Fall 2009
Before Tiger there was Charlie Baby Boomers ability not age Mammograms Saves Lives! www.paradiseWeb. org ParadiseWeb | Fall 2009
Author Bio’s Forget “Thinking” Outside The Box...GET Outside The
Butler’s “Colored” Cementery — pg 12
Box! — pg 6
Sovonne Potts Ukam Parents – Marcus and Johnie M. Potts Sr.
Leo J. Quinn, Jr. is a financial educator from the Albany, NY area. For the last eight years he has been stunning audiences by showing them that paying off their highest interest rates debts first and/or paying extra on more than one debt is often the SLOWEST way to get rid of those debts. He has a special offer for readers of this newsletter at: www.OwnYourPaycheck.com.
Committed to Nothing — pg 4 Justin Driscoll is the author of the 7 Things I Wish I Knew Before IGraduated. He helps individuals find their passion in life and not a job! For more information on his book and his speaking availability visit his web site, www.justindriscoll.net
Career Changes for Baby Boomers — pg 8
Graduate of Fort Mill HS and South Carolina State University. One son from previous marriage Ernest Hill IV (grad school Arcadia U in PA) Married Jude Ukam from Nigeria. Interest in African American history stemmed from reading books my brother Marcus kept in his library at home ( he bought books all the time!) Prior to working for ACS, I had 18year career in the Corporate Travel Industry, have visited various cities in Germany, Nigeria, Dominican Republic, England and most of the US. Always interested in the state of Africans abroad and African Americans. Lived in Atlanta Ga, Fremont Ca (northern CA), now living in Collingswood NJ – I still holdfast to Ft Mill upbringing! Member of Bethany Baptist Church choir. Former Camden County Historical Society Trustee, recipient of 2005 St Bartholomew “Community Service Award.” Recipient of 2005 St Bartholomew Men’s Club “Youth Service Award.” Last completed Historic project - “Taken” A trilogy of Slavery to Freedom in the Quaker Society of West New Jersey.
Kelli Smith is the editor for Edu411.org, a career education directory for finding colleges and universities, training schools, and technical institutes.
Over 8 months of historical reseach. Current projects = Established “Friends of Butler Cemetery”, implemented Butler Cemetery Restoration Project, Planning Committee Cherry Hill NJ Family History Center upcoming Genealogy Conf. Oct. 17, 2009.
Work at Home Scams — pg 16
Websites:
Vijaya Kumar is an online business entrepreneur with 5+ years experience. He currently administrates several successful websites including Part Time Computer Jobs, which provides a scam-free database of online money making opportunities.
Mammograms Can Save Lives — pg 20 Lynn Roodbol was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer in 1986 and colon and skin cancer in 1987. She has been involved in the cancer community since then as a peer counselor, support group facilitator, fundraiser and retreat organizer. She works as a mammography technologist in Guelph Ontario. Lynn is also a life coach for cancer patients to help them shorten the learning curve and navigate their journey with cancer. www.cancersupportcoach.com
Start Your Own Daycare Center — pg 18 Susan Anderson enjoys writing articles for families and consumers which are informative and adds value to their lives. For more information on how to create a great monthly income by opening your own daycare center, visit www.nipty.com/daycare
Happiness is Within You — 24 Teresa King is a publisher of Internet E-Books. Visit her at: Tips for Top E-books - http://www.tipsfortop.com/
ParadiseWeb | Fa l l 2009
• http://dempseybutlercemetery.org/ • http://www.flickr.com/photos/historicbutlercemetery/ Blog site: • http://www.butlercemetery.blogspot.com/ • http://www.paradiseweb.org/ Networking site: • http://www.linkedin.com/in/sovonneukam “I think our method of working with the local community, and groups to restore Butler Cemetery will motivate others to seek out opportunities to improve areas within the City of Camden and in doing so, build upon the legacy of Dempsey Butler. “ Sovonne Potts Ukam
Building a Better Body — pg 14 Tom Venuto is a certified personal trainer, natural bodybuilder and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, “Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle. You can get info on Tom’s e-book at www.burnthefat.com. To get Tom’s free monthly e-zine, visit www.fitren.com.
The Importance of Phonics — pg 25 Joan Edstrom is a mother and owner of http://www.planetfun.freeservers.com. Child safety and well being items include phonics games, baby proofing, and pool alarms.
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Editor’s Note In these harsh economic times fears abound. Starting a new business, making career changes or finding your first job after college can be a frightening experience. However, there is good news — many opportunities await the folks that are ready to embrace change. In this edition of PW Magazine we have included several articles relating to business, health/fitness and careers. A statement in one of our aticles, perhaps, will help give you a little confidence —“the greatest danger is not that we set our goals too high and miss them, the greatest danger is that we set our goals too low and we reach them.” Hopefully, this edition of PW Magazine will prompt you to make a decision even if it means re-inventing yourself. I suggest starting with “Happiness is within you” on page 24. Feature Article In the 1960s Charlie Sifford proved to the world that black professional golfers were more than ready to compete in the PGA. As a member of the Negro Golf League, Charlie helped pave the way for such greats as Tiger Woods and many other black professional golfers. This story is dedicated to his family and old friends that still reside in his home town — Charlotte, NC Read his fascinating story on page 10.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The most common screening method for women is a combination of x-ray mammography and clinical breast exam. Please remember to schedule periodic checkups with your doctor and continue your monthly self-breast exams. Learn more about this deadly form of cancer on page 20.
People are finding it hard to put time aside dedicated to only exercising when their schedules are already overbooked and stretched to the max. Exercising is losing its appeal for people that are overworked since they do not have the energy left at the end of the day to workout. People keep on putting off exercising by saying “I’ll start exercising tomorrow” but when tomorrow comes around exercising is usually put on the back burner again. It becomes a viscous circle for people that want to exercise but are having difficultie making it happen. Check out “Building a Better Body - one brick at a time” on page 14.
ParadiseWeb | Fall 2009
Committed to Nothing By: Justin Driscoll
M
y uncle recently retired from a large
cember of 2002 before I graduated. If I were to stay with my current com-
manufacturing company after 40 years
pany for 40 years I would retire in the year 2042. Needless to say I would
of service! This is no doubt a great ac-
be vested in my 401k and probably have about 200 vacation days. Is it very
complishment, and I congratulate him for this
likely for me to stay with my current company for 40 years? No. Does my
achievement. However it really does cause me
employer know that this not a very likely scenario? Yes.
to wonder. Could I ever work for the same company for 40 years?
Isn’t it true that today’s young people do not even consider finding a job
Let’s just put this into perspective.
out of college or high school and staying with that company until retirement? I know I sure don’t. Our priorities have changed; our outlook on
My uncle retired in 2006 which means he started
work has changed drastically. When my uncle graduated from high school
working in 1966. Let’s put this in modern terms.
to go to work, work was something quite different than it is today. Then
I graduated from college in 2003 and was very
it was a means to an end, it was a necessity. You went to work did your
fortunate to land a job at a great company in De-
time and came home, end of story. Then after 40 years you retired with a
ParadiseWeb | Fa l l 2009
sweet pension plan and Social Security. Today that simply isn’t the case, is
not jeopardize their shot at having a long and
it? Work is something more than eight hours a day five days a week. It is a
successful career.
piece of the total person. It is a slice of who we are. It speaks about what type of person we are and how we want to be identified. For many, work
Another major reality in the 21st century job
has become who they are. They do not work because they have to they
market is the volatility of corporate America. The
work because they want to. This is especially true for the self-employed.
cold hard truth is that business is moving much
And I am not only talking about the sacrifice of our thumbs to the al-
faster than it was in 1966. Jobs come and go,
mighty Blackberry’s and Treos.
companies come and go, and products come
Not only has perceptions of work changed but the type of work has drasti-
and go at an accelerated pace. What this means
cally changed. When my uncle started his career in 1966 most everyone
for the workforce is more change. In my book
worked in some type of manufacturing or factory facility. The type of work
“The 7 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Graduated,” I
was very repetitious and blue collar. Please don’t think I am demeaning
talk about this very issue. Those who aren’t afraid
that type of work because it is still very necessary to our country. However,
to change will never be unemployed.
the need for thousands and thousands of factory workers is not there any more. We still do need some “factory” workers but even those who work
Working toward retirement is not as sexy as it
in manufacturing today are very skilled workers. The need for general la-
once was since the world of pensions and social
bors is not nearly as high as the need for engineers and technicians of all
security is no longer a possibility for workers in
types.
their 20s.
Since the perception of work and the type of work has changed the at-
My uncle worked hard during his 40 years, he
titude of the employee has changed. Employees do not feel as committed
saw management come and go, he learned new
to their company for a variety of reasons which we will briefly mention
skills, and he stayed valuable to his employer.
today:
That is a key that all of us need to take from this
Commitment as a whole across society has waned drastically (i.e. the Unit-
article. Weather or not you work for a company
ed States divorce rate of over 50%).
40 years or 4 years you must stay valuable to that company in order for them to keep you around.
Students are told from a young age that the world is their’s for the taking.
