February 21-28, 2013 . freeportroosevelt@gmail.com . freeportroosevelttimes.com Fund has seen steady growth in the second half of 2012 and is on pace for a positive return as we approach the end of the fiscal year on March 31,” DiNapoli said. “Independent reviews of the Fund reveal it is well-run and has a long-term, diversified investment strategy designed to produce positive returns The New York State Common Retirement Fund’s (Fund) rate of return for the third quar- in various market conditions.” In 2009, DiNapoli initiated quarterly perter ending December 31, 2012 was 1.74 percent, according to New York State Comptrol- formance reporting by the Fund, which had ler Thomas P. DiNapoli. The Fund’s estimated previously disclosed its results only on an annual basis. value at the end of the third quarter was DiNapoli’s efforts to increase transparency $152.9 billion, near its historical high. and accountability regarding Fund manage“The New York State Common Retirement
NEW YORK STATE COMMON RETIREMENT FUND ANNOUNCES THIRD QUARTER RESULTS
ment and performance were cited as industry leading in an independent review of the Fund conducted by Funston Advisory Services. At the end of FY 2012, the Fund’s funded status was 87 percent, placing it among the highest funded ratios of public pension plans in the country. Because of superior investment performance over the last 20 years, 82 percent of benefit costs have been paid for by investment returns.
Celebrity Interview: Meagan Good The “Deception” Interview with Kam Williams
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February 21-28, 2013 . Freeport-Roosevelt Times . Page 3
News Phil Andrews to appear as guest speaker at Uniondale Chamber of Commerce meeting
We welcome Letters to the Editor Email letters to editor@hutimes.com Please include your name, email, telephone. ……………………………… Freeport-Roosevelt Times...featuring positive events that celebrate our community but overlooked by mainstream media Freeport-Roosevelt Times: highlights small businesses owners, community leaders, local celebrities…. the grassroots. Contact us @ (516) 717-9769 (516) 292-1263
Master networker and motivational speaker Phil Andrews will keynote Uniondale Chamber of Commerce meeting on March 5 at the Uniondale High School. Mr. Andrews is President of the 100 Black Men of Long Island. Founded in 1974, "The 100" serves as an international coalition focused on creating educational opportunities, promoting economic empowerment, addressing health disparities and creating positive mentoring relationships. As founder of of P.A. Public Relations Company, Phil has been afforded the privilege to serve as Public Relations Director for a myriad of companies, community initiatives and professional organizations. Andrews' business acumen is often sought after by organizations that host major events, benefits and fundraisers. In 1995 and 1998, Mr. Andrews' excellence in his field garnered the Small Business Person of the Year award by two branches of the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce (Roosevelt and West Indian Chambers, respectively). He has also received a number of proclamations and citations from notable political officials including former Nassau County Executive Thomas S. Gullotta, former Town of Hempstead Supervisor Richard Guardino and Assembly-woman Earlene Hooper Hill, 18th Assembly District of Long Island NY. Phil's work has been featured in multi-platform publications including Black Star News, The New York Beacon, Amsterdam News, Minority Business Review, The Network Journal and more. He is also featured in "15 Years of Minority Business Development" a book published by Mr. Robert Adams. Mr. An-
FITINGO MUSIC PRESENTS AN EVENING OF SOPHISTICATED SOUL! —-En Vogue, Lillo Thomas, James D-Train Williams and Cherrelle will perform for one night only at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury - March 2, 2013
drews is listed in Who's Who in Black America and International Who's Who. RSVP by emailing uniondalechamber@gmail.com or calling 516.229.1348
Join the Uniondale Chamber of Commerce Why Join Uniondale Chamber 0f Commerce, New Business Contacts - One major reason to consider active participation with the Chamber is to meet and network new businesses. Representation - The Chamber works as a voice for its members in local and state government.
