New York Liberty Star

NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR * JANUARY 13-24, 2012

Ask Lisa Anne what is assistive technology?

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| NYLIBERTYSTAR.COM | VOL. XII ISSUE 237

Entertainment News

“I have a dream

that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’”

Bajan Pop Star Nabs Youtube Click Crown

Barbadian singer Rihanna moved ahead of Lady Gaga as the most watched female artist on YouTube, racking up more than two billion views.

Inside

Trini PI Gets Max For Framing Guyanese Ex, P4 Black Men To Mentor Youth On MLK Day, P5 Clarke Pledges Support To New Jamaica PM, P6 Jamaican Son Thompson Shines For Cavs , P19 Semper Fidelis Liberty or Death

75 cents in US/Canada Jamaican-owned Printed On Recycled and operated, Paper since 2001

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jANUARY 13-24, 2012

“Let freedom ring. And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring—when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children—black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics -- will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: “Free at last!

Free at last!

Thank God Almighty,

we are free at last!”

M.L.K.

NY CARIBBEAN LEADERS REFLECT ON KING’S LEGACY

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz hosts Caribbean Business Leaders.

now available in your neighborhood

full story Page 16. at

PHARMACY

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JANUARY 13-24, 2012 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

Highlighting the Spirit of the Caribbean Lenecia Hines Editor-In-Chief IVROL HINES Managing Editor Leonardo Harrison Webmaster & Community Relations Sen. john Sampson michael roberts dwight williams, dds, mph Contributing Writers Telephone: (718) 785-9722 Fax: (215) 294-5903 Submit Articles nylibertystar@yahoo.com Visit us online @: www.nylibertystar.com NEW YORK CITY CORPORATE OFFICE 397 Rockaway Ave Brooklyn, NY 11212 Send all Mail to: New York Liberty Star 1930 Rockaway Pkwy.

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The New York Liberty Star is not responsible for typographical errors in ads beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Copyright New York Liberty Star 2001. All rights reserved.

NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR * JANUARY 13-24, 2012

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JANUARY 13-24, 2012 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

LOCAL news

Trini PI Gets Max For Framing Guyanese Ex

Seemona Sumasar,

A

judge has sentenced a Trinidadian-born private detective, who raped his Guyanese ex-girlfriend and then framed her for a series of fictional crimes, to the maximum of 32 years in prison.

Using knowledge he acquired partly from watching crime dramas like “C.S.I.,” Jerry Ramrattan, 39, orchestrated what prosecutors in Queens called one of the most elaborate frameups in recent history.

Ramrattan’s ex-girlfriend, Seemona Sumasar, 36, had accused him of raping her. After she refused to drop the rape charges, prosecutors said concocted a scheme that landed her in jail for seven months, making it seem as though Sumasar was the likely perpetrator of a series of brazen armed robberies, for which she was accused of impersonating a police officer.

Justice Richard Buchter said Ramrattan deserved no mercy, calling him a “diabolical conniver and sinister manipulator” who had “shamelessly exploited the criminal justice system.”

At his trial in State Supreme Court in Queens, prosecutors produced evidence that Ramrattan cajoled and extorted witnesses to falsely testify that she had robbed them.

He even staged fake crime scenes, prosecutors said, in which he planted evidence, handcuffing one of Sumasar’s supposed victims to a pole and planting several bullets at the scene of one of the imaginary crimes.

Before Ramrattan was sentenced last week, Sumasar delivered a stinging victim impact statement, noting that he showed no remorse and was so intent on revenge that he would have stopped

Jerry Ramrattan at nothing to destroy her.

“I don’t have words for you,” she said. “You are pure evil. You are a sociopath. You need help.

Someone needs to put a stop to your madness.”

During her seven months in jail, awaiting a robbery trial, Sumasar, a former analyst at the Wall Street brokerage firm, Morgan Stanley, separated from her young daughter. She lost her business, and her house went into foreclosure.

Her bail was set at US$1 million, which she could not afford.

Ramrattan, meanwhile, was free until an informant came forward in late 2010 and exposed his plot, prosecutors said.

Ramrattan was convicted in November of a series of charges, including rape, conspiracy and perjury. The nearly month-long trial offered two opposing plot lines that were seemingly irreconcilable. Prosecutors portrayed Sumasar as a single mother duped by a wily confident man intent on malicious vengeance.

But the defense characterized her as a dejected lover who had turned on Ramrattan after he said he was leaving her to return to his wife and family.

Members of the jury said the guilty verdict was predicated on their acceptance of Sumasar’s account of being bound with duct tape and viciously raped by Ramrattan, which apparently gave him a motive to create his ruse.

In his plea for leniency, Ramrattan insisted that he was innocent, saying that he had spent years helping the police solve cases as an informant.

“I stand before you with no choice but to accept what is going to happen,” he said. “Think about all the cases I made over the years, the rape victims I assisted. I maintain my innocence.”

His lawyer, Frank Kelly, told the judge that Mr. Ramrattan was not the “monster” he had been made out to be.

COMMUNITY LEADERS

HoldingPost

Clarke Commemorates Second Anniversary Of Haiti Earthquake

S

enator Kirsten Gillibrand (DNY) and Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY) reaffirmed their commitment to the long-term recovery efforts of Haiti by announcing new legislative initiatives that they will support upon their return to Congress. They released the following statement commemorating the second anniversary of the devastating earthquake that took place in Haiti on January 12, 2010: “As we mark the two year anniversary of this horrible tragedy, we must not let up on our pledge to help rebuild Haiti,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Even as the people of Haiti have made great strides, there is still much more work to be done and I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure that the incredible energy of Haiti’s people is met fully by American support, which leverages the knowledge and talents of the Haitian Diaspora. The survivors of the tragedy remind us of the strength, resilience, and hope that emerged from the rubble. We stand in unity with the Haitian people and remain steadfast in our mission to see Haiti overcome, recover, and succeed.”

“Two years ago, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti – one of the worst natural disasters in nearly a century. In memoriam, I call on people of good will in the United States and around the world to stand firm in our commitment to help mobilize the people of Haiti to reach their full potential and subsequently move Haiti forward in the quest to become a 21st century civil society with the tools they need to be self-sufficient and life affirming,” stated Congresswoman Clarke.

Senator Gillibrand and Congresswoman Clarke announced their support of the following legislative initiatives in Congress: The Assessing Progress in Haiti Act – This bill would direct the President to report to Congress on the status of postearthquake humanitarian, reconstruction, and development efforts in Haiti, including efforts to prevent the spread of cholera and treat persons infected with the disease.

A Resolution Recognizing the Two Year Anniversary of the Earthquake in Haiti – This resolution honors the victims of the quake, the people of the U.S. and Haiti who helped the victims, and urges the President to maintain focus on Haiti.

A Resolution that the U.S. Should Work with the Government of Haiti to address gender-based violence against women and children – Recognizing the high rate of sexual and other violence against women and children, the resolution praises certain steps that Haiti has taken and calls for more training of Haitian law enforcement, support for ministries responsible for these issues, and safety improvements

· · ·

in the displacement camps.

With one of the largest concentrations of first and second generation immigrants living in New York, Sen. Gillibrand and Rep. Clarke have worked diligently to ensure that the U.S. continues to address the needs of Haitians, Haitian nationals, and the Haitian Diaspora. Below you will find Brookyln Congresswoman additional Yvette D. Clarke initiatives and letters that Senator Gillibrand and Congresswoman Clarke have worked on together in the 112th Congress.

On January 11, 2011- Sent joint letter to President Barack Obama with House Foreign Affairs Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, sent a bicameral, bipartisan letter to President Obama to extend the expiration date of Temporary Protected Status (TPS). The Department of Homeland Security announced the extension of TPS for Haitian nationals living in the U.S. since January 12, 2011, allowing them to remain in the United States until January 22, 2013.

