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BATON

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2013

Patti Labelle To Headline Zulu Coronation Ball

Zulu Official 2014 Parade to Honor NelsonMandela

ROUGE,

LOUISIANA

Speaker Tells SU Grads To “Be Baton Rouge Set Prepared” When Break Happens to Receive Coastal Restoration Hub

Baton Rouge Mayor-President Kip Holden speaks at a press conference on Tuesday, December 17, 2013, announcing plans to build a new “Water Campus” near the old city docks.

Patti LaBelle NEW ORLEANS - The Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club, Inc. is proud to announce Grammy Award Winner Patti LaBelle will be the featured entertainer for the 2014 Annual Zulu Coronation Ball to be held February 28, 2014 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, 900 Convention Center Blvd.

New Orleans, La. 70130.

Tables are on sale now for the Coronation Ball and may be purchased at the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club, Inc. 732 North Broad Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70119. For additional information, call 504 827-1661 or visit our website Krewe of Zulu.com.

In honor of the late Nelson Mandela, the official 2014 Zulu Parade Theme will be “Zulu Salutes Nelson Mandela”.

Scotlandville Magnet High Engineering Program Celebrates 30 Years Of Success The High School for Engineering Professions (HSEP), located within the Scotlandville High School campus, celebrated its 30th anniversary with a fundraising breakfast at Boudreaux’s on Dec. 13. More than 130 business and industry leaders attended the breakfast in support of this unique and highly successful magnet program focused on STEM education and the principles of engineering.

This Academy of Engineering program is a learning community designed in partnership with the National Academy Foundation, Project Lead the Way and the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, with support from local business and industry, as well as the higher education community.

The event featured

VOL. 38 • NO. 20 • FREE

A PEOPLE’S PUBLICATION

Fall graduating class 2013. Photo by James Terry III

Deborah Augustine Elam BATON ROUGE - Southern University graduates were told at today’s commencement program that it is important that they “be prepared when your break happens” no matter when it comes.

Deborah Augustine Elam,

From left to right are: Judd Berthrand Carrier, College of Engineering and Computer Science; Catrice Roggerson, College of Arts and Humanities; ShawnDreka N. Clemons, College of Education; Yalin Liu, Chief Student Marshal and College of Engineering and Computer Science; Ashley Noel Odendahl, School of Nursing and Allied Health; Delane Ross, College of Agricultural, Family, and Consumer Science; and Chakira P. Richard, College of Business.

Photo by John Oubre speaking to 566 graduates, said they should be prepared to move when job offers come and to be prepared to do the job. Elam, president of the GE Foundation and Chief Diversity Officer for GE, told the

students “today is the day that your faith is rewarded.”

Elam works at the GE Corporate Headquarters in Fairfield,

BATON ROUGE, La — Baton Rouge will soon be home to a major new research hub that aims to bring together world-class scientists who will look for ways to restore and protect Louisiana’s shrinking coastline.

Gov. Bobby Jindal announced at a press conference Tuesday that a new “Water Campus” will be built near the site of the old city dock. The project emerged from the combined efforts of the state, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, The Water Institute of the Gulf, the city-parish and Louisiana universities.

The campus will cover about 30 acres just south of the Mississippi River Bridge, off of Nicholson Drive. Initial plans call for three buildings to be constructed at a cost of about $45 million.

But officials ultimately envision a much larger campus arising over the next 10 years, as the initial “anchor tenant” facilities attract other research organizations and businesses that want to locate nearby.

“Baton Rouge will become the epicenter for the study of the science of river deltas,” Mayor Kip Holden said. “It will be a place where people can come from around the world to preserve our great natural resources.”

The first phase of the project is the construction of a $16 million physical model of the lower Mississippi River, to be operated by LSU. The model will be housed in a 50,000-square-foot facility built on a 3.3-acre tract. It will depict about 190 river miles, from Donaldsonville to the Gulf of Mexico. LSU currently has a Mississippi River model, but it is outdated, officials said.

The second component of the campus will be a $20 million coastal education and research center, built on the old dock itself, which will house the headquarters for the Water Institute of the Gulf. It will also include public education exhibits.

The institute is an indepenSee HUB, on page 3

See GRADS, on page 2

How Budget Deal Should Help Support US Economy WASHINGTON (AP) - Congress is on the verge of doing something it hasn’t done during three years of partisan warfare: Passing a budget deal that won’t likely hurt the economy.

The two-year spending plan the Senate is expected to approve Wednesday all but removes the threat of another government shutdown like the one that slowed the economy in October. Among other things, the agreement will roll back some of the automatic federal spending cuts that kicked in this year.

The result? Economists say the U.S. economy has a good chance to accelerate at its fastest pace since before the Great Recession struck six years ago.

Growth has plodded along at a 2.4 percent annual rate so far this year. Bolstered in part by the

View of Water Campus from west and east.

budget deal, the economy is poised to expand 2.9 percent next year, its healthiest pace since 2005, according to an Associated Press survey of economists.

“There was a lot of austerity in 2013,” said Michael Hanson,

senior U.S. economist at Bank of America. “We should have a lot less in 2014.”

President Barack Obama is expected to sign the bipartisan comSee BUDGET, on page 3

Water Campus Town Square looking north above.

See SUCCESS, on page 2

NFC SOUTH MIGHT HAVE JUST CHANGED HANDS

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/btrbb-renaissance-baton-rouge-hotel/

LOCAL

BUSINESS

HEALTH

RELIGION One of the New York City area’s most popular radio personalities Liz Black has earned her second Stellar Award nomination as Radio Personality of the Year. The vivacious emcee hosts week.See Page 6

INDEX

MARLON YOUNG GRADUATING “Never give up,” said Marlon If the Carolina Panthers win their remaining two games, they could be the NFC South champions and the No. 2 seed in the conference with a first-week playoff bye. All that after the New Orleans Saints throttled them in Week 14....

See Page 8

Young, a 39 year-old Southern University student who will get his undergraduate degree on December 13 after being enrolled at SU off and on for 20 years....See Page 3

HENDERSON LAW FIRM IN ZACHARY

It was the opening of a Law Firm where the ribbon had just been cut, and citizens gathered to welcome more justice and legalities to their quaint little city..See Page 5

INFORMATION ON MEDICARE IN 2014 The New Year brings improvements

and other changes to Medicare.

Here’s a brief rundown of what to expect in 2014. The best news is that there are no changes in Medicare’s Part B premium and deductible...See Page 7

Local & State............................2 Commentary.............................4 Business....................................5 Religion....................................6 Health.......................................7 Sports.......................................8

CLASSIFIED Buying or selling a service, looking for for a good job? Check out the classifeds .

THEWEEKLYPRESS.COM Celebrating 38 Years Of Service To The Baton Rouge Community 225.775.2002

Page 2 • The

Weekly Press • Thursday, December 19, 2013

STATE & LOCAL

marge's

The Weekly Press Officials Announce Holiday Campaign To Save Lives Newspaper is a published weekly in Baton Rouge and distributed every Thursday with a circulation of 7,500.

Subscription rates are $65.00 per year for Louisiana residents; $72.00 for one year for out-of-state residents; half price for six months subscription: and $1.00 per single copy.

All money orders or checks should be made payable to The Weekly Press, P.O. Box 74485, Baton Rouge, La. 70874

1283 Rosenwald Road Baton Rouge, La. 70807-41 Phone: (225) 775-2002 Fax: (225) 775-4216 E-MAIL theweeklypress@yahoo.com thewpres@bellsouth.net Office Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Closed Saturday, Sunday and all Major Holidays

READER INFORMATION How to Reach Us General Information225-775-2002 Fax . . . . . . . . . . . 225-775-4216 Email Address . . theweeklypress@yahoo.com . . . . . . thewpres@bellsouth.net The office is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday - Friday and located at 1283 Rosenwald Road, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Correction Policy The Baton Rouge Weekly Press strives to be fair and accurate. The newspaper corrects any significant errors of fact brought to the attention of the editor. If you think an error has been made, call 225-775-2002

WE ARE JUST A CLICK AWAY

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Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over in effect Dec. 13--Jan. 1

Law enforcement agencies from across Louisiana have teamed up to participate in Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, a statewide and national campaign designed to save lives over this year’s Christmas and New Year’s holiday.

