Caribbean American Weekly - Issue 70

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ISSUE 70 VOLUME 16

Hope: Dream Act of 2017 Introduced In the Senate VISIT US ONLINE AT WWW.CAWNYC.COM

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BY JOSHUA BREISBLATT

he bipartisan Dream Act of 2017 was just introduced by Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Durbin (D-IL) in the U.S. Senate. The bill provides legal status, as well as a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrant youth who entered the United States before the age of 18.

The Dream Act, if passed into law, will allow young immigrants who have called the United States home for most of their lives to begin to realize their full potential and know the sense of security that

Trump Collapse: Coming Soon ...see page 3

Jamaica’s Senate Approves Integrity Bill ...see page 2

continued on page 10

Guyana’s STEM Team Placed 10th Against 164 Other Countries... see page 2

Macaroni and Cheese Linked to Birth Defects, Study Claims

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EW YORK: Packaged macaroni and cheese is convenient and easy to store and prepare and comes in handy for a quick snack or menu addition, but it may have its darker side in the form of harmful chemicals, according to a new study.

These chemicals — known as phthalates — are found in macaroni and cheese products that use powdered cheese, according to research by the Coalition for Safer Food Processing and Packaging.

According to a New York Times report, phthalates can pose a risk to

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Leaks Reveal Plans to Expand Expedited Removal...see page 6

continued on page 8

Brian Figeroux, Esq. Member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association for 2 decades

Call on Dept. of Ed to Support Protections Against Sex Discrimination ... see page 3

Are You Entltled to Your Husband’s Retirement Savings? ... pg 5

Trinidad Reportedly Has Highest Rate of ISIS Recruitment ...see page 2

Elevated Protein Level Increases Blacks’ Risk of Kidney Disease ... pg 14

Movado and Machel to Perform at Dominica’s World Creole Festival .. pg 13

Affairs: How to Heal After You Found Out ... see page 15

2

Caribbean Consulates

Anguilla 845 Third Avenue New York, N.Y. 10022 Tel: 212-745-0200

Antigua & Barbuda 305 East 47th Street, Suite 6A New York, N.Y. 10020 Tel: 212-541-4117

The Bahamas 231 East 46th Street New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-421-6420

Barbados 820 Second Avenue, 5th Floor New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-551-4325

Belize 675 Third Avenue, Suite 1911 New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-593-0999

Dominica 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400H New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-949-0853

Dominican Republic 1500 Broadway, Suite 410 New York, N.Y. 10036 Tel: 212-599-8478

Grenada 685 Third Avenue, Suite 1101 New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-599-0301

Guyana 308 West 38th Street New York, N.Y. 10018 Tel: 212-947-5119

Haiti 815 Second Avenue,6th Floor New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-697-9767

Jamaica 767 Third Avenue, 2nd Floor New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-935-9000

Martinique 444 Madison Avenue, 16th Floor New York, N.Y. 10022 Tel: 212-838-6887

Montserrat 845 Third Avenue New York, N.Y. 10022 Tel: 212-745-0200

Panama 1212 Avenue of the Americas, 20th Floor New York, N.Y. 10036 Tel: 212-840-2450

St. Kitts & Nevis 414 East 75th Street, 5th Floor New York, N.Y. 10021 Tel: 212-535-5521

St. Lucia 800 Second Avenue, 9th Floor New York, N.Y. 10007 Tel: 212-697-9360 St. Maarten 675 Third Avenue, Suite 1807 New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 800-786-2278

St. Vincent & The Grenadines 801 Second Avenue, 21st Floor New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel: 212-687-4981 Trinidad & Tobago 125 Maiden Lane, 4th Floor New York, N.Y. 10038 Tel: 212-682-7272

For more Consulate information go to www.cawnyc.com/directory

IN THE NEWS The Senate in Jamaica Has Approved Integrity Commission Bill

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he Senate in Jamaica has the Integrity approved Commission Bill, paving the way for the establishment of a single anti-corruption unit, which will investigate and prosecute corruption in Jamaica.

The Bill was piloted in the Senate by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Leader of Government Business in the Senate, Kamina JohnsonSmith.

The legislation, which will promote and enhance standards of ethical conduct for Parliamentarians, public officials and other persons, was passed with 103 amendments.

It makes provisions for the establishment of an Integrity Commission, which will be responsible for investigating alleged or suspected acts of corruption; preventing, identifying and prosecuting corruption; and monitoring the award and discharge of Government contracts

Minister Johnson-Smith

and prescribed licences.

The new body will have three Directors heading the information and complaints, investigation and corruption prosecution divisions.

Among the amendments is the creation of the post of Executive Director to head the proposed Integrity Commission.

This Executive Director will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the affairs of the Commission; coordinating the functions of the Commission; ensuring the timely implementation of the decisions and directions of the

Commission; and developing and implementing operational policies and procedures in relation to the functions of the Commission.

Senator Johnson-Smith explained that the Government felt this lone post was a better arrangement than having Directors of the three divisions of the body report directly to the Commissioners, as was previously stipulated in the Bill.

The Integrity Commission is to be formed through the merger of the Commission for the Prevention of Corruption, Integrity Commission and the Office of the Contractor General.

The Bill will go back to the House of Representatives for approval of the amendments made by the Senate.l

Read more Caribbean news at www.cawnyc.com. Visit us on Facebook @cawnyc

STEM Guyana Team Placed 10th Against 164 Other Countries

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aieteurnews: The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Guyana team returned home to a warm welcome by the First Lady, Sandra Granger, Director of Sport Christopher Jones as well as several others.

The young Guyanese team comprising Ryan Benschop (team captain), Anthony Frank, Arianna Mahase, Christopher Nelson, Sahief Poese and Vevekeanand Ramnarace, alongside Team Manager Farnaz Baksh; Coach Ricky Chan; and Public Relations Officer Horace Mosley placed 10th after battling against 164 other countries from around the globe.

The achievement by the nine-member

team is phenomenal, taking into consideration they only had four months to prepare for a competition which was new to them. However, their achievement is being celebrated by the Guyanese population.

Twenty-two-year-old Farnaz Baksh, Team Manager, and one of the two lone females on the team, said that part of the team’s success came from observing their environment. She explained that during preparation for the competition they experienced some difficulties which were solved from engineering techniques used in Guyana for drainage and irrigation.

Baksh stated that “one of the main

focuses was our pull-up mechanism... because of the weight of the robot it was a little too heavy and then we thought [about] our koker system in Guyana, those doors are way heavier so what is the gear mechanism behind it so that it lifts all the weight, so some of the students went and inspected it and saw how the gear works and which goes where. So it was between torque and speed. We needed more torque and less speed, so that’s how come we used a larger sprocket and it actually helped us in all six matches, we got out 20 points because of studying the koker system here in Guyana.”l

return of these trained foreign terrorist fighters is of great concern” it indicated.

