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East Texas Baptist University President Blair and Wife Michelle Blackburn Attend 2020 Habitat Fund Raiser
COMMUNIT Y, EDUCATION, BUSINESS, POLITICS & RELIGION NEWS
Complimentary Copy February 1, 2020
Red Oak Missionary Baptist Church Slates Annual Laymen Workshop February 1
Angela Daughtry And Friend Vicki Adcock Attend 2020 Raising the Roof Habitat for Humanity Fund Raiser
See Below
NEWSPAPER IN EDUCATION
education spotlight Pine Tree ISD
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Oscar Ruiz
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Ashly James
PTJS VEX ROBOTICS
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AFRICAN AMERICAN LIFE IN BOOKS
By Joycelyne Fadojutimi RAISING THE ROOF See Below See Below
Dr. Blake Williams, Cathy Reed, Allison Beard, Flecia Woods, Becky Cooper and President Dan Droege
Don’t Let Predatory Tax Loans Take Your Refunds
By Charlene Crowell, NNPA Newswire Contributor
For many consumers, the New Year brings an annual effort to file taxes early enough to help pay off big bills, replace major appliances or tuck away a few bucks for the proverbial ‘rainy day’.
With a continuing federal shutdown, this year there are also an estimated 800,000 federal workers who have not had a payday since December. For these consumers, an early tax refund could cover basic living needs like housing, food, child care and utilities.
See PREDATORY on Page 5
Red Oak slates Laymen Workshop
Contd. on Page 2 The twentieth yearly Raisin’ the Roof was an extravaganza to say the least. Executive Director LaJuan Hollis explain how and why this event came together so beautifully. “Planning for the annual gala begins 9-12 months in advance. This year was especially important to us,” she said.
Fiscal Notes: The 2020 Census – Why It’s Important
Contd. on Page 5 (AUSTIN) — In the latest edition of Fiscal Notes, the Comptroller’s office looks at the impact of the census on the many federal programs that use its data to determine the distribution of federal dollars to states, local governments and citizens. Human Trafficking
The “Annual Laymen Workshop” will be taking place at Red Oak Missionary Baptist Church where H.C. Rockmore Sr., is pastor. Red Oak is located at 2717 South Martin Luther King Jr, Boulevard in Longview, Texas.
The workshop is scheduled for Saturday, February 1, from 8:00am to 12:00 noon.
Contd. on Page 7 The Longview Municipal Court is offering a warrant amnesty program from February 1, 2020 through April 30
Dual Credit, Continuing the Dream
KC Foundation raises over $24,000 for scholarships
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The twentieth yearly Raisin’ the Roof was an extravaganza to say the least. Executive Director LaJuan Hollis explain how and why this event came together so beautifully. “Planning for the annual gala begins 9-12 months in advance. This year was especially important to us,” she said. “It was the 20th Anniversary of this event and Raisin’ the Roof would retire in 2020, too. We wanted to celebrate all that the community has accomplished through the support of this event and to provide a sneak peek at our plans for 2021 and beyond.”
This year’s event showcased everything Longview has accomplished by supporting this gala. And, Hollis is clear on whom to thank for assuring success in raising $1,189, 900 to be invested in creating safe, comfortable homes.
“It was particularly meaningful to me have Jeanne Collins take the stage and announce the impact Raisin’ the Roof had in our community,” she said. “Jeanne has been a volunteer, board member and staunch advocate of the Habitat Mission since the early 1990s. She has participated in every Raisin’ the Roof gala.”
The homes this event finances look like custom structures in accordance with Raisin’ the Roof’s commitment to providing topquality homes in which families can grow and thrive. Whenever possible families are given three design choices. The families choose the flooring, fixtures, furnishings and paint colors. Despite catering to the inclinations of the families who will occupy the new houses, prices remain affordable. This was made possible by the community of supporters.
“Our construction committee and E.D. have focused on building strong relationships with local partners to provide in-kind materials and donations of professional services and discounted buying options as part of their companies’ commitment to invest in the communities in which they operate,” said Hollis. “These partnerships make it possible for us to provide more choices to the family and build more efficiently while keeping the final product affordable.”
