Urban Views Weekly November 18, 2015 by Urban Views Weekly

Nov. 18, 2015

Scholar of the Week - Lashawn Blackston

Foodiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Holiday Tips and Tricks Guide

Shop Black Friday Let’s make every day a Shop Black Day Who are our Black Businesses? Where are they located? Let’s make it easy for customers to find them. If you own a Black business, Urban Views would like to promote your business for everyone to see. During this holiday shopping season, Urban Views will print and post the names of locally owned businesses so consumers can do business with them. This FREE promotion will help Black businesses grow. Email your information to:

MyBiz@UrbanViewsWeekly.com Email your: Business Name Business Address Business Phone Number Your Name Your Contact Number

Civic Beat FUNdraising Good Times

#GivingTuesday Have you heard of Giving Tuesday? Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks for the blessings in our lives. Black Friday and Cyber Monday kick off the holiday shopping season. Then there’s Giving Tuesday which, as you may guess, is all about giving – this time to nonprofits. Founded in 2012, Giving Tuesday will be celebrated this year on December 1st. What began as a partnership between New York City’s 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation has grown into a day of giving that engages over 30,000 organizations worldwide. It’s a big deal. If you visit GivingTuesday.org you will find toolkits, case studies, and ideas. The website has suggestions for donors as well as nonprofits. The section on “ideas” is rich in suggestions for how families, businesses and schools can get involved. There are even ideas for city-wide engagement. Tips for nonprofits. Learn everything you need to know to launch a Giving Tuesday campaign. There’s a link to the Knight Foundation’s Giving Day Playbook which includes so many tools helping to ensure a successful Giving Tuesday campaign. The playbook includes sections on planning, outreach, day-of logistics, follow-up and assessment, and resources. This playbook

Letter To The Editor

Tips for donors. Giving Tuesday has a Great Giving Toolkit that includes topics such as “How much can I afford to give?” and “How will my donation be used?” and “Does my company offer a matching gift program?” The toolkit is about more than Giving Tuesday – it can help you throughout the year. As a donor, you will get inspired by so many emotional appeals that grab your heart. As you review these, consider how each nonprofit fits into your plan for giving. What?!?! A plan for giving? Yes, we recommend thinking through your philanthropy. Set aside money to give based on emotion, whim, or because a friend asks. But be sure to set your priorities. Most of us have experienced a “shopping hangover” in January as we open our credit card and bank statements. You can also have a “giving hangover” continues on page 5

Ervin B. Clarke, Publisher publisher@urbanviewsweekly.com

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If you haven’t yet started, it’s not too late.

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.

VOL. 8, ISSUE 46

is an excellent tool. It covers just about everything: processing payments, sample tweets, crisis management... GivingTuesday. org has suggestions to increase year-end giving, and links to download logos and graphics that you can modify to integrate your logo or use as is.

Flora C. Clarke, Administrative Assistant flora@urbanviewsweekly.com Shelia O. Spurlock-Shaw, Advertising shelia@urbanviewsweekly.com Nickkol Lewis, Art Director Visual Appeal, LLC | visualappealstudio.com www.UrbanViewsWeekly.com

University Internship Opportunity VCU | VSU | VUU | U of R Urban Views Weekly has immediate internship openings for students who will supply local content (articles, photography and video). We cover the arts, culture, business, entertainment, education and news important to Richmond’s urban and surrounding communities. We seek enterprising reporters and good writers who are equipped with skills in photography, videography and social media. Because you will work with editors who have extensive journalism and digital media experience, our internships present an opportunity to develop good clips and a strong portfolio in a competitive news market. Please send a résumé and some writing samples to editor@urbanviewsweekly.com

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Urban Views Weekly | November 18, 2015

ViewPoints

Diplomacy is Difficult! Have we entered into a worldwide State of War? Terrorism is a global problem and it appears that no country or people are safe from its attack. The idea that the battlefield for terrorists are places where innocent civilians gather to dine, worship, shop and seek an entertaining evening out, is absolutely appalling. It strikes us at the core of our heart, and soul. It challenges what we, fundamentally, believe. That is what terrorism is designed to do. It provokes and cultivates fear and a visceral need to strike back no matter the cost. The masterminds of the most recent attack in Paris are counting on the world to respond with blood for blood; that is the nature of war, and in the cycle of violence, global terrorism is the most effective ammunition of all.

