Urban Views Weekly February 15, 2017

Feb. 15, 2017

Scholar of the Week - Sydney Slayton

Heart Health Ambassador Krystyn Young-Benham (right) and friend at annual toy drive.

Heart Health Ambassador shares her new lease on life with all who listen

Get updates throughout the week

Civic Beat FUNdraising Good Times

Mary McLeod Bethune – World Class Fundraiser

Nash Road (Route 636) Bridge Replacement Chesterfield County

Don’t forget to pass the hat

Reliving history with Melvin Shaw.

Design Public Hearing

Wednesday, February 22, 2017 5 – 7 p.m.

Matoaca High School 17700 Longhouse Lane Chesterfield, VA 23838 Find out about the proposed Nash Road (Route 636) bridge replacement over Rita Branch Creek in Chesterfield County. Project plans include a wider bridge with the weight restriction removed. The bridge will be closed to through traffic during construction.

Review project information and the National Environmental Policy Act documentation at the public hearing or at VDOT’s Richmond District Office located at 2430 Pine Forest Drive in Colonial Heights, 804-5246000, 800-367-7623, TTY/TDD 711. Please call ahead to ensure the availability of appropriate personnel to answer your questions.

Give your written or oral comments at the hearing or submit them by March 4, 2017 to David Steele, P.E., project manager, Virginia Department of Transportation, 2430 Pine Forest Drive, Colonial Heights, VA 23834-9002. You may also e-mail your comments to davida.steele@vdot.virginia.gov. Please reference “Nash Rd. bridge replacement comment” in the subject line.

VDOT ensures nondiscrimination and equal employment in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. If you need more information or special assistance for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency, contact VDOT’s Civil Rights Division at (804) 524-6091 or TDD/TTY 711. * In the event of inclement weather on February 22, this meeting will be held March 1 at the same time and location above.

In the early 1950’s I had the honor to hear Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune speak in a packed, hot and humid Clayborn Temple in downtown Memphis. She was a powerful orator. She mesmerized me, she mesmerized the crowd. She raised money for BethuneCookman College the old fashioned way: “she passed the hat.”

Educational and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls. By 1931 her school had merged with another and become the college now known as Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach Florida. She was an educator, a businesswoman, an activist, and a co-founder of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF). She was a fundraiser long before there was a “development office.” She knew that if she intended to educate young African Americans it wasn’t enough for her to teach – she had to make sure students had food to eat, sheets for their beds, books, paper, money to pay the light bill and to pay faculty.

She started what became a major university with five African American girls and what we today call a grass-roots campaign.

“It’s about talking to the community and creating a shared vision and ownership. ”

I will never forget her for as long as I live. She spoke of going door-todoor asking for nickels, quarters, food, anything people could spare to help support her college.

She believed in education and she didn’t wait for others to do what needed to be done.

Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune was just 29 years old when she opened the Daytona

Letter To The Editor

State Project: 0636-020-653, P101, R201, C501, B694 Federal Project: STP-5A27 (235)

Dr. Mary McLeod

continues to page 15

If you would like to respond to Viewpoints, your submission should contain your name, a full valid address and a daytime phone number. We cannot acknowledge submitted letters. We reserve the right to edit for accuracy, clarity, legality and taste. E-mail (without attachments) to editor@ urbanviewsweekly.com. Mail letters to Editor Urban Views Weekly.

Ervin B. Clarke, Publisher publisher@urbanviewsweekly.com

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Urban Views Weekly | February 15, 2017

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Chesterfield County Public Schools and Virginia State University announce partnership to assist Ettrick Elementary School Chesterfield County Public Schools and Virginia State University (VSU) announced the first of a twopart partnership effort designed to support Ettrick Elementary’s return to full accreditation. Beginning in February, Virginia State will provide 25-40 students from VSU’s College of Education and other studentled support organizations to help with targeted interventions related to math at Ettrick Elementary.

receive authentic field work while assisting in Ettrick classrooms. The program will focus on supporting smallgroup instruction and one-on-one support in math heading into the spring semester administration of the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments.

“This partnership is a win-win for the school and “Ettrick Elementary continues to make progress, university,” Chesterfield County Public Schools specifically in English, where student pass rates on statemandated tests have increased 11 percentage points during Superintendent Dr. James Lane said. “We’re excited about the opportunities that this partnership provides and the last several years,” said Chesterfield School Board look forward to continuing to work together on other Member Rob Thompson, whose Matoaca District serves opportunities that would support our work to transform Ettrick Elementary. “In seeking to help Ettrick continue Ettrick into an engineering center.” to improve, the School Board has invested additional instructional resources in the school. We are constantly VSU’s immediate involvement will provide a strategic looking to add additional layers of support. VSU will tutoring and volunteer program to support Ettrick provide a mutually beneficial partnership that will help students in grades 3-5, and VSU education students will students at both schools excel and grow.”

