Tbs dec2 2014 mock1

The Bedford December 25, 2014 - January 8, 2015Volume 5 :: No. 26

CommunityNews!

StandardMore articles at www.thebedfordstandard.com

Celebrating 5 years in Bedford!

Nursing and Rehabilitation Center

Bedford Police Officer Involved in ShootingThe Bedford Police Department

had an officer involved in a shooting on December 26 in the 600 block of Archer Rd. Officers responded to the residence for a disturbance call. The male resident causing the disturbance confronted officers. Officers attempted to talk with the male. During that time, the male admitted to having a weapon and kept reaching behind his back. Officers deployed a Taser in an effort to gain control of the male. The Taser was not effective and the male brandished a knife and advanced toward officers.

An officer shot the male and the male was transported to MetroHealth Medical Center where the male died from his wounds.

The Medical Examiner released the name of the decedent from 12-26-14, as reported by the Bedford Police Department, after positive identification and proper next of kin notification as follows: John Hebebrand, WM age 43 of Bedford.

Decedent in officer-involved shooting conveyed from home via EMS to MetroHealth Medical Center on 12-26-

14, where he was treated, expired, and pronounced on 12-26-14.

The John Hebebrand booking photo is from a disorderly conduct arrest on 1/14/2010.

Bedford Football Coach Browns High School Coach of the Year finalist

District Treasurer Janet Pavlic was excited to snap this photo of the Cleveland Browns High School Coach of the Year finalists. Bearcat Head Football

Coach Sean Williams, fourth from the right, was one of the ten finalists. The announcement was made at halftime of the Browns home game against the

Cincinnati Bengals. Bay’s Coach Ron Rutt was named Coach of the Year and will receive $4,000 from the franchise for its football program. The nine other finalists will receive $2,000 each, including Avon, Bedford, Clearview, Columbia, Hudson, Madison, Mentor, Nordonia, and Notre

Dame Cathedral Latin. Congratulations to Sean, and thanks

for capturing the moment, Janet!

Q&A: Treating your chronic pain.

Daniel Callahan, MD

Same-dayappointments216.444.PAIN clevelandclinic.org/painmanagement

Aches and pains – who doesn’t have them now and then? A little rest, some aspirin and an ice pack or heating pad may take care of it. But aches and pains that persist or that become debilitating are a different story. Ongoing back pain, pinched nerves, sciatica, neck pain, headaches, pelvic or abdominal pain, muscle or skeletal pain and cancer pain sometimes require help from a pain management specialist.

“Chronic pain is rarely an isolated thing,” says Daniel Callahan, MD, neurologist and pain management specialist at Cleveland Clinic’s Pain Management Center

interdisciplinary approach to pain management.”

What does “interdisciplinary” mean?“Interdisciplinary” means combining different medical specialties and crossing traditional boundaries

family practice, internal medicine and neurology. We also have a pain psychologist. Our diverse medical backgrounds make our team unique.

Why is interdisciplinary care better for patients with pain?Pain is complex. It’s helpful to have a team of doctors who have experience with different types of patients and different perspectives on diagnosing and treating them. We saw one patient who had been diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome, seizures, panic disorder and more. With our team’s rare combination of expertise, we determined that the patient’s symptoms were really caused by a single disorder of her autonomic nervous system (the part of the brain that controls involuntary functions like heart rate and breathing).

What are some common treatments for patients at the Pain Management Center?

Offering combinations of treatments like these sets us apart from other pain clinics. Here, patients get a comprehensive evaluation – including looking at their nervous and musculoskeletal systems and psychological factors – before determining the best treatment.

For an appointment with Dr. Callahan or another pain management specialist, call 216.444.PAIN (7246).

BEDFORD POLICE

JOHN F HEBEBRAND

Description:

2 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: May 22, 2008

www.thenewstandard.com The New Standard

The Bedford Standard

St John Funeral Home

Celebrating 101 Years of Continuous Service by the

St. John Family

1913-201416381 Chillicothe Road

Bainbridge Twp., OH 44023

(440) 708-1308

923 Broadway Ave.Bedford, OH 44146

(440) 232-1155

Cuyahoga County Solid Waster District Graduates First Class of Master RecyclersThe Cuyahoga County Solid Waste

District is pleased to announce that the first class of individuals has graduated from the inaugural Cuyahoga County Master Recycler program.

Beginning in the fall of 2013, eighteen individuals took part in the first ever Cuyahoga County Master Recycler program. The program included eight weeks of lectures and tours focused on the tenets of reducing, reusing, and recycling. Master Recyclers learned from field experts, toured many facility operations to see first-hand how items are processed for reuse and recycling, completed take-home projects, personal

waste audits and field research, and a required twenty hours of volunteering for District outreach programs.