What value do you bring to the company you
Upon graduation they feel like there is so much to accomplish and so little
work for or will work for? That is the question
time. In order to conquer the world you really can’t stay at the same com-
that the 21st century must continually ask itself
pany for 40 years can you?
in order to stay marketable.
The “grass is always greener” syndrome has increased greatly over the past 50 years to cause a feeling of discontent across of the country. Discontent
If you are one of those few people who are try-
will not allow you to stay at the same company for 40 years.
ing to stay with the same company for their entire career God bless you because there aren’t
Since white collar jobs are not usually repetitious like blue collar jobs, you
many left. Also please email me; I would love to
would think employees would stay longer because they are always work-
hear from you.
ing on something new. That isn’t the case though. In some industries turn over is as high as 90%. One other issue we must not forget is that percentage of the workforce who is fired from their employer because of certain choices they have made. Those workers striving for the 40 year certificate of service may want to think carefully about the actions they take on the job so they do
ParadiseWeb | Fall 2009
Forget “Thinking” Outside The Box...GET Outside The Box! By: Leo J Quinn, Jr.
I happened to overhear a conversation the other day between two men... Young man has started learning about real estate investing. He has read books and attended seminars put on by some gurus who make more money selling information about real estate investing than they do investing in real estate BUT at least he is taking the initiative to learn more. This is more than most people will do. Old man owns his home. Young man wants to buy real estate as an investment.... apartment buildings, office buildings... that type stuff. Old man has no experience in this area. During the conversation old man says to young man... ”are you doing anymore of that real estate nonsense?” By “nonsense” I know old man was refer-
ParadiseWeb | Fa l l 2009
“read” you the instructions so you can get out too. It’s not enough to get that help though. You’ll probably have to deal with your “boxmates” who would rather you stick around to keep them company in their sad little “box.” In listening to the conversation between old man and young man I immediately flashed on the image of young may starting to climb out of the box and old man reaching up and grabbing him by the belt to pull him back in. Sad but all too common I’m sure. If any of this sounds familiar you might have some hard decisions to make. If completely getting rid of a negative person from your life is not possible (spouse, relative, employer) then you might have to clam up about your goals, dreams and desires. Discuss them only with people who will support you or preferably with people who have already done what you want to do. Author Dan Kennedy has coined the phrase “mediocre majority” to describe most people. This is a group you want to avoid. So, no matter what you want to accomplish, be it changing your life to get out of debt... starting a business... going back to school (imagine at your age!)... investing in real estate... mystery shopping... losing weight... taking piano lessons or anything else, simply get started and keep the pie hole shut! (salad hole if losing weight)
ring to attending the “get rich quick” type seminars and not a condemnation of real estate investing. BUT it came across as a condemnation of the young man’s process of educating himself about something new.... something that could improve his life and the lives of his family. Unfortunately, you probably have people like that in your life. You may BE a person like that in someone else’s life. People in your “box” don’t want you getting out! You know the type. Negative about any attempt you might make to improve your life... to be different... to stand out.... to be more successful than they are. I heard a great analogy for this by attending a free investment seminar. I knew this guy would be advocating some risky financial moves but I figured since I was in the seminar giving business myself, that I might be able to learn something useful. I did. The people you associate with most are probably just like you. You have similar educational backgrounds, families and incomes.. You live in houses and drive cars of similar value. You attend the same church... your kids attend the same schools...you shop in the same stores. You get the idea. Good luck! One could say you are in the same “box” or rut. The analogy continues... Unfortunately, the “instructions” on how to get out of your “box” are posted on the “outside” of your “box” where you can’t read them. You’ll need the help of someone who has already made it out, to
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Career Changes for Baby Boomers: Ability, Not Age, Matters By: Kelli Smith “On average there are three to five career changes in a person’s lifetime and that’s pretty common,” says Kevin Gaw, Director of Career Development, University of Nevada, Reno. “It’s pretty common that a layoff ends up being a great opportunity for someone to find something that’s more suited to them, too.” But it can be challenging to a baby boomer to be suddenly confronted with a career change. They were raised in a world where you got your education, then got your job, and while you may not have stayed with the job until you retired, you would probably stay in the same profession. “It can be jarring to realize you have to transfer your skill set to another area,” says Gaw. In 2004, Gaw’s office worked with 208 alumni. Nearly 7.5 percent were going through a career change, three percent because of a forced situation such as layoff or company closure or relocation. The rest of them just wanted to do something different. When you’re faced with an important career shift, there are things you can do to make it easier on yourself and achieve a more enjoyable, productive career change. • Look at your skills. Determine which are transferable to other jobs.
Baby
boomers Whether because of financial necessity or because
They’re the generation born between 1946 and 1964. They came of age in the early 70s and early 80s. They’re the generation that made changes and waves, worked harder and longer, put off marriage and children, did things differently than previous generations.
they have something to offer, baby boomers are staying in the workforce longer. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and projections indicate that by 2010 there should be 18.5 million boomers ages 45 to 49 in the labor force, as compared to 14.7 in 1995, and 16.8 million versus 10.6 million in the 50- to 54-years-old range. They’re still making changes. They’re retiring later, or not at all. If not downsized or laid off, boomers often continue to work. When they don’t choose to continue in the same career, it doesn’t mean they’re ready to stop contributing, and sometimes they’re making transitions to new careers.
ParadiseWeb | Fa l l 2009
• Find your passion. What do you love to do? “It’s not about the money,” Gaw says. “The money isn’t what makes us happy. What makes us happy is doing something that’s meaningful to us.” • Look at reality. If you want to be an astronaut but can’t do math, Gaw says, the reality is it’s unlikely. People need to work through that disappointment and maybe change that passion to a hobby rather than a vocation. • Determine whether you want to make a radical career change? say from legal secretary to Web designer? or stay within the same profession. • If you like the company you’re with but feel the
need for change, see if they can retain and retrain you. If it comes down to a complete career change, there are also some things you can do to help create a whole new career for yourself. • Promote yourself rather than your age. Once you get into a position and can show off your skills, you’ll be known for those skills rather than your years. • Start slow. Before investing heavily in education, determine if it’s the right career path for you. • Network. Many non-entry level positions are found by references. Join professional organizations in the field you want to enter. • Consider working for yourself. A job market survey conducted in 2005 by global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., quoted on thematuremarket.com, indicated that of 3000 job seekers, 13 percent chose to work for themselves, and 86.6 percent of them were over 40. Another option is to leverage your experience and teach or train. Moving into training and coaching people just entering the profession you’re leaving is a fairly informal move. Teaching requires state licensing, and there are programs helping place retiring workers into teaching positions. The University of Nevada Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning takes executives through a first-time licensing program and puts them in the schools in just a couple semesters, often teaching in high-needs areas like math, science and languages. Likewise, IBM unveiled their Transition to Teaching program in September, reimbursing them for tuition and providing stipends while they student teach. Many of their executives are highly trained in math and computer sciences. Whether making a career change to a new profession or a new position, Gaw says such changes are a normal life pattern. “It’s a good thing to be open to change. The challenge is recognizing skill sets and knowing how to capitalize on them and present them to the new opportunities.”
Reward yourself by becoming a published author Writers! Join our writing community and writing workshop to get read, receive feedback , meet other writers, and get motivated to write. TheNextBigWriter is a dynamic, suppor tive private community where writers post their work to receive feedback from other writers and readers. In addition, writers can share ideas and network with one another, star t building a fan-base of readers, and receive recognition and rewards - including cash prizes and publishing contracts. This all occurs within a validated password-protected ( VPP) site, ensuring that the rights to each author ’s work are fully preser ved, and creating a comfor table, professional environment. Members on the site run the spectrum from beginners to published writers and come from all par ts of the world. Readers on the site have the oppor tunity to re ceive a sneak-peek at creative writing in-progress and through their feedback can par ticipate in the process of creating theNextBigWriter. Since its launch in October 2005 the site’s members have generated over 112,000 detailed reviews on 16,723 novel chapters, shor t stories, and poems posted on the site. From this, over 100 shor t stories and poems workshopped on TheNextBigWriter have been published by independent literar y magazines. Several of the novels on the site have already achieved commercial success and many more are moving their way through the publication process. Across the world, millions of people write every day. Why do they do it? My Writing Life tells the humorous, poignant, and honest stories of why ten diverse men and women were compelled to write and how it changed their lives. http://www.thenextbigwriter.com/referer.php?id=100553
ParadiseWeb | Fall 2009
Before Tiger there was Charlie Sifford “A story of Passion, Grit and Determination” By: Ken Dixon
I n t h e 1960s, af ter a centur y of legally s a n c tioned publ ic and pr ivate ac ts of d i s c r imination, Afr ican Amer ican golfers fo u n d themselves lock ed out of many op p o r t unities for advancement. From 1926 u n t i l the late 70’s the Negro G olf League o p e r ated in the shadow wor ld of the PGA a n d produced so me of the nation’s finest Pro fe ssional G olfers. Black golfers from a l l over the countr y competed year ly fo r t h e l eague’s national championship. Leg e n d a r y names such as Ted R hoads and H ow ard “ Butch” Wheeler, Lee Wr ight, Bil l S p i l l er and Lee Elder are considered lege n d s in their own r ight. Although many o f t h ese golfers championed var ious for ms o f c i vil disobedience, fe w had the fore s i g h t of Char lie Sifford. Char lie stood out f ro m his peers in the Negro League when h e c hampioned a cause aimed at helping f u t u re black professional golfers. He reco gn i zed the outside influences that limi te d black golfers and decided to fight fo r t h e i r civil r ights. I n 1960 he etched his p l a c e in Amer ica n histor y and ultimately b e c a me one of the nation’s unforgettable G o l f Legends.
