Schools respond to community pressure
Transcription
Schools respond to community pressure
sfltimes.com “Elevating the Dialogue” SERVING, MIAMI-DADE, BROWARD, PALM BEACH AND MONROE COUNTIES IN THIS ISSUE OCTOBER 9 — 15, 2014 | 50¢ MIAMI-DADE Schools respond to community pressure By MARGARITA SWEETING Special to South Florida Times FMU/8A Dr. Clark-Artis Inauguration district, but also for the mature, legitimate, and respectable manner in which our community addressed Miami-Dade County Public issues of equity, fairness, and acSchools Superintendent Alberto cess.” The presentation came after the Carvalho promised the implementation of what he called “poli- Committee for Fair Access and Equitable Distribution cies, procedures, and of Public Contracts, practices,” that would a committee estabaddress recommendations made by com- DISPARITY STUDY lished by the Urban League, the NAACP, munity leaders after and the BAC Funding an audit of a recent Corporation, made disparity study. T. Willard Fair, president and a list of 15 recommendations after CEO of the Urban League of Great- reviewing the results of the disparer Miami was optimistic that Carv- ity study. Carvalho agreed to 12 of alho’s commitment would move the them looking for most to come to school board in a positive direction. fruition within a four month period. “It’s a viable time frame if he’s “We have a reason to celebrate,” said Fair. “Not only are we elated serious,” said Ron Frazier, CEO of over the recommendations that are being implemented by the school PLEASE TURN TO DISPARITY/3A PHOTO COURTESY OF MIAMIURBANLEAGUE.ORG T. Willard Fair FILE PHOTO Alberto Carvalho Oprah Winfrey salutes the mission of Estella Pyfrom CALIBE/5A By DAPHNE TAYLOR Special to South Florida Times PALM BEACH Diaspora Weekly PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY M. JURY It's not everyday that Oprah Winfrey comes calling! But when she does, most people are sure to answer the call! Recently, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), called on West Palm Beach's own, Estella Pyfrom, founder and creator of Estella's Brilliant Bus! PHOTO COURTESY OF ESTELLA PYFROM In the past year and a half, Estella's MOBILE LEARNING: Bus travels to needy neighBrilliant Bus, an elaborate computer borhoods to teach children. lab on wheels which travels to impoverished areas teaching kids computher various philanthropic work. Pyfrom ers, has been acknowledged worldwide, including at the White House, for its inno- will be featured as part of "Oprah's The vative mobile computer. And clearly, Py- Life You Want Weekend" tour, which from was ecstatic to meet President Barack comes to Miami, October 24 and 25 to Obama and former President George H.W. the American Airlines Arena. On that Bush and their two First Ladies. No doubt, Friday evening, “Lady O” will take to the it was an undeniable honor. But when stage in a solo act for two hours. But on Oprah's company called a few weeks ago, that Saturday, Oprah's hand-picked exPyfrom couldn't believe it. “How could perts and motivational speakers will enyou not get excited about Oprah?” she gage and delight the crowd with ways to quipped from her living room just days change their lives. It is also on Saturday that after OWN and Harpo Studios wrapped PLEASE TURN TO ESTELLA/2A filming her at home and about town for HEALTH/6A Stride for Breast Cancer Estella Pyfrom STATE Former lieutenant governor says Scott and staff bullied her BROWARD By MICHELLE HOLLINGER Special to South Florida Times at New Birth Faith Cathedral in Miami on Tuesday. Speaking to the audience of about 100 bible study attendees, Carroll Weeks before Gov. Rick Scott’s bid for made clear her disdain for Scott, implying re-election is decided, his former lieu- that he thought he was God because of the tenant governor has released a book that way that he treated her. “I stood here during the campaign in explains why he shouldn’t prevail. The 174-page, “When You Get There,” is Jen- 2010 to ask you for your vote,” she said. “I nifer Carroll’s autobiography and the two also took a lot of heat for supporting the years of her life as the first black woman to positions in our campaign, but I was willserve as the state’s second-in command is ing to come into a territory where you probably will never see another Republia part of her story. Carroll, a retired U.S. Navy lieuten- can coming to ask you for your vote. But this one I did because I value you ant commander, signed copies of as a person.” her book Carroll wrote in her book that she worked with black political consultant Clarence McKee in the 2010 campaign, to devise a plan to reach out to black voters with local newspapers, radio and phone calls and despite the Scott campaign’s objections, she attended a forum in Miami hosted by Curry, who also hosts a popular radio show and is a former president of the MiamiDade branch of the N.A.A.C.P. “The campaign didn’t want it, but I did it anyway,” writes Carroll, who now works as a political consultant for WJXT, Channel 4 in Jacksonville. In thanking Bishop Victor Curry for inviting her to speak and to sign books, Carroll saluted Curry for being “smart enough to know not to be threatened by powerful women,” she said regarding the women on Curry’s staff. “Some men, think they’re God, they act like they’re God, they control your life, they manipulate you, they do all these things, they’re in control and have the power over you. That happened to me when I was in office,” said Carroll “For a woman PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHELLE HOLLINGER in politics, in a non-traditional AUTOBIOGRAPHY: Former Lieutenant Governor Jennifer Carroll tells all about why Governor Scott is wrong for Florida. PLEASE TURN TO CARROLL/2A PHOTO COURTESY OF BROWARD SCHOOL BOARD Robert Runcie For Runcie equal opportunity is schools’ priority By ALLISON HORTON Special to South Florida Times Superintendent of Broward County Public Schools, Robert W. Runcie seeks to provide the leadership needed to ensure that black businesses will share in the contracts and other benefits from the $800 million school bond, if approved by voters in November, 2014. Broward County Public Schools have placed a referendum on the Nov. 4 ballot seeking a 30-year, $800 million bond to make critical repairs to its 300 buildings, school officials said. The referendum is expected to create 8,800 jobs and have a $1.2 billion impact on the local economy, according to an independent study school officials commissioned. But what is being done to ensure black business owners get a share of the economic pie? If the referendum is approved, Broward County public schools will seek contractors in construction, technology and professional services such as legal and accounting. The South Florida Times spoke with Broward County Public School Supt. Robert W. Runcie about how the school system plans to assist minorities in gaining contract opportunities. “That is a huge priority for me,” Runcie said. “We are making sure companies are getting prepared for the scale of the project, obtaining sufficient bonding capacity and partnering where appropriate.” Some of the school system’s efforts include restructuring the purchasing department, hiring a new purchasing director and creating a new office of supplier diversity and outreach, Runcie said. School officials have also begun speaking with minority suppliers such as construction companies about building to capacity to take advantage of the major projects. “I want to make sure the community is ready to competitively bid and deliver high quality services as opportunities emerge,” Runcie said. “On our end, we will try to make sure the size of the bids we send out are structured to create maximum opportunities for local businesses.” Black business owners should make sure they are a part of the planning process before contract bidding begins, said Adora Obie Nweze, president of the Miami Dade branch of the NAACP and president of the Florida State Conference of the NAACP. She encouraged black business owners to submit recommendations on how to address issues facing the black business community and to monitor the process. “Get something in writing in case leadership changes,” Obie Nweze said. “Black professionals should identify issues and work on the front end to address them.” If the referendum is passed, Broward County public schools plan to make several critical repairs to roofs, air conditioning systems, windows and doors, Runcie said. The funds will also be used to replace outdated fire alarm and video camera systems. Computers in the schools will also be updated, Runcie said. “More than 60 percent of computers are over five years old,” Runcie said. “There is a 5 to 1 student to computer ratio, which is very high.” PLEASE TURN TO RUNCIE/2A SOUT H FLO RIDA T IMES IS AVAILABLE AT YO UR LOCA L 3A NATION | 4A OPINION | 5A CARIBBEAN | 6A - 7A HEALTH & FITNESS | 8A FMU INAUGURATION | 3B AROUND SOUTH FLORIDA | 3B CLASSIFIEDS/OBITUARIES | 4B PRAYERFUL LIVING | 1C SOFLO LIVE SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES ©2014 • VOL. 24 ISSUE NO. 41 • A BEATTY MEDIA, LLC PUBLICATION 2A | OCTOBER 9 — 15, 2014 | SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES | SFLTIMES.COM Brilliant bus yields brilliant tributes for WPB women ESTELLA, FROM 1A Pyfrom's story will be featured on the big screens at the arena, as part of an acknowledgment and a "thank you" for do-gooders from the local area. According to Chelsea Hettrick, Director of Communications for OWN, there is a call for online submissions in each market that “Oprah’s The Life You Want Weekend” is visiting this fall for people who deserve a “Standing Ovation.” Pyfrom has been selected as one of those individuals. "Throughout the event, we will be referencing various local community members who are making a difference," said Hettrick. Limited tickets are still available at www.oprahweekend.com. There are others who will be honored in Miami, but Hettrick said she is not at liberty to provide their names or information at this time. She would also not reveal whether the honorees will personally be greeted by Oprah, but it is a fact that Oprah’s team is giving Pyfrom star treatment - sending a chauffer-driven car to pick her up from her West Palm Beach home, driving her to the arena in Miami! A producer from Harpo Studios in Chicago, and four other crew members spent two full days with Pyfrom, interviewing her, her family, staff, and those impacted by her high tech mobile computer lab. The crew filmed her at Village Academy in Delray Beach, a very unique model school which PHOTO COURTESY OF ESTELLA PYFROM COMPUTER TRAINING: Estella teaches community children computer lessons on Estella’s Brilliant Bus. goes from Head Start through 12th grade. It's been a whirlwind for the 77-year old Pyfrom, who, for the past year and a half has been non-stop with the "Brilliant Bus," even taking it on the road in August to New Orleans for the Essence Festival's first ever #YESWECODE Tech Village. She took nearly 100 kids with her, and both the boys and girls groups from Estella's Brilliant Bus won first place in a coding contest - building mobile apps, and competing with kids from around the world. Ironically, Pyfrom didn't learn the computer until the age of 70, and it was at age 71 that she took her retirement pension and savings, bought a tour bus, and outfitted it with 18 high tech computers, thus starting her "computer bus," hoping to bridge the technology gap between the privileged and those from underserved communities. “We go to places where there’s a great need. We’re not looking to glide on ‘Easy Street.’We want to know how we could help them improve and overcome some of their greatest challenges,” said Pyfrom, regarding those whom she serves. She says she is committed to bridging the digital divide. It was in 2012 that she actually got the bus off the ground and running, as she initially put the project on hold during an illness suffered by her husband. Since then, however, she's taken her bus from stadiums to schools and underprivileged neighborhoods teaching computers to those in need. The accolades, awards and honors have poured in ever since. In addition to the White House visit last year, where she was named a National Point of Light, she was also recognized as a CNN Top 10 Hero, hosted by CNN's Anderson Cooper, and she was featured on NBC's Nightly News with Brian Williams. She's been featured in numerous articles in both newspapers and magazines and has won countless awards, including being named a 2014 African American Achiever in Broward County. The Disney Corporation is doing a documentary on her life, and on October 1316, she will fly to San Francisco for Dreamforce 2014, one of the largest technology and motivational events in the world. She’ll be a featured speaker, along with the likes of Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, Anthony Robbins, will.i.am, and many other celebrities, technology and world leaders. She has also been contacted by the Steve Harvey show as well as the Queen Latifah Show. "I'm appreciative of all of the local as well as the national media," said Pyfrom, who maintains she is still shy, despite all the publicity. But, she says, she has come out of her shell a lot, since beginning the project. "I'm getting better at it (speaking in front of cameras)" she said. But despite all the fanfare from around the globe, Pyfrom says it amazes and disappoints her that she gets more interest, and even more financial support for her “Brilliant Bus” from far away places like Africa and United Kingdom, and all throughout the United States, rather than from right here at home. "I'm not sure why that is, but it makes me a bit sad. I need more local support." she said. She also indicated that if she could have any wish for her project, it would be for funding to pay her staff, which are all volunteers. Estella's Brilliant Bus is a non-profit business, where volunteers and donations are greatly appreciated, she said. For more information or to help out Estella’s Brilliant Bus in any way, please reach her at 561-985-1889 or at [email protected]. Betrayal by Scott devastating Runcie promotes contractor access CARROLL, FROM 1A role, you will get jabs, you will get stabbed,” She said that on March 12, 2013, she was “ambushed” by Scott's chief of staff, Adam Hollingsworth and general counsel Pete Antonacci, who forced her to resign because of her past public relations work for a veterans' group linked in an internet cafe fraud investigation. Carroll was not accused of wrongdoing. “God has a way of shaking us up sometimes, to either let us know we’re on the wrong path and we need to just step off that path or to get some fools out of our way,” said Carroll, who explained that she remained silent about being bullied and manipulated by Scott’s staff out of loyalty to him and the Republican party. “My personal experience with sticking it out and not listening to my God at the time when I should have was sticking it out with Gov. Scott as his lieutenant governor, for the wrong reasons,” she said. The Republican Party should have embraced her historical position as the first black lieutenant governor and leveraged it to recruit blacks to the party, Carroll explained. Instead, she said, she was “asked to leave office for something I had nothing to do with.” Carroll said the “betrayal” devastated her and ruined her reputation. “I was crushed. I was depressed. I didn’t want to see the light of day. I really felt that this was the end for me,” said Carroll, who credits God, her family and “prayer warriors,” with helping her to recover. Scott's campaign declined to address Carroll's specific allegations. A statement issued by spokeswoman Jackie Schutz said Carroll "made the right decision for her family by resigning." Carroll’s book was published by Advantage, a South Carolina company on August 27, her 55th birthday, and is available at Amazon. Michelle Hollinger can be reached at [email protected] RUNCIE, FROM 1A The $800 million bond is expected to cost the average homeowner in the county about $50 a year, Runcie said. If the referendum is approved, he expects open bidding for contracts to begin in early summer. Runcie anticipates completing the critical repairs in seven years with $250 million of the $800 million being used for HVAC repairs. He expects the total $800 million to be raised in five years. A six-month independent needs assessment study determined the 300 buildings in the Broward County school system has a $3 billion need over the next five years but Runcie said it is “not a foregone conclusion” to turn to taxpayers for more help. He expects decreases in the maintenance and energy costs due to repairs to air conditioning systems and roof leakages. “As we continue to reduce our operating costs, it is going to allow us to have more dollars available through our millage rate,” Runcie said. “Then we can chip away at the rest of the work that needs to be done.” Broward County public schools still maintains $30-$35 million in its annual budgets for capital projects, Runcie said. On Oct. 30, the school system is holding a contractor fair at its office at 7770 W. Oakland Park Blvd. to prequalify workers for current construction opportunities to perform repairs at the schools. For more information, contact Broward County public schools office of supplier diversity and outreach at (754) 321-0550. Breaking News!Visitusonlineat SFLTimes.com ASK US HOW YOU CAN SAVE ON YOUR MORTGAGE CLOSING COSTS* Unlock your dream of home ownership today. At BankUnited, we understand that finding the right mortgage is just as important as finding the right home – which is why our Community Housing Assistance Mortgage Program (CHAMP) can help make your dream of home ownership a reality with: • Low down payments • Competitive rates • Closing cost assistance • Alternative qualifying guidelines To learn more about our home mortgage programs, please stop into your local branch, call our Home Mortgage Center at 1-877-217-7058 or visit us at www.mortgages.bankunited.com. All loans are subject to credit and property approval. Borrower income limits (depending on county median) apply. Program terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. 