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EE FR
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Jacksonville pastor’s vision continues to bless community See Page B1
CHARLES W. CHERRY, SR. (86) 1929-2004 CHAYLA C. CHERRY (14)
WE LOVE YOU!
VOLUME 22 NO. 42
www.flcourier.com
OCTOBER 17 – OCTOBER 23, 2014
FOR GOVERNOR? NEITHER ONE
The Florida Courier makes recommendations for all statewide races and proposed constitutional amendments. In most cases, neither candidate is suitable.
For Black Floridians, it’s the case of same stuff, different election. Here’s what we wrote in our 2006 election issue: “Violent crime, much of it drugrelated, is killing Black children and young adults on the streets of Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Jacksonville, and other urban areas. “Black-owned businesses… have been badly hurt...The growth in Black entrepreneurship is deceptive. Most new Black-owned businesses are too small to hire even a single employee. Established Black-owned businesses continue to pay a ‘Black tax’ via the lack of access to capital and higher business loan inter-
est rates – when they can get business loans at all. “Florida’s lack of a serious mass transportation infrastructure prevents many Black Floridians who do not have cars from getting and keeping adequate employment. “Florida’s criminal justice is not colorblind, as Black defendants, including juveniles, are sentenced more harshly in Florida’s criminal courts when compared to their White counterparts. “More than 45,000 Black men are incarcerated in the Florida state prison system. Many of them will return to Black communities around the state as 30-yearolds who have been traumatized by sexual violence, are drug-addicted and possibly HIV-positive, with no hope of getting a job or an education. Thousands of Black women are now locked up in Florida jails. Many of them are mothers.
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TIO C E L E 2014
The Florida Courier makes recommendations for all statewide races and proposed constitutional amendments. In most cases, neither candidate is suitable. BY THE FLORIDA COURIER EDITORIAL BOARD
“Public housing is becoming nonexistent around the state, and the federal government is reducing or eliminating housing subsidies. Black home ownership is low, as Black communities continue to be “redlined” by insurance companies and Black homebuyers pay higher interest rates. “Black enrollment at Florida’s state universities has decreased… while Florida’s four historically Black colleges and universities struggle financially and receive minimal, if any, state financial support. Education is not the great equalizer; Whites with identical educational credentials as their Black neighbors still get a better financial return on their educational investment by getting paid more for the same job. “Black Floridians are less likely to have health care insurance, and are more likely to receive substandard health care, than
FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY / NUMBER ELEVEN
‘A new season’
their White neighbors. HIV/AIDS, diabetes, obesity, cancer, and infant mortality are plaguing Florida’s Black communities at record levels. “Who has discussed these issues? No one. Where are the millions of dollars in television ads talking about solutions to these problems? There are none.”
Rick Scott? No. In 2010, our editorial board was willing to consider recommending Scott, despite what we referred to as his “checkered past.” Here’s what we said then: “We like the fact that Scott is a successful entrepreneur…State government would benefit from a sharp business mind that will examine the organizational status quo with an eye toward efficiency and effectiveness. We like the fact See RECOMMENDATIONS, Page A3
Democrats ignore Black statewide candidate FROM STAFF REPORTS
Thaddeus “Thad’’ Hamilton, 64, is facing an uphill battle to become Florida’s first Black agriculture commissioner. This is his second run against the well-funded incumbent Adam Putnam. The agriculture commissioner oversees the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and is a member of Florida’s Cabinet. Hamilton, a Democrat based in Sunrise, is a retired lieutenant colonel in the Army who spent 36 years with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service. His campaign platform is “A New Leadership for a Better Future.’’
Priorities: Jobs, environment
COURTESY OF FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY
A week of activities climaxed with the installation of Dr. Elmira Mangum as FAMU’s 11th president earlier this month. She is the first “permanent” female president in FAMU’s 127-year history.
He states on his website, “It’s time to unite the citizens, agriculture and environment to ensure that Florida is a sustainable state. It is time to put the needs, wishes and concerns of the citizens in the state of Florida first. Jobs and economic development, education, consumer protection, environment and agriculture must be our top priorities.’’ “We must protect our most valuable natural resources to ensure that residents of Florida have clean water, safe food, a healthy and safe environment. We must ensure that pollutants such as oil and gas, pesticides, fertilizers and other nonSee HAMILTON, Page A2
SNAPSHOTS HEALTH | B3
Will third-party candidate decide who’s governor? BY MARGIE MENZEL THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA
At this late stage of Florida’s down-to-the-wire gubernatorial race, with new polls out daily, it’s hard to predict the effect of Libertarian Adrian Wyllie on the outcome. A CNN/ORC International poll conducted Oct. 9 to Oct. 13, for example, showed Republican Gov. Rick Scott and former Gov. Charlie Crist, now a Democrat, in a dead heat – each with support from 44 percent of likely voters. Wyllie had 9 percent, consistent with other recent polls. “The question on everybody’s mind is, ‘Who’s he helping and
ALSO INSIDE
who’s he hurting?’ “ said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll. “We don’t know to any real degree.” “It’s really a toss-up, in that he seems to be drawing equally from both of the major-party candidates,” said University of Central Florida political science professor Aubrey Jewett. “I will say that historically, Libertarian candidates have tended to draw more from Republican voters than Democratic voters.”
Social media skills And despite a lack of money – especially given that he’s running in the most costly race in
state history– Wyllie has used his public speaking and social-media skills to stay in the spotlight. The owner of an IT consulting firm, Wyllie co-founded the 1787 Radio Network, which calls itself “Florida’s Voice of Liberty” and has championed his candidacy. Wyllie, 44, of Palm Harbor, offers plans that, if enacted, would have far-reaching effects. He wants to cut the state budget by 30 percent, in part by rooting out corruption and cronyism, in part by eliminating property taxes on homesteads and environmental regulations. He opposes the Common Core education standards on the grounds that they give too much student infor-
Liberian student takes on Ebola
Where is the country’s surgeon general?
Florida gubernatorial candidate Adrian Wyllie.
FLORIDA | A6
mation to government. He has warned against Florida’s growing “totalitarianism” and supports the legalization of marijuana and gay marriage. Mixing arguments identified
Step Up For Students helps teen excel at Miami school
See GOVERNOR, Page A2
COMMENTARY: CHARLES W. CHERRY II: RANDOM THOUGHTS OF A FREE BLACK MIND | A4 COMMENTARY: COMMENTARY T. WILLARD FAIR: FLORIDA’S AMENDMENT 2 INSULTS INTELLIGENCE | A5
ELECTION 2014
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OCTOBER 17 – OCTOBER 23, 2014
AMENDMENTS ON FLORIDA’S GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT Voters are asked to vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on each amendment. For an amendment to win in Florida, 60 percent of the votes cast must be ‘yes.’ No. 1: Water and land conservation. Dedicates funds to acquire and restore Florida conservation and recreation lands. Every Floridian, whether he or she was born here or moved here, understands the importance of keeping our beloved state’s natural environment as pristine as possible. Both the supporters and the opponents of Amendment 1 understand that. The real fight is whether the Florida Constitution is the right place for additional laws requiring funding water and land conservation, when there are a number of such laws already on the books. Opponents say it’s not, and that putting it in the constitution ties the hands of legislators when it comes to balancing the budget. When it comes to Florida’s land and water, we err on the side of caution and on what some may consider “overprotection.” And given the recent performance of the GOP-dominated Florida Legislature, their hands SHOULD be tied when it comes to protecting our environment, especially from the big-money influence of land developers who would build on every square foot of the state if they had the chance to do so. OUR RECOMMENDATION: VOTE YES.
FLORIDA COURIER ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS No. 2: Allows use of marijuana for certain medical conditions. We’ve seen enough of the science to understand that marijuana is helpful for certain chronic (no pun intended) illnesses, including cancer, glaucoma, and AIDS, among others. We also believe that marijuana should be decriminalized, given the disproportionate punishment that is meted out to Black youth for selling it at the street level. But contrary to the cynical campaign being waged in nightclubs and on urban-formatted radio, Amendment 2 does NOT decriminalize weed. If you ask young Black adults about Amendment 2, they think it does. The amendment is full of loopholes, caveats, and conditions. It leaves discretion in the hands of a state agency to make final rules – many of which will never be read by the people in our community who now think once Amendment 2 passes, they can sell weed anywhere. And they are the ones that will be arrested. Ignorance of the nuances of this law won’t be an excuse. No judge will want to hear, “I’m a caregiver who bought that pound of weed for my diabetic grandmother. That’s legal.” No, it’s not legal. Not now, and not if Amendment 2 passes. This law is designed for “Big Weed” – the weed-growing industry similar to “Big To-
bacco.” Big Weed is already in operation in states where marijuana is legal. Check the huge profit margin on legal marijuana. You can bet that Big Weed will set up companies here, including the necessary lawyers and accountants, that will assist ‘caregivers’ in getting qualified to buy legal weed, which they will readily supply and earn high legal profits. And some of that legal weed will leak out and be sold on the streets illegally. A quote from Michelle Alexander, the author of “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness,” explains things well. “Here are White men poised to run big marijuana businesses, dreaming of cashing in big. Big money, big businesses selling weed, after 40 years of punishing impoverished Black kids for selling weed. Their families and futures destroyed. Now White men are planning on getting rich doing precisely the same thing.” How does Amendment 2 directly benefit Black Floridians? Jobs? Less street crime? Improved health? If you want to get pimped, vote yes. OUR RECOMMENDATION: VOTE NO. Defeat this confusing half-measure that was dreamed up by Big Weed. Then let’s have the inevitable fight over whether marijuana should be completely decriminalized in Florida. No. 3: Prospective appointment of cer-
tain judicial vacancies. Here’s what Amendment 3 really means. Right now, there are state Supreme Court judges – R. Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince – who must retire from the court because they will turn 70 years old in a few years. Their retirements will become effective on January 8, 2019 – the day the next Florida governor’s term ends. For purposes of explaining this amendment, let’s assume Rick Scott is re-elected. If this amendment passes, on the way out the door, Scott could appoint the judges replacing Lewis, Pariente and Quince – who are considered three of the four judges on the “liberal” wing of the court. The amendment is a blatant attempt by Republican legislators to stack Florida’s highest court, the court of last resort, with neoconservative justices. In 2012, Lewis, Pariente, Quince, and James Perry – two of whom are Black – were targeted for removal when their names appeared on the statewide judicial retention ballot. Voters decided to keep them all. But as usual, GOP legislators only respect the will of the people when it suits them. If you want Rick Scott (if he wins) to make the Florida Supreme Court a cheap imitation of the neoconservative U.S. Supreme Court after he leaves the governor’s office during a possible second term, vote ‘yes.’ OUR RECOMMENDATION: VOTE NO.
CHARLES W. CHERRY II / FLORIDA COURIER
In June, gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist was questioned by Black-owned media representatives at a political forum at New Birth Cathedral of Faith International in Miami-Dade County. Gov. Rick Scott was a no-show.
GOVERNOR from A1
with both major parties is part of the Libertarian’s wild-card posture. He said he doesn’t see the race in terms of which candidate he’d damage the most.
