County - The Metro Herald

IN THIS ISSUE . . .
COVER: LIKE SON, LIKE FATHER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1, 12–13
Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Around the Nation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Around the Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Africa Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Capital Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Potpourri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10–11
Health & Wellness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14–15
Community News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Arts & Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17–19
Sports & Recreation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20–21
Classified Ads/Bids & Proposals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22–23
Business News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
VOLUME XVI, NUMBER 13
Imaging the Politics, Culture, and Events of Our Times
Carroll County
Howard County
Baltimore
Annapolis
Montgomery
County
Loudoun
County
Fauquier
County
Fairfax
County
Prince
William
County
Anne
Arundel County
D.C.
Arlington County
Prince George’s
County
Alexandria
Spotsylvania
County
Stafford
County
Fredericksburg
Charles
County
Westmoreland
County
Richmond
March 30, 2007
Like Son, Like Father
Georgetown Coach
John Thompson III, right,
gets a hug from his father, left,
former Hoyas coach
John Thompson Jr.,
after the Hoyas stormed into
the round of 16 (photo by
John Mcdonnell—
The Washington Post)
T
he Hoyas (30–6) upset top-seeded
North Carolina, 96–84 in overtime
in the East Regional Final on Sunday
night to advance to their fifth Final
Four (1943, 1982, 1984, 1985),
allowing John Thompson III and John Thompson,
Jr., to become the first father-son duo to take their
teams to a Final Four.
Georgetown will now take on South Regional
champion, Ohio State (34–3) at 6:07p.m. EST
on Saturday, March 31 at the Georgia Dome in
Atlanta, Georgia.
John Thompson III (born March 12, 1966) is
the current head coach of the men’s basketball
team at Georgetown University. He grew up in
Washington, D.C. and was named first team AllMetro by The Washington Post while playing for
Gonzaga College High School in 1984. Thompson was hired on April 20, 2004 to replace Craig
Esherick. Prior to being hired at Georgetown,
Thompson had been the head coach for four
years at his alma mater, Princeton University.
Thompson is the son of John Thompson, Jr.
(Georgetown’s head coach from 1972 to 1999), and
a 1988 graduate of Princeton. Thompson, whose
nickname is JT3, served as an assistant coach at
Princeton under head coaches Pete Carril and Bill
Carmody from 1995 through 2000. After being
promoted to head coach, he compiled a 68–42
record with the Tigers from 2000 to 2004 and
guided the team to three Ivy League championships, two NCAA tournament appearances, and
one NIT tournament appearance. Three of his players earned Ivy League Player of the Year honors.
In Thompson’s first year at Georgetown
(2004–05), the Hoyas improved from 13-15 to a
record of 19-13 and the team reached the quarterfinals of the NIT. As of 2/25/2007 his teams at
Visit us on the web at www.metroherald.com
Georgetown have compiled a 57-24 record, while
his overall record as a head coach between
Georgetown and Princeton now stands at 125–66.
John Thompson III’s first notable win with
the team took place on January 21, 2006, when
unranked Georgetown upset No. 1 Duke University. This was Georgetown’s first win over a No.
1 ranked team in 21 years. Thompson also
achieved his 100th win as a head coach a few
nights later with an 85-82 win in double overtime at Notre Dame.
Continued on page 12
March 30, 2007
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METRO HERALD
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2
Editorial
I
wonder out loud sometimes
about the role of women. The
male portion of almost any
society finds itself looking at
itself. We are sometimes like
copy paper on Xerox® machines being
imaged by something we are not.
As Women’s History Month
crawls into the cast of its own shadows,
I wonder to what extent its message and
its messengers are being heard.
After all, by definition, Women’s
History Month is to acquaint the
opposite sex on the accomplishments of
women over the centuries. It is the
snowball that starts at the beginning of
each Women’s History Month and
gains speed throughout the month as
more and more women and their
viewpoints are made known to men; by
the end of its monthlong odyssey, the
snowball is now a snowwoman.
Are the dreams of women (a
woman) first an unguarded moment
that attaches itself to another moment?
Is it a man moment for recognition or a
woman moment for reinforcement or
comfort?
What is equal in the minds of
women . . . are all women created equal
as Thomas Jefferson said of men? Is
there such a redundancy in the message
given by women, is the nature of man
remedial?
Where do men and women
become interwoven? It would appear
that women are more comfortable with
the intramurals of life . . . does such
participation call itself wives’ clubs or
girls’ clubs? Is this a habitat for the next
millennium?
Why do men and women yell
when they are standing next to each
other?
How much of women’s history
should be called a shared experience?
After all, there are only two of us . . .
In one way, it is easy to understand
the anger in women, and nothing
crystallizes the struggles of women
better than their own history.
You do not have to be a historical
botanist to understand that you need
light and breathing for light . . . . they
call it photosynthesis. Where in the
process of living do we humans feel the
light touching the breathing?
Is the history of woman to man a
history of relationships? Could either
history, man or woman, breathe . . .
without suffocation . . . without shared
oxygen?
What are the sundials that separate
us from ourselves? How much of
American society, for that matter, the
different societies of the world, go
wanting because of the lack of
intimacy?
History is intractable. It is
amorphous. It is the contract with the
past that all the living of its past are
signatories. History needs the present to
have sense and sensibilities of shared
intellect and not cohabitation.
Women’s History Month is like
Black History Month . . . or Asian or
Hispanic or whatever . . . it is an annual
flower that one not only determines its
definition and beauty but also
discriminates to whatever extent
possible the fragrance of its perfume.
PDD
THE METRO HERALD
March 30, 2007
THE METRO HERALD
3
AROUND THE NATION
March 30, 2007
U.S. CITIES SEE RISE IN BLACK MUSLIMS
Associated Press
A
llahu Akbar, the Muslim call
for prayer, rings out on a recent Friday and a group of
black men and women gather to celebrate the Islamic day of rest.
The wooden house in Pittsburgh’s
rundown Homewood neighborhood
looks like any other on the block. But
the sign at the door, Masjid Mumin,
and the rows of shoes lined up inside
on gray, plastic shelves hint of the
brand of Sunni Islam its members
practice.
The mosque is one of seven in
Pittsburgh, home to a vibrant community of about 8,000 to 10,000 Sunni
Muslims—some 30 percent of them
black.
Following what appears to be a
trend in cities nationwide, religious
leaders in Pittsburgh say there has been
a rise in black conversions to Sunni
Islam since the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
No national surveys have been
taken to confirm the increase, but Islamic religious leaders in Chicago,
Cleveland and Detroit have also reported growth, said Lawrence
Mamiya, a professor of religion and
Africana studies at New York’s Vassar
College. Experts estimate that 30 percent of the 6 to 7 million Muslims in
the U.S. are black, with only South
Asians making up a larger number at
33 percent.
The Sept. 11 attacks have “cut both
ways, positively and negatively,”
Mamiya said.
Richard Turner, coordinator of the
African-American studies program
and an expert on Islam among blacks
at the University of Iowa, said since
Sept. 11, Muslims have been attempting to “disseminate positive information about the religion, so the obvious
outcome of that would be more conversions.”
Sunni Islam is the world’s most
prominent branch of Islam. The Nation
of Islam and the Moorish Science Tem-
ple, other Muslim groups that attract
many blacks, believe in prophets after
Muhammad, making them anathema to
Sunni Islam.
Rashad Byrdsong, an elder in Pittsburgh’s black Muslim community,
hopes the rise in interest in Sunni Islam
will help the Mumin Mosque collect
money to expand their small house of
worship into a larger community gathering place.
The new mosque, still in the planning stages, will look more like a community center than a traditional
minaret-topped Muslim place of worship found in the Arab world.
The expanded Homewood mosque
will have a daycare facility, a re-entry
program for released inmates, a health
clinic and a program for entrepreneurs,
features that are in great need in the
downtrodden neighborhood.
“First, the spiritual aspects, the
dawa, but also basic, physical, fundamental needs,” Byrdsong said.
In the fourth year of its seven-year
expansion plan, Pittsburgh’s tight-knit
Muslim community has raised much of
the $1.5 million (1.12 million) needed in
the project’s first phase through book
sales, telephone fundraisers, auctions
and banquets. It has purchased all but
two lots it will need, and already has the
sketches for the future mosque complex.
“Building the mosque has always
been a goal, idea, vision,” said Yusef
Ali, 63, emir of the Mumin Mosque.
“But as a community grows . . . it’s
(become) a solid goal with strategic
objectives.”
A growing number of Muslims in
America, especially blacks, are building mosques that offer a variety of
community services, partly because
the federal and state governments do
not answer to many of their social
needs, Islamic experts say.
These complexes take the religion
back to its roots before the modern-day
state began providing services to the
population.
POST OFFICE UNVEILS
“FOREVER” STAMP
A
n image of the
Liberty Bell, an
icon of American
freedom and independence, will adorn the Postal
Service’s new forever
stamp.
The design of the
stamp was unveiled Monday at the National Postal
Forum, a gathering of
companies in the mailing
industry.
The forever stamp goes
on sale April 12 at 41
cents. The rate for firstclass postage rises to 41
cents May 14.
The stamp, which will
carry the word “Forever”
instead of a price, will remain valid for sending a letter, no matter how much rates go up in the future.
That will eliminate the annoyance of buying one- and two-cent stamps to
make up the new rate when prices rise, and folks who want to hedge against
inflation could lay in a supply of the stamps for long-term use.
“Who said nothing lasts forever?” Postmaster General John E. Potter said
in a statement.
He said the Liberty Bell was selected because it resonates as one of the nation’s most prominent and recognizable symbols associated with American
independence.
4
“What you have here is the creation
of a true American Islam,” said Edward Curtis, a religious studies professor who specializes in African-American Islam at IUPUI. “Islam has been a
part of this country from its beginning,
and the forms of Islam that are successful here are indigenous forms.”
The Homewood mosque, though
unique, follows a model similar to
other black mosques in the United
States, Mamiya said.
In Harlem, the Malcolm Shabazz
Mosque has built apartment buildings
and townhouses, offers social services
and even owns a sanitation company
used to provide jobs to former prisoners, Mamiya said.
“The African-American mosque
has made itself different in this way
from other mosques around the
world,” Mamiya said. “Religious institutions in the black community have
always been their strongest institutions
and have always done more than religious functions.”
Pittsburgh, like some other cities on
the East Coast and Midwest, has long
been a magnet for black Muslims, beginning in the early 20th century, when
more than 1 million blacks moved
from the South to the North.
Pittsburgh, then a prosperous steel
town, attracted thousands of blacks
seeking work, and became one of several cities where Sunni Islam took
hold. Today, black Muslims here brag
that in 1932 Pittsburgh became home
to the first chartered Muslim mosque
in the United States.
Byrdsong, executive director of the
Community Empowerment Association, was attracted to Islam while serving a 10-year prison sentence for robbery. He said the religion appeals to
many, including those in prison, because of strict rules banning alcohol and
drugs and its success at keeping people
from deteriorating into a life of crime.
Pittsburgh is home not only to
black Muslims, but also a broad community of immigrants who practice the
religion. However, until Sept. 11,
2001, the two communities were
largely isolated.
After the attacks, immigrants - subject to FBI surveillance, police raids
and other scrutiny - began to reach out
to black Muslims in Pittsburgh, whose
persecution they could suddenly relate
to, said Sarah Jameela Martin, 64, an
active member of the city’s black Muslim community.
“It really was a time for us to come
together,” Martin said.
But Sept. 11 also put an end to any
hopes the black Muslim community
had to collect money for their mosque
project from Saudi Arabia and other
Muslim countries overseas, because
new U.S. laws put Islamic charities
under greater scrutiny.
Now, as immigrant and black Muslims in Pittsburgh try to improve the
religion’s image and separate it from
global terrorism, blacks are paving the
way, Martin said.
Black women, for example, have
long worn the traditional head-covering, or hijab, to work, while immigrants have been reluctant to do so, she
said. Today, Muslims in Pittsburgh are
far more visible, she said.
“Because of our social tag . . . we
didn’t mind,” Byrdsong said, pointing
to his dark skin as an explanation to
why being openly Muslim has never
been a problem for blacks in America.
“We can’t hide it.”
WILL THE EARTH END ON DECEMBER 21,
2012 AS THE MAYA PREDICTS?
I
f ancient Maya astronomers were
correct that the world would end
on December 21, 2012, you may
not need to save for retirement after all.
According to author David L. Smedley
Calvert, even some modern day scientists say that December 2012 may be
apocalyptic.
Calvert examines this startling,
never before published end of the
world prediction in his e-book, In the
Land of the Maya, which he was inspired to write after living among the
Maya in the Yucatan jungles for more
than 15 years. “The end of the world,
as outlined in ‘Maya Prophecy’ and the
Sacred Book of Xocén, coincides with
a time when the sun will be exactly in
the middle of the Milky Way, and astral
magnetism may cause a polar shift,”
says Calvert. “How could they have
known that?” He adds that even some
modern scientists predict that the 2012
winter solstice will bring some of the
century’s worst solar storms.
“The Maya are one of the most fascinating civilizations in all of recorded
history,” says Calvert. “While Europe
slumbered in the midst of the Dark
Ages, the Maya became experts in astronomy with incredibly precise observations; they mastered the study of
time and calendar systems and also created ceremonial architecture, structural
design, and mathematics including the
concept of zero, politics and economics. They built a vast empire size trade
network, built roads and sea going canoes, performed masonry without
metal tools, and developed a unique
counting system and the best written
language in all of the Americas. And
they did it all on foot, without the aid of
beasts of burden or even the wheel.”
Today the approximately six million
Maya exist in a culture that does not fit
into the modern world. The Maya descendants live remotely as farmers.
“Maintaining their ‘separation from the
whites’ has assisted the Maya in pre-
serving their culture and their language,” Calvert explains. “It’s unfortunate that this isolation has caused a cultural collision with the modern world
particularly in the area of health care.”
When a Maya seeks urgent medical
care in the larger surrounding cities,
there simply is no safe place for family
members to stay because most of the
Maya have no money and many don’t
even speak Spanish. Family members
wait outside the hospital, sleeping under
cars or wherever they can find a covered place. Children waiting for their
mothers are at a terrible risk. Many are
robbed or worse as they spend day after
day on the streets. “Women have died in
their villages because they didn’t want
their families to suffer by taking them
into town, or they were just afraid to go
themselves” says Calvert.
To address this problem, Calvert has
embarked on a project called Our
Brothers House, which is using revenues from In the Land of the Maya and
a second book, 100 Ruins of the Maya,
to build shelters near the hospitals in the
cities of Merida, Valladolid, Tizimin,
Felipe Carrillo Puerto (Chan Santa Cruz
Bravo), Cancun and Chetumal. These
six shelters will provide basic food and
lodging to the Maya families who are
seeking medical assistance or who have
family members in the hospital. The
shelters also will be open to those using
the local welfare system.
“The bottom floor of each shelter
will have eight rooms with bathrooms,
a day room with a TV, a dining room,
and a large hall that will be able to accommodate up to 80 hammocks. On
the top will be two luxury suites for
tourists that will come with a chauffer,
van, maid and cook.” Calvert says income from the tourist suites will be
used to maintain each shelter, and provide as many as 80 jobs. “Our only
capital expenditure will be the initial
construction. After that, they’ll pay for
themselves. The shelters are a model of
pure ecotourism, meaning all of the
money taken in will go back to the indigenous people living where the
tourism is located.”
Calvert says that the shelters are
very much in keeping with the Maya
culture. “The Maya people are pacifists. They live without stress. They
don’t argue or fight. They are quick to
smile and slow to anger, and they live
in harmony with the earth. Living with
the Maya, studying their incredible
past, hearing their interpretation of
past events, feeling their fears for the
future and watching the changes in
their world has forever changed me.”
To purchase In the Land of the
Maya and 100 Ruins of the Maya, or to
contribute to the My Brothers House
Project, visit www.maya-aid.com.
NEWSPAPER ARCHIVES TO GO ONLINE
T
he Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities
has announced that “Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers” is being released, with more than 226,000 pages of public domain
newspapers from California, Florida, Kentucky, New York, Utah, Virginia and the
District of Columbia published between 1900 and 1910. The text of the newspapers is fully searchable, and search terms can be limited to a particular state, a specific newspaper, and year or years and even months of publication. The new site
is available at www.loc.gov/chroniclingamerica/. “Chronicling America” is produced by the National Digital Newspaper Program, a partnership between the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Library of Congress. This
long-term effort is intended to develop an Internet-based, searchable database of
U.S. newspapers with select digitization of historic pages as well as information
about newspapers from 1690 to the present. Supported by the NEH’s “We the
People” program and Digital Humanities Initiative, this rich digital resource will
continue to be developed and maintained at the Library of Congress.
THE METRO HERALD
AROUND THE REGION
March 30, 2007
VOLUNTEER EDUCATES YOUTH
THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL AND
EQUESTRIAN PROGRAMS
Martina V. Johnson
M
artina V. Johnson, a founding member of the Board of
Directors for Soaring Towards Educational Enrichment via
Equine Discovery Inc. (STEEED), is
the focus of a month-long “WETA
Hometown Heroes” profile airing in
April on WETA TV 26. WETA selected Johnson for her commitment to
educate youth on environmental issues
through educational and equestrian
programs in the District. Her profile
premieres on Monday, April 2, just
prior to the broadcast of “Antiques
Roadshow” at 8 p.m. on WETA TV 26
and repeats throughout the month.
Johnson, managing business consultant at IBM and a resident of Washington, D.C., spends her time away
from home and work volunteering at
STEEED. Johnson ensures that
STEEED offers quality service and an
educational and recreational curriculum for youth and families including
equestrian, ecological and environmental science enrichment activities.
STEEED is located in Southeast D.C.
and serves students in communities
east of the Anacostia River.
“The best part of working at
STEEED is watching the kids grow and
learn,” said Johnson. “Particularly being
with them and being able to talk with
them about various topics such as life
and school. The skills they learn are
life skills. Whether it’s the importance
of nature and animals or volunteering
and service, it all comes down to making
the students well-rounded individuals.”
One of STEEED’s objectives is
teaching students about protecting the
environment. Under Johnson’s leadership, STEEED has developed an extensive environmental education program
that takes place in classrooms and out
on the field. STEEED’s programs
serve approximately 60 students a year.
Students receive lessons on nutrient cycles, the impact of litter on local waterways, bio-technology, overuse of pesticides, the effect of acid rain on
gardening, the greenhouse effect, and
global warming. STEEED offers a wide
array of programs after school, on Saturday mornings, and at summer camps.
STEEED’s after-school program
opens its doors to selected third, fourth
and fifth graders from Kimball and
Benning Elementary Schools and
serves as a safe haven for students to
participate in environmental education
programs. The curriculum exposes
urban students to such subject matters
as nature, horses, urban horticulture
and the environment. Students are
first given an hour of tutoring and
homework assistance followed by an
hour of programming related to
STEEED’s mission, such as lectures
and hands-on projects related to horse
care and riding, horticulture, barn management, environmental awareness,
THE METRO HERALD
and natural resources. The final thirty
minutes are designated to outdoor
recreational programs or horseback
riding lessons.
One of the projects launched by
Johnson is the STEEED Martin Luther
King Jr. Day of Service. With this
project, students are involved in an annual litter and trash pickup around
STEEED’s partner schools. According to Johnson, this project utilizes the
holiday to serve the community by ridding it of trash and matter that could
potentially become pollutants in local
rivers and streams, while also encouraging youth to take pride in their community and environment.