“We are serious across the entire education spectrum about supporting Ettrick Elementary,” Virginia State University President Dr. Makola Abdullah said pointing to an array of VSU leaders present. “We must make this work for our students and Ettrick’s students. We must have a long-term vision – the Trojans and the Hero Trojans. We must work together to be successful so that our students and your students are prepared for success.”

In addition to this partnership, Chesterfield County Public Schools has provided additional supports to Ettrick Elementary for the 2016-17 school year including: • Priority in screening potential

Continues to Page 10

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Urban Views Weekly | February 15, 2017

2/3/17 2:41 3 PM

ViewPoints

By Dr. T

WOMAN… SIT DOWN! And SHUT UP! During the Senate debate around the nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions to be the nation’s next Attorney General, Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, actually silenced Senator Elizabeth Warren in the middle of her dissenting arguments regarding the nominee.

Senator Warren was reading a letter written

by Mrs. Coretta Scott King in 1986 urging the body to block Sessions’ nomination as a federal court judge. The letter was addressed to Senator Strom Thurmond, an avowed segregationist, who was the chairman of the Judiciary Committee at the time. Senator Warren read Mrs. King’s letter out loud from the podium on the Senate floor. “Mr. Sessions has used the awesome powers of his office in a shabby attempt to intimidate and frighten elderly black voters,” Warren continued to read from King’s letter.

“For this reprehensible conduct, he should not be rewarded with a federal judgeship.”

“In a democracy, with a representative government, dissent is absolutely necessary and MUST be heard.”

This political stunt was so disgustingly heavyhanded and patently obtuse that McConnell looked like he was a Neanderthal from the dark ages or some Puritan village elder from the Salem Witch Trials. In the public square, across major media channels and social media outlets, he slapped the woman down and “put her in her place.” SILENCE! Do not speak Woman! What we are witnessing as our government officials conduct the peoples’ business is absolutely outrageous. It’s unbelievable that cogent facts, as stated emphatically by the widow of one of our nation’s most favorite sons and great mouthpieces for justice, were deemed as unfit to be heard and entered into the record during the debate around the nomination of this nation’s top attorney. It is breathtaking that the majority party’s Leader literally told the woman, a senior senator, to shut up and sit down. As astounding as it is, it is so familiar and such common behavior.

Before Warren could finish reading, she was interrupted by Senator Mitch McConnell. “The In a democracy, with a representative Senator has impugned the motives and conduct government, dissent is absolutely necessary of our colleague from Alabama,” McConnell spoke intentionally. “I call the senator to order and MUST be heard. Senator Mitch McConnell was boorish, ill-mannered, arrogant and under the provisions of Rule 19.” Rule 19 is an antiquated and rarely used procedural clearly oblivious to all the racist, sexist, and misogynistic optics he created in that singular rule on debate etiquette on the Senate floor. In this case, the rule states, No Senator in moment. It should be remembered. It was clearly pre-planned and thoroughly vetted debate shall directly, or indirectly, by any form of words impute to another Senator or to as a strategy to block dissent and not allow the voice of the people to be heard through other Senators any conduct or motive unworthy or unbecoming a Senator. And with that, their representatives. When you have the votes, what’s wrong with hearing from the other the Chairman presiding over the hearing agreed side? Why not allow the words of Mrs. Coretta Scott with Senator McConnell and shut Senator Elizabeth King to be heard? Why should you need to bully Tawnya Pettiford-Wates, Ph.D. Warren down! Just like a slap in the face, it was your way across the finish line? Have some decency, Founder and Artistic Director without warning and delivered a stinging blow, sir! This is Washington, DC in 2017, not Salem, The Conciliation Project and Associate Professor effectively silencing the woman senator and sitting Massachusetts, 1692. We will NOT be SILENCED! Virginia Commonwealth University her down.

“She was warned…she was given an explanation… and Nevertheless …She Persisted!”