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Discount will be applied at the time of closing and will be reflected on your final HUD-1 statement. Cannot be combined with any other offer. This offer is subject to change or withdrawal at any time and without notice. Nothing herein is or should be interpreted as a commitment or offer to lend. Member FDIC ©2014 BankUnited, N.A. NMLS#418452 Nation SFLTIMES.COM | SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES | OCTOBER 9 — 15, 2014 | 3A PHOTO COURTESY OF FREDERICA S. WILSON MOTHERS: (From left) Marian Tolan; Queen Brown; Sabrina Fulton; Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (D-Fla); Congresswoman Shelia Jackson-Lee (D-Texas); Gwenn Carr; Valerie Bell; and Lesley McSpadden. Congresswoman Wilson hosts Mothers of tragedy Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24), chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus “My Brother’s Keeper” Task Force, brought together, for the first time in the nation’s capital, mothers and family members of murdered children for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation My Brother’s Keeper town hall meeting on Friday, September 26th. The Reverend Al Sharpton, host of MSNBC’s PoliticsNation, will serve as moderator. Broderick Johnson and Jim Shelton, co-chairs of the White House “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative, will serve as panelists. The families of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Sean Bell and Eviton Brown participated in a series of panel discussions along with law enforcement officials, educators, community leaders, clergy and other stakeholders. Disparity Committee yields results with School Board spending DISPARITY, FROM 1A board as early as November with final approval as early as December. Meanwhile, “We’re going to have a hybrid M/WBE program which shall observe racial and gender goals specific to contracts,” said Carvalho. Other recommendations included implementation of an anti-discrimination policy and program related to contracting, procurement, bonding, and financial assistance; a diversity and inclusion policy for procurement; open channels to community dialogue; and community partnerships. Everyone present at the meeting saw open lines of communication as an integral part to forging change. “The superintendent was receptive EX TR A TAKE AN columbus day SAlE SA lE 3O%-75% OFF STOREWIDE SPECIAlS-lAST 3 DAYS! THURS, OCT. 9-SAT, OCT. 11 OFF wiTh yOuR % m -2O % EXTRA SAVINGS ON ALL SALE & CLEARANCE APPAREL! Ac O (EXCEPT SPECIALS & SUPER BUYS) EXTRA 2o% off OR pAss Rd cA NOW-MON, OCT. 13 and encouraged positive dialogue without a hint of hostility. As a result, community issues have been brought to the forefront and we have worked cooperatively to develop the right and fair approach to positive change,” said Fair. Working together, Carvalho added, “is especially important to me because we cannot do this alone. We must rely on community partners to position the members of our community with the right skill set to enter or re-enter the workforce.” At Tuesday night’s school board meeting, a commercial anti-discrimination diversity and inclusion training resolution passed in first reading with the caveat that any training meet state requirements. s y’ 1 the BAC. “The administrative part should be done in 30 days because it doesn’t need board approval. The policy part is what could take 60 to 90 days because it has to go before the board for a vote.” Carvalho assured committee members that he is moving forward with his role in these initiatives and expressed a willingness to work together. “We presented valid concerns to Superintendent Carvalho, and he responded in a way that was respectful, and demonstrated his willingness to work together toward a mutual and fair resolution,” said Fair. Carvalho said he’s “actually embraced the robust conversation in the community about historic inequities perhaps not created by us but up to us to solve.” One of the key ways he said this could be done was through verification of sub payment information. According to Carvalho, there needs to be inspection, monitoring and compliance. So, the Office of Economic Opportunity has already crafted a compliance and monitoring system that will provide real-time data reporting on workforce compliance. Additionally, M-DCPS has agreed to reinstate the Minority/Women Business Enterprise (M/WBE) program. The plan is to bring the policy before the school SELECT SALE & CLEARANCE APPAREL fOR hIm, hER & kIdS Extra 15% off ALL SALE & CLEARANCE fINE & fAShION jEwELRY, COATS, SUITS, dRESSES, ImPULSE, INTImATES, SwIm fOR hER; SUIT SEPARATES, ShOES & SPORTCOATS fOR hIm & SELECT hOmE ITEmS Extra 10% off ALL SALE & CLEARANCE ELECTRICS/ELECTRONICS & wATChES (EdV), doorbusters, deals of the day, shoes for her, furniture, mattresses, Also excludes: Everyday Values (E floor coverings, rugs, men’s store electronics, cosmetics/fragrances, athletic shoes for him, her & kids, dallas Cowboys merchandise, gift cards, jewelry trunk shows, New Era, Nike on field, previous purchases, special orders, selected licensed depts., special purchases, services. Exclusions may differ at macys.com. Cannot be combined with any savings pass/coupon, extra discount or credit offer except opening a new macy’s account. 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Macy’s credit card is available subject to credit approval; new account savings valid the day your account is opened and the next day; excludes services, selected licensed departments, gift cards, restaurants, gourmet food & wine. The new account savings are limited to a total of $100; application must qualify for immediate approval to receive extra savings; employees not eligible. N4090137D.indd 1 10/1/14 2:26 PM 4A | OCTOBER 9 — 15, 2014 | SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES | SFLTIMES.COM Opinion Will Florida’s black voters make a difference? WHAT WE THINK Conspiracy? One has to wonder whether the primary threat to the life of President Obama and the First Family comes from outside of the United States; from extremists in the Middle East, from those within the United Statesextremists from red states or from the Secret Service tasked with guarding them. Never in the history of America has this question found legitimacy. Today, unfortunately, it does. It seems to have started when the mere prospect of Obama’s victory began to spread throughout the nation. Early in the discrediting effort was the attack on his birth certificate, alleging that he certainly is not a “real” American. Then, Obama was cast a Marxist, a Socialist, an Islamic sympathizer and more. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Obama displays “Kenyan, anti-colonial behavior” and numerous other derogatory comments from members of Congress, the Senate and throughout spheres of influence in the United States were heard. Throughout Obama’s tenure as president, patriot groups have grown from approximately 150 to nearly 1100 and the numbers continue to grow. While political support for the president was sufficient to elect him in 2008 and again in 2012, the hate growing in America that is directed at the first black president continues to swell. Threats to kill the president began in 2008 with skinhead members, and then grew to neo-Nazi groups and other extremists on America’s shores. A national conspiracy to cause the demise of the president is alive and well among these groups and many more. The mission of the Secret Service is first to protect the President of the United States and the first family. The institution of the presidency must, at all costs be guaranteed. After all, he is the most powerful person in the world. But one must ask, with the rising-tide of hate throughout our nation, should protection of the president require more or less vigilance than ever before particularly since threats to Obama are three times more than to any other president? Is allowing a man with a gun onto the president’s elevator fulfilling the Secret Service’s mission? When bullets hit the White House and days pass before any investigation occurs, demonstrate a lack of protection for the most powerful man in the world? Is allowing a man to run into the White House, run past the stairway to the first family’s residence and be allowed to live, reflect the phenominal skills of the Secret Service or does this resemble a willingness to watch, or engineer the demise of a president? Will Rick Scott remain Florida’s governor or will Charlie Crist beat him in the November 4th election? Unfortunately for many black people, whether “under the tree” or downtown sipping lattes, neither candidate Crist nor incumbent Scott registers excitement. However, precisely because most black voters are Democrats, they will, more than likely, hold their noses and vote a democratic slate right down the line. Charlie Crist, now running as a Democrat after badly losing the 2010 U. S. Senate race as an Independent to ultra-conservative Republican Marko Rubio, is keenly aware of black voting habits. (Unless you were under a rock or are pained to remember the debacle, then black Democratic Congressman Kendrick Meek, who could not win the 2010 Senate race, assisted Rubio by splitting the black vote with Crist. So Rubio won the race by one percentage point. Selfish, stupid stuff flushed the black vote right down the drain. Rubio doesn’t owe black people a thing!) Charlie Crist was the Republican governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011. In 2010 he became an Independent and in 2012 he switched to the Democratic Party and supported Barack Obama’s successful reelection bid. Scott squeaked by in 2010 and became governor with the help of his black female running mate Jennifer Carroll and some 60 thousand black Republican votes. Under very suspicious circumstances, Scott sidelined, then got rid of, Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll. A chagrined Alcee Hastings, the very popular black Democratic Congressman from Miramar is on record for going-off on Charlie Crist for not naming a black to his hoped to be cabinet. Early on there was speculation that Crist would name a black as his lieutenant governor running mate, but he didn’t. Instead he chose Annette Taddeo, the female Hispanic Democratic Party leader of Miami-Dade County. Taddeo is a 47-year-old successful businesswoman whose full name is Annette J. Taddeo-Goldstein. Her father, Anthony Taddeo was an Italian-American from New Jersey and her mother is Colombian. Annette came to America as a 17 year-old and lived in Huntsville, Ala. She converted to Judaism and married Eric Goldstein, but does not use her married name on the ballot. After being named Charlie Crist’s running mate, it was learned that candidate Taddeo’s voter registration says she is “non-Hispanic white.” Her staff denied that she was aware of that. So with Taddeo-Goldstein for lieutenant governor, Crist has the first Hispanic female candidate for that position who is a popular party leader and prodigious fundraiser. And, she can deliver coveted Jewish and Hispanic votes. Apparently, Charlie Crist figures he knows how to woo black voters. His office in the heart of Fort Lauderdale’s black community is filled with young, white political people and a few black community workers. Crist will be very visible at important black affairs during this final month of campaigning. He will especially make the rounds of key black churches throughout the state. Now here’s a candidate who wants black votes, but refuses to name a black person to his cabinet! Here's a man that wants to be governor, again, but he offers no discernable quid pro quo for black votes. Charlie may make it happen because he knows black voting habits. Blacks will either vote for him or stay home. The end game is to keep black votes from going to Scott. Since Charlie Crist nixed a black person as his lieutenant governor running mate and, thus far, no black person has been named to anything, Congressman Hastings suggests Gertrude Walker of Fort Pierce for Secretary of State. Walker is the longtime black Supervisor of Elections for St. Lucie County. Gertrude Walker has been with the Supervisor of Elections office for 32 years and has acquired an encyclopedic knowledge of election laws and processes. The Secretary of State has become a pivotal position nationally in interpreting election laws and implementing rules and procedures. As Elections Supervisor, Walker is not free from controversy having won wars against the Tea Party, former black conservative Congressman Allen West and others. West and the Tea Party sued Walker’s office charging voter fraud in his 2012 reelection loss to Democrat Patrick Murphy. Al Calloway is a longtime journalist who began his career with the Atlanta Inquirer during the early 1960s civil rights struggle. He is writing a book of essays. He may be reached at [email protected] Reaching out, reaching back, reaching down Are we simply victims of time and place? Or are we really Captains of our fate? I just spent a lovely four days on the False River, actually an ‘ox bow’ lake that was once part of the Mississippi River. The False River has made a significant impression on the land surrounding it- it is very fertile: sugar cane, cotton, pecans, and other vegetables are grown there. And, ‘naked ladies’, beautiful red wild flowers, pop up all around. The nearest town, New Roads, is in the heart of one of the oldest Parishes in Louisiana - settled in the 1700s by the French. All things French still dominates the area, and is well preserved: the culture, the names on the street signs and on storefronts, as well as the surnames of the folk - both Cajun and Creole (I admit that at first glance, I find it difficult to always tell the difference between those two groups). Whites and blacks round out the populationseemingly totally integrated, or at least, de-segregated. Things look beautiful around the False River. The land is abundant with plantings, and the surface appears to be one of prosperity and growth: a Walmart had just opened in town. A young black Mayor is credited