The Heights December 11 - 25, 2014 Volume 4 :: No. 25

Community News

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Garfield Heights and Maple Heights

PHOTO: Garfield Heights Figure Skater Katie McBeath with Coach Sally Tasca. McBeath recently won first place at the Eastern Sectional Championship and is hoping to qualify for the 2105 U.S. National Championship.

Garfield Heights Figure Skater Katie McBeath is the first local skater to advance to the United States Junior Figure Skating Championships and has now won a silver medal in the 2014 U.S. Collegiate Figure Skating Championship and the North Atlantic Regional Figure Skating Senior Ladies Championship. The skater has advanced to the Eastern Sectional Championship in the hopes of qualifying for the 2015 U.S. National Championship.

Katie began skating at age six in the Garfield Heights Learn-to-Skate Program and now serves as a coach and teaches private skating lessons at the Dan Kostel Recreation Center and in other communities. She has performed

in numerous Garfield Heights ice shows and is a former Mayor’s Trophy and Betty Bosell Outstanding Skater Award winner. She competes nationally, and is a four-time regional medalist and two-time sectional competitor. Katie began training with former Garfield Heights coach Samantha Goliet and is now training with Sally Tasca and Jacqueline Henry.

She is a 2013 Honors Graduate of Ohio Virtual Academy and is majoring in psychology at Cuyahoga Community College. She hopes to one day earn a Doctorate in child psychology. She is a volunteer at University Hospital’s Rainbow Babies and Children’s Case Medical Center.

Katie is the daughter of Decino and Diana McBeath and has one sister, Annie.

Garfield Heights Figure Skater Earns Recognition Could Compete in 2015 U.S. National Championship

The nation’s #1 heart program is now at South Pointe Hospital.

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Happy Holidays from The Heights Standard

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

www.thenewstandard.com The New Standard

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Help for Garfield Heights families is just a phone call away. The new Family Resource Center at the Garfield Heights Civic Center, 5407 Turney Road, has information to assist families with drug treatment, counseling

and prevention services, support groups, and other needs. Office hours vary, so it is best to call and make an appointment.

Call the Help Line, 216-475-1103, or e-mail rpollack@garfieldhts.org for assistance.

Help Available Through Family Resource Center

The HeightsStandard

Buyers no longer will be required to put repair funds into an escrow account for violations cited during the point-of-sale inspection. Repairs still must be made by the deadline set by the city’s building

department. Buyers will receive a one-year family recreation pass, limit one per family. Members are still required to purchase an identification card at the recreation center.

Garfield Heights New Homebuyer Incentives

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Upcoming Recreation Center Activities in Garfield HeightsIndoor soccer (Futsal) registration

runs from Dec. 1 through Jan. 17.The annual Christmas Skating

Exhibition is from 4-6 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 13. Participants in the municipal

skating program will perform. There is an admission fee.

The annual Skate with Santa for residents and season pass holders only will be from 3-5:15 p.m.,

Sunday, Dec. 21. Children must be accompanied by an adult and proof of residency is required for admission.

For information about recreation

activities and public skating sessions (additional dates will be added during the winter break), call 216-475-7272.

December 11 - 25, 2014

Garfield Heights Telephone Scam AlertsGarfield Heights officials have

received reports of telephone scams demanding immediate payment for taxes and utilities. Regarding the tax scam, the caller states he is from a tax collection agency and claims the person answering the phone owes taxes. The potential victim is told if they do not pay within one

hour, they will be arrested. There is no authorized tax collection procedure of this type, said Police Chief Robert Sackett. He said if anyone receives a call and believes they owe taxes, the person should contact the tax collection agency directly. No personal information, such as bank information or social

security numbers, should be given to someone saying you owe taxes.

The Illuminating Company is warning customers about a scam involving a telephone caller posing as and electric company employee threatening to shut off power unless and immediate payment is made using a pre-paid debit

card. Although the utility company reminds customers of past due accounts, a variety of payment options would be presented.

Anyone who receives a call they are uncomfortable with taking, should hang up. Suspicious calls also can be reported to the police.

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

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

The Heights Standard

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December 11 - 25, 2014

The Library, administration and all branches, is CLOSED from Wednesday, December 24th through Thursday, December 25th for the Christmas holiday. Regular hours resume on Friday, December 26, 2014.

