Baton Rouge Weekly Press Week of May 3, 2012

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THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2012

rouge,

louisiana

Louisiana Celebrates 200th Anniversary

By Kelsey Davis BATON ROUGE - This weekend is Louisiana’s 200th anniversary. Cities across the state are celebrating in different ways, but the big party is right here in the Capitol City.

“Happy birthday Louisiana. Get off the couch! Come on out and celebrate,” said Lt. Gen. Russel Honore.

Hundreds of people descended on the State Capitol’s grounds to kick off the state’s bicentennial weekend.

“This is really a celebration of everything great Louisiana,” said Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne. “We have booths from all over the state, food from all over the state, music from all over the state and it’s a great celebration. We have people from, literally, every nook and cranny of Louisiana.”

Chefs from across the Bayou State brought out favorites like jambalaya and catfish. Artists wowed the crowd with their paintings and creative woodwork. And what’s a Louisiana party without music and gators?

Lt. Gov. Dardenne says his office has been planning this weekend’s festivities for quite some time now. He says he’s excited to see that their hard work has paid off and to have a great time in honor of our great state.

“There is no place in the country and, arguably, no place in the world like Louisiana because of our diverse culture and our unique history and our passion for so many things,” said Lt. Gov. Dardenne.

Lt. Gen. Honore says our state’s bicentennial should not only be a celebration of the history and culture of Louisiana, but it should also be a time for reflection.

“As we look to the past where we’ve come from, take stock of where we are, we know where we have to go. We have to continue to improve education, continue to take care of our people and continue to end poverty in Louisiana,” said Lt. Gen. Honore.

Vol. 36 • No. 50 • FREE

a people’s publication

Karen Carter Peterson Ousts Buddy Leach as Leader of Louisiana Democratic Party BATON ROUGE -- State Sen. Karen Carter Peterson, D-New Orleans, a vocal critic of Republican Party policies and Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration, ousted Lake Charles businessman Buddy Leach on Saturday to become chairwoman of the state Democratic Party.

Peterson is the first woman and the second African-American to lead the state party.

Orleans Parish Clerk of Criminal District Court Arthur Morrell was elected Democratic national committeeman, occupying a seat on the national party’s governing board. Deborah Langhoff of New Orleans was elected national committeewoman.

Peterson defeated Leach 85-75, with 50 members of the 210-member Democratic State

Sen. Karen Carter Peterson

Central Committee, the group that runs the state party, absent or not voting.

Leach was elected chairman without opposition in January 2010. A deep-pockets donor to Democratic causes, See peterson, on page 2

White House Official On HBCU Initiative is Spring 2012 Commencement Speaker

Photo by James Terry III

The Official Louisiana Postal Stamp.

John S. Wilson, Jr., the Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Historical Black Colleges and Universities, will be the commencement speaker at Southern University’s spring 2012 graduation ceremony May 18 in the F.G. Clark Activity Center.

The event begins at 10:30 a.m.

As executive director, Wilson partners the White House, 32 federal agencies, private and philanthropic entities to work to assist 105 HBCUs across the country.

See speaker, on page 3

John S. Wilson, Jr

Partners for Progress, Inc., EBR Parish Housing Authority Partner on New Town Home Developments BATON ROUGE— A groundbreaking ceremony celebrating two new town home developments in North Baton Rouge was held Thursday, April 12th, on the site of the 42-unit Autumn Place, which is situated between the 5600 blocks of McClelland and Hollywood Streets.

Construction of Autumn Place and Willow Creek, also a 42-unit town home development to be built at the former site of Hospital Plaza Apartments on Quida Mae Drive, are both scheduled for completion December 2012. Willow Creek is located behind Earl K. Long Hospital.

“These town home communities are in highly developed urban areas,” said Richard Murray, chief executive officer

of the East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority (EBRPHA), “which means convenient access to interstate and highway travel, as well as shopping centers, schools, churches and bus routes,” he added. “The sites will be landscaped with indigenous Louisiana plants and include a community center, playgrounds and walking paths in an effort to create safe, close-knit communities.”

The Autumn Place development is located on a pieshaped wedge of 4.550 acres on the site of the former Colonial Courts Apartments. Both apartment complexes were demolished in January 2012. Willow Creek is on a 4.555-acre site.

The two, three and four bedroom town homes have an open floor plan with a laundry

Toastmasters Competition

area and first floor half baths. At least 20 percent of the construction materials will be manufactured locally and 25 percent will See partner, on page 2

Mark Goodson, EBR Redevelopment Authority Pastor Guevara Johnson, Interdenominational Faith Assembly Brenda Evans, Louisiana Housing Finance Agency Ronnie Edwards, Councilwoman, District 5 Tonia Dunn, Member, EBRP Housing Authority Dr. Barbara Carpenter, Chair, EBRP Housing Authority Richard L. Murray, CEO, EBRP Housing Authority Morise Duffin, COO, Partners for Progress, Inc. Dr. Ernie Hughes, Chair, Partners for Progress, Inc. Cheryl Williams, HUD Rick Miller, National Development of America William Callihan, Capital One Bank

State & Local News

business NEWS

Health News

SPORTS NEWS Angeles Clippers general manager

Neil Olshey always knew he had to make that trade for Chris Paul. Olshey was sitting in the stands, and the noise was so deafening it reminded him of Pittsburgh Steelers games in the 1970s ..See Page 8

INDEX

Doug Williams Football Clinic On April 23, 2012 Miracle Place Church hosted the Area 8 competition Where Ashanti Witherspoon won first place in the International Speech Division and in the Evaluation..See Page 6

The 31st annual BREC’s DougWilliams Football Clinic will be held Saturday, May 12, from 8 a.m. to noon at BREC’s Olympia Stadium, 7211 Perkins Road.

The clinic is free for kids ages 6 to 18, and is open to the public....See Page 3

US Oil Stocks Hit 22-Year High

Crude-oil futures prices dropped 0.9% Wednesday as U.S. crude-oil inventories rose to their highest levels since September 1990. Analysts said the market isn’t fully reflecting the weak oil supply-demand fundamentals ..See Page 5

Louisiana’s Air Quality

The American Lung Association’s State of the Air report was released today and demonstrates the improvement in air quality throughout Louisiana. Several cities were listed as cleanest in the nation for particle pollution...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 36 Years Of Service To The Baton Rouge Community 225.775.2002

Page 2 • The

Weekly Press • Thursday, May 3, 2012

state & Local

The Weekly Press “Everyone Has A Voice, I’d Sure Like To Hear Yours�

Tesa Middlebrook, Age 17

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 Information . . 225-775-2002 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

August of 2009, the Centre as we knew it changed forever.

March of 2012, the Centre as we knew it changed forever.

She came in with her mother.

Tesa was less that 85 pounds. Her mother wasn’t much more.

Tesa stood and smiled. Her mother, Tarsha, sat to catch her breath.

It was apparent this mother was not well.

Tesa was one of many students waiting to register that day.

Her mother did not view her as one of many.

Tarsha Middlebrook, had come with a purpose that day and it had nothing to do with the obvious illness taking her life.

She was there for one reason and one reason only‌to make sure we knew what an amazing child was among us. She gasped between sentences, but the momentum continued to grow. “Tesa, play the piano.

Show them how you taught yourself‌Tesa, look there’s some paper. Show them how you can draw‌.Have you guys read her poetry? ‌ Tesa, let them read your poetry‌�

There was no doubt. This was no gloating pageant mom.

This was a mother with limited time to prove to the world her baby was going places. There would be no discussion of brain tumors or the recent move from Nebraska, that day. The topic was her daughter and what did this mother need to do to make sure she was taken care of.

In less than one week, Tesa was a part of the CFTA family.

Soon, people would comment on how the Centre ever existed without her. Tesa did not wait to be assigned a job as a student worker. She needed no orienta-

tion to begin what she saw as her mission at the Centre. She required no nametag and did not if ask if the job she choose to do was necessary. In fact, Tesa’s “work� between classes went unnoticed until a staff member overheard her as she approached a little girl waiting nervously on the bench. “Excuse me. Stand up,� she said.

The, now even more nervous, young girl stood. “Yep, you are tiny too. We should be friends.�

Lack of similarities did not stop Tesa from being successful in her self appointed position.

This became apparent when a new teen began at the Centre. “Wow, you are really tall,�

Tesa said as she walked up to him.

She reached up, hugged him, and said, “Yep. We should be friends.�

The more amazing part of her job came after the introduction and declaration of friendship. Tesa meant what she said.

Once nervous newcomers could for weeks and even months be seen scanning the lobby for their good friend, Tesa.