for bringing much of the new-found prosperity to the town. Despite appearances, the friend I was visiting regaled me with how the region is rife with un/underemployment, dismal education achievement, and a growing resignation to being ‘on the dole’ amongst too many blacks who live there. My friend expressed her concern how acceptable it was for generations of folk to no longer try to get education, training, and subsequently employment at a living wage. That in fact, many folks accept receipt of subsidies over their lifetime as a normal way of life. Years ago, during a program I hosted on Cable television, I interviewed a professor of Anthropology/Sociology (FIU) who explained that during slavery, and immediately after emancipation, blacks had little or no incentive to work (at subsistence wages) and that legacy has had a lingering effect. It’s hard to argue against that theory. Barring the exceptions of a few entrepreneurs, intellectuals, inventors, and those spurred on by their internal drive for greatness (teachers, artists, nurses, scientists, and other candidates for semi-sainthood) I tend to agree with the professor. Why work? One hundred fifty years after the ‘emancipation’, I often still hear one reason that many blacks don’t want to work- or have few incentives to ‘labor’ is that we were forced to work in America as chattel slaves, and if only we were left in Africa……we would not be forced to work. At least that is the wistful sentiment often heard. Yet, I wonder. If we were still in Africa, what would we be doing? Now we know that not all of us were Princes, Princesses, Chiefs or other noble-born who were captured and traded into enslavement. There had to have been some goat herders in the group! I suspect there was dignity in that role, in Africa. I suspect there must also have been dignity in tending fires, raising children, hunting and gathering, and all the other ‘jobs’ required to keep the African society intact. In fact, there was probably dignity in any work not done under the whip or under threat of death for not working. Therein lies the rub. We are not in Africa. Haven’t been for so long. This is the only system we know. And what do we know? We know that people don’t have to remain trapped in a cycle of hopelessness, or fantasy. While we are no longer chattel slaves, too many black minds are still wrapped in the chains of the legacy of whips and chains, and the hanging ropes. What needs to be done to loosen that grip? It will be nearly impossible as long as black boys remain targets for murder; as long as black girls’ lives are not equally valued as white girls; as long as black men are incarcerated instead of educated; as long as black women continue to earn less than all other working groups; as long as we are not free in Africa but discounted in America. I just hope that if you are one of the ones who has ‘escaped’; have pulled yourself up by your bootstraps; have developed your brain muscle and studied or thought your way out of the ghetto; have moved on up; have ‘made it’ in any other way; I hope you keep one hand reaching out, reaching back, reaching down, in order to pull some one or more of your fellows along with you. What’s the alternative? Antonia Williams-Gary may be reached at toniwg1@ gmail.com Amendment 2-Florida Smoking Gun - NO Pot, weed, reefer, grass—whatever you call it, it is still marijuana! Florida voters will soon vote on whether to legalize marijuana for “medical” use under Amendment 2. This dangerous Amendment must be viewed in the context of its impact on the quality of life for Floridians-especially children. It signals a potential turning point in our state’s history. Under the pretense of helping the sick, Amendment 2 would label marijuana “medicine” resulting in it being dispensed, not just to the so-called sick, but to children of all ages as well—without parental consent! I support efforts to help those suffering from real debilitating illnesses, but Amendment 2 goes far beyond that worthy cause. It is nothing more than “smoking gun” evidence of a back door attempt to legalize recreational use of marijuana in Florida. We cannot afford to make this wrong turn! So why is it so dangerous? After reviewing the full text of this Amendment—and not just the deceptive ballot summary-- I agree! In addition to not telling us that the Amendment does NOT require a doctor’s prescription, just a certification; or, that it gives a broad grant of immunity from civil and criminal liability to those who dispense, sell or use pot , it also: • Allows so-called “caregivers” with NO required medical training and NO background checks to dispense medical pot— even if they are drug dealers—as long as they are at least 21 years of age. • Places NO restrictions on the location of so-called “medical marijuana treatment centers” (“pot shops”)—that could locate near a store or school in your neighborhood; and, • Imposes NO age limit on users; • Allows teens to get marijuana WITHOUT parental consent; and, • Permits marijuana to be put into food such as brownies and snacks which can be accidently ingested by children. How many “caregivers” and “pot shops” are we talking about? The Florida Department of Health estimates that there will be nearly 24,000 “caregivers” in Broward; 34,000 in MiamiDade; and 15,000 in Palm Beach counties alone and over 400,000 statewide. As to pot shops, the estimate for Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties are 168, 239, and126, respectively and nearly 2,000 statewide! As one can see, underneath Amendment 2’s “covers of compassion, ” lies a viperous threat to the health, safety and quality of life of our neighborhoods, families and children. It takes an illegal drug--whose potency has tripled over the past twenty years--calls it medicine--and unleashes it on an uninformed and unsuspecting public—and children. Parents and grandparents should be concerned about Amendment 2’s potential negative impact on children? According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in 2012, nearly 25 percent of 10th graders admitted to smoking marijuana. As to the drug itself, it said that marijuana’s negative effects include impairing memory, learning skills; attention and judgment. That’s why Amendment 2 is smoking gun evidence of an all-out cultural and secular war on our children and families. In no way, even under the pretense of medicine, should we make marijuana legal in Florida. It would pose a real and present danger to all communities, but especially those in low income neighborhoods many of which are already suffering from the ravages of drug violence, addiction and poor schools. At a time when African-American high school graduation rates are below all other ethnic groups in the our state, this is no time to give pot respectability to our youth by opening the “medi-pot” flood gates and making things even worse. This is a call to arms, Florida! I am not alone in opposing this dangerous Amendment. The Florida Medical Association, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, and seven former Members of the Florida Supreme Court have all announced their opposition. Amendment 2 must be shot down! Let them know that we are not willing to risk the future of our children! As South Florida Times columnist Al Calloway wrote a few months ago: “I have rarely met a dope fiend that didn’t start out smoking weed. I’m talking pill poppers to heroin addicts, coke sorters to crack and opium smokers. People who smoke marijuana sooner or later tend to dabble with other drugs and many get caught-up.” And, so it will be with medical pot. I urge everyone to Vote No on Amendment 2. Reverend O’Neal Dozier is Senior Pastor, The Worldwide Christian Center Church, Pompano Beach, Florida; Former Board Member, One Church, One Child; and, former Member of the 17th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission serving Broward County. Breaking News! Visit us online at SFLTimes.com Contact Us PUBLISHER Robert G. Beatty, Esq. [email protected] ADVERTISING [email protected] SUBSCRIPTIONS [email protected] 954.356.9360 • 3020 NE 32nd Avenue, Suite 200 • Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308 • www.SFLTimes.com DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Michele T. Green [email protected] CORRECTIONS Please notify us of any errors that were published by emailing Robert G. Beatty, Esq., [email protected] EDITOR Andrea F. Robinson [email protected] BACK ISSUES South Florida Times’ back issues are $1.00 per copy. To request a back copy please call 954.356.9360. DIRECTOR OF WEB SERVICES Lonnie Beatty III [email protected] DELIVERIES For any delivery issues, please contact Robert Beatty II at 954.356.9360 REPRINT PERMISSION South Florida Times’ content is protected under the federal Copyright Act. DIRECTOR OF CIRCULATION & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Robert G. Beatty II [email protected] No reproduction without written permission. For permission, contact the executive editor. SENIOR DESIGNER Michele Jury [email protected] SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES is published every Thursday by Beatty Media, LLC. SFLTIMES.COM | SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES | OCTOBER 9 — 15, 2014 | 5A Caribbean Caribbean Exceptionalism Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness, Gubernatorial Candidate Charlie Crist, Attorney Marlon Hill, and Host Pam Watson at the “Islanders for Crist” fundraiser and get out the vote effort in Davie, Florida on Sunday, October 5, 2014. PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID I. MUIR Calibe Thompson DAVID I. MUIR/SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES By CALIBE THOMPSON Special to South Florida Times You can imagine my surprise when in response to my first SFLTimes Op Ed on being Caribbean American rather than African American, a reader informed me that I should be grateful for all that African Americans have done to pave the way for us “aliens” to be here. I never meant to start a war with anyone. I did mean to start a conversation about celebrating our uniqueness and differences. I personally believe everyone from every culture should celebrate the things that make them exceptional. That said, I recently discovered that the word “exceptionalism” does not, by definition, imply superiority. But conservative American writers have promoted its use in that way and that’s how I want to use it to start another conversation. I want to talk about Caribbean Exceptionalism - that something about our people that makes us extraordinary. It’s funny that as proud and exceptional as we Caribbean folks often are individually, we don’t generally talk about ourselves that way as a community. But we should. As a region, even as individual countries, I’m not sure what I can point to us doing that’s super spectacular. But our sons and daughters individually, at home and abroad, certainly are doing exceptional things, and have been for generations. From sportsmen like the now omnipresent Jamaican Usain Bolt, and Trinidadian Olympic champion Ato Boldon, who was the featured interview on the premier episode of The Caribbean Diaspora Weekly, to political powerhouses like Barbadian Attorney General Eric Holder and world class entertainers like Beyoncé Knowles of Bahamian heritage, Caribbean blood runs in every echelon of popular culture and societal influence. The list of names I referred to in the perspective is pretty extensive. I’d say for a few tiny islands that are still referred to as “third world countries”, we’re pretty amazing. Watch the premier episode of The Caribbean Diaspora Weekly on our website, to explore some of the reasons I think we excel wherever we go. Set your DVR or go to early church service and be home by 11:30AM so you don’t miss each Sunday's episode on SFL / The CW Network (Ch 39 / Comcast 11).Calibe can be reached at [email protected]. Islanders for Crist Get out the Vote Caribbean Bar Association has its’ annual gala for scholarships DAVID I. MUIR/SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES Caribbean Bar Association past presidents Alison Smith, Schuyler Smith, Carol Green von Kaul, Cherine Smith Valbrun, Lisa Colon Heron, Sherylle Francis, Pamela Gordon, Sheldon Philp, Robert Vaughn, Marlon Hill, Neil DeLeon and Jerry Hamilton in attendance at the Caribbean Bar Association’s 18th Annual Scholarship Banquet, Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Hotel on Saturday, October 4, 2014 6A | OCTOBER 9 — 15, 2014 | SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES | SFLTIMES.COM PHOTO COURTESY OF C.B. HANIF FOR THE WOMEN: Flanked by Pink Strydes CEO Cynthia Holloman, left, and Secretary Pascale Bonnegue, right, is designer Latara King. “We’ve incorporated some professional models with our breast cancer survivors,” said Holloman, “to make our survivors feel comfortable about what they’re doing as they walk down the runway.” SFLTIMES.COM | SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES | OCTOBER 9 — 15, 2014 | 7A Pink Strydes celebrating founder Robinson’s legacy Know About The Free Cancer Help Line By the National Cancer Institute By C.B. HANIF Special to South Florida Times willing to share that with the public. So I wasn’t sure that we would be able to pull it off. “But Vanessa was tenacious,” said Holloman. “She had WEST PALM BEACH — As Breast Cancer Awareness a boldness about her and a way about her that people Month moves into high gear, the organizers of one of the most warmed up to, and they were willing to come aboard when fashionable nights in Palm Beach County have prepared a they knew that she headed this project.” When the crowds special tribute to the pink event’s late founder. streamed into that first show, Holloman said, “I knew that this Cancer took cosmetologist, was something we had to continue entrepreneur and educator Vanessa because they believed in what we IF YOU GO Robinson from this world on April 23. were doing. “ More than 400 people packed her May WHAT: Pink Strydes Affair That early dream is reality thanks to 3 memorial service at Inlet Grove High her friend of 27 years, who Holloman WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 11, 7 p.m. School in Riviera Beach. said “started her own business very Now her friends and supporters WHERE: Palm Beach County Convenyoung, maintained it up until her say they’re determined to preserve tion Center, 650 Okeechobee Blvd. death, and was well known as one of Robinson’s legacy as founder of the Pink the best hairdressers, cosmetologists Strydes organization and its signature West Palm Beach and platform artists in Palm Beach fundraising event. County. To lose her at such a young COST: $35 in advance; $40 at door The third annual Pink Strydes Affair, age, at 42, I’m still having a hard time celebrating the lives of breast cancer INFO: Visit pinkstrydes.org coming to grips with that.” survivors, is set for Saturday, Oct. 11 at the But Pink Strydes is “everything Palm Beach County Convention Center, that she envisioned this organization 650 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Doors open at 7 to be,” Holloman said. “We recognized that women of color p.m.; the show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35 advance, $40 at needed an outlet and a resource to come to, other than the the door and can be purchased at pinkstrydes.org major ones that are looking at research for breast cancer, but The benefit event, part of the 501(c)3 nonprofit didn’t touch their daily needs. organization’s $250,000 campaign, showcases cutting-edge “That’s how we came about. And we realized that we designers and fashions strutted on the catwalk by women of needed to be known for more than just the fashion show. We all ages, sizes and ethnicities. This year’s host is comedian needed to be there as a support to women. And the way we and actress Cocoa Brown (star of Tyler Perry’s “For Better or can do that is by our initiatives.” Worse”), with the event preceded by a tailgate party, music, Pink Strydes increasingly is offering full service support free food and a chance to get mammograms. for women going through breast cancer, she said, such as early Pink Strydes