On December 12, 2011- Reintroduced the Haitian Emergency Life Protection Act of 2010 (The H.E.L.P. Act) in the 112th Congress. This bill would allow an estimated 55,000 Haitians who already have approved immigration petitions to join their relatives in the United States.

On December 15, 2011- Sent joint letter to President Obama requesting DHS create the Haitian Family Reunification Parole Program.

“It is our sworn duty to continue to stand with the people of Haiti and the Haitian Diaspora as they come together to implement a long-term recovery strategy in Haiti. We must strengthen our efforts to help members of the Haitian Diaspora, in the United States, joining those around the world – to bring stability to Haiti,” added Congresswoman Clarke. “Much more must be done as we mark the second anniversary of this devastating earthquake. That is why I remain committed to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, the NGO’s community in the U.S. and Haiti, as well as, the Haitian Diaspora to make sure that Haiti is fully restored to its rightful position as “The Pearl of the Antilles.”

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NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR * JANUARY 13-24, 2012

Jamaican 9/11 Victims Get Permanent Memorial In NY

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permanent memorial to honor Jamaican nationals who died in the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 will be erected at the British Garden, at Hanover Square, in lower Manhattan, according to Jamaica’s Consulate General to New York.

It said that the island joins other Commonwealth nations – Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom – in making the British Garden a permanent memorial for its 9/11 victims.

“On Memorial Day, November 11, 2011, 10 years and one month after the terrible attacks ... Geneive Brown Metzger, Jamaica’s Consul General to New York, represented her country by laying a wreath in honor of all those Jamaican nationals who were lost when the two towers crumbled,” the Consulate said in a statement said.

Brown Metzger said the Jamaicans who perished in the attacks will never be forgotten by their families and homeland.

“This memorial in the heart of New York City is a fitting tribute, and I am honoured to be able to lead the official recognition of their sacrifice to their adopted homeland,” she said.

Located in lower Manhattan, The British Garden is a joint project between the British Consulate and the St. George’s Society in New York.

It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010, and its

Geneive Brown Metzger, Jamaica’s Consul General to New York. founding was prompted by “a desire to honor and memorialize the 67 British subjects who lost their lives in the tragic attacks,” the Jamaica Consulate said.

“Since then, the purpose of the British Garden has been expanded to also honor other Commonwealth subjects lost in the attacks,” it added.

“The British Garden at Hanover Square is most honored and pleased to welcome its Jamaican brothers and sisters to the Garden, where they are uniting in a permanent memorial to those lost in the 9/11 terrorist attacks with nationals of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand,” said Victor E. Stewart, chairman of the Garden.

MLK Day Provides Perfect Op For Mentoring Blacks

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By Michael Roberts

D

emocratic Conference Leader, State Senator John L. Sampson, is urging members of his community and across New York City to get involved in mentoring.

He has issued a clarion call “to mentoring service,” especially to Black men, given the fact that many Black families are without a strong male figure in the home.

January is National Mentoring Month and the Brooklyn Democrat says that this is the time for men and women in the community to get involved in the lives and wellbeing of children and young people.

“The concept of mentoring is simple, but successful implementation can be challenging. A mentor is a coach, guide, tutor, facilitator, counselor and trusted advisor. A mentor is someone willing to spend his or her time and expertise to guide the development of another person. That is an important calling since the mentor is responsible for shaping and grooming a young person to ultimately become a productive, useful citizen and an asset to the community,” explained Senator Sampson.

National Mentoring Month focuses national attention on the need for mentors, as well as how each of

us—individuals, businesses, government agencies, schools, faith communities and nonprofits—can work together to increase the number of mentors to assure brighter futures for young people.

Senator Sampson said that the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, January 16, 2012, is an ideal opportunity to highlight the importance of mentoring. Initiated by Congress in 1994, King Day of Service aims to transform the federal holiday honoring Dr. King into a national day of community service grounded in his teachings of nonviolence and social justice.

Instead of being just another day off from school or work, the holiday gives people of all ages and backgrounds a chance to come together to strengthen their community, bridge social barriers and move the nation closer to the “be-

New York State Senator John L. Sampson loved community” that Dr. King envisioned.

“This is the ideal occasion for us to recommit ourselves to the noble calling of mentoring. There are many ways that individuals in the community can get involved.

For example, individuals can sponsor and organize a single service project or a variety of projects that benefit the community. Community leaders can form teams of volunteers to do a variety of small projects in the community under the guidance of a mentor or mentors,” Senator Sampson said.

Life For Guyanese Fire Bomber P rosecutors said that a Guyanese-born man who went on a New Year’s Day firebombing spree faces a maximum sentence of life in prison on charges that include committing arson as a hate crime.

Ray Lazier Lengend, 40, was arraigned at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan, where he is undergoing psychiatric evaluation, via a video feed into Queens Criminal Court.

“This case is very troublesome,” said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.

“Flames from the Molotov cocktails can spread very quickly.”

Prosecutors said Lengend tossed flaming bottles at four buildings in the Jamaica section of Queens, including two houses of worship. A

fifth bottle was tossed at his brother-in-law’s Long Island home.

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said cops are looking into Lengend’s claim that he tossed gas-filled bottles at two private houses and a vehicle.

“We’ve gone to these locations and we’re trying to gather evidence,” Kelly said.

Lengend told cops he bought five of the glass bottles at a gas station near the Van Wyck Expressway in Queens and the store gave him three more for free.

He said he drove to another gas station and paid cash to fill up the bottles with gasoline.

From there, he drove off to the Imam Al-Khoei Islamic center but got scared off when he saw cops, he claimed.

Lengend told cops he headed to a deli on Hillside Avenue in Jamaica, Queens and waited more than an hour to make his move because the store was too crowded.

“Once they left, I got out of the car and walked into the deli and screamed and threw

the lit bottle filled with gas into the store,” he told cops. “I then went back to the mosque and threw another bottle of gas at the temple.”

Queens prosecutors said they successfully sought an order to have Lengend locked up without bail.

“There was a potential for tremendous carnage based on the defendant’s actions, terror that reverberates throughout the city,” prosecutor Dave Jeffries said.

Lengend told cops he planned to “inflict as much damage as possible and take out as many Muslims and Arabs as possible” by tossing gasfilled Starbucks Frappucino bottles from the balcony of a Queens mosque.

In a statement to cops, Lengend claimed he “hated all the Muslims and Arabs because they were trying to take over his life. They have been doing it for 40 years.”

The unemployed truck driver is expected to remain at Bellevue Hospital for several days.

Lengend’s lawyer, Lisa Saltzman, noted that her client was not identified by eyewitness-

Ray Lazier Lengend confessed to the New Year’s Day bombings. es in the first of two police lineups.

Prosecutors, however, said he was positively identified in the second lineup, which he disrupted.

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JANUARY 13-24, 2012 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

Portia Back In Charge Congresswoman Clarke Pledges Support

local news

Jamaican Mother Turns To Psychic To Help Solve Daughter’s Murder

A Jamaica’s Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller, right, holds hands with political rival and former Prime Minister Andrew Holness while delivering the inaugural speech after being sworn in at King’s House in Kingston, Jamaica, Jan. 5.

Simpson-Miller was sworn in for the second time as Jamaica’s prime minister, pledging to ease the island’s deep poverty, boost the chronically sputtering economy, heal political divisions and sever colonial-era links with Britain.

C

ongresswoman Yvette D. Clarke says she will continue her efforts to improve relations between the United States and the Caribbean as she welcomed Portia Simpson-Miller as Jamaica’s new prime minister.

