Monday, February 12, 2007 is education’s greatest day for parent involvement. Schools locally and across the nation have made special efforts to make this day “parent friendly” for America’s parents, particularly those of children of African American descent. National African American Parent Involvement Day (NAAPID) will be observed Monday, February 12, 2007. Parents, guardians, grandparents, fictive kin, ere., will foe taking their children to school/visiting their children in school in support of this national endeavor to encourage parents to come together in a single setting to promote educational excellence for today’s youths.
While the focus of the day (during Black History month) is primarily on African Americans, the purpose and intent of NAAPID is not mutually exclusive. ALL parents are encouraged to participate. This national observation provides a vehicle to open up dialogue among teachers, parents and students that will lead to a more conducive learning environment for every student from kindergarten through college. It is one avenue for improved home, school and community relations.
Ann Arbor (MI) Schools principal, Joseph Dulin, founded NAAPID, a nonprofit 501 (C) (3), volunteer, national initiative in 1995, with the first Annual Day being held in February 1996. He conceived the idea of NAAPID after accepting the challenge made to them at the Million Man March. The men were strongly encouraged to return to their individual homes and do more to build, involve and increase their commitment to improving the quality of life for individuals in their communities. Without question, he credits the success he has experienced as an educator to parent involvement. Further, research supports parental involvement as a viable means of enhancing children’s academic successes. Dulin believes that, “Every parent wants their child to have a better quality of life than they themselves have had. It is the American dream, and for many African Americans, this dream has not been realized as a result of their child’s failure in school. Education is the key to success and parents are educators’ greatest allies.”
Schools are free to plan events and activities of their choosing. Activities range from classroom visitations to luncheons/dinners to national speakers to weeklong celebrations. Some districts have even formed a coalition to work together to present “NAAPID @ Night” in order to further extend the school day, to work together for a common goal and to allow parents an opportunity to participate who are unable to attend during regular school hours.
We ask that public and parochial institutions of learning plan to participate in this win/win endeavor. NAAPID encourages participation from the “village” as a whole, not just the academic community.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
National African Parent Involvement Day
Tanisha Gary Joins Gary Foundation
The Gary Foundation is excited to announce that Tanisha Nunn Gary is joining the Foundation as the Executive Director, effective immediately. The Gary Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing educational opportunities for young people. Tanisha, along with Kenneth Gary, President and CEO, will work together to reach the goals of the Foundation.
Tanisha Gary most recently worked as an associate attorney at the Law Offices of Gary, Williams, Parenti, Finney, Lewis, McManus, Watson and Sperando, P.L., and has accepted the position of Executive Director with the Gary Foundation, to help it achieve its fundraising objectives. Tanisha is a graduate of Spelman College and acquired her law degree from Quinnipiac University School of Law. She is actively involved with Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, Inc., Fort Pierce Chapter of The Links, Inc., South Florida Chapter of the National Alumnae Association of Spelman College, and the National Bar Association.
Together, Tanisha and Kenneth plan to increase their sponsorship base and form strategic partnerships with several national corporations with the purpose of generating millions of dollars for the Foundation. They are also planning several significant fundraisers in the community throughout the year including the Willie Gary Celebrity Golf Classic, Denim and Diamonds Gala, garage sale featuring designer clothing and other luxury items, and a raffle of two, fully loaded, 2008 GMC Denalis, to name a few. All of the proceeds generated by the Foundation will benefit boys and girls by providing college scholarships and other resources to students who wish to attain a college education.
“I look forward to continuing the mission of the Gary Foundation by providing educational opportunities for young people by partnering with other Foundations and corporations to increase the amount of scholarships that we award,” said Tanisha Gary. “The Gary Foundation will continue to seek out positive role models to encourage children to not only do well academically, but to dream big dreams!”
“I am so delighted to welcome Tanisha to the Gary Foundation,” said Willie Gary. “I know she has the talent, energy, and drive to make the Foundation even more successful in the years to come. She is a tremendous asset, and many children will benefit from the scholarship money that will be raised.”
In 1994 Willie Gary and his wife, Dr. Gloria Gary, founded The Gary Foundation. The Foundation provides scholarships and direction to at-risk students who wish to attend college. Willie Gary and the Foundation have also supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities by donating millions of dollars - including $10 million to his alma mater Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. Pictured Above Tanisha Gary
Students Drive to be Number One
(Newburgh) - The solar powered car that Newburgh Free Academy (NFA) students plan on racing across the country next summer is being completely rebuilt with a $20,000 donation from Ameresco, an energy services company with offices across North America including Newburgh.
NFA’s Solar Racing Team and their rebuilt vehicle, Sol Machine VI, will compete against teams from other schools in the US and abroad in a contest that begins in Round Rock, TX on July 14 and scheduled to end in Newburgh, New York eight days later. “These devoted, energetic students have combined their thirst for learning with a passion for preserving the environment,” says David J. Anderson, Executive Vice President.
“Ameresco believes in supporting activities that teach young people to become active stewards of their environment by encouraging responsible energy use and renewable energy innovation.” Ameresco - which works with governments, and commercial and industrial businesses to develop energy saving solutions and renewable energy generation worldwide - is supporting the NFA Solar Racing Team through the company’s Better Schools Partnership which Ameresco created to provide assistance to youth programs that focus on math, science and engineering.
Earlier this year, NFA students began petitioning various local, state and federal sources for funds necessary to retool their saucer-shaped race car which has become worn from previous races. Richard E. Kohrs, who manages the Ameresco Newburgh office, heard of the students’ efforts and invited them to his Front Street office. The students detailed their summer race plans and ideas for improving the solar car. Shortly thereafter, Kohrs informed race team student advisory Christopher Eachus that Ameresco would sponsor the student solar racing team and the reconstruction of the solar car.