Tesa would get dropped off at the Centre on the bus. She could often be heard convincing her Uncle Mike to come back a little later so she could stay a while longer. Some may think it was for the meal donated by someone in the community or perhaps to just hang out and relax. The truth was, Tesa could find both good food and relaxing company at her home. Moments after Uncle Mike agreed to come back, Tesa could be found coloring with a nervous 5 year old waiting for class, or encouraging a quiet teen to talk about their day.

When asked to describe Tesa, her fellow CFTA classmates describe her as a leader, confi-

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dent, outgoing, and constantly reaching out to others. It was not until one of her mother’s many visits, that the truth about how amazing this teen was became apparent. Tarsha revealed that although the confident and outgoing leader was truly the Tesa she had always known, this was not the Tesa that could be seen daily at her new school.

As it became more apparent that Tarsha’s days were coming to a close, we began one of the most intimate walks with a student we had ever taken. As this strong and wise mother began to prepare her daughter for her inevitable death, she also began to prepare those who loved Tesa most how to help Tesa continue, after she was gone. Although Tesa was deeply sorrowed by the death of her mother, the preparations Tarsha had taken eased her daughter’s pain.

In August of 2011, nearly 3 months after her mother’s death, Tesa began her final year of high school. She began her senior year with a determination even stronger than before. Final decisions were made about colleges.

Scholarships were awarded and Tesa began to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Normal after school discussions, which still centered around Tesa’s struggles with bullies at school, began to take on a new hope. Now, she added a countdown to her plan of endurance.

There was an end in sight and Tesa had no doubt she would make it. Her artwork, music, and writing even began to show the triumph over those that had tried to hold her back.

Tesa had successfully built a support system of friends at the Centre and church family at New Life. She had planned for her future and had taken the necessary steps to make that dream a reality. Her school days were numbered, her tickets needed for showcase had been counted, and her final trip with her youth group around the corner.

On Thursday, March 1st around 8:00pm Tesa left CFTA for the last time. None of her friends said good-bye. None of the staff held her just a little longer. No one gave her artwork to bring home or asked for her music books to be returned. In fact, everyone laughed as Tesa joked on her way out the door.

Less than 18 hours later, little did CFTA know, but the Centre had changed forever.

On Monday, March 5, 2012, a little girl walked into the Centre. She had been a student for nearly 6 years; yet rarely spoke in front of others. She saw the photo board of Tesa and said loud enough for everyone to hear, “That’s the girl that just told me‌’Everyone has a voice. I’d sure like to hear yours.’â€?

In the words of Tesa’s grandmother, Ms. Joann, “Thank you to everyone who has helped both Tesa’s Family and the CFTA Family through the loss of our daughter.�

Please contact Marco Ramirez at the Centre for the Arts at 210.296.6940 or at marco@ centreforthearts.org for any additional information.

Leadership Forum Sponsored by Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sorority, Inc

BATON ROUGE – The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Nu Gamma Omega Chapter will host a Leadership Forum, the theme is “Positioning the Community for the Next Steps in Leadership�.

Panelist for the event include: State Senator Sharon Weston–Broome; Ascension Parish Assistant Superintendent A. Denise Graves; State Representative Ted James, and East Baton Rouge Parish School System General Counsel Domoine Rutledge.

On Saturday, May 19,

2012 from 9:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m. at the Nu Gamma Omega Chapter Sorority Building located at1747 Main Street.

The event is free and open to the public. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. RSVP your attendance to prettynpink91@ gmail.com no later than May 12, 2012. Voter registration will be available.

For more information, please contact Gina Domingue the Ivy Leaf Reporter for Nu Gamma Omega Chapter at 225-270-5700 or by e-mail at gdomin1@yahoo.com.

Rep. Jackson’s Bill to Allow a Rebate to Taxpayers Making Donations The Louisiana House of Representatives Ways & Means Committee passed HB 1106, without opposition, which will allow taxpayers a tax rebate for donations made to certain public schools.

This bill will support public school and has a 10 million dollar statewide cap. The bill, when amended in committee, will offer the following tax rebates for those who donate to public schools for the purpose

Partner

of tutorial, curriculum, books, technology, Saturday school, etc.: 25% Tax Rebate for donations to a “C� school 50% Tax Rebate for donations to a “D� school 75% Tax Rebate for donations to a “F� school If you should have any other questions, please contact my legislative office at (318) 3625123 or by e-mail at jacksonk@ legis.la.gov.

from page 1

contain recycled content.

The town homes are being developed by National Development of America— Centerpointe Regional Housing Development of Baton Rouge 1.LLC, under the auspices of Partners for Progress, Incorporated, (PFP), the affordable housing development group under the Housing Authority.

The East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority was awarded a $750,000.00 low-income housing tax credit allocation for each project, distributed through the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency (LHFA). Funding was made available for the projects by The U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Devel-

Peterson

opment (HUD), the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency, Capital One Bank, Hudson Housing Capital, the East Baton Rouge Parish Redevelopment Authority, and the Affordable Housing Program.

Construction is by National Development Builders, Incorporated, (NDB) and the town home a local office of NDC Real Estate Management will manage communities. Watts Didier & Associates, AIA, and SJB Engineering designed the town homes.

For more information, contact Morise Duffin, chief operating officer of Partners for Progress, Inc., at 923-8100, ext. 2005.

from page 1

Leach replaced Chris Whittington, who stepped aside in December 2009 to devote more time to his law practice.

The 78-year-old Leach issued a written statement after his defeat, saying: “Today’s changing of the guard is a reminder that I represent an older generation of Louisiana Democrats who believe that interest groups should all work together under the same Democratic tent and that campaigns should be based on factual information.�

Leach added, “I realize the demographics have shifted to a younger generation, and I hope they succeed in their efforts.�

He promised to “continue to support the ideals of

the Democratic Party and the re-election campaign of President Obama.�

Peterson, 42, thanked Leach for his service, calling him “a stalwart of the party. He has been an incredible human and financial resource. I look forward to working with him.�

She said she will not have to resign her Senate seat to chair the party and its central committee. Several other states have elected officials leading their state parties, she said, although it is a novelty for Louisiana.

Peterson said she wants to emphasize more party activity at the local level. “It is about grass roots See peterson, on page 3

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Thursday, May 3, 2012 • The Weekly Press • Page 3

marge's

Chit Chat

THOUGHT lem to get help. Go FOR THE WEEK: Is with them to Alcohollife full of problems of ics Anonymous meetdisobedience or conings or to meet with a nections? Wilson counselor.

IT’SNATIONAL · Suggest that PRAYER DAY THIS members of any club THURSDAY and our or youth group you community needs belong to organize an prayer time daily, anti-drinking projectMarge but this week is a an alcohol-free post Lawrence good time to come -prom, graduation, together. Thanks to or New Year’s Eve the local organizers of this event party. and to those who are also at · Make a presentation to prayer for the events that affect you school’s PTA meeting about this community. Especially do how teachers and parents can we want to pray for the govern- realistically help kids avoid ment (local, state and national) drugs and alcohol. of which we live and serve? It is · Ask for help if someone imperative that we pray -- and is pressuring you to try alcohol not faint! or other drugs. Talk to someone THANKS TO THE COM- you trust.

MITTEES that organized Cinco LEST WE FORGET THAT De Mayo day. It is not our cul- APRIL was Child Abuse Preventure or background, but learning tion Month. It was good to see about other cultures is healthy all the hoopla that came with it. for all of us. We can relate in One of the good things of the the best possible way when community was the one-mile we know more about them fun run for all and the 5k fun and their cultures. It does not races for many for all the prohurt to know. ceeds went to the advocacy. All SUPPORTERS OF AUTISM of this is to promote awareness AWARENESS had a lot to rejoice and help advocacy services. about during Autism Month in Thanks to the social workers April. Many, many agencies for their help. have taken this cause in order LOUISIANA’S 200 ANNIthat the community’s show of VERSARY is being celebrated support continues. Thanks to all state wide with all the activities who sponsored events to edu- and history lessons. Look out cate people on this disease and for the singing, dancing and the support awareness? many stories of how our state DRINKING AND DRIV- was founded, why we have ING DURING PROM EVENTS parishes instead of counties, (or any other time for that mat- the black governor, the black ter) has been known to cause mayor, the Indians, etc. many casualties. Let the youth ANGEL AWARD NOMIbe aware that it is not a laughing NATIONS end on Friday of this matter to engage in riotous liv- week. This is a firm deadline ing and not suffer consequences. for any nominations that you Love yourself; love others. Do may have for any one born in the following: Louisiana and goes beyond the · Make a pledge with call of duty to make the state your friends that you will help or their community better. The each other avoid alcohol and award carries with it a huge stiother drugs. Leave the party pend of $20, 000 and this is in when this happens. the form of grant money. Call · If a friend, or some- Blue Cross and Blue Shield for one you know, has passed out more info or go on line for the from drinking too much alcohol, contest rules. turn the person on his or her HAPPY BIRTHDAY to side and call 911 or your local Melvin Joseph Brown, Monique emergency number for help Too Hawkins, Brenetta Rankins, and much alcohol can cause the cen- in loving memory of Bernice tral nervous system, which con- Parker on her birthday. trols breathing, to shut down.

