Bobby Rush Revue returns to Wilebski Blues Saloon
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May 10 - May 16, 2010 • MN Metro Vol. 36 No. 19 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • www.insightnews.com
UROC: research driven access to power Professor Mahmoud El-Kati
By Al McFarlane Editor-in-Chief
File Photo
Scientist and administrator, Dr. Robert Jones, Ph.D
Guiding public engagement Acolleague, an elder, a friend, a leader in the community, an educator who has a wonderful and fascinating story and a huge responsibility for our community, Dr. Robert Jones exemplifies dedication to higher
education, to research and to scientific inquiry, to the University of Minnesota and to the people of Minnesota. In 1978 he earned his PhD in crop physiology from the University of Missouri. He joined the University of Minnesota faculty as a professor of agronomy and plant genetics and he’s internationally recognized as an authority on plant physiology. Jones has published more than 100 scientific papers, manuscripts and abstracts. His research focused on stabilizing grain
yields of maize against environmental stresses. He’s been a visiting professor and a featured speaker throughout North America and in Europe, Asia and Africa, and during the resistance to Apartheid he served as an academic and scientific consultant for Archbishop Tutu’s South African Education Program. In addition to his contributions to agriculture worldwide, Jones has also held administrative positions at the University of Minnesota for the past
20 years, including his current position as the Senior Vice President responsible for all academic administration and outreach throughout the five-campus University system. His university leadership responsibilities include, but are not limited to, administrative oversight for the University’s four coordinated campuses, public engagement and outreach, diversity and multicultural
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The University of Minnesota and residents of North Minneapolis celebrate the opening of a first-of-its kind collaborative facility that serves the needs of urban communities. The U’s Urban Research and Outreach/Engagement Center (UROC) and community partners launch the initiative with a grand opening celebration 1-6 pm Wednesday, May 12. UROC is located at 2001 Plymouth Ave. N., between Newton and Oliver. The building once before opened to great fanfare and with great expectations. It was the newly built home of neighborhood owned entrepreneurial enterprises. Known as the Penn Plymouth shopping center, the building opened in the mid 70’s and included King’s Super Market, Coast-to-Coast Hardware Store, The Phone Store, a Northwestern Bell Telephone Company retail outlet, the Carl Eller Liquor Store, and J.C. Clark’s Pharmacy. It was a symbol of pride hailing the emergence of a vibrant middleclass North Minneapolis that could support and celebrate Black business leadership and development. UROC is igniting those feelings of pride, hope and possibility once again with its multi-million dollar investment to renovate and retool the resource to deliver impact in today’s social and cultural environment. As one of the very few landgrant research universities located in an urban setting in the United States, the University of Minnesota has
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will begin a 3 part series on Haiti, it’s glory and it’s tragedy starting next week. Watch for it!
Mo’nique at the Orpheum Theatre
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Style on a Dime:
Creating a village
It pays to seek wisdom and ask good questions
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By Nettie Smith Upper Willard Homewood Eunita Jackson spoke passionately to over 60 of her neighbors about children and young people in the neighborhood: “They need to know that we know each other, and that we care about them and believe in them. That we’re in charge and they can count on us.” The room was quiet as she spoke, then loud with enthusiastic applause when she finished. This vibrant, lively crowd met on April 11 at True Vine Missionary Baptist Church at 26th and Thomas Avenue North. Some say creating a village in a diverse North Minneapolis neighborhood can’t be done. Some say it can’t be done in any neighborhood because people don’t know their neighbors these days. Well, we are doing it! We are creating a village! We are neighbors getting to know one another on many levels. There is no formal leadership, just folks
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Suluki Fardan RRHS
Red Hats reign at Sabathani One day in 2004 Marionne Robbins was brainstorming to find something that would give seniors something to do. In March 2004 the Royal Red Hat Sabathanettes were officially chartered in the National Red Hat Society. Robbins holds the title of Queen Mother, because she is the Sabathani Senior Center chapter founder. After her leadership all other leaders are called Queen Bee. The current Queen Bee is Letrice Jones. The official colors of a Red Hatter are Purple with a Red Hat. During a birthday month, a red outfit is worn with a purple hat. All members are given fun royal names because this is an
organization strictly for fun and enjoyment. There are no meetings, but frequent gatherings and events. Seniors on walkers, canes, or just moving a little slower, are not stopped from participating in the Royal Red Hat Sabathanettes. Thanks to Sabathani Senior Center, the organization has access to transportation, provided for a nominal fee, to transport the group to our events. But limited by size not all are able to ride in the van. (Would someone help us obtain a larger van) We participate with other Red Hat Groups throughout the State of Minnesota. Our membership
Mr. T’s Sports Report Suluki Fardan
Top left: Georgia Omorean and Queen Mother Marionne Robbins. Top right: Virginia Clark, Queen Bee Lee Jones, Mary Mitchem and Marjorie Tendle. Bottom right: Clara Tims, Ruth Wilson, Vernice Carter, Flora McRae, Opal Byrd, Marcileen Martin and Cassie Norris. enrollment is only open in March. We are the largest African American Chartered Red Hat Group in Minnesota.
The average age of a Red Hatter is 75, however, their participation in this group makes them feel so much younger.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. backs up his big talk
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Page 2 • May 10 - May 16, 2010 • Insight News
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Legislature gets high marks for green jobs leadership By Al McFarlane Editor-in-Chief Jermaine Toney is the Principal researcher at the Organizing Apprenticeship Project, which recently released its ‘Annual Minnesota Legislative Report Card on Racial Equity’. Batala McFarlane, publisher of ‘Insight News’ and producer of Conversations with Al McFarlane, joined host Al McFarlane in conducting the Toney interview. Al McFarlane: The Report Card says, “Despite declarations that an economic recovery is underway; more than a 132,000 Minnesotans have lost their jobs since December 2007 and in particular the unemployment and wealth crises has worsened for American Indians, Communities of color and new Minnesotans who were facing desperate poverty and unemployment rates even before this recession and to make matters worse the report says Minnesota’s safety net for child care, for housing and education has been nearly dismantled by a decade of public disinvestment. Predatory lending practices from home ownership to pay-day lending have undermined income and wealth opportunity making it nearly impossible for Minnesotans of color and poor Minnesotans to earn and lean on assets in hard times. Our economic recovery must be equitable fueled by policy that upholds fair treatment, family supporting wages, a vibrant safety net, culturally appropriate financial services and that build on economic contributions of Communities of Color.” The report summarizes, “Our future prosperity relies on eliminating barriers economic opportunity. Minnesota’s younger workers are more racially diverse than older workers. We do see today’s barriers will ensure that our younger workers of color are successful future investors, law makers, farmers and business owners of Minnesota”.
So Jermaine, why it is important to insure equity and to reduce inequity in the area of economic and wealth equity? Jermaine Toney: Payday lending is one of the big civil rights issue of our times. These are short term loans but they take a big piece of your payday check. Al McFarlane: It’s called “loan sharking” and poor people are particularly vulnerable. You need money for something today, maybe its food, maybe its rent, maybe its shoes, maybe its bus transportation. The need is serious so you turn to where ever you can. Too often it’s a business set up in or on the periphery of your neighborhood that markets and provides the infamous “payday loan.” Jermaine Toney: We are going to set some new standards for payday lenders. They’re going to be now collecting information on who came in through the door, how much was given in advance, what was that interest rate. Was it 5%, was it 300%? We are now starting to collect this information so we know what is happening. We go to the state legislature seeking laws and regulations that turn these inequities around. Minnesotans should get a fair shake, if they are getting payday loans. Al McFarlane: The legislation that was created and signed by the Governor indicated that payday loan customers are more likely to earn less than $25,000 a year, typically are under the age of 45, and as often as not, tend to be people of color who face barriers to desirable credit. They are caught in the credit worthiness squeeze. Your report highlights a 2001 study in North Carolina that revealed that Black people were five times more likely to receive multiple payday loans, and twice as likely to borrow, compared to whites. So it seems our community is doubly targeted: on the one hand you are squeezed out of commercial banking and commercial lending resources because of credit worthiness
Jermaine Toney considerations; then you are forced to go to these predatory lenders like the payday lenders, or payday loans. You will pay. You pay dearly. Livable wages would relive some of the stress our families experience. How the Legislature fare in responding to work and economic development needs of our community. Jermaine Toney: The green economy is here, and it’s propped up with federal stimulus dollars and state investment. Minnesota passed legislation supporting the good investment in the green economy that ensures that, women, lower income workers, workers of color actually benefit in this sort of new green economy. The legislation says, “Hey, we are going to make an investment to train new workers. We are going to invest in making sure they get jobs that pay family-supporting wages. This is part of making sure that women, lower income
workers, workers of color get a fair shake in the new green economy. Al McFarlane: Batala, you have been involved in promoting the green economy through the newspaper. How important is it that our community takes ownership and gets in the forefront of understanding and building a green economy? Batala McFarlane: It’s very important because I think it’s another opportunity for employment and along with employment, it’s an opportunity for small business development. We have to make sure that we are part of the conversation. The whole green jobs movement can be inclusive. The leaders of the green job movement are like multicultural and represent a multitude of progressive organizations and interests. They do want to make sure that everybody has opportunity. This movement looks to the future with a commitment to transparency
Courtesy of OAP
and accountability. The movement demands accountability to the earth, to the environment and to every human being. The green jobs movement means creating sustainable economies that rely less on finite resources, and more on renewable resources. That means converting our style of living and consumption to renewable energy strategies, for example. Al McFarlane: What role can African people, AfricanAmericans in particular, and urban citizens in particular, play in both learning about what it means to create sustainable environmentally conscious employment and consumption patterns and, what leadership role should we play in helping developing awareness globally? Is there an opportunity for us to use the green economy to create wealth in our community? The bill promoting hiring equity and green jobs said, ‘studies show that Minnesota’s
Communities of Color and lowincome communities have been hardest hit by the current recession. Thousands of Black, Latino and low-income workers have lost their jobs at a faster clip than the general population.” This bill Senate file 657, is a significant piece of legislation that can increase hiring equity and build wealth in Minnesota’s Communities of Color. This bill commits $2.5 million of public investments to strengthen opportunity and equity by preparing low-income Minnesotans for weatherization jobs in renewable energy and energy efficiency trades. The bill supports outreach to those communities. By supporting outreach by community based organizations that deal with renewable energy opportunities and by ensuring equitable access for disadvantaged women owned businesses and businesses owned by people of color, and the bill calls for reporting on the progress on how weatherization programs have specifically benefited people of color and low income people. Weatherization is something that’s simple but its global. Everybody lives somewhere. How do we make the places we live more energy efficient through proper weatherization? Jermaine Toney: Communities of color and low-income communities don’t win when we fail to consider race and income impacts of public policy decisions. We get left behind when it comes to wealth opportunities. Well here is a piece of legislation that pushes against that. This says if we are going to make progress on some of these inequities, we actually must be seeing if low-income communities and communities of color actually benefit from the wealth building opportunity. So here they’re actually going to report quarterly on progress turning around health inequities, wealth building inequities and so forth. I think it shows that when community leadership and legislative leadership work together we can get lot done to advance racial equity in Minnesota.