CEO Cynthia Holloman said the organization detection education, and help with medication co-pays, with was conceived after Robinson was diagnosed with breast assisted living, with children, and with daily activities they can’t cancer on Jan. 18, 2012, and needed something to help her handle when going through the challenges on their own. through a mastectomy and related therapies. “To make the burden a lesser one” is the organization’s “Every week I went with her to her chemotherapy tagline, Holloman said. treatments when she had it, and she had pen and paper “That’s what we’re all about. We want people to in hand, and we planned the very first Pink Strydes Affair understand how much Vanessa meant to this organization — fashion show,” Holloman said. They sought women who and how we feel about carrying forth the vision that she had wanted to tell their stories, “but didn’t find many who were for Pink Strydes.” sfltimes.com “Elevating the Dialogue” ADVERTISING PROOF IF YOU GO WHAT: Making Strides 5 K walk WHEN: October 11, 2014, registration 7:30 a.m. The walk at 9:00 a.m. WHERE: Huizenga Plaza, Downtown Fort Lauderdale WHY: To cure breast cancer INFO: Visit www.makingstrideswalk.org or call 1-800-227-2345 PHOTOS COURTESY OF AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY BREAST CANCER: Photos above and right are of participants striding for cancer. Broward residents make strides against breast cancer FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — It is again, time to make strides for finding a cure for breast cancer. As the fight to cure breast cancer moves forward, Broward residents are ready to make strides in support the women who face this dreaded diseast. The American Cancer Society invites residents of Broward County and surrounding areas to join the fight against breast cancer by taking part in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. Making Strides is a noncompetitive 5K walk that brings together cancer survivors, their family and friends, business partners, and community members in an effort to bring this disease to an end. This is the largest network of breast cancer-fighting events in the United States, with more than 300 Making Strides events across the country each year. The Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Broward County event takes place on October 11, 2014 at Huizenga Plaza Downtown Fort Lauderdale. Registration will open at 7:30am and the walk will begin at 9:00am. “Each person who joins a Making Strides team and shows their support makes a difference in the fight against breast cancer,” said Susan LaClair, Specialist, Community Events. "This event continues to be instrumental in providing support services to individuals battling the disease and, one day, finding a cure. The American Cancer Society has discovered landmark treatments such as Tamoxifen and Herceptin, and research funding continues in the hopes of finding a cure.” Since 1993, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer has been the American Cancer Society's rallying cry to build awareness and funds to fight breast cancer. Frequently asked questions on Ebola virus disease In that time, 10 million walkers have collected more than $594 million to fund breast cancer research and support and educational programs. While significant progress has been made, more needs to be done in the fight against the disease. Breast cancer remains the most common cancer among women in the U.S. other than skin cancer, and is the second leading cause of cancer death after lung cancer. The chance of a woman developing invasive breast cancer at some time in her life is about 1 in 8. In 2014, approximately 232,670 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,000 will die from the disease in the U.S. To find out more about Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Broward County please visit www. makingstrideswalk.org. For information about breast cancer, contact the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org. MAMMOPALOOZA BETHESDA, Md., Sept. 24, 2014 — An African American man in his 60's has read about a new targeted therapy for lung cancer. His friend, a pack a day smoker for over 30 years, was recently diagnosed with lung cancer. He wants to know more about this treatment option and what side effects his friend might experience. Every day, people in the African-American community have questions about cancer, whether about their own fight with the disease, or about a family member, a friend or a co-worker. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) can help you get the answers to your questions over the telephone at no cost to you. When you call 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237), a free and confidential service of the NCI, a cancer information specialist is ready and willing to assist you on the line, taking as much time as you need to answer the questions that you have about cancer. The Cancer Information Service (CIS) is available to everyone. But given how cancer health disparities are affecting African Americans and other minority communities, the NCI is encouraging more members of communities of color to learn about and use the service. One way to address cancer health disparities is to make sure all communities have access to the same information. Statistics show that African Americans have the nation's highest cancer rates and number of deaths. When you call 1-800-4-CANCER, a highly trained information specialist will provide you with information that is right for you based on your unique situation. While information specialists can provide answers to many questions and help you understand more about cancer, they do not take the place of a doctor and cannot provide medical advice. What they can do, however, is direct you to sources of reliable and accurate cancer information. In fact, that is what the CIS was created to do – to connect the calling public with accurate and useful cancer education information. This includes helping people use our website, which contains cancer information tailored specifically to African Americans, including articles, videos, and even audio files (www.cancer.gov/lifelines). "When a person contacts the CIS, their personal information is kept confidential and they receive tailored responses to their questions about cancer," said Mary Anne Bright, who heads the CIS. "Often, a patient or their loved ones contact CIS for information about cancer prevention, early detection, symptoms, questions to ask their doctor, cancer treatment and/ or palliative care. Our Cancer Information Specialists are highly trained, caring individuals, who take time to fully address the person's cancer information needs." Anyone can call 1-800-4-CANCER. A doctor does not need to place the call for you and you do not have to provide any private information about insurance or anything else. As a member of the public, you are free to call and ask questions during the business hours that are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 8 pm. Eastern Time. Service is offered in English and Spanish. You can also access Live Help online or even send e-mail. For more information about the CIS and how you can use the service, go to: http:// www.cancer.gov/aboutnci/cis/page1. Editor's Note: The preceding article is part of the monthly Lifelines education and awareness print series that the National Cancer Institute tailors to African American news and information outlets. Mammograms save families. October 1–31 PHOTO COURTESY OF WILD-WINGS-SAFARIS.COM EBOLA: Unknown man under the care of healtlh service providers. 1. What is Ebola virus disease? • Ebola virus disease (formerly known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever) is a severe, often fatal illness, with a death rate of up to 90%. The illness affects humans and nonhuman primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees). Ebola first appeared in 1976 in two simultaneous outbreaks, one in a village near the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the other in a remote area of Sudan. The origin of the virus is unknown but fruit bats (Pteropodidae) are considered the likely host of the Ebola virus, based on available evidence. 2. How do people become infected with the virus? • Human to human transmission. Infection occurs from direct contact through broken skin or mucous membranes with the blood, or other bodily fluids or secretions (stool, urine, saliva, semen) of infected people. Infection can also occur if broken skin or mucous membranes of a healthy person come into contact with environments that have become contaminated with an Ebola patient’s infectious fluids such as soiled clothing, bed linen, or used needles. 3. What are typical signs and symptoms of infection? • Sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat are typical signs and symptoms. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding. 4. When should someone seek medical care? • When symptoms occur, seek medical care immediately. 5. What is the treatment? • Severely ill patients require intensive supportive care. They are frequently dehydrated and 3 cols x 10.5” need intravenous fluids or oral rehydration with solutions that contain electrolytes. There is currently no specific treatment to cure the disease. 6. What can I do? Can it be prevented? Is there a vaccine? • Currently, there is no licensed medicine or vaccine for Ebola virus disease, but several products are under development. • Listen to and follow directives issued by your country’s respective Ministry of Health. • If you suspect someone close to you or in your community of having Ebola virus disease, immediately encourage and support them in seeking medical treatment in a healthcare facility. • If you choose to care for an ill person in your home, notify public health officials of your intentions so they can train you and provide appropriate personal protective equipment. • When visiting patients in the hospital or caring for someone at home, hand washing with soap and water or alcohol based hand rubs is recommended after touching a patient, being in contact with their bodily fluids, or touching his/ her surroundings. • People who have died from Ebola should only be handled by public health professionals who are trained in safe burial procedures. Is it safe to travel with persons who have Ebola? • If the individual has not developed symptoms they cannot transmit Ebola to those around them. • Is it safe to travel to West Africa on business or to visit family and friends? The risk of a tourist or businessman/woman becoming infected with Ebola virus during a visit to the affected areas and developing disease after returning is extremely low, even if the visit included travel to the local areas from which primary cases have been reported. • Travelers should avoid all contact with infected patients. Call 954.759.7500 to schedule your mammogram, or visit BrowardHealth.org/mammo Weekend and evening hours available. Most insurance accepted, or self-pay $115 cash or credit. Appointment includes a mammography screening AND review by a board-certified radiologist. At Baptist Health South Florida, we’re committed to helping women and men live longer, healthier lives. Digital mammography is still the best screening tool for breast cancer — and our diagnostic centers feature advanced digital technology, compassionate professional care, Board-certified radiologists and a physician team specializing in breast health. That’s caring for a healthier tomorrow. Everyone who has a mammogram will receive a special gift.* Appointments strongly encouraged. Walk-ins welcome M-F 8am-3pm. Physician scripts are available. Broward Health Medical Center Broward Health North Broward Health Imperial Point Broward Health Coral Springs Broward Health Weston Call 786-573-6000 in Miami-Dade, 954-837-1000 in Broward, 305-434-1588 in Monroe or visit BaptistHealth.net/BreastHealth to schedule your mammogram today. Please have your prescription ready when scheduling your mammogram. As part of our ongoing commitment to expanding care in our community, we’re offering special pricing for patients without insurance from October 1-31, 2014. Screening mammogram: $50 | Diagnostic mammogram: $100 Women age 40 and over should have a screening mammogram every year, and those at high risk due to family history or other factors should speak with their doctor to determine if earlier or additional testing is necessary. Find us on Share your story, share your strength at EmbraceTomorrow.BaptistHealth.net Facebook Facebook.com/BrowardHealth #EmbraceTomorrow by getting your mammogram today *While supplies last A not-for-profit organization committed to our faith-based charitable mission of medical excellence 8A | OCTOBER 9 — 15, 2014 | SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES | SFLTIMES.COM Presidential Inauguration 2014 PHOTOS COURTESY OF TEEKAY /3PM MEDIA Florida Memorial University extends a heartfelt thank you to all of the Presidential Inauguration Sponsors and the community at-large for supporting the inauguration of Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis, 13th President of Florida Memorial University and the first woman appointed to the position. LION’S PRIDE PREMIERE PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURAL TITLE SPONSOR Thompson Hospitality Services, Inc. LION’S PRIDE PREMIERE PRESIDENTIAL SPONSOR CareerSource South Florida LION’S PRIDE PLATINUM SPONSOR D. Stephenson Construction, Inc. LION’S PRIDE SILVER SPONSORS Academic Insurance Solutions Baptist Health South Florida Jackson Health System Sodexo America, LLC Sonshine Communications South Florida Times Stephen Greenberg & Associates The Miami Times LION’S PRIDE BRONZE SPONSORS AT&T Becker & Poliakoff City of Miami Gardens Dirt Pros Florida Power & Light Matthews Buses, Inc. Miami Dolphins Foundation Mourning Family Foundation Nyarko Architectural Group ODUA Group Mr. Ulysses Howard, Sr. The Westside Gazette LION’S PRIDE SUPPORTERS A-Best Fire & Security, Inc. Allied Barton American Airlines Bank of America Barnes & Noble BCA Watson Rice, LLP Bryant Miller Olive Chairman Charles and Barbara George Commissioner Audrey M. Edmonson Commissioner Barbara J. Jordan Commissioner Dennis C. Moss Ms. Cynthia W. Curry A-Action Lock and Safe Association of Floral Importers of Florida Drummer Boy Sound Productions Dr. Dorothy Bendross Mindingall Florida International University Trustee Fred & Yvonne Jackson Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau Jessie Trice Health Center Jorge Luis Lopez Law Firm LLC The Miami Foundation Northern Trust Ocean Bank Orange Bowl Committee Phillips Consulting Group Publix Charities Siemens Industry, Inc. The Links, Inc. Dade County Chapter The Trayvon Martin Foundation TMD Partners, Inc. United Teachers of Dade University of Miami Waste Management Weiss Serota Helfman Pastoriza Cole & Boniske Wells Fargo Trustee William C. McCormick, Jr. U.S. Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson CONTRIBUTORS Flowers by Grace Fowler White Burnett, P.A. Herrington Bradley Construction Integrated Card Solutions Net proceeds will benefit FMU student scholarships and the Black Male College Explorer Program Macy’s Progressive Waste Solutions United Parcel Service SFLTIMES.COM | SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES | OCTOBER 9 — 15, 2014 | 1B Around South Florida 2B Obituaries 3B Prayerful Living 4B WWW.SFLTIMES.COM | 954.356.9360 PALM BEACH WPB tackles youth violence with new program Staff Report WEST PALM BEACH — City leaders hope a new program backed by federal dollars will curb youth violence and improve the health and well-being of children and teenagers in less affluent areas. West Palm Beach is one of only nine cities nationwide chosen by the federal Department of Health & Human Services and the federal Department of Justice to receive funding for the program. The grant, in the amount of $340,000 per year for three years will be used to target 60 at-risk children between the ages of 10 and 18. The program will be part of the city’s Youth Empowerment Center. The children will participate in programs that will cover everything from preventing youth violence to how to become more aware of good nutrition. Gang prevention and teaching the participants about what services are available to help them are also part of the program. The program will also provide for a West Palm Beach police officer to be stationed at the youth center in order to help build positive relationships with police officers. “We’ve always had a security guard, but it is just not the same as having a police officer. Having a police officer really helps build relationships and it also helps the officers get to know the kids at a better level,” said Christine Thrower, director of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. The grant funding is through the Minority Youth Violence Prevention: Integrating Public Health and Community Policing Approaches (MYVP) program. The collaboration is a joint effort by the HHS Office of Minority Health and the DOJ Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) to support interventions aimed at addressing youth violence, improving academic outcomes, increasing access to public health and social services, reducing disparities, reducing negative encounters with law enforcement and reducing violent crimes against minority youth. PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLEMAPS.COM Program is based at the Gloria Y. Williams Youth Empowerment Center 501 21st St. MIAMI-DADE FMU President strolls for breast cancer awareness FMU President Rosyln Artis leads a stroll along the campus breezeway to call attention to breast cancer awareness. The stroll was part of inauguration activities. The campus was decorated in pink and orange to signal the university’s advocacy for the cause. PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDREA ROBINSON BROWARD Stingy Brim: Old Dillard pays tribute to black social life FORT LAUDERDALE — Old Dillard Museum explores the history of juke joints and other places of importance in the socialization of people of African descent that were predominant in previous eras in a new exhibit that opens today. “Stingy Brim: Juke, Jive and Jazz” features the artwork by Bayunga Kialeuka, a Miami artist who was born in Annie-Mae’s In The Spotlight 112 the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Through paintings, Kialeuka explores the roots and cultural significance of informal social establishments (juke joints, honkytonks, backrooms and nightclubs) that offered food, liquor, dancing and gambling to the African American community. “No matter where we came from, there’s an aspect of our ancestry that will PHOTO COURTESY OF BAYUNGA KIALEUKA PHOTO COURTESY OF BAYUNGA KIALEUKA reveal itself,” Kialeuka said. A reception to launch the exhibit begins at 6 p.m. at Old Dillard, 1009 NW Fourth Street in Fort Lauderdale. Title comes from the name of a style of hat that has seen resurgence in the 2000s among pop celebrities such as Justin Tiimberlake and Brad Pitt. Kialeuka said the hat predates that crop of celebrities with one from another era. The fedora was a favorite of legendary saxophonist Thelonious Monk, a FAMU alumnus. In the exhibit, Kialeuka depicts the emotions of working class people in their environments. Much of these works are drawings and paintings on canvas. They exhibit as a sequence of frames organized much like a storyboard. Kialeuka said the title "Stingy Brim," symbolizes the shared ancestry and experiences of the subjects. Each piece depicts everyday people celebrating the company of one another, with circumstances that wouldn't change wether, they were in Kinshasa (Congo), Liberty City, Treme (New Orleans) or Bangu (Rio de Janeiro). “Many gather to satisfy the human need to be among others. This, too, is symbolized by the stingy brim,” he said. 2B | OCTOBER 9 — 15, 2014 | SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES | SFLTIMES.COM Around South Florida Buck and Mary’s has been in his family for decades and became one of the hottest black hangouts in Broward County. He is survived by his wife Cora and a host of children. He was 76. ELGIN JONES [email protected] Palm Beach County TRIBAL BANK Chairman James Billie and the Seminole Tribe of Florida are in negotiations to acquire Mackinac Savings Bank in Boynton Beach. The Tribe previously attempted to buy Fort Lauderdale-based ValBILLIE ley Bank, but withdrew its offer and that bank ultimately failed. If the deals go through, it would be the first tribalowned bank in Florida. DISGUSTING ABUSE Siguens Silencieux, 29, of Lake Worth has been arrested over allegations he beat his girlfriend, who is sixmonths pregnant. According the police report, Silencieux came home seeking to have SILENCIEUX sex. When his girlfriend refused, he allegedly attacked her. Broward County Freddie Beasley, owner of Buck & Mary’s Owl Nest restaurant and nightclub, has passed away. Mr. Beasley was a South Florida giant. Livingwith GONE FOR GOOD Tater Town, the iconic meat and vegetable market located in unincorporated Broward County, just west of Fort Lauderdale, is closed. For decades locals, as well as Georgia and South Carolina transplants, converged on the market to buy staples used in traditional southern soul food dishes. It’s the end of an era. Now where will I find smoked mule ankles and crowder peas? NEW COMPETITION Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway is buying the Van Tuyl Group, the largest privately owned auto group in the country. The company owns dealerships around the country and three in South BUFFET Florida, including Scion and Toyota of Deerfield Beach. GOOD COMPANY What do Thaddeus Hamilton, President Barack Obama, former Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll and former state Sen. Darryl Jones all have in common? They are the only black nominees for the two HAMILTON major parties for statewide office in Florida. Like the others, all are highly qualified, but Hamilton is the most etiquette qualified of them all for the office he seeks. He is the Democratic nominee for Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services. This is a historic candidate, whose success will depend largely how well Democratic nominee Charlie Crist does in the governor’s race. Hamilton, 64, of Sunrise, is running against incumbent Commissioner Adam Putnam. Miami-Dade County STATION SHAKE UP CBS has taken over country radio station WKIS-FM, Top 40 station WPOW-FM and sports-talk station WQAM from Beasley Broadcast Group. CBS traded 14 stations in Tampa, Charlotte and MASON Philadelphia for five Beasley Broadcast Group stations. CBS Radio CEO Dan Mason says the radio stations will compliment the company’s television stations in the South Florida market. There is no indication if there will be format or personnel changes, but you can expect duplicate operations to be consolidated. FOR SALE Former Miami Heat LeBron James has put his Coconut Grove mansion on the market for $17 million. James, who purchased the home in 2010 for $9 million, has relocated back to his native Ohio JAMES where he once again plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Monroe County OOPS! Producer Christian Lader proposed developing a television show about global warming that would have a segment about Key West for a cost of $14,900 to the city. The media kit provided to city BRANSON officials seemed to indicate billionaire Richard Branson, NBC and Virgin Media were involved with the project. It was scheduled to go before commissioners for vote this week, but after checking, staff confirmed Branson, Virgin Media and NBC were not involved or affiliated with Lader’s program. CONVICTED CLAN Former Monroe County Technical Services Department director Lisa Druckemiller will be released is from prison in November. In 2013 she was convicted of stealing county electronics and sellB. DRUCKEMILLER ing them. Druckemiller had worked for the county for 30 years and earned $78,489 a year. She lost her job for selling the stolen iPads and iPhones for less than $5,000. She also lost her state pension. Her son, Brandon Druckemiller was released L. DRUCKEMILLER from prison this week. He was in prison on theft, burglary, cocaine possession and robbery convictions. Networking with Class – Don’t Be A Business Card Bully By ROSE HEDGEMOND Special to South Florida Times Alright! I know we have heard so many how-to’s, do’s and don’ts on networking that I believe we all should be experts at it by now. However, there are still some very important details to be mindful of that can be over looked. During any networking event it is customary to carry and present your business cards, if for nothing else the standard raffle or give-away prize that most events would have. However, during the actual networking event instead of making a mad dash to quickly collect business cards, take a moment to introduce yourself and your business, then leave room for the person who you’re speaking with to reciprocate his or her information to you. Once you have established some insight ask for the business card and in turn present yours. Why would you go through speaking to a person to get conversational information prior to asking for the business card up front? Well, for starters, it is quite unappealing to ask for someone’s business card and you haven’t taken time to find out about them. Most people, who have influence, will not provide their business cards unless it is a possibility to do, or have, a meaningful business connection. So the next time you’re at a popular networking event be a little mindful about the following: Introduce yourself and business prior to diving in and asking for a business card. Establish a brief conversation; open up the lines to communications. If someone asks for your business card without giving any thought to who you are, respond with “why?” This will cause the other person to respond in an engaging conversation or they may just walk away – in which case if the person walks away would you have really wanted them to have your business card? Send a follow-up email or even better – pick up the phone within 48 hours of meeting the person to say “nice meeting you”. Hint: Sometimes picking up the phone is a nice thing to do. Rose Hedgemond is CEO of Avenues of Excellence and an etiquette and social protocol professional. Do you have an etiquette or social protocol question? Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Facebook at Rose Hedgemond and Twitter @AOE_IN. Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust Working Together for Economic Change Economic Development Youth Development Helping to ensure equitable participation in the economic growth of our communities Offering first-time juvenile offenders alternative solutions through workshops and entrepreneurship opportunities Homeownership Join An Action Committee Providing first-time homebuyers with no-payment forgivable loans to make homeownership affordable • Economic Development Action Committee • Housing Advocacy Committee • Youth Action Committee Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust Board Members Marc A. Douthit, Esq. Ron Butler Chair 1st Vice/EDAC Chair Rev. Dr. Walter T. Richardson H. Leigh Toney 2nd Vice Chair Treska Rodgers Youth Action Chair Stephanye Johnson Housing Action Chair Barbara B. Montero Carlos Morales George Ray III Charles F. Sims Carl Nicoleau Cheryl Mizell Cornell Crews, Jr Latonda James Sheldon Edwards John E. Dixon, Jr. Executive Director @MDEATInfo For information about MDEAT contact: T.305.375.5661 [email protected] | www.miamidade.gov/EconomicAdvocacyTrust SFLTIMES.COM | SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES | OCTOBER 9 — 15, 2014 | 3B Obituaries Ousted Haitian dictator, Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier dies PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Jean-Claude-Duvalier, the self-proclaimed “president for life” of Haiti whose corrupt and brutal regime sparked a popular uprising that sent him into a 25-year exile, died Saturday of a heart attack, his attorney said. The 63-year-old ex-leader died at a private residence in Port-au-Prince where he had been staying, attorney Reynold Georges said. Duvalier, looking somewhat frail, made a surprise return to Haiti in 2011, allowing victims of his regime to pursue legal claims against him and prompting some old allies to rally around him. In the end, the once-feared dictator known as “Baby Doc” spent his final years quietly in the leafy hills above the Haitian capital. Haitian President Michel Martelly expressed his condolences to the ex-dictator's family, making no mention of the widespread human rights abuses that occurred during the Duvalier era. “On behalf of the entire government and people of Haiti, I take this sad occasion to extend my sincere sympathies to his family, his relatives and his supporters across the country,” Martelly said. Duvalier was the son of Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier, a medical doctor-turned-dictator who promoted Noirisme, a movement that sought to highlight Haiti's African roots over its European ones while uniting the black majority against a mulatto elite in a country divided by class and color. The regimes of both leaders tortured and killed political opponents and relied on a dreaded civilian militia known as the Tonton Macoutes. In 1971, Francois Duvalier suddenly died of an illness after naming his son to succeed him. At 19, Jean-Claude Duvalier became the world's youngest president. The son was regarded as a lackluster student at a prestigious private Catholic school in the capital but his teachers gave him passing grades anyway to avoid fury from the National Palace, according to Written in Blood, a history of the country by Robert Debs Heinl and Nancy Gordon Heinl. Jean-Claude Duvalier ruled for 15 years, his administration seen as less violent and repressive than his father's. Echoes of press freedom and personal criticism, never tolerated under his father, emerged because of international pressure. Still, human rights groups documented abuses and political persecution. A trio of prisons known as the “Triangle of Death,” which included the much-feared Fort Dimanche for long-term inmates, symbolized the brutality of his regime. Since his return, victims of the regime have testified in a criminal investigation of human rights abuses during his 15-year reign but the case has moved fitfully and there had been few signs of progress in recent months. His death brings an end to that effort without giving Haiti a chance to reconcile with that past, said Amy Wilentz, author of The Rainy Season: Haiti Since Duvalier, and other works about the country. ``What this means is that there will never be a trial against him and there won't be a chance for the Haitian people to have justice and to purge from its soul the true horrors of the Duvalier era,'' Wilentz said. ``It's an end but there is no closure that comes with it.'' PROOF ADVERTISING ADVERTISING PROOF ADVERTISING PROOF ADVERTISING ADVERTISING PROOF PROO ADVERTISING PROOF 1 col x 6.92" 1 col x 3.78" JAY'S FUNERAL HOME EDDIE ANDERSON, 91, Laborer, died October 4. Funeral will be held 1 pm Saturday at First St. John Missionary Baptist Church. THEARTHUR HENRY, 77, Construction Worker, died October 3. Funeral will be held 11 am Saturday at Bibleway Baptist Church. 1 col x 4.23" 1 col x 2.86" JAMES C. BOYD FUNERAL HOME MIZELL & KURTZ FUNERAL HOME WRIGHT & YOUNG FUNERAL HOME WILLIE GEORGE ARRINGTON SR., 67, of Fort Lauderdale, FL., died September 21. Funeral was held 1 pm Saturday at James C. Boyd Funeral Home. CILIA DEMENCE, 55, of Fort Lauderdale, died September 26. Funeral will be held 11 am Saturday at Community Church of God. IRIS ALLEN, 63, died October 5. Arrangements are incomplete. DR. LINDSLEY TAYLOR DeVEAU, 64, of Deerfield Beach, died September 25. Memorial service was held 6 pm Tuesday, September 30, at James C. Boyd Funeral Home. DEACONESS DOTHA MAE McCRARY, 95, of Fort Lauderdale, FL., died September 29. Funeral arrangements were held 10 am Saturday at New Hope Baptist Church. WILLIE LAWRENCE FLORIDA SR., 48, of Fort Lauderdale, died October 3. Funeral will be held 11 am Saturday at Roy Mizell & Kurtz Worship Center. CLEMONTEESE FOULKES, 91, of Fort Lauderdale, died October 6. Arrangements are incomplete. CLEVELAND GRAY, 62, of Fort Lauderdale, died October 5. Memorial Service 11 am Saturday at Roy Mizell and Kurtz Worship Center. ALMA LEWIS, 99, died September 29. Funeral will be held 11 am Saturday at Peaceful Zion Missionary Baptist Church. RICHARD TODD REED, 49, of Arvada, Colorado, died September 25. 