DrT@Margins2theCenter.com | www.theconciliationproject.org

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The Deal

Make the Most of Your Rewards Program Membership I’m often intrigued and sometimes inspired by stories of people traveling the world using points and miles. There’s a well-known (within certain circles, at least) man who earned over a million airline miles by purchasing more than $3,000 worth of pudding during a special promotion in 1999. Or, you might have heard about people using coupons during a grocery store’s membership-only sale to get food and household products for free.

programs expire if you don’t use them within a specified period or have recent account activity. You could use a website, app or spreadsheet to help track your accounts, how many points or miles you’ve earned and when they expire.

Another way to avoid overspending is to consider your net cost when comparison shopping. To do this, you’ll need a list of the dollar value of each program’s rewards points. You could take a shortcut and copy the values other enthusiasts place on each program’s points. Or, you could make estimates of your own based on trips or purchases you regularly make.

While I might not be as enthusiastic as some world travelers, or as extreme as some couponers, I do see the benefit in a program that’s free to join and offers you potentially money-saving perks. However, I also know it’s important not to get so caught up that I wind up spending more money than I would otherwise. As a friend of mine loved to say, “never spend a dollar to save a nickel.”

waste. You could find yourself with a pantry full of products that are slowly going bad, or paying more for a trip because you didn’t comparison shop the offerings from other airlines or hotel chains.

The perks of membership. There are many loyalty or rewards programs to choose from and the rules and benefits can vary. For example, a grocer’s program might offer the Joining a rewards program could lead to overspending if same in-store savings and exclusive coupons to all its you’re not careful. Recognizing that the programs could members. By contrast, travel rewards programs often have be designed to get you to spend more, and more often, tiers, different levels of membership with varying benefits can help you refrain from overspending. Here are a few depending on how often you travel or how much you spend. additional ways to make sure you maximize your benefits.

While the basic tier may offer discounted hotel rates or free Wi-Fi, the higher tiers might come with free room upgrades • Don’t double-count your savings. You’re tricking yourself if (including to coveted suites) and guaranteed early check-in you consider the rewards points from a retailer’s program and late check-out. as savings when making a purchase and then consider Recognize why companies might have rewards programs. the same points as savings When you’re a big fan of a company or product, getting (again) when you redeem rewarded for your loyalty can be great. After all, it’s a free them for store credit. Count perk if you were going to make the purchase anyway. But the rewards once, or don’t try not to get too attached to a particular company or make them part of your product based solely on the rewards program. buying decision at all.

Buying something simply because you get a discount as a member, or making a purchase “for the points,” might be a

Expand your network and Grow your business.

By Nathaniel Sillin

Now you’ll know when 1,000 points are worth $1 or $10 and can plan your purchases accordingly. In the end, you want to be able to make as close to an apples-to-apples comparison as possible, inclusive of the value you place on the rewards.

Bottom line: Consumer rewards programs offer a wide variety of benefits, including exclusive savings and complimentary perks. While it’s often free to join the programs, and you could get rewarded for doing so, keep the big picture in mind and be careful about letting your membership lead to unnecessary purchases.

Nathaniel Sillin directs Visa’s financial education programs.

To follow Practical Money Skills on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ PracticalMoney

• Keep your programs organized. Points in some

Join Today!

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Urban Views Weekly | February 15, 2017

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Health News

sponsored by VCU Health

It’s Not an Old Man’s Disease

J. Chevonte’ Alexander

Men and women are not equal...when it comes to heart attacks, at least. ~ Wochit-All

• Upper body pain or discomfort in the arms, back, neck, jaw, or upper stomach.

Heart disease is the #1 killer of women, causing 1 in 3 deaths each year. That’s approximately one woman every minute!

• Shortness of breath.

But it doesn’t affect all women alike, and the warning signs for women aren’t the same in men. “There are several misconceptions about heart disease in women, and they could be putting women at risk,” comments Dr. Kyungeh An, Associate Professor for the Department of Adult Health and Nursing Systems at VCU’s School of Nursing.

High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking are key risk factors for heart disease. About half of Americans (47%) have at least one of these three risk factors.

Heart disease is also the leading cause of death for people of most ethnicities in the United States, including African Americans, Hispanics, and whites. For American Indians or Alaska Natives and Asians or Pacific Islanders, heart disease is second only to cancer.

Here are more unsettling facts:

• Nausea, lightheadedness, or cold sweats.

“Research suggests African Americans may carry a gene that makes them more salt sensitive, increasing the risk of high blood pressure. But the good news is that most of the risk factors are controllable.” comments Dr. An.

Here’s what you need to know about the causes of heart disease and ways you can prevent it.