For more information about Johnson’s work, STEEED and volunteer
opportunities at the organization, visit
its Web site at www.steeed.org.
Now in its ninth year, “WETA
Hometown Heroes” is an Emmy
Award-winning multimedia project
that heralds individuals who improve
their communities and encourages others to volunteer service. This year,
“WETA Hometown Heroes” honors
individuals who are impacting the regions’ environmental issues through
work in many fields, including the arts,
literacy, health and education. WETA
produces television profiles on selected individuals and their work in the
community. To be involved and to
submit nominations, visit the Web site
at www.weta.org/heroes where you
will find volunteer opportunities at
area organizations, archived “WETA
Hometown Heroes” features, and
forms to nominate a hero.
For more information on WETA
and its services, visit www.weta.org.
Sharon Percy Rockefeller is president
and CEO of WETA.
NOBLE PLEDGES $100,000 TO BUILD
NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT MUSEUM
E
fforts to build the first-ever National Law Enforcement Museum have received another
boost, thanks to a $100,000 pledge
from the nation’s leading organization
of African-American law enforcement
leaders. The National Organization of
Black Law Enforcement Executives
(NOBLE) announced the pledge just
days after the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund unveiled
detailed plans for the Museum in
Washington, D.C., and kicked off the
public phase of an $80 million
fundraising campaign.
“Through this generous pledge,
NOBLE joins a growing list of law enforcement organizations that have
made it clear that our nation needs this
Museum,” said Craig W. Floyd, Chairman and CEO of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund
(NLEOMF). “Law enforcement is one
of the pillars of our free and civil society, and yet it is a profession that is
often misunderstood or taken for
granted. Thanks to the support of
NOBLE and so many others, this Museum will peel away the mystery and
help the public come to appreciate the
vital role that law enforcement plays in
our society,” he added.
“NOBLE has long been a leader
and proud supporter of the NLEOMF
and its work to honor the service and
sacrifice of our law enforcement officers,” said NOBLE National President
Jimmie Dotson. “We are very excited
that now, through the National Law
Enforcement Museum, the complete
story of law enforcement in America
will be told, including the unique contributions that African-Americans have
made in protecting our communities
and advancing the law enforcement
profession,” said Dotson, retired Chattanooga (TN) Police Chief. NOBLE
(www.noblenational.org) is one of the
founding organizations on the
NLEOMF’s Board of Directors.
Legislation authorizing the National Law Enforcement Museum was
passed by Congress and signed into
law by President Bill Clinton in November 2000. Presidents Clinton and
George H.W. Bush are the honorary
co-chairs of the Museum’s fundraising
campaign, called A Matter of Honor.
With groundbreaking scheduled for
the summer of 2008, the National Law
Enforcement Museum will be the
largest and most comprehensive museum of its kind when it opens in 2011.
The 90,000-square-foot, underground
facility is being designed as a hightech, interactive experience that will
feature driving and use of force training simulators, a forensic lab and a 911
emergency call center.
During its first year, the Museum is
expected to bring more than half a million visitors to DC and generate
$550,000 in new tax revenue for the
city. Learn more about the National
Law Enforcement Museum and the A
Matter of Honor Campaign at www.
LawEnforcementMuseum.org.
STEWART TITLE MAKES DEPOSIT WITH
LEGACY BANK OF MILWAUKEE TO PROMOTE HOMEOWNERSHIP
S
tewart Title, a leading real estate
information and transaction management company, has made a
sizable deposit with Legacy Bank of
Milwaukee. Legacy Bank, founded by
three African-American women in
1999, is a part of Legacy Bancorp Inc.
In eight years of business, Legacy
Bank has established itself as one of the
fastest-growing community banks in
America by building strategic partnerships with businesses such as Stewart
Title that have the same goals and commitment to improve the community. The
deposit will provide an opportunity for
FIRST ANNUAL
FASHION
FOR PAWS
F
ashion for Paws, the
Washington Humane
Society’s first annual
fashion fête, will be held Saturday April 14, 2007 at
the Embassy of France from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., 4101
Reservoir Road, NW. Tickets are $55 per person and
all proceeds will benefit the Washington Humane Society. Fashion for Paws will be followed by an after party at 11:00 p.m. at
Blue Gin in Georgetown.
Fashion for Paws will feature forty of Washington, DC’s most celebrated and
well-known personalities as the models. Designer doggie couture will be readyto-wag spring 2007 and women’s and men’s ready-to-wear apparel spring 2007.
Models will include: Earth Echo International co-founder’s Philippe
Cousteau, Alexandra Cousteau, Jan Cousteau, MTV’s Paul Wharton, NBC4’s
Lindsay Czarniak, the Apprentice LA’s Aaron Altscher, Fox5’s Steve Chenevey,
HGTV’s Kelley Hundahl, AOL’s Andrew Weinstein, ABC7’s Pamela Brown,
Todd and Ellen Gray of Equinox, Katherine Kennedy, Marco Minuto, Tony
Hudgins, Ashley Taylor, Pamela Sorenson, Jennifer Cheadle, Joe Robert III, Andrea Rodgers, Wendy Adeler, Linda Roth, Antonio Cecchi, and Hadley Gamble.
In the weeks leading up to the fashion show, many of the model participants
will partake in a friendly fundraising competition. The male and female winner will be chosen based on who has raised the most money for the Washington Humane Society and will be honored during Fashion for Paws with the title
“Model Washingtonian of the Year.” All of the money raised will go directly
to the Washington Humane Society’s Good Home Guarantee, a five-year plan
that promises to find a home for every adoptable dog and cat that enters the
shelter by 2010. To browse all of the Fashion for Paws models please visit
www.washhumane.org and click on the Fashion for Paws button on the home
page. In addition, the event will feature barking beauty boutiques and luxury
gift items for the posh pooch and ultra chic owner. Toka Salon & Day Spa will
on board as the official salon sponsor of Fashion for Paws.
For more information please call the media contact above. To purchase
tickets please contact Stacey Kranitz 202-723-5730 x204, Skrantiz@
washhumane.org or visit: www.washhumane.org
Legacy Bank to help minorities achieve
the American dream of homeownership
and commercial development.
“The significance of this deposit is
tremendous,” said the Rev. Larry S.
Bullock, director of multicultural markets development for Stewart Title’s
MidAmerica region. “It marks the
merging of two pioneers—an AfricanAmerican-run bank, founded by three
African-American women, that is
working to revitalize its community
and a family-managed company committed to developing new opportunities
in multicultural markets.”
Legacy Bank focuses on fostering
economic development and providing
local residents, often the unbankable,
with opportunities to purchase a stake
in their community through building
neighborhoods, increasing homeownership and establishing small business.
Legacy offers personalized banking
services to individuals and entrepreneurs who are traditionally underserved by large banking institutions.
Nationally, African-Americans lag
behind the national homeownership average and in Milwaukee, African-Americans have an even lower rate
of homeownership. This is due
to many unmitigated reasons,
one being the denial of loan
applications. Through this deposit, Stewart will work to
bridge that gap and help increase homeownership and
commercial
development
among African-Americans,
which will help stabilize
neighborhoods, making them
stakeholders and accordingly
becoming better contributors
to their communities.
To commemorate the significant deposit, Matthew W.
Morris, senior vice president
of Stewart Title, David Silberman, president of Stewart
Title of Wisconsin, and Bullock deposited the funds during a media luncheon event
on Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 1
p.m. Legacy Bank CEO Deloris Sims and Vice President
Margaret Henningsen hosted
the event along with the
Legacy Bank board of directors and invited guests, Mayor Tom Barrett, Alderman Willie Hines Jr., Norma
Alexander Hart, president of the National Bankers Association, Congresswoman Gwen Moore and County Executive Scott Walker. The event took
place in the lobby of Legacy Bank at
2102 West Fond du Lac Avenue, Milwaukee.
“This is the beginning of a relationship with Legacy Bank, our growing
community and Stewart Title,” said
Sims. “More than a deposit, this is an
investment in a relationship. The leverage-power of this deposit will allow us
to help our customers meet their financial needs while helping them to
achieve their financial goals.”
Bullock works tirelessly to educate
minorities on homeownership and
wealth accumulation and bringing
forth new opportunities in multicultural communities. In 2005, Stewart
made a significant deposit with Citizens Bank of Nashville. This served as
the model for many new alliances.
More information can be found at
www.stewart.com
5
AFRICA UPDATE
March 30, 2007
ACID ATTACK ON WOMAN SHOCKS ETHIOPIA
K
amilat Mehdi, 21, had a bright
future ahead of her. She
dreamt about doing a degree
and becoming an air hostess. All that
changed one night when she was walking home from work with her two sisters and a stalker threw sulphuric acid
in her face. She is now lying in hospital disfigured beyond recognition. Her
skin is red raw, her eyelids have almost
been entirely destroyed and her hairline has been burnt back.
“I feel very sick now. Every day
they need to do something without
anaesthetic so it is hard to accept and it
is very painful,” says Kamilat.
Her sisters, Zeyneba and Zubyeda,
escaped with lesser injuries but their
faces were also burnt by the acid.
“We were on our way home from
our parents’ shop. I was with my sisters,” Kamilat says. “One guy came
and he looked like a drunkard but he
wasn’t drunk. He forced us to go down
a dark alley and then someone came
and threw acid in our faces.” Kamilat
fell to the floor unconscious while her
sisters tried to get help. She lay there
until her brother Ismael arrived.
Ismael says his sister knew her attacker. “He bothered her for a long
time - at least four years,” he says. “He
gave her a hard time but she didn’t tell
the family for fear that something
would happen to them. He was always
saying he would use a gun on them.”
This incident has sent shockwaves
through the community in the capital,
Addis Ababa, and amongst Ethiopians
abroad. Ismael says he has received
calls from Ethiopians living around the
world saying how angry and shocked
they were about the attack.
Two men have appeared in court in
Addis Ababa in connection with the attack.
“I hope the court will impose a proportional penalty within a short period
of time,” Justice Minister Assefa
Kiseto says.
“That could make others learn from
this and refrain from committing this
crime. I think this kind of crime is a
crime against the whole nation not just
a crime against Kamilat.”
Attacks like this are rare in Ethiopia
but women’s groups in Addis Ababa
say that stalking and sexual harassment
are common problems. The Ending
Violence Against Women report published by the United Nations at the end
of last year said almost 60% of
Ethiopian women were subjected to
sexual violence at some point in their
lives.
Mahdere Paulos from the Ethiopian
Women Lawyers Association says they
would like to see a specific provision
in Ethiopian law that tackles stalking
and harassment so that there is better
protection for young girls like Kamilat
in the future. “The problem starts with
stalking—the end result is something
else,” she says. “It might end in grave
bodily injury, it might end in death and
it might end in different difficult situa-
T
Kamilat Mehdi knew her attacker
tions and that’s why we want it to be
taken seriously.”
Following the uproar at Kamilat’s
attack, the Supreme Court announced
that it has put in place procedures to
help pass verdicts on such cases within
two days.
And Ms Mahdere says some
progress has been made by the government over the last few years in tackling
violence against women. There is a
newly established ministry of women’s
affairs; there was a push before the
2005 election to get more women into
parliament and there has been a complete overhaul of the penal code to beef
up laws to protect women.
But in some rural areas, the traditional practice of abducting young girls
and forcibly marrying them remains
common - in one region it accounts for
some 92% of all marriages, according
to the most recent figures from 2003.
Kamilat and her sister have now
flown to Paris for medical treatment,
which is being financed by businessman Sheikh Mohammed Al Amoudi.
PROTEST DISRUPTS SLAVERY SERVICE
A
lone protester has interrupted a
commemorative service at
Westminster Abbey marking
the 200th anniversary of the act to
abolish the slave trade. The event, attended by the Queen and Tony Blair,
was almost over when human rights
campaigner Toyin Agbetu began
shouting: “This is an insult to us.” He
condemned African Christians for taking part and told them to walk out.
The service resumed minutes later
after security guards led him outside.
He was arrested and is being held in
custody. Mr. Agbetu, 39—a campaigner for Ligali, an African-British
human rights organization—did have a
valid ticket for the service, according
to the abbey.
“He came through security checks,
the scanners. I’m convinced we did
everything correctly,” said Major Gen
David Burden, the abbey’s receivergeneral. In such cases they would let
the man speak before leading him out,
he said. “It was not the place to manhandle someone,” he added.
Once outside, Mr. Agbetu spoke
briefly to the media, saying the Queen
had to say sorry for her ancestors, before police detained him for a public
order offence.
“The monarch and the Government
and the church are all in there patting
6
themselves on the back,” he said.
The event was held to commemorate the Abolition of the Slave Trade
Act which became law in March 1807.
The brief disturbance came just
ahead of a minute’s silence that was
followed by the sounding of horns traditionally used to warn of slave trader
raids. Earlier, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, described
slavery as an offence to human dignity
and freedom and “the greatest cause of
grief to God’s spirit”.
Dr Williams told the congregation
that slavery was not a regional problem
in the world, but was “hideously persistent” in our nations and cultures. “We,
who are the heirs of the slave-owning
and slave-trading nations of the past,
have to face the fact that our historic
prosperity was built in large part on this
atrocity,” he said. “Those who are the
heirs of the communities ravaged by the
slave trade know very well that much of
their present suffering and struggling is
the result of centuries of abuse.”
Lady (Kate) Davson, the greatgreat-great grand-daughter of William
Wilberforce, who led the abolition
movement, read a House of Commons
speech made by her ancestor.
Later the Queen laid flowers on his
memorial and the Innocent Victims’
Memorial, in honor of all those af-
REBEL LEADER ‘IS NEW IVORIAN PM’
fected by slavery.
To conclude the national service, all
10 bells at the abbey rang out, with 200
tolls of the tenor bell to mark the 200th
anniversary of the Act of Parliament.
Linda Ali, of the United Society for
the Propagation of the Gospel, said the
day was about returning dignity to the
slaves and acknowledging their contribution to the British economy. She
also called on Tony Blair who has expressed “deep sorrow and regret” at
Britain’s role in the slave trade, to go a
step further. “I don’t see what is so
very difficult about apologizing for
what is such a great crime against humanity,” said Ms Ali.
Lady Davson said she too thought
Mr. Blair should apologize. “Slavery is
one of the largest pieces of our wounded
history, our worldwide wounded history, and...[has] to be confronted in
order to get peace in our world.”
The prime minister did not speak at
the service. His deputy, John Prescott,
unveiled a restored memorial fountain
to anti-slavery campaigner Thomas
Fowell Buxton at Victoria Tower Gardens in London.
Chancellor Gordon Brown, London
Mayor Ken Livingstone, Home Secretary John Reid and Culture Secretary
Tessa Jowell also attended the event.
he leader of Ivory Coast’s New
Forces rebels, Guillaume Soro,
is to be named as prime minister, his group says.
Mediators from Burkina Faso say
an agreement was signed on Monday
but President Laurent Gbagbo has not
yet confirmed the reports. Mr. Soro,
35, and his bitter enemy President
Gbagbo signed a peace deal in Burkina
Faso earlier this month.
Ivory Coast has been in crisis since
the New Forces seized the north of the
country in September 2002. BBC
Ivory Coast correspondent James Copnall says that if Mr. Soro is named
prime minister, it would mark an extraordinary about-turn.
The rebel leader has frequently spoken of his hatred of President Gbagbo,
a man he took up arms to overthrow.
There are also doubts about whether
the military wing of the New Forces,
which is often more hard-line than Mr.
Soro, will accept the decision, our reporter says.
“The two parties signed the document yesterday [Monday], and now it
remains only for Gbagbo to sign the
decree appointing Guillaume Soro
prime minister,” Burkina Faso Security
Minister Djibril Bassolet told the AFP
news agency.
Mr. Gbagbo’s spokesman refused
to comment but the president did say
on national television that a new gov-
Mr. Soro has previously spoken of his
hatred for the president
ernment would be in place within a
week at the latest. “I can assure you
the war is over,” he said.
The formation of a new government was part of the peace deal Mr.
Soro and President Gbagbo signed at
the beginning of the month.
Current Prime Minister Charles
Konan Banny was appointed by the international community at the end of
2005. He was meant to have extensive
powers but President Gbagbo made it
clear he would not relinquish his authority to the prime minister. On Monday Mr. Banny said he was prepared to
sacrifice his position if it was in the interests of the nation.
Our reporter says the latest peace
deal is seen as Ivory Coast’s best chance
yet of coming out of its prolonged crisis. But the personal rivalry between
President Gbagbo and Mr. Soro, and
their failure to implement past accords,
mean Ivorians are not overly optimistic
this time round, he says.
ZIMBABWE’S TSVANGIRAI ‘ARRESTED’
Z
imbabwe’s main opposition
leader Morgan Tsvangirai has
been arrested in a raid on his
headquarters, officials from his party
have said. He was seized along with
about 20 members of staff ahead of a
news conference, the Movement for
Democratic Change’s Tendai Biti told
the BBC. Mr. Tsvangirai was also arrested earlier this month and beaten
while in custody.
The latest arrest came as southern
African leaders gathered in Tanzania
for talks on Zimbabwe. President
Robert Mugabe is expected to be at the
meeting of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc).
The BBC’s Peter Greste in Tanzania’s capital, Dar es Salaam, says that
in private the gathered leaders will
give Mr. Mugabe a frosty reception
following the beating of opposition
politicians in police custody this
month.
In the latest raid, the opposition
headquarters in Zimbabwe’s capital,
Harare, were cordoned off before officers went in to make the arrests.
“There’s a wall of riot police so you
can’t actually see what’s happening,”
Mr. Biti said.
Mr. Tsvangirai had been planning
to hold a news conference about the arrest and assault of scores of opposition
activists after police broke up a meeting earlier this month.
Germany, which holds the European Union presidency, said it was
“deeply concerned” at the latest arrests. But Zimbabwe’s Information
Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu told the
BBC’s Focus on Africa program the arrests were a police matter. “They are
doing their job, we can’t interfere,” he
said. Mr. Ndlovu added: “You [the
West] are too much concerned with
your Tsvangirai because he is your
puppet and you make him an international hero.”
Zimbabwe’s Herald newspaper reported on Wednesday that a suspected
petrol bomber was arrested amid reports that ruling party offices and a police camp were bombed on Tuesday.
Mr. Biti denied speculation that MDC
members were involved as “fiction”.
In Dar es Salaam, Mr. Mugabe is
expected to blame tensions in his country on an opposition campaign of violence. The government has consistently accused the MDC of using
violence and attacking the police.
BBC correspondent in Tanzania,
Peter Greste, says that Mr. Mugabe
built up strong regional support for
standing up to former colonial masters
but that is now waning amid the brutal
suppression of opposition protests. The
leaders at the two-day summit, starting
on Wednesday, are expected to tell Mr.
Mugabe, who has governed Zimbabwe
since its independence in 1980, that he
should stand down when his term in
office ends next year.
Our correspondent says Mr. Mugabe who has so far seemed immune
from verbal attacks from the West may
not be so resistant to criticism from his
own contemporaries.
Mr. Biti told the BBC that Mr. Mugabe appeared defiant. “Mugabe is
telling them, ‘I’ve got the title deeds to
Zimbabwe, you can go to hell’. He’s
saying, ‘Stuff diplomacy’.”
But Mr. Ndlovu said the summit
should go ahead without Western interference. “The Western countries say,
‘We are concerned—there is a crisis in
Zimbabwe’. There is no crisis whatsoever in Zimbabwe,” he said.
Zimbabweans are grappling with
the world’s highest inflation—1,700%
a year—while unemployment and
poverty are widespread.
