Bishop ‘Mr. Clean’ White to perform in Daytona SEE PAGE 3
EE FR
CHARLENE CROWELL: How those banking overdraft fees drain consumer dollars SEE PAGE 4
WATTEN RETURNS AS SOFTBALL COACH AT B-CU SEE PAGE 7
East Central Florida’s Black Voice AUGUST 14 - AUGUST 20, 2014
YEAR 39 NO. 33
www.daytonatimes.com
B-CU unveils new programs, degree offerings FROM STAFF REPORTS
Bethune-Cookman University President Dr. Edison O. Jackson unveiled the goals of the institution during his State of the University address on Monday. His speech focused on new programs, new degree offerings and a renewed focus on students. In a push to connect all services to students across the campus, Bethune-Cookman University has created a Division of Academic Integration that connects service learning and civic engagement, career services, study abroad and academics. The Division of Academic Integration is comprised of several units, including Academic and Career Development, led by Assistant Vice President Chelsea Shell; the Student Career Center headed by Director Davita Bonner; and the Interdisciplinary International Institute led by Director Cheryl Grimes-Long.
Better equipped “Our goal is to equip students with the skills, tools and competencies to become self-directed learners and decision-makers who are able to successfully matriculate through a four-year curriculum,” Jackson said. Noted Vice President for Academic Integration Dr. Michelle Thompson, “We want all students exposed to every opportunity available at Bethune-Cookman. Under the leadership of our president, Dr. Edison O. Jackson, we have a chance to build a greater university by putting the puzzle pieces together to provide students with the big picture.”
New college Jackson also unveiled the new College of Undergraduate Studies, headed by Dr. Alexis BrooksWalters, which is comprised of the Freshman College, Honors College and the Student Success Center. By 2016, the university will have 10 new graduate degree programs, Jackson said. The degrees are: master’s in counseling psychology, criminal justice, public health, education, educational leadership and policy development, divinity, athletic training, nursing, business administration, fine arts, and a doctorate in physical therapy.
More academic schools In addition, B-CU will create three new academic schools over the next academic year. Those are the College of Entrepreneurship and Business Services; the
PHOTOS BY DUANE FERNANDEZ/HARDNOTTS PHOTOGRAPHY
YES (Youth Employment Summer) program participants line the steps of City Hall after receiving a certificate of completion.
A SUMMER OF EARNING, LEARNING Youth take away more than cash from city’s employment program BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com
K
eishon Smith will be in his dorm room at Florida A&M University preparing for class in another week. This summer, however, the 18-year-old was schooled on money management, budgeting, banking, work readiness skills and how to be a team player as a participant in the City of Daytona Beach’s Youth Employment Summer (YES) program. Smith was among 40 Daytona Beach youth who took part in the eight-week program that wrapped up last week. The fully funded $94,000 program received $80,000 in private donations and local business contributions as well as a $14,000 federal Community Development Block Grant. The youth, ages 15-18, learned about budgeting money, saving as well as real on-thejob skills they can take into the future.
Judge Hubert Grimes, author of “How to Keep Your Child from Going to Jail: Restoring Parental Authority and Developing Successful Youth,” speaks to YES participants inside the Daytona Beach City Commission chambers.
A real job They were offered words of advice from Daytona Beach Police Chief Michael Chitwood, Mayor Derrick Henry, Judge Hubert Grimes, and were commended for sticking with the program at last week’s Aug. 6, city commission meeting. “We made it very adamant that this is a real job,” Daytona Beach Leisure Services Director
Percy Williamson told the Daytona Times. “We treated them as employees and had them go through the same process others applying to work for the City of Daytona Beach would go through, including being drug tested and screened.” The youth also were warned to be careful about what they post on social network sites such as Facebook and Twitter
and not to text or use social media during work hours.
Organized library This was easy for Smith as he had his hands full working at the Yvonne Scarlett-Golden Cultural and Educational Center inside the library. “During the summer I was Please see SUMMER, Page 2
Please see B-CU, Page 2
Captain Craig Capri (left) and Detective Ricky Ray both of the DBPD get ready for some dodge ball action at the City Challenge Games Tuesday afternoon. DUANE FERNANDEZ/ HARDNOTTS PHOTOGRAPHY
ALSO INSIDE
City departments compete for bragging rights BY ASHLEY D. THOMAS DAYTONA TIMES aysheldarcel@gmail.com
Ducking and dodging was the name of the game as the Daytona Beach Police Department was pitted against the Leisure Service department and Human Resources faced off against the water department. You read right. The City of Daytona Beach held a dodge ball tourney at the Yvonne ScarlettGolden Center on Aug. 12. A majority of departments showed up for the City Challenge event presented by Daytona Beach Leisure Services, Athletics. Leisure Services Director Percy Williamson told the Daytona Times the sports activities were a way for city employees to engage in fun outside of the office. “Colleagues can get together and meet others who work for
the city. It is a morale booster and a lot of fun,” Williamson shared, who was seen rooting for multiple teams.
