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1 :: WWW.MINORITYREPORTER.NET - WEEK OF MAY 21 - 27, 2012Rochester, NYVOL 5. NO. 30 may 21 - 27, 2012

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From Information to Understanding


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Remembering Donna Summer

December 31, 1948 – May 17, 2012

2 :: WWW.MINORITYREPORTER.NET - WEEK OF MAY 21 - 27, 2012

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PHOTOGRAPHYTemple Boggs, Jr.Todd Elliott

COLUMNISTSGloria Winston Al-SaragC. Michael Tillman Rev. Michael Vaughn Vincent FelderDiane WatkinsMike DulaneyDavy Vara

Minority Reporter, Inc. is a family of publications and other media formats committed to fostering self awareness, building community and empowering people of color to reach their greatest potential. Fur-ther, Minority Reporter, Inc. seeks to present a bal-anced view of relevant issues, utilizing its resources to build bridges among diverse populations; taking them from information to understanding.

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In This Issue:

COVER Pgs 8 - 9

- Remembering Donna Summer

By Rodney Brown

READERS WRITE Pg 3

LOCAL Pgs 4 - 6

- Getting Ready for Kindergarten in the Fall- Harris Honored for Community Service- Kodak Closing Rochester Unit; 80 Jobs Impacted- Research Reactor an Obscure Piece of Kodak History- Vargas Seeks to Reconstruct High Level of Administrators Contracts

STATE Pg 7

- State Spending $39M on Highways, Bridges and Parks- NY Rule Says Insurer’s Must Seek Benefi ciaries-- NY Anti-fracking Movement Gets Star-studded Boost- NY Seeks to Deny Murderers Spousal Burial Rights

HEALTH Pg 11

- Healthy Eating Can Cost Less, Study Finds

NATIONAL Pg 12

- First Lady Has Plan to Get Kids Involved in Sports

COLUMNS: Pg 14-15

- Wake Up Convicted Felons: Time to Register & Vote

By Gloria Winston Al-Sarag

- A Clear Choice!

By Michael Vaughn

- Gay Marriage Won’t Cost President Obama Black Votes

By Earl Hutchinson

- Europe’s Lesson: No Time for Austerity Measures

By Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr.

Rochester, NYVOL 5. NO. 30 may 21 - 27, 2012




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Not Enough Black Jurors?(h p://www.minorityreporter.net/fullstory.php?id=1004)

The Monroe County court system is full of malarky. The legal professionals who work and play the game have turned it into a mockery of jus ce. Minori es get charged with some of the most ridiculous crimes imaginable (jaywalking, looking at someone). Many of the na ves have been condi oned and indoctrinated to fi le these B/S charges. Shame many have not learned or matured enough to work out situa ons for themselves. I don’t trust anything or ANYONE down there at the Hall of INJUSTICE! It’s a place where the rules are subject to change or be broken at will. It’s a 3-ring circus where the players (Judge, D.A, Lawyer) perform extremely well. The level of CHEATING, railroading and falsifying charges is truly criminal.~TERASA HARRIS

The Rochester Genesee Valley Club Celebrates Founder’s Day(h p://www.minorityreporter.net/fullstory.php?id=1007)

Thanks again to Martha Scofi eld-Hope and the Rochester Genesee Valley Club for this dis nguished honor! Congrats to all the winners!~Cynthia Benjamin

What Mother's Day Means to Me(h p://www.minorityreporter.net/fullstory.php?id=1012)

I enjoyed reading this story,it was very hear elt.For a son to show his mother that kind of love and compassion; and to make an unfi lled memory come to pass in his day and me. It will be something the both of them will cherish in years to come.How blessed.~M D

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: “As a community, blacks con nue to react and not proac vely seek systema c change.” With regard to the quote above, one of the most outstanding issues in par cular, which black folk seem straight up fearful of confron ng is widespread, pervasive, entrenched, individual racism, which is embodied in the cultural a tudes and belief systems -- within the very psyches of the majority of RCSD teachers and administrators -- whom black people are stupid enough to trust with our most precious and valuable resource (the hearts, minds and souls of our children -- literally our future) -- without even requiring adequate and appropriate training for the former -- in order to foster knowledge, understanding, and apprecia on of the collec ve, historical, socioeconomic, sociopoli cal and sociocultural experience of those whom they are a emp ng to instruct, especially since the la er’s overall collec ve experience is so vastly diff erent than that of the former. In essence, this reality represents one of the most blatant examples of ins tu onalized racism that exists anywhere in the world. That is, as the author so eloquently explained -- the reality is supported, propped up, maintained, and perpetuated via rules, laws, regula ons, policies, prac ces, procedures, and long-standing tradi ons within the ins tu on. As it relates to this par cular issue -- I am unequivocally convinced that this is one of the most outstanding reasons why black people are so, so reluctant and fearful to “proac vely seek systema c change.” That is to say, many would like to be able to change the ins tu on -- without confron ng individuals, which is absolutely impossible -- because individual and ins tu onalized racism are virtually bound up together and totally inseparable from one another. Ins tu ons do not establish, develop, maintain, perpetuate, and/or change themselves -- people do -- period.~Howard J. Eagle

The Rochester City “School” District was not set-up/established to “teach” or “nurture” children of African descent. Many hold fast to that utopian dream...actually...the intended “educa on” of people of color, par cularly African Americans, was specifi cally engineered to simply produce ‘economic units’ ... near-slave labor OR the arguably preferred, alternate profi t genera on scheme called Incarcera on. Conversely, the “educa on” provided to other students is specifi cally designed to produce the next genera on of “handlers” of the newly programmed ‘economic units’...I believe this is, and has always been, the very nature of the “public educa on (MIS-educa on)” system for people of color. We have tremendously talented teachers within our community...the writer of this piece is a good example of one... is it too far-fetched to place at least a li le bit of our collec ve “protest” energies into once again establishing our OWN schools or at the very least pro-ac vely assis ng parents (who are so inclined) to Homeschool? While European communi es have been, or remain FULLY engaged in the homeschool movement, there is very, very, very li le conversa on in our community around these viable and VERY possible op ons.~Gerard Hunt

RCSD Bullies(h p://www.minorityreporter.net/fullstory.php?id=942)


Ge ng Ready for Kindergarten in the FallBy Dr. Robin Hooper

May is a very busy me for our prekindergarten students and their families as they prepare to a end kindergarten in the fall.