En Vogue, one the best selling female R&B Grammy nominated groups of all time with their chart toppers “Hold On” and “My Love (Never Gonna Get It) “ bring their sophisticated sass and flawless harmonies to the NYCB Theatre at Westbury for a special performance on Saturday, March 2, 2013 at 8 p.m. Joining them will be R&B Crooner Lillo Thomas, the Brooklyn born vocalist who ruled the 80’s airwaves with his hits “You’re A Good Girl” and “I’m In Love ( I Surrender)”. Special guests James D-Train Williams known for his global hit “You’re The One For Me”, and the Jimmy Jam -Terry Lewis protégé Cherrelle, whose chart topper is “Didn’t Mean to Turn You On”, round out this evening of Sophisticated Soul that you don’t want to miss. Tickets are $69.50, $49.50 and $39.50 and are available at the www.ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at 800-745-3000 or at the Westbury box office. Tickets are subject to applicable service charges. All events, dates and show times are subject to change. For more information, visit www.ththeatreatwestbury.com. About Fitingo Music -= Fitingo music…music for your soul. Bringing quality back to live performances. Music has become more and more processed. There is nothing more magical than the sound of a riveting vocalist delivering music that touches your soul. Music is energy and draws on all your emotions. Whether it’s reliving old memories or creating new ones Fitingo Music is thrilled to be able to bring unique experiences to audiences and provide a great night out while doing so. For more information on this event please contact: Kimberley Thomas, Founding Partner, Fitingo Music at 845-364-8062 or fitingomusic@aol.com
Page 4 . February 21—28, 2013 . Freeport-Roosevelt Times
News
February 21-28, 2013 . Freeport-Roosevelt Times . Page 5
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February 21-28, 2013 . Freeport-Roosevelt Times
News • •
How are African-American and New Immigrant Children Doing Academically? Q. As we celebrate Black History Month, what is the state of academic achievement for African-American children and new immigrant children at this time? A. The stats are still poor. Overall, African -American students score lower on standardized tests, graduate at lower rates and are considerably more likely to be expelled, suspended or placed in special education. If they are poor and new immigrants the gaps are even worse. If students are new immigrants who speak another language like Hispanic, African or Haitian students the ability to achieve is hindered even more. Research shows that African-American children tend to attend districts with substandard teachers, administrators and resources. Some districts resort to moving their low functioning minority students to alternative schools or special education so that their low scores will not pull down the overall scores of the district. One would think that districts would implement researched based programs proven to be effective with poor minority and new immigrant students but all school districts are complaining about is little to no funding. Those who do research in education will often list what poor children need to succeed, what minority children need to succeed and what second language learners need to succeed academically however, it is rare to find school districts that implement these kinds of programs. Often these three components overlap. Two recent reports, one from the Council of the Great City Schools and one from the American Institutes for Research, reveal that the achievement gaps are still large between AfricanAmerican and white students. But concerted efforts in certain states and districts have shown that the historical trend doesn't have to remain the same, and overall the picture may have brightened slightly over the past decade or two, according to statistics and anecdotal observations. According to the Alliance for Excellent Education, African-American high school students are notably falling behind their white counterparts in graduation rates, dropout rates, literacy rates, and college preparedness rates. * In 2005, only 55 percent of all black students graduated from high school on time with a regular diploma, compared to 78 percent of whites. * In 2005, the on-time graduation rate for black males was 48 percent nationally; for white males it was 74 percent. * Nearly half of the nation’s African American students, but only 11 percent of white students, attend high schools in which graduation is not the norm.
*In 2002, 23 percent of all black students who started public high school left it prepared for college, compared to 40 percent of whites. *On average, African American and Hispanic twelfth-grade students read at approximately the same level as white eighth graders. *About half of poor, urban ninth graders read at only a fifth- or sixth-grade level. * The National Assessment of Educational Progress reports that 88 percent of African American eighth graders read below grade level, compared to 62 percent of white eighth graders. * The twelfth-grade reading scores of African American males were significantly lower than those for men and women across every other racial and ethnic group. A disproportionate number of failing schools, across grade levels, are predominantly comprised of poor, racial, and ethnic minority students. These segregated schools tend to have fewer financial, human, and material resources than schools in more affluent areas. By the time students who attend these schools reach high school, the academic challenges they face have been compounded by years of substandard education.