Why does it matter? Other businesses may take heed that the city just may be on to something. A happy work environment equals happy employees and happy employees equal higher productivity, less turnover and lower costs. Studies show that less engaged teams are less productive, less customer-focused and prone to withdrawing their efforts and adopting counterproductive behavior. According to a 2004 Hewitt study, there is a strong correlation between employee engagement and growth. Organizations that are known to have a good work-
place also tend to be viewed more positively in the marketplace. Homicide Detective Ricky Ray of the Daytona Beach Police Department was on site and said he enjoyed the event and has participated in several city leagues. Ray was known as a “powerhouse” in the mid-1980s for the Taylor High Wildcats in Pierson, where he played football, track and basketball. “I try to stay in shape and this is a positive way to do so,” he said. “More people should come out to be a spectator or to play.” The fire department won the tourney and bragging rights until the next City Challenge games. A volleyball tourney is scheduled at the center on Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. and the public is invited to cheer on their favorite department.
COMMENTARY: MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN: INNOCENT VICTIMS OF WAR ON DRUGS | PAGE 4 SPORTS: NASCAR’S ALLMENDINGER OFFERS TRIBUTE TO FALLEN RACER | PAGE 7
7 FOCUS
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AUGUST 7 – AUGUST 13, 2014
BRIEFS
Church to hold B-CU Day The New Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church family will host its second annual Bethune-Cookman University Day on Aug. 17 at 10:45 a.m. Pastor Melvin C. Dawson, a B-CU alumnus, will be the speaker. Special guests include the B-CU MEAC champion football team along with Coach Brian Jenkins and staff. Students, alumni, staff, supporters and friends are all invited. The church is located at 515 Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Blvd.
Citizens Police Academy starts Sept. 2
COURTESY OF JOHN REEVES/B-CU
Bethune-Cookman University President Dr. Edison O. Jackson delivered the State of the University address to hundreds of faculty and staff on Monday. The program kicked off the beginning of the academic year.
B-CU
from Page 1 School of Performing Arts and Communication; and the School of Religion. Jackson repeatedly reminded the audience on Monday that “this is the year of creating success, one student at a time. “We are committed to ensuring that students have the necessary knowledge, skills, tools and competencies to graduate from their chosen field of study with an undergraduate or graduate level degree within five years; have the necessary
CITY
Daytona Beach’s Citizens Police Academy is a very popular community outreach program. The course of instruction is a perfect way for residents to become familiar with the basic functions of their police department and learn about the training our officers receive. Topics include officer training requirements, constitutional law pre-
sented by the State Attorney’s Office, crime scene investigation and evidence collection, demonstrations by K-9 and SWAT units and two off-site field trips – one to the Volusia County Branch Jail and the other to a shooting range where academy participants can test their marksmanship skills. The next class starts Tuesday, Sept. 2 and will run through Oct. 28. There is no cost for the nine-week program, which will meet every Tuesday evening through Oct. 28. There is no experience necessary to partake in the activities – only an investment of time and an interest in learning about the police department. To register, contact Nick Fiore at 386671-5291.
Mainland High class plans 20th-year cruise The Mainland High School Class of 1995 will celebrate its 20-year class reunion with a Carnival Cruise to the Bahamas in September 2015. The deadline to reserve a cabin is Aug. 31, 2014. For more information visit www.mhs1995reunion.wordpress.com.
knowledge, skills, tools and competencies to obtain jobs in careers that lead to gainful employment within five years of graduation; have a commitment to living lives committed to B-CU Core Values and Civic Engagement; and have a deep appreciation and love for their alma mater that is evidenced by increased alumni engagement.” Jackson challenged the staff and faculty to model the excellence that they want to see in students. “We have an exciting year ahead of us as we launch outstanding programs and initiatives,” he said. “Now, we have to unite to give our students the best experience possible as they enter to learn and depart to serve.”
Beneficial program
from Page 1 given a task to help organize the library,” Smith explained. “I used my phone to scan the books, then put it into a spreadsheet file on the computer to help create a more organized system of locating material. Workers from City Island library helped us organize it as well.” Keishon Smith Smith says that he was not confined to the walls of the library. He also performed cleanup in the community to rid Bethune Point Park of graffiti.
“The program was very beneficial. It helped us learn to manage money, buy school clothes, books and other necessary items. I bought a laptop for college, but all the things I purchased were really necessary items,” Smith added. “It can also help out many families by bringing in extra money. The program is over, but some of the people who were part of it have chosen to volunteer during the school year. I won’t be able to volunteer because I will be away but will continue to help the city when I’m home.’’ All of the young people who participated in the YES program were between 15-18 years old, lived in Daytona Beach, and had at least a 2.0 grade point average. Smith will be studying electrical engineering at FAMU and has plans of joining the United States Air Force, become an engineer then return to the civilian industry.
FOR CITY COMMISSIONER ZONE 1 Encourage Clean & Safe Neighborhoods Increase Activity Programs for Seniors and Young Adults Keep Easy, Public Access To Our Beach Develop Strategies For Efficient Tax Use Investigate Out-Sourcing City Services Practice Sound Money Management
The LATCH system makes it easier to be sure your child’s car seat is Improve On What We Do Best - TOURISM Encourage New Industry & Help Our Existing Businesses Provide Friendly Efficient Interaction Between Businesses & Government Plan Convenient Meeting Times With Ample Notice Provide Ample Time For Input From Residents At City Hall Meetings • Clean Safe Neighborhoods For ALL OF US • Quicker Remediation For Flood Prone Areas • An Advocate For Public Safety (Police, Fire, Rescue)
• Common Sense Solutions For Our Problems • More Economic Opportunties For All Of US • The Tragers have been in Daytona Beach for over 114 years
• Owner-Businesswoman Kressman’s Repairs Operated for 119 years • Working In Our Community for over Fifty Years
Political Advertisement paid for and approved by Ruth Trager for City Commission Zone 1 Daytona Beach
installed correctly every time. Just clip it to the lower anchors, attach the top tether, and pull the straps tight. To find out more, visit safercar.gov.