According to the State Department, the Trinidad and Tobago government reported in 2015 that more than 100 Trinidadian nationals, including women and minors, had traveled to Syria and Iraq, with a handful reportedly returned to the twinisland state.

The report noted that with Muslims making up about six percent of the population — roughly divided between persons of African and South Asian heritage —foreign terrorist fighters reportedly came from both communities. Many had prior affiliations with criminal gangs, it added.

The report indicated that an inter-agency National Counterterrorism Working Group, led by Trinidad and Tobago’s

Ministry of National Security, meets regularly to detect, deter and disrupt any possible terrorist actions; to prevent a terrorist act in Trinidad and Tobago; and to identify and prosecute terrorists.

The report also pointed out that Trinidad and Tobago continued to identify and monitor persons who raised terrorism concerns and maintained a list of nationals who traveled to Syria or Iraq to fight with ISIS. More than 70 nationals of Trinidad and Tobago are believed to be fighting with ISIS in Syria, the report said.

In June last year, it said leaders from Trinidad and Tobago’s Islamic community signed a joint statement condemning ISIS and all forms of violent extremism.l

Trinidad Reportedly Has Western Hemisphere’s Highest Per Capita Rate of ISIS Recruitment

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ASHINGTON DC: The United States says Trinidad and Tobago had the highest per capita rate of ISIS recruitment in the Western Hemisphere last year and the return of these terrorist fighters was cause for concern.

In its Country Reports on Terrorism 2016, released recently, the US State Department said many countries in the region have porous borders, established smuggling routes and limited law enforcement capabilities.

“These vulnerabilities offered opportunities to local and international terrorist groups and posed challenges to governments in the region,” the report said.

“Canada and the Caribbean —particularly Trinidad and Tobago —were sources of foreign terrorist fighters in 2016; the

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TIME FOR ACTION

Trump’s Total Collapse — Coming Soon

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BY BART ROSSI, Ph.D.

onald Trump cannot handle an investigation into himself or his family. The New York Times may have some new interviewing with the President, but that is not the most important consideration. Donald Trump is highlighting a serious personality disorder on the national stage. He is showing more personality traits that will most definitely undermine his presidency, and the timeline is short. His personality will not allow for much more time for any reasonableness or the possibility that he will succeed in any manner.

The pressure of the investigation with Russia will push Trump’s perverted personality features, now manifesting in front of all of America, to fire Mueller.

This will happen sooner rather than later.

I believe Trump will not be able to handle a strong look into himself, his family and their involvement with Russia, for more than a month or two. And so, the Mueller firing will result in utter turmoil.

Also, there may be more firings. It is doubtful that Attorney General Sessions will last. He may resign, but he and others within the FBI will likely be terminated. And all of this must be in the future since Trump is not capable of standing up to the truth, especially when it concerns himself and his family.

Much has been said about Trump — his authoritarian personality and “boss-like” features. But now the view will be

skewed only to look at his limited and shallow thinking process which will be his downfall. The near future is something every responsible American must prepare for since Trump is about to create chaos not yet seen before in American politics. The most likely firings and Mueller’s own investigation will be a monumental problem for both political parties. The general view is that Trump is unstable, odd, and just different. But this is to miss the point that America has elected a President who is demonic. It is the position here that Trump believes that what he says is reality. He is a step away from a liar and a fabricator. He believes his own deliberate fabrications and feels that everyone should agree with HIM. More Trumpism is on the way, but now it will be extreme, truly bizarre, and perverted. His actions will be all the above and much more.l Dr Bart Rossi is an Emmy Winner and renowned Political Psychologist.

WHO Urges Early Action to Combat Threat of HIV Drug Resistance in the Caribbean

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eneva, Switzerland: The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the spread of an HIV strain resistant to some of the most widely used medicines could undermine progress in the treatment and prevention of HIV infection in the Caribbean and elsewhere if early and effective action is not taken.

According to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director General of the United Nations health agency: “Antimicrobial drug resistance is a growing challenge to global health and sustainable development.

“We need to proactively address the rising levels of resistance to HIV drugs if we are to achieve the global target of ending AIDS by 2030,” he indicated.

The WHO HIV drug resistance report in 2017, stated that in six of the 11 countries surveyed in Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa and Asia, more than 10 percent of people starting antiretroviral therapy, had a strain of the infection that was resistant to some of the most widely used medicines.

The agency recommends that once the threshold of 10 percent has been reached, countries should urgently review their HIV treatment programs.

According to the UN agency, HIV drug resistance develops when people do not adhere to a prescribed treatment plan.

Those with drug resistance will start to fail therapy and may also pass on drugresistant viruses to others.

WHO said that of the 36.7 million peo-

ple with HIV worldwide, 19.5 million were accessing antiretroviral therapy in 2016.

While most of these people are doing well, the number of those experiencing the consequences of drug resistance is growing, it said.

Increasing HIV drug resistance trends could lead to more infections and deaths, WHO warned.

Mathematical modeling shows an additional 135,000 deaths, and 105,000 new infections could follow in the next five years if no action is taken, and HIV treatment costs could increase by an additional US$650 million during this time, according to the international health body.l

TEAM

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My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. —Hosea 4:6 Publisher I.Q. INC.

Managing Editor & Editor-in-Chief Pearl Phillip Legal Advisor Brian Figeroux, Esq. Assistant Editor Marilyn Silverman

Graphic & Website Designers Praim Samsoondar Ayako Miyayoshi (Intern) Contributors Joshua Breisblatt Dr Bart Rossi Candace Bahr Ginita Wall Kate Shepherd Robert Preidt Royce Murray Abigail Kramer David Goguen, J.D.

Email: cariaweekly@aol.com Telephone: 718-771-0988

Website: www.cawnyc.com

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4

CIVIL RIGHTS

Call on Dept of Education to Support Protections Against Sex Discrimination

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he Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and 36 civil rights and education organizations wrote to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos in support of critical policy guidance clarifying schools’ responsibility to prevent and address sex discrimination under Title IX. The groups called on the Department of Education to work to protect all students from sex discrimination and urged the department to reiterate its support for existing Title IX guidance.

The letter states: “Your unwillingness to commit to retaining the 2011 Dear Colleague Letter on Sexual Violence during your confirmation hearing[iv] has caused considerable concern among our communities. It is incumbent upon you to state clearly your intention to enforce civil rights law and to preserve clarifying guidance. Ambiguity and uncertainty will only serve to reinforce hostile and discriminatory school environments that deprive students of their right to an education.