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March 30, 2007
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THE METRO HERALD
7
CAPITAL COMMENTS
March 30, 2007
CLINTON: FIRINGS A BUSH
ADMIN POWER GRAB
Associated Press
D
emocratic presidential hopeful
Hillary Rodham Clinton
blamed the Bush administration’s fear of scandal for the firing of
eight U.S. attorneys, dismissals she
said were virtually unprecedented.
The New York senator dismissed
any comparison between the midterm
firing of the federal prosecutors last
fall with the replacement of 93 U.S. attorneys when her husband, Bill Clinton, took office in 1993.
“That’s a traditional prerogative of
an incoming president,” Clinton said in
an interview with The Associated
Press.
Once U.S. attorneys are confirmed,
they should be given broad latitude to
enforce the law as they see fit, she said.
“I think one of the hallmarks of our
democracy is we have a devotion to the
rule of law, which has historically included a degree of independence for
U.S. attorneys to go after public corruption and pursue cases that are important
to that constituency,” Clinton said.
The government’s 93 U.S. attorneys are presidential appointees who
can be hired and fired at will. Presidents generally replace all of their pre-
MIKULSKI INTRODUCES
LEGISLATION TO CONTINUE
HOPE VI PROGRAM
A
t a press conference recently,
Senators Barbara A. Mikulski
(D-Md.) and Mel Martinez (RFla.) announced they are introducing
the HOPE VI Reauthorization bill. The
bill builds on the past success of the
HOPE VI program and makes several
improvements to ensure grants are
cost-efficient, and effective at improving resident and community life. Renee
Glover, President and Chief Executive
Officer of Atlanta Housing Authority,
joined the Senators at the press event.
“HOPE VI has always been about
creating new opportunities for residents of public housing and new hope
for the communities surrounding it,”
said Senator Mikulski. “Where HOPE
VI has been most successful, it has
transformed communities and the lives
of people living in public housing.”
HOPE VI has been one of the most
important federal programs for revitalizing communities and offering real
opportunities for residents of public
housing. HOPE VI was created by
Senator Mikulski in 1992 with the aim
of replacing dilapidated public housing
with mixed-income developments connected to schools, retail and community services. Since the program
started, over $5 billion has been appropriated for it and billions more has
been leveraged from the private sector.
This legislation incorporates lessons
learned to ensure the future success of
the program.
“We’ve had 13 years to see the successes of HOPE VI and the areas where
we need change. Our reauthorization bill
takes HOPE VI into the new century - reformed, refreshed and reinvigorated,”
said Senator Mikulski. “Our bill will turn
the best practices from around the country into law to reform the program so
new physical and social architecture can
create real opportunity to change lives,
not just addresses.” The legislation,
which reauthorizes the program through
2012 at $600 million, specifically sets
five clear goals for HOPE VI:
8
decessor’s prosecutors at the start of
their
administrations, and midterm
firings of multiple
U.S. attorneys are
unusual.
Ronald Reagan
fired all sitting U.S.
attorneys when he Hillary Rodham
took office in 1981 Clinton
and Bill Clinton did
the same.
Clinton conceded that should she
win the presidency in 2008, she likely
would replace all of the U.S. attorneys
appointed by President Bush.
“You can go on and on,” Clinton
said. “I don’t think it’s a series of coincidences that the White House, in its
waning years, is worried about the
public corruption cases that have
stalked it inside the White House and
among the executive branch and the
Republican Congress, that it would be
moving to protect itself.”
She said the firings were the latest
attempt by the Bush administration to
consolidate executive power.
“I think that if this were an isolated
incident, we’d be inclined to say
‘Look, they overshot it,’” said Clinton.
“This is part of a long record of trying
to upset the traditional separation of
powers.”
• End concentration of the poor in
distressed neighborhoods
• Create healthy, sustainable communities with an emphasis on
high-performing schools
• Create mixed-income communities
• Develop communities though public-private partnerships
• Provide adequate supportive resources to help residents achieve
self-sufficiency
The legislation also:
1. Connects HOPE VI with local
school revitalization
Requires that every HOPE VI grant
recipient establish, in partnership with
local schools and the school superintendent, a comprehensive education reform
and achievement strategy to turn the
school that serves the HOPE VI development into a high-performing school
In order to receive a HOPE VI
grant, proposals must demonstrate a
comprehensive strategy for transforming neighborhood schools that serve
the HOPE VI development
2. Ensures that grantees make best use
of federal dollars
Grant criteria now includes the
strength of local government support
for the HOPE VI proposal, including,
at a minimum, the signature of the locality’s chief executive and financial
assistance of at least 5 percent of the
HOPE VI grant
Allows the Housing & Urban Development (HUD) Secretary to conduct site visits to HOPE VI applicants
to assist in making funding decisions
Requires that Public Housing
Agencies (PHA) set new performance
benchmarks for each component of
their HOPE VI project, including
benchmarks for:
• linkages with schools
• relocation of residents
• achievement of self-sufficiency
A PHA’s failure to meet benchmarks will result in the HUD Secretary
imposing appropriate sanctions, such
as the appointment of alternative ad-
GOVERNOR KAINE,
MD. GOVERNOR O’MALLEY,
D.C. MAYOR FENTY,
DHS SEC’Y. CHERTOFF
DISCUSS REGIONAL
SECURITY ISSUES
V
irginia Governor Timothy M.
Kaine, Maryland Governor
Martin O’Malley, Washington,
D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, and U.S.
Secretary of Homeland Security
Michael Chertoff met in Washington to
discuss the National Capital Region’s
progress and cooperation on homeland
security issues. The discussion, which
built upon an initial January 12, 2007
meeting between these three local
elected leaders, was held at the John A.
Wilson Building in the District.
The principals discussed homeland
security grants requests for the National Capital Region, continued regional cooperation on public safety issues, and agreed to formalize a
communications regimen among the
region’s top elected leadership to occur
during the first hours of a regional public emergency.
“Governor O’Malley, Mayor Fenty,
and I are pleased that Secretary
Chertoff was eager to meet with us to
help us continue to build on our shared
progress on homeland security issues
ministrator, imposition of financial
penalties or withdrawal of funding
3. Improves relocation and support
services for residents
HOPE VI applications are selected
in part based on the effectiveness of the
plan for temporary and permanent relocation of existing residents, making
sure that residents are fully aware of
their relocation choices and are supported throughout the process with
case management and counseling
Applicants are judged on the extent
to which their HOPE VI proposal provides effective relocation of existing
residents, meaning:
• residents are fully informed of their
choices, and are given the choice to
relocate to an area with a lower
concentration of poverty
• residents are offered comprehensive and ongoing supportive services to achieve a successful relocation and self-sufficiency
• residents are offered the option to
return to the newly revitalized
HOPE VI development
• there is minimal impact on children, and relocation is coordinated
with school calendars
MIKULSKI ON HOUSE
PASSAGE OF CANCER
SCREENING ASSISTANCE
E
“
ach of us can make a difference, together we make
change.” Senator Barbara A.
Mikulski (D-Md.) applauded the U.S.
House of Representatives’ unanimous
passage of companion legislation to her
National Breast and Cervical Cancer
Early Detection Program Reauthorization Act of 2007. The legislation reauthorizes and increases funds for a program Senator Mikulski created in 1991
that helps low-income women without
health insurance gain access to essential medical tests that can detect breast
and cervical cancer. The bill, which
Senator Mikulski introduced with Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas),
was approved by the Senate’s Health,
Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP)
Virginia Governor
Tim Kaine
Maryland
Governor
Martin O’Malley
DC Mayor
Adrian Fenty
Secretary of
Homeland Security
Michael Chertoff
in the unique National Capital Region,” Governor Kaine said. “Virginia,
Maryland and the District have made
significant investments in this region’s
homeland security preparedness, and
each of us is committed to work every
day with our local, federal, and private
sector partners to keep our citizens safe
in an emergency.”
The meeting provided an opportunity for Governor Kaine, Mayor Fenty
and Governor O’Malley to discuss the
unique homeland security issues of the
National Capital Region with Secretary Chertoff.
“This was a very productive meeting,” said Mayor Fenty. “The District
of Columbia isn’t an island when it
comes to safety. I am grateful that Secretary Chertoff recognizes the unique
challenges we face as the nation’s capital. And I look forward to continuing
to work with our regional partners,
Governors Kaine and O’Malley.”
The National Capital Region, created and defined by Congress, includes
the District of Columbia, Prince
Georges and Montgomery Counties in
Maryland, and Arlington, Fairfax,
Loudoun, Prince William, and Alexandria in Virginia.
The meeting was the eighth meeting between the executive leadership
of the three jurisdictions since April
2003. The regional meetings have allowed the executives and their staff
members to form strong cooperative
relationships in areas of mutual interest
and cooperation, including homeland
security, air quality, transportation, the
Chesapeake Bay, and tourism. The
2003 meeting was the first between
Maryland, Virginia, and Washington,
D.C. executives in 12 years.
Committee earlier this month, and
awaits a scheduled vote in the Senate.
“This bill is an absolute priority for
me—and for the thousands of women
who have come to depend on its support.
I came to Congress to change and save
lives. The Breast and Cervical Cancer
Early Detection Program does that,”
said Senator Mikulski. “That’s why it’s
so important to pass it, and the House’s
vote brings us one step closer. I will
now work to make sure we get the votes
we need in the Senate to reauthorize it.”
The National Breast and Cervical
Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) reaches out to low-income, underserved women who are uninsured or
underinsured, and helps them get access
to life-saving mammograms and cervical
cancer screenings. This legislation
would reauthorize
the program for
five years.
The proposal
also
increases
funding for the
program from
$202 million in
fiscal year 2007
to $275 million
Sen. Barbara A.
in fiscal year Mikulski
2012, and gives (D-MD)
states
greater
flexibility in providing outreach to underserved women. Currently, the program is only able to serve one in five
eligible women. An increase in funding would allow a greater number of
women to have access to NBCCEDP
services.
GRANTS FOR PARK
HEIGHTS PROGRAMS FOR
EMPLOYMENT
AND YOUTH SERVICES
B
altimore Mayor Sheila Dixon
joined representatives from
the Pimlico Community Development Authority and the Department of Planning to award more than
$2 million to organizations to provide comprehensive services and
programs to residents of
Park Heights. “With this first
round of funding, 500 residents will
receive direct services that will impact this neighborhood greatly,” said
Dixon. “The money being spent here
is going to make a difference in the
lives of many people here in Park
Heights, and in many different
ways.” The announcement is one of
series of steps being taken to implement the Park Heights Master Plan.
The community goals outlined in the
Master Plan include: human development; housing development, community mobilization/public safety
and workforce/economic development. Together they address the
human, economic and physical challenges facing the Park Heights community. The Master Plan seeks to
achieve sustainable community
development,
community
based partnerships and access
to opportunity
for Park Heights
residents. During the summer
2006, the De- Mayor Sheila Dixon
partment
of
Planning under
the guidance of Otis Rolley, Pimlico
Community Development Authority
underwent an extensive Notice of
Funding Availability
(NOFA)
process to jumpstart its Human Service strategy for Park Heights. The
NOFA sought proposals that would
impact those areas of priorities outlined in the Master Plan youth, jobs,
seniors, substance abuse and health.
After a lengthy review process the
Dept of Planning and PCDA have
awarded $2million dollars to organizations to provide comprehensive
services and programs to residents of
Park Heights. During its first round
of funding, more than 500 residents
will receive direct services, programs and job placement and hundreds more will be affected.
THE METRO HERALD
POTPOURRI
March 30, 2007
WELL KEPT
SECRETS
Celebrate National Parks Week!
Paws in the Park
A Celebration of Responsible Dog
Owners and the Great Outdoors
Saturday April 28th
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Prince William Forest Park
•Free Leash-Walking Workshops
•Police Dog Demonstrations
•Search Dog Demonstrations
•Information Fair/Exhibits
•“Bark Ranger” Junior Ranger
Activity Booklet (ages 7 - 12)
•Tick & Lyme Disease info
•Meet McGruff - the crime dog
Remember to bring your dogs!
www.nps.gov/prwi
703-221-7181
Presented by the
Friends of Prince William Forest Park and
the National Park Service
US AIR FORCE BAND
WHO:
Air Force Band Chamber Players Series
WHAT: Music for String Quartet
WHERE: Harmony Hall Regional Center
10701 livington Road • Fort Washington,
MD
WHEN: Thursday, April 12, 2007 at 8PM
WHO:
Air Force Band Chamber Players Series
WHAT: Music for Trumpet and Tuba
WHERE: George Washington Masonic National
Memorial
101 Callahan Drive • Alexandria, VA
WHEN: Friday, April 13, 2007 at 8:00PM
WHO:
Air Force Band Ceremonial Brass and
Honor Guard
WHAT: Air Force Review
WHERE: Air Force Memorial
One Air Force Memorial Drive •
Arlington, VA
WHEN: Saturday, April 14, 2007 at 5:00PM
NOTE:
These FREE concerts are offered as a
public service; no tickets are required. For
more information, please call 202-7675658, or visit www.usafband.com.
THE METRO HERALD
US NAVY BAND
AND SPECIALTY GROUPS
WHO:
Commodores and Fallston High School
Band
WHAT: Joint concert
WHERE: Fallston High School
2301 Carrs Mill Road • Fallston, MD
WHEN: Thursday, April 12, 2007 at 7PM
WHO:
Brass Quartet
WHAT: Concert
WHERE: Twinbrook Library
202 Meadow Hall Drive • Rockville, MD
WHEN: Thursday, April 12, 2007 at 7PM
WHO:
Sea Chanters
WHAT: Concert
WHERE: Cecil County Community College
One Seahawk Drive • Northeast, MD
WHEN: Friday, April 13, 2007 at 8PM
NOTE:
These FREE concerts are offered as a
public service; no tickets are required. For
more information, please call 202-4332525, or visit www.navyband.navy.mil.
BY M. LINDA JARAMILLO
EXECUTIVE MINISTER
E
ach year in August, we acknowledge with regret the
devastating impact of the
atomic bombs that were dropped on
the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We know that thousands of
lives were lost or changed forever.
Generations of Japanese citizens
have experienced the aftermath of
the chemicals that entered people’s
bodies and affected their health and
environment for the rest of their
lives. Most of us know about this.
This year marks the 53rd anniversary of the Bravo H-bomb test,
conducted on March 1, 1954 on
Bikini Atoll. Sixty-seven nuclear
tests were carried out in the Marshall
Islands from June 30, 1946 to August 18, 1958. These were not
bombs to end a war, the justification
for the devastation in Hiroshima and
Nagasaki. In the Marshall Islands,
this was bomb testing! The bombs
were intentionally dropped on the
Marshall Islands by the U.S. Military. How many of us knew about
this? If we did not know before, it
is time that we know now.
The H-bombs tested were 1000
times more powerful than the Hiroshima atomic bomb. Dr. Neal
Palafox of the University of Hawaii
says that the radiation for this testing
equaled 7,000 atomic bombs. The
New York Times reported on April
30, 2001, “America’s debt to this
Country has its roots in the 66 nuclear tests conducted in the Marshall
Islands. Their total yield was
128,000 kilotons, roughly the equivalent of 10 Hiroshima-sized weapons
per week throughout the testing period (twelve years).” How many of
us paid attention to that story?
The lives of thousands of residents of the Marshall Islands were
changed forever. Survivors continue to suffer from the effects of radiation. Many of the survivors of
the bomb testing have now passed
away. Perhaps, the magnitude of the
H-bomb testing was not known
during those first tests in 1946.
How could we not have known?
We already knew the affects of the
atomic disaster in Hiroshima and
Nagasaki the year before.
Granted, the United States admitted its wrong doing and signed a
Compact with the citizens of the Marshall Islands in 1986 agreeing to compensate the citizens for injuries and
damages. As of August, 2000, some
actual awards had been made for personal injuries. However, 712 of the
awardees (42%) died without receiving their full compensation. The
long-term health impact on the Marshallese people is still being discovered. Those who were down wind of
the tests continue to suffer serious
health consequences. The waters
and lands are poisoned and the food
supplies remain contaminated.
Today, little attention is being given
to this atrocity. Did you know?
Because of the resulting illnesses
and environmental crisis, the Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands submitted a Changed
Circumstances Petition to the U.S.
Congress on September 11, 2000.
They are still waiting for a response
almost seven years later. In fact, the
Petition has not moved at all. How
many of us know this?
It is time to tell everyone we
know about this well kept secret. It
is time for Congress to quit ignoring
the appeals for help from survivors
of the H-bomb testing. It is time to
challenge Congress to respond to the
Changed Circumstances Petition
submitted by the Government of the
Marshall Islands. Contact your
Congressperson – tell him or her that
you know about this and they need
to do something about it, now.
•
•
•
The United Church of Christ has
more than 5,700 churches throughout the United States. Rooted in the
Christian traditions of congregational governance and covenantal
relationships, each UCC setting
speaks only for itself and not on behalf of every UCC congregation.
UCC members and churches are free
to differ on important social issues,
even as the UCC remains principally
committed to unity in the midst of
our diversity.
5TH ANNUAL
CHERRY BLOSSOM ANIME MARATHON
I
n celebration of this year’s Cherry
Blossom Festival, the Freer presents a day-long festival of four
Japanese Anime films. As a special
treat, famous anime director Satoshi
Kon will be on hand to discuss two of
his films. The DC Anime Club will
also present an interactive display of
the evolution of anime fandom
throughout the day. For more information visit www.asia.si.edu.
Tickets for all films (two per person) will be available on a first-come,
first-served basis beginning at
10:30AM. Tickets for all films will be
available throughout the day.
All films are in 35mm, in Japanese
with English subtitles, unless otherwise indicated.
This event is made possible by the
Japan Information and Culture Center
of the Embassy of Japan, Otakorp,
Inc., and Sony Pictures Classics.
11:00AM—Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Movie
—2004, 90 min., English, video, rated
PG; 1:30PM—Amazing Lives of the
Fast Food Grifters—2006, 104 min.,
appropriate for children 12 and older;
4:00PM—Tokyo Godfathers—2003,
91 min., rated PG-13; 7:00PM—
Paprika—2006, 90 min., rated R
9
EDUCATION
March 30, 2007
NEW BOOK FINALLY PROVIDES
STUDENTS WITH TOOLS TO
NAVIGATE COLLEGE SUCCESSFULLY
I
nformation is power. And now,
college students will be more
equipped than ever before to navigate college successfully. Today, author Sheryl Walker, introduces a break
through book geared at black girls entering college titled, The Black Girl’s
Guide to College Success—What No
One Really Tells You About College
That You Must Know.
To many people’s surprise, black
students entering college usually represent first or second generation college
students. This means students have no
direct resources available to give concrete advice on how to manage the
sometimes daunting college world.
There are books that tell you how to
get into college, but few that show you
how to navigate college successfully
once you’re actually there.
Talk to any college graduate and
you will hear tons of “I wish I had
known that BEFORE going to school.”
The Black Girl’s Guide To College
Success provides a blueprint to succeed in college. The book covers topics
that most students tend to learn
through a terrible game of trial and
error. Topics include choosing the right
major, obtaining internships every
summer during college, and maintaining a high GPA beginning first semester freshman year.
The Black Girls Guide to College
Success also contains information regarding balancing relationships and
extracurricular activities, and tough issues like combating feelings of inferiority. There are several serious topics
discussed, but Sheryl reminds readers
that college is also a time to have fun.