By Dr. T

Beyond the immediate grief and sorrow for the lives lost and the people traumatized by the most recent attacks in Paris, these terrorists are committed to upend and destroy any attempts at diplomacy in the Middle East and to vehemently infect the non-Muslim world with an anti-Muslim sentiment that creates suspicion, fear and hatred for all Muslims by association. These attacks are designed to ignite fires all over the world that target the Muslim population and immigrant populations from certain regions as possible threats or even, as enemies. Our response to acts of terrorism must be measured and careful. We cannot allow ourselves to devolve into the downward spiral of another world war. We must hold our leaders accountable to be diplomatic in their pursuits of justice instead of retribution. Has history taught us anything at all?

The Management of Savagery is a book published a decade ago that We all need to recognize that according to the Pew Research Center offers a blueprint for militants, committed to building a caliphate. on Religion & Public Life (as of 2010), there were 2.2 billion Christians Tawnya Pettiford-Wates, Ph.D. Simply put, a caliphate is a form of Islamic government led by a worldwide and 1.6 billion Muslims. It must be recognized that 31% of Founder and Artistic Director Caliph which is a person considered to be the political and religious The Conciliation Project and the world is Christian and 23% Muslim which makes over half of the successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad, chosen by God. global community one of the two. This is not to dismiss other religious Associate Professor However, most of the Muslim world and Muslim scholars worldwide Virginia Commonwealth University communities worldwide, but rather to look at the enormous impact these consider the pronouncements in the book and those who ascribe two religious entities have on the global community. It must be said that DrT@Margins2theCenter.com to its tenets to be completely illegitimate, as based on the teachings Muslims are not responsible for these tragic attacks on innocent civilian of Islam written in the Quran. Islamic Terrorists ISIS, Boko Haram, www.theconciliationproject.org populations. Just as, neither Neo Nazi organizations, or the Ku Klux Klan, al-Shabab and al-Qaeda have all been brutally effective in their although they both espouse Christian values and beliefs, by association, campaigns of terror, furthering their extremist views and agenda. Their tactics are always make the entire community of Christians responsible for the carnage and terrorism that brutal and bloody. Their goal is simply to provoke military responses from superpowers both of those groups have inflicted upon the African American and other communities in order to recruit and train guerilla fighters and to create martyrs. The Management of worldwide. It would be as ludicrous to deduce that all Christians are responsible for what is Savagery suggests that this long-lasting strategy and sustained reign of terror will ultimately done in the name of Jesus Christ, as it would be to demonize Muslims for what groups like reveal fundamental weaknesses in the ability of superpowers to defeat committed jihadists ISIS have done and continue to do throughout the world. Diplomacy is difficult but it must and, thereby, fulfill their ultimate goal of domination and destruction of Western principles be what we do in such a time as this. The alternative is, truly, what should terrify us ALL. and practice. Up Next Week: To whom much is given…

TanyaFree.com/Urban Views Weekly Poll Americans are divided on whether any of the presidential candidates have come up with good ideas for handling the problem they see as the most important facing the country according to a recent poll.

What’s Your Take? Check out the story and respond to this week’s poll at TanyaFree.com and the Urban Views Weekly FACEBOOK Page. Listen to the Tanya Free and Friends Talk Show Wednesdays @ 2 p.m. on WCLM1450AM streaming LIVE @ TanyaFree.com and BlackTalkRadioNetwork.com.

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‘Shop Small’

ince its founding in 2010 by American Express, Small Business Saturday has emerged as a major event for holiday shoppers who want to support their community.