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Insight News • May 10 - May 16, 2010 • Page 3
BUSINESS Great streets program supports Minneapolis business districts Minneapolis this week approved $578,175 in grants to business districts through the City’s Great Streets neighborhood business district program. The grants will assist business districts throughout the city with technical assistance such as branding and marketing, merchandising, business recruitment, and design services. Recognizing that commercial areas are not the same, the Great Streets Business District Support Program is designed to support a range of activities that strengthen and support neighborhood businesses districts throughout the city. In addition to providing important goods and services for residents, a significant number of jobs are located in neighborhood business districts. The most recent data, from December 2008, shows 133,802 jobs were located on commercial corridors. A “Request for Proposals” was issued in January 2010; 32 proposals were received and 18 funded. The target contract amount was defined as between $5,000 and $50,000. Recipients include: • African Development Center: $50,000 for technical assistance, business planning, workshops on bookkeeping and accounting. Area: Cedar Riverside LRT area; Franklin Ave.; East lake; Midtown Lake; West Lake; Nicollet Ave.; Central Ave. • Catalyst Community Partners: $50,000 for business development, retail recruitment, site development, retail recruitment and messaging materials. Area: West Broadway • Elliot Park Neighborhood Inc.: $10,000 for tenant recruitment, redevelopment strategy, and pitch packet for investors. Area: Chicago
Ave. • Latino Economic Development Center: $50,000 for technical assistance. Area: Midtown; East Lake Street; Central Ave. • Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers: $15,000 for technical assistance, business district capacity building. Area: 38th St. and Chicago. • Metropolitan Economic Development Association: $45,000 for business technical assistance. Area: West Broadway. • Native American Community Development Institute: $40,000 for corridor branding and analysis and design, marketing materials, and business directory. Area: Franklin Ave.; Franklin Ave. LRT. • Neighborhood Development Center/Midtown Global Market: $40,000 for business technical assistance and marketing. Area: Midtown Lake St. (Midtown Global Market); Midtown LRT Station; Chicago and Lake St. Activity Center. • Nicollet East Harriet Business Association: $40,000 for marketing and branding. Area: 38th St. and Nicollet; 43rd St. and Nicollet; 46th St. and Nicollet; 48th St. and Nicollet; 38th St. and Grand; 36th St. and Lyndale; 40th St. and Lyndale; 36th St. and Bryant; 46th St. and Bryant. • Northeast CDC/Northeast Chamber of Commerce: $10,000 for outreach to businesses, referral to technical assistance services. Area: 13th Ave. NE and University Ave. NE; 22nd Ave. NE and Johnson St. NE; 29th Ave. NE and Johnson St. NE; 37th St. NE and Central Ave. NE; Lowry Ave. NE and Marshall St. NE; Lowry Ave. NE and University Ave. NE; Central Ave.
• PEACE Foundation: $10,000 to support the Northside event, FLOW. Area: West Broadway. • Seward Redesign: $22,000 to develop a tenant recruitment packet,
“Great Streets program has assisted more than 270 businesses with technical assistance since 2008” recruit businesses, direct work with property owners. Area: Franklin Ave. (LRT to river); Franklin Ave LRT (east side). • Seward Redesign with SENA: $42,900 for business recruitment, encouraging investment, business organizing, and branding. Area: 38th St. LRT; 46t St. LRT; 28th Ave. & 42nd St.; Cedar & 42nd St.; Cedar and Minnehaha. • Sheridan Neighborhood Organization: $20,000 for branding and event production. Area: 13th Ave. NE and University Ave. NE.
• Uptown Association: $24,975 (challenge grant) for branding, development of marketing materials including brochures, website, banners. Area: West Lake St., Lake and Hennepin; Lyndale Ave. • Victory Neighborhood Association: $20,000 for marketing and branding. Area: 44th St. and Penn Ave. N.; 42nd St. and Thomas Ave. N. • West Bank Business Association: $50,000 for public safety activities, branding, marketing, and special events. Area: Cedar Riverside LRT area; Cedar; Riverside. • West Broadway Coalition: $38,300 for coordinating street cleaning, community clean-up events, Adopt-A-Block, and Winter Carnival. Area: West Broadway. Great Streets Program Outcomes In 2008 and 2009, through the Great Streets Business District Support program, over 270 businesses received technical assistance in marketing, bookkeeping, product mix, licensing and code requirements, and business planning. This type of technical assistance
supports both new and existing businesses. Technical assistance for businesses is given high priority within this program. Especially given the economic conditions of the last couple of years, supporting existing businesses as well as growing new businesses and creating jobs is critical. One example, the Latino Economic Development Center worked closely with Tortilleria La Perla when the economy entered into crisis, avoiding the loss of 40 jobs had the business failed. Daniel Bonilla, Program and Projects Coordinator for the Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) says, “The Great Streets Business District Support grant is providing opportunities for local CDCs [Community Development Corporations] to help small business to remain open, keep current jobs, and work more efficiently in the middle of this economic crisis.” LEDC has excelled at responding to businesses’ needs with flexible and innovative programming. LEDC recently implemented a proactive, comprehensive “check
up” program for businesses, to make sure they understand and comply with the City’s regulations and ordinances. Since 2003, LEDC has provided training and technical assistance to 610 businesses, 390 of which were start-ups, and of those, 295 are still in business. More on the Great Streets Program Neighborhood business districts are essential elements of a great city. In 2007, the Minneapolis City Council approved the Great Streets Neighborhood Business District Program, a coordinated effort to help businesses develop and succeed along commercial corridors and at commercial nodes throughout the city. Through the Great Streets program, the City also provides funding to business districts for other activities that support the economic vitality of the entire district, including business loans, real estate development gap financing and business district assistance such as market studies and retail recruitment efforts, and façade improvement grants.
Free life coaching service empowers women to succeed Plan your career
By Julie Desmond julie@insightnews.com Sometimes, all somebody needs is a leg up. Kids, parents, work, laundry… Women today face a long list of challenges. Many have overcome the setbacks of divorce, mental illness, substance abuse or poverty. Finally ready to move forward and put the past behind them, these courageous women may find closed doors at every turn. Fortunately, an organization exists that offers women the encouragement and support that can help them move from “Ready” to “Successful.” I first heard about One to One: Women Coaching Women, from a friend who is also a coach in the program. She said, “We never have a waiting list, and we should.” One to One’s mission is to enable women to “achieve sustained success by creating the life of their dreams” through free one-to-one life coaching. Targeting its services to women from challenging social and economic backgrounds, One to One provides an upbeat, affirming relationship where a struggling woman’s hopes can be translated into “practical, realistic and actionable life plans.” The life coaching provided by One to One is directed specifically at those women best positioned to benefit. Participants must be motivated
to have bigger lives, however they personally define that. It might be a better career, better home life, better relationships; they just have to be motivated to set goals. They must also be committed to reaching those goals, committed to moving forward in their lives. And they must be able to demonstrate that they have had some success in the past, that they are capable of succeeding in the program. Finally, and importantly, One to One coaching is for those women who absolutely could not afford life coaching services on their own. One to One Coaching is not therapy. These coaches believe their clients are the experts on their own lives and guide them to reach the goals they set for themselves. Through 26 weekly phone sessions, trained life coaches listen to their clients and provide feedback and support while staying committed to client’s agenda. According to one client, “It feels like you have a best friend, cheerleader, mom and pastor all rolled into one person, committed to helping you get where you want to go in your life.” Empowered and confident, a woman who gets great life coaching can be a source of change for herself, her family, and her community. If you or someone you know is ready to move forward in life, consider becoming a client at One to One: info@onetoone.info or call (205) 969-1223 for more information. Julie Desmond leads job search and career planning workshops in Minneapolis. Send your questions and comments to julie@insightnews.com.
Sabathani sponsors estate planning fair for seniors Sabathani Senior Center will sponsor an Estate Planning Fair from 10 am to 1 pm Friday, May 14 at Sabathani Community Center, 310 E. 38th St., Suite 106. The event is free of charge and is geared toward senior adults. Teams of lawyers from Dorsey & Whitney LLP and UnitedHealth Group will be available to draft simple wills, health care directives and financial powers of attorney. Pre-registration is required. All
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participants must bring all documents related to their needs, including relevant information about their assets, insurance and the names and addresses of designated beneficiaries. Documents will be prepared for completion and signature on the day of the event. Pre-register for this event by calling the Senior Center at (612) 821-2306 to make an appointment. Sabathani Senior Center is a program of Sabathani Community Center, Inc.
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Page 4 • May 10 - May 16, 2010 • Insight News
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EDUCATION Earth Day celebration introduces Girl Scouts to engineer profession Swapping out light bulbs, testing heating and cooling systems, and discussing ways to update older buildings for energy savings is a tough job for any team of engineers. But when the team’s average age is 10, and they are proposing safety goals to administrators at their own middle school, the challenge is even tougher. Unless, of course, it’s Earth Day and the budding engineers are Girl Scouts who come together to make our world a better place. “We are looking at things like which light bulb is better to use,” said Naya Tadavarthy, 10. “Maybe one is more money, but if it is better in the long run, then it’s worth it. We are learning to notice the things around us more so we can keep learning about science and technology.” Tadavarthy, a fourth grader at St. Paul Academy and Summit School, joined more than 80 girls on Earth Day as they took part in “Get Moving,” a project geared toward Girl Scouts in fourth and fifth grades investigating how energy can spark interest in their own lives. “Whenever we have a chance to listen to children, we learn something,” said Gregory Jackson, multicultural initiatives manager, Girl Scouts of the USA. “They have an awe and curiosity that we tend to lose when we become adults. We can always
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Insight News is published weekly, every Monday by McFarlane Media Interests. Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane CFO Adrianne Hamilton-Butler Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Associate Editor & Associate Publisher B.P. Ford Vice President of Sales & Marketing Selene White Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Sr. Content & Production Coordinator Elliot Stewart-Franzen Web Design & Content Associate Ben Williams Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Receptionist Lue B. Lampley Contributing Writers Brenda Colston Julie Desmond Marcia Humphrey Alaina L. Lewis Rashida McKenzie Ryan T. Scott Lydia Schwartz Stacey Taylor Photography Suluki Fardan Tobechi Tobechukwu Contact Us: Insight News, Inc. Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Ave. N. MinneAPOlis., MN 55411 Ph.: (612) 588-1313 Fax: (612) 588-2031 Member: Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium (MMMC) Midwest Black Publishers Coalition, Inc. (MBPCI) National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Postmaster: Send address changes to McFarlane Media Interests, Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Avenue North, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55411.