WITH LOVE AND SYMDeath can result.

PATHY to the family of the · Don’t ride with some- late Cleo Brown who was laid one who has been drinking. Call to rest earlier in the week. a taxi, your parents, or another HAVE A VERY BLESSED relative or friend for a ride.

WEEKEND! · Encourage someone I love you, you think has a drinking probMarge

Peterson

from page 2

party building,” said Peterson, a major force in Obama’s Louisiana campaign in 2008.

She said she wants to have a strong party in place not only for the fall presidential and congressional races, but also to start working for the re-election of U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu and “the election of a Democrat to the governor’s mansion” in 2016.

“We feel like working-class people are under siege,” Peterson said. “It is about working-class people who are hurting right now. ... It is about the flawed policies of the Republican Party.”

In the Legislature, Peterson has questioned the benefits of tax breaks given to some businesses and has been a vocal advocate for better schools and health care for the poor. As chairwoman of the Legislative Women’s Caucus, she has also pushed issues that would help women and children.

Peterson and Leach said the party’s top priorities this fall are re-electing Obama and holding onto the 2nd Congressional District seat of U.S. Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans, which now runs from the New Orleans area to Baton Rouge. Landrieu and Richmond are the only Democrats in the state’s nine-member Washington delegation, soon to be pared to eight by congressional redistricting.

Other priorities, they said, are trying to unseat 4th District U.S. Rep. John Fleming, R-Minden, and to win the newly drawn 3rd District, which may pit two

Speaker from page 1 Wilson received his bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College, a master’s of Theological Studies from Harvard University and both a master’s and doctoral in administration, planning and social policy from Harvard University.

incumbent Republicans -U.S. Reps. Charles Boustany, R-Lafayette, and Jeff Landry, R-New Iberia, against each other. Boustany and Landry now represent separate parts of southwest and coastal Louisiana, but redistricting threw them into the same district.

Peterson said she also wants to get more voters to register as Democrats and to improve election-day turnout efforts for the party.

Other party officers elected Saturday include: Shane Riddle of Breaux Bridge, first vice chairman; Arlanda Williams of Houma, second vice chairman; and state Rep. Wesley Bishop, D-New Orleans, third vice chairman.

Ed Anderson can be reached at eanderson@ timespicayune.com or 225.342.5810.

Annual Day at the Capitol

BREC Hosts 31st Annual Doug Williams Football Clinic at BREC’s Olympia Stadium

Doug Williams Football Clinic Photo by Christopher J. Rogers

Researchers from the SU AgCenter provide Hibiscus Tea, a plant high in antioxidants as part of a taste test during Southern University Day at the Capitol. Go to wwwmsuagcenter.com for more information.

Louisiana Shots for Tots Pioneer Receives Prestigious National Award The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the CDC Foundation have recognized Bonnie Hughes of Shreveport as one of its first CDC Childhood Immunization Champions. The award acknowledges individuals who have made immunization successes possible in their communities. In this inaugural year, Hughes is one of 39 champions around the country being honored for their efforts as immunization advocates.

Hughes currently serves as Director of the WK Career Institute and Project NeighborHealth for Willis-Knighton Health System in Shreveport.

She was nominated and selected from a large pool of health care professionals, coalition members, parents, and other immunization leaders as having made a significant contribution to public health in Louisiana through her work in childhood immunization.

“Health champions like Bonnie Hughes protect Louisiana’s children by stopping deadly diseases in their tracks through vaccination,” said Bruce D. Greenstein, Secretary for the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. “It is important that everyone owns their own health, and every parent has a responsibility to guard their children’s health through proper and timely immunizations.”

Hughes has been an immunization advocate since 1991, when she helped coordinate the first “Back to School Bash” for the Shots for Tots program. She then served as chairman of the state’s Shots for Tots program for 3 years and was instrumental in developing the first immunization registry in Louisiana. This registry tool provided the state with a template for the Louisiana Infant Immunization Network for Kids Statewide (LINKS), which now serves as the statewide Immunization Registry.

“These Champion awards honor community leaders on the front lines who are ensuring that all children are vaccinated,” said Dr. Howard K. Koh,

Assistant Secretary for Health, U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. “As a former state commissioner of public health, I know that state and local commitment inspires the nation, protects children and saves lives.”

“I am honored to receive this award since childhoodimmunization has been my focus for the past 20 years,” said Bonnie Hughes. “One of the first assignments I was given at Willis-Knighton was a Back-to-School Bash for Shots for Tots and I have been hooked ever since,” said Hughes. “We are always looking for ways

to improve our immunization rates throughout the state and I think we have all done a great job. But there is still work to be done and I continue to welcome the challenge.”

Department of Health and Hospitals strives to protect and promote health statewide and to ensure access to medical, preventive and rehabilitative services for all state citizens. To learn more about DHH, visit http://www.dhh. louisiana.gov. For up-to-date health information, news and emergency updates, follow DHH’s blog, Twitter account and Facebook.

BATON ROUGE - The 31st annual BREC’s Doug Williams Football Clinic will be held Saturday, May 12, from 8 a.m. to noon at BREC’s Olympia Stadium, 7211 Perkins Road.

The clinic is free for kids ages 6 to 18, and is open to the public.

The clinic instructors will teach fundamentals and techniques of the game along with speed and agility drills.

Doug Williams was MVP of Super Bowl XXII while playing with the Washington Redskins.

He was the head football coach at Grambling State University from 1998-2002. He joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a Personnel Executive and Director of Professional Scouting. In February 2011, Williams returned to Grambling where he is presently serving as their head football coach.

For more information, call Ashton Hawkins at 225-272-9200, 402 or visit brec.org.

It is the BREC mission to provide parks and recreational opportunities for all the residents of East Baton Rouge Parish.

myCamp 2012 BREC SUMMER CAMPS

Registration now available.

Alsen Park, ages 6-12 June 4-July 27 $36 per week for in-parish residents only Greenwood Community Park “Base Camp Greenwood” Adventure Camp June 11-July 13 Fee varies by age and session.

For more information, call 225-272-9200, ext. 400 or visit brec.org/summercamp.

Commentary Thursday, May 3, 2012 • The Weekly Press • Page 4

The Way I See It

Consolidate School Buses and CATS Routes out rather than purchasing them out right. As long Some years ago as we have empty buses I offered the idea rolling through the Baton of going to smaller Rouge community we are buses during off indeed wasting money. peek hours for the Now, that the tax CATS bus system. amendment has been For me, it is difficult passed, I hope a “Watch to determine what are Dog Committee” is William the peek hours for the formed to oversee the Jones CATS bus system beCATS’ board spending. cause I see the buses And I hope the money is during what I would think as peek not spent on higher administrahours running with only three or tive cost. four people aboard.

Personally, the only things The answer that was given that will keep our bus system rollto me was that it cost the same ing smoothly is by increasing the amount of money to operate the rider ship, expanding it routes, larger and smaller buses alike. and expand the time schedule of That brings me to the law en- the buses. forcement community. Because I say that if new waters are they have been using the SUV’s not discovered Baton Rouge will in their fleet and I know that they end up in the same shape in due are not saving any money with time. these vehicles being contracted That is the way I see it.

By William Jones

Is Money a Problem in Politics? Depends on Where You Sit

By Lee H. Hamilton The role of money in politics needs to be better understood.

Does it make the political system work better, or is it a problem — and if so, how much of one?

Most voters are convinced that campaign contributions buy results, as poll after poll over the years has shown. About half think that members of Congress are corrupt. Many say we have the best Congress money can buy. And they certainly don’t like the huge amounts of money that are pouring into the system.

Yet the view looks very different when it comes to those most closely involved in the system.

Most members of Congress find the chase after campaign contributions annoying, but they don’t believe it is corrupting. They don’t believe that they’re selling their votes or that money influences their behavior. Look a member of Congress in the eye and he will tell you, in all sincerity, that he can’t be bought. I never met a politician who thought he was corruptible.

The lobbyists who provide so much campaign cash make the same argument. Most lobbyists are hard working, honorable,

well-informed experts in their particular fields. They do not, with the occasional rare exception, go around bribing members of Congress — I can speak only for myself, but in all my years in Congress only once did I get an offer I considered improper, and that came from a foreign national.