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ParadiseWeb | Fa l l 2009
I n t h e 1 9 3 0 ’s C h a r l i e wo r k e d a t t h e l o c a l Co un t r y C l u b a s a c a d d i e i n C h a r l o t te, N o r t h Ca ro l i n a . O n e o f h i s b i g g e s t d re a m s, e ve n a s a yo u n g b oy, w a s to p l ay g o l f p ro fe s s i o n a l l y – to c o m p e te fo r b i g m o n e y a n d n a t i o n a l re c o gn i t i o n . H e l ove d t h e g a m e a n d d e c i d e d to te a c h h i m s e l f h ow to p l ay. H e wo r k e d i n t h e Pro S h o p f ro m t i m e to t i m e, a s s i s t i n g go l fe r s a n d h e l p i n g o u t i n a n d a ro u n d t h e s h o p. W h e n h e w a s n’t c a d d y i n g o r wo r ki n g i n t h e Pro s h o p h e s e c re t l y p r a c t i c e d h i s g o l f s k i l l s. Af te r a fe w s h o r t ye a r s C h a r l i e w a s b a n n e d f ro m t h e Co u n t r y C l u b. Th e ow n e r to l d h i m l a te r t h a t t h e w h i te g o l fe r s s a i d t h a t h e w a s to o g o o d. S h o r t l y t h e re a f te r, C h a r l i e re l o c a te d to Ph i l a d e l p h i a , Pa . w h e re h e fo u n d t h a t h e c o u l d p l ay o p e n l y a t p u b l i c g o l f c o u r s e s. H e wo r k e d h a rd fo r s e ve r a l ye a r s to p e r fe c t h i s c r a f t . H e e ve n t u a l l y l a n d e d j o b s a s a t r a i n e r a n d g o l f c o a c h fo r s e ve r a l b i g n a m e s i n s p o r t s a n d i n t h e e n te r t a i n m e n t b u s i n e s s. H i s o l d f r i e n d s J a c k i e R o b i n s o n a n d j a z z s i n g e r, B i l l y Ec k s t i n e re c o gn i ze d h i s g o l f t a l e n t a n d e n c o u r a g e d h i m to p u r s u e o p p o r t u n i t i e s i n t h e P G A . I n t h e e a r l y 1 9 4 0 s C h a r l i e e n te re d s e g re g a te d g o l f to u r n a m e n t s s p o n s o re d by t h e U n i te d G o l f As s o c ia t i o n a n d m a d e f r i e n d s a m o n g t h e b l a c k g o l fe r s o f t h a t e r a . H i s c a re e r h a d b e g u n to to o k o n a w h o l e n e w l i fe w h e n h e t u r n e d p ro i n 1 9 4 8 . H e h a d re a l i ze d h i s d re a m b u t a n i n n e r d r i ve wo u l d l e a d h i m f a r b e yo n d t h e l i m i t s o f t h e o l d N e gro Le a g u e. C h a r l i e m a d e s e ve r a l f a i l e d a t te m p t s to i n te gr a te t h e P G A i n t h e 5 0 ’s. H i s b i g g e s t o b s t a c l e c a m e i n t h e fo r m o f a s t i p u l a t i o n
i n a document – The Caucasian O n l y clause in the constitution of t h e PGA. Simultaneously, in the 1 9 5 0 s, The United States Colored G o l fers Association sponsored the a n n u al Negro National Open tourn a m ents. Char lie won the Negro N a t i onal Open Championship five s t r a i ght times, as well as the 1957 Lo n g B each Open, a PGA co -spon s o re d e vent. I n 1 960, af ter winning a lawsuit a g a i nst the PGA, Char lie began his b a r r i er busting PGA tours. He was we l l i n the pr ime of his profession a l g o lf career. He was 36 years old by t h e time he was allowed mem b e r s hip and older than most of h i s p eers on PGA tours. Although c o m peting against a younger gro u p of golfers for much larger p r i ze s, he was ne ver completely o u t of his element. The ne w pres s u re s and challenges he now faced s e e m ed for midable. He found h i m s elf once again drawing on r aw gr it and self-reliance —things t h a t helped propel him to se veral v i c to r ies in the Negro League. C h a r l ie was of ten refer red to as t h e J ack ie R obinson of golf. Un l i k e J ack ie R obinson, though, C h a r l ie was lef t to plotting his as c e n s i on to national prominence o n h is own. J ack ie had a manager a n d hundreds if not thousands of B l a c k Baseball Players that came b e h i nd him. Char lie had no one. H e h ad to face the harassments a n d foul treatment white golf fans d i s p l ayed at almost e ver y tour na m e n t . “ The first official tour nam e n t I played in with my card was
in G re e n s b o ro, N o r t h Ca ro l i n a , and t h a t w a s h e l l,” S i f fo rd re m e mbered i n t h e H o u s to n Po s t . “ Th e first d ay o f t h e to u r n a m e n t I l e d it wi t h a 6 8 . A n d t h a t n i g h t I g o t peop l e c a l l i n g m e u p i n t h e h o te l, threa te n i n g my l i fe, s ay i n g w h a t the y we re g o i n g to d o to m e i f I showe d u p fo r t h e n e x t ro u n d. I just to l d t h e m w h a te ve r t h e y we re plan n i n g to d o, b e p re p a re d to d o it be c a u s e I s t i l l p l a n n e d to te e off a t 9 : 3 0 .” H e p l a c e d s e c o n d i n that to u r n a m e n t . C h a r l i e a d m i tted i n t h e S a c r a m e n to B e e : “ I t ’s hell, n a t u r a l l y, w h e n a b l a c k m a n break s i n to a w h i te m a n’s wo r l d.” He we n t o n to w i n t wo o f f i c i a l mon e y e ve n t s. H e a l s o wo n t h e 1975 P G A S e n i o r s’ C h a m p i o n s h i p, then t h e l e a d i n g to u r n a m e n t fo r golfe r s ove r f i f t y. H i s p e r s i s te n c e, cour a g e a n d d e e p d e s i re to s i m ply p l ay g o l f h a d p a i d o f f. C h a r l i e Siffo rd s u c c e e d i n b l a z i n g t h e t r a i l for fu t u re b l a c k p ro fe s s i o n a l g o l fers in t h e P G A . S om e o f C h a r l i e’s m o s t s i gn i f i c a n t achie ve m e n t s wo u l d c o m e l a te r i n life — ye a r s a f te r h e re t i re d f ro m the g a m e. I n 20 0 4 , C h a r l i e S i f fo rd b e c a m e t h e first Af r i c a n A m e r i c a n i n d u c te d into t h e Wo r l d G o l f H a l l o f Fa m e. He c h o s e t h e fe l l ow H a l l o f Fa m e mem b e r S o u t h Af r i c a n G a r y Pl aye r to pre s e n t h i m fo r i n d u c t i o n . On J u n e 2 2 , 2 0 0 6 , h e re c e i ve d a n hono r a r y d e gre e f ro m t h e U n i ve rsit y o f S t A n d re w s a s a D o c to r o f Laws.
M o r r i s Aw a rd f ro m t h e G o l f Co u r s e S u p e r i n te n d e n t s As s o c i a t i o n o f A m e r i c a , G C S A A’s h i g h e s t h o n o r. I n 2 0 0 9 , t h e N o r t h e r n Tr u s t O p e n c re a te d a n e xe m p t i o n fo r p l aye r s w h o re p re s e n t t h e a d v a n c e m e n t o f d i ve r s i t y i n g o l f ; i t i s n a m e d i n h o n o r o f C h a r l i e S i f fo rd a n d i s re fe r re d to a s t h e C h a r l i e S i f fo rd E xemption. Ti g e r Wo o d s re l a te d to G o l f I n te rn a t i o n a l t h a t “ I f i t w a s n’t fo r C h a rl i e a n d p l aye r s l i k e Te d d y R h o d e s, B i l l S p i l l e r a n d o t h e r s, we wo u l d n’t b e h e re. I c e r t a i n l y wo u l d n’t p ro b a b l y h ave b e e n i n t ro d u c e d to t h e g a m e o f g o l f b e c a u s e my d a d wo u l d n’t h ave p l aye d. Wi t h o u t C h a r l i e’s d i l i g e n c e a n d d e d i c a t i o n … we owe e ve r y t h i n g to h i m a n d to o t h e r s l ik e h i m .” Ca re e r: Pro fe s si o n a l g o l fe r, 1 9 4 8 – Wo n N e gro N a t i o n a l O p e n s i x t i m e s ; j o i n e d Pro fe s s i o n a l G o l fe r s’ As s o c i a t i o n ( P G A ) a s f i r s t Af r i c a n A m e r i c a n c a rd - h o l d i n g m e mb e r, 1 9 6 0 . R e m a i n e d a m o n g to p 6 0 m o n e y w i n n e r s o n P G A To u r, 1 9 6 0 - 6 9 ; h a s wo n m o re t h a n $ 1 . 2 m i l l i o n w i t h P G A To u r a n d S e n i o r P G A To u r. Vi c to r i e s i n c l u d e 1 9 5 7 Lo n g B e a c h O p e n , 1 9 6 3 Pu e r to R i c o O p e n , 1 9 6 7 G re a te r H a r t fo rd O p e n , a n d 1 9 6 9 Lo s A n g e l e s O p e n . S e n i o r P G A To u r Vi c to r y, 1 9 8 0 S u nt re e C l a s s i c. M e m b e r o f S u p e r S e n i o r To u r, 1 9 9 1 . R e a d C h a r l i e S i f fo rd ’s l i fe s to r y i n h i s b i o gr a p hy “J u s t Le t M e Pl ay ” Pu b l i s h e d 1 9 9 2 by B r i t i s h A m e r i c a n Pu b l i s h i n g, L a t h a m , N Y
He a l s o re c e i ve d t h e 2 0 0 7 O l d To m
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Butler’s “Colored” Cemetery.