Life becomes a little easier when you
don’t have to figure out EVERYTHING on your own. Many black
women have graduated from college
and have been successful. Having a
heads up on how to navigate college
successfully will only increase that
population.
The Black Girl’s Guide to College
Success not only defies the myth that
all you have to do is study and get
good grades to be successful in college, it leaves you wishing there was a
Black Girl’s Guide for every stage of
life! If you’re serious about college
success, The Black Girl’s Guide to College Success is the book black female
college students must have!
Sheryl Walker is a recent graduate
from the University of Maryland-College Park and currently works at a Big
4 public accounting firm in NY.
KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION KICKS OFF MARCH 26
K
indergarten registration for the
2007-08 school year begins
Monday, March 26, for children who will be five years old on or
before Sept. 30, 2007. Parents are encouraged to register students as soon as
possible so the school division can accurately estimate the number of incoming kindergarteners. Register at the
school in your attendance zone, even if
your child will be attending a different
school. If your child is not a citizen of
the United States or not fluent in English, register at the ESL center at 4701
Seminary Road in the Ellen Coolidge
Burke Branch Library building.
If you aren’t sure which school is in
your attendance zone, call 703-8246710.
WHAT TO BRING
• Child’s original birth certificate (a
copy will be made in the school office).
• Proof of an adequate series of immunizations against diphtheria,
tetanus, whooping cough, polio,
measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, and hepatitis B. (Note: All
children born on or after January
1, 1997 are required to have the
chickenpox vaccine.)
• Proof of a physical examination
given within 12 months of child’s
first day of school (including an
iron deficiency anemia assessment
and urinalysis).
• Proof of lead screening assessment.
• Written results of a PPD tuberculin
skin test given within 12 months of
child’s first day of school (to include dates received and read) or a
negative TB risk assessment done
within 12 months of the child’s first
day of school.
• Two different documents each
proving Alexandria City residency
(such as a rent receipt, lease agreement, utility bill, or personal property tax receipt).
• Child’s social security card (a copy
will be made in the school office).
For more information, contact your
child’s school, call 703-824-6680,
or
visit
www.acps.k12.va.us/
kindergarten.php.
VISARTS AT ROCKVILLE
RETURNS TO TOWN SQUARE
T
he Metropolitan Center for the Visual Arts at Rockville crossed a
milestone recently as the Board of Directors announced that a lease
between the organization and the City of Rockville was approved
Monday evening, March 12th.
Speaking on behalf of the Board of Directors, President Fleur Bresler
hailed the partnership between the City and VisArts at Rockville saying, “Although there were moments when it looked as if the lease agreement would
not come to fruition, the board was committed to this project and marshaled
the necessary financial resources to make the fit-out of VisArts at Rockville’s
space a reality. We are proud of VisArts at Rockville and of the important
contribution it will make to the City of Rockville, Montgomery County and
the State of Maryland. This lease agreement signifies our deep commitment
to making sure that the VisArts at Rockville mission moves forward.”
Incorporated in 1987 as “Rockville Arts Place” Metropolitan Center for
the Visual Arts at Rockville is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization that develops
passion for the visual arts, fosters creative activity, and expands artistic
knowledge through exemplary education, exhibition, and community outreach programs serving children and adults. VisArts at Rockville’s new building is expected to open July 1.
For more information on VisArts, contact Debra Moser at 301-869-8623
or [email protected].
Scholar of the Week
GWYNN PARK HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR
Join Us for the
VANIA HUGGINS
25th
Annual
ORGANIZATIONAL
COMMUNICATIONS
Graduate Research
Forum & Reception
April 5, 2007
6pm - 8:30pm
Keynote speaker: Ronald B. Royster
Consortium of Information &
Telecommunications Executives, Inc.
and
Presentations of original research from
Organizational Communications graduate students.
Bowie State University
Center for Learning and Technology Room 117
10
GRADE: 12
SCHOOL: GWYNN PARK SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
GPA: 4.06
Academics: AP Chemistry, AP Calculus AB, AP Studio Art, AP Psychology,
and AP Literature
Extra Curricular Activities: President of the Art Club, National Honor
Society, Student Government Association, and Future Business Leaders of
America
Future Goals: Attend college and major in business. Plans to work for an
accounting firm and eventually open her own firm
Interesting Notes: This accomplished fundraiser has proposed, planned, and
organized community events through her church that have raised more than
$16,000
THE METRO HERALD
EDUCATION
March 30, 2007
OAKLEY CABIN VOLUNTEERS
NEEDED FOR SPRING
T
he Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning
Commission is looking for volunteers interested
in African American history to be guides (docents) at Oakley Cabin in Brookeville. Individuals
(over age 14) and families are urged to apply.
Oakley Cabin is open to the public on Saturday and
Sunday afternoons April through October, and by request
during the week for group tours. With more volunteers,
the Cabin can be available to the public more often.
Oakley Cabin is one of Montgomery County’s premier publicly-owned African American historic sites.
Constructed in the 1820s, it was used first by slaves and
later became part of a free black community. The
Cabin is fully furnished and is located at 3610
Brookeville Road, just a half mile west of Route 97 in
Brookeville
All prospective guides must first complete an online
orientation course, followed by three hours of on-site
training at Oakley Cabin. Volunteers will receive extensive training materials.
Docents are asked to commit to participate in at
least six Saturday or Sunday afternoons or by assignment on weekdays, April through October.
Register for the training by calling or e-mailing
Susan Soderberg at 301-563-3405, or susan.soderberg@ mncppc-mc.org.
STREET SMART: THE ADVENTURES OF POLLY PEDESTRIAN
A
ccording to the U.S. Department of
Transportation, pedestrians are hit
every seven minutes each day. Surely
there must be a way to teach our children
about being traffic savvy, whether on foot or
on a bicycle. Lisa Nanni-Messegee and Mary
Lechter are in the business of doing just that.
“Mary and I saw a great need for an Issues
and Awareness touring program in this rapidly
developing Northern Virginia region. We believe that an entertaining play about traffic safety
for kids is not a luxury—but a necessity,” says
Writer/Director/Co-Producer Nanni-Messegee.
Nanni-Messegee has teamed up with
Lechter, who runs A Class Act - Acting for
Young People and Adults, Inc. (AFYP,) an es-
tablished and highly reputable training program for young actors based in Fairfax, Virginia. Together, they are launching a new professional touring branch of their company that
will develop plays that cover important issues
for children and will take them on the road to
local schools. Their first play, titled Street
Smart: The Adventures of Polly Pedestrian is
already slated for a premiere public performance in the Fairfax Spotlight on the Arts festival. The performance will take place on May
5, 2007 at 11:00 am in Old Town Hall, 3999
University Drive, Fairfax, VA.
Nanni-Messegee explains that this play is
not your typical dry delivery of traffic safety
information. “The play is very high energy.
Polly, the heroine, is also really eccentric.
She’s thirteen, with magenta colored hair and
she wants to start a band. When she causes a
classmate to get hit by a car she feels like a
fugitive. She finds a friend in Ricardo, a very
cavalier raccoon; think of him as a fur-bearing
Antonio Banderas.” Nanni-Messegee adds
that other authority figures present positive
role models in the play including a police officer, teachers and good neighbors.
The lessons learned in Street Smart: The
Adventures of Polly Pedestrian are not limited
to pedestrians. Older children riding bicycles
will benefit from some useful tips.
For more information, contact Mary
Lechter at (703) 307-5332 or visit www.
actingforyoungpeople.com.
NOMINATE OUTSTANDING
SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS
F
or the 21st consecutive year, the Alexandria City
Public Schools Special Education Advisory
Committee will sponsor the Harry Burke Award
for Outstanding Achievement in Special Education.
Nomination forms may be downloaded from www.
acps.k12.va.us/news2007/nr20070319a.php and submitted to Lillian Fennell, Division of Student Services,
Alexandria City Public Schools, 2000 North Beauregard Street, Suite 203, Alexandria, Virginia, 22311. The
deadline is 4 p.m. Monday, April 30.
The purpose of this award is to recognize an employee of the Alexandria City Public Schools who
demonstrates outstanding ability, excellence in performance of duties, and a deep commitment to the education of children with disabilities.
The Harry Burke Award will be presented at a reception hosted by the Alexandria Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) in honor of the Special Education staff of the Alexandria City Public Schools on
Thursday, May 17 at 4 p.m., at Minnie Howard School
(cafeteria), 3801 West Braddock Road.
Updated nomination forms of previous nominees
are welcome. For more information, please contact
Anne Lipnick, ACPS Parent Resource Center, at 703706-4552.
LECTURE AT THE LYCEUM
J
oin William B. Bushong, Staff Historian of the
White House Historical Association, April 12, at
7:00 p.m. as he lectures on Glenn Brown’s (18541932) contributions to historic architecture and the design of the monumental core of Washington, DC.
Alexandria Mayor, William D. Euille, will also present
a proclamation from the City of Alexandria proclaiming
April 9-14 as Architecture Week.
The lecture accompanies the exhibit Glenn Brown,
AIA: An Alexandria Architect’s Monumental Vision.
Glenn Brown, an Alexandria native, was one of the most
influential American architects of the late 19th and early
20th centuries. The exhibition looks at Brown as someone who grew up in Alexandria and was influenced by
his surroundings. In turn, he had a lasting impact on the
historic buildings of Alexandria and profoundly shaped
the appearance of the Nation’s Capital. As an architect
practicing in Alexandria, he designed a number of important buildings and was responsible for the redesign of
the Second Presbyterian Church on Prince Street and the
restoration of historic Christ Church.
There is no admission charge for the lecture; however, reservations are required. Contact reservations@
aianova.org or (703) 549-9747. The Lyceum is
located at 201 South Washington Street in Old Town,
Alexandria.
THE METRO HERALD
11
LIKE SON, LIKE FATHER
March 30, 2007
John Thompson III after game
The Hoyas made the 2006
NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball
Tournament as a #7 seed. They defeated the University of Northern
Iowa in the first round and upset #2
seed Ohio State University in the
second round to make the “Sweet
Sixteen”, where they lost to the national champions, University of
Florida. In that tournament, the
Hoyas were not only the only team
to hold Florida to a victory under 10
points (they lost by four), but also
the only team to lead Florida in the
second half of a game.
In 2007, after starting with a
record of 4-3, Coach Thompson III
led the Hoyas to the first Big East
Championship since his father did
the same in 1989. Thompson also
coached the 2006-07 Big East
Player of the Year, Jeff Green.
On March 23, 2007 in East
Rutherford, New Jersey, Thompson’s Hoyas defeated Vanderbilt,
66-65, on the strength of Green’s
game-winning shot and advanced to
the NCAA Elite Eight for the first
time since 1996. The Hoyas rallied
from 13 points down in the first half
and held on despite missing 7-foot2 star center Roy Hibbert in the
final minutes. Two days later, on
March 25, 2007, Thompson led the
Hoyas to the 2007 NCAA Final
Four with a 96-84 victory of North
Carolina. It’s his first time as head
coach.
Nearly 500 Georgetown University students, faculty and staff, including Washington, D.C. mayor
Adrian M. Fenty were waiting with
open arms and chants of “Hoya
Saxa” as the Hoya men’s basketball
team returned to campus with the
East Regional trophy on Monday
afternoon.
Fans had gathered in the parking
lot outside of McDonough Arena
since late morning eagerly awaiting
12
the team’s return and when the blue
bus with “Hoyas” on the side finally
made its way up the hill from Canal
Road, camera phones clicked, loud
applause and chants of “two more
wins” could be heard as far as The
Tombs, a local campus hangout.
When asked how he ended up
with the trophy in his hands as he
was coming off the bus, junior forward Patrick Ewing, Jr. repsonded
with a smile, “I don’t know but I’m
not letting go.”
Thompson immediately introduced the Princeton offense at
Georgetown, a style of play that he
learned from coach Pete Carril at
Princeton. The rarity of this style,
and Thompson’s success at adapting it to work with the brawnier
Georgetown players, has been cited
by the Washington Post as one of
the major reasons for the team’s
quick turnaround
JOHN
THOMPSON JR.
J
ohn Thompson, Jr. (born
September 2, 1941 in
Washington, D.C.) is a
former basketball coach
for the Georgetown University Hoyas. He is now a professional radio and TV sports commentator. In 1984, he became the
first African-American head coach
to win the NCAA Men’s Division I
Basketball Championship when
Georgetown defeated the University of Houston, 84-75.
After attending Archbishop John
Carroll High School in Washington,
D.C., Thompson went to Providence College. At Providence,
Thompson was a part of the 1963
NIT Championship team, and was
part of the first Providence NCAA
tournament team in 1964. He was
GU Head Coach John Thompson III and his father John Thompson, Jr., no stranger to
March Madness, discuss the Hoyas victory over the Buckeyes after game (photo by Tim
Kehrer/The Hoya)
an All-American in his senior year
of 1964. He is currently eleventh on
the all-time scoring list at PC,
fourth in scoring average, sixth in
field goal percentage, and third in
rebounds.
He graduated as the school
leader in points, scoring average,
and field goal percentage, and second in rebounds. He played two
years in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Boston
Celtics in 1964-1966. At 6’10”
(2.08 m), 270 lbs (122.7 kg) he
backed up Bill Russell, the Celtics’
star center, en route to two championships. Nicknamed “The Caddy”
for his servile role to Russell, his
career as a player was unimpressive, however, and he retired in
1966 to coach at St. Anthony High
School near DC. After racking up
an impressive 122-28 record as a
high school coach, Thompson was
hired to become the head coach of
the men’s basketball team at
Georgetown University.
Thompson, an imposing figure
on the sidelines who towered over
many opposing coaches (and players, for that matter), was often noted
for the trademark white towel that
he carried on his shoulder during
the games, a color which his critics
took symbolic meaning from. Inheriting a Georgetown team which
had been just 3-23 the year before,
Thompson quickly and dramatically improved the team, making
the NCAA tournament within three
seasons. Over the following 27
years, Thompson’s Hoyas went an
impressive 596-239 (.714), running
off a streak of 24 postseason appearances - 20 in the NCAA tournament, four in the NIT - including a
14-year streak of NCAA appearances from 1979-1992 that saw
three Final Four appearances in
1982, 1984 and 1985, winning a
National Championship in 1984
and narrowly missing a repeat the
next year by losing to underdog Villanova.
Thompson still holds conference
records for most overall Big East
wins (231), most regular-season
Big East wins (198) and conference
championships (seven regular season, six tournaments). He won
seven Coach of the Year awards:
Big East (1980, 1987, 1992),
United States Basketball Writers
Association and The Sporting News
(1984), National Association of
Basketball Coaches (1985) and
United Press International (1987).
Thompson coached many notable
players, including Patrick Ewing,
Sleepy Floyd, Alonzo Mourning,
Dikembe Mutombo and Allen Iverson. Under Thompson, 26 players
were chosen in the NBA Draft,
eight in the first round including
two players selected first overall,
Ewing by the New York Knicks in
1985 and Iverson by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996.
During the Hoya’s glory years
the term “Hoya Paranoia” became
indelibly linked to Thompson and
Georgetown basketball program.
The term was originally coined by
Patrick Ewing, Jr. and the Hoyas return to campus to a warm welcome from the Hoya
faithful.
Mark Asher of The Washington
Post and used to describe Hoya
fans’ insecurity toward pro-Maryland media bias, but it soon came to
refer to the team’s unusual forced
seclusion from the media and
Thompson’s suffocating control
over his program. Unlike most programs of the day, Thompson’s practices were closed to the media and
the players were placed off-limits to
the members of the press. Backers
of Thompson would defend
Thompson’s actions as his way of
protecting his program and its players from detrimental media coverage and attention. In very real ethnocentric terms Georgetown in the
1980s was viewed as a team of
Twelve Angry Men—or, to be
blunt, twelve angry black men.
They had a cadre of intimidating
players, who happened to be
African American, their reputations
enhanced by the stifling press defense and aggressive offense which
Thompson employed and encouraged.
Of course, much of it was fictionalized and borne out of racial
stereotypes of the time. For example, it was oft-reported Thompson
made the Hoyas stay more than an
hour away from Seattle or in
THE METRO HERALD
Canada when they won the national
title in 1984. In reality, they stayed
across the street from the airport,
less than a half-hour out of town.
There were other embellishments
that lent credence to Thompson’s
us-against-our-detractors world.
Thompson’s greatest success as
a coach was his ability to create an
“us against them” mentality among
his players. Whether he specifically
used race as the binding force in
this belief is debatable although
what certainly is not is the media’s
perception and perpetuation of the
belief that he did.
John Thompson’s career as head
coach of Georgetown was full of
controversy. Perhaps one of the
most controversial incidents was
the hanging of a sign in the McDonough Gym. In 1975, after another
perceived mediocre year, a sign was
hung at the top of the rafters reading
“Thompson the nigger flop must
go.” The University quickly took
down the sign and silenced talks for
his termination.
In the late 1980’s, Thompson got
word that his star center, Alonzo
Mourning, was associating with
noted DC drug lord (and avid Hoya
fan) Rayful Edmond III. Thompson
invited Edmond over to his office at
THE METRO HERALD
Georgetown and exploded on him,
telling him to stay away from his
players or there would indeed be
consequnces, perhaps mortal, that
he would suffer. By all accounts,
Edmond never associated with a
Hoya basketball player again and
was sentenced to life in prison
shortly thereafter.
Thompson, who had served as
an assistant coach for the gold
medal winning team in the 1976
Summer Olympics, coached the
United States team at the 1988
Summer Olympics. Although favored to win the international tournament, the United States was narrowly defeated by the Soviet Union
in the semi-finals 82-76, marking
the first time the United States did
not reach the gold medal game. The
team proceeded to win its final
game against Australia to secure the
bronze medal.
News of the humiliating loss
sent shockwaves across the country
and following the conclusion of the
1988 Olympics, Thompson came
under heavy criticism for the players he selected for the team and the
coaching style he employed. In particular, his critics pointed to the absence of notable players such as
1989 Naismith College Player of
the Year, Danny Ferry and the inclusion of Mourning (then just a
high school player), named one of
the 17 Olympic team finalists as examples of Thompson’s professional
incompetence during the selection
process. Critics would additionally
cite the Ferry/Mourning case of further proof of Thompson’s blatant
racism, although it must be noted
that Ferry injured his knee during a
pre-draft workout with the Washington Bullets prior to the final cut.
Thompson proponents often point
to Bobby Knight’s handling of the
1984 Olympic Team (in which future Hall of Famers Charles
Barkley, Karl Malone, and John
Stockton were cut), as examples of
the double standard which black
coaches are often held to.
A commonly held misconception is that it was the failure of the
1988 team to win gold which led to
the inclusion of NBA players onto
future Olympic teams. When the
U.S. team with college players lost
in 1988, the only professional players who could not participate in international competition were NBA
players. To FIBA Secretary-General
Borislav Stankovic´, the head of the
organization that governs international basketball, that did not seem
fair. So he decided a change was
needed and he led the movement to
change the rules. At the time, the
NBA was not even a part of the organization that came to be known as
USA Basketball, the governing
body for basketball in the U.S.
When the vote to change the rules
was taken, in fact, the U.S. representatives voted against it. They
were content for the U.S. to be represented by amateurs.
Once the rules were changed,
however, the NBA was invited to
become a part of USA Basketball,
problems. For those who knew him
well the announcement seemed odd
and ill-timed. First was the press
conference’s tone, bitter and confrontational. Although most of
Thompson’s public engagements
were combative in nature and drew
upon the heavy use of profanity,
this press conference was different.