“We’d hoped all along that a local sponsor would step up and support these deserving kids and Ameresco has done just that,” said Eachus. “The kids and the school are extremely appreciative to Richard Kohrs and Ameresco through whose generosity these students will receive an important and rare educational experience.” While the students are focused on improving on last year’s third place finish, Eachus, a physics teacher and faculty advisor to the NFA Solar Racing Team, says the main focus for the atypical program is to spark inventive thought and urge the students to stretch their minds further and further in search of new answers to math, science and engineering problems.
The students’ race car is currently equipped with an electric 4.6 hp motor powered by twelve on-board batteries. The batteries get their power from solar energy collected from flexible solar cells that blanket the upper half of the car. The contribution from Ameresco will be used mainly to cover the cost of significant fiberglass and welding work as well as replacement solar cells. The vehicle requires no liquid fuel and produces no emissions. The upgraded car will be adorned with Ameresco logos similar to a NASCAR look. Ameresco also plans to outfit the student race crew with logoed apparel. NFA students steered Sol Machine VI to a third place finish in last summer’s Dell-Winston National Solar Challenge, a 4-day closed-track race at the Texas Motor Speedway. With this financial donation they’re planning on finishing first! Pictured Above: NFA Solar Car team with Congressman Hinchey, Mayor Valentine, Dave Anderson of Ameresco and Superintendent Dr. Saturnelli (Race Team Technical Advisor Christopher Eachus, far right).
Arts Commission Seeks Logo Design
(Newburgh) - The Arts & Culture Commission (A & CC) of the City of Newburgh is initiating a competition for a logo design to be used on its publications. The logo may include text, graphic designs or a combination of the two. It should reflect the mission of the A&CC which can be found on the home page of the City of Newburgh website at the following web address www.cityofnewburgh-ny.gov.
The competition is open to all artists, designers and students in the Newburgh area. A hard copy of the design can be sent to the Arts & Culture Commission c/o City Hall, 83 Broadway, Newburgh, N.Y. 12550, or e-mail it to arts@cityofnewburgh-ny.gov.
If the logo is accepted it becomes the property of the A&CC. A fee of $500 will be paid for the logo and additional fees may be assigned if letterheads and other publications are needed. The design must be converted into a JPEG, TIFF or PDF computer format for use in computer-generated publications.
Artists and designers submitting a logo should include a brief resume and qualifications.
The deadline is February 23, 2007.
Exhibit Explores African American Life
In 1626, eleven men from Africa and from Europe became the Mid-Hudson Valley’s first African ancestry residents. A few years later, the first African women arrived. They could own property, marry in a Dutch church, and the men could serve in the militia and could testify against whites in a court of law. In 1644, the men petitioned for their freedom and won. No longer slaves, they remained “half free”. Each had to labor on Dutch West India Company public work projects whenever required and each had to pay the Company 22 bushels of grain and “one fat hog” every year for as long as he lived. They never became the equal of the Dutch freeman or of freed indentured servants and those who remained enslaved could hope for “half free” status. Their “half free” lives are symbolic of the history of African Americans in the Mid Hudson Valley who for the next 300 years would not achieve full equality with the White majority.
“Somebody’s Calling My Name-Free and Half Free” was part of a four part exhibition on view during the tri-centennial celebration of the first capital of New York State, Kingston. Greer Smith, President of TRANSART says, “Free and Half Free” has been designed to travel to schools, libraries or wherever this information is of interest. The exhibition is a chronology and can be used as a tool for further study and dialogue around important periods in American history and Hudson Valley history.
“It is also important to showcase this activity in the County Office Building,” states Rick Remsnyder, Director of Tourism. “We encourage people to stop in while transacting other business and then come back with their families.
A Tribute to James Brown
Soul Legend James Brown who passed away on Dec, 25 2006 will be honored in Newburgh on Fri, Feb., 2, 2007. Solid S.T.E.P.S. Recording will be hosting a tribute event at Its’ All Good Restaurant, 90 Broadway, Newburgh, 7pm-11pm.
The God Father of Soul’s daughters Dr. Yamma Brown, veterinarian and Deanna Brown, radio personality will be presented with a Prestige Award in honor of their father by Mr. Torrance Harvey, Co-owner of Prestigious Music Group.
Both daughters are board members of the newly created James Brown Music Education Foundation which has been established to further the lifelong efforts of Mr. Brown to support music and education for the nation’s youth.
Those of us who knew him were keenly aware that music allowed him to rise from his own difficult circumstances on the streets, to one of the most influential and important cultural icons in the world. It was very important for him to find a way to give back, states a Brown representative.
It will be a celebration of his life and music. They will feature live performances by “The Hudson Valley’s number 1 dance party band”, Bosco and the Storm, whom have performed on various cruise ships, hotels and casinos for over a decade. In addition sensational recording artist Rynard Brown, future star recording artist Esty, Readnex Poetry Squad and many others will share the stage.
“The hardest-working man in show business, James Brown at the age of 73 has transitioned to the next level. He left behind a legacy of music second to none. The impact that he has made on the world of music transcends 5 decades. His countless hits have influenced all genres of music from funk, R & B, hip-hop, disco and rock. He has been an image of entertainment for all audiences for as long most can recall and it is our responsibility to honor such an icon.” states Damon Finch one of the presidents of Solid S.T.E.P.S. Recording.
For additional information contact Solid S.T.E.P.S. Recording at 845 725-7703 or online at SolidStepsRecording.com.
