Hampton Roads Messenger April 2014 Edition

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Personal and Professional Empowerment

Vol 8 Number 8

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Serving Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach since 2006

Networking at Palm Gardens in Norfolk Every Thursday

NSU History Professor Wins Scholar Award

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April 2014

Dominion Power and Library of Virginia Honor 'Strong Men & Women' Page 9

Head Over Heels for Family, Funding for African American Tech Careers and Education Start-ups is a Game Changer

BY BARBARA GRADY

Bonita Billingsley Harris, Dominion Virginia Power; Debbie PollockBerry, XO Communications; Barbara Ciara, WTKR-TV; Lynne HarrisTaylor, BET Networks

- Photo courtesy of Dominion Virginia Power

SPECIAL TO HRM

Higher education, high heels and historic family ties took center stage on March 21st at the closing luncheon of Hampton University’s 36th annual Conference on the Black Family.

The “Head Over Heels” luncheon paid tribute to five women for successfully balancing their communications careers and family values - all in style.

The 2014 “Head over Heels” honorees are: Debbie Pollock-Berry, senior vice president, Human Resources, XO Communications; Bonita Billingsley Harris, manager of media and community relations, Dominion Virginia Power; Barbara Ciara, anchor, News Channel 3; Lynne Harris-Taylor, vice president, Specials & Music Production, BET Networks; and Tina Lewis, president, The HRL Group.

The luncheon was made possible through generous support from Dominion Virginia Power, BET Networks, XO Communications, Campus 2 You, and Time Inc. “For the past 36 years, the Conference on the Black Family has paid tribute to African-American families and addressed the issues that confront our community,” said HU President Dr. William R. Harvey. “Having been around women in my own family who have succeeded professionally while understanding the importance that a strong family unit plays in our society today, I was particularly pleased that Hampton University recognized these outstanding women who embody those same ideals.”

The luncheon not only celebrated the women’s achievements, it brought together three current and former college presidents, first HEELS PAGE 3

This Edition’s Highlights Your Opinion Matters Hampton, VA: A True Land of Opportunity

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Editorial Networking Can Enhance Careers and Businesses

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Health Physical Activity for a Healthy Weight

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Hampton Roads “Placemaking” Awards Spotlight Businesses in Hampton

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Upcoming Events American Indian Pow Wow

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Scholarships Watch Joshua David Gardner Memorial Scholarship

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Oakland-based Mindblown Labs put gaming into education and garnered the largest Kickstarter campaign for any mobile game ever.

E-commerce site Mayvenn found an unserved market and is growing 40 to 60 percent a month in revenues, and GroupFlix is already Staff members of Oakland tech start-up Mayvenn. (Barbara Grady/Oakland Local) being described as another Netflix, prelaunch.

These tech start-ups are all in Oakland. tech industry appears to be more diverse And they were all started by African than the largely white male and Asian male tech industries across the bay and down the Americans. peninsula, based on the concentration of There’s a burgeoning tech industry in start-ups by people of color and women in Oakland, with a host of startups joining a the small tech eco-sphere here. SleekGeek dozen midsize tech companies and Oakland’s was started by a Latina, XEO Designs by a two technology giants, Pandora and Ask. woman, 2Locos by a team finding that their Oakland is becoming a place where tech Latino lifestyle tastes are unanswered on happens, not on the scale of San Francisco or e-commerce sites.

Silicon Valley, but enough to be a contender Also, start-ups in Oakland are often when startups figure out where to locate. driven by a social mission. Mindblown What’s more, and a potential game Labs aims to teach youth about financial changer in technology, is that Oakland’s literacy. GoldieBlox, started by women, GAME CHANGER PAGE 5

How to Improve Your Credit History and Pay Less for Loans

A credit report provides a record of your history of paying loans and bills, including any late payments. These reports are important because they can affect your ability to qualify for a low-cost loan or insurance policy, rent an apartment or find a job. However, a recent Federal Trade Commission (FTC) study found that a number of consumers had errors on their credit reports that could lead to them paying more for loans. What can you do to improve your credit reports?

Pay your bills on time. “If you’re late 30 days or more, the lender may report your account as delinquent to a credit reporting agency, and that will damage your credit history,” said Kirk Daniels, Acting Section Chief in the FDIC’s Consumer Protection Branch. “But your credit history will improve over time if you can avoid another late payment on your record.”