This is not to say that lobbyists don’t seek influence, however.

They do, and money helps. One way they establish good relations with members of Congress is by providing campaign money to those who agree with their positions or to the opponents of those who disagree. In this way they help shape and reinforce a member’s views and what he does.

There is nothing nefarious about this: if as a freshman member of Congress I cast a few votes in favor of, say, free trade, the lobbying community will pick up on this quickly and I’ll suddenly find myself getting contributions from those with an interest in free trade.

In this way, lobbyists help to set the political agenda. By supporting members who advocate their views, they inevitably make it more attractive to members to do See money, on page 5

Civil Rights Community Mourns the Loss of John Payton Marc H. Morial NNPA Columnist “Diverse democracies depend on diverse people who know and respect each other.” – John Payton Over the past century, the most powerful force behind America’s on-going struggle for equality has been an outstanding group of civil rights attorneys. Imagine where we would be today without lawyers like Charles Hamilton Houston – “the man who killed Jim Crow” — or his protégé, Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall, who in 1940 founded the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund (LDF). For over 70 years, LDF has been America’s first and foremost civil and human rights law firm. During that time, the organization has had just six leaders: Thurgood Marshall, Jack Greenberg, Julius Chambers, Elaine Jones, Ted Shaw and the LDF’s sixth

By George E. Curry NNPA Columnist The Department of Agriculture recently issued a report showing that food stamps, one of the nation’s largest safety net programs, is also one of the most effective. Food stamps were responsible for reducing the prevalence of poverty by an annual average of 4.4 percent from 2000 to 2009, according to the report, Alleviating Poverty in the United States: The Critical Role of SNAP Benefits.

SNAP, an acronym for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, was formerly called the Food Stamps Program.

According to the study, SNAP’s antipoverty effect was strongest in 2009 when benefits were increased under President Obama’s stimulus package, also known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. That year, SNAP befits reduced the poverty rate by nearly 8 percent and the depth of child poverty by 20.9 percent.

That’s startling news. It’s also news you may have easily missed.

Media Matters, the watchdog group, reported that a week after the release of the study on April 9, no broadcast TV outlet

President and Director-Counsel, John Payton who passed away last week at the age of 65.

Whether he was defending affirmative action before the United States Supreme Court or leading the fight to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act, John Payton was one of the most brilliant and fearless civil rights champions of our generation. A graduate of Pomona College and Harvard Law School, Payton’s commitment to civil rights led him from a career at WilmerHale, one of Washington, DC’s most prestigious law firms, to his leadership of LDF beginning in 2008. It was at WilmerHale that Payton laid the foundation as a great civil rights attorney.

According to a statement on the firm’s website, “Beginning in 1997, he led the firm’s representation of the University of Michigan—from the district See payton, on page 7

had mentioned the study. And only one cable news network – Al Sharpton’s “Politics Nation” on MSNBC – mentioned the report.

“New evidence that food stamps help to drastically reduce poverty has been largely ignored by the media, even as the right pursues a campaign to bully those who face food insecurity into silence and help conservatives slash funding for successful antipoverty measures,” Media Matters stated.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has tried to demean President Obama by repeatedly labeling him “the most successful food stamp president in American history.”

Gingrich continued to make that charge even after a couple of fact-checking sites pointed out that more people received food stamps under President George W. Bush than President Obama.

As Media Matters noted, “In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture began taking steps to ‘ensure that all eligible people, particularly seniors, legal immigrants and the working poor, are aware and have access to the benefits they need and deserve’ long before Obama took office.”

The attacks on food stamps recipients extend beyond politics. Some of it has been nasty and deeply personal.

Charles Payne, appearing in a Fox News business segment, acknowledged that anti-poverty programs, food stamps and unemployment insurance were “good programs” and then promptly proceeded to viciously attack recipients of those programs.

“I think the real narrative here, though, is that people aren’t embarrassed by it,” Payne said. “People aren’t ashamed by it. In other words, there was a time when people were embarrassed to be on food stamps; there was a time when people were embarrassed to be on unemployment for six months, let alone demanding to be on for more than two years…”

That’s an insult to more than 46 million people who are on food stamps because they desperately need them.

Approximately 85 percent of SNAP households have gross incomes below the poverty line, defined as $22,000 for a family of four. And the benefits average only $1.50 per meal, a figure scheduled to drop to $1.30 per meal in November of next year.

Media Matters says conservatives are trying to bully society’s most vulnerable members.

“By bullying into silence those who would talk openly about their experiences with successful anti-poverty programs – and whitewashing studies proving these programs to be effective – the media create an environment conducive to eviscerating the safety net,” the media monitoring group stated.

And that’s exactly what the Republican majority in the House of Representatives is already doing.

“The House Agriculture Committee, which the Houseapproved budget requires to quickly produce $33 billion in savings over the next decade, approved a proposal that would obtain the entire amount from cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps,” said the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

“The cuts – which would come on top of another proposal in the House budget to cut SNAP by $133 billion over the next decade and convert it to a block grant – See stamps, on page 7

The Time is Right for Reparations

By Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. NNPA Columnist

To Be Equal

by

Media Ignores Success of Food Stamps

For more than 45 million Black Americans, there are many issues that unite or divide us. Undoubtedly, the issue of reparations for African people in general and in particular for Black Americans is an issue began as a divisive topic but now receives support from a board cross-section of Blacks in America.

Of course, there are some who wanted to table a national discussion of reparations in the aftermath of the election of President Barack H. Obama.

Yet, there were many others who have argued that now is the most propitious time to accelerate the national dialogue about reparations because there is a “brother” in the White House.

This is a pivotal year because of the November elections. Any issue that is related to race will be used by those who oppose to President Obama. The goal of conservatives is to polarize American voters to vote their racial prejudice instead of voting their conscience about the future of the nation as an inclusive participatory democracy.

Given the recent polar-

ization around the calls for equal justice and fairness in the Trayvon Martin killing, it would be naïve to think that race will not play a factor in the upcoming elections. The truth is race is just not a problem that crept onto the national scene accidentally. Race has been a social, economic, and political problem in America for more than 200 years. This is nothing new. What is new, however, is how the victims of racism see themselves, and how the perpetrators of racism view themselves.

Fortunately, renowned legal scholars such as Harvard’s Charles Ogletree and others have articulated a rational defense for reparations, which would be therapeutic not only for Black Americans, but also for all Americans.

I have consistently supported the call and the demand for reparations that go beyond whatever monetary compensation. Reparations are also about “repairing the damage” that was done to millions of African people, not just in America, but in the Caribbean, Central and South America, in Africa and throughout the rest of the world.

The United Nations is slowly working on establishing

a permanent memorial to the victims of the infamous transAtlantic slave trade. In Washington, D.C., the construction of the African American Museum has begun. The United States Senate has issued an “apology” for slavery. And in my home state of North Carolina, Gov. Bev Perdue has just called for the state to spend $10.3 million in “reparations” to the victims of a vicious eugenics state program that sterilized thousands of people against their will. Most of those who were unjustly and savagely sterilized were Black. Again, no amount of money could ever justify or rectify that awful and callous past. Still, Gov. Perdue’s actions are the right steps at the right time. Healing is a long term process. It takes time. The perpetrators of racism need a “repairing” of their minds and hearts.

It is interesting to note that even amid a recovering of the American economy from the threshold of severe economic ruin, billions of dollars are being spent by candidates and campaigns for political office throughout the U.S. like they have unlimited money-trees to spend without reservation or limitation. The point here is so much of the “old money” and

ingrained wealth of the nation came directly from the systematic economic exploitation of African people during 500 years of slavery and post-slavery institution-building. That is why it will take a tremendous calculation to determine a full accounting of the financial and human toll of the slave trade and its aftermath. Harper ’s magazine did a study that concluded that the U.S. owes Black Americans more than $100 trillion in reparations. It is probably more than that.

This may not be the perfect time to raise this issue. Judging by the past, there is never a perfect time. Today is as good as any time. Let’s work harder on the issue of reparations. We can begin by supporting the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (NCOBRA), which will hold its national convention in Philadelphia, June 22-24. Reparations for Black Americans should be supported by all Americans.

Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is president of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) and Education Online Services Corporation and serves as the national director of Occupy the Dream and can be reached at drbenjamin.chavis@ gmail.com

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, May 3, 2012 • The Weekly Press • Page 5

Farm Bureau Backs Landowner Cleanup Bill BATON ROUGE - The state’s largest farm organization is backing a bill in the Louisiana Legislature that would allow both landowners and the oil and gas industry to mediate cleanup issues created by years of drilling on private lands.