Nobody’s votes “We don’t look at it as taking votes from anyone,” Wyllie said. “The votes belong to the people. They don’t belong to a party. We’re out there earning votes, and if my opponents aren’t out there doing the same, that’s their problem.”
HAMILTON from A1
point source pollution don’t get into our environment. We can raise the quality of life for the citizens of Florida at the same time creating jobs, enhancing our agriculture industry and protecting our environment.’’
But Wyllie is the first to say that he’s benefited from the fact that Scott and Crist have spent so much money bashing each other. Or that they both have higher negatives in the polls than positives. Brown and Jewett said Wyllie is polling far better than they’ve known a third-party candidate to do in a race for Florida governor. Jewett said Wyllie could finish with 10 percent or more of the vote, “which would be pretty amazing for a third-party candidate for governor.” What isn’t clear is whether he has any staying power beyond this election. His campaign manager, Danielle Alexandre, a longtime Libertarian Party activist, believes that he does.
Lack of support Hamilton has the experience for the job. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture and has more than 40 years of experience in agriculture and environment. In a News Service of Florida report, University of South Florida political scientist Susan MacManus said that besides a lack of name recognition, Hamilton has
“Our message of economic freedom and individual liberty resonates with the people, and it is upon our candidates to get that message to them,” she wrote in an email. “When you have someone as articulate and well versed on the issues as Adrian … that helps the party get that message to the people.”
GOP skeptic
fought and won and lost in the future – is always in the future. So far, Mr. Wyllie’s predecessors have not earned that distinction. And there’s no reason to believe that he will.” Also, Jewett cautioned that voters who tell pollsters they back a third-party candidate often end up voting for a major-party candidate if they feel the outcome of the race is in doubt.
But longtime Republican operative Mac Stipanovich, who supports Scott, is skeptical. “Candidates who are not the nominees of the two major parties are not at all unusual,” Stipanovich said. “And whether any one of them is the harbinger of some future change in party politics – in the way elections are
Not in debate
been hindered by an inability to get serious party support. One reason is that state party leaders have focused on winning this year’s governor’s race. The party has “been locked out for so long that they feel that if they can win that one (the governor’s office), that the rest will fall in place, and then more candidates will be encouraged to run for statewide posts,” MacManus said.
Needs money
Wyllie went to federal court to try to get included in a televised debate this week with Scott and Crist. A federal judge Tuesday rejected that effort, but Wyllie’s candidacy has caught the attention of the news media and people who closely follow politics.
As of Oct. 3, Hamilton had raised $21,163 and loaned his campaign $13,140. He lists jobs and economic development, education, consumer protection, the environment and agriculture among his top priorities, which are mostly the outlines of the office. Putnam had raised about $3.5 million through his campaign
“As well as he’s doing in the polls, he should be included in every debate,” said former state Sen. Paula Dockery, a Lakeland Republican who now writes a political column. “You’ve shown that people are interested.” She said Wyllie has “staying power” and used social media well. Wyllie said he and his campaign haven’t changed their approach. “We’re actually doing the same thing that we’ve been doing the whole time,” he said. “It’s just with our inclusion in the polls and the increasing numbers and increased media attention, all of a sudden a lot of folks are starting to notice that they have a third choice.”
and two political committees, Sunshine State Leadership Project and SSLP. Hamilton received 2 percent of the vote in 2010 when he ran as an independent. Putnam received 56 percent of the vote four years ago, while Democrat Scott Maddox got 38.1 percent. For more information, visit Voteforthad2014.com. A story from The News Service of Florida was used in this report.
OCTOBER 17 – OCTOBER 23, 2014
RECOMMENDATIONS from A1
that Scott selected Jennifer Carroll – who is fully qualified in her own right to be an excellent governor – as his running mate. “Scott has retained qualified Black political consultants, who obviously advised him to meet the Black community on its own terms, and to make his case through Black-owned- andoperated media. Win or lose, Scott’s outreach, with Carroll as a well-respected advocate, will build on Charlie Crist’s success in making Republicans competitive, over time, in Black neighborhoods.”
We were wrong Four years of Scott proved us completely wrong. Scott morphed from an entrepreneur to a political hack, and turned over his ‘sharp business mind’ to the Tea Party. He happily bought into the GOP’s rabid fixation about destroying the presidency of Barack Obama at all costs. The die was cast when Scott returned $2.4 billion of our taxpayer money to Washington when he killed the high-speed rail project that was to run from Orlando to Miami – and thousands of jobs the project would have created – only to replace it years later with an anemic “SunRail” project running from Kissimmee to DeLand, costing $1.3 billion. His reasoning? He wanted to “lower the federal deficit” by sending back the money. The truth? Returning the money had NO IMPACT on the deficit.
Worst decision Of the many decisions that revealed the real Rick Scott, the hostility toward and rejection of the Af-
fordable Care Act (“ACA”) stands out. The ACA called for expanding Medicaid to people in Florida whose incomes are up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, with federal taxes paying all of the expansion costs for the first three years and gradually reducing its share to 90 percent in 2020. Accepting the ACA would have led to Washington spending more than $50 billion in Florida over 10 years, and would have provided disproportionately uninsured Black Floridians badly-needed regular preventative health care. Scott didn’t stop there. The Florida Department of Health barred outreach workers known as “navigators” from trying to help people sign up for federally subsidized health insurance while at county health departments. Scott and his Republican legislative henchmen refused to run health-insurance exchanges, which were designed to act as online marketplaces, forcing the federal government to operate an exchange for the state. That was enough for us. Add to that his unceremonious dumping of Lt. Gov. Carroll, a strong advocate for Black businesses and Florida’s HBCUs; Scott’s refusal to force state agencies to do business with Blackowned businesses; his gutting of the Office of Supplier Diversity and the Black Business Investment Corporation; his shunning of active Black Republicans who carried him to victory four years ago; his silent refusal to campaign in the Black community during this campaign cycle – we’ve seen enough. We get it. As a consequence, Scott’s actions
have set back, by at least a decade, any serious consideration of the GOP by most Black voters in Florida. But maybe that’s the way the Republican Party of Florida likes it.
No to Crist In 2010, we detailed why we refused to recommend that Crist receive your vote for the US Senate. Here’s what we said then: “Crist rightly remains popular in our community because he has been on the right side of issues of concern: racial diversity among Florida’s judges, restoration of civil rights of Florida’s ex-felons, juvenile justice reform. Still, there were glaring deficiencies during the Crist administration, including a billiondollar push to build new prisons, sparse funding for civil rights restoration, and a troubling lack of racial diversity in the governor’s top staff and advisory team. “Most importantly, Crist presided over an 80-percent drop in the amount of business Florida’s governmental agencies did with Black-owned vendors (compared to the Jeb Bush administration)...”
Flip-flops on issues “…(Crist) wiggled on Obama healthcare reform as well as oil drilling off Florida’s coast, saying he was actually for it before he was against it – or vice versa. “Crist doesn’t deserve the benefit of the doubt from Black voters, because he deserted the state. As older Black folks say, Crist “smelled himself” – and maybe an eventual American presidency. He tried to get voters to “promote’’ him to membership to the Senate, the exclusive club of 100 that delusionally considers itself to be “the greatest deliberative body in the world.” “In the process, he leaves
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www.excellencewithoutexcuse.com Download immediately as an eBook or a pdf Order softcover online, from Amazon, or your local bookstore ISBN#978-1-56385-500-9 Published by International Scholastic Press, LLC Contact Charles at ccherry2@gmail.com
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ELECTION 2014
Florida, a moderate, culturally diverse state he purportedly loves, at the mercy of a runaway conservative Republican legislative majority. He would easily have been a second-term governor with an overwhelming mandate. “Instead, his political opportunism and poor decision-making may allow conservative Republicans to completely take over state government again, with the inevitable shift to the right that will mean more prisons, indiscriminate cost-cutting, and unchecked big-money influence in Florida politics. “…Crist never bothered to make his case to Black Floridians through Blackowned media this campaign season, despite the fact that in 2006 (as a Republican), he used Black media extensively, and benefited from the investment. Then, he got more Black votes than any statewide candidate Republican in Florida’s recent history. Now, he doesn’t deserve a second thought.”
Broken promises There’s another issue Crist must face. That’s his inability to fulfill his promises, over multiple years, to Black media owners around the state. In a meeting in the governor’s office on April 30, 2009, Black media owners took Crist to task for the decrease in Black business activity with the state and state agencies’ refusal to advertise in Black-owned media. They suggested that the governor’s staff work with Florida Courier Publisher Charles W. Cherry II, a practicing lawyer, to draft an executive order requiring all state agencies, if they purchased advertising, to utilize certified minority business enterprises in such purchases. The proposed order was never drafted. Five years later, at a South Florida political action forum at Miami-Dade’s New Birth Baptist Church Cathedral of Faith International this year, Crist promised Black media owners that there would be “significant” outreach to Black voters, “more than you’ve ever seen,” according to him. That hasn’t happened, either. In fact, Crist’s finance folks cancelled an August meeting with Black media owners to discuss African-American outreach. Why? Evidently, some Black politicians were concerned Crist would needlessly spend money courting Black voters who would turn out for him anyway. At the same New Birth political forum, Crist was asked to explain why Black business activity dropped from a high of more than $700 million during the Jeb Bush administration, then
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dropped every year that Crist was governor to less than $100 million at the end of his term. Crist blamed the decrease on a bad economy. “We had a global economic meltdown,” he said. “The whole world suffered.” Did the state spending decrease by 80 percent during Crist’s tenure as governor? Or did Crist try to balance Florida’s budget on the backs of Black business owners who saw an 80 percent cut in THEIR business activity with the state?
Dems’ abysmal strategy In 2014, Crist now continues the Democrats’ losing tradition of running dysfunctional statewide campaign strategies with ineffective personnel and consultants. Rather than run the energetic gubernatorial campaign with skilled Black consultants that helped him win his last election as a Republican, he’s run the same lackluster campaign in Black communities as have previous losing Democratic gubernatorial candidates – now with an expensive layer of mostly White Obama campaign operatives who have parachuted into Florida from other states. His campaign has largely ignored the Black community until the month before Election Day. He still uses the same Tallahasseebased media agency that has been on the losing side of Democratic Black outreach campaigns for the last decade. He also has current and former Black politicians using the same overheated language we hear every two years: “This is the most important election of our lifetimes!” “Lesser of the evils” doesn’t begin to describe the choice Black voters face this year: Scott, who is downright hostile to Black interests; Crist, who seems sympathetic but whose word can’t be trusted; or an unknown Libertarian candidate, Adrian Wyllie, who sounds like a tea partier one week and a socialist the next. Therefore, the Florida Courier makes NO RECOMMENDATION in the gubernatorial race. COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE: Thad Hamilton, Democrat. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services affects every area of Floridians’ lives, from the safety and quality of food we eat, water we drink and the air we breathe. Hamilton is exceptionally qualified, and this is his second time running for the office. He began his career working for the United States Department of Agriculture as a soil conservationist. He spent the next 36 years working preserving and protecting America’s
natural resources. He’s a retired Army lieutenant colonel (28 years), and was an instructor with the Army Commander General Staff College in Florida, teaching senior military officers. Hamilton has the experience and credibility to serve well in this important but underrecognized state office. Yet the Florida Democratic Party has ignored him and refused to support him. Rather than help fund his campaign and send him out to Black communities as a part-time Crist surrogate to increase Black turnout – something Dems also could have done with attorney general candidate Perry E. Thurston, Sr. – state Democrats let Hamilton’s campaign wither on the vine. Another reason to vote for Hamilton: Florida Cabinet members make up the state’s clemency board, which restores the right of ex-felons. Hamilton would be a reliable vote to ease the way for civil rights restoration for Floridians who have served their criminal sentences and therefore paid their respective debts to society. ATTORNEY GENERAL: NONE. Florida’s attorney general is the people’s attorney, and is the state’s top law-enforcement officer. This office interprets state law, and protects Florida citizens against crime, corruption and fraud, especially with regard to consumer affairs and business regulations. Four years ago, we called Republican candidate (now incumbent) Pam Bondi “a Bill McCollum clone, vowing to sue the Obama administration to repeal health care reform and to bring Arizona-style ‘immigration reform’ to Florida.” That’s exactly what Bondi tried to do – wasting taxpayer dollars in the process. She routinely votes against civil rights restorations and needs to be replaced. CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER: NONE. The office of CFO – essentially the state’s chief accountant – has become a stepping-stone for a gubernatorial run (see Democrat Alex Sink). Republican incumbent Jeff Atwater is a typical politician, an ex-legislator who is not a certified public accountant, but who holds a critical position that demands such expertise. He also routinely votes against civil rights restorations. He should be replaced. We cannot recommend voting for either the Democratic candidate for attorney general (George Shelton) or for CFO (William Rankin) because neither one has seriously reached out to engage Black Floridians on the issues.