Photo courtesy Girl Scouts
More than 80 Girl Scouts and students at Laura Jeffrey Academy in St. Paul celebrated Earth Day with volunteers from Trane and ThermoKing as they conducted an energy audit on the school building. The science, technology, engineering, and math focused school had instituted Girl Scouts programming into its curriculum. The school then hosted a culmination event on April 22 where the girls applied what they had learned about energy consumption and conservation. The girls also participated in fun new experiments like testing the heat created by incandescent and CFL light bulbs. Cooler light bulbs like the CFLs, the girls found, reduce wasted energy because they don’t create heat when they are meant to create light. learn when we see what they are doing and seeing.” One of 36 councils nationwide awarded a grant to promote energy awareness and conservation, Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys partnered with volunteers from Trane and ThermoKing to teach girls that understanding science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics can make a positive difference in their lives and their communities. Girls who attend Laura Jeffrey Academy worked on an environmentally focused curriculum for several months as part of the grant program. The culmination of their work was the April 22 event hosted at their school where they conducting an
energy audit with the help of engineers from Trane and ThermoKing. Trane and ThermoKing are brands of Ingersoll Rand, which funded the grant for the six Girl Scout councils. The partnership was an excellent fit because science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM, is one of five major areas of leadership
development programming in Girl Scouts. Laura Jeffrey Academy in St. Paul is a STEM school for girls. “Recruiting women engineers is a challenge,” said Mary Sueker, human resources representative for ThermoKing. “If we can spark interest at this age, we can help these girls grow into our engineers of the future.” Laura Jeffrey Academy fifthgrade science teacher Arden Ashley-Wurtmann said the energy audit may be presented to the school at its end-of-the-year celebration so students and administrators can see how improvements in technology can directly affect their school community. But more importantly, Ashley-Wurtmann said getting the girls involved in this project is a great way to show them the growth and career opportunities that are connected to engineering. “It is so important to get girls interested in math and science, especially at a young age,” said Valerie MacAlpine, Trane account manager who volunteered for the project. “It can be a good career and a good life for women. It has been for me, and I started back when we didn’t have the tools and the innovation that we have now. And we didn’t have the Internet to push out our message and reach the girls. We have to use the technology to get these girls
interested and keep them interested.” GSUSA’s Jackson agreed. “Only eight percent of skilled engineers are women, and what we want to do is use the Girl Scouts as a pipeline to this career field,” he said. “We need to expand opportunities for our girls beyond historical boundaries.” According to the US Department of Labor, 75 percent of tomorrow’s jobs will require technology skills and that number is expected to grow over these girls’ lifetime. “It’s unfortunate that we weren’t talking about these issues 10 years ago, but I’m excited to see what these girls will be getting done 10 years from now,” said Sueker. “These are the girls who will lead us.” In partnership with 18,000 adult volunteers, the Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys helps nearly 45,000 girls each year-in all or portions of 49 counties in southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin-to discover new abilities, connect with new friends, and take action to improve their communities. Girl Scouts is the world’s preeminent leadership development organization for girls, building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. For more information, call 800-8450787 or visit www.girlscoutsrv.org.
Maxfield Magnet teacher named Minnesota Teacher of the Year Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) sixth grade teacher Ryan Vernosh is 2010 Minnesota Teacher of the Year. The appointment, which
was made public Sunday, May 2, is the culmination of a search process that began with more than 400 nominations and 107
candidates. “ R y a n represents the teacher of the future that our nation’s students need right now,” Education Minnesota said Saint Paul Ryan Vernosh P u b l i c S c h o o l s Superintendent Valeria Silva. “He truly embodies the passion, dedication and determination of our District’s quality educators that work tirelessly in our classrooms to effect positive
change in our students’ lives.” Vernosh, who teaches sixth graders at Maxfield Magnet as part of the school’s gender specific programming, is the second ever SPPS teacher to be named Teacher of the Year. He has been with the District since 2004 and has taught at Maxfield since 2006. “This isn’t a testament to anything I’ve done,” Vernosh said. “It’s a testament to the hard work that the young men in my class do. They come to us with incredible brilliance and they shine everyday.”
Maxfield Magnet Principal Nancy Stachel said Vernosh is the consummate educator. “He’s an excellent teacher who truly sees the potential in each of the young men with whom he works,” Stachel said. The Teacher of the Year program is underwritten by Education Minnesota, the statewide educators union. This marks the 46th anniversary of the program. As Minnesota’s Teacher of the Year, Vernosh will be the state’s nominee for National Teacher of the Year 2011.
Now closing, Folwell celebrates history After 78 years, students, staff and families will honor the history and traditions of Folwell Middle School with a closing celebration scheduled for May 20. The school is seeking old school photographs, artifacts and
yearbooks for a commemorative booklet which will be published by current Folwell students. Food and entertainment will be provided. There is no cost to attend. The event is Thursday, May 20 with a
Multicultural buffet from 5:30 - 6:30 pm, welcome and ceremony at 6:30 pm and a community social 7:15-8 pm. All events are at Folwell Middle School, 3611 20th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55407.
Q&A
talk about my story. But I hope that listeners will find some value in what I have to say this morning. Clearly, it is a road less traveled for an African American born in the Deep South to arrive some thirty years to forty years later, depending on where you start calculating, to be a leader of one of the largest, most comprehensive research universities in the country. It is a road less traveled and it’s not something that I necessarily set out to do at a very early age. I probably am among the last of a generation that can say we are children of sharecroppers. We just don’t have people coming out of that kind of environment anymore. I take great pride in the fact that my father was a sharecropper and found some way, even in that very difficult situation, to eke out a decent living for his wife, his three kids and his mother, who was part of our household as well. I grew up in a small town called Dawson in southwestern Georgia. I grew up on a peanut and cotton farm where my dad was a sharecropper. I spent most of my formative years in that kind of environment. But not withstanding the difficulties in growing up in the Deep South during the heart of the civil rights movement and in the midst of the racism and the segregation, I was able; my parents were able to instill in me the value and importance of education. One of the things I really appreciate about my father, who passed away two years ago at the age of 84, is that he worked extremely hard to give us a sense of value and a sense of worth that would withstand the fact that we were poor. So we didn’t realize we were poor. We knew we were better off than a lot of folks in that community. He emphasized education and I remember vividly, we were probably the only family that was in a sharecropping situation where my dad had that courage and the vision to say to the landowner, “My children will not miss a day out of school to pick your cotton.”
sharecropping system in Mississippi. I understand from stories. But you were there. You were there. RJ: I was there. Eighteen years.
From 1 affairs, pre-k-12 and other youth and family programs, urban initiatives, and University of Minnesota Extension. He’s a strong leader for diversity initiatives locally, nationally and internationally. He’s spearheaded efforts to provide better access for international students and he’s developed support systems to help retain students of color. He’s initiated programs to recruit and retain faculty of color as well. He has recently created an initiative to position the University as a World-Class Urban University, one that responds more intentionally and strategically to create authentic partnerships to address complex problems the urban communities. He is a man committed to science and education, but he is also an artist. He’s a member of the worldrenowned Grammy award-winning Sounds of Blackness. Jones talked with community elders and me at a breakfast meeting at Sunnyside Deli & Café last year and in a studio interview at KFAI-FM 90.3 in Twin Cities. AL MCFARLANE: I invited you because I wanted to take a time to talk to you about your history and your background. You and I have talked before on this program. Our conversations generally focus on one problem or another. It’s been conflict that’s brought us together. It’s not that we have been boxing, but we’ve been dealing with stuff that was weighty. I haven’t taken the time to step back and give myself and my listeners a chance to know you and know the breadth of your engagement and your interests. I hope that today’s program will begin that. I want to start by asking you to talk about your background, where you’re from, and how is it that as a son of the South you have attained awesome accomplishment and responsibility as a leader at the University of Minnesota. ROBERT JONES: I appreciate the opportunity to be here and like most people, I’m a little reluctant to
AM: That is so important. I’m also the son of a sharecropper. My mother and her parents were part of the
AM: My mother always told me that when crop planting and harvesting seasons came, school let out. No school because everybody had to go to the fields. There wasn’t a choice in most cases. RJ: We had a comparable system in Terrell County, GA, where the Black schools, or colored schools, started about thirty days later than the white school in order for the sharecroppers to get most of the crops out of the field. By the time school did start about thirty days later, it was still very common for the Black sharecroppers to keep their kids out of school to finish bringing in the rest of the crop. You had to get all the peanuts and cotton out of the field by a certain date. My father insisted on us going to school. But that didn’t mean we didn’t get into the fields as soon as that bus rolled through the plantation at 3 o’clock. We got off that bus and we picked cotton ‘til six or seven. But he was absolutely committed that we didn’t miss any time out of school. One of the questions the listeners and people have is how did you get from a sharecropping situation in the cotton and peanut fields of southwestern Georgia, to where you are today? As a child I was always very, very curious and always got myself into a lot of trouble by taking things apart and attempting to put them back together again. I didn’t always succeed and that’s why I got into trouble. I would go into my mom’s kitchen and take vinegar and baking powder and mix stuff together just to see what would happen. So I guess I’ve been a scientist at heart probably since the day I emerged from my mom’s womb. That scientific curiosity never left me. I’ve probably known since about eight or nine years of age that I wanted to be a scientist. Along the way I had that inspiration and that desire to be a scientist further supported by having a couple of key mentors in my life.