We are aware that the Department is facing unwarranted criticism for having done its job. Some advocacy organizations, law professors, and legislators claim that the grievance procedures outlined in the 2011 sexual violence guidance violate due process rights of stu-

dents accused of sexual assault. This argument is without merit.

Since the Title IX regulations were issued in 1975, educational programs have been required to create “grievance procedures providing for prompt and equitable resolution” of complaints.[v] The 2011 guidance further clarified what constitutes an equitable grievance procedure. Specifically, the Department reminded schools that both the complainant and the respondent should have the same rights in any grievance procedure—for example, the same right to review documents, the same right to counsel, the same right to present wit-

nesses and evidence, and the same right to an appeal.

Moreover, the Department clarified that an equitable grievance procedure means that both the complainant and respondent bear the same burden of proof—that is, that schools should use the preponderance of the evidence standard. This standard is used in cases alleging discrimination under other civil rights laws,[vi] in civil lawsuits between two private parties (including suits related to possibly criminal conduct such as tort actions for battery or murder/wrongful death), and in 80 percent of schools, according to a 2002 report issued well before the 2011 guid-

ance.[vii] In fact, by demanding equitable treatment of both the respondent and complainant, the Department’s interpretation of Title IX provides students accused of sexual assault with procedural protections beyond those the Supreme Court has said are guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution.[viii] The Department’s Title IX guidance letters and enforcement have been vital in the effort to ensure that students do not face discrimination in school, based on sex. Yet, as advocates for civil rights, including women’s rights, racial justice, disability rights, LGBTQ rights, and immigrants’ rights, we know that such discrimination continues to deny students equal access to education at all levels. We urge the Department to continue helping schools understand their legal obligations—for example, by reiterating its continued support for existing guidance letters.

Students deserve, and the law requires, a Department of Education that is working to protect all students from discrimination. These guidance documents and continued enforcement of the law are critical to making students’ rights real.l

Source: civilrights.org

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5

MONEY MATTERS

Are You Entitled to Some of Your Husband’s Retirement Savings In Your Divorce?

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BY CANDACE BAHR, CEA, CDFA & GINITA WALL, CPA, CFP®

side from your home, it is likely that the retirement accounts you and your husband hold make up a large portion of your shared assets.

Divorce accounts, like 401(k) plans, IRAs, and pension funds, come with a lot of rules and regulations, which makes them a little tricky to tackle in divorce.

However, retirement accounts ARE assets and can be considered martial property.

That means you are likely to be entitled to some of your husband’s retirement assets, especially if he was the primary breadwinner in your household.

Can You Receive Part of His Retirement Benefits?

Any income that your husband added to his retirement accounts while you were married or any amount that he became vested in a pension plan during marriage, will be considered marital property. As long as the money invested did not come from an inheritance or as a gift or isn’t protected by a prenuptial agreement, it should be on the divorce negotiation table.

Before you sign your name on the divorce settlement make sure you understand exactly what the tax implications are for dividing retirement assets. Since

retirement vehicles are so complicated, it is really a good idea to use an experienced divorce attorney to guide you in this process.

By the way, this rule cuts both ways. If you have built up retirement savings during the marriage, your soon-to-be-ex is likely entitled to part of your retirement savings.

Get a QDRO If your husband has a pension or a 401(k) plan, you’ll want to ask the court to issue a Qualified Domestic Relations Order, known as a QDRO, which you can serve to your husband’s employer. The QDRO will allow your husband’s employer or retirement administrator to move funds from his account and place them in your retirement account without any penalties.

We can’t stress enough how important this document is. Without it, your husband could end up with your share of the

retirement instead of you.

Get a Lump Sum Payment Instead?

It is always possible for you to take a lump sum withdrawal from your husband’s retirement account if you both come to that agreement, but be aware of the tax penalties you’ll face. For example, if you ask your husband to hand over half his IRA to you in cash and you are under the age of 59 ½, that payment will get hit with a 10% withdrawal penalty.

Additionally, he’ll have to report the total amount as income and pay income tax on it. If the amount is large enough, it might even get taxed in a higher tax bracket!

Think about how much money you need right now and where you are in your own retirement savings plan. If you can, use a QDRO to move your husband’s retirement savings into a new, separate IRA for yourself so you can focus on your own retirement savings. Of course, not

every woman can afford to start saving money right away after a divorce. If you need the money to pay your legal bills or to start your life over, then you may have to simply swallow the taxes and penalties. Another option is to negotiate for cash from another source instead of your husband’s retirement accounts, such as from his stock options or RSUs, so that you can avoid an early withdrawal penalty.

Get Expert Help Dealing with retirement accounts can quickly get messy, and many divorce attorneys mishandle QDROs. Military pensions, and pensions from the federal government, state government, county, or city all have their own rules and require their own expertise. Don’t try to negotiate these tricky subjects on your own and get burned with unknown taxes, penalties, and laws. Hire a knowledgeable divorce attorney or at least an attorney with contacts with specialists who can work with her on your divorce. It’s worth the extra money to make sure you get what you are owed in your divorce.l

Reprinted with permission. Candace Bahr, CEA, CDFA and Ginita Wall, CPA, CFP® are co-founders of WIFE.org, a nonprofit that aims to teach females how to take financial control of their lives after major life transitions — like divorce.

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6

DIASPORA CONCERNS

Leaks Reveal Administration’s Plans to Expand Expedited Removal

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BY KATIE SHEPHERD

he administration has threatened to expand its use of a fast-track removal process, which could lead to the deportation of thousands of immigrants with valid claims for humanitarian relief or who have family members in the United States.

The Washington Post recently reported obtaining a 13-page draft memorandum from the White House which outlines the administration’s plan to further expand the use of “expedited removal,” a deportation process which has been used for the past 20 years at the border to bypass immigration courts. The draft memo, which has yet to be approved by Department of Homeland Security (DHS), proposes to expand this fasttrack removal process to those who are apprehended anywhere in the United States and who are unable to prove they have lived continuously in the country for more than 90 days.

To date, the practice of expedited removal has been reserved for those who are apprehended within 100 miles of the border and who are unable to show physical presence in the country beyond 14

Photo by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Department of Homeland Security)

days. Expanding expedited removal to the entirety of the United States, regardless of where individuals are located, may lead to serious due process violations and the deportation of countless individuals, including legitimate asylum seekers, without the chance to first see a judge.

The process also threatens to erroneously sweep up and detain individuals who are unable to quickly produce sufficient documentation that demonstrates

they have been in the United States for longer than 90 days.

The leaked memo is part of an effort to implement President Trump’s Executive Order 13767 on border security which directed DHS to apply expedited removal to the fullest extent of the law. The Washington Post reports that the new plan, if implemented, would “represent a major expansion of the agency’s authority to speed up deportations under an administration that has made border

security a top priority.”