• William H. Murray - b. 1845 Maryland d. 9/2/1913 Pvt., Co. D 45th Regt US Col. Vol. Inf. Enl. 6/15/1864 – Dis.11/04/1865 • Samuel Jackson - b. 1845 Virginia d. 2/4/1917 Landsman - US Navy, USS Princeton Enl. 12/21/1864 – Dis.?
By: Sovonne Potts Ukam • John Fitzgerald - b. 1838 d. 3/20/1911 Landsman - US Navy, USS Princeton Enl. 8/12/1864 – Dis.- 6/17/1865 • James Hardcastle - b. 1839 d. 08/20/1910 Pvt., Co. C, 25th Regt US Col Vol. • John Pierce -b. 1834 d. 2/15/1918 Pvt., Co. I 6th Regt, PA US Col. Inf. Enl. 9/8/1863 – Dis. 1/6/1865 (name in register book reads John Price) • John H. William - b. 1828 d. 12/22/1910 Pvt., Co. E. 2nd Regt US Col. Vol. Inf. Enl. 2/2/1865 – Dis. 12/6/1865 • Joseph T. Armstrong - b. 1837 d. 1/30/1917 Pvt., Co. C 23 Regt., USCT Sovonne Potts Ukam, former resident of Fort Mill, SC, found a hidden African American treasure in Camden, NJ. She recognized the historic value of this rare find and set out to recruite volunteers to help restore the 140 year old “Colored” burial site. History unfolds in restoration project. Dempsey Daniel Butler established the “Colored Cemetery” ca. 1867, after he experienced opposition burying his wife Eliza in the City of Camden. His outrage was augmented after learning that “Colored” Camden citizens who served faithfully in the Civil War were not allowed burial in the City as well. These events led Mr. Butler to an act of absolute defiance, he purchased
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the small plot of the land located at Ferry Ave and Charles Street, directly behind Camden’s then, “all white” Evergreen Cemetery, named it Butler Cemetery and reinterred his wife’s remains there. To further address the needs of Camden‘s “Colored” Residents, in particular USCT Civil War Veterans, he bequeath free burials at Butler Cemetery to assist those unable to meet the expense for 5 years following his death in January 1900. Currently the cemetery provides a final resting place for approximately 236 Camden residents, those interred of historical interests are Mr. Dempsey Butler and Mrs. Eliza Butler and the following USCT Civil War Veterans:
• Theodore Harris - Sailor As per Courier Post article written ca. 1940’s The cemetery, is a rare green space, and is located within clear view of neighboring school children who play in the Cream School yard across Charles Street. And is used primarily as a community park or reflecting place by elder residents who enjoy the shade of the Sycamore and Ash trees in the spring and summer. It is unfortunate that such a significant landmark as Butler has a history of being neglected, as captured in a Courier Post Article found at the Camden County Historical Society in Charles Boyer Scrapbook vol. 4, p 252 re: cleanup in 1940’s. The article illustrated in words and photo that
the cemetery underwent a major cleaning in order to prepare it for a Memorial Day Program. In the article such issues as broken and sunken headstones were cited, in addition to overgrown grass and excessive debris. The clean up was being conducted by Camden City Public Works Department.
•
Make all research and information
readily available to the public. The repair or replacement of the following is greatly needed to improve the visible aesthetics of cemetery and the neighborhood: • Charles St. and Ferry St.
Butler is still pledged with many of these same issues. Despite the efforts of local Camden resident Mr. Redd who lives across the street, the cemetery continues to struggle with signs of overgrown grass, excessive debris, tree branches, and leaves. The only visible monuments and headstones are those of Mr. and Mrs. Butler and the CW Veterans; some of which are sinking, worn, and cracked. The Aim of the Project The Restoration Project aims to improve the visible aesthetics of the cemetery and to impart within the community the spirit of the legacy Dempsey D. Butler instituted when he chose to address the burial rights of “Colored” residents in the City of Camden. Additionally the Project will: • Establish, commemorate and build on the historic links of Butler Cemetery and the surrounding community. • Maintain a managed green space which can be a focal point for the surrounding population, as inspired by the ideals of Mr. Butler. • Research the records of the cemetery, thereby improving the understanding of the site, its history and its genealogical importance.
• Bench seating replaced with weather resisted materials • Install new CW Veterans Grave markers (N/C req. new markers via VA DEPT.)
of Heart of Camden – Executive Director Helene Pierson, 1742 Ferry Avenue, Camden, NJ 08104. Telephone: 856-966-1212 http://www.heartofcamden.org/ Inquiries regarding Project timelines, volunteering, making donations, cemetery history and ongoing cleanup efforts will be addressed by Sovonne Ukam, 856 833 9367 or Connie House, 609 496 6681. The following local Camden groups have also volunteered their support in restoring Butler Cemetery: • Lindsay & Sons
• Cemetery Plaque replaced on existing base at cemetery entrance
• National Association of New Jersey Minority Contractors
• Add a Historical marker at Butler Grave Site
• St. Bartholomew RC Church Men’s Club
• Moderate Landscaping (Add/remove shrubbery, perennial plants)
• Officer Lucy Valentin, State of New Jersey Judiciary, ISPO (Intensive Supervision Program), Camden Division
• Asphalt paving for Charles Street w/ curbing and/or sidewalk* • Solar powered Flag pole light to fly American Flag 24/7 • Asphalt walkways within cemetery resurfaced The proposed repairs are relatively basic and can be carried out quickly provided funding and materials are readily available. Estimated cost to complete proposed project: $12,000.00. Estimated timeline for proposed project: 1year from commencement. *Expense City of Camden would need to incur.
• HOPEWORKS (webpage services) Butler Cemetery is an extraordinary record of the lives of generations of Americans once referred to as “Colored”; a part of African American heritage for which present-day Camden residents could view as a tribute to the ability of one – to positively change and influence many.
Friends of Butler Cemetery are organizing to actively raise funds for this project. At this stage donations will be accepted and overseen by the administrative team
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Building One Brick at a T The quest to develop a stunningly fit, lean and attractive body is a long, slow journey. It’s not something you achieve overnight by popping a few pills or strapping an electric gizmo to your belly. Which reminds me, did you know that by the time the FTC finally blew the whistle on the electronic ab belt scam, the makers of those “ab zappers” had swindled over $100 million dollars from unsuspecting consumers? Fortunately, some of those companies had to pay it back, and then some! The FTC charged three companies Fast Abs, Ab Tronic and Ab Energizer - with false advertising and deceptive warranty practices for these “ABSurd” gimmcks. But I digress. back to what I was saying about the journey to a better body... Last week I looked out my window, and where there was once nothing but a dirt-filled empty lot, there stood a sprawling six story brick condo complex. If someone looked at this massive completed structure for the first time, they might not be impressed. However, since I observed the entire construction process unfold from my living room window, I was impressed - amazed even - at what goes into erecting this kind of structure. I remember watching the crew hum-
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g a Better Body i m e !
