Library to present films on jazz SEE PAGE 3
EE FR
MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN: The piercing cry of child poverty in the United States SEE PAGE 4
RESEARCHER AIMING TO INTERVIEW ALL PIONEER BLACK BASEBALL PLAYERS SEE PAGE 7
East Central Florida’s Black Voice OCTOBER 8 - OCTOBER 14, 2015
YEAR 40 NO. 41
www.daytonatimes.com
Hundreds in city take their faith to the streets
National business challenge open to local women BY PENNY DICKERSON DAYTONA TIMES
Bethune-Cookman University has been selected as one of several host sites for the semifinal rounds of a women’s business challenge competition titled “The Innovate HER Challenge.” The national competition allows individuals and small businesses to compete at the national level for cash prizes totaling over $70,000. The Small Business Administration’s Office of Women’s Business Owner and sponsor Microsoft piloted and launched the inaugural InnovateHER challenge in 2015 to provide a platform and funding for women to produce their savvy ideas. Under the auspices of B-CU’s College of Business and Entrepreneurship and the Center for the Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (CEED), the 2016 competition marks the second year the university will participate.
Women and workforce Women currently comprise nearly half of the labor force, which is significantly different than 50 years ago. Additionally, women play a critical role in our nation’s economic prosperity. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 74 percent of employed women work full time and 70 percent have children under 18 years of age. Most children live in households where all parents work and as demands on women and families increase, so does the need for innovative products and services. DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARDNOTTSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
Pastor Monzell Ford leads the God Belongs in My City prayer walk and spiritual movement on Oct. 3.
‘God Belongs in My City’ movement demonstrates diversity and unity through prayer walks BY PENNY DICKERSON DAYTONA TIMES
I
n the aftermath of another deadly shooting massacre that fixated the nation on the state of Oregon and the many prayers and vigils for the victims, local residents demonstrated a show of unity through a prayer walk and spiritual move-
ment held Saturday, Oct. 3. “God Belongs in My City” united more than 400 area residents representing varied races and ethnicities. Clad in signature T-shirts and carrying symbolic signage, they convened on Daytona Beach City Hall, marched through town, and played host to a spiritual movement that united the masses. “God Belongs in Our City” (GBIC) is a worldwide movement led locally by Pastor Monzell Ford of Kingdom Minded Worldwide Ministries in Daytona Beach. He was joined on the City Hall platform by Mayor Derrick Henry.
In 80 cities “God Belongs in My City” is not only a worldwide ‘movement,’ it’s our declaration of faith,” said Ford. “As Christ came and changed the world, we as Christians ought to impact our city now. There is a call to fearlessly rise up as one and not collapse under the waves of this world. We are commissioned to carry forth the gospel of salvation,” he added. Currently, the national movement has 80 host cities. Ford launched his Daytona initiative in 2014 as an extension of his ongoing work in street ministry and urban evanPlease see FAITH, Page 2
Oct. 24 deadline The InnovateHER Challenge is aimed at unearthing products and services that impact and empower the lives of women and families through local business competitions that culminate in a live pitch Final Round. Local individuals and groups (maximum of three) are invited to submit a maximum, 20-page business plan along with an entry form by Oct. 24. Participants must address the issue of empowering the lives of women and families. A panel of judges will select the top entrants to participate in the local pitch competition as semifinalists. Among those choPlease see WOMEN, Page 2
Julie Patton is a master artistin-residence at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach.
ALSO INSIDE
Internationally known poet Julie Patton to share words, artistry at Daytona library BY PENNY DICKERSON DAYTONA TIMES
New York-based poet Julie Patton owns a lyrical brand of artistry that cannot be described in a vacuum. She is improvisational and both performer and permaculturist. An award-winning author, Patton also is a seasoned instructor of international acclaim. Fans, followers and poetry enthusiasts can experience her particular brand of poetry in a “sitespecific” reading at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20 at the Daytona Beach
Regional Library at City Island, 105 E. Magnolia Ave.’ “My recital, more like a ‘writing out loud,’ will involve improvising off found matters – books, sounds, words, thoughts, the weather, how I feel, what I see hear, feel, sense – at the library and anything I may have come in contact with in and around the grounds of the Atlantic Center for the Arts,” Patton explained.
Master artist Patton is currently a master artist-in-residence at the Atlantic
Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach. The innovative nonprofit launched the three-week residency program in 1982 to provide a collegial environment for artists of all disciplines where they can engage in meaningful interaction and stimulating discussions, while pursuing individual or group projects. Artists across a wide spectrum of disciplines including visual, literary and performing arts work with “master artists” like Patton, who joins the ranks of over 3,500 global artists who have structured their own residency. Additionally, they select eight “associate artists” to participate in the three-week program.
Language out loud “I improvise site-specific performances and installations usPlease see POET, Page 2
ENTERTAINMENT: DAYTONA STATE BAND TO PAY TRIBUTE TO ‘GREATEST GENERATION’ | PAGE 3 SPORTS: B-CU FOOTBALL, VOLLEYBALL STANDOUTS NAMED TOP PLAYERS | PAGE 7
7 FOCUS
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OCTOBER 8 – OCTOBER 14, 2015
Bethune-Cookman students awarded $15,000 Ford grant Ford Motor Company will award $15,000 to a team of students from Bethune-Cookman University as part of the 2015 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Community Challenge. The winning B-CU team included Ebone Sturrup (team leader, criminal justice major), Jasmine Adamson (business administration major), Toyneisha Whitaker (mass communications major) and Jeislor Davis (hospitality management major). This year’s theme was “Build-
ing Sustainable Communities.” The four innovative students developed a program titled “Getting Back to the Roots,” which enabled middle school students to work after class to grow their own food using hydroponics in an on-site greenhouse. The middle school students are provided information about healthy food choices and given resources to continue their own hydroponic garden upon completion of the program. “We are extremely proud of our students and the work that
Black Minds Matter concert is Oct. 31 at Allen Chapel
they are doing. They are true student leaders and their influence is evident within the university and the community,” said Dr. Edison O. Jackson, president of BCU. “We thank Ford Motor Company and Ford Motor Company Fund for this extraordinary opportunity.”
Up to $75,000 awarded this year Ford Motor Company and Ford Motor Company Fund encourage students enrolled at HBCUs to submit proposals in a
competition to earn scholarships while also contributing to their communities. Up to $75,000 in scholarships and university and community grants will be awarded this year to the winning student teams and projects. “We developed this award as an extension of an educational initiative that already exists,” said Pamela Alexander, director of community development with the Ford Motor Company Fund, the charitable arm of Ford Motor Company. “The idea was to create a pro-
Consumer advocate hosting meeting about patient billing
Black Minds Matter is a grassroots initiative designed to prepare 21st century African-American youth leaders in the areas of art, education and political activism. Through engagement in cultural events, speaker presentations and the Black Minds Matter Concert Series (with an emphasis on gospel, blues and jazz,) the initiative strives to increase voter registration, college matriculation and HBCU funding. On Saturday, Oct. 31, at 6 p.m., the Black Minds Matter Concert Series continues at Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church, 580 W. George W. Engram Blvd., Daytona Beach. Performers will include Canton Jones, Karen Briggs and Laval Belle. Tickets are available online at https://bmmdaytona.eventbrite.com.
