worked at a McDonald’s for
several months,” Clark said.
“He never hurt anyone. You
can imagine that his family
is taking this very, very
hard...We’re asking for the
public’s help. If anyone has
information regarding the
cold-blooded killers who did
this, please contact us.”
Meanwhile, police will
investigate, question people
of interest, follow-up on
leads.
Nikisha Ramsey and
her family will have to wait
for justice and hopefully they
will not have long to wait.
She said, “I believe that
the police will find out who
did this, but there’s another
kind of justice, God has his
own justice.’’
Blac
k Rr
egistry is a c
lassif
ied dir
ectory of African
Black
Rre
classif
lassified
directory
American b
usinessses in Austin and Sur
businessses
Surrrounding
ar
ea. T
o be inc
luded call 476-0082
area.
To
included
Page 8/ THE VILLAGER/, January 30, 2009
Villager Sportsville
Toros lose to Vipers, win over Albuquerque on road
By George Hardin
SportsBeat
TOROS FAN—Bertha
Means, well-known civic and
business leader, watches the
scoreboard as the Austin Toros
put up a losing effort against
the Rio Grande Valley Vipers
at Austin Convention Center.
Photo by George E. Hardin
Malik Hairston tossed
in 28 points, highest score in
the game, but that was not
enough to put the Austin
Toros in the winning column
as they lost to the Rio Grande
Valley Vipers 109-104 Friday,
Jan. 23. Hairston, assigned to
the Toros by the San Antonio
Spurs, compiled his points
while playing for 41 minutes.
A forward, he formerly played
for the University of Oregon.
The loss snapped Austin’s
three-game winning streak. A
sellout crowd of 2,746 was in
attendance for the National
Basketball Association DLeague game at Austin Convention Center.
The lead changed 17
times and the Toros were
ahead by 9 points at one time,
while the biggest lead for the
Vipers, from McAllen, Texas,
was 6. Trent Strickland with
27 for the Vipers, gained with
38 minutes of playing time,
was second-highest scorer in
the game. Strickland formerly
played for the Toros and was
successful on 11 of 18 shots
from the field. Rounding out
the double-figure scorers for
the Toros were Marcus Williams, who played collegiate
basketball at the University of
Arizona, with 23, Carldell
Johnson, formerly of the University of Alabala-Birmingham, 17, and Charles Gaines
(the University of Southern
Mississippi) 16, and Ezra
Williams (the University of
Georgia) 10. Gaines also was
leading rebounder with 11
and the night’s only doubledouble contender.
The Vipers were
playing without starting
point guard Jared Jordan,
who had a sprained left ankle
Tyson shown in new light;
comeback may take place
By George E. Hardin Sports Beat
Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson seems an
unlikely person to be hailed
as a movie star, but he somewhat fell into that category
when he circulated among the
attendees at the Sundance
Film Festival in Park City,
Utah, and appeared at the
screening of “Tyson,” the
documentary movie about his
life, just over week ago. The
movie features clips from
some of his fights, Tyson responding to questions from
an interviewer, and a general
survey of his life since he was
a 13-year-old kid in Brooklyn
who became a ward of Cus
D’Amato, the noted boxing
impresario. D’Amato also
trained Floyd Patterson. Some
of the interviews were conducted while Tyson was
given day passes from the rehabilitation facility where he
was being treated for substance abuse.
Tyson has served
time in prison, abused drugs
and alcohol, been accused of
domestic violence and convicted of rape. His record
shows numerous incidents of
punching men and fondling
women. He was disqualified
after biting off part of Evander
Holyfield’s ear in a 1997 fight
and lost his license to box.
And he has described himself
as “the baddest man on the
planet.” In “Tyson,” the
movie, however, reviewers
and did not travel with the
team. Alpha Bangura had 23
for the Vipers. Marcus
Hubbard had 18. Stanley
Asumnu and Craig Widner
had 12 each, and Ernest Scott
had 11 for the Vipers.
The Toros were off to
an early lead and by the end
of the first period were ahead
31-22, helped along by
Carldell Johnson who had 9
points in the period and
Marcus Williams with 8. In
the second quarter, the Toros
fell back and made only 18
points while the Vipers
racked up 31. In the third period, the Toros pulled up and
scored 30 points to the visitors’ 21. The fourth quarter
saw the Vipers outscore the
Toros 35-25.