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Insight News • May 10 - May 16, 2010 • Page 5
AESTHETICS Two Old Black Guys: Raw, gritty, humorous and real
Ann Marsden
Left to right: Abdul Salaam El Razzac and James Craven
By Alaina Lewis
Penumbra does it again… but that’s a statement that assumes that there
was ever any doubt in the world premiere of their new play, Two Old Black Guys Just Sitting Around Talking. If the title is a mouthful, it only places second to the incredible tug of war story, sewn together between two elder Black men whose lifelong hate for one another, provides an unbreakable bond of necessity and brotherly love. The story, written by Virgin Islands native and retired University of Arizona professor Gus Edwards, isn’t your typical tale spawn from a problem and met with a cliché resolve. Rather, it illustrates a truer depiction of life and the art of getting around its many challenges, by focusing more on a cloud’s silver lining without pretending that in the end there will never be another storm. There’s a lot to learn from dropping eaves on a private conversation between two elders who deliver more bark than bite, during their daily war over a bench
Mo’Nique at the Orpheum Theatre By Alaina Lewis When it all began for Mo’Nique Imes-Jackson, things weren’t always a laughing matter. Coming from a troubling start after suffering abuse at the hands of her very own brother, the actress got tough and found a way to outsmart her circumstances. Through the craft and tool of joke telling, intelligence and a natural charisma, Mo’Nique superseded her prior conditions by claiming her right to offer everyone she touched a permanent smile. With each of her career endeavors, she has seen a multitude of success and fortune that naturally place second when you compare them to the richness in her spirit. The comedian, whose claim to fame started on the UPN television series “The Parkers” and also an author of the bestselling book Skinny Women are Evil, has hosted a Beauty Pageant on the Oxygen Network for Plus Size women called “F.A.T. Chance” and is now the host of her
Rush From 1 Blues master Bobby Rush, one of the enduring elder statesmen of American Blues music, returns to Twin Cities next week for two shows Saturday night, May 15, at Wilebski’s Blues Saloon, 601 Western Av., St. Paul. It will be a grand reunion performance event. Rush helped build the legend of Wilebeski’s as a bona fide Blues saloon a couple of decades ago when over the years, Rush brought his world-famous Blues Revue to the St. Paul Club. Where Bobby Rush went, other Blues masters followed. Wilebski hosted the giants of the idiom including Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, Johnny Taylor and others. Tad Wilebski, who has recently reintroduced the Wilbeski brand, is coming back to the blues bar business after selling the business
Courtesy Hennepin Theatre Trust
Mo’Nique
own BET talk show called “The Mo’Nique Show.” Aside from that, she also has many films under her belt that illustrate her talent and her progression through the arts. For someone who was once thought of by a few biased critics as just another a “ghetto comic,” for her roles in films like B.A.P.S, Phat Girlz, Hair Show and Soul Plane, she’s proved that true talent cannot be confined to a box or subjected to any and leaving the music scene for several years. “But I love this music, Brother,” Wilebski testified in an interview last week on the “Conversations with Al McFarlane” broadcast on KFAI FM 90.3. “And I am honored that Bobby Rush connected with us to help us bring new life into the Twin Cities Blues scene.” Bobby Rush joined the KFAI radio broadcast by phone from Jackson, MS. He talked about his longevity in the industry, about his health, and about the business of building new and expanding audiences that will be touched by the artistry of his gift. Rush has discovered the meaning of timelessness. His soujourn as artist, performer, entertainer, and businessman includes experience gained and shared throughout the Chitlin’ Circuit South, and Urban Blues Emporiums across the North and West Coast. He has performed throughout the capitals of Europe
one label. Her Oscar-winning portrayal of Mary Lee Johnston in the movie Precious, proved to everyone, that rather then living up to others expectations of her film roles, she’ll continue to be the Galileo behind her own quest through the stars. Bringing it back to square one, and revisiting a natural ability to furnish a laugh, Mo’Nique and friends, Rodney Perry, Tone-X and DJ Ant, have hit the road on a new comedy tour that is sure to bring love, laughter, and plenty of welcome surprises. Presented by Hennepin Theater Trust, Mo’Nique’s “Spread the Love Tour,” arrives in Minneapolis at the State Theater on May 14th. Tickets range from $39.50 to $65, and will definitely be a show you won’t want to miss, from a star that exudes the essence of a kept promise. Prepare to be entertained. For more information please visit, www.ticketmaster.com or the State Theater Box Office.
and even at the Great Wall of China. The multitudes of Chinese fans who saw him perform, he said, hailed him warmly as “Little Brother.” With endearing embraces they compared him to the Great Wall of China. “You have withstood the test of time,” they said, acknowledging his stellar career that produced over 260 records over more than a half century of performance. Bobby Rush’s Blues Revue features what Wilebski’s bills as “his lovely ladies” … whose sensual dance gives meaning to a bluesman’s lament. Rush’s dancers conjure the rhythmic juke-joint gateway, breathlessly revealing the diaphramic connection between ancient African worlds and Southern Soul. Minnesota’s own blues master, Willie Walker opens the set with performances beginning at 7:30 pm. Doors open at 6 pm. For tickets and information call (651) 331-0929.
in the park outside their apartment complex. In this Odd Couple Parody, Abe, is an old school gent and a former prize boxer who’s joined at the heart strings with Henry, a suave and artistically inclined fellow, due to a bond formed by their love for the same woman. As the saying goes, there truly is a thin line between love and hate. And for two men who’ve spent the fortunes of their youth intertwined by a window seat into each other’s lives, they learn that after the jobs, the women, and their agility are
said and gone, their current needs are timely met and defined by a multitude of inner riches. Their relationship, although seemingly built on a sand trap and melded with a consistent antagonizing spirit, is more rhyme than riddle, and incased in a solid friendship. The play is raw, gritty, humorous and real. Under the direction of Lou Bellamy, this twoperson story doesn’t exist to resolve any lifelong issues between the pair, but rather it serves as a guidebook to any adversaries, by showing us that the best resolution
is not that of always expecting a fairytale happy ending, but rather learning to co-exist in areas where agreeing becomes the hardest task. Two Old Black Guys Just Sitting Around Talking, runs at Penumbra until May 23. And if my opinion counts for more than just ink trappings on a page, I encourage everyone to check out this wonderful tale, if not for a good laugh, than to witness the unmistakable magic and chemistry shared between the characters. For more information, visit www.Penumbratheatre.org
Page 6 • May 10 - May 16, 2010 • Insight News
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HEALTH Prenatal care is equally important for mother and baby By Melody Mendiola In the United States, prematurity/low birth weight is the second leading
cause of all infant deaths during the first year of life. According to the Office of Minority Health, during 2000-2002 in the United States, African
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American mothers were nearly 2.5 times as likely as non-Hispanic white mothers to begin prenatal care in the third trimester, or not receive prenatal care at all. As a result, preterm birth rates were highest for Black infants (17.6 percent) than other minorities. African American infants were over four times as likely to die from causes related to low birth weight, compared to non-Hispanic white infants. Prenatal care is important in making sure you and your baby stay healthy throughout pregnancy and the birth of your child. What is prenatal care? Prenatal care is the health care you get while you are pregnant. Take care of yourself and your baby by: • Getting early prenatal care. If you know you’re pregnant, or think you might be, call your doctor to schedule a visit. • Getting regular prenatal care. Your provider will schedule you for many checkups over the course of your pregnancy. Don’t miss any - they are all important. • Following your provider’s advice. Eat a healthy, balanced diet, get regular exercise if your provider feels it is safe to do so. Do not smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol while you are pregnant. Who provides prenatal care? Physicians who specialize in obstetrics and gynecology usually provide prenatal care. In addition, certified nursemidwives (CNMs) are advanced practice nurses with specialized training and experience in midwifery. CNMs provide prenatal care, labor and delivery, care after
birth, yearly gynecological exams, assistance with family planning decisions, preconception care, menopausal management and counseling in health care management and disease prevention. They can prescribe medication, perform medical procedures and provide other interventions when medically necessary. Many family practice physicians also provide obstetric care. They can provide continuity of care across the life spectrum, and can care for the entire family. At Hennepin County Medical Center, The Nurse-Midwife Service is a practice of certified nursemidwives who care for women throughout their life, including during pregnancy, labor and birth. The midwives see patients in seven locations throughout the metro area and deliver babies at Hennepin County Medical Center. We also have family practice doctors who provide obstetric care at all of our community clinics, as well as a full service OB/GYN clinic at HCMC. The High Risk OB clinic, at the HCMC OB/GYN clinic provides multispecialty care to address the needs of a wide range of complicated pregnancies. It is staffed by board certified perinatologists, an internal medicine physician, a psychiatrist, and a dietician. What can I expect from prenatal checkups? During pregnancy, regular checkups are very important. This consistent care can help keep you and your baby healthy, spot problems if they occur, and prevent problems during delivery. Typically, routine checkups occur:
• Once each month for weeks 4 through 28 • Twice a month for weeks 28 through 36 • Weekly for weeks 36 to birth Women with high-risk pregnancies need to see their doctors more often. At your first visit your doctor or midwife will perform a full physical exam, take your blood for lab tests, and calculate your due date. They might also do a breast exam, a pelvic exam to check your uterus (womb), and a cervical exam, including a Pap test. During this first visit, your doctor or midwife will ask you lots of questions about your lifestyle, relationships, and health habits. It’s important to be honest with your doctor of midwife. After the first visit, most prenatal visits will include: • Checking your blood pressure and weight • Checking the baby’s heart rate • Measuring your abdomen to check your baby’s growth You also will have some routine tests throughout your pregnancy, such as tests to look for anemia, tests to measure risk of gestational diabetes, and tests to look for harmful infections. Where can I get prenatal care? Most hospitals that deliver babies, like the Birth Center at Hennepin County Medical Center, provide prenatal care. In addition to regularly seeing your doctor or midwife, classes are often available on preparing for childbirth, breastfeeding, newborn care, sibling preparation, infant and child CPR and more.
Melody Mendiola, MD, is a boardcertified general internal medicine doctor and medical director of Hennepin Care North, a clinic of Hennepin County Medical Center, located in Brooklyn Center, MN. Dr. Mendiola is accepting new patients at Hennepin Care North. To schedule an appointment, call (612) 873-8800.
What Is Centering PregnancyÂŽ? Available at Hennepin County
Parent survey finds school food lacking A majority of Americans believe nutrition in local school meals falls far short of what children need, a new survey finds. And the foods people most associate with school meals pizza, chicken nuggets and hamburgers - are the same foods they
believe should be cut drastically from school menus. The survey reports nearuniversal agreement that childhood obesity is a problem or crisis, and improving the health of American children requires communities to prioritize access in schools to fresh produce and exercise.
The survey was commissioned by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and released last week at the Foundation’s 10th annual Food & Community Networking Meeting, held this year in Chandler, AZ. Food & Community is the premier gathering of the good food movement, drawing 650 activists,
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EVERYBODY NEEDS CARE No matter who you are, everybody needs care at some point. That’s why UCare welcomes all members of our diverse community. While the needs of every body may be different, health is something we all have in common, so quality health care is something we should all have in common too.
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Medical Center locations, CenteringPregnancyŽ is prenatal care in a group with other women who are also pregnant. Groups of eight to 12 women are seen together throughout their entire pregnancies. Group sessions, available in both English and Spanish, are led by a doctor or midwife and a prenatal educator. This often proves to be a powerful bonding experience, as women of different backgrounds progress through the joys and challenges of pregnancy together. Groups follow the same schedule as standard prenatal visits. At each appointment, patients: • Spend individual time with the doctor or midwife talking about their own health and the baby’s health. • Ask questions and support each other throughout the pregnancy experience. • Are told about community services and important information about their pregnancy. Who do I call for more information? For more information about prenatal care available through Hennepin County Medical Center, call 612-873-BABY (2229). To learn more about Centering Pregnancy, call (612) 873-2530.
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reformers, researchers and public health officials to explore topics such as farm-to-school projects and eradicating “food deserts.� The survey was conducted in April among 801 adults from all regions of the country.