University’s chorale to perform Sunday in Palm Coast
THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
Wading into a controversial issue in the healthcare industry, the state insurance consumer advocate will bring together key groups Oct. 15 to discuss what is known as “balance billing.” Insurance Consumer Advocate Sha’Ron James on Monday announced the forum, which is expected to include groups such as the Florida Medical Association, the Florida Association of Health Plans, Florida CHAIN and the Florida College of Emergency Physicians. The balance-billing issue, which has spurred debates in the Legislature, involves patients receiving
Halifax doctor chosen as AAFP fellow
The Bethune-Cookman University Concert Chorale, under the direction of Damon Dandridge, will perform on Sunday, Oct. 11 for all three services at Palm Coast United Methodist Church. Service times are 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m. All are welcome to attend. The church is located at 5200 Belle Terre Parkway, across the street from the Palm Coast Branch Library. For more information, call 386-445-1600.
Learn how to make healthy meals on a budget Rebecca Taylor will offer tips on making healthy family meals on a budget during a free workshop at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, at the Daytona Beach Regional Library at City Island, 105 E. Magnolia Ave. Taylor, a family nutrition program assistant with the University of Florida/Volusia County Extension, will explain how to plan meals that are easy, fast, tasty, healthy and affordable; shop for low-cost foods from the five food groups; and save time and involve children while cooking. Taylor also will share nutritious, budget-friendly recipes. MyPlate for My Family supports federal nutrition education and obesity prevention efforts and is based on recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Reservations are not required. For more information, call the extension office at 386-822-5778.
Halifax Health physician Dr. Karla McNish has been accepted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). The mission of the AAFP is to improve the health of patients, families and communities by serving the needs of members with professionalism and creativity. The Degree of Fellow recognizes AAFP members who have distinguished themselves among their colleagues, as well as in their communities, by their service to family medicine, by their advancement of health care to the American people, and by their pro-
Health department hosting Oct. 15 Pink Power Walk The Florida Department of Health in Volusia County (DOH-Volusia) is recognizing Breast Cancer Awareness Month by hosting a Pink Power Walk. About one in eight women born today in the United States will get breast cancer at some point in life. “The good news is that many women can survive breast cancer if it’s found and treated early,” said Ron Rondeau, interim administrator, Florida
gram that would not only allow us to continue in our efforts to give back to the African-American community, but to do so in a way that encourages innovation and educational empowerment while directly supporting students and the communities where they attend college,” added Alexander. An award presentation was to have taken place on Wednesday, Oct.7, at the Mary McLeod Bethune Performing Arts Center.
care from medical providers who are not within the networks of the patients’ insurance companies. Patients can get hit with unexpected expenses because their insurers might only pay a portion of out-ofnetwork costs. The debate has particularly focused on patients who are treated by out-of-network physicians Sha’Ron in emergency rooms. James “This issue impacts medical providers, insurers and others; however, it is the consumer who is left financially burdened by this form of unexpected health-care cost,” James said in a prepared statement Monday. “I would like to bring all the parties to the table to discuss a mutually sound and consumer-focused solution to this issue.” The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Oct 15 in the Capitol’s Cabinet meeting room. fessional development through medical education and research. A graduate of Florida Atlantic University and Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, McNish specializes in family medicine. She began her career at Halifax Health as a family medicine resident where she was the winner of the Gillepsie Award. Dr. Karla For the past nine years, she has been McNish Halifax Health’s primary care provider for the Community Clinic. She also provides physician services for Halifax Health’s Wound Care and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy programs. Department of Health in Volusia County. “A mammogram can help find breast cancer early when it’s easier to treat. Let’s make a difference by spreading the word about early detection and encourage families, communities, organizations, and others to get involved.” The Pink Power Walk is Thursday, Oct. 15 at 10 a.m. at the Florida Department of Health in Volusia County, 1845 Holsonback Drive, Daytona Beach. Speakers include breast cancer survivor Sophie Kirtley, American Cancer Society Representative Leslie Castillo and Assistant Director of Public Health Programs Solinka Murillo-Mclntosh.
WOMEN from Page 1
sen, the top tier will then be invited to make their pitch to a panel of university and community judges on Nov. 6. One finalist will be selected to compete during the national InnovateHER finals, which will be held March 16 and 17 in the Washington, D.C. area as part of a larger women’s summit.
2015 winners
PHOTOS BY DUANE C. FERNANDEZ SR./HARDNOTTSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
Area residents pray during the God Belongs in My City event in Daytona Beach.
FAITH
from Page 1 gelism. Magga Products, Inc. of Holly Hill served as the lead sponsor to help defray the $2,000 cost for Tshirts, water, signage, etc. According to Ford, this year’s event required four months of planning and the collaboration of other ministries to effectively host a successful movement.
Planning for 2016 Schedule challenges and an unwillingness to join forces were obstacles, but not a deterrent for Ford.
He’s already geared up and ready for next year. The 2016 prayer walk is set for Oct. 1, 2016, and beginning in January 2016, a GBIMC Daytona Committee will be meeting monthly for rallies and planning meetings. “We are the voice of this generation making the call to the people of God to rise up and proclaim the name that is above all names, Jesus Christ,” said Ford. “Here in Daytona Beach, we are not ashamed of the gospel. We will answer the call to act now. We will share the gospel of salvation to the ends of the world. We will start with our own city: Daytona Beach,” he added.
Bethany Edwards of Philadelphia won first place in 2015. Her team at LIA Diagnostics (link is external) designed a pregnancy test to provide a better experience for women at a stressful moment in their lives. The LIA test is discreet, easy to use and is environmentally friendly. The second-place award was given to Lisa Crites of Cocoa Beach, who owns The Shower Shirt. (link is
POET
from Page 1 ing materials (language, sounds, images, emotions, found objects) at hand,” said Patton in her residency description. “It’s a walk on the wild side so we will generate, write, score, and map sound materials for new and old projects by spending time outdoors, “going on explores,’’ listening, tracking, and translating sounds in the lush soundscapes,” she added.
Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry speaks to the group gathered at City Hall.
Book signing too Patton’s teaching posts
external) Crites designed a post-surgical, patented, water-resistant garment designed to prevent post-surgical mastectomy drain sites from coming into contact with water while showering. Sophia Berman of Pittsburgh is a designer at Trusst Lingerie (link is external), who developed products aimed at eliminating the pain and discomforts experienced by the underserved U.S. market of larger busted woman.