Moreover, the family problems
he cited had been in the public eye
since November 17, 1997, the date
on which Gwendolyn Thompson
first filed for divorce. Both these issues fueled speculation that Thompson was being forced to step down.
The legendary coach was inducted
into the Basketball Hall of Fame on
October 1, 1999. Thompson was replaced by longtime assistant Craig
Esherick, a popular player’s coach.
Esherick, however, would not be
able to overcome the roster difficulties he had inherited.
He was fired in 2004 and replaced by John Thompson III, the
old coach’s eldest son. At the time
the elder Thompson was serving
Georgetown in what Rev. Leo J.
O’Donovan, university president,
referred to as a “coach emeritus”
position, assisting on academic,
athletic and community projects.
His younger son, Ronny Thompson, was formerly one of his Assistant Coaches at Georgetown, and is
currently the head coach at the Ball
State University.
After retiring Thompson continued to be active in basketball as a
commentator for both professional
(mainly for TNT) and collegiate
games. He also hosts The John
Thompson Show, a sports talk show
on SportsTalk 980 (WTEM-AM) in
Washington, D.C.
John Thompson III during game
and it was determined that NBA
players would play in the Olympics
and World Championships with college and other young players continuing to represent the U.S. in all
other international competition.
What is even less known, however,
is that in 1986 - two years before
Americans lost in ‘88 - the rules
were nearly changed. Stankovic introduced the resolution for open
play at a FIBA convention, and the
vote to allow all professionals to
play was 31-27. At the time,
Stankovic said 18 or 19 countries
abstained from voting, but if only
five had changed and voted “yes,”
the resolution would have passed
and the original Dream Team could
have debuted in 1988 rather than
1992. Ultimately, Stankovic’s push
for the globalization of the game by
showcasing its greatest players
would have a dramatic effect on the
popularization of the sport.
On January 8, 1999, during a
profanity-laced tirade, Thompson
shocked the sports world by announcing his resignation as Georgetown’s head coach, citing marriage
John Thompson, Jr.
13
HEALTH & WELLNESS
March 30, 2007
U.S. SAYS 1 IN 150 CHILDREN HAVE AUTISM
T
he largest U.S. study of autism
has found that the troubling
condition is more common
than previously understood.
About one in 150 American children has autism, U.S. health officials
said , calling the troubling disorder an
urgent public health concern that is
more common than they once thought.
The new numbers are based on the
largest, most convincing study done so
far in the United States, and trump previous estimates that placed the prevalence at 1 in 166.
The difference means roughly
50,000 more children and young adults
may have autism and related disorders
than was previously thought.
Government scientists declined to
call the results a complete surprise:
The new estimate is on the high end of
a prevalence range identified in other
recent studies, they said.
But one advocate said the study
should cause policy-makers and the
public to revise how they think of
autism.
“This is a greater national health
care crisis than we thought even yesterday,” said Alison Singer, spokeswoman for Autism Speaks, the nation’s
largest organization advocating services for autistic children.
The study should fuel efforts to get
the government to spend hundreds of
millions of additional dollars for
autism research and services.
“This data today show we’re going
to need more early intervention services and more therapists, and we’re
going to need federal and state legislators to stand up for these families,”
Singer said.
The study by the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention was
based on 2002 data from 14 states. It
calculated an average autism rate 6.6
per 1,000, compared to an estimate last
year of 5.5 in 1,000.
The new research involved an intense review of medical and school
records for children and gives the
clearest picture yet of how common
autism is in some parts of the country,
CDC officials said.
The results suggest 560,000 children and young adults have the condition.
However, the study population is
not demographically representative of
the nation as a whole, so officials cautioned against using the results as a national average. The study doesn’t include some of the most populous
states, like California, Texas and
Florida.
Also, the study does not answer
whether autism has recently been on
ASPIRIN SHOWS BENEFIT
IN OLDER WOMEN
Associated Press
A
spirin in low to moderate
doses may lower the risk of
death in women, particularly
those who are older and prone to heart
disease, a 24-year study of nearly
80,000 women suggests.
However, experts cautioned that the
results are not definitive and that
women should not take aspirin as a
health preventive without talking to
their doctor.
In this long-running study of nurses
who were middle-aged and older,
women who took aspirin had a 25 percent lower risk of death compared to
those who never took it. Aspirin-takers
had a 38 percent lower risk of death
from cardiovascular disease and a 12
percent lower risk of death from cancer.
Many doctors advise people
who’ve had heart attacks and strokes to
take a daily 81-milligram baby aspirin,
costing less than 50 cents a week. The
new study suggests aspirin may help
healthy women, too.
No benefit was found for high
doses, which the study defined as two
or more standard 325-milligram aspirin tablets a day.
“This confirms what we already
know: Aspirin is good for you, whether
you’re a man, whether you’re a
woman,” said Dr. Jeffrey Berger of
Duke University Medical Center who
studies aspirin’s effects. He was not involved in the new research and receives no money from aspirin makers.
However, since aspirin can cause
ulcers and bleeding, Berger said,
women should talk to their doctors before taking it to prevent disease.
“It’s not a little vitamin; it’s not a
sugar pill,” he said.
Most of the best-designed studies
have not found that aspirin lowers the
risk of death. But they have found that
aspirin helps to prevent heart attacks in
men and strokes in women.
14
Aspirin is thought to prevent heart
attacks and strokes by blocking
platelets from forming blood clots. Its
anti-inflammatory properties may also
play a role in preventing cancer.
The average age of the women was
about 46 at the start of the study and
about 70 by its end. The women at risk
for heart attacks and strokes, and older
women, got the most benefit.
The size and length of the new
study, appearing in Monday’s Archives
of Internal Medicine, make the results
compelling. But the research, based on
data from the long-running Nurses
Health Study, was observational,
meaning the women chose whether to
take aspirin, rather than being randomly assigned to take it—a gold standard in research.
The aspirin-takers could have been
healthier than other women for reasons
the researchers didn’t take into account. The aspirin-takers also could
have been more zealous about how
they took other medicine, for example.
“We cannot prove a cause-and-effect relationship and the results should
be interpreted with caution,” said study
co-author Dr. JoAnn Manson at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s
Hospital. “We don’t want people hearing about the study and beginning to
take aspirin long-term without having
a discussion with their doctor.”
The researchers matched 9,477
women who died between 1980 and
2004 with women who didn’t die.
They looked at which women reported
taking aspirin and took into account
other risk factors such as high blood
pressure, diabetes, smoking and
weight.
Cancer was the leading cause of
death in the study. The researchers said
they’d expect more deaths from heart
attacks and strokes if the women in the
study had been older. Cardiovascular
disease is the leading cause of death in
American women.
the rise — a controversial topic, driven
in part by the contention of some parents and advocates that it is linked to a
vaccine preservative. The best scientific studies have not borne out that
claim.
“We can’t make conclusions about
trends yet,” because the study’s database is too new, said Catherine Rice, a
CDC behavioral scientist who was the
study’s lead author.
Autism is a complex disorder usually not diagnosed in children until
after age 3. It is characterized by a
range of behaviors, including difficulty
in expressing needs and inability to socialize. The cause is not known.
Scientists have been revising how
common they think the disorder is.
Past lower estimates were based on
smaller studies. The study released
Thursday is one of the first scientific
papers to come out of a more authoritative way of measuring it.
“This is a more accurate rate because of the methods they used,” said
Dr. Eric Hollander, an autism expert at
New York’s Mount Sinai School of
Medicine.
The study involved 2002 data from
parts or all of 14 states — Alabama,
Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia,
Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey,
North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South
Carolina, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Researchers looked specifically at
children who were 8 years old because
most autistic kids are diagnosed by that
age. The researchers checked health
records in each area and school records
when available, looking for children
who met diagnostic criteria for autism.
They used those numbers to calculate a
prevalence rate for each study area.
Included were autism-linked conditions like Asperger disorder, which
some experts say might partly account
for a higher rate.
Dr. Fred Volkmar, director of the
Child Study Center at Yale University,
said the educational records researchers relied on in some states may
be misleading. Sometimes, if a child
has problems that seem like autism,
parents will push for an autism label to
get additional educational services, he
said.
Rates varied dramatically among
states, in some cases. The rate was 3.3
per 1,000 in the northeastern Alabama
study area and 10.6 per 1,000 in the
Newark, N.J., metro area.
Researchers say they don’t know
why the rate was so high in New Jersey. They think the Alabama rate was
low partly because of limited access to
special education records.
The study was not an effort to find
the cause of autism, still a point of debate. While many advocacy groups
blame the vaccine preservative
thimerosal, scientists are putting more
focus on possible genetic causes, according to a recent Stanford University
study.
Archive issues
are available at
www.metroherald.com!
NEW LUPUS EDUCATION FUND
LAUNCHED; FUND HONORS
DEDICATED LOCAL VOLUNTEER
M
ore than 40 people joined the Lupus Foundation of America,
Greater Washington Chapter (LFAGW) at an event last night to
launch the Ruth Anne Yankoupe Education Fund—a new endowment to support the local nonprofit’s critical lupus education programs.
“For nearly a decade, Ruth Yankoupe has been dedicated to this organization and the people we serve,” said LFAGW President & CEO Penelope
Fletcher. “Ruth’s volunteer efforts have touched thousands of lives, and her
devotion to LFAGW will touch thousands more in years to come through the
Education Fund.”
The new fund is named in honor of Arlington, Va., resident Ruth Yankoupe, who recently retired from the LFAGW Board of Directors after serving
nine years, including three years as chair. Ms. Yankoupe also ran the
Organization’s annual golf fundraiser for the last few years. In 2004, Ms.
Yankoupe received the Heroines in Technology award from Alexandria, Va.based Women in Technology and the March of Dimes for using her “experience, knowledge and skills to benefit our community.”
The Lupus Foundation of America, Greater Washington Chapter
(LFAGW) is the D.C. area’s leading non-profit health organization dedicated
to supporting lupus patients and their families; increasing awareness of lupus
among health professionals and the public; and finding the causes and a cure.
Since its founding in 1974, LFAGW has had education as a primary goal. The
nonprofit provides educational opportunities for both newly diagnosed patients and those who have suffered the effects of the disease for many years.
This October, LFAGW will host its 12th annual
“Taking Charge and Feeling Better” patient symposium; other educational
programs include new patient workshops and lectures. The new Yankoupe
Education Fund underwrites these programs.
Lupus is a chronic, potentially life-threatening autoimmune disease that
affects more than 35,000 people in the D.C. area—primarily women of color.
Lupus causes the immune system to become overactive, creating antibodies
that attack healthy tissues such as the skin, kidneys, lungs, heart, and brain.
To contribute to the Ruth Anne Yankoupe Education Fund, please contact
the Lupus Foundation of America, Greater Washington Chapter at 202-3491167.
CANCER SOCIETY
RECOMMENDS BREAST MRIS
Associated Press
U
p to 1.4 million U.S. women—those with an unusually high risk of
developing breast cancer—should get annual MRIs as well as mammograms, the American Cancer Society advises in new guidelines.
And a new medical study suggests that all women newly diagnosed with
breast cancer should get MRIs, too. The scans revealed cancers in the opposite breast that were missed by ordinary mammograms in 3 percent of these
cancer survivors.
The study came out after the cancer society developed its guidelines,
which are the first to recommend MRI for screening women who show no
signs of cancer.
The guidelines are directed at symptomless women age 30 and older who
have a mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes; those who were treated for
Hodgkin’s disease; or those with a strong family history of the disease, such
as women with two or more close relatives who had breast or ovarian cancer
or who have a close relative who developed breast cancer before age 50.
As many as 1.4 million women fall into the affected group, according to
an American Cancer Society estimate. Doctors usually screen for breast cancer using mammography, an X-ray technique that can spot dense masses like
tumors. MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, makes more detailed images
with a magnet and radio waves — but without radiation. MRIs are better at
showing increased or abnormal blood flow in the breast, a sign of early cancers not visible on a mammogram. They also are better than mammograms at
detecting cancer in women with dense, non-fatty breasts.
But MRI screening is not being recommended for most women. One reason is the test’s error rate, which can lead to unnecessary biopsies.
Another is the high cost. While a mammogram costs roughly $100 to
$150, an MRI can cost $2,000 or more at some medical centers, experts said.
“It’s very, very expensive,” said Robert Smith, the cancer society’s director of cancer screening. Many insurers cover MRI screenings, but not all do,
Smith and others said.
Insurers generally follow government guidelines, but the cancer society
guidelines could prove influential, according to experts.
The new guidelines were being announced Wednesday, the same time the
New England Journal of Medicine was releasing a national study that suggests women who have cancer diagnosed in one breast should get an MRI in
the other.
The study, led by Dr. Constance Lehman of the University of Washington
Medical Center, looked at nearly 1,000 women recently diagnosed with cancer in one breast but who had no detected cancer in the second breast.
MRIs of the second breast found possible tumors in 121 of the women.
Biopsies confirmed cancer in 30 of them.
“It’s a pretty striking effect,” said Dr. Carl Jaffe of the National Cancer Institute, which sponsored the study.
THE METRO HERALD
HEALTH & WELLNESS
March 30, 2007
HOW TO
PLAY IT SAFE
ON SPRING
BREAK
B
reaking for a little fun
in the sun shouldn’t
mean a break from
common sense, says the National Crime Prevention Council, leading expert in prevention and safety information.
Spring break is a time for fun
and friends, but safety must remain the number one priority.
The last few years have
brought frightening spring
break headlines of missing college students, physical and
sexual assaults, and many
other heinous crimes. Collegians out to have a good time
often let down their guard, and
that lets criminals turn a funfilled week into trouble.
The National Crime Prevention Council offers these tips to
help keep the spring in students’ steps during a safe and
fun spring break experience.
Getting there is half the fun:
• Plan your trip and make
sure someone at home
knows where you are going
and how to reach you.
• Always lock your doors.
Keep valuables out of sight,
preferably in the trunk of
your car.
• Never pick up hitchhikers.
• Park in well-lighted areas,
or close to the building.
Checking in:
• Use all hotel locks and other
security devices, even when
you’re inside your room.
• Store valuables in the room
safe or in the facility’s main
safe.
• Guard your room keys.
Don’t leave them unattended or visible at restaurants, the pool, or clubs.
• Don’t share your room information with strangers or
shout it out in a social setting.
Out on the town:
• Avoid
carrying
large
amounts of cash. Take only
the cash you need in your
purse or wallet.
• Limit the number of credit
cards you carry. Bring
only the necessary credit
card(s) with you.
• Women should keep purses
closed and snuggled tightly
against the body.
• Men should keep wallets in
a front pants pocket or coat
pocket.
• Stick to well-lighted, welltraveled streets.
• Avoid going off with
strangers. If you feel threatened, get away and call for
help, or try to go to a place
crowded with people.
• Always let someone know
where you are going, who
you are with, and when you
will return.
For more information on
crime prevention issues, contact The National Crime Prevention or visit www.ncpc.org
THE METRO HERALD
OP-ED
I
’d like to think I’ve learned a lot
about human behavior over the
years. For example, I’ve learned
that nine times out of 10, people will
tell you darn near anything if you just
listen – they’ll give you the play-byplay of their son’s soccer game, the intimate details of recent spats with their
spouses, even the particulars of their
health concerns. In my work to represent America’s pharmaceutical research companies, I’ve heard my fair
share of the latter. Even so, there are
certain important health topics that remain relatively under wraps. Colorectal health is one of them.
According to the American Cancer
Society (ACS), colorectal cancer is
one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Even
more disturbing, the ACS reports
African Americans have the highest incidence and mortality. There is no single cause for colon cancer, and most
cases have no symptoms – which is
why proper screening is so important.
Understandably, talking about colorectal health isn’t at the top of the list
for polite conversation. But the topic
needs to be discussed because too few
people—African Americans in particular—are getting the regular screenings they need to stay healthy. The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that colorectal
cancer screening lags far behind
screening for other cancers, such as
breast and cervical cancers. In almost
all cases, early diagnosis through regular screenings can lead to a complete
cure, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
One way colon cancer can be
caught in its earliest and most curable
stages is by colonoscopy. A
colonoscopy is an internal examination
of the colon (large intestine), using an
instrument called a colonoscope, a
COLORECTAL HEALTH SCREENINGS
CAN MAKE LIFE OR DEATH DIFFERENCE
Larry Lucas
Special to The Metro Herald
small camera attached to a flexible
tube. Almost all men and women age
50 and older should have a
colonoscopy, according to the NIH. I
know it sounds uncomfortable, but in
reality most patients are asleep for the
entire procedure. If Katie Couric can
undergo a colonoscopy on national television, as she famously did in 2000
on the “Today Show,” you can certainly do it in the privacy of your doctor’s office! Ignorance can be bliss, but
this is not one of those cases.
Thanks to Medicare’s expanded
coverage, more people than ever have
access to colorectal screening tests to
help find pre-cancerous polyps
(growths in the colon) so they can be
removed before they turn into cancer.
Be sure to ask your doctor how often
you need these tests and what kinds of
tests are best for you. Regular screening tests are essential because studies
show that from the time the first abnormal cells start to grow, it takes
about 10 to 15 years for them to develop into colorectal cancer. Screenings are vital to early detection and
prevention.
It’s also critical to know your risk
factors. While there is no know singular cause for colorectal cancer, risk
factors can help your doctor determine
what screening tests are appropriate
for you. According to the ACS, you
have a higher risk for colon cancer if
you have colorectal polyps, cancer
elsewhere in the body, a family history
of colon cancer, ulcerative colitis,
Crohn’s disease or a personal history
of breast cancer.
There is promising news on the
horizon in the fight against colorectal
cancer. The work of celebrities like
Katie Couric, Diane Keaton and Morgan Freeman has helped bring greater
awareness to the issue. And, as more
cases are found early and treatments
improve, the number of deaths due to
colorectal cancer has declined. The
ACS reports that the death rate for
colon cancer has dropped in the last 15
years. Yet, there is more work to be
done.
America’s pharmaceutical research
companies are doing their part to help
treat many forms of cancer, including
colorectal. A new PhRMA report
shows that there are 646 medicines in
development today to treat patients
with cancer. One such medicine is a
monoclonal antibody that targets the
epidermal growth factor receptor,
which mediates growth signals upon
which cancer cells can become dependent. By blocking the receptor, this
medicine may eradicate existing cancer cells and stop future cancer cell
growth.
It’s important that everyone who
needs these innovative medicines be
able to access them. That’s why America’s pharmaceutical companies sponsor a national clearinghouse of patient
assistance programs called the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA).
Since April of last year, the PPA has
helped connect nearly 3.5 million patients in need to programs that provide
either free or nearly free medicines.
For more information, patients can call
1-888-4PPA-NOW or visit www.
pparx.org.
Colon cancer doesn’t have to be a
death sentence if caught early enough.
Shed some light on this important
issue today by asking your doctor if
you’re getting the colorectal health
screening tests you need.
•
•
•
Larry Lucas is the vice president for
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).
CHILDREN’S ADS
SHOW LOTS OF JUNK FOOD
I
n a child’s buffet of food commercials, more than 40 percent of the
dishes are candy, snacks and fast
food. Nowhere to be found: fresh fruit,
vegetables, poultry or seafood. For
years, health officials have warned that
kids were being inundated with commercials about not-so-healthy foods.
Now, researchers have put numbers to
those warnings in the largest-ever
study of commercials aimed at children.
“The vast majority of the foods that
kids see advertised on television today
are for products that nutritionists
would tell us they need to be eating
less of, not more of, if we’re going to
get a handle on childhood obesity,”
said Vicki Rideout of the Kaiser Family Foundation, which conducts health
research.