THAT’S SO “GAMER GUY WHO HAS MORE VIDEOGAMES THAN FRIENDS.” you Think that’s mean? How do ? s d n u o s ” y a g o s s ’ t a h t “ k n i h t Hurtful. So, knock it off.
ThinkB4YouSpeak.com
EDITORIAL
A4
OCTOBER 17 – OCTOBER 23, 2014
Working together to make a difference A few weeks ago, I had the privilege and honor of giving an inspirational speech to the Georgia Association of Black County Officials at their weekend retreat. In a room filled with many AfricanAmerican business owners and leaders within the state of Georgia, I have to say that I was in awe of what I saw. Hearing from people who have done so much and are still doing so much for their county and constituents reminded me of the struggles we (as African-Americans) faced and overcame in the past and still struggle with today. Listening to various speakers and panelists, I couldn’t help but reflect upon the power we have as a collective unit, but it also demonstrated what can be done when people work together for the betterment of community and country. In giving my talk, I stressed that
Time to collaborate DR. SINCLAIR GREY III GUEST COLUMNIST
for so long we have been so concerned with ‘party-politics’ that the people who are being served are sometimes overlooked and neglected. Think about it for a moment. Each political party claims to do this and that but when it all settles down, the question that needs to be asked is ‘why aren’t we working together?’ Let’s face it - working together seems like a foreign language to so many people within the political structure. (Note: I’m not just talking about Georgia; I’m speaking about this country that we hold near and dear to our heart – The United States of America).
It seems as though individual thought and opinion takes a backseat to party ideology and loyalty. You know the story – Republicans think this, Democrats think that, Tea Party Members want this, and Independents believe this. With so many ideologies and beliefs, perhaps it’s time for collaborative leadership and working together to be grasped. When Dr. King delivered his dynamic and heartfelt speech to the world on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, he said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Sadly, we still see judging and profiling everyday based on color. (I won’t get into that). While Dr. King’s words are still real and relevant today, I would like to add and say, ‘it’s
VISUAL VIEWPOINT: TRICK OR TREAT
BILL SCHORR, CAGLE CARTOONS
Random thoughts of a free Black mind, v. 229 Happy birthday, Daddy! Charles W. Cherry, Sr. (Oct. 13; I was always late with birthday wishes) has been an honored ancestor now for 10 years. He left way too soon. Still, I’m grateful for having him as long as I did. We’ll fully highlight his life in these pages in November… Miami-Broward Carnival 2014 – One of my favorite fall events; one of the bestkept secrets in South Florida. There are pageants, steel band competitions and parties. The climax is Sunday’s Parade of Bands. Here’s the setup. Different groups of costumed participants (“masqueraders”) form masquerade bands (“mas bands”) that march alongside and behind giant 18-wheeled trucks pulling a trailer with an electrical generator, giant speakers and a DJ setup – and sometimes even bars, food, and refreshment setups for the marchers. This goes on for a whole Sunday afternoon and evening, followed by a live concert. At Carnival, I’m hanging out with tens of thousands of Black folks, all moving to banging Caribbean music pulsating at 120 beats a minute, while watching more than 18,000 beautifully costumed, halfnekkid brothers and sisters gyrate past me. Some masqueraders are fueled by adult beverages, adding to the lack of inhibition. You can be easily overwhelmed by the colors and energy of day. Still, I’m work-
QUICK TAKES FROM #2: STRAIGHT, NO CHASER
CHARLES W. CHERRY II, ESQ. PUBLISHER
ing – though I typically come home covered in glitter from head to toe from taking pictures in the middle of alternating waves of masqueraders. Carnival has been going strong between Miami-Dade and Broward Counties – the Caribbean community merged the event a few years ago – for three decades. It celebrated 30 years of injuryfree events – until last weekend. As we report on Page B2, Lauderhill (Broward County) resident Jacqueline Martin, 54, was a masquerader in the Mascot International mas band. Witnesses reported she dropped her phone and tried to retrieve it when a truck ran over her leg. She died later in the hospital. Our deepest condolences to her family and friends. Our online gallery of 2014 Carnival pictures is dedicated to her memory. I didn’t know her, but she’ll be in my thoughts for every future Carnival I attend.
Contact me at ccherry2@gmail. com.
Opinions expressed on this editorial page are those of the writers, and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of the newspaper or the publisher.
THE CREDO OF THE BLACK PRESS The Black Press believes that Americans can best lead the world away from racism and national antagonism when it accords to every person, regardless of race, color or creed, full human and legal rights. Hating no person, fearing no person. The Black Press strives to help every person in the firm belief...that all are hurt as long as anyone is held back.
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time that we stop judging people based on their political party affiliation, and start holding them accountable by the choices they make, what they stand for, and what they voted for or against.’
Tips for effective collaboration In order for collaborative leadership to be effective in today’s world, especially the political world, a few things need to happen. • Put aside prejudices • Understand a public servant needs to do what’s best for the people they serve rather than having a self-service attitude • Understand a public servant isn’t defined by their political party but by the issues that are important to everyday people • Communicate with people instead of talking negatively about them
Chicago Jones, Eugene Leach, Louis Muhammad, Lisa Rogers-Cherry, Circulation Ashley Thomas, Staff Writer Delroy Cole, Kim Gibson, Photojournalists MEMBER National Newspaper Publishers Association Society of Professional Journalists Florida Press Association Associated Press National Newspaper Association
Dr. Sinclair Grey III is a speaker, writer, author, life coach and host of The Sinclair Grey Show heard on Monday’s at 2pm on WAEC Love 860am (iHeart Radio and TuneIn). Contact him at drgrey@sinclairgrey.org or on Twitter @drsinclairgrey.
The hidden dangers of Internet gambling Some people have asked me why I strongly oppose Internet gambling and I can sum it up in one sentence: Gambling on the Internet is for chumps. “Chumps” is an old-school reference to naïve and foolish people, the ones who think if they make just one more bet they will strike it rich but instead find themselves in a deep, deep financial hole. Long before the Internet became part of our daily lives, the chump sought out the corner street game where you tried to pick out the “money” card out of three cards lying face down on a cardboard box. And you guessed it the chump never picked the right card.
The Wire Act More than 50 years ago, former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy saw the dangers of illegal gambling and organized crime. He pushed for new laws to protect Americans and Congress enacted those laws, including the Wire Act. When the Internet was in its infancy in the late 1990s, the Wire Act continued to serve its purpose by limiting online gambling. But in 2011 the Justice Department – without consulting Congress – said the Wire Act does not apply to many forms of Internet gambling thereby allowing states to make Internet gambling legal. Some states cheered the ruling as a way to raise revenue by taxing the Internet providers. I acknowledge that legalized gambling in casinos, approved by voters in my state of Colorado, has helped the state raise needed revenue for our community colleges and historic preservation. The difference is the casinos are a controlled environment where limits are set and additionally the casinos provide jobs. In contrast, there are no limits with Internet gambling except a person’s own selfcontrol. Making lottery tickets and other casino games available on the Internet 24/7 on a cell phone, tablet or home computer is dangerous for any chump of any color. I am particularly concerned about the African American community.
WELLINGTON E. WEBB GUEST COLUMNIST
“disordered gamblers.” That means poor Americans are more likely to have addictions to gambling and often are targeted with grand stories of striking it rich. Many stores in poor neighborhoods may not carry fresh fruit and vegetables but they sure are always stocked up with lottery tickets. And that brings me to another point about Internet gambling. Internet gambling is a financial risk to our community and that could become as serious as health risks we face. National health reports show that Black men and women have the highest overall mortality rate for coronary disease than any ethnic group in the United States.
24/7 access Now, reading that would make many of us put down the fried children and watch our sugar intake. But others continue to eat the junk food and we’re faced taking medications for high blood pressure or diabetes and for many African Americans an early grave. Allowing Internet gambling is like having a fast food restaurant in your living room. You can pig out on gambling any time of day or night. We all know a handful of potato chips won’t hurt you but eating a whole bag in one sitting will. The same is true for gambling. A few visits to a casino or buying lottery tickets won’t bankrupt most families but providing 24/7 Internet access could. It’s time for Congress to reassert its policy-making role by putting the teeth back in the Wire Act so we can better understand and regulate Internet gambling. Otherwise, we’re sure to see more wannabe millionaires turn into chumps.
Wellington Webb served as mayor of Denver from 1991-2003. He is a national A 2009 study by the National Institute co-chair of the Coalition to Stop Internet of Health found that Black Americans are Gambling. Write your own response at nearly twice as likely to be what they called www.flcourier.com.
‘Disordered gamblers’
Was there a knockout punch in the first Governor’s debate? The first Florida governor’s debate is in the record books and it was a draw. Both Scott and Crist stayed on message, and both candidates stayed cool as a cucumber. Governor Scott has mastered the ability to not answer questions, and stretch the truth. Both candidates have skeletons in the closet, and Crist must admit or is being forced by Scott to acknowledge that he is a flip flapper, and his positions have drastically changed. Scott is claiming that Crist changed as a result of political expediency, and he needs a job. At the debate, Scott drove this point home, and also charged Crist with losing 832,000 Florida jobs, and he is all talk and no action. “Here’s the big difference between Charlie and me. I’ll take responsibility and Charlie never will. I will take responsibility for the actions while I was CEO. In contrast, Charlie has never taken responsibility for anything,” says Scott.
Jenise Morgan, Senior Editor Angela VanEmmerik, Creative Director
• Have a vision that’s clearly defined and attainable whereby people from all walks of life can embrace I’m challenging every elected official, every public servant, and everyone who has a heart that cares about people to work together. Let’s put an end to racial divide. Let’s brush aside ‘partypolitics.’ And let’s do away with the ‘me, myself, and I’ mentality and come together to help our fellow brothers and sisters. Remember, this can be done through collaborative leadership – working together.