SURVEY TURN TO
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Be counted If you are part of the 20% of people in Minnesota who did not mail back a census form, you will soon receive a call or a knock on your door. Here is the information you need to be aware of as this next phase in the 2010 census effort kicks off. - The U.S. Census will try to contact your household either in person or by phone up to six times or until counted. - If no one is home: 1) Census takers will leave Notice of Visit hanging on the door, with phone number to call; 2) Residents may give their answers to census taker by telephone or call to schedule return visit; 3) Census takers will visit at different times of day; 4) As a last resort, census takers may ask landlords or neighbors for basic information about a home that does not respond after six tries. - Identifying a census taker: 1) They are officials of the U.S. Department of Commerce; 2) Identification badge with watermark/seal and name of enumerator; 3) Black canvass shoulder briefcase with white U.S. Census Bureau logo; - Census takers will: 1) Show their identification; 2) Ask to speak with responsible household member at least 15 years of age; 3) Give residents a written statement about the confidentiality of personal responses; 4) Ask only the ten questions on standard 2010 Census form and record answers themselves; 5) Ask residents to give answers again even if residents say they mailed back a form Sworn interpreters may accompany census takers, as needed. If census taker cannot communicate with anyone in household, they will show a card with short statement in 59 languages and ask resident to identify language spoken at home. - Census takers will not: 1) Ask to enter a residence; 2) Ask for any identification from residents; 3) Ask for documentation of immigration status; 4) Ask for social security #, bank account or financial information; 5) Question a residents report of the number of people in the household
Insight News • May 10 - May 16, 2010 • Page 7
Survey From 6 Key findings include: • 55 percent of Americans - and 63 percent of parents of school-age children - described the nutritional quality of local school food as “poor” or “only fair.” • The top five items that came to mind when asked about school food are all high in fat or sodium: pizza; hamburgers; French fries/tater tots; hot dogs/corn dogs; and chicken nuggets. • These are the very foods Americans would like to see drastically cut from
Neighbors From 1 who initiate and participate from their passions. James Nelson gets block club leaders together to create safety and support. New neighbors are treated to home-made bread and a conversation about who we are and what we expect from each other. Nelson also gets the youth
Q&A From 4 That’s why I emphasize the importance of mentoring. I know it’s kind of a buzzword now that we hear a lot about. But I can tell you, I can’t think of any person that’s evolved or come to any kind of leadership or successful position that hasn’t had someone to mentor them. I had a high school vocational agriculture teacher who set the stage for me and what I was to become. In ninth grade when I started high school I started to take vocational agriculture courses. Mr. Walter Stalwar took me under his wing. He started to call me “professor” in the ninth grade, and he called me professor all the way until I graduated. Then he insisted that I attend Ft. Valley State College and major in Agriculture. There I had a second mentor, Mr. M.C. Blunt, who told me very early that once I received my B.S. degree, I needed to start thinking about getting a Masters and getting a PhD. My life was pretty much laid out for me and charted for me through the influence of my parents, their values, their religious values
school menus. Nearly 70 percent of Americans said pizza should be served in school just once a week or pulled from menus entirely; more than 60 percent said chicken nuggets and hamburgers should be limited to once a week or removed. For context, the most recent School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study conducted by the USDA found that 90 percent of school lunch menus offer entrees such as pizza and cheeseburgers. “The data in this survey highlight the widespread support for transforming school food to help all children lead healthier lives,” said Dr. Gail Christopher, who oversees food,
health and well-being as vice president of programs at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. “When students have access to healthy, locally-grown food and physical activity, it allows them to thrive both in and out of the classroom.” Through its Food & Community Program, the Kellogg Foundation targets investments to improve school food, increase access to good food and physical activity environments, and shape the national healthy eating and active living movement. Survey respondents were clear about what needs to be done to turn the childhood obesity epidemic
around. More than 85 percent said fresh, not canned, fruit and vegetables should be offered every day in school cafeterias. Eighty-six percent listed requiring 60 minutes of exercise in the school day as either the top or a high priority in improving students’ health. Asked about factors contributing to the obesity epidemic, 71 percent listed cutbacks in recess and physical education as a significant factor. The survey was conducted by Lauer Johnson Research and has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent. The full results are available at http://drop.io/fac2010.
W.K. Kellogg Foundation and its Food & Community Program advocate equitable access to good food and physical activity. The foundation has directed more than $230 million toward supporting healthy food and farming projects. Food & Community (www.foodandcommunity.org) seeks to improve food systems and the lives of vulnerable children. The Kellogg Foundation is also a founding member of the Partnership for a Healthier America, a foundation that supports First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative with the goal of curbing childhood obesity within a generation. .
out on Sundays to play football! Jim Lovestar and the garden crew are on the third year of an expanding garden at 24th and Upton. Plans for the summer include monthly gatherings down at the garden with True-Vine as a rain back-up. Some folks like JoAnne Ulm, Eunita Jackson and Toni Collins meet and greet neighbors everyday by being out in their yards and taking walks and engaging with those they meet. Emma Fiala developed our
website and then organized a rummage sale on the Parkway on April 17th. A number of families showed up to sell “treasures” and the rest of us shopped and chatted with new and old friends. A club for kids/youth that will be a parent- and neighbor- run place for kids to get to know each other, learn skills and hear stories from the incredible adults who live in this neighborhood is in the works. Neighbors are creating relationships with the local
businesses in the area. Al-Amin’s Fish House, Rising Star Auto Sales, CVS Pharmacy, North End Hardware, Broadway Liquor Outlet, The Amazing Oriental Grocery Store and Glover Insurance have all made contributions to the gatherings. We
shop local. Residents who want to get involved can contact Nettie Smith at (612) 588-4934 nettiekay.smith@gmail.com or James Nelson at (612) 588-9530 jamesdoublenelson@yahoo. com or go online to www.upperwho.org
and their work ethic. I was driven by the fact that I knew that I wanted to have a better existence for my family, for my wife and my kids once I got married and started to have children. I wanted to have a better life. I knew that sharecropping and that kind of existence was not the life for me. Through mentoring and the influence of my parents, I went on to pursue graduate degrees and fortunately found myself here at the University of Minnesota as a 26year-old PhD fresh out of graduate school in Missouri. I had the very good fortune to start a new academic research program here at the University of Minnesota that I was involved with for 31 years, in addition to my administrative responsibilities. My research explored ways to improve agricultural crops, so I still have this strong tie back to my sharecropping days. I researched how to stabilize the grain yield of our major agricultural crops. Thirty years ago when I started this work, environmental stress, global climate change, was something that most people didn’t believe was real. But it’s here now. And as that old saying on the side mirror of the car goes, objects in the mirror may be closer than they appear:
Clearly, global climate change is here. We have to find ways to stabilize our major agricultural crops against these global climate changes or otherwise there will be a lot of hungry people in the world. Now I would like to remind people, the only thing I’ve ever really planned professionally in my life was to get a PhD and become a scientist. The other things have happened along the way. I never aspired to be a University administrator. I’m not like a lot of folks you find in higher education who say, “I want to be a college president.” That has never been an aspiration or goal. What has happened to me has been being at the right place at the right/wrong time, depending on how you want to look at it. I set out to be the best faculty member and best professor I possibly could be. The rest of the things happened through situational circumstances. I was asked to do a small task and that led to additional responsibilities, and led to people nominating me for different leadership roles at this University. I’ve probably had more titles than any other person at the University in the last 22 years. That has given me great insight and great opportunities to really make a difference.
For over 80 years, Hallie Q. Brown has been the Lighthouse of the Community...
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The Hallie Q. Brown Early Learning Center is currently accepting applications for enrollment. We are a licensed daycare and preschool program with a 4 Star Parent Aware rating. We feature licensed and trained staff, Project Early Kindergarten (PEK) curriculum and a sliding fee scale. We gladly accept Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) Contact us today for a tour and more information. Hallie Q. Brown Community Center 270 N. Kent Street St. Paul, MN 55102 651-224-4601 www.hallieqbrown.org
Page 8 • May 10 - May 16, 2010 • Insight News
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LIFESTYLE It pays to seek wisdom and ask good questions Style on a dime
By Marcia Humphrey What you don’t know can’t hurt you, right? Not!! Actually what you don’t know can deal a devastating blow to your health, career, and finances. In the Bible there is an insightful scripture which basically says: Wisdom is the principal thing, so seek wisdom and get understanding Proverbs 4:7. One of my favorite family members, Cousin Betty, recently reminded me of how a lack of understanding robbed our grandmother of her sight. My 93year-old grandma lost her vision to glaucoma several decades ago. Prior to that, this very proud, independent woman struggled to raise eight children, largely on her own. When she first began to experience the symptoms of glaucoma, she kept it to herself. By the time she finally admitted her
UROC From 1 placed a priority on discovering solutions to the many complex issues facing urban communities. Creating a physical presence in the urban community was the first major step in this initiative. UROC comes online as home to 12 university programs that pursue research and outreach in partnership with individuals and organizations in the communities. “The University of Minnesota is committed to developing strategic, sustainable partnerships with urban communities, residents and governments, leading to positive, measurable outcomes with significant impact toward improving lives and stimulating economic growth,” says university Senior Vice President Robert Jones.
problem to a doctor and her adult children, it was too late. With early detection her glaucoma could have been treated and her eyesight saved, but she did not know and worse, she did not make her difficulties known to others so that she could gain an understanding of her condition. By the time she was completely blind, my witty and feisty Grandma continued to demand that her eyeglasses be placed in her hand so that she could wear them. She felt that everyone did not need to know that she was blind. In many ways Grandma was in denial of her situation. Instead of acknowledging the fact that her sight was slowly failing, and seeking help, she suffered in silence. It did not have to be that way. Are you in need of answers or insight regarding a health concern? Are you seeking a job (or a better job)? Are you having relationship difficulties? Asking questions, especially the right ones, can be one of your most beneficial assets, so don’t be shy. 1. Ask Your Doctor-Are you struggling with a nagging health concern that has been bothering you for months? Instead of torturing yourself with worry,
The event is free and open to the public and will include building tours, refreshments, an art exhibit by Fawzia Kahn and Lynn Fellman, a youth choir performance by CitySongs and brief remarks by University of Minnesota Board of Regents Chair Clyde Allen, university President Robert Bruininks and several community and government leaders who have been instrumental in making the partnership a reality. Jones will host the event that includes welcome festivities at 3:30 p.m., followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony and short program at 4 p.m. Ora Hokes, a long-time Northside resident who participated in all of the early meetings that led to UROC’s formation, says UROC is a fulfillment of the community’s vision. “When I look at the end product-UROC-and think about all the community requested of the university-it’s all there,” she says.