During the 2012 Christmas and New Year’s holiday period, 12 people were killed and more than 1,300 were injured in highway crashes in Louisiana. Alcohol use was a factor in more than half of last year’s highway fatalities during the long end-of-the-year holiday. This year’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign will be in effect Dec. 13 through January 1.

“For many Louisiana people, this season is filled with back-toback parties and long road trips to visit friends and family,” said Lt. Col. John LeBlanc, executive director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission. “The combination of more vehicles on the road and increased alcohol consumption can result in greater chances of being involved in a crash.”

To help save lives, the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission is coordinating the statewide Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign. As part of the campaign, law enforcement agencies are awarded grants that they use for overtime patrols and check points dedicated to getting impaired drivers off the road. Local law enforcement agencies statewide and State Police are participating in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign.

“Nothing can be more dev-

Grads

astating than the tragedy of losing a loved one due to impaired driving––especially during these holidays,” said Col. Mike Edmonson, State Police superintendent.

“Throughout the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, troopers, along with our law enforcement partners, will be doing our part to keep the highways safe. We ask everyone to partner with us and make the right decision by not drinking and driving. When we say, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over, we mean it.”

Last year in Louisiana, police made more than 27,500 DWI arrests. Alcohol was a factor in 41 percent of Louisiana fatal crashes in 2012. Young adults are among those at greatest risk for driving

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Conn., and leads efforts globally to bring GE employees closer to their communities while maintaining diversity and inclusiveness as an essential part of GE’s competitive advantage.

Elam, a native of New Orleans, received her master’s degree in Public Administration from Southern in 1987. She received an internship with the GE while at Southern.

When she was quickly offered a job at GE, Elam said, “it was not in my master plan” but she was prepared for the opportunity.

She told the graduates that they still have time to prepare themselves. “It’s never too late to be the person you were meant

to be.”

More than 5,000 family and friends attended the graduation ceremony held in the F.G. Clark Activity Center.

Yalin Liu, a native of China, lead the graduates into the Activity Center as the Chief Student Marshal, the graduate with the highest over grade point average. Liu had at 3.84 GPA in computer science.

“I was excited,” said Liu after hearing that she would be the Chief Student Marshal. “I applied to graduate school so this will make my resume look beautiful,” she laughed.

The 22 year-old, from Sichuan Province in China, discovered Southern while searching for

impaired, and males make up an overwhelming majority of drivers killed in alcohol-related crashes.

Louisiana laws provide significant penalties for impaired drivers, especially repeat offenders. One law imposes 15-day jail sentences on people caught driving while their licenses are suspended for a previous DWI violation. Another measure suspends for one-year licenses of suspects who refuse to take a blood alcohol concentration test. A 2008 law requires some DWI offenders to install ignition interlocks in their vehicles. A first-offense DWI arrest can cost a driver more than $1,000 in fines, court costs, attorneys’ fees and increased insurance premiums. schools with a research assistantship in the United States. She came across Southern and contacted Dr. Shizhong Yang, a Computational Scientist in the Department of Computer Science.

Yang welcomed Liu to Southern and helped provide a home for her during her first semester in Baton Rouge. “Dr. Yang is very nice and his wife and him treated me like family,” said Liu. Yang said Liu is a talented student “who will shine in Southern and in the science community.”

Next Liu plans to attend graduate school either in California or Texas. She will get her Ph.D. and eventually teach at a university.

Please contact either Edward Pratt or Erin Fulbright with Southern University Media Relations at (225) 771-4545 or (225) 771-3907 for additional information.

Success

Divine Favor II

Chit Chat

and dump them at your J U S T A feet. In my blind tears I THOUGHT: God is wonder if anyone can love. St. John possibly understand A LOVING the depth of my sadTRIBUTE ness.

During this time I know, you can. of you, we sometimes You sent your son to be reflect on those relawith us in our deepest tives and friends who sorrows and I know have gone to their rest Marge that even though I and it sometimes bring might not feel it now, Lawrence sadness and stress. you are here with me, Therefore, I want to dedicate this prayer to those grieving with me, caring for me who are somewhat melancholy in my sadness. Dearest lord, help me to turn to the one I miss so during this time.

A Christmas Prayer for much today and speak. Help me those who have suffered the re- heal the loss of our parting and help me not to regret the things cent death of a loved one God of compassion, there is I didn’t say. Sorrow tears at my such a hole in my heart! Today heart, but today I ask that my loss should be a day of joy, but I feel soften my heart and make me only emptiness and loss. While more compassionate with everythe world celebrates around me, one I meet, so that my loss may I remember Christmas celebra- become a gift to others.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to tions of the past and I long to have my loved one with me. I Mariah Dupar, Shamika Dixon, bring my sorrows to you, Lord, Joseph Dixon, and Lonnie Dixon.

Love, like some odd gift of the magi

Alsen, St. Irma Lee Fire District Receives Fire Rating 5 Alsen-St. Irma Lee Fire Chief Charles A. Jackson inherited a department with a #10 rating nearly a year ago, but hard work has paid off with the department receiving a #5 fire rating.

The 1 through 10 rating set by a private company hired by insurance carriers takes into account things like the number of firefighters on staff, equipment and water availability. “The good news means better fire protection. It also means Alsen resi-

Leola’s Ladies City Wide After Christmas Party Baton Rouge, Louisiana – On Saturday December 28, 2013 at 6:30pm the Leola’s Ladies City Wide After Christmas Party will be held at Sushi & Hibachi Steak House located at 15130 Market Street. The theme for this year after Christmas party is “You don’t know my story.”

Calling all women that need to be refreshed and all women those are hurting by life. This will be a night filled with fun, singing, dancing, praying, and fellowshipping. Gift giving and receiving will be a part of this party. We will be celebrating God

from page 1

National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc. (NACME) Senior Vice President for Operations Saundra Johnson Austin as keynote speaker. Ms. Johnson Austin shared her expertise in advocating for underrepresented minorities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and reflected on the importance of partnerships in education.

“There’s nothing like what’s

dents can request a reduction of their insurance premiums - both commercial and residential” said Councilwoman Chauna BanksDaniel.

Chief Jackson stated, “This is the collaboration of a lot of people, beginning with the residents, board members, fire department staff and volunteers, and contributions of community partners. A great big thank you goes out to everyone who took part in our efforts.”

going on her in Baton Rouge, Louisiana,” Johnson Austin said.

She stated that “diversity with equity is important to global competitiveness,” while touting the success of the Scotlandville program. She commended HSEP program partners on their 30-year investment creating more exposure to careers for these young men and women, including internships for skill development and experiences that help shape

for just being a woman.

Over 100 gifts will be given away. Also, gifts will be given to the first 50 women, bring the most guest over 20 and to all that bring a guest.

Dinner is optional.

A $1.00 pink offering will be taken to bring joy to hurting women of the community.

Consider sponsoring women for this event, bring your best girlfriends, and meet other women that need to be refreshed.

This is an adult event.

Call Leola for more information at 225-202-4352. future career paths. According to the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce, opportunities will be greater than ever as STEM occupations are expected to grow by 17 percent between 2008 and 2018, compared to 10 percent of total jobs in the economy. By 2050 African Americans, Latinos and American Indians will account for 43 percent of the population, further underscoring that the future of STEM depends on our nation’s ability to engage with diverse populations.

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Thursday, December 19, 2013 • The Weekly Press • Page 3

Southern University’s Marlon Young Graduating After 20 Years at SU BATON ROUGE-“Never give up,” said Marlon Young, a 39 year-old Southern University student who will get his undergraduate degree on December 13 after being enrolled at SU off and on for 20 years.

You ask who is Marlon Young? You have seen him. He has a small frame, walks quietly around campus, usually wearing a jacket, wire-frame glasses and a hat with a huge backpack. When not in class he spends a lot of time around the J.S. Clark Administration building or at The Bluff.

Some students might have seen him sitting all the way at the top of the student section at football games.

You probably know who he is now. But you probably don’t really know him.