AUGUST 14 – AUGUST 20, 2014 DECEMBER 14 - 20, 2006 COMMUNITY
M A YNEWS OR
Votran, Elections Office partner to give free ride to the poll Votran and the Volusia County Elections Office are partnering to offer free rides to the polls for registered voters. Transportation to early voting sites, primary election polls Aug. 26, and the general election polls Nov. 4 will be provided free to Votran riders with a valid voter ID. “The program provides voters who lack personal transportation an equal opportunity to vote,” said Ann McFall, Volusia County’s supervisor of elections. The “Ride free with your voter ID” program also is available to residents registered with Votran’s Gold Service. Gold Service users must schedule their trip a day in advance. Gold Service is available to persons who, because of physical or mental disability or age, are unable to transport themselves and cannot use fixed-route bus service. “We are excited to partner with Votran again,” said McFall. “This program opens the voting process to many residents who have been unable to vote. This is a great example of county services working together.” For more information, call 386761-7700 in Daytona Beach, 386424-6800 in New Smyrna Beach, or 386-943-7033 in West Volusia. Visit Votran on the web at www. Votran.org.
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AMP It Up! Festival
PHOTOS COURTESY OF PALM COAST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
The Ethan Parker Band, shown above, performed at the AMP It Up! Festival.
League of Women Voters posts candidates’ responses to questions on website The League of Women Voters of Volusia County (LWVVC) has made information on candidates in contested nonpartisan countywide, municipal, and local judicial races available to residents of Volusia County. Seventy-six candidates responded to specific questions relating to the offices sought and areas to be represented. In late June, the LWVVC contacted all candidates for local offices who were not automatically elected due to lack of opposition. Responses are posted on the website exactly as received with no editing of content by LWVVC. Aug. 4 was the deadline for candidates to submit responses. To view the questions and candidates’ responses, visit http:// www.lwvvc.org/elections2014. html. The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that works to encourage the active participation of citizens in government, influence public policy through citizen education and advocacy, and empower citizens to shape better communities. For questions about the project, contact Candidates Questionnaire Project Chair Sandy Horikami at mail@lwvvc.org.
Audobon offering bird-watching workshop Halifax River Audubon will provide a beginner bird-watching workshop, including three indoor classroom sessions and three outdoor sessions. Indoor sessions will be held at Prince of Peace Church Hall, 600 S. Nova Road, Ormond Beach on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 28, Nov. 4 and Nov. 11. Outdoor workshops will be held at Tomoka State Park on Nov. 1 under the Dunlawton Bridge in Port Orange on Nov. 8 and Merritt Island NWR in Titusville on Nov. 15. Call 386-253-1166 for more information. Download the application form at the chapter website: www.halifaxriveras.org.
Kathleen Robinson of the Palm Coast musical trio NeVaeh enjoys the AMP It Up! Events.
Linda James and the Rev. Kevin James dance with Chloe Wallace at the church-sponsored festival in Palm Coast.
Church amps up fellowship with festival
Mount Zion A.M.E. plans Loyalty Day events
Palm Coast United Methodist Church held its inaugural AMP It Up! outdoor music festival on Aug. 2 at the church’s North Campus in Palm Coast. AMP stands for Achieving Maximum Potential. The event brought together the music of Palm Coast’s NeVaeh band along with Elvis tribute artist Randy Walker and the Ethan Parker Band for a day of amped up worship and fellowship.
A Loyalty Day service is scheduled at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 17 at Mount Zion A.M.E. Church, 449 S. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd., Daytona Beach. A musical extravaganza is the same day at 4 p.m. For more information, call 386-252-2412.
Gospel legend to be revivalist at Butts Miracle Temple Bishop Richard “Mr. Clean’’ White will be the guest at revival services Aug. 21-22 at Butts Miracle Temple Church of God in Christ, 636 Hawk St., Daytona Beach. Services will begin nightly at 7 p.m. A gospel music legend, White has said his song, “I’m Glad I Don’t Look Like What I Been Through,’’ is the result of his prayer and faithfulness through a near-death experience. “The song speaks to the hearts of people that have Bishop been through things in life, yet Richard endured. I wanted to let peoWhite ple know we are imperfect, and in our journey we might have to suffer, but you have to stay faithful to the word of God and he will see you through. I wanted to inspire others to stand when trusted friends forsake them, financial burdens overwhelm them, health fails, and their spiritual faith gets tested,” he said. For more information on the revival, call 386-252-8565.