Ervin Clarke, Founder of the Central Virginia African American Chamber of Commerce, suggests that special attention should be paid to spending with Black Businesses. Clarke said, “All of the positive economics of buying locally are the same reasons to support Black owned businesses.”

Numerous studies have shown the benefits of spending with locally owned businesses instead of their chain-store competitors. Local shops typically invest far more into their community by using local vendors, employing local people and keeping their profits close to home instead of shipping them to an out-of-town headquarters.

In fact, a survey showed that customers spent a whopping $14.3 billion with small, independent businesses on the day in 2014, a strong indication of how the day is growing into a major American shopping tradition.

It also results in tax revenue that supports the services and infrastructure in your own town. If you shop locally in your own community instead of traveling elsewhere to spend your money, you’ll know any sales taxes collected will be spent on improving your local area — often helping to fund things like roads, sidewalks, police officers and firefighters.

If the trend continues, 2015’s Small Business Saturday will be even bigger. With proclamations of support from governments in all 50 states — including praise and encouragement from President Barack Obama — the day is expected to be a success for locally owned businesses across the nation. Why Shop Local The reason so many people are shopping on Small Business Saturday is simple: It works.

Pure Enjoyment Another reason to shop on Small Business Saturday is for the fun of it. Small, locally owned shops often have unique Christmas gifts with a local flavor. And if you’re unhappy with the lack of service at many of the big, national chain stores, you may be pleasantly surprised at the personal attention you get by shopping with small businesses.

This year, be sure to support local Black owned businesses the Saturday after Thanksgiving! From Fundraising page 2

when you realize exactly how much you gave in “small gifts” and the extent to which you forgot to focus on nonprofits that are important to you and your family. Check out www.GivingTuesday.org for more information. Don’t forget to include #GivingTuesday as part of your social media! www.UrbanViewsWeekly.com

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Fun Food Ideas Stress-Free Hosting

Think Small with Dessert

The key to pulling off a great holiday party is having confidence in yourself. Even if you haven’t planned a party of this magnitude before, believing you can is half the battle.

Convenient and cute, appetizer-sized desserts are the perfect way to keep your guests happy. It’s even better if you can translate holiday favorites into mini versions, like the two ideas below.

Don’t forget that people are focused on each other and their time together during the holidays. No one is going to notice if you make a few mistakes in a recipe or forget to grab a certain decoration. Keep that in mind to help you avoid stressing over every single party detail.

Gingerbread Cupcakes

Does the thought of hosting a big holiday party give you sweats? The planning, the people, the cooking — how will you get it all done?

Plan Ahead

If you wait until the morning of your holiday party to start every recipe, stress is inevitable. A smart strategy is to get started a day early on the desserts and side items that can comfortably rest in the refrigerator without losing their flavor or freshness. There are plenty of make-ahead recipes or even storebought extras that can help keep your stress level to a minimum. You can incorporate a lot of small, fingerfood items that not only make for easy preparation and overnight storage but easy cleanup as well.

Consider a Potluck

The traditional holiday meal may be comprised of grandma whipping up the appetizers, main course, desserts and drinks, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Let guests know ahead of time that you’re going with a potluck party format. Have everyone bring a main dish and dessert — and make sure everyone knows what others are bringing. Or decide to cook the main turkey or ham dish and all of the desserts, leaving the side items up to your guests. Before you know it, your list of items to cook will be whittled down, right along with your stress level.

Decorations

Once the appetizers have been served and the main course finished off, your guests will be looking for dessert. Don’t let them down.

For the cupcakes: 1 stick butter 8 ounces sour cream 2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves For the frosting: 8 ounces softened cream cheese 1 stick softened butter 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup sugar Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Combine butter with sour cream in mixer. Meanwhile, sift flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and cloves into a small bowl. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add flour mixture to butter and sour cream mixture until smooth. Divide batter into muffin pan liners. Bake on middle rack of oven for 25 to 30 minutes. For the frosting, mix cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a bowl. Add sugar and mix until smooth.