In 2004, about 50,000 immigrants were removed through expedited removal, compared to about 193,000 in 2013, which accounted for about 44 percent of the total number of people deported that year. If the proposed policy is implemented, the number of noncitizens who are deported through expedited removal could skyrocket.

Lawyers and advocates have criticized the government’s reliance on fast-track deportation methods due to the significant challenges it creates for those trying to navigate an already complicated immigration system. It’s particularly dire for asylum seekers who when subjected to expedited removal are forced to quickly present their claims of persecution — even though they may be suffering from psychological trauma, have limited access to medical and psychological services from detention, and generally do not have access to counsel.

The price of fast tracking deportations means many vulnerable individuals who have meritorious immigration cases will be denied a day in court and unable to reasonably make their cases.l

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8

Macaroni and Cheese Linked to Birth Defects, Study Claims/continued from page 1

small children and pregnant women as they can affect male hormones and have been associated with genital birth defects in infant boys. They are also known to have caused learning and behavioral problems in children. The study said that although not intentionally added to food, “phthalates are ‘indirect’ food additives when they escape from food contact materials. “Phthalates tend to be found at higher levels in highly processed or fatty foods,” it noted.

For the study, 30 cheese products were tested and phthalates were found in all but one of them. The average phthalate levels were more than four times higher in the macaroni and cheese powder than in hard blocks of cheese, the study found. According to the New York Times, about two million boxes of macaroni and cheese are sold every day in the United States alone.

Mike Belliveau, executive director of the US Environmental Health Strategy Center, told the New York Times: “Our belief is that it’s in every mac ‘n’ cheese product – you can’t shop your way out of the problem.” Phthalates have already been banned from babies’ teething toys.

Tom Neltner, the chemicals policy director for the Environmental Defense Fund, told the New York Times that environmental and food safety groups petitioned the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to remove all phthalates from food, food packaging and food processing and manufacturing equipment.“A chemical is not allowed in food unless there is a reasonable certainty it will cause no harm,” he said. “We don’t think the FDA can say there is a reasonable certainty of no harm.”

An FDA spokeswoman said there should be “sufficient scientific information to demonstrate that the use of a substance in food contact materials is safe under the intended conditions of use before it is authorized for those uses.The FDA continues to monitor literature and research on these compounds as it becomes available,” she said.

The Coalition for Safer Food Processing and Packaging study concluded that further research on the presence of phthalates in food is needed, and the chemical should be removed from food products.l

HOT TOPIC

Consequences of Rising Tuition & Student Loans?

Declining Homeownership

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tate average enrollment-weighted public college tuition and fees per school year rose by $3,843 (or 81 percent) between 2001 and 2009. How are recent cohorts absorbing this surge in college costs, and what effect is it having on their post-schooling consumption?

Our analysis of tuition, educational attainment, and debt patterns for nine youth cohorts across all fifty states indicates that the tuition hike accounted for $1,628, or about 30 percent, of the increase in average student debt per capita among 24-year-olds between 2003 and 2011. However, estimates indicate no meaningful response to tuition on

college enrollment, years of post-high school schooling, and BA degree attainment rates.

Our findings are consistent with American youth having accommodated tuition shocks not by forgoing schooling, but instead by amassing more debt. They signal an active role for the U.S. student loan system in shielding young Americans’ human capital investments against shocks to (students’) education costs. Further analysis demonstrates that the tuition hike and student debt increase, despite leaving higher educational attainment unchanged, can explain between 11 and 35 percent of the observed approximate eight-percentage-point decline in homeownership for 28-to-30-year-olds over 2007-15 for these same nine cohorts.

The results suggest that states that increase college costs for current student cohorts can expect to see a response not through a decline in workforce skills, but instead through weaker spending and wealth accumulation among young consumers in the years to come. l Report by: Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Authors: Zachary Bleemer, Meta Brown, Donghoon Lee, Katherine Strair and Wilbert van der Klaauw.

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9

FAMILY MATTERS

ACS In Overdrive: Are Fewer Families Getting the Help They Need?

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BY ABIGAIL KRAMER

fter a series of widely publicized child deaths in 2016, New York City's child welfare system continues to struggle under a glut of new cases.

In response to a surge in child abuse and neglect reports, the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) has drastically increased the number of families it brings into the system, filing more cases in Family Court and placing more children in foster care.

Attorneys for parents and other court observers say the increases are due, in part, to heightened anxiety and caution among child welfare staff. But the resulting system-overload, they say, increases the risk of breaking up families unnecessarily, and may make children less safe.

Caseloads among the workers responsible for investigating and monitoring families are significantly up. Family Court is overwhelmed, exacerbating its chronic problems of delayed and cancelled hearings. And lawyers for ACS-involved parents say that families are sitting on waitlists—sometimes for weeks—for preventive service programs designed to help stabilize and supervise kids' safety at home.

Between October 2016 and May 2017, the ACS filed more than 10,500 cases accusing families of child abuse or neglect in Family Court—an increase of 64 percent over the number of cases filed by the agency during the same months of the previous year.

While the total number of children in foster care has been dropping for well over a decade and remains near record lows, there were more than 2,000 children placed in care as a result of ACS

court filings in the most recent seven months for which data are available—a more than 20 percent increase over the same period of the previous year.

The ratio of foster care placements to child protective investigations remains as low or lower than in previous years, indicating that ACS is not more likely than in the past to remove a child once his or her case has come to the agency's attention.

The average caseload of protective and diagnostic caseworkers rose from 9.6 to

14 between September 2016 and May of this year. l

This report was made possible with generous support from the Ira W. DeCamp Foundation, The Sirus Fund, and The Child Welfare Fund. Article reprinted with the kind permission of The New School, Center for New York Affairs.

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10

IMMIGRATION

DREAM Act of 2017 Introduced/

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continued from page 1

comes with living with documentation.

The Dream Act was first introduced in 2001, and has enjoyed broad bipartisan support, but has yet to pass into law.

The renewed urgency to pass this legislation comes as media speculates that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative, which 800,000 Dreamers are currently protected from deportation by, could come to an end in the coming weeks or months. The threat came after a group of 10 states led

by Texas asked the Trump administration to end the DACA initiative and threatened to file a lawsuit challenging it.

Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly also recently met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill and said he is supportive of DACA but that it may not survive a legal challenge.