B y : To m Ve n u t o
ming around diligently every day like
look in the mirror and “suddenly,” your
reap the harvest, but that you can’t
busy bees, laying one brick after an-
blueprint has become reality.
sow and reap in the same season.
other. From one day to the next, it
The body of a fitness model, figure
If you ever get frustrated with the rate
didn’t seem like much changed. But
competitor or bodybuilder is no more
of progress in your fitness or weight
slowly, over a period of a year and a
likely to be built overnight than a
loss program (and who doesn’t), just
half, I watched the building gradually
high rise is to be built overnight. It’s
remember; success is always guaran-
morph into the finished product.
not physically possible. Accepting
teed to the persistent. Nothing in the
When you look at someone with an
the idea that any type of pill, powder,
world can stop someone who knows
incredible body as a finished product,
drug, supplement or machine of any
what they want and is willing to con-
you often tend to dismiss the long, ar-
kind will make it happen sooner than
tinue paying the price until they get
duous journey and hard work it took
nature intended (without negative
it. It just takes time.
to build that body. Unless you were
consqeuences or side effects) is pure
Become the architect and builder of
side by side with that person in the
folly. You can’t force it.
your own dream body. You WILL build
gym (and in the kitchen), observing
Growth and development of any kind
the body you want eventually if you’re
the work involved, it’s easy to attri-
always requires a gestation period.
patient enough and you refuse to quit.
bute such a chiseled physique to ge-
For a baby, it’s nine months. For corn,
And set your goals HIGH! Create a fan-
netics or give credit to a supplement
I believe it’s about three months. If
tastic blueprint. Michelangelo said,
(they just took product XYZ and voila
you were an expectant mother, would
“the greatest danger is not that we
- overnight abs). What you don’t see
you want to hurry the process? Could
set our goals too high and miss them,
or appreciate are all the months and
any new development in nutrition or
the greatest danger is that we set our
years of sweat and hard work.
medical science speed up this won-
goals too low and we reach them.” En-
Getting in shape is a lot like a con-
derful miracle even one iota? If you
vision a castle - a veritable Taj Mahal
struction project. First, there must
were a farmer, would you try to har-
of a body! There’s nothing wrong with
be a picture in the mind. Then the vi-
vest your crop before it was ripe?
building castles in the sky, as long
sion goes onto paper as a blueprint. It
Would you dig up your seeds to see if
as you patiently work at putting the
takes months just to lay the founda-
anything was growing down there?
foundations underneath them. There
tion. More months of work will follow.
The answers are obvious. If only we
are very few unrealistic goals; only
On a daily basis, it doesn’t seem like
would adopt the same patient, nur-
goals with unrealistic deadlines.
much is happening. You look in the
turing “mother’s” or “farmer’s mindset” So keep laying those “bricks” - every
mirror and appear, for the most part,
towards getting in shape, then no one
the same as you did yesterday. But sure
would waste their money on “fast abs” eventually, you’ll build yourself a pal-
enough, the small improvements are
or “exercise in a bottle” or any such
slowly accumulating like compound-
silliness ever again. We would under-
ing interest in the bank. One day, you
stand that one must sow first, then
day - one at a time - and sure enough, ace.
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Avoid Being Scammed with Work At Home Opportunities By: Vijaya Kumar
Wo r k ing at home online is exp a n d ing rapidly as is the I ntern e t . There are thousands of op t i o n s for net entrepreneurs who m a k e mone y through creating we b sites, offer ing web ser vices, o r s e lling produc ts online. The m a r k et has expanded rapidly over t h e past fe w years as the I nter net h a s grown and there is something t h a t e ver yone will be interested i n a n d profit from.
your m o n e y w i t h o u t gi v i n g yo u any v a l u e o r w h a t t h e y p ro m i s e d. This i s a re a l t h re a t t h a t p re vents m a ny p e o p l e f ro m p u r s u i n g creat i n g a n o n l i n e b u s i n e s s b u t is on e t h i n g t h a t yo u s h o u l d n o t let bo t h e r yo u. Th e k e y i s to b e caref u l w i t h w h o m yo u d e a l w i t h onlin e a n d to d o yo u r h o m e wo r k befo re yo u m a k e a p u rc h a s e. Th e k e y i s to i d e n t i f y t h e s c a m s b e fore yo u s p e n d a ny m o n e y.
Wh at Are S c ams
How to Id e nt i f y t h e Fra u d s te r s
o n t h e c o m p a ny o r i n d i v i d u a l yo u a re d e a l i n g w i t h . A gre a t w ay to g e t t h i s i n fo r m a t i o n i s to s e a rc h t h e we b o n t h e c o m p a ny yo u a re l o o k i n g to m a k e a p u rc h a s e f ro m a n d c h e c k w h a t o t h e r u s e r s a re s ay i n g a b o u t t he m . M a k e s u re yo u a re g e t t i n g t h e s e re v i e w s f ro m a n u n b i a s e d 3 rd p a r t y o r yo u r i n fo r m a t i o n w i l l b e i n c o r re c t w h i c h c o u l d l e a d yo u d i re c t l y i n to a t r a p. U s e G o o g l e o r Ya h o o ! to g e t t h e i n fo r m a t i o n yo u n e e d q u i c k l y a n d fo r f re e.
U n fo r tunately, th ere are a numb e r of people on the I nter net t h a t are out to scam you and tak e
Ident i f y i n g t h e s c a m s i s ve r y e a s y. You j u s t n e e d to m a k e s u re yo u get a n u m b e r o f u n b i a s e d re v i e w s
Yo u s h o u l d a l s o b e s u re to c h e c k t h e l a te s t re v i e w s o n fo r u m s a s t h e y a re t h e b e s t p l a c e to g e t
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m u l t i ple re vie ws quick ly.
a b o u t yo u r s i t u a t i o n a n d o p e n a d i s p u te. Th e y w i l l t a k e t h e t i m e to l o o k i n to t h e m a t te r to a s s u re t h a t t h e r i g h t f ul ow n e r i s aw a rded the money that they lost.
I d e n tifying scams will only tak e yo u a fe w minutes and could save yo u hundreds or e ven thousands o f d ollars annually. Prett y soon, yo u will be able to identify the s c a m s and help others save their t i m e and mone y.
Le gi t i m a te Way s to Fi n d G e n u i n e Wo r k At H o m e J o b s.
P l a ces to Rep or t S c ammers W h e n you do read about some b o d y getting scammed or get s c a m med yourself, get back at t h e c ompany and protec t othe r s by repor ting them. You can re p o r t them to the FTC, Federal Tr a d e Commission, so that the y c a n deal with the matter legally, b u t be sure to visit forums and o t h e r online communities with u s e r s who may be interested in t h e produc t that the scammers o f fe r and are sub jec t to their trap to w ar n them about the scam so t h a t the y can save their time and m o n e y. Af ter all, others are do i n g t he same thing for you so you m i g h t as well retur n the favor.
throu g h a t h i rd p a r t y p ay m e n t gate w ay s u c h a s Pay Pa l o r e G o l d amon g o t h e r s. Th e s e s y s te m s a re well aw a re o f t h e s c a m s a n d d o e ver y t h i n g i n t h e i r p owe r to g e t the m o n e y to i t s r i g h t f u l ow n e r. S o, if yo u h ave b e e n s c a m m e d by some o n e o n l i n e, b e s u re to m a k e e ver y a t te m p t to g e t yo u r m o n e y
R e p o r ting the company to the B B B or B etter Business Bureau is a l s o a good option. Just be sure to l e t others k now of your exper ie n c e.
L a s t b u t n o t l e a s t - D o yo u r h o m e wo r k a n d yo u w i l l b e f i n e i n
G e t t ing Refund from S c ammers I f yo u do get scammed by scamm e r s, be sure to get your mone y b a c k . One good thing about o n l i n e payments is that you d o n ot have to use cash to buy p ro d uc ts, but rather, must go
Th e re a re l e gi t i m a te w ay s to m a k e m o n e y o n l i n e, j u s t b e s u re t h a t yo u d o n o t f a l l i n to a ny s o r t o f t r a p. A l w ay s d e a l w i t h re p u t a b l e c o m p a n i e s ove r o t h e r u n k n ow n p ro gr a m s a n d b e s u re to b e ve r y c a re f u l i n w h a t yo u r p u rc h a s e a n d w h o yo u p u rc h a s e i t f ro m . To avo i d s c a m s, p u t t h e t i m e t h a t i s re q u i re d to re s e a rc h t h e c o m p a ny yo u a re d e a l i n g w i t h a n d b e s u re to g e t m u l t i p l e o p i n i o n s f ro m m u l t i p l e u n b i a s e d s o u rc e s s o t h a t yo u c a n b e s u re yo u a re n o t g e t t i n g s c a m m e d. A l s o, c h e c k t h e B B B, B e t te r B u s in e s s B u re a u, re c o rd s to g e t o f f ic i a l i n fo r m a t i o n a b o u t t h e c o mp a ny yo u a re d e a l i n g w i t h . I f yo u a re d e a l i n g w i t h a n i n d i v i d u a l, b e c a u t i o u s a n d m a k e s u re t h a t t h e y h ave a g o o d re p u t a t i o n a s yo u w i l l n o t b e a b l e to f i n d m a ny re v i e w s o r a ny t h i n g i n t h e B B B o r a n o t h e r o f f i c i a l re s o u rc e.
yo u r o n l i n e e n d e avo r s.