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What Can Parents Do? We could spend hours discussing the state of education for African-American children. The research is voluminous and thorough. While the school boards and politicians fight over funding and teacher evaluation systems, our children lose valuable time and resources. People live where they can afford but that doesn’t mean they should stand for substandard schools. Parents have to take a much more active role in their children’s education. Here are my tips for parents:
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Make sure your child has good nutrition. Make sure your child has enough sleep. Make sure your child does all homework, assignments and readings. Read to your child and insist older children read everyday. Ask ‘wh’ questions while you read to improve comprehension skills. Turn off the TV and video games and read. Take them on outings and improve vocabulary and exposure to new things. Visit the library and library shows. They are free and informative. Learn the curriculum for your child’s grade and reinforce skills at home. Watch educational TV like Discovery Channel, National Geographic and PBS! Have a good relationship with your children. Emotional health is just as important as physical health. Have good routines for homework, meal times and sleep. Stay in touch with your child’s teacher often. Ask what you can do to help. Join your schools PTA. Be active and present at school. Attend all meetings at your child’s school. Let your children know education is a priority and non-negotiable. Encourage writing skills. Help them write about a book they just read or a show they watched. Let them write letters to family on paper or online. Make sure your child is in good health.
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Have your child’s vision and hearing tested. If your child is struggling academically have him/her evaluated early for a learning disability so there can be early intervention. Attend school board meetings and know what is happening in your district. Make sure your child has all school supplies needed. Expect much from your district and teachers. Ask the teacher for resources you can reinforce at home. Find out what your child will be learning next week so you can introduce it over the weekend. Get a tutor if you can. Professional tutors can be expensive but you can connect with your local high school and ask for a student who is good in math, for example, who you can pay a stipend to tutor your child. If you can let your child learn to play an instrument, join a sport or join a club. Kids who are engaged in a group do better in school because they are more focused, tend to have more friends, and have better self-esteem. Praise your child for his/her strengths. He may not be on the honor roll but he may be an excellent writer or debater or an excellent artist. Praise progress, improvement and good effort as if it was an A+. Make sure your child attends school! It’s hard to grasp something new if you were not there to learn it and practice it. Keep your children actively learning through the summer months. They can still have fun and read a book and do a few pages of work, too.
Some information gathered from the www.all4ed.org and www.districtadministration.com websites. Lisa-Anne Ray-Byers is a licensed and certified speechlanguage pathologist who has worked in education for over two decades. She holds graduate degrees in speechlanguage pathology and multicultural education. She also holds certification in educational administration. She is the author of the books, They Say I Have ADHD, I Say Life Sucks! Thoughts From Nicholas and They SSSay I’m a StStStutterer, But I SSSay Nothing! Meet Kelly and coauthor of 365 Ways to Succeed With ADHD! She is the Education Editor of the Community Journal newspaper in Baldwin, NY and a member of the National Education Writers Association. You may contact her at speechlrb@yahoo.com or by visiting her website at www.AskLisaAnne.com.
Communication Corner With Gail Lewis
Take It or Leave It…Right Now Ever watch the game show Let’s Make A Deal? A costume clad audience member is faced with several prize options and must make an instant decision as to which to choose. Curtain #1? Maybe curtain #3? The prize choice must be made quickly; after all, it’s only a 30 minute show! Some salespeople ask for an instant decision from their customers. With a one-time customer, as with a retail sale, asking for a quick decision is expected. After all, in retail, the mall closes at 9, and customers must vacate the premises. But when building a long-term relationship with a customer, salespeople might want to rethink the quick sale approach. “Take it or leave it…right now” might make a potential long-term customer sprint away faster than the Road Runner. Build a relationship with a long-term customer by avoiding hard-sell, I-need-a-decision-right-now-ornothing pressure. Instead of demanding an instant decision, ask your customer for a time you can visit or call to get a decision. With a returning customer, take the time to build the relationship. The return on your patience might just be a life-long client. ————Gail Lewis, M.A. teaches Communications; is a corporate trainer with The Communication Depot (www.TheCommunicationDepot.com); and never passes up an opportunity to watch Star Trek.