“I congratulate Portia SimpsonMiller on becoming the Prime Minister of Jamaica,” said Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants.

“We should celebrate this historic day, as she becomes the first woman Prime Minister to be elected twice as the leader of Jamaica,” said Clarke, who represents the predominantly Caribbean 11th Congressional District in Brooklyn.

She urged both the PNP and the JLP to work together to move Jamaica “towards a fair, just, and peaceful transition”.

Clarke, whose mother, former New York City Councilwoman Una S.T. Clarke, was the first Caribbean national to hold elective office in New York City, said that as a daughter of the Caribbean and a woman of Jamaican descent, “I will continue to work with all the stakeholders in the Caribbean Diaspora to strengthen and bolster relations between Jamaica, the entire Caribbean region and the Unit-

ed States of America”.

The new Jamaica prime minister had first headed a government, from 2006-2007, following the retirement from active politics of then Prime Minister P.J. Patterson.

But she was defeated in the 2007 general elections by the Bruce Golding-led JLP. Simpson-Miller, the first ever woman to head a government in Jamaica, took the oath of office Thursday, becoming the island’s seventh head of government following her People’s National Party (PNP) resounding victory in the December 29 general election.

Before an estimated crowd of 8,000 party officials, supporters and members of the diplomat community, Simpson-Miller took the oath of office at King’s House before Governor general Sir Patrick Allen.

“I am deeply humbled that, once again, you have chosen me to lead our nation as it stands at a crossroads,” declared the new prime minister.

In the general election, the PNP won 42 out of the 63 seats at stake.

“In our political history, it is a rare opportunity to be given a second chance to lead. It is also a sobering experience,” PM Simpson-Miller said. “But, I have been strengthened by the experience of going through the first phase of the journey. And, I have emerged.”

She told the nation that she is a “stronger and better person, who is prepared to be of service to my country and people” and is also aware that

the country faces “an awesome task”.

“There is greater debt, increased poverty levels, tighter fiscal space,” she said. “My administration will not engage in a blame-game. We will present the facts to the Jamaican people, based on rigorous analysis. Our approach must be to right the wrongs and insist on accountability.”

In her address, Prime Minister Simpson-Miller also made reference to the 50th independence anniversary later this year.

She said it will be a time for reflection on the lessons of the past “and as we celebrate our achievements as an independent nation, we now need to complete the circle of independence.

“In this regard, we will, therefore, initiate the process for our detachment from the Monarchy to become a Republic with our own indigenous President, as Head of State,” the prime minister said. “Today we embark upon a new phase of our Jamaican journey. In the ‘Global Trade Winds’ of change we are not always at liberty to direct these winds but we must set our sails to pilot the Good Ship Jamaica through these turbulent economic waters to safe harbour,” she added. “In the face of these dramatic winds of change, I am calling for all hands on deck. This nation requires the strength, the creativity, the innovation and the steely courage of every Jamaican man, woman, youth and child to place this vessel on a path to prosperity.”

Jamaican-born mother says she is now working with a paranormal investigator and a clairvoyant, hoping their powers of perception can provide long-awaited answers and longdenied peace in the murder of her teenage daughter inside their Queens apartment in 2008.

Sharida Matthews said she has fought a haunting pain as she pursued Sabrina’s killer — a frustrating hunt that has led her from New York Police Department (NYPD) detectives to devotees of ESP. The NYPD also said its investigators are willing to meet with the mediums in an effort to close the cold case.

“That’s all I want. I want justice for my child,” a sobbing Matthews told reporters on Saturday. “Somebody slaughtered her.

Every day I cry because I want justice.”

Sabrina Matthews, her throat slashed and her body partially clothed, was found in a pool of blood when her father returned to the family’s Cambria Heights home on the morning of November 9, 2008.

Police said there was no sign of forced entry. The 14-year-old’s father and three older sisters were questioned and cleared in the slaying.

The family wanted answers, but couldn’t afford a private investigator. Their own probe soon hit a dead end — until a friend suggested a sit-down with the unorthodox investigators.

After resisting at first, Mrs. Matthews agreed to speak with paranormal investigator Chris

Johansen during a November candlelight vigil marking the third anniversary of the murder.

Johansen, 49, came to the family’s home, and Matthews came away convinced that he could help find the killer.

He claims the ability to communicate with the dead — a gift possessed by his great-grandmother and his grandmother, who both worked with law enforcement.

This is his first crime investigation. He enlisted the help of clairvoyant Francine Bizzari, who has experience working crime cases.

“God can give them the wisdom,” said Mrs. Matthews. “Everything is possible.”

Johansen has visited the Matthews home and taken photos, handled Sabrina’s clothing to get a feeling of her spirit and spoken to her friends.

Together, the team has come up with a clue: the name “Jasmine,” a mystery friend of Sabrina’s — and a different person than a young neighbor by the same name — who could have answers, Johansen insists.

“She didn’t do it, but she knows,” he said, adding that he thinks the case can be solved. “I want people to listen to what I have to say.”

Mrs. Matthews said she was shocked recently when one of her other daughters was contacted via the social network, Facebook, by a girl named Jasmine.

A meeting between her daughter and Jasmine — who may or may not be the mystery friend — produced no new leads, with Jasmine acting spooked, Matthews said.

But Jasmine agreed to meet again with her daughter, the mother added.

Cops say there is a $22,000 reward for information that cracks the case.

“The killer is still out there laughing — ‘They can’t find me!’ ” Mrs. Matthews said. “That hurts. These are not good shoes to walk in — to know that she died like that.”

NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR * JANUARY 13-24, 2012

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leisure

word fit

connect the dots

Can you fit the words correctly into the grid? (Solution, Page 17) ARIA IGLOO ASPIRE ADDRESS UMPIRES TREK LITHE ELDEST INSIPID VACCINE BASIL LIVID RARELY LOCATED DECLARED BROKE OLIVE SHAPES PROSPER INVOLVED ENDED PAUSE SHERRY SCIENCE EQUAL RAVEN SLEIGH STUDENT

Wordsearch

murder mystery!

Can you find the hidden words? They may be horizontal, vertical, diagonal, forwards or backwards.

ALIBI, ARREST, CAPTURE, CAUTION, CHARGE, CLUE, CRIME, CRIMINAL, DETECTIVE, EVIDENCE, FORENSIC, INVESTIGATION, MOTIVE, MURDER, MYSTERY, OPPORTUNITY, PERPETRATOR, PLOT, POLICE, PURSUIT, SENTENCE, SOLVE, SUSPECT, WEAPON

Anthony B: Rooted In Rasta

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JANUARY 13-24, 2012 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

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o Anthony B, the meaning of reggae music is realization. Over live instrumentation or digital samples, the Rastafarian singer’s vocals sway from smooth to red-hot as he calls for humankind to reawaken and treat consciousness as paramount in life.

“Where there is consciousness, there is no school,” he explains. “No one can teach it to you. Only life’s experiences can do that for you. It’s an evolution, a long-time comin’ thing, a different process for all. So in reggae music, we are sharing our viewpoints

and opinions from our own experiences that have broadened our consciousness through faith, hope, and the love of Rasta.”

Despite touring the world and attending humanitarian events, new tunes carrying the classic Rasta reggae vibes and principles keep coming steadily to Anthony B. This past summer, his latest album, Rasta Love, was released to critical acclaim by his record label, Born Fire Music. The 18 tracks espouse the joy of universal love and the message that fear keeps people honest in life.

entertainment

Rihanna

Rihanna Dethrones Lady Gaga As Queen Of YouTube

R

ihanna has moved ahead of Lady Gaga as the most watched female artist on YouTube, racking up more than two billion views across the clips on her official channel.