Sen. Bret Allain, R-Franklin, introduced substitute language to Senate Bill 731 that would allow farmers and landowners to have their property returned to pre-drilling conditions, while drillers and oil companies would not be held liable for pollution issues they did not have a direct hand in creating. The so-called “legacy cases,” pollution issues dating back decades as a result of conditions created by multiple drillers, have been tied up in the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources` Office of Conservation for years.

The bill was approved by the Senate Natural Resources Committee and now goes to the full Senate for debate.

“The bill allows them (oil companies) to do an omission of regulatory responsibility, without admitting private damage,

Money

provides for public hearings at the department (of Natural Resources) upon their admission and makes the process of the public hearing admissible in a court of law,” Allain said.

Allain, a farmer and landowner, said his family farm has experienced issue over the years involving pollutants left behind by drilling companies, or conditions that, while considered “cleaned up,” didn’t meet some state Department of Environmental Quality standards.

“Farmers have expressed to me their concerns over the years about these kinds of issues,” Allain said. “If the (cleanup plan) program that DNR comes up with fits within the regulatory standards that provides for the oil and gas industry to clean up these sites, then there’s no need for oversight because they’re in compliance with the (current) law.

The problem comes in when variances are granted. They’re often granted to allow lower standards. These sites need complete cleanup of all polSee bill, on page 7

from page 4

just that — support their views.

On the large issues, of course, lobbyists sometimes cancel each other out. So the influence of the lobbyist declines the bigger the issue is. But on the small matters that are their bread and butter — an obscure tax change or a shift in the regulatory code that will help their clients or a bill the public has little interest in — they may well have the field to themselves.

So this is the essential conundrum of political money: Americans as a whole believe it’s pernicious, but those who are closest to the system do not.

Some say we just need to get money out of politics, but I see no way this can be done. That is why many reform advocates favor finding ways to reduce the impact of money in the system, say by requiring broadcasters to devote a certain amount of air time to free campaign advertising. Others, including myself, favor public financing of campaigns, as a way of reducing the role of campaign contributions in politics. I don’t believe either proposal stands much chance of enactment anytime soon.

So we should instead

focus on the most troubling aspect of the system. Money may not usually be corrupting, but it does provide donors and lobbyists with disproportionate influence — sometimes in support of the common good, but often not. It diminishes the power and the role of ordinary voters.

While most voters can’t hope to compete with all the money coming from deeppocketed donors, they can do their own bit to tilt things back in their own direction by remaining engaged in the process — letting their member of Congress know what they think, becoming involved in organizations that represent and amplify their views, and joining together with like-minded Americans to make sure their voices get heard. It takes time and hard work, but these are tools available to every American no matter how modest their means.

Lee Hamilton is Director of the Center on Congress at Indiana University. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years.

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OIL FUTURES: Crude Drops As US Oil Stocks Hit 22-Year High

NEW YORK (Dow Jones)-Crude-oil futures prices dropped 0.9% Wednesday as U.S. crude-oil inventories rose to their highest levels since September 1990.

Analysts said the market isn’t fully reflecting the weak oil supply-demand fundamentals as it awaits further signs on the direction of the U.S. economy.

“We shook some of the weaker ‘longs’ out of the market, but some of the new ‘longs’ may hold their guns if the U.S. economy is starting to strengthen,” said Gene McGillian, broker and analyst at Tradition Energy. He was referring to investors who have been buying crude-oil futures in recent days, anticipating that an improving economy will spark oil-demand growth and boost prices.

“The market is not taking direction from fundamentals, clearly,” he said, referring to the relatively muted price reaction to bloated inventories in the world’s biggest oil consumer.

Light, sweet crude oil for June delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange settled 94 cents, or 0.9%, lower at $105.22 a barrel. The contract had settled at a one-month high of $106.16 a barrel a day earlier.

“Until there are signs that the U.S. economy is going south or that all of Europe is in recession, we’ll see some buoyancy,” McGillian said. “For now, the market is avoiding the fundamentals, but I don’t think it can do that for very long.”

U.S. crude-oil inventories rose by a higher-than-expected 2.8 million barrels in the week ended April 27 and now stand at the 19th highest level on record since the Energy Information Administration began tracking weekly inventories in August 1982. The last time crude-oil stocks were higher than they currently are, Nymex crude oil was near $30 a barrel, up from the low $20s just weeks earlier before Saddam Hussein sent Iraqi troops into Kuwait.

Inventories at Cushing, Okla., the delivery point for the Nymex contract, hit a record high near 43 million barrels last week, having climbed 11.5% over the past six weeks. Companies have been rushing oil to Cushing ahead of the reversal of the Seaway Pipeline later this month, which will allow the crude oil to flow from landlocked and hardto-access storage in Midwest to the key Gulf Coast refining region.

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The Gulf Coast will then have the advantage of more domestic crude oils being able to compete with higher-priced international crude oils, such as North Sea Brent, the European benchmark. ICE Brent futures have fallen about $7 a barrel in recent weeks in anticipation of the coming competition.

The record-high Cushing level features in the Midwest regional crude-oil stocks that are at their highest since May 2011.

Gulf Coast crude-oil inventories also are at a one-year high, near 185 million barrels and about 15 million barrels below their record high near 200 million barrels set three years ago. Stocks in the Rocky Mountains area were at the highest level since June 2010 and 8.2% above a year ago.

The rising inventories are due in part to increased domestic production. EIA data show crude-oil output of 6.121 million barrels a day last week, up 8.9%,

or about 500,000 barrels a day, above a year ago and the most since November 1999. Year-todate crude-oil output is up 5.7%, or 315,000 barrels a day, from the same period in 2011.

The EIA said gasoline stocks nationwide dropped by two million barrels, more than the expected 900,000-barrel decline.

Distillate stocks--diesel fuel and heating oil--fell 1.9 million barrels, far more than the 300,000-barrel fall that was expected.

Meantime, gasoline inventories on the East Coast remain above year-ago levels, despite being the lowest since November 2011. In the Northeast, stocks of 31.5 million barrels are 15.6% above a year ago, even as worries persistent about the impact of refinery closures and potential shutdowns on supply.

“Stocks are holding up fairly well even with the refinery outages and such,” said EIA analyst James Beck. “We’re higher than we were last year at this time.”

Nymex June reformulated gasoline blendstock futures fell 2.14 cents to settle at $3.0757 a gallon, the lowest level since Feb. 21. June heating-oil futures settled 3.46 cents lower, at $3.1425 a gallon.

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Page 6 • The

Weekly Press • Thursday, May 3, 2012

Annual Living an Abundant Life Conference BATON ROUGE – On Saturday, May 5, 2012 the Star Hill Church and Straight from the Heart Ministry will host their Annual Living an Abundant Life Conference from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This conference will be held at 1400 North Foster Drive.

This conference is placing emphasis on prayer, faith relationship, the program highlight Morning Glory,

Conference To Reinforce Positive Self-Worth, A Key Element In Strong Love Connections

Straight Talk, and Drama, climaxing with spoken word.

Participating pastors are as follows: Raymond Jetson, Melissa Dunn, Issac Hamilton, Marlon Webb, Milton Coats, Darlene Moore and Merthell Sanders along with other ministers will be attending the conference.

For more information, please contact the church at 225-925-3133.

Gospel Unlimited Ministries to Hold Big Tent Revival BATON ROUGE – There will be a tent revival at 3538 Plank Road, which is next to Istrouma Mattress Factory from May 14th through May 18th, 2012 starting a 7:00 p.m.

Religion

nightly. Reverend Donald Britton will be the host pastor.

For more information, please contact Reverend Donald Britton at 225-235-6955.

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For a few years now, Brown has had the desire to create a compilation CD of gospel songs to market via her firm and now the time has finally come. “I’ve been wanting to do this for years,” says Brown, who is based in Philadelphia, PA. “So many of my friends

With the divorce rate --roughly 50 percent of marriages in the United States --- continuing to threaten the family unit, we must do everything we can to reverse the abysmal pattern many homes are falling into.

The best way to combat this epidemic is to lay down the foundation for a wholesome home by sharing the biblically based, yet practical, principles that lead to changed attitudes toward self and relationships. And it is for this reason that I am teaming up with a fellow Christian author, Dr. Aimee (pronounced I-may) Colbert, to host the Christian Couples Conference in the north Fort Worth suburb of Haltom City on July 7.

“The purpose of the conference is to help each individual, married or not, to increase his or her emotional intelligence and self-awareness,” says Colbert, an evangelist, faith-based counselor and author of the upcoming book “Reality Check: Relationships”.

“I hope that attendees come to a better understanding of themselves, get answers and go forward with a passion to change and a new perspective on love.”