New fertilizer ordinance in effect in Volusia The Volusia County Council has adopted a summertime fertilizer ban and initiated other restrictions that will protect the county’s waterways. Ordinance 2014-06, which took effect July 27, applies to all homes and businesses in Volusia County, except those in Deltona and DeBary, which have their own fertilizer ordinances. Gardens and compost are exempt. The new ordinance includes these provisions: • The application of fertilizers containing nitrogen or phosphorous is prohibited through Sept. 30. • Fertilizer may not be applied within 15 feet of water bodies. • The application of fertilizers containing phosphorous is prohibited unless a deficiency is verified. • Fertilizer containing nitrogen may be applied only between Oct. 1 and May 31 and must contain no less than 50 percent slowrelease nitrogen. The ordinance was passed in response to a growing environmental crisis in the state’s waterways, particularly the Indian River Lagoon system, where algal blooms and animal deaths have raised concerns. Twentyeight other local governments along the lagoon system have adopted strict rules for
fertilizer use. For more information about fertilizer use and soil testing, call the extension at 386-8225778. Visit www.volusia.org/fertilizer-ordinance to view the ordinance and see a list of summer-safe fertilizers.
New trauma program begins at The House Next Door The House Next Door is accepting referrals for the Sexual Assault Treatment Program. This service assists individuals, both child and adult in effectively coping with the trauma of sexual assault. The precipitating event may be current, or one in the past that remains unresolved. The Sexual Assault Treatment Program is jointly funded by the Office for Victims of Crime and Children’s Medical Services. The services are provided in DeLand, Deltona, Daytona Beach Shores, New Smyrna Beach, and Flagler County. For more information, call 386-860-1776.
Human Services office to host public meeting Friday Volusia County’s Human Services office will host a public meeting to provide information about services provided, identify gaps in service, and elect a community representative and alternate to serve on the Human Services Advisory Board. The meeting will begin at 3 p.m. Friday, Aug. 15, at the Woman’s Club, 403 Magnolia St., New Smyrna Beach. For more information, contact Susan Rodriguez at srodriguez@volusia.org or 386775-5204, ext. 21239.
Mayor’s Backpack Giveaway 9 am – Noon (or until supplies last) This event is for Daytona Beach children ages 5-18.
East Central Florida’s Black Voice
“Youth on the Move” 10 am – 2 pm • Sponsored by Second Avenue Merchants Assn. • For ages 4-12 Adults, 21+ are welcome from 6 pm – 10 pm for live entertainment. For more info or to become a vendor call 386-671-8250.
R4
7 EDITORIAL
AUGUST 14 – AUGUST 20, 2014
Overdraft fees drain consumer dollars Consumers who maintain low and no cushions in their checking accounts may have thought that the overdraft “banking service” was a big help against bouncing checks. But as the use of debit cards have replaced most cash purchases, this “service” has become a drain of available cash for consumers and a major source of revenue for banks. A new research report by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) found that the majority of debit card overdraft fees are incurred on transactions of $24 or less. Further, as the majority of overdrafts are repaid within three days when the bank repays itself from the consumer’s next deposit, the median overdraft fee of $34 carries the equivalent of 17,000 percent annual percentage rate (APR).
Overdraft bank income Earlier research by the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) similarly found that consumers using debit cards paid $1.75 for every $1 overdrawn. “With the advent of debit cards, consumers started using them rather than cash for more and more small or impulse purchases. And, as banks and credit unions covered more and more of the transactions, they have assessed higher fees for doing so,” said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. “Today, more than half of consumer checking account income is from
CHARLENE CROWELL NNPA FINANCIAL WRITER
overdraft fees.” An overdraft occurs when a consumer does not have enough money in his or her checking account to cover a transaction, but the bank or credit union pays the transaction anyway in exchange for a fee. Consumers can be charged overdraft fees on checks, debit cards, ATM transactions, automatic bill payments or direct debits from lenders or other billers.
Reoccurring occurrence CFPB found that consumers subjected to overdraft fees on debit cards, pay an average of nearly $260 per year in overdraft and nonsufficient funds (NSF) fees. Nearly one of five consumers overdrew their checking accounts more than 10 times a year. Every dollar charged for overdraft translates into fewer available dollars once a deposit is made into the account. Even worse, many consumers are unaware of the deficiency in their funds or how often these fees were charged until after the fact. As a result, many consumers can be blindsided by a barrage of fees resulting in a devastating financial impact. The hardest-hit of consumers in these
scenarios are those with low- to moderate-income. Some banks – such as Citibank, Bank of America, HBSC and a significant number of community banks – have chosen not to charge overdraft fees on debit card purchases at all. Even so, most banks continue to use overdraft fees as a lucrative revenue stream. In recent years, civil rights leaders have spoken loudly and clearly against overdraft practices, noting that harmful overdraft increases the ranks of the unbanked. Two major banks, JP Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo were directly asked to end charging overdraft fees on debit card transactions. Reacting to the new CFPB findings, Mike Calhoun, CRL president said, “Adding insult to injury, consumers get hit even harder when banks reorder transactions to trip consumers into paying higher fees and charge additional fees each day an account is overdrawn.” “Thankfully some banks have begun stepping away from these abusive practices...The CFPB should use its authority to ban or limit overdraft fees on debit card and ATM transactions and rein in excessive bank fees on all checking account transactions,” concluded Calhoun.
Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending. Write your own response at www.daytonatimes.com.