Soy Unica! Soy Latina! Workshop
(Newburgh) - The Newburgh Latino Youth Collaborative presented “Soy Unica! Soy Latina!” on Saturday, January 27 on the Mount Saint Mary College campus.Registration was open to the first 100 Latina girls between the ages of 9 - 16 and who attend the Newburgh Enlarged City School District. Mothers and/or caregivers were also encouraged to attend with their daughters to take part in several interactive workshops engaging them in topics such as racism, self-worth, career and college opportunities, along with exposure to cultural dances, art and much more.
The YWCA, Newburgh APPS/MISN, Safe Homes of Orange County, Sarah Wells Girl Scouts and the Middletown Police Department were some of the many organizations that participated in the workshops.
The Newburgh Latino Youth Collaborative stated, “As we continue to witness the effects of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs in our community, we must renew our commitment to protect and empower every human being, particularly our youth. Hispanic girls rank higher in rates of pregnancy, depression and suicide, when compared to other racial or ethnic groups.”
In response to this need, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration developed a bilingual initiative for Hispanic girls and their mothers and caregivers. The public education initiative, called Soy Unica! Soy Latina!, is designed to build and enhance Young Latinas’ self- esteem, mental health, decision-making and assertiveness to prevent the harmful consequences of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs.
The Newburgh Latino Youth Collaborative was founded in 2004 with a mission “to provide Latino Youth an opportunity to be active in their community through community service, organizing of community events, and participation in empowerment programs, advocacy and referral.”
Pictured Above At the conclusion of the Soy Unica!, Soy Latina! Workshop sessions cultural dancing was displayed by a variety of dance groups, such as the one pictured above.
NAACP Image Awards Nominations
The 38th NAACP Image Awards nominations were recently announced during a press conference at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills. Vanessa Williams, Isaiah Washington, Chandra Wilson, Shaun Robinson and DB Woodside joined NAACP President and CEO Bruce S. Gordon, NAACP Image Awards Committee Chairman Clayola Brown and Image Awards Executive Producer Vicangelo Bulluck to announce this year’s nominees.
The NAACP Image Awards honors projects and individuals that promote diversity in the arts in television, recording, literature and motion pictures. The theme of this year’s show is “Youth Create Change.” The show will air live on Friday, March 2nd (8:00 - 10:00 p.m. ET/PT) on FOX.
The CBS network leads with a total of 19 nominations, followed by The CW with 17. “Everybody Hates Chris” received eight nominations, including the directing category. “Girlfriends” received six nominations, including the directing and writing categories.
Sony Urban leads the recording category with seven nominations, including four for Beyoncé, which tied Mary J. Blige for the individual high. Capitol and Universal records followed with five nominations apiece.
In the motion picture category, Lionsgate Films received eight nominations, including two in the directing and writing categories. Sony and Dreamworks/Paramount followed with seven nominations each. “Dreamgirls” garnered eight nominations, including best soundtrack. “Akeelah and the Bee” and “The Pursuit of Happyness” both received five nominations, with an “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture” nomination for newcomer Jaden Christopher Syre Smith.
This year, over 1,200 entries were received. From those entries, a special committee of 300 industry professionals and NAACP leaders from across the country selected five nominees in each of 35 categories. Any artist, manager, publicist, production company, record label, studio, network or publishing house may submit an entry to the NAACP Image Awards. The final selections are voted on by NAACP members, and winners will be announced during the live airing of the 38th NAACP Image Awards.
Founded in 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities and monitor equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.
Life Insurance: A Policy Overview
Term insurance
Term life insurance policies offer death benefits only. Term insurance is simple to understand and it allows you to purchase the most coverage for the least amount of money. You buy a policy for a specific amount and term, 15 years for example. If you die during that term, the policy pays the death benefit to your beneficiaries. If you outlive the term of the policy, you get nothing. However, you can renew the policy at much higher rates or convert the policy to a permanent form of life insurance.
The two key types of term insurance are level term life insurance (premiums remain the same over a specified period of time) and yearly renewable (starts out with a lower initial premium, but the premium rises each year).
Whole life insurance
Rather than insuring you for just a part or a “term” of your life, a whole life policy is designed to cover you for your entire life. Whole life policies cost more than term policies because, in addition to providing a death benefit, a whole life policy builds up what is referred to as “cash value.” This is essentially an investment component that, after a certain number of years, you can withdraw or borrow against. (Unpaid loans against the policy are subtracted from the death benefit.)
The investment return on a whole life policy is likely to be lower than what you might earn investing on your own, because insurance companies typically invest conservatively.
Universal life insurance
Flexibility is the key selling point of universal life insurance. With this type of whole life insurance, you can increase or decrease the death benefit as your insurance needs change. You can, within limits, determine how much of your premium is used for insurance and how much goes toward the policy’s investment component. You can also increase or decrease the amount of premium payments and how often you pay them.
Variable life insurance
Variable life insurance differs from whole life insurance in that it allows you to invest the cash value of the policy in stocks, bonds, or money market funds within the insurance company’s portfolios. With a variable life policy, both the death benefit and the cash value depend on the performance of the investments you choose, but most policies guarantee that the death benefit will not fall below a specified minimum. A variable life policy is considered a security and sold only by prospectus.
Making the decision
The type of life insurance you buy will depend on your individual needs and what you hope to get out of your policy. It’s important to consider how much protection your family needs, how long you need coverage, and how much you can afford to pay in premiums.
If what you need is strictly income protection for a set amount of time, term insurance is the more appropriate and cost effective option. Term insurance works out particularly well if you follow the principle of “buy term and invest the difference.” This means you set aside and invest on your own the money you would have spent on a more costly whole life policy.
For people with more complicated or long-term needs, whole life insurance or one of its variations may make sense. For example, if you have contributed the maximum to your retirement savings and other tax-sheltered plans, you might consider whole life insurance because the cash value in the policy builds up tax-free.