The Capitol High School alum was 19 years old when he started at Southern University in 1993 and chose to major in mechanical engineering. Bill Clinton was president of the United States then and the Internet had been available to the public for only a year.

He had his struggles early on and in 1998 he had to leave Southern after being placed on academic suspension. He was also dealing with serious personal medical issues and taking care of his grandparents who were ill.

The Baton Rouge native remained out of school for four years. When his life settled down and he was able to return to school in the fall of 2002.

“Robert Bennett, former Dean of Student Life, told me to reapply to the university on an academic appeal,” said Young, who was then reinstated into Southern, this time as an electrical engineering major.

Young then hit another speed bump in 2006 when his financial aid ended because he had the maxed out at the 196hours that students can have to receive the assistance. He had taken a lot of classes, but many of them were not classes in his major.

Once again, Young had to step away from his education.

The then 33-year-old did not give up when just his medical problems alone could have derailed him.

Young was born with Sickle Cell Anemia, an inherited blood disorder that primarily affects African Americans. It causes fatigue, anemia, painful crises, swelling and organ damage, sight issues and other health-related problems. Young has battled the debilitation disease while fighting through his classes.

It was through his health fight that he has received financial assistance from the Louisiana

Hub

Photography Exhibit At The West Baton Rouge Museum

Marlon Young Rehabilitation Services to help him return and remain in school.

Young says he has to visit the Office of Disabilities every semester to get assistance completing his paper work to qualify for the financial help.

Young was soon seen back in the classroom and on campus in the fall of 2007. This time he was in the final stretch that would end with him receiving his degree.

When asked why did he not just give up after so many bumps in the road, he simply said, “I needed to advance myself…I did not want to give up. I have been here this long.”

Young was back on The Bluff taking 12 hours a semester. The LRS requires Young to be a full-time student.

Young has finally reached his goal. On December 13, he is set to walk across the stage in the F.G. Clark Activity Center to receive his degree in Electrical Engineering with 248 credits.

That is enough for about two degrees.

He steadfastly refused to accept a bachelor of interdisciplinary studies degree, which would have allowed him to graduate nearly two years ago.

It was plain and simple.

He wanted to get his degree in engineering.

What’s next for Young? He said that he “isn’t going to be lost” because school has ended but he will go onto the next thing.

“I am going to see what happens,” said Young.

As a student who has never given up what he truly desired, Young’s advice to students now is simply to “never give up, and don’t complain about what you don’t have…I never did.”

He also suggests students take things slow. Do not be in a rush to get things done. Think about what is right for you.

Southern University commends Young and congratulations him on reaching the goal he set out on all those years ago.

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dent nonprofit organization, but with deep ties to both the Baton Rouge Area Foundation and the state, and provides assistance to the state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. It was founded in 2011 and has been working out of offices at One American Place. It is envisioned as a central research hub that can bring together scientists from state universities, engineering and construction companies, levee districts and nonprofits, to work on water issues facing Louisiana and beyond.

The third element of the campus will be a $9 million coastal research office building to house other organizations, including the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.

Construction on the first phase of the campus, the river model, is expected to start in Feb. 2014. Construction on the education and research facility on the dock is expected to begin in the second half of 2014.

Officials said the development will drive economic development, between spurring more jobs in the water sector, and helping to revitalize that area

Danny Lyon: Memories Of The Southern Civil Rights Movement

of Nicholson Drive. The water sector could create 25,000 to 45,000 new jobs by 2030, Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Stephen Moret said.

“Coming together to create the water campus is not just a critical tool for coastal restoration, but is truly a major catalyst for state of Louisiana,” Moret said.

The campus is made up of 13 acres of land BRAF purchased from the East Baton Rouge Housing Authority, another 11 acres the city-parish is leasing to BRAF, and 13 acres donated by the state. Another adjacent parcel, owned by stakeholders including developer Mike Wampold, is expected to be developed privately, but following the “master plan” for the water campus.

The Baton Rouge Area Foundation and Commercial Properties Realty Trust, the foundation’s real estate arm, will develop and manage the campus.

Jindal said the new campus will help the state with a “comprehensive approach to (coastal restoration) that takes all the tools in our tool chest.”

Sheriff Jim Clark arrests two demonstrators.

PORT ALLEN — The West Baton Rouge Museum presents the exhibition, DANNY LYON: MEMORIES OF THE SOUTHERN CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, January 11 through March 9, 2014.

Noted for his work in documentary photography and film, Danny Lyon helped define a mode of photojournalism in which the picture-maker is deeply and personally embedded in his subject matter. He was able to use his camera to capture the story of one of the most inspiring periods in America’s twentieth century. A self-taught photographer and a graduate of the University of Chicago, Lyon began his photographic career in the early 1960s as the first staff photographer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), a national group of college students who joined together after the first sit-in by four African American college students at a North Carolina lunch counter. From 1963 to 1964, Lyon traveled the South and Mid-Atlantic regions documenting

Budget

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promise. The measure overwhelmingly cleared the House last week.

On Tuesday, the Senate advanced the bill in a procedural vote, setting the stage for final passage.

The deal marks a sharp change from recent years in which partisan hostilities led to governance by crisis. Deals were struck between Democrats and Republicans only as the government neared an emergency. A last-minute deal in October, for example, removed the threat of a default on the national debt that could have triggered another recession.

The earlier budget deals helped shrink the deficit. But they’ve also squeezed workers and businesses by hindering growth. Higher tax rates, along with spending cuts, subtracted 1.5 percentage points from annual growth this year, according to the Congressional Budget Office. That’s the difference between an economy limping along at 2.4 percent annual growth and one accelerating at close to a 4 percent rate.

With the new deal in place, economists estimate that the government will exert less of a drag on the economy. The drag on growth from federal policies should decline from 1.5 percentage points this year to 0.5 percentage point at the most, economists estimate.

The bill approves spending in 2014 at slightly more than $1 trillion, compared with the $967 billion mandated by the automatic spending cuts. It boosts spending by $63 billion over two years.

It replaces the spending cuts with longer-term savings, many of which don’t accumulate for nearly another decade. Airline passengers

Segregated facility.

the Civil Rights Movement. The photographs were published in The

Movement, a documentary book about the Southern Civil Rights

will pay higher ticket fees, but the additional revenue won’t come from tax increases. Deficits would rise slightly in 2014 and 2015.

The compromise could also spur businesses to hire and expand because they’re no longer operating under the threat of another government shutdown. It also suggests that a compromise will be reached when Congress must again raise the debt limit in February to prevent a possible default. Just the appearance

of two nearly implacable political parties agreeing on the first bipartisan budget pact since 1986 has increased hope.

“More significant is that there is a deal at all, as that should eliminate the risk of another shutdown,” said Jim O’Sullivan, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics, who forecasts that the economy will grow 3.3 percent next year largely as a result of less drag from the government.

Movement, and later in Memories of the Southern Civil Rights Movement, Lyon’s own memoir of his years working for the SNCC. Lyon’s photographs are more than just a record of marches, jailings, and protests. They take us inside the movement—to the meetings, organizing work, and voter registration drives that were the less visible but no less important side of the struggle for Civil Rights. Although the SNCC needed his photos as documentation and propaganda, he took this function and made art.

Fifty of his photographs will be on display at the West Baton Rouge Museum beginning January 11 through March 9, 2014. This collection of photos is traveling via Art 2 Art Circulating Exhibits.

The West Baton Rouge Museum is located at 845 N. Jefferson Avenue, Port Allen, LA, 70767. For more information please call (225) 336-2422 x15 or visit www.westbatonrougemuseum.com.

The agreement could also make it easier for the Federal Reserve to scale back its purchases of $85 billion in bonds each month.

The Fed program has been intended to lower loan rates to boost borrowing, spending and investing.

But even as hiring has picked up, Chairman Ben Bernanke has been reluctant to slow the purchases until Congress settled its differences on the budget.

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COMMENTARY Thursday, December 19, 2013 • The Weekly Press • Page 4

Every Second Counts By: Stephen Waguespack, LABI president Baton Rouge, La.-Sometimes little things can make a big difference.

