Arlene Brown Represents Rochester In Vegas Toastmasters Competition
INSIDE ROCHESTER
Retired postal employee Arlene Brown recently won the Frederick Douglass Toastmaster #98 Competition and is going to represent our area in the semi-finals in Los Vegas, Nevada. (An estimated 30,000 Toastmasters chapters are expected to compete.) "I hope I can win the semi-finals," she adds. "Winning this competition would be great, but Rochester is a hidden jewel of talent. We have a lot to offer. Most Toastmasters in our area are good speakers. I'd like to represent our region well." When Brown first joined Toastmasters, she thought she didn't need help. Brown was recruited by her husband, Larry. Until she listened to another woman's speech on MARSHA cooking and found out she heard a different speech. "I JONES missed most of the speech," she continues noting there are 30 clubs in Rochester (some with open and closed membership) and 260,000 Toastmasters around the world. Her chapter has 19 members. "I had a mental red pen working in my mind. I was correcting grammar, word usage...etc. I wasn't listening to the speech. Then I realized there is always room for improvement. You have to evaluate your strengths in your Continued Page 3
Assistant to the President
Assist in the execution of duties for the Office of the President and board chair. Ability to perform independently. Excellent writing skills, organizational ability, and sensitivity to issues of confidentiality. Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience at executive level.
\Bravo! Mood Makers Books Theatre 1 Project showcased four plays (Afternoon Tea, Black Man Blue, Gone Fishing,
and Generic Moms. Com.) by three playwrights and directors (Tina DaCosta, Marsha Jones, who writes the 4-1-1 for the Challenger; and Robert Djed Snead) this past weekend as part of its fourth annual Sankofa Evening of Theatre & Jazz Celebration. Paradigm Shift performed a special exodus to jazz set. The Theatre 1 Project has a special focus on enhancing playwriting, directing and acting skills for its members. Each year, MMB Theatre 1 Project asks local playwrights to submit one-act plays to be considered for future staging. For information on the project, call 585-271-7010.
EEOC Resumes to: humanresources@team.uwrochester.org UWGR HR Depart. 75 College Avenue Rochester NY 14607
The Rochester City School District’s Universal Pre-K programs provide the comfort of knowing that your child is receiving a quality education, with classes that develop creativity, confidence, and the skills necessary for success.
For more information, call 262-8140 or visit www.rcsdk12.org/prek /choice
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Every child is a work of art. Create a masterpiece. AUGUST 31, 2011
President Obama Names Buffalo Attorney Mark Pearce Chairman of National Labor Relations Board
Area Bri efs Women’s Group To Host Candidates’ Forum
FEDERAL WOMAN OF THE YEAR : VA Western New York Healthcare System Sharon Shelton, Pharmacy Technician, was selected as Federal Woman of the Year by the Federal Women's Program Network, Buffalo Chapter. As African American Special Emphasis Program Manager, Sharon serves veterans and her fellow employees with passion and commitment. Congratulations, Sharon!
The We Are Women Warriors Family and Community Empowerment group will host a forum for candidates running for City of Buffalo political offices in the September 13 Primary Election. The meeting will be held at the Frank E. Merriweather Library, 1324 Jefferson Avenue from 5:307:45 p.m. on Wednesday, September 7. All candidates who remain on the ballot for races in the Buffalo Common Council and Buffalo City Court have been invited to participate in this informational political forum. The candidates will be allowed up to five minutes to present themselves and their respective issues platform to the audience and a question and answer session will follow the candidates’ presentation. For additional information, please call (716) 536-7323 or (716) 602-5877.
Interim Superintendent Dixon
Amber M. Dixon Named Interim Superintendent By Buffalo Board of Education majority vote, Amber M. Dixon, executive director of evaluation, accountability and project initiatives, has been named interim superintendent of the Buffalo Public Schools. Ms. Dixon will oversee superintendent duties for the district beginning on September 15th, upon Dr. James A. Williams’ retirement. A former math teacher, Dixon is familiar with Buffalo education from every perspective, beginning as a BPS parent. A district employee for over 20 years, Dixon is familiar with the system from the building teacher level, through her various administrative offices, as well as her seat on the district cabinet. “My first thought has always been for the success of the students of Buffalo and the efforts it will take us, as a district and a community, to ensure that success.” Dixon believes that the future of Buffalo, her hometown, lies in the 35,000 children being educated in the Buffalo Public Schools. “There is no more critical task than making the changes necessary to provide our students with a high quality education. Buffalo will not succeed if we fail our children,” Dixon said. “ I am reaching out to this entire community, supporters and critics alike, to join in saving our future. I am honored to be the person asked by the Board of Education to begin this process.” MARSHA JONES 411 continued
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he National Labor Relations Board has a new chairman: Prominent Buffalo labor attorney : Mark Gaston Pearce. President Barack Obama named Mr. Pearce, already a board member, as chairman of the board over the weekend. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) administers the main law that governs relations between unions, companies and workers. The board oversees elections where workers determine whether they want to join a union. The board also is charged with preventing and remedying unfair labor practices. Mr. Pearce succeeds Wilma Liebman, whose term expired Saturday after 14 years with the agency, most recently as its chairman. He said he was “honored” to be given the opportunity. `Mr. Pearce, a Democrat, who joined the board in 2010, said in a statement that Ms. Liebman served with “grace and distinction.” He previously practiced labor and employment Mark Pearce law as a representative for unions. He has also taught at Cornell University. Ms. Liebman said she’s “confident” the board will continue to hold fast to the values embodied by the National Labor Relations Act. The law, which grants private-sector workers the right to unionize and bargain collectively, “gives Americans a voice at work and helped to build a middle-class society,” she said in a statement. -About Mr. PearceMark Gaston Pearce was a founding partner of the Buffalo, New York law firm of Creighton, Pearce, Johnsen & Giroux, where he practiced union side labor and employment law before state and federal courts and agencies. In 2008, he was appointed to the New York State Industrial Board of Appeals, an independent quasi-judicial agency responsible for review of certain rulings and compliance orders of the NY Department of Labor in matters including wage and hour law. Pearce has taught at Cornell University's School of Industrial Labor Relations Extension, and is a Fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. Prior to 2002, Pearce practiced union side labor and employment law at Lipsitz, Green, Fahringer, Roll, Salisbury & Cambria LLP. From 1979 to 1994, he was an attorney and District Trial Specialist for the NLRB in Buffalo, NY. Pearce, a Brooklyn native, received his J.D. from State University of New York, and his B.A. from Cornell University.
Vote Tuesday September 13 Primary Election Day
JACKSON MEMORIAL BLOCK CLUB PARTY & BOOK BAG GIVEAWAY!
Saturday September 3
Noon – until *15 Barthel Street Games * Bounce House * Baslistening skills." ketball 3on 3 * go Cart Riding * Prizes* All You Can Eat! After much hard work and practice, Brown won her first competition in
1997 and advanced to the regionals. So why do people participate in Toastmasters? A Day to Remember "The organization helps people become better communicators," Brown adds, "If Mother - Marie they are better communicators, theywill be better leaders. Toastmasters helps you Brother - Robert organize your speech thoughts, vocal variety and gestures." Brown will perform the speech, Dream Snatchers. She lets me hear her Nephews - Lil CJ & Lil Robert message that it's never too late to stop following your dreams. "Your best days aren't necessarily behind you. What happened to those dreams you had as a kid? All speakers starting at 3 p.m. They haven't evaporated rather they were stolen by dream snatchers. It's one of Reflect on the impact they may have had on your life. the casualities of life. No little girl ever wants to grow up and be a prostitute. For More Information Call Darnell Words of inspiration can bring about change. "
AUGUST 31, 2011
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NEWS BRIEFS
Cherokee Nation Expells Blacks from Tribe TAHLEQUAH — Despite a ruling Monday by the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court that expelled them from the tribe, Cherokee freedmen descendants (Blacks) are not accepting their fate quietly. Marilyn Vann, president of the Descendants of Freedmen of Five Civilized Tribes Association, announced Tuesday that the organization will stage a protest Sept. 2 outside the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ eastern Oklahoma regional office in Muskogee in response to the court’s decision to strip about 2,800 freedmen descendants of their tribal citizenship. Vann also said the freedmen descendants and their supporters would be on hand during the Cherokee National Holiday parade Sept. 3 to “publicize their plight." “My nation and the nation of my ancestors has expelled us on our Trail of Tears over a century after our ancestors carried baggage on the original trail,” she said. “It is a dark day for the Cherokee Nation, for Indian Country and for mankind."