50 years after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 “The purpose of the law is simple…those who are equal before God shall now also be equal in the polling booths, in the classrooms, in the factories, and in hotels, restaurants, movie theaters, and other places that provide service to the public.” – President Lyndon B. Johnson, July 2, 1964 July 2 marked the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s signing of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 that outlawed discrimination and segregation based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. First introduced by President John F. Kennedy shortly before his 1963 assassination, the Civil Rights Act also offered greater protections for the right to vote and paved the way for another historic achievement one year later – the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Momentum for the legislation picked up following the 1963 March on Washington where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the National Urban League’s Whitney M. Young, along with 250,000 activists and citizens, gathered to demand “Jobs and Freedom” for people of all races who were locked out, left out, and disenfranchised. President Kennedy, a Massachusetts liberal, introduced the bill in June of 1963, just five months before his assassination.
Gains made
day, still just two-thirds of the median for all Americans. Black unemployment remains twice the level of White unemployment, similar to where it was in 1972. “The Black poverty rate has dropped from more than 40% in the 1960s to about 27% today; child poverty similarly has dipped from 67% to about 40%. Those numbers still are glaring, however. And the gap in overall wealth is more than 5-to-1 between Whites and Blacks…” As we noted last week in our statement in support of the Voting Rights Amendment Act now before Congress, “The National Urban League believes there is no better and fitting tribute to the men and women who 50 years ago fought for and died to secure a Civil Rights Act and a Voting Rights Act than to pass the VRAA this year before the November mid-term elections. We cannot focus only on a celebration of progress. We must also ensure there is a continuation of the very equality and opportunity that are at the core of this country’s democratic values.”
According to a recent USA Today article, “In almost every economic category, Blacks have been gaining, but not by enough. Median family income (in inflation-adjusted dollars) is up from $22,000 in 1963 to more than $40,000 to-
Marc H. Morial, former mayor of New Orleans, is president and CEO of the National Urban League. Write your own response at www.daytonatimes. com.
MARC H. MORIAL TRICE EDNEY WIRE
Not so long ago It was up to his successor, Vice President Lyndon Johnson, a former United States Senator from Texas with deep southern roots, to carry it over the finish line. Despite extreme opposition, especially from his former southern Congressional allies, President Johnson successfully navigated the bill’s passage. He signed it into law on July 2, 1964, surrounded by Dr. King, Whitney Young and a multi-racial group of civil rights activists. It was only 50 years ago that it was legal in some states to deny Blacks the right to eat in the same restaurants as Whites, to sit in the same movie theaters or even to apply for the same jobs. Thankfully, that is no longer true anywhere in America.
Migrant children: Innocent victims of the US war on drugs Bishop Minerva Carcaño, the Los Angeles Area Resident Bishop of the United Methodist Church, is acting with urgency. Along with more than 100 other religious leaders and activists, she was arrested for civil disobedience at the White House for protesting the deportation of the unaccompanied children crossing our border after fleeing from the brutal violence and poverty of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Referring to first visit to Port Hueneme, she said, “The naval base has been turned into a holding site for these children, and it was to capacity with 575 children and young people between the ages of 13 and 17, and they’ve all been through horrific experiences. Many of the girls have experienced sexual assaults, and some of them have been raped . . . If you ask them what the prayer in their heart is, they’ll tell you immediately, with a sense of faith, that indeed it’s going to happen – and their prayer is that God will give them life.”
Border crossings Bishop Carcaño spoke to the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF)’s Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Child Advocacy Ministry at CDF Haley Farm in mid-Ju-
Reunite with family MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN NNPA COLUMNIST
ly about the humanitarian crisis of thousands of desperate children crossing our border. The details are haunting: An unaccompanied toddler being cared for by little girls sitting in a locked cell for 12 days. A grandmother with three little granddaughters who a gang had threatened to take if she didn’t pay more than $20,000. Nearly 60,000 unaccompanied children traveling alone. They are in many ways the latest innocent victims of the U.S. war on drugs. Even as the U.S. worked with Mexico and Colombia to close down the drug cartels and gangs there, the massive market for illegal drugs here in our nation has remained. Part of the solution may rest with the faith community here and abroad. I am encouraged to see the coming together of many faiths in McAllen, Texas to respond to the crisis in their city. But this crisis needs a compassionate response from every city and our entire nation.
The best solution, as always for children, is to reunite them with their families whenever and as soon as possible. Of the nearly 60,000 unaccompanied children who have crossed the border since October, it is reported that nearly 50,000 of them have been released to sponsors or family members, sometimes even to a parent already living in the U.S. The continuing horror is for those children being kept in detention like those Bishop Carcaño keeps visiting. In her July Haley Farm sermon, Bishop Carcaño said: “If our children see us ignoring the plight of the immigrant child, what do we teach them? Do we not teach them that immigrant children are worthless, not worth our attention or our care? It is deplorable that Members of Congress left town for their own summer vacations with the humanitarian crisis continuing and without providing the resources the government needs to ensure safety and justice for these innocent children.
Marian Wright Edelman is president of the Children’s Defense Fund. Write your own response at www.daytonatimes. com.
VISUAL VIEWPOINT: AIRSTRIKES IN IRAQ DEJA VU
MONTE WOLVERTON, CAGLE CARTOONS
Protecting our communities from hazardous air pollution Millions of African-Americans and Latinos in the United States live near the 143 oil refineries operating in 32 states across the United States. Every day, as refinery smoke stacks spew toxin-filled clouds into the air, communities living near refineries breathe it in. They have no other choice but to breathe it because there is no other air around them. For advocates like me who work to reduce this hazardous air pollution, the putrid, egg-like smell we notice near these refineries is a constant reminder that this air is not simply unhealthy but deadly. When you breathe in carcinogens for years, these poisons, which include Benzene, sulfur dioxide, lead and hydrogen cyanide, can kill you. African-Americans living near refineries are more than twice as likely to face a cancer risk from refineries pollution, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s risk assessment released in June. Latinos, also, face a significantly, disproportionate share of risk from this pollution.