Of the eighteen participants enrolled in the program, thirteen people completed their volunteer service and other requirements within a year to become a Cuyahoga County Certified Master Recycler. A graduation ceremony was held December 2 in Lakewood. We congratulate the following individuals on their accomplishment:

Sharon Bair (Cleveland), Christy Bartley (Cleveland), Karen Braun (Westlake), Lenore Collins, (Keep It Out of the Landfill blog), Veronica Dickerson (National Park

Service), Heather Dougherty (Lakewood), Jennifer Dreher (Baldwin Wallace College), Heidi Paul (Magnificat High School), Julie Richer (Garfield Heights), Erica Robinson (Famicos Foundation), Janine Robb (Brook Park), Katharyne Starinsky (Shaker Heights), and Karen Thailing (Chagrin Falls).

The Master Recyclers are integral for sharing knowledge and correct information about recycling and waste reduction in Cuyahoga County. Many of the Master Recyclers intend to continue their personal learning about recycling and will assist the District in educational opportunities in the future.

The District currently has a second class of eighteen individuals enrolled in a Master Recycler learning program that began in fall of 2014. The class has completed their education hours and is working towards completion of their volunteer service. The District continuously accepts applications for the Master Recycler program; the 2015 class will start in the fall.

For more information about the Cuyahoga County Master Recycler program, visit www.cuyahogaswd.org.

University Hospitals Rockside Internal Medicine Practice Moves to UH Bedford Medical Center

Effective December 13, 2014, the Rockside Internal Medicine physician group of Tamar Bejanishvili, MD, Ghai Lu, MD, Latha Pillai, MD, and Suzanne Schaffer, MD, began seeing patients at their new clinic located at University Hospitals Bedford Medical Center, a campus of UH Regional Hospitals. The group, a part of University Hospitals Medical Practices (UHMP), was formerly located at 22750 Rockside Road in Bedford.

The Rockside Internal Medicine practice was established more than 21

years ago and has an expansive patient base in Bedford and more than 15 surrounding communities. At this new, convenient location, patients will benefit from free parking; same-day, same-site availability of imaging and laboratory services; and immediate access to specialty care including urology, OB/GYN, digestive health, cardiology, vascular, orthopaedics and more. The doctors are accepting new patients and walk-ins are welcome.

The doctors are all board-certified

in internal medicine and have a wide variety of special interests including hypertension, geriatrics, diabetes, depression/anxiety, preventive health and women’s health. They have admitting privileges at multiple University Hospitals facilities and accept most major insurance plans.

“We are very pleased to welcome the Rockside Internal Medicine Group to the UH Bedford Medical Center family,” says Robert David, President of UH Bedford Medical Center. “I’m delighted that their

patients in the surrounding communities may continue to see their doctors so close to home in this new, enhanced suite of offices.”

Their new office address is UH Bedford Medical Center, Outpatient Surgery Center, 50 Blaine Avenue, Suite 2100, Bedford, OH 44146. To schedule an appointment, call 440-735-2800.

December 25, 2014 - January 8, 2015

May 22, 2008 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: 3

Celebrating 5 Years of Award-Winning Journalism in Central Ohio www.thenewstandard.com

The Bedford Standard December 25, 2014 - January 8, 2015

Bedford Students Learn Through New TechnologyStudents in BHS language arts teacher

LaSure Johnson’s junior English class “hung out” with a junior English class from Frederick Douglass HS in Upper Marlboro, Md. Wednesday. That class is taught by LaSure’s niece, Akilah Braxton, who used to sub for Bedford. The students joined together for a Socratic Seminar, after reading Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown. “The dialogue about the short fictional story allowed our students to see firsthand that

Common Core works,” LaSure said, “by realizing that if they left Bedford and moved to Maryland, they would not have to lose any instructional time (and be right on task in their new school).” Their next collaboration will be blogging. The two classes were connected via Google Hangouts.

Congratulations to Glendale! Principal Nora Beach was just notified

that the school is being awarded a $1,600 “Update the Plate” Mini-Grant from the OSU Extension Cuyahoga County and the Cuyahoga County Board of Health. The

funds were made available to schools in the county to help them create healthier food environments, in celebration of National Farm to School month. The grant will be used on the Glendale Discovery

Garden. The grant application was written by Occupational Therapist Claire Heffron, with assistance from Marla Knight and the preschool team. Plans for the garden include planting activities throughout

spring, summer and fall that include all students, families and community members.

4 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: May 22, 2008


Columbus & Ohio4 The Bedford Standard

Standard

A lot of us are having tummy prob-lems these days. Medications for acid re-flux are amongst the biggest selling drugs on the market today. Irritable Bowel Syn-drome (IBS) is among the fastest growing new diagnoses in America. Ulcers of the stomach and colon are a common malady. Billions of dollars are spent and endless hours of suffering endured because of stomach and bowel problems.