Overall, the foundation’s researchers monitored 13 television networks. The viewing took place primarily between late May and early
September 2005. They saw 2,613 ads
featuring food and drinks that targeted
children and teens.
Children ages 8-12 see the most
food ads on TV—an average of 21 a
day, or 7,600 a year. Teenagers see
slightly fewer—17 a day, or about
6,000 a year; and children ages 2-7 see
the fewest—12 a day or 4,400 a year.
“Since (preteens) are at an age
where they’re just becoming independent consumers, understanding what
type of advertising they are exposed to
is especially important,” Rideout said.
In December 2005, the Institute of
Medicine concluded that marketing
practices from the food and beverage
industry are out of balance with recommended diets for children and contribute to an environment that puts
children’s health at risk.
The institute recommended that
companies shift their advertising to
emphasize food and drink that are substantially lower in calories, fats, salt
and sugars.
In November, 10 major food and
drink makers, including companies
such as McDonald’s, The Coca-Cola
Co. and PepsiCo Inc., agreed to adopt
new voluntary rules for advertising.
The companies said they would devote
at least half their advertising directed
to children to promote healthier diets
and lifestyles.
The rules have not gone into effect
yet. However, researchers believe that
the study released Tuesday will serve
as an important benchmark that will
help determine whether the voluntary
guidelines lead to any significant
changes in advertising content. Sen.
Tom. Harkin, D-Iowa, said he hoped
the study would also prove helpful to a
new Federal Communications Commission task force examining the impact of the media on childhood obesity
rates. “We now have data that conclusively shows kids are seeing an overwhelming number of ads for unhealthy
food on all types of TV shows,” Harkin
said. “The ‘childhood obesity epidemic’ isn’t just a catch phrase. It’s a
real public health crisis.”
The study also recorded the number
of public service announcements that
children watch on television. The report said that expectations for educational campaigns affecting child obesity rates should be tempered.
Children see few public service announcements compared to food ads.
Children under 8 see one announcement on fitness or nutrition for every
26 food ads. For preteens, it’s one announcement for every 48 food ads.
And for teens, the ratio is one public
service announcement for every 130
food ads.
15
COMMUNITY NEWS
March 30, 2007
ALEXANDRIA
MINNIE HOWARD HOSTS
INTERNATIONAL
TALENT NIGHT
M
innie Howard School, 3801
West Braddock Road,
Alexandria, will host its
14th Annual International Talent Night
at 7p.m. on Friday, March 30, in the
school’s auditorium.
Proceeds from the $2 tickets will go
to a school in Indonesia, drawn from a
pool of the 46 countries represented at
Minnie Howard. The show lasts approximately 90 minutes and includes
15 acts, representing about 10 nationalities. Highlights include a group
singing a Japanese/English song, an
American student singing “The Lion
King,” dancers and several fashion
shows, including one featuring staff
members.
The National Junior Honor Society
will sell snacks at the performance,
which is open to the public.
For more information, contact the
school at 703-824-6750.
COMMUNITY MEETINGS ON
STATE OF THE SCHOOLS
A
lexandria City Public Schools
will be holding a series of
community meetings to highlight academic achievements and ongoing challenges in our schools. Superintendent Rebecca Perry will speak
about important issues in education,
followed by principals who will make
brief presentations on their schools,
and concluding with a question and answer period. Not every school will be
featured at each meeting. See the list
below. If your child is not currently a
student and you do not know which
school is in your attendance zone,
please call 703-824-6710. RSVPs
would be appreciated but are not required. Please call the ACPS Department of Information and Outreach at
703-824-6635 and indicate which
meeting you plan to attend. Meetings
will be:
West End—Monday, April 16;
6–7p.m. At William Ramsay Elementary School, 5700 Sanger Ave.
Schools: William Ramsay Elementary;
John Adams Elementary; Samuel
Tucker Elementary ; James Polk Elementary; Francis Hammond Middle
School; Minnie Howard 9th Grade
Center; T.C. Williams High School
Central Alexandria—Thursday,
April 19; 6–7p.m. At Douglas
MacArthur Elementary School, 1101
Janneys Lane. Schools: Douglas
MacArthur Elementary; Charles Barrett Elementary; Patrick Henry Elementary; George Mason Elementary;
Matthew Maury Elementary; Francis
Hammond Middle School; George
Washington Middle School; Minnie
Howard 9th Grade Center; T.C.
Williams High School
East End—Tuesday, April 24;
6–7p.m. At Mount Vernon Community
School, 2601 Commonwealth Ave.
Schools: Mount Vernon Community
School; Jefferson-Houston School for
Arts and Academics; Cora Kelly
School for Math, Science and Technology; Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy; George Washington Middle
School; Minnie Howard 9th Grade
Center; T.C. Williams High School
For more information, contact the
Department of Information and Outreach at 703-824-6635.
ANNAPOLIS
MARYLAND SELECTS
CONTRACTOR TO DESIGN
AND BUILD FIRST SEGMENT
OF THE INTERCOUNTY
CONNECTOR
G
overnor Martin O’Malley recently announced the selection of Intercounty Constructors of Annapolis Junction, Md., to
design and build the first phase of the
Intercounty Connector (ICC). The
$478.7 million contract will result in
the construction of seven miles of the
ICC from I-370 to Georgia Avenue
(MD 97). Intercounty Constructors is a
joint venture of Granite Construction
Company, Corman Construction Inc.
and G.A. & F.C. Wagman, Inc. This
contract is the first of five that will create the 18.8-mile ICC that ultimately
will connect the I-270 corridor in
Montgomery County to the I-95/US1
corridor in Prince George’s County.
“It is time to get to work,” said
Governor O’Malley. “With the award
of this first major construction contract, we are moving forward with the
ICC. The Intercounty Constructors
team features an experienced staff of
construction and environmental professionals, who come to the ICC with a
thorough understanding of all of the
agreements and commitments made
during the planning study.”
The firm will begin design work in
the coming weeks, with mainline construction slated for the fall. Reflecting
Maryland’s dedication to building the
ICC in an environmentally and community sensitive manner, a key factor
in the selection of Intercounty Constructors, was their proposal’s sensitivity to these critical factors, which rated
higher in technical merit than the proposals from the two competing joint
ventures.
“We are very pleased that the winning proposal is within the financial
plan that was approved by the General
Assembly in 2005,” said Transportation Secretary John D. Porcari.
This first stretch of the ICC is
scheduled to be complete in late 2010,
while the ICC segments east of Georgia Avenue are slated to open in late
2011 or 2012.
FAIRFAX COUNTY
LOCAL TEENS BRING JAZZ
TO SOUTH AMERICA
M
any Northern Virginia teens
head south for Spring Break
to places like Key West,
South Padre Island or Cancun, Mexico.
This week, the Annandale Jazz Ambassadors, a group of 12 – 18 year-old musicians, will head further south to
Lima, Peru, Quito, Ecuador and the
terraced steps of Machu Picchu on an
“ambassadors’ tour”—performing a
series jazz concerts along the way.
The Annandale Jazz Ambassadors
(AJA) is a group of young musicians,
aged 12–18, who rehearse and perform
16
concerts in the greater Washington DC
area before taking their performances
on domestic and international tours.
The group embarks on their South
American Tour on March 29 and returns to Northern Virginia on April 7.
Tour stops include:
• A tour of Lima, Peru
• A concert at the Franklin D. Roosevelt American School of Lima.
• A tour of Machu Picchu, the Lost
City of the Incas.
• A concert at Teatro Variedades with
the University of San Francisco de
Quito
• A concert at the Arasha Resort
• A concert at the Plaza de Las Americas in Quito
Upon return to the States, the AJA
will stage a welcome home concert at
Ernst Theatre on the Annandale Campus of the Northern Virginity Community College, on April 21 at 8:00pm.
Tickets are available through the Virginia Music Adventures website, from
band members, or at the door. The
AJA will also be performing at
Georgetown University’s Jazz Fest and
the Blue’s Alley Big Band Jam—a
D.C.–wide event geared to bringing
the best in big band jazz through the
presence of youth and jazz education.
Both performances are on April 28.
Band leaders Jeff Cummins and
Aaron Broadus have been offering
their unique approach of travel and
performance based music instruction
to local youth for 25 years. In Virginia Music Adventures (the parent organization of AJA), they are joined by
guest clinicians from the local professional musical community who contribute their expertise in master classes
and sectional rehearsals regularly
throughout the course of the program.
“Education, in all its forms, is important for everyone, but it’s critical
for young people. I’m humbled to be
able to provide these kids the opportunity to share their music, and to see different countries and different cultures.
It enables teens to become wellrounded, better-educated and understanding young adults. In addition to
educating students on music, Cummins
is also a Regional Director for Huntington Learning Centers, where he
helps children and teens succeed in
subjects like math, science and English.
ABOUT HUNTINGTON
LEARNING CENTER
Founded in 1977, Huntington
Learning Center is the oldest in the
supplemental education category, and
has been helping children succeed in
school for the past 30 years. Huntington is a highly respected, accredited
provider of supplemental educational
services with over 300 nationwide locations. Helping students improve
their academic skills, confidence, and
desire for learning is its goal.
To learn more, visit www.
huntingtonlearningcenter.com.
ABOUT VIRGINIA MUSIC
ADVENTURES
Virginia Music Adventures (VMA),
Inc., is a non-profit organization that
provides opportunities for young musicians in the Washington, D.C. area to
rehearse and perform music locally
and through domestic and international
tours. Led by some of Washington's
finest professional musicians, Virginia
Music Adventures, Inc., provides comprehensive music instruction to preteen and teenage musicians across a
range of musical styles.
To learn more, visit www.
virginiamusicadventures.org.
LOUDOUN COUNTY
LOUDOUN CHORALE
PRESENTS “400 YEARS OF
AMERICA SINGING”
T
he Loudoun Chorale continues
its long tradition of performing
high quality choral music with
its spring concert “400 Years of America Singing”, set for April 21 and 22.
The program commemorates the
400th anniversary of the founding of
Jamestown and features the works of
preeminent American composers.
Under the direction of William Propst,
the Chorale will perform Howard
Hansen’s “Song of Democracy” based on a Walt Whitman text - “Simple Gifts” by 20th century composer
Aaron Copland, “Amazing Grace”,
“At the River” and many other spirituals, folk songs and songs of early
America.
Concert dates, times and locations
are April 21 at 7:30p.m. at St. David’s
Episcopal Church, 43600 Russell
Branch Parkway, Ashburn and April
22 at 4p.m. at Holy Trinity Lutheran
Church, 605 West Market Street, Leesburg. Tickets will be sold at the door
for $10 general admission. Senior tickets are $8 and youth tickets are $5.
There is no charge for children 12 and
under.
The Loudoun Chorale, a community-based organization founded in
1991, is the largest vocal ensemble in
Loudoun County with more than 60
mixed-voice singers. The group sings
both traditional and contemporary
works and has performed at the Washington National Cathedral, in several
Loudoun communities and at the Waterford Fair.
For more information, call 703722-3985
or
visit
www.
loudounchorale.org.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
VISARTS AT ROCKVILLE
HOLDS LAST EXHIBITION IN
GAITHERSBURG LOCATION
A
fter three long years in temporary space in Gaithersburg,
MD VisArts at Rockville, (formerly Rockville Arts Place) is holding
its last exhibition at this site. VisArts is
closing this gallery because they will
open three new exhibition galleries at
its new home in Rockville Town Center in July 2007.
In a fantastic send-off, VisArts is
asking everyone, artists, children,
teens, adults, elected officials- virtually anyone who has ever interacted
with VisArts over the past twenty years
to design a postcard in any medium of
their choice. Everyone is invited to be
a component of the continuing journey
of VisArts, as we prepare to move into
our new 28,000 square foot home in
Rockville Town Center.
We will hang all the postcards in
the gallery . . . a mural of time and
space and memories.
All postcards will be on display in
the gallery from April 12–May 13 and
there will be a celebration reception on
Thursday April 12th from 6:309:30pm. Postcards must be received
by April 6th.
For more information contact Harriet Lesser at (301) 869-8623 or e-mail
at [email protected] or visit
www.visartscenter.org
THE METRO HERALD
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
March 30, 2007
COMMEMORATE THE NATIONAL
CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL’S
95TH ANNIVERSARY ON THE WATER
G
uest Services, Inc. a National Park Concessionaire, is inviting Washington, D.C. visitors and locals to kick-off spring during The 95th
Annual National Cherry Blossom Festival with water-themed events
at the Tidal Basin and the Washington Sailing Marina.
As a sponsor of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, Guest Services welcomes guests to enjoy the cherished blossoms at the Tidal Basin Paddle Boats
(1501 Maine Avenue, SW). The Paddle Boats will operate daily throughout the
festival dates, March 31st–April 15th from 10:00AM– 6:00PM (last boat
leaves at 5:00PM). As an added bonus this year, Festival attendees can pre-register for the Paddle Boats online before they arrive to avoid long lines and guarantee their place on the water. For more information or for individual and group
reservations, visit www.tidalbasinpaddleboats.com. Revelers can rent twoseat boats for $8/hour or four-seat boats for $16/hour.
AS JAMESTOWN HITS ITS 400TH ANNIVERSARY,
AMERICA REFLECTS ON TREATMENT OF NATIVE PEOPLES
WHO HELPED SETTLE AMERICA’S FIRST COLONY
A
nn Davis grew up in Virginia
and visited the counties that
house Virginia’s Native Americans. Yet, her family never visited
these areas, no less talk about them.
And, her text books left out the stories
of these people who were the first to
settle in Virginia.
Shedding light on the gaps text
books have left Ann Davis has authored No More Indians (Morgan
James Publishing, February 2007) depicting what is appropriately described
HOW TO GET THERE
Metrorail—Smithsonian (Blue & Orange Lines); Metrobus—11Y, 13B,
13F, 13A, 13G, 53; Circulator—14th & Independence Avenue stop on the
Smithsonian/National Gallery of Art loop; Parking—Closest lot is DC Parking 445 12th Street, NW; Taxi—The Peddle Boats are in taxi fare zone 2E/1
Sailing enthusiasts can also join Guest Services at 12:00 noon on Saturday, April 7 for an event featuring bigger boats. The Washington Sailing Marina (1 Marina Drive, Alexandria), will play host to The Cherry Blossom Regatta, a sailboat race from Haines Point north along the Potomac and back.
Spectators on both sides of the river will have a great view of the area’s finest
sailing vessels as they race for the Cherry Blossom Cup. What’s the best way
to make a day of it? Try packing a picnic and head to East Potomac Park. Interested sailors and spectators can get more information and register to sail at
www.washingtonsailingmarina.com.
I
magination Stage, the Washington, DC region’s leading theatre
arts organization dedicated to children, invites families to attend the first
annual Imagination Stage’s EDGEfest,
featuring professional theatre productions from Russia, Northern Ireland,
Canada and the US. This whirlwind
week of performances and activities is
in addition to Imagination Stage’s
year-round season of professional theatre for family audiences.
Attendees are invited to “come for
a play, stay all day!” They can buy a
Day Pass and see a Mainstage (professional) show, plus take a drama or mobile-making workshop and enjoy an
array of festival activities, including
film screenings, staged readings of
edgy new plays, hands-on arts tables,
and side show entertainment. Schedule and workshop details are at
www.imaginationstage.org. Attendees can come for one day, or for multiple days to see and discuss different
performances. Artistic Director Janet
Stanford’s goal is to have American
audiences see the diverse and exciting
styles and subject matter that international artists are creating, to expand
their understanding of what children’s
theatre can be.
The professional companies appearing at Imagination Stage’s EDGEfest, in chronological order, are TOYS
Theater from St. Petersburg (Saturday, March 31 and Sunday, April 1),
Russia, Kevin Reese from Washington,
DC, (Monday, April 2), DynamO
Theatre from Montreal, Canada
(Wednesday, April 4 and Thursday,
April 5), and Cahoots from Northern
Ireland (Friday, April 6 and Saturday, April 7).
Imagination Stage is located at
4908 Auburn Avenue, Bethesda, MD.
PRICE: $20 for a Day Pass, or $16
per Day Pass, if purchasing for more
than one day. Day Passes includes a
ticket to a professional show and all
other festival activities that day. Box
Office: 301-280-1660.
BLACK FACT
On March 30, 1941,
the National Urban League presented
a one-hour program over a national
radio network and urged equal participation
for blacks in national defense program.
THE METRO HERALD
BALTIMORE
SYMPHONY
ORCHESTRA
ANNOUNCES
NEW DIGITAL
DOWNLOAD
ON ITUNES
as the “paper genocide” of native peoples in Virginia.
No More Indians addresses the untold history of Native Virginians:
• Reservations—Often portrayed in
history as refuge for Native Americans, reservations in Virginia were
more like prisons or concentration
camps. Access in and out was
often discouraged or refused.
• Indian Schools—boarding schools
where Indian children were “reprogrammed” to reject their identity, language, culture and families.
• Paper Genocide—how the state
registrar altered records to list Indian people as “colored” or “mulatto” to take away civil and personal rights, land and their eventual
existence on the public record.
• Slavery in the South—the treatment
of the blacks, and even some Indian
people, as slaves is a part of this
history of the Indians of Virginia.
• How No More Indians relates to
today—Davis sees the current efforts
by Virginia legislators to pass new
laws regarding immigrants in this
state to be history repeating itself
• “The Pocahontas Exception”—elite
Virginians claimed to be related by
blood to the Indians princess. The
new law had to be carefully worded
so as not to bring shame and discredit to these “FFVs”—First Families of Virginia.
• Creating a Superior Race—David
reveals methods used to eliminate
those considered “inferior”
Davis pulled from a variety of
sources, avoiding the pitfalls the textbooks that often share a single vision of
history. Realizing herself an outsider,
Davis includes interviews, photo
archives and other insider research from
members of the Pamunkey and Mattaponi tribes near her home in Virginia.
Writing for the average person who will
be celebrating the Anniversary of the
Founding of Jamestown, Davis hopes to
whet the appetite of people to learn
more about these issues.
T
he Baltimore Symphony
Orchestra
(BSO) has announced
the launch of its first downloadable live-concert recording, featuring the Orchestra’s
January 11-14, 2007 performances of Igor Stravinsky’s The
Rite of Spring, conducted by
Music Director Designate
Marin Alsop and featuring
members of the Peabody Symphony Orchestra. Hailed by
The Washington Post as “a
thunderous, rip-roaring, fullthrottle performance,” the
music is available for download exclusively on iTunes for
a cost of $5.99. Just one week
after the album’s release, the
BSO’s The Rite of Spring is already ranked among the top
three classical downloads on
iTunes.
The recording endeavor underscores Maestro Alsop’s vision of a more accessible Orchestra of the 21st century,
which utilizes technology and
innovative outreach strategies
to reach a much broader audience. This exciting new model
furthers the Orchestra’s commercial recording profile and
paves the way for new distribution channels. The recording is
made available under the terms
of the AFM (American Federation of Musicians) Internet
Agreement between the AFM
and symphony orchestras,
which contains a revenue-sharing component for musicians
of the BSO.
To access the album, visit
the iTunes store and go to the
classical page, or perform a
general search for “Baltimore,
Alsop.” Free thirty-second previews are available. Apple’s
iTunes software is required to
preview and download the
recording. Newport Classics is
distributing the recording on
behalf of the BSO and exclusively through iTunes.