During the month of May prekindergarten teachers are comple ng their assessments of student progress to gauge the learning that has taken place throughout the year using the Child Observa on Record and the Teacher-Child Ra ng Scale.

Both assessments rely on teacher observa on of specifi c skills and both are used to compare current performance to student performance measured at the beginning of the year using the same assessments.

We typically see more than ten months growth for our student popula on at the end of the year indica ng that our students’ rate of progress is higher than a typical rate of progress. Throughout the year teachers document progress related to these assessments using anecdotal notes and samples of student work that are shared with parents. It is exci ng to see how much learning has taken place during the year.

In May parents and students prepare

for their transi on to kindergarten by registering for kindergarten, selec ng schools, securing transporta on and organizing schedules for childcare, work and family ac vi es to fi t the full day kindergarten schedule.

We are fortunate to have a full day kindergarten program in the Rochester City School District to support student learning. It may take students a few weeks to adjust to a ending school all day in the fall; however in my experience of being a former kindergarten teacher when our district provided half day kindergarten and eight years of supervising kindergarten I do believe our students benefi t greatly from the full day program in our district.

Parents can support their children through the transi on from their half day prekindergarten program to the full day kindergarten program by talking with their child about what to expect when they start kindergarten in the fall, establishing a consistent bed me schedule be-fore school begins in September and establishing a rou ne for ge ng ready for school in the morning.

Parents can prepare children academically for entry into kindergarten by reading with them daily and holding conversa ons with them about things they are interested

in discussing to develop language skills.

The Rochester City School District is working to ensure our students are reading on grade level by third grade through the implementa on of the ROC Reads program.

In June each four-year-old student will receive four books to keep and read over the summer as part of the ROC Reads ini a ve. Four year old students will also receive a Leap Frog word

builder to assist them in developing skills in le er, sound and word iden fi ca on during the summer.

In addi on, all of our four-year-olds and their families are invited to join us for a Transi on to Kindergarten Family Event on May 19th from 10 AM un l 2 PM at School No. 33/Ryan Center located at 500 Webster Avenue.

Source: RCSD

Kodak Closing Rochester Unit; 80 Jobs ImpactedROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) _ Eastman Kodak Co. says it will shut down one of its opera ons in Rochester and transfer the work to the company’s Colorado site.

The Rochester-based photography company announced Monday that most of the 80 people who work at the thermal media coa ng and fi nishing opera on at the Eastman Business Park will be impacted by the move. It was unclear whether workers would be laid off or transferred.

Since Kodak fi led for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protec on in January, the company has announced nearly 500 layoff s in the Rochester area, where it employed about 5,000 workers at the end of 2011.

Kodak said it’s moving the work to its Windsor, Colo., site because it has two coa ng machines that can meet the demand, compared to only one at the Rochester opera on.

Photo source: Rueters Pictures


Harris Honored For Community ServiceStaff

For Rural/Metro’s LaShay Harris, community commitment isn’t something she takes lightly.

The Rochester Public Informa on Offi cer is passionate about giving back to the community Rural/Metro serves, and has taken it a step further by applying that level of dedica on in her personal life.

For her eff orts, Harris was recently named Ci zen of the Year by the 19th Ward Community Associa on, the longest-running, non-profi t community associa on in the na on.

The Ci zen of the Year Award is given annually to a person who has made signifi cant contribu ons to the 19th Ward community and made it a be er place to live. Harris has been a resident of the 19th Ward Community since 1999 and in 2010, suff ered from a devasta ng house fi re that forced her to seek shelter in temporary housing. Instead of le ng the house fi re hold her back, it mo vated her to move forward by devo ng herself to community service.

“I can think of no one who deserves this honor more than LaShay,” said Tom Bonfi glio, Division General Manager. “Her commitment to serving others extends beyond her public rela ons role at Rural/Metro. She experienced fi rst-hand the compassion and support of her neighbors when she lost her home to a fi re two years ago.

Rather than leaving the neighborhood, she made the decision to rebuild and rededicate herself to making the

19th Ward a be er place to live. We couldn’t be more proud.”

Harris has worked for Rural/Metro Medical Services for 18 years and has been a Paramedic since 1997. She also has her Associate’s Degree in Communica ons Media Arts from Monroe Community College.

Prior to her role as Public Informa on Offi cer for Rural/Metro, she worked as Assistant Opera ons Manager for Irondequoit Ambulance.

Harris is a BLS American Heart Associa on CPR Instructor and also holds a current New York real estate license.

“In all the years I’ve been involved with the community associa on, I can’t think of many people who have just come in and go en so involved in so many ways so quickly and so eff ec vely as LaShay,” wrote Don and Karen Pryor, residents of the 19th Ward, in their nomina on le er on Harris’ behalf. “What a breath of fresh air! Never complaining, but always upbeat, with an infec ous can-do, what-needs-to-be-done a tude that not only takes charge but makes things happen.”

Rochester’s 19th Ward is the largest neighborhood in the City of Rochester and home to more than 22,000 residents. The 19th Ward Community Associa on has been ac ve since 1965 and represents neighbors striving to preserve the residen al character of the neighborhood. The Associa on’s mission is “To create a conscious mul -racial community where individual and cultural diff erences are celebrated

and where people share a sense of community.”

Harris has been instrumental in organizing the 19th Ward Annual Square Fair Fes val and the Mar n

Luther King Luminary event, which she has chaired for the last two years. She has volunteered countless hours serving as fi rst vice president of the associa on and previously as a delegate representa ve.

Research Reactor an Obscure Piece of Kodak HistoryROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) _ A li le-known piece of Kodak’s history has emerged as the company struggles for survival: It used to operate a small nuclear research reactor at its Rochester, N.Y., home.

The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported (h p://on.rocne.ws/JUUy84 ) the reactor fueled by 3 1/2 pounds of highly enriched uranium operated for 30 years before it was dismantled in 2007. The fuel was taken under high security to a federal facility, a move kept secret following the 9/11 a acks amid concerns about weapons grade uranium falling into the hands of terrorists.

Kodak said it shut down the reactor because it was no longer needed.

Researchers said the company used the refrigerator-sized device to produce neutrons for tes ng materials and

imaging. They said it was men oned in research papers and in some federal documents. But the company didn’t publicize its existence in the city.

``It was a known en ty, but it was not well-publicized,’’ Albert Filo, a former Kodak research scien st who worked with the device for nearly 20 years, told the newspaper.