In the sports world we see it all the time. Three weeks ago, Alabama was driving for the winning field goal to beat Auburn and propel them on the path to a third consecutive national championship. As the game neared its end, Alabama coach Nick Saban challenged the officials to put one second back on the clock so his team could kick the game-winning field goal. One second. Officials added the second back, the kicker missed, and Auburn returned the ball for a once in a generation score that propelled them to a surprising national title game appearance. Now, only three weeks later, Alabama coach Nick Saban is openly flirting with a coaching job at the University of Texas instead of preparing for a title game. That one-second was a small amount of time, but it has made a big difference.

In real life, we see this all the time as well. We see it at the holiday season, where a small gift can make a big difference in someone’s attitude and self-confidence. Our small and large business owners do little things all throughout the year – whether it’s their charitable efforts to support the local team, or school, or stepping up in times of emergency. They help to make a big difference in their respective communities and in the lives of their employees. The point is that little things can make a big difference and often go unnoticed at the time we need them most.

The same is true in how we as a state will meet the growing workforce demand we face. We all know the statistics; between $60-90 billion in announced new projects will demand more than 250,000 trained, skilled workers. We are also told

that by 2018 we will need 69,000 STEM workers that are proficient in math, science, and critical thinking. Those are enormous challenges that will require large-scale focus on the technical training, recruitment, and job placement skills of our state. Additionally, as our economy continues to diversify with non-traditional and emerging industries, this challenge will become even more large-scale and all encompassing.

However, we can’t forget to focus on the small things that can make a big difference. Our workers need soft skills to be effective in today’s economy. Soft skills can mean different things to different people, but it includes showing up to work on time, being able to pass a drug test, dressing in an appropriate manner for the workplace in which you work and being able to work cooperatively and effectively with co-workers, supervisors and customers. Sounds like a small issue to mention, but it is amazing how often employers ready to hire mention it to me as a growing challenge.

Having good soft skills also requires proficiency in the necessary computer and technology capabilities needed in the workplace, such as PowerPoint and other relevant programs used today. Additionally, our workers need to know how to lead a strategic discussion, collaborate on a joint project, and work within a specific agenda to meet clearly defined metrics. These skills are the ones the workplace of today demand. Our people need to master these soft skills in order to compete in the global economy.

Many of these things may sound small to you. They may appear too small to bring up in the grand scheme of things and in contrast to the larger challenges we face developing quality technical training, and then See SECOND, on page 5

The Obama –Castro Handshake

By Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. NNPA Columnist In the tradition of the Black Church in America, the right hand of fellowship handshake is extended as sign of welcome into the church community. Usually, a handshake between two world leaders at a memorial service is not seen as something controversial or unprecedented. On December 10, however, at the beginning of the memorial service for Nelson “Madiba” Mandela in the heart of Soweto, South Africa, the handshake between President Barack Obama and President Raul Castro Ruz of Cuba was viewed differently. It was not so much as an affront to any religious protocol, but was viewed by many as being controversial and consequential depending on political, ideological, cultural and historical perceptions or perspectives.

I have always maintained that if not reported anywhere else, it is important for the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), Black Press USA, to share with its millions of readers an analysis that goes beyond the hype of the mainstream media in America on issues that are vital to the strategic economic, political and cultural interests of the African American community as well as the interests of freedom-loving people throughout the world. It is, therefore, important to look deeper into the significance of the Obama-Castro handshake for both historical and contemporary clarity.

The first issue should be the respectful acknowledgement of the tide-turning role that Cuba played in the global anti-apartheid struggle. In the 1980’s the frontline African nations that bordered South Africa were periodically being militarily violated with the brutal violence and repression that became routine of the apartheid regime. South African military attacks directly on the African National Congress (ANC) inside South Africa and in Angola, South West Africa and in other areas of southern Africa had escalated.

In fact, South Africa invaded South West Africa (now Namibia) and the Republic of Angola.

President Fidel Castro Ruz urgently dispatched more than three hundred thousand Cuban soldiers to Angola over several years to help stop and to eventually defeat the South Africa military on the ground in Angola in 1988. By contrast, keep in mind that President Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1989 tacitly supported apartheid South Africa and tried unsuccessfully to have a “constructive engagement” with apartheid under the guise of preventing communism in southern Africa.

I traveled to Angola in 1988 on more than one occasion to witness firsthand how Cuba was helping the MLPA (Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola) in Angola and the ANC as well as SWAPO (South West Africa Peoples Organization). I visited the battleground area in the aftermath of the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale that took place during a six month period from the end of 1987 to the spring of 1988. That battle was the largest single armed conventional warfare on African soil since World War 11. I went down into the foxholes with Cubans, Angolans, Namibians and native South Africans, all fighting together heroically to liberate southern Africa from oppression, colonialism and imperialism. One of the key commanders of all the Cuban troops in southern Africa was Raul Castro Ruz, then-President Fidel Castro’s younger brother.

Thus, for millions of Africans all over South Africa, Angola, Namibia and across the continent of Africa and throughout the African Diaspora, including America, the sight of President Barack Obama shaking the hand of President Raul Castro Ruz was filled with a sense of historical gratitude to thank Cuba for helping Africa and to note how far the struggle for African liberation, self-determination and empowerment has advanced during the past 60 years.

See HANDSHAKE, on page 7

Mandela and the Unfinished Freedom Struggle

By Ron Daniels NNPA Guest Columnist As chairman of Freedom, Inc. in Youngstown, Ohio, a community-based, Pan Africanist organization, I was privileged to be among a small group of activists/ organizers who launched the mobilization to hold the first African Liberation Day (ALD) in the U.S. in 1972. The focus of ALD was to mobilize political and material support for the liberation movements fighting to achieve independence in the last remaining European colonial regimes in Africa – Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau, Angola, Southwest Africa (Namibia), Rhodesia/Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), Mozambique and of course South Africa.

Of all of these brutal regimes, the vicious apartheid regime in South Africa seemed to be the most impregnable. An entrenched and determined White minority ruthlessly controlled more than 85 percent of the land and resources and compelled the vast Black majority to live as sub-humans in wretched conditions under a system of rigid separation of the races.

Time and time again, the White supremacist regime demonstrated its willingness to use the

state controlled mechanisms of force/violence to crush protests, rallies and demonstrations as evidenced by the Sharpsville massacre in 1960, merciless suppression of the Soweto uprising in 1976 and countless overt efforts by the Black majority and its allies to shatter the shackles of apartheid.

But, the thirst for freedom and will to resist oppression could not be extinguished in large measure because of the man who came to encapsulate and symbolize the aspirations of the people, Madiba, Nelson Mandela.

Mandela was the “tallest tree” in a forest that included many movements and stellar leaders, e.g., the Pan African Congress, Black Consciousness Movement, Mass Democratic Movement, Steve Biko, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Allan Boesak, Cyril Ramaphosa, Albertina and Walter Sisulu and Oliver Tambo to mention a few.

This is an important note because there is a tendency to cast successful movements as the result of the acts of a solitary heroic figure.

Mandela emerged as the face of struggle in South Africa and abroad because of his vision, courage and commitment as a leader and his willingness, if necessary to die for the cause – an expression of

courage and commitment which he unapologetically stated at his trial before being sentenced to prison.

His willingness to face death and suffer a long imprisonment while never surrendering or giving up on the dream of a multiracial, democratic South Africa is the stuff that made him the symbol and face of the movement, an icon and legend even before the apartheid regime was forced to release him.

“Free Mandela” became the battle cry of the freedom struggle in South Africa and the world.

This was certainly the case in the U.S., most notably among the forces within the Black liberation movement.

An incredible movement was exploding across the country. Over the objection of the U.S. government students organized campaigns to demand that colleges/universities divest or withdraw investments from South Africa. City councils around the nation followed suit.

There was an aggressive effort to use economic sanctions/boycotts to force U.S. corporations doing business in South Africa to divest as well. South African lobster tails, Budweiser beer and Coca Cola Company come to mind as some of the targets. Indeed “Coke Sweetens Apartheid” was one of the more

popular slogans of the time. The Congressional Black Caucus mounted a vigorous campaign to impose economic sanctions on South Africa to break the back of apartheid. With the mass movement intensifying, Congress overrode the veto of President Ronald Reagan to impose sanctions and finally place the U.S. government on the right side of the heroic freedom struggle in South Africa.