Taking responsibility
ROGER CALDWELL GUEST COLUMNIST
the right direction and he is spending and funding education at historical levels. Crist must be able to refute Scott’s stories and show that funding for education is only at 2008 levels. The ex-governor must also prove that Scott is a terrible administrator and give facts of the corruption that is prevalent in the present administration.
Can it be done? If Crist plans to win back his job, he must win the next two debates with definitive knock-out punches. This is a mid-term election and youth and the minorities traditionally do not vote. Crist can only win with the minority and youth vote, and he must convince this segment of Floridians that he is believable, and he is telling the truth. At this point in the campaign there is an abundance of apathy in the state, and many people don’t care who wins. If Crist is the “People’s Choice or Ticket,” he must prove this in the debates, and inspire and motivate Floridians to vote for him.
Again the truth meter is saying that Scott is stretching the truth, because he has forgotten that he invoked the Fifth Amendment 75 times, and it appears that he is not taking responsibility for the actions of Columbia/HCA. Crist made an excellent point, when he asked could Floridians believe and trust Scott, after his company paid $1.7 billion in fines. As the general election gets closer, there Roger Caldwell is the Owner/CEO are two more Florida gubernatorial debates. of On Point Media. Write your own reScott is adamant that the state is moving in sponse at www.flcourier.com.
OCTOBER 17 – OCTOBER 23, 2014
‘I’m Black and I’m proud!’ During the years before moving to Ghana, we visited frequently, bringing along family members and friends to show them the REAL Motherland. My first visit was certainly not even close to what I’d expected. Being from “up North” – North Louisiana, that is – we were not exposed to Africa. Unlike the eastern coast and big cities of America, people from the Motherland just didn’t come to visit our little hometown. As country folk, we associated everything primitive and backwards with Africa – little poor children with protruding stomachs and flies dotting their foreheads; distraught-looking women with what looked like Slinkys wrapped around their long swan necks; pygmies with bones piercing their stretched nostrils boiling a freshly captured missionary for dinner while wild natives chanted and gyrated around the pot; darkness; chaos and fear; unchartered wilderness and extreme harshness; and, of course, Tarzan. Little did we know that those deep, dark jungles of Africa were filmed right down there in the bayous of Louisiana. Small world!
Consciousness awakened In our neck of the woods, Black consciousness lay quietly dormant until one Sunday night in the 1960s during The Ed Sullivan Show. James Brown told us in no uncertain terms we were Black and were to be extremely PROUD of it. During that three-minute performance, we went from being colored to being Black quicker than JB could lickety-split. After that, EVERYBODY donned Afros and carried Afro picks in our purses and stored cans of Afro Sheen in our bathroom shelves. That signaled the end of having to go to the beauty shop on Saturdays to get your hair hot combed and pressed. We rushed right out to buy bell bottoms, platform shoes and loudly-colored duds and were absolute-
CASSANDRA DIANE BACK TO THE HOMELAND
ly certain that the dashiki – complete with the matching gold medallion on the gold (plated) chain – was the epitome of Native wear. We all yelled, “Ungowa!”, fist-pumped and greeted one another with the most complicated and drawn-out daps one could imagine! And that was about the size of it!
Black people everywhere So as we toured Ghana each year, I became enthralled with the history and truths of what being Black was really about. As far as the eye could see, there were Black folk EVERYWHERE: on the streets, in the stores, on TV, in the newspapers, on billboards, on the radio, on the milk cartons (and they weren’t even MISSING). They sure did talk pretty too, speaking the Queen’s English with ancient African accents! Although I hardly understood an entire sentence they said, the helpfulness they rendered was loud and clear. It took me three two-week trips to fully get the gist of what our regular Ghanaian tour guide was telling of our travels through the countryside. When I DID, I began to learn about what being Black AND Proud was allllll about! My first proud moment was to discover that Tema, a town on the outskirts of Accra, is on longitude zero degrees (the Greenwich Meridian) and on latitude five degrees north of the Equator. It is the closest land settlement nearest or closest to where the Equator and Greenwich Meridian meet at coordinate zero-zero in the Atlantic Ocean making Ghana, literally, the Center of the World!
who were startled to discover Africans had automobiles and weren’t swinging on tree vines, or traipsing around in loincloths, my surprise was at the absolute beauty of the land. As we traveled, we marveled at the green meadows and gentle hills and the natural, unhampered order of nature itself. Traditional thatch-roof houses stood nestled between magnificent modern homes and hotels. Merchants made life convenient, selling fresh fruit, vegetables, fresh-slaughtered meats, fried plantains and roasted corn, dresses, shoes, furniture, bedding and all other wares and wears from roughly-hewn kiosks and stands along the roadside and city streets. Naturally, we visited the historical sites throughout the four stops on our travel agenda: Greater Accra, Volta, Ashanti and Central regions. Because our tour guide was a former educator and had been in the tour business for many years, we got to meet and know the “People”– kings, queens, chiefs; shamans and nomads; natives who still relentlessly practice traditional rites and rituals and remedies. We visited monuments and castles and palaces, and enjoyed the warm celebrations of queen mothers and their village tribes welcoming us to our ancestral home.
A ‘World Wonder’
In Kumasi, we discovered the REAL “Sword in the Stone” placed there by Okomfo Anokye, the greatest medicine man EVER, and believed to be a powerful spirit that had returned to his people to complete his mission. In 1695, he drove a sword into a rock, vowing that no one would ever be able to remove it. To date, countless number of attempts had been made to remove it from the ground – including heavy equipment and strong virile men - but it Beautiful country yet remains planted. Unlike our friends back home If there was a secret to its re-
EDITORIAL
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VISUAL VIEWPOINT: EBOL-ISIS IT’S SCARY
PATRICK CHAPPATTE, THE INTERNATIONAL NEW YORK TIMES
moval, Okomfo Anokye took it with him to the grave. It is believed to have a powerful presence and is consider a healing place for millions of people. The immovable sword, absolutely the Eighth Wonder of the World, is located on what is now the Okomfo Anokye Hospital in Kumasi. I didn’t venture to flex my skinny muscles in an attempt to dislodge the sword, but I plan to try my luck the next time. Who knows? I might be The One!
Slave castles But my most sobering and emotional visits were to the slave dungeons that dot the entire gold coast from the beaches of PramPram through the shores of Old Accra to Cape Coast and Elmina. The western region of Ghana has the largest collection of slave castles that were geographically lucrative locations for European trading forts and the infamous trans-Atlantic slave trade. Our trips always saved these visits for last because, after a visit to the slave castles, great fun turns serious and reflective. Baby and I toured the Elmina slave castle together on my first visit with another guest couple from America who were also
on vacation. Our extremely experienced castle guide took us through the dungeons room by room, telling the atrocious history of each one. The dread and fear and hopelessness and pain were as tangible as the scarred, peeling walls and as malodorous as the still-lingering stench of death. Tears ran from his eyes and ours as he told the story to our small, intimate group and offered the only apology we have EVER received from ANYONE for these horrible deeds against us, them and mankind. Although we have visited other slave dungeons, I have only completed one tour through the Elmina castle. I tried a second time, but got no further than the female dungeon, where thousands upon thousands of my sisters and mothers experienced hell and horror. Their Spirits remain – and embrace – and call. I heard and I came – Home.
Contact Cassandra at Back to the Homeland Tours on Facebook, or www.weregoingtoghana.com. Donate to schools in Ghana at www.educationimpactfamilygroup.org. Write your own response at www.flcourier. com.
Florida’s Amendment 2 insults our intelligence Beware of Amendment 2! It would legalize marijuana under the pretense of medicine. I can empathize with those who have real medical issues for which this amendment is allegedly designed to help. But I will not vote to legalize the street drug marijuana – the potency of which has nearly tripled over the past 20 years – label it medicine, and make it available to anyone, at any age, for any condition! Those who want me to are insulting my intelligence!
Dangerous provision Amendment 2 would pose too many dangers to our children and our communities. It allows minors to legally purchase pot without their parents’ consent. It permits imbedding marijuana in foods such as candy, cookies, and snacks that appeal to children, which will lead to accidental ingestion of marijuana in young children as has been reported in states that decriminalized pot. Would you let them put nicotine in food? It places no restrictions on the location and number of so-called “pot shops.” Look for them to be
T. WILLARD FAIR GUEST COMMENTARY
located disproportionately in our communities! It allows so-called “caregivers” with no medical training and no background checks to dispense medical pot – even if they are felons or drug dealers – as long as they are at least 21 years of age. It requires a doctor’s certification, not a prescription. It gives broad immunity from civil and criminal liability to those who dispense, sell or use pot.
What is the impact? The Florida Department of Health estimates that there will be more than 400,000 caregivers and nearly 2,000 pot shops statewide. Amendment 2 will also have a harmful impact on our children. The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy has stated that marijuana use “affects the developing brain” and is associated with cognitive impair-
ment, including “lower IQ among adult chronic users who began using marijuana at an early age” and that “marijuana is addictive.” Such substance abuse in school-age children has a “detrimental effect on their academic achievement.” Combine these facts with the National Institute on Drug Abuse statement that in 2012, nearly 25 percent of 10thgrade students admitted to smoking marijuana, and Amendment 2 will have a devastating impact on our youth. Black graduation rates in Florida are below that of all other ethnic groups. Too many Black and Hispanic youth are trapped in poor schools in poor neighborhoods, some of which are already plagued by drug related drive-by shooting violence. Mind-altering marijuana is the last thing we need to bring into our communities.
Opposed by Obama The Obama administration is right in continuing to oppose legalization of marijuana, because it “flies in the face of a public health approach to reducing drug use and its consequences.” Just look at a RAND Institute study finding that “…people less than 21 account
for a substantial share of marijuana consumption.” Since there are no age restrictions in Amendment 2, the issue becomes how many teens – especially poor teens – will be able to afford so-called legal “medical pot”? Very few! So where will they get it? On the black market from street dealers – and perhaps from a few of those so-called “caregivers.”
Black people used As a career-long advocate for the poor and disenfranchised, I never cease to be amazed at how often Blacks are used to accomplish some so-called commendable social purpose. And so it is with Amendment 2. Because Blacks are arrested disproportionately compared to White users, Amendment 2 proponents contend that legalization of marijuana will diminish that disparity. As the White House Drug Policy Office also stated, “We are in agreement that the criminal justice system is in need of reform and that disproportionality exists throughout the system… marijuana legalization is not the silver bul-
let solution to the issue.”
Feds will prosecute To those who might be convinced that Amendment 2 is a “silver bullet” that will bring fewer Black arrests, they need only look to the words of the amendment itself: “Nothing in this section shall affect laws relating to non-medical use, possession, production or sale of marijuana...(or) authorizes the use of medical marijuana by anyone other than a qualifying patient…(or) requires the violation of federal law or purports to give immunity under federal law.” And what is “federal law”? Answer: Marijuana is illegal! For those who think Amendment 2 is a “get out of an arrest” or “jail-free card,” think again. It’s not. Don’t be deceived! Be intelligent! VOTE NO!