back . Co n t a c t yo u r p ay m e n t gate w ay s u p p o r t te a m o r c re d i t card i s s u i n g b a n k , te l l t h e m
ParadiseWeb | Fall 2009
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Start Your Own Daycare Center Be Your Own Boss By : Susan Anderson
Many people are now looking for ways to get out of today’s corporate business world, and to become their own boss. One way that some have been successful is by opening up and running their own day care center. More moms than ever before now have to return to work after their baby is born. Few families are able to make ends meet on one income. So, why not start your own center that caters to these busy moms, and open up a loving and safe place where they can leave their young babes and go to work knowing that will be well cared for? When you first decide to open up your
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own daycare, you need to check with your state and government agencies to find out what rules and regulations you need to follow. For example, you are only allowed to have a certain number of children per square foot of space your building has, so you need to know this right off the bat. You will need to locate a site that is large enough to house the number of children that you plan to care for. Many have been successful with purchasing actual homes, and making any needed renovations. You may also have some luck with your local churches or city organizations, either with locating a space, or possibly leasing space from them. It is crucial that you pay atten-
tion to all of the zooming rules in your area, so you don’t rent a place, then find out you are not allowed to run a business out of it. It does take quite a bit of overhead to open up your own center, a lot of which goes into getting the location you need. You will need to try and locate funds to get everything you need. Develop a business plan, and set it before your local Chamber of Commerce, local churches, and businesses. If you have a sound plan, and they feel that the community needs your center, they may help you with funding your endeavor. You may also look into getting a business grant from the government, as this would save you from having to make large payments before your business ever gets off the ground. You can find additional resources online or at your local library that should be able to help you with locating funding, other than taking out a bank loan. If all else fails, then try to get a business loan, but there are better resources available to you, you just have to know where to find them at. If you have an empty store in your area, this may be the ideal place for your daycare center. You may have to do some work to the inside to make it meet your needs, but you should be able to rent it at a reasonable price, especially if it has been vacant for a while. This would also give you the advantage of having a good location, as it would probably in a highly trafficked area of your town, which would be convenient for your clients. Once you have pretty much gotten everything down as far as laws and your location taken care of, you will need to advertise your new center. One of the best ways to do this, especially if you are on a busy street, is to have a nice sign up that states your business name and that you are accepting children. You will also want to let people know the hours your center will
be open, and what days of the week, and most importantly, have a contact number shown. If you can’t get all of this information on your sign, at least have your business name, hours, and phone number, then potential customers can call you for more information. You may also want to drop off fliers at your local pediatrician’s offices, schools (get permission first), or maybe run an ad over your local radio station or newspaper. If you don’t let people know what you are offering, and get the word out, how can you expect to have clients? Another major decision to make is choosing what hours your day center will be open. If you really want to make an impact, I would recommend being open outside of the normal business hours, maybe opening at 5 or 6 am, and staying open until around 7pm. This would help you get clients that many other daycares are unable to cater to, giving you more customers. Keep in mind, that you will most likely need to provide meals, so if you are open the above hours, you will probably be serving three meals a day. You will want to make sure you remember that when you determine what the cost per child will be. Remember that you also will need to provide at least two healthy snacks a day. Let your parents know what you will be offering, so they will know what they are paying for. Children tend to do best when they have set routines, so you will need to make a basic daily plan, and give your teachers and parents a copy. It is important that you plan the day according to the age range of the children. Include in a rest or nap time, or two for the younger ones. You will also want to have some learning activities, arts and crafts, outside time, free play time, and story time. If you will be accepting children
that are working on toilet training, you will need to set aside specific time slots in the day to be potty time as well. When you know how many children you will have, and what their ages will be, check your local rules and federal laws to find out how many teachers you need. Depending on the children’s ages, you need one teacher for every so many kids. When hiring your teachers, look for moms or young adults that have taken some early childhood education courses. You want to try to get certified teachers, if possible, to ensure that you not only have a caring center, but one that offers learning opportunities as well. If you can fit it in your budget, it is also a good idea to have some kitchen staff, maintenance people, and possibly even a nurse or CNA on staff in case of emergencies. All parents will need to fill out medical forms for their children, letting you know their history and of any known conditions or allergies. You will need a release to seek treatment form, the child’s insurance information, contact numbers for the parents in case of emergencies, and contact info for the child’s doctor. It is important to be prepared in advance, in case any emergency situation did arise. Your center will need to have a designated outside play area, equipped with safe, sturdy toys for the children to play with. This are should be fenced in with locked gates to protect the children. You will want to have swings, sandboxes, slides, any kind of outside equipment you wish, as long as it is safe, and age appropriate. Stock the individual rooms with toys, books, games, televisions, educational movies, maybe a computer or two for the older children, anything that you wish to have on hand for the teachers and chil-
dren to use. You will need to have an eating area in each room, and a place for naptime, diaper changes, etc. When dealing with parents and financial issues, you will be better off asking them to pay the month or week in advance. By having them pay ahead, you aren’t dependent on them for the funds to buy needed supplies, or pay teachers, and don’t have to worry about losing children due to nonpayment. A lot of daycare centers have to close because they financially cannot make ends meet, usually due to parents not being able to pay them when payment is due. Let parents know that you need them to pay in advance so that you have sure funds to use to care for their children with. You may want to run the center yourself for the first little bit, to keep costs down, and to ensure that everything is running as you want it to. Eventually, when profits rise, and everything is going well, you may want to hire a manager to oversee the day to day running of the center for you. They would be responsible for hiring teachers, taking care of new customers, purchasing supplies, planning lesson plans, meals, etc. You basically would sign the checks, and still make all of the major decisions, but would free to pursue other endeavors if you wish. Every community could benefit from a well-run daycare center, and with a little patience, and effort you could be the one to give it to them. Just make sure that you follow all of your local, state, and federal laws regarding childcare centers, and that the safety of your children is your number one concern. Everything else will pretty much fall into place over time.
ParadiseWeb | Fall 2009
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Mammograms Are No Joke - They Can Save Lives By: Lynn Roodbol
There are so many jokes about mammograms! Have you heard the one about the fridge door ... or the bookends ... or the garage floor? Thanks to all the jokes, “Mammogram” has become a household word, and it’s not that I don’t have a sense of humor, but as a mammography technologist, I’ve heard the jokes many times. I think the jokes are embarrassing for women and demeaning with regard to their physical bodies. Many women say, “If men had to do this, there would be a better solution” - this may or may not be true. Most people agree that mammograms are not perfect, but until there is a better solution, I think it’s time to look at mammograms in a different light. In May of 1985 and 1986 I asked my doctor to order a mammogram for me and he refused both times saying I was too young. There were no screening mammography centers to which I could refer myself, so that was that. In December of 1986 at the age of 42 I felt a lump in my breast and had a mammogram the same day. It turned out to be Stage II breast cancer with 4 positive lymph nodes. I had a lumpectomy, a mastectomy and chemotherapy but chose not to have radiation. I obviously wasn’t too young to have cancer. In May 1985 a mammogram cost less than $60.00 and would have resulted in my having minor surgery to deal with a small lump. Delaying the diagnosis until December 1986 raised the cost of
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the medical care I received both in dollars and the amount of human suffering we faced. I say “we” because a diagnosis of cancer affects the family, friends and community of the person with the disease. A timely mammogram would have saved us all a lot of grief. The common perception is that having a mammogram is a negative experience; I think this is a bad rap. Mammograms are quick and easy breast X-Rays; which usually means two views of each breast - one from the top and one from the side. They are performed by friendly, knowledgeable technologists who do their best to help women feel at ease. The technologists’ goal is to get the best films possible and also to make the experience as quick and painless as possible. When people go for a mammogram the most important thing to know is that relaxation of the upper body is the key to a positive experience. I know it’s hard to relax when you’re apprehensive, but this is why I believe we need to lessen the public apprehension of this test. It is easy to relax by taking some deep breaths before you have the test. By relaxing your muscles you will be much more comfortable through the test than if you are tense. An added bonus is that the films will be of higher quality, as it is easier to image the back of the breast close to the chest wall if the pectoralis muscles are relaxed. When it’s done, you may hear yourself saying, “That wasn’t
bad at all!” Some women are embarrassed to have a mammogram because they don’t want anyone other than their partner to see and touch their breasts. The mammogram jokes add to their fear of pain and embarrassment making it harder for them to manage, and I know of some women who avoid having a mammogram for this reason. The test is done in privacy; no one but a female technologist will be present. Technologists, for the most part, are sensitive people who will do the test as quickly and professionally as they can. Many women who have resisted the test for a long time are amazed at how simple and painless it can be. Mammograms include compression of the breast with a plastic plate to produce a high quality image with the least amount of radiation. Breast compression is meant to be tight, but it should not be painful and it only lasts for a few seconds. If you think about looking at a bunch of grapes - it’s hard to see them all from one spot. If you spread the grapes out, you can see more grapes. Similarly with the use of compression, more breast tissue is visible when the breast is spread out. With a flatter, thinner layer of tissue the amount of radiation required is less than if the breast is not compressed. The amount of radiation you get is as low as can be achieved if adequate compression is used, and also if good quality control is maintained at the mammogram facility. In the U.S.A. the cost of a mammogram runs between $50 and $150.00. There is financial help available from insurance companies, state and local programs, and from some employers. Please do not let the cost deter you from having