Christopher Veronda, a company spokesman, said he could not fi nd any evidence Kodak ever publicly announced the presence of the facility. He also wasn’t sure if local police, fi re or other emergency offi cials were ever told of the reactor kept behind 2-foot-thick concrete walls in a bunker under Kodak Park.

Current city offi cials said they didn’t know about the reactor.

Research reactors at Cornell and the

University at Buff alo have also been shut down in recent years. Rensselaer Polytechnic University’s reactor, the

only one remaining in New York, is no longer fueled by highly enriched uranium.


Rochester WorksStaff

Youth employment in Rochester shares the same dilemma as most urban ci es in America where more than 60 percent of its youth popula on are without employment during the summer months.

The greatest por ons of the unemployed youth in the City of Rochester are in communi es populated predominately by Blacks and La nos. During the summer more than 50 percent of Blacks and La nos living in the city are unemployed or underemployed.

To help combat the issue for the 2012 summer months, New York State is alloca ng $25 million for the NYS Youth Summer Employment Program. Rochester Works, a local employment recruitment agency is set to receive a bulk of the funding.

The money will be used to pay the wages of youth hired by local

businesses and corpora ons located in The Greater Rochester Region. Par cipants who qualify have to be between the ages of 14 and 20 years-old and their families’ income has to be less than $37,000 a year for a family of three or either receives public assistance.

In reference to overall economy as a whole Rochester Works Execu ve Director Peter Pecor, during an interview in 2011 noted Rochester has been pre y resilient during the na on’s economic downturn.

“If you look at the number of people that was employed in the past by Eastman Kodak, Xerox and other large manufactures and look at the ways those companies have down sized a er experiencing such a job lost in Rochester, the city should look like a ghost town,” Pecor said. “The harsh reality is that while our region has a be er educated, trained and experienced workforce than most, too many people are s ll unemployed,

under-employed, or technically have exited the workforce.”

According to a Rochester Works report the unemployment rate for April 2011 stabilized at 7.9 percent. Pecor say the true employment rate is probably at 12 to 15 percent and at 24 to 30 percent in minority communi es.

He believes the city is experiencing a growing number of people who are unemployed; plus, the skill level of those individuals has changed drama cally.

Pecor speculates that some folks in communi es that are predominately minority who might do not have the educa onal or skill levels are now compe ng with people who have been in the workforce for many years and probably have a higher educa on.

“The playing fi eld has changed,” Pecor said. “The employers today can be very selec ve. I don’t think that has anything to do with minority

popula on but has to do with skill levels.”

RochesterWorks, Monroe County’s largest employment and training ini a ve, is dedicated to helping Monroe County in the Rochester NY region develop a strong workforce.

Pecor says RochesterWorks helps job seekers fi nd jobs, move to higher paying jobs and get training to improve skills.

RochesterWorks assists businesses with recruitment, assessment, placement and training, and connects them to all federally-funded employment and training programs in Monroe County.

Services are free of charge and are available at two full-service career centers located at 255 North Goodman Street and 276 Waring Road. RochesterWorks is part of the Workforce New York network.

Vargas Seeks to Reconstruct High Level Administrators ContractsStaff

As soon as he got his foot in the door as Interim Superintendent orf the Rochester City School District, Bolgen Vargas fi red Deputy Superintendent John Scanlan, Communica ons director Tom Petronio and Chief of Strategic Planning James Fenton--all former members of the Superintendent Employee Group, or SEG.

The SEG works directly with the superintendent to help design strategic plans aimed to boost academic achievement. Some of the group members are solely employed to serve as a communica on buff er to the community. The SEG at one point swelled to more than one-hundred employees.

Over their tenures, a great majority of city residents and parents has ques oned the SEG’s value in regards to the job they were hired to do based on academic data showing the district haven’t been able to graduate more than 60 percent of their students in the last 20 years. The gradua on rates for the last four years have never offi cially moved above 50 percent.

Less than a month a er being chosen as the permanent superintendent,

Vargas says he plans to ask the school board to approve changes to contracts of members of the SEG which is non-unionized.

If approved by the board, SEG members will begin to start paying between 10 and 15 percent of the cost toward their health insurance. Before, SEG members paid nothing towards the cost. In addi on, vaca on me not taken by members of the group can no longer be cashed in if they do not use it.

Vargas said there will likely be more reconstruc ng done to the SEG in the months ahead.

Upon assuming his post, Vargas noted his top priori es were to boost student achievement and improve the district’s student a endance rate and restore a respec ul level of communica on between district offi cials and parents.

Vargas believes some things in the district “have been le unchecked for years and is unacceptable and needs to be change,” he said.

In comments to the media, Vargas said he intends to lead by example.


NY An -fracking Movement Gets Star-studded BoostBy MARY ESCH

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ The an -fracking movement in New York state is turning up the star power with a rally and concert hosted by actors Mark Ruff alo and Melissa Leo and featuring Natalie Merchant, John Sebas an, Joan Osborne and a host of other performers.

The concert Tuesday evening at The Egg, a 982-seat performing arts center in the state Capitol complex, will conclude a day of demonstra ons calling on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to ban hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, for gas in the Marcellus Shale region of southern New York.

Actor Mark Ruff alo, who has a home in Callicoon in upstate New York, is ac ve in a coali on of 100 environmental, health care, poli cal and other organiza ons called

New Yorkers Against Fracking. The coali on is pu ng on the concert in Albany to draw a en on to health, environmental and social problems related to shale gas development.

Opponents say fracking, which blasts chemically treated water into a well to crack shale and release gas, could contaminate water supplies with toxic chemicals and radia on. They cite numerous cases of health problems such as headaches, nosebleeds and rashes in humans, and reproduc ve problems in livestock in areas of the country with heavy gas-drilling ac vity. The industry says fracking has been used safely for decades and has provided a cleaner alterna ve to coal.

New York hasn’t allowed shale gas fracking since it started an environmental review four years ago. That review is in its fi nal stages, and the Cuomo administra on is expected

to decide some me this year whether to start issuing permits to drill.

A growing number of celebri es are speaking out against fracking. Many of them have homes or rela ves in upstate New York. Actor Alec Baldwin, whose mother lives in Syracuse, is hos ng an an -fracking event in that city on June 2 featuring a screening of Josh Fox’s cri cally acclaimed documentary ``Gasland.’’ Leo, who won an Academy Award for her suppor ng role in the 2010 fi lm ``The Fighter,’’ lives in Stone Ridge in Putnam County.

