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Serving More Than 50,000 African American Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area / Vol. 47, No. 35 June 14 - June 20, 2012
Kwame Brown: The Aftermath By Barrington M. Salmon WI Staff Writer
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Chairman Kwame Brown’s sudden resignation last week has thrown D.C. politics into disarray. Council members are scrambling to form alliances and position themselves for the openings that are now available with Brown’s removal. /Photo by Khalid Naji-Allah
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n the days since former D.C. Council Chairman Kwame R. Brown was forced to step down after pleading guilty to financial and campaign-related improprieties, council members who’ve been left behind are eager to put the sordid affair behind them. Brown’s abrupt resignation and his unexpected fall from grace has thrown the council into disarray and created a leadership crisis. His absence has ignited a frenzy of politicking, deal-making and the shuffling and reconfiguration of the legislative body. Members have been meeting behind closed doors to plot the way forward, and on Wednesday were scheduled to meet, confer and choose an interim council chairman. That person would serve until D.C. voters choose a new chairman in November. At press time, Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large) was the odds-on favorite to assume the role of acting chairman. He has the support of the majority of his colleagues and is regarded as a calming influence, an experienced hand and the voice of reason on the body. “All of this is very disappointing,” said Mendelson of the scandal that broke down Brown. “I take no pleasure in any of this.” Mendelson, 59, said during an interview Tuesday that while he has talked to his colleagues and is optimistic, he doesn’t like to comment on issues that have yet to be settled. “We won’t know until tomorrow,” he intoned. But if chosen, Mendelson said, he would seek to inject stability and cordiality to the discordant and fractious body. “My appointment would be to be as collaborative as possible,” he said. “I would work closely with members and do business as best as I could.” Mendelson, who was first elected to the council in 1998, acknowledges the spate of squabbling and nastiness that has consumed the council over the past 18 months or so. “We have been less collaborative [and that’s be-
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“HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!” (Left) DC Mayor Vincent Gray & his children Vincent Carlos & Jonice Gray Tucker (Middle Photo) Council Member At-Large Vincent Orange & his daughter (Right Photo) Earl W. Stafford & his daughter
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Visit us on the web at www.washingtoninformer.com Valedictorian Thomas Pearson-Green of Dunbar High School talks to guests about the journey that he and his classmates have taken while attending Dunbar during the school’s 2012 commencement ceremony at Cramton Auditorium in Northwest on June 6. /Photo by Roy Lewis
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Women Break the Cycle of Domestic Violence Some highlights of this week
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By Tia Carol Jones
law enforcement. She said they threat,” she said. had come together to bring a Among the programs Marlow sense of uniformity in the way wants to see implemented are When L.Y. Marlow's 23-year- domestic violence victims and stricter restraining order policies, old daughter told her the father survivors are treated. more rights for victim's families of her daughter threatened her “She's using her own personal to intervene on behalf of a viclife, and the life of their child, story, her own personal pain to tim, a domestic violence assessshe knew something had to be push forward,” Davis-Nickens ment unit coupled with further done. Out of her frustration said about Marlow. training for law enforcement with law enforcement's handling Davis-Nickens said anyone agencies, a Child's Life Protecof the situation, she decided to who reads Marlow's book will tion Act and mandatory counselstart the Saving Promise cam- “get it.” She said she “puts the ing for batterers. paign. case in such a way, the average “If we are ever going to eradi“It seems to be a vicious cycle person can get it.” She said at the cate domestic violence, we must that won't turn my family end of the day, the book will look at both sides of the coin. loose,” Marlow said. Marlow help people begin to have a dia- We need to address both the vicshared her story with the audi- logue about domestic violence. tim and the batterer,” Marlow ence at the District Heights Also present at the event was said. Domestic Violence Symposium Mildred Muhammad, the exMarlow would also like to see Daughter onMichael May 7 atJackson’s the District HeightsAdmits wife of John Allen Muhammad, programs designed to raise Being Confused Having towho Wear Municipal Center. about The sympoD.C. Council Chairman Kwame Brownin was sentenced to six consecawareness among children Masks 6.5% UNDECIDED sium wasin Public sponsored by the utive life terms without parole Resigns, public Pleads Guilty to Twoschools. Charges and private She The lateand KingYouth of Pop’sServices daughter Paris Family by a Maryland jury for his role in WI feels children need to be educatReporter Barrington Salmon Center of the city of to District revealed her feelings Oprah during the Beltway Sniper attacks in ed the about investigates turndomestic of eventsviolence. that led to Heights and the National Hook- 2002. Mildred Muhammad is “We have stop beingand pasan OWN interview. the chairman’s abrupttoresignation Up of Black Women. the founder of After the Trauma, sive-aggressive with poor chilresidents are responding. Marlow has written a book, an organization that helps the how dren about domestic violence,” “Color Me Butterfly,” which is a survivors of domestic violence Marlow said. story aboutwith fourTourrette generations of and their children. Marlow has worked to break Dealing Syndrome domestic violence. The book is “I lived in fear for six years. Six the cycle of abuse in her family, People with Tourette Syndrome inspired by her own experiences, years in fear is a long time. It is and is confident the policies she experience sporadic movements and and those of her grandmother, not an easy thing to come out is pushing for will start that outbursts. heruncontrolled mother and her daughter. of,” she said. process. She said every time she reads Mildred Muhammad said “I plan to take these policies to excerpts from her book, she still people who want to help a Congress and implore them to can not believe the words came domestic violence victim must change our laws,” Marlow said. Lynching LibertyMe Butterfly” Will George Zimmerman, the man charged from her. “Color be careful of how they go into “I will not stop until these poliMock funeral held in Detroit focuses on with the murder of Trayvon won the 2007 National “Best the victim's life, and understand cies are passed.” Martin, be a symbolic burial of democracy credible witness his can ownbetrial? Books” Award. that she may be in “survival Tia Carol at Jones reached “I was just 16-years-old when mode”. at tiacaroljones@sbcglobal.net my eye first blackened and my “Before you get to 'I'm going lips bled,” Marlow said. to kill you,' it started as a verbal WI Elaine Davis-Nickens, presi16% YES dent of the National Hook-Up Increasessaid African of Brazil Black Women, there Investment is no Brazil competes with China, India to consistency in the way domestic invest issues in Africa. violence are dealt with by WI Staff Writer
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33 YES
Results from last week’s Poll Question:
National:
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6.5%
We have to stop being passive-aggressive NO with poor % 4 8 the abrupt departure last week of New Poll Will Kwame Brown from the D.C.children Council about domestic Question: hamper the District’s efforts in gaining statehood? Go to Washingtoninformer. 20. violence. I plan to take these 1% com to cast your vote! NO policies to Congress and ES implore them to change our Y % 73.4 laws. I will not stop until these policies are passed. IDED
UNDEC
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ANC Elections Coming Up The elections for the 296 advisory neighborhood commissioners will take place in the general election on Nov. 6. Gottlieb Simon, the executive director of the Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, said that nominating petitions can be picked up at the District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics office in Northwest. “In order to get your name on the ballot, one would need 25 signatures from registered voters in the single-member district that they wish to represent,” Simon said. “One has to pick up the petitions in person at the board of elections on July 9 and they have to be brought back in person by Aug. 8.”
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Wells Will Not Speculate on Future D.C. Council member Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) is considered by some political observers to be a credible candidate for mayor of the District in 2014, if not sooner. Wells, who has served in the city’s legislature since 2007, said that his immediate focus isn’t on moving up the political ladder. “I do not think that is an appropriate discussion,” he said on Tue., June 5. “I am looking at the situation that the city is in now.” Wells, 55, has been known on the D.C. Council as one of its most ethically-minded members. He condemns corporate bundling in campaigns and is a foe of council members’ having constituent service funds. Wells criticized former D.C. Council Chairman Kwame Brown when he ordered a luxury SUV on the District’s tab in 2011. Later that year, Wells was reassigned by Brown as head of the powerful Committee on Public Works and Transportation to the chair of the Committee on Libraries, Parks, Recreation and Planning. Wells said that he wants to focus on representing Ward 6 residents. “I am paying attention to the needs of the citizens,” he said. “I am also paying attention to the challenges of leadership. We need to repair the problem of the city’s image and home rule.”
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D.C. Council member Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) remains non-committal about a future race for mayor./ Photo by Victor Holt
As a result of the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau count, there will be 10 more commissioners in 2013, as opposed to the present 286. Wards 5 and 6 will gain two and one commission, respectively. D.C. Council members Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large), Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4), and Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) have all served as advisory neighborhood commissioners. Former D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty also served as an advisory neighborhood commissioner before being elected to the D.C. Council to represent Ward 4 in 2000. Simon said that write-in candidates are welcome “but it really helps to have your name on the ballot.” Barry Criticizes Muhammad D.C. Council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) appeared visibly annoyed on Tue., June 5 when one of his constituents, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Anthony Muhammad (8A01), was confirmed by the D.C. Council to the District of Columbia Taxicab Commission. “This is not personal,” said Barry, 76. “I am talking about this nomination process-wise.”
The former four-term mayor said that it’s been the tradition Denise Rolark Barnes that when a candidate for a board Independent Beauty Consultant is selected, the mayor or the staff www.marykay/drolark-barnes.com reaches out to the D.C. council 202-236-8831 member where the nominee lives. In the past, the practice has been to get the blessing of the council member before the nomination proceeds to a vote in committee and the legislative body as a whole. The commission will deal with a wide range of issues such as the new rule that credit cards can be used to pay for fares and the ongoing debate regarding medallions. Barry’s problems with Muhammad have to do primarily with his support of Sandra Seegars in the Tue., April 3 Democratic primary in Ward 8. He also said that Muhammad, a Muslim, would vote against liquor licenses in his advisory neighborhood commission based solely on his religion. Please set allby copy in upper Barry was ‡out voted his col- and lowercase, flush left as indicated on artwork at these point sizes: Consultant name in 11-point Helvetica Neue Bo Beauty Consultant in 9-point Helvetica Neue Light; Web site or e-mail address in 9-point Helvetica Neue Light; phone number in 9-point Helvetica the the Independent Beauty Consultant: Only Company-approved Web sites obtained through the Mary Kay® Personal Web Site program may leagues, 12-1 Tofor confirmation. When Muhammad was asked about the rift between Barry and himself, he said “this too shall pass.” wi The Washington Informer
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June 14 1939 - The Ethel Waters Show, a variety special appears on NBC. It is the first time an African American appears on television 1952 - Dr. Harold D. West is named President of Meharry Medical College 1970 - Cheryl Adrienne Brown wins the Miss Iowa pageant and becomes the first African American to compete in the Miss America beauty pageant. 1989 - Congressman William Gray is elected Democratic Whip of the House of Representatives, the highest-ranking leadership position ever held by an African American in Congress. June 15 1877 - Henry O. Flipper received degree at West Point and became the first Black graduate. 1921 - Bessie Coleman attended the “...Ecole d’Aviation des Frères Caudron at Le Crotoy in Somme for a 10 month flight training course. Flying a French Nieuport Type 82, Bessie finished the course three months early and obtained her Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) license on June 15, 1921--the first U.S. woman of any race to do so directly...” 1968 - Ellen Holly becomes the first African American on daytime television as Carla on One Life to Live. June 16 1969 - U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the suspension of Adam Clayton Powell Jr. from the House of Representatives was unconstitutional. 1970 - Kenneth A Gibson elected mayor of Newark. In 1976, he will be elected the first African American president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. 1975 - Adam Wade hosts the nationally televised game show Musical Chairs. He is the first African American game show host. 1976 - Hector Petersen, a 13 year old Soweto schoolboy is the first to die in what will become
the “Children’s Crusade”, the first nationwide black South African uprising in the 1970’s. The violence will last 16 months and result in 5700 death, 3,900 injuries, and 5,900 detentions. 2002 - Tiger Woods wins the U.S. Open Golf Tournament. June 17 1775 - Blacks soldiers fought at Battle of Bunker Hill and Breed’s Hill. Among the heroes of the battle were Peter Salem and Salem Poor. 1862 - Congress authorized President Lincoln to accept blacks in Union Army. 1957 - Tuskegee boycott began. Blacks boycotted city stores in protest against act of state legislature, which deprived them of municipal votes by placing their homes outside city limits. 1972 - Frank Wills, Washington security guard, foiled break-in at offices of Democratic National Committee in first event of the Watergate conspiracy. June 18 1862 - Slavery is abolished in U.S. territories by Congress. 1941 - President Roosevelt conferred with A. Philip Randolph and other leaders of the March on Washington movement and urged them to call off a scheduled demonstration. Randolph refused. 1942 - Bernard W. Robinson, Harvard Medical student, made ensign in U.S. Naval Reserve and became first Black to win a commission in the U.S. Navy. 1966 - Samuel Nabritt is the first African American to serve on the Atomic Energy Commission 1968 - Supreme Court banned racial discrimination in sale and rental of housing. 1991 - City Auditor Wellington Webb is elected mayor of Denver, Colo. He is the first African American to hold the post. 1999 - In 1942, the U.S. Navy commissions its first black officer, Harvard University medical
student Bernard Whitfield Robinson. June 19 1865 - Although the Emancipation Proclamation was issued in 1863, slavery continued in Texas until June 19, 1865, when word reached Galveston, Texas that all slaves in Texas were free. One third of the people in Texas were slaves at that time. Juneteenth was celebrated annually with picnics and barbecues at public at public emancipation grounds, some of which are used to this day. Juneteenth became a legal state holiday in 1980. 1968 - Fifty thousand demonstrators participated in Solidarity Day March of Poor People’s Campaign. Marchers walked from Washington Monument to Lincoln Monument, where they were addressed by Vice President Hubert Humphrey, presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy, Coretta Scott King and Ralph Abernathy. June 20 1926 - Mordecai W. Johnson becomes the first African American president of Howard University 1943 - National Congress of Racial Equality organized. 1960 - Harry Belafonte wins an Emmy for his variety special Tonight with Harry Belafonte. It is the first Emmy awarded to an African American. 1967 - Muhammad Ali convicted in Houston, Texas, in federal courts for violating Selective Service Act by refusing induction into the armed services. He was fined $10,000 and sentenced to five years in prison. Ali, an opponent of the Vietnam War, had refused to report for service on grounds that he was a Muslim minister. Correction: 1946 - Death of Jack Johnson, first Black heavyweight champion, after an automobile accident near Raleigh. June 10.
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Parents Outraged at Phelps’ Principal’s Ouster By James Wright WI Staff Writer A controversy has erupted at a leading vocational, technical and STEM training high school in the District. The brouhaha is centered around the dismissal of a popular principal as the school graduated its first four-year class. Michael Johnson, the outgoing principal at Phelps High School in Northeast, presided over what may be his first and last graduation on Fri., June 8. Parents learned of this development from District of Columbia school officials on May 29, and some, like Alicia Rucker, are seething mad. “Many parents don’t want him to go because he has been excellent during the four years here,” said Rucker who lives in Northeast. “This graduating class has $3.7 million in college scholarships offered and the school has a 95 percent attendance rate. Now the school administration wants to select a new one?” Phelps re-opened in 2008 to specifically educate its students in vocational trades and science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Former D.C. Council Chairman Kwame Brown (D) proved to be one of the main supporters of the school’s reopening. Eighty-four graduated on June 8, with college and university choices ranging from the University of the District of Columbia in Northwest to the dual degree program between Spelman College and Georgia Tech University in Atlanta. Some students graduated with intentions of furthering their careers in such trades as plumbing, welding and the electrical field through apprenticeships and full-time employment. Danielle Bryan, the valedictorian of the class who will be a part of the Spelman-Georgia Tech dual degree program, addressed the audience during the commencement in the school’s auditorium. She related pearls of wisdom that she said helped her get through Phelps. “I had a goal of making all ‘A’s’ when I came here four years ago,” she said. “While I did not make all ‘A’s’, I learned that the important thing is to set a goal and strive for it. Life is not about getting by.” She commended her fellow
graduates, saying that “we are the future engineers, architects, plumbers and builders not only for D.C., but for the world.” Johnson, 61, in his “charge” to the graduates said that “you all have just graduated from one of the most dangerous school’s in America.” He noted that some graduates have OSHA 10 Certification training, which focuses on occupational health and safety and union cards in trades such as plumbing. “These young people are not looking for jobs, they have jobs,” said Johnson who lives in Northwest. The type of success that Johnson has had with the students is not the reason to get rid of him, said Ricardo Brooks who lives in Southeast. “There was a lack of transparency to the parents as to why Johnson has to go,” said Brooks, 52. “I have a son here and he is doing well. If Johnson was not doing well, why let him stay here for four years?” Brooks said that Johnson is “not a yes man [rather] a man [who] gets things done.” Loretta Caldwell, a parent of a 2012 graduate of the school, said that D.C. school officials have been haughty in the Johnson matter. “They come to us and say they are anxious to meet with us about the candidates who could be the next principal,” said Caldwell who lives in Northwest. “We are anxious to meet with nobody but Mr. Johnson.” Elizabeth Lewis, the Washington Teachers’ Union representative for Phelps, in a written communication that was penned on Wed., June 6 and emailed to the Informer said that they would not participate in any interview process for a new principal and stand with the parents who back Johnson. Johnson said that he did not want to leave Phelps but would not comment further. Rucker, who shouted “four more years” while Johnson addressed the crowd during the commencement, said that Johnson cares about the children. “He will go into his pocket for these children,” she said. “I know that personally. The mayor and the chancellor should reverse the decision and let Mr. Johnson stay at Phelps.” wi
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Phelps Senior High School in Northeast recently graduated its first four-year class. /Photo courtesy of Phelps High School
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Kwame Brown, 41, resigned on June 8, after signing a plea agreement where he admitted submitting false information to secure a $166,000 home equity loan, as well as a $55,000 loan he used to buy a powerboat. /Photo by Victor Holt
cause] it’s kind of a top-down style from the chairman down. That needs to change,” he said. Mendelson said he plans to run for council chairman and finish out Brown’s term which ends in 2014. But even the process of choosing Brown’s replacement has left Chuck Thies, a local communications expert and political consultant, shaking his head. “Look at the process of making Mendelson the interim chairman – it’s a done deal. It was done behind closed doors,” said Thies, who moderates the program DC Politics every Thursday on WPFW, 89.3 FM. “There should have been a debate about it on TV.” Thies, 47, said the scandals and ethical problems that currently envelope the council and Mayor Vincent C. Gray are the worst he’s seen. “Things are terrible. If we’re not at one of the lowest points, we’re equal to or at an all-time low,” said Thies, a New Jersey native who has lived in the District for 20 years. We have two The Washington Informer
rising political stars forced out, two close aides of the mayor who have pled guilty [to illegal campaign activities], [members of] the council fighting like cats and dogs in public and behind closed doors – none of this is going away.” “The feds have peeled back the lid on a can of worms and it’s a deep can. I see no end to this.” Thies likened the situation facing the city’s elected officials with someone who bought a computer 10 years ago and hasn’t updated it. “Older political players’ view of politics and contracting was shaped in the ’80s and ’90s,” he said. “Twelve years into the new century, what may not have been illegal then, may be now and people care about these issues.” “The city has changed a lot but people’s view and MOs don’t. They need to update or they’ll run into problems. You have to update your game.” Former City Administrator Michael Rogers said the ethical and other problems that have enmeshed some public officials belies the honesty and hard work of most government employees.
“It’s very unfortunate for Brown and his family, but especially for the District of Columbia, which once again is cast in a bad light because of the personal indiscretions of leaders in prominent positions,” said Rogers. “You should not say that the whole council is corrupt. When you look at the number of men and women who have served – in the hundreds – you only have two.” Brown, 41, resigned on June 8, after signing a plea agreement where he admitted submitting false information to secure a $166,000 home equity loan, as well as a $55,000 loan he used to buy a powerboat. Brown, also pleaded guilty to violating a District campaign law that bars candidates from paying campaign employees more than $50. Brown – who acknowledged aiding and abetting a relative to pay $1,500 to a campaign worker during the 2008 campaign – faces up to six months in jail. In addition to Brown, former Ward 5 Council member
See brown on Page 9 www.washingtoninformer.com
around the region
Harry Thomas, Jr., faces prison time for stealing $353,500 and filing false tax returns. A federal judge sentenced the 51-yearold to 38 months in prison. And in recent weeks, two campaign aides of Mayor Vincent C. Gray pled guilty to campaign violations during the 2010 election cycle. A source who moves in D.C. political circles said there needs to be mechanisms in place for attracting men and women who care about the city, who are knowledgeable about public policy, politics, and government, and who are of unquestioned integrity. “These politicians had demonstrated potential, But for bad judgment on both their parts, they could have continued to rise in D.C. politics,” he said. “People elected [them] to serve, not to demonstrate bad judgment. If you’re just about yourself, seeking to improve yourself and your lifestyle with the people’s money, you should not be there. People don’t forget that.” But Ward 8 Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Dionne Y. Brown said the type of people with unimpeachable integrity and who aren’t interested in enriching themselves from the public coffers generally will never get to the point of running for public office because of an outdated and essentially ineffective political machine. She said prospective candidates are groomed – taught how to play the game the way it has always been played – how to win and how to raise, hide and launder money but not
how to conduct themselves properly. Customarily, a candidate is on his or her way if the political establishment buys in to that person. Then the party machine will burnish that person, give them the exposure they need and the financial lubricant for any race. “Good political grooming involves giving a candidate an ethical wash, not just polishing the veneer of outward appearances,” she explained. But it is clear the system isn’t working. “The political machinery is in bad shape and needs reinventing,” said Brown “Good people seldom make it especially if they don’t kiss the right rings, move in the right circles and choose not to be beholden to the machine. The patronage system consists of self-seekers and slaves to the machine.” “We need more people who lead with independence and irreverence like the late John Wilson and Tommy Wells.” But as a result of the scandals and ethical lapses Gray and the council continue to lurch through, Brown said she expects changes. “I think there’ll be some fundamental changes to the political machine. The influence of those pipelines will be diminished.” Thies said it’s significant that none of D.C.’s white elected officials was born or raised in the District of Columbia. “And none of them was raised here in the ’70s and ’80s,” he explained. “Kwame Brown and Harry Thomas are children of long-term city politicians. Their sense of entitlement may have been developed in the environment in which they were raised.”
Barbara Lang, president and CEO of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, said she is most concerned about the corrosive effects of the scandals on the city’s image and the distractions they are causing. “With all the attention lately on indictments and plea deals of a few of D.C.’s elected leaders, it is difficult, but important, to focus on the important work that there is to be done in this city,” she said in a blog. “I cannot mince words here – I am extremely disappointed with Chairman Brown’s activities, and overall I find the lapses in personal judgment amongst our elected officials extremely disturbing. These are the people we have chosen to lead and manage our city; that they should be trustworthy shouldn’t even need to be said.” “… I am calling for … all elected officials to redouble their efforts to regain and restore the public trust. I’ve expressed my outrage over the ethical missteps made by other members of this government. This is a serious issue, affecting the economic health as well as reputation of our city. We cannot continue to have our leaders in the spotlight for one indiscretion after another.” At the end of the day, said Brown – who has been an ANC for 10 years – D.C. will ultimately ride out this storm. “This is politics. It’s not unique to D.C., it’s everywhere,” she said. “It isn’t cataclysmic. This is not the end of the world. But we have to do better and make better choices. Voters have to be more discerning, more discriminating.” w
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More than 100,000 Metrorail riders will find rush-hour easier because of the availability of more trains as a result of a new Metro program called Rush Plus. /Courtesy Photo
Metro Rush-Hour Changes Begin June 18
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By Barrington M. Salmon WI Staff Writer Metro is set to unwrap an enhanced rush-hour service which kicks off on June 18. Called Rush Plus, the expansion of rush-hour service will ease crowding, improve the commuting experience for Metrorail riders on the Yellow, Orange, Blue and Green lines and offer riders new transfer-free travel opportunities, said Metro spokesman Dan Stossel. The realignment reflects changing ridership patterns. Twenty-one Metrorail stations will see an increase in train service. The additional trains will move between Mt. Vernon Square and Greenbelt and between Vienna and Courthouse and riders will be able to take advantage of the ability to transfer between stations on several lines. “This has been in the works for a while now,” he said. “We’re nearing the final stages of completion of the first phase of the Silver Line and in order to accommodate the additional Silver Line trains, we need to make space at the Rosslyn Station.” Stossel said the most congested section along the system is between Courthouse and Rosslyn and the additional trains will The Washington Informer
ease the congestion. “There has been increased construction and development along the eastern side of downtown. This is a response to that change in ridership demand. There will be additional space in the tunnel and additional Orange Line trains. There will be three more trains an hour, especially in Virginia.” The Silver Line is expected to open late next year and run out to Tyson’s Corner and Wiehle Avenue. Not all passengers will see more trains during rush-hour. Those who will be forced to wait longer on train platforms will be those riders on the Blue Line. Direct service to Rosslyn and west to Vienna will drop from 10 to seven trains an hour during rush-hour, as will direct Blue Line service to western downtown stations like Foggy Bottom and McPherson Square. The former will affect about 3,300 riders and increase morning rush-hour wait times from six minutes to nine minutes [with some wait times predicted as long as 12 minutes and a third of riders predicted to have longer waits] while the second downtown dimension will affect 9,000 riders. What the changes mean, Stos-
sel said, is that during rush-hour there will be a net increase in the number of trains on selected lines and as a result, more than 100,000 riders will experience faster service. Blue Lines coming into the District will be switched to Yellow Line trains and every third train will be yellow. With the new changes, passengers will be able to ride a Yellow Line Train from the FranconiaSpringfield Station to Greenbelt without transferring. And a rider boarding at Columbia Heights can travel to Reagan National Airport without transferring. “The mix of colors will shift a little … Pentagon City will see more yellow and fewer blue trains than we see today,” said Stossel. “It’s important to know that trains will depart from Vienna and go to Largo and New Carrollton.” On the map, trains that operate between Franconia-Springfield and Greenbelt on the extended Yellow Line are illustrated by dashed lines to indicate rush-hour only to both new endpoints. A dashed extension on the Orange Line had been added on the map between StadiumArmory and Largo Town Center to reflect the new trains that will operate between Vienna and Largo Town Center. wi www.washingtoninformer.com
INTERVIEWS AND PHOTOS By Shevry Lassiter
Viewp int Brown has proven that he is dishonest and the people of D.C. will never trust him again. Since being in office Brown has not helped anyone. His image is tarnished. LaTonya Crockett Suitland, Md
Corrupt situations are being exposed and while I embraced Brown, I’m not certain that I would support him again, we’re not the judges or jurors, but we entrusted him and he let us down. Rachel Israel Washington, D.C.
around the region
How do you believe Kwame Brown’s arrest and resignation will impact the D.C. Council?
It is a sad testament that our officials, both Black and white in positions of power, are misguided. I believe some are being targeted, but they should not be involved in anything corrupt. Calvin Sykes Washington, D.C.
Our officials need to be a bit more humble and respectful toward their constituents. I’m in need of insurance and here we have yet another elected official being greedy. Laura Hunter Silver Spring, Md.
I’m disappointed with Brown but wonder if every other jurisdiction scrutinizes the personal credit reports of their public officials. It does seem unfair because you only ever hear about our Black officials doing wrong never the white guy. Samantha Speight Washington, D.C..
Always dapper, Washington Informer Photographer, Roy Lewis admires a storefront window chock full of ties and assorted haberdashery.