Vote Tues. Sept. 13!
Is Drug Testing Welfare Applicants Unconstitutional? Under a new Florida law, people applying for welfare have to take a drug test at their own expense. If they pass, they are eligible for benefits and the state reimburses them for the test. If they fail, they are denied welfare for a year, until they take another test. Mandatory drug testing for welfare applicants is becoming a popular idea across the U.S. Many states - including Alabama, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Louisiana - are considering adopting laws like Florida's. At the federal level, Senator David Vitter, a Louisiana Republican, has introduced the Drug Free Families Act of 2011, which would require all 50 states to drug-test welfare applicants. And the focus isn't even limited to welfare. In July, Indiana adopted drug tests for participants in a state job-training program. An Ohio state senator, Tim Grendell, recently said he plans to introduce a bill to require the unemployed to take a drug test before they receive unemployment benefits. Drug-testing the needy has an undeniable populist appeal. It taps into deeply held beliefs about the deserving and undeserving poor. As Alabama state representative Kerry Rich put it, "I don't think the taxpayers should have to help fund somebody's drug habit." But as government policy, drug testing is being oversold. These laws do not do what their supporters claim. And more importantly: they are likely to be unconstitutional. Drug testing proponents like to argue that there are large numbers of drug users going on welfare to get money to support their habits. The claim feeds into long-standing stereotypes about the kind of people who go on welfare, but it does not appear to have much basis in fact. Several studies, including a 1996 report from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, have found that there is no significant difference in the rate of illegal-drug use by welfare applicants and other people. Another study found that 70% of illegal-drug users between the age of 18 and 49 are employed full time.
ATTENTION ROOFERS:
Pilots Forgetting How To Fly WASHINGTON— Are airline pilots forgetting how to fly? As planes become ever more reliant on automation to navigate crowded skies, safety officials worry there will be more deadly accidents traced to pilots who have lost their hands-on instincts in the air. Hundreds of people have died over the past five years in "loss of control" accidents in which planes stalled during flight or got into unusual positions that pilots could not correct. In some cases, pilots made the wrong split-second decisions, with catastrophic results — for example, steering the plane's nose skyward into a stall instead of down to regain stable flight. Due in part by federal regulations that require greater reliance on computerized flying, the airline industry is suffering from "automation addiction," said reports the chair of a Federal Aviation Administration committee on pilot training. "We're seeing a new breed of accident with these state-of-the art planes." Pilots use automated systems to fly airliners for all but about three minutes of a flight: the takeoff and landing. Most of the time pilots are programming navigation directions into computers rather than using their hands on controls to fly the plane. They have few opportunities to maintain their skills by flying manually, Kay's advisory committee warns. "We're forgetting how to fly," an official said. In the most recent fatal airline crash in the U.S., in 2009 near Buffalo, N.Y., the co-pilot of a regional airliner programmed incorrect information into the plane's computers, causing it to slow to an unsafe speed. That triggered a stall warning. The startled captain, who hadn't noticed the plane had slowed too much, responded by repeatedly pulling back on the control yoke, overriding two safety systems, when the correct procedure was to push forward. An investigation later found there were no mechanical or structural problems that would have prevented the plane from flying if the captain had responded correctly. Instead, his actions caused an aerodynamic stall. The plane plummeted to earth, killing all 49 people aboard and one on the ground.
backagendareport.com Rep. Waters: Black Caucus Growing “Tired” of Defending Obama
Declaring that she and her Black Caucus colleagues are “tired” of standing by Obama while African Americans suffer “horrendous” unemployment levels, Los Angeles Congresswoman Maxine Waters told a Detroit crowd: “If we go after the president too hard, you’re going after us. When you let us know it’s time to let go, we’ll let go.”
The chemicals found in coal tar and coal tar products are powerful causes of cancer.
Full Speed Ahead to “Occupation” of Freedom Square
Workers who tended roofer’s kettles or carried buckets of hot coal tar pitch for application on roofing surfaces are also at risk for developing cancer due to their exposure to coal tar pitch.
Verizon Wants to Snatch Back $20K Per Worker
To date, 3,000 people have signed on to a planned occupation of Freedom Square, in the nation’s capital, on October 6, said Margaret Flowers, a national organizer for the October 2011 Movement. Conventional demonstrations “are easily ignored by the powers-that-be,” said Flowers, but an open-ended occupation will call attention to the struggle to put “human needs above corporate profits.”
Individuals suffering from cancer as a result of working in roofing construction, may be entitled to significant financial compensation.
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“Everyone has a stake in the outcome” of the strike by 45,000 union workers against telecom giant Verizon, said Steve Early, a veteran organizer for the Communications Workers of America and author of Civil Wars in U.S. Labor. “These particular workers have a long history of militancy and effective resistance to contract concessions,” he said. Verizon is demanding give-backs in wages and benefits equal to $20,000 per employee. Telephone workers are also vulnerable to foreign outsourcing. “Verizon is trying to turn the workers of the world against each other.” “No Stop-and-Frisk Day” in NYC Carl Dix, the Revolutionary Communist Party activist who organized recent strategy sessions to combat mass incarceration, announced a protest for midOctober against New York City’s infamous police “stop-and-frisk” practices. Last year, 600,000 people were accosted by police on the streets, 85 percent of them Black and Latino. “Some of the people who are coming out” for the protest, said Dix, “will have declared in advance that they are willing to risk arrest,” while others will bear witness and record police behavior.
Time for Durban III
With the Durban III Conference on racism and discrimination set to convene at the United Nations in late September, the United States, Israel and some of the old colonial powers are gearing up to defame the gathering. Presidents Bush and Obama attempted to scuttle Durban I and Durban II, in 2001 and 2009. Such pressures have succeeded in “keeping the Congressional Black Caucus quiet, for the most part, because they don’t want to get in bad with the boss [Obama], or with the Zionist forces,” said Kali Akuno, of the U.S. Human Rights Network.
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AUGUST 31, 2011
Roswell to Host Series of Cancer Fall is a Time for Caring for Presentations Aimed at Blacks, Hispanics Your Lungs, Large Intestine and Skin HEALTH MATTERS
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all (September 23 – December 20) is a time to relish the abundance of food at the end of the growing season; to reflect with gratitude on all we have been given in our lives; to seek balance and harmony in our inner and outer worlds; to release physical and emotional baggage; and to cleanse and prepare for a period of deep introspection. It is a time of letting go, particularly of old grief and attachments. In our bodies, the organs associated with the fall period are the lungs and large intestine, which govern the skin. Fall is associated with the mental element, so this season is fitting for assessing toxic metal overload and mineral balance. Ideal foods for maintaining your health in the fall tend to be foods that are grown in or harvested during the season. Fiber: Fiber increases the frequency of bowel movements and decreases toxicity. The highest fiber foods are legumes such as kidney beans, chickpeas, black beans, lentils, mung beans, adzuki beans; rice bran, wheat bran, oat bran, ground flaxseed and psyllium. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains also contain fiber. High-fiber diets will reduce your risk of colon cancer significantly. Colon cancer is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in women in Canada and the United States, after lung and breast cancer. Sour Foods: These stimulate the process of contraction, withdrawing and going inward, and include sourdough bread, sauerkraut, olives, pickles, leeks, adzuki beans, apple cider vinegar, lemons, limes, grapefruit, and green apples. Moistening foods: the lungs and colon are weakened by excess dryness, which occurs when we use indoor heating. This may cause a dry cough, dry skin, or nosebleeds. Foods to moisten dryness include tofu, tempeh, spinach, barley, millet, pear, seaweeds, almonds, sesame seeds, ground flaxseed, flaxseed oil and extra-virgin olive oil. Pungent foods: Mucus and phlegm in the lungs and large intestine are cleared with pungent foods, including cayenne, chili pepper, garlic, turnip, horseradish, cabbage, radish, and daikon radish. Foods high in beta carotene: Beta carotene protects the mucus membranes of the body, strengthens immunity, and guards against cancer. Foods high in beta carotene include carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, pumpkin, seaweeds, chlorella, algae, parsley, cilantro, broccoli, spinach, beet greens, and turnip. Foods to avoid: Foods that aggravate the lungs and colon should be minimized or avoided. These include dairy, meat, wheat, sugar, saturated fats and heated oils.