The exact number of Ri-

Ri’s clicks as of Tuesday was 2,033,848,822, while Gaga sat at 2,031,947,914 - just under two million views behind.

Both women are way out ahead of the closest chat rivals Katy Perry and Beyonce, neither of whom have even hit two billion views yet.

Rihanna, a native of Barbados, can expect her total video views to get an even bigger bump soon, having recently announced the Jay-Z collaboration and title track from her latest album Talk That Talk as her next single.

“In these times are the valleys of decision,” he says. “There are so many things that tell us to look outward at a gimmick and need for the material things. The return to a sense of consciousness is a return to the source. It is a return to the only thing left in Pandora’s chaotic box: hope and faith. And we emanate those vibes as an antidote to fear. This is what Rasta love and reggae music bring to you.”

Rasta Love is a joyous and pumping soundtrack to a personal and/or global struggle, based in human emotion and experience. The

songs confront life’s difficulties, and inspire hope in the Rasta vision of equality. The album features a harmonic fusion of jazz, soul, rock, and electronica, while maintaining reggae’s driving rhythm.

On the opening track, “Coming in Hot,” Anthony B pays homage to one of his great heroes and inspirations, Peter Tosh, with a cover of his vintage reggae hit. He puts his own spin on the classic by adding in his own verses of appreciation for the elder musicians who paved the way, and for his homeland, Jamaica.

Anthony B

NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR * JANUARY 13-24, 2012

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JANUARY 13-24, 2012 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

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JANUARY 13-24, 2012 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

travel

4

Fly For Less

Wonders Of Winter

A

s temperatures plummet in the Northern Hemisphere, why not enjoy some of the great travel experiences that only a big chill can bring. We look at the world’s top four winterland marvels, as chosen by Lonely Planet authors:

1. The northern lights of Canada It’s the middle of night, in the middle of nowhere. It’s so dark that you can hold your hand three inches from your face and not see it. The silence is so complete that the low thud of snow falling from a nearby tree makes you jump. Your eyelashes are close to frozen and it’s a struggle to separate them when you blink. And yet you’d happily sit there all night, for many nights to come, for the chance to see nature’s most mysterious sight: the northern lights.

With little light pollution, optimum weather conditions (very cold, with plenty of clear nights) and its position directly beneath the prime-viewing zone of the auroral oval, Churchill in Canada is one of the best places in the world to see the northern lights. The Arctic tundra and boreal forest surrounding the town see over 300 nights of auroral activity each year. Displays might last hours, or be gone in a minute. Flashing neon pink, turquoise and green, the lights swirl across the sky in myriad imagined shapes (is that a walrus, a witch, a whale?) before whipping back on themselves and disappearing. In the presence of such a spectacle, it’s easy to believe local Inuit myth that the aurora borealis are signals from the afterlife, particularly if you hear the sky crackle and swoosh as some claim. What is in no doubt during those moments when the lights whirl above your head is that you’re part of the greatest show on earth.

2. Icebound St Petersburg January in St Petersburg. The city’s residents, long used to the cold, don fur hats and heavy coats to stand in line. Nowadays, they wait not for bread, but for art: frozen art. Every winter, sculptors transform blocks of ice into elaborate models of people, animals and objects.

It’s a tradition that dates back to 1740, when an entire ice palace was constructed to celebrate the birthday of the Empress Anna. Set against a backdrop of golden domes sparkling in the light of the low sun, the exhibit embodies the magic of St Petersburg in winter.

Locals bypass the city’s bridges, slithering over the ice-covered rivers and canals to make their way across town. The Neva River is frozen solid, except for one large hole in front of the Peter Paul Fortress. This is the plunge pool for the Walrus Club, a group of swimmers who exhort the health benefits of a daily dip. When the cold finally seeps in, Petersburgers warm up with a vodka, served in an ice glass, from the ice bar.

‘At least we can do something with all this ice other than slipping and falling on it!’ observes one happy patron.

3. Sweden’s reindeer migration One of the world’s greatest migrations takes place each year just over a thousand miles north of Britain. As snow thickens on every surface, lakes freeze over and the temperature drops below -25˚C, tens of thousands of reindeer make their way across northern Sweden. Descending from summer pastures in the mountains to the west, the herds travel east to spend the long winter foraging in the forests.

Accompanying them on a journey that can take ten days or more are their seminomadic Sami owners. While herding methods may have modernised over the centuries (snowmobiles – and even helicopters – have replaced snowshoes), reindeer husbandry is still a cornerstone of their culture. To fall in with the Sami and their herds is to be part of a heritage that stretches back millennia – one of days dictated by the pace of the reindeers’ steady trot, and of nights sharing stories round the fire under a chill, starfilled sky.

4. Italy’s sunken bell Head to Italy’s South Tyrol this winter and you’re likely to come across one of Europe’s most bizarre sights – an apparently amputated church spire poking out from the frozen waters of Lago di Resia. The 14th-century bell tower, pointing like an arrow to the blustery skies above, is a forlorn monument to an entire village drowned beneath the waters of an artificial lake created as part of a hydroelectricity project in the 1950s.

Locals will tell you that the tolling of its church bell can still be heard on a cold night – even though the bell was removed when the valley was flooded. Tall tales may have sprung up around it, but the church and the lake are very much part of local life, particularly in winter.

Snow-kiters twirl across the ice, leaping high into the air as their kites catch a gust of wind, keeping an eye out for ice-skaters gliding around the lake’s perimeter. Families slip and slide their way to the base of the tower, eager to slap their gloved hands on a piece of history that’s out of reach most of the year.

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NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR * JANUARY 13-24, 2012

Knowledge is power

ASK LISA-ANNE

13

What Is Assistive Technology?

Q. Our daughter is in a special education classroom and her fine and gross motor skills are very weak. She receives occupational therapy and physical therapy for these difficulties.

What is assistive technology as stated on her (Individualized Education Plan) IEP? A. Assistive technology is any kind of technology that can be used to enhance the functional and academic independence of a person with a disability. Assistive Technology-AT devices are tools that help people overcome those challenges and enable them to enhance their quality of life and lead more independent lives.

Assistive technology can be anything from a simple (low-tech) device such as a magnifying glass, to a complex (high-tech) device, such as a computerized communication system. It can be big — an automated van lift for a wheelchair — or small — a Velcro attached grip attached to a pen or fork for example, for eating and writing.

Assistive technology can also be a substitute — such as an augmentative communication device that provides vocal output for a child who cannot communicate with her voice. Many parents do not know that they can ask for assistive aids to be added to their child’s IEP because they

don’t even know they exist and which one’s to choose. If your child receives occupational therapy, speech therapy or physical therapy, you should ask about which tools and aids, if any, can help her at home and in the classroom. If you want something for home use you will have to pay for it or have it covered by your medical insurance. However, if it is deemed necessary for your child to use it in the classroom, you can request a program review meeting to add it to the IEP. Then the district will have to purchase it. In special education classrooms one will often see touch screen computer monitors, communication devices with pictures that talk when the child touches them, pictures requesting an action like going to the bathroom, large lettered keyboards to make typing and writing easier, large mirrors, sippy cups to make drinking easier, special large handle spoons and pencils, velcro sensory boards, weighted vest, pencil grips, automatic wheelchairs, flex squeeze balls, toys linked to devices the children can touch to make it work, special bean bag type wedges to keep children in chairs and special chairs to help kids sit up straight in the classroom and the list goes on and on.

Here are more examples of AT from the LDOnline.org website that enable children with disabilities to enter into the community, perform academically and to interact with others.

1.Utilize mobility aids, such as wheelchairs, scooters, and walkers. Adapted car seats and vehicle wheelchair restraints promote safe travel.

