Vol. 81 - No. 26

75 CENTS

OMAHA STAR

THE

Proudly Serving Our Community for Over 80 Years Dedicated to the Service of the People that NO Good Cause Shall Lack a Champion and that Evil Shall Not Go Unopposed

Nebraska’s Only Black Owned Newspaper Vol. 81 - No. 26 Omaha, Nebraska

Friday, December 27, 2019

Interim Publisher’s Note

75 cents

Happy New Year!

Omaha Impeachment Rally

Make the New Year a Happy New Year Not only are we ending this year, we are ending a decade. Goodbye to 2019! Let’s enter this new year with a clear 2020 vision.

We have work to do. We have to make our family and friends aware of how the census impacts our community and then encourage them to complete and return their census forms.

If they need help, take the time to sit with them as they complete their forms. We must encourage our family and friends to register to vote. It is imperative that we educate them on the voting registration process; the impact of the Tuesday, May 12, 2020 primary election; the life-changing Presidential election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and which candidates will Frankie Jean Williams best represent our community and interests. Then we must get them to the polls.

Let’s resolve to overturn the vile malevolence that has reared its ugly head in this country and our communities. Let’s enter 2020 with a benevolent spirit and compassionate heart. Let’s mobilize with the spirit of Martin, Malcolm, Fannie, Nelson, Angela, Amira, Stokely and all the other warriors who fought so that our human, civil and voting rights not be stripped away. Let’s resolve to be the difference in 2020 – Vote!

On Dec. 17, approximately 500 Omahans braved 20 degree weather to attend a local pro-impeachment rally. The wellbundled crowd, along with children, dogs and political signs, gathered at 5:30 p.m. at Turner Park on the eve of the House of Representatives’ decisive vote. The rally was organized by Indivisible Nebraska, a nonpartisan group working to resist Trump policies on climate change, healthcare, education and immigration. Omaha was one of over 600 similar rallies held simultaneously across the country.

Nebraska House Republicans Don Bacon, Deb Fischer and Ben Sasse have all sided with Trump and oppose impeachment.

Preston Love Jr. of Black Votes Matter told the cheering crowd it was time to change America “for real.”

She braved the cold.

“Yes, let’s celebrate,” he said, “but let’s see impeachment for what it is: one little passive step. We need the action to remove the president. We need to impeach in 2020 at the polls. It’s only you getting out and organizing, talking to yourself, your family, your community, to get out and vote... that’s what I’m talking about!”

“If any one of us here, if we behaved that way, we would be gone. So why should they have different allowances?” asked Omaha activist and candidate for Millard School Board Dulce Sherman. Listing the many rights and services lost under the current administration, Sherman said, “One million children will lose their free lunch programs. And if you think that does not exist here, I want you to go to North and South Omaha to see the food deserts and the children that are going without fresh food. This is being done to balance the budget on the backs of the poor. The poor do not have lobbyists.”

Sherman entreated the crowd to do three things both before and after the Dec. 18 vote: “Call. Write.

Email your representatives. We have the power to make it right.”

At the conclusion of the event, attendees were invited to Modern Love, a nearby restaurant, to fill out postcards to local representatives.

Thieves Using App to Steal Utility Customers’ Money As Omaha Public Power District continues to report, scammers are targeting utility customers here and across the country. And the holiday season is a particularly busy time. Now there is a new tactic – a money stealing smartphone application.

At least one customer in the area reports recently receiving a robocall message falsely claiming

the customer was overdue on his bill. The message directed him to call back. The number left did not connect him with OPPD, but with a scammer who instructed the customer to download an app to make a payment. If he didn’t, the caller claimed power would be disconnected.

OPPD continues to work in partnership with local public power

utilities to raise awareness among customers and identify scammers’ trends. This latest tactic is just one of the ways these con-artists are stepping up their game, using technology to their advantage and at customers’ expense.

OPPD warns customers not to fall for scammers’ ploys. None of these callers work for the utility.

OPPD call center representatives

Job Access Fueled Senator’s Legislative Bill to Set Up RMTA When it comes to building a vibrant metro area People who live in North Omaha often lack access to and improving access to employment and education, transportation that would enable them to get to goodNebraska State Senator Justin Wayne of Legislative paying jobs, as many employers such as PayPal and District 13 in Omaha points to public transit as a key Facebook are located in Sarpy County,” said Wayne. factor.

Searching for ways to boost employment access led “Transportation, particularly access to a robust him to take a closer look at the Omaha metropolitan regional transit system, is absolutely critical to area’s mass transit system. the continued economic growth of the Omaha “It became clear that improving our transit system metropolitan area,” said Wayne. “Expanding our could not occur without addressing the structural transit system will provide access to employment flaws in our transit authority statutes. LB 492 was and educational opportunities for low income residents who can’t afford a car, help us remain competitive with other metropolitan areas in the Midwest in recruiting and retaining young talent, and enhance prospects for continued growth in Omaha’s urban core.” Senator Wayne sponsored and prioritized LB 492, the Regional Metropolitan Transit Authority Act (RMTA), during the last legislative session and led a successful veto override to pass the bill. This legislation allows Metro Transit to expand to a regional entity beyond its geographical limits within the City of Omaha.

Currently, cities in Omaha’s suburbs must contract services with Metro.

As noted in the 2013 Regional Transit Vision study MAPA and Metro coordinated together, previous statutes made it difficult, Sen. Justin Wayne received MAPA’s 2019 Regional if not impossible for Metro to expand to a Citizenship Award for sponsoring LB 492. Pictured regional transit authority. Under the new law, L-R: Douglas County Commissioner Clare Duda, MAPA other communities, through their city councils, Council of Officials President; Justin Wayne, Greg could vote by two-thirds majority to opt-in to Youell, MAPA Executive Director and La Vista Mayor the regional transit authority (RMTA). Under Doug Kindig, MAPA Board of Directors Chair. the act, the RMTA would have an elected board. If Metro would vote to become an RMTA, designed to correct those flaws, and represents a it would also have taxing authority so it would no critical first step toward improving our transit system longer need to request funds from the City of Omaha in Omaha and expanding transit into surrounding and Douglas County as it does currently. communities down the road,” said Wayne.

Wayne’s sponsorship of LB 492 developed from For his work which brought the Regional the desire to improve access to employment for the Metropolitan Transit Authority Act into law, Senator people of his district, not only because he represents Wayne received MAPA’s 2019 Regional Citizenship North Omaha, but he also grew up there.

Award.

“Although the Omaha metropolitan area generally enjoys a strong economy, we have a significant gap (This article originally appeared in MAPA’s What’s in our ability to move workers where the jobs are. Happening Newsletter.)

New Year’s Eve Fireworks!

See In the Village for details.

would never cold-call a customer demanding immediate payment.

If customers were truly overdue on their bills to the point where service could be disconnected, they would receive written notice first.

Authentic utility representatives would never request payment via a purchased pre-paid credit or gift card.

More information on the scam

and what to watch out for is available on OPPD’s The Wire at oppdthewire.com. Customers who have questions about products, services, payments, or their OPPD account in general, should always call the utility directly.

Within Omaha, the number is 402-536-4131. Outside of Omaha, customers can also call 1-877-5364131.

Stage II, Thanks for the Memories

After decades of business in North Omaha, the owners of Stage II Lounge decided to retire and close the doors of the north Omaha gathering spot.

Seventy Five North removed the historic sign from the building on North 30th Street and sent it to a sign repair company. They want to honor Stage II’s history by restoring the sign to its original state. It will be placed in Highlander’s soon-to-open food hall, Dining Room, for customers to view while visiting. Many memories were shared at Stage II and Seventy Five North hopes to build upon this legacy as they move forward.

Inclusion in Action: For New Film ‘Just Mercy’ Michael B. Jordan Mandated Hiring of Diverse Staff

By Natasha S. Alford In his new film “Just Mercy,” Michael B. Jordan plays the lead role of a real-life hero, iconic lawyer Bryan Stevenson, who fights to save the life of a Black man on death row.

But behind the scenes, Jordan – who also serves as a producer on the film – fought to ensure underrepresented talent had the opportunity to work on through an inclusion rider, a clause in a contract that requires visible diversity in a movie’s production.

“In Hollywood, we’re very cliquey, the circles that’s just the way it is,” Michael B. Jordan, left, and Jamie Foxx in Jordan said during a scene from “Just Mercy.” (Movie Web) a SiriusXM Urban View town hall hosted in New York City on Tuesday. “As humans, it’s human nature sometimes to hire your friends, people that you know, people that you previously worked with. And that can turn into a vicious cycle of keeping people on the outside.”

See ‘Just Mercy’ continued on page 2

BUD CRAWFORD POUND FOR POUND THE WORLD’S GREATEST!!!

A Time for Burning – Jan. 21 See In the Village for details.

Page Two

THE OMAHA STAR

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Member of the National Newspaper Publishers Association Mildred D. Brown: Founder, July 9, 1938 Dr. Marguerita L. Washington: Publisher, 1989 - 2016 Phyllis Hicks: Publisher/Managing Editor, 2016 - 2019 Frankie Jean Williams: Interim Publisher/Editor Tanya Cooper: Advertising Director/Business Manager Debra Shaw: Social Media Administrator Barbara Reeves: Retail Distributor THE OMAHA STAR believes that America can best lead the world away from racial and national antagonism when it accords every man, regardless of race, color or creed, his human and legal rights. Hating no man, fearing no man in the firm belief that all are hurt as long as one is held back.

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LOCAL NEWS December 27, 2019 OPPD Board Approves Operating Plan with no General Rate Increases Omaha Public Power District customers will see no general rate increases for the fourth straight year, per its newly approved Corporate Operating Plan (COP) for 2020. The utility’s board of directors approved the $1.3 billion plan at its monthly meeting.

“We continue to honor the commitment we made to our customers in 2016 of no general rate increases for five years,” said OPPD President and CEO Tim Burke.

Vice President of Financial Services and Chief Financial Officer Javier Fernandez laid out the preliminary budget at last month’s board meeting.

The public was invited to comment by visiting oppd.com/boardmeeting.

“The budget supports our efforts to add renewable energy resources,” Fernandez said. “This includes

‘No More Empty Pots’ Launches Food Incubator Program The No More Empty Pots Incubator Program is a four-month program designed for entrepreneurs that are ready to build and grow food businesses.

The program engages and supports entrepreneurs by offering comprehensive curriculum in the form of workshops, mentorship, networking and growth opportunities.

No More Empty Pots has partnered with impressive industry experts including SCORE Omaha, GROW Nebraska, Nebraska Enterprise, Joshua Foo Photography, Carter & Rye, JMK Consulting, Nebraska

Business Development Center, Nebraska Extension and The Combine to develop curriculum for food business related workshops.

Incubator workshops will cover topics on business planning, concept development, small business basics for legal, tax and insurance needs , food handling and safety, pricing and menu planning, packaging and brand positioning, financial management, investors pitch prepping, food photography and styling, Facebook basics, ad setup and evaluation, ordering and inventory and Google

‘Just Mercy’ continued from page 1 Jordan, 32, best known for his roles in Black Panther and the Creed movies, initially made the promise to use an inclusion rider for his production company Outlier Society last year shortly after actress Francis McDormand mentioned it during her 2018 Oscars acceptance speech.

Jordan says “Just Mercy” is the first film under this inclusion act with Warner Bros. He announced that his company would be using inclusion riders in March 2018, according to The New York Times.

Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx, who co-stars as Walter McMillan, a man wrongfully accused of murder on death row, sang Jordan’s praises, saying the star’s performance during filming earned him a standing ovation on set.

“He didn’t get a chance to see the standing ovation, I had to text him and say listen man what you just did … people in the fourth row are weeping. Really get behind this young man because he’s doing it on a whole different level,” Foxx told SiriusXM host Mike Muse during the town hall.

Despite national conversations about the lack of diversity in Hollywood via #OscarsSoWhite and other campaigns, the industry still falls under heavy criticism for failing to hire enough racial minorities or women.

Jordan says the message of his inclusion rider and the Just Mercy film is crystal clear – Black people in particular have what it takes to take care of their own communities.

The film is slated for limited release on Dec. 25 and will go nationwide on Jan. 10.

Submissions to Express Yourself must include the writer’s first and last names as well as the writer’s address and telephone number. (Addresses and phone numbers are not published.) Submissions written anonymously will not be printed. Submissions may be edited at the publisher’s discretion. Submissions to Express Yourself or the commentary page may also appear on the Omaha Star Facebook page.

Email submissions must be typed in a Word document and sent to the publisher at: fwilliams@omahastarinc.com

3226 Lake St.

Baker’s Supermarket

7312 N. 30th St.

Omaha Star Philosophy:

Baker’s Supermarket

4405 N. 72nd St.

Chubb’s Finer Foods

2905 N. 16th St.

Cubby’s Old Market

601 S. 13th Street

At the Star we look at ourselves as the documentarians of African-American news in Omaha. We strive to make our readers and our advertisers proud they support a publication that portrays the AfricanAmerican as a multidimensional person capable of excelling in areas other than sports, entertainment and politics.

Easy Drive

5124 N. 24th St.

Family Fare Supermarket

820 N. Saddle Creek Rd.

Family Fare Supermarket

7402 N. 30th St.

Great Plains Black History Museum 2221 N. 24th St. Hy-Vee Supermarket

5150 Center St.

Hy-Vee Supermarket

108th & Fort St.

Phil’s CASHSAVER A cost Plus Food Outlet

3030 Ames Ave.

Walgreens

3001 Dodge St.

Walgreens

7202 N. 30th St.

Walgreens

3005 Lake St.

Walgreens

2929 N. 60th St.

Walgreens

7151 Cass St.

Walgreens

6005 N. 72nd St.

Walgreens

225 N. Saddle Creek Rd.

Walgreens

1802 Galvin Road South, (Bellevue)

Youngblood’s Barbershop

4011 Ames Ave

“In addition, our budget supports the utility’s efforts to maintain reliable electric service, continuing to devote resources for vegetation management, among other areas,” Fernandez said.

OPPD’s utility foresters work year-round to try to prevent service disruptions caused by interference from overgrown trees and shrubs.

The COP also supports equipment updates and upgrades for reliability of service and resiliency of the electric system now and in years to come.

And it adds funding for five new strategic initiatives announced earlier this year. These include: Pathways to Decarbonization, Electric System Evaluation and Modernization, Customer Engagement, Business Technology Platform, and Workplace Transformation.

purchasing energy from the 160-megawatt Sholes Wind Energy Center. It also includes an investment in Power with Purpose, our plan to add 400 to 600 megawatts (MW) of utility grade solar with natural gas backup.”

The board approved Power with Purpose at its public meeting last month. In addition to solar, the plan includes natural gas backup, as well as modernization of some of OPPD’s other natural gas assets for accreditation and resiliency requirements. The new natural gas assets are anticipated to run only when needed in order to serve OPPD’s peaking and grid support needs. As the grid continues to evolve, OPPD may look at adding voltage-support devices, which help maintain a consistent quality of electricity.

search engine optimization and website development.

Incubator workshops will be held weekly on Tuesday evenings from 5:307:30 p.m. at the No More Empty Pots Collaborative Community Centered Food Hub, 8501 N. 30th St., in the Florence neighborhood of North Omaha. Food entrepreneurs can apply to two different membership levels with applications being accepted on a rolling basis. Membership fees can be applied to food hub services like kitchen rentals and office co-working space with completion of the program. Level 1

membership is designed to develop food businesses in the ideation and startup business stages while Level 2 membership is designed to further progress food businesses in the startup and growth stages. A selection of workshops will be open to the public but membership ensures access to all workshops, plus additional benefits.

The first cohort will kickoff with welcome speaker Don Eckles, the founder of Scooter’s Coffee, on Jan. 8 at 6 p.m. To learn more and apply, visit www. nmepomaha .org/incubatorprogram.

Nebraska Department of Transportation Safe Driving Tips

If you are going to venture out into hazardous conditions, keep these pointers in mind: • Be prepared with warm clothing, water and food. If traveling a significant distance, stock a winter weather survival kit with additional items, including medications.

• Always buckle up, do not drive faster than conditions allow and allow for plenty of travel time.

• Blowing and drifting snow can reduce visibility.

• If you are stranded while traveling, stay in your vehicle until help arrives.

• If your vehicle becomes stuck, run your motor sparingly and keep a window cracked to prevent buildup of carbon monoxide. Have a red flag or bandana to signal for help.

• The Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) Highway Helpline is available 24 hours per day for motorists in need of assistance.

You can reach NSP by dialing *55 from any cell phone. Phone 911 for any emergency.

For more safe-driving tips and winter weather information, visit NDOT’s website, http://dot.nebraska.gov/safety/driving/winter/.

South Omaha Historical Grant Selections The South Omaha Historical Grant Committee, consisting of Omaha City Councilmember Vinny Palermo, Douglas County Commissioner Mike Boyle and Community Leader Anita Rojas, received 23 excellent applications for the 2020 grant cycle. After careful deliberations, they have decided to fund the following 20 agencies . The grant recipients reflect a wide variety of worthy projects throughout the target area.

Banister’s Leadership Academy - $4,000 Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands - $6,500 Boys and Girls Club of the Midlands - $4,000 Chicano Awareness Center - $7,000 Cinco de Mayo Omaha - $4,000 City Sprouts - $5,500 Completely KIDS - $3,000 El Museo Latino - $20,000 Father Flanagan’s Boys Home - $1,000 GI Forum - $20,000 Girls Incorporated - $8,000 Gomez Heritage PTO - $2,697.35 Heartland Hope Mission - $2,500 La Casa Del Pueblo - $8,520 Latino Police Officers Association - $19,000 Miguel Keith Project - $8,700 Police Athletics for Community Engagement (P.A.C.E) $32,510 Salvation Army Kroc Center - $3,375 South Omaha Neighborhood Alliance - $5,000 Victory Boxing Club - $25,000 For additional information, please contact Councilmember Vinny Palermo, 402-444-5522, or County Commissioner Mike Boyle, 402-444-7025. $40.00

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STAR SPECIAL COVERAGE

December 27, 2019

THE OMAHA STAR

Page Three

Down for the Cause Not Down for the Count Development & Gentrification in North Omaha

Affordable for US

By Dawaune Lamont Hayes Omaha is seeing a massive boom in luxury rental development in up-and-coming neighborhoods like Blackstone and Little Bohemia, but as the word “luxury” suggests, these new units aren’t for everyone.

Income, location, housing quality, and type (single family, duplex, apartment, etc.) play a major role a neighborhood’s affordability. As new luxury construction continues to rise, older housing stock continues to degrade, widening the gap of affordability which can ultimately lead to displacement and that forlorn word “gentrification.”

In response to these alarming trends, community groups and neighbors are gathering to share their experiences with housing and devise collective solutions that can address many different needs simultaneously.

Policy Research and Innovation (PRI), a local non-profit think tank, hosted “Gentrification, Affordable Housing, and Race” at Augustana Lutheran Church, 36th and Lafayette, in November. Residents of all ages and backgrounds attended from surrounding neighborhoods, mostly located in North Omaha.

“One of the challenges we face in this community is that housing is not fair,” said A’Jamal Byndon, PRI board member. He went on to list numerous barriers including: lack of racial diversity on Omaha Municipal Land Bank board, entrenched segregation in housing policies, lack of equity for low-income residents, and need for stronger enforcement against housing discrimination.

Byndon also spoke in favor of term limits, “Because at the end of the day, if the people we elect don’t help transform our community, then why

should we have them elected?”

The meeting featured a panel of representatives from various housing advocacy organizations including Together Inc., Omaha Together One Community (OTOC), and Missing Middle Housing Campaign. Panelists introduced their organizations and explained their focus.

OTOC is community group actively working with religious and secular groups to build local power and advocacy. The group has six action teams, one of which is Housing and Revitalization.

They work to enact city policy change, most notably the current, complaint-driven rental housing inspection policy. Insect and rodent infestation, lead contamination, high moisture from poor ventilation, and faulty wiring are among the most concerning conditions for OTOC. After much effort from OTOC and community members, an ordinance was passed to place Omaha rentals into a proactive 10-year inspection cycle beginning in 2022. Advocates would like to further reduce this to a three-year cycle, as conditions can degrade severely over a decade.

More regular inspections mean that landlords will be held accountable for maintaining properties. This can ensure healthier housing conditions for renters and extend the life of affordable housing stock.

Erin Feichtinger of Together Inc., believes a stringent review of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) regulations is needed to prevent the City of Omaha from subsidizing luxury development over more affordable options. TIF caps property taxes for a period of time to encourage development in “blighted” areas otherwise seen as undesirable by private investors.

Residents Offer Ideas/ Solutions Housing affordability affects all people, no matter their income.

Change will require a holistic effort founded in community and reflected in government and market policy. If we listen to each other, we might just come up with many solutions. Here are some of the local residents’ ideas from the PRI community meeting: • Evaluate Urban Indian Health Coalition’s new affordable housing development in South Omaha • Consider barriers such as: felony records, poor credit scores, financial literacy, and legal assistance • Collective action, unified vision, and organizing to approach housing on neighborhood scales • Mixed-use new builds to enable commercial on the bottom and residential on the top • Flexible affordable housing beginning under subsidy that decreases over time and encourages upward mobility • Property tax abatement for low-income homeowners to aid in building wealth • Increase communication channels and timelines • Explore tiny houses, villages, and other forms of non-traditional housing construction • Cooperative ownership models that disperse cost burdens to make purchase more affordable.

Property Taxes 101

By Lynn Sanchez No one enjoys paying taxes. But can we all agree it would be near-impossible to sustain city and county services without them? Road construction, sewer maintenance and street lights are all financed in part by your property taxes, which are projected to provide about 16% of the city’s 2020 revenue, or $181,370,252 How Are Property Taxes Figured?

It all begins with the Register of Deeds, the county department that records and maintains an ever-growing “library” of legal documents connected to land and building ownership or “real property.”.

“We deal with anything that connects property to owners,” says Register of Deeds Diane Battiato. Since 1854, they’ve been tracking “millions of records. It only grows, it never gets smaller,” she says. The Register is legally bound to keep these records in accessible condition in perpetuity.

In 2013, approximately 13 million pages and documents became digitally accessible via dcregisterofdeeds.org. under the “Premium Services.” For security, members of the public must create a free account by registering and creating a password before searching the records. Property records may be Battiato accessed using name, legal description (on your tax statement) or document number. There is a charge for copies.

The Register’s office keeps a history chain for every single one of the 221,454 parcels in Douglas County. “We have an account of title, mortgages, releases, everything that would happen on a single property,” says Battiato. Her team is meticulous and takes this responsibility very seriously, because these records legally prove ownership. They show who has the right to live on a property, sell it, rent it, pass it down – without official ownership documents, the deed and the title, you have no rights to a property.

“The deed is the document that gives you the title to your property,” says Battiato. “The deed has to be recorded for somebody to actually OWN a property. When you deed that property to me, now I own that property, which says I have title to that property. Title is not a physical thing.

The deed is physical, the title is the essence of your ownership. You have a title to your motor vehicle, and that IS a physical thing! But a title to your property is when a deed has been filed, putting it in your name.”

The Douglas County Assessor Battiato also leads the Douglas County Assessor’s office. The two offices officially combined in 2015.

There isn’t much overlap between the two offices except for this: Every time a deed or a property ownership transfer is recorded at the Register of Deeds, a Real Estate Transfer Statement must be filled out to record all the details of the transaction. The transfer statement is electronically saved in a folder and the information is sent to the assessor’s office.

Battiato says the real “in your face” job of the Assessor is to decide the fair value of all parcels of property in the county. She cannot say this enough: Assessors do NOT set tax rates. They assess value.

Property values are “a constantly moving

target,” says Battiato. New school across the street? Big flood? Values go up or down accordingly. Her team of appraisers massevaluates each of Douglas County’s 18 markets.

These are generally aligned with school districts since housing stock clustered around a school tends to be “apples to apples.” County assessments are always mass appraisals, never house by house. Individual appraisals like those done for a bank loan are called “fee appraisals.”

Mass appraisers also look only at “valid sales” (sales NOT due to foreclosure, discounted by the bank or sales between family members).

They must consider current market trends and conditions, the addition or removal of new improvements, remodeling or rehabilitation, outside influences on the property, or a state government order to increase value. The appraisers use an appraisal book to get adjusted figures and a complete and defendable determination of value.

Property owners can a protest valuation in three ways; Beginning in mid-January, they may make an appointment with a personal assessor at the Assessor’s office to review the property valuation; if that is unsatisfactory, they can go before the County Board of Equalization in June or July. The last effort would be before the Tax Equalization Review Committee (TERC) in Lincoln.

What Are Political Subdivisions?

What image leaps to mind at the words “local government units with taxing authority aka political subdivisions?’ Unless you are a local government super-nerd, probably nothing. But their budgets set your property taxes.

Your annual property tax bill from the County Treasurer contains a table of inscrutable letters.

These are abbreviations for some of the 30 plus political subdivisions that rely on your property taxes to function such as the City, the County, the school districts, the local community college and Natural Resources Districts.

After properties are recorded and valued, those values travel “to the county boards, to the city council, to every school district, to the fire districts, to all of those little percentages of taxation. Those political subdivisions also work within budgets.” says Battiato. Her offices works most closely with the County Board, which acts as the executive of the county, levying local taxes and administering county governmental services.

“They have their budgets that they’re currently working with,” says Battiato. “The problem is instead of staying as frugal as possible, when they see valuations overall go up, it’s much easier for them to take the windfall! If you have a six or eight million dollar windfall, you should be able to tighten your bootstraps like you would if there was no increase in valuation. You should say, We’re going to stay status quo on the mill levy or we’re going to lower the mill levy, because their decisions on their budget are what effects what comes out of people’s pockets.”

So, the property tax you pay is calculated like this: The value of your home (Assessor) X The assessment rate (in Douglas County, 1.97% of a property’s assessed fair market value.)

X The annual budgets of local government units with taxing authority = Property Tax Amount.

The definition of “blight” has taken on a broad inclusion of nearly every type of land including farmland. She believes housing comes down to fundamental values. “We are not at a place where our city leaders believe that housing is a human right,” said Feichtinger.

“We have two competing theories of change in this city,” said Feichtinger. One, she explained, focuses on supporting people within their neighborhoods in order to stabilize rising costs including healthcare, transportation, and community involvement. The second theory, which she believes is dominant, focuses on changing neighborhoods to appeal to a new type of resident who can afford highend luxury costs of living. There is no proactive regard for those who have lower incomes or are living in substandard environments.

Patrick Leahy of the Missing Middle Housing Campaign advocated for changes in City Municipal Code that would allow different housing types in more areas. For example, duplexes, triplexes, and accessory dwelling units (ADUs, like converting a garage into an apartment) on a property. Leahy calls these changes “low hanging fruit” and a way to create more housing options, increase neighborhood density and keep overall costs low. In 2018, the city of Minneapolis abolished single family zoning to allow for more diverse housing types in residential areas in an effort to address segregation, high housing costs and sprawl.

Supportive financing for affordable housing can be difficult to access.

One of Omaha’s current means of incentivizing new construction is Tax Increment Financing (TIF). To

date, the city has approved over $37 million in TIF for mostly luxury or market-rate housing. Meanwhile, the average wage in Omaha has not increased. Residents suggested tying TIF to affordable housing policy.

When asked about whether gentrification was already occurring in Omaha, Byndon responded, “There are things that are happening right in front of us and we really have not even learned how to articulate it to deal with it. We know something bad is happening.

I saw it when I went to Brooklyn, New York, I saw it in Chicago, and even here. There are some of us in positions of leadership who won’t call it out because there are deals that have already been made. Some of it is pure economics, some of it race.”

During the lengthy panel discussion, a resident who grew up in the Logan Fontenelle/”Vietnam Projects” addressed the room. “We have a horrific history in this city of unaffordable housing and terrible living conditions for people…. You have to have economic stability to even afford ‘affordable housing.’”

Many attendees nodded in agreement.

Once the panel concluded, audience participants were invited to work together to propose solutions and action items to address the overarching issues. Resident Melissa Polendo, founder of “Black Wall Street,” a directory of local Blackowned business, thinks change begins with ourselves. “We can go on about redlining, the issues, and come to these meetings but change is not going to happen until we start looking within and start shopping amongst our family members and putting our money where our mouth is, buying those lands.”

Treasurer and Tax Certificate Auctions

By Lynn Sanchez The Tax Man: John Ewing Omahans receive their annual property tax bills in mid-December from the Douglas County Treasurer John Ewing.

The Treasurer’s office collects property taxes, vehicle registration fees and permit and licensing fees from county entities such as the Health Department. Because they share space with the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles, people often mistakenly assume the Treasurer handles driver licenses. The DMV is a completely Ewing separate office run by the state, says Ewing.

Property Tax Deadlines The majority of property tax payments go off without a hitch. 2019 property taxes are due in full by December 31, 2019. However, many people who do not have escrow accounts split the payment into equal increments, one half due

by March 31, 2020, the second half due by July 31, 2020. As long as taxes are paid by these deadlines, they are considered on time.

Under 1% of taxpayers default on their payments, says Ewing. About 95% of those are eventually paid, plus the fees and interest accrued “So (nonpayment) is a small problem – unless you are the person who is delinquent,” he says. Of the over 200,000 tax bills sent out, Ewing says, between 3,000 - 4,000 people fail to pay any taxes at all by March 31st. After that deadline, Nebraska state statute requires a 14% interest penalty be added to the total amount owed. For $3,000 in taxes, that adds $420 to your bill. The worst thing you can do, says Ewing, is ignore the problem. It could potentially lead to foreclosure because of something called a Tax Certificate Auction.

Losing a home in this scenario is rare, Ewing says, but it does happen. “I think there’s a myth out there that the Treasurer’s office or the people who buy tax liens are taking people’s houses.

Most of these (investors) are truly trying to get the 14% interest. Now, there are some who would rather have people not pay and try to foreclose and get the house, but most of the bidders want that 14%. That’s a great return on your investment.”

Could I Lose my Home From Nonpayment of Taxes?

There have been several highly-publicized cases of Nebraskans losing ownership of their property as the result of a tax certificate (also called tax lien) auction. A lien is a legal claim on assets which allows the holder to obtain access to property if debts are not paid. If 2019 property taxes remain unpaid past August 1, 2020, their property tax debt becomes subject to this auction.

Yes, this is legal and many states do it. It’s a way to make up for the shortfall that unpaid property taxes leave in the budget. Notably, property owners receive no special notification about the results of the tax certificate sale other than the annual bill sent out in December, which shows they have defaulted on their payments. This has been the topic of debate in the Nebraska Legislature.

How the Auction Works

Every Nebraska county holds a public auction of tax lien certificates, selling these delinquent tax bills to the highest bidder, individuals or companies. Public online bidding opens the first Monday in March, after a required public notice of the auction appears for three consecutive weeks in a local paper. When the auction opens, investors bid online for the certificates starting at the cost of the unpaid tax plus penalties and fees.

Winning the auction and paying the taxes does not mean they automatically own the property, but the county passes the debt on to the investor.

The investor is now entitled to repayment by the property owner of the tax plus that fat 14% interest. The auction is not without risk for investors – in some cases, they could lose their money. Paying off the tax and the lien is handled through the Treasurer’s office rather than directly to the investor.

If an owner fails to pay taxes on their property for three years in a row, the same investor must go through the auction process each year and pay off the debt in order to be eligible to receive the deed and title to that particular property.

After that three year redemption period is up, the certificate holder is entitled by law to acquire full legal ownership of the property. They must apply six months before the certificate’s maturity date to acquire a deed to the property. Since they were not paid by the property owner, they are able to sell or foreclose to get a return on their investment. As legal owner, they may evict anyone who is living on the property.

The problem is county-wide, Ewing says.

“You’re going to have a slightly higher percentage in poorer areas of the city, whether that be North Omaha, South Omaha or even some of the smaller houses in West Douglas County. Those are going to be the people most likely not to pay because it’s a financial issue.” The Treasurer does not track who is paying or not paying their taxes. Property Tax Manager Dennis Rookstool says, “Our computer system is a property tax collection system. We don’t track demographic information. We don’t know their age or race.

We know their address, but we don’t have any (demographic) data in our systems.”

If You Get Behind There may be several reasons why people do not pay property taxes besides financial duress.

One scenario Ewing’s office sees consistently is homeowners who’ve had an escrow account that automatically paid their taxes for years who finally pay off their house. They are not in the habit of paying the taxes themselves, so they miss the payment deadline.

Bottom line, Ewing says, “These things are not going away. It’s only going to continue to grow. We want people to try and address this situation as soon as they become aware of it.

And the time to do it is when they get that first delinquency notice from us. Figure out how to get them paid so it doesn’t go to tax sale and involve somebody else. Before it’s sold at tax sale, you’re still dealing with the Treasurer’s office. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way a lot of times, and then you have people coming to us when somebody’s ready to foreclose. There’s nothing the Treasurer’s office can do once that step is taken.”

To be clear, the Treasurer’s office does not offer programs for abatement, deferral or repayment. But by calling the office, Ewing says, “We can give people advice that might help them figure out a way to get through the situation and get their taxes paid.” The phone number for the Douglas County Treasurer is 402-444-7103.

Page Four THE OMAHA STAR

PRAISE, WORSHIP, DEVOTION, OBITUARIES & INSPIRATION

December 27, 2019

As we look back on this decade, of course we remember those loved ones and friends who are no longer in our midst, but remain in our hearts and thoughts forever.

Grief, I’ve learned, is really just love. It’s all the love you want to give, but cannot. All of that unspent love gathers in the corners of your eye, the lump in your throat, and in the hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go.

Barbara Moore

Big Mama

Bob Rodgers

Champer Jack

Coach Mitch

Cynthia Fleming Brewer

Daphne Mackey

Dorothy Gamble

Dr. Marguerita Washington

Ed Beasley

Eleanor Riggs

Evelyn J. Williams

Florence Koonce

Frank Peak

James McGary

James Mudd

Janet Kelli Lewis

Jimi Adams

John Curtis

Joyce McWilliams

Leo Scott

Leslie Craig

Lilian M. Webster

Mexie Murrell

Mondo We Langa

Payton Benson

Richard Morrow

THOMAS FUNERAL HOME & Cremation Services TRADITION • RESPECT • DIGNITY

A Tradition of Caring Since 1939 3920 North 24th St. Omaha, NE 68110 402-453-7111 www.omahathomasfh.com

Rosemary Peak

Rudy Smith

THE BLACK PRESS AND THE BLACK CHURCH: Both Born Out of Necessity For Self-Expression

Will Brown

And Both Black - Owned.

Together, The Press And the Pulpit Can Give Us Full Citizenship Immediately

Subscribe to the Omaha Star Call 402-346-4041 opt. 3

PRAISE & WORSHIP DIRECTORY

December 27, 2019

ALLEN CHAPEL A.M.E.

Rev. Benjamin R. Finnell

Rev. Benjamin R. Finnell, Presiding Elder and Pastor Tammi Tate, Public Relations Chairperson 2842 Monroe St. Ph: (402) 502-8003 Fx: 934-8581 Sunday School...........................9:00 a.m.

Sunday Worship......................10:00 a.m.

Thursday Bible Study..............8:00 p.m. via teleconference, dial-in number 563-999-2090 and access code 576989

MOUNT CALVARY COMMUNITY CHURCH

Page Five

ST. MARK BAPTIST CHURCH

“Jesus is the Light of the World” Bishop Kevin Chambers, Senior Pastor (Elect) www.m3comaha.org 5112 Ames Avenue Omaha, NE 68104 (402) 457-4216 Church Phone (402) 453-4084 Pastor’s Office

THE OMAHA STAR

Pastor Jarrod S. Parker 3616 Spaulding Street, Omaha, NE 68111 Phone: 402-451-0307 Email: smbcsecretary@ stmarkbaptist.org Bishop Kevin Chambers

Pastor Jarrod S. Parker

Sunday School – Sunday 9:00 a.m.

Services: Sunday School .................................................... 9:30 a.m.

Sunday Morning Worship Experience ......... 11:00 a.m.

Word On Wednesday (WOW) ........................ 7:00 p.m.

Worship Service – Sunday 10:15 a.m.

Children’s Church (except 2nd Sunday) Holy Communion every 1st Sunday Prayer and Bible Doctrine Study Midday - 12:00 noon; Evening – 7:00 p.m.

MT. MORIAH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH

“Where Life is for Everyone”

Dr. Ralph B. Lassiter, Pastor 2602 N. 24th St. Off: (402) 451-8800 Fax: (402) 451-8522 mtmoriahomaha.net pastorlassiter@gmail.com

Drs. Mar n & Lynnell Williams Founders & Lead Pastors SUNDAYS Prayer 9:00 AM Worship 10:00 AM

WEDNESDAYS Prayer 6:00 PM Worship 7:00 PM

www.ambassadorswc.com 402-341-1866 5417 N 103rd St. Omaha, NE 68134

Televised Broadcast – Sundays at 6:00 p.m., KPAO Cox Channel 22 & CenturyLink Channel 89 Our Mission: “To exalt the Savior, edify saints, evangelize sinners and elevate society.”

SACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH

Rev. Ralph Lassiter, Sr.

Fr. Dave Korth

Sunday School .............................................. 9:30 a.m.

Sunday Worship ..........................................10:45 a.m.

Overcomers in Christ......................Sunday 7:00 p.m.

2207 Wirt Street Omaha, NE 68110 Phone: 402-451-5755

Wednesday Bible-Prayer Service 11:30 a.m. & 6:30 p.m Fr. Dave Korth

CLAIR MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH “Come Get Your Hilltop Experience” Rev. Portia A. Cavitt, Pastor 5544 Ames Avenue, Omaha, NE 68104 Telephone: 402-451-8322 • Website: www.cmumc.net Email: clairumc@cumc.omhcoxmail.com Rev. Portia A. Cavitt, Pastor

Sunday School………………………8:45 a.m.

Sunday Worship Experience………...10:00 a.m.

Wednesday Bible Study….…….…….6:00 p.m.

Mass Schedule: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday - 8:00 am in Rectory (2218 Binney)

MT. NEBO MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH

Thursday - School Mass 8:10 am in Church

“The Church Where Fellowship is Real”

Saturday - 5:00 pm Sunday - 8:15 am and 10:30 am

Pastor Terry L. Arvie 5501 N. 50th Street Ph: 402-451-4245 Fx: 402-451-2130 office@mtneboomaha.org www.mtneboomaha.org Pastor Terry L. Arvie

Sunday Morning Worship ...................................9:00 a.m.

Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting .....................7:00 p.m.

Wednesday Night Church School ......................7:30 p.m.

Youth/Children Ministry Focus (Wed.) ............7:30 p.m.

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

SALEM BAPTIST CHURCH Serving God and One Another in the Spirit of Excellence Rev. Dr. Selwyn Q. Bachus Senior Pastor 3131 Lake Street Omaha, NE 68111 402-455-1000 www.salembc.org

Rev. Dr. Selwyn Q. Bachus

Rev. Kent H. Little, Lead Pastor Services on Sundays at 8:30 am & 10:50 am

PLEASANT GREEN BAPTIST CHURCH

7020 Cass Street, Omaha, NE 68132 402.556.6262 www.fumcomaha.org First United Methodist Church is a welcoming and inclusive community, inspired to grow with and in God.

Weekly Services Sunday Morning Worship Service .....................8:30 a.m. & 11:30 a.m.

Children’s Church (2nd & 4th Sunday) ................8:30 a.m. & 11:30 a.m.

Life Development (Sunday School) .........................................10:15 a.m.

Wednesday Word and Worship (WWW) ................................ 6:30 p.m.

“Where CHRIST is Preeminent and the Word Prevails!”

Rev. Kent H. Little

Pastor Brian Page 5555 Larimore Avenue Church: 402-346-8427 www.pleasantgreenomaha.org

TABERNACLE OF FAITH CHURCH

Pastor Brian Page

Pastor Barbara Mitchell 2404 Fort Street, Omaha, NE 68111 402-455-1800 Church 402-455-3390 Fax

Wednesday: Prayer Power Hour ......................................12:00 p.m Thursday: Youth For Christ ............................................6:00 p.m Prayer & Bible Study ....................................6:30 p.m Sunday: Sunday School.................................................9:00 a.m.

Morning Worship..........................................10:15 a.m.

Televised Broadcast Sunday @ 10pm on KPAO Cox Communication channel 22 & Century Link channel 89

Charles Galloway - President, Rev John Deang - Pastor, Dr John Beasley - Elder

Pastor Barbara Mitchell

8:30 am Early Sunday Morning Worship 9:30 - 10:15 am Sunday Morning Breakfast 10:15 - 11:15 am Sunday School 11:30 am Sunday Morning Worship 6:30 pm Wednesday Bible Study 8:00 pm Friday Night Service Noon day prayer Thursday - Saturday

HOPE LUTHERAN CHURCH Missouri Synod 2721 N. 30th Street 402-453-1583 Sunday School................................10:00 a.m.

Church Service...............................11:00 a.m.

YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME

Rev. Vitalis Anyanike

ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CATHOLIC CHURCH

ZION BAPTIST CHURCH

2423 Grant St. Omaha, NE 68111 Ph: 402-348-0631 • Fax 402-342-4451 Sunday Mass: 9:00 a.m.

Reconciliation: Sunday after Mass or by appointment

Rev. Kenneth A. Allen, Pastor

&

JOY OF LIFE MINISTRIES COGIC

HOLY NAME CATHOLIC CHURCH

Pastors Eric and Cynthia Butler

2901 Fontenelle Blvd. 68104 Ph: 402-451-6622 • Fax 402-457-6901 Mass Schedule: Mon. - Fri. 8:30 a.m., Sat. 8:30 a.m. & 5:00 p.m.

Sun. 8:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. & Noon (Spanish) Reconciliation: Sat. 4:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. or by appointment

6401 N. 56th Street Omaha, NE 68104 Ph: 402-399-9628 E-Mail: Jolpastor@aol.com Sunday School..........................9:30 a.m.

Sunday Worship......................10:30 a.m.

Sunday Evening Worship.......6:00 p.m.

Wednesday Night ....................7:00 p.m.

Bible Study and Youth Ministries

Pastor: Rev. Vitalis Anyanike

Pastor Eric Butler and Co-Pastor Cynthia Butler

2215 Grant Street Omaha, NE 68110 Ph: 402-346-1502 Fax: 402-344-2720

Pastor Kenneth A. Allen

SUNDAY Sunday Morning Worship……………10:00 A.M. Sunday School……………………….. 9:00 A.M. WEDNESDAY 11:00 A.M. ~ Hour of Power Bible Study Wednesday is Family Night!

6:00 P.M. ~ Prayer & Praise Service 6:30 P.M. ~ Feast & Fellowship (Light Meal) 7:15 P.M. ~ Discipleship Academy (Classes for ages 5 & up)

THE WORSHIP CENTER North 24th Street Church of God “Presenting the Never-Changing GOD to an ever-changing World!”

MORNING STAR BAPTIST CHURCH

“Where Christ Jesus Is the Center of Attention” Rev. Dr. Leroy E. Adams, Jr. Senior Pastor 2019 Burdette Street Omaha, NE 68110 Ph: 402-342-0018 Fx: 402-346-9300 Rev. Dr. Leroy E. Adams, Jr.

Radio Broadcast: 101.3 fm 9:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. each Sunday Worship Service .............10:00 a.m.

Sunday School .................8:45 a.m.

Excluding First Sunday Tuesday Evening Service.........7:00 p.m.

Dr. Stan Rone - Senior Pastor 2021 N. 24th Street • Omaha, NE 68110 (402) 341-4297 Dr. Stan Rone Senior Pastor

Sunday Kingdom Academy 9:00 a.m.

Worship Celebration 10:15 a.m.

Tuesday Prayer Hour 7:00 a.m. & 12:00 noon Wednesday Power Hour (Prayer/Bible Study) 6:30 p.m.

Youth and Children 6:30 p.m. www.theworshipcenter24cog.org

Page Six THE OMAHA STAR

LOCAL NEWS

December 27, 2019

Y e a r i n R e vvii e w

As we say goodbye to 2019 and hello to a new year, we look back at people who have graced our pages throughout this decade. We thank our faithful subscribers and encourage you to continue your support. Please remember to patronize our advertisers. Their ads appear on our pages because they want your business. Let’s all resolve to be a little better than we were in 2019 as we enter 2020 with a renewed, clear vision.

December 27, 2019

LIFE & STYLE/HEALTH & WELLNESS

Tom Joyner has been the morning soundtrack in cars and homes for the last 25 years, but on Friday “The Fly Jock” officially signed off. The 70-year-old radio legend said goodbye to the nearly eight million listeners of his No. 1 syndicated urban morning show, the Tom Joyner Morning Show, but this won’t be the last we’re seeing of Joyner.

Joyner spoke with CBS News correspondent Jericka Duncan and said that he Joyner plans to continue supporting historically black colleges and universities amid his retirement. He has raised more than $60 million over the course of his radio career and Joyner says his efforts will not rest. The radio jock said that he will focus on “putting [money] in the hands of college students to help their tuition at historically black colleges. That’s my goal. All after 12 noon.”

Throughout Joyner’s career, he gained the nicknamed “The Fly Jock,” which stemmed from his daily travels to host a morning show in Dallas and an afternoon radio show in Chicago for eight years. When asked how he managed to “do that” for eight years, Joyner jokingly said, “greed.”

The Tuskegee, Alabama native first hit the airwaves in 1994 with a radio show that was specifically for black people. “We do a show for African-Americans. That’s what we do,” Joyner told “60 Minutes” during an interview in 1996.

However, the story of Joyner’s break into radio is an interesting one. The legendary host told CBS News that it all started when he attended

Page Seven

If You See Something, Say Something

Black America Bids Farewell to ‘The Fly Jock’ Tom Joyner after 25 Years on Air

By Aleia Woods

THE OMAHA STAR

civil rights marches in his hometown. “I’m out there protesting the fact that our radio station in this all black town didn’t play any black music.

And this guy who owned a radio station, which was inside a Ford dealership, came out and said I don’t need this, I’m trying to really sell some cars,” Joyner recounted. “Tell you what, it’s a sun-up sundown station. Every Saturday, I’ll let one of you play all the Aretha and Temptations that you want.”

“That’s how it started?”

Duncan asked. “That’s how it started,” Joyner replied.

Joyner will be succeeded by fellow Alabamian, Rickey Smiley, who is no stranger to Joyner’s faithful listeners. According to a press release, Smiley will be grabbing the baton along with co-hosts Eva Marcille and Gary Wit Da Tea. “We broke some ground, raised the bar for what audiences expected from Black radio all while partying with a purpose,” Joyner said in a brief statement following the announcement of his successor. “Yeah, we’ve done a lot but there’s still a lot left to be done. I’m confident that Rickey’s activism along with his love for radio, the community, and HBCUs, will pick up where we left off.”

Despite Joyner bidding a bittersweet farewell, his listeners should have solace in knowing that his content was tailor-made for them. His desire to “super-serve” the black community was the key to his success. “Don’t worry about crossover. Just super serve, super serve, super serve. Anything that affects African Americans, that’s what you do,” he said. “Just worry about connecting to people and their needs.”

Sex trafficking occurs when someone uses force, fraud or coercion to cause another person to engage in sexual activity for the promise of anything of value. With a minor, any sexual activity in exchange for something of value is trafficking.

If you suspect someone is a victim or perpetrator, call the National Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888 or in an emergency 911.

Lifetime’s January 2020 Film Slate

Hopelessly in Love: Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes and Andre Rison Premieres Jan. 4 at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT An inside look at the intense and complex relationship between TLC pop star Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes and NFL wide receiver Andre Rison. The film delves into their passionate yet reckless romance that went from abuse allegations to a mansion up in flames. Never-before-seen footage, including the moments leading up to Left Eye’s death, reveals the depth of their love and the underlying turmoil that tore them apart.

Hopelessly in Love: Faith Evans and Notorious B.I.G. Premieres Jan. 10 at 9 p.m. ET/PT Following the intense marriage between Faith Evans and the Notorious B.I.G., two of the biggest stars in R&B and hip hop, this is the story about young love and the pressures and consequences of fame for the couple and the culture at large. Twenty years after the iconic rapper’s murder, Faith Evans is ready to confront her pain and revisit the most intimate moments of their relationship – from their whirlwind engagement, to the East coast/West coast rivalry that led to Tupac and Big’s deaths, and the roles others in the scene, like Lil’ Kim, may have played in their tumultuous love story.

Hopelessly in Love: Anna Nicole Smith and Larry Birkhead Premieres Jan. 17 at 9 p.m. ET/PT Featuring never-before-seen footage, photos and candid interviews, this special documentary is a revealing account of the relationship between one of the most infamous women in the world, the late actress and Playboy playmate Anna Nicole Smith, and Larry Birkhead, the celebrity photographer who saw her beyond her ill-fated past. Larry Birkhead gives a firsthand recollection of their romantic and often unstable union which ignited a highly-publicized battle over daughter Dannielynn, following Anna’s heartbreaking and untimely death.

Hopelessly in Love is produced by Entertainment One (eOne) and Creature Films. Executive producers are Tara Long for eOne, Mark Ford and Kevin Lopez for Creature Films, and Kai Bowe. Larry Birkhead, Faith Evans, Andre Rison and Reigndrop Lopes also serve as executive producers. Brie Miranda Bryant and Gena McCarthy are executive producers for Lifetime.

MCC, Food Bank Address Student Food Insecurity Metropolitan Community College and Food Bank for the Heartland have come together to create the area’s first e-Pantry, a response to help reduce student food insecurity. The service provides MCC students with a supplemental box of nonperishable food items, helping them focus more on coursework.

Students may access the e-Pantry by submitting an online request via the online e-Pantry

portal located on the MCC student resources site. Once the request is made, a box of food can be picked up at designated student services locations. In the box, students receive pasta sauce, spaghetti, rice, black beans, corn, green beans, pears, applesauce, soup and macaroni and cheese.

All food items are provided by Food Bank for the Heartland and packaged by MCC volunteers before being distributed by MCC

logistical teams. Each e-Pantry box also contains a flyer with information about other available food and community resources available to students.

The e-Pantry began operation in early November. In that month alone, 79 students used the e-Pantry service. Those 79 students had a total household count of more than 200, further emphasizing the need for a supplemental food source for

UNMC Seeking Participants for Two HIV Studies University of Nebraska Medical Center investigators are seeking participants for two large noninvasive neuroimaging studies funded by the National Institutes of Health to investigate how HIV affects brain activity and cognitive functioning such as memory and mental processing, in people who are living with HIV as compared to those who have not been infected with HIV. The studies are called: “MIND” and “PESCAH.” The Institutional Review Board Nos. are: 403-18-EP and 822-17EP. About the studies: UNMC is recruiting healthy control participants to match our HIV+ group based on sex, age, ethnicity and education level.

Cognitive disorders are the most common neurological complication of HIV-infection. A major goal of these studies is to fill gaps in the field’s current understanding of how HIV affects brain physiology and cognition.

The studies are seeking people: • Between the ages of 19 and 72 years; • Who have not had a stroke or been diagnosed with any neurological or psychiatric disorder(s); • Who are able to complete a series of mental tasks; and • Who are not pregnant.

Expectations for participants

To study the brain, we will be using a series of brain imaging scans, which are noninvasive and considered harmless. One of these imaging scans, magnetoencephalography (MEG), is silent and involves sitting with a helmet-shaped device around your head while you complete mental tasks.

The other scan involves an MRI, which is noisy but painless.

These studies will involve three visits.

• During the first visit, you will complete several mental activities, a brief interview about your medical history and a blood draw. This visit will take approximately two-and-a-half hours.

• During the second visit, you will complete an MEG scan, perform some mental activities, and answer questionnaires that ask about your thoughts, experiences and behaviors.

This visit will take approximately threeand-a-half hours.

• During your third visit, you will complete a second MEG scan and an MRI scan. This visit will take approximately three-and-a-half hours.

Although there may not be any direct benefit to you, all tests conducted in relation to the study are at no cost, and you will be reimbursed for your time and travel.

To express interest in participating: Please contact Rebecca Losh at 402552-6436 or rebecca.losh@unmc.edu.

1-800-273-8255 Confidential Suicide Prevention Hotline The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a 24-hour, toll-free, confidential suicide prevention hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. When you phone 1-800-273-TALK (8255), you are connected to the nearest crisis center in a national network of more than 150 that provide crisis counseling and mental health referrals day and night. The Lifeline also provides informational materials, such as brochures, wallet cards, posters, and booklets. Prestamos servicios en español (1-888-628-9454). Translators speaking approximately 150 languages are available.

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402-346-4041 opt. 3

MCC students.

“We want our students to be able to focus on their studies.

Hunger is a very real barrier for some of our students,” said Randy Schmailzl, MCC president. “Our goal is to provide supplemental food to our students in a convenient way. We want to thank the Food Bank for the Heartland for their partnership and helping us address food insecurity needs.”

“Food Bank for the Heartland

is excited to partner with MCC to introduce this innovative e-Pantry program as a resource to combat student food insecurity,” said Brian Barks, president and CEO of Food Bank for the Heartland.

“Food pantries on college campuses are becoming more prevalent, and with the electronic form on MCC’s website, we want to eliminate barriers and make the process of receiving food easier for students who need it.”

Taking Blood Pressure Medication at Night May Protect Your Heart

By Rachel Nania, AARP Taking blood pressure medication at night, instead of in the morning, could significantly lower your risk for heart-related disease and death, a new report suggests.

Researchers studied more than 19,000 adults with high blood pressure over an average of more than six years and found that those who took medication at bedtime to lower their pressure cut their risk of suffering – or dying – from a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular event by nearly half, compared with those who took their blood pressure pills in the morning.

John Osborne, a cardiologist in Dallas and a volunteer expert for the American Heart Association, calls the findings “practicechanging.”

“It’s a no-cost, zero-risk, zero-side-effect intervention that could be done tomorrow in every clinic,” said Osborne, who is not affiliated with the study, published this week in the European Heart Journal. “Just changing to evening dosing could translate to substantial reductions across the whole realm of cardiovascular events.”

Blood pressure has a daily pattern, Osborne explained. It normally dips at night and rises in the morning. Then, by the afternoon, it starts to go down again. This natural rhythm helps to explain why taking medicine to lower blood pressure may work best when done at night.

“It better targets the morning rise in blood pressure,” Osborne said. Whereas, “if you take your blood pressure medicine in the morning, it may already be after the peak, and then the peak concentration of the drug is hitting a few hours later, well after the peak of blood pressure.”

Study participants who took all of their blood pressure pills at night lowered their risk for heart attack by 34 percent, their risk for stroke by 49 percent and their risk for heart failure by 42 percent, compared with those who took their medicine in the morning, the study found. Overall, the risk of death from heart or blood vessel problems was cut by more than 50 percent for the people who took their pills at night.

Allen Taylor, chairman of the department of cardiology at MedStar Heart and Vascular

Institute and professor of medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center, said the study “is almost too good to be true in terms of the size of the benefit.” He wants to see further confirmation before switching all of his patients’ medication schedules from morning to evening – especially if that change makes them forget to take their blood pressure pills altogether.

“What we always want to do is make sure people can take their medicines as conveniently as possible, and if nighttime is more convenient, I certainly wouldn’t hesitate,” said Taylor, who also has no affiliation with the published report.

The study’s population – white men and women from northern Spain – is one of its biggest limitations. Although 75 million adults (1 out of every 3) in the U.S. have high blood pressure, black men and women are disproportionately affected. More than 40 percent of non-Hispanic African Americans have high blood pressure, and in many cases it develops earlier in life and is more severe, according to the American Heart Association.

Osborne recommends that the study be repeated using a more diverse population, but said this report and others before it that had similar results don’t show “any evidence of harm” that would likely be race-, genderor ethnicity-specific.

“We’re seeing substantial reductions of cardiovascular events without adding any other drugs – just by changing the timing,” Osborne said. “And when you look at any adverse events or side effects or downsides to this approach, there really weren’t any.”

If you’re already taking your blood pressure pills at night, Taylor said there’s no reason to stop. And if you decide to switch from the morning to the evening? “Like all things, talk to your doctor and let him know what you’re doing,” he said.

High blood pressure is one of the leading causes of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and death in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

Editor’s note: This story was updated Nov. 2019 to note that participants who took all of their blood pressure pills at night lowered their risk for heart attack by 34 percent.

Page Eight

COMMENTARY Impeachment 201

THE OMAHA STAR

By Preston Love Jr. Recently in the Omaha Star issue published Nov. 1, I wrote an article titled “Impeachment 101.” In that article I described and explained the process, the misunderstandings and the facts of impeachment, along with some historical perspectives and the prospects, at that point in time, of what could happen in the United States. Now I am writing this article, Impeachment 201, as a follow up to that article. You are urged to go back and review or to read the Nov. 1 article, because it provides an important basis for what’s before the nation and the Black community, as it relates to impeachment, now that the President has been impeached.

On Wednesday, the United States House of Representatives voted to impeach, for the third time in American history, an American President. It should be immediately noted that while impeached, the President was not removed and what’s before the nation now is the process in the United States Senate for the removal of the president. Which I will quickly say, will fail on the weight of the partisanship in the United States Senate. The Senate Partisanship: The United States Senate currently has 53 Republicans and 47 Democrats. It takes a 2/3 majority, or 67 votes, in the Senate, to remove the president. That would require 20 Republicans added to the 47 Democrats, to remove the president. Again, no way will that happen.

So that brings us up to date.

Let us first analyze the impact of impeachment, without removal, on the country and secondly to the AfricanAmerican Community.

What is the impact on America to impeach but not remove a President? Let me reiterate that impeachment without removal is passive, impeachment in the House is passive. Only removal is action. Impeachment is analogous to a diagnosis of cancer and without removal, the patient may die. The patient, in this case, is America.

A quick historical perspective: Gerald Ford served as president after the impeachment/resignation of Richard Nixon, in 1974. However, America rebounded by electing a new, more humble president, Jimmy Carter, in 1976. It should be noted that the liberal Carter was not re-elected, but was defeated by a very conservative, more dominant personality, Reagan, in 1980. After the impeachment of

Bill Clinton, America elected the humble, less charismatic president, George W. Bush. The point here is that America has had a strange and varied reaction in elections after impeachment without removal.

We cannot count on America to act in any logical or intelligent way regarding the impeachment without removal of Donald Trump. In all previous impeachments, the president was not up for re-election after impeachment.

We will make additional history in 2020, because we will have an impeached president up for re-election. Never before. To repeat, America, in all of its history, has never had a presidential election where one of the candidates is an impeached president.

So this president represents a series of facts: this president has demonstrated the propensity to undermine our foreign policies with our allies, to disrespect people of color and other ethnicities, women, any disagreeable source, our intelligence communities, the realities of climate change (global warming), and an aggressive disregard and unraveling of the victories from the Civil Rights Era. He has activated the far-right White Supremacist’s Movement.

This may sound phenomenal that he could be a credible candidate with those credentials. It is said that he has done some good things with the economy, etc., but let us not forget that Nixon reputedly had done miraculous things with China prior to him resigning. So what? The point being is, if you as president do bad things that require you to be impeached, it is not enough to use your prior, positive successes to repudiate the crimes you have committed.

Said simply, America will be faced in the 2020 election with either voting to get America back on firm ground as it relates to all the aforementioned issues or turning its head and re-electing an impeached president. That decision could be the beginning of the fall of the Roman Empire, circa 2020.

The challenge for the African-American community is: 1. For us to have a measure of historical perspective and insight into the ups and downs of America, and its effect on us as a people. In the 15th Amendment to the constitution in 1870, black males were given the right to vote and we did during Reconstruction, only to be faced with America’s Jim Crow to retard our progress. But we got up and fought via the Civil Rights Movement and, among other things, there was the 1965 Voting Rights Act. We flourished with the rapid rise of Black elected officials and voter participation, only to be met by another rise of

Pots and Kettles – Republican Hypocrisy and Double-Talk

By Julianne Malveaux NNPA Newswire Contributor When you elect a clown, expect a circus, and this month’s impeachment hearings have been precisely that. Yelling, shouting, and disrespectful accusing seem more the rule than the exception.

The increased volume of Mr. Trump’s tweets echoes his fear and discomfort because he has been called out. Republican histrionics and obsession with “process” suggest that Mr. Trump’s party is not especially interested in facts. Even the falsehood that Democrats have been “out to get” this President since he was elected is outright wrong. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi came to the impeachment conclusion only reluctantly. And Democrats have been very measured in their accusations. While Mr. Trump has only been charged with two “high crimes and misdemeanors,” if Democrats wanted to throw the book at the Criminal-in-Chief, they could have detailed multiple “high crimes and misdemeanors.” Instead, they’ve kept it narrowly focused on Mr. Trump’s behavior regarding Ukraine. Democrats have shown admirable restraint, while Republican shouting and deflecting could be the basis of a comedy show if the matter weren’t so serious.

And every time some of these folks speak, they illustrate their hypocrisy. Thus, Florida Congressman Matt Goetz launched into a tirade about Hunter Biden’s very candid disclosure of his substance abuse challenges, some of which are detailed in a New Yorker article this summer (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/07/08/ will-hunter-biden-jeopardize-his-fathers-campaign). But Georgia Congressman Hank Johnson had no time for Goetz, saying that Goetz’s attack on Biden was like “the pot calling the kettle black). Goetz was charged with a DUI some years ago. The charges were mysteriously dropped, but there is evidence that Goetz was impaired.

Meanwhile, Hunter Biden has never been arrested or charged with any of his substance abuse challenges.

Goetz’s attack on Hunter Biden is not the only example of Republican hypocrisy and improper behavior. These impeachment hearings show how far Republicans will go to obfuscate Mr. Trump’s behavior and to throw mud at Democrats.

While Republicans are throwing mud at Hunter Biden, no one has asked for any investigation of the Trump family.

Ivanka has used her father’s influence to gain coveted trademarks in China. Her brothers have used government resources and their father’s influence to feather their nest in establishing new Trump properties all over the world. While I’m not condoning Hunter Biden’s possible

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pecuniary use of his father’s status, none of us should be happy about the way our government has subsidized the Trump Empire.

In another example, Melania Trump got outraged and agitated because one of the Democratic legal witnesses, Stanford Law Professor Pamela Karlan, made an inappropriate joke about her son, Barron Trump. The professor said that while Trump could name his son Barron, he could not make him a baron, an attack on the autocratic power that Mr. Trump attempts to wield.

One might have thought that the professor had attacked the child or ridiculed him. She didn’t. She made a clumsy joke and was so roundly criticized for it. And she apologized. Melania “Be Best” Trump played mama bear for her teenaged son. Yet, she seemed to have no words for another teen, Greta Thunberg, who was Time Magazine’s Person of the Year. Thunberg, who describes herself as “on the autism spectrum” with Asperger’s syndrome, was lifted because of her advocacy for the planet. Time says the young lady won the award “for sounding the alarm about humanity’s predatory relationship with the only home we have, for bringing to a fragmented world a voice that transcends backgrounds and borders, for showing us all what it might look like when a new generation leads.” But Mr. Trump doesn’t believe in global warming or climate change, so he ridiculed the young woman in one of his many rude and bullying tweets. And Melania thinks that only her son should be protected from bullying. The pot and the kettle. If she wants to call bullies out, she might start with her husband.

There have been accusations, finger-pointing, anger, and deflection during these impeachment hearings.

Republicans have shown that they have taken an oath, not to protect the Constitution, but to protect Mr. Trump. As Republicans march lockstep behind a corrupt President, Congressman Hank Johnson has it right. The “pot really can’t call the kettle black.”

(Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author, media contributor and educator. Her latest project MALVEAUX! On UDCTV is available on youtube.com.

For booking, wholesale inquiries or for more info visit www.juliannemalveaux.com.)

NE Sec of State - Robert B. Evnen Filing Document #: 9000489983 Pages: 3 Corporation Name: OMAHA PROPERTY MANAGERS Filing Date and Time: 11/26/2019 03:37 PM

December 27, 2019

America’s dark side as it unraveled the power of the Voting Rights Act. The Shelby vs Holder court decision in 2013 gutted the power of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and there are now attempts by the Trump Administration to further dilute and suppress our vote. In other words, historically, these battles have continued, so impeach or don’t impeach, remove or don’t remove, we are still fighting to keep our head above the water.

2. We continually fail to understand the power of our vote. We surely understood the power when we elected Obama in 2008, we faltered in 2012, but we voted. We totally misunderstood the 2016 election by over analyzing and over intellectualizing Hillary Clinton, so we stayed home. We didn’t vote in 2016 and now we are cheering about impeachment when we could have “impeached” him before he got in. We must remember our failures in 2016 and our victories in 2018 when we came out in various places and voted, because we were upset with racist candidates and so much more.

3. We must not fall into our cyclical tack of over analyzing, as I hear every day, the Democratic slate of candidates. The imperfections of candidate “A,” the mistakes of candidate “B” and on-and-on. Black folks, we are faced with contributing to an election of an impeached and racist, sexist candidate, while we debate the imperfections of our candidates, just like we did in 2016, and all the while his base cheers him on and votes him back in.

I will repeat from Impeachment 101, prepare for the 2020 election, assume that the president will not be removed, that you MUST activate yourself, family, friends, your block and community to vote like crazy. Not only for the president, but to remove those representatives in the House and Senate who helped keep the president in his seat.

You need to be a part of one (or more) of those efforts, or you WILL be part of reelecting Donald Trump. There will be high efforts to confuse and corrupt the voting process in ALL communities, including ours.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on January 3, 2020 at 5:00 PM at St. Paul United Methodist Church at 5410 Corby St Omaha, Ne 68104 the Nebraska Housing Developers Association will hold a public hearing or meeting as applicable concerning an application to the Department of Economic Development for a Nebraska Affordable Housing Program Grant. This grant is available for local affordable housing activities.

Nebraska Housing Developers Association is requesting $500,000 in DED awarded HOME funds to construct 16 Units of housing at 51st & Spaulding St of which all funds requested shall benefit 16 low and moderate income families. The total project cost is projected around $4,495,867. No persons will be displaced as part of this activity.

The grant application will available for public inspection at the office of Nebraska Housing Developers Association at 3883 Normal Blvd Suite #102 Lincoln, Ne 68506. All interested parties are invited to attend this public hearing at which time you will have an opportunity to be heard regarding the grant application. Written testimony will also be accepted at the public hearing scheduled for January 3, 2020 at 5:00 PM at3883 Normal Blvd Suite #102 Lincoln, Ne 68506.

Written comments addressed to Matthew Cavanaugh to matthew@ housingdevelopers.org or at the office of the Nebraska Housing Developers Association as stated above, will be accepted if received on or before January 3, 2019.

Individuals requiring physical or sensory accommodations including interpreter service, Braille, large print, or recorded materials, please contact Matthew Cavanaugh at matthew@housingdevelopers.org or, 402-435-0315, or Nebraska Housing Developers Association at 3883 Normal Blvd Suite #102 Lincoln, Ne 68506 prior to January 1st 2020.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that on January 3, 2020 at 5:30 PM at St. Paul United Methodist Church at 5410 Corby St Omaha, Ne 68104 the Nebraska Housing Developers Association will hold a public hearing or meeting as applicable concerning an application to the Department of Economic Development for a Nebraska Affordable Housing Program Grant. This grant is available for local affordable housing activities.

Nebraska Housing Developers Association is requesting $500,000 in DED awarded HOME funds to construct 46 Units of housing at 41st & Hamilton St of which all funds requested shall benefit 46 low- and moderate-income individuals. The total project cost is projected around $8,714,408. No persons will be displaced as part of this activity.

The grant application will available for public inspection at the office of Nebraska Housing Developers Association at 3883 Normal Blvd Suite #102 Lincoln, Ne 68506. All interested parties are invited to attend this public hearing at which time you will have an opportunity to be heard regarding the grant application. Written testimony will also be accepted at the public hearing scheduled for January 3, 2020 at 5:00 PM at3883 Normal Blvd Suite #102 Lincoln, Ne 68506.

Written comments addressed to Matthew Cavanaugh to matthew@ housingdevelopers.org or at the office of the Nebraska Housing Developers Association as stated above, will be accepted if received on or before January 3, 2019.

Individuals requiring physical or sensory accommodations including interpreter service, Braille, large print, or recorded materials, please contact Matthew Cavanaugh at matthew@housingdevelopers.org or, 402-435-0315, or Nebraska Housing Developers Association at 3883 Normal Blvd Suite #102 Lincoln, Ne 68506 prior to January 1st 2020.

NE Sec of State - Robert B. Evnen Filing Document #: 9000489157 Pages: 1 Corporation Name: BEN HEASTON LLC Filing Date and Time: 11/18/2019 03:44 PM

EVENTS/CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING THE OMAHA STAR Page Nine Chicago Theatre Troupe to Hold Performances, Things to do, people to see, places to go.

Workshops at MCC

December 27, 2019

In The Village!

Happening Now – Race: Are We So Different? We all know people look different. Throughout history, those differences have been a source of strength, community and personal identity. They have also been the basis for discrimination and oppression. RACE: Are We So Different? gives visitors tools to recognize racial ideas and practices in contemporary American life. The exhibit runs through Jan. 5, 2020 at the Durham Museum. For more info, visit www. durhammuseum.org.

Dec. 27 – Jeff Quinn Magic Show at Charles B. Washington Branch library, 2868 Ames Ave., at 2 p.m. For more info, phone 402-444-4849 Dec. 28 – Escape Room for Grades 4-12 at Florence Branch library, 2920 Bondesson St., from 1-3 p.m. Registration is required by phoning 402-444-5299.

Dec. 28 – Join in The People’s Kwanzaa Celebration at the Malcolm X Center, 3448 Evans St., from 4-8:30 p.m. The Celebration is being held on the 3rd Day and Principle of Kwanzaa, “Ujima,” meaning Collective Work and Responsibility! Featuring electoral candidates Steven Abraham and Terrell Mckinney, and poetry by Allen Stevenson.

Dec. 31 – Noon Year’s Eve Party at Florence Branch, 2920 Bondesson St., from 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Read stories, sing, dance, eat snacks, make crafts, and party hats until we ring in the New Year

at noon! Registration is recommended by phoning 402-444-5299.

Dec. 31 – Due to the Gene Leahy Mall construction, the New Year fireworks display has a new shoot off and viewing location. The fireworks will be shot off in Lot D of the CHI Health Center.

Arrive early and park for FREE to view the up-close show in the recommended viewing areas listed above. The event is expected to draw thousands of people.

The celebration begins at 7 p.m.

Jan. 4 – It’s Blues and Soul at The Metro from 7-10 p.m. in the Swanson Conference Center. Headliner is Hooker Taylor, son of the late Johnnie Taylor.

Tickets are available at Eventbrite.

Jan. 18 – The First annual Wakanda Gala is a formal affair organized to raise funds and awareness of Omaha North High’s Black Student Leadership Council and Sickle Cell Anemia. Tickets for the 6-10 p.m. event to be held at Omaha Design Center, 1502 Cuming St., are available on Eventbrite.

Jan. 21 – View a free screening of A Time for Burning at the Ruth Sokolof Theater, 1340 Mike Fahey St., at 7 p.m.

This screening is presented in honor of the MLK holiday. A brief introduction and post-film discussion will be facilitated by Omaha Community Council for Racial Justice and Reconciliation steering committee members Brenda Council and Vickie Young.

Area Churches Host Watch Services In African American churches New Year’s Watch Night services have special historical significance, since on New Year’s Eve in 1862 many gathered in sanctuaries to await news of President Abraham Lincoln’s promised Emancipation Proclamation.

It was at Twelfth Baptist Church in Boston that renowned abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass and others were gathered to celebrate the 1863 New Year’s Day news of freedom. Douglass later wrote that the meeting, which lasted until dawn, “was one of the most affecting and thrilling occasions I ever witnessed, and a worthy celebration of the first step on the part of the nation in its departure from the thralldom of the ages.”

Area churches continue the tradition of

praying in the New Year. Many churches now worship together and share hosting joint services.

People’s Mission, Antioch, Pilgrim, Mt. Nebo, Pleasant Green, Pilgrim Rest, St. Mark, Mt. Moriah and Second Baptist will ring in the New Year together. Service will begin at 10 p.m. at Zion, 2215 Grant St. Clair Memorial United Methodist and New Rising Star Baptist will host NYE on AMES Game Night & Worship from 8:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m. Service will be held at Clair, 5544 Ames Ave. To find times for other New Year’s Eve services, church phone numbers are listed in the Praise & Worship Directory in this issue.

Happy New Year!

Metropolitan Community College will celebrate the 500-year-old theatrical tradition of Commedia dell’Arte by hosting the Laughing Stock Theatre of Chicago for a weekend of workshops and performances.

The theatre troupe will give live performances of its original work, “Dottore’s Lab, or The One Where They Plot a Heist,” on Jan. 17 at 8 p.m. at the Institute for the Culinary Arts Swanson Conference Center on the Fort Omaha

Campus. This event is free and open to the public.

Those interested in learning about Commedia dell’Arte can enroll in a workshop with the Chicago troupe on Jan. 18 at the Swanson Conference Center at 10 a.m. The workshop will result in a free public performance on Jan. 19 at 1 p.m.

To register for the workshop, or to learn more, email Scott Working at saworking@mccneb.edu.

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LINCOLN – The ACLU of Nebraska welcomes Gov. Pete Ricketts’ reported decision to keep Nebraska’s doors open to refugees, which falls in line with recent decisions from city and county elected officials.

The governor’s decision comes as the number of refugees resettled in Nebraska has dropped sharply since 2016 when Nebraska was first in the nation for refugees resettled per capita.

From October 2015 to September 2016, Nebraska welcomed 1,441 refugees. Over that same time period this year, just 445 refugees resettled in Nebraska according to the Department of State’s Refugee Processing Center.

“We can connect these falling numbers directly to changes at the federal level, including the historically low federal limit on refugee admissions, discriminatory bans on refugees coming from Muslim-majority countries and this opt-in program, which adds unnecessary red tape and uncertainty to those seeking refuge from some of the world’s worst humanitarian crises,” said Rose Godinez, legal and policy counsel at the ACLU of Nebraska. “Refugees enrich Nebraska in every sense of the word, and we’re grateful our state’s leaders made the right call.

Now, we need to show our refugees real leadership by removing these malicious barriers that have no place in Nebraska.”

This year, Nebraska welcomed refugees to Cozad, Crete, Lincoln, Omaha and South Sioux City – the majority of whom resettled in Omaha.

The ACLU of Nebraska offers legal resources for refugees and immigrants online, as well as a list of partner organizations that work to provide support to refugees and new Americans.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY OF OMAHA The City Planning Department will conduct two meetings in January 2020.

2021 CDBG/HOME Grant Application Workshop The purpose of this meeting is to inform interested parties of the application process for FY 2021 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) funds. A morning session will serve parties already familiar with the process and will focus on changes in the application process new to 2021 applications. An evening session will provide a comprehensive overview more suitable to new applicants. Details are as follows: January 16, 2020 University of Omaha Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center 6001 Dodge St Omaha, Nebraska 68182 10:00-11:00 AM, Room 127: Shorter, more focused workshop 6:00-8:00 PM, Room 231: Full grant workshop

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This meeting will be an open house with information on the 2020 Action Plan Budget, a draft of the Forever North plan, a draft of the OOIC redevelopment plan, and updates on the North Omaha trail, and concepts the Manderson Market Redevelopment Plan. Please visit our website at planninghcd.cityofomaha.org for more information.

The Action Plan is required annually for the City to participate in the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships, and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) programs and describes how those funds will be utilized in a given year.

Individuals requiring physical or sensory accommodations including interpreter service, Braille, large print, or recorded materials, please contact Pat Evans (402-444-5150 ext. 2011) or Nicole Engels (402-444-5150 x2024) at the City of Omaha Planning Department, 1819 Farnam Street, Suite 1111, Omaha Nebraska, 68183, no later than January 7, 2020.

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Page Ten THE OMAHA STAR

YOUTH/EDUCATION NEWS

December 27, 2019

MCC Introduces Event and Wedding Planning Certificate

Recess Shapes Healthy Minds, Hearts and Bodies Nelson Mandela likely wasn’t referring to recess when he spoke of the importance of having a good head and heart, but the staff at Nelson Mandela Elementary have taken inspiration from his words to shape the youth at Nelson Mandela who are, as Nelson Mandela said, “the leaders of tomorrow.”

By Amanda Myroniuk

Nelson Mandela once said, “A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.” At Nelson Mandela Elementary, both hearts and minds are shaped by recess. Although recess seems like the last place learning would occur, it is essential for social, emotional, and physical development.

Since the implementation of No Child Left Behind in 2002, many schools have become fixated on test scores; Olga S. Jarrett writes in “A Research-Based Case for Recess” for the U.S. Play Coalition “since the enactment of No Child Left Behind, 20% of U.S. school systems decreased recess time, averaging recess cuts of 50 minutes per week.” Cutting recess isn’t what scholars need.

At Mandela, recess occurs three times a day, every 90 minutes, and it is never taken away as a punishment.

Additionally, scholars continue to play outside in all seasons. This time of year, that means fun in the snow!

The fun in all seasons promotes active bodies and active social learning. Jarrett Caring for someone with explains, these activities Alzheimer’s isn’t easy. include, “the sharing of folk culture, making choices, Reaching us is. and developing rules for play, [which] involves the development of social skills.” Recess is vital in shaping the scholars as healthy, socially conscious learners.

Recess also supports learning in the classroom.

One of the most important aspects of recess, besides the fun, is the break it provides for the brain.

Jarret states, “Attention If you care for someone with Alzheimer’s disease, memory loss or dementia, you are not alone. We’re here day is cyclical, involving or night — whenever you need us — offering reliable information and support.

90-110-minute rhythmical Free 24/7 Helpline: 800.272.3900 Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregiver Center: alz.org/care patterns throughout the day.” Essentially, the brain needs to reset every 90 minutes to have time to process information; recess provides that time.

Metropolitan Community College is now offering an Event and Wedding Planning noncredit certificate, giving entrepreneurs and professionals in the hospitality industry an opportunity to add credentials to their résumé. The certificate, offered through MCC Continuing Education, gives students extensive training led by industry professional instructors.

“By completing the certificate, students will position themselves to be knowledgeable, professional and highly committed event and wedding planning professionals.

Students will strengthen communication skills, interpersonal relationships and enhance problem-solving skills,” said Vernetta Kosalka, Hospitality Management adjunct instructor. “The certificate will allow students to develop a portfolio that they can share with employers or prospective clients.”

The noncredit certificate offers specialized tracks in event planning, wedding planning and event design.

Students are required to take four core classes, followed by two electives that vary upon specialization. There are more than a dozen different courses available, including topics such as floral artistry, financial management, creative thinking, logistics, trends, marketing and more.

Classes for the certificate begin in January. For more information or to register, visit mccneb.edu/eventplanning or phone 531-MCC-2400.

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January 14−19 Orpheum Theater

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 15, 2020 · NOON–1:30 P.M. FORT OMAHA CAMPUS, INSTITUTE FOR THE CULINARY ARTS, BUILDING 22 Swanson Conference Center, rooms 201 A-D 32nd Street and Sorensen Parkway

KEYNOTE SPEAKER Cynthia M. A. Butler-McIntyre 24th National President, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. B.A. Early Childhood Education, Dillard University M.A., Curriculum and Instruction/Educational Administration, University of New Orleans Honorary Doctorate of Divinity, Religious Education, Louisiana Christian Bible College

MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT Ananias “Markey” Montague, minister of music and fine arts, Salem Baptist Church, Omaha

REGISTER To reserve your seat, call 531-MCC-5231 or register online at mccneb.edu/MLK For additional information, contact 531-MCC-2253 or bvelazquez@mccneb.edu.

MCC students $10 MCC personnel and MCC retirees $15 (MCC employees exempt from additional discounts) General admission $20 Seating is limited.

Reservations will close when full or on Tuesday, January 7, 2020.

No refunds after Jan. 7, 2020.

Metropolitan Community College affirms a policy of equal education, employment opportunities and nondiscrimination in providing services to the public. To read our full policy statement, visit mccneb.edu/nondiscrimination.

THE MUSICAL PHENOMENON

Retailer for the Orpheum Theater and Holland Performing Arts Center

ticketomaha.com 402.345.0606