Challenge contacts Local challenge: Contact the B-CU CEED Team Business Development Coordinator, Marc Vanja Misanovic, misanovicm@ cookman.edu, at 386-4812871 or the CEED Team Director, Casandra R. Stroy, s t roy c @ c o o k m a n . e d u , 386-481-2940. National challenge: For rules and eligibility, go to the SBA website of InnovateHER: https://www.sba. gov/offices/headquarters/ wbo/resources/1465581.
include New York University; Naropa University in Boulder, Colo.; and Schule fur Dichtung in Vienna, Austria. She is the author of “Using Blue to Get Black,” “Notes for Some (Nominally Awake),” “A Garden per Verse (or What Else do You Expect from Dirt?),” “The Building by the Side of the Road” and “Teething on Type.” “B”, her collection of explorations, will be published by Tender Buttons Press this year. Following her evening performance, Patton will facilitate a brief Q&A and sign books. Reservations are not required. For more information, call 386-257-6036, ext. 16166.
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OCTOBER 8 – OCTOBER 14, 2015 COMMUNITY DECEMBER 14 - 20, 2006
M A YNEWS OR
COURTESY OF CHI DELTA OMEGA CHAPTER/ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY
The Chi Delta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., filled more than 190 backpacks with school supplies.
Alpha Kappa Alpha helps students with school supplies The Chi Delta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. revels to have filled 190 chapter-collected backpacks with school supplies for distribution by local organizations throughout Flagler and the surrounding counties. Thirty-one sorors worked feverishly to ensure that students affiliated with these organizations would become recipients of the endeavor. The Rev. Theresa Waters is president of the AKA chapter. The organizations are: The Community Partnership for Children, The Sheltering Tree, Carver Community Center of Bunnell, the Espanola community center, and the participants in the College Prep Boot Camp, which was held recently in conjunction with the Flagler NAACP. Organization leaders presented the chapter with an abundancy of appreciation for their effort of filling the needs of the community.
NAACP Education Committee to meet
COURTESY OF FLAGLER COUNTY AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN
Debbie Millbern Powers will be the speaker at the Flagler County AAUW’s Oct. 10 luncheon.
PALM COAST COMMUNITY NEWS JEROLINE D. MCCARTHY
Parents are summoned to the 2015-16 school year meeting by the Flagler NAACP Education Committee. This is a first of the year for parents to discuss their children’s educational issues. The meeting will assemble Oct. 18, 2 p.m., at the Golden Corral, 225 Cypress Edge Drive, Palm Coast. All questions may be posed directly to the NAACP at 386-4467822.
Museum to host Oct. 9 wagon ride Get on the bandwagon for a family-friendly wagon ride. That’s Oct. 9, 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. at the Florida Agricultural Museum, 7900 Old Kings Road North, Palm
Coast. The rousing fun is at a donation of $5 per person. No fees will be imposed on the members of the museum. “Not only will you have fun taking our wagon ride,” you will also learn about military camp life in Florida circa 1864,’’ said Museum Events Coordinator Debbie Milner. Wagon riders will visit with Civil War re-enactors on site for the museum’s Sixth Annual Pellicer Creek Raid, whereby the maraud will continue Oct. 10 and 11. Approximately 250 infantry, artillery and cavalry troops will stage two battles. The battles are scheduled Oct. 10 and 11, 1 p.m. Moreover, when the troops are not battling, their historic camps
Powers to speak at AAUW luncheon Join author Debbie Millbern Powers for a book signing and lunch, Oct. 10, 11 a.m., at the Grand Club Pine Course, 400 Pine Lakes Parkway, Palm Coast. The athlete/coach/author will discuss her experience before and after Title IX. She will give a real-life history lesson, ascribing the evolution of women’s sports for a meeting by the Flagler County American Association of University Women (AAUW). “The Rev. Mary Ann Macklin was so moved by ‘Meet-
College’s symphonic band to honor veterans
Ken Burns’ series at library focuses on jazz The Daytona Beach Regional Library at City Island will show two episodes of Ken Burns’ documentary series “Jazz” this month. The acclaimed series features musical selections and interviews with early jazz performers, including Sidney Bechet, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman. The selected episodes, which cover the development of jazz through 1928, will be shown in the library auditorium at 10 a.m. Tuesdays. They include
will be open to the public, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will illustrate the other aspects of military life for the times. Admission on Saturday and Sunday is $5 each day per person. Food vendors will be on site. Closed-toe shoes are recommended for both events. For further details, call 386446-7630 or email dmilner@floridamuseum.org.
Louis Armstrong was featured in the show titled “The Gift.’’ “The Gift” Oct. 20, and “Our Language” Oct. 27. The free series is sponsored by the Friends of the Daytona Beach Library. Reservations are not required. For more information, contact Adult Program Librarian Cindy Fouraker at 386-2576036, ext. 16166.
SPECIAL TO THE DAYTONA TIMES
Paying tribute to the remaining veterans from the “Greatest Generation,” the Daytona State College Symphonic Band takes the stage for its Sunday, Oct. 18, performance at the college’s News-Journal Center, presenting the American Premiere of “Trombonico,’’ a three-movement work that takes, from among others, inspiration for the music of Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller. First performed in Valencia, Spain during the sum-
ing Her Match’ that she spoke about it on an NPR radio program in Indiana,” said Powers in a blog. “It is awesome how so many people have been affected by my story. So many former women athletes can relate!” Powers’ book is titled, “Meeting Her Match.” Title IX thresholds the support of equal opportunity to any educational program or activity that receives federal financial assistance. The meeting is open to the public. New members who join the American Association of University Women are eligible for reduced dues on that day. Moreover, lunch is priced at $16 per person. Reservations may be made by calling Sally Smeaton at 386447-4137, or email shsmeaton@ gmail.com.
Series to focus on music, health Align yourself with the “Lunch N’ Lecture Series,” presented by the Parks and Recreation Department of the City of Palm Coast. Nov. 4’s eye-opener features the Jacksonville Symphony in a 40-minute concert. Musical compositions will be introduced and background provided for the arrangements to be performed. Acquire determination attending “Diet & Nutrition for Older Adults,” which is part of the series to be facilitated Nov. 18 by Halifax Health. The “Lunch N’ Lecture Series” is free with lunch included from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Palm Coast Community Center, 305 Palm Coast Parkway NE. Space is limited. Pre-registration is required, so log on at www.palmcoastgov. com/register. For more details, contact Parks and Recreation at 386-986-2323.