The Dream Act of 2017 lays out a three-step path to citizenship, first providing Conditional Permanent Resident (CPR) status to undocumented youth who: nentered the United States under the age of 18, nentered four years prior to enactment and have since been continuously present,

nhave not been convicted of a crime where the term of imprisonment was more than a year, or convicted of 3 or more offenses were the aggregate sentence was 90 days or more (with an exception for offenses which are essential to a person’s immigration status), and nhave been admitted to an institution of higher education, have graduated high school or obtained a GED, is currently enrolled in secondary school or a program assisting students to obtain a diploma or GED. Anyone with status under DACA is immediately granted CPR status for up to eight years, which includes work authorization.

After maintaining CPR status, individuals become eligible for Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status—a green card holder. In order to receive LPR status an individual must either

complete at least two years of higher education or two years of military service with an honorable discharge, or demonstrate employment over a total period of three years.

Additionally, LPR applicants with disabilities, who are full-time caregivers for a minor child, or an applicant whose deportation would cause extreme hardship to a U.S. citizen spouse, parents, or child can receive a “hardship waiver” which exempts them from the higher education, military service, or work requirements.

The Dreamers, for whom this bill is named, have lived in America since they were children and built their lives here.

They are American in every way except for their immigration status. It is past time that this nation comes together and does right by them.l

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11

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

Six Months of Immigration Enforcement Under the New Administration

N

BY ROYCE MURRAY

ow that we have passed the sixmonth mile marker of the new administration, the wheels of immigration enforcement have had a chance to settle into their new rhythms.

Enforcement targets have expanded, enforcement tools have been sharpened, and enforcement locations have been widened, triggering pervasive fear of deportation and separation among immigrant families.

President Trump’s executive orders on border security and interior enforcement have had time to be translated into guidance from Homeland Security Secretary Kelly, from Attorney General Sessions, and from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to the field. The single biggest change is the unwinding of enforcement priorities from the Obama administration, with ICE now instructed to arrest any individual they encounter who does not have lawful immigration status.

This represents a radical departure in how limited enforcement resources get prioritized. While ICE alleges that they are only targeting those with a criminal history or deportation order, they have

also made clear that they will ask the immigration status of anyone in the course of an enforcement action and arrest nearly all those without proper documentation. This shift ensnares all sorts of people who have lived quietly in the U.S. for many years without incident while they work to support their families and integrate into society.

With more people in the crosshairs, immigration arrests are up by nearly 40 percent. ICE has increased its issuance of

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Photo by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Department of Homeland Security)

detainers by 75 percent, requesting that local law enforcement hold individuals in their custody so ICE can pick them up.

And ICE has increased the number of people it places in removal proceedings by 47 percent.

This year ICE is also ramping up its cooperation with local law enforcement agencies to have them enforce immigration law. ICE now has agreements with 59 law enforcement agencies (known as “287(g) agreements”) in 18 states, with

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plans to consider expansion to additional partnerships both near the border and deep within the interior of the country.

Other localities—often called “sanctuary jurisdictions”—that opt out of full cooperation with ICE have been threatened with cuts to their federal funding.

So what comes next? The Department of Homeland Security may seek to add more tools to its toolbox by expanding fast-track deportations throughout the country. This “expedited removal” process, which currently applies to a 100-mile border zone and only to those noncitizens who have been in the U.S. up to 14 days, could be expanded to the entire United States as well and to those who have been here up to two years. To accommodate this shift, the administration is seeking to increase the hiring of Border Patrol and ICE agents and dramatically increase the number of detention beds, from a funding level of 34,000 beds in recent history, to as many as 51,379 beds.

The abandonment of enforcement priorities will also reap havoc on cases long-closed, as people who have been meeting their obligations to check in with ICE are taken into custody or who have had their court cases administratively closed seek to be re-calendared by ICE attorneys. Finally, if large numbers of people who have temporary permission to remain and work in the United States suddenly lose that authorization, the target population could grow immensely. At risk now is the possible termination of the deferred action program (DACA) benefiting 800,000 young people raised in the U.S. and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for over 300,000 people allowed to live and work in the U.S. while their countries experienced armed conflicts and disasters.

Long integrated into the fabric of their communities, these populations facing new risks of deportation will present the American public with a new face of what immigration enforcement looks like.l

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12

JOBS & EMPOWERMENT

Get Ready to Become a Paralegal

T

the rates of paralegals for the same task, law firm economics mandates the increased use of paralegals to minimize costs. As a result, a paralegal career is one of the hottest non-lawyer jobs in the legal industry.

here are many reasons why a paralegal career is an excellent choice. A paralegal job provides an opportunity to work in the legal field without spending several years in law school. If you thought paralegals only worked in law offices, think again. The skills you learn in paralegal training are transferable to other business environments. With the right skills, you would be able to work in a number of industries, including law firms, financial offices, law libraries, and state, local and federal governments.

Here are 5 great things about being a paralegal:

1. Rise in Pay Paralegal compensation has risen steadily in the past decade, despite a bump in the road in the depths of the 2009-2010 recession. As paralegals perform a broader and more complex range of tasks (paralegals even represent clients in court in certain countries and administrative tribunals), paralegal earnings continue to rise. The average paralegal salary hovers at around $50,000 per year but paralegals often make more through bonuses. Overtime hours can also add significant cash to a paralegal's paycheck.

3. Easy Career Entry Unlike lawyers who must complete seven years of formal education and pass the bar exam to practice law, you can become a paralegal in as little as a few months of study.

2. Explosive Employment Outlook The paralegal field is one of the fastestgrowing professions on the globe. The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts the employment of paralegals and legal assistants to grow 28 percent between 2008 and 2018, much faster than the average for all occupations. Among the factors driving this growth is client demand for more affordable and more efficient delivery of legal services. Since hourly rates charged by attorneys are typically double or triple

4. Intellectual Challenge Paralegal work is intellectually challenging and involves a range of high-level skills. The most successful paralegals are problem-solvers and innovative thinkers.

Paralegals must become subject matter experts in their specialty area and master legal procedure, research, drafting and other skills. They must stay on top of ever-changing laws and new legal trends and developments while interfacing with attorneys, opposing counsel, vendors, staff members, clients and others. The work is varied and each day brings new challenges.

5. Rising Prestige As paralegals perform more complex and

challenging work, paralegal prestige is rising. Paralegals are no longer simply lawyer's assistants; they are assuming management roles in corporations, leadership roles in law firms and entrepreneurial roles in independent paralegal businesses. Over the years, paralegals have transcended the image of glorified legal secretary to become respected members of the legal team.

Ready to Become a Paralegal?

So what do you think? Does a paralegal career sound like it’s for you? If you want to get started on the path to success as a paralegal, the New American Chamber of Commerce (NACC) can help. We go beyond teaching you about becoming a paralegal, we teach you how to be your own boss with our Small Business Boot Camp: Start Your Own Virtual Paralegal Business.

