Insight News ::: 2.15.10

Page 1

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID MINNEAPOLIS MN PERMIT NO. 32468

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Modern Street sweepers can be credited in part, to African American inventor Charles Brooks. Brooks invented improvements to street sweeper

trucks that he patented on March 17, 1896. His truck had revolving brushes attached to the front fender and the brushes were interchangeable with scrapers that could be used in winter for snow removal. Source: inventors.about.com

February 15 - February 21, 2010 • MN Metro Vol. 36 No. 7 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • www.insightnews.com

Part 3 of a series

Military Options By Al McFarlane Editor-In-Chief By telephone, Brigadier General Arnold Gordon-Bray, Deputy Commanding General for the Army’s officer recruitment and training initiatives, joined Sen. Al Franken (D-MN), and nonagenarian Ray Robinson who were sitting with me at the recording studio at the Marcus Garvey House, Insight News’ North Minneapolis office. The Senator and I had both just attended General Mill’s exceptional Martin Luther King Jr. Annual Birthday Celebration at the Minneapolis Convention Center downtown. This year’s program, featured a stirring and uplifting message by the Rev. Joseph Lowery, a pioneer in the Civil Rights Movement and a close associate of the martyred Dr. King. The program, now in it's 20th year, has grown to have satellite audiences around the state, thanks to partnerships with TPT2 – Minnesota Public Television. But this year, the link stretched further, and included a satellite link to Minnesota National Guard soldiers serving in Iraq. Lt. Col. Trancey Williams, gave greetings to the Minnesota celebration from a military base in Iraq. Gordon-Bray joined the conversation from Central Missouri

State University at Warrensburg, MO, where he was delivering the keynote address for that institution’s MLK Holiday observance. It was a homecoming for him. He was commissioned in the Infantry, as a Distinguished Military Student, through the ROTC program at Central Missouri State University in 1978. Gordon-Bray holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Central Missouri State University and Master's Degrees in International Strategic Studies from the United States Air War College, Montgomery, Alabama, and the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. Ray Robinson had been featured in an Insight News story describing the respect and admiration he has earned from coworkers and customers at the St. Louis Park Sam’s Club, where he worked weekends dispensing samples and knowledge to people who came his way. The stores managers and employees held a 90th birthday celebration for Robinson in the store. Over the years I visited with Robinson each time I shopped in the store, always leaving touched by the generosity of spirit and elegant gracefulness he accorded me and other Sam’s Club guests. We had

MILITARY TURN TO

Q and A with Minnesota gubernatorial candidates PAGE 11

Fun, provocative

9

book answers white folks’ questions about Black folks

PAGE

Photo:Michal Daniel

5

one-woman, sixteen character performance Pillsbury House Theatre presents No Child February 12 – March 14 www.pillsburyhousetheatre.org 612-825-0459

Photos: Metropolitan State University

Unit commanders congratulating Spc. Knox after medallion and diploma were presented to her on base.

Lina Knox’s mother Joyce with Metropolitan State University President Sue K. Hammersmith. Joyce carried a photo of her daughter Lina and accepted her degree at the university’s Dec. 15 commencement.

Education spotlight

Soldier Linda Knox completes degree while deployed A Minnesota National Guard member, Spc. Lina L. Knox, Coon Rapids, earned a B. S. in law enforcement, and was to be part of Metropolitan State University’s fall commencement December 15. Since she is presently deployed to Camp Buehring, Kuwait, with the 1st Battalion 151st Field Artillery, her unit recognized her accomplishment. Her mother, Joyce Knox, represented her in the university’s ceremony. Knox completed the entire senior year through independent

studies and online learning while deployed. Metropolitan State has approximately 900 veterans, military service members and their family members currently enrolled. The university sent her diploma and graduation medallion to the unit commanding officer for presentation in Kuwait. The presentation was made January 2 in front of a company formation. Spc. Knox plans to continue her education and has started to apply for admission to a master’s program.

S

onja Parks returns in this riveting one-woman, sixteen character performance that was recognized with a 2009 Ivey Award. No Child... is a tour-deforce solo piece that underscores Pillsbury House Theatre’s commitment to challenging work that inspires choice, change and connection. This multi-award winning play examines not only the state of today’s education system but also the very people that work in that system every day from the teachers to the students

and even the janitor. No Child... is a sometimes joyous, sometimes moving story of art, redemption and one teacher’s journey through the precarious state of America’s public educational system. In the play, Ms. Sun, a new teaching artist at Malcolm X High School in the Bronx, has six weeks to get a class of struggling students to rehearse and perform Our Country’s Good. Along the way she’ll meet a cast of characters such as the stern school security guard, the wise janitor,

and a unique class of students including tough as nails Jerome, sassy Shondrika, and caffeine fueled Chris. In just a few weeks, Ms. Sun will get her own education on what it’s like to be a teacher in today’s schools. Wednesdays – Pay What You Can Thursdays and Sundays - $15 Adults, $10 Students/Seniors Fridays and Saturdays - $20 Adults, $15 Students/Seniors

Interviewing confidence: Build yours by knowing what managers really want to know

PAGE

7

Census partners dispel misinformation that hinders important population count By Lydia Schwartz Contributing Writer April 1, 2010, is Census Day, when the US Census Bureau gets a count of everyone residing in the US, including non-citizens. An accurate count in the 2010 Census is important because it directly affects the amount of federal funding we receive. The collected data will determine the fund allocation for community services such as school lunch programs, senior citizen centers, health care, new construction such as highways, and many other essential public needs. It is also used to determine locations for new retail stores, schools, hospitals, housing developments, and other community facilities. The questionnaire only asks a few questions of each person: name, relationship, gender, date of birth, race, and whether the respondent owns or rents the place of residence.

Between April and July 2009, census workers canvassed the country to update addresses and maps from the 2000 Census. The 2010 Census questionnaire will be delivered or mailed to US households starting in March. Census workers will visit households that do not return a questionnaire by mail starting in May and working through July. The data collected will be released in 2011. The Census Bureau, which is part of the Economics and Statistics Administration, encourages people to apply for a census job to either canvass their community or work in a local census office. Assistant Regional Census Manager Rich Gerdes said, “It is important that we hire the right staff in order to connect with the community. For example, we try to hire people who speak Spanish to work in a Spanish community.” Census workers can be

Save big using olive oil

PAGE Saeed Fahia identified by a census badge and bag, or you can call a Regional Census Center to confirm his or her employment. Under US Code Title 13, the Census Bureau cannot share an individual’s responses with anyone, including other federal agencies, law enforcement

CENSUS TURN TO

9

8

Nominate someone for Insight's Education Spotlight. We'd like to highlight the achievements of those teachers and students that have made that extra effort at school. email nominee to info@insightnews.com


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
Insight News ::: 2.15.10 by Insight News, Inc - Issuu