Cancer rates higher My hometown of West Port Arthur, Texas is surrounded by eight major oil and chemical industrial sites, including oil refineries. It is not uncommon to find families where multiple members have lost their lives to cancer. And cancer deaths in Jefferson County, where West Port Arthur sits, are 40 percent higher among African-Americans than they are for the average Texan, according to the Texas Cancer Registry. Children, in the predominantly Latino Manchester neighborhood of Houston have a 56 percent greater chance of getting leukemia than children who live elsewhere, according to researchers from the University of Texas’s School of Public Health. In fact, the EPA has linked benzene to asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory illnesses. By conservative estimates, oil refineries emit 20,000 tons of hazardous air pollutants each year. The actual emissions may be as much as 100 times more than what these companies report to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Environmental Integrity Project found.
Changes coming Now, there’s a possibility of meaningful change. For the first time in nearly two decades, fol-
HILTON KELLEY NNPA GUEST COLUMNIST
lowing a lawsuit from an organization I founded, along with other environmental groups in Texas, Louisiana and California, the EPA has proposed updated standards that would reduce toxic air pollution by 5,600 tons each year. The proposed update, for the first time, includes a fenceline monitoring requirement, which would require oil refineries to measure their emissions of benzene at the edge of their property, right where this pollution goes into communities. Although fenceline monitoring is a step in the right direction, the proposal does not go far enough. We’re asking that regulators require fenceline monitoring equipment that would provide a continuous measure of emissions in real time instead of monitoring equipment that would only provide a snapshot or long time average of emissions. We also want to see tighter controls of emissions and an actual limit on excessive flaring, to end the unnecessary burning of waste gas when large amounts of toxins end up in the air. People shouldn’t face more pollution based on their race or income. We should all have a right to breathe healthy air. Nevertheless, our communities do face a greater burden and therefore we must fight harder to reduce the pollution we’re exposed to. And, right now, everyone has an opportunity to make a difference. You can send comments on line by visiting www. earthjustice.org/refinerytowns to let EPA officials know you support tougher regulation of hazardous air pollution form oil refineries during its public comment period on the refinery rule. Phone: Brenda Shine at (919) 541-3608. Please tell them your comments are about the docket ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0682.
Hilton Kelley, is the founder and CEO of Community InPower Development Association, and was the 2011 winner of the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize. Write your own response at www.daytonatimes.com.
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AUGUST 14 – AUGUST 20,DECEMBER 2014 ENTERTAINMENT 14 - 20, 2006
MAYOR
Heroes” and Fox’s 1988 bust “Women in Prison,” drew scorn for their overly pleasant depictions. Today, though, television routinely goes beyond what Hollywood movies will depict in terms of violence and sex. Less apparent is the issue of confinement. Two hours built around 6-by-9 cells aren’t so bad for the viewer. Week after week is another matter. Modern series are more physically agile, though, thanks to more-mobile cameras and sound equipment, so multiple settings are easier to accomplish. “Orange Is the New Black” mixes things up by flashing back to characters’ lives before prison. For “Rectify” and “The Divide,” prison isn’t the main physical setting, even if it is the psychological centerpiece. So the prison scenes don’t dominate the visual landscape, but when they arrive, they pop. “Rectify” even dresses its Death Row inmates in off-white jumpsuits and sticks them in stark white cells, giving the prison sequences an alien, ethereal quality.
Built-in intensity
Above is the cast of “Orange is the New Black,’’ a popular Netflix series.
With series like ‘Orange Is the New Black,’ TV discovers prison isn’t such a confining setting BY MICHAEL HEWITT ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER (MCT)
Movies have been going to prison for years, embracing themes of incarceration from “Jailhouse Rock” to “The Shawshank Redemption.” “Chicago” won the best picture Oscar with some dazzling jailhouse musical numbers, while William Holden and William Hurt won best actor awards in prison films. Television, though, has been less inclined to incarcerate itself. The goofy 1960s “Hogan’s Heroes” and HBO’s groundbreaking “Oz” leap to mind, but script-
ed shows that use prison life as a significant milieu have been hard to find – until recently. At least three current shows have found a home, at least partly, in the grim penitentiary setting.
Death Row dramas The most celebrated, of course, is “Orange Is the New Black,” Netflix’s comedy/drama set in a women’s prison that recently released its second season and seems likely to win the Emmy as outstanding comedy series Aug. 25. But two more of this summer’s
outstanding series also swirl in and out of prison — the highstakes, highly depressing Death Row, no less. “The Divide,” the first scripted drama ever produced by We, follows a crusading law student as she tries to free a Death Row inmate who she believes is innocent. And “Rectify,” Sundance’s hypnotic, metaphorically charged sophomore series, tells the story of a former Death Row inmate as he tries to adjust to life in the free world after having his conviction overturned on a technicality. The primary action in both
shows is outside the prison, but in each, life inside informs every part of the dramatic action.