Life expectancy for those diagnosed with cancer has improved in recent years, however, not everyone in Western New York has benefited. African-Americans and Hispanics are more often diagnosed with cancer at later stages when cure is less likely. This fact can be corrected with simple education. What do you know about cancer? Where can you go to get information…the real facts? To answer these questions and more, Roswell Park Cancer Institute is offering “Now I Know, a series of presentations on cancer-specific topics designed to reduce myths and misperceptions about cancer. Presentations dates, times & locations for September 2011 are listed below. All are invited to attend any presentation and all are free to the public. For more information regarding the “Now I Know” Cancer Education Series, contact Terry Alford at (716) 845-4557, or at Terry.Alford@ roswellpark.org.
Thursday, September 8th Frank E. Merriweather Library 409 East Utica (at Jefferson Ave.) 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM Sponsored by the Buffalo Black Chamber of Commerce Wednesday, September 14th Lyndon B. Johnson Apartments 167 West Humboldt Parkway (at Main St.) 2:00 PM-3:00 PM Sponsored by the BMHA Monday, September 19th Martha Mitchell Community Center 175 Oakmont St. 12:00 PM-1:00 PM Sponsored by the BMHA Friday, September 23rd Frederick Douglas Towers Community Center 234 Jefferson Ave. Sponsored by the BMHA
EAT TO LIVE
HERB OF THE WEEK: ALOE VERA
One of the greatest healing herbs known. Works wonderfully for cleaning the colon, stomach and skin. Excellent for piles and hemorrhoids, eliminates toxins and cholesterol, relieves pain in skin problems, helps heal throat problems, hiatus hernia and intestinal problems. Also helps the body heal scar tissue, scalds and radiation burns. Effective for acid stomach, chronic constipation, gastritis and ulcers.
Health & Healing Circle The community is invited to attend “Talk About” hosted by the Health and Healing Circle. Talk About is where healthy inspiration, information, demonstrations, guest speakers and empowerment is offered. Sessions are held the last Wednesday of each month, the next session will be held on Wednesday, August 31 from 5-7pm at C.A.O., 70 Harvard Place. Join us and bring a friend. Sessions are free and refreshments will be served.
16th Annual Walk Along for Lupus Join the Lupus Alliance of Upstate New York for the Walk Along for Lupus on Sunday, September 11th at the Walden Galleria Mall. Over 500 walkers and volunteers will be walking to raise money for education, support services and research for Western New York lupus patients and their families. The registration fee is $20 for adults, $5 for children ages 5-12 and under 5 free. Use the Yellow parking/Regal Cinema entrance. Registration is at 8 a.m. and the walk begins at 9 a.m. The event will feature a post party with music, face painting, kid’s crafts and lunch as well as information tables For information call 835-7161 or register online at www.lupuswalk. org.
Youth Chess Tournament The Archangel 8 Chess Academy in cooperation with the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library System invites young chess players entering grades K-12 to participate in the Back to School Scholastic K-12 Chess Tournament, to be held this coming Saturday, September 3 at the Audubon Library, 350 John James Audubon Parkway, Amherst. Three to five games will be played starting at 1:00 p.m. Advance registration for players is required – send an e-mail with full player name, grade, school, and phone number to Arcangel8chess@yahoo.com no later than midnight on Friday, September 2. There is no cost to participate. Chess players must understand “checkmate” in order to play. U.S. Chess Federation rules will be enforced. Limited chess sets and boards will be provided. This event is a special precursor to “National Chess Day” on Sunday, October 9, when the Buffalo Chess Day Tournament open to USCF members grades K-12 will be held at the downtown Central Library at Lafayette Square. For further information on upcoming youth chess activities, contact Arcangel8chess@yahoo.com .
Tuesdays
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Can Black Churches SurviveTturbulent Times?
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mericans, of all the major racial and ethnic groups in the United States, are the most likely to report a formal religious affiliation, according to The Pew Center for Religious and Public Studies. They pray more frequently and attend church services more often than the general population. Even among those who do not claim affiliation with a particular church, three out of four say religion is important in their lives. Close to 60 percent of the nation's African American population chooses to worship in predominately black churches. And yet, the black church is facing turbulent times. Like many of their peers, the rising generation of African Americans is less interested in religion and find the idea of a predominately black congregation less appealing than their parents did, studies say. The recession has also hit the black community disproportionately hard, shuttering hundreds of churches across the country due to foreclosure. But the greatest challenge may come from a shift in emphasis. As preaching focuses more on individual prosperity than community uplift, some scholars speculate the decades-old power the black church has exercised as the "soul" of the African American community is "dead" — or on it's way there. We recently celebdrted the 48th anniversary of the day the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. stood before 200,000 civil rights supporters and declared, "I Have a Dream." Now, with 16 percent of African Americans unemployed and 26 percent living in poverty, King's dreams of social equality are far from realized. The question is whether the black church will continue to play a role in the progression of the African American community, or if like so many other churches, it will lose grip on its congregations. The answer to that question will say a lot not just about the role religion plays in the African American community, but the future of black community as a whole. "The Black Church is the single
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most important institution in the black community," said Larry Mamiya, a professor of religion and Africana studies at Vassar College. In his book, "The Black Church in the African American Experience," which compiles 10 years of research at churches such as Calvary Baptist, Mamiya concludes the black church is the "cultural womb" of the
black community. "Not only did it give birth to new institutions, such as schools, banks, insurance companies and low income housing, it also provided an academy and an arena for political activities, and it nurtured young talent for musical, dramatic, and artistic development." (Excerpted from an article by By Elizabeth Stuart, Deseret News.)
To advertise call Ms. Jones @ (716) 881-1051 or email: advertising@thechallengernews.com
Enough Is Enough!
City-Wide Prayer Schedule: On the Corner Every Wednesday (end date will be announced) the City Wide Prayer Warriors are taking their Godly Prayer Crusade to the front of the City Court Building, 50 Delaware from 10 to 11:30 a.m. We will still conduct our regularly scheduled Wednesday evening Prayer meetings. Join us!
Call (716) 715-0011 for more information.
Christian Film Festival Rochester, NY – The Maranatha Christian International Film Festival presents its 1st annual film festival September 2-3 at the Cultural Life Center at Roberts Wesleyan College. The Maranatha Christian International Film Festival was established to showcase high quality films, support independent filmmakers, and inspire audiences through the power of visual storytelling. Filmmakers were encouraged to submit films with the highest level of creativity conveying, the triumph of good over evil and values consistent with the Christian faith. To learn more about the festival, purchase tickets, and how to volunteer more information can be found at www.maranathafilmfest.com.
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AUGUST 31, 2011
POLITICS 2011 Badger Says He’s Running For a Better Masten: Common Council Candidates Forum Charges District Lacks Leadership DeMario Badger, candidate for the Masten District, said that he is running for Masten District Councilmember because he loves the City of Buffalo, but that the East Side District seat he is seeking is in dire need of leadership. “...This is one of the best cities in the United States. The only thing I feel we are missing is leadership that is going to fight for its residents. The thing that hurts the most is to see the Elmwood, Hertel, and Waterfront areas moving forward and the biggest district outside of New York City (Masten) is slowly declining. I can no longer sit and watch the rest of the city thrive while Masten is left without a voice. This is not acceptable to me and I know it is not acceptable for the Masten residents.” Badger said although he’s running a small independent campaign, he’s been “walking door to door, business to business, hearing the concerns of the people.” His goal he said, is to reach each and every household in the DeMario Badger district. “ By running independently, I will owe no one man anything but to love him,” he pointed out. Accusing the incumbent district representative of empty promises year after year, he continued: “ Every four years we are told of new monies being promised to the Masten District. We are always promised new money for streets, sidewalks, and demolishing of homes but we look at our community every four years and the only communities being taken care of are right outside Masten’s economic reach. It is no longer satisfactory that we contact our representatives about finances that we were promised and are not given the courtesy to be called back. This lack of respect can no longer be tolerated. “ He said that one of the greatest disappointments in Masten has now become Martin Luther King Park, which he said is not comparable to the other Olmstead parks. “I’m not running against my opponent, the incumbent Councilman. I am running FOR the Masten District. I want the Masten District to look as nice as the North side of Buffalo. I want the Masten District to be safe for all. I want the corporate to join with the civil for our community. I want our seniors to be respected and cared for. I want our children to receive a quality education. I want CHANGE and I am willing to fight for it!” he concluded. Badger, the son of Bishop Michael and Joyce Badger, has lived in Masten for the past 18 years. He and his wife Nia, have one son. He is a graduate of the Buffalo Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts and Buffalo State College where he received his bachelor Degree in Business Administration and Marketing from Buffalo State College.