Several other medical conditions and lifestyle choices can also put people at a higher risk for heart disease, including: • Diabetes

• 90 percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease.

• In a 2005 survey, most respondents—92%—recognized chest pain as a symptom of a heart attack. Only 27% were aware of all major symptoms and knew to call 9-1-1 when someone was having a heart attack.

• Since 1984, more women than men have died each year from heart disease and the gap between men and women’s survival continues to widen.

• About 47% of sudden cardiac deaths occur outside a hospital. This suggests that many people with heart disease don’t act on early warning signs.

• Physical inactivity

• The symptoms of heart disease can be different in women vs. men, and are often misunderstood.

Heart attacks have several major warning signs and symptoms:

What causes heart disease?

• While 1 in 31 American women dies from breast cancer each year, 1 in 3 dies of heart disease.

• Chest pain or discomfort.

• Overweight and obesity • Poor diet

• Excessive alcohol use

Heart disease affects the blood vessels and cardiovascular system. Numerous problems can result from this, many of which are continues to page 13

There’s a beauty

to the rhythm of life.

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Urban Views Weekly | February 15, 2017

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This check may save your life.

High blood pressure has a domino effect on health, leading to heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease. Check you blood pressure. Know your numbers!

It just may save your life.

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Urban Views Weekly | February 15, 2017

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Celebrating Amer with Richmond’s Own He According to the American Heart Association, doing her usual weekday running. Where she’d normally cardiovascular disease stands as the number one killer have the stamina to go to run 15 miles a week, she felt her of women each year. One in three body become heavy and sluggish, almost as if she were women, to be exact, is fatally running through quicksand. affected by some form of heart

disease, and the number becomes When she felt that peculiar feeling of even more staggering when broken discomfort, her first thought was that down by race. When it comes to it could be bronchitis. She called her women over the age of 20, nearly sister who described the symptoms, half of Black women, a third of and when hers matched, she headed Hispanic women, and a third to Patient First to get treatment. The of White women are living with doctors treated her with a Z-Pak and cardiovascular disease, 80% gave instructions to return in five days of which may be preventable. if symptoms persisted. Sure enough, by With proper education and day five her condition worsened. understanding health risks, women can successfully defeat the “I felt like I was dragging my body odds and take control over the everywhere,” she recalls. “I couldn’t Krystyn Young-Benham disease that claims a woman’s life breathe, and I couldn’t sleep; it really every 80 seconds. felt like I was dying. When I went back to Patient First, I told them I needed an x-ray because I Even more powerful than the numbers of women affected knew there was something going on with my heart.” by heart disease are the success stories of women who have defied the odds and reclaimed their lives. As we Doctors switched her diagnosis to pneumonia, but after celebrate American Heart Month, we’re dedicated a day of taking the prescribed meds, she got the call that to “Going Red for Women” there was in fact a bigger issue at with the American Heart hand. Despite no genetic history of Association, sharing the stories heart disease in her family, Youngand tips that’ll help millions of Benham learned that her heart was women ensure that their life abnormally enlarged. story ends in triumph and not tragedy.

After getting set up with a doctor at Bon Secours, a round of tests, Richmond’s own Krystyn and many exhausting hours spent Young-Benham’s triumphant waiting for rooms and results, return from an unexpected Young-Benham got the alarming health roadblock serves as both call that she had Idiopathic a wake-up call and inspiration Cardiomyopathy and was in heart for young women battling failure. Thirty-five, active, and in heart disease. In the summer heart failure, with no family history of 2013, a physically fit Youngof heart disease? The news came as Benham felt discomfort while quite a shock. A few days later, her

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Urban Views Weekly | February 15, 2017

Krystyn Young-Benham and her co-workers

condition took a turn for the worse as she suffered a stroke.

“During the stroke, it felt like I was listening to the radio; I could hear everyone around me talking, but I couldn’t respond,” Young-Benham explains. “When doctors told me that it happened to me, I didn’t believe them. But I had to relearn how to do everything again. I could walk with assistance, but I couldn’t write, and I spoke with a slight slur. I had to

rican Heart Month eart Health Ambassador

By Janna M. Hall

s participating in the “GO RED” program.

reprogram the left side of my body, at 35 years old.”

Perhaps it was the 35-year-old fire that still burned within that kept Young-Benham determined to make a full recovery, and quickly. In fact, by October, just five months after her health crisis, she regained all of her abilities and returned to work a month later. To make her recovery even more extraordinary, the day Heart Strong Pix Photography

• Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death in the United States, killing nearly 130,000 people a year. That’s roughly 1 in every 20 deaths.