make an appointment with your physician. Write out questions in advance, so you don’t forget. Studies show early detection and treatment of medical issues, provide the best opportunity for optimal recovery. Also, to stay in tip top shape, don’t neglect your annual examinations. 2. Ask Your Boss/MentorInstead of being frustrated at work after not getting the promotionwhen you were clearly most qualified- go to your manager or trusted mentor and ask for feedback. Ask a question like, “What specific things will make me a strong candidate for the next advancement opportunity? 3. Ask Your Family; ask Yourself -Isn’t it amazing how our family and close friends can see things in us that we are unable, or unwilling to see? If you are in a place where you feel stuck, it may be time to ask for some candid feedback from one or two honest people in your life who really love you. You might ask, “What do you see as my greatest strengths? What do you feel may be my greatest opportunity for growth? What untapped potential do you see in me?” Sometimes you have to get
“The U said, ‘We’re going to walk with you.’ So we’re seeing programs at UROC that help young parents learn to feed their kids healthy meals and that help our young entrepreneurs get a solid start. The U listened to us and the U heard us.” The event will provide an opportunity for guests to talk with community partners and university faculty and staff about the many research, outreach and education programs in the facility that are designed to address key issues such as health and nutrition, education, the arts, and community and economic development. These programs are highlighted at http://www.uroc.umn.edu/programs/ index.html. More information about the event can be found at www.uroc.umn.edu. You can RSVP at www.uroc.umn.edu/launch or by
www.minority-speak.com
very honest and have a conversation with yourself and ask, “Am I setting goals and making positive plans for my life?” “Are my current friends a help or a hindrance to my life?” “Do I need more education to fulfill my dreams?” While it’s true that you may not
find all the answers to the questions that you ask, just remember that knowledge is power. Read books, listen to CDs related to your interests and goals. Be wise. Gather information. Ask questions. These principles will place you on a successful path toward fulfilling your purpose in
life. Lastly, ask God to show you how to apply the wisdom. Enjoy!
calling (612) 626-UROC (8762)
Five Hundred Under 5 Center for Early Education and Development (CEED) Simply Good Eating Programs University of Minnesota Extension University Northside Partnership Community Affairs Committee Urban Minnesota Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Pam Cosby, director (612) 624-4541 Urban Youth Development Office (Urban 4-H) University Extension
him to build the next critical phase of development of the Urban Research and Outreach/Engagement Center (UROC) including: Heidi Barajas, associate dean for engagement and faculty development, College of Education and Human Development, and associate professor, Department of Postsecondary Teaching and Learning; Rose Brewer, professor and past chairperson of the African-American and African Studies Department, College of Liberal Arts, and University Morse-Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor; Geoff Maruyama, professor of educational psychology, College of Education and Human Development, and special assistant to the senior vice president for System Academic Administration.
The following programs are affiliated with UROC: African American & African Studies Outreach College of Liberal Arts Broadband Access Project Business and Technology Center (BTech Center) Office for Business and Community Economic Development (BCED) Center for Health Equity School of Medicine Child and Family Center CitySongs Extension Urban Youth Development: (612) 624-4658; Nutrition Education: (612) 624-4820; Family Development: (612) 624-4858 FIPSE-UROC Work Groups Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education
The project was developed by UROC’s founding director, Dr. Irma McClaurin, Associate Vice President for System Academic Administration, and tenured professor in the University’s Anthropology Department. In March, Jones announced a leadership team that will work with
Marcia Humphrey is an interior decorator and home stager who specializes in achieving high style at low costs. A native of Michigan, she and her husband, Lonnie, have three children.
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Insight News • May 10 - May 16, 2010 • Page 9
NAACP and Sierra Club honor “Green Heroes of Color” By Lydia Schwartz The Sierra Club North Star Chapter and the Minneapolis NAACP partnered together to hold an Earth Day Celebration to honor “Green Heroes of Color” on Thursday, April 22. The celebration included dinner, a demonstration garden, and youth performances by Climate Change Crew and the Arts Us dance crew. St. Paul City Council Member Melvin Carter III (Ward 1) and former Minnesota State Representative, and governor hopeful, Matt Entenza were also in attendance. Climate Change Crew is part of the Kitty Anderson Youth Science Center at the Science Museum of Minnesota. Their song, “Change Is Needed,” won the Green for All National ‘Dream Reborn’ contest. Keynote speaker Leslie Fields, the National Director of Environmental Justice for the Sierra Club and a former lobbyist for the National NAACP Washington Bureau, congratulated the people of Minnesota for all the work we have done regarding food security and environmental justice and hopes we will continue to lead the country and be a voice for those who are not heard. Van Jones was one of the Green Heroes being celebrated for his founding of Green For All and his work with The Green-Collar Jobs campaign. There were six total
“Green Heroes of Color” being honored at the celebration. Also among them was Robert Bullard, who, in 2008 won the Building Economic Alternatives Award from Co-Op America and was named an “Environmental Leader of the Century” by Newsweek. Majora Carter was another Green Hero. She founded Sustainable South Bronx and pulled out a Tibetan flag during the 2008 Summer Olympics Torch Relay. Also celebrated was Tom B.K. Goldtooth, the Executive Director of the Indigenous Environment Network and coproducer of the award-winning film, Drumbeat For Mother Earth. Annie Young, who was also in attendance at the celebration, was honored as a Green Hero for her work in the founding of the Environmental Advocates of Minnesota (EJAM). She is the Environmental Justice organizer for the Harrison Neighborhood Association and is currently serving her twenty-first year on the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and is the Vice President and Chair of Planning. EJAM works in collaboration with low-income communities, communities of color, and Indigenous communities to create equitable, healthful, and sustainable futures for all generations. The group believes that “environmental justice means that no population should be forced to shoulder an unfair share of exposure to the negative effects of
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) pollution.” EJAM has worked to reduce mercury pollution in Minnesota, helped create laws to protect children from lead poisoning, and provide youth the tools needed to reduce cancer causing chemicals in their communities. The group also promotes energy-efficient homes and has reduced exposure to air pollution from the Riverside coalfired power plant in Minneapolis. US Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) was another Green Hero in attendance who was being celebrated for his part in the founding of EJAM and for being a legislative champion of clean energy. “What [do environmental injustices] say about how we rate our fellow human beings? Wherever there is environmental injustice, we will ban
Suluki Fardan
together and fight,” he said. Earlier that day, Ellison had introduced a bill to the US House of Representatives that would ban the use of atrazine, an herbicide used to control broadleaf weeds and grasses in corn fields. Atrazine is the most commonly detected chemical in US waters and levels are highest in Minnesota. The chemical is associated with infertility, low birth weight, abnormal infant development in humans, and creating hermaphrodite frogs. “Working in agriculture should not endanger your life,” Ellison said. Karen Monahan, Community Organizer for the Sierra Club North Star Chapter, and a member of the Minneapolis NAACP Executive Committee, also spoke at the
celebration. “It doesn’t matter what the color of your skin is or what neighborhood you live in, we all care about the environment, it’s part of our everyday lives,” she said. Alessandra Williams, an organizer at HIRE Minnesota, also spoke at the event. She said that we need to bring together green jobs and hiring equity to ensure that everyone has a chance to take part in the new clean economy. “Communities of color have traditionally been left out. We have to unite as a community to get it done,” Williams said. HIRE Minnesota is a coalition of community organizations led by Summit Academy OIC and the Will Steger Foundation. The coalition is seeking public investments that grow our economy; provide living wages, green jobs, and training opportunities to low-income people and people of color; promote healthy communities; works to ensure that the agencies in charge of public infrastructure investments meet their women and minority hiring, contracting, and training goals; and that our government is accountable and transparent to all communities. Collie Graddick, an agricultural consultant from The Co-Op Project, discussed a “community food system” where individuals within a community can cooperatively work together to start small, independent agribusinesses. According to Graddick, urban agriculture could be the most sustainable green job. “Farming isn’t all about getting your
hands dirty, it’s also about packaging and marketing the food…Kids shouldn’t be thinking about getting a job,” but starting their own business and obtain food justice at the same time. “We can eat our way out of the recession,” Graddick said. The Executive Director for the Alliance for Metropolitan Stability, a coalition that works for racial and environmental justice, Russ Adams, discussed transportation equity at the celebration. He argues that the Metropolitan Council is moving too slow in regards to light rail construction. Even so, it is vital for the community to be heavily involved in the decision-making process. In the early planning stages of the Central Corridor light rail, the central section of the line, the poorest stretch, had a mile between stops; whereas everywhere else only had one half of a mile between stops. The neighborhood “Stops for Us” campaign was able to successfully convince the Metropolitan Council to add more stops. Adams says that this level of community involvement should also occur at all levels of the Bottineau Corridor light rail decision-making. He asked: “Whose vision will win out, [Hennepin County’s] or the residents’?” Boise Jones of Emerge, also discussed urban agriculture and the commonality of environmental injustices. “It’s about sustainability, food justice and security. We’re all in this together,” he said.
Immigration: The key to Minnesota’s growth and prosperity By Lee Egerstrom While anti-immigrant attention is being drawn to events in Arizona and inflammatory comments are being made by politicians in other states, Minnesota lawmakers and state officials are receiving a study on their desks that makes these sober assessments: We depend on immigration in Minnesota. Our state economy and quality of life will become even more dependent on immigration in the coming decade. These points generally summarize the findings of Prof. Katherine Fennelly, an immigration and public policy expert at the University of Minnesota’s
Humphrey Institute, and graduate student Anne Huart. They’ve researched and written a comprehensive report: “2010: The Economic Impact of Immigrants in Minnesota,” that is now being printed and distributed to state officials by a grant from the Northwest Area Foundation. That latter grant, however, came in recognition that this report has information that must be seen and understood by people who would shape or influence future public policy. It could assist people who seek to be builders of the common good; it may temper the baser elements in Minnesota society that might seize on xenophobia, racism and bigotry from elsewhere in America for political gain here at
home. “The impact on communities is most evident,” Fennelly said in an interview this past week. “The communities that have growth in the labor force can thank immigrant workers. The schools that have maintained enrollment and programs and (keep communities alive) can thank immigrant children. The other communities have aging population and are in decline.” Equally important, she added, new residents are reviving commercial activity in rural areas and urban neighborhoods, are starting new businesses, are stabilizing housing markets, and are bringing purchasing power that ripples through local and regional economies.
Oh, and these new people pay taxes and make Social Security tax payments that support the aging population that is rapidly reaching retirement age. Even the illegal immigrants, or “undocumented workers” that allegedly are the cause of consternation in Arizona and other states, contribute mightily for their stay in this country. The study cites a Brookings Institution report that shows more than $560 billion in taxes are collected from wages for Social Security and other purposes that will not be claimed by the payees. Such workers, however, are mostly myth workers in Minnesota where documented workers are the source of most new entrants into the labor pool.