Reduce the amount that you owe on credit cards and other lines of credit. That will help improve your credit score, a numerical summary of your credit record as prepared by one of many companies. If you close an

account you have paid in full and haven’t used in a while, your debt-to-credit ratio (the amount you owe on credit cards compared to your credit limit) will increase. That could be interpreted as a sign that you have taken on more debt that you can handle. One option is to avoid closing unused accounts until you have paid down any large balances on another credit card.

Review your credit reports regularly for errors or signs of identity theft. You are entitled to receive at least one free credit report every 12 months from each of the nation’s CREDIT HISTORY PAGE 5

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NSU History Professor Wins Scholar Award A Norfolk State University history professor will be honored next month by the Virginia Social Science Association for her research and work to educate the public about Virginia history.

Dr. Cassandra Newby-Alexander will receive the 2014 VSSA Scholar Award in History at the organization’s 87th annual meeting in Richmond on April 19.

The professor, who has been at the University for 22 Dr. Cassandra Newby-Alexander years, said she is excited and appreciative of the honor. in Virginia. She says many aspects of Newby-Alexander said it is her goal African-American history are hidden as an educator and researcher to or left out of textbooks and historical help students and the public have an markers. Though the exclusion of Afriappreciation and respect for knowing can-American history into mainstream history. She was nominated for the history has improved on some levels, award by retired NSU sociology she said more changes need to occur in professor Judy Caron-Sheppard. the oversight of how the information is “As an educator, I strive to relate disseminated in education. the importance of understanding past For instance, the professor connections to our life and culture was recently featured in an article today,” Newby-Alexander said. in Collectors Weekly that focused The VSSA is the oldest on why storylines featured in the association of academic disciplines in Academy Award-winning film, “12 Virginia. The group brings educators Years a Slave,” are not talked about at together from several academic fields Southern plantation museums. Newand its mission is to break down by-Alexander says it is important that traditional educational boundaries more accurate stories are told. in pursuit of social science research, “Virginia is often referred to as dissemination of new ideas generated by that research and the fostering of the mother of African-Americans,” dialogue about teaching at all levels, Newby-Alexander said. “It is in Virginia that we see the origins of so according to its website.

One key area of expertise Dr. much American and African-American Newby-Alexander extensively history that formed the nation.” researches is African-American history

nsu.edu

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April 2014

Cox and The Trust for Public Land Launch 4th Annual Cox Conserves Heroes Awards Cox Communications, in partnership with The Trust for Public Land, today launched Virginia's 4th annual Cox Conserves Heroes program to honor local environmental volunteers.

Nominations for volunteers who are creating, preserving or enhancing outdoor spaces are being accepted at CoxConservesHeroes.com through 5 p.m. EST on April 21.

Judging panels comprised of local civic and environmental leaders will select one finalist from each of the following areas: Fairfax County/ Fredericksburg, Hampton Roads and Roanoke. The three finalists will then compete to be named Virginia's 2014 Cox Conserves Hero. The winner, chosen through an online public vote, will receive $10,000 to donate to his or her selected nonprofit beneficiary. The two finalists each will receive $2,500 for their nonprofits of choice.

Nominee activities must be performed on a volunteer basis and may not be part of an individual's paid job.

Virginia's Cox Conserves Heroes Timeline: • Nominations: March 24–April 21 • Voting: Late May • Winner Announcement: Late June Bill Gordge, Anne Little and

Heels FROM PAGE 1

ladies and their daughters for the first time in many years. In attendance were Dr. William and Norma Harvey at Hampton University, Drs. Harrison and Lucy Wilson formerly of Norfolk State University and Dr. Andrew and Amy Billingsley formerly of Morgan State University in Baltimore.

It was also a special reunion for their daughters - Attorney Kelly Harvey Gill, HU Journalism Professor April Wilson Woodard; one of the honorees, Bonita Billingsley Harris of Dominion Virginia Power.

Not only did the three women share a similar childhood growing up on college campuses, but they became reacquainted as dear friends and TV reporters in Hampton Roads before pursuing other careers.

Chris Clifford are previous recipients of Virginia's Cox Conserves Heroes award.