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D.C. Residents Dispute Harassment of Black Politicians By James Wright WI Staff Writer
While the mayor of the District, the chairman of the D.C. Council and a former D.C. Council member have been prosecuted or are under investigation by federal authorities, some D.C. residents don’t believe they’re being targeted because of their race. D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray (D), is a subject of a federal investigation into his 2010 mayoral campaign activities and former D.C. Council Chairman Kwame Brown pleaded guilty to bank-loan fraud in federal court and violation of campaign laws in D.C. Superior court on Fri., June 8 while Harry Thomas Jr., a former Ward 5 D.C. Council member, is set to spend 38 months in prison for criminal misuse of $350,000 of public money. Michael Hudgins, a resident of Northwest, said their being black has nothing to do with their legal problems. “I do understand why African Americans might feel that way,” said Hudgins, 41. “With the way that the population of African Americans in the city is decreasing there is a sense among some that black people are being pushed out of the city. I do know that there is tension surrounding Vincent Gray and some African Americans in the city.” The Voting Rights Act of 1965 increased the number of black public officials throughout the country exponentially. Ten years after the legislation, there were black mayors of cities such as the District, Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles and smaller Southern cities and towns with strong black populations. In addition, the number of blacks on city and county councils, state legislatures and members of the U.S. House of Representatives also ballooned in size. However, it was revealed in the October 1996 edition of Emerge magazine, that there has been an effort to obtain incriminating information on black public officials. The magazine interviewed Robert Moussallem, an FBI informant who spied on the activities of black elected officials in Atlanta, with the intent of destroying their careers. Moussallem said that the FBI The Washington Informer
D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray, exD.C. Council Chairman Kwame Brown and former D.C. Council member Harry Thomas Jr., are believed by some to have had a bullseye on them because they are elected officials./Photos by Victor Holt
at the time thought that blacks were “intellectually and socially incapable of governing major government organizations and institutions.” Black political office holders, activists and observers often talk about how black politicians are held to higher standards than their white counterparts. Renee Perry, a resident of Northeast, agrees in principle. “Why do you have the investigations of Gray and Brown right now?” Perry, 52, asked rhetorically. “Look at what is happening on H Street [Northeast] and look at all of those Republicans in the U.S. Congress. Everything is connected and we are not hearing the whole truth about why Mayor Gray and Kwame Brown are being targeted.” Perry noted that “the minute Vincent Gray was sworn into office, they attacked his character.” “I like Vincent Gray and I think he is doing a good job and nobody is perfect,” she said. “I think his predecessor, Adrian Fenty, was more to the liking of white people. Black people who do what white people want them to do tend to be left alone.” However, Chuck Thies, a political analyst who is white, said that whites are not out to get black elected officials. “I don’t think there is a conspiracy to get Vince Gray out so that the city can have a white mayor,” said Thies, 47. “Since Home Rule, D.C. has always had a black mayor and even though
blacks are no longer the majority in the city, they are the plurality. I do understand that there are concerns about gentrification and older, working-class black neighborhoods becoming whiter.” Thies, a resident of Northwest, said that whites in the District tend to be progressive and “are not tea party members.” Hudgins thinks Thies is right. “I think that white people are trying to change the city for the better,” he said. “It is the way that they approach it, [that’s] the problem.” Dorothy Lee, a resident of Northwest, said that whites are not the problem but the inept behavior of black elected officials. “I think that they [Gray, Brown and Thomas] are inexperienced [opposed to] their white counterparts when it comes to doing evil,” Lee said. “Nobody taught them how to be evil. White public officials have a doctorate on doing evil while blacks just have GEDs.” Lee is a native of Vicksburg, Miss., and said that she witnessed ugly racial politics “upfront.” Still, she said that “if Vincent Gray and Kwame Brown had integrity, they would not [have fallen] so low.” “We get caught up stealing money from kids and stuffing money in our panties,” she said. “We entrap our dumb selves.” wi www.washingtoninformer.com
Teen Pregnancies, Dangers on the Rise By Zach Burgess Special to the WI After more than a decade in decline, the United States teen pregnancy has been rising in recent years. According to momlogic.com, the estimated public cost for teen pregnancy in the United States is between $6 and $9 billion a year. Eighty percent of teen moms are on some form of public assistance. Seven out of 10 teen mothers are unlikely to receive prenatal care, which of course has great negative health impacts for their children. Aside from the health risks, kids born to teen mothers are at greater risk for emotional and physical abuse, especially if there is no family support. “It really is a public health issue,” said Bill Albert, chief program officer at the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. “This administration and this Congress have made a historic investment in preventing teen pregnancy. In our view, this investment could not be more timely… given the fact that the teen pregnancy rate in the United States is on the rise. I think one might say, without hyperbole…that one of the nation’s great success stories of the past two decades may be in danger of unraveling. So, this investment is right on for content and right on for timeliness.” Teenage mothers are also at higher risk of having emotional and academic problems later in life. Another startling statistic: baby boys of teen mothers are at an increased risk for incarceration later in their lives, while girls born to teens are more likely to become teen moms themselves. In the beginning of 2009, President Barack Obama signed an appropriations bill that ended federal funding for existing abstinence-only-until-marriage programs and put a new teenage pregnancy prevention initiative in the newly funded Office of Adolescent Health within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that was supported with more than $114 million in federal funds. While the nation’s teen pregnancy rate declined about 40 percent between 1990 and 2005, data released by the Guttmacher Institute in January 2010 showed that the rate rose three percent in 2006. According to the institute, the new data is “especially note-
worthy because they provide the first documentation of what experts have suspected for several years, based on trends in teens’ contraceptive use — that the overall teen pregnancy rate would increase in the mid-2000s following steep declines in the 1990s and a subsequent plateau in the early 2000s.” And like many other health issues, the U.S. teen pregnancy rate is checkered with disparities. In 2006, among Black and Hispanic teens ages 15 to 19, there were about 126 pregnancies per 1,000 women, while among white teens, it was 44 per 1,000. Such statistics mean the United States has the highest teen birth rate among Western, industrialized nations. Mississippi, for example, has the nation’s highest rate of poverty and the third highest rate of teen pregnancies. New Mexico is third in poverty and second in teen pregnancies. Texas leads in teen pregnancies and comes in ninth in the poverty rankings. Other “risk factors” for teenage pregnancy – being a person of color, being disinterested in school, etc. – similarly dovetail with living in poverty. Pennsylvania is ranked 39th in teenage pregnancies. According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, a child born to an unmarried teen mother has a 27 percent chance of growing up in poverty. If the mother has not earned a high school diploma or equivalency degree, the child will grow up in poverty 64 percent of the time. If those numbers are correct, the steep decline in teen pregnancy rates between 1991 and 2002 kept an additional 460,000 children from being born into poverty. “As a society, we have to continually redouble our efforts to sustain these kinds of (downward) trends over time,” said Heather Boonstra, a senior public policy associate at the Guttmacher Institute, which conducts research on a range of sexual and reproductive health issues. “We can’t just sit back, because new teens are constantly coming into the field and we have to remain vigilant.” Factors shaping the recent rise in teen pregnancy are varied and complex, prevention advocates say, ranging from years of federal support for rigid abstinence-only programs to tempered fears of contracting HIV, to less teen con-
NATIONAL
The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy reports that a child born to an unmarried teen mother has a 27 percent chance of growing up in poverty. /Courtesy Photo
traceptive use. According to the 2007 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rates of teens who were sexually active and those who used a condom during their last sexual encounter remained statistically stalled from 2005 to
2007, following years of positive behavior change. The CDC reported that of the teens who were sexually active, only about 61 percent used a condom the last time they had sex. And according to Lorrie Gavin, PhD, MPH, a health scientist with the CDC’s Division
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of Reproductive Health, current trends point to more than just a teen pregnancy problem — “there’s something else going on … improvements in sexual risk behavior have leveled off in recent years, and rates of some sexually transmitted diseases have increased.” wi
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AROUND THE REGION
Crowds Turn Out for Opening of Maryland’s Newest Casino By Gale Horton Gay WI Staff Writer Amid much fanfare – helicopters circling overhead, Las Vegas style showgirls walking the floor, exotic dancers gyrating above a bar, hordes waiting for hours and a flurry of speeches – Maryland’s newest and biggest casino opened on June 6 at Arundel Mills mall in Hanover, Md. Maryland Live! Casino, the third largest casino in America, represents an investment of more than $500 million and will em-
ploy approximately 1,500 workers upon completion – 900 as of the opening. The casino, which is the largest in Maryland, sits on about 12 acres with more than 330,000 square feet of gaming floor, restaurants, performance venues and bars. The 160,000-square-foot gaming floor includes 3,200 Las Vegas-style slot machines and electronic games including blackjack, roulette, mini-baccarat and pai gow poker. “It’s great that it’s so close by,” said Shirley R. Hamilton, chief of
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staff for Maryland Delegate Marvin E. Holmes Jr. [District 23B]. As she played a penny slot machine during a private VIP party held hours before the opening, she added, “I think it’s exciting.” Hamilton added that the residential community that she lives in serves persons age 55 and older and they often takes trips to Hollywood Casino at Charlestown Races in West Virginia and other destinations out of state. She said she would like to see more of those dollars remain in state. “I would love to have it [a casino] in Prince George’s County,” said Hamilton. “We need the money. I don’t want any more taxes of any kind.” While she chatted, Hamilton’s slot machine started to ding – indicating that her penny plays resulted in a $43 win. Currently a work group is evaluating whether gaming should be expanded in Maryland, and some Prince George’s officials are hopeful that Prince George’s County will be the next site. The Maryland General Assembly is expected to review the group’s findings during a special session in July. Early in the evening as hundreds of eager gamblers waited outside the venue for the official opening – some for hours – costumed stilt walkers worked the crowd. Rosie Crawford of Hyattsville was among the first 20 or so people in line at 5 p.m. “I wanted to come out and enjoy the grand opening,” said Crawford. “I knew it was going to be a lot of people.” Deborah Davis of Southeast said she arrived at 11 a.m. with one goal in mind. “I love to gamble,” said Davis. “I love money. Nothing is free in America that’s why I am here to get their money.” Wilma Alcala of Temple Hills showed up with her daughter Shally Roberson. “We need to win some money to get our books,” said Alcala adding that she was pleased about the casino’s opening. However, she added she didn’t want to see a casino established at National Harbor because jobs were promised to Marylanders but outsiders got those jobs. So many people wanted to The Washington Informer
Maryland Live! Casino pulled out all the stops at its grand opening celebration adding a carnival atmosphere at the Arundel Mills mall in Hanover, Md., on Wednesday, June 6. /Photo by Shevry Lassiter
Maryland officials and casino owners participate in a ribbon cutting ceremony during the grand opening of the new casino, Maryland Live! at Arundel Mills in Hanover, Md., on Wednesday, June 6. /Photo by Shevry Lassiter
check out the new casino that thousands didn’t make it inside before its closing at 2 a.m. and traffic was gridlocked along every major road leading to the casino. Inside celebrity chef Bobby Flay checked out his new restaurant, Bobby’s Burger Palace, which will be one of six dining spots inside the casino. The others that are currently open are: The Cheesecake Factory, Phillips Seafood, Live! Market Buffet and Noodles. For entertainment and the nightlife scene, there’s the R Bar and eight full-service bars and the 500-seat Rams Head Center Stage, which is expected to open in the fall. The casino is expected to generate more than $400 million in tax revenue per year to support local schools and $30 million annually for Anne Arundel County. As for parking, there are 5,000 spaces in a multi-level garage with free self-parking as well as $5 valet. And there’s more to come. The second phase of the casino is expected to be completed between July and October and
will include the Rams Head Center Stage, a steak restaurant, The Prime Rib, a retail store, the Bus Lounge and an additional 1,550 slots and electronic table games including a high limit slots room. Maryland Live! Casino is being developed by the Cordish Companies and is one of the largest construction projects in the state, employing approximately 2,500 workers. It’s the only gaming facility in the state built by a Maryland minority-owned business enterprise. The casino will be open Sunday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. and Friday and Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 a.m. Just before the ribbon-cutting ceremony took place, two ceremonial checks for nearly $42,000 each were presented to the Baltimore Area Council, Boy Scouts of America and the Anne Arundel Community College Foundation. Donations in the same amounts each were also given to Anne Arundel Medical Center Foundation and the Baltimore Washington Medical Center. wi www.washingtoninformer.com
men. Men who smoke increase their risk of dying from bronchitis by nearly 10 times, from emphysema by nearly 10 times, and from lung cancer by more than 22 times. And smoking triples middle-aged men’s risk of dying from heart disease.
James quit smoking after 30 years
Former Smokers on Father’s Day
W
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to tobacco. James and Roosevelt know how difficult quitting is. But they also know the benefits are worth it. And Father’s Day is another strong reminder of those benefits, and how worthwhile it is to quit smoking.
Roosevelt is happy he is still able to be a father to his family / Courtesy Photos
Tips from
e honor our fathers in different ways. Sometimes, it’s by doing as they did. But for James, it’s by not doing as his dad did. James doesn’t smoke anymore. He had started when he was just 14, because he wanted to be more like his well-liked and influential father. But he quit two years ago, after 30 years of smoking started causing him health problems. And he wants to help others quit, too. That’s why James is part of the national education campaign, “Tips From Former Smokers,” sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “I want to help people like me quit smoking – people in their 40’s,” he says. “Maybe nothing really bad has happened to them yet. Maybe you’re lucky, but you’re probably not going to stay lucky.” Roosevelt of Virginia didn’t stay lucky. Like James, Roosevelt started smoking in his teens. Like James, he only realized he was having health problems because of his smoking in his 40’s. But unlike James, Roosevelt’s health problems came on suddenly and intensely. He suffered a heart attack when he was 45, and has needed bypass surgery
And if those stark statistics aren’t enough to get smokers to quit; if the stories of men like James and Roosevelt aren’t enough, then there is the national quitline, 1-800-QUIT-NOW. There, smokers can get the help they need to beat the addiction
on six of his coronary arteries. Roosevelt is also part of the CDC’s “Tips from Former Smokers” advertising campaign. He says of cigarette smoking, “I never thought it would stop me from playing basketball with my kids.” But he and his children are grateful that Roosevelt is still here this Father’s Day. “If you have loved ones who care about you, they will support you,“ he says. But if you smoke and want to see your kids graduate and want to see your grandkids someday, stop smoking.” Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. In 2010, nearly one in five U.S. adults –more than 45 million Americans – was a current smoker. Cigarette smoking accounts for an estimated 443,000 deaths, or nearly one of every five deaths, each year in the United States. And for every smoking-related death, another 20 people suffer with a smokingrelated disease. Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body and causes many diseases such as coronary heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer to name a few. More men than women smoke. Smoking causes an estimated 90% of all lung cancer deaths in
DO YOUR HEART A FAVOR. QUIT SMOKING. Roosevelt, Heart attack at age 45 Virginia
Smoking causes immediate damage to your body. For Roosevelt, it caused his heart attack. Your heart attack risk drops as soon as you quit smoking. For free help, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
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June 14, 2012 - June 20, 2012
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national
New Program Links ‘Food Stamps’ to Farmers’ Markets By Akeya Dickson Special to the WI Buying a bagful of multi-colored vegetables at designer grocery stores can easily eat up a significant amount of one’s shopping budget. Cost-conscious buyers might be able to make the splurge, but it is not as easy for the millions of people who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, formerly known as Food Stamps. To help ease the transition to healthier eating for millions of SNAP beneficiaries who live in food deserts, the United States Department of Agriculture announced last month that it is awarding $4 million in grants to state agencies to allow farmers’ markets throughout the country to purchase pricey point-of-sale
machines. The wireless machines can process SNAP benefits, but can cost as much as $500. The measure will help reconnect low-income residents with the often more affordable farmers’ markets, which have unfairly earned a reputation as being trendy and inaccessible, said Michael Segal, executive director of the Ward 8 Farmers Market in Washington, D.C. “When there were food stamps and coupons, there was a lot of business at farmers’ markets with food stamps. Individual farmers didn’t have to make any investments with the old-fashioned system,” he said. “When they made the shift to the debit card system, that pattern dropped almost down to nothing the next year. There was no way you could use a debit card outdoors in the middle of a parking lot.”
Technically, the EBT cards are not debit cards. And electronic terminals set up to process debit cards, Visa and MasterCards are not wired to process EBT cards. And that’s a problem for farmers selling their fresh fruit and vegetables and EBT cardholders who want to buy fresh produce. “It was really frustrating for us,” Segal explained. “There was a moment in history, about 15 or 20 years ago, when you have two things simultaneously going on: there were more markets and more fresh fruit available, and the doors were slamming shut on people who had these cards that we couldn’t process,” he said. “Farmers’ markets had gotten this reputation as these tremendously elite and expensive places, and it’s not fair.” Farmers markets, which are largely staffed by volunteers, also run into challenges accessing the market share of people who use SNAP benefits. Problems staffing EBT terminals, letting people with SNAP benefits know that they A new program across the country and in the District will help food stamp recipients to purchase fresh produce from local farmers’ markets. / Courtesy photo
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do accept them, and lack of uniformity in executing the program are some of the issues detailed in “Real Food, Real Choice: Connecting SNAP Recipients with Farmers Markets.” Two of the report’s co-authors, Stacy Miller of the Farmers Market Coalition and Andy Fisher of the Community Security Coalition, introduced the report in 2010. Of the 7,100 farmers markets in the United States, the Ward 8 Farmers’ Market is one of more than 1,500 markets that are already able to accept and process EBT cards. With a customer base that’s at least 80 percent Black, the market opened for the season on June 2. With many of its food producers residents of Ward 8, it saw a 5 percent increase in purchases made with EBT cards last year, which is in addition to other public assistance options such as WIC and senior vouchers. “That means a lot for the farmers and turns into 10 percent for them because of a grant from Wholesome Wave Foundation, which doubles the amount purchased, so that’s exciting,” Segal said. The grant is only available to farmers markets that don’t already have an EBT machine. Some farmers’ markets are in rural areas and don’t have access to electricity or phone lines. But advances in wireless technology
will open up a new world for them – up to a point. “One of the things that’s really frustrating is that the technology is very, very close to the point where the card use could get much less expensive if Square and other [smartphone] devices started processing EBT cards,” said Segal. “There’s a lot of security issues involved. Personally, I think it’s going to happen. The technology is there.” Bruce Alexander, director of communications for the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service, said, “The program is entirely opt in, it’s not mandatory. The funding covers the purchase of the equipment for each farmers market, not for each farmer.” More than 46 million people in the country receive SNAP benefits. Caseload growth year-to-year largely mirror unemployment and underemployment trends, according to the Food Research & Action Center, a national anti-hunger organization. “Increases in SNAP caseloads between February 2011 and February 2012 occurred in 46 states and the District of Columbia,” reported the nonprofit. “The four states that registered double digit over-the-year percentage caseload increases were: Delaware (11.7 percent), Iowa (10.8 percent), Colorado (10.1 percent) and Hawaii (10.8 percent.)” wi www.washingtoninformer.com
Briefs
international
Diaspora: The Links That Bind Caribbean Immigrants By Tony Best Special to the WI It has become something of a rite of passage for Caribbean political leaders who direct the fortunes of the nations and territories that form the archipelago. In recent weeks and months, Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Portia Simpson Miller, Guyana’s new President, Donald Ramotar, Grenada’s head of government Tillman Thomas, and a few days ago, Mia Mottley, a former Deputy Prime Minister of Barbados came to New York at the helm of a six member delegation of the Barbados Labor Party to meet the Diaspora. What they all did was deliver an interesting message: nationals of their respective countries must continue to play an invaluable role in the further economic and social development of America’s third border. When they spoke about “the Diaspora” what each had in mind was that Caribbean immigrants across the U.S., Canada, Britain and elsewhere constituted a significant movement of people who had a common identity and an overpowering interest in their respective birthplaces. Responding to a question at an engaging Carib News editorial board meeting last week, Mottley and her party referred to the trying economic times being experienced throughout the Caribbean, a period when tourism, foreign direct investment, trade in goods and services and a range of other economic activities were all taking a beating from the global economic depression, the Caribbean Diaspora is considered an essential and reliable lifeline. In all, Jamaicans, Haitians, Dominicans (from the Dominican Republic), Vincentians, Guyanese, Trinidadians, Barbadians, Grenadians and others in the region send back about more than $6 billion to relatives every year and the vast
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sums make a substantial difference in people’s lives. What a pity, then, that Caribbean states haven’t done more to integrate their respective Diasporas into national development back home, much like Israel, Ireland and to lesser extent some African states. African states have moved much faster than Caribbean nations and for good reason. One of the largest Diasporas was the movement of people from the continent, beginning in the 16th century during the Atlantic slave trade. An estimated 20 million people from Africa were forcibly transported to the Western Hemisphere and Europe, creating a legacy of a major influence on the cultural and economic life wherever they were taken, sold and brutalized. In the post Second World War era as independence from European domination became a reality in former English, French, Portuguese and Spanish colonies, the concept of the Diaspora assumed a forceful meaning. Unfortunately, though, far too few governments have not matched their words with concrete action. Much too often nationals abroad are seen primarily as sources of funds for individual families or for the provision of equipment for health care and educational institutions. The reward for the Diaspora, as many governments in the region see it, is the facilitation of nationals returning home after decades abroad. The elimination of customs duties on household items was an important first step taken in the 1990s, often in the face of fierce hostility from persons who benefited from the Diaspora but chose to forget the assistance they received. Many prominent public officials and private sector executives who flocked to the U.S., Canada and England for their higher education since the 1970s were able to study because their brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts and other close relatives opened
the doors of their homes providing them with room and board or helped to pay their tuition fees. Jamaica, Haiti and Barbados were among the leading states which established formal governmental structures to reach the Diaspora but more needs to be done. Many of them should find ways to the Diaspora representation on the boards of key state enterprises and should establish a process of regular consultation on national issues. Countries can also help themselves by coming up with investment instruments such as bonds geared for the Diaspora, much like Israel. The nations can benefit and their citizens abroad can reap rewards from higher interest rates offered by governmentbacked securities. Of course, such instruments must conform to U.S., Canadian, British and European laws. At the same time
Caribbean nationals urged to continue to play valuable roles in the further economic and social development of America’s third border. / Courtesy photo
the Caribbean states themselves must act to reduce the red-tape. Another thing, Caribbean immigrants have accumulated vast technical skills and hold top executive positions in the private and public sectors of their homes-away-from home and that experience can be put to their country’s good use if the professional and governmental atmosphere was made more welcoming. After all, the Diaspora constitutes a reservoir of goodwill for the Caribbean. But West Indians in the U.S.
must avoid an emerging and potentially divisive trap. Many of them opt to emphasize links with their own birthplaces to the almost total exclusion of firming up the vital bonds that have brought Caribbean peoples together in Caricom, the University of the West Indies, the cricket team and other regional institutions. P.J. Patterson, who led Jamaica for more than a decade recently urged the Diaspora to think both nationally and regionally. His words of advice should be heeded.wi
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business Business Exchange
Juneteenth 2012 What are you doing to celebrate Juneteenth this year? Although the majority of African Americans aren’t enthusiastic participants, Juneteenth is worthy of contemplation and memorial. Juneteenth comes from a portmanteau of the words June and teenth and represents the legacy of injustices done Blacks in this country. It honors African-American heritage by commemorating the announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas in 1865. Blacks across America should begin special activities on, or about June 19th each year. June 19, 1865 is the date when the last slaves in America were freed. Actual emancipation of American slaves did not come for a year and a half after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth is a date for African Americans to recognize because it represents the chance for a new beginning. Unless we collectively expose the truth about the African-American slave experience, Americans won’t be truly free. Juneteenth represents remembering our history and moving to bring friends and neighbors together to ensure previous mistakes are not repeated and that everyone has an opportunity to succeed. We reflect on Juneteenth so that we can learn from each other and grow together. The paramount issue is that African Americans start to unabashedly appreciate our contributions and constantly remind our heirs of the trillions of unpaid dollars earned by our ancestors. They made the largest national loan in history and financed the world’s greatest power. Most of that “loaned money” is still in circulation today and the “Debt” is still alive and real. Slavery conjures up a host of negative images for Black people; so much so, we fail to realize the tremendous economic contributions we made to the development of the United States into a world power. This lack of realization stems from the national shame of slavery and the concomitant national denial. To a large degree Blacks and whites have bought into this denial. Through the shame of slavery African Americans continue to increase the “Debt” we are owned instead of steadfastly demanding payment. Calculations of our ancestors’ coerced and uncompensated labor totals more than $7 trillion dollars in today’s money. Yet, African Americans will continue yielding to the empty symbolism of re-electing Obama as president rather than rekindle the movement to be paid just reparations. Black Americans must never forget
By William Reed our ancestors’ endurance of one of the worst experiences in human history. Blacks cannot forget or forgive the fact that every American has benefited from the wealth Blacks created through free labor and commemorating Juneteenth allows us to acknowledge that. From the outset, we’ve been robbed. It’s time we do for ourselves and not be browbeaten or deprived of having important discussions about racial issues that persist. The idea that the election of the first Black president would nullify racial grievances, bridge racial differences and erase racial animosities has faded and we still wrestle with the meaning and importance of race in politics. In reality, racial attitudes in politics have become more fraught with racial motives and political objectives as accusations and denials of racism and reverse racism serve as a subterfuge of resentment and prejudice. Let’s start a tradition of Juneteenth empowerment. Annually, we need to come together so that we can include celebrations of enunciated public readings of the Emancipation Proclamation. These should be congratulatory and festive events. African Americans can use this opportunity to retrace roots to ancestors who were held in illegal bondage, as we exchange artifacts and stress responsibility to strive to be the best that we can be. Juneteenth celebrations also include a wide range of festivities to celebrate American heritage such as parades, rodeos, street fairs, cookouts, family reunions, or park parties that include African-American music and dancing or contests of physical strength and intellect. Events may include Black Cowboy historical reenactments or Miss Juneteenth contests. Traditional American sports such as baseball, basketball or football tournaments may also be played. For information on Juneteenth and ways Blacks can coalesce around the concept of real equity in American society, contact Dr. Ronald V. Myers, Sr. via: e-mail JuneteenthDOC@yahoo.com, or www. NationalJuneteenth.com. wi (William Reed is available for speaking/ seminar projects via the Bailey Group.org) www.washingtoninformer.com
business Blackonomics
Black Businesses Need Proper Planning and Marketing Often we hear that most small businesses fail because of a lack of capital. We hear the tales of woe; some are quite true, of entrepreneurs who did not make it because they simply did not have enough money to fund their business. They failed because they could not get a loan from the bank. They failed because of cash flow problems. While all of those reasons are legitimate and valid, in many cases small businesses fail because of improper planning and marketing, as well as a lack of adequate research. Too many business owners are unwilling to invest some of their limited resources in the very things that will make them successful. Further, sad to say, too many of us are unwilling to hire other Black professionals to advise us on things such as accounting, legal, marketing, and other very necessary functions to any successful business. That’s too bad, but I suppose that is why less than 2 percent of the African Americans are entrepreneurs.
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According to the last economic census in 2007, Blacks owned 1.9 million nonfarm U.S. businesses. These Black-owned firms accounted for 7.1 percent of all nonfarm businesses in the United States, employed 921,032 persons (.8 percent of total employment) and generated $137.5 billion in receipts (.5 percent of all receipts). In 2007, there were 106,824 Blackowned employer firms; these firms employed 921,032 persons and had a total payroll of $23.9 billion, generated $98.9 billion in receipts, but accounted for just 5.6 percent of the total number of Black-owned firms and 71.9 percent of Black-owned firms’ gross receipts. Average receipts for Black-owned employer firms in 2007 were $925,427. In contrast, 1.8 million Blackowned firms had no paid employees. These nonemployer firms generated $38.6 billion in receipts and accounted for 94.4 percent of the total number of Black-owned firms and 28.1 percent of gross receipts. Average
By James Clingman receipts for these Black-owned nonemployer firms in 2007 were $21,263. This scenario, coupled with the rate of failure among Black owned businesses, strongly suggests a need for better management of those businesses. Just as importantly, the data indicate a tremendous need for growth and job creation among Black businesses. The value of proper marketing and advertising cannot be overstated when it comes to the success of a business, especially a small business. For some reason we seem to shy away from spending money on advertising, marketing, and research. In many cases we even fail to allocate money for these services in our initial budgets. That’s a prescription for failure – or, at a minimum, a business that will not
likely reach its full potential. The handwriting is on the wall for the workers of this country. Downsizing, rightsizing, re-engineering, or whatever you want to call it, are the orders of the day. Business ownership and mutual support are keys to the success of Black people in this country. We must be willing to support one another’s businesses, and we must be smart when starting new businesses. Place high priority on getting the proper assistance with your business plan. Hire a Black professional to guide you through the maze of research, management, and marketing needs. Yes, we know how to do those things, too. Advertise your business in the proper medium, and please use Blackowned media to do so, as well as other means of getting the word out about your business. In other words, do something that will benefit some other Black businessperson. Don’t be afraid of marketing and please don’t deny the opportunity for a Black marketing professional to write your marketing plan and to execute a portion of that plan, if the need arises. Research! Research! Research! before you jump into business. Just because you are a great cook does not mean you can run a restaurant. Spend some of your money researching your
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market to determine the need for your product or service, as well as what your competition is doing. You know the saying: “Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.” This is a case of many people wanting to be entrepreneurs, but few are willing to do what it takes to be successful. Let’s create and maintain strong and thriving Black businesses. Let’s use one another’s strengths and expertise to make our businesses grow. Let’s work together, cooperatively, to make a better future for our children, teaching them how to make jobs rather than take jobs. We can only do that through business development — and we can only develop viable businesses by learning more about entrepreneurship. Recognize and understand the rules of the entrepreneurial game, and learn to play them well. Money follows good planning and good management – no matter what color you are. wi Jim Clingman, founder of the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce, is the nation’s most prolific writer on economic empowerment for Black people. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati and can be reached through his Web site, blackonomics.com.