Have you had that pain in your chest that made you think you might be having a “heart attack”, only to find out that is was “heartburn”? That’s called GERD (Gastroesophogeal reflux disease), and is caused by stomach acid backing up into your swallowing tube. A lot of people who go to the emergency room thinking they’re having a heart attack find out they actually have heartburn.

There are lots of causes of stomach and bowel problems. Hereditary factors (Crohn’s disease), autoimmune factors (Celiac’s Disease), enzyme factors (lac-

tose intolerance), and systemic issues (can-cers, etc.) can all be sources of stomach

and bowel issues. And if you are having stomach discomfort, you should certainly bring it to the attention of your physician. But for most of us, our bowel issues are caused by what we put into our stom-achs!

There are certain foods that seem to be friendly to our digestive systems. Green leafy veggies, raw veggies, lean meats, fish, whole grains, bananas and yogurt are all recommended for good gut health. Nutritionists recommend staying away from high fat meats, fried foods, very spicy foods, dairy products, and ex-cessive alcohol if we want our stomachs to feel good.

By now you’re probably asking “what does this have

to do with my mouth”? Well, here’s the deal. Our digestive system has one job: to break down the food we eat into parts our bodies can use. That process starts in your mouth. Chewing and saliva are supposed to be the first step in the food breakdown process. If your mouth can’t do its part, one of two things will happen. Either your body won’t get the benefit of the food you have eaten, or the other parts of the digestive system will over-work to make up for the mouth’s poor performance. The latter is what happens. When food enters the stomach not well chewed, the stomach pours extra acid on it to make up for the failure of the mouth to do its job. And, of course, the result we see from this extra acid is GERD (acid

reflux, heartburn), and ulcers. And what is the primary cause of not being able to adequately chew your food?

MISSING BACK TEETH!If you have missing teeth in the back

(the molars, which are built to chew food), you have to replace them! At Dodson and Associates we offer a number of options for replacing missing teeth, both the back chewers and the front smilers. Replacing those missing back teeth can mean the dif-ference between good stomach health and an uncomfortable gut. So if you’re hav-ing tummy issues, give us a CALL today at 1-440-439-2230 to discuss appropriate solutions. We love your questions about tummies or teeth or health. Just Call!

Yours In Dental Health,

Dr. Jane L. DodsonDr. Mychael Davis

Having Stomach Issues? Talk to your Dentist or Us

Jane L. Dodson DDS & Associate, Inc.88 Center Rd. Bedford #330, 44146 (Next to Bedford Hospital)

In the Bedford University Hospital Health Center- 3rd [email protected]

www.clevelandgentledentist.com

CALL 440-439-2230 for an appointment!

New Patient Exam & X-ray Special!! $85.00 ($220 value)

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CALL 440-439-2230 for an appointment!Present this coupon at time of service. Cannot be combined with other coupons.

Expires December 15, 2014 - Bedford Standard

MychaelDavis, DDS

DebraLeonardi,

RDH

Celebrate New Year at Zoo and Merwin’s WharfLet your little party animals party

with our animals! Bring the whole family to Cleveland Metroparks Zoo’s ninth annual Noon Year’s Eve party and celebrate the New Year 12 hours early!

Noon Year’s Eve runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, December 31 and features live entertainment, crafts, “ReZoolutions” and a special countdown to noon complete with a ball drop over the Zoo’s Welcome Plaza.

The party includes a cast of all-star animals in a special Noon Year’s

Eve Wild Animal Show, music and dancing with Popfusion and an ice-carving demonstration. Noon Year’s Eve activities are FREE with Zoo admission.

Visitors to Noon Year’s Eve are encouraged to arrive early as traffic delays around the Zoo may occur before the noontime countdown and ball drop.

The family-friendly celebrating continues at Merwin’s Wharf, Cleveland Metroparks new full-service restaurant in The Flats, from 3-6 p.m. with an Afternoon Year’s Eve Party

complete with entertainment and a kids-only buffet with interactive food stations and “mocktails” available for those ages 13 and younger. Tickets for the kids’ buffet are $11 in advance or $14 on the day of the event (adults order from the regular menu). For more information, call Merwin’s Wharf at (216) 664-5696. Merwin’s Wharf is located in Rivergate Park at 1785 Merwin Ave. in Cleveland’s Flats neighborhood.

Northeast Ohio’s most-visited year-round attraction, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is open 10 a.m. to 5

p.m. daily. Admission is $12.25 per person, $8.25 for kids ages 2 to 11 and free for children younger than 2 and Zoo members. Parking is free. Located at 3900 Wildlife Way, the Zoo is easily accessible from Interstates 71, 90 and 480.