As either a finalist or winner's nonprofit of choice, the following Virginia organizations have received financial support from the Cox Conserves Heroes program: Blue Ridge Land Conservancy, Herndon Environmental Network, Lynnhaven River Now, Newport News Green Foundation, Park Partners, Pathfinders for Greenways, South Norfolk Neighborhood Watch, Tree Fredericksburg, Virginia Beach Clean Community Commission, Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation Foundation and Virginia Living Museum.

Cox Conserves Heroes also takes place in Arizona (Phoenix and Tucson), California (San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara and Orange County), Georgia (Atlanta), Louisiana (Acadiana, Baton Rouge and New Orleans) and Washington (Seattle).

More than $380,000 has been donated to local nonprofits and more than 100 volunteers have been honored through the Cox Conserves Heroes program.

For more information, visit CoxConservesHeroes.com or Facebook.

Social Media: #CoxConservesHeroes and #CoxConservesHero

“It was such a nice surprise for all of us to catch up,” said Billingsley Harris. “It was also wonderful to fellowship with so many dynamic women, share tips for success with students who want to pursue careers in communications and see the outpouring of support from Dominion for this great event.”

Hampton University has been holding the conference on the Black family since 1978, when HU President Dr. William R. Harvey recognized a need for consistent and formal dialogue concerning the African American community. It has provided an annual forum for people to come together to discuss important issues concerning the Black Family. This year, national leaders from media, entertainment, politics and education convened on Hampton University’s campus for the annual conference from March 19 to March 21.

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Physical Activity for a Healthy Weight

Why is physical activity important?

Regular physical activity is important for good health, and it's especially important if you're trying to lose weight or to maintain a healthy weight.

When losing weight, more physical activity increases the number of calories your body uses for energy or "burns off." The burning of calories through physical activity, combined with reducing the number of calories you eat, creates a "calorie deficit" that results in weight loss.

Most weight loss occurs because of decreased caloric intake.

However, evidence shows the only way to maintain weight loss is to be engaged in regular physical activity.

Most importantly, physical activity reduces risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes beyond that produced by weight reduction alone.

• Physical activity also helps to– • Maintain weight.

• Reduce high blood pressure.

• Reduce risk for type 2 diabetes, heart attack, stroke, and several forms of cancer.

• Reduce arthritis pain and associated disability.

• Reduce risk for osteoporosis and falls.

• Reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.

• How much physical activity do I need?

When it comes to weight management, people vary greatly in how much physical activity they need.

Here are some guidelines to follow: To maintain your weight: Work your way up to 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or an equivalent mix of the two each week. Strong scientific evidence shows that physical activity can help you maintain your weight over time.

However, the exact amount of physical activity needed to do this is not clear since it varies greatly from person to person. It's possible that you may need to do more than the equivalent of 150

3

minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week to maintain your weight.

To lose weight and keep it off: You will need a high amount of physical activity unless you also adjust your diet and reduce the amount of calories you're eating and drinking.

Getting to and staying at a healthy weight requires both regular physical activity and a healthy eating plan.

What do moderate- and vigorousintensity mean?

Moderate: While performing the physical activity, if your breathing and heart rate is noticeably faster but you can still carry on a conversation — it's probably moderately intense.

Examples include— • Walking briskly (a 15-minute mile).

• Light yard work (raking/bagging leaves or using a lawn mower).

• Light snow shoveling.

• Actively playing with children.

• Biking at a casual pace.

Vigorous: Your heart rate is increased substantially and you are breathing too hard and fast to have a conversation, it's probably vigorously intense. Examples include— • Jogging/running.

• Swimming laps.

• Rollerblading/inline skating at a brisk pace.

• Cross-country skiing.

• Most competitive sports (football, basketball, or soccer).

• Jumping rope.

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The Hampton Roads Messenger

Volume 8 Number 8

April 2014

Caregiver Fatigue: Editorial Dealing With It Starts With Networking Can Enhance Careers Recognizing You Have It and Businesses

BY ANGELA JONES

We often hear the word networking as we go about or daily routine but have you ever stopped to think about how it can make your daily routine easier and more fulfilling.

Networking is defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary as: the exchange of information or services among individuals, groups, or institutions; and as the cultivation of productive relationships for employment or business. According to experts, 70-80 percent of all open positions are not advertised; therefore, networking can give job seekers an advantage that those simply looking in the classified ads will not have. Handing out business cards at networking events can also be an inexpensive marketing tool for a business. When used properly, networking can take any career or business to new heights.