2. Hand-held GPS devices help persons

with visual impairments navigate busy city streets and utilize public transportation.

3. Building modifications at work sites, such as ramps, automatic door openers, grab bars, and wider doorways mean fewer barriers to employment, businesses, and community spaces, such as libraries, churches, and shopping malls.

4. Special computer software and hardware, such as voice recognition programs and screen enlargement programs.

5. Education and work aids such as automatic page turners, book holders, and adapted pencil grips enable children to participate in classroom activities.

6. Bowling balls with hand-grips and onehanded fishing reels are a few examples of how technology can be adapted for sporting activities.

7. Adaptive switches make it possible for a child with limited motor skills to play with toys and games, open their school bag, enlarge print in books and use the computer better.

8. Accessibly designed movie theaters provide closed captioning and audio description for moviegoers with hearing and visual difficulties.

The Family Center on Technology and Disability (FCTD) offers a wide range of assistive technology resources for disability organizations, AT providers, educators and families of children with disabilities. Families are always welcome to visit the FCTD website (www.fctd. info) to find other AT and disability organizations and to learn more about assistive technology. Happy New Year To All!

Lisa-Anne Ray-Bayers

Lisa-Anne Ray-Byers is a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist who has worked in education for over two decades. She holds graduate degrees in speech-language pathology and multicultural education. She also holds certification in educational administration. She is the author of the book, They Say I Have ADHD, I Say Life Sucks! Thoughts From Nicholas and co-author of the book 365 Ways to Succeed With ADHD both available at www.Amazon.com and her website. She is a member of the National Education Writers Association and the education editor of the Community Journal Newspaper in Long Island. You may contact her at speechlrb@ yahoo.com or by visiting her website at www.

AskLisaAnne.com. Follow her on Twitter at @AskLisaAnne.

Teeth Whitening

By Dr. Dwight Williams

W

hich is better, in office or at home teeth whitening?

Answer: There are two main types of teeth whitening techniques, professional teeth whitening treatments ( performed by the dentist in their office) and at home teeth whitening, where the bleaching treatments are performed, unsupervised, by the person on their own.

Professional Teeth Whitening - Procedure is performed by a dentist in his or her office.

- The whitening effect is seen immediately The procedure takes approximately one hour.

At Home Teeth Whitening Patient brings home a kit and wears trays with gel several hours per day for several weeks.

- Does not get consistent result ,

it depends on the patient’s motivation to do the self treatment.

- Is usually less expensive than the one- hour in office procedure.

Procedure for Professional Teeth Whitening 1. Dentist document the pre-treatment shade of the patient’s teeth.

2.

A professional cleaning and polishing is done first to remove stains and tartar.

3. Teeth are isolated using cheek retractors or rubber dam.

4. Eye protection placed on patient.

5. Peroxide whitening gel is applied to the patient’s teeth.

6. A light source is used to activate the bleaching compound.

7. Procedure is usually completed in 60-90 minutes.

8. Whitening compound is washed off when the procedure is completed.

Recommendation Professional teeth whitening and at home whitening trays both work. However the in office procedure is more predictable and the result is seen after one

hour. The professional teeth whitening is convenient and efficient and can be done predictably before a big occasion when someone wants their smile to look its best. Teeth sensitivity for a few days is a common complaint but otherwise the procedure is painless and most patients get satisfactory results with an improved brighter and whiter smile.

Dwight Williams, DDS, MPH Dr. Dwight Williams is a member of the New York State Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and a Fellow of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. He is an accomplished oral surgeon who has over twelve years experience in the full scope of oral surgery.

In addition to routine dentoalveolar surgery, Dr.Williams has placed more than 1000 dental implants in private practice to date and is one of the most experienced Implant Surgeon practicing in the New York area. At Harlem Hospital he trains the residents in the treatment of maxillofacial trauma, major pathology and reconstructive surgery.

File photo

Dr. Dwight Williams

14

JANUARY 13-24, 2012 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

How To Snack Smart In 2012

S

nacks - they can either be your worst dieting enemy or your new weight-loss best friend.

2. Graham crackers - Eight small rectangles is equal to 100 calories.

3. Celery with peanut butter - Five pieces of celery with 1 tablespoon peanut butter is equal to 100 calories. This is a very satisfying snack packed with protein and is also glutenThe difference is all in the choices you free.

4. Dried fruits and nuts - A small amount make. This year, make it your resolution to learn how to snack smarter. To help, here are of dried fruits with a small amount of nuts is a some tips to develop a healthier relationship snack kids love to eat.

5. Pretzels - One ounce equals 100 calowith snacking. ries. You can even include cheese with your pretzels for something different with added Portion control protein.

Hand someone a bag of chips and ask them 6. Unsweetened applesauce - One to eat just 100 calories. Sounds impossible, right? cup is equivalent to 100 calories, and is a Well for most people, it is. Not only is it hard to great snack idea for younger children. calculate quickly, our willpower alone will fail us.

7. Air-popped popcorn - Three cups Soon a few chips become half the bag and the guilt or 1 ounce equals 95 calories. Popcorn is sets in. also gluten-free.

Don’t even give yourself the opportunity to 8. Fruit - All types of fruit are full of overeat and instead think portion control. Replace valuable nutrients and they also contain no full size snack bags with 100-calorie snack packs. gluten.

They are the perfect way to know you’re only eat9. Baked corn tortillas with dip ing 100 calories and resist the urge to eat more. Corn tortillas are a great alternative to Snyder’s of Hanover offers a variety of 100-calo- potato chips. You can eat them with salsa rie Pretzel snack packs. Available in mini, snap and/or guacamole for a healthy treat. or pretzel sticks, they’re sold in the snack aisle of 10. Rice cakes - Rice cakes by themlocal grocery store. They are quick and easy and selves aren’t really nutritious, but they are perfect for kids or adults. Plus the best part is, once gluten-free. Try topping them with cottage the snack pack is gone, you’re done. cheese and fruit, peanut butter with banana slices, or cheese and tomatoes for a more nutritious snack.

Smart Snacks 11. Fat-free sugar-free pudding - One Making smart snack choices doesn’t mean you have to give up flavor or your favorite serving contains approximately 80 calories. foods. There are a number of products that are Another treat kids really enjoy.

12. Lettuce wraps - Fill a big lettuce leaf low in fat, and can help satisfy your cravings. with tuna, hummus and your favorite vegetaHere are some ideas to get you started: 1. Raisins - One ounce equals 85 calories. bles and roll it up. You could even use a ham You could even cover them with chocolate. slice with hummus and vegetables for a change Chocolate can be healthy when consumed in in variety. This is also a gluten-free snack. small portions.

Make it simple Put healthy snacks out so they’re easy to grab. Take a bowl and make sure it’s filled with fresh fruit. For cold snacks create a healthy snack drawer in your refrigerator. Stock it full of baby carrots cut up veggies and low fat dip or puddings. To give your kids incentive to make healthier choices, give them permission to take any snack from these locations without asking.

Read up When you’re in the store, read the label and look for low fat, whole grain or organic options when possible. You’d be surprised to see a lot of snacks you might have overlooked before. Even pretzels, like Snyder’s of Hanover Organic Whole Wheat Pretzel Nibblers, are made with whole grains and are low in fat.

Set small goals Creating a healthy lifestyle doesn’t just happen overnight but the process shouldn’t be overwhelming either. Setting small goals, like snacking on vegetables for a week, can develop into long term eating habits. And it’s best to set goals that are obtainable so you see your success early on and you’re motivated to continue.

Healthy snacking is all about making the right choices. This coming year, it’s up to you to make the right decisions, hopefully these tips will help motivate you to a more wholesome and healthier 2012.