A forum featuring Buffalo Common Council candidates on the ballot in the Fillmore, Masten and University districts will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, September 1, in the Burchfield Penney Art Center auditorium on the grounds of Buffalo State College. The event is free and open to the public. This forum is sponsored by the Buf-
Absentee Voting Extended Hours
falo Association of Black Journalists, the Burchfield Penney Art Center and the Buffalo State College Communications Department. The forum will be moderated by WIVB-TV reporter Al Vaughters. Questions will be posed by a panel of BABJ members and will include those submitted both in advance and on site by the public. The public may submit questions for the candidates by calling 849-5598 or emailing them to: RodLWat@gmaiLcom.
The Erie County Board of Elections announced that their office would be open for absentee voting for the September 13th Primary from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. each working day up until and including September 12th. In addition the office will be open for absentee voting: -Thursday, September 1 until 7 p.m. -Saturday, September 3, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. -Tuesday, September 6 until 7 p.m. -Thursday, September 8until 7 p.m. -Saturday, September 10, 9 a.m.-12 p.m The last day to apply in person for an absentee ballot is Monday, September 12. Please be advised, the Primary Election pertains only to those registered voters who are enrolled in a political party that is having a primary contest. Any questions, please call the Absentee Department at 858-7819.
Lenihan: It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye... Leonard R. Lenihan, Erie County Democratic Chairman, will remain in his position at least through the November election. He said there were two raced he wanted to win in the general election: the county executive and the county clerk. He also feels that his party is in position to retake the majority in the Erie County Legislature as a result of recent redistricting. August 26 was supposed to be his last day in office.
Tuesday Sept. 13 is Primary Election Day. VOTE!
AUGUST 31, 2011
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DAP Entertainment Brings Smooth Jazz Artists to Buffalo Buffalo’s own, SureWill, L.A. Music Magazine’s Jazz Artist of the Year 2011 will be appearing in Buffalo September 10 at the Metropolitan Complex 1670 Main Street. SureWill “William Clark,” who was born and raised in Buffalo, is a graduate of Grover Cleveland High School and began his music career by playing at church. He has performed at many awards shows such as the Grammys, AMA, BET and awards CMA, and worked with performers such as Al Jarreau, George Duke, Mary J. Blige, New Edition, Janet Jackson, Neyo and Sade. His award winning song, My Hero “Uncle Jim,” from his CD “Out of the Shadows,” has charted No.19 on the national smooth jazz charts and will be available at Doris Records, where he will be appearing for his CD and photo signing on September 10 at 1 p.m. Joel Del Resario will be opening for SureWill. Joel is currently active in his community, raising funds for cancer awareness and volunteers with kids doing counseling and plays music for a local church. Smooth jazz and hope collide into a beautiful set of melodies in his latest release, Calm in the Storm. As the Jazz Review proclaimed, “I hope Calm in the Storm will encourage people of all ages to believe in miracles and move forward in the midst of their storms,” said Del Rosario.” His CD will be available at Doris Records, where he will also be appearing September 10 at 1 p.m. for the CD and photo signing.
“Mr. Bones is Back!” Take Out or Eat In! 893 Jefferson Ave.
FUNKY GOOD TIME! For the majority of the day, it was a love fest for the approximately 2,500 folks who converged on LaSalle Park for Saturday’s Funk Fest. We remembered our beloved King of Punk Funk, Rick James under perfect skies and warm weather. The Exoutics and the Old School B-Boys absolutely did their thing. A Zumba demonstration by Miss Barbara’s School of Dance (led by the incredible Jayme Glover) had folks pumping it up in the crowd; and later that evening The All Star Band rocked the house (quite frankly, out “stoning” Stone City). Val Young, a crowd favorite, put on a solid show; the surprise appearance of Chico DeBarge drew appreciative applause; a talented young singer did justice to hits by the late Teena Marie and pretty girls rocked fabulous fashions from Bella Que (in Eastern Hills Mall ya’ll!). The appearance of Rick’s family and former crew members on stage was a sentimental highlight. By the time the Stone City Band – the event’s “headliners” – took to the stage, it was a bit late...and the length of time it took them to set up was disappointingly long. Lots of folks had left the park by then, but there were plenty people left to check them out. The band was good, but they could have left the Rick James replacement out of the performance. As one crowd member commented, he “turned off Buffalo big time.” There’s only one Rick James. But all in all it was a great afternoon/evening – and a great effort by the promoters. Hats off to Marnetta Malcolm and company for another “funky good time!” -Challenger Photos Page 8
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AUGUST 31, 2011
entertaiment ON STAGE *Love Hurts, on stage, Forbes Theater, 512 Pearl St., Sept. 2 @ 8 p.m.; tickets at Doris Records, Forbes Theatre or by calling 931-4046. *Actor/comedian Chris Tucker on stage Friday Sept 9 at Shea’s Performing Arts. Tickets @Ticketmaster or Shea’s Box Office or call 1-800-7453000. *The Legendz Tour, featuring The Isley Brothers, Frankie Beverly and Bobby Womack, Sat. Oct. 1, Frontier Field, Rochester, NY; tickets $40 advance @ Frontier Field Box Office. *Chris Brown, The FAME Tour with Kelly Rowland, T-Pain, TYGA, Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, Wed. Sept. 14, 7 p.m. *JAZZ JAM SUNDAY, 6:30 to 10pm, Cafe @ Masten & Eaton 230 Masten Ave., Buffalo, NY 14209, 716883-2311. Featuring the Tune Ups, T. Rob, Marlow Wright and James Davis. Open mike 9pm. Karaoke Tuesdays 8pm with Gordy. *Free Live Jazz Fridays (every Friday) with "Margaret's Soul Food Kitchen" @ Barcelonas 414 Pearl Street from 6 to 9 PM featuring Kenny Woo's "You Heard It First Band" with Darryl Brown on Sax, Carl Hunley Jr. on Drums.
On Stage Listings are Free. Write: The Challenger, On Stage, PO Box 474,, Bflo., NY 14208; or email:
editor@thechallengernews.com
AUGUST 31, 2011
Page 9
SPEAK OUT!