Attending a business networking event gets you in front of potential employers or customers. Whether networking with strangers or colleagues,you are usually in a more relaxed setting than in your office. The change in decor with the addition of

new people, music or food, is enough to lighten the mood and give you the needed nudge to ask your boss for a raise or approach the business prospect that previously seemed unapproachable.

Attending a business networking event helps you unwind and think out of the box - that is, your office. Once you unwind, you may be able to solve a problem that has been hanging over your head for some time. The people you meet at a business networking event can give you a fresh perspective on a topic or offer you advice on where you can find answers. Why should you spend countless hours in your office banging your head against the wall when there may be a myriad of people in your industry who have faced a similar problem and they are just around the corner waiting to share their collective wisdom with you.

Networking keeps you up to date on the latest tools and information in your industry. With information changing so rapidly in a digital age, networking is a way to keep up with advances in your industry. You can depend on your new network to share with you the updated information they have discovered. If you network with ten people that could equate to ten times the new information you would be able to uncover on your own.

While the rat race of everyday life may make you want to just go home and curl up with a good book in solitude, attending a networking event may be a better option to increase your chances for success in your career or business. Networking can save you both time and money. It requires less time than pouring over numerous books and websites looking for information and we all understand that time is money. It can also save you tons of marketing dollars that would be spent trying to find the same customers you would meet at a free networking event.

Networking at Palm Gardens in Norfolk Every Thursday from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m.

5957 East Virginia Beach Boulevard, Norfolk, VA

Established 2006 Angela Jones, Publisher Chris Parks, Editor Rae Willis, Graphic Designer Ida Davis, Contributing Writer

PO Box 10414 ● Norfolk, VA 23513 Sales and Information 757-575-1863 info@hamptonroadsmessenger.com Copyright pertaining to contents of this edition. All rights reserved.

BY EILEEN BEAL

9 Fatigue Symptoms Of Caregiving Stress

Former First Lady Roslyn Carter, founder of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving, says there are four kinds of The initially symptoms of fatigue from people in the world: Those who caregiver stress are insidious, but imporhave been caregivers, those tant for people to recognize so they take who are currently caregivers, action to manage their own energy, health those who will be caregivers and spirits. The signs usually include: and those who will need caregivers.”

• Waiting-for-the-other-shoe-to-drop nervousness or tension There should be a fifth: Those who don’t realize they • Situational bouts of sadness, “the have begun the caregiver blues” or tearing-up journey -- and their ranks are growing daily.

• Forgetfulness, inability to concen“They are helping mom trate and/or mental sluggishness balance her checkbook, phoning dad every morning to • Intermittent feelings of frustration, anger or guilt due to frequent intermake sure he takes his cholesterol-lowering, diabetes and ruptions and not being able to get arthritis medications, picking things done up groceries for a disabled neighbor -- all sorts of things. • Sporadic, often situational, feelings They don’t self-identify as of resentment, impatience or irritabilcaregivers because they are ity at colleagues, family members or ‘just’ being a good daughter the person you are “just” helping or son or neighbor,” said, Amy Goyer, AARP’s caregiving • Poor or interrupted sleep expert and author of the recently published Juggling • A looming feeling of isolation Work & Caregiving, which you • A growing realization of the sacrifices can download as a free AARP -- time, money, opportunities, etc. book. you are experiencing Recognizing Symptoms of An increase in aches, pains and, not surFatigue According to Goyer, who prisingly, blood pressure—a problem cares for her 90-year-old father, more prevalent among women than men, caregiver fatigue “encompasses according to recent research. a surprising range of feelings.”

She added, “If you don’t --Eileen Beal recognize what’s happening and why, you’ll just end up feeling guilty about your feelings. And caregiver journey.

Put a name on what you are guilt is a really useless feeling.” doing.

Caregiving isn’t only helping “Early on, symptoms of emotional out, it’s taking on responsibility for fatigue tend to come and go, and they the wellbeing of another person. “The tend to overlap, too, so people need to quicker a person self-identifies as a identify them – right off the bat – so they caregiver, the quicker they’ll be able to can take care of their emotional health recognize and deal with the emotional and other needs,” said Jo McCord, a roller-coaster [symptoms] that can senior caregiver consultant at San Francome as caregiver responsibilities cisco-based Family Caregiver Alliance. increase,” McCord said.