Other actors who have spoken out against fracking include Ethan Hawke, Sandra Bernhard, Amy Ryan, Zoe Saldana, Fran Drescher, Debra Winger, and Nadia Dajani. Tuesday’s concert will be recorded by Academy Award-winning fi lmmaker Alex Gibney.

While celebri es help get the message

to a broad audience, people who have been working at the grassroots level to keep shale gas development out of New York say the movement isn’t led by stars but by a broad spectrum of residents who fear rural landscapes will be transformed into an unhealthy industrial zone.

``The grassroots are tens of thousands of people using their vaca on days to go to rallies, spending their savings to get the word out, and going door-to-door ge ng thousands of signatures on pe ons,’’ said Sue Rapp of Vestal Residents for Safe Energy, a local group in Broome County. ``The entrance of celebri es just amplifi es our voice.’’

Their cri cism has also been countered by local landowners who stand to gain from drilling leases.

NY Rule says Insurers Must Seek Benefi ciariesALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ Insurers doing business in New York are now required to regularly search a government list of recent deaths to iden fy policyholders, then fi nd and pay benefi ciaries even when no claims are made.

The Department of Financial Services

says that follows its inves ga on last year that resulted in life insurance companies paying more than $262 million to nearly 33,000 consumers na onwide.

Inves gators found many insurance companies regularly checked the list

of recent deaths from the U.S. Social Security Administra on to stop making payments on annui es a er someone had died, but didn’t do the same when owing death benefi ts.

Insurers now must cross check their policies every three months.

The new regula on also tells life insurers to report annually to the state comptroller the number of policies with no benefi ciary found.

NY Seeks to Deny Murderers Spousal Burial RightsBy MICHAEL GORMLEY

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ As Constance Shepherd’s family grieved over her death at the hands of her husband, they had hoped to fi nd some comfort by giving her a proper funeral.

But a er slashing his wife’s throat, Stephen Shepherd infl icted more pain, they said.

For months in 2009, Shepherd refused to release his wife’s body as he was tried and sent to prison for her murder. Eventually, Shepherd had his a orney bury her remains hundreds of miles from her western New York home and her outraged family, near his favorite fi shing spot.

A bill in New York’s Legislature is aimed at ending that power of an abusive spouse even in death. It would prohibit spouses charged with murder or subject to restraining orders from dicta ng what happens to the bodies of the wives or husbands they’re accused of killing, said Republican Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer of Erie County, the bill’s main sponsor. With majority-party sponsors in the Senate and Assembly, the bill’s chances of passage are good.

``The bully took her away from us in life and then he took her away in death,’’ said Elaine O’Toole, Constance Shepherd’s cousin. O’Toole said she was close to ``Connie,’’ who lived a mile away in the Buff alo suburb of Tonawanda.

Laws to protect murder vic ms a er death have been passed by several states for decades.

In those states, ``slayer laws’’ going back decades prohibit murderers from making funeral arrangements for spouses they’ve killed. Such laws primarily prohibit murderers from collec ng life insurance claims, estates and other benefi ts because of their vic ms’ deaths, but o en limit the power to hold the funeral for slain spouses as well, said Mai Fernandez of the Na onal Center for Vic ms of Crime.

``I think it’s a good idea,’’ Fernandez said of New York’s proposal.

``You shouldn’t get any kind of benefi t for murdering people ... and the power to dispose of the body properly shouldn’t be given back to the murderer,’’ she said.

Neither the center nor the Na onal Conference of State Legislatures had informa on on whether any other states are considering legisla on similar to the New York bill.

Under New York’s current health law, spouses have primary control over a spouse’s funeral arrangements, regardless of the manner of death. If a spouse isn’t alive, the power goes to children and the deceased’s parents.

At a news conference Monday, O’Toole, 53, said Constance Shepherd’s family was never told when she was buried. ``This doubled the pain.’’

The husband, however, apparently honored some wish of his spouse, a Buddhist, by burying her at a Buddhist temple, where members accepted her cremated remains without cost.

New York’s bill is also prompted by another case in which a husband who beheaded his wife inside the suburban Buff alo television sta on the couple operated, then refused to let her family bury her. Muzzammil Hassan was sentenced in 2011 to 25 years to life for beheading his wife, Aasiya Hassan, and stabbing her more than

40 mes.

A week before the killing, the 37-year-old mother of three fi led for divorce. It would be months before she was buried, and then it was controlled by her murderer.

``It doesn’t make sense that if you’re accused of murdering your spouse, you get control over their body and the funeral arrangements,’’ Razenhofer said. ``That only serves to compound a family’s grief a er the tragic passing of a loved one.’’

The new element in the bill would prohibit someone subject to a restraining order, as well as an accused murderer, from having control over a dead spouse’s body.

The bill also would allow for a court hearing so accused spouses who contend they have been wrongly charged with murder can make a case and bury the vic m. It also allows for a similar court challenge by a spouse who had an order of protec on sworn against him or her, but who wan’t a suspect in the murder.


THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK Disco queen Donna Summer, whose pulsing anthems such as “Last Dance,” ‘’Love to Love You Baby” and “Bad Girl” became the soundtrack for a gli ery age of sex, drugs, dance and fl ashy clothes, has died. She was 63.

Her family released a statement, saying Summer died Thursday morning and that they “are at peace celebra ng her extraordinary life and her con nued legacy.”

“Words truly can’t express how much we appreciate your prayers and love for our family at this sensi ve me,” the statement read. She had been living in Englewood, Fla., with her husband Bruce Sudano.

Summer came to prominence just as disco was burgeoning, and came to defi ne the era with a string of No. 1 hits and her beauty queen looks.

Disco became as much defi ned by her sultry, sexual vocals — her bedroom moans and sighs — as the relentless,

pulsing rhythms of the music itself.

“Love to Love You Baby,” with its ero c moans, was her fi rst hit and one of the most scandalous songs of the polyester-and-pla orm-heel era.

Unlike some other stars of disco who faded as the music became less popular, Summer was able to grow beyond it and later segued to a pop-rock sound. She had one of her biggest hits in the 1980s with “She Works Hard For The Money,” which became another anthem, this me for women’s rights.

Soon a er, Summer became a born-again Chris an and faced controversy when she was accused of making an -gay comments in rela on to the AIDS epidemic. Summer denied making the comments, but was the target of a boyco .

S ll, even as disco went out of fashion she remained a fi xture in dance clubs, endlessly sampled and remixed into contemporary dance hits.