June 14, 2012 - June 20, 2012
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health
Black Men & Prostate Cancer By Dianne Anderson Special to the WI Since only Black men are dying from prostate cancer earlier and at twice the rate over every other racial group, medical professionals might as well now throw out what many health officials believe is the best test for detecting prostate cancer in Black men. The debate rages on in the medical community under the recent recommendation that doctors stop offering the PSA blood test. It comes as a big surprise to local family practitioner Sanaa Ligons. The Prostate Specific Antigen test is always one of the first tests she orders for her over-50 male patients. Dr. Ligons at the Whitney Young Family Health Clinic in San Bernardino, said that she understands that the test that may not be so critical for other racial groups. Even so, she said that Black males should not only continue PSA testing, but start earlier than the
current recommendations. “In some populations, maybe the Hispanic and Caucasian population, where it’s not so frequent or so bad, it’s okay not to [PSA] screen, but for African American males, I think we should be screening earlier,” Dr. Ligons said. At the Whitney Young Clinic, African American men over age 50 can routinely expect to get the essentially painless PSA test, an important protein marker that determines if a man has prostate cancer. If they’re over the recommended age, she automatically orders the lab. The other alternative–the dreaded Digital Rectal Exam–is often a deal breaker for Black males. Dr. Ligons said the clinic doesn’t use DREs anymore, just the PSA because it is more reliable to detect the cancer. When men get their annual PSA, it’s easier to spot the trend over time. If the protein marker rises, it’s one indicator that he may have the beginning stages of the
New campaign urges black men to take prostate exams seriously. / Courtesy photo
cancer. With that earlier indicator comes a better chance of survival. But she said patients must also watch for other symptoms. Urination shows the first signs of trouble if the patient sees a slower or weak urine stream, which could indicate prostate enlargement or cancer. Those symptoms could be benign, meaning not cancerous, but no one should take the chance by avoiding the test. Black men are most likely to get and die from prostate cancer, but she said that they are still not getting better about walking into her office, and asking for their PSA tests. “Nope, not at all. They don’t
come in and request it,” she said. Recommendations on prostate screening come by way of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, and is being criticized for calling to curb PSA testing, particularly since Black men comprise those most at risk of dying from the cancer. However, they reportedly only made up about 4% of the Task Force’s case study. Essentially, medical advocates argue that throwing out the PSA test would be a killer for more Black men. Men’s Health Network (MHN) and the Veterans Health Council also stand strongly opposed to the decision to curb testing, claiming
that Vietnam-era veterans were also more at risk from over-exposure to Agent Orange. The group blasted the Task Force for not consulting with the National Cancer Institute, or its studies showing that PSA screening was attributed to a 45-70% decline in death rate, as presented at the annual African American Prostate Cancer Disparity Summit last year. “The recommendation against PSA testing puts men’s lives in jeopardy as they will be discouraged from getting screened for prostate cancer. This especially affects African-American men, men exposed to Agent Orange, and men with a family history, all of whom are at greatest risk of developing prostate cancer and dying from the disease. In the U.S. alone, 30,000 men die from prostate cancer annually, a staggering number. Early detection is key and PSA testing is the best available tool, reducing prostate cancer mortality by 40% since its inception,” commented Ana Fadich, MPH, CHES, Director of Programs and Health Promotion at MHN. For information on screening, call Whitney Young Family Health Clinic at (909) 386-7600 wi
Do Five for Pride!
Here are five ways to take Pride in your health year-round! ❏ Get regular HIV/STD tests and cancer screenings. ❏ Give time. Volunteer! ❏ Get a check-up. ❏ Give money. Donate! ❏ Get active. Regular exercise keeps you healthy–physically and spiritually.
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The CR-V Provides the Efficiency of a Car and the Functionality of an SUV By Njuguna Kabugi Special to WI I have been reflecting on Honda Motor Company’s recent fortunes. In March last year, a Tsunami hit Japan – severely disrupting the company’s supply chain and sales worldwide. In September, Consumer Reports added to Honda’s woes. The venerable magazine sent a bombshell, downgrading the 2012 Honda Civic in its review of small cars from the highly rated perch it had occupied for more than a decade down to a mediocre score of 61, finishing next-to-last in a test of 12 small sedans. According to several automotive observers, Honda had lost its soul. Its prominent leadership in automotive engineering had been reduced to an operation that seemed to be run by accountants who had no better sense than to give us ugly cars which were worse in every way than the ones they replaced. After a week in the 2012 CR-V, I have to disagree with the doomsday pundits. While Honda may have problems with the Civic, I found the 2012 CR-V retains the spirit of classic Honda vehicles. It easily beats much of the competition in the crowded
small SUV segment, and the new model is a testament to why the CR-V continues to be one of the best-selling vehicles in this class. It does so many things so well, providing with ease the best qualities that have made vehicles in this class so popular with consumers. The new model is an improvement over last year’s and will impress a broad range of consumers, but it doesn’t mess with Honda’s tried-and true formula. For starters, it drives more like a car than a lumbering full-size SUV. The driver’s siting position hits that sweet spot that affirmatively communicates that the basics of pedal and steering wheel placement are right. The CR-V sits the driver high up, providing a sense of airiness, good visibility and a feeling of safety that one does not get from the Civic which is built on the same platform. Honda designers retained the vehicle’s striking silhouette, yet elected to give it deeper sculpting of the body lines and a bolder front fascia, highlighted by a horizontal three-bar grille and deeply set multi-reflector headlights. It’s not a bad makeover, and though the front bumper design looks a little like a protruding lower lip, the CR-V still retains a canny
TECHNOLOGY
Compared to last year’s model, the CR-V takes on a more aggressive stance with deeper sculpting of the body lines and a bolder front fascia. /Photo courtesy of American Honda Motor Company
resemblance to the previous year’s model. Families with children will appreciate the CR-V’s spacious interior layout, which becomes more accommodating with an improved center console [now standard] and an overall lower cargo floor height. The most significant new interior feature is the easy fold-down 60/40 split rear seat that makes accessing the full capability of the cargo area much more convenient than traditional manual folding seats. Each side of the rear seat can automatically fold nearly flat into the front of the cargo area using
one of the small levers located near the tailgate or a pull-strap positioned on the seat side. Under the hood, Honda offers a single engine for the CR-V: an improved 185-horsepower, 2.4-liter, power plant that gives 5 horsepower more than the previous generation CR-V. The fuel mileage in the test vehicle was 23 in city driving and 30 on the highway, an improvement of 10 percent. In the age of electric and hybrid technology vehicles, these numbers will not make screaming headlines. But compared to similar conven-
tional gasoline powered vehicles, the CR-V offers stellar mileage. For comparison’s sake, the 2012 Toyota Rav4 achieves 22 city/28 mpg on FWD models and 21 city/27 mpg 4WD models, while Ford’s Escape offers only 21/23. The CR-V comes standard with a 5-speed automatic transmission. Extensive safety equipment includes dual-stage, multiple-threshold front airbags, front-seat side airbags, side curtain airbags with rollover sensor, and lower anchors and tethers for children in the rear outboard seats. A new front seat design also helps reduce the severity of neck injury in a rear collision. A multi-angle rearview camera, included on all models, provides a choice of three different views – providing more visual information for the driver when backing up. As a first for Honda, every 2012 CR-V includes an SMS text messaging function, which can read received texts from compatible cell phones aloud over the audio system. Other technology additions include standard Pandora Internet Radio interface4, compatible with the iPhone, which works with the vehicle’s audio controls and intelligent Multi-Information Display. wi
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education
Black Women Carving Out Niche in Construction Industry By Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer
T
here was a time when it was unheard of for a woman, let alone a black woman, to be allowed anywhere near a construction site. But now, with the influx of females assuming jobs traditionally dominated by men, those like Deryl McKissack are giving new meaning to their roles in the workforce – specifically women who show up donning a hard hat, a safety vest and steel-toed shoes rather than a Marc Jacobs suit and Louboutins.
McKissack is the owner and chief executive officer of the D.C.-based McKissack & McKissack, a woman/ minority-owned business that specializes in architecture and interiors along with project and construction management. The firm currently has 150 employees in its four offices across the country. “We need more engineers and architects in this country,” said McKissack, who started out working for the District-based Turner Construction Company after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. “For women [in construction]
it’s not something they should fear [simply] because it’s known as a man’s business. As long as [we women] are good at what we do, and have confidence in ourselves, we can’t just succeed but excel in this business.” Her grandfather, Moses McKissack III of Tennessee, launched the family’s construction business 107 years ago. Eventually, her father William DeBerry McKissack, inherited the business and brought along his three daughters. While the girls – all of whom went on to excel in architecture and engineering – it was McKissack who had her sights set on
grander visions of entrepreneurship. So in 1990, armed with $1,000, she jump-started her own venture in her hometown of Nashville, building it into the bustling company it is today with offices in D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami. From Turner Construction, McKissack, went on to work at her alma mater, Howard University, where she managed the institution’s construction and development projects. She said the construction arena is a lucrative field – one that she would definitely encourage young girls to consider entering. However, in a field where the number of black females is relatively low, they have to approach it prepared and fortified with a boatload of persistence and perseverance, McKissack said. “I think that’s key because if you don’t push yourself, no one else [will],” she said. “They have to be definitely prepared and have passion about what they’re doing. I tell them to enjoy their work because if they don’t it’s not worth doing.” But McKissack, whose professional accomplishments
include the lead on the architectural design for the Martin Luther King Memorial on the National Mall as well as work on the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Northwest and the newly-constructed 11th Street Bridge near Southeast – is quick to admit it hasn’t always been easy being accepted by men who devalue a woman’s ability to work alongside them. “A lot of it is not understanding who we are as women,” said McKissack, who added that the [Martin Luther King Memorial] project was a “very rewarding” undertaking and milestone for her company. “So it’s more of an apprehension,” she said. “Especially looking back to 20 or 30 years ago when it was whether or not women were qualified to work in this industry. But if you’re prepared, nowadays I think it’s a lot easier than it was then.” Yet McKissack said she doesn’t believe many of the barriers which have kept women out of construction have been razed. “Being a woman really is
See women on Page 23
Deryl McKissack (right), owner and CEO of the Washington, D.C.-based firm McKissack & McKissack, believes there are still barriers in the construction industry that prevent women from entering and succeeding in that arena. /Photo courtesy of McKissack & McKissack
William DeBerry McKissack, who inherited his father, Moses McKissack III’s construction business, is surrounded by his three daughters (left to right), Cheryl, Andrea and Deryl. /Photo Courtesy of McKissack & McKissack
22 June 14, 2012 - June 20, 2012
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education women continued from Page 22
about doing anything in a maledominated society. Our industry is a little bit more stringent than others, but it’s just a matter of [us women] being strong from within and believing in ourselves.” Ann McNeill, president of the Miami, Fla.-based MCO Construction and Services, who visited the District recently to participate in Industry Day at Cardozo Senior High School in Northwest, agreed. McNeill encourages black women already in the field without college degrees, to aim at running their own businesses. She said those who pull themselves up by their own boot straps to become entrepreneurs, can in turn, hire college graduates to run their businesses for them. “To me, that’s what the construction industry offers with no barriers,” said McNeill. She added that the National Association of Black Women in Construction, of which she is a member, exists because of the significant number of AfricanAmerican females who have opted for careers in construction. “We are letting young girls know that they don’t have to wear a hard hat,” said McNeill, who has 40 years of experience. In this industry, in addition to being brick layers or carpenters, they can also be a lawyer or a corporate executive.” McNeill, 58, has a master’s degree and two general contracting licenses. So, she doesn’t condone students dropping out of school to enter the workforce. However, she said there are black women who are working right now as laborers, sweeping floors making $15 an hour. McNeill explained that even if students who want to go into construction have dropped out of high school, they can still get training that gets them in the door. “They don’t have to go back to high school. They just have to decide what kind of training they want in the industry, and then focus their energy on that,” she said. “Trade schools are now becoming the thing of the future, because a lot of young people are thinking why go to college and acquire
huge amounts of debt, when they can go to a trade school with significantly less debt.” Shelly Karriem, manager of the Academy of Construction & Design at Cardozo, said that
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about 50 girls enrolled for the 2011-12 academic year. Karriem added that she often encourages her young female protégés to explore their options.
“When we first started [recruiting female students], we had to pull teeth to get them to come along because many thought you couldn’t be feminine and fit in this industry.
But that’s just a myth,” Karriem said. “One of the things I often tell my students is that one of the best things that can happen on a construction site is to have a black woman aboard.” wi
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The Washington Informer
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June 14, 2012 - June 20, 2012
The CoLumn
United Black Fund Calvin & Wilhelmina Rolark Scholarship Luncheon The United Black Fund held the annual Calvin & Wilhelmina Rolark Scholarship Luncheon at the Armour Blackburn Center on Howard University Campus in DC. This year’s theme was “Sweet Land of Liberty” The DC National Guard and the Veteran Community -thanking them for their service and sacrifice. The honorable H.R. Crawford received the ”Community Founder’s Award”, Major General Errol Schwartz received the”People’s Guardian Award”, Ginger Miller, Barbara Pittman and Joe Wynn received the “Veteran Champion Awards”. Debbie Jarvis accepted the “Corporate of the Year” Award for Pepco. Monica Jones-Martinez received the “I Love Life” award. James Neil Wright, Dereka Cisco and Jamal Randolph were the “2012 United Black Fund Scholarship Winners”. Ward 8 Council Member Marion Barry, Dick Gregory and Former Council Member Sandy Allen all attended the luncheon. This event was sponsored by Pepco, the United Way,The Jack Olender Law Firm, Coca Cola, the Washington Informer Newspaperand Social Sightings-The MagaZine. For more information about the United BlackFund go to www.ubfinc.org
Barry LeNoir United Black Fund President
(L-R) DC Mayor Vincent Gray with the Winner of the “I Love Life” awardee Monica Jones-Martinez & Dr. Virginia Howard (UBF Scholars Bd. Membr.)
(L-R) Dr. Samuel Cornelius receives City Resolution from Council Member At-Large Vincent Orange
Honorees Ginger Miller, Barbara Pittman & Joe Wynn (“Veteran Champion Award”)
(L-R) Rev. Dr. Mary Ivey, President LeNoir with Honoree H. R. Crawford (“Community Founder’s Award”)
Pres. LeNoir, Honoree Major General Errol Schwartz (“People’s Guardian Award”) & Dr. Samuel Cornelius (UBF Bd.Chairman)
Proud Father Barry LeNoir (UBF President) with his children and grandchildren
Debbie Jarvis (VP Pepco) received the “Corporate Sponsor of the Year Award” shown here with her sons
(L-R) Glenna Emanuel (UBF Bd. Memb.) & her daughter
(L-R) Sharon Gittens, Dr. Marilyn & Hugh Brown
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Ward 5 Council Member Kenyan McDuffie & Denise Rolark Barnes (Publisher Washington Informer Newspaper)
(L-R) Ward 6 Council Member Tommy Wells & Mrs. Virginia Williams
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Money-Saving Cleaning Tips to Save Energy at Home Whether you love or hate spring cleaning, here’s some good news: Cleaning could save you money. Make the following tips part of your spring cleaning list and you’ll cut your energy costs by getting better performance from your appliances, exhaust fans, and lights.
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87,500 weekly readers and visitors = 165,000 weekly eyeballs
Dry clothes faster Clear lint from your clothes-dryer exhaust hose. Have a flexible hose? Replace it with smooth metal ducting to improve air flow, dry clothes faster, and reduce drying energy use. Don’t make your fridge work so hard Clean dust from under your refrigerator, the front vent at the base, and any exposed coils at the back. Another tip: Make sure products aren’t blocking the fan vents inside the fridge and freezer.
Contact: Ron Burke | 202-561-4100 rburke@washingtoninformer.com
Clear the air Dust bathroom ceiling fan covers and fan blades. Clean dust and grease from the kitchen stove hood and exhaust fan. Plug your home electronics into an advanced power strip
In Memoriam Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, Sr. Wilhelmina J. Rolark THE WASHINGTON INFORMER NEWSPAPER (ISSN#0741-9414) is published weekly on each Thursday. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C. and additional mailing offices. News and advertising deadline is Monday prior to publication. Announcements must be received two weeks prior to event. Copyright 2010 by The Washington Informer. All rights reserved. POSTMASTER: Send change of addresses to The Washington Informer, 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E. Washington, D.C. 20032. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The Informer Newspaper cannot guarantee the return of photographs. Subscription rates are $45 per year, two years $60. Papers will be received not more than a week after publication. Make checks payable to: THE WASHINGTON INFORMER 3117 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E Washington, D.C. 20032 Phone: 202 561-4100 Fax: 202 574-3785 news@washingtoninformer.com www.washingtoninformer.com
While you’re dusting your TV, computer, gaming equipment, and other home electronics, take a look at how they’re plugged in. You can stop overpaying to power these big energy users (many draw electricity even when off) by plugging them into an advanced power strip, which automatically cuts electricity to any idle equipment you choose.
PUBLISHER Denise Rolark Barnes STAFF
Use your bath fan
Denise W. Barnes, Editor Shantella Y. Sherman, Assistant Editor Ron Burke, Advertising/ Marketing Director Victor Holt, Photo Editor Lafayette Barnes, IV, Assistant Photo Editor John E. De Freitas, Sports Photo Editor Dorothy Rowley, Online Editor Paul Trantham, Circulation Manager Brian Young, Design & Layout AssureTech /www.scsworks.com, Webmaster Mable Neville, Bookkeeper Mickey Thompson, Social Sightings columnist Stacey Palmer, Social Media Specialist REPORTERS Eve Ferguson, Joy Freeman-Coulbary, Gale Horton Gay, Barrington Salmon, Charles E. Sutton ,James Wright, Joseph Young
Do you have mildew on bathroom ceilings? This is a sign of insufficient ventilation. If you have a bath fan, use it. If you need a fan, look for an ENERGY STAR® qualified model. These fans are very quiet and use little electricity. Be sure to vent bath fans to the outdoors, or you’ll risk moving your mildew problem to another part of the house or attic. Keep bulbs and fixtures clean Dirt will absorb the light and reduce the efficiency. Another tip: Replace incandescent light bulbs with Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and use up to 75% less energy for lighting. Step outside Take a look at any accessible exterior vents, such as for the clothes dryer, centralheating system, water heater, kitchen-fan exhaust, or bath-fan exhaust. Clear them of any blockage or buildup of dust, webs, leaves, and lint. Courtesy of The District of Columbia Sustainable Energy Utility (DC SEU) – www. dcseu.com
PHOTOGRAPHERS John E. De Freitas, Victor Holt, Roy Lewis, Khalid Naji-Allah, Shevry Lassiter
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Understanding HARP 2.0:
A Case Study by Andrea Shearin Vice President Compliance & CRA Manager
M
y husband and I recently applied for a loan under the federal government’s revised Home Affordable Refinance Program, or HARP 2.0. HARP is a mortgage refinance program designed to help responsible homeowners take advantage of today’s low mortgage rates. Unlike a traditional refinance, HARP allows homeowners to refinance their mortgages even though their homes’ values have fallen below their mortgage loan balances. This is known as being “underwater”. We were aware that our county was one of those hit hardest by the housing downturn in the state of Maryland. Yet, we were still stunned to learn that our house, for which we had made steady monthly payments for the past 8 years, was valued at $62 thousand less than what we paid for it, putting us approximately $20 thousand “underwater”. With this information, we had cleared the first hurdle to being qualified for this government mortgage relief program. Our lender told us that to be eligible for a HARP 2.0 refinance: zz Our mortgage must have been sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac before May 31, 2009. This can be determined by calling: 1-800-7FANNIE or 1-800-FREDDIE or going online at www.fanniemae.com/ loanlookup or www. freddiemac.com/ mymortgage and using the lookup tools; zz We must be current with our mortgage payments and have no late payments in the last six months or no more than one late payment within the past 12 months. A late payment is defined as
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one that is more than 30 days overdue; and zz This must be our first refinance through HARP. Loans that were refinanced under an earlier version of HARP are ineligible to be refinanced again. In addition to the eligibility requirements, our lender informed us that they were required to verify our income, employment and credit history. We were advised that approximately 2 million homeowners were expected to refinance their mortgage loans through HARP 2.0, so to avoid any delays, it was important that we submit the requested documents as soon as possible. Our lender discussed other obstacles that could delay the HARP process such as mortgage insurance and second mortgages. Borrowers with second mortgages have to get their second mortgage lender to agree to keep the second mortgage loan secondary to the HARP loan. Also, mortgages with borrower-paid mortgage insurance must maintain the current level of mortgage insurance. Unfortunately, mortgage loans with lender-paid mortgage insurance cannot be refinanced through the HARP 2.0 program. Thankfully, we did not face any of these challenges and within 3 weeks we were approved for a HARP 2.0 loan with a lower interest rate, a lower monthly mortgage payment and a shortened repayment term.
Money Matter$ By Andrea Shearin
Industrial Bank Industrial Strong
www.industrial-bank.com
Member FDIC
Keeping the dream of home ownership alive and well
Fixed Rates First Time Home Buyer Programs Refinance Home Equity Line of Credit FHA Programs Reverse Mortgage
Apply in person, online at www.industrial-bank.com, or contact our Home Mortgage Division at (202) 722-2097
If you believe you are eligible and want to put yourself in a better position to endure the housing market recovery, call your mortgage lender today and ask them to help you complete a HARP 2.0 application. As always, Industrial Bank is ready to serve as your financial partner to support you as you look to invest in yourself, invest in your dreams, and invest in your future.
HOMEOWNERSHIP SUPPLEMENT / june 2012 H-3
Member FDIC
Money Matter$
Industrial Bank Industrial Strong
By Brian Faulcon www.industrial-bank.com
Member FDIC
7
Tips To Consider Before You Begin The Home Buying Process
DC Home Buyer's S $5000 Tax Credit
by: Brian Faulcon Assistant Vice President Industrial Bank
To be eligible for this credit, a buyer must:
1) Buy a home in the District of Columbia (one must not have owned a home in DC within one year of the qualified purchase); 2) Occupy the property as their principle residence: and 3) Meet the following income requirements: Single Filers- with up to $70,000 in modified Adjusted Gross Income 9AGI) received the benefit of the entire $5,000 credit. People with a modified AGI of between $70,000 and $90,000, the credit it reduced by $250 for every one thousand dollars over $70,000. Joint Filers – with up to $110,000 in modified AGI receive the benefit of the entire $5,000 credit. Couples with a modified AGI of between $110,000 and $130,000 the credit is reduced by $250 for every one thousand dollars over $110,000. The $5,000 is not a deduction, but a credit to be applied towards Federal Income Taxes (File Form 8859). If the entire credit cannot be used in the year of purchase, it can be carried over for up to five years.
ummer time is here and have you noticed that there’s an abundance of homes for sale? Plus, when you listen to the news or radio, you hear that mortgage rates are at the lowest they have ever been in history; and the prices of homes have decreased dramatically. YES, purchasing a home is still a great investment and now is the time to take advantage of the opportunities that are in front of you. The home buying process can seem overwhelming, so I would like to share 7 tips to consider before you begin;
Tip
#1: Commit to the home buying process. Make a decision to continue to the end.
Tip
DC Homestead Exemption To be eligible for the Homestead Exemption, a buyer must: 1) Own property in the District of Columbia; 2) Occupy the property as their principle residence: 3) Be subject to DC Income Taxation during the period the property gets the Homestead deduction. The Homestead Exemption gives the homeowner two (2) important benefits: (1) $38,000 is deducted from the assessed value of the residence for purposes of calculating property taxes; and (2) the tax rate applies to the assessment is the lowest tax rate imposed by the DC government. To get the exemption, the homeowner must complete and file a Form FR-HD at the D.C. Department of Finance and Revenue. The exemption is not transferable and only applies to one home at a time. Property owners receive the homestead deduction on a prorated basis the first full month following the date filing of a property completed form. You will receive this form to complete at Settlement. For more information on this, and other related topics, log onto www.dc.gov.
#2: Do not start the home buying process and then begin purchasing items for the house or large items on credit before settlement.
Tip
#3: Review or create a budget to see if you can reduce your current expenses, so that you can save, save, and save (more) money for Closing costs! Closing costs in Maryland, DC and Virginia are among the highest in the country.
Tip
#4: Get a free credit report and analyze it. Most financial institutions prefer to see your
H-4 june 2012 / HOMEOWNERSHIP SUPPLEMENT
middle credit score at 640 or greater. Make sure that everything on the credit report is yours. If you see any negative information on the report, try to work it out before you start the home buying process.
Tip
#5: If you are a first time home buyer, you should try to go to a first time homebuyer class or seminar. You will receive valuable information about the home buying process as well as learn if you qualify for any grants or settlement expense assistance.
Tip
#6: Find a Loan Officer that you feel comfortable with and get prequalified for a loan. Look up the financial institution and the Loan Officer on the Nationwide Mortgage License System (NMLS) which is a registry for the public to view information about the financial institution and the loan officer. The website is www. N M L S C O N S U M E R AC CESS.ORG. All loan officers should provide you with their NMLS#.
Tip
#7: Find a Real Estate Agent and start the home buying process. Referrals from family, friends, or your Loan Officer can help you find a good Real Estate Agent that you feel comfortable with. Buying a home is still the American Dream. The more you prepare upfront to purchase your home, the easier the mortgage process will be! As always, Industrial Bank is ready to serve as your financial partner to support you as you look to invest in yourself, invest in your dreams, and invest in your future.
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Industrial Bank
Industrial Strong
Since 1934
Keeping the dream of home ownership alive and well Fixed rates First time home buyer programs Refinance Home Equity Line of Credit Apply in person or online at www.industrial-bank.com
7 keys to get you into your new home.
Review your personal credit report Analyze your current budget This is a “buyer’s market” (don’t rush to buy) Get pre-qualified for the amount of your desired monthly payment Home inspection is a must! Don’t speculate on “fixer-uppers” until you know the cost of improvements Cash is king; save money (It is important to have cash reserves for emergencies)
Contact our Home Mortgage Division today at (202) 722-2097
MEMBER FDIC
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HOMEOWNERSHIP SUPPLEMENT / june 2012 H-5
Celebrating Homeownership Month: Creating Homeowners, Preserving Neighborhoods in Maryland Interest Rates on Maryland
Mortgage Late? Don’t Wait!
You Have options. We Can Help. aCt noW before it’s too late! For more information call
1•877•462•7555 or log onto
www.mdhope.org Martin O’Malley, Governor Anthony G. Brown, Lt. Governor
Raymond A. Skinner, Secretary Clarence J. Snuggs, Deputy Secretary
Mortgage Plan Loans at All-time Low
I
n commemoration of June as national homeownership month, the state is offering one of the lowest interest rates ever on its flagship mortgage assistance program. At 4.75 percent, the rate that went into effect June 1 is one of the best deals in the 30-year history of the Maryland Mortgage Program, offering significant savings for hundreds of qualified homebuyers, says Raymond A. Skinner, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. The country has recognized June as homeownership month since 2002. This year’s national theme, “Promoting and Protecting Homeownership,” carries particular resonance in the wake of one of the worst collapses of the housing market since the Great Depression. However, state officials insist they will not allow the crisis to dampen the American dream of homeownership. “In spite of the housing crisis and the high foreclosure rate, Governor Martin O’Malley feels homeownership is still good for our families and good for our communities,” Secretary Skinner says. “Over the long term, homeownership helps stabilize our neighborhoods; and for families, it builds equity, wealth, and helps create a legacy that families can pass on to their children.” The Maryland Mortgage Program features a variety of low-interest, fixed-rate mortgage loan options for first-time homebuyers and to homebuyers in targeted neighborhoods in Baltimore City and Allegany, Caroline Dorchester, Garrett, Kent and Somerset counties. The program is administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development and is funded by private capital raised through the agency’s ability to issue
mortgage revenue bonds. Program loans are administered by a network of over 50 private lending institutions across the state, enabling potential homebuyers to receive assistance through their local banks. In addition, qualified homebuyers can receive a no-interest, deferred loan to help meet downpayment and settlement expenses through the state’s Downpayment and Settlement Expense Loan Program. The loan is not due until the refinance, sale or transfer of the home. The first step for interested homebuyers is to call the agency’s Community Development Administration at 800 6387781 for a homebuyer’s kit. Meanwhile, officials are seeing signs that the state housing market is improving, although they warn that the market remains very fragile. RealtyTrac, an online service that monitors the housing market, has reported that foreclosures in Maryland dropped 11.5 percent during the first quarter of 2010, compared to the previous quarter and the state’s ranking improved from 10th highest in the country to 14th highest. And the Maryland Association of Realtors says March home sales increased by 29.3 percent compared to last year, homes spent less time on the market and prices are beginning to gain traction. “We can avoid many of the problems that precipitated the last crisis through a strong homebuyer education program,” says Secretary Skinner. He noted that free homebuyer education is a part of every Maryland Mortgage Program loan.
Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development H-6 june 2012 / HOMEOWNERSHIP SUPPLEMENT
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Take the Right Step on the Path to Homeownership The Maryland Mortgage Program is the place to start! Closing cost assistance of at least $5,000 and 30-year fixed rate mortgages.
800.638.7781 www.mmprogram.org Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development
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HOMEOWNERSHIP SUPPLEMENT / june 2012 H-7
Energy TIPS TO SAVE ENERGY TODAY
»» Install a programmable thermostat to lower utility bills and manage your heating and cooling systems efficiently.
»» Air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher’s drying cycle. »» Turn things off when you are not in the room such as lights, TVs, entertainment systems, and your computer and monitor.
»» Plug home electronics, such as TVs and DVD players, into power strips; turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use—TVs and DVDs in standby mode still use several watts of power.
»» Lower the thermostat on your water heater to 120°F. »» Take short showers instead of baths and use low-flow showerheads for additional energy savings.
»» Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes. »» Air dry clothes. »» Check to see that windows and doors are closed when heating or cooling your home.
»» Drive sensibly; aggressive driving such as speeding, and rapid acceleration and braking, wastes fuel.
»» Look for the ENERGY STAR® label on light bulbs, home appliances, electronics, and other products. ENERGY STAR products meet strict efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy
»» LED Lighting »» LEDs: A New Kind of Light. LED bulbs offer similar light quality to traditional incandescents, last 25 times as long, and use even less energy than CFLs. Choose ENERGY STARqualified LEDs for the highest quality and energy savings.