The economic benefits of refilling the workforce pipeline is made obvious by the business interests that formed the Minnesota Business Immigration Reform Coalition, an umbrella group that supported the immigrant study. Among members of that group are the Minnesota Agri-Growth Council, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, Minnesota Milk Producers Association, Hospitality Minnesota and the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association. All these groups, one might say, have enlightened self-interests to discourage biting the hands that feed them, or works with them, or buys their products. Fennelly sees the immigrant study as supportive of work that
State Demographer Tom Gillaspy and State Economist Tom Stinson have done on the changing labor force and economy around the state. In presentations to civic and business groups, the two have focused on the impact of aging and who will do the work in the years ahead. Gillaspy, for instance, is forecasting a major labor shortage in Minnesota by the year 2020--a forecast that is in step with similar studies around the nation. Unfortunately, such thoughtful forecasting is easy to ignore in a lingering recession with high unemployment. In a January profile feature in Twin Cities Business magazine, MN TURN TO 11
Page 10 • May 10 - May 16, 2010 • Insight News
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1,200 volunteers serve 30 area nonprofits on Comcast Cares Day On April 24, a volunteer crew from Comcast painted and cleaned at the Minneapolis Urban League’s Sharon Sayles Belton Community Center at 411 E. 38th St. in Minneapolis. The community center was one of more than two dozen work sites for “Comcast Cares Day.” “We’re glad to help,” said Comcast’s project coordinator Robert Langle. “This building was damaged by last summer’s tornado and it gets lots of community use.” Comcast has strong ties to the Minneapolis Urban League (MUL) throughout the year. Diana Hawkins, government affairs specialist for Comcast, serves on the MUL board and was at the community center for Saturday’s work session. This is the third year that a volunteer crew has worked at an MUL site for “Comcast Cares Day.” As the economy continues to tighten its grip on Minnesota nonprofits, Comcast employees volunteered all over the Twin Cities on Saturday, April 24 assisting many nonprofits in upgrading their facilities. More than 1,200 local Comcast employees and their families and friends volunteered at 30 Twin Cities nonprofit sites as part of Comcast’s 9th annual “Comcast Cares Day.” At the same time across the country, more than 50,000 Comcast volunteers participated on this annual day of service, which is one of the largest single days of corporate volunteer giving in the country. Volunteers painted, landscaped, sorted food donations, tackled spring cleaning, and restocked warehouses.
Comcast employee Mike Randall and Gwen Garber help paint a hallway at the Mpls. Urban League as part of Comcast Cares Day. “We are well aware of how the economy has pinched most nonprofits,” said Mary Beth Schubert, Comcast’s
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vice president of corporate communications. “Comcast Cares Day is an important way for hundreds of our
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screenings all month on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9a-12p and from 2:15p-4p. Independence & Revolution 1810/1910/2010. Thru. May 28 The exhibit is part of the framework for the festivities commemorating the Bicentennial of the Independence of México and the Centennial of the Mexican Revolution. Center Participating Artists: Martha Driessen, Veronica Jato, Sandra Felemovicius, Gustavo Lira, Maria Cristina Tavera, and Xavier Tavera. Scheduled gallery tours through the duration of the exhibit: Tuesdays (May 4 - 25): 4pm & 5pm, Fridays (May 7 - 28): 10am & 11am, Saturdays (May 1 - 22): 12pm &1pm
Stroke Risk Screenings – Tues. and Thurs. in May May is Stroke Awareness Month and Fremont’s Stroke Prevention Project is offering free stroke risk
Hallie Q. Brown Community Substitute Teacher DEPT: Early Learning Center SUPERVISED BY: Youth Program Manager TITLES SUPERVISED: N/A FLSA: Non-Exempt SALARY GRADE: $10-13/hour
POSITION SUMMARY: This is a substitute position designed to fill in as needed on a short or long term basis for permanent teaching staff. Substitute Teacher participates in long and short range activities for students in accordance with curriculum objectives and engages students in developmentally appropriate activities. Assists with ensuring that the classroom is appropriately staffed and maintained to provide a safe and secure environment for each child. POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES: 1. Works with teaching staff to implement program curriculum and coordinate students activities. 2. Plans and supervises the arrangement of the classroom environment in accordance to program goals and philosophy. 3. Maintains a safe and healthy environment, including safely managing developmental activities for the participants. 4. Keeps all appropriate records such as records, attendance, time sheets and accident reports. 5. Maintains open communication with parents/guardians of the program participants regarding the developmental needs of the participants. QUALIFICATIONS: Education: Associates degree or equivalent in early childhood development. B.S. in Early childhood Development preferred. Licensing and Certifications: CPR and Meet all applicable licensing regulations. Valid Driver's License and proof of insurance. Minnesota Teachers' License (preferred). Work Experience: 5 years of Child Care Center or related experience required. Other Requirements: • Dealing with confidential information. • Tight deadlines. • Dealing with unfavorable weather conditions. • Excellent verbal and written communication skills. • Ability to work effectively with employees, colleagues and manager. • Agree to mandated child abuse reporting guidelines. • Ability to relate to children from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. To apply, send a cover letter, resume, salary requirements and references to: Hallie Q. Brown Community Center ATTN: Human Resources 270 N. Kent Street Saint Paul, MN 55102 651-224-7074-Fax hr@hallieqbrown.org
Hallie Q. Brown Community Center Executive Coordinator DEPT: Administration SUPERVISED BY: Director of Finance and Operations & Executive Director TITLES SUPERVISED: N/A FLSA: Exempt SALARY GRADE: $25,000 - $33,000 POSITION SUMMARY: Coordinates the day to day affairs of Executive Management for the agency. Key responsibilities include: Executive support, office administration; human resources program coordination, customer relations, employee records management and regulatory compliance support. POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES: 1. Supports the overall leadership for the Agency. 2. Provides administrative support for the Executive Director, including but not limited to: Taking projects from start to finish including troubleshooting, problem solving and providing updates as necessary; anticipating and proactively supporting the administrative needs of Executive Director including conducting research and analysis, preparation of correspondence, reports and charts, managing calendar and schedule. Maintains files and records as appropriate. 3. Assists Executive Management with Board meeting logistics and details, including scheduling and administratively supporting the production of Board meeting information packets, etc. 4. Supports the Director of Finance and Operations in the coordination of the human resources function, including maintaining personnel files and appropriate agency documentation to support compliance requirements; documents the HR activities, actions and processes related to hiring. 5. Develops reports and budget information as needed. 6. Provides general office support to Executive Management. 7. Professionally represents HQB in various community engagement activities and meetings, as appropriate. 8. Acts as a liaison between general public, partners, organizations and other key constituents and Hallie Q. Brown Executive Management. 9. Other duties as assigned. QUALIFICATIONS: Education and Work Experience: Bachelors Degree with 2-3 years of administrative experience, Associates Degree with 3-5 years of administrative experience or the equivalent required.
Take Charge of Your Health Care: Asking Questions, Getting Answers May & June Free class that teaches consumers to empower themselves by using the Internet to learn about health issues and to ask questions of health care providers. After this program, participants will feel more empowered to ask questions of health care providers and more confident in finding health information on the Internet. •The “Take Charge of Your Health Care” class will be presented on the following dates: •Mon., May 24, 6:30pm, Rice Street Library, 1011 Rice St. 651-558-2223 •Sat., June 19, 2pm, Riverview Library, 1 E. George St. 651-292-6626 •Mon., June 21, 6pm, Dayton’s Bluff Library, 645 E. 7th St. 651-793-1699 •Sat., June 26, 11pm, St Anthony Park Library, 2245 Como Ave. 651-642-0411 •Wed., July 7, 10:30am, Highland Park Library, 1974 Ford Parkway St. Paul, 651695-3700 For more information, please call or email: Nathan Maas @ 612-298-7068 or nathanmaasmhlp@gmail.com Credit Smart- Ongoing FREE Credit Education Classes. Every Tuesday, 6-8pm. Minneapolis Urban League 2100 Plymouth Ave. N. Mpls. HYPERLINK “http://www.mul.org/”www.mul.org Contact Theresa (612) 827- 9268. Realizing the American Dream – Ongoing Home Buyer Program. First Thurs. of every month, 6-8pm. $25.00 per Family at
Hallie Q. Brown Community Center ATTN: Human Resources 270 N. Kent Street Saint Paul, MN 55102 651-224-7074-Fax hr@hallieqbrown.org
612.588.1313 612.588.2031
employees and volunteers to directly impact their communities through service.”
EMAIL: ONLINE:
the Minneapolis Urban League 2100 Plymouth Ave. N. Mpls. HYPERLINK “http://www.mul.org/”www.mul.org Contact Theresa (612) 827- 9268. Arty Pants: Your Tuesday Playdate at the Walker Art Center – May 11&25 The Arty Pants programs in May and June are presented from 11 am–1 pm Tuesdays, May 11 and 25, and June 8 and 22. Activities are free with gallery admission; Walker members and children ages 12 and under always receive free admission. NAACP Saint Paul Chapter Meeting of the Members - May 11 6:30-7pm @ Hallie Q. Brown Community Center, 270 North Kent St. Meetings of the Members are the second Tuesday of the month. They run 30 minutes and provide our members the opportunity to present issues to the Executive Committee. Open to active members of the Saint Paul Chapter. Call Lisa Tabor at 651-489-5215 or e-mail lisa@culturebrokers.com with any questions. For more information about our chapter, visit www.naacp-stpaul.org “Waiting Child” Adoption Meeting - MAY 11 Learn about the nearly 500 Minnesota children who need families, and how you can adopt through this State-funded program, at a FREE Waiting Child Orientation Meeting from 6-8 pm Tuesday, May 11 at HOPE Adoption & Family Services, 5850 Omaha Ave N, Oak Park Heights, MN. The meeting is free but please register: 651-439-2446 or www.hopeadoptionservices.org. Freeport West & SteppingStone Theatre present Create-A-Play - May 12 Freeport’s Domestic Violence program utilizes creativity to spark thought provoking conversations resulting in the culmination of a play production focusing on the issue of domestic violence. This month’s play is scheduled for Wed. May 12, 2010. The performance will take place at SteppingStone Theatre located at 55 Victoria Street, St. Paul, Doors at 6:30pm, performance at 7:00pm. Free. Innovation in History: Impact and Change - May 12 Join Minnesota students who present their labor history-related projects for Minnesota History Day, on the topic of “Innovation in History: Impact and Change.” The program promotes the study of history by engaging students and teachers in the excitement of historical inquiry and creative presentation. Watch labor history come alive with these imaginative projects! Wed., May 12, 7:30 pm at St. Paul Labor Centre, 411 Main St.