Ramadan, Al-Islam and Freedom
T
he Blessed month of Ramadan is the month that the Holy Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (prayers and peace be upon him) by way of the Angel Gabriel (Jabril). This revelation would continue for a period of over 23 years until the entire 114 chapters of the Qur’an were completed. The Qur’an is considered a Book of Guidance not only for Muslims but for all of humanity. Muslims around the world fast the month of Ramadan for a period of 29-30 days, depending on the sighting of the new moon. Muslims abstain from all food, drinks and intimacy with their spouses from sunrise to sunset each day. Ramadan is the ninth month of the lunar calendar. Once the new moon of Shawwal is sighted, the month of Ramadan ends. Muslims will celebrate for a period of three days by sharing food and gifts with their families, friends and the needy. This celebration is called Eid al Fitr meaning a reoccurring happiness! This year Eid celebration is anticipated to take place on August 31st. Masjid Nu’Man will be feeding the neighbors at 1375 Fillmore Ave at the corner of E. Utica. at 4pm. Imam Fajri There are many benefits relating to fasting the month of Ramadan but none supersedes the main purpose of fasting which is for Allah (G-d). Muslims are to be reminded of the suffering and hunger of the needy. Muslims become more conscious of their duties to be charitable and to perform good deeds. Muslims are to be more regardful of their relationship with G-d knowing that He is the only one who truly knows if you are keeping your fast. A glance at Prophet Muhammad: The Qur’an was revealed upon the heart of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) at the age of 40. He had lived a life time amongst people who practiced idolatry, lawless tribalism, promiscuous behavior; oppression etc. this period of time was referred to as the “days of ignorance”. Despite living in this environment “Muhammad” never engaged in the folly of the people. He was known as being trustworthy and honest. His benevolence to seniors, youth and any who were disenfranchised was well established. “Muhammad” was orphaned at an early age losing his father before he was born, his mother at age of six and his grandfather who took care of him at eight. His uncle Abu Talib raised him. As a boy he was a Sheppard and learned business by traveling with his uncle. By the age of 25 he was so impressive that a very successful business woman and widow Khadijah who was 40 years old, proposed marriage to him. She was his first and only wife for 25 years until she passed just days apart from his beloved uncle Abu Talib. This is known in Al-Islam as the “year of sorrow” as the Muslims were also being boycotted of food/shelter/services and isolated by their entire fellow tribesman. Muslims were oppressed and attacked for nearly 12 years before migrating to Medina. The enemies of Al Islam did not relent and continued to pursue and attack Muslims, igniting several wars. Prophet Muhammad at age 60 would eventually lead Muslims successfully back to Mecca during the month of Ramadan with no bloodshed. Despite the attacks on Muslims and the slaughter of even his own family members, Prophet Muhammad did not seek revenge on the tribes in Mecca. He offered forgiveness and ransom to educate Muslims. At the age of 63 prior to his passing Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) offered a farewell address where he highlighted that he is leaving behind the Book of Allah (The Qur’an and his traditions. He spoke about the rights of women and fair dealings. That no Arab has any superiority over a non Arab and no non Arab has superiority over an Arab or a white over a black or black over a white. He reminded the people that all will have to appear before G-d so do not stray from faith after he is gone. The Prophet was succeeded by his close companions Abu Bakr, Umar, Othman and Ali. The idea of freedom in AL IslamThe Qur’an states that there is no compulsion in religion. Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said that “every one of you is entitled to his/her opinion.” The Prophet also expressed that “there is nothing with greater use than the human brain.” Religion in Al Islam should not be practiced just in spirit or emotions. Although the Qur’an was revealed upon the heart of the Prophet the brain serves the heart. The brain should also serve the family and the community. The superiority of the human being above all other creation is due to the human brain. Education allows you to think, make good decisions, and develop good character. The use of the brain allows you to understand that man is no comparison to G-d and that G-d has no partners or associates that can compare with Him. This allows the human being to have freedom in his servitude to G-d and not to become a slave to anyone or anything. The Blessed month of Ramadan is a cleansing of the heart, spirit, body and mind. Before the words of G-d can be planted you have to first cultivate your garden. If someone plants a garden amongst weeds, shrubs, bushes etc. what
Ansari
Continued Page 11
Page 10
How to Remember 9/11
Garvey Day Organizers Thank Community
By Margaret Kimberley
Dear Editor: We would like to thank the participants and supporters of Marcus Garvey Day 2011. Our program held August 17, 2011 at the Martha Mitchell Center in the Langfield BMHA was very successful. Many young people attended this event who had never even heard the name of this great African hero. Our committee will convene Wednesday, August 24 to evaluate our efforts and begin preparation for next year’s event, “125 Years of Marcus Garvey.” Special thanks must be given to our local African (Black) media. Both the The Criterion and The Challenger were generously indispensible in spreading the word. Additionally, Ms. Doyle and Ras Jomo from WUFO, and Brother Chris Reynolds from WBLK made major contributions. We give praise and thanks! We would like to thank Councilman Demone Smith for his continual contribution to this event and we would like to thank Councilwoman Bonnie Russell for her contribution and ask that they include us in next year’s budget as we prepare for a milestone celebration on Friday, August 17, 2012. Our committee must give special recognition to Project Awaken UB, and the Nation of Islam who participated in the planning and implementation of this event. Their contributions were crucial. We must also recognize Charlie Fisher and the BUILD Organization, Brother Rob and the Youth Prison Prevention Project, Nubiessence Jazz, Brother Abubekar, and Minister Dahveed Muhammad for their participation in the cultural show and rally. Master Drummers Mbaye Rama and Allassane Sarr deserve praise for leading the drum call for “peace and love” in honor of Baba
“The country is now in a permanent state of warfare.” The awful words and platitudes are already being written and spoken: “Ten years later,” “ten years on,” “tenth anniversary,” “how to talk to the children,” “where were you when it happened,” etc, etc, etc. Of course I am speaking of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center towers in New York City and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. If Osama bin Laden thought he could change or destroy the American system he was very much mistaken. Just a few days after the terrible events took place, cheap items allegedly honoring the dead began appearing for sale in New York, the city that was supposed to be in a deep state of mourning. Americans, led by the corporate media, rallied around George W. Bush, their illegitimate president, and were told to go forth and shop and not ask any inconvenient questions about who knew what and when they knew it. We had to go to war against Afghanistan, so we were told, and only one member of Congress, Congressional Black Caucus member Barbara Lee, voted against the action. The country is now in a permanent state of warfare. The attacks were used as a pretext for invading and occupying Iraq and establishing secret prisons around the world. Words like water boarding, a form of torture, came into being and Guantanamo became a place where the United States threw away its Constitution and the rights it once guaranteed to citizens and non-citizens alike. The military tribunals and all of those wars outlived the president who established them. His Democratic successor has no intention of undoing any of the things that Bush was vilified for doing. It isn’t surprising, given that progressives don’t care if his presidency is in some ways worse than Bush’s. Barack Obama has moved further to the right in ways that Bush never dreamed of. Books, articles, documentaries, and ceremonies will be solemnly presented over the next three weeks. They will culminate in a ghastly parade of dreadful politicians, making solemn speeches and pretending to care about humanity. The families, more accurately some relatives of some of the victims, will be placed front and center and deified only for the purpose of justifying government evil doing on behalf of their deceased loved ones. The group September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, who actively
Continued Page 11
Simba. We must not forget to mention Brother Shango for being an excellent Master of Ceremony. Special thanks goes out to the Mosses family and all the “soldiers that stepped up to the table to the wash dirty dishes” in order to make this event a success. Last but not least we give thanks to our host, the Kenfiled-Langfield Resident Association who opened up their “home” so that we could honor our past. The members of this year’s Marcus Garvey Day Organizing Committee were: Brother Uhuru Musa, Brother William Richardson, Brother Robert Muhammad, Brother William Muhammad, Brother Taharka, Brother Changa Lumumba, Brother Shango and Brother B. -Bro. Taharka Odinga
8
The supreme good is like water, Which nourishes all things without trying to. It is content with the low places that people disdain. Thus it is like the Tao. In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don’t try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present. When you are content to be simply yourself And don’t compare or compete, Everybody will respect you.