»» LED bulbs are rapidly expanding in household use. ENERGY STAR-qualified LEDs use only about 20%-25% of the energy and last up to 25 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs. They come in a variety of colors, and some are dimmable or offer convenient features such as daylight and motion sensors.
»» In addition to standard screw-in bulbs, you’ll find LEDs in desk lamps, kitchen under-cabinet lighting, and even holiday light strings.
T
Efficiency Programs Save Maryland Residents Money
he Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) offers a range of energy efficiency programs that can help Maryland residents save money on their monthly energy bills. These programs support Governor Martin O’Malley’s EmPOWER Maryland initiative, which seeks to reduce Maryland’s energy consumption by 15 percent by 2015, and the Smart, Green & Growing initiative which strengthens our economy, protects our environment, and improves our quality of life. DHCD partners with the U.S. Department of Energy, the Maryland Energy Administration, local governments, nonprofit organizations, home improvement contractors, and energy suppliers to support our energy efficiency programs. Programs offered by DHCD include the Weatherization Assistance Program and the EmPOWER Maryland Low Income Energy Efficiency Program, which provide grants to low- to moderate-income households, as well as the Be SMART (Save Money And Resources Today) Program which provides low-interest loans and rebates to Maryland residents. All of these energy efficiency programs generally require applicants to undergo an energy audit to receive assistance. This audit will be conducted by DHCD’s local partner agencies or a DHCDapproved contractor. The audit will assess the current state of the property and will prioritize the most effective ways to reduce your energy costs while increasing comfort. Depending on the specific program, there may also be certain income restrictions and/or credit requirements. Once the audit is completed, the energy efficiency improvements recommended through the audit will be com-
pleted through the local partner agency or an approved contractor. All of DHCD’s programs support improvements that address issues including: air infiltration improvements and duct-sealing; insulation in attics, floors and walls; hot water system improvements; lighting retrofits; furnace cleaning, tuning and safety repairs and burner repair or replacement, and; additional health and safety items to improve energy efficiency. Additionally, the Be SMART program offers a loan program that may be used for appliance upgrades and/or replacement of heating and cooling systems, windows, doors, insulation, appliances, and other qualified ENERGY STAR improvements including, but not limited to air source heat pumps, central air conditioning systems, boilers, water heaters, refrigerators, ceiling fans, programmable thermostats, and ventilating fans. Be SMART program participants may also be eligible for additional rebates related to certain appliance upgrades. All of DHCD’s energy efficiency programs save Marylanders money and help them achieve a higher quality of life – Marylanders like Barry Wilhite. A resident of the Mayo Peninsula of Anne Arundel County, Mr. Wilhite has lived in his home since age seven, assuming ownership after the death of his parents. After a health issue that caused him to have both his legs amputated, Mr. Wilhite was struggling to pay his heating oil bills. Some helpful neighbors did some research and suggested that DHCD’s Weatherization Assistance Program might be able to help. After an energy audit, local, approved contractors began extensive upgrades to Mr. Wilhite’s home. The attic received new insulation and a
H-8 june 2012 / HOMEOWNERSHIP SUPPLEMENT
special covering. Covers were added to the fireplace. Windows were caulked, and panes covered in cardboard were replaced. Old, inoperable heating vents were replaced. Upon installation of a carbon dioxide monitor in the basement, a large crack was found in the original oil furnace. The furnace was subsequently replaced with a smaller and more energy-efficient electric model. All the work was completed before winter arrived which was perfect timing for Mr. Wilhite. As a double-amputee, Mr. Wilhite’s body regulates its temperature a little bit differently than most, so good, reliable home heating and cooling is a must. After the energy efficiency improvements were in place, Mr. Wilhite immediately saw substantial savings to his home energy bills. Once struggling to pay for heating oil, Mr Wilhite no longer worries about that with his upgraded electric heat pump and system. Additionally, once the improvements to the home were completed, Mr. Wilhite was able to rent out his basement as an apartment, which has helped him manage his mortgage payments and ensure that he remains in the home he loves –next-door to the helpful neighbors he adores. Whether you are struggling with your energy bills, looking to reduce your monthly energy costs, or seeking sustainable energy solutions for your home, DHCD and the State of Maryland may be able to help you and your family. Visit the “Improving A Home” section of the DHCD website – http://www. mdhousing.org – to learn more about our energy efficiency programs and to find the local partner agency or approved contractors in your area. You can also call DHCD directly at 1-800-638-7781 for additional information and to determine which program is the best fit for you or visit www.mdhousing.org
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Money& Energy @ Home
Saving by Ted Trabue, Managing Director, DC SEU
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he average energy bill for a single family home in the U.S. is approximately $2,200 per year. If you were to add up all the hidden air leaks in the average home, they can equal a hole the size of a window that’s open 365 days a year. The potential for lowering energy costs in your home is huge and the District of Columbia Sustainable Energy Utility (DC SEU) is committed to helping you find ways to do just that. This spring, the DC SEU launched the DC Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® program designed to help District homeowners identify the areas in your home where you can make energy-saving home improvements. Improving the energy efficiency of your home through DC Home Performance can help make your home more comfortable—and save you up to 30% on your energy bills. With a $500 incentive available for homeowners who complete qualifying work under the program, the DC Home Performance program is an opportunity you don’t want to miss. A typical DC Home Performance with ENERGY STAR home improvement project begins with a comprehensive energy audit of your home conducted by a certified Home Performance with ENERGY STAR contractor. Using a number of diagnostic tests, your contractor will provide you with a home energy audit report. This comprehensive report provides you with recommended energy-saving home improvements specific to your home, along with the associated energy savings you’ll see from making those improvements. You will then work with your contractor to decide which improvements make the best sense for your home and budget, and your contractor will
perform the work. Sometimes, the costs of making your home more energy efficient can put those improvements out of reach of some homeowners. To help homeowners overcome the cost barriers, the DC SEU is working with local banks to provide financing that can make the investment possible and affordable. The DC SEU has partnered with Industrial Bank to offer a special program through the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, the Energy Efficiency and Weatherization Program. This loan program provides forgivable loan funds of up to $12,000 for home rehabilitation to eligible homeowners. The DC SEU has also partnered with CommonWealth One Federal Credit Union’s Energy Saver Loan program to offer DC residents loans with reasonable interest rates for energy projects under the DC Home Performance program. These financing options can go a long way in helping you make energy-saving improvements to your home without breaking your bank. DC Home Performance with ENERGY STAR is a great way to save energy, save money, and go green in your home. For more information on the DC SEU and our programs and services, visit www.dcseu.com or call toll-free at 855-MY-DCSEU (855-693-2738). The DC SEU was established by the Clean and Affordable Energy Act (CAEA) of 2008 and is a project of the Sustainable Energy Partnership, led by the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation and eight local partners: George L. Nichols and Associates; Groundswell; the Institute for Market Transformation; L.S. Caldwell and Associates; PEER Consultants; PES Group; Skyline Innovations; and Taurus Development Group. For more information, visit www.DCSEU.com.
WANT To START SAviNG moNEYAND ENERGY iN YouR HomE ToDAY? Take advantage of incentives and financing options from the DC Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® program by completing energy-efficient improvements through a DC Home Performance participating contractor. To get started, call 888-MY-DCSEU or visit www.dcseu.com.
a new kind of utility WWW.DCSEu.Com/mYDCSEu
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HOMEOWNERSHIP SUPPLEMENT / june 2012 H-9
Facing Foreclosure
or Underwater? Don’t Fear the Solution
By Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler
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ou’ve been victimized by an unscrupulous mortgage broker or a bank/mortgage servicer.
Lenders made millions on fees and when they got in trouble, they just ignored your situation. You’re not alone. Thousands of Maryland families are desperate to leave their personal housing crisis behind
and resume their quest for the American Dream. For many, that possibility just became more real. So, why trust the banks now? The truth is you don’t have to but, you should at least open
their mail. A solution to your problem just might be inside the next envelope. It’s already started. Over the next several months, families across Maryland will be getting letters from their mortgage lender that might be the best news they’ve seen in quite a while. Don’t ignore that letter. Open and read it carefully and then, respond. Also, I highly recommend that you discuss the letter with a free nonprofit housing counselor or a lawyer of your choice (See how below.). But, whatever you do, Don’t Fear the Solution. The rules of the game have changed in your favor if you qualify. Under the recent $26 billion Mortgage Servicing Settlement, Maryland extracted nearly $1 billion worth of benefits and assistance that the banks must now deliver to borrowers or pay a hefty penalty. The mortgage servicing companies are now bound by a federal court and a court-appointed monitor to do the right thing and do it fast. That includes treating borrowers like valued customers instead of liabilities. The lion’s share of that money must go directly to homeowners who are in danger of foreclosure or, underwater with their mortgages or, were foreclosed upon between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2011. The relief comes in different forms and each option will apply differently to different borrowers. Under the
H-10 june 2012 / HOMEOWNERSHIP SUPPLEMENT
settlement these lenders must provide large numbers of customers either lower interest rates, loan modifications or principle reductions. Some families who’ve lost homes to foreclosure may qualify for a cash payment of up to $2,000. In this case, a letter and then a check would come from a claims administrator – not the bank – with no strings attached. You can take it and still sue the lender if you have grounds to do so. The banks must reach out to borrowers. But you shouldn’t wait for them to act. Call the bank now. Get a free nonprofit housing counselor or talk to the one you have, again. This settlement doesn’t apply to everyone facing mortgage problems. You must pay or have paid your mortgage to one of these companies: Ally/ GMAC, Bank of America (Including Countrywide), JPMorgan Chase (Including WaMu) and Wells Fargo (Including Wachovia). And, you must qualify for the relief that is being offered. Settlements with other lenders are in the works. For a schedule of Free Foreclosure Workshops, find a free nonprofit housing counselor or phone numbers for each bank, visit our web site at http:// www.oag.state.md.us/ or call the Office of the Attorney General at 410-576-6300.
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Homeowner Rescues on the Way:
Good News for All Americans
By Lanta Evans-Motte, M.B.A.
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any Americans would welcome a major housing recovery, as home equity is the way most Americans build wealth. However, several factors seem to be working against that trend, including a less than robust job market, tighter mortgage lending standards, and the large number of homeowners who owe more on their mortgage than their homes are worth. More than 30% of homeowners (nearly 16 million), were underwater on their mortgage during the first quarter of 2012, according to a recent report by Zillow. The overall economy has been improving since the 2007-2008 meltdown, albeit slowly, with record corporate profits, stable retail sales, and stabilizing unemployment trends. Optimists also point to several positive housing trends, including lower housing inventories, historically low interest rates, and better housing affordability (lower priced properties are easier to qualify for). Additional encouraging news is that a number of housingrelated initiatives have recently been launched to help homeowners prevent foreclosure, keep homes occupied and help sustain stable communities: zz In February 2012, President zz Obama announced a refinancing plan to help homeowners refinance mortgages backed by the FHA, if they are current on their mortgages. Buyers could save about $3000 annually. This is in addition to the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) and the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP), which are foreclosure prevention programs launched in previous years. zz Also in February 2012, an historic $25 billion settlement was reached
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between the federal government, 49 state attorney generals, and the country’s five largest loan servicers: Bank of America; Citibank; Ally Bank (GMAC), JPMorganChase (WaMu); and Wells Fargo (Wachovia). This settlement is the largest multistate settlement since the Tobacco Settlement in 1998. The agreement was reached after extensive investigations into mortgage fraud, foreclosure abuses, and mortgage servicing practices such as “robo-signing.” The settlement provides benefits to borrowers whose loans are owned by the settling banks, but has a three-year timeline for implementation. For borrowers with loans owned or serviced by the five big banks, the settlement may help millions of homeowners remain in their homes through enhanced loss mitigation programs, such as interest rate reductions, loan modifications (including principal reductions), forbearance plans, and short sales (where homes are sold for less than the mortgage balance). In April 2012, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) directed Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae to streamline several homeowner retention programs to help homeowners who owe more than their home is worth. Enhancements will include short sales, deedsin-lieu and deeds-for-lease, which are efforts designed to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. The first phase will begin in June 2012, with additional enhancements expected by the end of 2012. The new timelines require
that mortgage servicers respond to requests for short sales within 30 calendar days from receipt of a short sale offer; and then communicate final decisions to the borrower within 60 calendar days of receipt of the offer and complete borrower response package. FHFA is the regulator for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the 12 Federal Home Loan Banks, which provide more than $5.7 trillion in funding for the U.S. mortgage markets and financial institutions.
zz Since January 2012, several banks have announced relocation incentive programs to help underwater homeowners leave their property. Programs have been reported to offer from $2,500 to $30,000 in relocation assistance, which is generally at the discretion of the lender. Some lenders prefer these programs to foreclosures, as the process is generally more orderly and the home is often left in better condition by exiting homeowners. Other federal programs, such as Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives (HAFA) may also offer relocation incentives for short sales.
zz For more information on the Mortgage Servicing Settlement, visit: www. NationalForeclosureSettlement.com; or your state Attorney General’s website. zz For more information on Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac short sales, visit, www.fhfa. gov. zz For more information on relocation incentives, contact your lender or servicer. Reports of scammers trying to take advantage of vulnerable homeowners have already surfaced in several states. Be sure to take appropriate steps to safeguard your personal information, your home, and your money, and beware of unsolicited phone calls, emails and mailings.
benefit if the aforementioned homeowner initiatives are successful. As housing prices improve, homeowner equity also generally increases, along with real and perceived wealth amongst homeowners. A housing rebound would also likely be good news for the financial markets, as the economy generally responds well to a robust housing market which typically contributes to thousands of jobs, income, and buying power. Information provided is not intended as specific tax, legal, or financial recommendations for any person. Lanta Evans-Motte, MBA, is a business consultant and independent financial advisor affiliated with Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC; 4061 Powder Mill Road, Suite 705, Calverton, MD 20705. Office: 301-459-2484.
Getting Help and Housing Recovery? Additional Information Whether you need help perHUD-approved housing sonally or know someone who counselors are available (often does, many Americans stand to free) to assist homeowners better understand their options, and help determine if they qualify for programs, remedies, or asLanta Evans-Motte, MBA Financial Advisor sistance (www.hud.gov). Working with experienced counselors may result in better outcomes for homeowners facing difficulties. zz For more information on HAMP, HARP, or HAFA visit www. makinghomeaffordable.gov.
4061 Powder Mill Road, Ste. 705, Beltsville, MD 20705 Ofce: 301-459-2484 • Branch: 301-595-8600 lanta.evans@raymondjames.com www.raymondjames.com/lantaevans Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC
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Healthy Homes:
Green Efficiency By Misty Brown WI Staff Writer
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his year has been designated as the “International Year of Sustainable Energy for All” by the United Nations. And in keeping with the revered organization, here are some simple and healthy green tips that are easy and inexpensive.
BUY TOOLS THAT LAST: “Always buy high-quality tools from reputable stores. My favorite brand is Dewalt – the leader in contractor power tools including cordless drills, woodworking tools and professional power tools. Look for those with lifetime warranties. You have to send in your warranty forms. I still use the same hammer of 25 years. Also, I have my circle saw for cutting all different angles and my cable saw for ripping anything,” says builder Reginald James, the owner of Sweet Mango Café.
BUY EFFICIENT APPLIANCES:: They are classified as Energy Star. Toilets are given the Water Sense label. You can get rebates and they lower the cost SOLID WOOD FURNIof your utility bills. TURE: Antiques represent a previous era. Don’t discard OLD TOOTHBRUSHES: them. Place them in the guest “Superb cleaning tools for any bedrooms or basement. The masmall surface, tracks or edges jority of antiques are made from such as door frames, moldings, mahogany, cherry, and teak, the windowsills, stovetop burners most expensive. Restore your and knobs, blender bases, refriggrandmother’s rattan or caneerator door handles and rubber seat furniture. Bamboo furniture sealers,” says Dr. Dianne Whit- from that era is highly sought-affield-Locke, D.D.S. ter by antique dealers. Some are worth the investment. Purchase LOOK FOR POISONOUS oak and pine furnishings. Avoid PLANTS: “Many homes lo- pressed wood furniture, it’s cated near wooded areas might made from compacted sawdust have poisonous plants [poison and shavings and treated with ivy, oak and sumac]. Look for formaldehyde, which is toxic. plants with three leaves that’s their customary identification. A CARPETS: Studies have provreaction can occur immediately en that carpets are major health or take up to 25 days to develop. hazards, unless made from natuKnow your vines. …Wear gloves ral fibers [bamboo, hemp, and when cutting any vines or pull- grasses]. Remove old carpets ing any weeds. Even household from the bedrooms. Nowadays, plants can be toxic, if digested, homebuilders install hardwood especially English Ivy, Poinset- floors in all rooms, and put syntia, elephant ears, spider plants thetic or natural fiber carpets in and oleander,” says Cherokee the bedrooms. Developers and descendant, Antonio Carpen- home buyers diligently look for ter, lodge keeper of the Ancient certain carpet patterns because Wisdom Teachings Spiritual they know the floors underneath Lodge. are made from solid oak that’s priceless. GLASS CONTAINERS: Michael Lawrence, owner of Ja- WHITE BATH/BED LINmaican Joe’s Restaurant prefers EN: Free of dyes and chemicals. to recycle or reuse food jars and Turkish towels are the best and bottles – they’re eco-friendly most expensive. Look for tightproducts. “Glass containers are ly woven items. Buy organic, if pricey. The best and most beau- possible. Water conservationists tiful decanters are alcohol bot- advocate recycling your towels tles. My favorites are the Tequila and sheets. Change pillowcases [bottles]. Their labels peel off often. Recycle your towels for a week with continuous usage. easily, with a quick soak.”
A Thoroughly By D.R. Barnes WI Staff Writer
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ho has time to clean the house anymore? And, who can manage the demands of life and clean with any kind of regularity reminiscent of the Saturday morning ritual once required in nearly every household decades ago? Plus, with so many choices available now for household cleaning products that are lined up on store shelves, it’s timeconsuming just trying to figure out which are the best ones to use. Where are the days when Mr. Clean with his bald-head, white T-shirt and buffed arms guaranteed that he and anyone who would take him home could tackle every mess in the house? Over the years, manufacturers of household cleaning products have successfully thrown Mr. Clean from his throne, while creating mass confusion for consumers who can’t find enough room to store every product they purchase, let alone use them all. This hodgepodge of plastic bottles filled with hard to pronounce chemicals that are potentially harmful to the environment and to your health have given rise to a “Back to the Future” cleaning revolution. Homeowners are slowly tossing these products aside and replacing them with items that could be included in a great salad or a refreshing beverage or the ones grandma use to use. And the convenience of using many of these natural products makes cleaning an adventure and not a chore. Lemons, vinegar, essential
oils, baking soda, toothpaste, salt and bread, to name a few, have joined the list of popular non-toxic natural household cleaners proven to be effective for a variety of chores. Consider using these when tackling those common household tasks like the ones listed below:
LEMONS Countertops: Dip the cut side of a lemon half in baking soda to tackle countertops; wipe with a wet sponge and dry. Don’t use on delicate stone, like marble, or stainless steel [it may cause discoloration]. Faucets: Combat lime scale by rubbing lemon juice onto the taps and letting it sit overnight. Wipe with a damp cloth. Garbage disposal: Cut a lemon in half, and then run both pieces through the disposal. “The lemon cleans it and makes it smell great,” says Linda Mason Hunter, co-author of the book, Green Clean [$13.50, amazon. com]. Laundry: To brighten whites, add 1/2 cup lemon juice to the rinse cycle for a normal-size load.
wonderful to put on a cotton ball or mixed with distilled water and sprayed in the air,” she says. Handy-Kendi also recommends lemon, orange, cinnamon, lavender, and rose oils to help purify and freshen the home. For those who like a woodsy aroma, she recommends sandalwood or Blend of Thieves, made from clove, lemon, cinnamon, rosemary, and eucalyptus oils, which cleanse the air while helping to calm the mind. VINEGAR Vinegar is considered an environmentally friendly and economical cleaning alternative that’s effective for killing most mold, bacteria and germs due to its level of acidity. Tips for cleaning with vinegar recommended by www.vinegartips.com include: zz Make your own scouring cleanser by combining 1/4-cup baking soda with 1-tablespoon liquid detergent. Add just enough white distilled vinegar to give it a thick but creamy texture.
ESSENTIAL OILS “I have used several essential oils as air fresheners, but it is zz Clean the microwave by mixing 1/2 cup white important to use the purest of distilled vinegar and 1/2 oils such as Young Living Oils cup water in a microwave[YLO] which are 100 percent safe bowl. Bring it to a therapeutic grade essential oils,” rolling boil inside the says Ayo Handy-Kendi, a holistic microwave. Baked-on food practitioner, and the founder and will be loosened, and odors CEO of Positiveenergyworks, will disappear. Wipe clean. Inc. (www.breathepositive.com). She cautions consumers to zz Easily clean your mini avoid essential oils that contain blinds by wearing a pair alcohol or that can be heated over charcoal. Her favorite blend is called Purification, which “is See clean on Page 13
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Clean Home clean continued from Page 12 of white cotton gloves. Dip gloved fingers into a solution of equal parts of white vinegar and warm tap water, and run your fingers across both sides of each blind.
vinegar outside doorways and windowsills, around appliances and wherever you find pests coming in. zz Kill germs all around the bathroom with a spray of full-strength white distilled vinegar. Wipe clean with a damp cloth.
zz Discourage ants by spraying zz Soak a sponge or loofah undiluted white distilled
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overnight in a strong white distilled vinegar and water solution to remove dirt and slime. Rinse several times with cold water and let air dry [in the sun if possible]. BORAX AND HYDROGEN PEROXIDE Shawna Lois Malone, founder and CEO, Three60 World, Inc., uses hydrogen peroxide as an al-
ternative to chlorine and colorsafe bleach. “It is very useful in brightening clothes, lifting stains and purifying the laundry,” she says. Malone also recommends, “old-fashion Borax” for washing laundry. “It gives a boost to laundry detergent by adding extra scrubbing power. It also helps to get out stains,” she adds. She suggests using hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle with water as a
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household cleaning agent, or adding essential oils or citrus peels to give it that fresh clean scent. There are many inexpensive, healthy and safe alternatives to the commonly used harsh chemicals on the market today. Make your household cleaning chores a green and clean adventure by exploring these options and more. Feel free to visit The Washington Informer on facebook and share some of your tips.
Healthy Homes: What You Don’t See Can Hurt You
By Barrington M. Salmon WI Staff Writer
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hen a person’s house is dusty or dirty, that person will generally grab a mop and pail, some disinfectant or some soap and scour the floors, walls and other areas. While rooms and other parts of the house may have a pleasant smell or look clean, there are microscopic organisms, bacteria and other particles that remain and which could make a person deathly ill. “There may be wind-blown organisms, pollen, automobile exhaust, dead skin, hair and fecal matter in mice and rat urine that may be present,” said Gregory Rynard Hunter, owner of Hunter Cleaning Services in Takoma Park, Md., which offers intensive cleaning services to a range of clients locally and elsewhere. And if one or more of the occupants smoke, Hunter said, the presence of particles that can lead to serious health challenges, and even death, ratchet up exponentially. Most often, Hunter said, he is
called on to provide his services to seniors. Usually the elderly spend as much as 90 percent of their time indoors which exposes them to a range of maladies. “The elderly and retired are not really cleaning their houses,” he explained. “The average home is not regularly maintained. That means an increase of pollution. Younger people don’t spend as much time at home so they are less likely to be affected. There’s no one addressing the environment people are recovering in. I disinfect the entire house and remove particulate matter that’s in the air.” Hunter, who has been in this business for 20 years, said he recalls cleaning a house in which the occupants smoked for 45 years. “The stench was unbearable; you could smell it from the street,” he said. He said cigarette smoke is sticky and it attaches itself to the walls and furniture, permeate clothes and with dust, form layer on top of layer on objects. Kitchen grease is another source of contaminants.
“Airborne grease lines the walls and contaminants stick,” Hunter said. When someone enters the living space of an elderly person, there’s much more there than just “an old person’s smell,” he said. ‘‘It’s a progression of contamination and the degrading of materials and carbonate being released in the air,” said Hunter. “People take in contaminants through their skin, and lungs, for example, and this toxic matter includes fiberglass, asbestos and titanium, gold and silver particles. The body can’t break these things down and it causes … damage to cells; it can cause cell death which can lead to organ failure.” His job, Hunter said, is to lower the amount of toxins floating in the air in a person’s living space and thus reduce the likelihood of relapses, heart attacks and strokes. Hunter has at his disposal, a range of products with which to disinfect a house or living space. These products erode and degrade contaminants as he cleans every surface, windows, walls, carpets, furniture, under furniture, inside cabinets
and elsewhere. “If workers are refining hardwood doors, for example, the sawdust can cause inflammation and blood disorders. Indoor air pollution can be 10 times worse,” he said. Someone may have headaches, a runny nose or sore throat and not know that these have been triggered by any number of particulates. Hunter recalls tackling the problem at one home and he said he vacuumed for four days and four nights, cleaning the ceiling, walls, floors and other surfaces. “When I was finished, there was more than one pound in the vacuum bag. People are not cognizant that they’re living in a toxic environment,” he said. He said dust particles have a magnetic charge and once they enter the body. They interact with blood platelets which have no charge. The dust particles turn capillaries into a magnet which causes the platelets to start sticking to each other. The result can be blood clots which block blood vessels and lead to strokes, heart attacks and other problems. Hunter said the various ele-
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ments of his intensive cleaning turn homes into “medicinal spaces.” “I am an active participant in medical healing,” he said with a laugh. “I will detect an odor from the air or stuck on a wall.” Pollution, such as mold, thrives in dark or dimly lit places. So Hunter uses ultra-violet light, light sticks, and sunlight. He said he’ll expose and clean off reflective surfaces so that the light or sunlight can bounce around and brighten up the space. “Light affects how energy is absorbed,” said Hunter. “I make a conscious effort to make the space actually work as medicine. I discovered this four years ago. This has a physical and psychological effect on people. It can turn around depression by how I clean the house and more light means a stronger immune system.” For more information, Gregory Hunter can be contacted at 301-5851641 or 240-899-4847 and at www. huntercleaningservices.com.
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Reduce Outdoor Water Usage with Xeriscaping By Gale Horton Gay WI Staff Writer
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Get Solar In Your Home! By Robert Robinson DC SUN
Why Solar Energy? Sunlight can produce electricity (solar photovoltaics, or pv) saving 20% - 100% of what you pay for electricity. And, it can heat your water and save about 40% of what you spend on natural gas to heat water. Is Solar Is Right for Me? The proof is your roof: if your roof is flat; south, or east or west and in good condition, solar may be right for you. If your roof is steeply pitched, north-facing and made of slate or tile, solar may not be cost-effective. How Much Can I Save? The more roof space, the more solar pv: for every 100 square feet of open roof (no skylights or chimneys) you can install solar that generates about 1.5 kiloWatts (“kW”) per hour. Solar savings depend on your home energy consumption: if you consume over 10,000 kW per year you may need to install 3 kW or more to save 50% or more on what you pay for electricity now. For example, if you use 8,000 kW per year and install a 3kW system, you generate savings of 60%-70%; with 4kW you generate savings of 80%-90%. Conservation and efficiency increase your solar production: solar homes that are weatherized and use efficient tend to save 25% for every 100 sq. ft. of solar, less efficient solar homes may only save 15% per 100 sq. ft of solar.
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Solar is More Affordable Than Ever? Solar photovoltaic costs are down from $8 per watt installed to less than $5 per watt today -- almost half what they were three years ago! Tax Credits, Local Incentives and Financing Make Installation Cheaper Still! Item
Cost
Subtotal
3 kW Solar System @ $5000 per kW, installed
$15000
less 30% federal tax credit
-$4500
$10,500
DCʼs REIP rebate
-$4500
$6000
SRECs sold up-front for cash
-$3000
$3000
Actual Cost
$3000
A 3 kW system saving $1000 per year on electricity costs means the average return-on-investment is 3 years or less! You’ll be saving 100% of the cost of the electricity you produce for the life of the solar -- more than 25 years.
Need More Help: Contact DC’s Solar Coops DC SUN represents DC’s 12 neighborhood solar coops. Our mission is to make solar accessible to all in DC -- and affordable. Go to: DCSUN. org. We’ll present to your Civic Association, ANC, church or community group. It’s free!