As is the case with most important financial decisions, your life insurance choice should be made within the context of your overall financial plan and circumstances. A CPA can help you determine the type of policy that works best for you.
Pension Benefits for War Veterans
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is reaching out to inform wartime veterans and surviving spouses of deceased wartime veterans about an under-used, special monthly pension benefit called Aid and Attendance.
Although this is not a new program, not everyone is aware of his or her potential eligibility. The Aid and Attendance pension benefit may be available to wartime veterans and surviving spouses who have in-home care or who live in nursing-homes or assisted-living facilities.
Many elderly veterans and surviving spouses whose incomes are above the congressionally mandated legal limit for a VA pension may still be eligible for the special monthly Aid and Attendance benefit if they have large medical expenses, including nursing home expenses, for which they do not receive reimbursement. To qualify, claimants must be incapable of self support and in need of regular personal assistance.
The basic criteria for the Aid and Attendance benefit includes the inability to feed oneself, to dress and undress without assistance, or to take care of one’s own bodily needs. People who are bedridden or need help to adjust special prosthetic or orthopedic devices may also be eligible, as well as those who have a physical or mental injury or illness that requires regular assistance to protect them from hazards or dangers in their daily environment.
For a wartime veteran or surviving spouse to qualify for this special monthly pension, the veteran must have served at least 90 days of active military service, one day of which was during a period of war, and be discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.
Wartime veterans who entered active duty on or after September 8, 1980, (October 16, 1981, for officers) must have completed at least 24 continuous months of military service or the period for which they were ordered to active duty.
If all requirements are met, VA determines eligibility for the Aid and Attendance benefit by adjusting for un-reimbursed medical expenses from the veteran’s or surviving spouse’s total household income. If the remaining income amount falls below the annual income threshold for the Aid and Attendance benefit, VA pays the difference between the claimant’s household income and the Aid and Attendance threshold.
The Aid and Attendance income threshold for a veteran without dependents is now $18,234 annually. The threshold increases to $21,615 if a veteran has one dependent, and by $1,866 for each additional dependent. The annual Aid and Attendance threshold for a surviving spouse alone is $11,715. This threshold increases to $13,976 if there is one dependent child, and by $1,866 for each additional child.
Additional information and assistance in applying for the Aid and Attendance benefit may be obtained by calling 1-800-827-1000. Applications may be submitted on-line at www.vabenefits.vba.va.gov/vonapp/main.asp. Information is also available on the website at www.va.gov or from any local veterans service organization.
Scholarships Are Readily Available
Nancy Calhoun was pleased to inform local residents that the Community Foundation of Orange County will offer seventeen out of the twenty-four available scholarships to students at a number of schools in the 96th Assembly District. Last year, the foundation offered a total of twenty-seven Orange County students, from ten different school districts, scholarships totaling over $75,000 in Endowed Scholarship Funds.
These scholarships, contributed by various members of the community, assist in reaching, our goal of improved quality of education and also promote educational advancement within the area. It is essential that we encourage students to further their education and I am pleased the Community Foundation of Orange County is continuing with this valuable scholarship program.
This year, these scholarships will be available in the following schools:
• Cornwall High School - Edward C. Moult on, Jr. Scholarship, John D. Garrison Memorial Scholarship;
• Chester Academy - Rudolph Pallet Memorial Science and Education Scholarship;
• Highland Falls High School- Abraham, Judith and Jonathan R, Kopald Scholarship;
• Newburgh Free Academy - John D. Garrison Memorial Scholarship;
• Pine Bush High School - John D. Garrison Memorial Scholarship, John Christopher Smith Scholarship, Pine Bush Alumni Scholarship, Michelle R. Bratton Memorial Scholarship, Scott F. Caen Memorial Scholarship, Isadore “Stitch” Wittenberg Scholarship;
• Valley Central High School- John D. Garrison Memorial Scholarship, Anonymous Scholarship, Corinne Feller Memorial Scholarship; and
• Washingtonville High School- John D. Garrison Memorial Scholarship, Washingtonville Firefighters Memorial Scholarship, Jonathan George Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Applications for the scholarships are available through school district guidance counselors. Students at the following schools should contact their respective counselor: Cornwall High School- Grace Broere; Chester Academy- Mary Laiks; Highland Falls High School- Nancy Kolewe; Newburgh Free Academy- Heather Kraus; Pine Bush High School-Judith Pulver; Valley Central High School- Jill Conklin; and Washingtonville High School - Jodi Davis.
Individuals interested in one of the scholarships should keep in mind applications must be submitted by April 1, 2007 to the appropriate guidance offices.
Residents will be pleased to know additional scholarships are also available to college students through the Community Foundation including the new Spencer McLaughlin Scholarship and the Frederick B. and Dorothy Wildfoerster Fund.
“As your Assemblywoman, I have supported and fought for measures that will improve the quality of education in the Hudson Valley and I am pleased these scholarships are again being offered. I hope students will take advantage of this great opportunity and apply for one of these scholarships.”
For further information on the college and high school scholarship funds offered by Community Foundation, you may contact the Executive Director, Karen VanHouten at (845) 469-4469, or my district office at (845) 567-3141.
Steps to Prevent Cervical Cancer
Women under age 26 who have not yet been sexually active can reduce their risk of developing cervical cancer by getting immunized against the human papillomavirus (HPV) strains that cause 70% of cervical cancers, with the vaccine that was just approved for use late last year. All women who have already been sexually active, or who are older than 26, can reduce their risk of developing cervical cancer by not smoking or having multiple sex partners, and by having regular pelvic examinations and Pap tests to help find any abnormality in the cervix before it turns into an actual cancer or to detect cervical cancer early when it can be more easily treated.