If you have just begun the Listen to your emotions. The caregiver journey and are experiencing feelings of stress and weariness are such symptoms as continually feeling normal responses to caregiving, said on edge or frequent bouts with Jody Gastfriend, vice president of “the blues (see sidebar, “9 Fatigue Senior Care Services at Care.com, an Symptoms Of Caregiving online resource connecting families Stress”) here are some strategies and caregivers. to help you manage the emotional The realization, she said, “will go stressors that can come early in the a long way toward helping you take CAREGIVER FATIGUE PAGE 6

April 2014

Game Changer FROM PAGE 1

hopes to inspire young girls to become engineers. Qeyno Labs, started by another African American, is a career discovery game for underserved kids needing mentors. Solar Mosaic is making solar electricity affordable for regular people and non-profits.

Impact HUB Oakland is providing a collaboration and innovation workspace for multi-cultural tech endeavors. Sleek-geek hopes to get kids more engaged in learning science through mobile apps.

“You see a lot of education start-ups planting roots here and some other social impact oriented start-ups, so you have a differentiating number here,” said Jason Young, co-founder of Mindblown Labs as well as the Hidden Genius Project, which teaches coding to young African Americans.

“It doesn’t hurt that we have Kapor Capital and New Schools Venture Fund,” two venture capital firms interested in funding initiatives that widen opportunity.

It’s also no accident that his non-profit the Hidden Genius Project is located here, or that Black Girls Code which teaches young girls to code, moved here. Indeed, President Obama invited two Oakland tech opportunity makers to his “My Brothers Keeper” initiative launch, along with Oakland’s Mayor.

At a time when the tech industry is sometimes vilified as elitist and indifferent to the housing needs and community ties of the average Bay Area worker, Oakland may be spearheading a more inclusive chapter in technology industry growth. The firms mentioned above are just a partial list of those started by people outside of the usual tech demographic.

But for Oakland’s tech industry to continue to grow, and do so in the quintessentially Oakland way as a diverse and social mission driven sector, will take intention, many experts say.

“Oakland is still iterating, the story is still largely being written,” Young said. “In terms of maintaining diversity and social impact, that definitely has to be nurtured,” he said. Otherwise, it could just be a San Francisco spill over.

Cedric Brown, managing partner of the Kapor Center for Social Impact, which moved here to pursue its mission of fostering diversity and opportunity in technology, agrees. He sees Oakland’s “rich social justice culture, its Silicon Valley proximity, its racial and ethnic pluralism and its open ended sense of possibilities,” as its strengths. But they won’t drive business.

“The fact that this will become a hub for black and brown tech innovation will not be by accident,” he said. “This community is working deliberately to ensure that Oakland has – and keeps – the resources talent and vibe that empowers people of color in the innovation economy.

The Kapor Center certainly aims to play a catalyzing role in that vibrant community.”

Why Oakland?

Plain supply and demand economics of commercial tenants pursuing cheaper rents drove many Oakland tech companies to launch

www.hamptonroadsmessenger.com here.

“Rent is substantially cheaper here than in San Francisco which is where most startups are. People are starting to choose here instead. I see more people moving to this side of the bay,” said Rockbot founder Ketu Petal, whose firm chose Oakland for its affordable rent. Rockbot sells an app that allows restaurants to offer customers the ability to choose ambient music from their iPhones.

“I am seeing techies move out here, in large part because it is cheaper to live here than in San Francisco and more convenient than living in the South Bay,” said Kurt Collins, founder of virtually-based Enole and another co-founder of the Hidden Genius Project.

“There are minority entrepreneurs moving to Oakland, so it is more diverse than, you know, San Francisco and more diverse than the Peninsula,” he said.

“The thing is, there‘s a difference between a start-up industry and a successful start up industry,” that grows to a midsize industry Collins said. The latter, he said, needs investors ready to help companies grow and networks of people with money to invest.

Need for investors, networks What Oakland does not have yet is well developed networks of moneyed investors and experienced entrepreneurs, that is, a critical mass of people ready and able to invest in what they see going on around them.