Mini Cheesecakes 3 tablespoons butter 6 whole graham crackers 1/2 cup sugar 1 large egg One 10 1/2-ounce log fresh goat cheese, softened 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons crème fraîche (5 ounces) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. In a food processor, grind the crackers with the melted butter and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Pack the crumbs into the paper liners, pressing to compact. Bake for 10 minutes for crispiness and let cool.

When it comes to decorations, it’s OK to think simple. Take a walk around your property to find sticks, pinecones or evergreen branches and combine them into a large vase for a natural centerpiece.

Beat the egg, salt and remaining 1/2 cup sugar at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add goat cheese and beat until smooth. Fold in crème fraîche. Spoon mixture into molds and smooth tops.

Add bowls of bright, vibrant fruit to your table. Items such as lemons and oranges will add some color to your spread, as well as fresh scents to complement the holiday spirit.

Bake for about 30 minutes. Let cheesecakes cool, then refrigerate them until chilled, at least 1 hour.

Urban Views Weekly | November 18, 2015

for the Holiday By Bernard Freeman

The steps to a perfect roast: •

Place the meat fat side up on a rack in an open roaster;

•

Do not add water, as the meat will use its own juices;

•

Insert a meat thermometer into thickest part of roast when the cooking time is nearing the end; and

•

Allow the meat to stand for 15 minutes before carving.

Fittingly, a lot of pressure is on the cook to prepare, cook and carve the meat in just the right way. Follow the tips below to make sure you pull off the meat dish your guests are anticipating.

Roasting Tips

There are all sorts of fancy cooking methods for meat, but one of the most tried and true is the simple roast. Especially good for large cuts of meat, the basic roast will leave your meat juicy and tender. Be sure that your meat is at least 2 inches thick. The meat depends on its own juices to provide some of the flavor and extra juiciness, so roasting too thin a piece can be counterproductive.

Stack up your cups and mugs on a tray, and let guests serve themselves. Also, don’t forget the to-go cups and lids for the non-alcoholic beverages if there are guests who aren’t able to stay long at your party.

The Drinks

Roasts, turkeys and whole chickens benefit from 15 minutes of standing time to allow them to finish cooking.

Considering that not everybody is a coffee fan, be sure to have plenty of hot chocolate on tap for your guests, as well. Your guests can mix individual packets with warm milk for the perfect holiday treat.

Meat is also easier to carve after it stands, and will not lose its juices like it would if cut immediately out of the oven.

On dining room tables across America, the star of the holiday meal is the meat. Turkey, duck, ham or steaks — you can’t go wrong in wowing your guests with a perfectly executed meat dish.

No bar is complete without the mugs and glasses that will be used to serve your delicious concoctions. You can break out the humorous, tacky holiday mugs or opt for classier, more elegant drink ware.

Carving Tips

Different meats pose different challenges when it comes time for carving. A succulent pot roast is best carved against the grain of the meat for the ultimate cut. The turkey, on the other hand, is best cut into different segments to appease your white meat and dark meat fans.

Meat Secrets

Mugs and Glasses

You can either carve at the table or on a large cutting board with a well at one end to hold the juice. Use a long, sharpened carving knife to slice the meat and a longhandled fork to keep your cuts straight and steady.

Holiday Coffee & Hot Chocolate Bar

The holidays mean cold weather, for most of us, which means warm, comforting drinks, and what’s more holidayinspired than coffee and hot chocolate? Having a great variety of both in alcoholic and nonalcoholic choices can be the finishing touch for a festive holiday party. You can achieve this in the form of a fancy coffee and hot chocolate bar set up on your kitchen island or a side table. Here’s what you’ll need:

Coffee is the perfect option for a cold day, so invest in some store-quality thermoses that guests can pump themselves. These can hold much more coffee than a traditional 12-cup pot, which will help you spend less time making coffee and more time enjoying your company.

The Extras

Once the main aspects of the coffee and hot chocolate bar are planned out, it’s time to work on the extras. These can include candies and cookies to complement your drinks, or holiday decorations to dress up your table. Don’t forget the drink add-ons: creamers, sugar, and marshmallows as companions for your guests’ drinks. Many creamers come in peppermint, butter toffee or even rum cake — delectable flavors with the perfect holiday twist for your drink bar.