First Church to present Men’s Day The public is invited to celebrate Men’s Day on Oct. 18, 10 a.m., at First Church, 91 Old Kings Road North, Palm Coast. The Rev. Dr. Gillard S. Glover is the senior pastor. The Rev. Dr. John F. Green of the Interdenominational Theological Center, the seventh president/dean of Turner Theological Seminary in Atlanta, will be the guest speaker for Men’s Day. Dr. Green, a preacher/teacher/ church-builder/administrator, earned a Doctor of Ministry Degree from the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. He served at Bethel A.M.E. Church in Tallahassee for his parish ministry, as well as other churches primarily in the 11th Episcopal District for a 24-year tenure. He is a well-known teacher for pastors – an advocate of faith for the lost
mer of 2015, “Trombonico’’ was written by Gregory Fritze, the now retired chair of the Composition Department from the Berklee College of Music. Soloist for the work will be Dr. Edward Morse, trombone instructor at Mississippi Valley State University who also performs with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra.
Free for students Other works on the program, conducted by Dr. Doug Peterson, will include musical selections from the hit Broadway Show, “Chicago,’’ and traditional marches by John Philip Sousa, as well as “At Dawn They Slept,’’ a musical remembrance paying tribute to fallen heroes of that fateful day at Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941. The Oct. 18 concert kicks off at 2:30 p.m. in the NewsJournal Center’s Davidson
and struggling in need of spiritual, physical, and emotional healing. “Following in the Father’s Footsteps” is the Men’s Day theme for the Men’s Ministry of First Church. Any inquiries may be directed to the church at 386-446-5759.
Book festival returns in January In the purview of happenings, Donna Gray-Banks steps out with her Fifth Annual F.R.E.S.H. Book Festival, crafted at the Midtown Cultural and Educational Center, 925 George W. Engram Blvd., Daytona Beach. Gray-Banks, festival founder/organizer/author/ activist/radio co-host, has begun registering and will convene the festival Jan. 8 and 9, 2016. Doors will open 6:45 p.m. to 10 p.m. on the first day and will include a soiree of wonderful food, prepared by Edward Tucker Caterers Unlimited. It will feature musical guest Amy Alysia & The Soul Operation Band, plus poet extraordinaire Devery Donna Broox. Admission Gray-Banks to the evening in poetry and jazz is $25 per person. Doors will open to the public on the second day at 9:45 a.m. Admission to the festival is $3 and will showcase the following authors: Bishop Derek T. Triplett, Allie L. Braswell, Malvin L. Williams Tyson, Tanisha Renee, Micheal Ray King, as well as special guest Brian W. Smith. Joined by the circle will be visual artist Laurence Blinky Walden. All books will be available for purchase and signing by the author. The festival rouses the support by sponsors: The City of Daytona Beach, Best Western, Vitas Healthcare, Homewood Suites, Realtor Carolyn Hawkins and the Daytona Times. Do you want to sell your book? Get the price list from Gray-Banks for renting a table, and email your registration request to freshbookfestivals@gmail.com. ••• As always, remember our prayers for the sick, afflicted and bereaved.
Celebrations Birthday wishes to Minnie Carnegie, Kilus White, Jr., Oct. 9; Ray Sheldon Henderson, Oct. 10; Floyd Thorpe, Nicole McGlown, Luther White, Oct. 12; Wanda Brinson White, Oct. 13. Happy anniversary to Luther and Wanda Brinson White, Oct. 12.
Theater, 221 N. Beach St. in downtown Daytona Beach. The event is free to Daytona State and Volusia and Flagler County students; all others $8 per person or $15 for two.
Yuletide Feast tickets on sale Tickets are available now for the annual Daytona State College Yuletide Feast, Dec. 7, 8, 9 and 10 at 6:30 nightly in the Goddard Performance Hall on the Daytona Beach Campus, 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd. Admission is $40. The college’s famous Yuletide Feast was first performed in 1973, then called The Madrigal Dinner; people from the community felt it marked the beginning of the Christmas season. Its origins reach back as far as the medieval and renaissance periods. Cryers announce guests as they arrive, with performers escorting them to seats at the banquet tables in the J. M. Goddard Theater – which is transformed into a medieval English castle hall with banners, sword-and-shield sconces and candles by the hundreds. A ceremonial entrance by the Royal household heralds the start of the evening’s performance, during which a sumptuous meal is served. Guests are treated to a celebration of Christmas by the 60-voice Daytona State Choir, Brass Choir and the Courtly Dancers and the Halifax Consort, all in period costume. Performers such as the Jester, as well as lords and ladies of the court, interact with honored guests throughout the eve-
ning, encouraging guests to join in with songs such as traditional Christmas carols and The Wassail Song. Tickets, featuring reserved seating, are available at the News-Journal Center box office Wednesday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. or online at DaytonaState.edu/TheArts. For more information, call 386-226-1927.
Museum presentation to focus on spiders and their kin Stetson University’s Gillespie Museum will host Florida naturalist John Serrao and his presentation, “Our Amazing Arachnids - Florida’s Spiders and Their Kin,” on Thursday, Oct. 22, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. This presentation is part of the museum’s Science Café series, where the scientist and nonscientist alike can enjoy thoughtful discussion and light refreshments in the museum’s welcoming environment. “People are fascinated by spiders, scorpions and other arachnids, but not always in a positive way,” explains Serrao. “This slide program will dispel myths and misconceptions about these beneficial creatures and showcase the fabulous diversity of colors, shapes, and sizes exhibited by Florida’s many species.” This event is free and open to the public. The museum is located at 234 East Michigan Avenue, DeLand. More information: 386822-7330 or email gillespiemuseum@stetson.edu.
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7 EDITORIAL
OCTOBER 8 – OCTOBER 14, 2015
The piercing cry of child poverty Pope Francis speaks out faithfully and forcefully against poverty and has been called “the pope of the poor.” But on his first visit to the United States there was demoralizing news about poverty, especially child poverty, in our nation – the world’s largest economy. Children are poor if they live in a family of four with an annual income below $24,418 – $2,035 a month, $470 a week, $67 a day. Extreme poverty is income less than half this. New Census Bureau data reveal that nearly one-third of the 46.7 million poor people in the United States in 2014 were children. Of the more than 15.5 million poor children, 70 percent were children of color who already constitute the majority of our nation’s youngest children and will be the majority of all our children by 2020. They continue to be disproportionately poor: 37 percent of Black children and 32 percent of Hispanic children are poor compared to 12 percent of White, non-Hispanic children.
A moral scandal This is morally scandalous and economically costly. Every year we let millions of children remain poor costs our nation more than $500 billion as a result of lost productivity and extra health and crime costs stemming from child poverty. The Black child poverty rate in-
MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN NNPA COLUMNIST
creased 10 percent between 2013 and 2014, while rates for children of other races and ethnicities declined slightly. The Black extreme child poverty rate increased 13 percent with nearly 1 in 5 Black children living in extreme poverty. Although the Hispanic child poverty rate fell slightly, Hispanic children remain our largest number of poor children. Nearly 1 in 4 children under 5 years old is poor and almost half live in extreme poverty. More than 40 percent of Black children under 5 are poor and nearly 25 percent of young Black children are extremely poor.