T. Willard Fair is the CEO of the Urban League of Greater Miami and former chairman of Florida State Board of Education.
Ebola overshadows significant progress in Africa This ought to be a season of hope for Liberia and Sierra Leone, two of the West African countries that have been battered by the Ebola epidemic. Following a brutal dictatorship and a horrific civil war that lasted more than a quarter of a century, Liberia, a tiny republic founded by freed American slaves in the mid1800s, had in the last few years become one of the darlings of the continent. In the last decade it had twice elected a Harvard-educated woman president under circumstances that were judged free and fair. And overseas investors had found their way back to the country whose capital, Monrovia, was once known as the Manhattan of West Africa. In neighboring Sierra Leone, a country still better known for the savagery of rebels who chopped off the limbs of babies during that country’s civil war than for its stunning topography and beautiful diamonds, the rule of law and democracy have largely returned. And like many other countries on the continent, its economy grew
Dallas hospital, bringing the reality – and fear – of the disease home to so many Americans. The Centers for Disease Control estimates LEKAN OGUNTOYINBO that under a worst-case scenario, as many as 1.4 million people NNPA COLUMNIST could die on the continent – although officials are hopeful that steadily. For the first time in de- the spread will largely be concades a bright future loomed. tained before it gets that bad.
Tragedy hits
Whose fault?
Then Ebola struck. To date, the virus has killed more than 3,000 people in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria and infected thousands of others. And in recent months we’ve been reminded that national borders are little match for a pernicious, near invincible virus. Several Americans, including at least two physicians and an NBC News cameraman who were in Liberia, have been infected. At least two Spaniards have contracted the virus and a Spanish nurse who tended one of the patients has come down with Ebola. And just last week, a Liberian man infected by Ebola died at a
The outcome of this epidemic has generated some finger pointing by some West African leaders that the west moved too slowly in helping contain the crisis. There have been accusations of racism levelled against western health officials for trying the new experimental Ebola drugs on White patients first while taking less aggressive treatment options with Africans. There are a few big lessons that all sides can learn from this crisis. First, the Ebola crisis once again highlights the fragility of the health system in much of Africa. Emerging African economies like Nigeria, whose leaders regularly fly to England, the United States or In-
dia for even the most basic medical examinations, will never experience true progress without a strong health system in place. Improving access to and the quality of medical care has rarely been a priority for most African nations.
Review practices Second, this may also be an appropriate time for African countries to review some of their management practices. According to the New York Times, some medical supply shipments from countries, including the United States, have been sitting at a seaport in Sierra Leone since August, caught up in a bureaucratic maze. Top government officials have been made aware of the problem but have done nothing to resolve it. In the meantime, hundreds of people continue to die. Third, all nations, particularly the wealthy and influential ones, need to recognize more quickly that in this jet age such a viral outbreak is not just an African problem but a global issue. Our knowledge of the virus and its origins is
still in its infancy.
Ripple effect eminent Right now the countries paying the biggest price are African nations with fragile economies that had just turned the corner. Many are seeing their economic progress shattered, a trend that is bound to have repercussions on investors all over the world. Published reports show that trade across many African borders has slowed significantly. The region’s nascent tourist sector has also been battered. Many nations have closed their borders to countries affected by the virus or canceled flights from there. Yes, the Ebola outbreak is bad for business. But it also a reminder that in this jet age the start of a major health crisis that could shake the foundation of nations might be just one plane ride away.
Lekan Oguntoyinbo is a national award-winning journalist. Follow him on Twitter @ oguntoyinbo. Write your own response at www.flcourier.com.
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FLORIDA
OCTOBER 17 – OCTOBER 23, 2014
Step Up For Students helps teen excel at Miami school BY SHERRI ACKERMAN SPECIAL TO THE COURIER
When Lynden Simmons was in the eighth grade, his family moved into a homeless shelter. It was the longest three months of his life. At school, he smiled like he always did and joked with friends. At the shelter, Lynden kept to himself. He had chores, like the rest of his family, and a curfew. Homework became a refuge. “I just did what I had to do,’’ he said. Instead of letting the experience disrupt his life, Lynden called upon it for motivation. That year was among his best, academically. “It encouraged him to work harder,’’ said the teen’s mom, Linda Jones, a sporadically employed housekeeper from the Bahamas who battles Lupus and struggles to read and write English. “It pushed him.’’ Lynden went from a highperforming public middle school to Christopher Columbus High School, a prestigious Catholic school in Miami with a student roster made up of some of the city’s wealthiest and most notable families.
Help from Step Up He made it there – and has stayed there – due to a tremendous work ethic and a little extra help, including a Florida tax credit scholarship from Step Up For Students. Now he’s the junior class vice president vying for a coveted spot on the varsity basketball team. And at just 16, Lynden also helps lead 305-United,
a nonprofit founded and operated by students predominately from Catholic schools across South Florida. Their mission: to help less fortunate families by doing good deeds like raising money to buy toys for children in shelters. For Lynden, the outreach is especially poignant. “It makes me remember to never forget where I came from,’’ he said. “And I was there.’’
Nearly 399,000 scholarships Lynden is one of about 16,000 students in MiamiDade and nearly 70,000 students from across the state receiving a scholarship this school year from Step Up For Students. The Tampabased nonprofit helps administer the Florida Tax Credit program, which was created by the Legislature in 2001 to help provide educational opportunities to low-income children in kindergarten through 12th grade. Since then, Step Up has awarded nearly 399,000 scholarships, empowering families to choose school options based on their children’s needs – not their ZIP codes. The program is funded by corporations that earn dollar-for-dollar tax credits when they redirect up to 100 percent of their Florida income tax liability. For some students, the award helps pay for transportation to another public school outside their district. For others, like Lynden, it’s the ticket to a private school education that, otherwise, would be out of reach.
‘Yearning for an opportunity’ Lynden wants to be a lawyer someday. This year, he plans to buckle down and improve his 3.0 GPA at Christopher Columbus, an all-male college-preparatory school where about 142 other students are Step Up scholars. “I’m pushing for all A’s with honors classes,’’ Lynden said. Those who know him best say he will give this effort and every effort his all because he believes he must. He owes it to the people who believe in him. “He’s one of those kids who completely understands the opportunities he has been given,’’ said Jose Mas, one of Lynden’s former basketball coaches and president and chief executive officer of MasTec, an engineering and construction company in Coral Gables. “He gets it 100 percent.’’ The two met about three years ago, when Mas’ travel basketball team, which included his son, Jose Miguel, merged with Lynden’s team. The two boys became fast friends, so it didn’t take long for Mas Sr. to become a fan of Lynden, too. “He’s a very, very special kid,’’ Mas said. “Something drew me to him. I think he was yearning for an opportunity.’’
‘Silent role model’ And Mas, an alumnus of Christopher Columbus, was just the man to help. When it came time for Lynden to head to high school, Mas, his “silent role model,’’ talked with the teen and his
Lynden Simmons is shown with his mom, Linda. mother about school options. Christopher Columbus offered a structured environment with small classes, an excellent academic program and a camaraderie that encouraged students. Lynden welcomed the idea. “All of my friends (including Mas’ son) were going to private schools,’’ he said. “What this school had to offer was too good to pass up.’’
Very involved mom Despite her difficulties, Lynden’s mother tries to
lead her son and his three siblings, ages 4 to 21, by example. “It’s not about me or my pride,’’ said Jones, who was able to save enough money to find a home for her family. When it came time to choose a school for her eldest son, one he badly wanted to attend, she turned to Step Up for assistance. Because the scholarship doesn’t cover the whole cost of tuition, Jones graciously accepted more help from Mas and others in the community. “What I love about (Lin-
da) is her values … ,’’ Mas said. “They are absolutely fantastic. She’s super engaged and super involved.’’ And what Jones loves about the Mases and other Christopher Columbus families, who have given so much of their time and more to her family, is that “they show Lynden a different life.’’ One where he will succeed. For more information about the program, call 877-735-7837 or visit www. StepUpForStudents.org.
“You cannot find this education anywhere else.” We are now accepting applications for the Spring 2O15 Workshop at Macy’s! We invite all minority and women-owned businesses to apply for The Workshop at Macy’s! You’ll gain insight from seasoned Macy’s pros and Macy’s partners, and get the tools you need to succeed and sustain growth in the retail industry. Apply today at macysinc.com/workshop
PICTURED: Amber Lee-Forrester, Kane & Couture. Past participant of The Workshop at Macy’s.
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OCTOBER 17 – OCTOBER 23, 2014
SHARING BLACK LIFE, STATEWIDE
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SOUTH FLORIDA / TREASURE COAST AREA WWW.FLCOURIER.COM
BY PENNY DICKERSPN SPECIAL TO THE COURIER
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ishop Vaughn McLaughlin keeps it real. He is the founder and senior pastor of The Potter’s House International Ministries and approaches evangelism with a Bible-based, down-to-earth approach. A people-person who welcomes smart phones in the pulpit to capture baptismal moments, he is an ad-hoc comic with a servant’s heart. Moreover, he is an agent of change focused on economic empowerment – a multimillion-dollar community epicenter is his testament.
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Bishop Vaughn McLaughlin of The Potter’s House International Mission in Jacksonville continues to serve parishioners and patrons through the church’s thriving mall and academy.
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Preaching since 26 The Jacksonville-based church is an evangelistic powerhouse and manifestation of McLaughlin’s spiritual vision. An athletic scholar turned college dropout, he has since earned both a master’s and doctorate degree in theology from North Florida Theological Seminary. He continued his studies at Case Western Reserve University as a Bishop-elect by Donald Hilliard, chief presiding prelate of the Covenant Ecumenical Fellowship and Cathedral Assemblies. Following successful completion from the Joint College of Bishops, he was consecrated into the office of Bishop on March 6, 1999. At the age of 25, he felt empty. He said God called him to preach at age 26, so he surrendered his life to Christ and has exemplified obedience since. “God saved me with a glass of Jack Daniels in one hand, and I was smoking a joint held in the other,” confessed McLaughlin during a recent Sunday morning service. McLaughlin believed the same God who saved an alcoholic, cocaine-snorting sinner like him, could also transform the lives of thousands.
Marriage and ministry His wife of 36 years is Narlene McLaughlin, who serves as Chief Administrative and Operations Officer of The Potter’s House Christian Fellowship, Inc. Together, they are spiritual architects destined to meet the total needs of people beyond an altar and pews. “When my husband told me God called him to preach, I cried,” said the pastor’s wife, who is referred to as Lady Narlene by parishioners. Two days after graduating from the University of Tennessee at Martin, she transitioned from magna cum laude to married. Lifetime ministry is not how she planned to apply her Bachelor of Science degree in psychology, but she submitted and prepared to serve. “My husband wanted to change the hearts and minds of people,” stated Lady Narlene, who is keenly in tune with her husband’s purpose and posture. “He made it clear in the beginning that he wanted to emotionally impact folks and meet their needs. He didn’t want to just teach or do church.” Her employment expertise in corporate insurance and real estate laid the groundwork for the necessary fiscal accountability and administrative foundation for her husband’s ministry. She also is the author of the poignant read, “My Best Friend’s Name is Grace.’’