a mammogram as the cost of not having a mammogram can be much higher both financially and emotionally. Check for information on the internet. In most places in Canada, women can book their own appointment for a free screening mammogram; a doctor’s referral is not required. In places without a screening program, mammography is available with a doctor’s referral and is covered by health insurance. Approximately 7% of women will be asked to have further testing. Most of the time, follow up testing involves an additional mammogram with a different view to separate the breast tissue in a particular area to get a better image. In my analogy of the bunch of grapes, it’s like having a few grapes on top of each other and separating them out in a different way in order to see them better. There is controversy about the age bracket for women to have a mammogram. On a mammogram film, normal breast tissue in young women usually appears to be dense; normal breast tissue in older women usually turns to fat and appears less dense. Reading mammograms on young women is like looking through a tree which is full of leaves in summer. Reading mammograms on older women can be compared to looking through a tree in winter. You can see why reading mammograms on young women is more complex than reading films on older women and this is the main reason why screening mammography is more effective as women mature. The fear of being diagnosed with breast cancer will often prevent a woman from having a mammogram. My personal experience is that it is much better to be diagnosed earlier rather than when
the cancer has had chance to spread. The amount of fear, pain, embarrassment, and emotional anguish from having a mammogram does not even come close to that of being diagnosed with an advanced cancer. A mammogram takes about 10 minutes; an early cancer can be dealt with in a reasonable amount of time, while an advanced cancer is much more of a time commitment. The amount of fear that comes with a cancer diagnosis is astronomical compared to that of a screening mammogram. It is often recommended that women have a screening mammogram every two years, but many people believe it is better to have mammograms on an annual basis. It is probably best if women can consult their doctors and make the decision on an individual basis. A number of factors affect the decision such as age, family history, general health, and previous breast problems. Between appointments, whether you choose to have a mammogram every year or every two years, it is important to be aware of any breast problems. If you notice anything unusual it is wise to contact your doctor. This applies even if your mammogram was negative because there are a certain percentage of cancers that do not show on a mammogram. The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation promotes a three-prong approach to breast health: • annual clinical breast exam by a doctor or trained health professional • screening mammogram • monthly breast self exam Breast self-exam can be a controversial issue. Many people do not recommend monthly self-exams, yet many women have found their own breast cancers this way. The important thing to remember
is if you choose to do self exam, to do it right: • learn the proper method from a doctor or trained health professional • be disciplined and practice it regularly • pick the same time of your menstrual cycle or the same date each month • get to know your normal breast “architecture” • make notes of your findings, draw pictures and record dates • make detailed notes of unusual findings including dates • check with your doctor if you find anything worrisome Following these steps will give you confidence and put you in charge of your breast health. Some health professionals are concerned that women will be unnecessarily alarmed if they find a problem with their breasts. I believe that an educated approach to breast care will reduce the fear that many women live with, and they can consult their doctors in a more rational manner. Most breast lumps are benign, but early detection of breast cancer is worth the extra cost of investigating lumps and other unusual findings. Mammography is a peculiar test in some ways. However, it is the gold standard at present and until there is a better method of screening which is also cost effective it makes good sense to have regular mammograms. Finding cancer in the early stages before it has a chance to spread makes the treatment much easier and the cure rate much higher. Having a mammogram is not meant to be funny, or even fun; but a few minutes of discomfort rewards us with knowing we are taking action to help protect our breast health.
ParadiseWeb | Fall 2009
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Reboundability by Dr. Shawn Byler
Do you have difficulty recovering from
ability”. Reboundability is essential to
stay stuck in habits of worry, fear and
mistakes, failure and disappointment?
leading a productive, successful and
insecurity.
Do you find yourself reliving these
happy life. Life is full of change, stress,
setbacks over and over? Do certain
disappointment, setbacks, failure, ill-
What does it mean to “rebound quick-
life situations or challenges have you
ness, injury, loss of competitions or
ly”? Rebounding is the ability to quick-
stressed to the max?
jobs, death, and so on. How we han-
ly recover from perceived loss and
dle these types of situations is what
failure. It means breaking old mental
Was that a resounding YES? If so, you
makes the difference between be-
patterns and behaviors that keep you
may want to invest some time into
ing joyful, successful individuals and
stuck and miserable.
acquiring the skill of quick “rebound-
those who wallow in self-pity, and
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Individuals lacking great “rebound-
Break negative habits with these 5
4.
ability” skills engage in destructive
pointers to quick “Reboundability”
closed another one truly will open.
patterns of self-punishment, which
Trust that when one door
Don’t allow yourself to get so stuck
inevitably results in loved ones suffer-
1.
Change your perspective! You
in negative mind patterns that you
ing as well. This may come in the form
must know that setbacks, mistakes
miss the next fantastic opportunity!
of irritability, sadness, depression,
and failures are a part of life’s learn-
All things happen for a reason, so if
physical, emotional or even physical
ing process and are key elements of
you are experiencing a loss, failure or
abuse, alcoholism, and over-working
meeting your potential and gaining
disappointment, a better opportunity
just to name a few! These negative
success. Disappointments and failures
will be awaiting you, so keep your
habits make it virtually impossible to
are best viewed as stepping-stones to
eyes peeled!
maintain a truly joyful and contented
success. Learn to view adversity as a
life.
good and valuable part of growing
5.
and learning. Know that there are ex-
current situation is the only “sane”
Sample situation: Loss of a big sales
tremely valuable lessons to be learned
choice. Wishing you could change
opportunity. Those who have not ac-
from failure and disappointment, and
the past and beating yourself up is
quired the skill of “reboundability” be sure to look for them. Decide to
not only futile, it also removes the
will engage in destructive mind hab-
view problems as situations or chal-
possibility of growing and leaning
its over the course of a few days or
lenges to be handled or released.
from the loss, failure, or disappoint-
frequently even weeks. These habits
Accept what is. Accepting the
ment. Accept the current situation,
include replaying the perceived fail-
2.
Refrain drawing conclusions
do not resist what already is. Do you
ure or setback over and over as well
and making interpretations. All too
attempt to resist the sun from shin-
as engaging in negative and coun-
often we will make a mistake or fail at
ing? Of course not. So why would you
terproductive self-talk. They continu-
something and automatically assume
attempt to resist anything else that
ally second-guess themselves, or tell
that others think that we must be stu-
already is a reality? Acceptance is the
themselves that they are stupid and
pid or careless. In truth, it does not
only success-promoting choice.
will never succeed. They may even
matter what others think of us as long
convince themselves that the poten-
as we know who we are and what we
These are just a few of the wonderful
tial client didn’t like them or thought
are about.
pieces of “reboundability”. Learning to
they were incompetent.
rebound quickly from negative situRefrain from judging your-
ations is a process, so allow yourself
This habitual pattern of thinking actu-
self from a critical perspective that
time and patience while implement-
ally steals your ability to perform or
leads to less confidence and lower
ing these new habits for quick recov-
be better the next time. These nega-
self-esteem. Judging yourself in this
ery.
tive mind patterns drastically diminish
way leads to a pattern of repeating
your ability to be clear (focused) or to
the same mistakes and repeating the
accomplish goals. Negative mind hab-
same failures. It is better to observe
its erode confidence and self-esteem.
the mistake or perceived failure, gar-
If you continue to allow your mind to
nish the lesson, and move on. Any-
be control, rather than you in control
thing else will keep you stuck and
of your mind, you will continue to feel
hold you back from success and hap-
and be defeated.
piness.
3.
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ones? Did not death bring into mind the frailty of life, and the knowing that you could leave this world any minute and that tomorrow could be your last day? Did you do all you wanted to do in this life time yet? Or, have you sat back making excuses for each day of why you have not reached for dreams? Attitude, wake up in the morning, smile in the mirror, welcome each day with the love you would give your precious child and savor the day. When
Happiness is Within You
things are down, turn them around. When things are happy, pile that happy time, into your mind, where you can pull it out anytime you need a bit of cheering up. Embrace life and be
By: Teresa King
grateful for things in life. Attitude. Have you ever noticed how
Have you ever wondered why some
we could not recognize the beauty of
happy it feels to give? Giving of our-
people wake up in the morning as
silence. When Einstein failed, he didn’t
selves is wondrous thing. To see the
chirpy as the busy birds outside
think failure, he basically thought, oh
smile of gratitude upon someone’s
the window? While others wake up
I have found one more way that my
radiant face. Or hear the small thank
grumpy. Ever wonder why some peo-
idea won’t work. When Lincoln tried
you for your help, is a great way to
ple seem happy most the time, while
for president countless times, he
start on an attitude change.
others are withdrawn, sad, depressed
didn’t think failure, he thought about
Attitude, don’t fixate on small things.
or bitter? Well, I have. And, since I
how he could improve his campaign
Look at the larger scale. It is amazing
pondered I went to find out why.
so he could win an election.
that in a true crisis, you can rise up to
It is all in attitude. Changing the way
Attitude, and how you perceive things
the challenge, but it is always the last
you think about things. Is the glass
are the key to your own happiness.
little small thing that throws people
half full, or is it half empty? Is the sun
If you are feeling overwhelmed in a
off into an angry fit.
bright and beautiful or is it hot and
situation in life, rather than sitting
Remember, many people are born
miserable? Does the rain falling day
there feeling sorry for yourself, think
blessed with good health and money
after day drag yours spirits down, or
positive. Find something that you can
are not happy. And, many people who
do you ever look at the beauty of the
learn and gain from the situation.
have suffered and struggled are the
rain?