• Nearly 65% of women age 20 and older are overweight or obese.

before anniversary of stroke, she was completely off all medication.

• About 60% are non-Hispanic whites;

Young-Benham’s journey is simply remarkable, and her life is a testament to what your body can do to overcome even the toughest odds.

• About 75% are Hispanics.

“I know it sounds like a lot happened, but if you saw me, you wouldn’t have a clue,” she says. “That’s why I tell my story, especially to my peers. Because when you see me, you see me as one of you—one of your peers. [Young adults] don’t take into consideration that it can happen to them. But it can.”

• About 30% of women in America have high blood pressure.

Since then, Young-Benham has opened her own photography business, Heart Strong Pix, and takes every opportunity to share her story to both educate and inspire women on all things heart health. She’s become very active with the American Heart Association, speaking at luncheons and connecting with women she calls “Survivor Sisters.” Whether at church or in the workplace, Young-Benham owns her role as a true Heart Health Ambassador in Richmond, Virginia and beyond.

It turns out that what would normally serve as a major setback propelled her into a space where her voice is not only appreciated, but much needed in the saving of other women’s lives.

When it comes to education, it’s never too late to get in tune with your body and understand the risk factors you face. The American Heart Association recommends “Knowing Your Numbers”: Total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, and body mass index (BMI). Knowing those numbers helps women and their healthcare provider determine their risk for developing cardiovascular diseases.

Young-Benham also suggests incorporating heart health education in the workplace, which she plans to do on February 24th. She’ll be bringing in doctors to host a Love Your Heart seminar in celebration of American Heart Month.

• About 80% are non-Hispanic blacks; and, • About 45% of women in America age 20 or older have total cholesterol of 200 mg/dl or higher.

Heart Attack Warning Signs • Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.

• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body.

Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.

• Shortness of breath. This may occur with or without chest discomfort.

As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.

Stroke Warning Signs • Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body • Sudden confusion, or trouble speaking or understanding • Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes • Sudden trouble walking, dizziness or loss of balance or coordination • Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

continues on page 15 Photos courtesy of Krystyn Young-Benham, Heart Strong Pix

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9

SAVOR

Family Features Courtesy of Cherry Marketing Institute

Go Tart for Your Heart Eating with heart health on your mind has never tasted so good. While many aspects of life can impact heart health, opting for nutritious foods plays an especially important role.

“Heart-healthy eating can be delicious and on-trend with vibrant colors and sweet-tart flavors. There are simple ways to add nutrient-rich ingredients to your favorite recipes that add depth of flavor and texture, too,” said Michelle Dudash, registered dietitian. “Packed with beneficial phytonutrients, including anthocyanins, research shows Montmorency tart cherries may help lower levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, reduce blood pressure, reduce inflammation and reduce belly fat –

all factors linked to heart disease risk.”

Start the day off by blending frozen tart cherries into a Tart Cherry Granola Smoothie Bowl or incorporating dried tart cherries into your favorite trail mix when it’s time for a snack. This heart-healthy, ruby-red fruit has a distinct sweet-tart taste that makes an easy addition to a variety of dishes and is available yearround in dried, frozen, juice and concentrate forms.

To learn more about the health benefits of Montmorency tart cherries and find more delicious recipes, visit www.choosecherries.com.

Tart Cherry Granola Smoothie Bowls Recipe courtesy of Sonja Overhiser of A Couple Cooks on behalf of the Cherry Marketing Institute Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 45 minutes Servings: 2

Granola:

Heat oven to 325°F.

1/4

cup olive oil

1/2

cup maple syrup

In small bowl, whisk together olive oil, maple syrup and vanilla.

1

teaspoon vanilla extract

3

cups old-fashioned rolled oats

3/4

teaspoon kosher salt

1/2

teaspoon cinnamon

1

cup sliced almonds

Roughly chop dried cherries.

1

cup dried Montmorency tart cherries

1/2

cup pepitas

When granola is baked, cool slightly then stir in cherries and pepitas.