Such operative efficiency enables Hollis and her collaborators to keep building new homes at a rapid pace. They closed on a home last fall and started another one in Longview to be closed on in a few weeks. This will be the final home of the Texas Street Project, and the new occupants are scheduled to move in late in February. Raisin’ the Roof operatives are busily seeking out lots throughout Gregg County. Construction on another new residence is slated to commence this summer. One more Longview family is ready to start building, and three others are completing their educational and sweat equity requirements. Habitat held its first Harrison County ownership meetings last September. Five families in that county are already enrolled, and one of them is ready to start building. Habitat is partnering with East Texas Baptist University for what is called a Blitz Build for a family named Brooks in Marshall. This project is set to start during spring break. “A Blitz Build is an exciting event in which we attempt to complete a home in just seven days,” says Hollis. “East Texas Baptist students and faculty will work 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day, and we hope to RAISING Continued from Page 1
Wally Rhymes
Raimund Gideon and Celeste Zimicki
Sherill and Brian Nelson
Allen McReynolds and Bill Carroll
Flecia Woods, Cathy Reed and Allison Beard
Haley and Joseph Louvier
Angela Daughtry
Vicki Adcock
Jason Holden and Katelyn Cooper Renee McKinley, Dawn North, Allyson Ward Bailey and Heather Mitchell
Harry Barth, Jan Preher, Lynne Sticher, and Allen McReynolds
Visit us at www.easttexasreview.com Call us at: 903.236.0406 Mission Why We Exist To continuously improve communication between the people of East Texas. Vision What We Want To Be One of the best community newspapers in the Nation. Provider of positive and edifying news about people, places, and businesses. Publisher/Editor Joycelyne Fadojutimi Social Media Specialist Odyssey Jones Contributing Writers Jim Hightower Mechele Agbayani Mills Rusty Wright Teresa Hoffman Molly Sabatino Graphic Artist Sho Labaco The entire contents of the East Texas Review are copyrighted 2020. Any reproduction or use in whole or part without written permission is prohibited.
The Publisher welcomes input from the public. You may write or e-mail your comments. East Texas Review reserves the right to edit and make appropriate modifications.
The opinions published by contributing writers do not necessarily reflect the views of East Texas Review or its advertisers. Submission Deadline - Every Friday. dedicate the home the following Sunday.” Besides branching out from Gregg into other counties, Habitat is also working with the Homeownership, Veteran Repair, Beat the Heat, and Beat the Cold in Harrison and Upshur counties. So far, there are no plans to open additional ReStores. Still, Habitat stayed very busy in 2019, completing 64 projects in Gregg County, 53 in Harrison County, and 16 in Upshur County. All this represented a 74% increase over 2018 in families served. This labor of love just keeps gaining momentum.
In 2012, Habitat served four families with home ownership, and then 2013 was a year for planning and transformation. Autumn 2014 saw the launching of Habitat 100--a fiveyear plan to impact as many families as possible. Hollis and her staff restructured operations and took a broader approach to addressing the stubborn problem of how to provide affordable poverty housing.
“We committed to continue to build, but also to serve individuals that had no other options to improve their health and safety Contd. on Page 15
Texans received more than $15M
New data released by the Federal Trade Commission shows that consumers across Texas received $15,700,472 in refund checks from the FTC in 2019.
In addition to refunds, the newly released data also shows that Texas residents filed 244,795 complaints with the FTC last year. The most common category of complaints received from Texas consumers was Identity Theft, followed by Imposter Scams, Debt Collection, Credit Reporting Issues, and Telephone and Mobile Services. Consumers in Texas reported losing $100,899,560 to scams and fraud.
Reports from around the country about consumer protection issues are a key resource for FTC investigations that stop illegal activities and, when possible, provide refunds to consumers.
A core part of the FTC’s mission is to return money to consumers who are harmed by illegal business practices. Over the last four years, consumers have cashed more than $1 billion in FTC refund checks.
The most common type of fraud reported to the FTC in 2019 nationwide was imposter scams; government imposter scams, in particular, were the most frequently reported, and up more than 50 percent since 2018. Of all reports received, the top categories were identity theft, imposter scams, telephone and mobile services, online shopping, and credit bureaus.
Refunds to Consumers
The FTC Act allows the FTC to seek refunds from companies whose actions harm consumers. During 2019, more than 1.9 million consumers cashed FTC checks received as a result of law enforcement cases. When consumers don’t cash their refund checks, the FTC uses that money to send additional mailings to ensure the maximum amount of money is returned to consumers. Any remaining refund money is sent to the U.S. Treasury.
For the first time, data about the FTC’s refund program will be available online in an interactive dashboard, including state-by-state and case-by-case breakdowns of the amount refunded to consumers. The dashboard is available at ftc. gov/exploredata.
Vision Services Optometry & Optical Wellness Pointe accepts most medical and dental insurance plans, CHIP, Medicaid, and Medicare. Affordable payment options are available for qualified patients. Walk-ins and new patients are welcome at all locations!
Celebrating Black History Month ______________ d ______________
February 1, 2020 Newspaper www.readingclubfun.com In school we are studying ...
Fun! Annimills LLC © 2019 V11-6 Kids: color stuff in!
Presidents Day
Declaration of Independence At one time, England ruled 13 colonies on the eastern part
of North America. Each colony had its own government and ran things its own way. To create unity and keep the peace, the Continental Congress was formed, and a few men from
each colony went there to discuss things and find answers. They complained to England about many problems. But, when those problems were not fixed, fighting began between the colonies and England. Armed colonists were brought together by the Congress to form an army, the first military group serving all of the colonies. Colonel George Washington was named commander-in-chief of all the armed forces who would fight for freedom (1775). Washington also had a small Navy to stop British ships that brought supplies to America. When the war ended, so did the small, brave Navy. But, years later, as president of the new United States of America, Washington launched a permanent U.S. Navy.