In the face of fierce and unrelenting resistance inside the country and internationally, after 27 years, February 11, 1990, the illicit regime in South Africa was compelled to free Madiba, Nelson Mandela, the courageous leader and symbol of the movement for freedom, democracy and economic elevation of the masses of South Africans At last the slogan/chant “Free Mandela” had been realized and with it the hopes and dreams of a long suffering people seemed closer to fruition. Now Mandela and the ANC were faced with the daunting task of transforming a resistance movement into a governing party and to navigate a risky path of negotiating an agreement with the National Party that represented the White minority.

The ‘Indispensable’ Nelson Mandela

By Lee A. Daniels NNPA Columnist

“The cemeteries are full of indispensable men,” Charles De Gaulle, the great, imperious hero of World War II and subsequent president of France, is said to have remarked in the late 1950s to an aide who had just declared he was the only man who could save the nation.

De Gaulle was by no means the first to use that formulation to describe an eternal truth: We all must die not when it’s convenient for us or the world but when the bell tolls for us.

But if it’s true that indispensable people – be they our own loved ones or the world-renowned – cannot live forever, it’s also true that cemeteries cannot imprison their spirit and their impact.

So it will be with Nelson Mandela.

Millions of people around the world joined millions in South Africa these past two weeks in both mourning the death and celebrating the extraordinary life of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.

What clairvoyance his parents had giving him that middle name.

In his native Xhosa language it literally means “pulling the branch of a tree;” but its idiomatic translation is troublemaker.

And Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela for most of his life appropriately and vigorously made plenty of trouble for those Whites within

and outside South Africa who tried to pretend the color of their skin was a mark of superiority, and have Black South Africans accept it.

He, along with many other Blacks, colored, and a much smaller but stalwart group of Whites added their hearts, minds and bodies to the country’s freedom struggle and continuously challenged the White-supremacist government’s vicious regime of apartheid.

The full story of the courage and endurance and determination it took to confront apartheid is still too little known in the United States. But one can get an idea by considering the terse description of apartheid journalist Jacob Heilbrunn used more than a decade ago in brilliantly recounting the decades of rhetorical support for it expressed by American conservatives. Heilbrunn called it “the first cousin of Nazisim.”

Mandela’s leadership skills and powerful charisma early on made him a marked man of the White government’s scheme to break the African National Congress, the largest organization of the multiracial freedom movement. By the early 1960s, Mandela had gone into hiding. But, as we now know, with the help of America’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the government found him, arrested him and several of his movement colleagues, brought them to trial and secured a conviction for crimes against the

state that produced a life sentence.

The White-racist government thought they had destroyed a leader of the freedom movement.

How could they know they were doing their part to help create an indispensable man? The isolation Mandela was to endure at Robben Island, the apartheid government’s barren penal colony, did not make the world forget him. It made it remember him – as the talk of decolonization and freedom filled the air in Black Africa; and the talk of freedom and equal rights filled the air in the United States, and in South Africa.

Of course, Mandela over the course of his 27 years’ imprisonment did the bulk of that work, developing and honing the selfrestraint, lack of bitterness, and grace that, along with his already unbreakable commitment to bringing democracy to South Africa, became the hallmark of the man.

That enabled him to emerge from nearly three decades in prison, as President Obama said in his eulogy, “as the last great liberator of the 20th century.”

Nelson Mandela’s existence as a living being was irreplaceable, vital, urgent, requisite, and all other such synonyms for “indispensable.” Now, it’s essential that we his survivors understand that the qualities that made him indispensable are still available to inspire us.

President Obama’s speech presented a powerful summary

of several of them.

He urged his audience to remember that Mandela “earned his place in history through struggle and shrewdness, through persistence and faith. He tells us what is possible not just in the pages of history books, but in our own lives as well.”

Mandela showed us, the president continued, “the power of action, of taking risks on behalf of our ideals,” and disciplining anger and the desire to fight into “organizations, and platforms, and strategies for action,” “testing … beliefs against the hard surface of circumstance and history,” and then working to insure the ideas are “chiseled into law books and institutions,” even if it entails “compromise for the sake of a larger goal.”

“And finally,” President Obama said, “There is a word in South Africa—Ubuntu—a word that captures Mandela’s greatest gift: His recognition that we are all bound together in ways that are invisible to the eye; that there is a oneness to humanity; that we achieve ourselves by sharing ourselves with others, and caring for those around us.”

Lee A. Daniels is a longtime journalist based in New York City. His latest book is Last Chance: The Political Threat to Black America.

The views expressed in the editiorial columns are not necessarily the veiws of The Weekly Press or its staff. Address all opinions and comments to: Letters to the Editior, P.O. Box 74485 Baton Rouge, La. 70874 or E-mail them to: theweeklypress@yahoo.com

Thursday, December 19, 2013 • The Weekly Press • Page 5

BUSINESS

New Beginnings: The Opening of Henderson Law Firm in Zachary La

By Mydra L. Kelly, Staff Writer It was the opening of a Law Firm where the ribbon had just been cut, and citizens gathered to welcome more justice and legalities to their quaint little city. However, when you got inside and moved amongst the people mingling over finger snacks and sipping soda in between chitchat; there was calm and peace. It was reminiscent to that of a family gathering on Sunday at Grandmother’s house after church or of a holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas; where everyone entered seemingly already knowing that the tone was to eat, drink and be merry. There were no libations or spirits of alcohol, yet the room was intoxicatingly filled with an aura of warmth and realness, family and camaraderie that exceeded racial divides or socio-economic -status. There was a welcome sign written in an invisible cloud above the entrance. It silently spoke; come in…here you can find respite; here we will try and help you find relief; here we care about you and we will work to do our very best to see that you will be taken care of.

Now, as you read this it may sound a bit mellow dramatic or surreal, but it is indeed my perception of a very adequate description of the newly opened Henderson Law Firm. Darius Q. Henderson, his wife Adrienne, children Aana, Aasha, Ayden and extended family

Second

moved regally through the small crowd that gathered at 5353 Main St. to welcome them to the Zachary area. Even the anxiety and excitement of it being Homecoming weekend on both of the university yards did not hinder guest from stopping in to extend this courtesy.

Both Attorney Henderson and his younger brother who are alumnus of each of these distinguished colleges; Darius of Southern and his brother Marlon of LSU; yet they both found themselves in no hurry to rush through the first event of the day for their family, which was the opening of the Henderson Law Firm.

From start until finish, Henderson moved through the crowd serving his guest not as a prosecutor or public servant, but as a son, a friend or just a caring human being who wanted to make sure that everyone was comfortable and welltaken care of. They say that North Louisiana people are not quite as warm and hospitable as we southerners, however you could have never told it by this group. Mom, Aunt and In-laws alike just made everybody feel right at home. The children occupied themselves and did not seem to feel a tad bit out of place or in the way at all. Everything about this event just flowed in the spirit; a good spirit.

Henderson, who is a native of Shreveport, is no stranger to this area having graduated from Southern University in 1992 with a BS

from page 4

making the training available to a huge number of people.

Nevertheless, the fact is that the little things matter in the new economy. Soft skills make a loud impact. Our people don’t

have this mastered yet, but we can with appropriate focus and training. However, we have to get started now. As Nick Saban recently taught us, every second counts.

He was raised by both his parents with strong work ethics and values, and he learned that it takes hard work and trust in God to get the things you want in life. Henderson obtained his Juris Doctorate from Southern University Law School in 2005.

I chose not to make this article curriculum vitae of Darius Henderson because clearly he has a prominent resume and lots of accomplishments to his credit.

Somehow however, what stood out to me and what should stand out to the Zachary community is the blessing of a man sent to the area to be an agent for change, and hopefully to assist in taking an al-

ready progressive environment to yet another level. Darius says he is using his God given talents to try and make a difference. Somehow it seems that God is giving the world the gift of this wonderful man to be the difference that society needs.

As he continues to evolve there are surely many great things to come, and I am certain that this is not his final destination.

However, what I am certain of is that the people of Zachary will be better because Attorney Darius Henderson, his lovely wife and three beautiful children have passed this way. May he continue to evolve and not stop until he gets “there”, wherever there may be?

