Monday, December 13th, 7:30 pm, at Guthrie Theater, Wurtele Thrust Stage Tickets and information at guthrietheater.org, 612.377.2224, soundsofblackness.com
INSIGHT NEWS November 22 - November 28, 2010 • MN Metro Vol. 36 No. 47 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • www.insightnews.com
US Senator Al Franken, Shantae Holmes, and Grover Jones
Senator Franken visits Northside business Says owner of new North Minneapolis laundromat is example for others Shantae Holmes (center), owner of the All Washed Up Laundromat, which opened recently in North Minneapolis, describes the challenges she had to overcome to get financing for the new business with U.S. Senator Al Franken. Franken is working in Congress to ensure entrepreneurs like Holmes have the access to funding they need to start new businesses and create jobs.
Holmes worked with non-profit lenders such as the Northside Economic Opportunity Network (NEON) to get the credit she needed to start the business. Grover Jones (right), Executive Director of NEON, joined Franken during the visit and helped discuss how his organization helped Holmes get the capital she needed to start the Laundromat.
Elders applaud new North High vision Courtesy of Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office
Rich Stanek and VJ Smith
Sheriff awards citizens for heroic rescues and community work Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek presented 12 awards to citizens who performed lifesavings acts or who volunteer to help their community. The award ceremony took place at Elsie’s restaurant, 729 Marshall Street Northeast, Minneapolis. The Sheriff presented the Award of Merit awards to several people for their community work. Among the recipients was V.J. Smith of MAD DADs in Minneapolis. Smith mentors inmates in the jail and encourages them to follow his example by breaking free from a life of crime and taking responsibility for their lives. “Inmates can relate to V.J. because he has walked in their shoes,” said Stanek. “V.J. has a big heart and he’s determined to reach out to people and help them return to the community as productive citizens.” Don Machacek of Inver Grove Heights received the Citizen’s Medal of Valor, the highest citizen award available from the Sheriff’s
Office. It is given to those who risk personal harm with the intention of providing assistance to law enforcement or another person. Other citizens who received awards at the event include: Citizen Commendation Award Four citizens, employed at the YMCA in Minneapolis, rescued a man who nearly drowned in March. A swimmer noticed the man on the bottom of the pool. The lifeguard and his co-workers pulled the man from the water, administered CPR, and saved the man’s life. Those honored for the rescue: Lifeguard Tyler Conway of Richfield, Blanca Garcia of White Bear Lake, Nicole Daeger of St. Paul, and Adara Bryan of Minneapolis. Citizen Commendation Award In September, a wooden boat sank on Lake Minnetonka and six people wound up in the water --- many of them were injured. Citizens on two other
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Business
LinkedIn: Job search gold mine or junkyard?
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We unequivocally support Superintendent Johnson’s initial decision to close North Community High School (“North”), and we applaud her current efforts to work with the north side community in establishing a “New North.” North has faced a steady decline in the number of students enrolled, from 1300 students in 2002 to its current number of 265 students. In just the past three years alone, North has experienced a 46% decline in enrollment. The once strong and proud North that many of us knew no longer exists.
Commentary by Jeffrey A. Hassan, Co-Chair, AfricanAmerican Leadership Forum/Education Work Group; William English and Rev. R. Staten, Co-Chairs, Coalition of Black Churches/African-Leadership Summit; and Rev. Jerry McAfee, President Minnesota State Baptist Convention In 2010, Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (“MCA”) scores at North are almost 60% lower than the average of other high schools in the State of Minnesota. In 2010, less than 30% of the African American students are proficient in reading and less than 10%
are proficient in Math. Most startling is the fact that not one African American male student at North is proficient in Math. As the song goes, we need to “Wake up Everybody ‘cause it’s time to teach a new way.” It was never Superintendent Johnson’s intention to close
North and leave nothing in its place. One of her major initiatives is to bring in a new high academic performing charter school called Minneapolis College Prep to the Northside. Minneapolis College Prep is associated with Noble Schools in Chicago which consistently sends over 90% of its high school graduates to college, and its students score as well on standardized tests as any of the top high schools within the Chicago area. Noble Schools achieve unprecedented success
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Human rights advocate William E. McGee honored The Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers (MABL) held its annual scholarship Gala dinner Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010. For the last several years, MABL has honored the memory of William E. (Billy) McGee by awarding a scholarship to a deserving minority law student. McGee was one of the MABL founders and was Chief Hennepin County Public Defender at the time of his death 10 years ago, at age 42. This year, MABL took a few extra minutes to remember Billy McGee, as the Gala fell on the 10th anniversary of his passing—
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Aesthetics
Luke Brotherson
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Rose McGee
William E. McGee (left) and Kojo Yankah, Member of Parliament, Ghana; May 2000
Kam Williams
Russell Simmons hosts soirée for Soledad O’Brien
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Sports
New Timberwolves take a lickin’, keep on tickin’
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