The Library, administration and all branches, is CLOSED from Wednesday, December 31st through Thursday, January 1st for the New Year’s holiday. Regular hours resume on Tuesday, January 2, 2015.

Affordable Care Act Assistance:Branch: Maple HeightsDate: Wednesdays 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Access to EducationBranch: Maple HeightsDate: Thursday, December 11, 2014

10:00 AM – 12:00 PMThe Educational Opportunity Center

Student Advisers will be available to provide academic advising, help with completing

financial aid, and career exploration. Stop by to take advantage of the services available. No appointment necessary.

Rick Iacoboni Presents Holiday Music Branch: Maple HeightsDate: Tuesday, December 13, 2014 2:00

PM – 4:00 PMTraditional and Contemporary Holiday

Music to celebrate the season.

Tinker TuesdaysBranch: Maple HeightsDate: Tuesday, December 16, 2014 6:30

PM – 7:30 PMGrades K-5: Join us in the Tinker Space

to explore gravity, aerodynamics and other STEM activities.

E n c o r e E n t r e p r e n e u r : Concept2Business

Branch: Maple HeightsDate: Wednesday, December 17, 2014

7:00 PM – 8:30 PMLooking for a new career- self employment

may be for you. This class will help you explore the in and outs of entrepreneurship. Take the challenge and see if you are ready to be an entrepreneur. Have a fantastic idea for your business or are you looking for one - Generate and cultivate your idea business and learn what factors should be considered when developing a business concept.

Holiday Movie NightBranch: Maple HeightsDate: Thursday, December 18, 2014 7:00

PM – 8:15 PMJoin us for our annual holiday movie

night. Enjoy a movie with popcorn and make a fun craft.

Island of Misfit Toys Workshop

Branch: Maple HeightsDate: Monday, December 22, 2014 4:00

PM – 5:00 PMGrades 1-5: Make room for new toys

by breaking old ones into bits and pieces. Then, use parts like doll arms, truck wheels and googly eyes to construct your own one-of-a-kind sculpture. Feel free to bring clean cast-off toys from home. Registration required.

Kwanzaa Community Celebration Branch: Maple HeightsDate: Friday, December 26, 2014 1:00

PMThe National Council of Negro Women,

Western Reserve Section, presents the 13th Annual Kwanzaa Celebration and Workshop. Please join us for an entertaining and educational afternoon honoring family, community and culture. A Karamu (African feast) will follow the program.

Library Spotlight

Cuyahoga County and City of Cleveland to coordinate assistance for abuse victimsCuyahoga County Executive Ed

FitzGerald and Cleveland Municipal Court Administrative and Presiding Judge Ronald B. Adrine joined City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County officials, as well as community stakeholders, this afternoon to formally open the new Family Justice Center that will provide a single location for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and elder abuse to receive critical services.

“It’s important that all of us work together to end domestic violence and sexual assault and to ensure that we provide victims with the best resources available in their time of need,” said County Executive FitzGerald. “I am grateful for the support this project has received from Cuyahoga County, the City of Cleveland, and especially Judge Ronald B. Adrine, who has worked especially hard to make to make this project a reality.”

The Family Justice Center, located at

75 Erieview Plaza, Suite 500, provides a central location for primary legal and social services, all the while providing a comfortable and safe environment. Both Cuyahoga County and the City of Cleveland have committed $175,000 annually to run the spacious 13,500 square foot venue. Additional benefits of the Family Justice Center include:

•One stop center for victims and their children

•Promotes collaboration, coordinated case management, and increased data and information sharing.

•Increased victim engagement, which can result in higher rates of prosecution and prevention of re-assault

•Comprehensive services targeted towards all victims/survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and child/elder abuse

“The new Cuyahoga County family Justice Center is a much needed resource

for Cleveland families and children victimized by crime,” added Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson. “It is important to our community that resources for those affected by crime be available quickly, easily, and as painlessly as possible. I would like to thank all those involved in making this project happen.”

“After a decade of thinking about this concept and seeing other cities bring Family Justice Centers online, it’s great to see our community’s seven years of hard work come to fruition,” added Judge Adrine. “The Family Justice Center will allow victims of interpersonal violence to address a multitude of crucial needs in one location, as opposed to running all over town to put their lives back together.”

Initial planning funds for the Family Justice Center were obtained through the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).

