baton
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2010
rouge,
louisiana
Jobs No. 1 Priority for One Nation Marchers By James Wright Special to the NNPA from the Washington Informer Hundreds of thousands of people from across the country converged upon Washington, D.C., to participate in a rally to let the U.S. Congress and the White House know that job creation and fixing the ailing economy should be the number one priority. The One Nation Working Together rally at the Lincoln Memorial was designed to counter the Tea Party movement’s rally in Washington in August and to caution Americans that a Republican-controlled Congress would turn back the hands of time. Members from various progressive organizations and unions traveled by bus, train, airplane, and on foot to let national leaders in Washington know that political squabbling will do little to heal people’s economic pain in the aftermath of one of the longest recessions since World War II. “I came here to support the cause of the march,” Derrick Griffin, 43, said. “Our leaders here in D.C. should be about saving jobs and trying to put forth the change we voted for
in 2008,” the Fort Washington, Md., resident said. Event organizers estimated that 175,000 people gathered on a slightly breezy, but clear day to show a united front. They came from all walks of life and economic circumstances. Participants included the employed and unemployed, union workers and environmentalists, civil rights leaders and civic leaders, war veterans and peace activists, student leaders and those from the gay, lesbian, transgender community. Speakers at the event included the Rev. Jesse Jackson of the Ra nbow/Push Coalition, National Urban League President Marc Morial, NAACP President Benjamin Jealous, Rev. Al Sharpton of the National Action Network – all of whom stressed the need for jobs and emphasized the urgency of the situation. The crowd congregated on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and fanned out onto the grounds of the Washington Monument. There were throngs of people on both sides of the Reflecting Pool as well as those who hunkered down See marchers, on page 2
Vol. 35 • No. 23
a people’s publication
Safety Paying off With Fewer Deaths on Louisiana Roads By Executive Director, Louisiana Highway Safety Commission
Photo by Victor Holt
People traveled from across the country to be part of the march to the Lincoln Memorial in the nation’s capitol.
Last year 91 fewer people died on Louisiana’s roads than in 2008. While 91 fewer deaths is a fantastic statistic, we cannot ignore the fact that more than 800 people were killed and 73,856 were injured in Louisiana crashes in 2009. The number of crashrelated deaths in 2009 hit a 25year low, thanks to a variety of factors that include safer cars and roads, seat belt use, strong safety laws being followed by motorists, enforcement of those laws and educational efforts by the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission and other organizations. Highway deaths in Louisiana could be reduced to a fraction of their current level if all motorists did two critical things: always fastened their seat belts and never drove while intoxicated. Our research shows that a large percentage of driver fatalities are due to lack of seat belt use and/or alcohol. Buckling up every time
you drive or ride in a vehicle is one of the simplest steps you can take to protect yourself in a crash. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, seat belts reduce the risk of fatal injury to passenger car occupants by 45 percent and the risk of moderate-to-critical injuries by 50 percent. About 65 percent of the people killed in crashes in Louisiana in 2009 were not buckled up. The rate of alcohol-involved highway crashes in Louisiana also remains persistently high, accounting for more than 400 deaths in 2009. Forty-eight percent of the deaths on Louisiana roads in 2009 were alcohol-related, substantially higher than the national average. Law enforcement officers will continue to work around the clock to enforce traffic laws and remove drunk drivers from the roads. The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission takes a multiprong approach to fulfilling our mission of saving lives. See roads, on page 7
Istrouma High’s Future Food Service Workers Prepare Tastings for Epicurean Society’s Whole Foods Fund-Raising Event BATON ROUGE, LA – Istrouma High School’s Louisiana ProStart students put on their chef hats and aprons September 22 and served up appetizers for a worthy cause at Whole Foods in Towne Centre. The tasty mini-dishes cooked up by students like (left to right) 11th graders Charitty James and Dominque McGruder enticed shoppers to buy even more, thus contribute even more, to the Baton Rouge Epicurean Society (BRES) on Whole Foods Community Giving Day. The store donated 5 percent of total purchases that day to BRES, which is a big supporter of the ProStart
educational program. Louisiana ProStart, which is administered by the Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation in 49 high schools statewide, is a dynamic, comprehensive two-year food service curriculum encouraging juniors and seniors to learn all aspects of operating and managing a food service establishment. Upon completion of the program, students receive the National ProStart Certificate of Achievement. BRES and the Louisiana Restaurant Association have donated funds, materials and equipment to the schools, like Is-
trouma High, participating in the program. Please contact Sonya T. Gordon, APR Public Information Officer for the East Baton Rouge Parish School System with the Communications & Community Engagement Department by sgordon@ ebrschools.org., (225) 922-5611 or by calling her cell phone at (225) 328-4763, and faxing to (225) 9225623 for more information. Pictured from left to right are 11th graders Charitty James and Dominque McGruder.