A death in the family is a tragic thing.
happiest of all. It is all on how you look
Every situation in life has two sides as
But, look around, did the death not
at it. So, keep your chin up, and try to
we have good we also have to have
bring the rest of the family togeth-
find the bright side to every situation
evil, for without evil we would not
er for grieving and emotional sup-
that life throws you, for inside yourself
recognize good. Without cold, there
port and closer to each other as they
lies true happiness.
would not be any warm. Without noise,
talked about memories of their loved
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The Importance of Phonics
and software for this purpose.
by Joan Edstrom
tion. One particular page www.nrrf.
online resource that I find helpful is The National Right to Read Foundaorg/84_ltrs_phnmc_aware.html
whole
language
in-
Phonics can be summarized by asserting that there are 26 letters used to symbolize 44 speech sounds. Educators know that we all have a natural awareness of pieces of sound that comprise words.
This is
phonological
awareness.
Teachers
of phonics should first test
has
specific directions for a parent to help in development of a child’s phonemic
struction.
called
One
this
awareness
in students, then fol-
awareness. In assessing a resource, the parent should make sure it includes phonics rules. These relate to how the position of vowels and consonants in a word affect pronunciation. Very often, phonics books and software are rated by an industry standard. Early intervention by parents insures that a child with a reading problem will have the opportunity to succeed. Parents should always be advocates for their children, working with teachers to plan the best course of action, and supplementing the school program at home.
Teaching children to read is usually
low with instruction in letter/sound
To conclude, “Intensive and systematic
done with success by our school sys-
relationships, each letter/sound at
instruction in phonics has been scien-
tem. However, there are many chil-
a time. The next steps would be to
tifically validated again and again as
dren who learn at a different level, and
teach blending sounds, and building
the most effective means of ensuring
require extra attention.
Specifically,
words. The NICHD suggests having
that students acquire the automatic
these children have trouble connect-
children clap in sequence as each
decoding skills on which reading com-
ing the relationship between sounds
speech sound in a word is slowly
prehension must rest .” (Adams, 1994).
we hear in words, to the letters that
pronounced. Another method is to
Phonics skills enable the reader to au-
represent them on paper. The Nation-
have children mark each letter as it is
tomatically decipher words rapidly, fa-
al Institute of Child Health & Human
sounded. Teachers need to show stu-
cilitating understanding and apprecia-
Development (NICHD) has done sig-
dents that even tiny sounds, that are
tion of fine literature.
nificant research in this area and has
not always consciously discernable to
discovered that 90 to 95 percent of
the ear, are there, and that they are
reading impaired children can achieve
represented by letters.
reading goals if they receive treatment at early ages, before they reach third grade.
The recommendation is that
children be taught explicit phonics in a direct manner in combination with
In addition to teachers, parents play an important role in assisting their children to read.
There are many
books, workbooks, online resources,
References: Adams, M. (1990). Beginning to Read. Cambridge: The MIT Press. The National Institute of Child Health & Human Development: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/ pubs/readbro.htm The National Right to Read Foundation http://www.nrrf.org
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Poll taken just days after President Obama had completed his first 100 days in office Columbia SC…The results of the latest Winthrop/ETV Poll, conducted among registered voters in 11 southern states between May 1 and May 17, are in. Taken just days after President Barack Obama had completed his first 100 days in office, the poll asked southerners about everything from their level of confidence in his ability to handle threats against the United States, to who the potential Republican presidential front-runners might be for 2012, to the willingness of African Americans to get ahead in today’s society. The results will be released exclusively during the Thursday, May 21 edition of South Carolina ETV’s “ The Big Picture” program at 7:30 p.m. ET. ETV is the public television and radio network in South Carolina. The Winthrop/ETV Poll was conducted among 955 registered voters from AL, AR, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, TX, and VA. Data utilizing all respondents has a margin of error of plus/minus 3.17 percent. As is true with all survey data, any results that use a subset of the respondents will have a higher margin of error. The survey was designed by Dr. Scott Huffmon, director of the Winthrop/ETV Poll initiative, and Dr. Adolphus Belk, Jr., director of the African American Studies program at Winthrop University. With regard to the issue of national security, Huffmon noted, “While a majority of respondents, 56.3 percent, are confident in President Obama’s ability to handle threats to the US, barely half of those, 28.5 percent, feel ‘very confident.’
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“Incidents such as the handling of the Somali pirates, and the release of the CIA interrogation memos-which the majority of those polled disagreed with-has had a mixed impact on southern perceptions. Half of all respondents say they hold the same level of trust now as they did when Obama took office. But among those whose attitudes have changed, over three times as many Republicans have become less confident, while nearly eight times as many Democrats have become more confident. “Clearly, the Obama administration has yet to face a test where confidence in his ability to handle threats will transcend partisanship among registered voters in the South. With both Republicans and Democrats voting yesterday to overwhelmingly reject his plan to close Guantanamo, that test might be here.” Commenting on the overall results, Huffmon said, “ There was a lot of talk after the last election about the erosion of Republican dominance in the region and, indeed, there are fewer Republican identifiers among registered voters than we have seen in the past. But while this may make the region more fertile for Democratic presidential candidates, several aspects of our findings point to continued Republican strength in the region. First, although Republican and Democratic identifiers are in near parity, independents who lean toward one party favor the Republican Party. “And second, since the Republican Party has taken up the banner of reducing government spending and regulation of business at the state level in many south-
ern states, it will be primed to tap into the preferences of these Republican identifiers and Republican-leaning Independents who together make up a plurality of the electorate.”
· The majority of those polled (54.5 percent) felt that, in general, more government regulation of business is bad—a full 22 percentage points ahead of those who felt more government regulation is good.
Adds Belk, “ The results clearly demonstrate that while southern Republicans and Democrats are looking at the same economic, political, and social indicators, they see things very differently. For instance, while both Republicans and Democrats believe that the nation is in dire economic straits, Democrats are much more hopeful about the Obama administration’s ability to meet the challenges of our time. Republicans, though, do not share their enthusiasm.”
· Almost 71 percent of southerners feel that African Americans don’t need special treatment in order to get ahead, and 49.7 percent don’t feel that generations of slavery and discrimination have created conditions that make it difficult for blacks to work their way up.
Among the Winthrop/ETV Poll findings: · Currently, over 56 percent of those polled are either very or somewhat confident in the president’s ability to handle threats to the United States. But the majority (hovering around 50 percent) also reveal that they have held this same opinion since Mr. Obama first took office. · Overall, 56 percent also disagree with the president’s decision to release the Bush administration memos about CIA interrogation techniques, including 85 percent of Republicans, 63 percent of Independents and 21 percent of Democrats. · With other national polls finding Pres. Obama’s approval rating hovering around the 60 percent mark, respondents in this poll gave the president a 48.8 percent approval, with southern Republicans giving him only 18 percent approval. ·
When asked about the current path that our nation is taking, 48.9 percent of all respondents felt the country was headed in the wrong direction. However, overwhelmingly, 74.1 percent of Democrats felt the country is on the right track. · Close to, or over 50 percent of respondents said the Economy is the most important problem facing the country today, with no other category breaking double-digits. The second most important problem among Republicans was Moral Values (6.5 percent), while Democrats said Health Care (8.5 percent).
· Topping the list of potential Republican presidential nominees in 2012 was “Can’t think of anyone” at almost 63 percent among all respondents. Tied for second were Mitt Romney and Sarah Palin with 7.6 percent each. The same trifecta appeared when asked of Republicans only, with percents of 50.8, 11.9 and 9.8, respectively.
For more infor mation abou t Wi n t h ro p / E T V Poll, contac t: Tele vision: Aimee Crouch, Coordinatin g Pro d u c e r E-mail: acrouch@scet v.org M edia/Press: R ob S challer, Direc tor of Co m m u n i c ations E-mail: rschaller@scet v.org Visit SCE T V at: ���������������������� http://w w w. s c e t v. o rg / index.php/winthrop/
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Upward Mobility
Wages and earnings tend to correlate with the amount of education a person has obtained. In 2003, those workers with less than a high school diploma, earned a median income of $21,000; while those workers with a four year college degree earned a median income of $53,000 (James 2005). The poverty line in 2005 according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services was $19,350 for a four-person household; therefore, those with less education are more likely to be bordering on this line than those with more education. With a college degree, it is more likely for one to attain a professional-level job wherein he or she may earn a higher salary in comparison to someone working in a secondary, service-based job. Higher educational opportunities are necessary in order to pull away from the poverty line. Of the 30 fastest growing occupations, more than half require an associates degree or higher. Yet, these jobs are less likely to supply additional jobs to the labor market; meaning, the majority of job growth is found in low-wage jobs (Jacobs 2005). These low-wage jobs are associated with those people who have less education. Workers in these areas are deemed unskilled because it does not require a great amount of education in order to perform these jobs, so the stereotype goes. White collar jobs, however, necessitate more human capital and knowledge and therefore produce higher earnings and require greater education. Therefore, it can be understood that education is a main determinant for potential social mobility in the American workforce. (From Wikipedia.com).
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