Smoothie Bowl: 2 1/2 cups frozen Montmorency tart cherries 2

tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1 lemon)

1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup 1

ripe banana

1

cup almond milk, plus additional (optional) 10

Urban Views Weekly | February 15, 2017

VSU from page 3

candidates and hiring new teachers • An additional Title 1 math teacher and an additional reading teacher, giving the school a three-person leadership team in both math and reading • Two additional teaching positions, utilized in first and fourth grades to reduce class sizes • A part-time special education coordinator to assist with services for students with special needs • Chromebooks for each student in grades 3-5 to support anytime, anywhere learning and to provide students immediate access to academic and remediation programs without having to wait for a computer lab to become available • Shorter wait times for computer labs for students in grades K-2 • A universal screener to allow the leadership team the opportunity to measure students’ current math skill levels to better target math instruction to support student growth • A full-time substitute to provide consistent academic support when a teacher is out of the building Ettrick Elementary continues utilizing a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant to provide beforeand after-school remediation and enrichment for approximately 120 students in grades 2-5.

In separate bowl, stir together oats, salt, cinnamon and almonds. Pour in mixture. Bake about 45 minutes until golden brown, stirring every 15 minutes and watching carefully near end of baking, stirring more, if necessary.

Note: Granola can be stored in air-tight container up to 1 month.

To make smoothie bowl: Blend together tart cherries, lemon juice, maple syrup, banana and almond milk. If necessary, add additional milk for a smoother consistency.

Serve smoothie in bowl with 1/4 cup tart cherry granola.

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Ask us how: (804) 441-6255

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THEY OPENED DOORS Margaret Ellen Mayo Tolbert SUFFOLK SCIENTIST, EDUCATOR & AUTHOR

Despite losing both parents as a child in Suffolk County, she found the strength to forge a trailblazing career in biochemistry, becoming the first woman and the first African American to be named director of a U.S. Department of Energy laboratory.

Real pioneering leaders don’t just open doors of opportunity for themselves. They hold them open for others, especially the young people coming behind them.

RICHMOND

ACCOMAC AVIATION PIONEER & PHILANTHROPIST

Dominion and the Library of Virginia are proud to honor 2017’s Strong Men & Women in Virginia History. From health care to the law, from science and aviation to the news media, they succeeded in their chosen fields of endeavor — and worked to ensure those doors remain open to all.

Benjamin J. Lambert III*

William E. Bailey

Born in Accomack County, he was a combat pilot in Vietnam, when few African Americans served as Army aviators. After retiring as a colonel, he flew for Continental Airlines and helped establish the Bailey Family Endowment, providing more than $150,000 in financial aid to Virginia State University students.

Leonard “Doc” Muse ARLINGTON

OPTOMETRIST & LEGISLATOR

Overcoming Virginia’s segregated schools, he grew up to study optometry and opened his own practice in Richmond. He won election to the state legislature and became known for building coalitions across party lines to serve all Virginians.

Charles Spurgeon Johnson*

PHARMACIST & COMMUNIT Y LEADER

One of very few African-American pharmacists in 1948, he was surprised by how poorly drugstores treated African Americans. As a result, he opened his own pharmacy in Arlington County, providing trusted medical advice and credit to those who couldn’t afford needed medicines.

BRIS TOL SOCIOLOGIST & COLLEGE PRESIDENT

After being deeply affected by his experience in the 1919 Chicago race riots, the Bristol native pioneered research on race relations, worked for the National Urban League, and was chosen to be Fisk University’s first African-American president.

Mary Janipher Bennett Malveaux HENRICO JUDGE OF THE VIRGINIA COURT OF APPEALS

Stephanie T. Rochon-Moten*

As a young lawyer she gained a reputation as a tough but fair prosecutor and became the first African-American woman to serve as a judge in Henrico County’s General District Court. She later was named the second African-American woman to sit on the Virginia Court of Appeals.

RICHMOND T V NEWS ANCHOR & CANCER AWARENESS ADVOCATE

The evening news co-anchor for WTVR Channel 6 in Richmond produced the award-winning “Buddy Check 6” reports on breast cancer awareness. She focused especially on reaching low-income women and African Americans, who are disproportionally affected by the disease.

The Strong Men & Women in Virginia History program is sponsored by Dominion and the Library of Virginia to honor the contributions of influential African-American leaders. The program also helps prepare future leaders by sponsoring an annual student writing contest with awards to students and their schools. To learn more about the program, its honorees, and available resource materials, visit lva.virginia.gov/smw. * honored posthumously

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Urban Views Weekly | February 15, 2017

2/1/17 1:20 PM

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How to Guide

How to Choose a Vascular Surgeon Vascular surgery involves using medicine, surgical procedures and minimally invasive procedures with catheters to treat the blood vessels in your body, from the cardiac vessels near your heart to problems like varicose veins in your legs. Your veins and arteries keep you alive, so choosing the right vascular surgeon to treat them is critically important.

vascular surgery and why. This is where most patients get their best advice.