Summer, real name LaDonna Adrian

Gaines, was born in 1948 in Boston. She was raised on gospel music and became the soloist in her church choir by age 10.

“Love to Love You Baby” was her U.S. chart debut and the fi rst of 19 No. 1 dance hits between 1975 and 2008 — second only to Madonna.

During the disco era she burned up the charts: She was the only ar st to have three consecu ve double-LPs hit No. 1, “Live and More,” ‘’Bad Girls” and “On the Radio.” She was also the fi rst female ar st with four No. 1 singles in a 13-month period, according to the Rock Hall of Fame, where she was a nominee this year.

She was never comfortable with the “Disco Queen” label. Musically, she began to change in 1979 with “Hot Stuff ,” which had a tough, rock ‘n’ roll beat. Her diverse sound helped her earn Grammy Awards in the dance, rock, R&B and inspira onal categories.

Dionne Warwick said in a statement that she was sad to lose a great performer and “dear friend.”

“My heart goes out to her husband and her children,” Warwick said. “Prayers will be said to keep them strong.”

Musician Nile Rodgers tweeted: “For the last half hour or so I’ve been lying in my bed crying and stunned. Donna Summer RIP.

Summer released her last album, “Crayons,” in 2008. It was her fi rst full studio album in 17 years. She also performed on “American Idol” that year with its top female contestants.

In a sign of her con nued relevance, the Broadway musical “Priscilla Queen of the Desert, The Musical,” features two versions of Summer songs with “Hot Stuff ” and “MacArthur Park.”

“It’s a tragedy to lose an icon at such a young age,” actor and singer Nick Adams, who plays Adam in the show, said in an email.

Remembering Donna Summer

Donna Summer, Queen of Disco, dies at 63


December 31, 1948 –

May 17, 2012


Rochester, NY

VOL 5. NO. 27

APR 30 - may 6, 2012


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VOL 5. NO. 26

APRIL 23 - 29, 2012www.MinorityReporter.net

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Healthy Ea ng Can Cost Less, Study FindsBy SAM HANANEL

WASHINGTON (AP) — Is it really more expensive to eat healthy? An Agriculture Department study released Wednesday found that most fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods cost less than foods high in fat, sugar and salt.

That counters a common percep on among some consumers that it’s cheaper to eat junk food than a nutri onally balanced meal.

The government says it all depends on how you measure the price. If you compare the price per calorie — as some previous researchers have done — then higher-calorie pastries and processed snacks might seem like a bargain compared with fruits and vegetables.

But comparing the cost of foods by weight or por on size shows that grains, vegetables, fruit and dairy foods are less expensive than most meats or foods high in saturated fat, added sugars or salt.

That means bananas, carrots, le uce and pinto beans are all less expensive per por on than French fries, so drinks, ice cream or ground beef.

“Using price per calorie doesn’t tell you how much food you’re going to get or how full you are going to feel,” said Andrea Carlson, scien st at the USDA’s Economic Research Service and an author of the study.

For example, ea ng a chocolate glazed donut with 240 calories might not sa ate you but a banana with 105 calories just might.

In the comparisons, the USDA researchers used na onal average prices from Nielsen Homescan data, which surveyed a panel of households that recorded all food purchases over a year from retail outlets.

The cost of ea ng healthy foods has been the subject of growing debate as experts warn Americans about the dangers of obesity. More than a third of U.S. adults are obese, according to the government, and researchers expect that number to grow to 42

percent by 2030.

“Cheap food that provides few nutrients may actually be ‘expensive’ for the consumer from a nutri onal economy perspec ve, whereas food with a higher retail price that provides large amounts of nutrients may actually be quite cheap,” the study said.

The USDA study cri cizes a 2010 report from researchers at the University of Washington, which found that calorie-for-calorie junk food is more cost-eff ec ve for low-income people than ea ng healthy.

Adam Drewnowski, director of the Nutri onal Sciences Program at the University of Washington and lead author of the prior study, said he stands by his fi ndings that a healthier diet generally costs more. He said there is no government recommenda on for how many pounds of food an American should eat each day, but there are federal guidelines that suggest a 2,000 calorie diet.

“Some of these calories are in fact

empty calories, so from the standpoint of nutri on they are not terrifi c,” Drewnowski said. “But the empty calories keep you from being hungry, and this is why people buy them, especially lower-income people.”

Margo Wootan, a nutri on advocate with the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said some people don’t think they get as much value from fruits and vegetables as they get from other foods.

“If they buy a bag of chips for $2, they think it’s a good deal, but if they buy a bag of apples for $2, they think it’s a lot,” Wootan said. “We need to do more to help people understand that fruits and vegetables are not as expensive as they think they are.”

Wootan said shopping smart can make healthy ea ng more aff ordable. Consumers should be more fl exible about choosing less expensive fruits and vegetables that are in season and supplemen ng those with frozen or canned fruits and vegetables so they don’t have to throw away as much.


First Lady Has Plan to Get Kids Involved in SportsBy DAVE SKRETTA

DALLAS (AP) _ Michelle Obama remembers si ng in front of her television many years ago and watching Mary Lou Re on, Nadia Comaneci and Carl Lewis as they competed in the Summer Olympics.

``Like so many others,’’ she said, ̀ Ì was awed and inspired by those athletes.’’

Mrs. Obama admi ed that she was s ll in awe Monday, when she took the stage with about two dozen Olympic and Paralympic athletes to announce a plan to get more than 1.7 million children involved in sports through her ``Let’s Move!’’ ini a ve to combat childhood obesity.

The fi rst lady is partnering with the U.S. Olympic Commi ee, the Partnership for a Healthier America, U.S. Paralympics and numerous na onal governing bodies that have pledged their me and resources toward introducing young people to their sports over the course of the summer.

``When we fi rst met with these organiza ons, we challenged them to commit to helping 1 million kids get ac ve in their communi es. That was our fi rst target, and we thought that was ambi ous,’’ said Mrs. Obama, who will also be leading the U.S. delega on

to the London Games.

``They not only met that goal,’’ she said, ``they added another 700,000 to that commitment.’’

USA Cycling is off ering free memberships and clinics na onwide, while USA Field Hockey is launching the ``FUNdamental Field Hockey’’ program at 250 loca ons reaching 15,000 kids.