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Darius Henderson with daughters Aana, Aasha and Ayden

degree in Psychology; then later moving to the east coast to obtain his Masters in Social Work form Howard University in 1997. I knew there was something different about him from the start and that he was not a typical lawman. He personified the movement, vernacular and genuine heart of a social service practitioner, yet he spoke with the confidence and interrogation of the law. A pretty good mixture I think in the making of good Legal Counsel.

Attorney Henderson has worked for healthcare and non-profits as well as on Capitol Hill therefore he

is no stranger to either side of the fence, which makes him a suitable candidate to have an understanding of just about anyone he represents.

Darius know what it means to be both abased and abound. Having witnessed the poverty and devastation on one side and the disproportionate wealth on the other; he realized that the greatest need is for someone to have an understanding of the middle.

Attorney Henderson has worked as a counselor, lobbyist and as an Asst. DA amongst many other things while on his journey

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Questions and/or inquiries from vendors will be accepted until December 16, 2013. Sealed bids are due by Friday, December 27, 2013 – 10:00am (local time) and will be publicly opened in the 2nd floor CATS Board Room at 2250 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70802.

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ing of the wrong story concerning the Southern University football team winning the Bayou Classic in the December 5, 2013 edition.

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Weekly Press • Thursday, December 19, 2013

RELIGION

THE CHURCH LADY REPORT One Must First Be Whole Before Connecting With Another Person Hello my darlings, How is everyone? If you are like me you are cold. I don’t know if it’s just that my bones are older and they can’t take all of this weather or if it’s just cold outside, but I tell you what people; that winter is fast approaching. Chile I had to put on my big coat the other day, and do you know that I saw some of those youngsters still walking around with all of their bare skin out. I don’t know if they were hot or just a little bit touched. What I do know is that mother had to cover this head and cover these bones because that hawk has been howling.

Well enough of that chatter; I hope that all of my sweethearts are yet saved and loving Jesus. Ain’t God good? I mean he is better than that Campbell’s soup ya’ll...

He’s hmm, hmm good! Sweeter than the sweeter, than the sweeter than the sweeter than the sweeter, and everyday get’s sweeter than the day before. Ouuwee! God is good ya’ll. Like that songs says; I use to think that it was just all good, but now I know better, it’s all God. Do you all realize that we only have a few more weeks in this year? It seems like it was just January a few months ago, and now we are almost there again. Is it me or does it seem like the time just flies by these days? I hope that everybody had a pretty good year. I know that everything was not perfect. You had some losses, but hopefully you had some gain; and I pray that everybody had more joy than pain...some people left us, but then some new folk

By Donald Lee

came. Some of you may feel like this year was hard, but I guarantee you if you think about it for every thing that seemed to be bad; there was something good too. Then if you just look around you realize that no matter how bad you thought it was somebody else was still even a little bit worse off than you. I know that does not make your hardships hurt any less, but sometimes when you count your blessings instead of your troubles you realize how truly blessed you are.

So as you come to the end of 2013 just tell the Lord Thank ya!

Thank you for everything Lord; the good and the bad, the happy and the sad; when I had a little money and even when my change was strange because through it all God you kept me and you never ever left me, and he didn’t leave you either babies because if you are reading this right now you are still standing too. So lift those hands and bless him! Thank you Jesus! Thank you! You have been so good to us. You are the reason for this season. You came as that See CHURCH LADY, on page 7

To anyone anxious about getting into a relationship without first being a complete person: Understand that you cannot be good to anybody else until you can allow God to do a work on the inside of you.

When you allow God to smooth out your rough edges, you won’t subject yourself or your children to domestic abuse. When you allow Him to work on you, your tolerance level for foolishness drops to zero. You begin to understand that it’s not about you running a household in your own understanding, but instead about you allowing Christ’s headship to be the final authority in your family. It’s about kingdom principles being applied in the home.

Singles, if your desire is to be married or in a relationship that potentially leads to marriage, the best thing for you to do is to get into the presence of God — to strive to do what is pleasing to Him. Once you get hooked up with Him, then He knows how to connect you with the one who best complements you.

If you’re praying to God for a mate after having submitted yourself totally to His will for your life, the person He has for you will have a spirit that’s the right fit for who you are, and it has nothing to do with sex. It’s just an overwhelmingly special, holy feeling that grips the both of you, a result of having consulted with God sincerely before proceeding.

And when you seek God

first before seeking a relationship with someone else, the Lord defines you (see Matthew 6:33).

He lets you know who you are.

That saves you the heartache that comes with permitting someone else to damage your self-esteem through the definition of you that he wants you to have rather than the one God has given you.

When you allow God to prepare you for someone else, you’ll have a greater appreciation for that person and vice versa. And you can “see” one another. In other words, the two of you can see into one another’s hearts and discern agape love, an authentic, heavenly love — the kind of love that is best expressed through people who are committed wholeheartedly to the Lord.

So, the best way to signifi-

cantly increase the likelihood of your entering into a truly loving relationship is to simply put God first. He will make you complete.

Donald Lee, co-author of the relationships book “Married to Commitment,” is founder-pastor of Kingdom Living Christian Center in Dallas. He can be contacted at pastordonjlee@yahoo. com or (225) 773-2248. Follow him on Twitter at @donaldj_lee.

You can also write to him at P.O. Box 211186, Dallas, TX. 75211.

Join Pastor Lee for intercessory prayer on his church’s teleconference line week nights from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. by calling (218) 862-4590 (conference code: 279498#). Church service via teleconference is from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Sundays.

Syndicated Radio Personality Liz Black Wins Second Stellar Award Nomination As Radio Personality Of The Year One of the New York City area’s most popular radio personalities Liz Black has earned her second Stellar Award nomination as Radio Personality of the Year (She was first nominated in 2012). The vivacious emcee hosts weekly gospel shows on The Big Apple’s iconic R&B powerhouse 107.5 WBLS and its 24-hour gospel station, 1190 AM WLIB. She also hosts the nationally syndicated program, “Inspirations with Liz Black,” that airs Sunday afternoons between 2-4 p.m. EST on the Rejoice Musical Soulfood

Network.

“It’s such an honor to be nominated and recognized by the industry because I really love what I do and it’s a ministry for me,” says Black who began her radio career as an announcer on Tri-State Christian radio stations such as WWDJ, WMCA and WFDU in the late 1990s. She moved to WLIB in 2007 where, in addition to hosting her own show, she’s frequently filled-in for Bishop Hezekiah Walker’s daily “Afternoon Praise” radio program.

In 2010, she joined WBLS where

she hosts “Sunday Praise.” She still finds time to host “Midday Café” on k107 FM Jamz in Toronto, Canada. Black is also the founder of a monthly Gospel Variety Show/ Open Mic program at various locations throughout the New York Tri-State area. “Liz is a Blessing to her community and beyond,” says WBLS/WLIB General Manager See BLACK, on page 7

Radio Personality Liz Black

CHURCH DIRECTORY

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. - Hebrews 10:25 Let the community know whats happing at your place of worship. Email your church event or religious organization news to The Weekly Press @ theweeklypress@yahoo.com or call 225-775-2002

Email your church event or religious organization news to The Weekly Press @ thewpress@yahoo.com or call 225-775-2002

Pastor Rev. Dr. Roosevelt Florida, Jr. Co-Pastor Rose J. Florida

VISION CHRISTIAN CENTER, INTERNATIONAL Seeking New Members for the Hope Christian Center 5013 Windfall Court Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70812 Reverend Henry Martin, Pastor Service Hour: 12:00 noon Wednesday

Telephone: 225-355-8194

1047 Rosenwald Road Baton Rouge, LA 70807 Telephone: (225) 774-8125 • E-Mail - visionchristianc@bellsouth.net Sunday Worship.........................................................................10:00 a.m.

Holy Communion2nd Sunday.................................................... 10:00 a.m.

Intercessory Prayer Wednesday................................................. 6:00 p.m.

Mid-Week ServiceWednesday.................................................... 7:00 p.m.