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President Franklin Pierce: born father youngest Texas win horse elected train borders Cuba president death 1. was ________ in 1804 in Hillsborough, New Hampshire. 2. (his) ________ was a farmer and the governor of N.H. 3. was a great lawyer. When he was elected as a U.S. Senator, he was one of the ________ ever. 4. served during the Mexican War, a war that happened after a large area of what we know now as ________ and parts of several other states broke away from Mexico and “joined” the U.S. 5. was not expected to ________ in the primary race that would in turn allow him to run for the office of President. 6. was what is known as a “dark- ________” candidate. 7. was ________ the 14th President. 8. was in a ________ wreck; his 11-year-old son was killed. 9. expanded the ________ of the United States by buying what is now Southern Arizona and New Mexico. A T
N O S S E E T E I R Remembering the ‘Forgotten President’
10. tried to buy ________ from Spain. 11. was not a popular ________ and he was not chosen to run for a second term. 12. left office and took care of his sick wife. He lived in his house, in Concord, until his ________ in 1869. Franklin Pierce was the only U.S. president from the state of New Hampshire. He had a hard life. Sometimes he is called a “Forgotten President.” Read each clue below to learn about this president. Study the crossword puzzle frame to fill in the correct word. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Who Are We?
In 1775 Congress adopted an army for the nation. Two other branches of the U.S. armed forces have roots this far back. One was founded “to serve on land, on sea and in the air.” The other started with just a few vessels and a handful of brave sailors. To find out, color this puzzle following the color key. B = Blue R = Red Y = Yellow B B B B B
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Helping you talk to your loved ones about heart disease
American Heart Association has given the following pointers below.
I can be hard to talk to a family member or friend about making healthy lifestyle changes. Use these tips to start a conversation about hearthealthy changes like quitting smoking or getting more physical activity. Begin by saying that you care. You can say:
• “I want you to live a long and healthy life.” • “I hope you’ll be around for a long time.” • “I want to help you make healthy changes so you can keep enjoying the things you love to do.” Share the facts. Let your loved one know how serious heart disease can be:
• “Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States.” • “Heart disease causes more deaths in the United States than all types of cancer combined.”
RAISING continued from page 2
within their existing homes,” says Hollis. “Not all persons are capable of or have a desire to build or buy a home.”
By taking this direction, habitat was able to work with those whose health, age or economics have landed them in unhealthy living conditions. The senior population, especially, found this option a blessing. By addressing the need for health- and safety-related repairs, Habitat is branching out in a whole new, needed direction in the quest to alleviate poverty. “We receive dozens of calls each year from individuals who have no way to heat and cool their homes,” says Hollis. “The Beat the Heat, and Beat the Cold programs provide window a/c units and/or heaters to improve health and comfort.”
By investing in a ReStore, Habitat was able to expand its inventory to provide donated and new products that are sufficiently affordable to enable anyone to build, repair and beautify homes. But wait, there is more. In 2019, the ReStore served more than 13,000 customers. Profits derived from these sales are reinvested in various community programs.
“Expanding our geographic service area to encompass three counties allowed us to not only serve more people, it provided those communities a way to give back, invest in their community and help their neighbors,” says Hollis.
She attributes the project’s success to visionary minds that devised more and better ways to serve those in need, leaders who supply knowledge, guidance and plans, and a community that embraced these plans and said, “let’s get to work.” Hollis is also quick to credit her Lord and Savior for success.
“It required faith and the steadfast Explain that it’s possible to prevent heart disease. Make it clear that taking these steps can improve heart health:
• Quit smoking and stay away from secondhand smoke. • Control your cholesterol and blood pressure. • If you choose to drink alcohol, limit your drinking to no more than 1 drink a day for women and no more than 2 drinks a day for men. • Eat healthy. Get plenty of fruits,
vegetables, whole grains, and fatfree or low-fat dairy products. Limit saturated and trans fats, added sugars, and sodium (salt). • Get active. Aim for 2 hours and 30
minutes of moderate aerobic activity every week. • Stay at a healthy weight. If you are overweight or obese, losing just 10 pounds can lower your risk of heart disease. Offer to help. Ask how you can help:
• “What changes are the hardest for you to make? What can I do to support you?” • “How can we get healthy together?” • “You don’t have to do this alone. What can I do to help you?” Try suggesting these ideas: • Go shopping together for hearthealthy foods. Then cook and enjoy a healthy meal.
• Get active together. A good way to start is to meet every day for a fast walk. • If your loved one smokes, encourage him to get free help quitting by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669). • For more information visit americanheartassociation.org
East Texas Baptist University President Blair and wife Michelle Blackburn
Barry and Mitzi Barnes
Annica Germon, Yulanda Perkins and Karen Nelson
commitment never to lose sight, to never drift from our mission to demonstrate the love of Christ through the creation of decent shelter accomplished by bringing people together to serve each other,” she says.
For more information, please contact Habitat at 903 2360900 or director@ netxhabitat.org. The ReStore is located at 907 McCann Rd and opened from Tuesday to Saturday from 9:00am to 5:00pm.