2. Contemporary approach Bishop McLaughlin’s forward-thinking approach helped him ignite a prodigious movement that transcends the catchphrase “mega church.’’ Romans 12:2 inspired McLaughlin’s holistic vision to, “…not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…” McLaughlin further aligned with Romans 12:7 to launch his first ministry in 1988 -Word of Faith Church. It seemingly flourished overnight. Word spread quickly regarding a charismatic young pastor whose spiritual messages offered candor and straight talk. “We got out of the pews and went into the streets,” said McLaughlin, who both led and taught street evangelism. “I took teams into neighborhoods. We started food and clothing drives, offered free auto care and moving services,” he added. Outreach remains the hallmark of McLaughlin’s community engagement. Economic empowerment followed.
3. 1. Bishop Vaughn McLaughlin with his wife of 36 years, Lady Narlene McLaughlin. 2. A neighborhood favorite is the 22-lane King Pins Bowling Center.
Enlarged territory Three decades after his pastoral undertaking, McLaughlin remained steadfast to stay apace with growth that includes more than 48 acres of both developed and undeveloped land. Purchased for 4 million dollars, the current value is $40 million. In 2002, he acquired a 376,000 square-foot fledging shopping center known as Normandy Mall. It had become an abandoned eyesore for the surrounding Westside neighborhood, which is diverse, but predominately White – middle to lower class. McLaughlin invested a total $7.5 million in renovations to fulfill his vision in measured phases.
3. Kingdom Plaza includes the Temple Builders Fitness Center. 4. Bishop McLaughlin was the brainchild of Kingdom Plaza.
4. In 2003, he dedicated 103,000 square feet to building a new edifice to accommodate the ministry’s growth. The final phase culminated in 2006 with
177,000 square feet of renovations to complete what is arguably one of the religious industry’s most innovative examples See AGENT, Page B2
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE POTTER’S HOUSE INTERNATIONAL MISSION
CALENDAR & OBITUARY
B2
OCTOBER 17 – OCTOBER 23, 2014
STOJ
NATALIE COLE
The legendary singer will be the Nov. 5 performer at Hard Rock Live Hollywood.
CHARLES W. CHERRY II/FLORIDA COURIER
A tragedy overshadowed the Miami Broward One Carnival held last weekend at the Miami-Dade County Fair and Expo.
Woman dies after accident at Caribbean carnival in Miami For the first time in its 30-year history, there was a fatal accident at the Miami Broward One Carnival, an annual event in South Florida that highlights Caribbean culture. Police reports state that Jacqueline Annette Martin, 54, of Lauderhill was hit by a trailer on Sunday, Oct. 12, while marching with the Mascots International Mas Band heading toward the main stage at the Miami-Dade County Fair and Expo. According to investigators, a box truck with a trailer attached stopped so the masqueraders could dance and perform for judges of the carnival. Martin reportedly dropped her cell phone and it rolled under a box truck with a metal trailer attached. She went between the truck and trailer to pick up her phone when the truck began moving. Reports indicate she then was hit by the trailer. She was transported to Kendall Regional Trauma Center where she died. Karel Bidopia of Pembroke Pines reportedly was driving the truck. Martin is survived by a teen son.
Committee responds The Miami Broward One Carnival Committee released this statement: “Today, on our 30th anniversary celebration, we unfortunately experienced our first injury of a masquerader that resulted in a casualty from an accident during the parade’s approach to the main stage. “It is our understanding that the accident involved a middle-aged female masquerader from the mas band, Mascots International, and one of the vehicles providing refreshments to the masquerades. She was treated on the scene and later transported to Kendall Regional Medical Center where she later died from her injuries. At this time, Miami-Dade Police Department is completing the investigation of the accident. We extend our condolences to her family and members of Mascots International.” The carnival is held annually on the Sunday before Columbus Day, the second Monday in October.
Deadline approaching for 2015 Disney Dreamers Academy Oct. 31 is the deadline for high school students to apply to be among the 100 selected to participate in the 2015 Disney Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey and Essence Magazine, the mentoring program at Walt Disney World Resort. Each year, students participate in handson, full-immersion workshops related to a bevy of career paths, ranging from animation to zoology. Each participant learns important skills such as communication techniques and networking strategies. Applicants must answer three essay questions about their personal stories, the people who are most influential in their lives and their dreams for the future. Students are selected based on a combination of attributes, including a strong character, positive attitude and determination to achieve their dreams. Nearly 10,000 stu-
AGENT from B1
of economic development – the Kingdom Plaza. “Many go to the suburbs to escape the blight, but we decided to do something about the blight instead,” McLaughlin explained. “Our goal was to transform the community and bring it back to life. Kingdom Plaza has brought the community back together.”
Bistro, bowling, fitness center Anchored by three stable entities owned and managed by the church, The Potter’s House Soul Food Bistro is a neighbor-hood favorite as much as the 22-lane King Pins Bowling Center and Temple Builders Fitness Center complete with a lap pool, sauna, steam room, and Jacuzzi. Successful entrepreneurs complete the mall’s marketing mix. Many are faithbased tenants. “Every one of these businesses and all the people that are here, this is how they eat,” McLaughlin said. “The church should be involved in the economic development of the community and empower our people to become their own bosses and support themselves.”
YING YANG TWINS
The duo will perform on Oct. 31 at Beachside Tavern in New Smyrna. The show starts at 9 p.m.
FLORIDA COMMUNITY CALENDAR Tampa: The Tampa Bay Association’s annual Griot Drum Awards and Scholarship Banquet takes place at 7 p.m. Nov. 13 at the Tampa Marriott Westshore. More information: www.tbabj. com. Fort Lauderdale: A show featuring Patti LaBelle is set for Nov. 15 at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts and Nov. 16 at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg. Tampa: Tickets are on sale for a Dec. 14 show featur-
THE COMMODORES
The Commodores take the stage at the James L. Knight Center on Nov. 7 for an 8:30 p.m. show.
ing Usher at the Amalie Arena, formerly known as the Tampa Bay Times Forum. Sanford: A Seminole Prevention Coalition meeting takes place at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 24, Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, 100 Bush Blvd. Marijuana and its impact on youth will be discussed. More info: www. SeminolePreventionCoalition.org. Tampa: The Tampa Funk Fest 2014 is Oct. 18 at Raymond James Stadium. Performers include Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Bobby Brown, Ralph Tresvant, Johnny Gill, Fantasia and Doug E. Fresh. More information: www.funk-
fest2014.com. Lauderdale Lakes: The Lauderdale Lakes Health Center’s open house is Oct. 21 from 1 to 4 p.m. at 3716 W. Oakland Park Blvd. RSVP by Oct. 15 at 954-7597400. St. Petersburg: The Steve Harvey “Act Like A Success’’ Tour will stop at The Mahaffey on Oct. 18. Tampa: Candy Lowe hosts Tea & Conversation every Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. at 3911 N. 34th St., Suite B. More information: 813-3946363. Hollywood: Natalie Cole is scheduled at Hard Rock Live on Nov. 5 for an 8 p.m. show.
dents submitted an application for the 2014 program.
March 5-8 program Participants and a parent or guardian will receive an all-expense-paid trip to Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, where they will engage in life-changing sessions and enjoy Disney’s magical theme parks. The 2015 Disney Dreamers Academy will take place March 5-8. Applications are open to U.S. high school students, ages 13 to 19, until Oct. 31. A distinguished panel of leaders representing the best in their fields will judge the applications in November and winners will be announced in December 2014. For more information visit www.disneydreamersacademy.com.
The Potter’s House
Managing religion
The church and mall are adjacent and share a massive parking lot. A former Sam’s Wholesale Club is now a sprawling 4,000-seat sanctuary that includes a coffee shop, teen café, full recording studio, bookstore and administrative offices. An onsite lecture hall has hosted forums with Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown while a wedding chapel and conference rooms are available for community rental. It includes an 11,000-square foot nursery and an 800-seat children’s church. The Potter’s House Christian Academy (K-12) is located one mile away on a separate 27.5 acre spread. Lady Narlene earned her master’s of science degree in Christian Education Administration to better manage the endeavor and served as its first principal and administrator. Established with a $400 budget with 90 students, the prestigious academy is now a fully accredited, 2,000-student campus with a sports complex. Success stories include a student scoring the highest on the Florida ACT in math; Brittany Roundtree, a University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) basketball guard boasting recordbreaking Tar Heel stats; and Marjorie Williams, who attended from grades K-12 and is currently in medical school.
Ministry is not for the meek; it is arduous work and sacrificial. As a young pastor in Green Cove Springs, Bishop McLaughlin earned $50 per week. Lady Narlene took a $10,000 pay cut. Diligence and humility have served them well. Today, the business savvy leaders have amassed lucrative net worth. They employ more than 160 full and part-time employees including their grown children – Angel and Stephen McLaughlin. But managing Christians is a challenge. Lady Narlene reflects on a profound revelation: “Saints were not living like Saints,” she lamented. “People use the church for resources, sex, or to find a mate. We joke that members are like roaches. They come and go, eat up everything in the house, then scatter when the light comes on.” But without Saints, there would be no lives to transform. Bishop McLaughlin is also a community unifier who thanks God for every soul he encounters. He takes credit for nothing, and is in agreement with Lady Narlene – their ministry success is attributed to “always allowing God to serve as our mediator.”
UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENTS A PLATINUM DUNES/BLUMHOUSE PRODUCTION IN ASSOCIATION WITH HASBRO STUDIOS “OUIJA” OLIVIA COOKE DAREN KAGASOFF DOUGLAS SMITH BIANCA SANTOS EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS JULIET SNOWDEN COUPER SAMUELSON JEANETTE VOLTURNO-BRILL BRIAN GOLDNER STEPHEN DAVIS PRODUCED BY MICHAEL BAY ANDREW FORM BRAD FULLER JASON BLUM p.g.a. BENNETT SCHNEIR p.g.a. WRITTEN BASED DIRECTED BY JULIET SNOWDEN & STILES WHITE ON THE HASBRO GAME OUIJA BY STILES WHITE A UNIVERSAL RELEASE © 2014 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS “OUIJA” TM & © HASBRO
LOCAL LISTINGS FOR STARTS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24 CHECK THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES
S
B3
HEALTH
OCTOBER 17 – OCTOBER 23, 2014
Liberian student nurse takes on Ebola With no medical help available, young woman provides care to family members
ing for my family and their lives.”
Tragedy at hospital
BY ROBYN DIXON LOS ANGELES TIMES (MCT)
VAI TOWN, Liberia — Doctors were horrified. Fatu Kekula was trying to care for her family, sick with Ebola, at home using nothing more than plastic trash bags, a raincoat bought in the market, boots, a surgical mask and gloves. They called, urging her to be sensible. “Doctors called and told me to leave them right alone and not go anywhere near them,” the 22-yearold nursing student said. “I couldn’t. They’re my only family. “When your family get ill, you know that the virus is deadly. But your family is your family.” Liberia has suffered a severe shortage of space at treatment centers, with many people turned away, forced to go home, dying terrible deaths and infecting family members who try to help them. Kekula’s story is testament to the grief and confusion family members feel when urged by authorities and health workers not to touch sick family members. Most go into denial and treat them anyway, without taking precautions.