Cookies with the Kids

Cooking is a holiday tradition that should be enjoyed by people of all ages — even the kids. And depending on the age of your children, there are plenty of cooking activities to which they can lend a hand this year. All it takes to get them involved is some clean hands and plenty of patience on your part. Photo: Fotolia

continues on page 9

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The Deal

Your Year-End Financial Checklist It will begin soon enough – all those “beat the rush!” ads for holiday shopping, activities and events. Right now, you have a great opportunity to beat the rush to organize your year-end finances and make some smart moves for the New Year. Consider the following tasks for your year-end financial to-do list. Total up your year-to-date spending. Whether you organize by computer or on paper, make sure your tracking system for spending, saving and investment is up to date. This way, you can make sure you are on budget for the year and ready with data for tax time. Once you are finished, determine your net worth – what you own less what you owe – and get an early idea of what you need to change next year. Check in with your planner or tax professional. Late December is a busy time for financial professionals. Take a minute to see if they can review your numbers and make suggestions on yearend financial activities and new moves you should make in 2016. Make sure you’ve reviewed all your credit reports for the year. You are entitled to one free copy (https://www.annualcreditreport.com) of each of your three major credit reports from TransUnion, Equifax and Experian. It’s generally wise to schedule delivery of each at different points in the year to catch errors or irregularities. Check and rebalance your portfolio. With the dramatic market swings this past year, be sure to check if your retirement and other investments are still on track with your investment goals. Get qualified help if necessary to see if the assets you own still fit your needs. And if you need to do any tax selling by the end of the year, now is the time to start thinking about it. Check your insurance coverage. If you buy your own home, auto, life or other insurance policies, contact two or three agents representing highly rated (http://www.ambest.com) insurers to review the adequacy and pricing of your coverage. If you have made any structural changes or improvements to your home, make sure those actions are reflected in your homeowners insurance. Such work may boost your

home’s replacement value. Also, if you’ve had a major life or financial event, like a new baby or the purchase of a new home, it’s time to make sure all your coverage is sufficient. Update your W-2, benefits and estate plan if necessary. While you’re updating your insurance and investment needs for big life events related to family, property or marital status, see if your tax withholding and employee health coverage and investments need review. Get qualified help to make this assessment if you are not sure. Empty out your flexible spending accounts. If you have a Flexible Spending Account for health care or other qualifying expenses, it’s time to submit outstanding claims from the doctor, dentist or optometrist. Remember you can only transfer $500 in your remaining balance over to the next year. Make any appointments or medical purchases you need to now and get the paperwork in fast. Do a last-minute tax review. If you work alone or with a tax professional, review your annual income, investment and spending data to see if there’s anything you can do in the final weeks of the year to save on taxes. If tax-deductible donations to qualified charities and nonprofits are recommended, consult sites such as GuideStar (http://www.guidestar.org), CharityWatch (https://www.charitywatch.org/ home) and Charity Navigator (http://www.charitynavigator. org) to evaluate your choices so you know your contribution is being well spent. Save time and cut back on waste with online bill pay and deposits. Automatic online bill pay means you won’t have to waste time writing checks or risk late payment fees. Scheduling bill payment through your checking and savings accounts can save time and money, while setting up regular electronic deposits to savings and investment accounts can also help you save money before you are tempted to spend it. Bottom line: Doing a last-minute review of your finances can potentially save money and help you save, spend and invest smarter in the coming year. Nathaniel Sillin directs Visa’s financial education programs. To follow Practical Money Skills on Twitter: www.twitter. com/PracticalMoney.

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Urban Views Weekly | November 18, 2015

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From Foodies page 7

You can assign different tasks to your children depending on their age. This will help keep them organized and focused on their own specific roles. It also will ensure that the appropriate jobs are being handled by the appropriately aged children. Mixing and beating, for example is probably not a job for your 2-year-old toddler, while adding sprinkles to cookies may very well be.