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Joseph, 8701-36th Ave. N. (corner of Boone) in New Hope. This program is hosted by the Northwest Neighbors for Peace and is free and open to all. The evening will feature a panel of Latino speakers and will include a discussion of immigration issues, a dialogue to promote understanding, action steps to move forward immigration reform, and ways that Latino immigrants are uniting in this action. For more information, Linda Thomson, 763-478-4956. Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota Adoption May 13 & 14 Join us at our upcoming Special Needs Adoption Training Workshop. “Special Needs” describes children who have experienced abuse or neglect and now live in foster homes. This workshop is the first step in preparing families to adopt and parent those special children. The Center for Changing Lives, 2400 Park Ave., Mpls. (Centrum B), 9am-6pm Thur., May 13 and 9am-3:30pm, Fri., May 14. For more information or to register, visit www.minnesotaadoption.org or call 1-888-205-3769. West Broadway in Bloom - May 13 A wine tasting fundraiser to support the West Broadway Business & Area Coalition. 5:45-7:00pm: Premier reception & wine tasting - $75. 7:00-8:30pm: Wine tasting only - $25. Thur., May 13 at Lundstrum Center for Performing Arts. 1617 North 2nd St. Mpls. Tickets - www.westbroadway.org RetroRama - May 13 May 13, 7 – 11 p.m. at the Minnesota History Center, 345 Kellogg Blvd W., St. Paul. $15 or $12 for Minnesota Historical Society members. Parking is $5. 651-259-3015, www.mnhs.org/retrorama. Watershed High School Garage Sale - May 14 Clothing, household items, electronics, toys, games, knick-knacks and other misc. This is a great chance to not only make some purchases, but also to tour the school, meet students, faculty and administrators. Fri., May 14 - 9am-3pm at Watershed High School, 4544 4th Ave. S. Mpls. Watershed High School Plant Sale - May 14&15 A variety of annuals and perennials are being sold to raise money for the 2010 Senior class trip to Chicago. Fri., May 14 - 9am-3pm and Sat. May 15 - 10am-1pm at Watershed High School, 4544 4th Ave. S. Mpls. Hospice and palliative care: What’s it all about? May 15 Representatives from: HealthPartners Geriatrics & Palliative Care Regions Hospital Palliative Care Team. Sat., May 15, 1-3pm. Presbyterian Homes (Central Tower) 20 E. Exchange St. St. Paul.
Immigration in Our Community – May 13 Thur. May 13th, 7pm, at the Parish Community of St.
STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COUNTY OF ORANGEBURG May E. Kiazolu, Plaintiff, v. Varney Jumor Kiazolu, Defendant.
) ) )
IN THE FAMILY COURT FOR THE FIRST JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )
Docket No. 10-DR-38-278
SUMMONS
CLASSIFIEDS PHONE: 612.588.1313 FAX:
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Townhomes For Rent TO:
THE DEFENDANT ABOVE-NAMED YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED AND REQUIRED to answer the Complaint in
this matter, a copy of which is herewith served upon you, and to serve a copy of your answer to said Complaint upon the subscriber at his offices located at 2000 Park Street, Suite 100, Post Office Box 8596, Columbia, South Carolina, 29202-8596, within thirty (30) days from the service thereof, exclusive of the day of such service; and if you fail to answer the Complaint within the time aforesaid, judgment by default will be rendered against you for the relief demanded in the Complaint.
Other Requirements: • Ability to deal with confidential information • Ability to handle tight deadlines • Exceptional computer skills • Excellent verbal and written communication skills • Excellent customer service skills • Organized and detail oriented • Ability to work effectively with employees, colleagues and manager • Agree to mandated child abuse reporting guidelines • Ability to relate to people from diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds • Dealing with unfavorable weather conditions To apply, send a cover letter, resume, salary requirements and references to:
Photos courtesy of Comcast
Va-Lesha Davis (foreground) and Comcast employees Jatan Brown and Lenny Garber help paint a hallway at the Mpls. Urban League.
ISAACS & ALLEY, L.L.P. G. Robin Alley, Esquire 2000 Park Street, Suite 100 Post Office Box 8596 Columbia, SC 29202-8596 (803) 252-6323 Attorneys for the Plaintiff gra@isaacsandalley.com Columbia, South Carolina February 12, 2010 NOTICE: The Summons in this action, of which the above is a copy, together with the Complaint therein was filed with the Clerk of Court of Orangeburg County on March 5, 2010
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ABA Minnesota Blizzards Basketball The Minnesota Blizzards ABA Basketball Team is announcing a program for college Internships for the fall and winter. The program will consist of five teams of 5 interns each in the following areas: (1) Sales, (2) Basketball Operations. (3) Marketing (4) Public Relations (5) Business administration. Each team will have a leader and be given challenging assignments. We are looking for college students majoring in Sports Management, Business, Public Relations, Marketing Sales, Broadcasting and Event Planning. We need 20 or 25 interns working with us for a (minimum of 8 hours a week) on a part-time basis. Interns will gain valuable experience, and in most cases college credits. Interested Parties please send resume to: The Minnesota ABA Team Attn: Internship Program 10125 Crosstown Circle #200 Eden Prairie, MN 55344 952-829-1250 Fax: 952-829-1040 www.minnesotablizzards.com
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Insight News • May 10 - May 16, 2010 • Page 11
SPORTS Floyd Mayweather Jr. backs up his big talk Mr T’s Sports Report
By Ryan T. Scott ryan@insightnews.com Floyd Mayweather Jr. has a big mouth. My brother taught me early on that “loose lips sink ships” but upon closer review, Floyd Mayweather’s high-speed motor mouth may be big in terms of overall volume of bullcorn produced, but bullcorn can also be known as fertilizer. In Mayweather’s case, the fertilizer produced by his oral cavity is feeding the growth of a rare plant
called The Money Tree. Two weeks ago, Mayweather put on a clinic of various forms, in his defeat of Sugar Shane Mosley. Many would point to the slippery, angled, boxing gameplan that Mayweather executed, or the sonic speed jabs that he continually snapped Mosley’s head with. But what impressed me the most of Mayweather in this fight, was the way in which he endured getting socked-up during the first couple rounds of the fight. While Mosley may have been simply trying to make the show look good during the later parts of the fight, he brought his scrappin’ shoes early on; and it worked. The fact that Mayweather’s nose didn’t swell from the connections Mosley made early on, may have said something about the power of the punches, but
Mayweather’s knees told a different story. Despite the shock of the early thumping, Mayweather did something impressive: he went forward. Though he was tactical about it, Mayweather never shied away from putting his nose back into the “knuckle zone” (the knuckle zone ends where the other fighters knuckles can’t reach). And as the fight went on Mayweather met less gloved knuckles in the knuckle zone, which in turn provided additional space for him to run his mouth. In the end, Mayweather showed that he has a champs chin, and that is the primary reason that he is still the WBA World Welterweight Champion. Now back to what I first said about Mayweather having a big mouth. Muhammad Ali seemed to start the whole “loud mouth boxer” routine, but if you know anything about Ali, you know that he was so witty and brilliant that he may have been pulling a trick on someone that the person would only recognize far after the fact. Ali did this in all facets of his boxing career, and in the ring, nobody knows Ali’s mouthtricks better than George Foreman (See: The Rumble in the Jungle and The Rope-a-Dope). I bring this up because of Mayweather’s ongoing
claims that he, and not Muhammad Ali, is The Greatest of All-Time (G.O.A.T.) Now first of all, let me get this out, “Fool, Please”, as a response to Mayweather’s claim (or “Please, Fool” if you want to sound stiff and grammatically correct). Now obviously Mayweather is trying to fertilize his financial legacy through making this salacious claim, but out of respect, he needs to at least always add a disclosure when he spouts that mess. Something like: “I’m the Greatest if you don’t count the fact that Ali changed the World through this simple, elegant, and brutal sport, but also laid the foundations for me to make all the money I make from running my mouth and backing it up with my fists.” In a recent interview Mayweather spoke of the fact that he never had to use any rope-a-dope tactics to win any fights like Ali did. Once again, “Fool, Please!” Men shouldn’t hit women, and women shouldn’t try to fight men. And though Mayweather is not a woman, at 5’8” and “not enough” pounds Mayweather might as well be a fancy young lady if he were to take a full-on haymaker from George Forman in his prime; and I’m right there with him at 5’11” and “not’ enough”. If you lined up every man
MN
In 2008, immigrants represented 8.5 percent of the Minnesota labor force. Meanwhile, half of Minnesota’s 87 counties had declining population between 2000 and 2008--the second highest percentage in the Midwest. Given the aging of the state’s population, and particularly in rural counties, the number of people in the working age population (15 to 64) is shrinking even faster than total population numbers. About 40 percent of Minnesota’s immigrant population came here as refugees from war-torn and politically unstable countries. As a result, the national origin profiles of Minnesota’s foreign-born population varies from national data, with 35 percent from Asia, 26 percent from Latin America (51
From 9 Gillaspy explained to writer Sven Wehrwein that it no longer is a matter of individuals growing older, which has always been the case. Rather, Minnesota “society” is growing older, like in some other developed countries, where the resident population isn’t replenishing itself with younger people and workers. Census data now being assembled should strengthen understanding of the trends spotted by the academic researchers. Meanwhile, here are a few important nuggets found in the Fennelly-Huart study:
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
lomejordelboxeo.com
on the planet and gave them the choice of taking a punch from Mike Tyson in his prime, or George Foreman in his prime, at one glance every man would shift to the Mike Tyson line (though that’s a bad situation all around) Now I’m sorry. I like to watch all sizes of gentleman lace the gloves up, but unless Mayweather had a slingshot, a stone, and a righteous blessing from God upon all the generations that shall follow the Mayweather lineage, then Floyd couldn’t beat not one soul that Ali fought. And I don’t want to here nothin’ about
“pound-for-pound” or “strictly boxing” --Ali just deserves his respect all-around. Though the glories of the Heavyweight boxing division are on life support at best these days, when it comes to the G.O.A.T. claims, you at least have be bigger than a goat, and nobody should be able to call you “Small Fry”. But I’ll give Mayweather this: he’s got plenty of fertilizer, and he’s undefeated as a pro. Now if he spouts some poetic fertilizer and stands out front for immigration rights or something, then…he’d still get knocked out by Foreman.
percent in U.S.), 18 percent from Africa, 17 percent from Europe and five percent from other regional categories. Regardless of where the new Minnesotans come from, they tend to be employed or are entrepreneurs starting their own businesses, they constitute new and younger workers, they tend to have families and that in turn keeps school districts and local services functioning for the betterment of communities, and those households have important multiplier-effect impacts on other merchants and service providers in their communities. Fennelly and Huart summarized it this way: “Without new, young workers, certain sectors of the economy will continue to contract; by one
estimate, if immigrants were removed from the labor force, Minnesota would lose over 24,000 permanent jobs and $1.2 billion in personal income.” Right now, Fennelly said, Latino children are “saving” rural school districts. “Without them, we would have school consolidations and closures all over the place.” And Hmong and Somali immigrants and their Minnesota-born children are responsible for revitalizing neighborhoods in the Twin Cities, she added. “That wouldn’t happen without new people.” What should be clear is this: “Minnesota Nice” will pay dividends for Minnesota going forward. “Minnesota Ugly” will exact a terrible cost.
Page 12 • May 10 - May 16, 2010 • Insight News
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