The Toros were successful on 40 of 75 attempts
from the floor and 20 of 29 attempts from the line, while the
vipers hit 42 of 88 from the
field and 20 of 23 from the
line. Rio Grande had 58
points in the paint compared
to 50 for Austin.
Among those rooting
for the Toros was Bertha
Means, longtime Central
Texas civic and business
leader. She said, “We’re
happy to be here to watch the
Toros play. I hope that more
Austinites will come out and
see them.”
The game was observed as the Fourth Annual
Catholic School Night with
the Toros, with nine schools
participating.
Rio Grande Valley
will host the Colorado 14ers
Friday, Jan. 30.
After losing to the Vipers, the Toros traveled to Albuquerque, N. M., on Saturday, Jan. 24, for the first of
eight games in a row on the
road. They defeated the Albuquerque Thunderbirds 125121. Malik Hairston forced the
game into overtime when he
was successful on a jump shot
with 7.2 seconds left in the
game. In overtime, both teams
exchanged baskets until the
Toros eased ahead.
Quin Snyder is head
coach of the Toros with
Wendell Alexis as assistant.
Clay Moser is head coach of
the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
Eric Lefort and Robert Pack
are his assistants.
The Toros’ next
home game will be Sunday,
Feb. 22, at 3 p.m. against the
Colorado 14ers. Black Heritage will be the featured promotion at that game. The
Toros, 16-7 as of Jan. 25, were
leading the Southwest Division of the NBA D-League.
say he is trying to move away
from his bad-boy image and
gain a more solid reputation.
He is said to realize now, at
the age of 42, that he is not a
respected
hero
like
Muhammad Ali and wants to
be known as something other
than a womanizing bully
who is always ready to
fight—even outside the ring.
He has confessed to being
embarrassed by some of his
former behavior.
When Tyson won the
heavyweight championship
at age 20 on Nov. 22, 1986, by
knocking out Trevor Berbick,
he became the youngest man
ever to win the title. Floyd
Patterson earlier won the title
at age 21. (Patterson also lived
in Brooklyn as a child.)
Boxing as an industry has been poorly received
in recent years by sports fans.
The public sees it as a brutal
sport with few redeeming
qualities. The sight of two
men mercilessly beating each
other and trying to physically
incapacitate the opponent is
seen as intolerable by a society that glorifies violence in
so many other forms.
The Sundance Film
Festival, organized 25 years
ago by Robert Redford, aims
to promote independent movies that are unlikely to be produced or distributed by the
traditional Hollywood system because they are not seen
as huge money makers. One
such movie that defied the
odds was “Hoop Dreams,”
the basketball documentary
about two black Chicago students and their efforts to become stars in the NBA. “Hoop
Dreams” was voted the best
documentary at Sundance in
1994 and went on to earn $7.8
million. Sundance is the
American equivalent of the
Cannes Film Festival, held in
southern France, which features more international movies.
“Tyson” was directed
by John Toback, with Damon
Bingham and Harlan Werner
as producers. Werner has
aided Muhammad Ali in
marketing and the licensing
of his name and Bingham is
the son of Howard Bingham,
who long served as Ali’s
personal photographer.
Earlier Toback used Tyson
as an actor in two other
films: “Black and White” in
1999 and “When Will I Be
Loved” in 2004. “Tyson” is
expected to be released in
theaters in April. An executive of Sony Pictures Classics said he hopes to attract
art-house moviegoers and
JUMPER—Charles Gaines, forward for the Austin Toros,
leaps to make a shot while playing the Rio Grande Valley Vipers
at Austin Convention Center. Photo by George E. Hardin
SCORE BY PERIODS
1
2
3
4
FINAL
Vipers
22
31
21
35
109
Toros
31
18
30
25
104
African American viewers,
the same audiences that
made “Hoop Dreams” such
a hit.
In 2003, Tyson filed for
bankruptcy after having
earned, and reportedly
squandering, more than
$300 million over his career.
The Internal Revenue Service says he owes millions
in back taxes.
Meanwhile, some boxing writers have said that
Tyson
and
Evander
Holyfield, 46, will fight
again later this year in Abu
Dhabi, in the United Arab
Emirates. It would be the
third meeting between the
two fighters, both of whom
are known to be in need of
money.
“Thriller in Manila,”
another documentary featured at Sundance, focuses
on the three fights between
Ali and Joe Frazier in the
1970s. The movie, by John
Dower, is scheduled to be
shown on HBO April 11.
lAustin Energy