Additional funding was provided by Saint Luke’s Foundation for furnishing and items to make the Family Justice Center feel more like a home, and less like an institution.

“Cuyahoga County’s Family Justice Center has truly been a labor of love and we are thrilled that our planning and hard work has come to fruition,” said Witness/Victim Service Center & Family Justice Center Manager Jill Smialek. “We’ve been fortunate to have committed partners, both public and private, who have shared their expertise, and we are confident that we have designed a center that puts victims and their needs first. Ultimately, people will be safer and move on to healthier lives because this center exists.” - See more at: executive.cuyahogacounty.us

Come Out and Play this Winter at MetroParks Edgewater ParkDon’t hibernate this December! Winter

is a great time of year to venture outside and enjoy cold weather activities. Cleveland Metroparks 18 reservations offer a variety of winter recreation experiences ranging from sledding and tobogganing to snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. This year the Park District has created unique opportunities for park visitors to have some wintry fun at Edgewater Park in Cleveland Metroparks Lakefront Reservation.

Beginning December 19, park guests can see the largest snowman on Lake Erie, a great winter photo opportunity with a group or as a selfie. This man-made snowman stands over 16 feet tall and was constructed in-house by the Cleveland Metroparks Visual Communications division. But unlike Frosty, this snowman won’t melt into a puddle of water. The gigantic snowman will be standing tall at Edgewater Park through the month of January from 6 am. to dusk, daily.

And children and adults will have a blast navigating the twists and turns of a self-guided maze while learning cool, fun facts about Lake Erie: Is Lake Erie the deepest lake in the Great Lakes? How many people get their tap water from Lake Erie annually? Find out the answer to these and other questions while traveling through the maze structure. Questions printed on graphic exhibit panels are located at six different intersections. Correct answers lead guests on the right path

to the next question. Incorrect answers take participants in the wrong direction or to a dead end. Go through the maze again and again until all questions have been answered correctly (or as many times as you’d like).

“We encourage everyone to join us at Edgewater Park for some frosty fun, wonderful photo opportunities and a chance to make warm memories with family and friends,” said Brian Zimmerman, chief executive officer of Cleveland Metroparks.

A weekly Garfield Heights Families Anonymous Meeting offers free help to people whose loved ones are struggling with addiction. Families Anonymous is a 12-Step Program for anyone concerned about the drug and alcohol abuse or behavioral problems

of a relative or friend.Many recovery programs are

available for addicted loved ones when they are ready to seek help and recovery. However, Families Anonymous is for you - the parent, spouse, brother, sister, or any other

emotionally involved relative or friend. Your identity is protected at all meetings as anonymity is an underlying principal of the program.

Families Anonymous meetings are every Tuesday at the Garfield Heights Family Resource Center, located in the

Civic Center, 5407 Turney Road. For information, send an e-mail to

GHaddictionhelp@gmail.com, or call 216-475-1103.

Does someone in your family have a problem with drugs or alcohol?

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

www.thenewstandard.com The New Standard

Columbus & Ohio4 The Heights Standard

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.

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 Floordodsonsmiles@yahoo.com

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December 11 - 25, 2014

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Merry Christmas

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

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

Columbus & Ohio The Heights Standard

Museum Presents Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age Exhibition

This winter, the Ice Age and Cleveland collide in a thrilling exhibition that transports visitors to a world dominated by colossal creatures. For millions of years they survived, living in temperate climates and on the wind-swept lands of the frozen north—great beasts weighing as much as eight tons and bearing tusks up to 16 feet long. Mammoths and mastodons were wonderfully successful mammals of the Ice Age. They were a source of food and artistic inspiration for ancient peoples who lived in Europe, Asia and North America. But despite their size and ability to adapt to different habitats, these early cousins of the elephant eventually went extinct—leaving us an abundant fossil record. Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age, an exploration of these fascinating animals, opens at The Cleveland Museum of Natural History Nov. 22, 2014 and is on display through April 19, 2015.

The exhibition, developed by The Field Museum in Chicago, brings to life how these animals lived and their interactions with one another and with ancient humans. The exhibition is geared for all ages and is an experience the whole family will enjoy.