The Meaning of The above image/logo, part of the Challenger flag, corresponds to one of the 81 chapters in Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching. This particular tetragram corresponds to number 27, defined as “The Skillful Exchange of Information.” (From R.L Wing’s book, The Tao of Power.) “The truth, always the truth--at all costs”
“What is planted cannot be uprooted.What is well embraced cannot slip away.” I CHING
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HOW TO REMEMBER 911 continued oppose efforts to use their loved ones as rationales for the commission of violent acts, remain largely unknown to the public. The system certainly didn’t miss a stride in the past ten years. Yet another World Trade Center tower is being built, and like its first iteration, on the government’s dime, with government agencies filling the office space and tax payer subsidies to the few private businesses which will be located there. Will the endless commemoration bring any discussion of American’s history with the Taliban? Will the corporate media tell us how they were first supported and armed by the United States? Will there be any revelations of Israeli “moving companies” and “photographers” coincidentally appearing on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River that fateful morning? Will there be calls for a true investigation into what the government knew and how that knowledge might have prevented the tragedy? These questions are rhetorical because the answer to each one is obviously in the negative. The next three weeks will be an endless and shameless display of hyper patriotism and obvious money making. The effect will be to further propagandize an already ignorant nation and re-traumatize the masses with an endless loop of planes crashing into skyscrapers, desperate victims jumping to their deaths, fire fighters, police officers and weeping relatives. Anyone who suggests moving on or asking for answers will be given no attention whatever, or will be given the spotlight only for the purpose of being dismissed and demonized. No one will be allowed to make any real connections with the suffering of people outside of this country. No one will be allowed to say that we should not inflict similar suffering with drone strikes in Afghanistan, or proxy terror in Somalia, or NATO backed bombing in Libya. Anyone who dares suggest that our country also inflicts terror will not be given serious consideration. It is appropriate to remember the dead, but those memories should be extended to all the people of this planet. It is disgraceful for Americans to think that they are alone in their suffering or that their government doesn’t dispense its own brand of death. Remember September 11th if you will, but not in the way that the government and its corporate media lackeys demand. Margaret Kimberley's Freedom Rider column appears weekly in BAR, where she serves as editor and senior columnist and is widely reprinted elsewhere. She maintains a frequently updated blog as well as at http:// freedomrider.blogspot.com.
VOTE on 9.13 AUGUST 31, 2011
ATTICA IS ALL OF US... In September of 1971, prisoners in New York State’s Attica Correctional Facility staged a four-day protest against the inhumane conditions they were forced to endure. Some 39 people including 10 hostages were brutally shot down by state police and corrections officers during the retaking of the prison despite the willingness of the prisoners to negotiate. Today, Attica stands as a testament to the inhumanity of the massacre that took place there, as well as the continued reliance on incarceration that exacerbates and perpetuates social inequality. “Three weeks before the Attica prison rebellion, Soledad Brother and revolutionary prisoner George Jackson had been murdered by California prison guards. Attica prisoners saluted him by fasting and wearing armbands. As word spread of the imminent beating of two prisoners in lockdown, a group pushed over a gate and seized 40 guards as hostages, and 1,300 prisoners flooded into D-Yard. Leaders stepped forward, demands were formulated and popularized, and an invitation was extended to the press and sympathetic observers to join them. As the TV cameras rolled, people around the country were riveted to their screens. Many people who had been taught to fear such prisoners learned of the organized destruction of human beings known as the prison system. Millions came to know and embrace the humanity and courage of the prisoners and the justice of their rebellion and their demands. “Like those in the yard, the leadership included Blacks, Puerto Ricans, Native Americans and whites. They organized a security force, mainly to protect the hostages, who received the best of the diminishing supplies, and teams to handle food, medicine, and other needs. Debate and discussion flourished in small groups and mass meetings. An observer from the New York Times wrote, ‘The racial harmony that prevailed among the prisoners...was absolutely astonish-
RAMADAN
continued type of crops would it yield? Freedom helps your consciousness to be genuinely concern about the welfare of others because you can recognize the negative effects and oppression of slavery. We pray that The Blessed month of Ramadan will yield better character of all those who participated and pledge to make better contributions to humanity.
IF YOU’RE AFRAID TO SIGN YOUR NAME PLEASE DON’T WRITE THE LETTER... We have received a number of unsigned letters and commentaries, however we cannot print articles that are unsigned. All letters to the editor or editorials/ opinions should be signed and a call back phone number included so that we can verify the writer. Thank you.
ing,’ and a prisoner reflected, ‘I actually cried, it was so close, everyone was so together.’ The rebels issued a statement ‘To the People of America’ and they struggled over huge questions like exacting revenge for all they had suffered. ‘These things [previous grievances with hostages] became obsolete in my mind because something much higher was at stake.’ “These prisoners inspired millions... and it was THIS—potentially a blow against the legitimacy of the whole system—that the government could not allow to go on and decided to violently suppress. Even though the Attica prisoners were not engaged in any violence after their takeover, the armed forces of the government attacked with massive brutality. In the morning of Sept. 13, helicopters dropped a choking cloud of CS gas. Then in 6 minutes, state troopers fired 2,200 rounds into the crowd that had no guns. The sharpshooters murdered 29 prisoners, some—like L.D. Barkley—by deliberate assassination, and 9 hostages. Another 89 prisoners were wounded by gunfire. And 319 more were injured as the troops ordered all prisoners to strip naked and crawl through mud and broken glass, and
forced some to run a brutal gauntlet of club-wielding guards. The state tried to cover their crimes by claiming to the press that the prisoners had slit the throats of the hostages and even castrated one. But the next day the Medical Examiner bravely exploded their lies by announcing that ALL the dead prisoners and the guards were murdered by the state police snipers. “All this sparked widespread outrage and outpourings of protest—in major cities, especially New York, but also in small towns and throughout the prison system—as people raised the cry ‘Attica is All of Us’ and ‘Attica means FIGHT BACK!’” From the Special Issue on Prisons and Prisoners in the U.S. “From the Hellholes of Incarceration to a Future of Emancipation,” Revolution #183, November 15, 2009.
“Mass Incaraceration: It’s Impact on Community” is Topic of Attica Commemoration Event The community is invited to attend “Mass Incarceration: Its Impact on Community,” an event that will be held at Bethesda World Harvest International Church in conjunction with University at Buffalo Law School on September 12 from 6 – 8pm. Here we will be led by the following community leaders in a discussion on the impact of incarceration on families in our local Buffalo community: Rev. Eugene L. Pierce of WNY Outreach Ministries, Inc.; Pastor James Giles of Back-to-Basics Outreach Ministries, Inc.; Rev. Jeff E. Carter, of Ephesus Ministries; Rev. Alberto Lanzot of First United Methodist Church (Primera Iglesia Metodista Unida) and Br. Michael Oberst, Peaceprints Prison Ministries. This event will be moderated by Dr. Henry Taylor, Director of the UB Center for Urban Studies and is being organized by Karima Amin, Executive Director of Prisoners are People Too, Inc. Closing remarks will be given by the First Lady, Pastor Joyce Badger. This event is being held in commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of the Attica Prison Rebellion and will take place as part of a three-day conference sponsored by the University at Buffalo Law School (see this page). This conference is called “40 Years After the Attica Uprising: Looking Back, Moving Forward” and features several of the original key players of the uprising, including former prisoners, negotiators, hostages, and attorneys all directly involved. This historical perspective will be coupled with a dialogue on prison reform with influential policy makers, academics and organizations in order to reconsider new possibilities for improving the current situation of mass incarceration. Bethesda World Harvest International Church is officiated by Bishop Michael A. Badger, Sr. and is located at 1365 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14209. For more information on the “40Years After the Attica Uprising: Looking Back, Moving Forward” conference and registration, please visit: http://www.law.buffalo.edu/baldycenter/attica40/ or call (716) 645-2012. All events are free (registration required) and open to the public.