For more information, visit clevelandmetroparks.com/zoo or call (216) 661-6500.

Noon Year’s Eve is presented by Dollar Bank with support from UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital.


Bedford Author Publishes Sixth BookLinda Lehmann Masek has had her

sixth book published, Holiday Tales Anthology, ed. by Dr. Lois Bennett of Fireside Publications. Romance, mystery, non-fiction factual and humorous tales are represented in this collection of holiday stories.This newly published anthology is designed to please everyone whether you like scary Halloween tales, love stories or

Christmas spirituals.Masek contributed four stories

including a romance, “Goose Talk”, a Mardi Gras mystery, “The Wicked Witch Murder” and two non-fiction Halloween stories, both set in this area “Halloween Happenings in the Midwest” and “A History of the Mysterious Halloween Maze”. Her fifth book, which was reviewed last year, Kitty Tails and

Horses Hooves, is a nonfiction animal spiritual, also set in this immediate area. It is now being marketed by the publisher to both adults and children. Parents are buying it as a Christmas present for their children, since it includes many animal stories, which the children love.

Masek recently received the Kadin Book Award for her fourth novel, The

Serpent-Sea. She was also interviewed by Dr. Timothy Morrison on national radio, WHWN; the interview is available at http://writeherewritenow.businessradiox.com where she discusses her books and writing process if you would like to listen in.

Books are available at area bookstores, The Purr-fect Place in Bedford, Online at Amazon and Kindle.

Property Tax Bills Now Available OnlineProperty tax bills for Cuyahoga

County residents are now available online through the County Treasurer’s website at http://treasurer.cuyahogacounty.us/en-US/view-pay-tax-bill.aspx.

Cuyahoga County taxpayers are

able search their property tax bills for the first half of 2014 at the website above by using their parcel number, owner’s last name, owner’s address, or AFN number. Hard copies of property tax bills are also being mailed to area residents later this month.

Property tax bills are due for payment by January 22, 2015. Taxes that are not paid by the due date will be assessed a 10% penalty. Residents can pay their bill by e-check, credit card, or by mailing a check to Cuyahoga County Treasurer, P.O. Box 94547, Cleveland,

Ohio 44101-4547. For more information, please visit

the Cuyahoga County Treasurer’s Office at 2079 East 9th Street, or by calling (216) 443-7420. - See more at: http://executive.cuyahogacounty.us

May 22, 2008 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: 5


Columbus & Ohio The Bedford Standard

Local Veterinarian Introduces Laser SurgeryLaser surgery has grown in

popularity not only because of it timely release, but also its extremely beneficial veterinary features. Dr. Scott Leffler of the Animal Medical Center of Streetsboro is the first in the area to take advantage of these benefits.

Dr. Scott Leffler, a professional veterinarian out of the Akron, Ohio area, is now offering surgical laser and procedures for his clients.

“The benefits of using laser for surgical procedures are numerous,

but I believe my patients and clients appreciate less pain post-operatively to get them back on their paws faster,” said Dr. Scott Leffler.

Benefits of veterinary laser surgery:Treats and reduces painReduces bleedingLess swelling and inflammationReduces chances of infectionsAccelerates healing time

Laser therapy follows laser surgery,

and the uses of both are extremelybeneficial. For both large and small

animals, laser therapy is used to treat conditions such as pain, back injury, sprain/strains, edema, and wound healing/post-op.

It may also provide relief for chronic conditions like hip dysplasia, periodontal disease, arthritis, and degenerative joint disease. For more information about Dr. Scott Leffler and his practice, please visit The Animal Medical Center of Streetsboro at www.

animaldogtor.com.The Animal Medical Center of

Streetsboro is a full service animal hospital.

The mission it has is to partner with its clients to provide a longer, healthier and happier life for their animal companions. The Animal Medical Center of Streetsboro is committed to providing quality veterinary care throughout the life of its clients’ pets.


Regional Forensic Science Laboratory to Offer No Charge Testing for Cuyahoga Law and Justice Agencies in 2015

Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald and Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner Dr. Thomas P. Gilson today announced the Cuyahoga County Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (CCRFSL) will offer crime lab services to most law enforcement and justice agencies in Cuyahoga County, at no cost to those agencies, starting in 2015.

–Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald and Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner Dr. Thomas P. Gilson today announced the Cuyahoga County Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (CCRFSL) will offer crime lab services to most law enforcement and justice agencies in Cuyahoga County, at no cost to those agencies, starting

in 2015. “Our accredited Regional Forensic

Science Laboratory will provide millions of dollars of resources annually for local law enforcement and justice agencies, and millions more in savings to the justice system as a whole,” said County Executive FitzGerald. “By offering testing services at little to no cost for our law and justice agencies, we continue to promote regional cooperation and collaboration.”