How to Get Started Complete the preapplication form ASAP on the DC Department of the Environment website: http://ddoe. dc.gov/node/22512 if you have questions, email: olayinka.kolawole@ dc.gov or Daniel.White2@ dc.gov Get Estimates From 3 Contractors DDOE’s list of approved contractors is a good starting point: http://ddoe.dc.gov/publication/district-area-renewable-energ y-contractorsand-installers
DC SUN Is Making Solar Available to Anyone -- Even Without a Roof The Community Renewables Act of 2012 will permit anyone to invest in a solar array and get credit for its electricity production on their monthly bill. https://sites.google.com/ site/dcsolarunitedneighborhoods/key-issues-and-committees/community-renewableenergy-act-of-2012 Please join us at the DCSolarFlare on Saturday, Juney 16, from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm at H.D. Woodson High School, 540-55th St, NE in Ward 7. More questions e-mail me at: robrobin@me.com
he American Dream of homeownership often includes a white picket fence and a picture-perfect landscape that includes a lush green lawn and a burst of color – pink azalea and hydrangea bushes along with assorted flora and foliage that complement the house’s exterior. That’s a pretty picture but rarely the reality – yard care is often labor intensive, costly and can demand a significant amount of natural resources to maintain. However, there’s a philosophy in the landscaping universe called xeriscaping that’s designed to minimize water usage, and save homeowners tons of money on their water bills. Many of the practices in xeriscaping result in less labor and produce an attractive and healthy yard that becomes the envy of the neighborhood. While common misconceptions about xeriscaping include the impression that these yards will be dull and lack color, experts say it’s not all cactus and yucca in a spread of gravel. Done properly, a xeriscape yard can have a wide assortment of plants that include trees, shrubs, ground covers and flowering annuals and perennials. Yards can have as much robust color as the homeowner chooses. The advantage: these yards require less water and less maintenance. “A well planned xeriscape not only uses less water, it’s attractive [and] colorful and utilizes a variety of landscape forms and textures,” according to the Maryland Cooperative Extension Service’s website. Ways to shrink one’s lawn include expanding planting beds, using non-plant materials such as bricks, stone and wood in landscape design and incorporating more ground cover. The Maryland Cooperative Extension Service offers the following outdoor water saving tips for homeowners: plant droughttolerant plants, only water when
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necessary, water slowly and deeply, water in the morning, prevent water from running off landscape, repair leading hoses and sprinklers and turn off automatic sprinklers when it’s raining. They also advise mowing lawns high, controlling weeds, mulching plant beds, planting trees and shrubs together and planting in the spring and fall when temperatures are low and water loss is reduced. Those who would like to see their water bills drop and reduce time spent caring for the yard might want to consider reducing the size of their lawn. While the lawn is a great place for children to perform cartwheels and families to enjoy picnics, it devours resources. “Unfortunately a lawn is the most maintenance intensive part of a landscape and usually requires more water per square foot of area than any other type of landscape landing,” according to a Maryland Cooperative Extension Service publication on xeriscaping. The Maryland Cooperative Extension Service offers the following recommendation of drought-tolerant plants to consider: trees: redbud, crapemyrtle, yellowwood, pine oak, Chinese elm, Atlas cedar, American holly, Colorado blue spruce; deciduous shrubs: smoketree, burning bush, pinxterbloom azalea; evergreen shrubs: heavenly bamboo, false-holly, juniper; herbaceous plants: cushion spurge, butterfly weed and candy taft. For more information on xeriscaping, contact the Maryland Cooperative Extension Service’s Home and Garden Information Center at 1-800342-2507 or www.hgic.umd.edu. To review their article on xeriscaping, visit http://hgic.umd.edu/_media/ documents/XericapingHG25pfv.pdf.
Navigating the
Foreclosure Maze
Jackie Ward Richardson, GWUL Director of Housing and Community Development Nick Westbrooks, GWUL Intern
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ou’ve had the high credit score and the income. You have been current on your mortgage payments. But, an unexpected financial hardship happens to you making you unable to make your payments. As a result, you’re faced with the threat of eviction from your home. Foreclosure can be a long and stressful process, but it doesn’t have to end this way. There are alternatives and services available to assist homeowners encountering foreclosure.
Own to Rent
For the homeowners who want to avoid foreclosure but remain in their homes, limited servicers offer programs in which the borrower remains in the home but transitions from owner to renter. Participants of Fannie Mae’s Deed for Lease program transfer their home’s title to Fannie Mae and sign a one-year lease with the possibility of month-to-month extensions afterwards. Similar to Deed for Lease is Bank of America’s Mortgage
to Lease program that allows the borrower to hand over the home’s title to the bank and have the mortgage debt forgiven. Also in return, homeowners may remain in the house and pay rent less than their mortgage payments. Additionally, they don’t have to pay property tax or homeowners insurance. Although Mortgage to Lease is a pilot program offered to a limited and select group of Bank of America customers in Arizona, Nevada and New York, the program may expand to more customers. Keep a look out for further developments of Mortgage to Lease programs and other financial institutions that may follow this model. As the Director of Housing and Community Development at the Greater Washington Urban League, Jacquelyne Ward-Richardson says, “It is the duty of the servicers to supply such assistance. The banks have a moral obligation to assist homeowners with transition from home ownership to renting.”
Federal Assistance
Along with the lenders, the federal government has pledged itself to help make home ownership more affordable and foreclosure avoidable. Under the
Obama administration’s Making Home Affordable (MHA) plan, borrowers have several programs available to them based on their specific financial situation. Eligible participants may qualify for reduced mortgage payments, principal reductions if the home is worth more than the owner owes and refinancing regardless of whether the value of the home declines. The bank foreclosure fraud settlement reached between five major banks, the state attorneys general and the federal government in February was supposed to offer relief to foreclosure clients. The settlement prohibits the lenders from foreclosing on homeowners while negotiating mortgage modifications. The deal also provided funds to the states for foreclosure prevention tactics such as lowering mortgage balances and interest rates. Borrowers who lost their homes were eligible for payouts, but instead of receiving funding to replace their homes, each client was supposed to receive $1,500--$2,000. A study released in April and updated in May by Enterprise Community Partners, an affordable housing group revealed that many of the states are diverting the funds to fill budget gaps.
Home Transition
If remaining in your home isn’t an option, servicers are available to assist you with your transition from your home to more affordable housing. Bank of America and Wells Fargo offer tips and alternatives to foreclosure for homeowners who are transitioning out of their houses. Through a short sale, the homeowner sells the property for less than the amount owed. The lender and the borrower agree that selling the real estate at a loss is better than foreclosing. The bank may also assist you with a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure in which the borrower transfers the ownership of the property to the lender without going through foreclosure. Some lenders also offer the Cash for Keys program in which the lender pays the borrower money to move out in a timely manner and with less expense. The borrower has money to cover moving costs, and both the lender and borrower avoid the prolonged eviction process.
Considering the Hardships
Some of the alternatives mentioned above will negatively affect your credit, but credit can be rebuilt with time and patience.
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Unexpected financial struggles do arise making it difficult for individuals to make their payments. Ward-Richardson believes lenders should take this reality into thought. “The banks received thousand of dollars from these homeowners when they were able to pay. Now that they can’t, there should be some compassion in the process,” Ward-Richardson says. “Many of these homeowners that are now in default had excellent credit leading up to their hardship, and that fact should be considered during this transition.” A new program exclusively designed for this purpose, WardRichardson says, may be a solution in the future. “I foresee a major bank creating a mortgage program specifically geared towards homeowners whose homes were foreclosed due to hardship beyond their control, a program where the underwriter looks at credit prior to the default on the mortgage that caused the foreclosure.” If you need foreclosure tips or want to see what alternative is best for you, contact a HUD- certified housing counseling agency or contact the Greater Washington Urban League at (202) 2658200 or www.gwul.org.
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Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) B
eing well equipped with knowledge is the key to making informed decisions about your housing needs. The Government of the District of Columbia and the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) are committed to providing resources to its low and moderate income residents for affordable housing, homeownership opportunities and foreclosure prevention. The city has a wealth of information, programs, and services that support residents throughout the homeownership process. DHCD has a full suite of homebuyer assistance programs that help make home ownership
affordable for low-to-moderate income residents. Our signature program is the Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP) which provides up to $44,000 in down payment and closing cost assistance. District government employees have the option to participate in the Employer Assisted Housing Program (EAHP), which provides up to $10,000 for down payment assistance, and also provides matching grant funds of up to $1,500. The Negotiated Employee Affordable Home Purchase Program (NEAHP) provides between $3,000 and $26,500 as a second trust mortgage to District government employees whose position is covered
www.dhcd.dc.gov
dhcd Department of Housing and Community Development BUILDING ENDURING COMMUNITIES
Provides Resources
by specific collective bargaining agreements. Additionally, the Home Purchase Rehabilitation Program allows HPAP buyers to purchase homes that require limited repairs to address health, safety and building code violations by using HPAP in conjunction with FHA 203(k) Streamline Loan. The minimum rehab loan is $5,000 and the maximum is $35,000. This program allows homebuyers to purchase vacant or foreclosed properties. Lastly, DHCD has a temporary HPAP Enhancement, where assistance levels in designated census tracts in Ward 5 and all of Ward 7 and Ward 8 are increased up to $77,000 for down payment and closing cost. HPAP En-
hancement funding is an eligible activity under President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s second round of Neighborhood Stabilization Program. DHCD also funds community-based organizations to provide housing counseling. These organizations, located throughout the city, provide pre-purchase counseling to ensure that buyers are prepared for homeownership, administer foreclosure prevention counseling to help keep at-risk owners in their homes, and offer credit counseling to help residents manage their finances. The Department is fully committed to fulfilling its mission
of creating and preserving opportunities for affordable housing and economic development and to revitalizing underserved communities in the District of Columbia. Residents can visit to get more information on the Department’s programs by visiting us online at dhcd.dc.gov or in person. The DHCD Housing Resource Center is available at our Ward 8 headquarters, located at the corner of Good Hope Road and Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, SE. The Center is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Residents can also browse affordable housing units anytime at DCHousingSearch.org.
Department of Housing anD Community Development Celebrating June as national HomeownersHip montH! Creating and preserving opportunities for affordable housing and economic development and revitalizing underserved communities in the District of Columbia • Providing gap financing • Increasing first-time homeownership opportunities • Providing funding to rehabilitate single-family and multifamily homes • Supporting communities through neighborhood based activities • Addressing vacant and abandoned properties • Overseeing the administration of rental housing laws
To learn more, call (202) 442-7200 or visit www.dhcd.dc.gov. Government of the District of Columbia Vincent C. Gray, Mayor
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Show Me The Money!
By Carla Labat
R
eady to buy? Not sure you should? Well, it’s time to get off the fence! The opportunity for first-time home buyers to purchase in one of the strongest real estate areas in the nation is NOW. Why? You may not be aware but the District of Columbia and Maryland offer a number of loan programs and incentives to firsttime home buyers and state employees. Now is the time to take advantage of this close-to free money, before it is all gone. The District of Columbia’s Home Purchase Assistance Program (HPAP) offers low interest, five year deferred loans to qualified buyers with up to $44,000 in financial assistance that can be used towards down payment and closing costs. The Employer-Assisted Housing Program (EAHP) provides for all District of Columbia government employees matching down payment funds up to $1,500 and a deferred second trust loan up to $10,000. For more information on loan amounts, eligibility factors and how to apply, visit www. gwul.org. The District also grants taxabatements to purchasers beginning in the next full tax year after filing. That means you may be exempt from paying real estate taxes on your new home for 5 years! Here is another great part to this deal; you are exempt from paying the 1.1% (of the purchase price) recordation tax; and the seller’s 1.1% (of the purchase price) transfer tax is credited to you at settlement. Qualifying factors including household income limits and your sales purchase price is capped at $356,000. For more information, visit www. dc.gov. Still need more incentive to buy now? Read on! Did you know many lenders are offering credits of up to 3% to be used towards your closing cost for only a slightly higher interest rate? Even better, a qualifying credit on a conventional loan can be used towards the payment for an upfront single insurance premium, which would eliminate those monthly private mortgage
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insurance (PMI) payments. Now that’s worth investigating! Make sure you consult with your lender to see if these and other options are available along with other conditions required for these types of credits. The State of Maryland offers 0% interest loans for firsttime home buyers through their Maryland Community Development Administration (CDA) mortgage program. In addition to providing low interest rates, the state affords down-payment and closing cost assistance and special incentives for state employees totaling up to $13,500. For more information, visit www.mmprogram.org. National programs are available to our area as well. The Federal Home Loan Bank Atlanta (FHLBank ) provides up to $5,000 for down-payment, closing costs, or rehabilitation assistance and counseling with the purchase of an existing unit by a qualified first-time or non-first time homebuyer. The FHLBank recently launched several new programs exclusively for veterans or active duty members of any branch of the U.S. military that are currently serving or have served in an overseas military intervention, or their surviving spouses. Up to $15,000 worth! To find out more about these grant programs, check out the list of local member financial institutions that can be found on the Bank’s website at www.fhlbatl. com/setaside. The Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA) continues to provide one of the best loan programs around. In addition to super low interest rates, NACA offers no down payment, no closing costs and no fees! This presents an exceptional savings to the buyer, giving you more money in your pocket for new furniture, custom paint, landscaping and anything else your heart desires to transfer your new house, into a home. Carla Labat is a full-time real estate agent with Long and Foster, Realtors. To see how she can help you purchase your first home or sell your existing one, contact her at 202.361.8538, carla.labat@lnf.com.
How First-Time Home Buyers Can Take Advantage of Today’s Real Estate Market
C AD CR/ LM DAR E A LL EAS T ABT E A T 202.361.8538 Cellular 202.363.9700 Office
Carla.Labat@longandfoster.com www.CapitolHomesDC.com www.facebook.com/CarlaLabatRE
Carla Labat is a full-time real estate agent with Long and Foster, Realtors.
turn the key on your first home Buying your first home is exciting, especially when you have a trusted local bank and experienced mortgage professionals working with you. from the right loan options for your needs and your finances, to walking away with that new house key in your hand, an eagleBank loan officer with decades of mortgage loan experience can make your first mortgage loan experience a really great one. eagleBank – local, trusted, stable, credible. the riGht PArtner for your first home.
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HOMEOWNERSHIP SUPPLEMENT / june 2012 H-19
Helping Residents
Along the Way to
Homeownership A
chieving Your Best Life (AYBL) is the first program designed specifically to prepare public housing residents for homeownership. Families who qualify for the program have up to five years to purchase a home. The rent that the head of household normally would pay as a public housing resident will be deposited into an escrow account. When a family is ready to graduate and purchase their own home, they will receive the escrow funds to use toward their down-payment. The homes at Elvans Court totally change the concept of what affordable rental housing should look like. The townhome style apartments come complete with hardwood floors and have decks constructed from Trex weather-resistant material. The 20 “green” townhomes have Energy Star® heating, air conditioning, appliances and hot water heaters and closets with hook-ups for residentsupplied washers and dryers. They also have sid-
H-20 june 2012 / HOMEOWNERSHIP SUPPLEMENT
ing and roof tiles made from recyclable materials as well as Low-E windows and insulated exterior doors. DCHA will provide case management and extensive education programs to help AYBL residents advance in their jobs, improve credit scores and take other steps to make them successful and confidant as they move toward homeownership. When participants are ready to graduate from the program, they will move out of Elvans Court to make room for new AYBL homeownership families to move in. There are currently 11 participants in the program, and DCHA has committed up to 32 properties. There are eight participants at Elvans and three participants living in the newly renovated Columbia Road apartments. Congratulations to all of our future homeowners out there on taking that first step. For more information visit: http://www. dchousing.org/
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Build a House – A
charming, two-story, single-family home is coming up for sale in Washington’s Brightwood Park community in fall 2012. The property is both new and historic. It is the first house built by students in the Academy of Construction and Design at Cardozo Senior High School. On a prime corner lot on 13th Street Northwest, the approximately 2,000 square-foot, 3 bedroom, 3 and 1/2 bath home features a family room, open floor plan, sunny rear deck and off-street parking. Miller & Long Concrete Construction, Donohoe Construction, TW Perry and other local contractors donated building materials and provided professional craftsmen to teach Academy students how to build a house while gaining technical skills. Proceeds from the sale of the home will be reinvested in the Academy’s annual home building program. Academy Director Shelly Karriem describes the program as an experience that offers students many life lessons, too. “Our students have met and exceeded every expectation we’ve set for them,” she said. The Academy has a 90 percent high school graduation rate in programs that launch students into work, college and careers. The nonprofit DC Students Construction Trades Foundation operates the Academy in partnership with D.C. Public Schools. The foundation and its training partners brought skilled trades back to District schools with the opening of the Academy of Construction and Design at Cardozo Senior High School in 2005. The foundation also operates a Summer Institute for youth and a Districtbased registered apprenticeship instruction program for industry professionals. Combining academic and technical achievement motivates many students to think differently about their future. When Dominic Wright enrolled in the Academy of Construction and Design, he
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Build a Future D.C. Construction Academy Offers First Student-Built House for Sale
avoided speaking up in class because other students laughed at him. Wright quickly found that Academy instructors were very interested in what he had to say and would not let him stand on the sidelines. This year, the Class of 2012 senior won the top $4,000 award in the Academy’s annual scholarship competition, which recognizes work or college bound seniors demonstrating outstanding educational achievement and citizenship. In his winning essay, Dominic wrote, “My skills in carpentry helped me to learn more about myself. This program helped me find what I wanted to do after high school.” He plans to work for Miller & Long after graduation. Glen W. Sutcliffe, a Realtor with W.C. and A.N. Miller, A Long & Foster Company, is managing the sale of the student-built house. “This house means so much to the students, instructors, sponsors and volunteers who made it a reality,” said Glen. “It also offers excellent value in a great location for new homeowners.” For a buyer preview, call (202) 966-0400, or email GWS@LNF.com
Chester installs an outlet in the house/ Fred Lewis/DCPS
Dominic Wright, Dreyfuss Scholarship Winner and his mom/ Kea Taylor
Andrell uses a saw/ Fred Lewis/DCPS
Connecting industry, community, school and government partners to deliver: Career and Technical Education for high school youth Registered Apprenticeship Program for professional development Skilled Job Training for the new industry workforce Accredited by the National Center for Construction Education and Research PHONE 202.340.5657 • EMAIL info@dcstudentsctf.org
HOMEOWNERSHIP SUPPLEMENT / june 2012 H-21
Learn more at dcstudentsctf.org
Preserving the American Dream: A
By Charlene Crowell
Local initiatives, CRA and community partnerships
Knowledge, service, ownership.
Self-Help creates and protects homeownership through fair lending practices, honest research, and advocacy for borrowers. Want to own a home? Know folks who do? Have a straight forward discussion today
Call 1-866-265-3488 or visit www.Self-Help.org
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lthough Congress enacted the federal Community Reinvestment Act in 1977, its goal of requiring banks to serve the entire community where they accept deposits, not just the wealthy parts, has remained a contentious issue nationwide. CRA’s goal to include low-and-middle income borrowers in access to fair and sustainable loans has now triggered a series of local ordinances that target lending within their jurisdictions. More commonly known as “responsible banking” laws, these ordinances empower local officials to monitor and when warranted, challenge lenders on their levels of service and access for their communities. The two most recent cities to pass these local ordinances are also the nation’s most populous: New York City and Los Angeles. These cities now join others such as Boston, Berkeley, Cleveland, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and San Diego, Seattle who have either enacted or are considering similar ordinances. According to New York City Council Member Al Vann, sponsor of its Responsible Banking Act, “In order to ensure the economic health and vitality of our cities, we need banks committed to addressing the financial needs of our neighborhoods. It is essential that localities encourage responsible banking behavior, particularly through the leverage of their financial dealings with banks.” On the other side of the country, Los Angeles’ City Council unanimously passed a similar ordinance last month. Originally introduced in 2009, their local law will not preclude any bank from doing business with the city; but it will require those interested in municipal accounts to provide specific information on their work in the city. While some opponents may argue that these local initiatives double regulations and place unfair reporting burdens on lenders, a 2011 research report by the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development (ANHD) found that in New York City alone, a $4.4 billion decrease in reinvestment by banks in the nation’s financial capital occurred, despite a $38 million increase in local deposits over a two-year period. Other ANHD 2009 findings showed: 11 of the city’s largest mort-
H-22 june 2012 / HOMEOWNERSHIP SUPPLEMENT
gage banks reduced this form of lending from $7.0 billion to $4 billion – a nearly 43 percent reduction; Only 132 mortgage loans worth $7.34 million were made to low-income borrows – a drop of over 70 percent; Commercial banks such as Capital One, Valley National and M&T Bank dedicated less than 1.5 percent to either CRA investments or community development lending. The non-profit Center for Community Self-Help, an affiliate of the Center for Responsible Lending and headquartered in Durham, N.C, has proven for years that sensible lending to lower-income families and minorities can be successful. This claim is backed by research by the Center for Community Capital (CCC) at the University of North Carolina. CCC analyzed 50,000 CRA-type loans made by Self-Help and purchased by Fannie Mae, and found that these loans performed much better than subprime mortgages made at the same time to similar borrowers. Self-Help is also building and renovating homes in several states, and then offering these homes to low-and-middle income borrowers with fair, affordable financing based on a thorough assessment of the borrower’s ability to repay the loan. The guiding principle is that lower-income borrowers can become successful homeowners with mortgages that are designed to last. When CRA was enacted, it was a response to “redlining,” the exclusion of low-and-middle income and people of color from mainstream lending. The goal of expanding community reinvestment and offering the American Dream to more people benefits everyone by strengthening communities and the economy at large. Through local banking ordinances, better federal monitoring and organizations like SelfHelp, the American Dream will be preserved for this and future generations. Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at: Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org.
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FIVE Things Need to 1 Homeowners
Don’t miss the A mortgage loan . Sometimes life Independent modification does hurts, but where Foreclosure Review not ensure success. there is a will, there deadline. Many homeowners who If you were in a is a way. got a modification are foreclosure process on your primary residence between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010 you may qualify for a free Independent Foreclosure Review. The review determines if a homeowner suffered a financial injury and should receive compensation. If you were in a foreclosure process during that time you should find out if you qualify for the review. Hurry! There is a deadline. You must request a review before July 31. Contact HomeFree-USA for more information.
2
Now is the best time to buy a home.
Know
3
5
still having difficulty paying their mortgage. A subsequent job loss, salary reduction, and or an inadequate modification are some of the causes. Call a HUD-approved nonprofit housing counseling agency like HomeFree-USA for further advice and assistance with your lender. HomeFree-USA will meet with you personally to provide quick answers and options.
Unfortunately everybody will not be able to keep their homes. Do all you can to avoid foreclosure. A foreclosure on your credit record will make it difficult to buy a home again or to rent housing. Short sales and deeds-in-lieu are other options. You’ll benefit
from the HomeFree-USA class, Mortgage Options to Consider. Contact us now to reserve your space in the next class. The best to you! Call us at 301.891.8400 Visit us at www.homefreeusa.org Marcia Griffin, president HomeFree-USA
HOMEOWNER ALERT!
Get Your Foreclosure Reviewed Before the July 31 Deadline FREE
4
Don’t get scammed.
HELP !
Find out if you are eligible for a FREE Independent Foreclosure Review compensation & remedy may be available
Do not pay anyone upfront for a mortgage loan modification. No one can guarantee a Mortgage rates are low and home prices will never modification. Let a be lower. To be more HUD-approved housing successful in your mortgage counseling agency like pursuits, attend at least 1 HomeFree-USA help you. homeowner education class. HUD-approved agencies Each month, HomeFreework on your behalf, are USA hosts 10 Homebuying reliable and the services Secrets Everyone Ought to are FREE. Know. Call HomeFree-USA now to reserve your space. Attendance is limited to 20.
If you were in foreclosure in 2009 or 2010
Take Action Now!
Meet with a counselor
Find out if you qualify
Get your questions answered
DON’T MISS OUT!! Call HomeFree-USA To Get
MORE HELP FOR HOMEOWNERS Free Mortgage Advice * Quick Answers * New Program Options d rien iend aF Fr Be a h it re w Sha
HomeFree-USA 3401A East West Highway Hyattsville, MD 20782
www.HomeFreeUSA.org Or Call 301.891.8423
HomeFree- USA is a HUD approved, Government funded 501(c)(3) not- for- profit housing counseling organization.
WATCH OUT FOR SCAMS! There is only one Independent Foreclosure Review. Beware of anyone who asks you to pay a fee for any foreclosure review service such as completing the Request for Review Form. Learn more at www.IndependentForeclosureReview.com
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HOMEOWNERSHIP SUPPLEMENT / june 2012 H-23
Industrial Bank
Industrial Strong
Since 1934
Keeping the dream of home ownership alive and well Fixed rates First time home buyer programs Refinance Home Equity Line of Credit Apply in person or online at www.industrial-bank.com
7 keys to get you into your new home.
Review your personal credit report Analyze your current budget This is a “buyer’s market” (don’t rush to buy) Get pre-qualified for the amount of your desired monthly payment Home inspection is a must! Don’t speculate on “fixer-uppers” until you know the cost of improvements Cash is king; save money (It is important to have cash reserves for emergencies)
Contact our Home Mortgage Division today at (202) 722-2097
MEMBER FDIC
H-24 june 2012 / HOMEOWNERSHIP SUPPLEMENT
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Editorial
opinions/editorials
D.C. Voters are Numb
When D.C. voters believe the scandals with local politicians are over, another shoe drops leaving them disappointed, angry and numb. After two decades, voters are still reliving the dreadful night in 1990 when then-Mayor Marion Barry was carried away in handcuffs for smoking crack cocaine during a sting operation at the now renamed Vista Hotel in Northwest. They remain convinced that the “Mayor for Life” was set-up in an attempt to get him out of office; but that didn’t happen as Barry continued to win elections and reelections following his sixmonth prison stay. The list of ethics violations, unpaid taxes, fines and now criminal convictions is not short for a council that has only existed for 40 years. And voters are becoming increasingly skeptical that the violators who have been caught have been targeted simply because they are Black. They say, “You do the crime, you do the time.” Thus, stealing from children is an intolerable offense for which Ward 5 Council member Harry Thomas received little or no sympathy for his 38-month jail sentence. But we agree with those who believe the bar has been set too low for present and future aspirants for public office based upon the investigation levied upon Council Chairman Kwame Brown. Brown stated in his remarks after pleading guilty of fraudulently acquiring a home equity line of credit and a loan that he used to purchase a boat that, “The almost two-year investigation that led to these guilty pleas began after allegations were made that I either misspent, stole or improperly used 2008 campaign funds. The charges which I have entered the guilty plea are not related to any of those allegations. … I have not stolen or improperly used any public money. … Nor have I used my public office or position to improperly benefit or enrich myself.” D.C. voters should consider themselves fortunate to have such a zealous U.S. Attorney as Ronald Machen has proven to be. Politicians who abuse the power and influence bestowed upon them by the public electorate should be investigated and removed from office if found guilty. But clearly these difficult economic times have forced many Americans to make decisions in their personal lives that appear and, in fact, are unethical, if not, outright illegal. But public and private institutions, including local municipalities and banks, are not immune and are also guilty for violations that are punishable. Case in point, District officials who are milking residents unnecessarily by saturating the city with speed cameras and increasing fees in the name of public safety, when in fact, what is clearly happening is an infringement of privacy with the government’s eyes peering deeper into our private lives at residents’ expense. Brown announced his plan to hold public hearings into this matter before he resigned from office last week. At this rate, the probe of local officials will steadfastly continue as law enforcement officials peer into their bank records, marriage licenses, credit reports, traffic records, college transcripts, even medical records for the faintest reason. Almost any revelation could potentially force an official out of office, as well as impede anyone with the notion to run for office to reconsider. This ongoing aggressive policing will only leave D.C. voters numb and confused about the future of politics in D.C. Are we there yet? No, but we’re real close.
Be the Father You Always Wanted D.C. has finally gotten a handle on its teenage pregnancy rate with the numbers of teens getting pregnant at the lowest rate the city has seen in recent years. As a result, the D.C. Department of Health has also reported a reduction in the infant mortality rate, which gives District officials something else to celebrate. But as we have noted in this newspaper in the past, an overwhelming number of newborns are still being born to teen moms and young single women, but there is a new phenomenon of young fathers seen walking their children to school, pushing strollers and demanding opportunities to spend quality time with their offspring. With the high unemployment rate, many of these young men have nothing to offer their children but time and in the life of a child, there is nothing more precious or valuable than spending time with dad. For all of the fathers out there, we wish you a Happy Father’s Day and hope you will enjoy receiving the love and appreciation you deserve. For all of the young fathers who are trying to find their way, we encourage you to model yourselves after the father you wish you had – loving, supportive, healthy and strong but most importantly, present in your children’s lives. This day is for you. www.washingtoninformer.com
Entitled to Succeed
With the resignation of D.C. Council Chairman Kwame Brown and the conviction of Ward 5 Council member Harry Thomas, Jr., as a young black man living in the District, I feel as if I’m also under siege by the press. My parents were part of the black middle class, and were very involved in the politics of our ward. They provided me with what they believed to be “tools for my success.” In some sense I feel like what the mainstream press describes as “entitled.” But the entitlement I feel is the same as for any other man, red, white, yellow or brown and that’s if you work hard and do the right thing you will succeed. Being entitled didn’t cause Mr. Thomas and Mr. Brown to do what they did. They did it because they’re politicians, and a whole lot of politicians, not just black politicians, think they can do whatever they want.
Promoting Positive Images
The Washington Informer continues to provide our community with so much good news. Each and every week your front-page photograph captures something positive and joyful. This past week’s front-page photograph of the two Ballou High School students on their way to their prom was great. They looked so attractive all dressed up. Our young people are beautiful and they definitely hold the keys to our future. That’s why it’s very important to celebrate them and present them in a positive manner as much as possible. Your paper is the only news outlet that does that.
What Do You Think? We’d Like To Know. E-mail Us: news@ washingtoninformer.com
Write Us: The Washington Informer 3117 MLK Ave, SE Washington, D.C. 20032
Nikia Spencer Washington, D.C.
Mark L. Weatherspoon Washington, D.C.