UB Conference to Explore Legacy of the Attica Uprising Forty years ago, the deadliest prisoner rebellion in U.S. history occurred. Next month, a major conference will bring together prisoner advocates, legislators, policymakers, corrections professionals, activists and people who were on the front lines of the conflict, on both sides. The conference, called “40 Years After the Attica Uprising: Looking Back, Moving Forward,” is sponsored by the University at Buffalo Law School and its Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy. Admission is free (with pre-registration) and open to the public, with free parking in university lots. The two-day event marks the anniversary of the uprising at Attica State Prison, about 40 miles east of Buffalo, that brought the world’s attention to longfestering problems in the U.S. During the 1971 Attica Assemblyman p r i s o n uprising, Eve spearheaded a coms y s t e m . mittee of public officials who The Attica attempted to resolve the Uprising conflict between the prison began on guards and inmates. Sept. 9, 1971, and ended four days later when then-Gov. Nelson Rockefeller ordered state troopers to storm and retake the prison from the inmates who had taken control. Twenty-nine prisoners and 11 security and civilian staff died. To open the conference, the documentary “Ghosts of Attica” will be shown at the Burchfield Penny Art Center (Buffalo State College) on Sunday, Sept. 11. Over the next two days, Sept. 12-13, conference events will be held on UB’s North and South campuses and at a downtown Buffalo church. The schedule of events is posted on the conference website: http://www.law.buffalo.edu/baldycenter/attica40/. “It’s about healing, in part,” says UB Law Professor Teresa A. Miller, conference organizer. “This is the last decade in which these people are going to be able to sit down together and reflect upon Attica’s turbulent past. This conference is unique in that it creates a dialog between stakeholders with diverse ideological perspectives on the Attica Uprising. For the Buffalo community, this is one of the last opportunities to hear firsthand from people who were there.” In addition to looking back at the uprising, the conference will feature Continued Page 13 Page 11
From Goldlen Glove to Soulful Dinning: Loretta’s Restaurant Announces Grand Opening ATTORNEYS
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Page 12
A 15-year-old from Syracuse, Anthony Stewart, was sentenced to 2 to 6 years in a juvenile detention facility by Judge William Walsh of Onandaga County for a robbery in which the teenager took a mere 7 cents. Walsh said he issued the harsh sentence because Stewart declined to plead guilty, choosing to fight the charges. A jury found him guilty of first degree robbery. The victim had identified Stewart and a friend as the perpetrators, Walsh said, "and yet you still denied it," the Post-Standard newspaper of Syracuse reported. "Well, that cost you," Walsh added. The other teenager, Skyler Ninham, 16, pleaded guilty in July and was sentenced to 1 to 4 years in prison. Stewart and Ninham carried BB guns that looked like real pistols when they knocked a 73-year old man to the ground--Stewart punching him in the face--and took all the cash he had on him, prosecutors said. That amounted to 7 cents. Stewart's lawyer, Laurin Haddad, had pleaded with Walsh to treat her client as a youthful offender, so that a felony conviction wouldn't remain on his permanent record. "For 7 cents, now you're making someone a felon for the rest of his life," Haddad told the Post-Standard.
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Stewart (right)
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O
n Saturday, September 3 history will be made at 479 Genesee Street in Buffalo. Most of us remember this address as the former Johnny’s Golden Glove. It was an east side favorite where the stars frequented and the liquor ran freely. This location is no longer a bar. It is “Loretta’s Soulful Dining and Catering” and its owners plan to make their official debut on Saturday, September 3 at 12 noon. The owners are three home grown, Buffalo bred, African American women – Vanessa Anderson, Annetta Jones and Loretta Davis. Annetta and Loretta are twins and Vanessa is their childhood friend. They each possess their own individual, unique professional profiles, but their common denominator is their love for Buffalo and their desire to make a difference in what each calls home. Vanessa Anderson is a 32 year veteran in the Buffalo public school system. She has dedicated her entire professional life to teaching the children of Buffalo. She is a lifelong member of St. John Baptist Church where she serves on the Board of Christian Education, a member of AKA Sorority, and a proud grandmother. Annetta Davis Jones has worked as a contract compliance officer for some of the most preeminent companies in the United States (Hewlett Packard, Bell Aerospace and currently Simens Medical in Washington, D.C). Like her business partners, Annetta was raised right here in Buffalo, and is a product of the Buffalo Public School System. Loretta Davis is a self-made entrepreneur. It was her vision, drive and desire to open a restaurant and catering business that laid the foundation to open “Loretta’s”. She worked in politics for the last 20 years from the office of the Erie County Executive, to Assistant to the Manhattan Borough President, to 5 years on Capitol Hill when she decided she wanted to work for herself. She returned home and turned her passion for soul food home cooking into her profession. The beauty of this business venture is its independence. “Loretta’s” was opened without one dime of government funding, no political favors and no outside financing! Their formula for success was pure hard work, dedication, patience and perseverance. Join Loretta, Annetta and Vanessa at noon on Saturday, September 3 at “Loretta’s”, 479 Genesee Street, for the official ribbon cutting ceremony, free food, fun and lots of games for the kids! Loretta Davis said, “We are hoping our neighbors will come out, tour the restaurant and share in the investment we’ve made in our community! All are welcome!” -Submitted by Karla Thomas
Kudos to the Speed Family for their Magnificent Buffalo Based Family Reunion The Love Fest began on Friday August 5, 2011 at the home of Elizabeth and James Taylor. It resumed on Saturday the 6th at Martin Luther King Park and concluded on Sunday the 7th in Prayer and Peace at Mount Zion Church of God Holiness, 32 Oakgrove Avenue. This was truly an “Affair to Remember,” and a great success as expressed by many of the 250 plus participants. This message of gratitude comes from the steadfast committee, created and chaired by Ronald Speed, Elizabeth Speed Taylor and husband James. They are this families precious gifts, from our ever transcending Mother, Grandma and Aunt Florence. As some of you may have already heard, the Speed Family reunion was a great success. Our goal was to have lots of fun and we did just that. As promised, we met new family members and converged with the familiar. We shared stories and the history we gathered was amazing: nine generations and their origin, also as part of the festivities, we danced, ate, sang, prayed and we even cried together with tears of joy of course. We, the committee want to thank each and every one for your support and commitment to make the Speed Family Reunion a huge success. Don’t worry, we’ll be back to do it again soon. Next time it’ll be bigger and better as the Speed Legacy Never Ends. Ronald Speed Chairman
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AUGUST 31, 2011
UB ATTICA CONFERENCE
Employment
continued several influential policymakers, including New York State Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubrey, chair of the Committee on Corrections and a vocal advocate for prison reform. Miller says it comes at a time when the corrections industry, an entrenched part of the state’s and the nation’s economy, is undergoing reconsideration. “We run a very expensive prison system. New York is leading the country in looking at the wisdom of that and evaluating alternatives,” Miller says. “We’re at a point at which we need to reform, and consider downsizing, a system that has just grown too large. As a parent, you spank your child as a last resort, after nothing else has changed their behavior. That needs to be the way we approach corrections as well, with incarceration as a last resort. Growing the prison system and locking people up as a job creation strategy is morally wrong, economically inefficient, and counterproductive.” The conference is an occasion to reexamine the work of corrections officers as well; according to Miller, they
suffer stress-related illnesses at rates far greater than that of the general population, as well as disproportionate rates of drug abuse, domestic violence and other social maladies. And they die young -- at age 58, on average, she says. “Day after day, it’s all negative,” she says of the job. “It takes a toll.” Keynote speakers for the conference include Brian Fischer, Commissioner of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. In addition to academic researchers, presenters also include: -- Malcolm Bell, a former special assistant attorney general who helped lead the investigation into the uprising and the state response.
-- Arthur O. Eve, a negotiator and observer in 1971 and a former New York State assemblyman. -- Herman Schwartz, also an observer, and a UB Law professor in 1971. -- Michael Smith, a correctional officer who was held hostage and wounded during the retaking of the prison. -- Jim Conway, who recently retired as the prison’s superintendent.
property for sale Waterfront Property for Sale– Buffalo, NY 60 acres with approximately 1,580 feet of shoreline property and 650,000 square feet of warehousing/office/manufacturing space owned by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) which is seeking Requests for Proposals (RFP) for the purchase of this property. The entire RFP (RFP No. 4127) can be found on the NFTA’s web site at NFTA.com.
Marina for Sale NFTA Boat Harbor– Buffalo, NY 204 acres with a 1,001 slip marina owned by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) which is seeking Requests for Proposals (RFP) for the purchase of this property. The entire RFP (RFP No. 4126) can be found on the NFTA’s web site at NFTA.com.
bidS
Buffalo City School District Advertisement for Bids Sealed proposals for the following project will be received at the office of the Plant Services and School Planning – 403 City Hall, Buffalo, New York, 14202. On Wednesday, September 14, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. proposals will be publicly opened and read aloud for: Window Reconstruction and Related Work P.S. #97 Harvey Austin School 1405 Sycamore Street Buffalo, New York 14211 Beginning Tuesday, August 30, 2011, bidding document packages may be viewed and purchased through Avalon Document Services online Planroom website at http://www.avalonbuff-planroom.com , under “Public Jobs”, or ordered by phone at 716-995-7777. The work will be subject to the equal employment opportunity requirements. Any questions regarding this project, please refer to Jim Napora, 816-3026. Paul McDonnell, AIA, Director of Facilities Advertising date: TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2011 AUGUST 31, 2011
Site Manager. Belmont Housing Resources is seeking a housing professional to join our team as the site manager for affordable properties in Buffalo and surrounding suburbs. If you are a detail-oriented multi-tasker with excellent customer service skills, apply today! BA and one year related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience. ARM/ COS certification desired. Professional development opportunities and great benefit package. Resume and salary requirements by September 9, 2011 to www.belmonthousingwny.org/jobs, EOE/AA
EAST SIDE APARTMENTS AVAILABLE *Two and Three Bedroom Apartments starting at $395 plus security. Apartments Section 8 Ready. Call 836-8686.