17
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
March 30, 2007
ARENA STAGE PRESENTS THE PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING
CONTEMPORARY COMEDY THE HEIDI CHRONICLES
crises.” Her major works include Uncommon Women and Others, The
Heidi Chronicles, The Sisters
Rosensweig, Isn’t It Romantic, An
American Daughter, Old Money, Third
and the screenplay The Object of My
Affection. She earned her B.A. in history from Mount Holyoke College in
1971, an M.A. in creative writing from
City College of New York and an
M.F.A. in 1976 from the Yale School of
Drama. She was also the recipient of an
honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Mount Holyoke College and
an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree
from Bates College in 2002. Her work,
which includes several books and articles as well as plays, will forever be remembered as the foundation for the
new American heroine - a concerned,
smart and brave woman who is equally
tender and tough. Wendy Wasserstein
gave birth to a daughter, Lucy Jane, in
1999, was hospitalized with lymphoma
in December 2005, and passed away in
January of last year.
SPECIAL EVENTS, TICKET
INFORMATION, AND
PERFORMANCE CALENDAR
A
rena Stage is proud to present
a major revival of the awardwinning contemporary comedy The Heidi Chronicles in loving
tribute to the late Wendy Wasserstein.
Arena Stage welcomes back acclaimed
director Tazewell Thompson to guide
this smart and comedic production.
Helen Hayes Award winner and Washington favorite Ellen Karas (The
Women, Shakespeare in Hollywood,
The Revengers’ Comedies) will star in
the title role alongside a cast of familiar Arena faces including Marty Lodge
(M. Butterfly, Of Mice and Men). In
this insightful comedy, Heidi Holland,
feminist art historian, recounts significant milestones in her life - meeting
lifelong friends at ‘60s political events,
her own uncertain activism in the ‘70s
and confronting her inner turmoil over
her role as a woman of the ‘80s. The
Heidi Chronicles runs April 6 - May 13
on the Fichandler Stage.
“I am thrilled to be producing this remarkable play in honor of my dear friend
Wendy Wasserstein,” said Artistic Director Molly Smith. “Each time I encounter
Wendy’s work, I am struck by its significance for myself and for all women in
each stage of our lives. Wendy challenges the status quo with grace, wit and
warmth in a way that goes beyond the
social mores of any decade or gender.
Heidi’s struggle with identity is one that
is painfully and brilliantly self-referential, and I know that audiences will love
her intelligence and spirit.”
Thompson remarked, “I will remember Wendy’s generosity forever she left us with a great body of work
18
that’s filled with honesty and humanity, and plays that deliver comedy
through life’s pain. Here is a woman
whose own journey is found throughout the play - she was uncompromising, outspoken, and stayed close to her
principles. I feel strongly that with this
terrific cast and phenomenal designers,
we are striving to do her play justice.”
Kirby Malone and Gail Scott White,
pioneers in the field of new media for
the performing arts, will join Set Designer Donald Eastman to bring a visually stunning production to the Fichandler Stage. They are teamed with
Tazewell’s consistent crew of designers
including period costumes by Merrily
Murray Walsh, sound by Fabian
Obispo and lighting by Robert Wierzel.
The Heidi Chronicles opened OffBroadway in 1988. It met critical acclaim throughout the nation, winning
every major award in 1989 including the
Pulitzer Prize, the Tony Award, the Susan
Smith Blackburn Prize, the New York
Drama Critics Circle Award, and awards
from Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle. It is arguably Wasserstein’s most recognized work, and earned her a grant
from the Kennedy Center Fund for New
American Plays. The Heidi Chronicles
brings Wasserstein’s grace, humor and
smart sensibility to the dilemmas of
modern womanhood, indelibly leaving
her one-of-a-kind mark on American theater.
Playwright Wendy Wasserstein (October 18, 1950 - January 30, 2006) became an American pioneer in her field
and was hailed by The New York Times
as the “chronicler of women’s identity
The Salon; Monday, April 9 at
7:00 p.m.; Featuring special guests
from The Heidi Chronicles
In the spirit of artistic and literary
salons of the past, The Salon features
artistic leaders from Arena Stage in a
series of lively, in-depth conversations
with the playwrights, actors, directors,
designers, dramaturgs and audiences
which make Arena Stage so unique.
The Salon is free to Arena Stage subscribers and donors ($75+), and only
$3 for the general public. Reservations
must be made through the Arena Stage
Sales Office at (202) 488-3300.
Southwest Night; Friday, April
13 at 8:00 p.m.
A special invitation is extended to
our Southwest D.C. neighbors to buy
$20 tickets for one specially designated Friday evening performance of
each production. Proof of Southwest
D.C. residency or employment must be
presented at the time of purchase.
Tickets are limited to 4 per person and
are based on availability. To purchase
tickets, call (202) 488-3300 or stop by
the Arena Stage Sales Office.
TICKETS: Tickets range from $4766, with discounts available for students, groups, persons with disabilities
and senior citizens. HOTTIX, a limited
number of half-price, day-of-performance tickets, are available from 90-30
minutes before curtain prior to every
performance. FiveTwentyFive TICKETS, a limited number of $10 tickets
for patrons aged 5-25, are available for
purchase until 5:25 p.m. on the day of
performance. (For matinee weekend
performances, tickets can be purchased
on the day before the performance.)
Sales Office (202) 488-3300; TTY
for Deaf patrons (202) 484-0247;
Group Sales Hotline (202) 488-4380;
Subscriptions (202) 488-4377; Info
for patrons with disabilities (202) 5549066; Tickets are available for purchase online at www.arenastage.org.
PERFORMANCE TIMES: Tues.,
Wed., and Sun. at 7:30 p.m. (Exception: 6:00 p.m. curtain 5/6); Thurs.,
Fri., and Sat. at 8:00 p.m.; Sat. and
Sun. matinees at 2:00 p.m.; Weekday
matinees at 12:00 p.m. on 4/17, 4/25,
and 5/2; Sign-interpreted performances: 4/19 at 8:00 p.m.; 4/22 at 7:30
p.m.; Audio described performances:
4/25 at 7:30 p.m., 4/28 at 2:00 p.m.
THE AMERICAN CENTURY THEATER
PRESENTS
“THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON”
Ron Lincoln (left) and Omar Bah (right) (photo by Jeffery Bell)
T
he American Century Theater
presents Jason Miller’s Pulitzer
Prize winning drama That
Championship Season, which director
Ed Bishop has re-imagined with an
African American cast. The play focuses on the reunion of four middleaged men with their basketball coach
twenty years after winning the championship, but who end up dwelling on the
disappointments and failings of their
lives. To Bishop “this production of
That Championship Season will break
new ground as we see the loss of hopes
and dreams from a different perspective.” TACT Artistic Director Jack
Marshall adds, “Casting a play can
often be done just as a gimmick, meant
to draw in audiences without advanc-
ing the play. But in the case of this
play, the African-American cast cracks
open the script and releases provoking
questions and confrontations.”
The cast of That Championship
Season includes Omar A. Bah, Morgan
J. Hall, Ron Lincoln, Joseph A. Mills
III, and Elliott Moffitt.
That Championship Season runs
March 30–April 28, at Theater II,
Gunston Arts, Center, 2700 S. Lang
Street, Arlington, VA. Wednesday–
Saturday evenings at 8:00PM and
2:30PM matinees on April 1, 15, 21,
and 28. Tickets are $23-$29, with discounts for students, seniors, and
groups. Call 703-553-8782 or visit:
www.americancentury.org.
Elliott Moffitt (left) and Morgan J. Hall (right) (photo by Jeffery Bell)
THE 41ST ANNUAL SMITHSONIAN
KITE FESTIVAL
T
he 41st Annual Smithsonian Kite Festival presented by The
Smithsonian Associates in collaboration with the National Air and
Space Museum will be held on Saturday, March 31,
10:00AM–4:00PM. (Rain date: Sunday, April 1) at the grounds of the
Washington Monument, 17th Street and Constitution Avenue N.W., DC.
Registration for competition: 10:00AM–12:00noon.
This year’s festival honors the importance of the kite in the Japanese
culture and includes demonstrations by Japanese kite makers, displays of
Japanese kite art and an opening ceremony presented by a local Taiko
drum group.
Kite professionals and experts will display kites, perform stunts and
demonstrate kite flying and kite making techniques. Participants of all
ages may enter competitions for wards in numerous categories.
The event is free and open to the public. Children and adults are welcome to fly kites throughout the day without entering competitions. Free
mini kites will be given to the first 800 children to arrive.
THE METRO HERALD
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
March 30, 2007
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS NATURE CENTERS OFFER VARIETY
OF OPTIONS FOR SPRING BREAK
C
ounty kids are out of school for
Spring Break starting April 2,
but the fun and learning doesn’t have to take a break. The county’s
four nature facilities operated by the
Montgomery County Department of
Parks are offering parents a variety of
options for their school-aged children
to fill the days away from school.
“Throughout the school year our
county’s nature centers and naturalists
supplement county students’ educational experiences through field trips or
by providing teachers with nature-based
tools they can use in the classroom,”
said Montgomery County Parks Director Mary Bradford. “During Spring
Break, we invite these young people
and their families back to the nature
centers for more fun and learning.”
Some of the programs offered by
the Department’s four nature facilities
this Spring Break include:
Locust Grove Nature Center,
www.locustgrovenature.org
• “Eggs”actly Right, Tuesday, April
3, 11:15AM–12:00 noon, ages
1–2, cost $4. Investigate eggs inside and out with your youngest
naturalist.
• Beastly Buddies, Wednesday,
April 4, 10:00AM–1:00PM, ages
3–12, cost $3. See live animals,
such as dogs, rabbits, snakes, and
frogs and learn more about them.
Bring a toy, towel, or blanket for
the animals and earn a special prize.
Brookside Nature Center, www.
brooksidenature.org
• “Egg”stravaganza, Wednesday,
April 4, 10:00AM–12:00 noon,
ages 8 and up, cost $8. Learn about
eggs and make a beautiful egg craft.
• Baltimore Museum of Industry
field trip, Thursday, April 5,
10:30AM–3:30PM, ages 9–12,
FIRST BLACK PRINCESS
IN DISNEY ANIMATION
T
he Walt Disney Co. has started
production on an animated musical fairy tale called “The Frog
Princess,” which will be set in New
Orleans and feature the Walt Disney
Studio’s first black princess.
The company unveiled the plans at
its annual shareholders’ meeting in
New Orleans.
John Lasseter, chief creative officer
for Disney and the Disney-owned unit
Pixar Animation Studios, said the
movie would return to the classic handdrawn animation process, instead of
using computer animation that has become the industry standard. He called
the film “an American fairy tale.”
“The film’s New Orleans setting
and strong princess character give the
film lots of excitement and texture,”
Walt Disney Studios Chairman Dick
Cook said.
The movie will be scored by Randy
Newman, who also wrote the music for
Disney’s “Toy Story,” “A Bug’s Life,”
“Toy Story 2,” “Monsters, Inc.” and
“Cars.”
Newman performed a song from
the score for the shareholders.
John Musker and Ron Clements,
who co-directed “The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin” and “Hercules” will
co-direct the movie. The pair also
wrote the story for the film.
Disney said its new animated
princess—Maddy—will be added to its
collection of animated princesses used
at the company’s theme parks and on
THE METRO HERALD
consumer products. The film is set for
release in 2009.
cost $30 (includes transportation,
admission, and program). Participate in an interactive program,
“Needles & Threads,” at the Baltimore Museum of Industry. Get involved with role-play as garment
workers and turn-of-the-century
hand sewers. Bring a bag lunch and
drink.
Meadowside Nature Center,
www.meadowsidenature.org
• Bug Festival, Tuesday, April 3,
10:00AM–2:30PM, ages 2 and up,
cost $5. It’s all about bugs. Meet
live bugs; make a bug craft to take
home, and even try eating a bug.
• Cool Chemistry Festival, Thursday, April 5, 10:00AM–2:30PM,
ages 2 and up, cost $5. Multiple
hands-on experiments filled with
goo, goop, slime and explosions!
Come and explore the wonder of
science with cool activities.
Black Hill Visitor’s
www.blackhillnature.org
ALDEN THEATRE PRESENTS
“A COUPLE OF BLAGUARDS”
M
cLean Community Center’s Alden Theatre presents A Couple of
Blaguards on Saturday, March 31, at 8 p.m. Tickets range from
$22 for McLean district residents to $26 for nonresidents; $11 stu-
dents.
Actors Howard Platt and Jarlath Conroy bring the hilarious and moving
stories of Frank McCourt (Angela’s Ashes) and Malachy McCourt to the
stage in this unforgettable and thoroughly Irish evening of theatre, comedy
and song. “Mixes the sweetness and kick of an Irish coffee”—Newsday.
To purchase tickets, stop by the Alden Theatre Box Office, or to charge by
phone or online through Ticketmaster, call 703-573-SEAT or visit:
www.ticketmaster.com.
For more information, call the Center at 703-790-0123/TTY: 703-8278255, or visit: www.mcleancenter.org
Center,
• Which Nest is Best? Thursday,
April 5, 11:00AM–12:30PM and
2:00PM–3:30PM, ages 2 and up,
cost $7. Learn about what nests are
made of, mud, sticks, lichen, and
even spider webs. Some fish make
nests too—find out how. Also, eat
some nests.
• Eggcitement Hunt, Friday, April 6,
12:00 noon–2:30PM, ages 3–10,
cost $10. Experience the miracle of
nature’s many kinds of eggs with
stories, video and a candy egg
snack. Egg hunt with special prizes
and “Earth Caretaker” messages.
Egg trivia contest for true
“eggheads.”
For more information on these and
other nature center programs, visit
each website listed above and find information on all the Department of
Parks programs, including summer
camps, at www.ParkPASS.org.
19
SPORTS & RECREATION
March 30, 2007
SEAN HIGGINS BRINGS 8-YEAR NBA EXPERIENCE TO
INT’L BASKETBALL LEAGUE
Sean Higgins
Y
oung Alexis Levi is making
history for the International
Basketball League (IBL) Expansion Team—the Las Vegas Stars—
in Las Vegas, Nevada. To help coach
her team to greatness, African American owner, general manager and CEO
Levi hired eight-year NBA veteran
Sean “The Dean” Higgins as a player
and assistant to head coach George
Tarkanian. Sean Marielle Higgins was
selected by the San Antonio Spurs in
the second round (54th overall) of the
1990 NBA Draft. Higgins played for
the Spurs, Orlando Magic, Golden
State Warriors, New Jersey Nets,
Philadelphia 76ers, and Portland Trail
Blazers in eight NBA seasons. He
played collegiate ball for the University of Michigan Wolverines, who he
helped win the 1989 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship.
Levi states, “We are extremely excited about the recent addition to our
coaching staff. When you take the
name and you add a veteran like Sean
Higgins to the puzzle, this could only
equal a great coaching staff. George
will bring the experience that he
learned from his father, the legendary
UNLV head coach Jerry ‘Tark the
Shark’ Tarkanian and Sean will bring
eight years of professional basketball
experience – eight years as a player in
the NBA. Higgins’ coaching debut
with the Las Vegas Stars will take
place April 19, 2007 at 7:15 pm PDT at
the Station Casinos Complex.”
“It is crucial for the Las Vegas Stars
to have a successful 2007 season.
When Sean takes the floor as a player,
he will elevate the level of the team’s
players,” said Levi. “We are building a
Franchise that Las Vegas and the rest
of the world can be proud of. As the
first African American Women to own
a men’s professional basketball team,
my goal is introduce our team to the
world. By aligning with Sean Higgins,
we will meet and exceed our national
and international goals.”
“I look forward to working with
Alexis Levi, George Tarkanian and the
Las Vegas Stars organization. I have a
personal passion for the city of Las
Vegas considering I spent a large portion of my childhood in the city,”
stated Higgins. “I played Pop Warner
football and AAU basketball as a kid in
Las Vegas, and was a camper at all the
Rebels’ youth basketball camps, before
my family moved to Los Angeles in
the early eighties. I have total confidence in Alexis and George’s leadership to propel the Las Vegas Stars basketball team into a valuable asset for
the community of Las Vegas, and I
plan to help them achieve this goal.”
The Las Vegas Stars’ inaugural season kicks off with a road trip to face the
Phoenix Flame on Friday, April 6, 2007
at Arizona Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum. To ensure ample preparedness for
its first season, the team has selected
players from Arizona, California, Las
Vegas, Detroit, Atlanta and New York.
FEMALE UMP TO WORK MLB EXHIBITION GAME
Associated Press
A
rookie fresh from the minors is
about to change the face of
baseball: A female umpire is set
to work a major league exhibition game
for the first time in almost 20 years.
Ria Cortesio, ready to start the season in Double-A, will be on the bases
Thursday for a game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago Cubs
in Mesa, Ariz.
“I’m looking forward to it,” she
said. “There will be a lot more people
in the stands than I’m used to.”
No female umpire has ever worked
in the majors during the regular season.
Pam Postema was the last woman ump
to call big league exhibitions, back in
1989—she was in spring training for
two years before getting released.
Cortesio is the only female umpire
in professional baseball. At 30, she is
starting her ninth year overall and fifth
in Double-A.
Slender and athletic, she cut her
ponytail a few years ago so she wouldn’t stand out on the field. She also uses
a low grunt to call strikes.
“It’s awesome,” Cubs star Derrek
Lee said. “I think it’s about time. Female
eyes are as good as male eyes. Why
can’t they be umpires? Good for her.”
Triple-A and Double-A umpires
routinely join major league crews in
spring training, especially when extra
games fill the schedule.
“I was kind of expecting it,” Cortesio said. “Umpires with my seniority
usually get picked.”
Cortesio has been working minor
league exhibition games in Arizona
this month. This week, she’ll move
over to HoHoKam Park when a Diamondbacks split squad plays Chicago.
Cubs reliever Scott Eyre liked the
idea. “She’s doing our game? Oh,
cool,” he said. “How do I feel about it?
I could care less. If she can call a game,
she can call a game.”
“If she rings somebody up for me, I
don’t care. You know what I mean? I
DDOT ANNOUNCES DELIVERY OF
2007 RFK STADIUM EVENT MAILERS
E
ach year during the months April through September, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) institutes a program of restricted
curbside parking in an “Enhanced Enforcement Zone” around RFK
Stadium. The purpose of this parking zone is to protect residential curbside
parking space from pressures generated by Washington Nationals and DC
United games played at RFK Stadium.
As of March 21, 2007, DDOT began sending mailing packets to all households within the RFK Enhanced Enforcement parking zone. Each household
should expect to receive one packet containing three items:
1. Reminder notice explaining RFK Stadium Event parking restrictions
2. Schedule of Stadium Events: Washington Nationals and DC United
Games
3. 2007 RFK Stadium Event Visitor Pass
If a household does not receive an RFK Stadium Event mailer, please contact DDOT at 202/671-2740 to notify city staff during normal business hours.
In accordance with previous years, DDOT urges patrons of events at RFK
Stadium to travel via public transportation. Those who choose to drive to
games must park in officially designated RFK Stadium parking lots. Vehicles
parked in surrounding neighborhoods that fail to display proper zone parking
stickers or Visitor Passes will be ticketed and towed.
20
wouldn’t have a problem with it,” he
said.
Cortesio was on a big league field
last season for All-Star festivities at
PNC Park in Pittsburgh. She called the
Futures Game for minor league
prospects, then worked the Home Run
Derby the next night.
Cortesio started her umpiring career in the Pioneer League, yet doesn’t
trumpet herself as a pioneer in a profession dominated by men.