Readers' Mailbox
The Washington Informer welcomes letters to the editor about articles we publish or issues affecting the community. Write to: lsaxton@washingtoninformer.com or send to: 3117 Martin Luther King Jr Ave., SE, Washington, D.C. 20032. Please note that we are unable to publish letters that do not include a full name, address and phone number. We look forward to hearing from you. The Washington Informer
June 14, 2012 - June 20, 2012
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opinions/editorials
Guest Columnist
By George E. Curry
Florida is Again the Laughing Stock of America When it comes to national elections, no state makes a bigger fool of itself than Florida. The Sunshine state was at the center of an 1876 controversy over the presidential election between Republican Rutherford B. Hayes and Democrat Samuel L. Tilden. By throwing out many votes cast by Blacks, Florida was able to give Hayes a one-vote margin in the Electoral College although Tilden had won the
state’s popular vote by 260,000 votes. The case reached the Supreme Court where Florida’s chicanery was also upheld by a one-vote margin. A book on the election by Roy Morris Jr. was titled, Florida’s Voting Scandal in 1876: The Fraud of the Century. The 2000 presidential contest between Al Gore and George W. Bush was the fraud of another century, featuring a governor, Jeb Bush, who was brother of the Republican nominee for president, and Florida’s Secre-
tary of State Katherine Harris, with the responsibility of supervising state election procedures, serving as George W. Bush’s state co-chairman. There was widespread confusion leading up to Election Day. More than 54,000 people were purged from voting rolls supposedly because they were felons; 54 percent of the group was made up of African Americans. However, it was later determined that many of those denied access to the ballot were not convicted felons.
Guest Columnist
A lack of uniformed ballots also caused major problems and introduced unfamiliar terms such as “hanging chads” and “butterfly ballots.” The ballots were so confusing that in the Jacksonville area, home to significant numbers of African Americans, 27,000 ballots were thrown out because they showed votes had been cast for two presidential candidates. In Palm Beach, another hotbed of controversy, the presidential choices were spread over two pages, with voters being instructed to “vote
on every page.” Instead of shedding light on the confusion, the news media added to it. All of the major networks made the mistake of announcing the polls in Florida closed at 7 p.m., EST. That was true in the eastern section of the state. However, polls in the more conservative western counties were open for another hour because they operated on the central time zone. This confusion caused the networks to project
See curry on Page 45
By Julianne Malveaux
Maligning Federal Employees Congress is on fire to balance the federal budget, and they don’t care who they take as prisoners in the process. There are at least two proposals to freeze federal salaries for yet another year (they have been frozen since 2011), and to continue to demonize federal workers as do-nothing folks who don’t need raises. Meanwhile, President Obama has asked for a minimal half percent a year increase while many
in the private sector are seeing wages rise. Of course, everyone is struggling with unemployment rates rising to 8.2 percent. Still, it is onerous that federal employees seem to be bearing the brunt of this budget crisis. It is even worse when we understand that African Americans make up 17.4 percent of the federal workforce, compared to 10.1 percent of the civilian labor force. Of course, the higher the pay grade, the fewer African Americans. Whatever the pay
grade, it is clear that African Americans are far more likely to get proportional pay in the federal government than in the private sector. Thus, proposals to cut federal pay disproportionately affect African Americans. Somebody could perhaps argue that cuts are race neutral, but I’m not buying. The fact is that the federal government has been most open to African American workers, and most willing to offer relatively equal pay. Too many would like to char-
Guest Columnist
acterize government workers as ineffective without looking at the fact that most federal government and private workers do their jobs and then some. Everybody can tell trifling somebodydone-me-wrong songs, but the real deal is most works do their best. Those members of Congress that target federal workers ought to look long at hard and the results they get form the folks who process Social Security checks, manage veterans’ benefits, move money from the
federal government to state and local governments, and manage the process. These folks need kudos not the killing remarks that suggest that they don’t earn their money. It’s a rough job market and many, including federal employees, make the choice to take pay freezes instead of looking for other work. Are we losing some of our best employees, though, when we impose a freeze for the
See Malveaux on Page 45
By Wilmer J. Leon III
Obama is Not the First ‘Black President’
Professor Fredrick Harris has written in his Op Ed, Still Waiting for Our First Black President, “Obama has pursued a racially defused electoral and governing strategy, keeping issues of specific interest to African Americans —off the national agenda.” Michael Nutter the Mayor of the City of Philadelphia replied to Harris in the Huffington Post, “Barack Obama…has fought
every single day to improve the livelihood and well-being of the African-American community…We have our first black President, his name is President Barack Obama…” Here’s the reality that must be clearly understood: Obama is not the first Black President; he’s the first president who is Black. A Black president would have come into office with a “Black agenda.” If he were the first Black president he would be using his bully pulpit to champion legislation targeting unemploy-
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ment in urban areas, poverty, income disparity, and other issues. This in no way should be interpreted to challenge his “Blackness.” It’s about the agenda, not the man. If Obama were the first Black president, the prison at Guantanamo Bay would be closed. He would not have signed the 2012 Defense Authorization Act (DAA) allowing for U.S. citizens to be indefinitely detained. His Black Attorney General would not have made the case to assassinate U.S. citizens abroad withThe Washington Informer
out judicial review. If Obama were the first Black president, he would not have supported the assassination of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. A Black president would have come into office with a historical appreciation of the FBI’s COINTELPRO program that led to the attack on the civil liberties and civil rights of many individuals involved in the civil rights movement as well as the CIA’s involvement in assassinating other African leaders. A Black president would not want
to repeat this history by supporting the DAA, and operating assassination lists. President Obama is the first president who is Black and as such operates as a functionary of the United States government. A president who is Black focuses on the so-called “war on terror” and “protecting American interests abroad” with no other historical reference to guide him. Obama’s primary focus has been on broader national poli-
See leon on Page 45 www.washingtoninformer.com
opinions/editorials
Child Watch©
By Marian Wright Edelman
Exceptional U.S. Tolerance of Poverty The latest edition of UNICEF’s report on child poverty showed the United States ranks second out of 35 developed countries on the scale of what economists call “relative child poverty,” with 23.1 percent of its children living in poverty. Only Romania ranked higher. It was another shameful reminder that, as economist Sheldon Danziger put it, “Among rich countries, the U.S. is exceptional. We are exceptional in our tolerance of
poverty.” For the Lynch family in Columbus, Ohio, headlines like this aren’t news. Lucille Lynch and her children, Sarafina, 17; Timeeka, 14; Daisha, 11; and Elijah, 10, live on just slightly more than half of the federal poverty level. The family’s only cash income is the combined $1,200 per month Social Security disability checks for Elijah, who has autism, and for Lucille, who suffers from a lung condition, along with occasional and minimal child support. Their family
is a portrait of deep poverty in America. Lucille, 47, considers herself lucky she has the house that she inherited from her parents. She left high school in the 11th grade—“It was horrible and I couldn’t learn. There was too much violence.” Later she took classes and became certified as a nursing aide and for seven years she worked in nursing homes bathing, dressing, and diapering patients. But in 2006 she began feeling ill and by the next year, “I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t
Guest Columnist
lift them anymore at all.” She was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, which causes inflammation of the lungs, and had to stop working. She’s done occasional babysitting since then. One of the many sad consequences of deep poverty is that autism often goes undiagnosed longer, which is critical because many therapies for autism are most effective when they begin before age three. Elijah was diagnosed at five. Lucille said she knew something was wrong because “he wasn’t speaking. He
wasn’t looking at people.” But pediatricians told her to wait and see if he improved and he wasn’t tested until he reached kindergarten age. When Elijah was eight he began having problems in his special education classroom. Lucille eventually found out a child sitting behind him on the school bus was hitting him and another in his classroom was choking him. She said that school had one teacher and one aide try-
See edelman on Page 46
By Harry C. Alford
United Airlines Inadvertently United Black Businesses
So here we were at a crossroads in the state of Indiana. I had just successfully detected, reported and busted a construction fronting scheme. Huber, Hunt and Nichols, the largest construction firm in the state, was now banned from state contracts for five years. The word to the white owned construction community was: it is a new day unless we fight back. Oh, how
stubborn they can be defending what is wrong because their greed gets in the way of common sense. Thus, I had to begin a series of front busting and exposure until the goons finally relented and started contracting on a level playing field. The Maintenance Hub for United Air Lines at the Indianapolis Airport was a $1 billion project and United was determined to build this structure “Chicago Style” (using fronts all the way and void of true Black contracting activity). We weren’t
going to have it and put them on notice. When their first minority participation reports came out I destroyed any doubt that it was fictitious. Steel supplier? I got confessions from the alleged Black business that it was a lie. Plumbing supplier? The following is the report I did on this situation: Fudge Report Number 3, The Misrepresentations at the UAL MOC II – Another example of the many misrepresentations of minority business participation at the United Airlines Project can
ASKIA-AT-LARGE
be found in two bid packages entitled “Central Plant Plumbing” and “Hanger 1 Plumbing”. The bids were awarded to Frank E. Irish, Inc. and the alleged MBE participant is Indianapolis Pipe & Valve. The report shows Indianapolis Pipe & Valve selling product worth $258,222 and $599,117 respectively for a total of $857,339. This amount is listed both as MBE participation as well as Indiana Business Enterprise Participation. This claim is false!
The fact is that the material is being purchased from Rovanco Corp. of Illinois. Attached are the final quote pages from Rovanco that list the exact dollar amounts as above. In essence, this is a pure transaction between a white owned Illinois firm and Frank E. Irish, Inc. There is no MBE or IBE participation. For the use of its name and, if needed, a creation of a paper trail Indianapolis Pipe & Valve will receive a 2% fee ($17,146.78).
See alford on Page 46
By Askia Muhammad
Economic Train Wreck Ahead With Europe – led by Spain, Greece, and Ireland – teetering on the precipice of financial disaster, can the United States be far behind? “We can’t wait,” Republicans in this country seem to be snickering in their covens. And with the victory last week of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker against pro-union opponents, who forced him to defend himself in a recall election, the once www.washingtoninformer.com
flaccid GOP is now energized and smelling the possibility they might even win back the White House in November. What that means is that nothing which might ease the economic pain facing people in this country will get approved in Washington. Congress is divided. Belligerent Republicans control the House of Representatives, and the bellicose GOP Senate minority is secure in the knowledge that the majority Democrats can never get a 60vote “super majority” in order to
break the ritual filibuster that is filed against every initiative. So, what else is new? Political “message” bills are the new fascination. They have sprouted like weeds on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers propose bills designed to score talking-pointvictories against their opponents. House Republicans have refined this practice into an art and have passed nearly two dozen such bills. For example, there was a vote to let people use health savings accounts to pay for over-the-counter drugs,
changing part of the administration’s Affordable Health Act in a way that would primarily benefit higher-income taxpayers. Who else would they favor? Part of their strategy is to reduce the amount of revenue the government will take in to subsidize health insurance for low-income people. These bills are designed to please conservative voters, and will not even be taken up by the Senate. Another ridiculous bill would prohibit the adoption of any major new government regulation
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until the unemployment rate falls to 6 percent or less. The rate has been hovering just above 8 percent for the last several months. It was a hefty 10 percent or so when President Barack Obama took office, and Republicans hope it remains there because no Democrat has been elected president with unemployment above 8 percent. What is most amazing is that ordinary low and middle-income White folks are buying into the
See MUHAMMAD on Page 46
June 14, 2012 - June 20, 2012
27
ctm Hats on Parade Ladies show off stylish hats at the Third Annual Pink Hat Tea sponsored by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Xi Omega Chapter, in collaboration with the Pearl and Ivy Educational Foundation Inc. The event was held at Catholic University’s Pryzbyla Center on Saturday, June 9./Photo by Shevry Lassiter
Pretty in Pink Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Xi Omega Chapter, along with the Pearl and Ivy Educational Foundation Inc. make a check presentation to All Shades of Pink, Inc. at their Third Annual Pink Hat Tea held at Catholic University’s Pryzbyla Center on Sat., June 9. / Photo by Shevry Lassiter
A Drum and Dance Fest
Drummers from the Ivory Coast and African Americans celebrated with dancers from different dance companies during the Bantaba Dance Celebration, at DanceAfricaDC 2012, Sun., June 2 / Photo by Roy Lewis.
28 June 14, 2012 - June 20, 2012
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29
LIFESTYLE
Patrick Duffy and Larry Hagman revive their roles as the Ewing brothers, Bobby and J.R. in TNT’s new Dallas series. / Courtesy photo
Catch-12 By Shantella Y. Sherman WI Staff Writer
Dallas “Blood may be thicker than water, but oil is thicker than both,” J.R. Ewing Few people in the free world, from 1978 to 1991 were unfamiliar with the American television series Dallas, the Ewing family it depicted, or its resident bad boy, the diabolical and power-wielding J.R. Ewing. The show’s popularity certainly waned, but has remained a cult staple, generating several made-for-television films and specials. That same popularity recently led the TNT network to revive the series with a handful of its original cast members, and
a bevy of new, young actors portraying their offspring. Now that the die is cast, one wonders, ‘Is there another zenith for Dallas?’ Originally airing in the midst of the 1979 oil crisis, which curtailed or suspended exports of oil from Iran to America, the television show Dallas was both a reassertion of American masculinity, and the return of a kind of high-drama prime-time serial, abandoned with ABC’s Peyton Place (1964-1969). The backstory to Dallas is simple enough: Impulsive boy from wealthy family [The Ewings] runs off and marries poor, but gorgeous daughter of his father’s arch-enemy [The Barnes]. Wealthy boy then moves his new wife into the family domicile shared with his parents, a conniv-
30 June 14, 2012 - June 20, 2012
ing older brother and his neglected wife, and a misguided niece abandoned by another brother. Sibling rivalry, jealousy between the wives, and the heightened feud between the families kept American viewers glued to their televisions on Friday nights for more than a decade. What made the family and the series work for 14 years was exceptional writing and an amazing amount of sexual arrogance, coupled with overarching themes of family, earned money, and good old-fashioned [or perhaps refashioned] Americanism. The patriarch, for instance, was a former “wildcatter” who physically dug holes in dirt to find the oil that was running beneath it. With the aid of his former friend-turned enemy Willard “Digger” Barnes, The Washington Informer
John Ewing was able to strike oil enough times to become an oil baron. John Ewing is gruff, full of brawn and referred to most often by his nickname “Jock.” This is more than a masculine overture; it symbolizes American manhood as both ruler and rebel. The men fought for the honor of the women around them, smoked, drank, and came to fisticuffs often. And over the course of the show, the women of Dallas grew from stereotypically neglected wives and Jezebels, to business owners, college students, and major power brokers as well. The characters were believable because the actors and the writing never failed them. Storylines ran the full gamut from drug addiction and alcoholism to breast cancer and mental illness. Writers made no attempt to usher in a long-lost, ne’er to be claimed black [or Mexican] relative for the Ewings, the way The Carrington’s of Dynasty incorporated actress Diahann Carroll into the cast as Blake’s half-sister. Instead, the class and caste of the
Casts photos from the original and new Dallas series. Above, the new series (2012) with new cast members; Below, the original Dallas cast photo (1978). / Courtesy photo
Barnes family in many regards is as symbolic of race as race itself. Fans of the original show will look for remnants of the Ewing barbecues, rodeos, and Oil Barons’ Balls. They will no doubt also compare whatever TNT presents to the famous season when the world tried to figure out Who Shot J.R.? They will also look to see if the rugged masculinity of Patrick Duffy, Larry Hagman, Steve Kanaly, and even Jim Davis can be redefined by Jesse Metcalfe [who plays Bobby and Pam Ewing’s son, Christopher] and Josh Henderson [J.R. and Sue Ellen Ewing’s son John Ross III]. They look a bit puny and “made up” at present, but looks can be deceiving. TNT will launch the Dallas two-hour series premiere, Wednesday, June 13 at 9/8 CDT. In the meantime, for those unfamiliar with the original series, take advantage of video streaming and On Demand to become familiar with the major players. wi www.washingtoninformer.com
LIFESTYLE
Omar Carrington, 11, a 6th grader who attends Walker-Jones Elementary School, displays his artistic abilities during the “Night at the Museum” annual event. /Photo by Shevry Lassiter
“Night at the Museum” Showcases Perry After-School Program Young Artists Display Innate Talent at Exhibit By Eve M. Ferguson WI Staff Writer On a recent Friday night, all of the great masters of art turned out in a display in the lobby of the CNN News Building in Northeast. Picasso, Van Gogh and Warhol were just a few of the famous names present, despite the fact that they’re all long gone. The works propped on easels and hung from clothes lines were not the multi-million dollar pieces that regularly break the bank at auction at Sotheby’s, but for the purchasers of the works, they were just as valuable. The Perry After-School Program students, who attend one of the Perry Center’s community-based programs were the acwww.washingtoninformer.com
tual artists of the works, which replicated those of the master artists in paintings, sculptures, comic books and installation pieces [such as the three large colorful cardboard “Brillo” boxes in the spirit of Andy Warhol]. “Night at the Museum” is an annual event staged to showcase the talents of the students, who range in age from 5 to 18-yearsold, and their study of art works under artist Alicia Cosnahan, with materials and support donated by Albus Cavus, an organization that serves communities through public art and collaborating creatively with communities on the use of public space. James Jordan, 10, who is in 5th grade contributed Van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” and happened to be one of the early sell outs
among the 20 or so pieces available for a “name your price” sale. “I liked his style, brush strokes and colors,” James said confidently. “In art class, we study different artists and their history,” he added. Nine-year-old Zakiya Wells, who is in 4th grade, used Van Gogh for the initial inspiration for her “Colorful Flowers,” but liberally added her own touch. “It took me three days to paint this work,” Zakiya said. “I love painting because my father is a painter. I have been painting since I was two or three, and I have been doing compositions for a year,” she said, sounding far more mature than her years would indicate. Nine–year-old Caleb Poole preferred the pop art style of
Warhol, displaying his take on Warhol’s famous shoe paintings. “I liked Andy Warhol because he did things you see every day. I learned about his life, and I painted and did a background. I did the shoe out of my imagination,” he said. The work in question was firmly tucked under the arm of a purchaser, Donna Poole, who also happened to be his mother and the wife of Perry AfterSchool Program director Corey Poole. “I want to be an artist,” he said. “But I also want to be a basketball player, a golfer and a movie director. I can handle multiple professions. But my mom bought the ‘Purple Shoe’ for $50.00.” Both of Donna Poole’s young sons attend Perry After-School Program, which starts at 3 p.m. and exposes the students to not only art classes, but also computer lab and “Peace,” a conflictprevention program to aid children in avoiding future conflicts that have cost the lives and wellbeing of children, not only in the
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community surrounding the Perry School, but across the nation. “It builds cultural enrichment for both children in the program,” said Donna Poole, 42, a resident of Oxon Hill, Md. “They get computer skills, art studies, field trips. You name it, they have it. My kids do volunteer work also. It is a one-stop shop and is underestimated in the community.” The Perry School Community Services Center is located on M Street, NW near North Capitol Street and serves the economically disadvantaged community of Sursum Corda, which frequently makes the news for violence and crime. The school opened 11 years ago in the empty shell of the Perry School, and also features a summer camp when the school year ends. The community surrounding the Perry School raised more than $5.6 million to rehabilitate the abandoned school and convert the historic building into the thriving community center it is today. The Perry School’s mission is a comprehensive, collaborative and integrated approach to social services, economic enhancement and poverty eradication and its causes and consequences. The center aims to create a positive outcome for children, adults and families through specific service programs. Art aficionado Ilyssa Parker was pleased with her purchases, a grand total of $65.00 worth of art, which she plans to give as gifts. “I think I will keep the Picasso, though,” she said after purchasing James’ painting with its rich tones of blue. Apart from the fact that she is on the board of The Perry School, Parker would have purchased the art anyway, she said. When the 90-minute exhibit, complete with refreshments from the neighboring Station Café, was over, the children reluctantly packed up the unsold art which went back to the school. But, as one enthusiastic parent and employee of The Perry School, Tamikia Wims pointed out, the works can still be purchased from the school. Profits are split 50/50 between the students and the school. Donations are also accepted for youth development programs. The Perry School is located at 128 M Street in Northwest. For more information, visit the school’s website, www.Perryschool.org. wi
June 14, 2012 - June 20, 2012
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Horo scopes
june 14 -june 20, 2012
ARIES Your mate has a sweet surprise. Open up to receive it. Choose your words carefully around a sensitive pal. Listen for good news about a loan or financial matter. Soul Affirmation: I let others toot my horn this week. Lucky Numbers: 27, 28, 41 TAURUS Enjoy the great insights you have in the area of career objectives. Take a look at what’s out there! An unanticipated financial matter may arise, find the good in it. Soul Affirmation: A cheerful soul should be wrapped in a cheerful package. Lucky Numbers: 15, 23, 35 GEMINI This week is a good week to get in touch with your emotional self. You will respond well to what people close to you will ask from you. Your loved ones will appreciate your kindness when they find out how highly sensitive you are to their needs. Soul Affirmation: My life itself is my greatest creation. Lucky Numbers: 8, 19, 54 CANCER You know what you want and you have the ability to make it happen. Step into action at work this week and you will get a lot done. You can get what you want without being too demanding. Enjoy the time you have with your family. True rewards come from those who are related to you by blood. Soul Affirmation: Truth is revealed in the smallest grain of sand. Lucky Numbers: 2, 4, 6 LEO Live this week with an adventurer’s spirit. Trade in the comfortable for the exciting; the reliable for intriguing; the familiar for the new. Perhaps a change of scenery will get you started. You will rediscover feelings that you have denied yourself for a while. Soul Affirmation: Communication is a skeleton key that fits many doors. Lucky Numbers: 10, 12, 13 VIRGO If you’ve just made a power move in your work life or love life, you couldn’t have timed it any better. There will be a new level of appreciation and admiration for your leadership and forcefulness. Soul Affirmation: I work hard to combat envy this week. Lucky Numbers: 15, 30, 34 LIBRA Don’t respond to situations in a hasty manner this week. Your impulsive side is strong. Suppress it. Play a game called self-control. You know that this is the kind of game that you can win easily. Smile as you play at not being emotionally affected by an important matter, and eventually you’ll really won’t be emotionally affected. Soul Affirmation: I give my mind a holiday again this week. Lucky Numbers: 4, 28, 50 SCORPIO Offer to help someone in your office who is struggling with a difficult project that you have mastered in the past. There will be several birthday celebrations that you are invited to. Attend them all! Celebrate! Soul Affirmation: I give thanks for who I am this week. Lucky Numbers: 12, 19, 22 SAGITTARIUS Think of who you like to have fun with. Give them a call. Plan something that diverts you from your unexciting tasks. Spend some money. Find a place that jumps. Jump with it. Flirt. Even serious people flirt once in a while, especially if you’ve worked your buns off all week. Soul Affirmation: The true path is mapped out by my impulses. Lucky Numbers: 9, 10, 27 CAPRICORN You’re likely to experience a blast from the past. An acquaintance will meet up with you again. Don’t be shy in establishing a more solid friendship this time. It could lead to something important professionally or personally. Love sometimes works better the second time around. Soul Affirmation: Smooth communications is the key to my success this week. Lucky Numbers: 16, 17, 20
If you are interested i n parti cipati ng in the Fall session of DCTV’s Multimedia Bootcamp for NonProfits, apply on our websi te at DCTV.org or contact Tonya Gonzalez, tgonzalez@dctv.org
AQUARIUS Who are the people who are empowered to assist you? The material objective you are focused on right now is very do-able. All you need is some assistance. Ask for it. It’s coming soon. Soul Affirmation: I let positive emotions carry me through the week. Lucky Numbers: 33, 37, 42
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PISCES Don’t let worry put a strain on your relationships. Concentration is key, but be as light hearted as possible. Open up to romantic feelings. Let love come to you. It may come from inside. Soul Affirmation: Shining brightly is something that I can do even in shadows. Lucky Numbers: 11, 40, 46
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32 June 14, 2012 - June 20, 2012
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LIFESTYLE
Griot
“Jumped In: What Gangs Taught Me About Violence, Drugs, Love, and Redemption” by Jorja Leap c.2012, Beacon Press $26.95 / $31.00 Canada 240 pages
By Terri Schlichenmeyer WI Contributing Writer Television is not like life. OK, so you already know that. You’re well aware that situations don’t get wrapped up in 60 minutes or less, that hospitals aren’t like fraternities, and that nobody’s
relatives are that weird. You also know that crime isn’t anywhere near as clean as it is on TV, and gangbangers don’t dance for the cameras. Yep, that’s television for you, but what would life be like for someone in a real urban gang? Author Jorja Leap wondered, too, and in her new book “Jumped
In,” she shares what she learned. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, Jorja Leap worked with gangs. She was a social worker then, operating from Martin Luther King Hospital in South Los Angeles, and green as grass. Twenty years later, better-armed with a Ph.D., a faculty appointment at UCLA, and experience in “violent environments internationally,” she
decided that she wanted to “figure out what to do about violence that was occurring close to home.” Specifically, she wanted to work with gangs again. Most people, says Leap, believe that gangs predominantly consist of black males, and that there are two major gangs, the Bloods and the Crips. She discovered, however, that there are hundreds of different gangs and when one disappears, another appears in its place. Hispanic gangs account for about one half of those in L.A. and the number of girls joining gangs is on the rise. Doing the job she was hired for [evaluating prevention and intervention programs] meant immersion in gang culture, but it wouldn’t be easy. Gang members, both former and current, were extremely mistrustful. They wanted assurance that Leap wasn’t an informant or a member of the LAPD. She wasn’t. But her husband was. As the summer of 2002 progressed to become one of Los Angeles’ bloodiest seasons, working with gangs began to overtake Leap’s life. She craved working the streets, though her husband – who knew the danger she was in –
wanted her at home. The situation was complicated by Leap’s initiallyunsettled status as stepmother, and the contrasting fact that gangs often become temporary family for children whose parents are drug addicted, jailed, or both… As you’re reading this review, I’ll bet you’ve got a “typical gang member” ensconced in your mind. And you’ve probably got it wrong. By busting myths and shedding light on little-known angels in the City of Angels, author Jorja Leap gives readers an inside look at what’s going on in the streets of one American metropolis, which is simultaneously chilling and hopeful. What makes this book unique, though, is that Leap intertwines private confessions with research, until her two lives oddly mesh. I didn’t fully appreciate the personal bits, in fact, until I saw how they served to illustrate two diverse [and divergent] worlds so perfectly. This is not an easy book to read, but you won’t be able to put it down, either. If you’re interested in the dynamics of gang life or what can be done about the crime that follows it, “Jumped In” is a book to pounce on. wi
Come gaze at the stars and let your imagination soar! African Cosmos: Stellar Arts
Opens June 20, 2012 Karel Nel Thurs., June 21
PHOTO BY PAUL BRISSMAN
6–7:30 p.m. National Museum of African Art deputy director and chief curator Christine Mullen Kreamer chats with South African artist Karel Nel who has a long-standing interest in the interface of art, science, and the human journey. Nick Scoville, the Moseley Professor of Astronomy at the California Institute of Technology and principal investigator of the Hubble Space Telescope imaging of COSMOS, joins in the conversation. Jenaguru Sat., June 30 2 p.m. This contemporary music, dance, and spoken-word performance is inspired by a Zimbabwean creation myth. Commissioned for African Cosmos: Stellar Arts
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Under African Skies Sat., July 28, Aug. 18 10 a.m.–2 p.m. 30 people per 20-minute show Gaze at the African sky, which holds some constellations seen only in the Southern Hemisphere, with astronomy educators from the National Air and Space Museum.
Africa Underground Beneath the Stars Fri., July 13 7–11 p.m. Join us for our after-hours event. Must be 21.
Johnnetta Betsch Cole with Marcus Samuelsson Fri., July 27 6:30–8 p.m. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Ring Auditorium As part of the Director’s Discussion Series, director Johnnetta Betsch Cole converses with Marcus Samuelsson, worldrenowned chef and owner of the Red Rooster in Harlem. Samuelsson will sign copies of his critically acclaimed memoir Yes Chef following the discussion.
WORKSHOPS Design Mud Cloth Sat., June 23 1–3 p.m. Age: 12 and up RSVP 202.633.4646 Renowned for it’s rich graphics, colors, and symbolism, mud cloth is a centuries-old handdyed cloth unique to Mali and the Bamana culture. Learn how to make your own mud cloth design. Weave a Basket Sat., July 14 1–4 p.m. Age: 12 and up RSVP 202.633.4646 Coiled weaving techniques are used to make everyday household items, such as baskets, furniture, and mats. Join us to learn the techniques to weave your own artwork.
OWUSU-ANKOMAH, B. 1956, GHANA STARKID (DETAIL), 2007
COLLECTION OF THE ARTISTS AND
Smithsonian National Museum of African Art 950 Independence Avenue SW Open daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Take Metro to Smithsonian station
africa.si.edu
Hear the stellar sound of Xi Hydrae in the constellation
ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
Sahara Dance Company July 25, 26, and 27 12:30 p.m., and 1:15 p.m. each day (10-minute show) Sahara Dance, Washington DC’s center for Middle Eastern dance, highlights traditional and experimental styles of belly dance and Arab folk dance.
Hydra (130 light years away and 60 times brighter than the Sun!)