Formerly scorned Other series, like Cinemax’s bawdy “Banshee,” feature characters with prison in their pasts who occasionally flash back to scenes behind bars. In one way, it’s obvious why television wasn’t ready to set too many shows inside prisons previously. In the days before anything-goes cable productions, prison life simply was inappropriate for prime time. Shows that tried, like “Hogan’s
Ray McKinnon, the creative force behind “Rectify,” notes that for Daniel, the show’s protagonist, prison was “part dungeon and part monastery.” “The monastery part was, he had a schedule, and he didn’t have to deal with the complexities of modern life,” McKinnon told a gathering of television critics. Using prison as a backdrop, Death Row in particular, also gives the drama a built-in intensity. There is no need for writers to concoct life-or-death situations; they’re intrinsic to the stories. Conversely, that seemingly black-and-white divide amplifies the moral grayness that all of these shows create when the prisoners are the protagonists and the people on the outside are their opponents. Tony Goldwyn, co-creator of “The Divide” but better known as President Fitz on “Scandal,” told TV critics, “There are no good guys and bad guys. Everyone is good and bad.”
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M SPORTS AYOR
AUGUST 14 – AUGUST 2014 DECEMBER 14 - 20,20, 2006
Allmendinger offers tribute to fallen racer after Watkins Glen race SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – The theatrics and fireworks of NASCAR’s brand of road-course racing was omnipresent as usual at Watkins Glen International, but so was an underlying solemn tone of remembrance after the events of the night before. While A.J. Allmendinger celebrated his first Sprint Cup Series victory in the Cheez-It 355 at The Glen and the sealing of his postseason fate on Aug. 10, a strong portion of his thoughts were clearly devoted to Kevin Ward Jr., the 20-year-old victim of a sprint-car incident involving Tony Stewart. “I think it’s one of those things that you look back at and it’s a tough time for everybody,” said Allmendinger. “I said on TV after the race, this NASCAR community, as a whole we’re a family, and when anything like that happens, it’s something that you don’t just kind of erase and you forget about. “And all of our thoughts and prayers, and it may not seem like it, or I wish there was more to do, but it goes to the Ward family and what happened. It also goes to Tony because it’s not like he’s sitting there and forgetting about it. It’s a tough scenario. “You just try to come together. That’s all you can do. You try to be thankful every day for the things that we have, the things that we’re able to share to-
gether, and you also know that there’s a lot less fortunate out there and there’s a lot of disasters, whether it’s in racing or not. You just try to keep that in perspective and always have your thoughts and prayers and do whatever you can to help out and be better with it.”
BRANDON WADE/FORT WORTH-STAR TELEGRAM/MCT
Sprint Cup driver A.J. Allmendinger, shown in April at Texas Motor Speedway, shared his thoughts last weekend on the death of Kevin Ward.
Stewart cancels plans to race at Indiana track
No criminal charges pending Ward was declared dead on arrival at a local hospital Saturday night after he was struck while on foot by Stewart’s sprint car during a 25-lap main event for the touring Empire Super Sprints series at Canandaigua (N.Y.) Motorsports Park, a half-mile dirt track on the Ontario County Fairgrounds. The county sheriff’s office continue to investigate the incident and said Sunday that no criminal charges are pending. Stewart was absent at the track Sunday with NASCAR Nationwide Series regular Regan Smith replacing him in the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 14 Chevrolet. Several of Stewart’s fellow Sprint Cup drivers declined comment on the incident, with some saying details were too sparse to make an informed statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Ward family,” said third-place finisher Kurt Busch, a firstyear teammate to Stewart at the Stewart-Haas operation. “It was a tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with everybody involved.
BY JIM UTTER CHARLOTTE OBSERVER (MCT)
Kevin Ward Jr. It’s a tough situation for the motorsports world. I’m not at liberty really to speak anymore of it.”
‘Difficult day’ While the mood of Allmendinger’s JTG Daugherty team was buoyant after that operation’s first win in NASCAR’s premier series, the organization’s brass was quick to temper their joy in light of the recent events. “Obviously just a catastrophic evening last evening,” said team co-owner Brad Daugherty, also an ESPN analyst. “Our sympathies go out to the family that lost the young man. And it’s been a difficult day for the StewartHaas organization. We all recognize
STEPHEN M. DOWELL/ORLANDO SENTINEL/MCT
Tony Stewart signs autographs during Sprint Cup practice at Daytona International Speedway on July 3. that and we all feel like we’re all family because we travel 36 weeks out of the year it seems like 100 years together. Our hearts go out to Tony, but specifically out to the family. “It’s a tremendous loss, and I thought that StewartHaas and Tony and those
guys did the right thing by showing the appropriate respect to the situation as well as the family – more importantly to the family by not racing today. We’ll see what unfolds of that, but our thoughts and prayers go out to that family.”
Watten returns to lead Wildcats softball BY ANDREAS BUTLER SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
Bethune-Cookman University welcomed back Laura Watten Tuesday as head softball coach. Watten is the most successful coach in the program’s history and already is a member of the B-CU Athletic Hall of Fame. “I am super excited to be back. I just wanted to come back home,” responded Watten. Commented B-CU Director of Athletics Lynn Thompson, “When you think of this university, you think of family. Today we are glad to welcome one of our family members home.’’