THE Press BOX SU Fame, Fashion and Talent Show Proceeds to Benefit St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital BATON ROUGE - Southern University will hold a “Fame and Fashion/ Talent Show: A Color Story,” at 8 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 3, in the F. G. Clark Activity Center. Admission is $1 and proceeds will benefit St. Jude’s Chil-
dren Research Hospital. Recording artist and actress Teairra Mari will be the guest host. Mari has released three albums, the latest, “Roc-A-Fella Presents: Teairra Mari,” was released in 2005 and reached number 5 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and number 2 on the Billboard R&B charts. Her
NATIONAL/state & Community watch
acting credits include the movie, “Lottery Ticket.” The show will include designs by Baton Rouge Magnet High School juniors Christopher Rogers, Julie Liu and 17-oldyear Lafayette designer, Jalen Ward. Rogers and Liu are the founders of Rogersliu. Their collection is known for its emotional
Local & State News
resonance and raw energy paired with over-the-top styling. Ward is the creative designer of Soul Purpose Clothing. His designs are influenced by music. Local artist will also perform during the show, which is open to the public. For a complete list of Homecoming activities, visit www.
Business News
subr.edu/Homecoming2010/ Homecoming2010.htm
Mayor, Councilman DisAgree Over Curbing Crime BATON ROUGE - A very public disagreement has erupted inside City Hall, and Mayor Kip Holden says “the gloves are off” in his battle with Mayor Pro-Tem
Health News
Mike Walker. The issue is how crimefighting in Baton Rouge is being addressed in the wake of two recent, high-profile murders downtown. It’s a battle Walker says needs to be addressed out in the open. Over the weekend, a 17-year-old was killed after being caught in the crossfire of a See press box, on page 2
Religion News
The Emmanuel Baptist Church will be sponsoring the annual Aid Anniversary on October 17-21, 2010 at the Rock Zion Baptist Church. ..See Page 6
INDEX
Take Back the Night March What would you sacrifice for your DREAMS? When Dreamgirls first opened on Broadway in 1981, it racked up the awards and garnered the acclaim that made it the classic favorite we know and love today....See Page 2
A public demonstration to honor the women who have survived violent crime in our community and to remember those women who are victims of rape, murder, or domestic violence in the Capital area..See Page 3
Learning Money Management
Capital One Financial Corporation and Junior Achievement are bringing Capital One/Junior Achievement Finance Park, an innovative mobile financial education program, back to Baton Rouge-area middle school students. ..See Page 5
Healthy Living and Your Weight
Hi, I’m Margaret Furtado. As a registered dietitian and nutritionist for almost 20 years, I’ve made teaching people about good foods, weight loss, and fitness my passion, and I hope that through this blog I can inspire you too to eat healthy...See Page 7
Local & State............................3 Business....................................5 Classified..................................5 Religion....................................6 Health.......................................7
Classified Buying or selling a service, looking for a good job or a good used car? Check out the classifeds .
THEWEEKLYPRESS.COM Celebrating 35 Years Of Service To The Baton Rouge Community 225.775.2002
Southern University & Louisiana state university
GO JAGS & GO TIGERS
Don’t Miss The Bayou Classic Special Edition • Call For Details 225.775.2002