Come and learn about our FREE Paralegal Program. Visit www.freeparalegal.org to register for our next Orientation & Career Success Seminar.

We are located at 26 Court Street, Suite 701, Downtown Brooklyn. Call us at 718-722-9217. l

DO YOU WANT TO START, GROW, GET MONEY, MARKET OR CERTIFY YOUR BUSINESS? CONTACT THE CHAMBER AT 718-722-9217 OR VISIT WWW.NACC.NYC

NEWS 13

NEWS

nHEALTH

nENTERTAINMENT

nRELATIONSHIPS

nRECIPES

Antigua & Barbuda Welcome ‘The VOICE’ Winner Chris Blue & Wife

A

ntigua and Barbuda welcomed The Voice 2017 Winner, Chris Blue and his new wife Stephanie, to the popular destination in the Caribbean for their honeymoon with a VIP reception. The newlyweds landed in the Caribbean’s most romantic destination to the sounds of local musicians where they were personally greeted by the Minister of Tourism, Economic Development, Investment and Energy, the Honorable Asot A. Michael.

As part of the VIP Welcome and reception, the newly-married couple, who

arrived from London where their wedding took place, also received a special wedding blessing from the CEO of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, Colin C. James.

The couple will be spending time in Antigua and Barbuda, enjoying their time as a new couple at the award-winning Hermitage Bay Resort, before Chris returns to the US to continue his concert and recording schedule. Chris Blue is the latest winner of the popular program, The Voice, and is celebrating his newfound popularity with sold out concerts in Tennessee and performances at the Fourth of July Concert in Washington, DC on PBS. Blue is the second celebrity to choose Antigua and Barbuda as a honeymoon destination in recent weeks, following upon Lionel Messi, arguable the world’s greatest soccer player, honeymooning earlier in the month with his new wife at luxury the getaway, Jumby Bay.l

Barbados Crop Over Festival

T

he Crop Over summer festival is Barbados' most popular and colourful festival. Its origins can be traced back to the 1780's, a time when Barbados was the world's largest producer of sugar.

At the end of the sugar season, there was always a huge celebration to mark the culmination of another successful sugar cane harvest — the Crop Over celebration.

As the sugar industry in Barbados declined, so too did the Crop Over festival and in the 1940's the festival was terminated completely. However, the festival was revived in 1974 and other elements of Barbadian culture were infused to create the extravaganza that exists today ..... an event that attracts thousands of people from across the globe.

The festival begins with the Opening Gala and Ceremonial Delivery of the Last Canes and the crowning of the King and Queen of the Festival — the most productive male and female cane cutters of the season.

Calypso is one of the main features of

nSPORTS

nDINING

Caribbean Breeze “This is a refreshing, fruity cocktail."

-Marcy, AllRecipes.com

Ingredients Ice 1 fluid ounce orange vodka 1 fluid ounce raspberry vodka 1/2 fluid ounce coconut-flavored rum 2 fluid ounces orange juice 2 fluid ounces pineapple juice 1 dash grenadines 1 orange wedge, for garnish

Directions Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour the

orange vodka, raspberry vodka, rum, orange juice, pineapple juice, and grenadine over the ice; stir well.

Garnish with an orange wedge.l

Movado & Machel Headline Dominica’s 20th World Creole Music Festival

R

oseau Dominica: The stage is set for a star studded line up of the 20th world Creole Music Festival in Dominica from October 27 29, 2017. The three nights of pulsating rhythms line up was revealed at the Fort Young Hotel on July 13, 2017.

the Crop Over festival. The calypsonians are organised into "tents" and these tents are sponsored by Barbados businesses.

Calypsonians compete for several prizes and titles, including Party Monarch, Sweet Soca Monarch, Road March Monarch and Pic-O-De-Crop Monarch. The Party Monarch and more recently the Sweet Soca competition are among the festival's most popular events! The final of the Pic-O-De-Crop competition is held at Kensington Oval, and this is followed by the Fore-Day Morning Jump-Up! The finale of the festival is the Grand Kadooment! This carnival parade features large bands with members dressed in elaborate costumes to depict various themes. Designers compete for the coveted Designer of the Year prize while the revelers seem more intent on having a good time!

Bajan and international superstar Rihanna, always takes time off her busy schedule to attend. Will she attend this year and will she bring her rumored, new love, multi-millionaire Hassan Jameel? l

The contribution of past and present event directors was acknowledged as the World Creole Music Festival has become a landmark event which showcases the island’s rich creole heritage.

For more information on the 20th Annual World Creole Music Festival, visit www.DominicaFestivals.com. l

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WHY BECOME A TRAVEL AGENT?

• Travel is an 8.1 trillion dollar industry • Some of that money can be yours

You can start your travel business with SSN or ITIN.

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Cost $250.00 (Chamber members) $350 (Non-chamber members) Fee includes Travel Agent training and your own online travel business, access to Small Business Boot Camp and Individual Chamber Membership. Certificates will be given out to those who successfully complete the program.

Register at www.chambercoalition.org/travelagent Call 718-722-9217 for assistance

VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.CAWNYC.COM FOR MORE NEWS AND INFORMATION, FREE LEGAL CONSULTATIONS AND A CHANCE TO WIN A TV!

14

HEALTH MATTERS

Elevated Protein Level Increases Blacks' Risk of Kidney Disease

B

BY ROBERT PREIDT

lack Americans with gene variants that raise their risk of chronic kidney disease don't always develop it, and researchers now think they know why.

Fifteen to 20 percent of black Americans have inherited variations of the apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) that put them at risk for chronic kidney disease, but only about half of them are diagnosed with the illness.

Scientists analyzed blood samples from more than 1,000 black Americans who had the genetic risk. They found that elevated levels of a protein called suPAR triggered the start and progression of chronic kidney disease in those with the gene variants.

"What we are learning today is that suPAR ... is to kidneys what cholesterol is to the heart, a substance that can cause damage if levels rise too high, or a substance that can likely make many forms of kidney disease worse," said senior study author, Dr. Jochen Reiser, He is Chair of the Internal Medicine Department at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

The researchers noted that everybody

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Photo: kidney.org

has suPAR, which is produced by bone marrow cells, in their blood, But as the levels of suPAR rise, so does the risk for kidney disease.

The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, could lead to new treatments for chronic kidney disease that target these risk factors, Reiser said.

Factors such as smoking, weight gain and frequent infections can boost suPAR levels, so people with this genetic risk for kidney disease should try to follow good health habits, the researchers added.

"Lifestyle is a big factor, bigger than

we thought," Reiser said in a medical center news release.