February 21-28, 2013 . Freeport-Roosevelt Times . Page 7
Kam’s Kapsules Movies . Book Reviews . DVD Reviews . Celebrity Interviews
Kam Williams
Meagan Good The “Deception” Interview with Kam Williams Meagan Good stars in NBC's midseason drama "Deception" as Joanna Padget Locasto, a San Francisco narcotics detective with childhood ties to a notoriously secretive and powerful New York family, the Bowers. When her childhood best friend, Vivian Bowers, is found dead under mysterious circumstances, Joanna is enlisted by the FBI to help to find the killer, agreeing to go undercover into the opulent lifestyle she thought she'd left behind. Meagan has become one of Hollywood's most sought-after young actresses, recently completing a season-long arc on Showtime's acclaimed series "Californication" as well as a role in "Think Like a Man," the feature film based on the best-selling book by Steve Harvey. In 2011, she starred on the big screen alongside Angela Bassett and Paula Patton in "Jumping the Broom." The versatile actress has mastered a variety of film genres, ranging from horror with "The Unborn" opposite Odette Annable and Gary Oldman to comedy with "The Love Guru," co-starring Mike Myers, Jessica Alba and Justin Timberlake. She rose to fame as a result of her box-office hit "Stomp the Yard," but was recognized earlier for her acclaimed performance opposite Samuel L. Jackson in the eerie family drama "Eve's Bayou," for which she received an NAACP Image Award nomination. Additional feature film credits include the critically-acclaimed cult film "Brick," opposite Joseph Gordon-Levitt, "You Got Served," "D.E.B.S," "Waist Deep" with Tyrese Gibson, Queen Latifah's "The Cookout," "Biker Boyz," "Deliver Us from Eva," "Friday" with Ice Cube, "Roll Bounce" and the horror film "Saw V." Besides acting, Meagan has produced independent films such as "Miles from Home," which she starred in opposite actor/director Ty Hodges. The picture screened at the Pan African Film & Arts Festival, the Washington D.C. Independent Film Festival and the Atlanta Film Festival, where it swept all of the awards - Best Feature, Best Actor and Actress (Meagan Good) and Best Director. More recently, she produced and starred in "Video Girl," the "Gia"-esque film that depicts the sordid and misunderstood life of a music video superstar. Born in Panorama City, California, Megan began appearing in commercials at the age of 4 and to date has completed over 60 national television commercials. She made her primetime television debut on the WB nighttime series "Raising Dad," and her first major television role was as a regular on the hit show "Cousin Skeeter." And she has guest-starred on "Moesha," "The Steve Harvey Show," "The Division," "The Parent 'Hood," "My Wife & Kids" and "All of Us," too. Meagan was recently married to DeVon Franklin, an executive for Columbia Pictures who is also a preacher and motivational speaker. Here, she talks about her new show, “Deception,” which airs Monday nights on NBC at 10 PM ET/PT. (Check local listings)
Kam Williams: Hi, Meagan. Congratulations on your marriage, newlywed! How was the honeymoon? Meagan Good: It was fantastic, especially considering we were celibate until marriage! KW: What interested you in Deception?
Meagan: The script was incredible and there were so many elements that appealed to me creatively and physically, and the cast seemed like an amazing group of people. KW: Tell me a little about the show? Meagan: My character’s name is Joanna Locasto. Her mother worked for the Bowers family and she grew up in the house and was best friends with Vivian. They had a strange falling out when they were 17 and I moved to San Francisco and went on to become a narcotics officer with the SFPD, while Vivian went on to become a “celebutante.” The show opens with Vivian’s murder and the FBI brings me in undercover to find out who did it KW: Will solving this murder take up the whole first season? Meagan: Yes, but the show is so crazy and there are many other things that unfold while the murder is being solved. KW: How would you describe your character, Joanna Locasto? Meagan: Tough, ballsy, and vulnerable, with a strong moral compass. She has a moral heart and wants to pursue justice and see the right thing happen. KW: How did you prepare for this role? Did you consult your father, since he was a police officer in the LAPD? Meagan: Yes I did, and also his wife who is currently in the FBI. They helped me learn about the mentality of a police officer and what a day in their life is like, and what it takes to be a person who will give their life for the call of duty. KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would? Meagan: I wish someone would ask if I was “saved” before I met my husband. A lot of people assume I had a spiritual awakening when I met him and it bothers me that people think that happened overnight. KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read? MeaganMG: I’m currently reading my husband’s book, “Produced by Faith.” http:// www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ ASIN/1451671962/ref=nosim/thslfofire-20
decision you ever made, and what was the worst?