So be safe this holiday season by following common sense cooking practices in the kitchen. Take these tips from the National Fire Protection Association:

Here are some ideas of how you can involve your children in the cooking process, depending on if they’re younger (ages 2 to 5) or older (ages 6 and above).

Younger Children

Youngsters love cracking eggs. And as long as you’re there to supervise to make sure they’re not ingesting them, this can be a fun, educational experience for your toddler. You also can enlist your youngest children to pour ingredients into a mixing bowl after you have measured them out.

•

Stay in the kitchen while cooking on the stovetop;

•

Remain home when cooking your turkey, ham or duck and check on it frequently;

•

Always keep children at least 3 feet away from the stove or oven to keep them safe from steam or splashing from vegetables or gravy; and

the time comes to add messy items such as flour, sugar or softened cream cheese.

•

Keep the floor clear so you don’t trip over pets, bags or toys.

Here are some other roles that are perfect for the gradeschooler:

Work Off Some Calories

•

Stir in chocolate chips, raisins or other ingredients;

•

Cut out cookie shapes from the rolled dough;

The most fun step for children of any age may be frosting the desserts, so step back and let them have a little fun.

•

Unwrap and press chocolate kisses into the tops of cookies;

Other roles can include:

•

Frost and decorate cookies by themselves;

•

Rolling cookie dough into balls;

•

Flattening the cookie dough balls with their fingers;

Dip cookies in melted chocolate or drizzle the chocolate over the cookies; and

•

Rolling balls of cookie dough in sugar; and

•

Transferring cookie balls onto a baking sheet.

Pipe frosting features on gingerbread men and other desserts.

Older Children

If you trust your older children to use hand-held electric mixers, they can help you take care of this step while you combine other ingredients. You may want to step in when

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Health & Safety

Home fires involving cooking peak on major holidays, and unattended cooking equipment is the leading cause of home cooking fires, according to Electrical Safety Foundation International.

Another aspect of the holidays that can compromise our health is the amount of food and lack of exercise that can come with them. Creamy pies and generous portions can cancel out all of the hard work you’ve done throughout the year trying to lose weight and maintain a healthy waistline. Take some simple steps — literally — to change this pattern. Put together a game of football in the yard before your meal. Recommend a family walk around the neighborhood after dessert. These types of activities can help keep you on track with your weight and cholesterol levels during this holiday season. No matter what you decide to take up this holiday season, make it a tradition. Having something to look forward to that isn’t food-related will keep you from being plunked down onto the couch all day watching football and basketball.

Urban Views Weekly | November 18, 2015

Scholar of the Week

By Janeal Downs Lashawn Blackston wants the community to know that she is a caring and loving person. As a self-motivated person, she wants to one day use her skills to empower other people. With her interest for helping others out, Blackston’s family, many who went to school for nursing, encouraged her to go into the field as well. “The reason why I want to be in the medical field is because I get great satisfaction out of caring and helping others out,” Blackston stated in an essay. Because of this interest, she plans to continue her education to become a certified Registered Nurse of Anesthetists.

Lashawn Blackston

of Richmond Community High School GPA: 3.8 College of Interest: Virginia Commonwealth University Major Community Service: Habitat for Humanity, Circle Center Adult Day Services, food drive, etc. Strong Interests: Childhood obesity, health and wellness, childhood development Favorite Activities: Dance and volunteer

like doing it. It’s just natural to me,” Blackston said. She has done a range of community service for organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Circle Center Adult Day Services, Virginia Rep Children’s Theatre, the Richmond Police Department and South Park Mall. She has also helped with food drives and a freshman orientation where she participated in activities with incoming high school freshmen. Other than volunteering, Blackston’s other favorite thing to do outside of school is to dance. Blackston aspires to one day come up with a medical program to help eliminate people being uninsured or lacking medical care. “By having the medical program, I would want more individuals to have the proper medical attention to be healthier,” Blackston stated. She is also interested in going ™ k e beyond the medical field by having e W discussions with people within her community. She wants to use these discussions as ways to inform people about life skills and what it takes to be healthier.