"Based on these fundamental insights, suPAR level testing may become a routine test at many institutions around the world," Reiser concluded.l Source: SOURCE: Rush University Medical Center, news release. Health Day/MedlinePlus via Minority Black Health Blog

Cost includes materials and information on: lSupplemental Study Guide lNotary Fact Sheet lPractical Exam lSample Forms lNotary Public Application and Oath of Office lNY State License Law Booklet lNY State Exam Schedule lExpert Training and Assistance

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Date: Thursday, Aug 24 from 6pm-9pm Location: 26 Court Street, Suite 701

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LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS

Affairs: How to Heal After You Found Out

I

BY JENNINE ESTES

nfidelity is almost always a source of intense hurt and emotional distress, but an affair doesn’t have to mean your relationship is over.

While infidelity is rated as the most serious hurtful event a couple can face, many marriages and relationships can survive the storm and sometimes even make it through even stronger than before the affair occurred. Let’s face it though, it’s going to be a tough road ahead to overcome the damage of an affair and both partners need to be truly motivated to heal.

Discovering your spouse cheated or had an affair is one of the toughest things to go through in a marriage. If your partner has been cheating on you, there will be a wide range of intense emotions you are bound to go through: sadness, anger, fear, confusion, embarrassment, hurt, and paranoia are just a few. Facing up to the reality of what they have done, and deciding how to move forward, takes a lot of strength. No matter which direction you go, you will have to learn how to heal.

These are some tips on how to heal for the hurt partner:

nAim to stay calm: Although your emotions and reactions make total sense, it will be important to express how this

injury has impacted you in an organized way. Try to have some compassion for yourself; this is really hard. It may beneficial at this time to seek some support from an individual therapist or couples therapist in order to think and express yourself more clearly. When flashbacks or painful memories occur, don’t try to go through it alone- let your partner in on what’s going on, ask for reassurance, and let them know how they can help. It may seem hard to believe since they were the one who caused the pain, but your partner is going to have the biggest impact of helping you heal from the affair.

nDon’t ask about specific details: Ask for important details about the affair, but not microscopic ones. You may want to know every detail, but this likely won’t be helpful. Discuss what is necessary to restore the trust. You do need to know how long the affair went on, if your safety could be at risk, and how emotionally involved your spouse was in it. Try your best not to push for additional details that will only create more sting.

nRealistic expectations: During the aftermath of an affair, a marriage is in a very fragile state. Your emotions will be too. Your emotions may fluctuate uncontrollably from week to week, day to day, or from one hour to the next. This can be

confusing to your partner so try to set realistic expectations about what you need to start to rebuild trust and feeling safe again. Although what you are intending to do is avoid this from happening again, try to avoid statements like “always” and “never” (“I want you to have your phone on and available 24/7” or “I never want you to come home even 5 minutes late”). Don’t set yourself up to fail when you know certain expectations are unrealistic. Research shows that it will take some time for a couple to fully recover from the negative effects of an affair. Don’t set yourselves up for disappointment by expecting your marriage to return to normal by a certain date.

nAcknowledge that your partner still has feelings: This may be very hard to do when you feel so hurt and betrayed, but the couples who are most successful in overcoming affairs are both able to consider each other’s views and feelings.

You may be totally unaware that your partner is struggling with deep-seated feelings of shame, guilt, and embarrassment. Both of you need to empathize with each other’s feeling, and understand how those feelings affect the healing process. To create lasting recovery from an affair, the couple needs also to attend to what was going on in the relationship before the affair occurred. This doesn’t

15

excuse the affair in any way, but it gives a picture to how space was made for a threat to enter in. High relationship quality acts as a protective factor to infidelity.

When couples feel really close and secure in their relationship, there is far less room for a third party to get between them. Work to rebuild your sense of safety and connection.

Try your best not to abandon your marriage prematurely, without allowing sufficient time for the healing process to take place. Yes, this may take some time and there’s no telling how long. Variables like: the type or circumstances of the affair, the length of the marriage, the amount of lying or deceit that took place, whether injuries like this have occurred before, and other factors can further increase the length of time it takes to heal. If you really want to save your marriage, both of you need to hang in there long enough to see positive results.

Make sure you are both communicating and engaging in constructive discussion about how you both feel. This may be a helpful time to seek help from a skilled couples therapist who has experience working with infidelity and affairs.l Jennine Estes, MFT, is a Marriage and Family Therapist in San Diego, CA., certified in Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples. MFC#47653.

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17

SMALL BUSINESS MATTERS

Tips to Building Brand Awareness

B

BY JENNIFER V. MAHARAJH

ehind every successful business, product or service, there is an established brand reputation that helps build customer loyalty and confidence, driving overall sales and growth.

Keeping up with current market trends and understanding the key factors to help tap into your target audiences is integral to growing your brand. Here are a few tips to help initiate your brand strategy.

Social Media It’s a force to be reckoned with. All social media platforms are conversation starters, network movers, reputation builders and breakers (so be careful how to use), and is a valuable resource for gaining insight on your target audiences.

Utilizing content marketing such as sharing of social media posts, articles and videos, stimulate interest and begin to grow your reputation. Supporting a community event— blog about it, take pictures and post it on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Have a special sale or promotion you want people to know about- hit the social share button.

Public Relations Promoting is what it’s all about. Through traditional print media, social media, community events or speaking engage-

ments, tell your story. Who are you?

What makes you different? What can you bring that’s unique and engaging? Use every opportunity to find avenues for press releases whether it’s a new product you are launching or a new partner you are teaming up with. Host special events and invite the public and media.

Consistent Messaging Having a multichannel marketing approach is encouraged, as long as you keep your communications clear and consistent. Your brand should be recognizable to your current and potential audiences. Consistency tells your consumers you understand your approach

and believe in it. This is a way to retain and build your customer base while reinforcing your identity.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) In today’s digital age, improving your rankings in search engines to navigate users to your business is a must. Think about all those people trolling through the internet looking for your product or service. Wouldn’t you want to be at the top of that search list? SEO is about using key phrases and terms related to your services and products to drive traffic to your website.

Customer Experience Consumer interactions and touchpoints are the most valuable assets you have.

By creating positive integrated experiences for your customers, you reap the rewards of word of mouth referrals, positive image reinforcement, return customers and of course, increased brand reputation and revenue. Whether it’s a call, in-person meeting or email, think about how you can craft your selling points to be useful, engaging and unique to your customer. Tell your story by presenting the opportunities and they are beneficial. Use your time to take your customer through a journey, in which they will keep returning to experience.

According to a recent article in Forbes, “We need to think about our reputations as a constant, competitive advantage; a driver of growth and prosperity; and a strategic asset.” Building brand reputation is a top of mind marketing initiative.

Let the Chamber (NACC) assist you.