Health Always dial 911 in case of emergency

1-800-LIFENET 1-800-LIFENET, a confidential, tollfree help line for New York City residents, is operated by the Mental Health Association of New York City (www.mhaofnyc.org) in partnership with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Alternate numbers are available for Spanish and Chinese callers.

Domestic Violence Hotline If you are a victim of domestic violence and want to talk to a trained counselor, call (800) 621-HOPE free, 24 hours a day.

Hot Line for Youth Programs and Crisis Intervention The NYC Youthline (800) 246-4646, staffed by trained “listeners” between the ages of 16-24, gives callers information in several languages on nearby youth programs and provides crisis intervention services.

Report a Child in Danger Child abuse and neglect reports can be made 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through the Child Abuse and Maltreatment Hotline (800) 342-3720. If a child is in immediate danger, call 911.

Victim Information Notification Everyday (VINE) The New York City Police Department (NYPD) has a hotline for victims of crimes concerned about the custody status of the person charged in their cases: (888) VINE4NY.

Germ Hotspots To Look Out For During Cough And Cold Season W

There’s no way to avoid germs altogether during the winter germ season, but you can take action by recognizing some of the most common areas where germs tend to congregate.

e’re reminded time and again of the good health habits we should practice during the winter germ season wash your hands, cover your cough and stay home when you’re sick. While you likely know these basics, you might not be aware some of the most common places germs tend to congregate and spread.

Taking proper care to kill germs after you come into contact with these germ hotspots can be one of the keys to staying healthy this season. The tricky part is many of these hotspots are places you encounter when you’re on the go and aren’t necessarily close to a sink. That’s where keeping a portable hand sanitizer handy like those offered from PURELL (R) can help.

The gas station and convenience store When you’re pumping gas, have you ever thought about how many other hands have touched the same pump since the last time it was wiped down? A recent study confirmed that gas pumps are one of the filthiest items we encounter in everyday life. After you fill your tank,

your next move should be to reach for that bottle of hand sanitizer in your car.

And while cashiers typically work hard to keep their counters clean, it’s never a bad idea to wash your hands or use hand sanitizer after exchanging cash or touching other common areas in the store.

The gym Most health clubs go to great lengths to keep equipment clean and make members feel comfortable. But if you’re hopping on the treadmill right after someone else, it never hurts to use a sanitizing wipe, which many clubs keep readily available. Pay it forward by using another one when you are done.

Grocery store If you’re a parent, you know that it’s not just the driver’s hands that are getting all over the shopping cart, since kids tend to be obsessed with any moving object with wheels. Consider using a sanitizing wipe before touching a grocery cart.

Once you’re done shopping, cleansing your hands and any younger shopping companions’ hands with sanitizer is a good way to stem the spread of germs

that might have been picked up from frequently touched surfaces in the store.

The mall Escalator and stair railings, as well as drinking fountains and armrests on benches, see a lot of action throughout the day and collect germs quickly. Put those sanitizing stations in the shopping center’s hallways to good use after touching these areas.

At work Frequently touching your desk, phone and keyboard means germs multiply at your work station. Keeping tissues and hand sanitizer at your desk can also be helpful for those emergencies when you can’t leave your seat immediately to get to the sink.

There’s no way to avoid germs altogether during the winter germ season, but you can take action by recognizing some of the most common areas where germs tend to congregate. By keeping your bottle of PURELL (R) Hand Sanitizer close, you’ll make sure you can keep your hands fresh and clean no matter where you are.

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JANUARY 13-24, 2012 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

BIOgraphy

Martin Luther King, Jr., (January 15, 1929-April 4, 1968) was born Michael Luther King, Jr., but later had his name changed to Martin.

His grandfather began the family’s long tenure as pastors of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, serving from 1914 to 1931. His father has served from then until the present, and from 1960 until his death Martin Luther acted as co-pastor.

Martin Luther attended segregated public schools in Georgia, graduating from high school at the age of fifteen; he received the B. A. degree in 1948 from Morehouse College, a distinguished Negro institution of Atlanta from which both his father and grandfather had graduated.

After three years of theological study at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania where he was elected president of a predominantly white senior class, he was awarded the B.D. in 1951. With a fellowship won at Crozer, he enrolled in graduate studies at Boston University, completing his residence for the doctorate in 1953 and receiving the degree in 1955.

In Boston he met and married Coretta Scott, a young woman of uncommon intellectual and artistic attainments. Two sons and two daughters were born into the family.

In 1954, Martin Luther King became pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. Always a strong worker for civil rights for members of his race, King was, by this time, a member of the executive committee of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the leading organization of its kind in the nation.

He was ready, then, early in December, 1955, to accept the leadership of the first great Negro nonviolent demonstration of contemporary times in the United States, the bus boycott, as described by Gunnar Jahn in his presentation speech in honor of the laureate.

The boycott lasted 382 days. On December 21, 1956, after the Supreme Court of the United States had declared unconstitutional the laws requiring segregation on buses, Negroes and whites rode the buses as equals.

During these days of boycott,

business matters

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

King was arrested, his home was bombed, he was subjected to personal abuse, but at the same time he emerged as a Negro leader of the first rank.

In 1957 he was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization formed to provide new leadership for the now burgeoning civil rights movement. The ideals for this organization he took from Christianity; while its operational techniques came from Gandhi.

In the eleven-year period between 1957 and 1968, King traveled over six million miles and spoke over twenty-five hundred times, appearing wherever there was injustice, protest, and action; and meanwhile he wrote five books as well as numerous articles.

In these years, he led a massive protest in Birmingham, Alabama, that caught the attention of the entire world, providing what he called a coalition of conscience and inspiring his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, a manifesto of the Negro revolution; he planned the drives in Alabama for the registration of Negroes as voters; he directed the peaceful march on Washington, D.C., of 250,000 people to whom he delivered his address, “l Have a Dream”, he conferred with President John F. Kennedy and campaigned for President Lyndon B. Johnson; he was arrested upwards of twenty times and assaulted at least four times; he was awarded five honorary degrees; was named Man of the Year by Time magazine in 1963; and became not only the symbolic leader of American blacks but also a world figure.

At the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther King, Jr., was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. When notified of his selection, he announced that he would turn over the prize money of $54,123 to the furtherance of the civil rights movement.

On the evening of April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was to lead a protest march in sympathy with striking garbage workers of that city, he was assassinated.

Hon. Marty Markowitz Brooklyn Borough President

Dr. Roy A. Hastick, Sr. President of CACCI

Rodneyse Bichotte NYS 42nd Assembly District Leader

New York Caribbean Business Leaders Honor

The Legacy Of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

T

he Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (CACCI) brought together business and community leaders to honor the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at CACCI’s Annual Small Business Leadership Power Breakfast, Jan, 12 at 9 a.m., at The Historic Brooklyn Borough Hall.

Hon. Marty Markowitz, President of the Borough of Brooklyn, was a special honored guest for the evening. Dr. Roy A. Hastick, Sr., President of CACCI, served as convener; George Hulse, Vice President of Health First, the co-convener; Ko Ababio, President of CityTech Computer Services, was a special guest speaker; and Rodneyse Bichotte, NYS 42nd Assembly District Leader, was also a special guest speaker.

This event was sponsored

by CACCI and co-sponsored by NYC DSBS and Healthfirst.

The theme for this year’s Annual Tribute was: Celebrating and Continuing the Legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Time for Planning, Positioning and Preparing for Accessing Small Business Resources and Job Development Opportunities in New York City and in the Caribbean for Small Business Growth and Devel-

opment in 2012.