1 col x 3.66" 1 col x 1.54" HADLEY DAVIS FUNERAL HOME MLK HADLEY DAVIS FUNERAL HOME Miami Gardens TONJA RENAE CARTER, 42, Teacher, died October 4, at North Shore Hospital. Funeral will be held 10 am Saturday at New Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church. KYRON RICHMOND, 49, Electrisfltimes.com cian, died September 26. Funeral will be held 6 pm Friday in the chapel. “Elevating the Dialogue” CHAUN MILLER STEVENS, Bus MELBA POMPEY, 75, died October 5. Funeral 11 am Saturday at Calvary Holiness Church. Place your In Memoriam Notice Here Call 954-356-9360 Driver, died September 30, at Select Specialty Hospital. Funeral 10 am Saturday at Calvary Missionary Baptist Church. ADVERTISING PROOF BRENDA RUSSELL, 47, Security Guard, died October 4. Funeral will be held 3 pm Saturday at Peaceful Zion Missionary Baptist Church. ADVERTISING PROOF ADVERTISING PROOF ORA LEE JONES, 87, Homemaker, died September 30. Funeral will be held 1 pm Saturday at Second Baptist Church. 1 col x 2.41" BLANCHE L. ROSE , 101, of Fort Lauderdale, died September 29. Funeral will be held 1 pm Saturday at The New Mount Olive Baptist Church. Gregg L. Mason FUNERAL HOME 1 col x 3.38" CAREY ROYAL RAM’N FUNERAL HOME RUBY PEOPLES, 64, Cashier, died September 29. Funeral will be held 11 am Saturday at House of God. PATRICIA FIELDS, 55, died September 18, at North Shore Medical Center. Funeral will be 12 noon, Saturday, in the chapel. EMMA MANN, 54, died on October 6. Arrangements are incomplete. ELDRIDGE HARRIS, 84, died October 5, at South Miami Hospital. Funeral will be held in Astoria Queens, New York. JAMES SMITH, 49, Laborer, died October 1. Funeral will be held 11 am Saturday at Jay’s Chapel. JEWEL HENDERSON HARRIS, 76, died September 29, at Jackson Health Systems. RANGE FUNERAL HOME VERNA LEE HAWKINS, 84, Janitorial, for Miami Dade County Public Schools, died October 4. Funeral 11 am Thursday at Range Chapel. Celebrating19 JOHN MARSHALL, 80, Manager, for Package Store, died September 30. Arrangements are Incomplete. YEARS OF SERVICE 10936 Northeast 6th Avenue JOHN SEYMOUR, 91, MainteMiami Shores, Florida 33161 O : 954. 3 5•6 .9 • F: 9 • 3020 NE 32n Ave., Suite 200 ••For Lauderdale, Fom L 333 08 w. S i356. mes O: October 954.356.9360 • tF32n : 95dLT 4.356. 9395 • 3020 N EtF: 32n Ave. , .9395 Scom u i te33308 200 ••Fo LaSuFLT d erd a le, PEACE RUTLEDGE, OcO5:6.,67, 9. 9Su 534died .3556.9360 • tFWorker, : 95d4.356. 9395 • 3020 NE Ave., Suite 20 0 ••Fow La uFLT dd4. erd a le, FL w i mes 4 .35 6 .93 6 0 • F : 95 4. 356. 9395 3 0326 00 NE 3 29n5d4 .3 Ave ite 200 •nance For Lauderdale, F L 33308 www.SF imes .c died 1st. O: 954.356.9360 •rw 95 • 3020 Nrw Et w. 32n Ave. , .Scom uFL i te33308 200 ••Fowrwt w tober 5, at home. Arrangements Arrangements are Incomplete. 305.757.9000 Offi ce are incomplete. ALBERTHA WRIGHT, 78, Social 305.757.3505 - FAX 3 9 5 • 3 0 2 0 NE 32n d Ave . , S ui te 2 0 0 • Fo r t L au de rdale , FL 33308 • www.SF LT imes .c om Worker, for Miami Dade County, LASHANTE TROUTMAN, 42, died GLMASON.COM died October 1. Funeral Saturday September 26, at Home. Funeral at St. Matthews Missionary [email protected] 11 am Saturday at Jordan Grove tist Church. Missionary Baptist Church. Place your Obituaries Here Call 954-356-9360 sfltimes.com sfltimes.com “Elevating the Dialogue” ADVERTISING PROOF Classifieds 3 cols x 5.25” ADVERTISING PROOF “Elevating the Dialogue” LEGAL NOTICES REQUEST FOR BIDS O: 954.356.9360 • F: 954.356.9395 • 3020 NE 32nd Ave., Suite 200 • Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308 • www.SFLTime DeAngelis Diamond Healthcare Group, LLC is currently seeking bids from qualified Port St. Lucie, FL and surrounding area Subcontractors and Suppliers for the Darwin Square Free-Standing Emergency Department Project. The project will consist of an 11,120 SF free standing emergency department on 1.5 acres and will involve site work, new site utilities, and ground up construction of a single story facility in imes mid-December 2014 and finalizing no later than June 1, 2015. 4 .35 6 .93 6 0 • F : 95 4. 356. 9395 • 3 0 2 0 NE 3 2 n d Ave ., Su ite 200 • For t Lauderdale, F L 33308 •beginning www.SF LT .c om Bid packages associated with the project include the following: Concrete • Masonry • Structural Steel (Erect) • Structural Steel (Unistrut Supports) • Millwork • Caulking/Waterproofing • Roofing • Firestopping • Metal Wall Panels • Doors/Frames/Hardware (Supply & Install) • Overhead Coiling Doors • Glass & Glazing • Aluminum Entrances & Storefronts • Drywall • EIFS • Acoustical Ceilings • Soft Flooring • Painting • Specialties (Supply & Install) • Identification Devices • Fire Protection • HVAC/ Plumbing/Electrical • Low Voltage Cabling O : 954. 3 5 6 .9 3 6 0 • F: 9 5 4 .3 5 6 . 9 3 9 5 • 3020 NE 32n d Ave., Suite 200 • For t Lauderdale, F L 33308 • w w w. S FLT i mes . com sfltimes.com Bid Date: the October 22, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. EST. For access to bid documents, please con“Elevating Dialogue” tact Brian Swanson immediately at (239) 260-8627 or by email at [email protected] ADVERTISING PROOF DeAngelis Diamond Healthcare Group is committed to building relationships for the future through honor, integrity and trust that achieve our clients’ goals while having a positive influence on our employees, subcontractors, community and industry. DeAngelis Diamond Healthcare Group and HCA/John Young Parkway Medical Clinic are strongly committed to the development and implementation of initiatives which promote the inclusion of local, small, minority and women-owned businesses. PUBLICATION OF BID SOLICITATIONS 3 col x 5.25” Breaking News!Visitusonlineat SFLTimes.com 3 col x 6.5” Broward County Board of County Commissioners is soliciting bids for a variety of goods and services, construction and architectural/engineering services. Interested bidders are requested to view and download the notifications of bid documents via the Broward County Purchasing website at: www.broward.org/purchasing. PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED HERE CALL • 954-356-9360 O: 954.356.9360 • F: 954.356.9395 • 3020 NE 32nd Ave., Suite 200 • Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308 • www.SFLTim 4B | OCTOBER 9 — 15, 2014 | SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES | SFLTIMES.COM Prayerful Living Religion and Politics do Mix THE REV. DR. WALTER T. RICHARDSON Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it's God's order. So live responsibly as a citizen. If you're irresponsible to the state, then you're irresponsible with God, and God will hold you responsible. – Romans 13:1, 2 (The Message Bible) Evidence reveals that voter turnout in 2010 was up in Florida over 2008, except for youth and Blacks. Youth and Blacks returned to the polls in 2012 and voted in record numbers, but many predict that with this November 2014 election being non-presidential, the response from youth and Blacks may wane again. Even more alarming is the news that of all eligible voters only 25 percent of Christians vote. Some of the 75 percent may be apathetic but many subscribe to the notion that religion (a system of faith) and politics don’t mix. Therefore, they contend that Christians shouldn’t be involved in politics. Religion deals primarily with eternal things “not of this world,” or at least things hidden “in, with, and under” the things of this world. Politics deals with temporal matters: roads, taxes, welfare, marriage, safety, protection, and so on. So on the surface religion and politics don’t seem to have anything to do with each other, and therefore don’t mix. Well, if religion and politics don’t mix, was David wrong when he killed Goliath? Remember, Goliath was the champion of the Philistine government and the confrontation between David and Goliath was, in fact, a political challenge. Or, was Daniel wrong when he disobeyed the law that ordered him to bow down and worship a pagan king? That king was head of the government of Babylon at the time and Daniel disobeyed a legitimate law. In the Christian Scriptures do you think John the Baptist was wrong to speak against Herod and Herodias? Herod was the governor of Galilee at the time. Religion and politics mix necessarily. So it is the duty and burden of the Christian, the Jew, and any person of faith to vote for those who represent their values. When they fail to do so in a country like ours, the results are predictable. Religious values are then not represented Nun credited with curing boy poised for Sainthood NEWARK, New Jersey (AP) — An American nun credited with curing a boy's eye disease moved a step closer to sainthood Saturday in what church officials said was the first beatification Mass held in the United States. A beatification Mass for Sister Miriam Teresa Demjanovich, who died in 1927, was led by Cardinal Angelo Amato at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, New Jersey. Beatification is the third in a four-step process toward sainthood. Demjanovich is credited with curing a boy's macular degeneration in the 1960s, the Archdiocese of Newark says. The boy, Michael Mencer, was given a lock of the nun's hair and prayed to her. The effects of the eye disease soon began to fade, Roman Catholic Church officials say. “Within a period of six weeks, it was totally reversed,” said Sister Mary Canavan of the Sisters of Charity, the order to which Demjanovich belonged. Mencer, who is now 58 and lives in Nebraska, and members of the Demjanovich family were among the hundreds of clergy members, nuns and worshippers who attended the beatification Mass. Mencer said he was happy that the New Jersey nun was getting the recognition she deserves. “I was dug in thinking, this was going to take 100 years”' he said. Mencer also reflected on the moment when he first realized his eyesight was improving. “I was walking and I looked up, and I thought I was looking at the sun because in government. If people of faith value life, liberty, and the right to work for the things they desire, they have to vote. Former U.S. Sen. Edmund Burke said, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Thank God, for Moses, and Samson, Shadrach, Meshach Abednego, and Elijah, and Queen Esther, and the Apostle Peter, and Martin L. King, and many others who knew politics and religion mixed. Now, there are some who would like to sweep the public square clean of all religion and create a kind of “naked, public square” where no religious ideas are expressed. Of course, this would favor the views of atheists, agnostics, and skeptics who believe that religion has no place in a rational society. As children of God, we think that what we believe shapes our view of the world and of society and therefore our beliefs and behavior can’t be left out of our public life. We would rather have an open public square where everyone is free to speak their minds even if there is disagreement, than have a “naked public square” stripped bare of all considerations of religion. We believe this makes for a much better political discussion and a better representation of all the various people who live in our country. at first it was just the light,” he said. “Then I was able to focus on the sphere and I thought ‘oh, that's the sun' but it didn't hurt, I didn't tear up or anything and then I looked back down and there it was, the hair.” Mencer said he returned home and handed the hair to his mother. “And then I just went out to play,” he said. “I actually ran, it didn't dawn on me then. I just ran to my friend's house.” Mencer's younger brother, Mark, said he was thrilled to attend the Mass. “This is something that's been in the making for decades,” Mark Mencer said. “My mother has been in contact with Rome for a long time. I'm glad to see such great success come from this.” Mark Mencer, who now lives in Las Vegas, said he was about 4 years old when his brother's vision began to improve. “I heard the stories including the one of him walking into a tree because he couldn't see so well,” he said. “It's amazing because he had no medical intervention. It's a true miracle of God.” The beatification comes less than a year after Pope Francis certified Mencer's improved eyesight as a miracle, though Weekly ad in hand. Coupons in pocket. BOGO-vision on. It’s time to save. publix.com/save No, the church should not tell people how to vote. Nor should the state tell people how to pray or worship. Each needs to be busy with its own vocation. The church needs to proclaim the kingdom of Christ, baptize, preach, teach, celebrate, forgive and retain sin. The state needs to protect its citizens and enforce the rule of law. But the individual Christian, who lives in church, state, and home, is always mixing religion and politics. Rev. William Cwirla, pastor of the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Hacienda Heights, Calif., says, “The mix of politics and religion is really a one-way mixture. Our faith shapes our political thinking, but our politics should never influence our faith. Faith relies solely on the Word of God, while politics involves the use of reason. Reason is always a minister to the Word, never its master.” As believers, we are citizens of two worlds, one temporal, the other eternal, and we have the right and the responsibility to participate in both. Dr.Walter T. Richardson is pastor-emeritus of Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church in South Miami-Dade County and chairman of the Miami-Dade Community Relations Board. He may be contacted at [email protected]:WTRMinistries.com church officials started the process in 1945 when the bishop of Paterson began studying Demjanovich's life and virtues, according to the Sisters of Charity. Demjanovich was born in Bayonne, New Jersey, southeast of Newark, and was a Sister of Charity for only two years before succumbing to complications of appendicitis at age 26. During her short time in the order, she was best known for her virtue and her mature writings. At the time, students also noted that whatever was said in confidence to her was not spoken to anyone else, Sister Diane Collesano said. “The sisters saw in her that a person who had insights far beyond the average 20-some-year-old person,” Collesano said. Beatification requires evidence of one miracle that happened after the candidate has died and as a result of a specific plea to the candidate. Sainthood requires a second miracle, though candidates deemed martyrs need only one for canonization. Traditionally, beatifications have taken place in Rome. Several years ago, Pope Benedict XVI said beatifications could take place in the country and diocese from which the blessed person came. SFLTIMES.COM OCTOBER 9— 15, 2014 Kerry WASHINGTON Launches new fashion line 4C 8C Funtastic Cookies sfltimes.com “Elevating the Dialogue” 7C Events Calendar 2C | OCTOBER 9 — 15, 2014 | SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES | SFLTIMES.COM | SoFlo LIVE technology Pay by phone or just keep using plastic? NEW YORK (AP) — PayPal, Apple and others Having millions of iPhones capable of making are betting on billions in mobile payments. such transactions will give smaller merchants But so far, trying to use my phone to pay at an incentive to upgrade their equipment, too. restaurants and retailers has been frustrating. But ... It’s easier just to pull out my plastic credit card * Figure out how to make every card than to figure out which card works with which work. app and which app works with which store. Most places take Visa and MasterCard, and In theory, mobile-payment many take American Express, too. Not so with services such as Google Wallet are mobile services. Where you easy to use. You simply download can shop depends an app and enter your card on which card you information. With Apple Pay, you have. can even snap a picture of the If you plan to card or use the one you already use Softcard