If you know any friends, family members or co-workers who have needed vascular surgery, you can ask them about their experience, too. Hearing their first-hand stories of how happy they were with their procedures can add some insight.

Here are some things to consider when choosing a vascular surgeon.

Personality

Medical Background

While it’s not nearly as important as their medical background, the vascular surgeon’s personality may also play a role in your decision.

The first and most important thing to know is the surgeon’s background and experience. Not only should they have gone through medical school and a residency — which is required before any doctor can practice — but also specific training for the type of surgical procedures they perform.

You can also check whether the surgeon is certified by the American Board of Surgery, which requires five years of an approved residency and lengthy written and oral exams. Not all surgeons are board-certified. Ask the doctor about their training and education in the procedures you’re considering.

Experience with Procedure A closely related topic is the surgeon’s experience performing your exact procedure.

Some surgeons perform a wide range of surgeries while others specialize in very specific procedures, perfecting their skills in a narrow area over many years.

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Urban Views Weekly | February 15, 2017

Part of this is because you want the surgeon to make you feel comfortable by answering all your questions and keeping you fully informed of what to expect from the procedure.

You don’t always need a specialist surgeon, but it can be helpful to know how many years your surgeon has performed the procedure along with how many times they have done it.

This information can help guide your decision.

Reputation The best surgeons will have a great reputation, both in the medical community and with their patients. You can start by asking your general practice doctor who they recommend for

Another reason is that a good relationship with your doctor can lead to better medical outcomes. Your surgeon should be someone you are very comfortable telling your medical history and habits to, with complete honesty, to make sure they’re fully informed before beginning the procedure.

Honesty and openness can make medical procedures safer in some cases.

In the end, if you find a surgeon with the right experience level, training and a great reputation, you’ll be very likely to have a good outcome from your vascular procedure.

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Health News from page 6

related to a process called atherosclerosis, a condition that develops when plaque builds up in the walls of the arteries. This buildup narrows the arteries, making it harder for blood to flow through. If a blood clot forms, it can stop the blood flow. This can cause a heart attack or stroke.

But it doesn’t end there. Heart disease can take many other forms as well: • Heart failure or congestive heart failure, which means that the heart is still working, but it isn’t pumping blood as well as it should, or getting enough oxygen.

• Arrhythmia or an abnormal rhythm of the heart, which means the heart is either beating too fast, too slow or irregularly.

This can affect how well the heart is functioning and whether or not the heart is able to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs.

• Heart valve problems can lead to the heart not opening enough to allow proper blood flow. Sometimes the heart valves don’t

close and blood leaks through, or the valve leaflets bulge or prolapse into the upper chamber, causing blood to flow backward through them.

How can I prevent it?

Many things can put you at risk for these problems – ones you can control, and others that you can’t. Here are a few lifestyle changes you should make: • Don’t smoke • Manage your blood sugar • Get your blood pressure under control • Lower your cholesterol • Know your family history • Stay active • Lose weight • Eat healthy It’s Time to Go Red this month!

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TanyaFree.com/ Urban Views Weekly Poll History sometimes has a way of repeating itself. A right wing conservative has established a college scholarship fund exclusively for “straight white American men.” The website boasts that The Privilege Grant “is available exclusively to white men” who want to pursue college “on equal footing with their female, queer and ethnic minority classmates.”

What’s your take? Reminiscent of the days of Jim Crow? Sign of the times?

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Urban Views Weekly | February 15, 2017

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Scholar of the Week

By Janeal Downs

At the young age of 8, Sydney Slayton started playing tennis at Battery Park. “It started by just watching people play,” Sydney said. “I just continued to hit it against the wall so I could make the team.” She played ever since and it has become one of her favorite activities to do outside of school. Sydney played for both Armstrong High School’s tennis team and the Metro Richmond Tennis Club. This year, she didn’t get to play because of her busy schedule with other extracurricular activities. Despite this, she plays whenever she has leisure time and plans to join an intramural tennis team when she goes to college.

Sydney Slayton

of Richmond Community High School GPA: 4.3 College(s) of Interest: George Mason University Major Community Service: Science Museum of Virginia and Patrick Henry YMCA Strong Interests: Bio-medical Engineering Favorite Activities: Playing tennis, volunteering, painting, drawing, sculpting, etc.