“I don’t do this job to get on TV,”
she said last July. “But I hope it will
raise the awareness a little.”
She later worked in the Florida State
League. There, New York Yankees
owner George Steinbrenner once criticized her strike zone after she worked a
game that Roger Clemens pitched while
recuperating from an injury.
For several years, she’s been an instructor at the Jim Evans Academy of
Professional Umpiring.
This year, Cortesio hopes to move
to Triple-A—she’s on deck for promotion when the next vacancy occurs.
Once umpires reach Triple-A, they are
evaluated by major league supervisors,
rather than minor league staff.
Life in Double-A isn’t luxurious.
Last year, she made about $2,600 a
month for the six-month season and
her per diem was $25, with her hotel
room paid for; big league umps can
earn well over $100,000 and get $357
daily to pay for their meals and hotel.
Plus, there’s the travel. Major
league umpires jet around the country,
a three-person crew in the Southern
League drives itself 24,000 miles over
a full season.
All that, and no guarantee they’ll
ever make the majors because jobs
rarely open up. Fact is, a player in Double-A has a much better chance of
reaching the big leagues than an umpire.
Mike Winters will lead Cortesio’s
crew Thursday. It’ll mark the first time
she’s worked a game with a major
league umpire.
“I think I’m as excited about that as
anything,” she said.
JAWORSKI REPLACES THEISMANN ON
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
Associated Press
E
SPN is changing quarterbacks.
Joe Theismann will no longer
be part of the network’s “Monday Night Football” broadcast and will
be replaced as an analyst by Ron Jaworski, the former Philadelphia Eagles
quarterback, the network announced .
Jaworski will join play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico and analyst Tony
Kornheiser in the booth. Suzy Kolber
and Michele Tafoya will handle sideline reporting.
Critics had panned the chemistry
between Theismann and Kornheiser, a
columnist for the Washington Post and
the co-host of ESPNs “Pardon the Interruption” talk show. But Norby
Williamson, ESPN’s executive vice
president for studio and remote production, said chemistry was not the
reason for the change.
“I thought Joe and Tony got along
very well, and I thought the dialogue
was good and was conversational,” he
said. “I think we’re going to build on
last year. We had a fantastic first year.
I was happy with the booth and I think
we’re in a position now of continuing
to move it forward and to build on it.”
Theismann, a former Washington
Redskins quarterback, will be offered
another football job with the network,
Williamson said.
“We would be making a mistake if
we cannot get that done with him,” he
said.
Ron Jaworski
Phone calls seeking comment from
Theismann were not immediately returned.
Jaworski, who has done analysis on
NFL games in the past, is better known
for his studio analysis and ability to
break down game tape for viewers.
“I’m an ‘Xs-and-Os’ guy. I love
breaking down the game. I love the
strategy of the game,” he said. “That’s
the beauty of what I will bring to the
table is that insight of ‘Xs and Os.’”
Jaworski said he and Kornheiser
have been friends for over a decade,
and Jaworski has frequently appeared
as a guest on Kornheiser’s radio show
and on “Pardon the Interruption.”
“It’s been a wonderful (relationship) thus far, but certainly now the
stage is bigger and brighter,” Jaworski
said. “I think our role, people will see
how well we do get along.”
NFL games on Monday night
moved from ABC to ESPN last season.
ESPN TO PRESENT
TELEVISED FILM EVENT
BLACK MAGIC
F
ilmmaker Dan Klores to Give In-Depth Look at the Civil Rights
Movement Through the Eyes of Basketball Players and Coaches
at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
ESPN Original Entertainment, in collaboration with Shoot the Moon
Productions and award-winning director Dan Klores, has announced
plans for ESPN to televise a two-part, four-hour film tentatively titled
Black Magic about the injustice which defined the civil rights movement
in America, as told through the lives of basketball players and coaches
who attended Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). Coproduced by basketball legend and Winston-Salem State University
graduate Earl “The Pearl” Monroe and former New York Times film
critic Elvis Mitchell, the film will be aired in March 2008 with extensive
support across a variety of ESPN networks and media platforms.
“Black Magic is an important story that we look forward to telling on
all of our platforms,” said John Skipper, ESPN executive vice president,
content. “It’s a living history of sports and culture that invites a broader
discussion about race, society and how we think about modern day athletes and sports. It’s the kind of project we embrace wholeheartedly. Dan
Klores continues to prove his mettle as a filmmaker and his rare ability
to reveal what we thought we knew, but turns out we didn’t know at all.”
“This is a story of injustice, refuge and joy,” said Klores, “It’s an epic
that has not been told.” Klores added that Ben Jobe, the 75-year-old retired coach at six HBCUs, and the 15th child of Tennessee sharecroppers, best summarized the film when he said, “I remember when it went
from ‘Whaddya want?’ to ‘May I help you?’”
From more than 200 hours of interviews and footage, the film reveals the plight of these players and coaches as a stark but proud one,
filled with obstacles at every turn. From separate leagues and facilities,
to championship games and titles that never qualified for the history
books, all the way to secret games played between blacks and whites in
defiance of the law, players and programs at HBCUs not only thrived,
but laid the groundwork for the proliferation of the modern athlete.
Klores conducted interviews with the widow of Clarence ‘Big House”
Gaines, Cleo Hill, Ernie Brown, Willis Reed, Avery Johnson, Ben Wallace, John Chaney, Bob Love, Al Attles, Pee Wee Kirkland, Earl Lloyd,
Dick Barnett, Woody Sauldsberry, Bob Dandridge, Sonny Hill, Perry
Wallace, Dave Robbins, Harold Hunter, Miriam Samuels, Charles Oakley, Donnie Walsh, Bobby Cremins, Howie Evans, the widow John
McLendon, historians Skip Gates, Cleveland Sellers and Milton Katz,
amongst others.
THE METRO HERALD
SPORTS & RECREATION
March 30, 2007
WASHINGTON MYSTICS TO HOST
2007 WNBA DRAFT PARTY
T
he Washington Mystics will host its annual Fan Draft Viewing Party
on Wednesday, April 4th at ESPN Zone. Fans are encouraged to arrive
at noon as the first round of the 2007 WNBA Draft will begin at
1:00PM. The Mystics have the sixth overall pick in the draft as well as a pick
in the second and third rounds (19th and 32nd overall). This year, the draft
will be held in Cleveland, Ohio, the site of the Women’s NCAA Championship. The first round of the draft will be broadcast on ESPN2. All three
rounds of the draft will be broadcast on NBA TV, WNBA.com and
ESPN.com.
Washington Mystics players Alana Beard and Tamara James will be in attendance as well as Mystics President and Managing Partner Sheila Johnson
and Chief Operating Officer, Curtis Symonds.
Seating for the event is limited. We suggest that you skip to the front of
the line with ESPN Zone’s MVP Online Priority Seating, available exclusively to ESPN Zone MVP Club Members. To sign up for the MVP Club, visit
mvpclub.espnzone.com. Then, log onto that same website one to three days
in advance of your scheduled visit to make your priority seating request.
The Mystics will tip off its tenth season on Saturday May 19th at
6:00PM when the team hosts conference rival, Connecticut Sun. Season
tickets and partial plans for the 2007 Mystics season are currently on sale and
can be purchased by calling the Mystics Sales Office at 1-877-DC-HOOP1
or by visiting www.washingtonmystics.com.
BLACK FACT
On March 30, 1870,
the ratification of the 15th Amendment
to the Constitution secured
voting rights for all male U.S. citizens.
THE METRO HERALD
21
CLASSIFIED ADS/BIDS & PROPOSALS
March 30, 2007
Only $250 buys a
25-word classified ad in
98 newspapers across Virginia.
Call: The Metro Herald at
703-548-8891
OR
Virginia Press Services at
804-521-7571
to place your ad in the
AD NETWORK CLASSIFIEDS
AUCTIONS
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BCIA CULPEPER JUNIOR BULL
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Culpeper Agricultural Enterprises,
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and 52 commercial bred heifers. Catalog 540-231-9163.
BULL AND COMMERCIAL BRED
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Knoll Crest Farm, Red House, VA 434376-3567.
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Almost Everyone Qualifies! Live Operators Listings 1-800-274-5086 Ext. 230.
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TEACHER JOB FAIR—Saturday, April
21, 2007, Pasquotank County High
School, Elizabeth City, NC. Pre-Registration required by April 4. For registration and on-line application, visit www.
ecpps.k12.nc.us or contact ECPPS
Personnel Department 252-335-2981.
EOE.
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Insurance Inspectors/Reporters: Advanced Field Services seeks individuals
to complete insurance inspections on
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information and to apply visit: www.
afsweb.com/careers.
SALES
GREAT OPPORTUNITY for VA Licensed Insurance Agents & GA’s.
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TRUCK DRIVERS
EMPLOYMENT LISTING
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EQUIPMENT FOR SALE
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22
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434-444-5088.
THE METRO HERALD
BUSINESS NEWS/BIDS & PROPOSALS
March 30, 2007
NEW POST FOR REV. MEDGAR L. REID
Rev. Medgar L. Reid
T
he Rev. Medgar L. Reid, a native
Baltimorean, has served as a
Maryland
Governor
appointee—Director of the Office of Community Initiatives. Since 1994, Rev.
Reid has been an on-call staff Chaplain
with the University of Maryland Medical System. Throughout his career, Reid
has developed, and continues to form,
partnerships with influential community
groups, corporate and government leaders who are important in establishing
beneficial relationships with impact.
Rev. Reid will start in his new position in the Office of Government Relations on May 1.
Ms. Kim Williams, President/
Founder of the Better Baltimore Foundation (BBF) is pleased to announce that
Rev. Medgar L. Reid has been named
Vice President, Global Affairs Strategist
in the Office of Government Relations.
Reid will represent the interest of BBF
by building support and strengthening
constituency commitment for the purpose of serving the people in need in the
greater Baltimore Area.
As a member of the United Nations
Association, Reid will be networking
with the 192 official delegates of the
United Nations, 535 members of Congress and elected officials in all 50
states to bring about positive change for
the citizens of Baltimore in the areas of
health care, technology, economic development, housing, education, justice,
and environmental matters.
Better Baltimore Foundation, Inc.
(BBF) is a not-for-profit public charity
founded to promote other charitable
and service organizations or grass roots
groups by directing resources to support the humanitarian efforts that address the needs of the underprivileged.
IOTA PHI LAMBDA SORORITY’S
75TH BUSINESS MONTH CONFERENCE
OP-ED
W
hen will Black American
voters figure out that they’ve
been sold out by inept politicians? It’s no question that during 235
years of enslavement wages not paid to
African Americans’ fore parents total
over $1.4 trillion. Slavery was fundamental to America’s evolution into a
world economic power. So, how much
sense does it make for black elected officials in Virginia, Georgia, Missouri
and Delaware to let those states’ inheritors of America’s wealth off with benign
“apologies” for slavery and no money?
Black elected officials have become
so ensconced in the system that they’ve
completely retreated on issues directly
affecting blacks. Through compromise
and personal reward, they’ve bought
into the “establishment” to the point
they forsake politics that advance the
lives and situations of constituents.
The state cases illustrate how black
politicians fail to leverage their access,
power, and resources for us.
Declaring that, “It is time for Georgia, one of the major stake-holders in
slavery, to say it’s sorry,” Rep. Tyrone
Brooks introduced a bill proposing that
Georgia apologize for its role in slavery
and segregation. Brooks’ measure
comes on the heels of Virginia’s resolution, supported by black legislators that
expressed “regret over slavery”.
Though they didn’t even get a full apology, the momentum of Virginia’s “success” has black legislators in other states
considering similar idiotic proposals.
“It’s something that’s very heartfelt
to me as a decedent of a slave, as a per-
cation; and offer scholarships
in upwards of $9,000 to three
enterprising district senior
high school students.
Vonetta Martin, Gamma’s
business month chairperson,
said “Over the past 75 years,
Iota has had a long standing
historical presence throughout
the business community of the
United States; as part of Iota,
Gamma wants to make its
mark this year by providing a
platform for continued busiVOLUNTEERS NEEDED
ness
education
and
progresMember of Gamma chapter mentoring a student at
he
Alexandria/Arlington
sive interaction between the
the 2006 Black College Expo.
Court Appointed Special AdDistricts youth and adults.”
vocate (CASA) Program is
o you give an Iota? During
Conference activities include creseeking volunteers to speak up for
April 2007, Gamma chapter of ative alternatives to business education
abused and neglected children in
Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, In- and professional development while
court. Volunteers conduct interviews
corporated will provide as its annual fostering relationships that will conwith children, families, and profesbusiness month programming a month tinue Gamma’s aim for mentoring
sionals, monitor compliance with
long conference “Shaping Our Lives youth and continued development of
court orders, write detailed reports,
and represent the best interests of the
through Business and Professional En- businesswomen in the district. Activichild in court. Volunteers must comrichment” for youth and women inter- ties include the below with support
plete training and background checks.
ested in the field of business.
from Bank of America, Southeastern
Volunteers commit to one year with
The purpose of this year’s confer- University Business Department, Indethe program. Bilingual volunteers
ence is to create awareness for minor- pendent Sector, A’Lelia Bundles, an
(Spanish/English) are greatly needed.
ity women and youth about the busi- author and motivational speaker, to deTo learn more, call (703) 820-9001 or
ness industry of District of Columbia; liver the keynote address for the lunchvisit www.scanva.org.
close the gap between those who have eon and much more.
been fortunate enough to succeed in
their business or profession and as an
THE MARYLAND-NATIONAL CAPITAL PARK
entrepreneur while coming to a meeting ground where facilitators can share
AND PLANNING COMMISSION (M-NCPPC)
their wealth of knowledge; have partichereby invites sealed proposals from interested parties for Proposal
ipants recognize the value of ownerNo. P27-188, “Alternative Adequate Public Facilities Requireship, self-sufficiency, and economic
ments and Review Procedures for Centers and Corridors for
independence through continued edu-
D
T
Prince George’s County Planning Department” in accordance with
scope of services to be furnished by the Purchasing Division, 6611
Kenilworth Ave., Suite 300, Riverdale, MD 20737. There will be
no charge for the proposal. A Pre-Proposal Conference is scheduled
for 9:30 AM, Wednesday, April 11, 2007, at M-NCPPC, Lakeside
Offices, Jane Jacobs Conference Room, 14422 Old Mill Road,
Upper Marlboro, Maryland 20772. Each proposal must be
submitted to the Purchasing Office at the above address. Proposals
must be received before 1:00 PM, Thursday, April 19, 2007.
Questions regarding this proposal may be directed to Tina J. Baham
at (301) 454-1602, TTY (301) 454-1493, or Tina.Baham@mncppc.
org. All proposals and associated documents will become the property
of the M-NCPPC and will be considered public information.
The Commission is an E.O.E. with special procurement rules for
Minorities, Females, and the Disabled.
THE METRO HERALD
BLACK POLITICIANS
PUNK OUT
ON REPARATIONS
William Reed
Special to The Metro Herald
son who witnesses the residual effects
of slavery,” said Rep. Talibdin ElAmin in his sponsorship of House Resolution 26, which gets Missouri to
apologize for its role in slavery. ElAmin says his bill “. . . begins the healing process . . .” But how and when
do we complete the process.
The U.S. government’s first reparations plan to compensate AfricanAmericans for the legacy of slavery
was 40 acres and a mule. In Gen.
William Sherman’s promise to former
slaves shortly after the Civil War, he
gave an order that set aside land on the
Georgia and South Carolina coasts for
the settlement of newly freed families.
Over 40,000 freed slaves settled there,
but President Lincoln’s successor Andrew Johnson rescinded the federal
government’s promise and reversed the
reparations. Since Sherman’s promise,
the issue has been revisited time and
again; sadly El-Amin’s Missouri proposal will be met with disclaimers
from the state’s elite, who will finally
capitulate in the form of “sorry, but no
check”. In 1963 Martin Luther King,
Jr., said Sherman’s promise was “A
check which has come back marked
‘insufficient funds.’”
Hopefully, Delaware State Senator
Margaret Rose Henry has the sense to
pursue cash money in her state.
Delaware is ripe to do right. It was a
slave-holding state up to the start of the
Civil War. It was also a “border state,”
with an abolitionist movement centered in Wilmington and slave-owning
interest in southern farm areas. In
1861, President Abraham Lincoln tried
to use Delaware as a test case for a plan
he hoped would avoid war. He asked
Delaware’s Legislature to free all the
state’s slaves. In return, the federal
government would reimburse each
owner $500 for each freed slave.
Delaware’s lawmakers did not act on
the offer. Lincoln’s “test case” crumbled and the war began.
Before Senator Henry cajoles the
Delaware Legislature into another
“apology” to that state’s blacks, she
should take note of what Permanent
Court of International Justice says of
reparations: “. . . must, as far as possible, wipe out all the consequences of
the illegal act and reestablish the situation which would, in all probability,
have existed if that act had not been
committed. Restitution in kind or, if
this is not possible, payment of a sum
corresponding to the value which restitution in kind would bear; etc. . . .”
If black legislators are going to do
anything about reparations for slavery, at
least let it yield more than hollow apologies. At minimum, the deal proposed by
conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer—a one-time cash payment of
$100,000 for every black family of four,
to be financed through a 75-cent gas tax
over 10 years. In return blacks would
relinquish all claims for programs of
racial preference.
•
•
•
William Reed
www.BlackPressInternational.com)
PUBLIC NOTICE
ROUTE 15/29 BRIDGE at BUCKLAND
Prince William County
A Categorical Exclusion has been prepared to evaluate the
environmental impacts of the proposed strengthening and
widening of the Route 15/29 southbound bridge over Broad Run
at Buckland in Prince William County.
This document was prepared in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act and the Federal Highway
Administration's Environmental Impact and Related Procedures
(23 CFR 771) and in compliance with the National Historic
Preservation Act, Section 106 and 36 CFR Part 800, information
concerning the potential effects of the proposed improvements on
properties listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of
Historic Places are available for review at online at :
http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/resources/CE.55581.pdf or at
VDOT’s offices at 10228 Residency Rd., Manassas, Va., and
14685 Avion Parkway, Chantilly, Va.
Public comments will be accepted through Monday, April 30,
2007. Comments may be sent to Steven Pomeroy at VDOT
Northern Virginia District Environmental Section, 14685 Avion
Parkway, Chantilly, VA 20151-1104 or to:
[email protected]. Please reference the "UPC
55581 Categorical Exclusion for Rt. 15/29 Bridge at Buckland” in
the subject line of the comments. Comments sent by regular mail
must be postmarked by the above date.
VDOT ensures nondiscrimination and equal employment in all
programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you need more information or special
assistance for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency,
contact VDOT’s NOVA District Office of Civil Rights, 14685 Avion
Parkway, Chantilly, VA 20151-1104 or at (703) 383-2341 (or TTY
711).
VDOT Project No. 0015-076-115, M600, P101 (UPC No. 55581)
23
March 30, 2007
IN THIS TOWN,
50
MILLION
DOESN’T SOUND LIKE A LOT.
BUT IT IS.
National Mall, 7th & Madison
April 7 11am – 3pm
Just how much? Find out on April 7th.
Join best-selling author and TV
personality Dr. Ian Smith and
some of the biggest names in
sports, film and music at the
National Mall. And take part in
a historic event that will help
us live stronger and longer.
Together, we’re going to take
a giant leap forward – one
step at a time.
Look out for: Mary J. Blige,
Ashford & Simpson, Biz Markie, Patti LaBelle,
Kelly Price, Yolanda Adams & Omarion
24
THE METRO HERALD