Mammoths and Mastodons gives visitors an opportunity to delve deeper into the Ice Age world. The exhibition shows environments that awe and amaze through large-scale projections, walk-through dioramas and virtual experiences. Mammoths and Mastodons features large, fleshed-out creatures and skeletons that visitors can touch and examine up close. Also showcased are rare and evocative objects including some of the oldest art in existence, huge skulls and tusks, weird and wonderful mammoth relatives—including dwarf mammoths—and mastodon bones collected by William Clark (of Lewis and Clark) for President Thomas Jefferson’s own collection. It also details the scientific methods used to study beasts from the past as well as their surviving relatives: modern-day elephants.

The star of the exhibition is a replica of a 42,000-year-old intact baby mammoth specimen named Lyuba (pronounced Lee-OO-bah) that a Siberian reindeer herder and two of his sons discovered in 2007. Lyuba is the most complete and best preserved specimen of her kind.

Museum visitors will discover answers to many questions, such as how these creatures balanced their heavy tusks, how much a mammoth ate in a day, and how elephants “talk” to each other. Mammoths and Mastodons explores not only how these Ice Age creatures lived, forming herds similar in social structure to those of modern elephants, but also how they died and became extinct. It looks at the roles played by climate change, human predation and other factors in their demise.

Mammoths and mastodons have long been popular at The Cleveland Museum of Natural History. The famous Johnstown mastodon, on permanent display in the Museum’s Kirtland Hall of Prehistoric Life, is recognized as one of the best mastodon specimens ever recovered. Discovered by a farmer in 1926, the remains were quickly identified as belonging to a mastodon. Also showcased in the

t r a v e l i n g e x h i b i t will be the M u s e u m ’ s H a r t l e y m a s t o d o n , a small adult female m a s t o d o n f o u n d preserved in a bog near Salem, Ohio. The complete skull, one tusk and two

vertebrae of this local find will be on display.

The Cleveland exhibition is sponsored by Thompson Hine with additional local support from Dr. Michael E. Gallagher, DDS. Promotional sponsors are: Cleveland Magazine, 89.7 WKSU and ideastream WVIZ-WCPN-WCLV.

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History receives public support with local tax dollars from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, to preserve and enrich the region’s artistic and cultural heritage.

Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age is free with Museum admission. Admission fees are: $14 adults; $10 ages 3-18, college students with valid ID and seniors over age 60; free for children 2 and under. Admission Wednesdays after 5 p.m. is $7. Shafran Planetarium shows are $5 with general admission or $7 for planetarium only tickets. The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is located at 1 Wade Oval Drive in University Circle, 15 minutes east of downtown Cleveland.

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Welcoming a trusted team.Internal Medicine Practice joins Cleveland Clinic

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

www.thenewstandard.com The New Standard

Columbus & Ohio6 The Heights StandardDecember 11 - 25, 2014

Ellen Augustine, M.A.

What’s up, America?

Stuffing the Stockings at Walmart? Think Again.

Walmart spends a lot of money polishing its corporate image to make you think it’s your cheap and convenient godsend. But what it carefully keeps out of the headlines are its intensive efforts to cut its corporate tax rate (beyond the billions it saves from loopholes), and the poverty-level wages it pays its workers so that the public must supplement them through food stamps, housing vouchers, and healthcare assistance—in the amount of $6.2 billion per year.

What does this mean in the lives of real people? Meet Victoria Alvarez, age 50, who has been working at Walmart for more than 5 years. Reporter Alyssa Figueroa interviewed her for the her November 26 article, “Working for Walmart Is Even Worse Than You Think.” http://www.alternet.org/activism/working-walmart-even-worse-you-think?akid=12515.1084699.O-8_m3&rd=1&src=newsletter1027801&t=4

“When I met Victoria at a café after her shift at Walmart, I didn’t notice her knee brace. Instead I noticed her dark eyes and glittery nail polish, which in some ways is a great metaphor for Alvarez. She’s hurting, but her bold personality still dominates. Within seconds of meeting her, you can tell she’s the type of person who’s fun to be around; she talks with her hands, speaks her mind and doesn’t take anyone’s shit. Her voice is confident and captivating, and she had a lot to say. She applied to work at Walmart during the 2009 recession. She lives with her husband in their mobile home. Alvarez works full-time and started at $9 an hour. After five years, she makes $11.”

“In the beginning, I almost lost my mobile home because I struggled,” Alvarez said. “My husband was sick and out of work. I had to borrow from friends, from family for a very long time.”