The conference will be at Grace Church, 4740 Western

See cd series, on page 7

See conference, on page 8

From l to r standing: Mark Thompson, Gregory Nero, Daniel Boyette, Marie Davis, and Patricia Noble. (Seated l to r) Glenn Boyette, Jimmy Wells, Shameka Holliday, Davis Breaux and Ashanti Witherspoon.

Miracle Place Church Holds Toastmasters Competition

By Susan Witherspoon On April 23, 2012 Miracle Place Church hosted the Area 8th competition where Ashanti Witherspoon won first place in the International Speech Division and in the Evaluation Division. Jimmy Wells, also of the Miracle Place Toastmasters came in second. Both competed again on Saturday, April 28, 2012, where they squared off

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against representatives of the GSU and Downtown Toastmasters. The competition was held at the Jones Creek Library.

The winners will moved on the District 68 competition, which will be held in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Toastmasters International is organizations that exists in over 125 countries around the world and is geared toward helping people

develop to become effective communicators and leaders.

Twice a year competitions are held around the world where its members compete in speech contests, with the best of the best meet in a designated location for the final standoff.

For more information on Toastmasters visit www. toastmasters.org, or call Glenn Boyette at 225-978-9598.

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from page 5

lutants, not just some.”

Currently the Department of Natural Resources` Office of Conservation has been the landing zone for such cleanup disputes in the past. The office currently has a backlog of 280 such cleanup cases that date back more than a decade.

“Many landowners granted these leases in good faith and hoped their land would be returned in the condition it was found,” said Ronnie Anderson, president of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation. “Farmer’s and other landowners don’t want these issues to end up in court, but unless this bill is passed these

Stamps

from page 4

would reduce or eliminate benefits for all SNAP households, including the poorest.”

The Center observed, “No other program under the Committee’s jurisdiction would face any cut under the proposal, despite frequent calls for reform of the nation’s farm subsidies – 74 percent of which go to the largest, most profitable farms…[that] received an average annual government payment of more than $30,000 a year in 2009, while having an average annual household income of over $160,000.”

Those corporate welfare

CD Series

recipients are the ones who should be ashamed, not people who are down on their luck through no fault of their own.

George E. Curry, former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine, is editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA) and editorial director of Heart & Soul magazine. He is a keynote speaker, moderator, and media coach. Curry can be reached through his Web site, www.georgecurry.com. You can also follow him at www.twitter.com/currygeorge.

from page 6

in the industry have stepped up and allowed us to use their songs for this project and I’m grateful,” says Brown. “Indie labels and artists have become a major force in music so we’ve

Payton

sites could be in ligation for years and the land unproductive.”

Anderson said the bill also calls for the creation of a multi-jurisdictional oversight committee made up of the Department Resources, the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, the Department of Health and Hospitals and the Department of Environmental Quality to review mediation issues between landowners and oil companies.

For more information contact: Michael Danna at 225-922-6226 or 225-603-0923 for more information.

selected some of the best indie tracks to create a must-have CD compilation. “ Habakkuk Music has See cd series, on page 8

from page 4

court through the Supreme Court—in the Gratz and Grutter cases, which hold that public institutions of higher education may consider race as a factor in admissions in order to achieve the educational benefits that flow from having a raciallydiverse student body.”

Payton continued his exemplary defense of civil rights at LDF where, in 2010, he won a Supreme Court employment discrimination case on behalf of a group of Chicago African American fire fighters. He also won a Supreme Court victory in Northwest Austin v. Holder, which upheld the constitutionality of a core provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

On a personal note, John Payton was a dear friend and colleague. I had the pleasure of working closely with him on a number of initiatives, including a new effort just underway to develop a collective voice on Education among civil rights leaders. He also recently arranged for the National Urban League to sign onto an amicus brief on the Health Care case that will be argued before the Supreme Court beginning this week.

I admired John’s sharp intellect and enjoyed the lively talks we had about the law and Supreme Court strategy. He was a seasoned, thoughtful litigator who earned a place alongside great civil rights lawyers like Charles Hamilton Houston and

Thurgood Marshall. President Obama called Payton “A true champion of equality who helped protect civil rights in the classroom and at the ballot box.” I will miss his friendship, his partnership and his humanity. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Gay McDougall, and his wide circle of family and friends.

Marc H. Morial is the President and CEO of the National Urban League

fied bureaucracy, and a national school days. eligibility plan for families up to Whether Members of Congress 300 percent of the federal poverty are liberal, conservative or modlevel. We thank the 62 house co- erate; Democrat, republican or sponsors for their support. how- independent, children need all of ever, we regret that neither a single them to vote, lobby, speak for and house republican nor any other protect them. Adults need to listen Senator joined them to push for carefully to what candidates say coverage for all children. they will do for children and famithe CDF Action Council strongly lies and, once they are in office, supports long overdue health cov- we need to hold them accountable. erage for everyone in America as Please thank your Members of Consoon as possible—because children gress with scores of 80 percent or cannot wait. As SChiP comes up above and let those with scores of again for reauthorization in early 60 percent or below know you are 2009, we hope every Member of dissatisfied with their performance.

Congress will insist on covering And please convey that same mesevery child and pregnant mother sage to each presidential candidate. now by enacting and adequately We must demand that our leaders funding the provisions of the All commit to children as a condition healthy Children Act. of our vote.

Specious claims that we could not find the money—$70 billion Marian Wright Edelman is PresioverBATON five years—to cover all dent of the Children’s Defense ROUGE – The Amer- cleanest cites for PM 2.5.Fund children is belied by that amount and its Action Council whose Leavethe ican Lung Association’s State of “The data shows that spent in eleven months for tax cuts No Child Behind® mission is to the Air report was released today air quality in the state continues for the top one percent of richest ensure every child a Healthy Start, and demonstrates the improve- to get better,” said DEQ SecreAmericans and in seven months a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe ment in air quality throughout tary Peggy Hatch. “Even though for the iraq War. We do not have Start and a Moral Start in life and Louisiana. Several cities were the Baton Rouge area is listed by a money problem in America: We successful passage to adulthood listed as cleanest in the nation for the ALA as ozone polluted, the have a priorities and political will with the help of caring families particle pollution, known as PM number of actual high ozone days deficit. it is time for all adults to and communities.

2.5, with Monroe-Bastrop listed have decreased significantly.” protect the health of our children. as one of the top seven cleanest For the period used in the cities in the nation for PM 2.5 and ALA report, 2008-2010, East Baton ozone combined. alk adio from page 4 Rouge parish had 27 orange days, No parishes were listed which is unhealthy for sensitive in the top 25 for most polluted people and no red (unhealthy for all funny or remotely appropri- we forget o’reilly’s less-thanfor PM 2.5. However, the Baton all) or purple (very unhealthy). ate about the use of a lynching informed comments regarding a Rouge Metropolitan Statistical In last year’s ALA report, which reference about Michelle obama,’’ dinner he shared last year with Area (MSA) as the Sharpton consistedatofSylvia’s data from 2007-2009, he said. ‘’it’s -was i’m listed speechless.’’ in harlem?

No.As 24President most ozone polluted city.

East Baton Rouge had 33 orange Bush pointed out o’reilly expressed surprise over This MSA includes East and West days and 1 red.

That same report so eloquently during the Black how similarSylvia’s was to other Baton Rouge, East and West Felihad Iberville with 30 orange days history Month event, the noose restaurants in New York restauciana, St. Helena, Pointe Coupee, and 2 red, while in this year’s rerepresents ‘’more than a tool of rants.

Livingston, Assump- port Iberville hadone 18 person orangein and murder but aAscension, tool of intimidation’’ ‘’there wasn’t tion and Iberville Parishes. This Sylvia’s 0 red. who was screaming, to generations of African-Amerisame area is listed as one of the Other oniced the 2012 cans. Nooses not only robbed some ‘M-Fer, i wantcities more tea,’’’list of their lives but many of their he said. peace of mind.

As the Washington Post’s rob‘’As a civil society, we must inson sadly observed on MSNBC understand that noose displays in February, ‘’All you can go by and lynching jokes are deeply is his words and his actions. And offensive. they are wrong. And he keeps saying these things that they have no place in America sound pretty darn racist to me.’’ today,’’ he said. has talk radio learned anything Neither o’reilly normore ingraham imus’ decline and fall? of ofluDespite spending than from are tossed aside in favor has other been reprimanded their renot, because it didn’t any nation in thebyworld on course crative prescriptions thattake treat spectivecare, employers even though terribly long to get a health Americans are in- imus only too symptoms.” the Fox News personality did offer creasingly willing to leave the new gig.

One of the wealthiest a half-hearted apology.treatment, people our nation’s mediaSteve outlets country for medical in the country, Jobs, At least ingraham didn’t drop should not provide a platform forthe polls suggest. reportedly traveled outside the l-word but Research her suggestion that racialhostility and hatefulafter speech A Pew Center country for treatment being Sharpton, former or in thewith future.