The Regional Forensic Science Laboratory, located in the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office, will provide no charge lab services including, but not limited to:

•DNA (including Sexual Assault Kit Testing)

•Drug Chemistry •Toxicology •Trace Evidence•New Ballistics and Fingerprint labs

will make testing available later in 2015.

“This is a great opportunity for the county to support the efforts of local law enforcement and public safety with high-quality, scientific, forensic testing. The recent expansion of the laboratory and equipment upgrades provide a firm foundation for the administration of justice,” added Dr. Gilson. “We are glad to be able to offer these services in a way that is affordable to all parties.”

Due to the high volume of testing, The Cleveland Police Department and Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing

Authority Police Department will still pay some costs for testing, but will still experience substantiated savings on cost and efficiency.

The Cuyahoga County Regional Forensic Science Laboratory has just completed a $2.5 M expansion with another $1.5 M in new equipment (at no cost to taxpayers using monies previously seized in an investment fraud trial), making it a state-of-the-art facility. Further, CCRFSL is now one of the most highly accredited public agencies and labs in the U.S. and performs 11,000-12,000 tests per year.

Hand Feed Chickadees, a 70-year Tradition at Brecksville Nature Center

Come out and discover the joy and excitement of a wild bird landing right in your hand and taking a seed! Hand feeding chickadees at Cleveland Metroparks Brecksville Nature Center is a thrilling, 70-year tradition that continues to delight children and adults. Feeding black-capped chickadees by hand began back in the 1940s as a way to connect people with nature and wildlife. Continue the tradition or start anew by sharing this unique outdoor nature experience with family and friends. Chickadee feedings will continue in January and February on

Saturday and Sunday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon.

These small, black, white and gray birds will land on an open hand, take a single black oil sunflower seed and then fly elsewhere to eat it. Brecksville Nature Center provides the black oil sunflower seeds along with instructions to help make this unique experience one to remember. Cleveland Metroparks prohibits feeding of wildlife in the Park District but makes an exception for this one-of-kind program.

Brecksville Nature Center is located off Chippewa Creek Drive, off the Route

82 entrance of Brecksville Reservation in Brecksville. For more information, call 440-526-1012 or visit clevelandmetroparks.com.

Check the Park District’s monthly publication, “Emerald Necklace,” or clevelandmetroparks.com for more hand feed a chickadee opportunities, guided bird hikes and other winter bird programs in the upcoming weeks.

The Bedford Standard Wishes you a Healthy and Happy 2015

6 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: May 22, 2008



Ellen Augustine, M.A.

What’s up, America?

America Needs a Truth and Reconciliation Process

Racism and violence against African-Americans is in the DNA of this country. It began in the1600s when some of the first settlers brought in slaves. Slavery ended with the stroke of Lincoln’s pen, but not in the hearts of men. Jim Crow laws and lynchings continued the terror for Blacks. After the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s, violence took a new form throughout the country in employment and housing discrimination, decrepit schools, mass incarceration from drug busts focusing predominately in Black neighborhoods, and now massive voter suppression.

The other atrocity in vivid memory is the Holocaust. The pallor no longer hangs over Germany. Why? Not only did they apologize to the Jews, but they paid $90 billion in reparations. The Iraq war cost $1 trillion and the basic Pentagon budget is $700 billion each year. If we can afford those costs whose fruit is destruction, surely we can afford $200 billion to heal the deep wounds our fellow African-American citizens carry. Revitalizing schools in poor areas could be the first focus; then Black community, political, and religious leaders could confer to decide other regenerative uses.

A first step toward healing is a Truth and Reconciliation process, not only in Ferguson, but in urban areas across the country. In early December Fania Davis wrote an OpEd, detailing the merits and what this could look like. The complete piece is printed below.

“The US Needs a Truth and Reconciliation Process on Violence Against African Americans” by Fania Davis, YES! Magazine December 4, 2014 http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/27806-the-us-needs-a-truth-a n d - re co n c i l i at i o n - p ro ce s s - o n -violence-against-african-americans

The decision not to indict Eric Garner’s killer is just the latest story in a long history of violence against black men. What response can disrupt patterns set by centuries of racism?

I am among the millions who have experienced the shock, grief, and fury of losing someone to racial violence.

When I was 15, two close friends were killed in the Birmingham Sunday School bombing carried out by white supremacists trying to terrorize the rising civil rights movement. Only six years later, my husband was shot and nearly killed by police who broke into our home, all because of our activism at the time, especially in support of the Black Panthers.

As a civil rights trial lawyer, I’ve spent much of my professional life protecting people from racial discrimination. In my early twenties, I devoted myself to organizing an international movement

to defend my sister, Angela Davis, from politically motivated capital murder charges aimed at silencing her calls for racial and social justice. Early childhood experiences in the South set me on a quest for social transformation, and I’ve been a community organizer ever since, from the civil rights to the black power, women’s, anti-racial violence, peace, anti-apartheid, anti-imperialist, economic justice, political prisoner movements, and others.