to use with Apple’s iTunes. Then, buy a sandwich at when you’re ready to pay, you Subway, you better typically hold your phone near have an Amex or a the store’s payment terminal. bank card issued by The transaction is authorized Chase or Wells Fargo. through a special wireless Otherwise, you need to chip embedded in many get a prepaid account Android phones and — in the through American case of Apple Pay — the new Express and keep filling iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. PayPal it with cash. Apple Pay will and Square use a different face a similar challenge, PHOTO COURT ESY OF method, but the idea is the though it already has deals GOOGL E.COM/W ALLET same. There’s no need to look for in place with most major the right card in your wallet or purse. banks. In practice, the process isn’t so smooth. I Here PayPal seems to be the winner so far, have several payment apps taking up space as it works with just about any card, as well on my phone. I open them only when I need a as direct withdrawals from your checking or reminder of why they are so frustrating. After savings account. I was excited when PayPal’s all, whipping out a credit or debit card isn’t app told me I could use it at an Indian so time-consuming, though it is a pain when restaurant I frequent for lunch. I lose a card or leave it at home. It would be OK. Let’s say it’s a perfect world and every nice not to have to carry them around. card works everywhere. There will still be two So what do PayPal, Apple, Google and challenges ... others need to do to get me to leave my wallet * Typing in a PIN code takes time. at home? Once again, it’s easier just to pull out * Get more stores and restaurants to plastic, especially as many transactions don’t install the equipment to let me pay by phone. even require signatures. The fingerprint ID I once considered spending a week try- sensors in iPhones and Samsung’s Galaxy ing to pay for all my meals with my phone. I’d phones will help. I’m more willing to tap a starve. I could get a burger at McDonald’s or finger on a home button. a reheated hot dog at 7-Eleven. Mom-and-pop * People will need to be comfortable shops typically don’t have the right equip- with digitally storing multiple credit card ment. It’s convenient to have these apps on numbers and flashing them all around town. my phone only if The truth is, these apps are often more I have some- secure than plastic cards. Apple Pay, for where to use instance, doesn’t actually store your credit them. card number, but rather a substitute one that With the works only with that phone. If a merchant’s launch of network gets hacked, as seen with recent Apple Pay this breaches at Target and Home Depot, the month, several hacker would need to have physical possession retail chains of your phone to use that substitute number. plan to start And if you lose your device, no one can take a c c e p t i n g it on a shopping spree because it won’t work such payments without your PIN code or fingerprint ID. You or expand the can easily disable your payments account PHOTO “GOOGLEWALLET COURTESY remotely, too. OF ANDREW (ASYAONE) - FLICKR ability to do so. Windows 10 tries blending new with old SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Microsoft is trying “This is what Windows 8 should have to soften an unpopular redesign of Windows been,” said Carolina Milanesi, a veteran by reviving features from older versions while tech analyst at the research firm Kantar still attempting to nudge desktop users into a Worldpanel. “Here they are doing the right world of touch screens and mobile devices. thing.” The company on Sept. 30 gave an Microsoft executives signaled they got that early preview of the new message. They stressed Windows 10 software, repeatedly that using the which it aims to begin next version of Windows selling by the middle of won't be a challenge for next year. Although the businesses or consumers current version is called who have continued to Windows 8, Microsoft use Windows 7 or even says it's skipping ahead to earlier versions. Windows 10 to emphasize The new software its effort to move forward. seeks to offer “the PHOTO COURTESY OF COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG “Windows 10 familiarity of Windows represents the first step in a whole new 7 with some of the benefits that exist in generation of Windows,” said Terry Myerson, Windows 8,” said Joe Belfiore, a Microsoft executive vice president of Microsoft's executive who oversees Windows design and operating systems group. evolution. Windows 8 was introduced two years He compared it to buying a new car with ago as an answer to the growing demand a more powerful engine and a better audio for mobile devices. But many users hated it system, without having to “learn a new way because its tablet-like design and controls to drive.” weren't a good fit for many devices using Windows 10, for instance, will suggest keyboards and mice. Sales of personal new ways to use or navigate through files, computers continued to fall. without forcing users to abandon the old way, With Windows 10, Microsoft is trying to Belfiore said. regain the loyalty of longtime PC users, while “We're designing the experience so that reaching out to consumers and businesses as you use it, the things you already know that are increasingly adopting touch-screen are familiar and present, but new value is smartphones and tablets. presented to you at a rate that's easier for you Analysts consider the success of the to ingest,” he said. new Windows crucial for Microsoft and Milanesi said that while many businesses new CEO Satya Nadella, who must show resisted upgrading to Windows 8, they can't that Microsoft can embrace mobile devices avoid touch screens as younger workers are without sacrificing the traditional computing accustomed to using phones or tablets as experience. their primary computing device. The new system will be a blend of the old Windows 10 will also be designed to work and the new. For instance, it will have various on a wider range of computing devices. controls that are familiar to users of older Microsoft currently has three main systems Windows systems, such as a start menu to — Windows 8 for traditional computers and quickly access apps. But this start button tablets, Windows Phone 8 for cellphones and will also open a series of tiles that resemble Xbox for its gaming console. By unifying the what's found in Windows 8. underlying systems in Windows 10, software Analysts said that more gradual transition developers will be able to create apps for the is important if Microsoft wants to persuade various devices more easily. Consumers will users to upgrade. also be able to switch devices more easily and avoid having to buy the same apps multiple times. That doesn't mean the apps will always look the same. Developers will still be able to adapt apps for the various screen sizes, but won't have to start from the beginning for each version. User interfaces on the various devices may also differ, even as they share underlying technologies. For now, Microsoft plans to keep FLICKR N HA MO HESH the current Xbox interface on the ESHONES) MA AH (M OF SY TE PHOTO COUR game console. SoFlo LIVE | SFLTIMES.COM | SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES | OCTOBER 9 — 15, 2014 | 3C film ‘Gone Girl’ delicious suburban noir BY JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer herself wed to a videogame-playing frat boy who, after a loveless afternoon tryst, suggests the Outback for dinner. She seethes: “I drank canned beer and watched Adam Sandler movies,” and an ocean of empathy washes from Nick to her. This is the mischievous game of the movie, which hopes to sway your sympathies with each twist in the story. Their bland suburban house becomes a prison to Nick. The manipulation of image, both in public opinion and in private relationships, shapes the story, with Tyler Perry (in a spectacular performance that ought to, by its own strength, incinerate his Madea costume) swooping in as the narrativecontrolling defense attorney Tanner Bolt. When Nick pledges the truth will be his defense, Bolt grins with cynical perfection. SOUNDTRACK ON BACK LOT MUSIC © 2014 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS STARTS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10 CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES THU 10/9 3 col (5.06”) x 10” ALL.DRA.1009.SFTemail UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND LEGENDARY PICTURES PRESENT A MICHAEL DE LUCA PRODUCTION “DRACULA UNTOLD” LUKE EVANS DOMINIC COOPER SARAH GADON AND CHARLES DANCE EXECUTIVE MUSIC BY RAMIN DJAWADI PRODUCERS ALISSA PHILLIPS JOE CARACCIOLO, JR. THOMAS TULL JON JASHNI SCREENPLAY PRODUCED BY MATT SAZAMA & BURK SHARPLESS BY MICHAEL DE LUCA p.g.a. DIRECTED A UNIVERSAL PICTURE BY GARY SHORE SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES LT The predominant image throughout David Fincher's films, from the uncovered horrors of Se7en to the Machiavellian maneuverings of House of Cards, has been a flashlight beam cutting through the dark. In his latest, the Gillian Flynn adaptation Gone Girl, he shines it into the deepest depths of not a serial killer's mind or a schizophrenic's madness, but on a far more terrifying psychological minefield: Marriage. In Gone Girl, Fincher has crafted a portrait of a couple rivaled in toxicity only by Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and one with just as much — if more subtle — roleplaying. The results are a mixed bag of matrimony mayhem, but an engrossing, wonderfully wicked one. Despite its perspective-shifting, Gone Girl may be too male in its viewpoint. And the schematic setup of Flynn's screenplay does sap some of its force. But in good times and bad, in sickness and in health, Gone Girl is delicious suburban noir. It begins with Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) caressing the head of his wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike), and wondering to himself, “What are you thinking?” It's the film's unsolvable mystery: the unknowingness of another, even one who shares your bed. On a regular morning in North Carthage, Missouri, albeit one begun with an early drink of whiskey at Nick's bar with his bartender PHOTO COURTESY OF HITFIX.COM twin sister, Margo (an excellent Carrie Coon as the movie's voice of THRILLER: Expectations are high for Gone Girl. reason), Nick returns home to find Amy missing Pike, in the fullest performance of her and scenes of a struggle. Even as she cheerfully career, struggles to make Amy more than an pledges help, Detective Rhonda Boney (Kim opaque femme fatale. But — and it's a big Dickens) sticks post-it notes around the house, one — she does lead the film to its staggering marking areas of suspicion. climax, a blood-curdling sex scene: the movie's As the investigation turns toward Nick, and piece de resistance, the consummation of its the high-wattage glare of the TV media finds noir nuptials. his concern unconvincing, we get an autopsy Fincher's sinister slickness and dimly-lit on the Dunnes' marriage. In flashbacks precision has sometimes been considered a narrated by Amy's journal, she recalls their double-edged sword, a complaint that strikes me fairy tale beginnings and — despite earnest as missing the point. Mastery isn't a negative. intentions to avoid becoming “that couple”— Gone Girl doesn't give the director the their gradual dissolution. material that the propulsive The Social Network Nick is laid off from his magazine writing did. But you can feel him — aided by the job. They move from New York to Missouri shadowy cinematography of Jeff Cronenweth to be near his family. Amy, the cool New and the creepy score by Trent Reznor and York daughter of a publicity-savvy literary Atticus Ross — moving closer to the disturbed couple who based their bestselling children's intimacies of Roman Polanski. book series Amazing Amy on her, recoils at So, despite its imperfections, let us clink her Midwest McMansion nightmare, finding our glasses and throw rice on Gone Girl. helps launch Washington ‘Scandal’ collection Kerry 4C | OCTOBER 9 — 15, 2014 | SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES | SFLTIMES.COM | SoFlo LIVE pop culture Andre 3000 as Hendrix PHOTO COURTESY OF AFROPOP.COM ANDRE 3000: ‘Hey Ya’! Uh, no! LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sometimes Andre 3000 wonders: “Will I be the Hey Ya! guy forever?” The Grammy-winning rapper says he hasn’t figured out what to do next in music. His last album with his best-selling group Outkast was released in 2006. Their hits include Ms. Jackson and Hey Ya! Andre 3000 said in a recent interview that he feels “selfdoubt” and wonders at times if he already had his last shot at musical success. He says pondering the next career move is “really scary and really exciting at the same time.” The performer is the star of the Jimi Hendrix biopic, Jimi: All Is by My Side, released last month. The 39-year-old says his next move in music will be solo instead of working with Big Boi as Outkast. In an interview with Vogue, the rapper talked about how the film triggered memories of his start with Outkast. “Just relating to starting off and trying to make it in an industry, to try to build yourself to be an entertainer. Early Outkast shows weren’t as free-looking as now—when you first start, you’re not as free. You’re kind of selfconscious. I didn’t move a lot onstage at first. You’re doing your little lyrics and then getting off stage,” he said. “But as time goes on, you build confidence, build a certain freedom, build as a performer. You see in this movie, Hendrix starts off and didn’t even like his voice. And I can relate to that. The first time I heard my voice on the radio, it just sounded weird. I can relate to the trajectory of starting from nothing and getting to a place—Hendrix has probably done the best rock PHOTO COURTESY OF YBEJEMAWO.SOURCEperformance in history with FORGE.NET Monterey.” Andre 3000 PHOTO COURTESY OF COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG CHIEF GLADIATOR: Kerry Washington NEW YORK (AP) — Kerry Washington wants women to look as powerful and put together as her TV persona. Fashion retailer The Limited has teamed up with the Scandal star and the show’s costume designer, Lyn Paolo, for a collection inspired by the ABC drama, which is now in its fourth season. Washington appeared at a recent launch party for the line, where she said it was important for clothing to be accessible. “There are women who can literally afford to dress like Olivia Pope, and I don’t know how, because those clothes are very, very, very expensive,” she said with a laugh. “There are other people who can’t, and there is no reason why only the people who make a certain amount of money should have access to this feminine power in fashion, you know? This line is created so that everybody can find their own inner gladiator. That every woman can be powerful and sexy, brilliant and smart and gorgeous, fashionforward. You know, it’s just there’s no limit to who you can be.” There are 42 looks in the Scandal Collection, including tops, jackets, outerwear and, of course, pants, because, as Washington says: “Olivia Pope wears the pants both literally and figuratively.” In a release to announce the collection, Washington explains, “By creating a line inspired by the show, we are introducing a collection that embodies the elegance and power of the Scandal aesthetic for reallife gladiators and everyday fashionistas.” Last year, Paolo, with Washington’s input, created window displays for Saks Fifth Avenue by dressing its mannequins like Scandal characters. The displays featured clothing by high-end designers such as Giorgio Armani, Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Donna Karan and Carolina Herrera. The 37-year-old actress wasn’t as keen to talk about a New York Times article by TV critic Alessandra Stanley, where the writer referred to Scandal producer Shonda Rhimes as an “angry black woman.” The newspaper’s public editor called the article “astonishingly tone-deaf and out of touch.” “I really think it’s important to focus on all the good things that are