“But there was more to the burden of working at Walmart than just low wages. Alvarez noticed things weren’t right. ‘A lot of people were punished for things they weren’t suppose to be, like not finishing their work on time. A lot of people were doing the work of three to four people. That’s what happened to me.’”

“Alvarez and her supervisor ran Walmart’s Tire & Lube Express department. She was servicing customers, making keys, dealing with tires, and carrying heavy merchandise. ‘I was forced to skip meals,’ she said, adding that many of her co-workers have to skip meals, too. Then the workers manipulate the punch-out clock to make it look like they took a break.”

“They say, ‘If we find out you do it

we’ll fire you,’” Alvarez said. ‘But then they show you how to do it.’”

“Eventually, Alvarez got carpal tunnel syndrome and showed managers a doctor’s note explaining that she needed modified work. But they wouldn’t recognize it. Alvarez had to call on California’s Labor Department, which finally wrote a letter to her Walmart store. Her managers then moved her to greeting customers and pushing carts. ‘I had to push carts with the leg I have, with my bad knee,’ she said.”

“When I asked Alvarez if she has healthcare, her face reddened. ‘This is what happened with healthcare,’ she began to explain, tears welling up. She pays $80 a month for Walmart’s lowest option for health insurance. This is all she can afford. While workers’ compensation took care of her carpal tunnel surgery, an emergency room visit for appendicitis left her with a $22,000 bill which she had no means to pay. Alvarez applied for government financial aid, which fortunately took care of the bill.”

“I asked Alvarez why she joined OUR Walmart—the Organization United for Respect at Walmart—and she smiled. She recalled the day she saw her co-worker walk into the store wearing a bunch of OUR Walmart bracelets two years ago. ‘I joked with him and said, Oh I like your bracelets, can I have one? He told her that the group was a communitiy of former and current workers fighting for better working conditions. I said, ‘Oh my god, this is what I need!’ I really wanted to join because I had a lot to say.”

“Alvarez has since participated in many actions, including strikes and rallies in front of Rob Walton’s house. I asked Alvarez what she wanted to see change at Walmart.”

“Retaliation is the most important thing I want to end,” she said. “That if you speak out about getting $15, about getting full-time, getting predictable scheduling, about the OUR Walmart organization or better health insurance, or workers comp or if you tell your manager, ‘Hey, I need people here to help me because the load that you’re giving me is for three people and I’m not going to be able to finish,’ they retaliate on you. And I want that to end.”

“Alvarez began rattling off instances she felt she had been retaliated against. Once, she was called into the office and told she was disrespecting the dress code by wearing jeans. She was told either to go home or buy a pair of pants at Walmart. But Alvarez wasn’t wearing jeans. She was wearing black pants and fortunately saw a co-worker wearing the same pants in khaki. She pointed this out to her managers and told them, ‘If you’re sending me home, you have to apply the same rules to everyone.’ They told her to forget the whole thing.”

“Another time, she was working apparel and needed to go to the restroom, so she called for backup.

After waiting nearly an hour and calling for backup three times, she just went. When she got back, she was written up for her ‘irresponsible’ act and for being ‘disrespectful’ to management. Alvarez admits she was aggressive.”

“Of course, you’re going to get mad when someone comes and tells you that you’re irresponsible,” she said. “I held it for almost an hour. I was waiting for someone to come. I didn’t see anybody. When I came back somebody was already there—it was like they were waiting for me to come back.”

“Most recently she faced retaliation after coming back from a strike in Los Angeles, where OUR Walmart members held their first store sit-in.”

“When I came back from the strike, they sent me to work by myself at the men’s department for two days,” she said. “And then the managers called everyone in and said the schedules for the holiday week were ready and were designed based on people’s talents. And I was on for one day only. That was the first time in five years I was scheduled to work only one day. And I said to my manager, ‘Is this retaliation because I went on strike or am I not talented?’”

“The manager ultimately gave Alvarez 40 hours. But she didn’t work all of it. She participated in OUR Walmart’s Black Friday strikes, the organization’s largest ever, with actions happening at 1,600 stores. She also struck on Thanksgiving, when Walmart’s Black Friday sale began at 6pm. She told me that instead of Walmart giving employees bonuses for working on the holidays like they used to, they now only get a 25-percent-off coupon.”