After more than three decades of all the fighting, I started to feel out of balance and intuitively knew I needed more healing energies in my life. I ended up enrolling in a Ph.D. program in Indigenous Studies that allowed me to study with African healers.

Today, my focus is on restorative justice, which I believe offers a way for us to collectively face this epidemic, expose its deep historical roots, and stop it.

The killings of Michael Brown in Ferguson and Eric Garner in New York are sparking a national outcry to end the epidemic killings of black men. Many note that even if indictments had been handed down, that wouldn’t have been enough to stop the carnage. The problem goes far beyond the actions of any police officer or department. The problem is hundreds of years old, and it is one we must take on as a nation. Truth and reconciliation processes offer the greatest hope.

Truth and Reconciliation in Ferguson and beyond

A Ferguson Truth and Reconciliation process based on restorative justice (RJ) principles could not only stop the epidemic but also allow us as a nation to take a first “step on the road to reconciliation,” to borrow a phrase from the South African experience.

A restorative justice model means that youth, families, and communities directly affected by the killings—along with allies—would partner with the federal government to establish a commission. Imagine a commission that serves as a facilitator, community organizer, or Council of Elders to catalyze, guide, and support participatory, inclusive, and community-based processes.

We know from experience that a quasi-legal body of high-level experts who hold hearings, examine the evidence, and prepare findings and recommendations telling us as a nation what we need to do won’t work. We’ve had plenty of those.

To move toward a reconciled America, we have to do the work ourselves. Reconciliation is an ongoing and collective process. We must roll up our sleeves and do the messy, challenging, but hopeful work of creating transformed relationships and structures leading us into new futures. Someone like Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who headed up South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, might come to Ferguson

to inspire and guide us as we take the first steps on this journey.And the impact wouldn’t be for Ferguson alone. Unfolding in hubs across the nation, a Truth and Reconciliation process will create public spaces where we face together the epidemic of killings and its root causes, identify the needs and responsibilities of those affected, and also figure out what to do as a nation to heal harms and restore relationships and institutions to forge a new future. Though this will happen in hubs, the truths learned and the knowledge gained would be broadly shared. Importantly, the process would also create skillfully facilitated dialogue where responsible parties engage in public truth-telling and take responsibility for wrongdoing.

Getting to the rootsToday, teenagers of color are coming

of age in a culture that criminalizes and demonizes them, and all too often takes their lives.

I work with youth in Oakland, where it’s gut-wrenching to see the trauma and devastation up close. Black youth in the U.S. are fatally shot by police at 21 times the rate of white youth. Children of color are pushed through pipelines to prison instead of being put on pathways to opportunity. Some make it through this soul-crushing gauntlet against all odds. But too many do not.

Defining how long- and far-reaching a process like this would be is difficult because, sadly, the killing of Mike Brown is only one instance in a long and cyclical history of countless unhealed racial traumas that reaches all the way back to the birth of this nation. Changing form but not essence over four centuries, this history has morphed from slavery to the Black Codes, peonage and lynching, from Jim Crow to convict leasing, to mass incarceration and deadly police practices.

Bearing in mind its expansive historical context, the Truth and Reconciliation process would set us on a collective search for shared truths about the nature, extent, causes, and consequences of extrajudicial killings of black youth, say, for the last two decades. Through the process, those truths will be told, understood, and made known far and wide. Its task would also include facing and beginning to heal the massive historical harms that threaten us all as a nation but take the lives of black and brown children especially. We would utilize the latest insights and methodologies from the field of trauma healing.

This is urgent. Continued failure to deal with our country’s race-based historical traumas dooms us to perpetually re-enact them.

Though national in scope, the inquiry would zero in on the city of Ferguson and several other key cities across the country that have been the site of extrajudicial killings during the last decade. Specifics like this are best

left to a collaborative, inclusive, and community-based planning process.The process will create public spaces where we cannot only together face the epidemic of killings, its root causes, and identify the needs and responsibilities of those affected, but also where we can figure out what to do as a nation to heal harms and restore relationships and institutions to forge a new future.

Truth and reconciliation worksThere are precedents for this

approach: some 40 Truth and Reconciliation Commissions have been launched worldwide to transform historical and mass social harms such as those we are facing. Their experiences could help light a way forward.

The best-known example is the 1994 South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which was charged with exposing and remedying apartheid’s human rights abuses. Under the guidance of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission elevated apartheid victims’ voices, allowing the nation to hear their stories. Perpetrators had a means to engage in public truth-telling about and take responsibility for the atrocities they committed. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission facilitated encounters between harmed and responsible parties, decided amnesty petitions, and ordered reparations, and it recommended official apologies, memorials, and institutional reform to prevent recurrence.