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PART TIME SCHEDULE DELIVER PERSON-Job #12311-M Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority is seeking Part Time Schedule Delivery Person. Duties: delivery of bus schedules, maintenance of Company van, preparation of schedules to be delivered, maintenance of schedule racks, and geographical placement and mapping of rack locations. Min. Quals: HS grad, clean valid NYS driver’s license. To apply: send resume, along with NFTA employment application, available at www.nfta.com to: NFTA Human Resources/Job #123-11-M 181 Ellicott Street Buffalo, NY 14203 Application deadline: September 2, 2011
bidS NFTA Procurement Invitation to Bid Sale of Property 901 Furhmann Sale of Boat Harbor & Gallagher Beach Fasteners Tactile Warning Strips Download Bids from www.nfta. com
COUNTY OF ERIE NOTICE TO BIDDERS INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS GREINER RD (CR37) & SHIMERVILLE RD (CR279) PROJECT NO. FA-37/279-11 LOCALLY ADMINISTERED FEDERAL AID PROJECT 5756.85 The Department of Public Works, Division of Highways, is seeking sealed bids for this intersection improvement project. Sealed proposals will be received at the DPW-Division of Highways Main Conference Room 1419, 95 Franklin Street, 14th floor, Buffalo, NY at 10:00 a.m., September 15, 2011. Bid deposit of $50,000.00 required. Plans will be available for purchase at $100./set from August 25, 2011 through bid date. Pre-let meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 8, 2011 10:00 a.m. at the DPW-Division of Highways Conference Room 1419, 95 Franklin Street, 14th floor, Buffalo, NY. 11% DBE required. Bid submittal details are on the Erie County website at: www.erie.gov/bidproposals.asp
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MON 8/22
TUES 8/23
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THURS 8/25
EVE-003 EVE-933 EVE- 370
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MID - 8458 MID- 4958 FUNKY GOOD TIME! For the majority of the day, it was a love fest for the approximately 2,500 folks who converged on LaSalle Park for Saturday’s Funk Fest. We remembered our beloved King of Punk Funk, Rick James under perfect skies and warm weather. The Exoutics and the Old School B-Boys absolutely
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On-Going DANCE
Dance Lessons with Smooth Steppers: Urban Line Dance, smooth style Ballroom, Steppin’ and Swing; CRUCIAL Center, 230 Moselle St., Saturdays at noon; Tuesdays at 6 p.m. $3; 6337813. *Line Dancing With Pearl Harris: 6-7 p.m. Pratt Willert Community Center, 422 Pratt St. donation $2. Wednesdays *Community Dance and African Drumming Classes: African American Cultural Center, 350 Masten Avenue, 3 p.m. Saturdays and 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; $15 monthly; visit www. africancultural.org more information *Line Dancing Lessons, First Shiloh Baptist Church, 15 Pine St., 6:30 p.m. Fridays. 847-6555. Free. *Line Dance Lessons: 10 a.m.-Noon; Martha Mitchell Center, 175 Oakmont St.; 444-2046 or 833-1038, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursday 6-7:30 pm; $2 *Line Dance by George Patterson: 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.; Delavan Grider Center, 896-7021, Mondays & Thursdays. *June-Teenth Afrikan Family Time Drum Dance and Song: 6-8:30 p.m.; Gateway-Longview Family Resource Center, 347 Ferry Street. Fridays * Argentine Tango Every Monday with Travis Widrick 7 - 10 p.m. 1st hour beginners lesson,The Gallery @ Chow Chocolat, 731 Main St. *Salsa Night Every Wednesday with Calvin and Fanny 7 - 10 p.m .1st hour beginners lesson The Gallery @ Chow Chocolat 731 Main St. *Latin Night 1st/3rd Friday with Chun Poh, Salsa, Merengue, ChaCha, Bachata 8 p.m.- midnight, Chow Chocolat 731 Main St.
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Tuesdays 12 NOON - 1 P.M. AUGUST 31, 2011
CALENDAR OF EVENTS Wednesday August 31
Saturday September 3
Wednesday September 7
Eva M. Noles Scholarship Book Fair: Roswell Park’s Kaminski Park on Carlton Street, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Miss Barbara’s School of Dance Fall Registration: 5-7 p.m., 1832 Main St. @ Delavan Station; 834-1644.
Health and Healing Circle “Talk About”: 5-7 p.m., CAO, 70 Harvard Place. Refreshmentes.
Buffalo Wing Festival: Noon – 9 p.m., Coca Cola Field (275 Washington St. downtown).
Candidates Forum: Hosted by We Are Women Warriors, 5:30-7:45 p.m., Frank E. Merriweather Library; (716) 536-7323 or (716) 602-5877
Thursday September 1
Sunday September 4
Common Council Candidates Forum: 7 p.m., Buffalo State College, Burchfield Penny Art Center Auditorium; hosted by Buffalo Association of Black Journalists, the Burchfield Penny Art Center and the Buffalo State College Communications Department.
Buffalo Wing Festival: Noon – 7 p.m., Coca Cola Field (275 Washington St. downtown).
Friday September 2 Miss Barbara’s School of Dance Fall Registration: 10 a.m.-1p.m., 1832 Main St. @ Delavan Station; 834-1644
SEE YOU AT THE EVENTS!
Tuesday September 6 Fundraiser for Council Member Pridgen: 5-8 p.m., USS Little Rock, One Naval park Cove, donation: $20, $50 or $100, live music and food. Sponsored by Friends of Darius G. Pridgen; 578-1258.
Saturday September 3 Grand Opening: Loretta’s Soulful Dining and Catering, 12 noon479 Genesee St; all are welcome.
SEE YOU AT THE EVENTS!
AUGUST 31, 2011
Page 15
WHITE PARTY! The White Party that was recently held by John and Anita Sanders at their beautiful home in Williamsville, New York was OFF THE CHAIN!!! There was MORE than enough of EVERYTHING. The D.J. was the bomb. The food was absolutely delicious and the pound cake John's mom made was to die for! John and Anita were such gracious hosts. They even had a birthday cake for any of their guests who had birthdays in August. So when you hear about John and Anita Sanders having a party, you need to find somebody who is invited and ask to tag along. You'll be glad you did! (Photos & Text Princess Photography)
ENDORSED DEMOCRAT RETAIN JUDGE SUSAN
Retain Judge Susan Eagan . . . The Right Choice for Buffalo City Court
BUFFALO CITY COURT
Primary Day: September 13th BEST QUALIFIED
Canisius College, cum laude University at Buffalo, School of Law, magna cum laude
EXPERIENCED
Buffalo City Court Judge Former Ethics Attorney - Attorney Grievance Committee Former Prosecutor - Erie County District Attorney’s Office
RESULTS
VOTE 3A
“Well Qualified”
Bar Association of Erie County and Minority Bar Association
“Highly Qualified”
Women’s Bar Association, State of New York
WWW.JUDGESUSANEAGAN.COM Page 16
Co-founder, Lawyers for Learning, Inc. President of Parent/Teacher Organization – Catholic Academy of West Buffalo Member of West Side Youth Violence Prevention Task Force, Near East and West Side Task Force NAACP
COMMUNITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT ENDORSEMENTS Police Conference of New York
The Women’s TAP Fund WNY Hispanic Friends and Civic Assoc. Ironworkers, Local No. 6 Buffalo Teachers Federation Grassroots, Inc. AFSCME, AFL-CIO Local 930
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AUGUST 31, 2011