“How are we going to shop when we don’t have money to spend? It’s so ridiculous,” she said. “I really believe that by striking on Black Friday, we can change how things work. We really need to participate to change things. If we don’t participate, it will remain the same. We have come so far to not participate. We have started something that is very brave for everybody.”

“I ask Alvarez if she ever feared standing up to Walmart. ‘No, no, no, not at all. Whatever sacrifice it takes to change things, I will do it. I’m not doing it only for me; I’m also doing it for my co-workers. For all those who don’t have the courage. For all of those who are scared to speak out.’”

“I asked Alvarez if there was anything else she wanted to say. She told me that several of her co-workers get injured on the job but they’re too scared to file for worker’s compensation. One of her managers recently got fired for slapping a worker. A few of her co-workers are homeless and live on the couches of family, friends or co-workers.”

“One of my co-workers, he’s older, he lives in his car,” she said. “He has the car parking there. He eats there, he sleeps there, he takes showers I don’t know where, but he’s always there.”

“She told me that the way Walmart

does evaluations is unfair because they are often done by random managers, who don’t really know the workers they assess so they only give a standard satisfactory mark. That lands you a 20-40 cent raise for the year. An excellent mark gets you a 60-cent raise, the highest Walmart gives. ‘You’ll never excel. It doesn’t matter how hard you work, how much work you do, how faithful you are to Walmart, get there on time every day, when they call you to come in. You never excel.’”

She told me that seeing how some of her co-workers struggle breaks her heart. Another way she sees their struggle is when she’s working the register and rings up her co-workers’ lunches. ‘One woman eats the same 59-cent can of soup every day,’ she said. ‘It’s all she can afford.’”

At the end of the interview Victoria Alvarez said, “Well, I am in fear. Really I am in fear. But if Walmart fires me I’m sure something better is waiting for me out there—that’s how I want to think. But the only thing that I would regret is not being there for my co-workers. And it doesn’t matter if they fire me, I’m going to continue fighting until the end by supporting my co-workers with my presence in every strike. When I start something, I like to finish.”

Come January 1, 2015, more of Victoria’s coworkers may be driven to standing with her. On that date, “Employees who work less than 30 hours per week will no longer be offered health benefits. Meanwhile, Walmart is showing a growth of 2.8% from last year’s $116.1 billion in net sales.” Keeping people on part-time to avoid paying benefits is not a new Walmart strategy.

“Adding insult to injury, the Walton family boasts a net worth of $144.7 billion. While business tycoons like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet have given 36.2% and 26.9% of their respective wealth to charitable causes, the Waltons have merely donated 0.04% of their fortune. In contrast to America’s richest family, the average middle class person earning a salary between $50,000 and $99,000 contributes 6% of their discretionary income to charity.” http://www.nationofchange.org/2014/10/10/wal-mar t- cuts-health-benefits-30000-employees-profits-continue-rise The Walton fortune is equal to the bottom 42% of Americans’ worth.

Walmart’s CEO makes more in 1 hour than most of their employees make in an entire year. In contrast, the Oklahoma City superstore has a food bin in the back with a sign: “Canned Food Drive! Let’s Succeed by Donating to Associates in Need! Thanks for Your Support!” http://www.nationofchange.org/2014/11/21/tax-dodging-wal-mart-holds-another-food-drive-impoverished-workers/

While Walmart is the world’s

see WALMART page 8

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

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

Columbus & Ohio The Heights StandardThe Heights Standard

Bring the Kids to Meet Santa at MetroParks Zoo Dec. 6-21The Chalet in Cleveland Metroparks Mill

Stream Run Reservation is the place to be for holiday cheer when Santa visits for a special breakfast from 8-11 a.m. on Sunday, December 14.

Families have two packages to choose from, a holiday crafters ticket at $18 per person or a toboggan time ticket at $25 per person. Both options include a delicious pancake breakfast (served from 8-9:30 a.m.) including sausage, pastries, cereal, coffee, juice and milk, a visit from Santa during breakfast, a holiday craft to take home, face painting and a winter-themed photo booth picture.

The toboggan time ticket also includes unlimited rides on the Chalet’s toboggan chutes from 8-11 a.m. All toboggan riders must be 42 inches or taller and must wear gloves or mittens to ride. Riders plunge 70 feet down this one-of-a-kind ride — the only public toboggan chutes in Ohio. Toboggans can reach speeds up to 50 mph depending upon the weather conditions (the refrigerated ice chutes can operate with or without snow)! The Chalet also features two fireplaces, a large-screen TV, indoor restrooms and a loft with video games.