What kind of poll showsathat onlypresidential 15 percent now diagnosed pancreatic cancer. candidate and respected member of messageare we sending to our chilof Americans believe the nation’s The Gallup poll reveals nearly a the African-American community our of nation and ourare world? healthcare system is the “best in dren, quarter Americans willing and beyond, is a petty thief reeks in such an historic election year,for the world.” Additionally, a Gal- to do the same specifically of race-baiting and negative ste- we cannot stand aside and allow lup poll found that 29 percent of cancer diagnosis and treatment. reotyping of African-Americans individuals to use the airwaves American adults are willing to Experts attribute these high perand black men in particular. as an outlet for insensitive and travel outside the United States centages to a steady increase in But it’s hardly the first time ei- misguidedcommentary. if you for medical treatment. health-care costs and the rough ther has ventured into questionable hear something that offends you,

“Our health-care system estimate that nearly 48 million and offensive territory. how can speak up. is one with competing interests Americans remain uninsured, – financial profit versus health according to the Kaiser Comand well-being,” says J. Thomas mission on Medicaid and the yStem from 4 Shaw, author of Thepage RX Factor Uninsured. (www.therxfactor.com), a novel “Contrary to myth, the dramatizing see as a concerned United States not have the cally pointedwhat out many that changes withdoes the conditions crisis our health-care system. care,” says whichinoccur in a human being is atworld’s Jetson. best it is health happening there.

“Believe me, I am not advocating physician Timothy Shaw, no redirected to pull from the core What i do know is that most ofresome communist-based lation to J.can Thomas Shaw, in a of hissort ownof humanity to reaffirm these youth be changed, from system, butand I do think there is a contrition report byinHealthReformWatch. self worth purpose. he will a prepatory school sort out-in-the-open thenofby nature acquire conspiracy the will to for Angola to rehabilitation for See health care, on page 8 where true medical solutions a positive do for himself and others. life that may lead to a Space is not available to cover life of meritorious glory. That is concerns of so many people the Way I See It!

Could You Be At Risk?

Thursday, May 3, 2012 • The Weekly Press • Page 7

health

(NAPSi)-here’s an alert worth ness of diabetes, particularly when paying attention to: According to it is left undiagnosed and untreated. the American Diabetes Association the day is held on the fourth tuesday (ADA), learning your risk for type 2 of every March. diabetes could save your life. on that day, people are encourDiabetes is a serious disease that aged to take the Diabetes risk test, strikes nearly 21 million children either with paper and pencil or online. and adults in the U.S. it is named the risk test requires users to answer the “silent killer” because one-third seven simple questions about age, of those with the disease--more than 6 weight, lifestyle and family history-million--do not know they have it. all potential risk factors for diabetes.

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. can delay or prevent some of the An estimated 54 million Americomplications such as heart diseases, cans have pre-diabetes. those with include Los Angeles, which and West Baton Rouge blindness, kidney disease, strokewas and ingston, pre-diabetes have blood glucose levNo. 1 on the list, which had 185 Parishes met normal both the amputation. els higher than butoriginal not high orange, andtheone purple standard as well astype the that’s 14 onered reason ADA holds 1-hour enough to be diagnosed with during that time period; No. 2 more stringent 1997 8-hour stanthe American Diabetes Alert® Day, 2 diabetes.

Bakersfield, 209 orange, 48 red Onintervention November 30, EPA a one-day wake-up call to inform the dard. early via2011, lifestyle and 2 purple; andabout No. 8the Houston, these parishes as American public serious- redesignated changes such as weight loss and 61 orange, 8 red and 0 purple. attainment areas with respect to The ALA scale has no relationship the 1997 ozone NAAQS, effective to EPA air quality standards and December 30, 2011. EPA has also with just one orange Air Qual- recognized the state as meeting ity Index day, a city will auto- the federal air quality standards matically get a B with the ALA for PM 2.5. scale.

The Louisiana cities listed “Looking at the numbers, as cleanest in the nation for PM you can see that the number of 2.5 are: Alexandria; Baton Rougeozone days(225) on the Air Quality Pierre Part; Houma-Bayou CaneLand Line 356-0703 Index to decrease, Thibodaux; Lafayette-Acadiana; Cell chart Phonecontinues (225) 235-6955 even though the EPA standards Lake Charles-Jennings; MonroeGSRASAC E-mail: Goodshepherdbapt@bellsouth. have become stricter during this Bastrop; and Shreveport-Bossier net Hours: Mon-Thurs 8 pm City-Minden. period,” Hatch said. “In8am fact,– the air quality is the best it has been Please contact Jean LockGood Substance since the Clean Air Shepherd Act was enwoodAbuse Kelly Center the Public InformaIntensive Outpatient Inpatient Therapy acted. EPA recognized Louisi- /tion Officer with the Louisiana ana for this accomplishment in Anger Department of Environmental For Drugs, Alcohol, Management 2011.”

Quality at 225-219-3966 or by e2873 Drive Donald InMission 2008, DEQ’s ambient airRev.mail at Britton, MA, LAC quality showedClinicaljean.kelly@la.gov for more Batonmonitoring Rouge, LAdata 70805 Director that, for315-0740 the first time, Ascension,Bishop information regarding this mat(225) Harris Hayes, Overseer East Baton Rouge, Iberville, Liv- ter.

American Lung Association Report Shows Improvement In Louisiana’s Air Quality t

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Page 8 • The

Weekly Press • Thursday, May 3, 2012

sports

Tax Break For The Hornets Fails In La. House

Chris Paul Gave Clippers Reason To Believe In Historic Comeback Over Grizzlies

BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana House has narrowly refused to extend an existing tax break given to the New Orleans Hornets that saves the team $3.7 million a year.

The extension proposed

by Metairie Rep. Cameron Henry, a Republican, fell four votes short of passage in a 49-46 vote Wednesday.

The NBA team gets a tax break through the state Quality Jobs Program. Henry

CD Series

Chris Paul

By Adrian Wojnarowski For this night, this moment, this is why Los Angeles Clippers general manager Neil Olshey always knew he had to make that trade for Chris Paul. Olshey was sitting in the stands, and the noise was so deafening it reminded him of Pittsburgh Steelers games in the 1970s with the terrible towels everywhere. This was a biblical beat-down in Memphis, the kind that can demoralize a franchise with the demons connected to these Clippers.

Olshey couldn’t hear his point guard pleading with coach Vinny Del Negro for a chance to return to a fourth-quarter blowout, but Olshey had come to believe in the power of Paul’s voice.

Once the rollicking, rowdy sellout Memphis crowd transformed into a hushed whisper, Olshey could almost hear Paul barking out directions on the floor. This is how change sounds, the roar of 20,000 dissolving into the determined, defiant declarations of a franchise point guard.

Finally, the Clippers had a voice.

“Here’s a guy nursing a groin injury that’s limited him in practice time, and he’s not going back into the game to get his numbers or make it look like a more-palatable loss,” Olshey told Yahoo! Sports late Sunday. “Chris doesn’t go back into that game unless he thinks we can win.

“What it proves to everyone else: If Chris Paul still thinks we can win this game, then we still have a chance.”

Somehow, the Clippers did it. From 27 points down in the third quarter, from 21 down in the fourth, against all odds, and all reasonable belief, the Clippers made a hellacious, historic comeback for a 99-98 Game 1 victory.

The Clippers scored 28 of the final

31 points in a furious fourth-quarter comeback out of nowhere, out of the anger, embarrassment and sheer will of Chris Paul. After six years away from the playoffs and decades as a punch line, the Los Angeles Clippers made a stand Sunday.

[Also: Andrew Bynum reaches new heights with Lakers] Olshey started watching the final minutes from the arena concourse, walking portal to portal for peeks of the court. He wandered back into the locker room, watched on the video equipment and finally emerged on the floor of the arena to watch the final seconds bleed away on the most improbable victory in franchise history.

What stayed with him on that wild comeback was the way that every one of these Clippers did the job they were asked to do. When they were losing a lot of games last month, everyone tried to do too much. They went outside of themselves.

“Now, Reggie [Evans] is rebounding his face off and Kenyon [Martin] is defending and [Eric] Bledsoe is pushing the ball and stopping dribble penetration and Nick Young is making shots,” Olshey said. “Vinny went with the energy guys, and, hey, it’s not always going to be strategic or fundamentally sound, but those guys are going to play for you.

But Chris was policing everyone.

He made them stay in their lanes, made them do what they do well.

And we kept coming.”

Across the final days of the season, the Clippers lost an opportunity to secure home court.