Business Leaders of America and Partnership for the Future.

With everything she is involved with, Sydney currently maintains a 4.3 cumulative GPA. “In high school, I learned to be more open to trying new things and talking to more people instead of being reserved and quiet,” Sydney said. “So in college I hope to come out my shell even more by engaging in more activities around college clubs and stuff like that.”

George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia is her top choice for college. The friendly people she met when she visited and its close proximity to Washington D.C. Along with tennis, Sydney enjoys attracted her to the university over painting, drawing, sculpting, other schools. She plans to major volunteering and other activities. in bio-engineering. One semester, She has volunteered at the Science Sydney had the opportunity Museum of Virginia and with to take a course with the VCU the Patrick Henry YMCA. “I’ve Health Academy. She studied learned how to communicate with rehabilitation classes, learned how people (and) how to be more vocal,” prosthetics are manufactured and Sydney said about her experience how helpful they can be to people’s ™ k e e W as a volunteer. “I’m not scared bodies.

These experiences helped e h t of anymore to speak in front of big her make a decision to study biocrowds. I’ve just learned to come medical engineering. With so many out of my shy shell.” Sydney also inspirations and goals, Sydney had the chance to volunteer with credits her parents as being big the Prejudice Awareness Summit where she helped facilitate motivators in her life. “My parents, mostly my mother, have a discussion with middle school students about the effects of inspired me to do well in life. She has supported all of my bullying. Although she has never been bullied, the experience decisions and dreams without giving me any problems,” Sydney provided a new perspective on how bullying takes a toll on said. “She has also been my number one supporter, she’s right people and also how different schools deal with it. there, she’s my sidekick.” As high school comes to a close and she prepares for college, Sydney is motivated by her parent’s support Sydney volunteers outside of school, but she also participates in and her own aspirations. school organizations such as Math Science Investigators, Future

Scholar0

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Urban Views Weekly | February 15, 2017

Do you know a High School Senior who can meet the following criteria?

1. Have a 3.0 grade point average or better 2. Participates in extracurricular community service activities 3. Attends public school in Central Virginia Go to UrbanViewsWeekly.com for application and details.

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FUNdraising from page 2

Bethune created the energy and buzz that surrounded the college. She had a vision and she passionately brought people around her who could ensure that her dream – and its impact on the African American community – would come alive and grow. She looked to the African American community first for support and the college took root. She built a base of small donors who believed in the college at a time when the great majority of African Americans were not educated and did not have access to education. She traveled across the country preaching, passing the hat, and asking everybody to support her students.

The fundraising principles used by Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune are the same principles that drive fundraising today.

She had a vision that directly addressed a critical community need. She had a clear plan. She clearly and powerfully articulated her vision and encouraged others to give.

And she was undeterred.

These principles may sound simple,

but they cannot be overlooked. In today’s language this means clearly identifying your mission and vision, creating an informative and persuasive case for support, and then consistently communicating with those who share your vision. It’s not just about talking to the powerful: It’s about talking to the community and creating a shared vision and ownership.

This is so important: We must remember to fully engage our community. Small gifts are powerful: They demonstrate support to those who can give more. And grassroots fundraising keeps us tied to those we serve.

It’s Black History Month – let’s not forget our history of successful fundraising.

Part of her education included educating herself. While in the hospital, she was determined to not let long words like “cardiomyopathy” scare her. She pulled out her iPad and researched everything so that at every turn, she was fully aware of what was happening in her body. And she encourages others to do the same.

Krystyn Young-Benham’s health scare and experiences have only given her a greater

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purpose, and the platform she’s been given only inspires other women to live their healthiest lives. Her life is a testament to what you can do when you’re determined to live.

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“You have to want to live,” she says.

“Regardless of what’s going on in your life, you have to want to live the best life you can live. I was so determined to not depend on anyone, and maybe it was the 35-year-old in me, but I never lost my fight, and I never lost my determination. So I tell other women going through this that they don’t have to leave this world without making an imprint. Despite everything, stay determined to leave a mark and make it known that you were here.”

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Heart Health from page 9

“You can definitely start heart health education in the workplace. You’re there all the time, and you already pay top dollar for insurance. Look for women’s networks or other ways that you can understand more about your health.”

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Urban Views Weekly | February 15, 2017

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! w e n TWISTED

E T A L O C O H C ONS

EATI R C D E INSPIR

TRY THEM ALL

BEFORE THEY’RE GONE ONLY AT

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Urban Views Weekly | February 15, 2017

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