going on,” she said. “It’s SoFlo LIVE | SFLTIMES.COM | SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES | OCTOBER 9 — 15, 2014 | 5C such an honor to be a part of an historic Thursdaynight lineup and to be in one of her three shows, to be part of her magical (production company), Shondaland.” Rhimes is also the producer of How to Get Away With Murder and Grey’s Anatomy. PHOTO COURTESY OF ABC Scene from Scandal ‘Orange is the New Black’ author talks Season 3 LOWELL, Mass. (AP) — The woman whose best-selling prison memoir has been adapted into the Orange is the New Black Netflix series is sharing her insight into the upcoming Season 3, saying it “holds some really amazing stories and twists and turns.” Piper Kerman said the upcoming season will feature backstories for some of the characters and the emergence of very intriguing new characters. The show, created by Jenji Kohan, is about a woman serving time in a federal prison for carrying a suitcase stuffed with drug money to her exgirlfriend. Kerman said shooting for its third season is more than halfway through but she can’t offer spoilers or a release date. Kerman is a consultant on the show, reading scripts and offering her advice on how to make it realistic. But she has no inside scoop on when Season 3 will be available and laughed Sept. 30 when asked if V, one of the show’s main antagonists last season, is still alive. “One of the things that Jenji Kohan has said about Season 3 already on record is that an exploration of faith New season will explore back stories of some characters. is a big part of what she is planning and what they have scripted so far,” Kerman said before addressing more than 400 students, faculty members and fans at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell. Kerman also commented on a book deal signed by her former lover and friend Cleary Wolters, whose involvement in drug trafficking led to her Kerman spent 13 months in a federal minimum-security imprisonment. prison in Danbury, Connecticut, just over a decade ago for “I expect that my ex-lover’s her role in a money laundering and drug trafficking ring. book will be a fascinating read,” “The truth is that I caused my family and the people Kerman said. “She’s had a very that love me most a great deal of pain and worry,” she said. different life, and her story is “And the other fundamental truth is my actions caused very different from mine. For other harm in terms of other people’s substance abuse and one thing, she was much more addiction.” involved in narcotics trafficking, and for the other thing she served a lot more time in prison than I did.” Although Kerman has done very well for herself thanks to her memoir and its adaptation into a hit Netflix series, she said she would change her story in a heartbeat if she PHOTO COURTESY OF TVPROMOS.EU could go back to when it all began, in 1993, when she was 22 years old. “I absolutely regret my crime,” said Kerman, an advocate for reforms of the criminal justice system. “I think that while I’m so grateful to have found readers and I’m thrilled with PHOTO COURTESY OF EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG the Netflix show, the truth of the matter is that prison is a deeply traumatic experience.” The cast of Orange is the New Black. AP/PAUL BRUINOOGE/PATRICK MCMULLAN/SIPA USA THE LIMITED Collection inspired by SCANDAL was displayed by Kerry Washington (above) at the IAC Building, NYC, on September 22 ,2014. PHOTO COURTESY OF DENTSCHOOLHOUSE/FACEBOOK.COM PHOTO COURTESY OF SEAWORLDPARKS.COM Halloween attractions up the scare factor PHOTO COURTESY OF TBO.COM travel 6C | OCTOBER 9 — 15, 2014 | SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES | SFLTIMES.COM | SoFlo LIVE INTENSITY: Left, Dent SchoolHouse, Upper right, Halloween Horror Night, Lower Right, Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream. NEW YORK (AP)—Halloween seems to be getting scarier, with attractions going ever-more interactive and in-your-face. At Knott’s Scary Farm in Buena Park, California, guests are outfitted with neon-green laser guns and ordered to shoot actors portraying zombies by aiming at their heads. At the Dent Schoolhouse in Cincinnati, a butcher appears to demonstrate how to slaughter a pig. And at The Basement, part of the ScareHouse near Pittsburgh, hoods are placed over visitors’ faces. “We put a hood over the customer and it’s remarkable how much a difference that makes,” said Scott Simmons, ScareHouse creative director. “You’re taking away sight, a core thing, and it’s such a nerve-racking experience. You see these terrible, horrifying demons and clowns, and they put a hood on you, and you don’t know what’s going to happen next. You feel terrible things touching you and whispering in your ear. But as extreme as it is, it’s still fun. People come out shaking, but they’re smiling.” Visitors to The Basement sign a waiver and must be 18, and are given a “safe word” that they can say to stop activities if it’s too much. But why have Halloween attractions become so intense? “After 20 years of haunted houses with people stepping out and saying ‘boo,’ these days if you’re really trying to scare people you’ve got to be edgy and out of their comfort zone,” said Simmons. “What scared people in the `70s and the `80s isn’t what’s going to scare them now.” “There’s no doubt Halloween attractions are getting scarier and more extreme,” said Larry Kirchner of HauntWorld.com, a website devoted to haunted attractions. With high-tech special effects, including video, animation and Hollywood-quality sets, “they are more sophisticated. They have gone to another level.” When done well, Kirchner says, a great haunted house is “100 times better than a Broadway show because it’s interactive entertainment that puts you right in the middle of the action and makes you the star.” But Kirchner thinks some attractions cross a line into poor taste — he’s not a fan of story lines based on real serial killers for example, or activities where participants are humiliated in some way. Here are a few Halloween events and attractions taking place around the country this season — most of them offering experiences way less intense than being hooded. Expect long lines and check schedules. Some events are weekends only, some run through early November, some sell out. UNIVERSAL HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS The horror film The Purge: Anarchy, which is the sequel to a movie about an annual night of unfettered crime and violence, is just one of the inspirations for Halloween Horror Nights at Universal theme parks in Orlando and in Los Angeles. The events feature hundreds of elaborately costumed actors and Hollywood-quality sets, special effects and mazes inspired by pop culture influences ranging from El Rey Network’s From Dusk Till Dawn, to AMC’s The Walking Dead. ATTRACTIONS BY REGION New York City’s annual Village Halloween Parade kicks off Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. with thousands of participants in costume and hundreds of enormous puppets. Pennsylvania offers Terror Behind the Walls at Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia and Shocktoberfest in Reading. In the Northeast, there’s Nightmare New England in Litchfield, New Hampshire, while Salem, Massachusetts, hosts parades, ghost tours, performances and more in the town where real witch trials took place in the 1600s. In the Midwest, check out Wisconsin FearGrounds in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and Fear Fest, Flint, Michigan. In Florida, Tampa’s Busch Gardens offers Howl-O-Scream. New Orleans, has The House of Shock; Houston has the Terror Dome. FAMILY-FRIENDLY By night, attractions at Six Flags Over Georgia in Austell, Georgia, include ZX-1, a haunted zone where a “deadly infection” is “wiping out mankind.” But by day the park offers family activities like a corn maze, harvest festival, pumpkin painting and spooky stories, with children 12 and under invited to dress up for a costume contest. Elsewhere for kids, SeaWorld San Diego has a Halloweenthemed sea lion and otter show called “Clyde & Seamore’s Spooky Adventure.” And of course, Disney World’s Magic Kingdom offers Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and trick-or-treating. SoFlo LIVE | SFLTIMES.COM | SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES | OCTOBER 9 — 15, 2014 | 7C events calendar Oct. 11 COMPILED By MARISSA CLARKE Special to South Florida Times PHOTO COURTESY OF WARNERTHEATRE.ORG Oct. 9 - Oct. 15 Please email your event to news@sfltimes.com by the preceding Thursday at 10 a.m. Oct. 9 The Charlie Daniels Band: This award winning band that has produced both gospel and country music albums performs their greatest hits. 8 p.m. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach. $15-$95. 561-8327469 or www.kravis.org. October 11 Ivan Moshchuk: The award winning young American pianist, performs the music of Chopin. Chopin for All is a concert series presented by Friends of the Library. 3 to 5 p.m. at Broward Main Library Audiotorium, 100 S. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Free. 954-357-7443. Oct. 11 PHOTO COURTESY OF CARTA.FIU.EDU Amen and Alleluia: The FIU Master Chorale, Women’s Choir and Concert Choir perform a selection of choral works by Mozart. All three choirs will perform James Whitbourn’s All Shall be Amen and Alleluia as the finale performance. 7:30 p.m. at the FIU Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Performing Arts Center, 10910 SW 17th St., Miami. $10. 305-348-0496 or music.fiu.edu. October 9 Out and About With Bob Carr: Archeologist Bob Carr, executive director of the Archeological and Historical Conservancy, leads a discussion. 7 to 9 p.m. at the Deering Estate, 16701 SW 72nd Ave., Miami. Free. 305-235-1668. Garden to Glass: Learn and practice creating fun recipes, get a few presentation tips and methods for making memorable cocktails. Bertina Barnoczki of Blackbird Ordinary, leads the class on using herbs in drinks. 6 to 8 p.m. at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden, 2000 Convention Center Dr., Miami Beach. $30, $25 Botanical Garden members. 305673-7256 or www.mbgarden.org. PHOTO COURTESY OF REPEATINGISSLANDS.COM October 13 Yoga in the Park: Bring your yoga mat, water, and a towel to relax and unwind with a yoga session by the bay. A certified instructor will lead you through the movements and the atmosphere is perfect to reduce your stress before returning to the weekday grind. 6 p.m. at Bayfront Park Amphitheater, 301 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. Free. 305-358-7550. October 14 PHOTO COURTESY OF MAMATOGA.COM WaveMaker Grants Information Session: Learn about the WaveMaker Grants, a program that provides funding for experimental, artist-centric projects and activities that operate without traditional funding sources. Individual grants for up to $5,000 are available in three different categories. 2 p.m. at Cannonball, 1035 N. Miami Ave., Ste. 300. 786-347-2360 Improve Your Relationships with Compassionate Communication: Lynn Komlenic, a life and communication coach, will discuss a 4-Step communication process designed to help participants communicate in loving ways. The workshop will offer tips and tools for judgment-free communication. 6 p.m. Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach, 411 Clematis St., West Palm Beach. Free. 561-868-7709. Oct. 15 October 12 October 10 Friday Night Groove Karaoke: Belt out your favorite tunes with the help of Karaoke DJ Todd! Todd is a songwriter, composer, and musician who is sure to make this karaoke night one to remember 6 to 11 p.m. at Schnebly’s Redland Winery, 30205 SW 217th Ave., Homestead. $10. 305-242-1224 or visit schneblywinery.com/events. Sesame Street Live: The show Make a New Friend makes a stop in town. Elmo, Grover, Abby Cadabby explore the meaning of friendship to celebrate the cultural similarities through singing, dancing and sharing food! 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. today, 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday at the Ziff Ballet Opera House at Arscht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. $24-$45. 305-949-6722 or arshtcenter.org. Oct. 10 Miami Beach Hispanic Heritage Festival: Enjoy an evening of live music, traditional Latin foods, games, carnival rides and more in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. 6 to 9 p.m. North Shore Park & Youth Center, 501 72nd St., Miami Beach. Free. 305861-3616. Oct. 12 Miami Broward One Carnival: Get ready to dance, enjoy live music and celebrate Caribbean heritage at the 30th annual event. More than 20 masquerade bands will parade around the fair grounds in exotic and creative costumes. The day also includes a live concert, food and plenty of activities for the entire family. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. MiamiDade County Fairgrounds, 10901 SW 24th St., Miami. $27 in advance, $30 at the gate, free for kids 10 and under; free parking. 305-653-1877 or www.miamibrowardcarnival.com. PHOTO COURTESY OF BABBLE.COM Art Talk Julian Schnabel: The renowned artist Julian Schnabel joins Bonnie Clearwater, director and chief curator of the NSU Museum of Art, for a discussion on the Café Dolly exhibit. Comprised of works by Francis Picabia, known for his contribution to the Dada art movement, Danish artist J. F. Willumsen and Schnabel, the exhibit focuses on the similarities between the three artists works. Schnabel is a New York-based artist who began showing professionally in the 1980s. 2 p.m. at the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale, 1 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. $10. 954-262-0227 and RSVP to moareservations@moafl.org. PHOTO COURTESY OF SJCVENUES.COM Earth Wind & Fire: Groove to the electrifying sounds of this Grammy Award-winning soul, funk, R&B band! 7 p.m. at the Hard Rock Live, 1 Seminole Way, Hollywood. $49-$79. 954-797-5531. food 8C | OCTOBER 9 — 15, 2014 | SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES | SFLTIMES.COM | SoFlo LIVE Fun Halloween Party FAMILY FEATURES — Haunted with the thought of a ho-hum Halloween? Never fear — trick-or-treaters will want more than just candy once they see your party table. Throw a fabulous Halloween party fit for little goblins or grown-up monsters with some devilishly good sweets Masquerade Cookies Servings: 2 dozen cookies 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 egg 1 1/2 teaspoons Imitation Clear Vanilla Extract 1/2 teaspoon Imitation Almond Extract Royal icing Orange, Black, Green, Lemon Yellow, Brown and Violet Icing Colors, as desired Orange, Yellow, Orange, Lavender and Black Colored Sugars, as desired Halloween Jimmies, Nonpareils and Icing Decorations, as desired Candy Melts candy Cookie sticks Preheat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. In second large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. Add flour mixture to butter mixture 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Do not chill dough. Divide dough into 2 balls. On floured surface, roll each ball into a circle approximately 12 inches in diameter by 1/8 inch thick. Dip eye and glasses cookie cutters in flour before each use. Arrange cookies on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8–11 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Cool completely on cooling grid. Decorate as desired using tinted royal icing, colored sugars and Halloween icing decorations. Use melted candy to attach sticks to backs of cookies; chill until set. Pumpkin Spice Popcorn Servings: 6 cups 6 cups popped kettle corn 2 cups mini pretzel twists 1 package (10 ounces) Pumpkin Spice Candy Melts candy 1 bottle (2.5 ounces) Pumpkin Mix Sprinkles Spread popcorn and pretzels on parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. In disposable decorating bag, melt candy in microwave at 50 percent power for 1 minute; remove bag and knead. Continue melting candy for 30-second intervals at 50 percent power until completely melted. Snip off end of bag and drizzle melted candy over popcorn mixture; immediately add sprinkles. Let stand until candy has hardened, about 20 minutes. Break into pieces to serve.