USA Gymnas cs plans to reach 40,000 addi onal children, the U.S. Soccer Federa on will engage 12,000 youth in a erschool programs, and USA Track & Field is expanding its youth program by 35 percent, and the U.S. Tennis Associa on plans to reach 750,000 new kids this year. USA Swimming hopes to enroll 530,000 new learn-to-swim par cipants in its ``Make a Splash’’ program, and engage 70,000 new youth member through local chapters.

``The `Let’s Move!’ campaign is amazing, and it’s something I believe in,’’ said three- me Olympic gold medalist Natalie Coughlin, who introduced the fi rst lady on Monday.

`Ì’ve been volunteering with The Edible Schoolyard Project to teach children healthy lifestyles through food, and knowing where food comes from, and `Let’s Move!’ is the other

side of that,’’ Coughlin said. `Ìt’s ge ng out there and being ac ve and not being sedentary.’’

The U.S. Olympians Associa on recently began a ``Walk to London’’ program during which 5,456 children will walk a total of 5,456 miles _ the distance from Los Angeles to London. Meanwhile, U.S. Paralympics is engaging a combined 87,500 young people through a variety of programs.

USA Volleyball and USA Basketball are also involved in the ini a ve.

``Many of these kids will be playing sports for the very fi rst me, and that is so important, because some mes _ as all of you know _ all it takes is that fi rst lesson, or that fi rst class, to get a child interested in a new sport,’’ Mrs. Obama said.

She began the ``Let’s Move!’’ ini a ve in February 2010 as a way to promote a healthy and ac ve lifestyle in the United States, where nearly one in three children is overweight or obese. The fi rst lady recently hosted a mini-Olympics event for local school children along with Samantha Cameron, the wife of Bri sh Prime Minister David Cameron. She has also appeared on the hit TV show ``The Biggest Loser’’ and with celebri es such as Jay Leno and Jimmy Fallon.

``The na onal governing bodies have all signed an agreement to outline what they’ll do,’’ said USOC CEO Sco Blackmun. ``We’re very proud to support the fi rst lady.’’

Mrs. Obama has been ac vely involved in the Olympic movement for years, joining President Obama in Denmark during the fi nal presenta on for Chicago’s failed bid for the 2016 Olympics.

In March, it was announced that the fi rst lady would lead the U.S. delega on at the London Games, with the opening ceremony scheduled for July 27. She’ll be following in the footsteps of Hillary Clinton, who led the delega on at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, and Laura Bush, who led the way at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.

`Ì am beyond proud to be leading the U.S. delega on,’’ Mrs. Obama said. ``When I’m si ng in that stadium in London, cheering on Team USA, I’ll be thinking about all those young people cheering at home. I’ll be thinking about the power of the games to truly inspire a genera on, and I’ll be thinking about how our Olympic and Paralympic athletes can serve as role models for our young people, as examples of the values we want our kids to learn.’’


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15-31Nazareth College Hosts Photo Voice Project ExhibitTime: 8:00a.m.-8:00p.m.Loca on: Nazareth College’s Lore e Wilmot LibraryThere will be an opening recep on on May 17, at 6:00 p.m.The event is free and open to the public. About: In the fall of 2011, the Photo Voice Project was developed in an eff ort to bring awareness to what it is like to be homeless in Rochester while incorpora ng par cipants’ photography and wri ng skills. Individuals took photos of their daily lives and then refl ected on these captured moments. The project seeks to encourage new ideas and solu ons to the epidemic of homelessness.

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The views expressed on our opinion pages are those of the author and do not

necessarily represent the position or viewpoint of Minority Reporter.

STRAIGHT…NO CHASER

Wake Up Convicted Felons: Time to Register & VoteCongressman Jesse Jackson, Jr.’s speech, as the keynote speaker at Minister Franklin Florence’s recogni on dinner earlier this month, was a meant to wake a call for our community.

Jackson clearly said: “Wake up Rochester,” in a

voice that resonated throughout my inner being.

One of the things he woke up in me was to remind all convicted felons – those no longer on parole or on paper – that they do have vo ng rights they need to be aware of and exercise.

It not only amazes me how many young convicted felons we have on record in our community, but that when they do serve their me and pay their debts to society, no one in the parole offi ce encourages or educates then on how to restore their vo ng rights.

Young convicted felons have become so much the norm in our community it goes without saying that we/they need to “wake up.”

There was a me when knowing a black convicted felon was as rare as knowing a black welfare recipient. There was a me when we had too much pride to be in that number when it was counted. There was a me when fi nding an elderly black person

in a nursing home was a rarity as well.

But now, as it relates to convicted felons, every family seems to have one, or everyone knows at least one person who

is.

We all certainly know how economics, a lack of educa on, a lack of employment opportuni es, racism, injus ce, and more have become dream killers for most of our young men.

Those choosing to become fathers at an early age only amplify and create the need to throw stones at the peniten ary, because children always seem to need more, or have more, and that’s a parent’s reality. Good paren ng of children requires responsibility and the need to consistently care for them. The lack of educa on and employment of parents o en increases the need for someone else or the system to care for them. With that comes the unfortunate pride of young black men wan ng to take care of theirs; and the pressure to provide like real men, from their baby’s mama.

That’s a signifi cant reason why 50 percent of our young black men are convicted felons and/or imprisoned na onwide.

In her book, “The New Jim Crow” (Mass incarcera on in the Age of Color Blindness), Michelle Alexander, a civil rights a orney speaks loudly and clearly to the warehousing of our young men.

She speaks to how the Jim Crow laws, once removed from law books have resurfaced in a various forms. Michelle Alexander warns in her preface that this book is not for those who have no interest in racial jus ce, or any understanding how our current law enforcement and jus ce system has been redesigned; or how today resembles the peculiar ins tu on of slavery.

If you do not want to understand how the federal government’s War on Drugs is directed at our young black men is racially mo vated – then this book is not for you.

Congressman Jackson’s keynote address at the tribute dinner for Minister Franklin Florence was to focus on our cons tu onal rights. The me line, tradi on and history he did share in his wake up call should be a founda on to build an understanding of why we have so many convicted felons amongst us. I also had the pleasure of a ending a workshop the congressman hosted at last year’s Congressional Black Caucus weekend.

Comprehensive study, research, and review of our history demonstrate the need for us to be constantly engaged and aware of laws that impact us on a daily basis. Not only do we need to know our history and laws be er, we need to understand who makes the laws that govern us.

Not understanding or comprehending contributes to the ignorance we have fallen vic m to. Remaining ignorant is another form of genocide and has a direct impact on the intent to destroy the black family in par cular.