This January, during Cervical Cancer Screening Month and Cervical Health Awareness Month, the Medical Society of the State of New York reminds women that by taking these and other positive actions, they may reduce their risk of developing cervical cancer. As a bonus they may reduce their risk of getting or suffering from other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) as well.
Cervical cancer develops when cells lining the cervix-the part of the uterus or womb that connects with the vagina-become abnormal and begin to grow out of control. These cells can cause a mass or tumor. Malignant or cancerous tumors can spread to other parts of the body and be life threatening. Cervical cancer was once a common cause of cancer death in women in the United States, but widespread use of the Pap test has greatly reduced the number of women who die of the disease. According to the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation, when cervical cancer is detected early, it is nearly 100% curable. Now the risk of developing cervical cancer in the first place is drastically reduced for those eligible for immunization with the new vaccine.
Risky behaviors for cervical cancer and STIs
STIs are rampant in the United States; the Women’s Cancer Network estimates that at least one in five people currently has an STI. Since many women with STIs do not experience any symptoms, the STIs are often not diagnosed unless serious complications develop. This is particularly true of human papillomavirus (HPV), which is transmitted through sexual contact. Although most HPV infections go away without treatment and do not lead to cervical cancer, HPV is the main cause of cervical cancer.
Women should be aware of the behaviors that put them at increased risk of contracting HPV and of developing cervical cancer. These include smoking; sexual intercourse, especially at an early age; having multiple sexual partners, binge drinking leading to multiple sexual partners; and having a partner who has multiple sexual partners. Changes in these behaviors will also reduce the chance of developing other STIs, but even condoms and other prophylactics cannot fully protect against the HPV virus.
Regular screening can be a life saver
There are a number of screening methods available to help detect cervical cancer and associated HPV, but the traditional Pap test or smear is still the most recommended. To perform this simple, painless screening test, a physician collects cells from the cervix and transfers the cells to a slide for examination under a microscope.
If abnormal cells are found, additional tests may be ordered. In most cases, abnormal Pap tests are not related to cancer, but are due to bacterial or yeast infections or other causes. In addition to taking the cell sample, the physician will also conduct a pelvic examination to check the size and shape of the other reproductive organs.
The Society of Gynecologic Oncologists (SGO) and its Gynecologic Cancer Foundation (GCF), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the American Cancer Society, the Women’s Cancer Network, and other organizations concerned about women’s health have similar recommendations for the timely screening for cervical cancer. The medical society excerpted the information below from that issued by the NCI.
• A woman should have her first cervical cancer screening at age 21 or approximately three years after she begins having sexual intercourse, whichever comes first.
• Experts recommend waiting approximately three years following the initiation of sexual activity because transient HPV infections and cervical cell changes that are not significant are common, and it takes years for a significant abnormality or cancer to develop. Cervical cancer is extremely rare in women under the age of 25.
• Women who are at higher than average risk of cervical cancer due to factors such as HIV infection should seek expert medical advice about when to begin screening, how often to be screened, and when they can discontinue cervical screenings.
• Women should have a Pap test at least once every three years.
• Women 65 to 70 years of age who have had at least three normal Pap tests and no abnormal Pap tests in the last 10 years may, upon consultation with their physician, stop cervical cancer screening.
• Women who have had a total hysterectomy (removal of the uterus and cervix) do not need to undergo cervical cancer screenings, unless the surgery was done as a treatment for cervical precancer or cancer.
• Women should seek expert medical advice about when they should begin screening, how often they should be screened, and when they can discontinue cervical screenings, especially if they are at higher than average risk of cervical cancer due to factors such as HIV infection.
For further information about cervical cancer and cervical cancer screening, contact the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Information Service by calling 800-422-6237 (800-4CANCER) or logging onto www.nci.nih.gov/cancerinfo. The Gynecologic Cancer Foundation at www.sgo.org is another valuable resource.
Spina Bifida Walk organized by students
Community members may support the event in three ways, by participating as a walker, sponsoring a walker who has already registered or offering a donation to the committee. Prizes will be awarded to those who raise the most money, and early registrants will receive a free, blue, latex-free wristband (many people afflicted with spina bifida suffer from latex allergies) with the Spina Bifida Association logo. Participants may register in advance. Registration will also be held the morning of the event, beginning at 8 a.m. in the mall’s center court.
During the walk, representatives from the student-led organizing committee will be available to answer questions, accept donations and provide information about spina bifida, its lifelong effects and new cutting-edge research methods.
SUNY Orange students Sarah Marley, Shilpa Patel and Katie Horsham have been stockpiling volunteers and organizing this event for the past two months. They have received assistance from the national Spina Bifida Association as well as the Spina Bifida Association’s chapter in Rochester, N.Y. , the closest New York State SBA chapter to Orange County. Volunteers will be blanketing the area with posters, flyers and information sheets in the next few weeks to encourage participation from the community.
“There is no local walk for spina bifida, to the best of my knowledge,” said Patel, who is afflicted with spina bifida and is confined to a wheelchair. “I’ve wanted to organize a walk of this type since 2001, because it’s important to raise awareness, but also to raise money to help researchers find a cure.”
“We feel that any amount of money we raise will make a difference,” Marley added. “We’ve already gotten support from places like Orange Regional Medical Center and the Family Empowerment Council, and several stores in the mall were very generous in providing gifts that we can present to the people who raise the most money.”
An estimated 70,000 people in the United States are currently living with spina bifida, the most common permanently disabling birth defect. Spina bifida is a neural tube defect that occurs in the first month of pregnancy when the spinal column doesn’t close completely. A herniaiton of the spinal cord protrudes from the spinal column and can lead to paralysis below the area of the herniation.