Record highs New state data show child poverty rates in 2014 remained at record high levels across 40 states, with only 10 states showing significant declines between 2013 and 2014. In 22 states, 40 percent or more Black children were poor. In 32 states, more than 30 percent of Hispanic children were poor. And in 24 states, more than 30 percent of American Indian/Alaska Native children were poor. Only Hawaii had a Black child poverty rate below 20 percent
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while only two states, Kentucky and West Virginia, had White, non-Hispanic child poverty rates over 20 percent. The rates are staggering, especially when we know there are steps Congress could take right now to end child poverty and save taxpayer money now and in the future. In CDF’s recent “Ending Child Poverty Now” report based on an analysis by the nonpartisan Urban Institute, we proposed nine policy changes which would immediately reduce child poverty 60 percent and Black child poverty 72 percent and lift the floor of decency for 97 percent of all poor children by ensuring parents the resources to support and nurture their children: jobs with livable wages, affordable highquality child care, supports for working families like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC), and safety nets for basic needs like nutrition, housing assistance and child support.
Permanent improvements Congress must make permanent improvements in pro-work tax credits (both the EITC and the CTC), increase the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps) benefit, and expand housing subsidies and quality child care investments for children when parents work.
Be a legend or leave a legacy? One thing that prevents us from moving forward, economically and otherwise, is ego. Many of our leaders are unwilling to elevate the collective in favor of their individual selfish desires. We see it in our social organizations, our political circles, and in our churches. Those in leadership positions refuse to work with others for fear of losing their status or not being in the spotlight, behind the microphone, or in camera shot at a press conference. Those kinds of individuals are focused on being legends rather than leaving a true legacy for the benefit of future generations.
Short-sighted bluster Building one’s self up as a legend – rather than, or at least in addition to building a legacy – is both short-sighted and detrimental to our people. We end up with a lot of bluster, but nothing substantive to show for our rhetoric.
acy of economic empowerment and education by advocating for self-reliance and building Tuskegee University. Marcus Garvey left a legacy of empowerment by establishing numerous businesses in Harlem and founding the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). One of our contemporaries, JAMES Pastor Jonathan Weaver, foundCLINGMAN ed the Collective Banking Group, now called the Collective EmpowNNPA COLUMNIST erment Group; they will celebrate their 20th anniversary in DecemTake a look back in history and ber 2015. see Black leaders who built legaThere are many others, past cies that are still helping our peo- and present. ple. You will find a pantheon of ancestors who selflessly devoted Talk and promises their lives to uplift Black people. It Today we have far too many is those people who built and left of our folks who do a lot of talkschools, business organizations, ing, make a lot of empty promiseconomic empowerment efforts, es, give tepid responses to proband political achievements that lems, and offer worthless symbolspecifically benefited Black peo- ic gestures that are soon lost in the ple. shuffle of life. They sacrificed their time, treaThey may be legendary in bomsure, and talent for a cause great- bast and hype, but if they leave er than themselves. They under- no legacy that benefits and can stood it was relatively easy to be be perpetuated by future genera legend, but while it was much ations of Black people; their vermore difficult, it was better to bosity is virtually meaningless. leave a legacy. Legacy is not about an image we Booker T. Washington left a leg- want to preserve, but a trust we
Black and Latinos working together We are now in the middle of Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15 to October 15, across the United States. During this year’s observance of Hispanic heritage, Latino leaders are also articulating the strategic value and need for more unity between Blacks and Latinos. In a recent column to the New York Amsterdam News, Bronx Borough President Rueben Diaz Jr. stated, “As we face heated, dangerous rhetoric on the issues that concern us the most, the Hispanic community must not only stand together but to also unite with our allies of different backgrounds, such as the African-American community, to fight for the betterment of our communities.”
DR. BENJAMIN F. CHAVIS, JR. NNPA COLUMNIST
Long struggles Fighting to improve the quality of life in our communities is exactly what our long mutual struggles for justice and empowerment continues to be about. The two largest people of color groups in America are Latinos and Blacks. And if Blacks and Latinos unite in New York and elsewhere, it will achieve more effective political and economic results. President Obama issued a proclamation in honor of His-
BOB ENGLEHART, THE HARTFORD COURANT
We must ensure all children comprehensive affordable health care, high-quality early childhood development and learning opportunities to get ready for school and a level education playing field. It is a great national, economic and military security threat that a majority of all children in America cannot read or compute at grade level and that nearly threefourths of our Black and Latino children cannot.
‘Safety net’ works Data show key safety net programs lifted millions of people, including children above the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) poverty line, between 2013 and 2014. These supports all reduced child poverty: SNAP (4.7 million people), rent subsi-
want to pass on. Don’t misunderstand; this is not an either-or issue. We have many legends; Muhammad Ali immediately comes to my mind. His legacy of standing on his beliefs, despite the dire consequences he faced nearly fifty years ago, inspires us today. There are other legendary athletes, educators, and entertainers, and I applaud them for what they have done for us. The point being made here is that when it comes to our economic and political advancement, we have too many folks simply trying to be legends only. Wouldn’t it be a great legacy for the Congressional Black Caucus to eliminate that enslavement “exception” from the 13th amendment? Wouldn’t it be a great legacy for Barack Obama to help get John Conyers’ reparations bill adopted? Wouldn’t it be a great legacy for our super rich entertainers to fund the building of an economic enclave in Detroit, Baltimore, or Atlanta? How about our athletes pooling some of their millions to build African-centered schools, and our business owners establishing entrepreneurship schools across this nation?
panic Heritage Month stating, “America’s Hispanic community has woven unique threads into the diverse fabric of our country and played an important role in shaping our national character as a people of limitless possibility.” We are witnessing a political challenge to the nation’s diversity with the exponential increase in residents of people of color in every region of the country. Some studies show that the racial disparity divide in America is becoming more pronounced in housing, education, business, immigration, and mass incarceration. Neither Black nor Latino vote can be taken for granted. The political future of the U.S. will swing in the balance and scale of how Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) efforts will be financed, advertised, staffed and mobilized.
unity between the two powerhouse groups is that the National Association of Hispanic Publishers (NAHP) and the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) have announced the establishment of a NNPA-NAHP National Advertising Task Force. The purpose of the coalition is to educate marketers on the benefits and importance of the African-American and Hispanic newspaper markets. “With close to 97 million African-Americans and Hispanics in the U.S. today, representing 33 percent of the total population, this consumer segment demands attention,” said Martha Montoya, VP of the NAHP. “The buying power of the African-American and Hispanic communities, currently at over $2.3 trillion combined, continues to outpace the national average.”