It doesn’t take being a lawyer to get a working knowledge of the law, it does take being interested.

We all know we get ckets for driving and tex ng don’t we? Why aren’t we as knowledgeable and concerned about our vo ng rights?

We should have an interest in how they are being legislated away, state by state.

The 2012 Presiden al Elec on will NOT be the same as in 2008.

The turnout may be the same but many are in for rude awakenings when they get to the polls unaware of what it may take this me around to vote. Michelle Alexander is correct. Jim Crow is back!

Understanding how government works is key. Understanding the diff erence in federal law verses state law is key.

Understand that if you are a convicted felon living in Alabama, and you have served your me, paid your debt and are no longer on paper, that you might have to request a hearing with a parole commi ee who then decides if your vo ng rights will be restored.

Understand that in New York State once you are off parole, all you have to do is complete a registra on form which is available from the board of elec ons or any elected offi cial, and you can vote. It’s as simple as that.

It should be impera ve that voter registra on forms are completed by all convicted felons, the minute and second they come off parole.

Parole offi cers should follow through by pu ng the form in the felon’s face and have them complete it right in front of them.

Wake up convicted felons. There are too many of you asleep, and it is me for your voices to be heard. Please go register and vote. My president, Barack Obama, needs you to do so.

GLORIA WINSTONAL-SARAG

----------------------------------Gloria Winston Al-Sarag is a Community Activist, Writer, Communicator, Political Activist. She is a native Roches-terian and has been involved with numerous community orgainzations in Rochester. Contact Gloria at: [email protected]

Europe’s Lesson: No Time for Austerity Measures(TriceEdneyWire.com) - The defeat of French P r e s i d e n t Nicolas Sarkozy in Sunday’s French elec ons provides a clear lesson to America. So does the fall of the conserva ve D u t c h g o v e r n m e n t , the rebuke of

the Bri sh conserva ve government in local elec ons, the defeat of the establishment par es in Greece and the turmoil in Spain. Europeans are using democra c elec ons and demonstra ons to send a message: Austerity is spreading unacceptable human misery.

For months, conserva ve pundits have cri cized President Barack Obama for not forcing more defi cit reduc on. House Republicans boast that their Mi Romney-endorsed budget would cut defi cits faster by slashing spending — although they refuse to reveal what they would

slash. Defi cits are unpopular. They represent out-of-control government spending. Tightening our belts in hard mes seems both responsible and

inevitable.

For years, Greece’s soaring defi cits have been the object lesson of the right: Run up defi cits and investors won’t buy your bonds and you’ll face bankruptcy.

But the real lesson of Greece, Spain, France, Ireland and others is that slashing spending in a weak economy serves only to drive the economy back into recession, increase unemployment and spread poverty. And it does li le to reduce defi cits or to reassure investors who worry about the economy tanking. Austerity is like bleeding a pa ent who is s ll recovering from a heart a ack.

The U.S. enjoys be er growth than Europe because we’ve done more to s mulate our economy and have been slower to turn to defi cit reduc on. But states and locali es forced to balance budgets because of state cons tu onal requirements are laying off teachers and police and

fi refi ghters. Now the federal budget is being cut, adding to the drag on the economy. And if, no ma er who wins this fall, the administra on and Congress join in a “grand bargain” that combines spending cuts and tax increases, Americans may well learn the European lesson about austerity directly.

This economy is barely out of the opera ng room and just beginning to recover. Large companies are si ng on trillions of profi ts looking for customers. Small businesses won’t hire un l they see consumers coming in the door. We s ll have mass unemployment, falling wages and more families losing their homes. Yet Washington seems unable or unwilling to act.

This week, a commi ee of the Senate and House will consider the only major jobs program before the Congress: the transporta on bill, which funds rebuilding roads, bridges and mass transit. The Senate passed a small, two-year authoriza on with overwhelming bipar san support. But zealous House Republicans have defeated everything except temporary extensions.

This makes no sense. In fact, we should be doing much more to rebuild America. Interest rates are at near-record lows. The construc on industry is idle. There will never be a be er opportunity to borrow the money needed to rebuild an infrastructure that is in dangerous disrepair.

Maybe we should pay the legislators to junket in Europe. Let them see the riots, visit with defeated poli cians, talk to embarrassed economists now calling for a change in course. The House Republican caucus doesn’t seem to worry about the growing poverty in our ci es or wonder whether those ci es will blow up this summer. Perhaps they might reconsider if they learn from the Europeans that enforcing brutal measures on ci zens to pay for the mess caused by banks doesn’t just increase poverty and unemployment, it shortens poli cal careers.

REV. JESSE JACKSON, SR.

------------------The Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr., founder and president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, is one of America’s foremost civil rights, religious and political fi gures.


Gay Marriage Won’t Cost President Obama Black VotesThe vote on the gay marriage ban in North Carolina’s Halifax County drew some na onal ink. The county in the northeast part of the state is mostly rural and the majority black. It backed the state’s an -gay marriage ini a ve by a whopping two

to one majority. The an -gay marriage vote there was taken as a ji ery sign that some blacks out of pique over President Obama’s gay marriage endorsement could punish him at the polls by staying home. That’s a pipe dream. Blacks in Halifax County backed him in 2008 by an even bigger majority than they backed the an -gay marriage ban. And they’ll do the same again in 2012.

It’s true that gay marriage has been an especially sensi ve issue among blacks, especially black evangelicals, who insistently selec vely cite Bible passages to crusade against gay marriage. And when that fails to sway anyone, some fall back on the bogus defense of the black family argument which supposedly is that the more blacks who openly choose same sex partners will be yet another wrecking ball tearing away at the fragile black family. This argument conveniently downplays or ignores the greatest and longstanding destabilizers of

black families -- poverty, unemployment, grossly underfunded and underserved inner city schools, and skills training programs, dispropor onately high incarcera on rates among black males, and the s ll all pervasive workplace racial discrimina on.

There have been instances where a larger than average number of blacks has backed an -gay marriage bans in states such as Ohio in 2004 and California in 2008. This also drew a lot of a en on. But in Ohio, the same year blacks backed the ban they also gave then Democra c presiden al candidate John Kerry running against President George W. Bush more than 80 percent of their vote. In 2008, blacks gave Obama more than 90 percent of their vote. In both cases, the blacks that voted for Kerry voted party loyalty fi rst, and for Obama, voted both party and race loyalty.