NEW HOPE BAPTIST CHURCH 5856 Greenwell Springs Road • Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70806 Telephone: (225) 926-0246 • Facsimille: (225) 925-8022 Toll Free: 888-700-6174 Websites: www.newhopebr.com Rev. Leo Cyrus Sr., Pastor Order Of Services Sunday Worship...................................................... 11:00 A.M. Holy Communion.................................. 3rd Sunday 6:00 P.M. Sunday School..........................................................9:00 A.M. Bible Study................................................Thrusday 7:00 P.M.

Church Lady sweet little baby and they didn’t know who you were, but now we know. You are Emanuel, King of Kings, Lord of all, Jesus!

Lord have mercy I’m about to let loose up in here because I am just so grateful. I’m gonna try and give ya’ll this lil news if I can, but if I skip a few lines it’s because I’m running all around this place chasing after him, Jesus.... Now look here; if you want a place to go to start getting ready for Christmas; on Friday night December 20, 2013 the Sixty Eighth Ave. Baptist Church Mass Choir will be having their annual Christmas Musical. Now it is going to start at 7:00 p.m. and it is located at 2331 68th Ave. and Bishop Roosevelt Wolfe is the pastor. Brother Leroy Combs and the Gospel Truth are going to be the special guest along with Sis. Sarah Anderson as guest soloist. Sounds like this is going

Handshake

from page 6 to be really nice. Ya’ll go on out and support them.

Well my darlings, you all probably won’t be hearing from me until next year so ya’ll stay saved and safe until the next time you hear from me. May the Lord watch between thee and me til we meet again? Don’t forget to tell Jesus Happy Birthday while you ‘re giving everyone else gifts, and remember what I said, don’t you go and get yourselves in debt! Start the New Year out with a clean slate. Enjoy your holidays and give love this Christmas. Go to watch night service or have a private prayer meeting at home, but whatever you do stay alive and well, I ‘ll see ya next year because even if you didn’t go this time that’s going to be your New Years solution right; I’ll see you in church.

from page 4

But this does not mean that the struggle for freedom and economic prosperity is over in Africa. The memorial service for Madiba and the state funeral later are very important milestones that we all should mark with a sense of rededication to continue the struggle for African liberation and progress as a lasting tribute to the legacy of Nelson Mandela.

Hopefully, the Obama-Castro handshake will also prompt the Obama administration to take more steps to improve relations between the United States and Cuba. We are aware that there are currently efforts to support more cultural exchanges between the U.S and Cuba today as well as to increase economic development interests in anticipation of the eventual lifting of the sanctions against Cuba.

South Africa President Jacob Zuma had a private meeting with President Raul Castro

after the Obama-Castro handshake. President Zuma affirmed, “It is very importance to us that President Castro came in person.

Paying tribute to Madiba would not have been complete without the participation of Cuba.”

Likewise it was important for President Obama to be characteristically bold and respectful by reaching his hand to grasp the hand of President Castro. It was the right gesture to do for the sake of history. Lastly, out of respect to Nelson Mandela’s legacy, we all should take further actions that will exhibit the hope that a better day is coming for the people of the U.S., Cuba, Africa and the world community.

Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. is President of Education Online Services Corporation and the HipHop Summit Action Network and can be reached at http://drbenjaminfchavisjr.wix.com/drbfc

now by enacting and adequately funding the provisions of the All healthy Children Act. Specious claims that we could not find the money—$70 billion over five years—to cover all children is belied by that amount spent in eleven months for tax cuts for the top one percent of richest Americans and in seven months for the iraq War. We do not have a money problem in America: We have a priorities and political will deficit. it is time for all adults to protect the health of our children.

For many, diagnosis may come People scoring 10 points or more are seven to 10 years after the onset of at a high risk for type 2 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. early diagnosis is are encouraged to talk with a health critical for successful treatment and care professional.

Thursday, December 19, 2013 • The Weekly Press • Page 7 can delay or prevent some of the An estimated 54 million Americomplications such as heart diseases, cans have pre-diabetes. those with blindness, kidney disease, stroke and pre-diabetes have blood glucose levamputation. els higher than normal but not high that’s one reason the ADA holds enough to be diagnosed with type the American Diabetes Alert® Day, 2 diabetes. a one-day wake-up call to inform the early intervention via lifestyle American public about the serious- changes such as weight loss and

We must demand that our leaders commit to children as a condition of our vote.

Marian Wright Edelman is President of the Children’s Defense Fund and its Action Council whose Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.

HEALTH

Visit Us Online @ www.theweeklypress.com

What To Know About Medicare In 2014 talk Radio from page 4

Ball yB ob Mor oos funny remotely appropriate about the use of a lynching The about New Michelle Year brings imreference obama,’’ provements other changes to he said. ‘’it’sand - i’m speechless.’’

Medicare.

Here’sBush a brief rundown As President pointed out eloquently during the Black ofsowhat to expect in 2014. history event, thethere noose The Month best news is that are represents than a tool no changes ‘’more in Medicare’s PartofB murder but a tool of intimidation’’ premium and deductible. to generations of African-AmeriThe standard premium for the cans.ofNooses not only part Medicare thatrobbed coverssome your of their lives many ofhospital their doctor visits andbut outpatient peace of stay mind. care will the same -- $104.90 ‘’As a civil society, we must per month.

Over the past three understand that noose displays years, the premium has remained and lynching jokesout are deeply unchanged or turned lower than offensive. they are wrong. And first projected. they have no place in America A small number of people today,’’ he said. with Medicare – about 4 percent Neither o’reilly nor ingraham –has paybeen surcharges on their Partre-B reprimanded by their premiums because their annual spective employers even though incomes exceed $85,000. the Fox News personality didThey, offer too, will see noapology. increase in their a half-hearted premiums physician visits and At leastfor ingraham didn’t drop outpatient the l-wordservices. but her suggestion that The Part deductible for 2014 Sharpton, aB former presidential will also be same as this past candidate andthe respected member of year -- $147. That’s what you pay the African-American community andofbeyond, a petty reeks out pocketisfor yourthief doctor apof race-baiting negative ste-at pointments and and outpatient care reotyping of African-Americans the beginning of each year before and black men coverage in particular. your Medicare kicks in But it’s hardly the first time either has ventured into questionable andlack offensive territory. how6can from page

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Skip Dillard. “You can’t out-hustle yStem from page 4 her! She’s always there when you need her and spreading the Word cally out that Ichanges of Godpointed is her mission!

Pray she which occur in a human being is WINS!” redirected to pull fromofthe “Liz Black is one thecore most of his own humanity toinreaffirm talented air personalities the busiself worth purpose. hePresiwill ness,” says and Mike Chandler, then by nature acquire the will to dent of Rejoice Radio Networks/ do for himself and“We others.

Musical Soulfood. are honored Space notour available to cover to have Lizison team. She brings concerns of so many people a level of excellence that enhances our offerings to radio stations across

andforget helpso’reilly’s to cover costs. we less-thanYou’ll get bigger price breaks informed comments regarding a on yourhegeneric drugs the “doughdinner shared lastinyear with nut hole.”

Sharpton at Sylvia’s in harlem?

If you have a surprise Medicare drug o’reilly expressed over how to other plansimilarSylvia’s and reach the was coverage gap, restaurants in New York restau- on you’ll receive bigger discounts rants. your generic prescriptions – 28 per‘’there wasn’t one person in 21 cent in 2014, compared with Sylvia’s whopast wasyear. screaming, percent this You’ll also ‘M-Fer, i want iced continue to getmore about 53tea,’’’ percent he offsaid. your brand-name drugs.

As the Post’s TheWashington price breaks arerobadding inson sadly observed on MSNBC up. More than 50,600 Louisiana inresidents February, ‘’All you can go saved by with Medicare have is his words and his actions. And $40.3 million on their prescriptions he keeps saying these things that in the coverage gap this past year sound pretty darn racist to me.’’

–has an average $795 per person. talk radiooflearned anything The discounts will continue grow from imus’ decline and fall?toof until the disappears course not,doughnut because hole it didn’t take in 2020. imus too terribly long to get a If you’re dissatisfied with your new gig.

Medicare Advantage plan, you can our nation’s media outlets quit itnot beginning 1. should provide Jan. a platform for If you’reand unhappy your racialhostility hateful with speech private Advantage now or inMedicare the future.