There are 60 million women at risk of having a baby born with spina bifida. On average, eight babies every day are affected by spina bifida or a similar birth defect of the brain and spine. Each year, about 3,000 pregnancies are affected by these birth defects.
The effects of spina bifida are different for every person. Up to 90 percent of children with the worst form of spina bifida have hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain) and must have surgery to insert a “shunt” that helps drain the fluid-the shunt stays in place for the lifetime of the person. Other conditions include full or partial paralysis, bladder and bowel control difficulties, learning disabilities, depression, latex allergy, and social and sexual issues.
Thanks to new medical treatments and technology, most people born with spina bifida can expect to live a normal life.
The standard treatment of spina bifida has been to perform surgery on the newborn within the first 24 to 48 hours after birth. However, experimental new surgeries, performed in utero after spina bifida has been detected, have increased the chance for fetuses to develop normally.
“We hope to raise money to further this incredible research that has the potential to give children affected with spina bifida the quality of life they so fully deserve,” Marley said.
Among those stores and organizations that have already stepped forward to support the students’ efforts are Merle Norman Cosmetics (60-minute pamper session), Sweet Feelings Jewelers (cubic zirconium diamond pendent necklace), Gertrude Hawk ($25 gift card), Hallmark ($20 gift card), Family Empowerment Council of Orange/Sullivan County ($200) and Orange Regional Medical Center ($500).
To donate, register or seek additional information, contact Marley at (845) 224-5262. To download a registration form, visit the SUNY Orange web site at www.sunyorange.edu.
The World Series that should have been
By Chris Stevenson
c_stevenson@hvpress.net
Did baseball have a grudge against John Jordan Buck O’Neil? Understand that pro baseball has mirrored American life more than any other sport. Outspoken black men who choose to voice concerns rather than wait for the white establishment to choose their leader will always look suspect to many whites and sadly a few blacks. From the interviews I heard conducted with him he seemed fiery, witty, humorous, but I detected an unforgiving undertone for what the sport did to him and countless other black athletes like him. The true test of any competition is not that it s a right or a privilege to compete with the best, it is a requirement. Human nature demands it. Where was white baseball s humanity when it was needed the most? Major League baseball is still throwing knuckle-balls at blacks; a black manager who won two World Series in a row (Cito Gaston) still can’t find a team to run. In fact you can still count the number of black managers on one hand. O’Neil didn’t wait for baseball to pass over him for a skipper’s post; he simply appointed himself the Negro League Ambassador and opened a museum in Kansas City-the home of his champion Monarchs-devoted to the black professional baseball leagues.
On the surface the high number of 06’ Negro League picks last winter exhibits an open-mindedness the game has never displayed ever since MLB began inducting Negro League players back in. Beneath the surface revealed some rather strange reasoning behind some choices. The obstinate legion of white baseball HOP selectors also reached to ignore Abe Manley. The owner of the Newark Eagles, and actually chose his wife Effa. Don’t get me wrong, Effa was beautiful and had it going on in other facets of life such as political activism (we all know how much baseball loves this quality), but those tireless scheming circle of white selectors know or care nothing about Effa, they just think they found a clever way to go around Abe. Baseball always feared the prospect of the black male team owner, especially one who built a league champion with profits from his numbers business. This could lead to a floodgate of black owners, too manly for baseball.
Ironically a black Hispanic- Alejandro Popez whom also bought his team with illegal lotto: profits did get a nod. Along with the bizarre choice of Mrs. Manley, were Jud Wilson, Cum Posey, WL Wilkinson, Sol White, Mule Suttles (you gotta love those names back then), Willard Brown, Cristobal Torriente, Biz Mackey, Louis Santop, Ray Brown, Andy Cooper, Jose Mendez, Ben Taylor, and Pete Hill. Black critics say only half of these people are deserving, and other players who were left off the list was the Negro Leagues last .400 hitter, Artie Wilson, and lefty Silas Simmons who was the oldest living baseball player (111) and passed away Oct. 29th, 23 days after O’Neil’s death and pitched and fielded from 1912-29 for several Negro League teams.
Simmons known for his fastball and curve earned a whopping $10 a game. He often paid .25 cents in order to watch a Major League game when he knew he and many others could have been a force in the majors. Frank Grant was also ignored, one of baseball’s best 19th Century players, and a former Buffalo Bison, Buffalo Giant, and inventor of the shin-guard (white players slid foot first to hit the 2nd baseman with their cleats).Baseball’s irony is most of it is best played in the worst era.
Mount Vernon seeks distinguished citizens
If there is someone you would like to nominate for this year’s Mount Vernon Distinguished Citizens’ Award, please e-mail or fax the following requested information to Sheryll Brownlee-Fox at SBrownlee@cmvny.com, (914)-665-2421 no telephone calls please. The prerequisites are:
* Nominees MUST have been raised and/or currently reside in Mount Vernon, New York
* Nominee submissions must contain name, a day and evening phone number, address (e-mail address);
* The nominator must include their name, a day and evening phone number, and address (if you have one);
* 2 or 3 paragraphs submitted by nominator, describing why you feel this person should be honored;
* The deadline for nominee submissions is Monday, April 30, 2007;
* No nominees will be accepted after this date, no expectations.
* PLEASE NOTE: 10 people will be recognized
The Mount Vernon Distinguished Citizens’ Award honoring “The Wind Beneath My Wings’” is hosted by The Mount Vernon Department of Recreation during the Summer Breeze Concert Series. This year it will be held on Saturday, August 4, 2007, 7:00 p.m. at 8:30 p.m. on Mount Vernon City Plaza.