The black vote in Halifax County where blacks backed the gay marriage ban by a 2-to-1 majority doesn’t tell the whole story. If the ban had been on the state ballot four years earlier the propor on of blacks that backed it would have almost certainly been even higher. That would have mirrored na onal trends that showed then that black hos lity to gay marriage was much higher than today. The most recent Pew Research Center poll in April found for the fi rst me less than a majority of blacks said

they opposed marriage between gays and lesbians. That’s a double digit drop from the number of blacks opposed to

gay marriage in 2008.

Gay marriage is really only a poli cal worry, or more accurately, a poli cal talking point now because Obama became the fi rst si ng president to cau ously endorse gay marriage. And because his endorsement of it came right in the middle of a presiden al elec on year. Before that polls showed that the issue of gay marriage wallowed at the bo om of the list of issues that worry voters the most. The runaway leader is jobs and the economy. The handful of black ministers that rushed again to quote Bible verses to denounce gay marriage were careful not to connect the dots from that to any vote against or even coolness toward Obama in November.

Obama’s ming of his support of gay marriage won’t work against him as some have worried. If anything, it works for him. The elec on is s ll months away, and the teeth of the campaign season won’t come un l a er the conven ons in August and September. Both Obama and Romney will hammer each other on jobs and the economy. This will eff ec vely relegate the social or moral issues far to the back burner for most voters. And while hardcore Chris an evangelicals and ultra conserva ves will saber ra le Obama with his stance on gay marriage, most voters will s ll gauge both contenders by which one they belief can do the best job in retooling the economy.

Black voters more than any other group have the biggest stake in this ques on

and issue. Even as the jobless fi gures cked downward in the fi rst part of this

year, black unemployment s ll hovered at the chronic double digit mark, and in many urban areas soared even higher. In some major ci es, according to labor sta s c reports, the unemployment rate among young black males inched close to or even exceeded 50 percent. These men, their families, and advocates don’t give a hang about what a president, or any other poli cian, has to say about gay marriage. Paying bills, pu ng food on the table, and trying to insure a viable future, is their main, if not sole concern.

The be ng odds are that many of the same black ministers that voice concern in May about gay marriage will be the same ministers in the fi nal run-up days to the elec on that will be reminding or imploring their congrega on to get out and vote, and they will not be telling them to vote for Romney. It’s been that way before and during the mes that gay rights and gay marriage became fi rebrand issues. It will be the same this elec on. That’s why gay marriage won’t cost President Obama black votes.

-------------Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and poli cal analyst. He is a weekly co-host of the Al Sharpton Show on American Urban Radio Network. He is the author of How Obama Governed: The Year of Crisis and Challenge. He is an associate editor of New America Media. He is host of the weekly Hutchinson Report Newsmaker Hour heard weekly on the na onally network broadcast Hutchinson Newsmaker Network.

THE HUTCHINSON REPORT…

EARLHUTCHINSON

A Clear Choice!Two things have recently happened that are related and may have a bearing on the 2012 presiden al elec on. They both relate to our country’s stand on gay marriage.

In North Carolina the voters affi rmed that marriage is

between one man and one woman.

The other event that occurred, and it actually happened the very next day, was that President Obama became the fi rst si ng president to announce his support of gay marriage.

The biblical view of marriage is one man and one woman.

I believe that President Obama’s public announcement in support of gay marriage now gives the church (those that really believe in the word of God as absolute) a clear choice.

While I may not challenge his belief

regarding how he feels about marriage, he has clearly shown his opposi on to the word of God and the principles of God with his announcement.

This is just more evidence that the president supports many issues contrary to the beliefs of bible-believing Chris ans.

The good thing is that he has provided the church a clear choice as to who to vote against. Here are some of the posi ons that he supports that are outside of the word of God.

He supports abor on. Abor on is murder and there is no denying that. In Jeremiah 1:5, God shares with Jeremiah that “before He formed him in the womb He ordained him a prophet to the na ons.”

God was referring prophe cally to what Jeremiah’s calling was to be. By God forming, He does not form a mass of ssue but humans (Gen. 1:26-28).

In Luke 1:41, the bible lets us know that when Elisabeth heard Mary speak, the babe in Elisabeth leaped. No ce that the bible calls what was in Elisabeth a babe, not a mass of ssue!

President Obama supports gay marriage. Homosexuality is a clear abomina on to God (Lev. 20). Thank God for Jesus and that homosexuals can receive forgiveness just like everyone else, however, homosexuality is s ll wrong (Rom. 1:27).

President Obama supports the taking of wealth from those that have worked hard and give it to those that have not worked at all. The bible clearly shows that those that have will get more; and clearly shows that for those that do not have even what they have will be taken away (Mt. 25:14-29). The principle here is that one must work with what they have in order to receive more. This is a biblical principle that cannot be violated, no ma er how sad we feel for those that refuse to work when I am saying work, I’m saying do something. No one should be able to just sit around and collect a check, unless they are re red.

So here are three issues that the president supports that are in direct viola on of the word of God and therefore we have a clear choice as to who to vote for in November.

The church will have to choose sides

and will not be able to put its collec ve head in the sand and act as though they (we) do not know who we are suppor ng.

President Obama clarifi ed where he stands. We now need to take a page from his book and clarify where we stand.

Our vote will not be taken for granted and we demand that if he gets our vote he is going to have to stand for what we stand for.

Will we fi nd someone who stands for everything we stand for? Not yet. However, if we keep pushing in the right direc on, we will eventually get someone who is a Chris an fi rst and a poli cian second.

Someone that realizes that ge ng elected is nowhere near as important as holding fast to ones bible-based Chris an beliefs.

We have a clear choice now, and we should all now be prepared to make it.

-----------If you would like to contact me, please email me at [email protected]

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT...

C. MICHAEL VAUGHN

A Note from the Publisher:A er careful considera on, delibera on and much discussion, I am modifying our policy regarding ar cles, columns, comments and responses to our opinion

pages and website. The purpose of our allowing personal opinion in print and online is to provide a forum for open debate and discussion on an array of issues facing our community. However, these forums have been misused and have produced

personal a acks, excessive demeaning rhetoric, and character assassina ons.

Please note that any such misuse of these opinion forums and pages will result in the removal of these posts. I am hopeful that

this forum can be used in a more posi ve way to enrich our community and as a vehicle for educated debate concerning the many challenges facing our city.

Dave McCleary, Publisher

MR_052112_web

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