Getting together
‘Shared vision’
A promising sign of increased
NNPA Chair Denise Rolark
Charles W. Cherry II, Esq., Publisher
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dies (2.8 million people), and the Earned Income Tax Credit and the low-income portion of the Child Tax Credit (roughly 10 million people including more than 5 million children). There also is strong evidence these measures will provide long-term benefits for children. How can our Congressional leaders even discuss spending as much as $400 billion to extend tax cuts for corporations and businesses, while denying more than 15.5 million poor children – 70 percent non-White – the opportunity to improve their odds of succeeding in school and in life?
Marian Wright Edelman is president and founder of the Children’s Defense Fund (www.childrensdefense.org).
Build and own Our focus must change if we are serious about attaining economic empowerment. We must build; we must own; and we must control assets. Individual ownership is a high priority, but collective ownership is an even higher priority in light of Black people being the third largest population and now fifth, on a relative scale, in vital business categories, i.e. number of firms with employees, annual revenues. A glaring example is this: There are 382,521 Indian-Asian firms; they command annual receipts of $251 billion, compared to 2.6 million Black firms with annual revenues of $187.6 billion. Our legacy must include growing and passing on businesses to the next generation.
James E. Clingman, founder of the Greater Cincinnati African-American Chamber of Commerce, is the nation’s most prolific writer on economic empowerment for Black people.
Barnes emphasized, “This task force also marks a historic partnership between the NNPA and NAHP, the nation’s most influential publishing organizations that are currently led by women. Martha and I have a shared vision and commitment to empower our communities by strengthening the voices of the media we serve.” The potential force of AfricanAmericans and Latinos working together in business, politics, education, housing, family and community development are enormous. The challenge will be to achieve and maintain this unity not just for one year or two, but for a lifetime of solidarity and action to represent and defend the interests of our communities respectively.
Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. is the president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA).
Central Florida Communicators Group, LLC, P.O. Box 48857 Tampa, FL 33646, publishes the Florida Courier on Fridays. Phone: 877-352-4455, toll-free. For all sales inquiries, call 877-352-4455; e-mail sales@flcourier.com. Subscriptions to the print version are $69 per year. Mail check to P.O. Box 48857 Tampa, Fl 33646, or log on to www.daytona.com; click on ‘Subscribe’.
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5 7
OCTOBER 8 – OCTOBER 14, 2015 14 ENTERTAINMENT DECEMBER - 20, 2006
MAYOR
the night,” Case said. The more programming that is produced for the season, the more time the parks need to celebrate. “They need to get as much time out of it as they possibly can,” Speigel said.
New Legoland characters
RICARDO RAMIREZ BUXEDA/ORLANDO SENTINEL/TNS
Guests wait along Main Street USA for Mickey’s “Boo-To-You” Halloween Parade at Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom on Friday, Sept. 18.
Halloween celebrations are longer, bigger at Central Florida attractions BY DEWAYNE BEVIL ORLANDO SENTINEL/TNS
Halloween celebrations at Central Florida’s major attractions are gearing up earlier and becoming more elaborate to scare up a share of the $7 billion spent for the holiday nationwide. “Halloween has become the single biggest promotional event in our industry,” said Dennis Speigel, president of International Theme Park Services. At Universal Orlando, Halloween Horror Nights is in the midst of a record
30-night run. Walt Disney World has created a new stage show featuring rarely used characters for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party events. SeaWorld Orlando and Legoland Florida have added dates for October celebrations geared to young visitors. “Halloween has become one of the biggest investments in the park in terms of transitional theming,” Speigel said. “It costs a lot to put that on.”
‘Hocus Pocus’ show Disney World dipped into its vault for inspira-
tion for a new stage show for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, the afterhours, extra-ticket event at Magic Kingdom. The production called “Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular” is based on the 1993 film “Hocus Pocus,” starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as sibling witches. “The thing that I love about the Sanderson Sisters is that they’re funny,” said Denise Case, show director. “And being that our event is the Not-SoScary, it’s a wonderfully funny, lighthearted way to
have that great Halloween presence with witches, of course, but they’re funny witches.” The show is not a retelling of the movie. Instead, the trio interact with relatively scary Disney villains. The production uses elaborate new projections on Cinderella Castle, costumes patterned after the originals and decor that daytime guests do not get to see. “All of the scenic elements for the Villains Spelltacular are loaded in for each event night and then struck at the end of
Legoland Florida has added two Friday sessions amid its regular SaturdaySunday schedule for Brick or Treat, an event with trick-or-treating, costume contests and other Halloween activities. It’s included with regular admission to the Winter Haven park. Visitors can encounter new characters and Lego figures at this year’s event, said David Brady, a park spokesman. “We have two new characters based on minifigures that have been released in the past: mad scientist and Frank N. Stein. They’re Lego’s take on the archetypes,” he said. “We have our master model builders working on a 13-foot, vampire-themed hearse that we’re going to roll out as a photo op during the event,” Brady said. The vehicle is an oversized version of a Lego building set no longer for sale. Legoland also added exclusive pirate-themed fireworks and a scavenger hunt with prizes that change every weekend. The latter draws annualpass holders and boosts event repeatability, Brady said. “It’s a challenge to us: How do we make it fun and different each year?” he said.
Safe, artificial fear In America, trick-ortreating surged in postWorld War II suburbia, and the kids who benefited from that have boosted Halloween festivities as adults, said Robert Thompson, who teaches pop-culture courses at Syr-
acuse University. “I think a lot of those baby boomers … didn’t want to let that go when they grew up,” Thompson said. But theme parks and Halloween are a natural fit, he said. “What’s one of the first noises you hear as you approach a theme park? People screaming,” Thompson said. “One of the things that an amusement park produces is fear that is artificial and therefore safe: It allows us to engage in fear without the actual bad feeling of terror.”
Scary prices? Some parks, including SeaWorld Orlando, have Halloween experiences included in regular admission. Other attractions charge special-event prices or present seasonal addons. A Not-So-Scary tickets costs $68 to $79, depending on date. One evening of Horror Nights runs $101.99, although Universal offers discounts and multinight combo tickets. “They are upselling the experience,” Speigel said. “Some of the parks … if you want to go beyond the normal experience and have entrance to some of the really exceptionally scary things, it’s another X dollars.” Universal Orlando, which is marking its 25th year of Halloween Horror Nights, this year added a “scareactor dining experience” with dinner buffet, photo opportunities with Horror Nights characters and a digitaldownload photo from the event. It sells for $49.99. Because of the way the 2015 calendar falls, parks have more opportunities to lure crowds. “It really works well for the parks … when Halloween falls on a Saturday or Sunday,” Speigel said. “Then they get that last weekend, they squeeze it out.”