With near-constant live coverage by national television networks, the attention of the nation was riveted on the process. Although South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission was far from perfect, it is internationally hailed for exposing apartheid’s atrocities and evoking a spirit of reconciliation that helped the country transcend decades of racial hatred and violence.

There are North American examples as well, including the 2004 Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission in North Carolina, the first in the United States. This effort focused on the “Greensboro massacre” of anti-racist activists by the Ku Klux Klan in 1979.

In 2012, Maine’s governor and indigenous tribal chiefs established a truth commission to address the harms resulting from the forced assimilation of Native children by Maine’s child welfare system. It is still in operation.

And Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, also still functioning, addresses legacies of Indian residential schools that forcibly removed Aboriginal children from their homes, punished them for honoring their language and traditions, and subjected them to physical and sexual abuse.

Get to the truth, get to healingLike South Africa’s and others, the

Ferguson Truth and Reconciliation

December 11 - 25, 2014

see PROCESS page 8

May 22, 2008 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: 7


Columbus & Ohio The Bedford Standard

INTRODUCTION: If you are like many older folks, you and your spouse bought your home decades ago and have been living there ever since. You haven’t given a thought to how it’s titled. What does that mean, anyway? Today’s column is to enlighten you with the practical perspective on how to own your home – and why!

THE BARYSHNIKOV FAMILY moved to the United States from Russia, to take advantage of the ballet opportunities here. Their little children soon discovered that the local convenience store sold cheap chocolate bars 24 hours a day! The parents were appalled and complained, “Why does the government allow young children to do this, when it’s not good for them?”

As an American, you might be snickering [pun intended] at the Baryshnikov Family. In America, nobody tells you what you can buy and what you can’t buy! That’s free enterprise!

Well, let’s turn the tables on you. Have you ever tried to download a Deed from the Internet? It might be good in your State – and then again, it might not. And there’s nobody to tell you how to do things right, or whether you’ve shot yourself in the foot. Why do “they” allow you to download an Internet legal form if it’s no good in the State where you live? That’s free enterprise!

Now, think about how you own your home. How is it titled? Is it what’s good for you? How do you know? Is writing a Deed a “Do It Yourself” project? Or playing Russian roulette?

DIFFERENT KINDS OF OWNERSHIP There are number of different

ways to own your home. Sole ownership (one name on a

Deed). Joint with right of survivorship (two or more names on a Deed, with additional language so that when one dies, the others acquire the dead one’s share without probate). Tenants in common (two or more names on a Deed, without any additional language). Transfer on death (an Affidavit naming a beneficiary upon your death).

But what’s the BEST way to own your home? That’s like asking, what’s the best apple – Macintosh, Red Delicious, Gala, Fuji, Rome Beauty, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Cortland, etc.?? The answer is, it depends on what you want to do! Some apples bake well for pies, while others get too soggy and are better sliced raw in salads. Of course, legal ownership of your home is much more complex than cooking with apples.

WHEN “DIY” DOESN’T WORK Let’s consider a few examples of

what can go wrong when you “do it yourself.”

FRED AND WILMA are married and have both of their names on the Deed to their home. When Fred dies, Wilma signs and records an “Affidavit of Surviving Spouse” she downloaded from the Internet. Then Wilma dies. Daughter Pebbles is shocked to learn that probate is required for both Fred’s estate and Wilma’s estate, as each of them still owned half the house.

KING ELVIS is a rich old man. He wants his daughter Lisa Marie to have his castle after he dies. But when King Elvis learns about the problems of probate, he prepares his own Deed naming himself and Lisa Marie as joint owners with right of survivorship. Then disaster strikes! Lisa Marie goes bankrupt, and her creditors seize the castle for pay for her debts. King Elvis avoided probate, alright – and lost his home too!

MR. MAGOO decides to sell his house to his neighbor, Dawg McBarker. Mr. Magoo doesn’t want to pay a lawyer to prepare a Deed, so he does it himself. Unfortunately,

Mr. Magoo doesn’t remember that years after he bought his home, he bought the vacant lot next door. So Mr. Magoo includes only one legal description in his Deed. He keeps the vacant lot – and acquires a law suit as well.

GOALS FIRST, DOCUMENTS SECOND

In my legal Workshops, I often use the illustration of a journey. Your legal documents depend on your goals, what you want to accomplish. Do you want to avoid probate? Do you want to be sure your property is inherited by the right people? Do you want to protect your property from creditors? You tell me where you want to go, and I’ll construct the shipping container to get you there!