( * Residency judgment based on circumstance. )
Spitzer & Patterson Announce Nominees
“Dan Gundersen brings tremendous economic development experience to New York State,” said Governor Spitzer. “Paired with Ken Schoetz, we have the right team in place to bring much needed energy and focus to Upstate economic development through the newly created Upstate ESDC headquarters.”
Based in Buffalo, Gundersen will oversee the Upstate Headquarters as well as eight regional economic development offices, and will co-Chair the ESDC alongside Pat Foye who is the acting Downstate Chair.
Daniel Gundersen is a leading economic development specialist with experience in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Since 2003, Mr. Gundersen has served as Executive Deputy Secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED). In this role he served as the department’s Chief Operating Officer, directing operations that exceeded $665 million annually. Mr. Gundersen led Pennsylvania’s international business development office and its global competitiveness strategies.
From 2000 to 2003, Gundersen served as Assistant Secretary at the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development and was part of the economic team that helped guide Maryland into the top tier in the nation for economic growth.
Throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s, Mr. Gundersen worked with corporate and public leaders in Southeast Pennsylvania to develop nationally acclaimed public/private partnerships that addressed critical quality of life issues related to jobs, education, transportation, good government and housing. He served as an economic advisor to Mayor Ed Rendell of Philadelphia, and was a member of the City’s Economic Development Cabinet during its renaissance. Gundersen received his B.A. from Hope College and is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania where he earned a Masters Degree in Governmental Administration. His wife of 21 years, Tamera is a native of Corning.
Ken Schoetz has served in numerous senior positions in public service and as an attorney in private practice. He is a life-long resident of Western New York, and has government experience at both the state and local level, including serving for the last four years as Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Buffalo Regional Office. While in that position he was one of New York’s representatives on the Peace Bridge Authority. From 1988-1999 he worked in county government including seven years as Erie County Attorney. Schoetz received his B.A. in Political Economics from Williams College, and earned his J.D. from the University at Buffalo Law School where he was editor-in-chief of the Law Review.
Civil Rights Movement Must Evolve
By Marc Morial
In light of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday celebration, USA Today recently asked me about the future of the civil rights movement half a century or so after it began. I told the paper the role of the National Urban League and other civil rights groups was evolving to cater to the younger generation, which possesses no memories of struggle born well before they were.
Today’s youth are looking for something different than their parents and grandparents.
This is evident in the giving patterns of young minorities, who are more likely to believe that the key to greater equality is greater access to financial power than political power.
According to the City University of New York’s Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, they are more interested in gaining access to Wall Street than marching on Washington. They also tend to support nonprofits that emphasize individual attainment and employ a business model of operation.
Instead of fighting for basic rights guaranteed to Americans, we are now fighting for our economic future. There is no doubt that African Americans have made great progress in surmounting past challenges and thriving in the 21st century: Our quality of life has improved as has our future.
In 1960, 20.1 percent of blacks graduated from high school, which was a little less than half the percentage of whites. Now, 81.1 percent hold high-school degrees or higher - compared to 86 percent of whites. High school dropout rates have fallen to nearly one half of what they were in 1975 - 27.3 percent to 15.1 percent in 2004, narrowing the gap with whites of 13.4 percentage points to three.
Since 1970, life expectancy has risen 11.4 years, while that of whites has increased 7 years.
In The State of Black America 2006, the National Urban League found the overall status of blacks to be at 73 percent of whites. In terms of health, education and social justice, blacks were from 74 to 78 percent of whites and even surpassed whites in civic engagement. However, economically, they lagged substantially behind at just 56 percent.
Despite educational improvements, the gap in salaries has actually widened since 1960 when median income of black households was roughly $14,000 less than whites in 2004 dollars. Now, that difference has expanded to $21,372 despite a nearly doubling of household income. When it comes to personal wealth, whites still outperform blacks - 10 times over.
As I said in my keynote address at our annual conference last July, the idea of expanding the American dream and table to everyone is still relevant now as it was in the 1960’s. The fight to sit at the lunch counter was an important one. But what’s the use of winning the right to eat at the lunch counter if you cannot afford the meal? Now, the civil right struggle is more a fight of not only being able to afford lunch but being able to purchase the lunch counter.
There was a time when African Americans were denied the right to own property. In 2004, home ownership among blacks hit an all-time high of nearly 50 percent.
For the African American community to achieve economic equality with whites and be competitive in the global marketplace, it is not enough just to own property - though it’s a very good start. We must also be able to maintain and secure that ownership for generations to come. And it is not enough for our children to just graduate high school.
To obtain the jobs of the future, they will need to go to college at the very least to acquire the skills of the future and gain the financial freedom we desire for them.
In 1967, at the 11th Convention of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. pondered the question, “Where do we go from here?”
He also realized that the movement he helped create was an evolving entity. To grow and flourish, it couldn’t just concentrate on securing basic liberties for minorities. It had to expand into something bigger - not only for the sake of the future generations but for the legacy of those who gave their lives to the cause.
A decade after the birth of the SCLC, Dr. King realized that to keep the movement alive he needed to began to expand its scope to issues standing in the way of greater equality such as poverty and the Vietnam War, causing consternation within the Johnson administration.
“We made our government write new laws to alter some of the cruelest injustices that affected us. We made an indifferent and unconcerned nation rise from lethargy and subpoenaed its conscience to appear before the judgment seat of morality on the whole question of civil rights. We gained manhood in the nation that had always called us ‘boy’,” Dr. King said before the SCLC’s 11th Convention. “But in spite of a decade of significant progress, the problem is far from solved. The deep rumbling of discontent in our cities is indicative of the fact that the plant of freedom has grown only a bud and not yet a flower.”