No medical help In August, Kekula’s father, Moses, mother, Victoria, sister Vivienne and a young cousin, Alfred Wennie, 14, who had been taken in by the Kekulas as a foster child, all fell desperately ill with Ebola. Every day, Kekula said, she called for an ambulance and begged for help. For more than two
ROBYN DIXON/LOS ANGELES TIMES/MCT
Liberian student nurse Fatu Kekula saved her father’s life in this makeshift isolation ward in a spare unfinished room at home, using nothing more than raincoats and boots, plastic bags, gloves and masks. weeks, none came. “No one came near me. No one!” she said. Kekula was at a relative’s home in Grand Bassa County when her father, a 52-year-old administrator at a clinic, got sick July 29. About a week earlier, he had been diagnosed with typhoid and given a bed that had just been vacated by an Ebola patient in the clinic where he worked. His wife sent her four youngest foster children away and did her best to care for him, but when he weakened dramatically, with vomiting and diarrhea, she called Kekula home Aug. 3. Kekula and her sister Vivienne took Moses to Monrovia, the capital, by taxi, 90 minutes on punishing roads, but no Ebola treatment unit could T:5.6875” take him. On the ride back,
Kekula made her plan. “Since I know small, small medicine, I said, ‘God, with my faith I’m going to get my father home, and he’ll survive.’”
Struggling to survive She set up a makeshift isolation center in an unfinished room outside the house. She bought raincoats, rain boots, chlorine and other supplies. Then she went to work. When she entered her father’s treatment room she put on socks, plastic bags donned like waders, rain boots, four sets of gloves, a coat, a mask and a plastic bag over her hair. Carefully, she put in an intravenous drip. She poured liquids down his throat, drop by drop. She gave him blood pressure medicine, antibiotics,
analgesics for his fever and headache. She even gave him an antiretroviral medicine normally used to save the lives of AIDS patients. “He was restless,” Kekula said. “I did his blood pressure and it was very low, and I was afraid that he might die.” Moses Kekula was struggling to breathe, with a shattering headache, aches all over his body. “I was almost like giving up. I kept praying to survive,” he recalled.
Treated other relatives A week later, just as he was beginning to show signs of improvement, his wife became sick. Then the disease struck Vivienne and Alfred, the cousin, who’d been sent to live with them by his father, a farmer. Around the clock, one or
the other of them would be weakly calling Kekula for help. She dozed 15 minutes here, 30 minutes there. “It was a bit difficult for me to sleep because all the time they would call me, maybe two of them would call me at the same time. Every time I would go into a dangerous room, I would dress up,” she said. She went through four boxes of surgical gloves and bags of raincoats. When she took off the clothing, she had to shrug it off carefully to avoid touching the exterior. She sprayed copiously with chlorinated water. She carefully burned all the waste. She swiftly burned through the $600 in her bank account. “My approach was just to treat them based on their symptoms,” she said. “I never felt tired. I was fight-
On the 18th day, as Alfred’s condition quickly declined, an ambulance arrived. Kekula watched it depart with her family members for Monrovia, fear gripping her heart. Would she see them again? “I was worried,” she said. “They had the symptoms of the virus, and the virus had no cure.” She prayed that their Ebola tests would be negative. All would turn out positive. Outside John F. Kennedy Medical Center, Alfred collapsed, convulsing. “He said, ‘Auntie, I want to lie down,’” Victoria Kekula recalled. No beds were available, so Moses, Victoria, Vivienne and Alfred were given mattresses lined up together on the floor. Alfred’s skin became hot; he started bleeding from his mouth, convulsing again. When Victoria awoke the next morning at 5, she saw Alfred just a yard away on the next mattress, drenched with blood. “I was afraid to touch him,” she said. “Then I saw he wasn’t breathing. “I cried. I said, ‘It’s a shame on me, because I took somebody’s child, a relative’s child, and he died in my hands.’” Victoria’s health declined sharply after that, but she would survive. Since helping her family, Fatu Kekula wants to spread hope to other desperate families. She has addressed workshops organized by the Health Ministry, teaching people how to use plastic bags to protect themselves when there’s nothing else. “I’m going to teach them the things I’ve already done, because I treated four people, and only one died,” she said.
Where is the surgeon general as America deals with Ebola, Enterovirus? ‘A system failure’
FROM WIRE REPORTS
Because of the new Ebola infection of a Dallas nurse who cared for Liberian patient Thomas Eric Duncan, some media houses are asking the question: “Where is the nation’s surgeon general?’’ Although primarily a ceremonial post, the surgeon general has the power of a bully pulpit and could provide much needed reassurance that plans are coming together to stop the further spread of the virus and counteract rumor. “Americans need to know that someone with authority is drawing information from disparate agencies tracking and countering Ebola within our borders,” wrote Jerry Lanson, professor of journalism at Emerson College. T:10.5”
Held up in Congress But a candidate proposed by President Obama has been sidelined by the Republican Congress because the nominee, Dr. Vivek Murthy, apparently offended the powerful gun lobby by supporting an assault weapons ban and writing that “Guns are a health care issue.” Kentucky Sen. Ran Paul retorted: “As a physician, I am deeply concerned that Murthy has advocated that doctors ask patients, including minors,
A message from the NBA and its players
THINKB4YOUSPEAK.COM THINK B4YOUSPEAK.COM
President Obama’s Surgeon General nominee, Dr. Vivek Murthy, has been sidelined by the Republican Congress because he apparently offended the powerful gun lobby by supporting an assault weapons ban.” details about gun ownership in the home… Dr. Murthy has disqualified himself from being Surgeon General because of his intent to launch an attack on Americans’ right to own a firearm under the guise of a public health and safety campaign.”
Enterovirus too But an op-ed by News One Now host Roland Martin countered: “Murthy has no business sitting around waiting to be confirmed. The Obama administration should be raising holy hell, demanding that a pre-eminent doctor get his vote on the Senate floor.” Two MSNBC producers weighed in with a joint editorial: “Thanks to NRA power and Senate cowardice, we are left with no surgeon general during a time when we not only have Ebola arriving on our shores but are also dealing with the mysterious Enterovirus, which is contributing to the deaths of children in the U.S.”
Meanwhile, a top U.S. health official has riled some health care experts and nurses by blaming a “protocol breach” for the infection of a Dallas nurse. Hospital staff, said the experts, need better coaching on treating an Ebola patient, making sure they have the right safety equipment and know how to use it properly to prevent infection.” “You don’t scapegoat and blame when you have a disease outbreak,” said Bonnie Castillo, a disaster relief expert at National Nurses United. “We have a system failure. That is what we have to correct.”
Blood transfusion The nurse, Nina Pham, wore a mask, gown, shield and gloves when she helped take care of Thomas Eric Duncan at a Dallas hospital. Health officials are still trying to figure out how exactly she got it. “Something went wrong, and we need to find out why and what,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Pham, 26, is the first person to have contracted the deadly virus in the United States. She was “clinically stable’’ early this week. On Monday, she received a blood transfusion from American Ebola survivor Kent Brantly, who was working for Samaritan’s Purse in Liberia when he contracted the virus. More than 4,000 people have died in the worst Ebola outbreak on record that began in West Africa in March.
This story is from a report by the Global Information Network and the Trice Edney News Wire.
B4
HEALTH
OCTOBER 17 – OCTOBER 23, 2014
STOJ
FROM FAMILY FEATURES
Although a lack of confidence while driving at night is most commonly associated with older drivers, new survey results reveal that drivers as young as 40 feel uncomfortable driving in dark, nighttime conditions. This time of year, when darkness falls earlier, means more low-light driving time for drivers of all ages, so it’s important to understand the factors that contribute to this discomfort, including one surprising culprit — your nutritional intake. Night driving is characterized by low-light conditions and glare from oncoming headlights that impact a driver’s vision and can have serious safety implications. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reports that vision provides as much as 85 percent of the information drivers need to make safe decisions behind the wheel. Results from a survey conducted by Toluna and EyePromise reinforce the importance of quality vision: with nearly one in four respondents reporting that if they could see better they would feel safer driving at night.
A problem with real consequences Concerns about safe driving at night and in low-light conditions are valid. According to the National Safety Council, traffic death rates are three times greater driving at night versus day. However, for many people, driving at night is not a choice. In the survey, one in five respondents said that, despite feeling anxious, they continue to drive at night out of necessity.
Protect yourself behind the wheel The first step toward night driving safety is being aware of the issues that may disrupt a driver’s confidence behind the wheel. The vision issues related to night driving can be organized into three categories: lowlight conditions, which affect contrast and the ability to gauge distance; glare, which may cause a period of blind driving; and reaction time, which is reduced when visibility is hampered. You can also enhance your safety behind the wheel by adopting smart driving behaviors such as driving slower at night and watching the white line on the road. The National Safety Council recommends drivers clean their headlights, taillights, signal lights and windows (inside and out) at least once a week. Research reveals there is an additional solution proven to directly address the major night driving vision concerns: protecting your vision quality at its source. Scientific studies show that nutrition has a significant impact on visual performance, specifically the nutrients zeaxanthin and lutein. Zeaxanthin and lutein are carotenoids that make up the macular pigment — the area of the eye responsible for protecting vision. Trace amounts can be found in foods like leafy greens, corn, eggs, and red, orange and yellow peppers, but because it is difficult to get enough in the average American diet, optometrists recommend a nutritional supplement. EyePromise vizual EDGE is a once-daily softgel that features high levels of dietary zeaxanthin and is guaranteed to improve vision quality within three months. “It has been scientifically proven that high levels of dietary zeaxanthin taken in supplement form improve night driving visual performance,” said Dr. Dennis Gierhart, a foremost researcher on dietary zeaxanthin and founder of ZeaVision, one of the leading companies in ocular nutrition. Learn more about the impact vision has on night driving safety at www.eyepromise.com/nightdrivingvision.
Tips and tricks for navigating at night
COMMON NIGHT DRIVING PITFALLS Low light: Low-light conditions make it harder for the eyes to see contrast and thus identify objects and gauge their distance. It is much more difficult for a person to make out an object or person in the street or to accurately measure how fast they are moving or how far away they are at night versus during the day.
Glare disability and recovery: Glare and blinding light from an oncoming car’s headlights not only disables vision in the moment, but there is a period of time before the eyes recover where people are left driving blind. In fact, glare is one of the most common night driving vision issues, with one out of four respondents reporting that they feel unsafe driving at night due to glare, according to a survey by Toluna and EyePromise.
Reaction time: Reaction time is slower at night. The National Safety Council reports that 90 percent of a driver’s reaction depends on vision, which is limited at night, so a person’s ability to spot danger and react is compromised. When considering the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety’s assertion that a typical driver makes 20 decisions per mile and has less than half a second to act to avoid a collision, it’s clear that hampered night vision poses serious danger.