The same is true of legal ownership of your home. As you grow older and your circumstances change, the way your home is titled should be reviewed. Remember, just because you’re allowed to do something doesn’t mean you should. Would you perform surgery on yourself? Preparing your own Deeds and other legal documents can be just as disastrous. Just as you need a doctor for medical work, you need a lawyer

for legal work. THE AUTHOR: Linda J. How is

an elder-law lawyer in Bedford, providing Medicaid counseling and estate planning. She has legal training from the national organization, Medicaid Practice Systems (now known as Lawyers With Purpose). To help people understand the value and variety of legal planning, Mrs. How presents FREE educational workshops called, “Seven Threats to Your Family Security.” UPCOMING EVENING WORKSHOPS: Mondays, from 6 to 8 p.m., on January 12, 2015 and again on February 9, 2015. UPCOMING AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS: Wednesdays, from 2 to 4 p.m., on January 14, 2015 and again on Feb. 11, 2015. (Phone or email for the location. They are all just blocks away from Downtown Bedford!) Mrs. How has also developed and taught senior-education courses at Cuyahoga Community College [Center for Aging Initiatives], including “Estate Planning for Real Life” and “The End of Life: Issues and Choices.” For an office appointment or to find out about attending a free Workshop, Mrs. How may be reached at [email protected] or 440-786-9449.

The Title to Your Home - Is It What You Want?Making Sense

of the LawLinda J. How, J.D.

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EMPLOYERS, JOB SEEKERS & YOUTH

Though our name is changing, our “commitment to service” to Cuyahoga County residents seeking

employment and training opportunities remainsa “high priority”!

To better assist you, shortly we will roll out a new, easier-to-navigate, more informative website.

The new website address will be: ohiomeansjobs.com/cuyahoga

For assistance, visit one of our locations:Downtown:1020 Bolivar Rd, Cleveland, OH 44115 (216) 664-4673

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You know how to make real pierogies

You hate Pittsburgh and Baltimore

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You drink …. A LOT

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“certain ethnic” when telling a joke.

You laugh at the words lake effect

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process would draw on the principles of restorative justice. Rooted in indigenous teachings, for some 40 years the international RJ movement has been creating safe spaces for encounters between persons harmed and persons responsible for harm, including their families and communities. These encounters encourage participants to get to truth, address needs, responsibilities, and root causes, make amends, and forge different futures through restored relationships based upon mutual respect and recognition.

Restorative justice is founded on a worldview that affirms our participation in a vast web of interrelatedness. It sees crimes as acts that rupture the web, damaging the relationship not only between the individuals directly involved but also vibrating out to injure relationships with families and communities. The purpose of RJ is to repair the harm caused to the whole of the web, restoring relationships to move into a brighter future.

Applied to schools, communities, the justice system, and to redress mass social harm and create new futures, restorative justice is increasingly being recognized internationally. In Oakland, California, where I co-founded and direct Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth (RJOY), school-based programs are eliminating violence, reducing racial disparity in discipline, slashing suspension rates, dramatically boosting academic outcomes, and creating pathways to opportunity instead of pipelines to incarceration. These outcomes are documented in a 2010 study by UC Berkeley Law School and a soon-to-be-released report by the school district. Oakland’s RJ youth diversion pilot is interrupting racialized mass incarceration strategies and reducing recidivism rates to 15 percent. (Based on discussions with folks who run the program—no studies as yet.)

Police and probation officers are being trained in RJ principles and practices. Youth and police are sitting together in healing circles, and creating new relationships based on increased

trust and a mutual recognition of one another’s humanity.

It’s impossible to predict whether similar outcomes would emerge from a Truth and Reconciliation process in Ferguson—and the United States. But it’s our best chance. And, if history is any guide, it could result in restitution to those harmed, memorials to the fallen, including films, statues, museums, street renamings, public art, or theatrical re-enactments. It might also engender calls to use restorative and other practices to stop violence and interrupt the school-to-prison pipeline and mass incarceration strategies. New curricula could emerge that teach both about historic injustices and movements resisting those injustices. Teach-ins, police trainings, restorative policing practices, and police review commissions are also among the universe of possibilities.

In the face of the immense terrain to be covered on the journey toward a more reconciled America, no single process will be enough. However, a Ferguson Truth and Reconciliation process could be a first step towards reconciliation. It could put us on the path of a new future based on more equitable structures and with relationships founded on mutual recognition and respect. It could also serve as a prototype to guide future truth and reconciliation efforts addressing related epidemics such as domestic violence, poverty, the school-to-prison pipeline, and mass incarceration. A Ferguson Truth and Reconciliation Commission could light the way into a new future.

Ellen Augustine, M.A., is a speaker and author on national currents and the emerging sustainable economy. She may be reached at [email protected], 510-428-1832, w w w . s t o r i e s o f h o p e . u s . Questions, feedback, and topic ideas for future columns are welcome.

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