They had to travel to Memphis for Game 1 on Sunday, and hours before tipoff Olshey was talking with team president Andy Roeser, telling him that maybe it wasn’t the worst thing in the

world that this lineup with three starters making playoff debuts would begin away from home.

When Game 1 was over, Olshey was sure of it.

“If we had gotten down like this at home, it could’ve killed us for the series,” Olshey said.

“Sixty percent of our lineup has never been in the playoffs before, and if you’re down on the road, you don’t have anyone giving up on you in the crowd. You’re in a hostile environment anyway.

But now we’ve demystified the playoff process for Blake [Griffin] and DeAndre Jordan and Nick Young. We’ve sped up the process a little bit.”

For so many of these Clippers, this season delivered them something they never had in their careers: expectations. As a rookie, the Clippers needed Griffin to be a show, a ticket seller, and he did the job. This year, everything changed. Olshey did a terrific job of surrounding his young stars with excellent role players. Only, Chauncey Billups was lost with an Achilles injury. And then Sunday night, Caron Butler broke his hand. This is a well-constructed, well-considered team, and Olshey went out of his way to make sure Del Negro had a prominent part in selecting the players.

Perhaps Del Negro’s job has been in jeopardy with ownership, but several sources say Olshey never considered firing him. He hung in there with Del Negro, the way Del Negro hung in there with this young, developing team. This season isn’t built for overnight successes, and considering everything, a fifth seed in the Western Conference was a significant achievement.

“I’ve watched too many times where a front office brings in its own players, and the coaches aren’t on board and you end up with a separation of church and

state,” Olshey said. “This was always our team.”

When the comeback was complete, the GM didn’t march into the locker room. He never does. It isn’t fair to his coach to come say something when emotions are snarling after a loss because those conversations are best at breakfast in the morning, after a night’s sleep. “And so, I’m not going in there to take a victory lap after we’ve won a game either,” Olshey said.

For the Clippers, this game meant so much. They spared themselves a 1-0 hole, the embarrassment of a blowout loss and the inner doubts that exist when a young team’s never done anything in the playoffs.

Well, they did something. They made one of the great comebacks in NBA history, and they did it because Chris Paul’s greatness, his will, declared it possible.

That’s why Neil Olshey always knew he had to make that trade with New Orleans for Paul, why it was destined to transform the franchise.

And as the Clippers celebrated in the winning locker room, Neil Olshey marched out the door amongst those loud, wild Grizzlies fans who had suddenly turned so sullen. As the Clippers GM walked around in Memphis, he knew this night would be remembered for that single, solitary voice amidst all that mayhem. Somewhere, somehow, a franchise has to make a stand. Finally.

“Without Chris, we’re not getting there tonight,” Olshey said.

Yes, Neil Olshey knew he had to make that trade for Chris Paul.

He just didn’t know how badly until late Sunday, until all hell was breaking loose in Memphis, until no one was laughing at the Los Angeles Clippers anymore.

Eagles Finish Off Miss-Lou Series Sweep From School Reports MERIDIAN — The Meridian Community College Eagles completed their three-game series sweep of Baton Rouge Community College on Sunday afternoon 8-4. The Eagles improved to 32-19 overall and closed out the Miss-Lou Conference portion of its

schedule with an 8-4 record.

Baton Rouge dropped to 25-29 overall and also closed out its Miss-Lou schedule with a 5-7 record.

Brandon Smith picked up the win for the Eagles by working six innings, while allowing three earned runs and

collecting four strikeouts.

MCC finished the game with 10 hits and the Bears had nine in the loss. Tanner Vandevere led the way for the Eagles with three hits and a pair of RBIs. Ryan Heim added a hit and three RBIs in the game, while Mike Williams added

a solo home run.

Charles Morton had a pair of hits in the victory and former Meridian High standout Luke Stanley had a pair of hits and an RBI. MCC returns to action Tuesday on the road against Mississippi Delta at 2 p.m.

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proposed continuing that for the length of the Hornets’ new lease with the state, which is set to go through 2024.

Henry says the extension is part of the deal for keeping the team in New Orleans. But critics say the state doesn’t have enough money to continue offering multimillion-dollar tax credits to wealthy team owners.

Henry plans to bring the proposal up again for another vote.

from page 7

signed on to release not just one installment but also a series of compilation CDs with BlackGospelPromo. com. The first CD is entitled, Got Gospel? The Best Indie Tracks, Yesterday, Today & Forever. The project hits stores June 5, 2012 and features this exciting mix of both evergreen and future classics: 1. God is Great - Ricky Dillard and New G 2. Lord, You’re Mighty Youthful Praise featuring J.J. Hairston 3. I Want To Say Thank You - Lisa Page Brooks 4.Window - Canton Jones 5. No Looking Back Damita 6. I Give Myself Away William McDowell 7. You That I Trust - The Rance Allen Group 8. The More I Seek You - Gail Holmes 9. Big -Valencia Lacy & Unquenchable Worshippers 10. Send Your Rain -

Conference Center Blvd., in Haltom City.

There’ll be two sessions, one from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the other from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on July 7, which will be on a Saturday.

“It’s not only for couples.

It’s for couples and anyone seeking to be married some day, and it’s free,” Colbert says of the conference.

The idea is to reinforce the need for individuals to understand themselves, to have a healthy appreciation of their own self-worth and discern whether someone else has the wholesome spirit that is needed to best complement them. Strong relationships are built on wisdom and humility.

And they thrive when those entering into them have genuine, sincere hearts rooted in the spirit of giving.

When someone approaches a relationship with the mindset of seeing what they can add to that relationship to help make the other person’s life easier, better, that produces a powerful connection, one that reflects the attributes of God. But when someone enters into relationships with a “gimme” attitude, always seeking to make withdrawals from the other person’s heart and rarely (if ever) making deposits, then that not only strains the rela-

Health Care com. “We’re No. 1 in healthcare spending, but No. 50 in life expectancy, just before Albania.

In Japan, people live four years longer than Americans. Canadians live three years longer.

Forty-three countries have better infant mortality rates.”

Uninsured Americans are more likely to seek treatment abroad than those with coverage – 37 percent versus 22 percent, according to the 2009 Gallup poll.

“In a significant measure, the United States private health system has changed into ‘Big Business,’” says Timothy Shaw, recounting several experiences with fellow doctors. “In some measure the humanitarian emphasis has eroded.”

J. Thomas Shaw says the debate over health care has become a game of politics and money, leaving the “little guy” to suffer.

But he remains optimis-

Clint Brown featuring Marvin Winans 11. Alright - Gerald Scott 12. Mario Winans’ “Overcomer” Remix - Vickie Winans 13. Be Like You - Cheneta Jones 14. The Best Time of My Life - Bryan Wilson The set is the second release in Habakkuk Music’s Got Gospel? Six Sounds of Summer marketing campaign that launches with Cheneta Jones’ debut CD, Transformed, on May 22nd. Other CDs in the summer series include new albums by Clint Brown, Gerald Scott & Company, Lisa Page Brooks and Valencia Lacy & Unquenchable Worshippers. To learn more about Habakkuk, visit www. habakkukmusic.com for more information.

Media Contact is Bill Carpenter who can be reached at (202) 506-5051 or by e-mail at carpenterbill@me.com for more information.

from page 6 tionship, but it gradually tears down the other person.

So, we want to stress that people have a healthy attitude toward themselves. A person can’t be sufficiently good to someone else if he (or she) has a negative view of himself (or herself).

Topics Colbert and I will cover at the conference include: “Twenty Questions You Must Ask Your Mate Before You Get Married”; “Twenty Signs That He/She is Not the One”; “Are You Addicted to Bad Relationships?” and “Evaluating Your Expectations in Your Relationship,” just to name a few.

The conference will be recorded on CD and some video.

The content will be available following the conference.

“The conference will be very eye-opening,” Colbert says. “Couples and singles should come prepared to learn.

They should invite as many people as they possibly can, as we will be sharing information that they will probably never hear anywhere else. This will be a life-changing event in their lives.”

For more information about the free conference, including registration, visit http://www.christiancouplesconference.com.

from page 7 tic that the nation can create world-class system for all, referencing Thomas Jefferson’s appeal for “unalienable rights:” “And for the support of this declaration,” Jefferson writes, “… We mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.”

There are no “easy answers” to the problem of “Big Pharma,” Shaw says, referring to the nation’s most powerful pharmaceutical companies.

“They are the entities funding most of the research, including that of universities. Research without the interests of “Big Money” would be a good start, perhaps on a grass-roots level.”

Please contact Ginny Grimsley at 727-443-7115 ext 207 or by e-mail at Ginny@ newsandexperts.com for more information regarding this issue.