What kindhealth of plan, an annual “disenrollment” messageare we sending to our children, ourallows nationyou andto our world? period return to the in such anfee-for-service historic election year, traditional Medicare we cannot between stand aside allow program Jan.and 1 and Feb. individuals usepick theaairwaves 14. You canto also drug plan to as an outlet for insensitive and misguidedcommentary. if you hear something that offends you, speak up. the country.”

The Stellar Gospel Radio & Announcer Awards takes place concerned with the@11:00 conditions January 18, 2014 AM at atTennessee Jetson. it Performing is happeningArts there.

CenWhat i do know is that Hall), most of505 ter (Andrew Jackson these youth can be changed, fromTN. Deaderick Street, Nashville, contrition in a prepatory school The Stellar Awards program was for Angola to in rehabilitation established 1985 and isfor uniaversally positive recognized life that mayaslead to a the gospel life of meritorious glory. Thattoisthe music industry’s equivalent the Way I See It! Grammy Awards.

Ask the Doctor

go with your new coverage.

coverage, help is here.

If you have Medicare, you Land Line (225) 356-0703 A word of caution here: There don’t need to do anything about Cell Phone (225) are a few things you235-6955 can’t do during the new Health Insurance Marthe six-week disenrollment period. ketplace. But ifGSRASAC you, a spouse or E-mail: Goodshepherdbapt@bellsouth.

You can’t switch from one net Hours: Mon-Thurs 8amMedi– 8 pm another family member is too young care Advantage plan to another. Nor for Medicare and lacking insurance, this new wayCenter of buying coverage can you switchGood from the traditional Shepherd Substance Abuse may be for you.

Medicare program to an Advantage Intensive Outpatient / Inpatient Therapy plan. Most people will need to wait Health plans sold through For Drugs, Alcohol, Anger Management until the annual enrollment period the Marketplace will provide you in2873 the fall to makeDrive either of thoseRev.with affordable and comprehensive Mission Donald Britton, MA, LAC changes. coverage.

Insurers can no longer Baton Rouge, LA 70805 Clinical Director If you’re not old enough yet (225) 315-0740 Bishop Harris Hayes, Overseer See MEDICARE, on page 8 for Medicare but need health care

Myth: The flu vaccine can give you the flu.

Yolonda Spooner, MD Medical Director AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana

Every year millions of Americans become sick from the flu.

Don’t be next!

Fact: The viruses in the flu shot are not active, so you cannot get the flu from a flu shot. Flu vaccines work by tricking the cells in your body that fight infection to multiply. This protects you from infection.

Myth: Antibiotics can fight the flu.

Fact: Antibiotics cure bacterial infections, not viral infections such as colds or flu. Antibiotics will have no effect if you have the flu.

Myth: There is no treatment for the flu.

Fact: Antibiotics may not work, but antivirals do. Your doctor can prescribe one of two antiviral drugs: Tamiflu or Relenza. These medicines can help cut down the time you are sick by one or two days and make you less contagious. Getting a flu shot can help you avoid getting the virus in the first place.

Seasonal influenza, more commonly known as “the flu” is an infection of the nose, throat and lungs that

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spreads very easily. Flu-infected coughers and sneezers sitting across from you or just standing nearby can cause weeks of grief if you don’t take steps to shield yourself. Runny noses and headaches, muscle aches and sore throats, bed rest and chicken soup — who has time for that?

Every year more than 200,000 people are taken to the hospital for flurelated problems. Kids under the age of 5 are the most at risk. They can even die from it. Pregnant women, seniors and all health care workers are also at high risk. Even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests a flu shot for everyone over 6 months old, most people still do not get one.

getting the shot helps to save just one other person from getting and spreading it, it has done its job.

Besides, wouldn’t you rather be eating a pot of gumbo this winter than struggling to sip a bowl of broth? Contact your provider to find out how you can get vaccinated today.

Those who should NOT get the vaccination include babies younger than 6 months old, people allergic to eggs, those who are currently ill and those who have had a severe reaction in the past.

Yolonda Hill Spooner, M.D., has been the medical director of AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana since January 2012. She has 12 years of combined practice and administrative experience and is board-certified in

The flu is usually contracted when people breathe in tiny droplets from coughs or sneezes of someone who has it. According to the CDC, the flu virus can travel 6 feet! So, you are not safe from your co-worker even if she does cover her mouth — and then touches the door handle and elevator button. The virus can live on surfaces for 2 – 8 hours. Washing your hands and staying away from sick people is not enough to protect yourself.

Getting the flu shot isn’t just about keeping you safe. It’s about control and prevention. Vaccinated people stop the virus from spreading. If

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Have your doubts? If you would like to protect yourself from the flu virus this flu season but are not sure if the vaccine is safe, consider the following facts against old myths.

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12/12/13 4:51 PM

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Page 8 • The

Weekly Press • Thursday, December 19, 2013

SPORTS

NFC South Might Have Just Changed Hands Sunday With Saints’ Loss, Panthers’ Win times than he would have liked.

This is where Shutdown maestro Frank Schwab reminds you that he predicted the Panthers to win the South before the season. And it keeps going the incredible streak of no repeat champions in the division since its inception in 2002, as the Falcons were last season’s champs and this year’s chumps.

The Panthers have been, if nothing else, resilient. They started out 1-3, and then ripped off eight straight wins. Then, after the beat down by the Saints, they bounced back Sunday with a solid win over the Jets.

But it would mean a ton if they won home-field advantage instead of having to go on the road for the playoffs. At home, they have one

Medicare

Saints QB Drew Brees had a rough day against the Rams, with four sacks and three turnovers.

By Eric Edholm If the Carolina Panthers win their remaining two games, they could be the NFC South champions and the No. 2 seed in the conference

with a first-week playoff bye. All that after the New Orleans Saints throttled them in Week 14.

That was made possible with the Saints’ inexplicable 27-16 loss on the road — where they, appar-

ently, are an average team — to the St. Louis Rams, and the Panthers’ 30-20 win over the New York Jets.

Now, if the Panthers beat the Saints next week, they could be heading to Atlanta in Week 17 to

ice up (son) the division. Amazing.

And don’t think Ron Rivera and the Panthers weren’t aware of the situation during the game.

Rivera said he checked the scoreboard for NO game score more

Season Greetings FROM THE STAFF OF

loss (Week 1 to the Seattle Seahawks, 12-7) in seven games in Charlotte and have an aggregate score of 190-83 and haven’t allowed more than 20 points in a game. On the road, they are only 4-3 with a combined score of 138-125.

And, heck, look at the Saints — an even bigger home-road split for them. They are 7-0 at home, outscoring opponents 230-108. On the road, they are a very human 3-4, outscored by a count of 162-112.

They need the Dome. More than the Panthers need Bank of America even.

But as things stand now, the Panthers can control their own destiny, win out, and find a path to the No. 2 seed.

Incredible.

from page 7

deny you coverage, or charge you more, because of a pre-existing medical condition. Enrollment continues until March 31.

You can shop and sign up online at healthcare.gov or by phone at 1-800-318-2596. You can also sit down with a trained counselor and enroll. For a list of counselors in your community, visit localhelp.healthcare.gov or call the 1-800 customer service number.

People with incomes up to $45,960 for individuals and $94,200 for families of four may qualify for tax credits to reduce their premiums. Some applicants may also qualify for help with deductibles, co-payments and other out-of-pocket costs.

You now have access to your personal health information through Medicare’s “blue button.”

Having ready access to your

Medicare claims data gives you a better understanding of your health information and greater control. It also makes it easier to share your medical history with your doctors, caregivers or anyone else you choose.

Visit mymedicare.gov to use Medicare’s “blue button” today. You can download 12 to 36 months of claims information for Medicare Parts A and B and 12 months of claims information for Part D to your computer or mobile device.

As I said, this is just a quick look at Medicare’s more noteworthy changes. The “Medicare and You 2014” handbook you recently received in the mail has a complete summary. If you’d like, you can also visit medicare.gov and download a free digital version of the handbook to your e-reader.

Make the most of your Medicare benefits by staying informed.

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