COURTESY OCTOBER GALLERY, LONDON
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June 14, 2012 - June 20, 2012
33
LIFESTYLE
In the Know Notes from the Vanguard of Hip-Hop Culture Diddy’s Son Defends Acceptance of UCLA Football Scholarship Justin Combs, son of hiphop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, took to Twitter this week to defend his full scholarship to UCLA, which the school confirmed this week. Many in cyberspace are questioning whether the multimillionaire’s son should have accepted the $54,000 football scholarship, given the school’s economic troubles. But the 18-year-old said he earned the scholarship. “Regardless what the cir-
cumstances are, I put that work in!!!! PERIOD,” he tweeted on May 30. “Regardless of what you do in life every1 is gonna have their own opinion,” he tweeted. “Stay focused, keep that tunnel vision & never 4get why u started.” Combs, a 5-foot-9, 170-pound defensive back, reportedly graduated from New York’s New Rochelle Iona Prep with a 3.75 GPA, according to the Los Angeles Times. UCLA defended its decision, saying Combs’ award was not siphoned from need-based scholarships to other students. Athletic scholarships are “en-
Sean Combs and his son Justin / Courtesy photo.
tirely funded by Athletic Department ticket sales, corporate partnerships, media contracts and private donations” and “do not rely on state funds,” university spokesman Ricardo Vazquez told the Times. “There is a big separation between financial aid based on need and how that’s funded
Woodstream Church Drama Ministry Presents...
The QUILT
Safe houses provided rest and shelter or a hiding place for escaping slaves. Of-
and how athletic scholarships are funded and awarded to students,” he added. Beenie Man’s Respect for Gays and Lesbians The controversy of internationally recognized Reggae artist, Beenie Man’s anti-gay songs, which he penned twenty years ago, continues to follow him everywhere he is scheduled to perform. Today, he has developed a newfound respect for gays and lesbians. A few days ago, at a concert in the Rototam Sunsplash (www.rototomsunsplash.com) in Spain, expressed to concert-goers in a video message: “I respect each and every human being, regardless of which
race or creed, regardless of which religious belief and regardless of which sexual preference you have, including gay and lesbian people.” In recent years, Beenie has been the subject of several protests from gay communities on an international scale. Between the years 2004 to 2010, several demonstrations all over the world, prevented him from performing and led him to cancel his concerts. Today, Beenie understands the severity behind the degrading lyrics from his past songs. He reflected on the poor decisions he has made as a young artist publicly at his most recent performance. He said to his audience: “Do not fight against me for some of the songs I sung 20 years ago. There is no one in this world who is the same person they were 20 years ago, I know I’m not. I was a kid when I came from Waterhouse in one community. I never knew what the world was like and what the world was all about. Now, I know that there are people in the world that live differently from the way I do. I know I still have to respect and love human beings.” wi
ten those houses displayed quilts containing codes embedded in their patterns to guide slaves along their journeys. Some symbols during the action of “The QUILT” include flying geese, bow ties, the monkey wrench and the
A Play Adapted from Ophelia Settle Egypt’s “ Raggedy Thorns”
wagon wheel. This adaptation from Ophelia Settle Egypt’s “Raggedy Thorns” gives a heart rendering journey into the story of the role The QUILT played in the execution of freedom for slaves through narratives and spirituals.
Woodstream Church 9800 Lottsford Road Mitchelleville, Maryland 20721 Friday June 22, 2012
Curtain Time : 7:30p.m.
Saturday June 23, 2012 Curtain Time: 4:30p.m.
For more information call 301-955-1142
No Admission Fee
(There will be a free-will offering collection)
STARTS FRIDAY, JUNE 15 REGAL CINEMAS AMC
LANDMARK’S
AMC LOEWS
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LIFESTYLE LIFESTYLE
Marcus Strickland (center) on alto-sax leads his quartet in an up tempo jazz tune at Bohemian Caverns on U Street in Northwest. The performance on Friday, June 8 was part of the annual DC Jazz Festival. /Photo by Roy Lewis
DC Jazz Festival Entertains All Over the City By Steve Monroe Special to WI The DC Jazz Festival, in its eighth consecutive year, was bigger and better in many ways this year, extending its reach to locations all over the city including last Friday’s special DC Jazz Festival, East River JazzFest event featuring Fred Foss at the Congress Heights Senior Wellness Center on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Southeast. Foss, one of our master saxophonists, brought a group of buddies that day – “I’ve played with these guys for 25 years,” he said – that included Wade Beach on piano, Herman Burney, bass, and Harold Summey, drums, to entertain the large crowd of mostly senior citizens. The group opened with a robust jazz standard, “Invitation,” then Foss brought up saxophonist Elijah Balbed, saying of the tall, dark-haired young man, “He’s been going around town telling people he’s my student … man, this cat plays things I never dreamed of playing … it’s a generational thing ... each generation www.washingtoninformer.com
has its own thing ...” Balbed joined Foss in a couple more straight ahead tunes, the two tenors dueling, trading riffs, then harmonizing as they took a tune out. Summey was superlative on drums and Burney the groove master that day on bass, all to the enjoyment of the wellness center patrons, who gave the group loud cheers and applause for each tune. Brought to the city by executive producer Charlie Fishman and executive director Sunny Sumter, the DC Jazz Festival featured The Hamilton in downtown D.C. as its anchor location this year, with other events in clubs, restaurants and at other organization venues around the city, including the Taste of DC Jazz Loft on New York Avenue near downtown where Capital Bop produced a MegaFest jazz show Saturday, featuring Balbed, Marc Cary, Lenny Robinson and a movie on jazz, “Icons Among Us.” Festival performers during the week included veterans like Foss, Randy Weston, Kenny Barron and Cyrus Chestnut, but also young lions like Balbed, Marc
Cary, Alex Brown, Kush Abadey and others. The music included the whole span of jazz, from swing and bebop to avant garde and jazz with a hip hop flavor. Youth is served at The Hamilton One night at The Hamilton, which had several sold out events during the festival, amid the glitter of a still new-looking downtown concert hall, a young player could be forgiven for looking a little wide-eyed and excited at playing there in the opening act for the great pianist Randy Weston. Wide-eyed he may have been but Kush Abadey, 21, parlayed the wisdom of learning from his dad, percussion maestro Nasar Abadey, and his schooling at places like the Berklee College of Music, into a superb set of music on the drums behind vocalist Akua Allrich as the DC Jazz Festival got into gear last Friday night at The Hamilton. (Read more about the DC Jazz Festival. Visit washingtoninformer. com.) wi
Etienne Charles and Kaiso hit a high note during his set at The Hamilton in Northwest. Jazz aficionados had an opportunity to enjoy 10-days of jazz performances throughout the city during the DC Jazz Festival. /Photo by Roy Lewis
The Washington Informer
June 14, 2012 - June 20, 2012
35
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36 June 14, 2012 - June 20, 2012
Friends Remember Bishop Imagene Stewart By Barrington Salmon WI Staff Writer “She made an incalculable contribution to the city for people who needed it most before Mitch Snyder and others,” is the way longtime D.C. resident Chuck Hicks remembered community activist Bishop Imagene B. Stewart, who died May 30 after a lengthy illness. She was 69. Stewart, founder of the House of Imagene Shelter and Women’s Center, the first shelter in the District for battered and abused African-American women, organized Thanksgiving dinners for the homeless and the destitute, through her church, which she called “The Church of What’s Happening Now.” “We’d been best friends since 197374. She will always be remembered for her Thanksgiving dinners because she fed long lines of people. For the 47 years that I knew her, all of this was wrapped around nurturing of the spirit. And her strength and energy was wrapped up in her belief in God,” Hicks said. In 1972, Stewart opened a12-bed safe haven for black women. The shelter was a labor of love, since she had once been homeless herself. In the hour or so before the wake began, friends, family and those Bishop Stewart helped filed into Bacon Funeral Home in Northwest, where they spoke with the Informer about her life and legacy. Eighty-eight year-old Frank Smith stood outside lamenting the loss of his friend. “I’ve known her since 2005. We were in the Senior Citizen Police Academy together,” said Smith, a Northwest resident who is a descendant of Frederick Douglass. “She was an outgoing person and always wanted to help people in any way she could.” Prince George’s County resident Diane Thompson did not know Stewart personally, but worked with Stewart’s son Michael. She said she was well-aware of Stewart’s decades of work in the community. “She was certainly a pillar in this community,” Thompson said. “This city is losing people like her everyday. If we don’t embrace these things, we will lose an important part of our history. She helped the downtrodden and had no qualms about what she did.” Others, like Sammie Whiting-Ellis, said she’d known Stewart since their days in the Civil Rights movement, and was amazed by her desire to fight for those who needed the most help. “She was part of the National Black Heritage Observance Council for 25 years,” Whiting-Ellis recalled. The Washington Informer
Reginald Bigham sings “The Lord Will Make a Way” during the funeral services of Bishop Imagene Stewart on Saturday, June 9. Hundreds attended the services at the Columbia Elks Lodge #85 in Northwest. /Photo by Roy Lewis
John Harris, Past Exalted Ruler, (left) who attended Bishop Imagene Stewart’s Celebration of Life Services on Saturday, June 9 brought a citation from the Columbia Elks Lodge #85 in Northwest. /Photo by Roy Lewis
“She was one of our most loyal members. She was instrumental in getting community people involved who would not usually be included. She always worked hard, always thought of other people and would help anyone in need.” “She was a fighter who never took a back seat,” Whiting-Ellis added. Stewart’s fiancé Warren I. Johnson, Jr. said that in the 30 years and four months he and Stewart were involved, her days were filled with charity work at places like the Elks Home, Masonic lodges, at the American Legion, with the Police Chaplains’ Association and elsewhere. “I met her on Valentine’s Day at the Elks Home. It was love at first sight,” said Johnson. “She had been my fiancée for nearly two years. She was an
energizer, a strong warrior who never quit. She never believed in failing. I was right by her side while she did the whole thing.” Any number of times, Hicks and others said Stewart would take to the airways soliciting help from individuals and businesses to buy turkeys and trimmings for her constituency. The response was always overwhelming. “The amazing thing is that she could have had so much more; programs and cars, but what she had she gave. She marched with Martin Luther King in 1963, she had a beautiful voice and she used her radio show to urge people to come out and support her causes. I have been so absolutely blessed to have had her as a friend.” wi www.washingtoninformer.com
The Religion Corner
religion
Think on These Things; Part III Finally, brethren, … whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8
B
y the time you read this article, my first radio talk show will be history, and I pray all of you benefited to some degree. So, I’ve decided to dedicate this column – my maiden voyage into the world of broadcasting flying solo – to my guests and generous sponsors. My first guest, John Best, chief executive officer of Capitol Entertainment Services (CES), Inc., told us about his childhood, he imparted to listeners how he got the idea to start a transportation company – that specializes in bus tours – and how he acquired a fleet of buses. In my health segment, listeners heard from Dr. Lareece Long, Ph.D., who hails from Florida. She wears many hats – as a wellness practitioner and as a colon hydro therapist instructor just to name a few. You’ll be hearing more from her in the future. Adrienne Terrell Washington, a D.C. political commentator, who has appeared on programs such as WRC’s “Reporter’s Notebook” and “The D.C. Politics Hour” of the Kojo Nnamdi Show on WAMU-FM, will put politics into perspective for listeners in the Washington metropolitan area each week. Although situations appear grim these days, we can all learn an invaluable lesson by being cognizant of the choices we make regarding our elected officials and the possible repercussions. However, I’m most excited
about the health tips! I’ve just confirmed Dr. Richard Merrill, M.D., the last doctor who cared for my late mother Fannie. This Fri., June 15, he will discuss diabetes and how the disease affects the kidneys. Dr. Merrill opened the Kidney Center in 1995. It’s a private, single physician office in Greenville, N.C. In addition to directing care at the center, Dr. Merrill provides treatment to patients with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). Capitol Entertainment Services Inc. is a bus touring company. CES offers a variety of guided sightseeing tours of the nation’s capital. Their “African-American Heritage Tour of Washington, D.C.” and “Duke Ellington Neighborhood Tours” have been designated as official White House Millennium American Pathways 2000 Tours. Tour groups enjoy the many interesting and informative American history facts provided during the “National Monument and Memorial Tour.” Student groups experience exciting and fascinating exhibits on the “Education Tour” during school trips. Hotel guests and other visitors can take regularly scheduled “Washington, D.C. Sightseeing Tours” from selected hotels and other locations. All tours are conducted by professional tour guides. Jack H. Olender & Associates has evolved into a medical malpractice and personal injury powerhouse. Lawyers at the firm are consistently recognized by their peers for exemplary legal efforts on behalf of the injured. Mr. Olender’s tireless efforts to hold accountable those who cause injuries have helped countless
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The Washington Informer
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June 14, 2012 - June 20, 2012
37
religion BAPTIST
african methodist episcopal
Historic St. Mary’s Episcopal Church Rev. James Manion Supply Priest Foggy Bottom • Founded in 1867 728 23rd Street, NW • Washington, DC 20037 Church office: 202-333-3985 • Fax : 202-338-4958 Worship Services Sundays: 10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Music and Hymns Wednesdays: 12:10 p.m. - Holy Eucharist www.stmarysfoggybottom.org Email: stmarysoffice@stmarysfoggybottom.org All are welcome to St. Mary’s to Learn, Worship, and Grow.
Blessed Word of Life Church Dr. Dekontee L. & Dr. Ayele A. Johnson Pastors 4001 14th Street, NW Washington, DC 20011 (202) 265-6147 Office 1-800 576-1047 Voicemail/Fax Schedule of Services: Sunday School – 9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship Service – 11:00 AM Communion Service – First Sunday Prayer Service/Bible Study – Tuesday, 6:30 PM www.blessedwordoflifechurch.org e-mail: church@blessedwordoflifechurch.org
Campbell African Methodist Episcopal Church Reverend Daryl K. Kearney. • Pastor 2568 MLK Jr., Ave., S.E. Washington, D.C. 20020 (202) 889-3877 (o) • (202) 678-1291 (fax) Services and Times 7:45 a.m. & 10:45 a.m. Small Groups/Church School: 9:00 a.m. Small Group Bible Study Tuesday 7:00 p.m. Wednesday Noon Thursday 7:39 p.m. God our Father, Christ our Redeemer, Humankind one Family www.otfmall.com/camecame reedley5@aol.com
Mt. Zion Baptist Church Rev. John W. Davis, Pastor 5101 14th Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20011 202-726-2220/ 202-726-9089 Sunday Worship Service 8:00am and 11:00am Sunday School 9:15am Holy Communion 4th Sunday 10:00am Prayer and Bible Study Wednesday 7;00pm TV Ministry –Channel 6 Wednesday 10:00pm gsccm.administration@verizon.net
Pilgrim Baptist Church
700 I. Street, NE Washington, D.C. 20002 Pastor Louis B. Jones, II and Pilgrim invite you to join us during our July and August Summer schedule! Attire is Christian casual. Worship: Sundays@ 7:30 A.M. & 10:00 A.M. 3rd Sunday Holy Communion/ Baptism/Consecration Prayer & Praise: Wednesdays @12:00 Noon @ 6:30 P.M. – One Hour of Power! (202) 547-8849 www. pilgrimbaptistdc.org
Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ Drs. Dennis W. and Christine Y. Wiley, Pastors
Church of Living Waters
Rev. Paul Carrette Senior Pastor Harold Andrew, Assistant Pastor 4915 Wheeler Road Oxon Hill, MD 20745 301-894-6464 Schedule of Service Sunday Service: 8:30 AM & 11:00 AM Bible Study: Wednesday 7:30 PM Communion Service: First Sunday www.livingwatersmd.org
St. Stephen Baptist Church
Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church Rev. Dr. Michael E. Bell, Sr., • Pastor 2498 Alabama Ave., SE • Washington D.C. 20020 Office: (202) 889-7296 Fax: (202) 889-2198 • www.acamec.org 2008: The Year of New Beginnings “Expect the Extraordinary”
Reverend Dr. Calvin L. Matthews • Senior Pastor 1200 Isle of Patmos Plaza, Northeast Washington, DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-6767 Fax: (202) 526-1661
Rev. Dr. Alton W. Jordan, Pastor 800 I Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 202-548-0707 Fax No. 202-548-0703 Sunday Morning Worship 11:00am Holy Communion – 1st Sunday Sunday School-9:45am Men’s Monday Bible Study – 7:00pm Wednesday Night Bible Study – 7:00pm Women’s Ministry Bible Study 3rd Friday -7:00pm Computer Classes- Announced Family and Marital Counseling by appointment E-mail: Crusadersbaptistchurch@verizon.net www.CrusadersBaptistChurch.org
“The Amazing, Awesome, Audacious Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church”
“God is Love”
Third Street Church of God
Lanier C. Twyman, Sr. State Overseer
Rev. Cheryl J. Sanders, Th.D. Senior Pastor
5757 Temple Hill Road, Temple Hills, MD 20748 Office 301-899-8885 – fax 301-899-2555
SERVICES AND TIMES: SUNDAYS: 8:00 AM and 10:45 AM Worship Services BIBLE STUDY: Wonderful Wednesdays in Worship and the Word Bible Study Wednesdays 12:00 Noon; 6:30 PM (dinner @ 5:30 PM) SUNDAY SCHOOL: 9:45 AM – Hour of Power “An inclusive ministry where all are welcomed and affirmed.” www.covenantbaptistdc.org
Sunday Early Morning Worship - 7:45 a.m. Church School - 9:30 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship – 10:45 a.m. Tuesday – Thursday - Kingdom Building Bible Institute – 7:30 p.m. Wednesday – Prayer/Praise/Bible Study – 7:30 p.m. “We are one in the Spirit” www.ssbc5757.org e-mail: ssbc5757@verizon.net
1204 Third Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 202.347.5889 office 202.638.1803 fax
Pastor Gerald L Martin Senior Minister 3204 Brothers Place S.E. Washington, D.C. 20032 202-373-5566 or 202-373-5567
Isle of Patmos Baptist Church
Sunday Worship Services: 8:00a.m. and 11:00a.m. Sunday Church School - 9:15a.m. & Sunday Adult Forum Bible Study - 10:30a.m. 2nd & 4th Monday Women’s Bible Study - 6:30p.m. Tuesday Jr./Sr. Bible Study - 10:00a.m. Tuesday Topical Bible Study - 6:30p.m. Tuesday New Beginnings Bible Study - 6:30p.m. Wednesday Pastoral Bible Study - 6:30p.m. Wednesday Children’s Bible Study - 6:30p.m. Thursday Men’s Bible Study - 6:30p.m. Friday before 1st Sunday Praise & Worship Service - 6:30p.m. Saturday Adult Bible Study - 10:00a.m.
3845 South Capitol Street Washington, DC 20032 (202) 562-5576 (Office) (202) 562-4219 (Fax)
Morning Star Baptist Church
Crusader Baptist Church
Sunday School: 9:30 a.m. Sunday Worship: 11:00 a.m. Prayer Meeting and Bible Study: Wed. 7:30 p.m. “Ambassadors for Christ to the Nation’s Capital” www.thirdstreet.org
Sunday Worship Services: 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Holy Communion: 2nd Sunday at 7:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Sunday Church School: 9:20 a.m. Seniors Bible Study: Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. Noon Day Prayer Service: Tuesdays at Noon Bible Study: Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Motto: “A Ministry of Reconciliation Where Everybody is Somebody!” Website: http://isleofpatmosbc.org Church Email: ipbcsecretary@verizon.net
Greater Mt. Calvary Holy Church Bishop Alfred A. Owens, Jr.; Senior Bishop & Evangelist Susie C. Owens – Co-Pastor 610 Rhode Island Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 529-4547 office • (202) 529-4495 fax Sunday Worship Service: 8 AM and 10:45 AM Sunday Youth Worship Services: 1st & 4th 10:45 AM; 804 R.I. Ave., NE 5th 8 AM & 10:45 AM; Main Church Prayer Services Tuesday – Noon, Wednesday 6 AM & 6:30 PM Calvary Bible Institute: Year-Round Contact Church Communion Every 3rd Sunday The Church in The Hood that will do you Good! www.gmchc.org emailus@gmchc.org
ST Marks Baptist Come Worship with us... St. Mark's Baptist Church 624 Underwood Street, NW Washington, dc 20011 Dr. Raymond T. Matthews, Pastor and First Lady Marcia Matthews Sunday School 9:am Worship Service 10:am Wed. Noon Day prayer service Thur. Prayer service 6:45 pm Thur. Bible Study 7:15 pm
We are proud to provide the trophies for the Washington Informer Spelling Bee
Service & Time Sunday Worship 7:45A.M & 11A.M Communion Service 2nd Sunday 11A.M Prayer Service Tuesday 7:00 P.M Bible Study Tuesday 8:00 P.M Sunday Church School 10:00 A.M Sunday “A church reaching and winning our community for Christ” morningstarbaptistchurch@verizon.net www.morningstarchurch-dc.org
Mount Carmel Baptist Church
52 Years of Expert Engraving Services
Joseph N. Evans, Ph.D Senior Pastor 901 Third Street N.W. Washington, DC. 20001 Phone (202) 842-3411 Fax (202) 682-9423 Sunday Church School : 9: 30am Sunday Morning Worship: 10: 45am Bible Study Tuesday: 6: 00pm Prayer Service Tuesday: 7:00pm Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday 10: 45am themcbc.org
38 June 14, 2012 - June 20, 2012
The Washington Informer
www.washingtoninformer.com
religion Baptist
All Nations Baptist Church
Friendship Baptist Church 900 Delaware Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20020 (202) 488-7417 (202) 484-2242 Rev. Dr. J. Michael Little Pastor Sunrise Prayer: 6:00 AM Sunday School: 9:30 AM Morning Worship 11:00 AM Holy Communion: 3rd Sunday-11:00AM www.friendshipbaptistdc.org Email: frienshipde1900@verizon.net
Rev. Dr. James Coleman Pastor 2001 North Capitol St, N.E. • Washington, DC 20002 Phone (202) 832-9591 Sunday Church School – 9:30 AM Sunday Worship Service – 11:00 AM Holy Communion – 1st Sunday at 11:00 AM Prayer – Wednesdays, 6:00 PM Bible Study – Wednesdays, 7:00 PM Christian Education School of Biblical Knowledge Saturdays, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM, Call for Registration Website: www.allnationsbaptistchurch.com All Nations Baptist Church – A Church of Standards
Zion Baptist Church
Israel Baptist Church
Rev. Keith W. Byrd, Sr. Pastor
Rev. Dr. Morris L Shearin, Sr. Pastor
4850 Blagdon Ave, NW • Washington D.C 20011 Phone (202) 722-4940 • Fax (202) 291-3773
1251 Saratoga Ave., NE Washington, DC 20018 (202) 269-0288
Sunday Worship Service 10:15AM- Praise and Worship Services Sunday School 9:00am Monday: Noon Bible School Wednesday: Noon & 7PM: Pastor’s Bible Study Ordinance of Baptism 2nd Holy Communion 4th Sunday Mission Zion Baptist Church Shall; Enlist Sinners, Educate Students, Empower the Suffering, Encourage the Saints, and Exalt Our Savior. (Acts 2:41-47) www.zionbaptistchurchdc.org
Sunday Worship Service: 10:00 A.M. Sunday School: 8:30 A.M. Holy Communion1st Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Prayer Service: Wednesday at 6:30 P.M. Bible Study: Wednesday at 7:00 P.M.
Mount Moriah Baptist Church
St. Luke Baptist Church Rev. Aubrey C. Lewis Pastor 1415 Gallatin Street, NW Washington, DC 20011-3851 P: (202) 726-5940 Sunday Worship: 11:00 a.m. Sunday School: 9:15 a.m. Holy Communion: 11:00 a.m., 3rd Sun. Bible Study: Monday - 7:00 p.m. Prayer Meeting: Thursday - 7:00 p.m.
Dr. Lucius M. Dalton, Senior Pastor 1636 East Capitol Street, NE Washington, DC 20003 Telephone: 202-544-5588 Fax: 202-544-2964 Sunday Worship Services: 7:45 am and 10:45 am Holy Communion: 1st Sundays at 7:45 am and 10:45 am Sunday School: 9:30 am Prayer & Praise Service: Tuesdays at 12 noon and 6:30 pm Bible Study: Tuesdays at 1 pm and 7 pm Youth Bible Study: Fridays at 7 pm Web: www.mountmoriahchurch.org Email: mtmoriah@mountmoriahchurch.org
Rehoboth Baptist Church
St. Matthews Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Maxwell M. Washington Pastor 1105 New Jersey Ave, S.E • Washington, DC 20003 202 488-7298 Order of Services Sunday Worship Services: 9:05 A.M. Sunday School: 8:00 A.M. Holy Communion 3rd Sunday Morning Prayer Meeting: 7:00 P.M. (Tuesday) Bible Study: 7:30 P.M. (Tuesday) Theme: “Striving to be more like Jesus “Stewardship”. Philippians 3:12-14; Malachi 3:8-10 and 2 Corinthians 9:7 Email: stmatthewbaptist@msn.com Website: www.stmatthewsbaptist.com
Advertise your church services here call Ron Burke at 202-561-4100 or email rburke@washingtoninformer.com
Advertise your church
Emmanuel Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Clinton W. Austin Pastor 2409 Ainger Pl.,SE – WDC 20020 (202) 678-0884 – Office (202) 678-0885 – Fax “Come Grow With Us and Establish a Blessed Family” Sunday Worship 7:30am & 10:45am Baptism/Holy Communion 3rd Sunday Family Bible Study Tuesdays – 6:30pm Prayer Service Tuesdays – 8:00pm www.emmanuelbaptistchurchdc.org
Advertise your church
services here
services here
call Ron Burke at
call Ron Burke at
202-561-4100 or email
202-561-4100 or email
rburke@washingtoninformer.com
rburke@washingtoninformer.com
Mount Pleasant Baptist Church
New Commandment Baptist Church
Rev. Terry D. Streeter Pastor
Rev. Stephen E. Tucker Pastor and Overseer
215 Rhode Island Ave. N.W. • WD.C. 20001 (202) 332-5748
625 Park Rd, NW • WDC 20010 P: 202 291-5711 • F: 202 291-5666
Early Morning Worship: 7:45 a.m. Sunday School: 9:15 a.m. Morning Worship: 10:45 a.m. Holy Communion: 4th Sunday 7:45 a.m. & 10:45 a.m. C.T.U. Sunday: 2:45 p.m. Bible Study: Wednesday 11:00 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. Prayer Service: Wednesday 8:00 p.m. Noon Day Prayer Service: Mondays 12 p.m.
Sunday Worship Service - 11 am Sunday School - 9:45 am Bible Study & Prayer Wed. - 7 pm Substance Abuse Counseling 7 pm (Mon & Fri) Jobs Partnership - 7 pm (Mon & Wed) Sat. Enrichment Experience - 9:30 am
Salem Baptist Church
“A Church Where Love Is Essential and Praise is Intentional”
Shiloh Baptist Church
Rev. R. Vincent Palmer Pastor
Rev. Alonzo Hart Pastor
Rev. Dr. Wallace Charles Smith Pastor
621 Alabama Avenue, S.E. • Washington, D.C. 20032 P: (202) 561-1111 F: (202) 561-1112
917 N St. NW • Washington, DC 20001 (202) 232-4294
9th & P Street, N.W. • W. D.C. 20001 (202) 232-4200
The Church Where GOD Is Working.... And We Are Working With GOD
Sunrise Prayer Services - Sunday 7:00 a.m.
Sunday Morning Prayer Service: 8:00 a.m. Sunday Church School: 9:15 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship: 10:40 a.m. Third Sunday Baptismal & Holy Communion:10:30 a.m. Tuesday Church At Study Prayer & Praise: 6:30 p.m.
Morning Worship: 8:00 a.m Church School : 9:30 a.m. Morning Worship: 10:55 a.m. Bible Study, Thursday: 6:30 p.m. Prayer Meeting,Thursday : 7:30 p.m.