Dr. King realized that economic as well as political empowerment would put the African American community on the track to full equality and prosperity in the United States by blacks - especially the poor - “the additional weapon of cash” to combat discrimination. He foresaw a “host of positive psychological effects” that would result from widespread economic security among blacks.
“The dignity of the individual will flourish when the decisions concerning his life are in his own hands, when he has the assurance that his income is stable and certain, and when he knows that he has the means to seek self-improvement. Personal conflicts between husband, wife, and children will diminish when the unjust measurement of human worth on a scale of dollars is eliminated,” he told the SCLC nearly 40 years ago.
At a National Urban League forum in Harlem last June discussing the impact of the “N Word,” one panelist said part of the reason why the younger generation invokes the word more freely than their elders is that they are not as aware of the racial epithet’s history. They don’t feel the pain of the word because their elders would rather repress bitter memories of the past than relive them. But that’s the last thing we should do in our efforts to move forward to be stronger and better than ever.
When our youth is unaware of what came before, we are undermining their ability to build upon the movement’s progress and create a brighter future for future generations.
Without those memories, we have no context in which to put our aspirations. While the movement has taken on a new form and will serve new constituents as the United States evolves demographically, we must not forget the reason why we embraced this struggle in the first place.
We must concede that the challenges now faced by the black community are somewhat different from the 1960’s. Our youth have our legacy in their hands. We can either engage them and emerge stronger or ignore them and relinquish our power.
A Methodist Build House Dedication
By Chuck Stewart, Jr.
(Newburgh) - On Saturday, January 20, friends and family gathered as Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh dedicated the Methodist Build house at 70 Benkard Avenue - home of the James family.
With the formal ceremony now only minutes from starting, the bitter cold weather of winter finally arrived. Members of the 11 participating churches of the Methodist Build arrived to find a sharp contrast inside to the weather outside. As they walked through the house, inspecting their collective hard work, they were warmed by the love that had transformed this once abandoned house into a warm, loving home.
They had done it!
Before Habitat took over, the house at 70 Benkard Avenue had been abandoned and neglected for years, with broken windows and cracked, mold-covered walls. But with the help of the hundreds of volunteers who worked tirelessly to rehabilitate this house, this home now has new walls, new energy-efficient windows, and a fresh coat of paint.
Outside, the James family arrives, eager to greet the many people who have made their dream of homeownership a reality. The excitement is building. A child will finally have the room they have always wanted. And a backyard big enough to have a puppy-if it’s okay. A kitchen big enough to cook a gourmet meal and a dinning room large enough to invite the entire family over during the holidays.
Everyone rushes inside, where the formal ceremony is about to start. This is where family advocates Martha Hasbrouck and Patricia Parker will reflect upon the family and friends who have been with the James family through the entire Habitat build process. This is where house captains Kenneth Mennerich and Marie Woods will formally present the James family with the keys to their new house. And this is where Habitat President Moacyr Calhelha will present the family with gifts from the community.
Yes, they had finally done it! With the Methodist build project done, Habitat has now completed 25 houses to date. But Habitat of Greater Newburgh’s work continues. They will continue to work to eliminate substandard housing by raising much needed funds for projects and recruiting volunteers to help in any way possible. If you would like to volunteer, make a donation or would like more information about Habitat, call them at 568-6035.
Habitat is currently accepting applications for partner families and will have its next intake session on Wednesday, January 31 at 6:30 PM at Calvary Presbyterian Church in Newburgh.
Mt. Carmel church is built on faith
By Chuck Stewart, Jr.(Town of Newburgh) - The members of Mount Carmel Church of Christ Disciples of Christ added a new chapter to their history book last Sunday as they officially opened the doors to their new church. It was a short walk across the parking lot to a new church home, but it took the congregation a long time to get there.
The original church home was on Colden Street in the City of Newburgh. Elder Johnson, who had been sent to preach at the Star of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Beacon, New York by Bishop W.E. Gilliam, found and rented a little store front at 62 Colden Street and called this mission, Mt. Carmel. His purpose in mind was to turn Newburgh upside down by making Disciples of Christ. That was August, 1956. It wouldn’t be long before the church would be on the move, growing in strength and numbers. In November of 1962 Bishop Johnson and the Mt. Carmel congregation marched from Colden Street to 13-15 Johnston Street, led by the late Bishop Gilliam and the congregation of the Shiloh Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ from New York, New York. In 1983 a fire destroyed the Mt. Carmel edifice on Johnston Street. They would regroup and, on the second Sunday in November of 1984 march from Johnston Street to their new home at 1528 Route 300 in the Town of Newburgh.
Their latest move wasn’t quite as far, just next door - literally, but it was done “purposefully.” They lined up in front of the old church edifice at four o’clock to begin their “spiritual march” to 1524 Route 300.
Bishop Emeritus George W. Johnson had a vision for a new church and it was no coincidence that Elder Herring, the current pastor, was named his successor - therefore charged with the responsibility to carry out his vision for a new church.
Sister Wanda Boyd said, “Today we realize a vision that has come to pass. But even more so,
today we realize that we must always depend on God. On this occasion, we are here to rejoice, celebrate and give thanks.”In a celebratory ceremony fitting to mark the occasion of the dedication of the new Mount Carmel edifice, the congregation and invited guests rejoiced in the word of God, celebrated by “making a joyful noise unto the Lord” and gave thanks to those with the vision to see what could be achieved through the grace of God.
Pictured Above from Top to Bottom: The Mount Carmel Church of Christ Disciples of Christ opened the doors to their new church this past Sunday. I
The founder of Mount Carmel Church Bishop Emeritus George W. Johnson addresses the congregation during the dedication ceremony, as Mother Johnson looks on.