Reservations are required for Breakfast with Santa at the Chalet. To purchase tickets, call (440) 572-9990. Breakfast with Santa is a rain or shine event.

Santa returns to the Chalet for a holiday kick-off party from 6-9 p.m. on Friday, December 19. Celebrate the spirit of the season by bringing a non-perishable food item to be donated to a local food bank or animal shelter and receive a $1 discount off the purchase of a toboggan admission, and receive an ornament to place on the Chalet’s community holiday tree. Each additional food item donated will earn guests the chance to win prizes and other discounts. (Guests must be present to win prizes. Toboggan chutes will stay open until 10:30 p.m.)

Cleveland Metroparks ZooCleveland Metroparks Zoo makes way

for Santa on Saturdays and Sundays in December. Look for jolly old St. Nick in the Wolf Wilderness lodge in the Zoo’s Northern Trek area from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on

December 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21. Guests will be able to relax by the fireplace in the

lodge while their kids visit with Santa -- away from the usual hustle and bustle of the mall. Souvenir photos will be available

for $5 with proceeds going to the American Association of Zoo Keepers.

For more information, visit clevelandmetroparks.com or call (440) 572-9990.

December 11 - 25, 2014

Lake Erie Snowman and Winter MazeFriday, December 19 through Saturday,

January 31 - 6 a.m. to duskEdgewater Park ∙ Lakefront

ReservationCome out and play at Edgewater Park

this winter! While you’re there, see the largest, man-made snowman on Lake Erie, a wonderful winter photo opportunity. And, have a blast navigating the twists and turns of the self-guided Winter Maze while learning cool, fun facts about Lake Erie!

Also on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, December 3 – 27, follow Cleveland Metroparks on Facebook and Twitter for clues to the Snowman Scavenger Hunt. A smaller, man-made traveling snowman will magically appear on Saturdays at various locations throughout the Park District. The first 50 people who find the snowman on Saturday, at the specified time, will win prizes!

Breakfast with Santa at the ChaletSunday, December 14 ∙ starts at 8 a.m.Chalet Recreation Area ∙ Mill Stream

Run ReservationEnjoy a delicious pancake breakfast

including sausage, pastries, cereal, coffee, juice and milk (served 8 – 9:30 a.m.) and top it off with a visit from Santa. Children will enjoy making a holiday craft, face painting and winter-themed photo booth pictures. Fee: $18, or $25 which includes unlimited toboggan chute rides from 8 – 11 a.m. Reservations are required, call 440-572-9990.

Kick off the Holidays at the Chalet!Friday, December 196 – 9 p.m.Chalet Recreation Area ∙ Mill Stream

Run ReservationJoin Santa at the Chalet and help

decorate the Chalet’s community holiday tree. Celebrate the spirit of the season

by bringing a non-perishable food item to be donated to a local food bank or animal shelter. In return, receive $1 off the purchase of a toboggan admission and an ornament to place on the community tree.

Hand Feed a ChickadeeDecember 20 - 24 and 26 - 31 from 10

a.m. to noonBrecksville Nature Center ∙ Brecksville

ReservationFREECreate a new family tradition with this

unique wildlife activity! Stop by the nature center and hand feed the chickadees. Experience the thrill of chickadees (and titmice) landing in your hand to take a sunflower seed. The black oil sunflower seeds along with helpful hints are provided.

December Days at the ZooDecember 26 - 30 with special activities

scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.FREE with Zoo admissionKeep the kids entertained and physically

active outdoors during winter break. December Days extend the holiday fun with special seasonal activities including crafts, cookie decorating, live music in The RainForest Café and Wolf Wilderness Lodge, and engaging meet-the-keeper sessions.

Noon Year’s Eve at the ZooWednesday, December 31 from 10 a.m.

to 1 p.m.FREE with Zoo admissionThe ball drops at noon over the Zoo’s

Welcome Plaza during this popular, family-friendly New Year’s Eve celebration. Activities include a countdown to noon, music and dancing with Popfusion and ice sculpting demonstrations.

MetroParks Top Six List of Things to do in December

8 :: 17 of Iyyar, 5768 :: May 22, 2008

www.thenewstandard.com The New Standard

Columbus & Ohio8 The Heights StandardDecember 11 - 25, 2014

Unique Gift and Card Shop!