Strong record Watten led the Wildcats’ program from 1998-2005, compiling a 322-207 record and won five MEAC titles. They also went to six
In a statement issued Monday, Plymouth (Ind.) Speedway officials confirmed NASCAR driver Tony Stewart has pulled out of a scheduled race at the .375-mile dirt track planned for Saturday night. Stewart sat out Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International following his involvement in the death of fellow racer Kevin Ward Jr. at an upstate New York dirt track. Here is the statement released by Plymouth Speedway: “We at Plymouth Speedway express our deepest condolences and prayers to the family of Kevin Ward Jr. and thoughts and prayers to Tony Stewart and his family. Tony Stewart will not be racing at Plymouth Speedway this Saturday. More information on the weekend’s race will be announced later this week.”
B-CU Associate Athletic Director and Senior Women Administrator Sandra Booker, left, is shown with head softball coach Laura Watten and Director of Athletics Lynn Thompson, right.
NCAA Regionals during that span. She led the program to a NCAA Regional title and NCAA Super Regional appearance in 2005. Bethune-Cookman is still the only historically Black college and university to play in a Super Regional. That remarkable Super Regional run led to several job offers. “I can recall Laura telling me to get people away from her after that last lost to Texas. Job offers started pouring in,” recalled Thompson.
ANDREAS BUTLER/ SPECIAL TO THE DAYTONA TIMES
Nine seasons in Maryland
She believes her time has helped her evolve as a person and coach. “I have gained a lot more experience. I know a lot more of what it takes to make a program run. There
Watten spent the last nine seasons at the University of Maryland where she led the Terrapins to a 280228 mark but was fired after the team went 11-35 this past season.
were different challenges there and there will be different ones here,” stated Watten.
‘All about recruiting’ Getting the Wildcats back
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to an elite level is the goal. “We can’t guarantee overnight success. I’ll know better when we get on the field. It’s all about recruiting. We have some pieces in place but will add more. The face of recruiting has changed. There are a lot more opportunities now for players and recruiting is more competitive,” said Watten. Upgrading the team’s home field also is a priority. B-CU plays at Sunnyland Park, which is owned by the city of Daytona Beach. “I also want to get the facility up to par where everybody wants to come and watch games. That will be our No.1 goal. I am really excited to get back out there,” said Watten.
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Thompson says Watten has more at her disposal this time around. “We do have better strength and conditioning facilities than we did when
she was last here. We definitely have a lot more resources,” added Thompson. Watten takes over the program from Chris Cochrane, who was fired this season before the MEAC tournament. Associate Athletic Director/Senior Women’s Administrator Sandra Booker has led the team since then. Booker also led the search for a new coach. “I’m extremely happy to have her back. Anyone who knows the history of the program knows the hard work she put in and how she turned the program around the first time she was here,” expressed Booker. B-CU went 25-31 this past season. The team lost to Florida A&M University by a score of 4-2 in the MEAC championship game. Historically, B-CU’s program has won eight MEAC titles and has nine NCAA Regional appearances.
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7PERSONAL FINANCE
AUGUST 14 – AUGUST 20, 2014 consumers whose only major black credit marks are unpaid medical debts is expected to increase by 25 points, according to FICO.
Impact of scores Credit scores attempt to predict the probability a borrower will pay back a loan and pay bills, such as a wireless phone bill. They are important because consumers with the best credit scores also get the best loan interest rates, on credit cards, mortgages and auto loans, for example. Those with poor scores might not be able to get a loan at all. Credit scores can also affect auto insurance rates. Credit scores attempt to summarize in a single-number information contained in consumer credit reports from credit bureaus such as TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. The reports, but not the scores, are available free once a year at annualcreditreport.com. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in May released a research report claiming consumers credit scores may be overly penalized for medical debt that goes into collections.
Available this fall
OLIVIER DOULIERY/ABACA PRESS/MCT
President Barack Obama nominates Richard Cordray as the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in July 2011. “Getting sick or injured can put all sorts of burdens on a family, including unexpected medical costs. Those costs should not be compounded by overly penalizing a consumer’s credit score,” Cordray said earlier this year.
Millions to catch a break with new FICO score calculation BY GREGORY KARP CHICAGO TRIBUNE (MCT)
The formula for calculating the most widely used credit score soon will change to lessen the
impact of bad medical debts and old accounts that are paid off. FICO, which creates the mostused credit scores, said its new model offers “a more nuanced way to assess consumer collec-
tion information.” It ignores paid collection agency accounts and differentiates medical from nonmedical collection accounts. The effect will be that medical debt turned over to collec-
tion agencies will have a lower impact on FICO’s brand of threedigit credit scores. The company claims 90 percent of U.S. lenders use the FICO brand score. The median FICO score for
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“Getting sick or injured can put all sorts of burdens on a family, including unexpected medical costs. Those costs should not be compounded by overly penalizing a consumer’s credit score,” CFPB Director Richard Cordray said at the time. “Given the role that credit scores play in consumers’ lives, it’s important that they predict the creditworthiness of a consumer as precisely as possible.” The new FICO score, dubbed, FICO Score 9, also attempts to better assess the creditworthiness of consumers with limited credit history, called thin files, FICO said. They might include young people with short credit histories or people who prefer to use cash instead of credit. The new FICO score will be available to U.S. lenders starting this fall, FICO said.