CACCI also took the opportunity to observe the Second Anniversary of the January 12th Earthquake in Haiti with a special presentation - Remembering Haiti - Two Years Later.

At a time when the City, State and the Nation are focusing on small business services, technology, financial literacy, job development and MWBE Certification preparation, CACCI continues to offer these business services to its membership and the wider small business community.

According to Dr. Roy Hastick, “at this time of year we continue to reflect on the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., remembering his contributions, how he worked tirelessly with others to change the conscience of America and the world.”

As the economy begins to show some signs of recovery, CACCI continues its focus on

technology, small business services, financial literacy, job development and MWBE Certification preparation.

“At this year’s Tribute to Dr. King brought together business leaders, elected officials, community leaders and CACCI members and unveil CACCI’s 2012 Business Agenda and Schedule of Business Activities, and showcase business resource information and services that small business owners so desperately need at this time,” Hastick said.

CACCI Business Resource Partners include: NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS); NYC Schools Construction Authority; Brooklyn Navy Yard Industrial Park; State of New York Dormitory Authority; US Department of Commerce (MBDA); Battery Park City Authority; US Small Business Administration (SBA); JP Morgan Chase; Bank of New York Mellon; Citi Bank; City University of New York; SCORE; Medgar Evers College and MTA. To make reservations for CACCI workshops, CACCI membership, or to request an appointment for free small business confidential counseling services through CACCI/ SCORE and/or for vending opportunities at the Flatbush Caton Merchants Mart, contact CACCI: Tel.: (718) 834-4544. www.CaribbeanTradeCenter.com.

NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR * JANUARY 13-24, 2012

Features

17

Horror Of Quake Still Bothers Rockets’ Dalembert

Haiti State Of Mind S amuel Dalembert stepped off the plane and barely recognized the land where he grew up.

Two frantic days after a magnitude-7.0 earthquake rumbled across his native Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010, the veteran NBA center returned to the Caribbean nation and could hardly absorb the chaos and horror.

Victims missing limbs lying helplessly in the littered streets. Children covered in blood, screaming for their parents. Buildings pulverized and homes crushed into twisted piles of rubble.

“You felt like this was the end,” Dalembert recalls. “It’s like the end of Earth.”

Dalembert lost a cousin and several close friends among the estimated 300,000 killed. Another 1.5 million residents were left homeless.

Roads were impassable. Communication was impossible.

“You looked at the country,” Dalembert remembers, “you felt like it was Armageddon. It was devastating.”

Two years later, the NBA’s only Haitian-born player prays for progress, while tempering his frustration that more hasn’t been done to rebuild his crippled country.

Recently signed by the Houston Rockets, the 6-foot-11 Dalembert is on a mission to help, donating about $650,000 and establishing a foundation for relief efforts and putting down $1 million out of his own pocket to break ground on a sports

academy for Haitian children.

“I know I’m not going to be able to save the whole place,” he said.

“But I know that I can make a difference in some young one’s life, and give them hope.”

The 30-year-old Dalembert made four trips back home this summer while the NBA’s labor dispute lingered. He estimates that the country is “about 20 percent” back to the way it used to be.

President Michel Martelly acknowledged this week that the rebuilding process has been slow, and that he has made mistakes since he was elected last May. Dalembert has become acquainted with Martelly, a pop star in Haiti when Dalembert was a boy, and he’s optimistic that the new president has put the reconstruction on the right track.

“My buddy has become president of the country now, and he’s tried to really make a change,” Dalembert said with a proud grin. “He’s really tried to make things move in. Sometimes, you’ve got parties that try to hold things down and try to get their own people in. It’s politicking and I try to stay away from that.”

Before the disaster, Dalembert took classes at Stanford on how to start a charitable foundation to aid his already impoverished country.

It launched in 2007. But when he witnessed the scope of the catastrophe three years later, the foundation kicked into high gear, and he began mapping out plans for the first of several community centers that he wants to model after YMCAs in America.

A former first-round pick,

Dalembert felt compelled once he reached the NBA to use his fame and wealth to give back to his fellow Haitians, a lesson his parents instilled in him.

He has been an active participant in the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders Program, a campaign aimed at improving education, health and fitness for young people around the world, and has worked in the aftermath of the earthquake with Medishare, a Miami-based nonprofit agency trying to improve health care in Haiti.

“Looking back, and you say, ‘Wow, God kind of gave you this opportunity, coming away from there and being in the league,”’ he said. “I take pride in that. I feel like I’m very blessed, and I’ll continue to do the best I can and help.”

The country was hardly well off before the earthquake, and Dalembert has vivid memories of his own hardscrabble upbringing.

Food was sparse and when someone cooked, the children shared their paltry portions without hesitation.

Electricity was even scarcer, and controlled by the government, so when Dalembert cracked the books to study mathematics, history and Latin it was by candlelight most of the time.

“When they did give back electricity, one time a week, or maybe one time every two weeks,” he said, “Mom’s trying to iron as many clothes as she can for the days to come, because you don’t know the next time they are going to give it back to you.”

He moved to Canada with family members as a teenager, found From Page 7

Samuel Dalembert, the NBA’s only Haitian-born player, prays for progress, while tempering his frustration that more hasn’t been done to rebuild his crippled country. his passion in basketball and earned a scholarship to play at Seton Hall.

Dalembert became a shot-blocking specialist in college, and the Philadelphia 76ers took him in the first round of the 2001 draft.

He’s in his 10th NBA season now, a respected presence in the Rockets locker room after less than a month with the team. His fierce national pride emerges when he talks about Haiti, even as he opens up about the most painful memories.

Dalembert smiles when he thinks about the country’s future, the faith that he puts in Martelly and the resolve of Haiti’s people.

“It’s in our blood. It’s in our blood to fight, and get things,” he said. “We basically learn to operate under stressful situations, and we keep on moving, we keep walking on the same path and we’re hoping for a better future. If it doesn’t happen, hey, life continues.”

But he also worries about the safety of family members who re-

main there, though much of his family has moved to Miami, and a younger brother is going to school in Philadelphia.

Dalembert tried to convince his father, a retired former government official, to leave. Emmanuel Dalembert refused.

“He said, ‘Son, in all the life you’re living, there’s one time you can see your country can be rebuilt,”’ Samuel Dalembert said. “Some people never live to see that. He said, ‘I will never leave this country, and I will be there.’ He’s a patriotic guy.”

Samuel understands.

“It’s like when I go back home,” he said. “You see your youth, you’ve got that sense of pride in you, and you be like, ‘Wow, this is my country.’

“I always tell some of those kids, ‘Listen, there are countries out there who were not independent until this day,”’ he said, “and the only thing you can say is, ‘This country is yours, and you’ve got to make the best of it.”’

18

JANUARY 13-24, 2012 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

Weight Loss Surgery May Help Diabetes

Weight loss surgery isn’t likely to cure type 2 diabetes, but it can improve blood sugar control, a new study suggests.

Obesity is a major risk factor for diabetes. Some previous research has suggested that gastric bypass surgery can cure diabetes in up to 80 percent of patients. Gastric bypass, which involves stapling the stomach to form a smaller pouch and connecting it to the small intestine, is considered the most effective type of weight loss surgery.

In this study, researchers at Imperial College London in England used new criteria to assess the effects of gastric bypass and two other types of weight loss surgery in 209 patients with type 2 diabetes.

They found that remission occurred in only 41 percent of patients who had gastric bypass surgery, 26 percent who had sleeve gastrectomy (surgical removal of part of the stomach), and 7 percent of those who had gastric banding, in which a band is used to restrict stomach size.

Complete remission is the return to normal measures of glucose metabolism without taking diabetes medications at least one year after weight loss surgery, according to a definition developed by a group of experts recently brought together by the American Diabetes Association.