Meagan: God. And my mom has been amazing.
MeaganMG: Best – to do Deception. Worst – one or two films I did that I won’t call out by name.
KW: The Judyth Piazza question: What key quality do you believe all successful people share?
KW: The Michael Ealy question: If you could meet any historical figure, whom would it be?
Meagan: They don’t believe in “no.”
Meagan: Rosa Parks or Jesus.
KW: The Uduak Oduok question: Who is your favorite clothes designer?
KW: The Pastor Alex Kendrick question: When do you feel the most content?
Meagan: I love anything vintage. And I love Marc Jacobs and shoes by Giuseppe Zanotti.
Meagan: When I’m with my family.
KW: Dante Lee, author of "Black Business Secrets,” asks: What was the best business
KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
KW: The Toure question: Who is the person who led you to become the person you are today?
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Meagan: Keep God as your main focus. Make sure your desire to do what you’re aspiring to do is deeper than just fame and being a celebrity. Be willing to work hard, and don’t believe that when a door closes it’s anything personal. KW: How do you want to be remembered? Meagan: As a woman who represented God but was controversial, stood by what she believed and wouldn’t allow other people’s opinions of her to manipulate her directions. As someone who helped others, loved others deeply even if they tried to hurt her, was there for people when she could be, and ultimately made everything she did about God and not just about herself. KW: Thanks again for the time, Meagan, and best of luck with the show. Meagan: Thanks, Kam. To see a trailer for Deception, visit:
Interested, call (516) 717-9769 or email: editor@hutimes.com http://www.youtube.com/watch? All levels of experience—college students, retirees, homemakers—okay. v=_BscRYjNdMQ
Page 8 . February 21-28, 2013 . Freeport-Roosevelt Times
Jack Signorelli
Trainique uncovered five areas that differentiate successful sales organizations from the rest. Obstacle One – A wing-it mentality towards selling. 82% of all Business Owners said their company had a sales process that was poorly defined, wasn't being followed or no sales process at all. A sales process is analogous to a professional basketball team playbook. Without a consistent offense, a consistent defense and a consistent agreed to set of plays, what you have are great players who can't put the ball in the net because they just don't know what their next move is.
Jack Signorelli
They become purely reactive to the opposing team, in this case the prospect! Is your sales team proactive and offensive in their business development approach, or have them become reactive and purely defensive in their approach?
The Top 5 Obstacles Facing Business Owners & Sales Management
Obstacle Two – Lack of sales knowledge and lack of application. 42% of Business Owners and CEO's stated their sales people lacked the essential basic skills needed to produce at a rate consistent with real growth. Regardless of sales experience remember the following. Every year sales organizations spend millions You.... Read More of dollars investigating new ways to grow sales. Business Owners know that sales are Need More Prospects? www.MoreBizU.com the life blood of the company, or do they? Need help with Social Media? Are you thinking that the only way to grow is www.SoundviewInternetInstitute.com through maintaining existing accounts, referrels, or through attending networking ————Jack works with a select group of clients events? Is that really satisfactory growth to who are driven to improve their profits, team performance, and lifestyle. Are there areas in your you? business that need some adjustments?
If you can't produce new business, then there "Helping Middle Class Business Owners Become is no company, or at least no future for that Wealthy Entrepreneurs" Call me direct @ 631-757 -2936 or email: Jack@SoundviewAdvice.com company; it is that simple! A past study of 2,663 sales organizations by Think Training, Nightingale Conant, and
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