The “Craft Ladies” invite the public to visit the Craft Room when shopping for a special gift or card!

Garfield Heights Senior Center

5407 Turney Road

Monday – Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Homemade baby blankets, booties, hats, beautiful scarves and decorative

items for homes.

Cards, wrapping paper, gift bags and more!

All unique items and for a reasonable price!

employer employing 2.2 million people (1.3 million in the U.S.), it also controls the lives of people who work in the warehouses that supply its stores. “This is an industry where retail giants like Wal-Mart use middlemen to hire workers in their warehouses to evade wage and hour laws.” Raymond Castillo works in a facility run by Schneider Logistics: “Unemployment is high here and a job in a warehouse is one of the most common jobs. All day we move Wal-Mart merchandise, but we are temporary workers. We get paid minimum wage with no health benefits. We have no job security, and we are treated with very little respect. I help Wal-Mart profits, but I can barely pay my bills.”

On May 14, 2014, just days after President Obama spoke at a California Walmart praising that location’s solar power and energy efficiency, “workers at three Schneider warehouses used by Wal-Mart agreed to settle a wage theft lawsuit by accepting a $21 million settlement. The workers had sued Wal-Mart and Schneider Logistics, alleging that they were often paid less than minimum wage, with no required breaks or overtime compensation.” http://truth-out.org/news/item/23753-walmar t-and- contractor-settle -$21-mil l ion-wage -theft-suit-days-after-obama-praises-penny-pinching-retailer

In other countries workers have the force of their government to stand up to Walmart. “In August 2014, the Public Attorney’s Office in the Brazilian state of Alagoas announced it was suing Walmart for $55 million over labor rights abuses.”

On November 19, workers in 10 countries around the world including Mexico, Argentina, Chile, South Africa, India, and Brazil demonstrated “to highlight Walmart’s poor labor practices from its retail stores throughout the entire supply chain, and to call for a living wage, consistent scheduling and employment security.” http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/27529-walmart-workers-rally-in-global-day-of-action-for-decent-work

While the focus of Walmart workers is to get a decent, livable wage for their hard work, the focus of the corporation is to further slash their taxes. Americans for Tax Fairness, a diverse coalition of 425 national and state coalitions, released a succinct report on November 20: “How Walmart is Dodging Billions in Taxes and Scheming to Avoid Billions More.” http://www.americansfor taxfairness.o r g / 2 0 1 4 / 1 1 / 2 0 / h o w -walmart-is-dodging-billions-in-taxes/

Key Findings include:•Walmart is the largest

corporation in America with revenues of $473 billion and $16 billion in profits in 2013. The U.S. statutory corporate tax rate is 35%. But Walmart uses tax loopholes to reduce its effective tax rate to 29%--for a savings of $1 billion a year, on average.

•Walmart is avoiding paying taxes on $21.4 billion in offshore profits.

•Walmart plays a leading role in efforts to reduce corporate taxes. Walmart works to influence tax legislation in 3 ways: lobbying, campaign contributions, and issue advocacy via major corporate coalitions. Walmart employs 74 lobbyists—80% of whom have previously served in government—and has spent $33 million lobbying.

•Walmart could dodge billions more in taxes under a territorial tax system.

This would eliminate all U.S. taxation of offshore profits. A territorial tax system would also provide even more incentives for corporations to shift production and profits offshore to low-tax countries. One study has estimated that such a system would encourage U.S. corporations to create 800,000 jobs in low-tax countries rather than at home.

If you need more to help bolster your resolve to break your Walmart habit, google “The High Cost of Low Price,” the documentary by Robert Greenwald.

As the largest employer, Walmart’s policies influence diverse industries and sectors. Do we really want a nation of low and minimum wage workers who struggle to survive and are dependent on government services funded by other

taxpayers?Walmart workers don’t want a

handout. They want just remuneration. Stop shopping at Walmart to force the greedy Waltons to recognize that workers are the ones who build their profits. And go to www.forrespect.org to see how you can support the workers.

Ellen Augustine, M.A., is a speaker and author on national currents and the emerging sustainable economy. She may be reached at ellenaugustine@earthlink.net, 510-428-1832, www.storiesofhope.us. Questions, feedback, and topic ideas for future columns are welcome.

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