CURRY SHRIMP Ingredients 1 large onion, thinly sliced 1 jalapeno, diced small 2 tbsp tomato paste 2 tbsp curry powder 1 tsp grated fresh ginger 4 plum tomatoes, diced 1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 1/4 cup plain yogurt 1 tbsp lime juice Instructions 1. Over medium heat, sauté onions and jalapeno in olive oil. Cook until onions are golden brown and slightly translucent.

2. Add tomato paste, curry, ginger and chopped tomatoes and then add 1 1/2 cups water. Simmer for 3-5 minutes.

3. Add shrimp, cook 4-6 minutes. Stir in yogurt and lime juice and serve over steamed rice.

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Gut Check Keri Glassman

Digestive Health Tips From Nutrition Expert Keri Glassman

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new survey from The Dannon Company, conducted by StrategyOne, reveals that Americans are making health-conscious decisions about the foods they eat, with six in 10 saying they have made food purchases driven by health concerns.

In particular, 43 percent say they have purchased a food to help their digestive system.

“While this finding reveals a positive step for many Americans, it also means that more than half of us aren’t paying close enough attention to our digestive health”, said Dr. Miguel Freitas, Director of Health Affairs for Dannon.

Why is digestive health so important? For starters, the digestive system is where vitamins, nutrients and minerals are absorbed, so it’s important to take good care of it. In addition, a healthy and well-functioning digestive system can lead to better overall well-being.

The good news is, there are many steps we can take to improve our digestive health, including easy changes to the foods we buy and eat. Nutrition expert Keri Glassman, founder and president of Nutritious Life and author of the best-selling book, The O2 Diet, shares her simple steps for a healthier digestive system: * Eat until you’re satisfied, not stuffed.

When eating a snack or meal, the goal is to feel satiated (the feeling when hunger goes away), not full or uncomfortable. Foods that contain whole grains will help you achieve this feeling

while also delivering a strong dose of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Try adding a helping of vegetables to round out a healthy meal without adding a lot of calories. * Drink lots of fluids. Fluids can help ease the passage of food through the digestive tract.

Drink at least one glass of water at every meal.

If you’re tired of plain water, add slices of lemons or oranges, or whole berries to pack a punch of flavor without extra calories. * Choose digestion-friendly foods. Eating foods that contain probiotics (“friendly” bacteria) is an increasingly popular way to improve digestive health. In the Dannon survey, over half of Americans (54 percent) reported that they have consumed products containing probiotics, and two-thirds of these individuals say they consume them often. Seek out products with specific benefits, such as yogurt containing a probiotic culture called Bifidus Regularis, which helps regulate the digestive system when consumed daily for two weeks as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. * Get moving. Regular exercise, including taking a walk after a meal, is a great way to keep your digestive tract on track. Be sure to stay hydrated before, during, and after a vigorous workout. * Understand the gut-brain connection.

The “gut feeling” isn’t just a myth; the gut and brain are closely connected, and if you’re feeling stressed, angry, or nervous, it can affect your digestive system. To maintain good digestive health, try to find ways to stay relaxed and stress-free.

To learn more about digestive health and the benefits of probiotics, speak with your health care provider or nutritionist.

NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR * JANUARY 13-24, 2012

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Tristan Thompson Off To Quick Start In Rookie Season

Jamaican Son Shines For Cavs

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t’s a dynamic duo without a Robin.

When Tristan Thompson makes his first NBA stop in Toronto on Wednesday night, the Brampton native will be one of two first-round rookies on the court for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Thompson, a 6’9” power forward picked fourth overall in last year’s NBA draft, has shared top billing with point guard Kyrie Irving, the league’s No. 1 selection.

“They’re great young kids and they’re growing as each game and as each practice goes by,” says Jamahl Mosley, an assistant Cavs coach who works closely with both players.

Granted, the two are playing on a terrible team, and in the lingering shadow of LeBron James.

But in this long-delayed season’s early going, Thompson has come off the bench to show flashes of the brilliance that elevated his draft status after just one college season with the Texas Longhorns.

In his debut game Dec. 26 against the Raptors in Cleveland, Thompson scored 12 points while snaring five rebounds in just 17 minutes on the court.

In his first four games (prior to Tuesday night’s game against Charlotte), he’s averaged 19 minutes, 8.3 points and 4.3 rebounds while showing the same shot blocking élan that was his Longhorns’ trademark.

“It’s great (having a shot blocker),” Cavs coach Byron Scott told the News-Herald, a

Cleveland Cavaliers’ Tristan Thompson dunks in an NBA basketball game, held in Cleveland, recently. northern Ohio newspaper.

“He erases a lot of mistakes. He comes from the weak side. He gets up there with the best of them. He has great anticipation. It’s great to have a young guy who is that athletic.”

Mosley says Thompson is especially apt at finding the weak side of an opponent’s de-

fence and exploiting it to go up after shots.

“He’s going to be a very efficient shot blocker,” Mosley told the Star.

Thompson’s mother Andrea Thompson, who’s a native of Jamaica, will be escorting 21 of her son’s close friends and family members to the Toronto tilt.

“He’s been amazing,” said Thompson, who was at that Cavs’ home opening loss against the Raptors.

“He comes out when he gets to come out and does his stuff. When he gets the ball he does his stuff, when it’s time to rebound, time to block he does it,” she says.

Andrea Thompson says the Air Canada Centre crowd will also include many former teammates and coaches from her son’s days with St. Marguerite D’Youville Secondary School in Brampton, where he spent his rookie high school year.

As for Thompson himself, the 20-year-old is content with the early form he’s shown.

“Overall I think I’m doing a good job,” he said in a media scrum after Tuesday’s shootaround prior to the Charlotte game.

“It’s still a work in progress (I’ve) just got to build on every game.”

As for his trip to Toronto, Thompson said he expects at least 200 friends to be on hand, over and above the 22 who will be sitting in the seats he gave his mother to disperse.

He also said he’d “most definitely” like to play for Canada’s national team in any future Olympic competitions.

Canada has already been eliminated from this summer’s London Games.

But Thompson, who was part of Canada’s under-18 and under-19 squads, says he’d play for the country in future Olympics should his NBA commitments permit it.

He didn’t play this past summer because of school commitments.

Healthy Powell Eyes Conquering Bolt

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safa Powell said he is healthy and is making toppling compatriot Usain Bolt from his pedestal a priority.

The big Jamaican sprinter said he was looking forward to his return to indoor competition for the first time in eight years.

Powell said he stepped away from the indoor circuit, after he hurt his groin at a meet and tore his hamstring at another.

“So that kind of scared me from indoors ... I’m over all of that now,” he told

the USA Today newspaper. “I don’t like indoors for the mere fact that it’s so cold at that time of year. I think I’ll run faster to the building than inside.”

The 29-year-old Powell suffered season-ending injuries outdoors over the last two seasons, but he said he’s back to full fitness.

“I’m very confident [I’m over them],” he said. “The thing is I know my downfalls. I know my problems, and my problems are injuries.”

The indoor meets are part of Powell’s plans for this season that includes the Olympic Games, where he hopes to win a

medal and even conquer Bolt.

“I think most likely this will be my last Olympics so I’m going all out for this one,” he said.

“I know that I can run some very fast times, the times that Usain is running right now. If I don’t beat Usain, I think I’ll beat my personal best. I can’t control what Usain does. I can only control myself.”

Powell is set to face a field that includes Olympic silver medallist Trinidad & Tobago’s Richard Thompson and former Olympic 100 champion Justin Gatlin of the United States over 50 meters on Jan. 28 in the inaugural US Open.

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JANUARY 13-24, 2012 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR