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AARP’s ‘Be the Difference. Vote.’ Stresses Importance of Voting in Midterms By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia Next month’s fast-approaching midterm elections count as one of the most consequential in a lifetime, according to political scholar Norman Ornstein. The folks at AARP “wholeheartedly concur,” and not just in word, but also by actions. The organization, which was founded in 1958 on the principles of promoting independence, dignity and purpose for older adults, has launched a campaign titled, “Be the Difference. Vote.” AARP doesn’t endorse candidates or parties, they focus instead on policy that affects older adults. “‘Be the Difference. Vote.’ is a non-partisan campaign whose goal is mobilizing African Americans voters – and all voters 50 and older – to exercise their power and vote,” says Edna KaneWilliams, the senior vice president of Multicultural Leadership at AARP. “Critical issues like Medicare, Social Security, prescription drugs and family caregiving are on the line and older voters need to show up and protect what they’ve earned.” Launched in May, the “Be the Difference. Vote,” campaign relies on studies that show voters 50 and older are the most reliable. The multifaceted campaign seeks to encourage the largest possible turnout
of older voters to the polls during 66.6 percent in 2012, according to the In a colorful graphic for the the midterm election, Nov. 6. This Pew Research Center. magazine, AARP editors outlined election places issues like Medicare, “We are at a moment in which what’s at stake, including 35 of the Social Security, financial security important decisions need to be made 100 U.S. Senate seats; all 435 seats in and caregiving – topics of particular on matters key to the lives of older the U.S. House of Representatives; and interest to older voters – front and Americans,” AARP editors noted in 36 of 50 states will elect a governor. center. Nearly 300 state K a n e - Wi l l i a m s appellate judges, referenced U.S. including 71 state Census statistics that Supreme Court reveal that only 57 justices will be percent of all U.S. elected or appointed; citizens between 25 of America’s ages 25 and 44 voted largest cities will in the 2012 general elect mayors; and election, compared to 82 percent of state 68 percent of those legislator positions, between 45 and 64. totaling 6,070 seats Among African in 87 legislative Americans, 65 chambers, are up for percent of individuals grabs. between 25 and 44 AARP’s campaign voted, compared to is important, and the 72 percent who were Launched in May, the “Be the Difference. Vote” campaign relies on organization listed between the ages of studies that show voters 50 and older are the most reliable. 10 ways in which the 45 and 64. midterm elections (Photo: AARP) African Americans will affect older will be a deciding voting bloc in key the October 2018 AARP Bulletin. Americans: races across the country, especially “Some are obvious, like the future 1. Shoring up Social Security. in Pennsylvania, Florida, North funding and structure of Medicare and 2. Rising Drug Prices. Carolina, Virginia and other swing our health care system,” the editors 3. Medicare Funding. states, according to multiple political wrote. “At the same time, many states 4. Medicaid: Grow or slow it? experts. However, forecasters also are grappling with issues related to 5. The future of Health Insurance. predict potential Black voter dropout, worker discrimination, retirement 6. Bolstering Retirement Savings. a serious issue. savings, underfunded pensions, 7. Lower Retirement Taxes. In 2016, the Black voter turnout rate Medicaid, caregiving and more. Those 8. Fixing Pension Shortfalls. declined for the first time in 20 years in we put into office could shape the 9. More Help for Caregivers. a presidential election, falling to 59.6 resolutions of these issues for decades 10. Fraud Targets. percent after reaching a record high of to come.” Through the “Be the Difference.
Sen. Justin Wayne to Introduce Rental Housing Legislation
OPS uses Four Action Steps for Emergency Response
In a time of nationwide concern for student safety, Omaha Public Schools (OPS) has officially adopted the four action-based responses within the Nebraska Department of Education-approved Standard Response Protocol district-wide. Schools all well as after school program providers are being trained district-wide to ensure consistent use of the protocols at every OPS school. The Standard Response Protocol is used to address emergency situations related to weather events, fires, accidents and intruders. District officials emphasize that in the event a critical threat has reached school property, it is imperative that there is a proactive, uniform response to such threats in order to ensure a consistent response to the threat, and a consistent understanding of the protocols. The Standard Response Protocol (SRP) is designed to help ensure the safety of students and staff in the school environment. Schools regularly conduct drills to practice the actions within the four steps, which call for Lockout, Lockdown, Evacuation, and Shelter. Below are the details of each action step and how they are implemented for both students and staff: * Lockout: “Get Inside. Lock Outside Doors” – This is the protocol used to safeguard students and staff within the building. Lockout is called when there is a threat or hazard outside of the school building. STUDENTS: Return to inside of building • Do business as usual STAFF/TEACHERS: Recover students and staff from outside building • Increased situational awareness • Do business as usual • Take roll, account for students * Lockdown: “Locks, Lights, Out of Sight.” The protocol used to secure individual rooms and keep students quiet and in place. Lockdown is called when there is a threat or hazard inside the school building. STUDENTS: Move away from sight • Maintain silence STAFF/TEACHERS: Lock classroom door • Lights out • Move away from sight • Maintain silence • Wait for First Responders to open door • Take roll, account for students * Evacuate: Always followed by a location, and is used to move students and staff from one location to a different location in or out of the building. Evacuate is called to move students and staff from one location to another. STUDENTS: Bring your phone • Leave your stuff behind • Form a single file line • Show your hands • Be prepared for alternatives during response. STAFF/TEACHERS: Grab roll sheet if possible • Lead students to Evacuation Location • Take roll, account for students * Shelter: Always followed by a type and a method and is the protocol for group and self-protection. Shelter is called when the need
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for personal protection is necessary. Hazardous examples include Tornado or Hazmat SAMPLE SAFETY STRATEGIES: Evacuate to shelter area • Seal the room STUDENTS: Appropriate hazards and safety strategies STAFF/TEACHERS: Appropriate hazards and safety strategies • Take roll, account for students Lockout versus Lockdown The differentiation between Lockout and Lockdown is a critical element in SRP. A Lockout recovers all students from outside the building, secures the building perimeter and locks all outside doors. This would be implemented when there is a threat or hazard outside of the building. While the Lockout response encourages greater staff situational awareness, it allows for educational practices to continue with little classroom interruption or distraction. Lockdown is a classroom-based protocol that requires locking the classroom door, turning off the lights and placing students out of sight of any corridor windows. Student action during Lockdown is to remain quiet. In some cases, locking outside doors inhibits entry of first responders and increases risk as responders attempt to breach doors. OPS’s intended impact by enforcing these four actions are to help prepare staff and families through practice and drills. Student and staff safety is a top priority for the school district. Over the years, OPS has worked diligently with the Omaha Police and Fire Departments to implement and practice these four emergency response safety drills. Each action has a corresponding response that is communicated to local law enforcement agencies and emergency responders. These drills have provided ongoing opportunities for school leadership, staff and students to practice and be adequately prepared in the event of a real incident. More than 200 school districts in the state use SRP and OPS has adopted the recommendation from Nebraska’s Department of Education requesting that all schools in Nebraska use the SRP. For a detail of the SRP as it relates to a national scope, please visit: iloveuguys.org/srp.html.
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Vote.” campaign, AARP has used its website as a one-stop portal for voters to get information about the election, including issue briefings, polling results and voter guides. AARP has pledged to conduct polls of 50-plus voters across the country and in battleground states, tracking voter sentiment on key issues. Throughout the initiative, the organization has delivered information on issues and election news, and has notified members of local events, teletown halls and candidate forums. Candidates are pressured to address issues of vital importance to older Americans in campaign speeches, literature and advertising messages, based upon the input received from AARP tracking polls and member communications. AARP has also applied advanced data analytics to target turnout of 50-plus voters in major races across the country, while reaching out to African American and Latino voters – especially in races where they represent a key or deciding voting bloc. “AARP encourages all voters, regardless of their ages, to take part in the ‘Be the Difference. Vote.’ campaign by signing AARP’s pledge to vote, using the voting tool to ensure they have the information they need to vote, and learning where the candidates stand on issues that matter to them and their families,” Kane-Williams said. Voters can sign the pledge and get more information at aarp.org/vote.
LINCOLN – Nebraska State Senator Justin Wayne (District 13, Omaha) has announced plans to introduce legislation addressing unsafe and unsanitary conditions in Omaha’s rental housing when the Nebraska Legislature convenes in January. Poor conditions in some Omaha rental properties recently came to light with the city’s inspection and evacuation of the Yale Park apartment complex at 34th Avenue and Lake Street last month, which uncovered nearly 2,000 building code violations, including gas leaks, faulty wiring, leaky roofs, and pest infestations. “Poor housing conditions perpetuated by certain landlords have been a long-standing problem in North Omaha and throughout the city, and the Yale Park situation demonstrates the need for a new approach to address code violations in rental properties,” said Wayne, who serves as Chairman of the Legislature’s Urban Affairs Committee. Like most Nebraska municipalities, the City of Omaha’s current code enforcement system works solely on a complaint basis. Under the proposed legislation, the city would be required to conduct regular inspections of all residential rental properties within city limits and maintain a registry of landlords in the city. The inspection program could provide for annual registration fees, fines for failure to comply with registration requirements, and inspection fees for any re-inspections required in addition to a regular inspection. While several members of the Omaha City Council and the City Planning Department have begun discussions on the possibility of adopting a rental inspection ordinance, Wayne said that the issues brought to light by the Yale Park situation are part of a growing public health and safety crisis that needed to be addressed at both the local and state level. “Regardless of whether the city moves forward with adopting a rental inspection program on its own, the root causes of this crisis should be examined as part of the Urban Affairs Committee’s ongoing discussions surrounding state and local building code enforcement,” said Wayne. “Rather than leaving the existence of an inspection program up to future city councils, I believe the severity of the living conditions found at Yale Park warrants consideration to mandate a local rental inspection program in state law, similar to Iowa.” Iowa state law currently requires that all cities with a population of more than 15,000 people, including Council Bluffs, maintain a rental housing inspection program. In addition, the City of La Vista has a similar inspection program. As proposed, Wayne’s legislation would only apply to cities of the metropolitan class, which have a population of more than 300,000 people. The City of Omaha is currently the state’s only city of the metropolitan class.
Community shredding for Oct. 27 has been cancelled.
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October 19, 2018
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Join Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance (OHKA) during National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week for the “What’s Lead Got To Do With It?” Luncheon Celebration on Monday from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. at Omaha Design Center, 1502 Cuming St. Help celebrate the amazing leaders fighting to end lead poisoning and helping create Healthy Homes in Omaha. The keynote speaker this year is Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, a physician and public health expert from Michigan. At 30, he was the youngest health official in a major US city as Health Commissioner in Detroit. Under his leadership, the Detroit Health Department had
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‘Selma the March for Freedom 50 Years Later’ Exhibit Opens On Oct. 5 the Great Plains Black History Museum, 2221 N. 24th St., opened its latest exhibit, “Selma the March for Freedom 50 Years Later.” In March of 1965 the Selma to Montgomery march was part of a series of civil-rights protests in Alabama, and on Sunday, March 7, about 600 people
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More than 2,200 residents of Omaha and surrounding areas joined the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s in the fight to end Alzheimer’s disease on Sept. 23 at Stinson Park in Aksarben. Participants raised more than $213,000 to fund Alzheimer’s care, support and research programs. This is the highest amount raised in the Omaha event in history, and there was also a record number of teams. “Omaha area residents continue to rally their communities to advance research funding for a cure and to help provide programs and services for no cost to families affected by the disease,” said Erinn Drouin, Development Director for the Alzheimer’s Association Nebraska Chapter. “We truly could not make strides to eventually eradicate this disease without the tireless support event participants in Omaha and over 600 other locations across the country provide.” Home Instead Senior Care - Headquarters was the top fundraising team at this year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s, raising over $18,000. This team has been involved in the event for several years, and has continued to be the top fundraising team year over year. Not only does Home Instead Senior Care raise funds for the Omaha Walk, but their franchises are partners with the Alzheimer’s Association in other events across multiple locations. The organization is committed to seeing the end of Alzheimer’s. Bill Myers was the top individual fundraiser. Myers walked to honor his late wife, Mary, who passed away this year after living with the disease for nearly 14 years. Myers shares, “This disease robs one of not only their memory and cognitive functions, but eventually their dignity as well. My dream is that not only will a cure be found, but ultimately a means of prevention that will keep my grandchildren and great grandchildren from having to deal with it.” In Nebraska alone, there are more than 34,000 people living with the disease and 82,000 caregivers. In the United States, more than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, the sixth-leading cause of death and the only disease among the top 10 causes that cannot be cured, prevented or even slowed. Additionally, more than 15 million family and friends provide care to people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Registration for next year’s Omaha Walk to End Alzheimer’s will open in December 2018. Sign up as a Team Captain, join a team or register to walk as an individual at alz.org/walk.
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Fresh from the east coast, Nicole Price, CEO of Lively Paradox, will headline Omaha’s premier gathering of Minority Business Enterprises and Corporate Executives. With so much discussion about minority business inclusion and the need to create wealth in disenfranchised areas, Ms. Price’s remarkable skills and experience are a perfect fit. Ms. Price is regarded as one of the foremost thought leaders creating positive self-awareness and promoting leadership growth in large organizations. As approximately 20 of the Mountain Plains Minority Supplier Development Council’s Corporate Members gather to connect with certified Minority Owned Businesses for the 2018 Business Opportunity Exchange, MBEs and Purchasing Managers will receive access to the same executive leadership training paid for by national and multinational corporations during the lunch session. Ms. Price is no stranger to Nebraska as she has amazed hometown corporate audiences with her dynamic delivery and thought-provoking ideas about “personal” leadership. The opportunity for Minority Business Enterprises to learn of real contracting opportunities will be Oct. 25 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Creighton Harper Center, 602 N. 20th St. MPMSDC’s signature event includes Industry Round Table Discussions, Workshops, Oneon-One opportunity meetings and Panel Discussions featuring Supplier and Procurement representatives from the University of Nebraska. This is one of the largest events of its kind in the Mountain Plains region. To register or learn more, please visit www,mpmsdc. org/events/business-opportunity-exchange- ne/ or call 402.835.4076.
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youth and adults who made the journey to Montgomery to participate in the 50th anniversary of the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The exhibit will be on display through Dec. 29 and is open to the public at no charge Thursday, Friday and Saturday 1-5 p.m.
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started a planned peaceful march from Selma to Montgomery. It was called a demonstration. But when state troopers met the demonstrators with force at the edge of the city by the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the day became known as “Bloody Sunday.” Unlike “Bloody Sunday” the exhibit focuses on Omaha
‘Walk To End Alzheimer’s’ Sets New Record, Brings In $213,000
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every school, daycare, and Head Start building tested for lead in the water. Prior to his work in public service, El-Sayed was a tenure-track faculty member at Columbia University’s Department of Epidemiology, Director of the Columbia University Systems Science Program, and co-Director of Global Research for Population Health. El-Sayed holds a Doctorate in Public Health from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, as well as an MD from Columbia University. During the event former OHKA clients of will share their story and the impact OHKA has had on their home and their children’s health. OHKA will also award the Healthy Home Star Awards to deserving individuals and organizations who have championed the Healthy Homes initiatives! This year’s recipients are: Thomas Raetz: Thomas is a local property manager who has been working with OHKA this year to improve the health of his properties. Thanks for working to ensure all children in your properties have safe and Healthy Homes! Wellcare: Wellcare is an organization who focuses exclusively on providing managed care services. OHKA worked with them to integrate their AIR program as a formalized partnership. Buy tickets to the event, or to purchase a full or half table at www. eventbrite/e/ohka. Follow OHKA on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to stay up to date with all things “What’s Lead Got To Do With It?,” including sneak peeks of the honorees and speakers.
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October 19, 2018
PRAISE, WORSHIP, DEVOTION, OBITUARIES & INSPIRATION THE OMAHA STAR Kids Talk About God
In Loving Memory “Lives of great men all remind us; we can make our lives sublime, and, departing, leave behind us, footprints on the sands of time” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Why Does God Bless The Meek? By Carey Kinsolving And Friends “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Earth” (Matthew 5:5). The subject of meekness reminds me of the man who wrote a book titled “How to Be Humble by One Who Is.” About the time you think you’ve arrived at meekness, you’ve lost it. Let’s see what my friends have to say. “If you are really good, and you don’t brag, you will get better stuff,” says T.J., age 6. I wish I knew as much at 6 years old. “Meek means to be disappointed,” says Taylor, 10. “A good example is when you get to a championship game and lose. That is when you are meek.” Taylor, I don’t doubt that you and your teammates were humiliated, but let’s not confuse humiliation with meekness. Although humiliation can lead to meekness, consider the 10 plagues of Egypt. Although humiliated, Pharaoh proudly resisted the warnings of Moses to set God’s people free. “Happy are those who are humble before God,” says Sarah, 10. “The meek think of God more than they think of themselves.” Moses and Jesus are the only two people the Bible calls meek. Neither could be described as Mr. Milquetoast. Moses relied
“His life was well-lived, so we must not grieve for his departure. We should be happy for he has embarked on a more meaningful journey, and that is his journey to heaven to meet the Lord. He is dearly missed, but every one of us knows that he is forever present in our hearts and our memories.” We love you Uncle Billy, From the Quartey Family and Frank Bruce Bishop William H. Foeman May 4, 1939 – Oct. 9, 2012
Annual Forum on Systemic Poverty Scheduled for Nov. 3 First United Methodist Church and Clair Memorial United Methodist Church are sponsoring their fifth annual forum on systemic poverty issues in the Omaha community on Nov. 3. The Forum, titled “Bringing Forth The Kingdom: The Effect of Housing Challenges in Our Community,” will convene at First United Methodist Church, 7020 Cass St. Featured speakers will be from Douglas County Health Department, Omaha Public Schools, Legal Aid Society, Heartland Family Service and Nebraska Appleseed. Information and resources will be provided by agencies such as Omaha Housing Authority, Omaha Together One Community (OTOC) and Together Inc. The Forum will begin at 8 a.m. and conclude at 12:30 p.m. The Forum is a gift from the two churches to anyone who would like to become better informed. Although there is no charge for the Forum, pre-registration is appreciated. To pre-register, go to Housing Challenges Forum on Eventbrite.com or go to Eventbrite.com, type in “housing challenges” and the link will appear. Walk-ins are welcome. For more information, phone Deborah Mabry-Strong at 402-215-5271 or Pastor Portia Cavitt at 402-350-0783.
Jimmy Adams Passes Former Omahan Jimmy Adams, 71, has passed away peacefully at his home in Venice Beach, CA. Jimmy graduated from Omaha Central High School in 1965, attended University of Nebraska at Omaha and served in the military during the Vietnam War. He was a long-time popular resident of Venice, especially with the shop owners along the Venice Boardwalk. His outgoing personality, ever present smile and unusual wit made him a welcomed personality in the beach community. He will be missed. No further information is available.
on God’s resources, and Jesus depended upon his Father. Before Jesus blessed the meek, he blessed the poor in spirit and those who mourn. These are people who know that real life begins by realizing our poverty of spirit before a holy God. Coming face to face with our true condition produces mourning. Blessing or happiness comes when we switch from self-sufficiency to God-dependency. We’re created to live in dependence upon a loving God. A realization of inadequacy and dependence characterizes faith, while selfsufficiency and independence characterize pride. It’s only a matter of time before proud people fall because they’ll face catastrophes beyond their puny resources, which they imagine to be great. “God doesn’t bless the hard spirit,” says Anna, 9. In resisting the miracles God performed through Moses, Pharaoh “hardened his heart.” “Meek means gentle,” says Lee, 10. “God wants us to be gentle. If we are gentle, we’ll enjoy helping God rule the Earth.” We call a powerful horse “gentle” even though it can kick a hole in the side of a barn or throw its rider at will. A king can exercise absolute sovereignty with gentleness and consideration. True
meekness is not weakness but strength under control. King David wrote that the meek would not only inherit the Earth but “shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace” (Psalm 37:11). “This kind of peace carries the idea of being at ease before God and man,” writes author Gordon Ferguson. “Meekness is built on great faith, for the meek person looks outside himself for the power to live. He is confident because he is totally open to God. God will work in all things for his good.” For Brad, 9, meekness is “being very patient for things, not being mad.” We should be like the father of our faith, says Salar, 9: “Abraham inherited the Earth because he was so humble. So you will inherit the Earth if you are humble.” “I think this means if you’re meek, God will let you rule the Earth,” says Lauren, 8. Why wait? Proverbs 16:32 says, “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” Think about this: Meekness is strength under God’s control. Memorize this truth: Matthew 5:5 quoted above. Ask this question: Is your strength under God’s control?
If God’s People Will Humble Themselves And Pray By Dr. William Holland When we consider the word revival, we think of evangelistic meetings where people are encouraged to renew their vows to God. As an act of being restored and renewed back to a former place, a personal revival is a positive experience that causes us to rearrange our priorities in order to give God a higher place in our life. Other words that are associated with being revived are, reinvigorate, revitalize, refresh, restore, energize, rejuvenate, regenerate, and stimulate. If we once had a genuine and exciting relationship with God but now for some reason we have drifted away, he promises that our intimacy with him can be restored by simply humbling ourselves and calling upon him. We do not need to attend a church meeting in order to repent or draw closer to his presence, we just need a passion and determination to be with him. One such example of a rich outpouring of the Holy Spirit in America was the New York City revival of 1857. The years leading up to 1857 were defined by tremendous economic development as the United States was reaping a bountiful harvest of prosperity. As wealth became the focus, the desire and obsession were turning toward materialism. With church attendance falling, many congregations moved out of the city to accommodate their remaining members. However, one church in Manhattan decided to stay in the inner city and make themselves available to those in the surrounding community. They hired a man named Jeremiah Lanphier as a minister and missionary to lead this evangelistic
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vision, and he proved to be a man of prayer and an effective speaker. Lanphier also had a burden for souls and immediately began to visit homes, distribute Bibles and tracts. It was a slow start and with being somewhat discouraged, he sensed that he was being directed to begin a daily time of prayer for all who felt the need to find some quiet time with God. He advertised and invited all men and women to slip into the church and focus on God and to call upon his mercy for a great spiritual awakening even if it was only for 5 minutes. That very year, there was an economic disaster that forced many people to lose their businesses. Banks closed and over 30,000 people lost their jobs in that city alone. There was also much tension over social issues as talk of a Civil War was growing stronger. Before long, the prayer meetings became so large the church could not hold the crowds, so new ones were started in other churches and public buildings around the city. According to eye witnesses, within a few months it was estimated that over 10,000 people were attending these daily gatherings and it did not stop in New York, as a great wave of excitement began sweeping across the country in places like Cleveland, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and Washington DC. A simple prayer turned into a nation-wide revival and became one of the greatest spiritual movements since the reformation. It’s estimated that in the period between 1858 and 1859, one million people were converted from a population of less than 30 million. I am grateful for the promise in II Chronicles 7:14, as many today have become distracted we are once again in need of a spiritual awakening.
‘I’m Not a Black Woman, I’m a Christian’ – Actress and Evangelical Dismisses Race
ATTENTION READERS
As we have all seen with the rise of Trump, evangelicals are serious hypocrites. That goes for everyone from Black pastors who engaged in a pointless photo-op with Trump to white evangelicals who attacked Obama but support a man with five kids by three
different women. Now another evangelical has been added to that growing list. Actress and speaker Priscilla Shirer, who is African-American, said she doesn’t identify as a Black woman, only Christian. “I don’t want ‘Black,’ my race, to be the describing adjective, the defining adjective, as a woman,” she ranted in a video that has been viewed 7 million times. “I am not a Black woman, I’m a Christian woman who happens to be Black!” She continued: “It’s going to be that I am a woman who believes in every single thing that my God has declared to be true, and I will stand firmly on the promises of His word because I will be girded in His truth.” She also added, “You may be a Black woman, a Black man, a White woman, a White man, but that should not define you. So that if your race or if your political group is going in a
different direction than the word of God, you don’t choose your blackness or your whiteness or whatever culture you are. You do not choose that, or your political persuasion, over what God’s word declares to be true.” Being colorblind and theories that color doesn’t matter? White Christians will certainly eat this up. We would venture to say she is probably a Trump supporter. See the video below. While Shirer has not explicitly said she supports the president, she has worked with many conservatives, including Dr. James Dobson, who is a diehard Trump supporter, and Congressman Mark Walker (R-NC), another fan of Trump. She also made some bizarre comments about Oprah Winfrey in 2017, saying, “Oprah cannot explain Him [away]! She can’t do it!” Whatever that means. Clearly, Priscilla is in that sunken place.
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Page Three
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3920 North 24th St. Omaha, NE 68110 402-453-7111 www.omahathomasfh.com
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PRAISE & WORSHIP DIRECTORY
THE OMAHA STAR 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
October 19, 2018
KOINONIA AND FRIENDS OF CHRIST
ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CATHOLIC CHURCH
Pastor Tony E. Sanders Jr.
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
3208 Corby Street Omaha, NE 68111 Sunday School ..................................................9:00 a.m. Sunday Worship .............................................10:30 a.m. Thursday Bible Study ......................................6:30 p.m. www.KFCChurch.org
Pastor Tony E. Sanders Jr.
&
Rev. Vitalis Anyanike
HOLY NAME CATHOLIC CHURCH
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
“Where Life is for Everyone” 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
Radio Broadcast: 101.3 fm 9:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. each Sunday Worship Service .............10:00 a.m.
www.ambassadorswc.com 402-341-1866 5417 N 103rd St. Omaha, NE 68134
Rev. Dr. Leroy E. Adams, Jr.
Sunday School .................8:45 a.m. Excluding First Sunday Tuesday Evening Service.........7:00 p.m.
Pastor Rordy Smith Pastor Ramona Smith
ST. MARK BAPTIST CHURCH Pastor Jarrod S. Parker 3616 Spaulding Street, Omaha, NE 68111 Phone: 402-451-0307 Email: smbcsecretary@stmarkbaptist.org Sunday School – Sunday 9:00 a.m. Worship Service – Sunday 10:15 a.m. Children’s Church (except 2nd Sunday) Holy Communion every 1st Sunday
MOUNT CALVARY COMMUNITY CHURCH
Our Mission: “To exalt the Savior, edify saints, evangelize sinners and elevate society.”
“Jesus is the light of the world” Rev. James P. Walker, Senior Pastor mtcalvarycommunitychurch.org 5112 Ames Avenue Omaha, NE 68104 Ph: 402-457-4216
SALEM BAPTIST CHURCH
Sunday School .................................................... 9:30 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship Experience ......... 11:00 a.m. Wednesday Food and Fellowship.................... 6:00 p.m. Wednesday (WOW) Word On Wednesday... 7:00 p.m.
Serving God and One Another in the Spirit of Excellence Rev. Dr. Selwyn Q. Bachus Senior Pastor
Rev. James P. Walker
“Come Get Your Hilltop Experience”
MT. MORIAH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH
Rev. Portia A. Cavitt, Pastor 5544 Ames Avenue, Omaha, NE 68104 Telephone: 402-451-8322 • Website: www.cmumc.net Email: clairumc@cumc.omhcoxmail.com
Dr. Ralph B. Lassiter, Pastor 2602 N. 24th St. Off: (402) 451-8800 - Fax: (402) 451-8522 mtmoriahomaha.net pastorlassiter@gmail.com Rev. Portia A. Cavitt, Pastor
Rev. Ralph Lassiter, Sr.
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.
Sunday School ...................................... 9:30 a.m. Sunday Worship ..................................10:45 a.m. Overcomers in Christ...............Sunday 7:00 p.m. Wednesday Bible-Prayer Service 11:30 a.m. & 6:30 p.m
TABERNACLE OF FAITH CHURCH Pastor Barbara Mitchell 2404 Fort Street, Omaha, NE 68111 402-455-1800 Church 402-455-3390 Fax
FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Rev. Kent H. Little, Lead Pastor Pastor Barbara Mitchell
MT. NEBO MISSIONARY 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.
Rev. Kent H. Little
“The Church Where Fellowship is Real” Pastor Terry L. Arvie 5501 N. 50th Street Ph: 402-451-4245 Fx: 402-451-2130 office@mtneboomaha.org www.mtneboomaha.org 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.
Pastor Jeffrey & Terri Booth 3025 Parker Street Omaha, NE 68111 402.905.9730 • www.fwcomaha.com Sunday at 10:00am Family Night each Wednesday at 7pm The Daily Journey each Wednesday at Noon Saturday Prayer from 7 - 8am
Rev. Kenneth A. Allen, Pastor Pastor Terry L. Arvie
Missouri Synod 2723 N. 30th Street 402-453-1583 Sunday School................................10:00 a.m. Church Service...............................11:00 a.m. YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME
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)
PLEASANT GREEN BAPTIST CHURCH “Where CHRIST is Preeminent and the Word Prevails!” Pastor Brian Page 5555 Larimore Avenue Church: 402-346-8427 www.pleasantgreenomaha.org
Thursday: Youth For Christ ............................................6:00 p.m Prayer & Bible Study ....................................7:30 p.m Sunday: Worship..............................................8:00 a.m. Sunday School..................................9:30 a.m. Worship............................................11:00 a.m.
Pastor Brian Page
Televised Broadcast Sunday @ 10pm on KPAO Cox Communication channel 22 & Century Link channel 89 Dr. Stan Rone Senior Pastor
RISING STAR MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH Pastor Darnell N. Johnson, Sr. 1823 Lothrop Street, Omaha, NE 68110 Phone: 402-451-3700 Fax: 402-451-3700 Email: Risingstarbaptchurchone@gmail.com Follow us on Facebook at RisingStarMBCONE
JOY OF LIFE MINISTRIES COGIC
Pastor Darnell N. Johnson, Sr. & Ladi J Pastor Eric Butler and Co-Pastor Cynthia Butler
Pastor Kenneth A. Allen
THE WORSHIP CENTER
Rev. James D. Wilkens
Pastors Eric and Cynthia Butler 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
2215 Grant Street Omaha, NE 68110 Ph: 402-346-1502 Fax: 402-344-2720 SUNDAY Sunday Morning Worship……………9:00 A.M. Sunday School……………………...11:15 A.M.
Wednesday: Prayer Power Hour ......................................12:00 p.m
HOPE LUTHERAN CHURCH
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
ZION BAPTIST CHURCH
FREEDOM WORSHIP CENTER OMAHA
Pastor Jeffrey & Terri Booth
3131 Lake Street Omaha, NE 68111 402-455-1000 www.salembc.org
Rev. Dr. Selwyn Q. Bachus
Services on Sundays at 8:30 am & 10:50 am
Pastor Jarrod S. Parker
Televised Broadcast – Sundays at 6:00 p.m., KPAO Cox Channel 22 & CenturyLink Channel 89
CLAIR MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Sunday School………………………8:45 a.m. Sunday Worship Experience………...10:00 a.m. Monday Bible Study…………………6:00 p.m. Wednesday Bible Study….…….…….7:00 p.m.
Pastor: Rev. Vitalis Anyanike
Prayer and Bible Doctrine Study Midday - 12:00 noon; Evening – 7:00 p.m.
BIBLE TRUTH MINISTRIES “Strengthing Families for Victorious Living” Pastor Rordy Smith Pastor Ramona Smith PO Box 1703 2402 Franklin St. Bellevue, NE 68005 402-292-9499 Web: www.BibleTruthMinistries.org Sunday School..................................9:00 a.m. Sunday Worship Service...............10:00 a.m. Wednesday Prayer & Bible Study......6:00 p.m
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
Sunday Sunday School…………….............. 9:30 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship…...........10:45 a.m. Tuesday Tuesday Night Teaching……...........6:30 p.m. Wednesday Prayer Meeting/BIBLE Study............7:00 p.m.
North 24th Street Church of God “Presenting the Never-Changing GOD to an ever-changing World!” Dr. Stan Rone - Senior Pastor 2021 N. 24th Street • Omaha, NE 68110 (402) 341-4297 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
LOCAL NEWS
October 19, 2018
THE OMAHA STAR Page Five
United Way Recognizes Domestic Violence Awareness Month Domestic violence and/or sexual assault will affect one in three women and one in seven men at some point in their lives. In recognition of October’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month, United Way of the Midlands (UWM) is raising awareness of the prevalence of domestic violence in our community. “We want people to know that domestic violence happens more often in the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro than many people assume,” said Heather Tomczak, UWM director, community impact. “Last year alone, local organizations received more than 11,000 crisis calls related to domestic violence.” As part of the effort to raise
awareness, UWM has produced a Community Spotlight video featuring Tomczak and Elizabeth Power, director of marketing and public relations at the Women’s Center for Advancement. The video will be released on the organization’s website and social media platforms. UWM will also support the effort to create awareness by sharing a series of social media posts, developing website content and sponsoring an Omaha World-Herald story about domestic violence. “Change starts with awareness,” said Tomczak. “When our community understands domestic violence and its impact on individuals, we can work together to help survivors get the
support they need.” Outside of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, UWM has developed a number of partnerships that raise awareness in order to ensure community members can better meet the needs of survivors. For example, through its involvement in Omaha’s Trauma Informed Community initiative, UWM is working together with community partners to ensure every organization or person that comes into contact with a victim of trauma will be able to recognize, understand and respond to that trauma appropriately. With the support of generous donors, UWM also invests in four local programs that provide support
A re-newed focus: you. 500
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Find a branch near you: wellsfargo.com/locator *Important things to know about this offer: Checking and Savings Bonus Eligibility: Only certain consumer checking accounts are eligible for this offer, including non-interest bearing checking accounts. Ask a personal banker for details. Teen Checking,SM Greenhouse by Wells Fargo, and the prepaid Wells Fargo EasyPay® Card are not eligible for this offer. All consumer savings accounts are eligible for this offer, excluding Time Accounts (CDs). This is an exclusive, non-transferable offer. A valid bonus offer code will be provided to each customer while meeting with a banker. You cannot be: a current owner on a Wells Fargo consumer checking or savings account, a Wells Fargo team member, or a recipient of a consumer checking or savings bonus in the past 12 months (limit one bonus per customer). Offer is only available to customers in the following states: AK, DC, ID, MN, NJ, NE, TX, WY. Bonus Qualifications: To receive a $500 bonus: 1. Open a new, eligible consumer checking account with a minimum opening deposit of $25 by November 16, 2018. Within 150 days of account opening, set up and receive at least three consecutive monthly qualifying direct deposits of at least $500 each month. During this time, your account balance must be at least $1.00 or more. A qualifying direct deposit is the customer’s salary, pension, Social Security, or other regular monthly income of an accumulated $500 or more, electronically deposited through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network to this checking account by your employer, or an outside agency. A non-qualifying direct deposit is a transfer from one account to another, or deposits made at a Wells Fargo branch or ATM. AND 2. Open a new, eligible savings account with a minimum opening deposit of $25 by November 16, 2018 and within 10 days of account opening, deposit at least $25,000 in new money into either the new checking or new savings account, and maintain at least a $25,000 cumulative account(s) balance for 90 days. New money is defined as at least $25,000 in new deposits from sources outside of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., or its affiliates. Due to the new money requirement, accounts may only be opened at your local branch. Offer subject to change and may be discontinued at any time. Offer cannot be: paid without a valid U.S. Taxpayer Identification Number (W-9); combined with any other consumer deposit offer. Minimum new money deposit requirement of at least $25,000 is for this offer only and cannot be transferred to another account to qualify for any other consumer deposit offer. If you wish to take advantage of another consumer deposit offer requiring a minimum new money deposit, you will be required to do so with another new money deposit as stated in that offer’s requirements and qualifications. Those who take advantage of this Savings bonus offer cannot also take advantage of any New Dollar promotional interest rate offer during the same promotional period. Offer cannot be reproduced, purchased, sold, transferred, or traded. Bonus Payment: We will deposit the $500 bonus into your new consumer checking account within 45 days after eligibility and qualifications have been met. Checking account must remain open in order to receive the bonus payment. You are responsible for any federal, state, or local taxes due on your bonus, and we will report as income to the tax authorities if required by applicable law. Consult your tax advisor. New account open subject to approval. 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to survivors of domestic abuse through safe shelter, counseling and legal services: Domestic Violence Services – The Shelter at the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Omaha, Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Program – The Phoenix House at the Catholic Charities Diocese of Des Moines/ Council Bluffs, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Program at Heartland Family Service and Domestic Abuse/ Sexual Assault Safety Services at the Women’s Center for Advancement. Last year, these programs provided more than 17,000 services to support survivors of domestic violence. “To anyone who is experiencing domestic violence, we want you
to know help is out there,” said Tomczak. She encouraged anyone in need of domestic violence or sexual assault services to call the Women’s Center for Advancement 24/7 hotline at 402-345-7273, the Catholic Charities 24/7 Hotline at 402-558-5700, the Heartland Family Service 24/7 Hotline at 800-523-3666 or the Catholic Charities Des Moines 24/7 Hotline at 712-328-0266. For more information about UWM’s efforts to support individuals who have experienced domestic violence, please visit http://www. unitedwaymidlands.org/oldinvestment/crisis-intervention/.
Page Six
LOCAL NEWS
THE OMAHA STAR
October 19, 2018
How does a refrigerator door become a wall of honor? With a great teacher.
Nominate an Omaha Public Schools teacher for
The Alice Buffett Outstanding Teacher Award If you know an Omaha Public Schools teacher who belongs on this list and deserves recognition, share it with us. To be eligible, a nominee must be a certified Omaha Public Schools teacher or counselor with at least two years’ experience. Anyone can submit a nomination: students, parents, school staff, former students, you (teachers cannot nominate themselves).
Tell us about the teacher you’d like to nominate and share your story about how he or she has made a difference. Please be descriptive as the information you provide will be the deciding factor in selecting the winners. Fifteen teachers will receive the public recognition they so richly deserve and a $10,000 gift.
Tell us about the teacher you want to nominate. Visit BuffettOutstandingTeachers.org by January 15, 2019. 1988 Marlene Bernstein Matilda Browne Ronald Cisar Ronald Garofolo Dorothy Hallstrom Elizabeth Hoffman Kay Keiser Mellanee Kvasnicka Jerline Leverette Eurleyne Levison Cleo Snyder Beverly Urbach John Waterman Margaret Whitmore Elaine Wiesner
1990 Barbara Davis Nancy Drawbridge Carol Hipp Paul Jensen John Keenan Patrick Kennedy Mary Alice Kubovy Barbara Lebedz Corrine Navarette Rita Ryan Roxanne Smith Carole Stendahl Pinkie Wheatfall Pamela Williams Michael Young
1993 Cherie Barg Barbara Carlson James Coulter James Eisenhardt Connie Farmer Linda Heibel Sharon Hempel Susan Koba Myrna Lierz Nancy Matsukis Roland Munro Shirley Roder Lois Rupe Dianne Sedlacek Antoinette Turnquist
Mary Kay Leatherman Susan L. Nelson Mary Palmesano Terrie Saunders Robert Shirck Lynn Sorensen Sara Wachter Linda M. Wells
1989 Ruth Bersagel Dan Daly Kent Day Lois Decker Colleen Eickelman Thomas M. Gaherty Ann Grill Patrick Holston Judith Kerkhoff Evelyn Knutson Jeanne Krelle Dorothy Meisenbach Erwin Rehder Judy Schubert Dorothy Schultz
1991 JoAnne Carlson Janis Christensen Alfred DiMauro Linda Drozda Mary Ann Fields Joan Hobart Larry Jacobsen Mary King Merlin Lempke Terence Mauro Mary Moran Janet Prey Carol Valdrighi Betty Vela Edward Waples
1994 Carla Bissell Jack Blanke Beverly Carroll Arlene Christofferson John Dennison Gregory Doty Susan Halpine Diane Hansen Kaye Hensley Sharon Kelly Eunice Levisay Juanita Merrigan-Potthoff Jerelean Mitchell Dan Whipkey James Yelnek
1992 Sally Fellows Robert Frank David Haar Norma Houchin Carol Milliner Mildred Mobley Harris Payne Rebecca Rhoads John Robertson Carol Robson Josalyn Rutledge Dolores Seeley Joanne Sokalsky Mary Lou Strauss Suzanne Wies
1995 Carol Berger Marianne Bruner Norman Edwards Harry Gaylor Kristy Gilbert Karen Gustafson Pamela Novacek Christie Miller Patricia Miltner Catherine Neneman Cathleen Pierson Lisa Rush Betty Schuler-Weingarten Sandra Slobotski Lisa Young
2001 Ann Allen Ella Blakeney Rebecca Buxter Karen Clark Linda Cramer Matthew Deabler Woody Dillman Linda Ely 1998 JoAnne Grove Judy Bednarz Julie Hansen Mary Grossman Margaret Hein Janet Helms Andrea Jensen Hopkinson Jo Ellen Leifert Jennifer Peterson Thomas Jodlowski Katherine Snyder Marvin Lodes Pamela Williams Nancy McPherson Cheryl Murray 2002 Christine Pfeifer Phyllis Christiansen Kathrin Rank Elaine Craig Peggy Seibel Victoria Deniston-Reed Vicki Smith Beverly Fellman Sherry Swanger Lisa Gatzemeyer Linda Templeton Debra Harris Keith Thiessen Cheri Helmer-Riensche Mary Holiday 1999 Johnny Johnson Jennifer Beck Mary Ellen Johnson Michelle Bluford Nancy Langenfeld Lyn Bouma Nancy Lykke Susan Carson Karen McElroy Kathleen Casey Mark Pursel Carole DeBuse Linda Trant Shari Hess
The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation BuffettOutstandingTeachers.org
1996 Karen Brooks Eileen Egan Kristen Freeman Mary Kay Gnam Faye Holmes Kenneth Kielniarz Dolores Kovarik
1997 Vickie Anderson Marilyn Browder Susan Drumm Carole Gaughan Jacqueline Johnson Ken Koop Margaret Maher Kathleen Maloney Mae McGee Tom Novak Rosemarie Prystai Patrick Ribar Rosemary Santoni Suzanne Van Dusen Brian Walker
Shawn Hoschar Karen Johns Michael Krainak Darlene Palmer Russell Parsons Karen Shramek Amy Thomas Dorothy Whitten
2000 Debra Brewer William Deardoff Nancy Emanuel Kris Halbersleben Malia Hammerstrom Gary Kastrick Kathleen Klosterman Judy Kniewel Elma Morrow Phyllis O’Brien Astra Patterson Ann Rowe Leslie Rowland Marjorie Waterman Victoria Wiles
2003 Kathleen Anderson Karen Cirulis Rita Glass Amy Hansen Kim Kromberg Hugh Lawson John Moore Judy Pelowski Lynn Petersen Gwen Powell
Steven Pulverenti Kenyon Sharp Joan Tekippe Marsha Urban Deborah Ward
Jennifer Di Ruocco Jo Ann Flaxbeard Pamela Galus Nancy Gengler Virginia Gerhardt Sandra Guzallis 2004 Susana Lara Nancy Allgood Jennifer Loges Elizabeth Barbary Anthony Clark-Kaczmarek Gail May Carla Phister Susan Cloyed Jennifer Stastny Bridget Donovan Sue Durfee 2008 Shelly Eisenman Christina Berzina Brenda Ellis Penny Coonce Kristy Fahnolz Karen Drickey Linda Ganzel Ronda Harvey-Shaheen Elsie Scharton Lindsey Holley Sharon Smith Kimberly Juranek Susan Troyer Doug Keel Ann Underriner Sarah Powers Michaela Vanacek Michaela Reilly William Scarborough 2005 Mary Steinbruck Wendy Badders Melissa Stern Nancy Burkhart Judy Storm Ann Chapman Peter Wilger Marilyn Donohoe Jeff York Larry Flairty Irma Franco Brenda Harris Janis Keim Deborah Madej Carolyn Nickerson Jeffrey Potter Sheri Stewart Sara Tingelhoff Adriana Vargas Ruth Wassom 2006 Jay Ball Mindy Bechaz Laura Callahan Judi Crick Sally Domet Nita Frost Carole Kline Nancy Marty Robert Naujokaitis Denise Niemann Susan Page Bonnie Smith Kristi Tjelle Scott Wilson Kim Wyllie 2007 Cynthia Boettner Jenna Buckley Connie Coltrane Sharon Daugherty
Past Award Winners
2009 Colleen Aagesen Cari Briscoe Kim Cooper Matthew Geerts John Gibson Amanda Gilmore Linda Hankins Myra Hudson Cheryl Hurley Kelly Karkosky Renee McMains Deborah Mosier Elizabeth Preston Charles Thomas Jennifer Thompson 2010 Cathy Andrus Robert Bacome Thelma Bell Sally Rosanne Carmichael William Cosgrove Cathy Eichorn Margo Forsythe Faith Keim Kelene Langenfeld Marcella Mahoney Chad McAndrews Luisa Palomo Sara Point Kathleen Prusha Deana Rainey
2011 Barbara Brimmerman Mary Ann Caputo Benjamin Darling Howard Faber Sherri Frisbie Shana Frodyma Jan Haun Darren Holley Lisa Jorgensen Robin Knudtson William Lovgren Angela Meyer Gregory Sand Anton Schmidt Maria Walinski-Peterson 2012 Michelle Avilla Jamie Brown Judy Brown Emily Dolphens Cindy Farrell Joe Gregory Laurie Janecek Lee Kallstrom Connie Kellen Kerri Kratina Eric Lundberg Abbey McNair Ruth Powell Anthony Schik Mark Seaberg 2013 Tanya Archie Heather Bryan Patrick Derr Rebecca Herskovitz Mary Lincoln Teri Lisko Lori Maestas Donna McGonigal Nancy Rampey-Biniamow Dara Rosenberg Diane Sorensen Cindy Thielfoldt Connie Tippery Linda Vernon Linda Wood 2014 Brad Armstrong Jay Beyer Stephanie Carlson-Pruch Jane Colling Cheryl Connors Darci Coolidge Joyce Hurless
Melissa Kandido Jennifer Kawecki Brenda Larsen Shari McWilliams Tracey Menten Angela Page Melissa Peterson Karolyn Roby 2015 Cassie Benzel Dawn Buller-Kirke Raquel Caldwell Annie Catania Cynthia Gamerl Sharon Hostler Jennifer MagnusonStessman Mary Malone James Mayberger Therese McGee Sarah Monzu Cathy Nelson Diane Stauffer Angela Tetschner Irene Urzendowski 2016 Rachael Baxa Barbara Boltinghouse Thomas Gamble Amanda Gutierrez John Huber Krystal Kolb Daniel Lopez Jennifer Miller Michael Mingo Catrina Nahayo Daniel Nowak Holly Ortega John Tripp Carolynn Virgillito David Weisser 2017 Amye Aggen Thomas Allen Amy Batten Connie Colton Patricia Freyermuth Tomie Green Kathleen Higgins
Pamela Homan Randall Howard Jodi Kelly Leandra London Pamela Schmeits Celio Silva Kimberly Talamantes Julie Trimble 2018 Rachael Arens S. Hakan Armagan Penny Eastwood Jimmie Foster Colleen Kurmel Laura Marr Jodie Martinez Debbie Oshlo Durkhany Prososki Ana Rivera Danielle Rowe Rose Rydberg Nicholas Spath John Urbanski Gregory Verraneault
LOCAL NEWS
October 19, 2018
Reports of Scam Calls Spiking
Callers May Be Trying to Capitalize on Recent Power Outages Omaha Public Power District is receiving an increased number of calls from customers regarding scam phone calls. As of noon Wednesday, they have received 60 reports of aggressive callers trying to con customers out of money. And that number is expected to climb. This con is not new. Scammers have been targeting utility customers across the country for years. They pick up several times a year, sometimes after large outage events like experienced Sunday. Callers may be trying to capitalize while customers are feeling vulnerable. Often, the scammers use “spoofing” technology so that caller identification appears to show a legitimate OPPD phone number. Callers pretend to be OPPD employees, demanding payment from customers on bills they claim are overdue. In some cases, they claim customers need to pay for equipment, such as meters. The callers try to get their targets to give up credit, debit or checking account information over the phone to make a payment, or to purchase a payment card, such as a Green Dot card, from a nearby store. With purchased cards, they instruct customers to call them back with the numbers. They threaten to disconnect service soon if customers do not pay. OPPD stresses that none of these people demanding payments or financial information work for the utility. The utility never cold calls customers demanding payment. OPPD advises customers:
• Never give personal or financial information to a stranger during an unsolicited phone call. • If such a person should appear unannounced at one’s door, claiming to work for the utility, do not allow them inside. Always ask for identification or verification. OPPD employees always carry identification. Failure to produce identification should be a tip-off to the customer that something is wrong. • Never turn off security
systems for any reason if a stranger asks. Any customer who receives such a request should call law enforcement immediately. Customers with questions about making a payment, or about their account in general, should always call OPPD directly. Within Omaha, the number is 402-536-4131. Customers in rural areas can talk with their local offices during business hours, as well. Outside of Omaha, customers should call 1-877-536-4131.
theomahastar.com Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s isn’t easy. Reaching us is.
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Salvation Army Hosts 27th Annual TurkeyFest The Omaha Salvation Army is taking reservations for its 27th annual TurkeyFest on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22. The city-wide feeding effort provides complimentary Thanksgiving dinners to older adults. Recipients will enjoy a warm Thanksgiving meal composed of turkey, potatoes, stuffing, gravy, green beans, cranberry sauce, dinner roll, fruit, and cookies delivered by community volunteers. TurkeyFest registration is Nov. 1-16. Recipients must be 55 years and older. To register phone 402-898-6023 M-F, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. The Salvation Army has approximately 1,200 dinners available for those who qualify. Reservations must be made by Nov. 16 at 12 p.m. Reservations can be made by phoning 402-8986023. Volunteers are needed to deliver TurkeyFest dinners on Nov. 22 and also for Christmas Sign up, Nov. 1-3. Please contact Kay at 402-898-6000.
Enjoy The Omaha Star Newspaper Digitally Now your top news stories and favorite columns are available online and on your mobile devices. After purchasing your subscription on our website: www.theomahastar.com follow the link below to enjoy all that The Omaha Star Newspaper has to offer. https://issuu.com/omahastar Get The Omaha Star on your mobile devices: Available for iOS and Android Devices
If you care for someone with Alzheimer’s disease, memory loss or dementia, you are not alone. We’re here day or night — whenever you need us — offering reliable information and support. Free 24/7 Helpline: 800.272.3900 Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregiver Center: alz.org/care
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COMMENTARY October 19, 2018 Public Service Loan Forgiveness Votes• All Expenses Matter Program Fails to Forgive paid (cost of approximately
THE OMAHA STAR
Black
By Preston Love Jr. UNO Adjunct Professor Prestonlovejr.com Black Lives, Black Poverty and Black Votes Matter
The Black Votes Matter Tour Banquet In July 2017, we had a vision that was rooted in my experience, research, and observation of our youth. The challenge is that our youth, as wonderful as they may be, and with all their innate potential, by and large, have little or no knowledge of their Black and civil rights history. Thus, our vision. As many know, the vision was to provide as many youths as possible with knowledge, face to face experience and inspiration, as it relates to that history and the development of future leaders. Our strategy was, and is, a significantly transformative experience by touring many of the iconic Black history sites and locations. Thus, the 2018 “Walking in Black History Tour”: • 40 high school kids from OPS, along with 10 chaperones and staff • Memphis, Birmingham, Tuskegee, Selma, Edmond Pettus Bridge, Montgomery and Atlanta • All Expenses paid (cost of approximately $45,000.00) • Many highlights including: 1. The filming footage for a full-length documentary 2. A comprehensive and complete report of the student’s evaluations and feedback from the tour 3. Required student journaling 4. Planned activities to build team skills 5. Essay contest • Plan, going forward an annual tour Thus the 2019 “Face to Face with Black History Tour” • 40 high school kids from OPS, along with 10 chaperones and staff • Memphis, Birmingham, Tuskegee, Selma, Edmond Pettus Bridge, Montgomery and Atlanta
$40,000.00) • Many Tour enhancements including: 1. A collaborative with Bellevue University to develop a two-pronged module directed towards tracking and providing educational modules all directed towards tracking and improving the student outcomes 2. To increase the outreach to other north Omaha social and youth groups 3. To host an Annual Banquet to complete one year and launch the next years’ tour Thus the 2018 “Face to Face with Black History Tour” annual banquet. • Held Oct. 12, 7 p.m., at Scott Conference Center • Theme – “Black History: Learn-it, Respect-it, Make-it” • Banquet highlights included 1. Recognition of the 2018 student tour participants 2. Full house of approx. 200 3. MC, KETV anchor Chihn Doan 4. Special Guests: Johnny Rodgers and his Heisman Trophy, 101.3fm Morning show host Michael Scott 5. Presentations/performances from a select group of 2018 student participants 6. The awarding of the winners of the Tour Participant Essay Contest “When I get financially stable, I want to give back to my community and educate the youth. Like my grandpa always says, “They fear an educated black man.,” and with that being said, you can be stripped away from everything but one thing that no one can take from you is knowledge. With knowledge there is power, and I’ve learned that power doesn’t always mean authority. Dr. Cheryl Logan, OPS Superintendent, has taught me, with power you can influence.” – From the winning essay from 2018 Tour North High student Justus Jeanpierre 7. Recognition of key tour supporters 8. Awesome Premier Tour documentary: Director Lend Frison and Producer Joe Frost 9. Featured speaker, Dr. Edmond Wheeler, President ITC, Atlanta, GA Watch for more information about the 2019 Tour. Next Omaha Star Issue: The New Face of North Omaha, 2018: Our Asian/Karen Neighbors Part II.
By Charlene Crowell Across the nation and multiple generations, student loan debt now surpasses $1.5 trillion. The anxiety shared by borrowers from all walks of life seeking ways to lift this unsustainable consumer debt affects multiple life dimensions. In some cases, these burdensome debts threaten the future of America’s middle class. Two recent developments hold potential for struggling consumers. On Sept. 28, the independent and nonpartisan General Accounting Office (GAO) released findings on the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Eligible student loan borrowers who have dedicated their careers to public service and met other requirements, such as 10 years of qualifying payments, can have their loan balances forgiven. The first step towards forgiveness requires that interested borrowers are initially screened to certify their employment and loans meet threshold criteria. Once certified, borrowers submit a loan forgiveness application for a final check before forgiveness is approved. Although PSLF legislation was enacted in 2007, September 2017 was the first time that borrowers became eligible for the application for forgiveness. And according to the GAO findings, forgiveness approvals are minute compared to those who qualify. As of June 2018, more than 1.2 million student loan borrowers requested to be certified, with 890,000 ultimately certified eligible. 28,000 applied for loan forgiveness, thinking that they had met the 10-year payment and employment requirements. Shockingly, of these, only 96, less than one-half of one percent, received forgiveness. According to the GAO report, “Education has used various outreach methods to inform borrowers about PSLF, but the large number of denied borrowers suggests that many are still confused by the program requirements.” In response, the Department of Education has now agreed to all GAO recommendations. These include: comprehensive guidance for borrowers and servicers alike; more information about qualifying employers; standardized payment information; and enough detailed information to help identify payment counting errors. In a related but separate action on Oct. 3, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) filed a federal class-action lawsuit alleging that the nation’s largest student loan servicer, Navient, misled borrowers, preventing some of those in public service professions from accessing PSLF, just to boost its own profits. The action was brought by
nine AFT members from four states: California, Florida, Maryland, and New York. In part the complaint states, “The PSLF program is life-or-death critical to America’s public servants who otherwise would never be able to overcome their student debt burden. Navient has not been living up to its obligation to help vulnerable borrowers get on the best possible repayment plan and qualify for PSLF. Instead, Navient has harmed and continues to harm millions of hard-working public servants by routinely providing false information to these borrowers preventing them from qualifying for the PSLF program.” By deceiving borrowers with false information, misrepresentations, and fraudulent conduct, the complaint also cites several other concerns: • Navient is responsible for servicing over $205.9 billion in federal student loans, owed by approximately 6.1 million accounts; • Since 1983, the cost of higher education has risen more than 700 percent – five times greater than inflation, and even faster than healthcare costs; and • From 1996 to 2015, teacher pay fell by $30 per week while pay for other college graduates increased by $124, according to the Economic Policy Institute “No one goes into public service to strike it rich; they do it out of a deep commitment to students, patients and the public good,” said Randi Weingarten, AFT President. “But we cannot attract the best and brightest to these careers if promises of debt relief are deliberately broken.” For much of Black America, still-soaring student debt brings yet another financial hurdle to overcome – in addition to other disproportionate and historic struggles to obtain the full benefits of being a citizen and consumer. According to Jason N. Houle of Dartmouth College, and Fenaba R. Addo with the University of Wisconsin at Madison, disproportionate Black student debt makes for an even more fragile Black Middle Class. “We theorize that racial disparities in student loan debt accumulation and repayment are a function of racialized economic hardship and discrimination across the life course,” wrote the two scholars in a new report for the Russell Sage Foundation. “Some have argued that the student loan market is not unlike the mortgage market, where Blacks lack access to fair credit and are disproportionately steered toward high-interest loans that are difficult to repay.” The esteemed scholars may be right. But in neighborhoods across the country Black people do not need to theorize. We live that agony every day and nearly every year. Perhaps it is time to shift from research and data points to activist engagement. To put it another way, what are we prepared to do about it?
Mentoring Matters: A Mentoring Success Story (Article written by Claire Smith for the fall 2018 issue of Taps & Jets and reprinted with permission from Metropolitan Utilities District.) By Debra L. Shaw Opportunity,
flexibility and positivity, three reasons the summer work program fits perfectly for Glennesha Walker. Many
students in the summer work program have parents or other family members who work for M.U.D.; however, for Glennasha, that’s not the case. Her story begins with another program District employees participate in, Partnership 4 Kids, (P4K). This program works with underserved students, helps them set goals and places them with a mentor to work with throughout their academic years. With support from her parents, Glennasha began participating in the P4K in middle school. “We did a lot of after school programs, college prep and homework help in middle school,” she said. “In 10th grade, they did more helping with resumes and career prep.” Glennasha originally went to Mild University for secondary education but transferred to Metropolitan Community
College (MCC) for social work and human services when she realized she enjoyed a oneon-one, personal approach to working with people. She continued to work with her P4K coordinator during the transition when she came across the opportunity for summer employment at the District. “I needed something flexible that pays well, and I can do school with,” said Glennasha. “Somehow my P4K coordinator put the connections together and called me. Then I came here.” During the summer, Glennasha and other summer employees in Engineering would take water leak reports, scan them and add them to the Geographic Information System (GIS) map along with each leak’s specific attributes. “It’s not really my field, but the people here are great,” said Glennasha. “I LOVE WORKING HERE. It’s
a great vibe and it’s so positive.” While working weekdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., she stayed busy going to classes Monday through Thursday from 5:3010 p.m. Although the days were long, Glennasha kept a positive attitude according to her supervisor, Denise Dolezal, Engineering Design. “Glennasha is a great addition to our GIS Team,” said Denise. “She is a diligent worker, very productive, and always asks for help when needed.” Glennasha plans to transfer directly into the Social Work program at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) after completing her classes at MCC. “After I get my degree, my whole objective is to be part of after school programs or something that works with middle school through high school students,” she said. ‘When you go through a lot and you grow up a certain
way, you want to reach out to other people and middle school is the best place to reach them.” P4K has been a major part of Glennasha’s life and giving back to that program or others like Upward Bound, Girl Scouts or Teen Chat as a mentor is something she would like to pursue in the future. “I’d even love to be a recruiter for these types of organizations. When you have some influences around you, you start to see the greater things in life,” said Glenesha. Glennasha’s journey to and through the summer work program did not happen how most students experience it, but the opportunity to work at the District and be a continuing member of P4K has impacted her personally and professionally and she continues to keep an optimistic view of her future. Mentoring Matters!
White Privilege and Sexism Merge at the U.S. Supreme Court By Austin R. Cooper NNPA Newswire Contributor As I sat in my hotel room in West Africa watching Justice Brett Kavanaugh confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court, I was reminded of what several Africans have said to me since the election of President Donald Trump: “So my American friend, how does it feel to live under a dictator? Welcome to the African way.” On the afternoon of Sept. 27, I posted on Facebook: “Dr. Christine Blasey Ford is not only poised, but also credible. Without a doubt, she is being truthful. The Brett Kavanaugh nomination is dead.” Clearly, I was wrong. Later I wrote, “Sen. Lindsey Graham’s conscience died last month.” Referencing the passing of Sen. John McCain, I was right. The following morning, I said, “The president, prior to shaming him into not running for re-election, often referred to Sen. Jeff Flake as flaky.” The president and I remain in agreement on that assessment. Senator Flake’s request to delay a committee vote in order to give the FBI one additional week to explore other allegations of sexual misconduct, was nothing but a fleeting display of political courage. If it was ever genuine to begin with. Numerous individuals who wanted to share their stories with the FBI were ignored. The investigation was a sham at the implicit direction of the White House. A former boss used to remark, “When I come back in another life, I want to be a White man. It’s just too difficult being Black in America.” I always laughed at his comment, despite the deep realization that it is a true statement.
I also find truthful humor in the comedian Chris Rock’s routine as he reflects on White complaints of reverse discrimination: “Oh, we’re losing everything we worked for. We’re losing … White people ain’t losing shit. If you all are losing, who’s winning? It ain’t us. Shit, there ain’t a White man in this room who would trade places with me. And I’m rich.” White male privilege allowed Justice Kavanaugh to comfortably display a complete lack of judicial temperament, respect and regard for members of the very government body that would decide his fate, without repercussion. It allowed him to yell at senators in the minority, while those in the majority sat silently. Serena Williams was held to a higher standard and suffered more consequences for her outbursts at the last US Open than was Justice Kavanaugh. It allowed the Senate majority to cower behind prosecutor Rachel Mitchell as she posed questions on their behalf to Dr. Ford – lest they lose their cool and show themselves for who they really are on national television – then publicly sideline her and return to their comfort zone with a soothing questioning of Justice Kavanaugh. An insensitive president, who himself has been accused of offensive behavior to women, was suddenly empowered to ridicule and attack Dr. Ford to the delight of many, some of whom in their ignorant splendor, shouted “Lock her up!” It offered Senator Mitch McConnell and Senator Chuck Grassley the opportunity to deny Judge Merrick Garland even the basic courtesy of member meetings and a committee vote. Such privilege offered Justice Kavanaugh protection to lie under oath and deny ever drinking obsessively in college, despite the contrary observations of several former buddies who drank with him. It grants political cover under oath,
you express an intent to extract political retribution to those whom you feel have wronged you – “what goes around comes around” – once on the Court. Remarkably, it can even transfer power to White women and permit, for example, Sen. Susan Collins and others to argue that Dr. Ford was assaulted, just not by the person she identified with “one hundred percent” certainty as her assailant. We all have behavior in our past which would be embarrassing if it ever came under media scrutiny. However, we also each have an obligation and responsibility to acknowledge and own our past. Both the good and bad. To those who doubt the truthfulness of Dr. Ford’s testimony, I ask: How would you have voted had the accuser been a loved one of yours? Your mother, wife, daughter or sister? Would you be comfortable with the scope of the FBI investigation? Would you laugh as the president mocked her? There is nothing that Justice Kavanaugh could have said to convince me to support his nomination. After all, he was nominated by a president who does not represent my interests and will be as useless to me as Justice Clarence Thomas. As Chairman Grassley sped Justice Kavanaugh’s nomination to a vote, he declared the Senate was approaching “rock bottom” and needed to right itself. He was correct. Voters in general, and women in particular, can begin righting this ship by voting in November. Certainly, after this newest addition to the Supreme Court, everyone should realize that elections matter. Austin R. Cooper Jr. is the President of Cooper Strategic Affairs Inc.
LIFE & STYLE/HEALTH & WELLNESS
October 19, 2018
Making Campus a Home Away from Home: A College Student’s Guide to Getting over Homesickness By Asia Rollins schedule the next day. My schedule consisted of solely eating, sleeping, doing homework, and showering for about five weeks. With a schedule like that, it is no surprise that I was not liking college. Luckily, things got better. I went to a club fair and signed up for a few organizations on campus. I started talking to people in my classes to see what events were taking place on campus. By mid-October, my college experience got much better. I was actually doing things on campus and interacting with people outside of the classroom. Involvement on campus does not have to stop with clubs and organizations. Attend social events on campus such as free movie nights, day parties on Fridays, or open mic nights. Often times, schools are looking for tutors. Become a tutor, and earn some extra money. Also, sporting events are a huge part of the college experience. Go to your school’s football and basketball games. Even if your team never wins; the experience will be worth it. The next step is to create a routine. While at home, you had a routine that you loved and were familiar with. In college, it is also important to create a routine. For example, every morning before class, stretch, go to the cafe, and write your daily plans in a planner. Creating little routines throughout the day creates familiarity and keeps you busy. The busier your days are, the less time you will have to think about going home. After getting involved and creating routines you should decide how often to call home. If calling your mom makes you feel better, then call her frequently. If hearing your family on the phone makes you sad, then try to limit the number of calls home. Personally, on a normal day, I call my mom once. When I am busy I might not call my mom for a day or two. On busy days we might text, but there are no phone calls. Calling home often makes me sad. My next piece of advice is to
not visit home often. The goal of getting over homesickness is to get comfortable on your college campus. Many students go home over the weekend. During the weekend, many exciting events take place on college campuses. Resist the urge to go home because you run the risk of missing fun campus events. It is not possible to familiarize yourself with a place if you are not there often. Doing laundry is convenient when you live an hour away, but you will also miss home even more once you have to leave for class on Monday. After familiarizing yourself with the campus, it’s also important to familiarize yourself with the city you’re living in. Get off campus every once in a while and explore the city. Go to a new restaurant or find free, fun events to attend. Also, go to a local coffee shop to do your homework instead of the school library. You might even meet some locals who can tell you about more events taking place in the city. Feeling homesick is normal and it happens to all college students. Talking about your feelings to friends or people in your classes will make things better. Often times, these people will be experiencing the same feelings as you. Sharing feelings will allow you to bond with these people and not feel so alone. Homesickness is something that comes and goes. As humans, we long for the familiar and a sense of community. Luckily, there are ways to overcome this feeling. The tips listed above help me when I find myself missing home. Part of making campus feel like a home is knowing yourself. It is important that you know your limits. Learn about the things that make you sad, and the things that make you happy. Make time for things that bring you joy and avoid things that make you sad. With that said, hang in there; feeling homesick is a temporary feeling that does not have to control you.
of sleep, which affects their mood, ability to focus, and behavior at school. Barakat says this can easily be confused with ADHD. Other impacts on children who are mouth breathers include: • Snoring • Teeth Grinding • Nightmares • Bedwetting • School Issues (due to lack of sleep and possible low oxygen to the brain, they may appear lazy, have troubling focusing, etc.) “Every diagnosed case of ADHD can’t be eradicated with solving mouth breathing issues,” Dr. Barakat says. “But the parents of children who are mouth breathers and have been diagnosed with ADHD should get a second opinion from a dentist or orthodontist before accepting the ADHD label that means their children will take powerful drugs such as Ritalin or Adderall for the rest of their lives.” Dr. Ami Barakat, author of Perfecting Smiles, Changing Lives, is a general dentist who has trained extensively in orthodontics. He has received several prestigious awards in recognition of his talent, achievements and passion for dentistry. He graduated from the University of Toronto Faculty of Dentistry with honors and served a one year residency at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal.
BOO Fest 2018 Fall Festival Aims to Shield Community from Disease In a season where fictional horror films take center stage, a threat to the health of our community residents lurks about in reality. Preventable diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease are claiming more lives than Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger or Michael Myers ever could. How do we rid our community of these horror villains? We block them out. North Omaha Area Health Free Clinic (NOAH) will host the Blocking Out Obstacles (BOO) Fest 2018 on Oct. 27 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The BOO Fest is a fall festival of health that will feature health screenings, community resources, and free food. The NOAH Free Clinic, at 5620 Ames, continues to create unique ways to bring the community together in the name of reducing health disparities. Visit this year’s BOO Fest for special features like, face painting, a costume contest, raffle, and an overall healing community atmosphere. “Blocking Out Obstacles is a community festival of health awareness, for young and old,” NOAH staff member Nyaboum Olieny stated. As NOAH mascot Prevention Man always says, “There’s power in prevention.” Don’t let anything prevent you from enjoying this community health program.
PHILADELPHIA – As the nation prepares for the 400th anniversary in 2019 of the first documented arrival of slaves in Virginia, a Philadelphia travel agency has organized an historic trip, retracing the steps of history in Ghana, the birthplace of so many Americans of African descent. Lloyd Murray, founder and president of Palace Travel, says this once-in-alifetime trip is above and beyond the typical trips he plans for those who visit Africa. The “Historic Return of the African Diaspora” tour will take place Aug. 5-14. It is billed as an opportunity to draw the world’s attention to this symbolic moment of the long history of African enslavement. “We have been taking travelers to Africa for nearly 30 years,” Murray said. “This trip is going to be very special. Look, it’s not every day that a 400-year anniversary comes around! This is a trip where you will get a chance to know more about your ancestry – where you came from and the importance of Ghana’s rich culture and history.” What makes this trip unique is that it will take travelers along the slave route from capture to storage at Cape Coast Slave dungeon now referred to as Slave Castles. Also included will be atonement ceremonies. There will be wreath-laying and tributes to Pan African pioneers, including Dr. W.E.B. Dubois, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, and Marcus Mosiah Garvey. Diaspora participants will meet with chiefs and elders and will be addressed by the president of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo. Noted historians and local experts will take visitors on tours of W.E.B. DuBois’ former home and cultural visits to the Ashanti Kingdom where the groups will be specially welcomed by the Ashanti King. One of the more emotional legs of the trip will take travelers to Cape Coast Castle, known for the infamous “The Door of No Return” through which millions passed on the way to slavery. This is where travelers will be guest of the Paramount Chief of Elmina, Nana Kojo Conduah IV. The day will be capped off with the traditional Fihankra Ceremony –where Returnees will participate in a traditional Naming Ceremony and receive their certificates of authentication. “So many people nowadays are doing their ancestry research,” said Murray whose agency has organized trips to Africa for corporations, churches and educational institutions. “What we’re hoping to accomplish with this trip is to help connect some of the dots of their past to help people realize the roots of our history over 400 years.” For more information about the trip, go to PalaceTravel.com (https://www. palacetravel.com/african-tours/return-african-diaspora-ghana/). Travel agents interested in receiving a commission for booking passengers on this trip, should contact the agency at ancestry@palacetravel.com.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Expecting Their First Child By Sheryl Estrada
Kensington Palace has announced that Prince Harry and U.S. actress Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are expecting their first child in the spring of 2019. British media said Markle, 37, was believed to be about 12 weeks pregnant. The baby will be seventh-in-line to the British throne. The announcement comes five months after the royal wedding, which included a nod to African-American culture.
Health and Spirituality The Day of Death
How A Child’s Breathing Problem Can Be Misdiagnosed As ADHD They are two conditions that might seem to have nothing in common: mouth breathing and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Yet children who breathe through their mouths because of a dental issue may be easily misdiagnosed with ADHD, resulting in a lifetime of being given powerful drugs unnecessarily. “Mouth breathing is often caused by an obstruction in the nasal airway,” says Dr. Ami Barakat, author of Perfecting Smiles, Changing Lives (www. villanovadental.com). “More than half of the people diagnosed with ADHD are mouth breathers. That is too significant a statistic to be a coincidence.” In the United States, anxiety disorders such as ADHD are the most common mental illness, affecting 40 million adults, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Meanwhile, ADHD is the most prevalent psychiatric disorder in children in Canada, according to the Centre for ADHD Awareness, Canada. Conservative estimates suggest that 5 percent of Canadian children are affected, and the number of diagnoses has risen dramatically over the decades along with the number of children being medicated. Mouth breathing can result in a lack of oxygen saturation in the brain, Barakat says. Mouth breathers are more likely to have cerebral hypoxia or a reduced supply of oxygen to the brain. Mouth breathing children get a low quality
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Travel Agency to Mark 400th Anniversary of Slaves Arriving in US
Thoughts of a College Girl
The school year is in full swing and syllabus week is long gone. Midterms are right around the corner. At this point in the semester, it is not unusual to be slightly overwhelmed with projects, papers, and meetings. The money that your parents sent you for Labor Day weekend is gone. To make matters worse, the cafe food seems to taste the same. Every week the same food is severed. Oh, and you and your roommate can’t seem to agree on an air conditioning temperature. You are over everything and ready to go back home. You miss having your own room, privacy, and free time without homework. Can you relate to any of the things just mentioned? Homesickness is a feeling that I know all too well. However, don’t stress about missing home because my guide to getting over homesickness will make campus feel like a home away from home in no time. Getting involved on campus is the first step to getting over feeling homesick. Campus involvement creates a sense of community. Participating in activities allows you to build lifelong friendships, explore new and old interests, and create amazing memories. Most colleges and universities have a club fair during the beginning of the school year. Take advantage of the event, and sign up for at least three clubs or organizations that interest you. The clubs don’t have to be related to your major. Clubs dealing with baking, dance, and poetry will do. While at club fairs, do not sign up for the same clubs as your friends. Sign up for at least one club that none of your friends are in. Doing things alone will allow you to meet new people, which is extremely beneficial when trying to get over homesickness. During the first semester of freshman year in college, I was not very involved on campus. I would go to class, spend hours in my friend’s dorm, do homework, go to the cafe for dinner, and then repeat the same
THE OMAHA STAR
By Mark Darby, RN APRN, FNP-C Director of North Omaha Academy of Healthy Living My favorite holiday season is coming up. I mean that time around Halloween where we honor the dead during All Saint’s Day as well as the Day of the Dead celebrated in Mexico. It is a time to ask, “How do you want to be remembered?” Reflecting on our own death can be quite healing. It reminds us that we are not immortal and have a limited time on earth. Such reflection can make us less willing to waste time. When I die, I don’t think that I will say I wish I had spent more time yelling at bad drivers on Ames Avenue. I do that a lot. Let me think about that as I write the rest of the column. Death is something we fear but which we all most go through. So how do you want to be remembered? When I think of the people in my life who died I don’t
remember the great deeds they did or the prizes they won or their credit score. I remember the every day things. I remember laughter. My mom’s giggle and my father’s grunt. Aris’ belly laugh. Mary’s smile. I remember patient listening. Tom who sat with me one night and told me what I was thinking was wrong. My grandfather listening to my hopes and dreams when I was very young. I remember being taught. Mr Miller showing me how to build a fire with one match. Terry showing what was wrong with my deck and how to fix it. I remember what it felt like when someone who always showed up was gone. Jackie who still has a room named for here in the clinic. I guess this kind of reflection is good as far as it goes but I think we must ask another question. How am I doing so far? Sometimes I laugh at others more than I laugh with others.
Sometimes I listen only until it is my turn to say what I think is important. I lecture more than I teach, and I don’t learn enough. I show up but sometimes I want all the credit. So, I have some work to do. I guess it is better to know it now when I am still alive rather then when I am in the ground and they are saying words over me. I invite you to ask the same two questions. How do I want to be remembered? And how am I doing in that regard? If you are like most of us, you have pluses and minuses, but you will have time. Time that should not be wasted. That is the real message here. That the time we have is precious and should be lived to its fullest. I would love to say the only exceptions are the lousy drivers on Ames Avenue. Then again, I should stop wasting time.
Something to Talk About The Last Moment By Ashley Marie Dantzler We as human beings should regard life’s shortcomings not as regrets, but as lessons. If we do this we accomplish two things; a peaceful existence, and a life that leaves an imprint. Living in the moment can be difficult, but in times like these, it is the precious moments that we spend with friends and family that really matter. Concentrating on what will happen in two years, eight months, ninety days, and one hour is exhausting. And yet, we all seem to find time to plan and very little time to live out those plans. Plans dissolve, worries ignite, and soon our sleep is interrupted with the problems of the world. I must tell you that neither the White House, nor the house two blocks down, will ever contemplate your future. Sadly, these are the times we live in; when the almighty dollar is more powerful than man’s faith in the Almighty God. So worried about
making a buck that the world isn’t concentrating on the hate, or the injustice, or even the peace that we all could have. I write today not to bring you down, but to lift you up. The White House and the house two blocks down are only as powerful as you believe they are. Whether you struggle with physical or mental setbacks, your life is important. Regardless of who did what in the news today or will do in the streets tonight, you have always had a choice; a choice to live like this is your last moment. Give back to your community in a way that will help all succeed. Give your time and not just your money. Though monetary donations always help, we are not always able to give as we would like. Worldwide natural disasters, and even tragedies in our own neighborhoods, can cause us to become shaken and leery of the world. However, we need each other to survive. And whether you believe it or not, you are only here, still here, because you have not fulfilled your purpose. Maybe you were destined to lead a country, or
maybe you are here to raise the next leader of the free world. You limit yourself if you do not try to do the best you can every day and share your God given talents with the world. You may say, “I am disabled” or “I have little to give.” Those both are understandable, but they are not good excuses on why you cannot live out your purpose. If this were your last moment here on this earth, what would the world say about your legacy after this moment passes? Would they applaud your efforts or find little to comfort those you have left behind. Let us all strive to leave a legacy full of strength, human decency, and hope. Leaving this world an imprint to cherish and not a blemish to cover up. Giving back to those less fortunate is the mission of several prestigious organizations in our community and in our world. Please find yourself giving in these trying times. Giving always comes full circle. For a list of volunteer opportunities, contact United Way of the Midlands at 402-342-8232.
EVENTS/YOUTH NEWS/NATIONAL October 19, 2018 Coming-of-Age Musical, ‘The Bubbly MCC Sage Student Bistro Reopens After Summer Renovation Black Girl,’ Explores Black Identity Metropolitan Community College’s Sage as the food and service.
Page Ten
THE OMAHA STAR
By Patrick Mainelli “I’m through accommodating, and ooh, it’s liberating to be the way I am!” sings Viveca Stanton, the vivacious lead character in Kirsten Childs’ coming-of-age musical, The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin. This October, The Union for Contemporary Art brings the production to North 24th Street for an 11-night run. The show is the first musical production from The Union’s Performing Arts program which seeks to present authentic theatre narratives, reflecting diverse experiences of the African diaspora. The Bubbly Black Girl unfolds over four decades, following Viveca Stanton from her youth in the 1960s to adulthood. Along the way, Viveca’s bubbly spirit and sense of self are tested by forces both personal and political. Denise Chapman, Associate Director of The Union’s Performing Arts program and Director of The Bubbly Black Girl, says that she was drawn to the play’s narrative of empowerment. “The journey that Viveca takes through understanding and accepting her racial identity, while occupying primarily White spaces is one that I think many Black Midwesterners can identify with. It is a story of self-acceptance, self-love, and hope, which is what I think is needed for all people during this time in history.” The driving creative force behind the musical is a talented group of thespians, working under the name, The Performing Arts Collective. The ensemble of largely North-Omaha-based actors came together naturally during The Union’s first theatre productions in early 2017. Chapman describes the ensemble as “a group of dedicated theatre practitioners, working to further their artistic growth and development here at The Union.” Bubbly Black Girl choreographer, LaTryce Anderson, is just one of many dedicated practitioners contributing to the show. In all, Anderson choreographed 13 individual dances for the production, drawing from her experience in ballroom, hip hop, African dance, and contemporary styles to reflect the play’s broad timeframe. “I believe wholeheartedly that every single person can dance,” Anderson explains. “For me it’s about spirit and how you feel more than being technical. It’s mental. If an actor’s not secure with how their body is moving, I don’t mind taking the time to build them up to be free.” While a majority of The Bubbly Black Girl’s performers are veterans of The Union stage, lead actress, Nadia Ra’Shaun Williams, is making her North Omaha theatre debut in the role of Viveca Stanton. Williams is currently enrolled in the prestigious Musical Theatre Program at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois and has returned to Omaha for a The Union’s Performing Arts program year off between coursework. brings thought-provoking narratives of “This is an incredibly fun roll to play,” Williams the African diaspora to North Omaha. says, “I feel like I have this close connection with Viveca. There is such a lack of representation for Black actors in the Omaha theatre community. Going through Viveca’s journey in the show feels really real to me.” The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin runs Thursdays - Sundays through Oct. 28. Showtimes are 7 p.m. with a 4 p.m. matinee on Sundays. Tickets can be purchased online at www.u-ca.org/performingarts or at The Union box office (2423 The Bubbly Black Girl features 13 original dance numbers N. 24th St.) choreographed for The Union stage by LaTryce Anderson.
‘College Possible’ Serving More Than 1,500 Students
College Possible, an organization that is making college admission and success possible for Omaha students from low-income backgrounds, is proud to announce that they will be serving over 1,500 college students at 71 institutions nationwide for the 2018-2019 school year. College Possible partners locally with University of Nebraska Omaha, College of Saint Mary and Nebraska Wesleyan University to make the dreams of a fouryear degree a reality for the students they serve. Over 500 students will be served on University of Nebraska Omaha’s campus this school year.
Nebraska Wesleyan University recently launched a need-based full tuition scholarship program for College Possible students from low-income backgrounds and will be serving 17 College Possible students on campus this year with numbers expected to grow in the future. College of Saint Mary currently serves 25 College Possible students and this new partnership seeks to further CSM’s mission to empower motivated women of all economic means. Over one hundred students College continued on page 12
Student Bistro is showing off its new look after undergoing renovations this summer. The remodel of the front of the house strengthens the teaching and learning environment while extending physical capacity for students and guests. The redesign improves curriculum with improvements in private dining, bar and beverage, point-of-sale, dining room service and more. The renovations also allow for more students to partake in CHRM 2980 Student Manager, a course that utilizes the bistro. The Sage Student Bistro is located inside the Institute for the Culinary Arts on the College’s Fort Omaha Campus, 32nd Street and Sorensen Parkway. The bistro operates as a customerfocused classroom providing MCC culinary and hospitality students an opportunity to refine their culinary, bakery, service and supervisory skills in a setting where the element of time is as important
NNPA Leaders React to ‘Historic’ Verdict in Laquan McDonald Case By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia Contradictory, overly rehearsed and simply not believable – those were just a few adjectives jurors in the Laquan McDonald murder trial used after finding former Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke guilty of seconddegree murder. Van Dyke shot McDonald 16 times in Oct. 2014 and, although McDonald, 17, was carrying a knife, videotaped evidence showed he was veering away from Van Dyke and other officers and he posed no threat. In fact, jurors noted the videotape that showed several officers at the scene with none of them firing a single shot. Van Dyke arrived and immediately opened fire, killing the teenager. One White woman juror told the New York Times that it appeared that during testimony, Van Dyke “seemed kind of like he was finally giving the play after they had been rehearsing him for weeks.” It’s that description – that “play” from what has been a tried and true playbook – that has allowed law enforcement officers to repeatedly dodge prosecution or guilty verdicts in the shootings of African Americans. This time, advocates and court watchers noted that jurors didn’t buy it. Their historic verdict not only has resonated throughout the nation, but also with the leaders of the National Newspaper Publishers Association – the Black Press of America, which includes 220 African-American owned newspapers and media companies in the United States. “Black citizens of Chicago are stunned that finally a Chicago policeman has been convicted of murder and they are having peaceful demonstrations,” said NNPA National Chairman Dorothy Leavell, who publishes
BE A VOTER. SAVE NEBRASKA
VOTE FOR DEMOCRATS Use this slate card so you know who the Democrats are on your ballot. Election Day is Nov. 6. Early voting starts Oct. 9 at the Douglas County Election office. CONGRESS & STATEWIDE • Jane Raybould Senate
• Kara Eastman House of Representatives
• Bob Krist Governor
• Lynne Walz Lieutenant Governor
• Spencer Danner Secretary of State
• Jane Skinner Auditor of Public Accounts
DISTRICT • Mike Forsythe Public Service Commission
• Shannon Coryell Legislature, District 4
• Machaela Cavanaugh Legislature, District 6
• Mina Davis Legislature, District 8
• Megan Hunt Legislature, District 8
• Wendy DeBoer Legislature, District 10
• Steve Lathrop Legislature, District 12
• Scott Winkler Legislature, District 18
• Jackie Collett Legislature, District 20
• Deborah Neary Nebraska State Board of Education
• Larry Bradley University of Nebraska Board of Regents, District 4
• Elizabeth O’Connor University of Nebraska Board of Regents, District 4
• Barbara Weitz University of Nebraska Board of Regents, District 8
• Amanda Bogner Omaha Public Power District
• Tom Barrett Omaha Public Power District
• Eric Williams Omaha Public Power District
• Sean Fennessy Educational Service Unit 3
• Brett Kuhn Educational Service Unit 3
• Tonya Ward Douglas-Sarpy Learning Community Coordinating
• Melinda Kozel Douglas-Sarpy Learning Community Coordinating
• Anayeli Martinez Real Douglas-Sarpy Learning Community Coordinating
• Erik Servellon Douglas-Sarpy Learning Community Coordinating
• Bradley Ekwerekwu Douglas-Sarpy Learning Community Coordinating
• Mark Hoeger Douglas-Sarpy Learning Community Coordinating
• Brian Thommes Douglas-Sarpy Learning Community Coordinating
• Angela Monegain Metropolitan Community College Board of Governors
• Ron Hug Metropolitan Community College Board of Governors
• Maureen Monahan Metropolitan Community College Board of Governors
• Scott Packer Metropolitan Community College Board of Governors
• Erin Feichtinger Metropolitan Community College Board of Governors
• Jim Begley Metropolitan Utilities District
• Jason Valandra Metropolitan Utilities District
• Jim Thompson Natural Resources District
• Fred Conley Natural Resources District
DOUGLAS COUNTY • James Cavanaugh County Commissioner
• Jennifer Hernandez County Clerk of the District Court
• Diane Battiato County Assessor/Register of Deeds
• Donald Kleine County Attorney
• Tom Doyle County Engineer
• Mike Hughes County Sheriff
• John Ewing, Jr. County Treasurer
• Marlon Brewer Omaha Public School Board
• Marque Snow Omaha Public School Board
• Shavonna Holman Omaha Public School Board
• Kimara Snipe Omaha Public School Board
• Amy Parks Elkhorn Board of Education
• Jon Genoways Fort Calhoun Board of Education
• Mike Petersen Fremont Board of Education
• Dulce Sherman Millard Board of Education
• Stacy Jolley Millard Board of Education
• Mary Roarty Ralston Board of Education
• Jay Irwin Ralston Board of Education
• Terri Alberhasky Ralston City Council
• Brian Kavanaugh Ralston City Council
• Patrick McCarville West Board of Education
• Amanda Wright West Board of Education
• James Gilg Boys Town Village Board
POLLS OPEN Nov. 6, 2018, 8am-8pm CT FIND YOUR POLLING LOCATION or EARLY VOTING OFFICE at nebraskademocrats.org, info@nebraskademocrats.org, 402-434-2180
PAID FOR BY NEBRASKA DEMOCRATIC PARTY
“This is my third class in the Sage Student Bistro, but my first in the remodeled space. The new look is so wonderful. Students in each class now have dedicated space for learning inside the restaurant environment. Customers seem to love it as well. I feel very lucky to be at a school that pays such great attention to the needs of its students and guests,” said Taylor Tylkowski, a student manager at MCC. “I love the new wine room. It is quiet, private and well-outfitted for use as a classroom and private dining area. It is a great leap forward,” said Jaime Ishii, MCC instructor. The bistro is open Monday through Thursday for lunch, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., and for dinner, 6-8 p.m., during College quarters. Guests are advised to check dates of operation at mccneb.edu/bistro. Reservations can be made for dinner by calling 531-MCC-2328 or visiting OpenTable.com.
Screen capture from police video footage of the killing of Laquan McDonald by Former Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke
the Crusader newspapers in Chicago and Gary, Indiana. “We are so proud of the sophistication the leaders, young and old, have shown as well as the jurors, who took their jobs seriously and convicted Jason Van Dyke,” Leavell said. Following the verdicts, which will send Van Dyke to prison for at least six years and as many as 25 years, Leavell attended a Rainbow Push Coalition event in Chicago where the Rev. Jesse Jackson and others hailed the verdicts as a turning point for Black Americans who have continually been the target of wayward police officers. “The verdicts were a “small sign of progress,” Jackson said, alluding to the various incidents of African Americans killed by police officers. Over the past few years, several cases – including the policeinvolved deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri; Eric Garner in New York; Tamir Rice in Cleveland; and Freddie Gray in Baltimore – have seen White officers go unpunished for the killings. “The people’s cup has run over with these police violations of people’s rights,” Jackson said. “People were hoping for the best and expecting the worst.” The verdict is a step in the right direction, said Charlene Carruthers, an activist and national director of Black Youth Project 100. “This is a moment where people are seeing that the blue wall that exists in Chicago has a crack in it. This is an opportunity to continue our organizing and act on the visionary demands that we have to transform our community,” Carruthers said. Leavell, whose editor at the Chicago Crusader, Erick Johnson, covered the trial, said Chicago residents are reenergized and will show their strength at the ballot box in November. “It’s a new day,” she said.
The verdict handed down against Van Dyke was “a victory for the people of Chicago and should serve as a model for the country,” said Janice Garth of the Chicago Citizen newspaper. “Justice prevailed in the McDonald case, however justice failed countless of other young Black men across this country who also were victims of the same crime. We must continue to push and fight for a criminal justice system that works for all,” Garth said. She added, “We must continue to work – pass legislation – fight – to elect accountable representatives – and march until change comes. Our mental health status of our nation is past critical. We must continue the fight on the grassroots level to prevent the country from experiencing another LaQuan McDonald.” NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., said the Black Press “forthrightly states that the racially-motivated police murder of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in Chicago in 2014 was not an isolated incident.” The conviction of Van Dyke could prove historic, but much more needs to be done to stem the tide of police shootings involving African Americans, said Chavis, a longtime civil rights activists and one of the famous “Wilmington 10” activists, who were wrongfully charged and convicted of arson and conspiracy in North Carolina in 1971. “The Chicago police officer found guilty of the second-degree murder of Laquan McDonald demands a full review of all racially-motivated police killings of Black people across the United States during the past 50 years,” Chavis said. “This is a deadly systematic reality for Black America and the NNPA will not rest until all these police murderers are brought to justice,” he said.
Tamir Rice’s Killer Withdraws From New Job at Police Department By Keka Araujo
Ex-Cleveland police officer Timothy Loehmann has withdrawn his application to become an officer with the Bellaire (Ohio) Police Department. The officer, turned murderer of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, had applied and gotten a part-time police officer position with the Bellaire Police Department. Bellaire, Ohio is about three hours from Cleveland and borders Pennsylvania. Bellaire Police Department Police Chief Richard Flanagan confirmed Loehmann’s withdrawal of his application but said that he had given him a “second chance because he deserved it.” He further elaborated: “He was cleared of any and all wrongdoing. He was never charged. It’s over and done with.” With whom is it over and done? Samaria Rice doesn’t get to see her son off to college nor will she have grandbabies due to an incompetent liar who opened fire on her son within three seconds of seeing him playing outside of a recreation center in the winter of 2014. Footage from the murder shows Loehmann exiting the car before it came to a full stop and shooting Tamir Rice. He died the next day. A grand jury failed to indict Loehmann. Loehmann had lied about his work history and had been deemed “emotionally unstable.” According to his personnel records, released by the city of Independence, he was in the process of being terminated when Loehmann resigned in December 2012. Supervisors had described him as a recruit with a “lack of maturity” and “inability to perform basic functions as instructed” during a weapons training exercise. Yet he deserved a second chance. It looks like he should have never been in law enforcement. “As of this afternoon, Timothy Loehmann has withdrawn his application in Bellaire,” Samaria Rice said during a press conference. “Hopefully, he will not be hired as a police officer by any other state.”
October 19, 2018
EVENTS/CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING THE OMAHA STAR Page Eleven MCC’s 3rd Annual Creative Writing Forum Happening Oct. 26-27
In The Village!
Things to do, people to see, places to go. Oct. 19 – The deadline for registering online, through the DMV, or other agencies to be eligible to vote in the November 6, 2018 general election. This is also the postmark deadline for mailed-in registrations. Citizens also have until 6:00 p.m. on Friday, October 26 to register in person at their county election office. Oct. 19 – Great Plains Black History Museum’s exhibit, “Selma – the March for Freedom 50 Years Later,” runs through Dec. 29. The museum is located at 2221 N. 24th St. and is open at no charge, Thursday - Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Oct. 22 – LEGO Club Halloween Edition at South Omaha Library, 2808 Q St., from 4:305:45 p.m. Use black lights, glow-in-the-dark bricks, and your imaginations to build LEGO creations! For more info, phone 402-444-4850. Oct. 23 – Spooktacular at Florence Branch Library, 2920 Bondesson St., from 6-7:30 p.m. Enjoy slightly scary stories, a bounce house, crafts, games, snacks and treats. Costumes are encouraged. Program provided in partnership with the Florence Community Center and Senior Center. For more info, phone 402-444-5299. Oct. 24 – Join Omaha Public Library and Beacon Story Lab for an evening inspired by Omaha Reads’ 2018 selection “The Hate U Give,” an award-winning novel by Angie Thomas. The show will open with a performance by Withlove, Felicia, followed by six community members sharing stories of identity. The free event will be held at The Union for Contemporary Arts, 2423 N. 24th St. from 7:30-10:30 p.m. Registration is required at eventbrite.com. Oct. 24 – Omaha Performing Arts presents dorrance dance ETM: Double Down at the Orpheum Theater. Tickets are available at TICKETOMAHA.COM OR 402-345-0606. Oct. 25 – Anime Club Horror Edition at Washington Branch Library, 2868 Ames Ave, from 4-5:30 p.m. Watch and discuss your favorite horror anime. This event is for teens. For more info, phone 402-444-4849. Oct. 26 – The deadline to register in person at your county election office to be eligible to vote in the November 6, 2018 general election. You have until 6:00 p.m. Oct. 26 – Deadline for early voting ballots to be requested to be mailed, 6 p.m. Oct. 26 – Jeff Quinn’s Spooky Magic Show at Milton R. Abrahams Branch Library, 5111 N. 90th St., from 2-2:45 p.m. This fun, familyfriendly magic show will contain spooky (but not scary) tricks, lots of audience participation, and age-appropriate humor for both kids and adults. For more info, phone 402-444-6284. Oct. 27 – NOAH Free Clinic, 5620 Ames Ave, is helping the community with Blocking Out Obstacles at their B.O.O. Fest from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Enjoy free family fun at this fall festival of health, featuring health screenings, flu shots, food, face painting, a costume contest, raffles
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and prizes. For more info, phone 402-933-0737. Oct. 27 – Spooky Science at South Omaha Library, 2808 Q St., from 2-3 p.m. Participate in Halloween-themed, hands-on experiments exploring static electricity, chemical reactions and density. Make “bloody” hand prints, dancing ghosts and more! Things may get messy; please dress accordingly. Oct. 27 – Trick or Treat with woodland creatures at Fontenelle Forest from 4-7 p.m. Enjoy face painting, an epic leaf pile and crafts. Kiddos 11 and up can discover what lurks in the Forest while they creep along the Haunted Boardwalk. For ticket costs or more info, visit: fontenelleforest.org Oct. 28 – The Pancake Man will be flipping pancakes at Sacred Heart School, 2205 Binney St., from 9:30 a.m. until noon. The breakfast benefits the L.G. and Shirley Harrison Memorial Scholarship. For tickets or more info, contact Lisa Jackson at ljackson@shsomaha.com or 402-455-5858. Oct. 28 – Acton Academy hosts Acton Children’s Business Fair to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset in children 6-17. The fair will be held from 1-5 p.m. at KANEKO. For more info, phone Rachel Benson at 402-5478188. Oct. 30 – Connecting the Dots: A Fundraiser for the Human Trafficking Initiative will be held at 11:30 a.m. in the Ahmanson Ballroom at the Harper Center, 602. N. 20th St. The luncheon speaker will be FBI agent Anna Brewer, an expert in the fight against human trafficking. For more info, visit https://business-creighton.edu/ events. Oct. 31 – Halloween Fun Fest at W. Dale Clark Main Library, 215 S. 15th St., from 10:30 a.m.-noon. Youth and their caregivers are welcome to wear their favorite costumes to enjoy a shadow (slightly scary!) storytime, get creative with make-and-take crafts, and make some delicious treats. After the party, go trick-or-treating in the library! Groups of 10 or more, please register by emailing mmollner@ omahalibrary.org. For more info, phone 402444-4800. Oct. 31 – The 2018 Union Fellows are hosting a Halloween Pizza Party in the Prospect Village Pocket Park on 35th and Franklin St. This free, family-friendly event will kick off at 6 p.m. with the unveiling of a new community pizza oven, built and installed in the park by the Union Fellows. Other activities will include musical performances from Fellows Chikadibia Ebirim and Dominique Morgan, face painting and kids activities with Fellow Ashley Laverty, and of course, plenty of pizza to go around! Nov. 5 – Deadline for in-person early voting at election commission office. Nov. 6 – Statewide General Election Day. Polls open 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. Nov. 6 – Deadline to return early voting ballots to election commission office or drop box location, 8 p.m.