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R6
7 SPORTS & CLASSIFIEDS
OCTOBER 8 – OCTOBER 14, 2015
Wildcats claw way to victory over North Carolina Central B-CU ROUNDUP
COMPILED BY JAHSON LEWIS DAYTONA TIMES
Heavy rains in Durham, N.C. did not stop MEAC competition for Bethune-Cookman vs. North Carolina Central last Saturday. The game was moved up to 2 p.m. from its original 4 p.m. kickoff time due to a state of emergency declared in preparation of Hurricane Joaquin. The Wildcats emerged victorious in a 28-26 come from behind win in the match up Saturday afternoon at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium in front of a crowd of 2,024 fans and a national ESPN3 audience. The Wildcats were able to rally back from 19 down in the second half to steal the “W” late in the game after senior running back Anthony Jordan scored the only points for B-CU in the first half on a five-yard rush with 9:28 re-
it’s not
it’s not
maining in the second quarter. The second half began with North Carolina Central scoring three unanswered touchdowns in the third quarter giving them a 26-7 lead. But Williams answered, striking sophomore Jawill Davis for two touchdown passes. Junior running back Michael Jones eventually scored the game-sealing score on a 6-yard run with 10:50 remaining. North Carolina Central was able to march down to the Wildcats’ one-yard line on Elliott a final drive, but Miller an attempt to run it in failed and Nigel Macauley’s ensuing 18-yard
’s fault
by TheShelterPetProject.org
’s fault
it’s not
field goal attempt was blocked by B-CU’s Elliot Miller. It preserved the win and helped Miller a freshman from Miami, earn the Homewood Suites’ Player of the Week.
South Carolina next Senior quarterback Quentin Williams had another great performance going 13-of-18 for 248 yards while recording his sixth and seventh passing touchdowns of the season. Williams also rushed for 76 yards to complement his passing performance as Bethune-Cookman rallied with three late touchdowns to secure the lead over North Carolina Central. According to bcuathletics. com, Head Coach Terry Sims said, “Momentum is a curious thing. This game had plenty of it. We were able to score a few unanswered after they did it. It just
went back and forth. And in the end, we had to make one last stop because they were fired up.” Bethune-Cookman now has a quick turnaround playing Thursday night in a 7:30 p.m. game as South Carolina State visits Daytona Beach’s Municipal Stadium in a primetime ESPNU contest. It will be a “blackout’’ game for the Wildcats and all fans are encouraged to wear black to Municipal Stadium.
Simon named top volleyball player Rhea Simon recorded 12 kills for the volleyball team, earning her the Homewood Suites Player of the Week. Delicia Pierre also was mentioned as a top performer on meacsports.com after registering 11 kills six digs and six blocks after B-CU dominated Florid A&M 3-0 (25-22,25-21,2520) in a MEAC Southern Division
match on Oct. 2 in Moore Gym. According to bcuathletics.com, the Lady Wildcats (6-12, 3-0 MEAC) took the division lead with their second straight Rhea victory over Simon FAMU’s Lady Rattlers (2-14,2-1). “It’s our time now. Tonight showed we’re headed in the right direction,” said B-CU Head Coach Brittany Williams. “We weren’t really on, but we found a way to win. Rhea was the spark we needed.’’ The volleyball team will host North Carolina A&T Friday at Moore Gym.
Jahson Lewis, a Daytona Times intern, is a senior Mass Communications major at Bethune-Cookman University.
by TheShelterPetProject.org
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7
SPORTS MA YOR
OCTOBER 8 – OCTOBER DECEMBER 14 - 20, 14, 20062015
PHOTOS BY RICARDO DEARATANHA/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS
Neftalie Williams is shown during a video interview with Jim “Mudcat” Grant, a former big-league pitcher, on Nov. 12, 2014, at Mudcat’s office in Los Angeles.
Chronicling the Black history of baseball USC researcher is trying to interview every living Black player who spent any significant time in Major League baseball.
Williams grew up not with a glove but with a skateboard, and he typically zips around on his longboard, dreadlocks flapping in the breeze. This semester, he is teaching a class at USC that’s likely the first of its kind — on skateboarding and diplomacy.
BY ZACH HELFAND
He has long known about ollies — a boarding trick — but knew nothing of “Downtown” Ollie Brown, who played for six major league teams in the 1960s and ’70s and who was interviewed not long before he died in April of this year. Even so, players say they find themselves opening up to Williams. “You come away thinking, why did I tell that guy all of that?” said Dusty Baker, who played for the Dodgers and three other big league teams before a long career as manager. “He prods without pushing.” To Williams, each player helps form a living bridge to an important era in Black history, with contributions that span beyond baseball. “I want to go back and let those dudes say how they felt,” Williams said, “what was happening, talk about how much they loved baseball, talk about how much it meant to them.”
LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS
The project called for patience, perspective and, perhaps most of all, a deep love of baseball. The last part was what made Neftalie Williams’ presence here, next to a baseball complex in Compton, so peculiar. Williams was there to interview Don Buford, subject No. 5 out of 111 in a quixotic mission: Over the next few years, it’s Williams’ job to interview, record and catalog every living Black American player from the turbulent first 25 years of Major League Baseball’s racial integration, from 1947 to 1971. Already, Williams and Daniel Durbin, the University of Southern California (USC) professor who created the project, have heard about old injustice and lasting humiliation. Many of the stories had never been told before. Others won’t be told until later, having been tucked away into a “dead file,” which, Durbin explained, consists of stories the researchers have been told “you can only release after I’m dead.” Many of the recollections are serious in nature, but others are about clubhouse characters, the greatness of Willie Mays and theories on the running game.
No baseball background You would think it was a job for a baseball fanatic. Except until very recently, Williams admitted, he had never heard of Buford or many of his contemporaries. When Williams started, Durbin said, “he had no background in baseball whatsoever.” But what the USC graduate student did have was an academic background, voracious curiosity and gushing enthusiasm.
Revealing a lot
Racism in the South The year was 1962, three years after Buford had been signed out of USC and one year before he would make his big league debut with the Chicago White Sox. Buford, who was raised in Los Angeles and attended Dorsey High and Los Angeles City College, had left his minor league team’s bus in order to get a teammate, Deacon Jones, from a mom-and-pop gas station somewhere in Georgia. When he entered, Buford encountered a standoff. “The guy behind the counter pulled out a shotgun and said, ‘Get this … out of here! I’ll blow his brains out!’” Buford recalled, quoting the man’s use of the N-word. Back on the bus, Buford said he chewed Jones out for not knowing better than to enter an all-White store in the Deep South.
“What did you do that for?” Buford said he asked him. Now, decades later, Buford looked up at Williams, the pain not yet gone. “Deacon just said, ‘Man, I forgot.’”