For assistance, please call 718-7229217.l Jennifer Maharajh is a strategic marketing and communications professional with over 15 years of experience writing for various publications on many topics, and has been in health care industry for over 10 years.

Why Join Our Chamber?

Because membership in the local chamber offers numerous benefits and keeps business owners on top of important, ever-changing issues and trends within their community and local marketplace.

reasons to join: lBrings credibility to your business lIncreases your visibility in the community lCreates networking opportunities lGain a voice in government lMake business contacts lReceive Chamber newsletters lAcquire customer referrals lAttend Chamber events and programs lBenefit from promotion and publicity lFree small business consultations

Become a Chamber member today.

Call 718-722-9217 or visit www.chambercoalition.org

Time to take your business to the next level!

Victoria Falk CEO, Passionate Travel VP, AAICC

Ready to join our Chamber?

Keep in mind, however, that you can’t just be a member of the Chamber to reap the benefits of chamber membership.

Paying your annual dues just isn’t enough.

You must also make an investment of time and effort in Chamber activities and become involved. Simply put, what you get out of Chamber membership is directly relative to what you put in.

DO YOU WANT TO START, GROW, GET MONEY, MARKET OR CERTIFY YOUR BUSINESS? CONTACT THE CHAMBER AT 718-722-9217 OR VISIT WWW.NACC.NYC

18

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

Personal Injury Accidents: Preserve Evidence

T

BY DAVID GOGUERY, J.D.

he first few days immediately following an accident are often the most important for finding and preserving evidence of what happened — and documenting your injuries. You should take the following steps as soon as you are able, to make sure your personal injury claim is as strong as possible.

Return to the Scene If an accident occurred somewhere other than in your home, return to the scene as soon as possible to locate any evidence and photograph any conditions you believe may have caused or contributed to the accident. You may be amazed to find something you were not aware of when the accident occurred but which may help explain what happened, like a worn or torn spot on which you fell or a traffic light that isn't working. Also, while looking around you may find someone who saw what happened or knows of other accidents that happened in the same spot.

Take photographs of the accident scene from a number of different angles — particularly your view of things right before

the accident — to keep a good picture of it in your mind and to give to the insurance company later on to indicate how well prepared you are to get the settlement you deserve. Photograph the scene at the same time of day as your accident occurred, and for vehicle accidents, the same day of the week, to show the appropriate amount of traffic.

Protect Physical Evidence Fault for an accident is sometimes established by a piece of "physical" evidence — something you can see or touch, as opposed to a description of what happened. Examples include a broken stair that caused a fall, the dent in a car showing where it was hit, or an overhanging branch that blocked visibility on a bike path.

In addition, physical evidence can help prove the extent of an injury: Damage to the car can demonstrate how hard a collision was, for example, and torn or bloodied clothing can show your physical injuries dramatically. Try to preserve any physical evidence exactly as it was at the accident. If you can't preserve the actual object, take photographs of it. You can later show your evidence to an insurance company as proof of what happened.

Locate Witnesses A witness to an accident can be immensely valuable to you in making your case to an insurance company.

Witnesses may be able to describe things about an accident that confirm what you believe happened, backing up your story.

Also, they may provide you with information you were not aware of but which shows how the other person was at fault.

Even a witness who did not actually see the accident may have seen you soon after you were injured and can confirm that you were in pain or discomfort.

Alternately, a witness may have heard a statement made by another person involved in the accident indicating that someone other than you was at fault.

However, time is of the essence. If witnesses are not contacted and their information confirmed fairly soon after the accident, what they have to say may be lost. People's memories fade quickly, and soon their recollections may become so fuzzy that they are no longer useful.

Also, a witness might no longer be

around if you wait too long; people move frequently.

Document Your Injuries The best ways to preserve evidence of your injuries are by promptly reporting all of them to a doctor or other medical provider, and by photographing any visible marks, cuts, bruises, or swelling, including any casts, splints, bandages, or other devices.

Without an early medical record of all your injuries, and photos if possible, it will be more difficult to later convince an insurance company that you were injured in the ways and to the degree you claim you were. Visible injuries heal and will not look as serious later, and failing to seek immediate treatment can lead an insurance company to believe that your injuries were not so serious, or even that you invented or exaggerated them after the accident.l Source: nolo.com. Edited from original article.

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Buying an exceptional home calls for exceptional service.

As you consider the purchase of a new home, you expect a high level of service. With Citibank®, you’ll receive dedicated assistance from a Mortgage Representative, offering a selection of mortgage products to best suit your needs.

THE BENEFITS OF A CITIBANK MORTGAGE INCLUDE: Jumbo loan sizes up to $3 million — Loan sizes up to $8 million available to well-qualified buyers who meet Citi’s High Net Worth1 requirements Mortgage discounts with Relationship Pricing2 SureStart® pre-approval so you can shop with confidence3

Contact a Mortgage Representative in your area to learn more.

Alvin Outarsingh Home Lending Officer 917-756-6681 alvin.outarsingh@citi.com NMLS# 5800 Terms, conditions and fees of accounts, programs, products and services are subject to change. This is not a commitment to lend. All loans are subject to credit and property approval. Certain restrictions may apply on all programs. Offer cannot be combined with any other mortgage offer.

1. Available for clients with a minimum of $1million or more in investable post-close assets and at least $100,000 in traditional assets must be on deposit with Citi at least 10 days prior to closing. This amount may be part of the $1,000,000 eligibility requirement. Real estate, loan proceeds, stock options, restricted stock and personal property will not be counted as part of the $1million or more in investable post-close asset. Investable assets are defined as deposit accounts (checking, savings, money market, Certificates of Deposit), unrestricted stocks, bonds, and retirement accounts held by the individual who is personally liable on the loan. Similar asset types held in revocable trust may be used provided the trust document meets the Trust Policy. The assets held in trust must be of the investable quality stated above. Additional conditions apply.

2. A Citibank deposit account and automated monthly transfers of the mortgage payment from a Citibank personal deposit account using EZ Pay will be required to receive Citibank mortgage relationship pricing. Ask a mortgage representative for details on eligible balances and the qualifying closing cost credit or rate discount. Availability of the Citibank mortgage relationship pricing for Citibank account holders is subject to change without notice.

3. Final commitment is subject to verification of information, receipt of a satisfactory sales contract on the home you wish to purchase, appraisal and title report, and meeting our customary closing conditions. There is no charge to receive a SureStart pre-approval. However, standard application and commitment fees will apply for the mortgage loan application. © 2017 Citibank, N.A. NMLS #412915. Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender. Citi, Citi and Arc Design and other marks used herein are service marks of Citigroup Inc. or its affiliates, used and registered throughout the world.

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