Scholar0

In order to accomplish her goals, Blackston plans to attend a four-year institution after graduating high school because she believes “that the key to success and living a better life is knowledge.” Her top choice for of the college is Virginia Commonwealth University. The university’s reputable nursing program, and the fact that it is local, is what makes VCU so appealing to her. In the past, Blackston attended a health and science program at the university which is when she first became interested in the school.

Blackston attends Richmond Community High School where she currently has a 3.8 GPA. While in school she has already gained a lot of experience helping others through community service, one of her favorite things to do. “I just have a passion for it, I

With all of her dreams and aspirations, Blackston’s mother is one of her biggest influences. “She’s a motivating person and she always brings me up,” Blackston said. “She always makes sure that I do the right thing.” With the support of her mother and other family members, Blackston feels that being able to accomplish her goals will help her feel accomplished and even save other people’s lives.

Watch for our Scholar of the Week segment, Wednesdays at 6:30 PM on 

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Urban Views Weekly | November 18, 2015

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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How to Guide

PLACE YOUR AD TODAY

How to Choose an Awesome Bakery For your taste buds, not just any bakery will do. You want something that not only looks great, but tastes even better.

topped with organic chocolate drizzle? Bakeries have fabulous taste when it comes to choosing ingredients.

Anyone who has ever smelled freshly baked bread knows the importance of finding a good bakery. Nothing compares to the aroma of cookies or pies coming out of the oven. If it smells good, chances are that it will taste even better.

Many bakeries will have daily samples so you can get a taste before committing. Free nibbles make visiting bakeries a treat!

Consistency

Worthwhile bakeries offer consistency, regardless of who is doing the cooking. The food is consistently delicious. They should take great pride in their products. The process of creating cakes with top-notch ingredients should be the same day-afterday.

Specialties

Awesome bakeries give you the option of purchasing moist muffins, breads, doughnuts or cakes. But they will also offer you other treats, such as low carbohydrates, gluten-free or low-fat products for anyone who is on a special diet plan.

Sometimes, bakeries serve specialty products that only they can offer. For example, one neighborhood bakery might have cake pops or organic wholewheat bread. Many times, the owner will use a family recipe that is unique. Whatever you desire, from dinner rolls to wedding cakes, the right bakery will be able to meet your needs.

There are several things that all the best bakeries share.

Budget

High-Quality Ingredients

The best bakeries use high-quality products from around the globe. Wouldn’t you like to taste real Belgian chocolate? How about a cake

Atmosphere

Great bakeries employ excellent staff who love what they do. As soon as you enter, they should

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Awesome bakeries can fit a wide range of budgets. The best products may cost more since ingredients are expensive, and experienced staff is difficult to find. However, most bakeries try to fit all spending levels. Whether you are purchasing food for lunch or a special occasion, the best bakeries will deliver consistent results. Many bakeries offer catering services.

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Office: (

Office Hours: Mon-Fri 9AM-5PM

greet you promptly. The ambience should be upbeat. After all, baking is fun!

If you love baked goods, then choosing the best bakery is a priority. Maybe you are looking to plan a special event. Or perhaps you simply need a high-quality cake for a family occasion. Sometimes, store-bought goodies are just not good enough.

10% Discount on Thursdays for New Customers

804.649.6868

Open: Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, & Sat. Closed: Wed. & Sun

Your friends and family will likely have recommendations you can try. Also, visiting culinary websites will help you find the latest reviews. These sites will also have stories about market trends. As always, check customer reviews of bakeries. You will likely find an amazing bakery close to home. Check local newspapers for special deals at local bakeries.

Urban Views Weekly | November 18, 2015

NO PREP. ALL PARTY! party platters & trays for any gathering, large or small

ORDERING IS EASY ONLINE at MartinsFoods.com IN-STORE at any fresh department PHONE by calling 888-442-6812

Urban Views Weekly | November 18, 2015