Passion shows This was type of anecdote Williams came to collect, raw and buried. As Buford spoke, Williams largely remained silent. It is a conscious effort, Williams said, because his mind works more quickly than his mouth. When Williams gets passionate about a subject, which happens frequently, his thoughts tumble out into blurted sentences, which can splinter into more ideas, and their purpose sometimes doesn’t completely form until some time later. He apologizes often for rambling. At the end of one of those streams, Williams explained why he thinks the players trust a skateboarding academic half a century their junior. “I know that those are questions that I can ask that maybe other people might not be able to ask,” he said, “because I know what that feels like.”
Standing out Williams grew up in Springfield, Mass., the son of a single mother. He was enrolled in the city’s desegregation busing program, which brought mostly Black students from the city to mostly White schools in the suburbs. He was the only Black student in his elementary school and, if that didn’t make him stand out enough, his mother dressed him in a suit for the first day of school. “I want them to know that this is what Black people look like,” she told him. “That we can wear suits and that we can get good grades and that we’re just as good as they are.” Williams recalled sulking home soiled in dirt. What did you do? his mother asked. Someone had called him a slur. “I don’t want you fighting and getting in trouble,” his mother said. “But if somebody does that, sock ’em.”
New way to bond Williams said, from first
Jim “Mudcat” Grant, a former big-league pitcher, is interviewed by Neftalie Williams. grade until eighth, he turned up most days with his clothes dirty from another skirmish. His life changed when he discovered skateboarding. It provided a common link to his classmates. “We had this new way to talk and this new way to bond,” Williams said. Years later at USC, when he learned Durbin was looking for an interviewer, Williams thought of skateboarding again. It had changed his life, just as these players had allowed baseball to change theirs. “These guys matter,” Williams said. “Black America, they had them on their backs. And the players knew it. “They might not say it, because these guys are all really humble, but they know. And I will tell you that when the camera’s off and I’m breaking down and we are talking, that’s the thing, they say: ‘You knew you had it on your backs.’ Just like I had it when I was a kid and my mom said, ‘Hey, you have to wear a suit and you have to do well because you have the culture on your back.’” He paused. “Sorry, sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to get so crazy. Sorry. I get passionate.” Williams carries a black notebook with him everywhere, using it to record thoughts and stories and tally up the growing number of players he’s spoken with.
Sharing painful memories One of his most recent entries is about Baker, who was born in Riverside, Calif., and whose career as a player and manager spanned parts of six decades. Baker told of the time when he was managing the Chicago Cubs that the FBI showed up at Wrigley Field because they thought they’d found anthrax in his mail. Baker also recounted that former Atlanta Braves teammate Hank Aaron warned him not to grow too close with him as Aaron chased Babe Ruth’s career home run record, lest he endanger his own life. Williams’ questions are open-ended, and the subjects can quickly jump from the mundane to the horrifying. Some players have held on to painful memories for decades. Other stories seem to be jarred out of some forgotten part of the mind.
Comprehensive collection Tom Hall, who played for four teams over a 10-year major league career, said he told Williams stories he hadn’t told anyone but his wife. “People just don’t ask about it,” Hall said. “It’s a lot of things that you get off your chest, that you’ve been thinking about.” It was Durbin who decided the collection must
be comprehensive. Every player, he said, brings a different perspective, and every story is valuable. The expenses — Williams’ salary, travel and equipment costs — run about $140,000 a year and are funded by donations. At the end of what Durbin expects will be a five-year process, the project will host a digital library with videos indexed for researchers. Williams has been working on it for slightly more than a year, but already he gushes with a growing baseball knowledge. He has thoughts on the Kansas City Royals’ ability to steal so many bases, plus theories on the declining number of Black players in the game, and why, among baseball’s pioneers, the public seems interested only in Jackie Robinson’s story. Still, it is the personal that he is after, the list of 111 unique stories that, he fears, could grow shorter each day. In January, shortly before Williams was set to interview him, Ernie Banks died. Williams became upset, and his resolve hardened. “It’s sort of just fading away,” he said of the history. “Those are the important things.” He paused and tapped the notebook. “It’s not just about baseball.”
R8
7PERSONAL FINANCE
OCTOBER 8 – OCTOBER 14, 2015
Ready to retire? Here is the right time to apply for Social Security benefits TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
FOTOLIA/TNS
Banks like Wells Fargo and Bank of America are experimenting with technology that could shorten wait times at the ATM. The technology, called “pre-staging,” would let you start a transaction on your smartphone and complete it at a teller line or an ATM.
Average ATM fee nationwide now $4.52 BY KIM JANSSEN CHICAGO TRIBUNE/TNS
If you have an unquenchable thirst for beer but your billfold is empty, think twice before using that ATM in the corner of the bar — it might end up costing you more than your drink. Getting your hands on your cash has never been so expensive, according to a Bankrate. com survey that found the national average out-of-network ATM fee has risen to $4.52, marking the ninth year in a row that ATM fees have increased. Fees are up 21 percent over the last
five years alone. The good news? According to Bankrate’s chief financial analyst Greg McBride, the fees are going up because most bank customers have wisened up to the “completely avoidable” charges for using another bank’s ATM.
Low cash withdrawals The average debit card user withdraws cash from ATMs just twice a month, down significantly from a decade ago, thanks to increased availability of cash back services at supermarkets and drugstores and electronic alternatives to cash, according to a
recent study by consulting firm Oliver Wyman. “People are getting smarter about ATM fees” and are seeking out free ATMs run by their own banks when they do need cash, said McBride. “The fees are going up because, with fewer users to spread their costs over, ATM owners have to charge more.” Atlanta has the nation’s highest ATM fees — calculated as the fee charged by the ATM owner, plus the fee charged by the user’s bank — at $5.15. Next came New York, where using an out-of-network ATM will cost you $5.03. But visitors to San Francis-
co, one of the nation’s most expensive cities to live in, will get a small respite. It has the nation’s lowest out-of-network ATM fees, at $3.85.
Overdraft fees up McBride called using out-ofnetwork ATMs “the type of sloppy financial habit that will send you to the poorhouse.” Planning ahead and using cellphone apps to find nearby in-network ATMs makes it easy to avoid the charges, he said. Overdraft fees also are on the rise, Bankrate said. The national average is up to $33.07.
Question: How far in advance should I apply for Social Security retirement benefits? Answer: You should apply three months before you want your benefits to start. Even if you aren’t ready to retire, you should still sign up for Medicare three months before your 65th birthday. When you’re ready to apply for retirement benefits, use the online retirement application for the quickest, easiest and most convenient way to apply. Find it at www.socialsecurity.gov/retire. Question: I heard that my future Social Security benefits are based on my earnings, and I want make sure my earnings have been accurately documented. How can I do this? Answer: Your online Social Security Statement gives you secure and convenient access to your earnings records. It also shows estimates for retirement, disability and survivors benefits. Get started at www.socialsecurity.gov/ myaccount. This information was prepared by the Social Security Administration. For fast answers to specific Social Security questions, contact Social Security toll-free at 800-772-1213 or visit www.socialsecurity.gov.