STOJ
OCTOBER 17 – OCTOBER 23, 2014
FINEST & ENTERTAINMENT
Meet some of
FLORIDA’S
finest
Laurie Conley represented River City (in the Jacksonville area) in the Miss Florida USA 2009 pageant, and originally appeared as one of Florida’s Finest in August 2008.
submitted for your approval
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Think you’re one of Florida’s Finest? E-mail your high-resolution (200 dpi) digital photo in casual wear or bathing suit taken in front of a plain background with few distractions, to news@flcourier. com with a short biography of yourself and your contact information. (No nude/ glamour/ fashion photography, please!) In order to be considered, you must be at least 18 years of age. Acceptance of the photographs submitted is in the sole and absolute discretion of Florida Courier editors. We reserve the right to retain your photograph even if it is not published. If you are selected, you will be contacted by e-mail and further instructions will be given.
robert
laurie
Robert Frederick, a member of ethnicitytalent.com, originally appeared as one of Florida’s Finest in March 2008. If you think you have what it takes to become an Ethnicity Model, log on to www.ethnicitytalent.com. To book an Ethnicity Model, go to www.ethnicitymodels.com. FLORIDA COURIER FILES
Assessing the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees Marvelettes, Whispers, War and Withers on this year’s list BY MALCOLM X ABRAM AKRON BEACON JOURNAL (MCT)
The 2015 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees list was released on Thursday, Oct. 9. Let the debate begin. The class of 2015 will be announced in mid-December, and the induction ceremony will take place on April 18 in Cleveland at Public Hall (no ticket sale date has been set). Once again, it’s a fairly eclectic bunch, covering blues-rock, R&B, pop punk, hard rock, protoelectronica, hip-hop and industrial rock, owing to the Rock Hall’s desire to embrace many forms of pop music. But there sure seems to be a push to induct some younger bands (the term being relative since nominees need 25 years since their first release to be eligible). That always means some older deserving bands will get screwed, leading to charges of politics and biases among the mysterious cabal of voters.
Still waiting Among the influential and frankly obvious classic bands still waiting their turn are Deep Purple, Devo, Chicago, Yes, the Doobie Brothers, Roxy Music, Journey, Thin Lizzy, the MC5 and the Moody Blues. With the year of eligibility up to 1989, there are also seminal alt-rock/alternative and punk bands such as Depeche Mode, the Cure, Joy Division, the Jam, Sonic Youth and Black Flag. And don’t get me started on the hall’s aversion to heavy metal. But we have our nominees, so let’s discuss and predict them a bit, shall we?
Lou Reed
Bill,” “The Hunter Gets Captured By the Game” and “Playboy.”
The singer/songwriter was inducted with the Velvet Underground back in 1996 and has been nominated three times as a solo artist. Let’s be honest: Reed died last year, and that’s a pretty good sign that he will finally be enshrined.
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band A seminal blues-rock band whose 1965 debut influenced many of the British blues rockers who would become much more famous. Late guitarist Mike Bloomfield is still considered one of the best of the era. East-West from 1966 mixed blues, rock and R&B with Indian music, pointing the way for many of their peers.
Sting Gordon “Sting” Sumner is already in as a member of the Police. He’s made some truly boring if competent adult-contemporary music in the past decade or so, but his career as a solo artist includes big pop hits like “Fragile,” “Desert Rose” and “Fields of Gold.” Plus, Sting is still active and (pure speculation here) seems like the kind of artist who appeals to a sizeable amount of the 700 music professionals who vote.
N.W.A. STEVEN M. FALK/PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS/MCT
Bill Withers attends the Rhythm & Blues Foundation’s 2008 Pioneer Awards at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia on Sept. 9, 2008.
Stevie Ray Vaughan The late Texas blues-rock guitar titan got his first taste of national attention playing on David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance.” He brought together influences such as Jimi Hendrix, the Kings (Albert and B.B.) and his big brother Jimmy, and cranked them up to 11 for hits such as “Couldn’t Stand The Weather,” “Pride and Joy” and a cover of Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child (Slight Return).” Vaughan died in a helicopter crash in 1990.
Green Day Why should the “pioneers of pop-punk” get in on their first year of eligibility before many pioneers of actual punk? Because Billie Joe Armstrong, Tre Cool and Mike Dirnt are young, still active and were massive hitmakers in the ‘90s: “Longview,” “Basket Case” and “When I Come Around” from their 10 million-selling Dookie, and the 43-week ride that their acoustic ballad “Good Riddance (The Time of Your Life)” had on the pop charts
Their high points, “Straight Outta Compton” and “N---4Life”, are brutal slices of life in L.A. during the crack-fueled ’80s. Producer Dr. Dre’s sound, built on funk and R&B samples, angry synth sounds and big drums set the course for much of West Coast hiphop for a decade. They’ll get in, but probably not this year.
Kraftwerk
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts There are only two female-driven acts on this year’s list (the paucity of women artists is an entirely different rant), and Jett will probably get the nod. She has been one of those tough, confident female
The very British 1980s alt/rock band had a relatively short but highly influential five-year run, making an icon out of miserable, painfully vulnerable, asexual singer Morrissey and anti-guitar god Johnny Marr. Morrissey’s recent cancer diagnosis may move them to the front of the line and if they show up, won’t we all be expecting the speech to be epic?
Bill Withers The smooth, soulful singer/songwriter had a string of hits over a 15-year career that he ended voluntarily. He wrote radio staples and heavily covered and sampled tunes such as “Lean On Me,” “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Who Is He and What is He To You,” “Lovely Day,” “Grandma’s Hands” and “Just the Two of Us,” and his influence on soul singers is indelible.
The Spinners Classic progenitors of the Philly Soul Sound, the quintet’s 15 Top 10 R&B singles include “Mighty Love,” “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love,” “Sadie” and “The Rubberband Man.”
rock stars, getting your head nodding and fists pumping to “I Love Rock N Roll,” “Do You Wanna Touch Me” and every Hollywood movie’s bad girl theme “Bad Reputation.”
The mighty tree of electronic and synth-driven dance music has the German automatons as arguably its largest, thickest root. Since their inception in 1970, the quartet’s music has veered from bubbling avant-garde weirdness to icy, proudly mechanical yet funky grooves that influenced hip-hop and electronic dance music. I think they’re a dark horse, but may be pushed out by one of the younger groups.
The Marvelettes
Nine Inch Nails
Chic
The girl group has been waiting for 53 years since “Please Mr. Postman” gave Motown its first No. 1 pop hit. The original quartet of Georgeanna Tillman, Katherine Anderson, Wanda Young and Gladys Horton sang songs that have been covered for decades, including “Don’t Mess With
Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails helped bring the willfully abrasive sound and spooky style of industrial to the mainstream with “Pretty Hate Machine,” featuring “Head Like a Hole.” There’s a pretty good chance that NiN will knock one of the older bands out, but we’ll say they’ll have to wait.
This quintessential cosmopolitan R&B/disco band, led by guitarist/producer Nile Rodgers and late bassist/producer Bernard Edwards, cranked out dance floor-igniting jams such as “Good Times,” “I Want Your Love” and “Le Freak.” Perhaps the 10th time will be the charm.
The Marvelettes first formed in the late 1950s at Inkster High School outside of Detroit. in ‘97-‘98 while also seemingly appearing in every television show or film featuring people under 40. They scored critical respect with the rock opera “American Idiot” that became a hit musical on Broadway.
The Smiths
War The interracial Afro-Latin funk outfit’s hit “Low Rider” still gets airplay, and its hits including “Why Can’t We Be Friends,” “The Cisco Kid” and “The World is a Ghetto” are heavily sampled by hip-hop and dance producers.
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OCTOBER 17 – OCTOBER 23, 2014
TOJ
SMOKY CHIPOTLE CHILI Total time: 2 1/2 hours Servings: 6–8 2 1/2 pounds beef shoulder, arm or blade roast boneless, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided 1 teaspoon salt 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes with green peppers and onions, undrained 1 bottle (12 ounces) beer 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from chipotle peppers 1 tablespoon minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed, drained 3 tablespoons masa harina Dairy sour cream Cut beef roast into 1/2-inch pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in stockpot over medium heat until hot; brown beef in batches and remove from stockpot. Season with salt. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same stockpot over medium heat. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute. Add beef, tomatoes, beer, adobo sauce and chipotle peppers; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover tightly and simmer 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours or until beef is forktender. Stir in beans and masa harina; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 1–2 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Serve with sour cream, as desired.
FROM FAMILY FEATURES
Whether cooking for a crowd or serving up a regular weeknight meal for two, nothing warms the body and pleases the appetite like a bubbling pot of rich, flavorful chili. A classic, satisfying meal, chili offers comfort in a bowl. Easy to double up into big batches, it’s the ultimate time saver for busy families. You can even freeze it to enjoy later or portion it out for delicious lunchtime leftovers the next day. These three rich and meaty chili recipes make the perfect addition to your weekly family dinner routine or when company is stopping by. Each recipe features the robust, savory flavors of beef, a favored ingredient in many chili dishes. Whether served with warm rice, tortilla chips, cornbread or by itself in a bowl, don’t forget to top off your chili feast with a tasty array of toppings. With chopped chives, green onions, sour cream, specialty cheeses and other goodies, you can add texture and taste to this popular cold weather cuisine. For more recipes, visit The Beef Checkoff at www.BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com.
Smoky Chipotle Chili
Beef and Chorizo Chili BEEF AND CHORIZO CHILI Total time: 45–50 minutes Servings: 4–6 1 pound ground beef (95 percent lean) 7–8 ounces beef chorizo 1 1/2 cups chopped white onions 2–4medium serrano peppers, chopped 2 tablespoons ground ancho chili powder or regular chili powder 2 tablespoons masa harina or cornmeal 1 tablespoon dried Mexican or regular oregano leaves, crushed 1 teaspoon salt 2 cans (15–16 ounces each) garbanzo beans or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
Chilly Day Beef Chili 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained Hot cooked rice (optional) Optional toppings: Sliced radishes Crumbled queso fresco Dairy sour cream Sliced green onions Dressing: 1 medium ripe avocado 3/4 cup water 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 1 garlic clove, peeled 1/2 teaspoon salt Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add beef, chorizo, onions and peppers; cook 8–10 minutes, breaking into 3/4-inch crumbles and stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet with slotted spoon; pour off
drippings. Return beef to skillet. Add chili powder, masa harina, oregano and salt; cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in beans and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 min utes. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes before serving. To make dressing, cut avocado into chunks. Place avocado, water, lime juice, garlic and salt in blender container. Cover; process until smooth. May be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Serve chili over rice with toppings and dressing, if desired. Note: Cooking times are for fresh or thoroughly thawed ground beef. Ground beef should be cooked to internal temperature of 160°F. Color is not reliable indicator of doneness.
CHILLY DAY BEEF CHILI Total time: 6 1/2 hours on HIGH, 9 1/2 hours on LOW Servings: 6–8 2 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck or round, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 2 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) black beans, rinsed, drained 1 can (15 1/2 ounces) chili-style tomato sauce with diced tomatoes 1 medium onion, chopped 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 cup prepared thick-and-chunky salsa
Optional toppings: Shredded Cheddar cheese Diced red onion Diced green onion Diced avocado Dairy sour cream Combine all ingredients except salsa and toppings in 4 1/2 to 5 1/2-quart slow cooker; mix well. Cover and cook on HIGH 5 1/2 to 6 hours, or on LOW 8–9 hours, or until beef is tender. (No stirring is necessary during cooking.) Just before serving, stir in salsa; cook 2–3 minutes or until heated through. Serve with toppings, as desired.