The Metropolitan Community College Creative Writing Forum, now in its third year, will be held Oct. 26 from 6-10 p.m. inside the Mule Barn and on Oct. 27 from 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. in Building 10. Both locations are at the College’s Fort Omaha Campus, 32nd Street and Sorensen Parkway. The two-day event is designed to promote original, inspired writing in the community, as well as showcase the work of accomplished authors from Nebraska and beyond. The forum includes sessions from keynote presenter, Morgan Parker, author of “There Are More Beautiful Things than Beyonce.” Parker’s
Salvation Army Christmas Assistance Interviews Scheduled The Salvation Army’s Christmas Sign Up client interviews begin Nov. 1-3 in Omaha and Council Bluffs. These interviews help identify the families who are most in need of assistance this holiday season. Programs include Turkey Fest (volunteers deliver holiday meals to older and isolated adults); Adopt A Family (donors provide and personally deliver gifts for children and a grocery gift card for a family meal); Toyland (toy distribution program) or the holiday food voucher program. People are required to apply in person. Eligibility requirements: • Applicant must apply in person • Photo identification Must meet Health & Human Services poverty guidelines (proof of income required) • Verification of address (dated within 30 days) • If applying for the Adopt A Family program, a current phone bill is required • In Council Bluffs: current picture ID, birth certificates for children 16 years and younger, proof of household members over 16 years and proof of address such as a utility bill dated within last 30 days or current lease Christmas Sign-Up Interviews - Omaha: When: • Nov. 1, 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.; 4-7 p.m. • Nov. 2, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.; 1-4 p.m. • Nov. 3, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. • Council Bluffs: Nov. 1, 12 p.m. - 7 p.m.; Nov. 2, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.; Nov. 3, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Where: • The Salvation Army Kroc Center (2825 Y St) • The Salvation Army North Corps (2424 Pratt) • The Salvation Army Citadel
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City of Omaha Request for Proposals 2401 N 24th Street Omaha, Nebraska 68111 The City of Omaha invites proposals for the purchase and development of 2401 N 24th Street Omaha Nebraska 68111, previously known as Simple Simon Daycare. The City of Omaha intends to dispose of the building in a manner that will assist community development efforts, reuse the building in a manner that is compatible with the historic significance and encourage commercial activity. The minimum purchase price is $200,000. The City does not plan to participate financially in the project. The building will be open for viewing, Friday October 26, 2018 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. The deadline to submit proposals is on or before 4:30 p.m., November 21, 2018. For more information and/or to receive a proposal bid package call Autumn Evans, Property Acquisitions/Disposition Planner, Planning Department, at (402) 444-5150. City of Omaha Planning Department Omaha/Douglas Civic Center 1819 Farnam Street, Room 1111 Omaha, NE 68183
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The City of Omaha intends to dispose of the building in a manner that will assist community development efforts, reuse the building in a manner that is compatible with the historic significance and encourage commercial activity. The minimum purchase price is $115,000. The City does not plan to participate financially in the project.
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phone 712-328-2088. Salvation Army Christmas programs are supported by donations to the Tree of Lights Campaign which kicks off on Friday, Nov. 2, in Council Bluffs and in Omaha, Thursday, Nov. 8. The familiar red kettles will appear across the greater Omaha/Council Bluffs metro from Nov. 9 – Dec. 24. Give online at salarmyomaha. org or salarmywestern.org.
To advertise your business, please contact Phyllis Hicks. Call 402-346-4041 Ext. 4 or email phyllis@omahastarinc.com
The City of Omaha invites proposals for the purchase and development of the Carver Savings and Loan Building and the parking lot located at 24142416 Lake Street & 2410 Lake Street, Omaha Nebraska 68111.
City of Omaha Planning Department Omaha/Douglas Civic Center 1819 Farnam Street, Room 1111 Omaha, NE 68183
Corps (3738 Cuming St) • The Council Bluffs Salvation Army (715 N 16 St) For more information on how to receive help from The Salvation Army holiday assistance programs, please contact the nearest Christmas Sign-up location. North Corps, 402-4514048 ext. 101; Kroc Center, 402-898-6082; Citadel Corps, 402-898-6031. In Council Bluffs,
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City of Omaha Request for Proposals THE CARVER SAVINGS AND LOAN BUILDING 2414-2416 Lake Street & 2410 Lake Street Omaha, Nebraska 68111
For more information and/or to receive a proposal bid package call Autumn Evans, Property Acquisitions/Disposition Planner, Planning Department, at (402) 444-5150.
book was named to Oprah Winfrey’s O Magazine Top 10 Books of 2017. Additional headliners include Teresa Dzieglewicz, Stacey Waite and Jerome Kills Small. Friday evening features an opening reception with hors d’oeuvres and networking followed by a reading with Parker and an open mic. Saturday’s forum includes breakout sessions, lunch and a keynote address from Parker. Ticket prices range from $25 to $45. Discounts are available for students. For more information or to register, visit mccneb.edu/writingforum. The event is brought to you in part by Humanities Nebraska.
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YOUTH/EDUCATION NEWS October 19, 2018 Allianz Global ScholarTrips are also served on the Metropolitan Community College’s campuses. African Culture Connection Receives Program Grant is the largest group of college students we have ever served. Contest For Creative Students We“This are thrilled to be walking side by side with these talented,
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Allianz Global Assistance, a leading travel insurance company, is looking for creative students who want to travel to participate in international volunteer and study abroad programs. Each year, they ask students questions from something like “What is your dream travel experience?” “What inspires you to travel abroad?” to “If you could bring any TV or movie character, whether animated, human or animal, with you on a trip abroad, who would it be and why?” Those interested in the ScholarTrips contest may submit their answer in either a 60-90 second video or a 550-word essay format and should describe what they are passionate
about learning while showing their creativity in answering the question for the year. To be eligible, one must be a legal U.S. resident and a current student over the age of 14 from an accredited high school, trade school, university, or college. There will be a total of 41 winners: 6 first-placers, 10 second-placers, and 25 third-placers. Each will receive a corresponding cash prize to put towards their study abroad or volunteer program. The deadline for this scholarship is usually in November of each year, and the award amount is usually $500 to $2,500. For more details, visit www. scholartrips.org.
passionate students on their journey to obtain a four-year degree,” says Program Director, Katie Cunningham. College Possible utilizes AmeriCorps members as coaches to provide near-peer coaching to our students. By harnessing the power, energy and idealism of recent college graduates as near-peer mentors to groups of students working towards a shared goal, our program builds a culture of trust and high expectations in which students excel. Coaches provide the resources and support students’ need to earn their degree. Our flagship program provides (1) academic support that begins with ACT test preparation and continues with, (2) college application assistance, (3) financial aid consulting (including financial literacy, scholarship search & renewal, and strengthening financial fitness), (4) guidance in the college transition and (5) ongoing, targeted, and personalized support toward college degree completion. Through College Possible’s involvement and support, students are four times more likely to become college graduates when compared with their low-income peers. College Possible invites you to get to know the AmeriCorps coaches and students as they celebrate their growing list of accomplishments this year.
Nebraska Science Festival Registration Opens Oct. 24 The 2019 Nebraska Science Festival may be months away, but organizers are encouraging teachers to register their classes now for the free science expos. Registration will open Oct. 24 at noon for the student expos, which will provide nearly 1,600 students the opportunity to participate in engaging, hands-on learning. In addition to the student expos, the seventh annual Nebraska Science Festival – scheduled throughout the month of April – will feature an array of science- and technology-related activities in communities across the state. This year, student expos will be held at the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum in Ashland and The Durham Museum in Omaha.
Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis and fills quickly. Teachers should visit www.nescifest.com to register their classes (expos are geared toward second- through fifth-graders) for either an 8:45 to 11:15 a.m. slot, or an 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. slot. Student expo dates are as follows: April 18 – The Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum. April 26 – The Durham Museum. Beyond the student expos, the public is encouraged to mark their calendars for the free science expo on April 27 from 9 a.m. to noon at The Durham Museum in Omaha. A variety of hands-on science booths will be available for people of all ages to broaden their knowledge on different science topics.
For more information on Science Festival activities, including how to volunteer as an individual, community site or a science expo booth, go to: www.nescifest.com. Sponsorship opportunities also are available. Presented by the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the Nebraska Science Festival is a collaboration of organizations and individuals interested in the advancement of science literacy. The Science Festival is designed to make science accessible, interactive, relevant and fun for kids and adults alike. SciFest updates and information can be found on NeSciFest.com, as well as on Twitter (@NESciFest) and Facebook (NE SciFest).
Educator Launches After-School Math Program PHILADELPHIA – Educator Angela McIver, PhD, is expanding her pioneering afterschool program Trapezium Math Club with her launch of Dinner Table Math, a set of games and activities designed to empower parents to help their children become stronger and more confident math students at home. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, by the time U.S. children reach 4th grade, 60% are not proficient in math and the numbers get worse as children move through school. By eighth grade, nearly 70% of U.S. students are not proficient. McIver wants to change that by teaching parents how to address the problem before it becomes a problem. McIver is founder/CEO of Trapezium Math Club, an after-school program in Philadelphia that creates fun and engaging ways for students to learn hard math. After spending years researching older students with weak math backgrounds, she realized that her own children were not developing strong foundations as they moved through their elementary school math program. “Trapezium Math Club started as a way for me to ensure that my own children would have the skills they needed to succeed in algebra and beyond,” she says. “But now, with two children successfully navigating honors math courses in high school, I want to share what I have learned to empower parents to do the same.” Through her work studying how older students learn math, McIver discovered that if a child leaves elementary school with a weak math foundation, successful remediation is very difficult. “It becomes triage at that point,” McIver says. “We tackle the most egregious skill deficits and hope it’s enough to get them through. But those children rarely feel confident in math and just like that, a career path is cut off”. McIver believes children spend a lot of time in elementary school having to learn multiple
strategies for solving problems, but they never master critical skills necessary to explore more difficult math concepts. “If an elementary school graduated the majority of fifth graders without sight word recognition or fluency in reading, we would be appalled, because children wouldn’t be prepared for the demands of the middle school reading curriculum,” she says. “But, the math education your child needs for algebra and beyond is most likely not what their school is emphasizing. And once your child gets to middle school, it’s very difficult to get back on track.” McIver says she often hears that schools discourage parents from working with their children at home in math. “We understand the long-term benefits of reading to our child at an early age, but we don’t help the same parents build their child’s math proficiency,” McIver says. “As the world’s reliance on technology has grown, so too has the demand for people who can succeed in math and parents hold the key.” The competitive global economy is requiring students to master math skills so they can be ready for an increasing number of STEM-related jobs in the future. The Economic and Statistics Administration reports that jobs in the fields related to science, technology, engineering, and math are expected to grow to more than 9 million by the year 2022. Additionally, STEM workers reportedly earn more than 29 percent more than non-STEM workers. But if a child doesn’t develop a strong foundation in elementary school, the odds of success in math or math-related fields decreases significantly. With Dinner Table Math, McIver created a line of math games and activities that empower parents to build strong, confident math learners at home. The goal is to ensure that children continue to be successful in middle school math and beyond. Says McIver, “My belief is that we should not wait for elementary schools to fix the math problem. Parents can fill those gaps from home. Dinner Table Math is key to helping our children become better students ready to tackle algebra and beyond.” For more information about Trapezium Math Club, visit: http://trapeziummathclub.com/ For more information about Dinner Table Math, visit: http://dinnertablemath.com/
Fund Invites Innovative Young People to Apply for $5,000 Grants If you know someone between the ages of 16 and 25 who has enthusiasm and passion for an innovative idea or project, or are such a person yourself, a new source of financial support is now available. The Hunter Brooks Memorial Fund offers grants to young people who have demonstrated a passion and enthusiasm in developing new ideas, especially in fields such as music, the performing arts, computer technology or entrepreneurship? These grants, up to $5,000 each, are not scholarships for academic studies, but rather direct financial support to assist innovative young people in bringing their ideas and projects to fruition. There is no cost or obligation to apply. In its recent grant cycles the Fund has helped finance new Internet projects, recording studio updates, expansion of online businesses, and
several music and performance projects. Grant applicants do not have to be enrolled in school, but simply have to explain through the grant application why funding is needed to move their project forward. The memorial fund was created in honor of Hunter Brooks Watson, a young McLean, Va., resident who died as a passenger in a car crash in the spring of 2016, just before he was to enter his junior year at Syracuse University. Hunter had already reached high levels of success in a variety of areas, including music, performing, starting a business, and as a computer technology major at Syracuse. Further information, and the grant application itself, is available online at hunterwatson.org/ grants. The application deadline for the current grant cycle is Nov. 15.
From Humanities Nebraska
African Culture Connection (ACC) has announced the receipt of a $10,000 grant from Humanities Nebraska for Student-Focused Authentic Cultural Experiences with African Culture Connection (ACC). “We are extremely grateful for the funding from Humanities Nebraska,” said Charles Ahovissi, Executive/ Artistic Director of African Culture Connection. “This funding will support both the expansion of an in-school residency program and professional development for the Teaching Artists who conduct the program.” The $10,000 awarded by Humanities Nebraska, will support African Culture Connection’s expansion of the ACC/OPS Multicultural Arts/Middle School Social Studies Curriculum Integration Pilot Program into 17 classrooms in 8 schools within Omaha Public Schools. The Teaching Artists who will be conducting the program will engage in professional development training in Togo, Benin, and Ghana for 14 days in December 2018. A multi-day event planned for February 23-24, 2019 will showcase the multi-cultural experiences of collaborators from all of our programming with the general public.
About African Culture Connection African Culture Connection is an organization of professional teaching and performing artists using authentic African dance, music, visual arts and storytelling to encourage students to learn more about the positive contributions African cultures have made to society. Founded by Charles Ahovissi, a professional dancer, drummer, performer, choreographer, stage costume designer, and tailor from Benin, West Africa, African Culture Connection’s mission is to educate audiences through African culture and art experiences, to encourage an appreciation for the richness diversity brings to all.
Asthma In-Home Response
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TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT PROJECT AIR
Project AIR helps reduce in-home hazards for kids with asthma We make home improvements to address asthma triggers We educate families about hazards in their home We empower families to make positive behavior changes
LEARN MORE AT: OMAHAHEALTHYKIDS.ORG To enroll, call us at 402.934.9700 or talk to your doctor about Project AIR
Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance
We work to ensure every child in Omaha lives in a lead-safe, Healthy Home
“This is a show that will surely do for today’s tap what Bring in Da’ Noise and Tap Dogs did for previous generations.” - The Guardian
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