Sunday Service: 10 am Sunday School for all ages: 8:30 am 1st Sunday Baptism: 10: am 2nd Sunday Holy Communion: 10 am Tuesday: Bible Study: 6:30 pm Prayer Meeting: 7:45 pm
www.washingtoninformer.com
Motto: God First
The Washington Informer
Florida Avenue Baptist Church
Holy Trinity United Baptist Church
Dr. Earl D. Trent Senior Pastor
Rev. Dr. George C. Gilbert SR. Pastor
623 Florida Ave.. NW • WDC. 20001 Church (202) 667-3409 • Study (202) 265-0836 Home Study (301) 464-8211 • Fax (202) 483-4009
4504 Gault Place, N.E. Washington, D.C 20019 202-397-7775 – 7184
Sunday Worship Services: 10:00 a.m. Sunday Church School: 8:45 – 9:45 a.m. Holy Communion: Every First Sunday Intercessory Prayer: Monday – 7:00-8:00 p.m. Pastor’s Bible Study: Wednesday –7:45 p.m. Midweek Prayer: Wednesday – 7:00 p.m. Noonday Prayer Every Thursday
9:30AM. Sunday Church School 11:00 Am. Sunday Worship Service The Lord’s Supper 1st Sunday Wednesday 7:00pm Prayer & Praise Services 7:30pm. Bible Study Saturday before 4th Sunday Men, Women, Youth Discipleship Ministries 10:30am A Christ Centered Church htubc@comcast.net
Matthews Memorial Baptist Church
Mt. Bethel Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Bobby L. Livingston, Sr. Pastor
Dr. C. Matthew Hudson, Jr, Pastor
75 Rhode Island Ave. NW • Washington, DC 20001 (202) 667-4448
2616 MLK Ave., SE • Washington, DC 20020 Office 202-889-3709 • Fax 202-678-3304 Early Worship Service 7:30a.m Worship Service 10:45a.m. New Members Class 9:30a.m. Holy Communion : 1st Sunday -10:45a.m Church School 9:30a.m. Prayer, Praise and Bible Study: Wednesday 7p.m Bible Study : Saturday: 11a.m. Baptism: 4th Sunday – 10:45a.m “Empowered to love and Challenged to Lead a Multitude of Souls to Christ”
Peace Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Michael T. Bell 712 18th Street, NE Washington, DC 20002 Phone 202-399-3450/ Fax 202-398-8836 Sunday Morning Worship Service 7:15 am & 10:50 am Sunday School 9:30am Sunday Morning Worship Service 10:50am Wednesday Prayer & Testimonies Service 7:30pm Wednesday School of the Bible 8:00pm Wednesday - Midweek Prayer Service 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm “The Loving Church of the living lord “ Email Address pbcexec@verizon.net
First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church 602 N Street NW • Washington, D.C. 20001 Office:(202) 289-4480 Fax: (202) 289-4595 Sunday Worship Services: 7:45am & 11:00am Sunday school For All Ages 9:30am Prayer Services Wednesday 11:30am & 6:45pm Bible Institute Wednesday at Noon & 7:45pm “Changing Lives On Purpose “ Email: Froffice@firstrising.org Website: www.firstrising.org
Sunrise Prayer Service 6:00 A.M. Sunday Church School 8:30 A.M. Pre-Worship Devotionals 9:45 A.M. Morning Worship Services 10:00 A.M. Holy Communion 1st Sunday Worship Services Bible Study Tuesdays, 6:00 P.M. Thursdays, 1:00 P.M. Prayer Meetings Tuesdays, 7:00 P.M. Thursdays, 12:00 P.M.
Pennsylvania Ave. Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Kendrick E. Curry Pastor 3000 Pennsylvania Ave.. S.E Washington, DC 20020 202 581-1500 Sunday Church School: 9:30 A.M. Sunday Worship Service: 11:00 A.M. Monday Adult Bible Study: 7:00 P.M. Wednesday Youth & Adult Activities: 6:30 P.M. Prayer Service Bible Study
Mt. Horeb Baptist Church Rev. Dr. H. B. Sampson, III Pastor 2914 Bladensburg Road, NE Wash., DC 20018 Office: (202) 529-3180 Fax: (202) 529-7738 Order of Services Worship Service: 7:30 a.m. Sunday School: 9:00 a.m. Worship Service: 10:30 a.m. Holy Communion: 4th Sunday 7:30 a.m. & 10:30a.m. Prayer Services: Tuesday 7:30 p.m. Wednesday 12 Noon Email:mthoreb@mthoreb.org Website:www.mthoreb.org For further information, please contact me at (202) 529-3180.
June 14, 2012 - June 20, 2012
39
sports
Area Women’s Football
Comments? Opinions? Ideas? Email us at:
We like to hear from you!
Divas QB Allyson Hamlin gets pass protection from teammate Okiima Pickett as Boston defenders charge. / Photo by John E. De Freitas
news@washingtoninformer.com Divas WR Tara Stephenson uses her hand to keep Boston running back Asia Landrum away during the first quarter on Saturday, June 9 at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Center in Landover, Md. /Photo by John E. De Freitas
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Boston Militia 32, D.C. Divas 25 Divas WR Ashley Whisonant runs for a first down during the second half on Saturday, June 9, at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Center in Landover, Md. /Photo by John E. De Freitas
By John E. De Freitas WI Staff Writer The Boston Militia defeated the D.C. Divas 32-25 in non-conference Women’s Football Alliance [WFA] action on Saturday, June 9 at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Center in Landover, Md. The Divas sought to avenge an early-season loss to Boston in a rematch at home on Saturday. The Militia are undefeated this season and are the defending WFA Champions. The Divas were the only team to defeat the Militia last season. The Divas are the 2011 Northeast Division Champions and have won their division eight of the past nine seasons and became only the third team in WFA history to play in more than 100 games. They currently boast an 80-24 overall record in 11 seasons of play. Professional women’s football is considered one of the fastest growing sports in the United States. The team is comprised of exceptional women from around the community and country that have full-time jobs and are winners on and off the field. They are the most recent Super Bowl champions [2006 defeating the Oklahoma City Lightning 28-7] of the D.C. region. wi
40 June 14, 2012 - June 20, 2012 Was_Informer_BHN.indd 1
The Washington Informer 6/7/12 10:16 AM
Divas LB Trigger McNair is tackled by Boston’s Jen Powell and Jennifer Olivieri during the third quarter on Saturday, June 9, at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Center in Landover, Md. /Photo by John E. De Freitas
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sports
New York Liberty 76, Washington Mystics 70
New York Liberty forward Cappie Pondexter shoots for two of her 25 points as Washington’s Natalie Novosel defends during WNBA action on Friday, June 8 at the Verizon Center. /Photo by John E. De Freitas
Mystics forward Monique Currie shields the ball from Liberty guard Essence Carson during WNBA action at the Verizon Center on Friday, June 8. /Photo by John E. De Freitas
Adidas Grand Prix Championship Annandale High School senior, Ahmed Bile, competed in the one-mile Adidas Grand Prix Championship on Saturday, June 9 in New York City. Bile entered the race as a seven-time champion with a personal best time of 4:12:81. Bile, the son of the 1987 1500 meter world champion Abdi Bile, has garnered interest from 70 colleges to run collegiately and will attend Georgetown University in the fall. Bile placed 7th in the Adidas Dream Mile with a time of 4:04.11. /Photo by Khalid Naji-Allah
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In a preview of what is likely to happen at the Summer Olympics in London this year, David Rudisha [current world record holder in the 800 meters] crushed the United States record at the Adidas Grand Prix Championship in New York City on Saturday, June 9 with a time of 1:41.74. /Photo by Khalid Naji-Allah
The Washington Informer
June 14, 2012 - June 20, 2012
41
CLASSIFIEDS legal notice
legal notice
legal notice
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
Administration No. 2012 ADM 465 Naomi J. Ginyard Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Christina J. Craft, whose address is 4304 Russell Ave. Apt. 4, Mount Rainier, MD 20712, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Naomi J. Ginyard, who died on February 27, 2012 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W. Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before November 30, 2012. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before November 30, 2012, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of first publication: May 31, 2012 Christina J. Craft Personal Representative
Notice of Standard Probate
Celeste S. Semmel Decedent
Estate of
Barbara Betsock 5225 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 500 Washington, DC 20015 Attorney
Desiree Knights-Taylor Deceased Administrative No. 2012 ADM 478 Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by Larry R. Taylor for standard probate, including the appointment of one or more personal representative. Unless a complaint or an objection in accordance with Superior Court Probate Division Rule 407 is filed in this Court within 30 days from the date of first publication of this notice, the Court may take the action hereinafter set forth. In the absence of a will or proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution, enter an order determining that the decedent died interstate appoint a supervised personal representative
Date of first publication: May 31, 2012 Larry R. Taylor Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY
TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer
Administration No. 2012 ADM 476
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Michael Haberman and Tamara Draper, whose addresses are 8121 Brightridge Ct., Ellicott City, MD; 24780 Bybee La, PO 415, Grand View, ID 83624, were appointed personal representatives of the estate of Celeste S. Semmel, who died on March 30, 2012 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W. Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before December 7, 2012. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before December 7, 2012, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of first publication: June 7, 2012 Michael Haberman Tamara Draper Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY
Anne Meister Washington Informer
Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131
Administration No. 2012 ADM 497
Administration No. 2012 ADM 488
Administration No. 2012 ADM 498
Yvonne L. Smith Decedent
India Mae Slaughter Decedent
James Larry Frazier, Esq. 918 Maryland Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 Attorney
James Larry Frazier, Esq. 918 Maryland Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 Attorney
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS
Louise D. Williams, whose address is 1104 Princeton Lane, Waldorf, MD 20602, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Yvonne L. Smith, who died on April 26, 2012 without a Will, and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W. Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before December 7, 2012. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before December 7, 2012, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.
Wilmatine Slaughter, whose address is601 Hudson Avenue, #20, Takoma Park, MD 20912, was appointed personal representative of the estate of India Mae Slaughter, who died on October 2, 2010 without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W. Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before December 7, 2012. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before December 7, 2012 or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.
Date of first publication: June 7, 2012
Date of first publication: June 7, 2012
Louise D. Williams Personal Representative
Wilmatine Slaughter Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY
TRUE TEST COPY
Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer
Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer
Register of Wills
42 June 14, 2012 - June 20, 2012
Mary A. Smith Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Wanda S. Walker, whose address is 5508 Noble Effort Ct., Bowie, MD 20720, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Mary A. Smith, who died on March 28, 2012 with a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W. Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before December 14, 2012. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before December 14, 2012, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of first publication: June 14, 2012 Wanda S. Walker Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer
The Washington Informer
legal notice SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Probate Division Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2012 ADM 521 Josephine V. Dyson Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Sheila Colbert-Fuller, whose address is 2105 Grouse Court Hephzibah, GA 30815, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Josephine V. Dyson, who died on November 20, 2011without a Will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent’s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W. Third Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before December 14, 2012. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before December 14, 2012, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of first publication: June 14, 2012 Sheila Colbert-Fuller Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Anne Meister Register of Wills Washington Informer
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AUCTION
187± ac offeRed in 8 tRacts
MARYLAND STATEWIDE CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING NETWORK
Offered Separately & as an Entirety • 10-49± AC Tracts • Frontage along the Potomac River • 4BR/2.5 BA, 2,160± Manor House on Waterfront • 3 Additional Homes on 10± AC Tract ProPerty tour: 6/16 @ 2PM • Agricultural Property + Timber liVe & online
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waterfront
on-site sale: 2070 Peckatone Rd., kinsale, Va 22488
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order that, in effect, permanently disenfranchises ex-offenders. In addition, the state eliminated early voting on the Sunday before elections, a move to disrupt “Soul to the Polls” voting campaigns organized by churches. In 2008, 32.2 percent of those who voted early on that last Sunday were Black and 23.6 percent were Latino. To make it more difficult to organize voter registration drives, Scott signed a law requiring groups registering voters to pre-register with the state and turn in voter registration forms without 48 hours of collection. U.S. District Judge Robert L. Hinkle ruled on a suit that challenged those provisions by the League of Women Voters of Florida, Rock the Vote and Florida Public Interest Research Group Educational Fund. The groups said such requirements infringed on their constitutional rights
of free speech and association. Judge Hinkle dismissed the state’s assertion that no constitutional rights were being violated. “The assertion that the challenged provisions implicate no constitutional rights is plainly wrong,’’ he wrote in his decision. The plaintiffs wish to speak, encouraging others to register to votes, and some of the challenged provisions – for example, the requirement to disclose in advance the identity of an employee or volunteer who will do nothing more than speak – regulate pure speech. This is core First Amendment activity.” The U.S. Justice Department has also objected to Florida making it more difficult for citizens to vote. Not surprisingly, Florida officials are appealing the court ruling and the Justice Department’s intervention. wi
ning, our balls in the air, our elders compensated, our work done. Half a percent is a small amount, and it hits those at the bottom, not the top. How can Congress push to maintain Bush tax cuts, but fail to raise wages for federal employees. There are two reasons that I am passionate about this. First, although many federal workers earn more than $150,000 a year, too many, mostly Black women, are at the GS-1 to GS-4 level, earning less than $40,000 annually. These women raise families, send children to school and overcome odds. They need a raise. They aren’t going to get it from a Congress that demonizes government workers, and that is a tragedy. Secondly, African
Americans are more likely to get fair treatment from a civil service system than from the ordinary labor market, and it seems that this is a reason that some legislators seem to go after government employees. While Congress must be prudent about our budget, they shouldn’t take it out of the hide of government workers, especially those at the very bottom. There is no fairness in freezing government salaries while other salaries rise. wi Julianne Malveaux is a Washington, D.C.-based economist and writer. She is President Emerita of Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, N.C.
electoral and governing strategy…” According to the Washington Post, “Lawmakers (CBC) have met with the administration three times this year (2011) seeking support for programs that specifically address the black community, but President Obama has not backed their proposals… The caucus chairman (Cleaver)…slammed the deal negotiated by the administration to raise the national debt ceiling and cut government spending as a “Satan sandwich” that unfairly harms African Americans.” In theory, Nutter is correct when he writes, “Throughout the past three years, President Obama has been focused on building an economy that is built to last. And in spite of the obstacles, the economy is making progress and each month, more and more Americans, and African Americans are getting back to work.” The reality is that while the unemployment rate for the country is 8.2 percent; the official unemployment rate for African Americans is double
that at 16.6 percent. The president’s efforts will not address chronic income disparity or the wealth gap. What too many in the Black community refuse to accept is as Harris wrote, “If he won’t do it (support Black interests) on his own, Obama will have to be pressured to act and to keep the few promises he made to black America in 2008. This is not a failure of Obama; it’s the failure of the community to move from the politics of personality to the politics of policy. Obama’s not the first Black President; he’s the first President who is Black.” wi Wilmer Leon is the producer/ host of the nationally broadcast call-in talk radio program “Inside the Issues with Wilmer Leon,” and a Teaching Associate in the Department of Political Science at Howard University. Go to his Prescription @ Face Book.com He can be reached at www.wilmerleon.com or by email: wjl3us@yahoo.com. www. twitter.com/drwleon.
curry continued from Page 26 at 7:48 p.m., EST, that Al Gore had carried the state. During the process, lawyers for Bush appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court and on December 4, with George W. Bush leading by 154 votes, the court halted the recount process on a 5-4 vote, effectively awarding the state to George W. Bush. Although Gore won a plurality of the popular votes, Bush was awarded the state’s 25 electoral votes, enough to win the national election. This year, Florida officials are not waiting until the November elections to disenfranchise voters likely to vote for President Obama and other Democrats. Gov. Rick Scott signed an executive
Malveaux continued from Page 26 third year in a row? It may be hard for some others to sympathize with folks who have steady and well-paid employment, but at the same time, who wants to work without appreciation or a raise? Does our Congress cut off our nose to spite our face by targeting federal employees? As a CEO, I’ve had to preside over the difficult task of imposing pay freezes and hoping that my staff would understand that frozen pay is better than no pay or layoffs. At the same time, I shudder when I think that our federal government cannot appreciate, even in a small way, those who keep our trains run-
leon continued from Page 26 cies such as the Child Tax Credit, Small Business Jobs Act, and saving the American auto industry. All of these (and other policies) are policies from which African Americans have benefitted but do not specifically target the ills impacting the African American community. This is not to suggest that Professor Harris’ premise is wrong; he’s correct. While campaigning for president, Senator Obama did court the Black community for its vote. He did discuss “…racial injustice in front of Black audiences” and he did support “targeted and universal policies to address racial inequality.” President Obama has changed his focus because as Rev. Jeremiah Wright so adroitly observed, “he’s a politician.” Nutter is wrong to challenge Harris’ assessment that President Obama has pursued race neutral politics. Obama has, as stated by Harris, “pursued a racially defused www.washingtoninformer.com
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Nobody stopped them.” Online schooling means the children are isolated at home. Church is their major outside activity. The family of five receives $583 a month in food stamps. They go to food pantries and raise tomatoes in pots but they often are down to peanut butter sandwiches at the end of the month and regularly eat filling, starchy foods such as rice, pasta, and potatoes. Lucille is hoping her children will “do better” than she did. She has the idea that art might help them get ahead because they all have the family talent for it. “There’s a lady who volunteers at the church, an artist,” Lucille said. “She’s going to help them make portfolios. Sarafina wants to present hers to the Columbus College of Art and Design.” Lucille is still holding onto the American Dream for her children—but for now, the Lynches
are living a much sadder American reality. At the Children’s Defense Fund National Conference in Cincinnati July 22-25, we will have a series of plenaries, mini-plenaries, and workshops focused on economic inequality and child poverty. Join us to learn more about what we know works to reduce poverty—and how we can work together to insist we do what works and set different national priorities. It’s time to end child poverty in rich America. wi Marian Wright Edelman is president of the Children’s Defense Fund whose Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. For more information go to www.childrensdefense.org.
This company never provided a bid to Frank E. Irish, Inc. The above scheme was easily detected by the HMCC (Hoosier Minority Chamber of Commerce). All should be assured that there are many other examples that will be exposed. Being that United Air Lines nor any of its agents never bothered to contact Indianapolis Pipe & Valve to monitor or even verify this large claim they can be classified as either incompetent or duplicitous. The minority business community of Indiana is not amused. We became relentless in exposing the fraud, causing White contractors to get nervous about their names being out there. The only alternative they had was to do the right thing or stay out of the project. On the other hand, United Air Lines started to dig in and play a game of character as-
sassination on me. They were so foolish. Here I was documenting everything and convincing the public that the fronting allegations were fact. Eventually, United asked the HMCC for a proposal to monitor the minority participation and provide consulting. We sent a three year proposal for close to $1 million. I sent it in. The next thing I knew was that the front page of the Indianapolis Star had a story under the headline, “United alleges Harry Alford tried to extort them for $1 million.” Nobody believed the accusation but I learned my lesson: These people were lowdown and evil – and they couldn’t be trusted. United also told members of my organization that they had to resign from the HMCC if they wanted to get any contracts. That was stupid. They weren’t going to get any contracts anyway if HMCC hadn’t made United do
it. Member loyalty remained intact as we built city-wide consensus. “Naptown” was beginning to wake up. It all came to a head when principals of United Air Lines decided to tell a lie on State Rep. Bill Crawford. They claimed he tried to hit them up for money, a charge they had made against me. What a terrible mistake. Rep. Crawford was one of the most powerful figures in Indiana and they proved to him that they were evil and dishonest. He joined forces with the HMCC. United Air Lines had to “eat crow” in Indianapolis. Fortunately, $200 million in contracts went to the local Black business community as a result of this fight. wi Harry Alford is the co-founder, president/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce®. Website: www.nationalbcc.org. Email: halford@nationalbcc.org.
this nihilistic philosophy, then America deserves the ruinous policies they are promising to enact. And don’t say I didn’t warn you that disaster is coming. The alarming economic news on this horizon isn’t awakening House Republicans to the reality that a compromise on taxes and spending will be necessary to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff. They’ll just accuse President Obama of not doing what they didn’t want him to do in the first place. “I see [House Republicans] demanding that their agenda be
adopted and not much movement in terms of compromise,” Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) told “Talking Points Memo” at the recent Netroots conference in Providence, R.I. “I don’t see them compromising.” Early next January, a series of policies are set to take effect that will potentially plunge the U.S. back into a recession. If no action is taken, taxes will rise on virtually all income groups and large, automatic spending cuts will take effect. That’s what some economists call a “double-dip” recession. The economy lapses
back into another downward spiral before ever recovering from the original “dip.” President Obama and Democrats promise they will not support a package to avoid the worst of that “over the cliff ” outcome without new revenues alongside spending cuts. Democrats have maintained this posture since last fall when they swallowed trillions of dollars in debt reduction via cuts only, with no new revenue. The House GOP however remains adamant against new taxes. wi
EDELMAN continued from Page 27
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Check Enclosed Visa/MasterCard Credit card number.......................................................................... Signature........................................................................................ WEEK OF JUNE 11, 2012 Prince George’s County, Maryland Is Committed To Delivering Excellence In Government Services To Its Citizens. The County Is Seeking Bids Or Proposals From Businesses Who Share In A “Total Quality” Commitment In The Provision Of Services To Their Customers. Sealed Bids And/Or Proposals Will Be Received In The Prince George’s County Office Of Central Services Until The Date And Local Time Indicated For The Following Solicitations. BID/ BID OPENING/CLOSING PLAN/SPEC. PROPOSAL # DESCRIPTION DATE & TIME DEPOSIT/COST
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MUHAMMAD continued from Page 27 anti-government rhetoric, even those White folks whose lives are improved by the government services they say they loathe. They condemn President Obama for bailing out Wall Street, yet they overlook his opponent’s – former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s record
at vulture capital company Bain Capital – record of taking over companies and making them more profitable by firing thousands of workers. Go figure. The fact of the matter is that Republican leaders would rather see the entire country go over the financial cliff than see America prosper under the presidency of Barack Obama. If there are enough voters willing to support
46 June 14, 2012 - June 20, 2012
ing to handle two classrooms full of children with different special needs. Lucille took him out of school and enrolled him in Buckeye Online, a statewide private charter school that gives online instruction and receives money from the public education system. The three girls experienced school violence, too, and now Sarafina and Daisha also stay at home and study with Buckeye Online, which provided two computers for the family to use. Sarafina was just starting middle school when she had a gun pulled on her. Daisha left school three years ago. “I didn’t really talk to other kids because they were so mean to me,” she said. “I got into a fight once but I didn’t want to fight but I had to because they kept hitting me.
alford continued from Page 27
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Kellogg’s Raisin Bran
GET 1
2 FREE
699
WITH CARD AND COUPON CLUB PRICE 8.99 WITHOUT COUPON
Offer valid with Safeway Club Card between 6/13/12 - 6/19/12. Four (4) participating Coca-Cola 12-packs and one (1) bag of The Snack Artist™ Chips must be purchased in a single transaction. Limit one (1) FREE bag of The Snack Artist™ Chips per transaction. Plus tax and deposit where applicable. *Get a $10 off coupon for your next grocery shopping trip at Safeway when you spend $75 or more in qualified purchases in a single transaction with your Safeway Club Card (calculated after deduction of card savings and all other discounts and savings and not including the excluded purchases below) between 6/15 – 6/17/12. Qualified purchases exclude purchases of: Beer, Wine, Spirits, Tobacco Products, Fuel, All Fluid Items in the Refrigerated Dairy Section (including Fluid Dairy and Dairy Substitutes), Prescription Items and Co-payments, Bus/Commuter Passes, Fishing/Hunting Licenses and Tags, Postage Stamps, Money Orders, Money Transfers, Ski Tickets, Amusement Park Tickets, Event Tickets, Lottery Tickets, Phone Cards, Gift Cards, and Gift Certificates; also excludes: Bottle Deposits and Sales Tax. Limit one (1) coupon per transaction. Coupon is valid on your next grocery purchase of $10 or more and is subject to additional terms and conditions. You pay sales tax on purchases made with coupon. Coupon cannot be combined with any other discount or offer. Coupon has no cash value and expires 6/24/12. Void where prohibited by law. We reserve the right to correct typographical, pictorial and other ad errors. Online and in-store prices, discounts and offers may differ.
JUNE WI
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FRI
SAT
SUN
MON TUES
This coupon must be presented at time of purchase. Offer valid with Card and Coupon. Limit two items per coupon. COUPON CANNOT BE DOUBLED. Coupon valid thru 6/17/12.
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Prices on this page are effective Wednesday, June 13 thru Tuesday, June 19, 2012. ALL LIMITS ARE PER HOUSEHOLD, PER DAY. Selection varies by store.
ITEMS & PRICES IN THIS AD ARE AVAILABLE AT YOUR SEAT PLEASANT, MD: 6300 CENTRAL AVE., LANDOVER HILLS, MD: 4600 COOPERS LN., BALTIMORE, MD: 1205 W. PRATT ST., 5660 BALTIMORE NATIONAL PIKE, 2401 N. CHARLES ST., TEMPLE HILLS, MD: 2346 IVERSON ST., DISTRICT HEIGHTS, MD: 5800 SILVER HILL RD., OXON HILL, MD: 6235 OXON HILL RD., WASHINGTON, DC: 3830 GEORGIA AVE. NW., 514 RHODE ISLAND AVE. NE, 322 40TH ST. NE., 6500 PINEY BRANCH RD. NW, 2845 ALABAMA AVE. SE, 1747 COLUMBIA RD., NW AND 1601 MARYLAND AVE. NE SAFEWAY STORES. ITEMS OFFERED FOR SALE ARE NOT AVAILABLE TO OTHER DEALERS OR WHOLESALERS. QUANTITY RIGHTS RESERVED. SAVINGS VALUES MAY VARY BY STORE. SOME ADVERTISED ITEMS MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE IN ALL STORES. SOME ADVERTISED PRICES MAY BE EVEN LOWER IN SOME STORES. ALL APPLICABLE TAXES MUST BE PAID BY THE PURCHASER. SALES OF PRODUCTS CONTAINING EPHEDRINE, PSEUDOEPHEDRINE OR PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE LIMITED BY LAW. “ON BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE (“BOGO”) OFFERS, CUSTOMER MUST PURCHASE THE FIRST ITEM TO RECEIVE THE SECOND ITEM FREE. BOGO OFFERS ARE NOT 1/2 PRICE SALES. IF ONLY A SINGLE ITEM IS PURCHASED, THE REGULAR PRICE APPLIES. MANUFACTURERS’ COUPONS MAY BE USED ON PURCHASED ITEMS ONLY - NOT ON FREE ITEMS. LIMIT ONE COUPON PER PURCHASED ITEM. CUSTOMER WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR TAX AND/OR BOTTLE DEPOSIT ON PURCHASED AND FREE ITEMS.” NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL OR PICTORIAL ERRORS. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CORRECT ALL PRINTED ERRORS. © 2012 SAFEWAY INC. ALL LIMITS ARE PER HOUSEHOLD, PER DAY.
www.washingtoninformer.com
The Washington Informer
June 14, 2012 - June 20, 2012
47
PAID ADVERTISEMENT
PAID ADVERTISEMENT
For Dental Implant Treatment, it’s a ClearChoice! ClearChoice team of specialists brings you a dental implant solution
that fits your budget ... in just one day!* A LEADER IN DENTAL IMPLANT TREATMENT
Virtually every adult will lose a tooth, and as we get older, more Americans will suffer with missing and failing teeth. These days, however, there are dental implant solutions that either didn’t exist in the past or which were difficult to access. But now, ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers are leading the way in innovative dental implant treatments. Dental Implants are a permanent solution for dental problems. And now your treatment, from our team of specialists, can often be accomplished in just one day *… and without the need for additional bone graft surgeries. In fact, dental implants can last a lifetime and have become the treatment of choice for replacement of missing and failing teeth. With more than 10,000 dental implant procedures performed, ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers have become a leader in dental implant treatment delivery. TECHNOLOGY Every ClearChoice Dental Implant Center includes an on-site 3D CAT Scan. The 3D CAT Scan technology costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. This technology provides three-dimensional and cross-sectional views that allow ClearChoice doctors to examine the quality and density of the bone that will anchor the dental implants; select the correct type and size of implants; determine the precise placement of implants, and avoid the nerves and sinuses. Since every smile is custom designed, each ClearChoice Center has a specialized Dental Implant in-house lab to custom make your smile. They said they had specialists, a lab, and high tech equipment all at one location, but I had no idea that they could really do all of this in just one day!* — Actual ClearChoice patient
< 3D CAT Scan
Before
After
Actual ClearChoice Patient
TEAM OF SPECIALISTS The technology alone cannot elevate ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers in their field. Our technology is paired with an expert professional team of doctor specialists enabling ClearChoice to empower so many patients around the country to change their lives. These qualified specialists include an oral surgeon who places implants, and a prosthodontist who designs your custom new smile. Each of the doctors has special expertise and can be trusted to deliver your high quality implant care. Dental Implants are a surgical procedure and the ClearChoice doctors have extensive experience in this area including administering anesthesia to provide comfort. Custom fabrication of the patient’s new smile and replacement teeth are accomplished by trained lab technicians in the on-site dental implant lab. Our local specialists are available for a FREE initial consultation or even second opinions. Why wait, call now! SATISFACTION & WARRANTY Whether for a missing single tooth, multiple teeth or a whole mouthful of missing or failing teeth, ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers provide comprehensive implant treatment professionally and affordably in a fraction of the time it would take many other professionals. That’s why in an independent study of thousands of patients, ClearChoice patients would overwhelmingly recommend ClearChoice to others† and we warranty our work.
“I suffered with bad teeth since I was a teenager. Imagine dealing with failing teeth so young in life. As a musician, I’m often in front of an audience. I wanted a rock star smile ... and now I have one.” - Kurt C., real ClearChoice patient
Tooth loss is not your fault. Doing nothing about it is. Come see how easy it is to live the comfortable life you deserve ...
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and receive a free 3D CAT scan (a $700 value)
www.clearchoice.com
TYSONS CORNER: Stuart L. Graves, DDS, MS • Debora Armellini, DDS, MS • Samantha Siranli, DMD, PhD ROCKVILLE: Stuart L. Graves, DDS, MS • Ben Javid, DDS ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers are locally owned and operated by licensed local dentists, and are part of a professional affiliation of implant practices operated by oral surgeons, prosthodontists and restorative dentists across the U.S. *Qualified patients can have their procedure in one day after initial workup without additional bone graft surgery. Results may vary in individual cases. Limited services available at satellite offices. †Independent Dental Implant Survey March 2011. America’s #1 Choice determined by an Independent Patient Survey 2011. © 2012 ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers
48 June 14, 2012 - June 20, 2012
The Washington Informer
www.washingtoninformer.com