Start-up entrepreneurs in the Valley and San Francisco tend to rely on wealthy friends and family to fund their ideas in the early days to get their tiny start-ups off the ground, several people in the industry pointed out.

Sometimes those moneyed friends are employees or former employees of tech companies that have gone public, creating a lot of wealthy employees.

“You have entire networks, like the PayPal mafia,” of PayPal employees who cashed out their stock options when PayPal went public and then put their money into friends start ups, said Collins.

Then, if a startup idea proves minimally viable as a business, it can turn to angel investors as it grows, and on up the investment pipeline to venture financing and eventually to the public markets.

“There’s a Facebook mafia and a Twitter mafia,” Collins said. “YouTube wouldn’t have happened without the PayPal mafia,” that provided the start up cash, he said.

But to start, a company needs seed money from friends and family.

Relatively few African Americans and Latinos have wealthy family members and friends with extra money to invest in startups compared to their counterparts from white and Asian families.

“Those networks don’t exist in Oakland in any serious way,” he said.

“So the mere fact that people are moving here doesn’t mean success,” he said, “The other thing to look for is whether investors are moving here.”

Erik Moore, an Oakland resident and founder of Base VC venture capital firm in Berkeley, also applauded that more tech companies are launching in Oakland. But he too said that access to investors will be key to their staying power. Funding is what feeds the ability to grow. And getting funding,

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like getting hired, is easier if you are in the same network as the funders.

“Oakland is a less expensive real estate market so more start-ups are looking for space here. Once here, they might find tech talent that is African American or Latino more easily because they are a greater percent of the population,” Moore said. As a result, “in Oakland you might see senior people who are black at tech companies here even if the founder is not. So as an entrepreneur you might be a little bit more excited.

That might be helpful,” he said, to diversify the industry. But he said it will be incidental.

He doesn’t expect any of that to drive decisions. It’s about what will grow to be profitable.

“My firm is investing in companies that we believe will be sold for $1 billion,” Moore said of BaseVC. That is the lens through which all investments are scrutinized, he said, and “my responsibility to investors.”

“I have a handful of companies that happen to be led by African Americans,” he said, underscoring happenstance. Moore, who is African American and heralded by Business Insider magazine as one of the top 25 African Americans in tech, has invested in a range of companies in their early stage iteration, including Zappos, which went on to go public and reap millions. His current investments include some started by minority entrepreneurs like SocialCam and Pigeon.ly.

Sleek-geek co-founder Francisco Nieto said attracting the interest of investors, particularly venture capitalists, is where things get tough for entrepreneurs and where Latino entrepreneurs have not made much headway. ”There’re lots of efforts and organizations to promote diversity in tech,” he said, “but from what I’ve seen, VCs do not share the same aspirations. They show interest but I’ve yet to see a lot of positive actions,” in real funding.

Jose Corona, chief executive of Inner City Advisors, said that Oakland needs an ecosystem of networks of funders and people with experience willing to mentor others. He mentioned the Hidden Genius Project, Impact HUB Oakland and the Kapor Center as helping in that they focus on mentoring and widening the demographic circle of coders and tech entrepreneurs and tech workers.

said.

5

“It’s a huge responsibility,” he

A huge responsibility “When you think about it, over the next 20 years or so the majority of the population is going to be people of color, so tech companies should be looking at this population for either workers or customers. If I have a more diverse tech employee base, it will definitely be an edge,” Corona said.

Oaklanders are not the only ones with consciousness of this reality. Code2040 in San Francisco is a non-profit that works to create opportunities for engineers of color and chose its name based on the fact that demographers estimate that in the year 2040, the U.S. population will be more non-white than white.

African American and Latino computer and software entrepreneurs are emerging from universities, as Young, Collins, Kalimah Priforce of Qeyno Labs, James Norman of GroupFlix and Diishan Imira of Mayvenn prove. But only about 9 percent of engineering and science degrees conferred by U.S. universities in 2009 were to African Americans and Latinos, said the Kapor Center based on National Science Foundation studies.

The ranks thin out as a companies grow and their need for capital grows, according to University of California at Davis Professor Martin Kenney.

Among founders of venture capital-backed technology companies, fewer than 1 percent are African American and fewer than 1 percent are Latino, according to a National Venture Capital Association report of 2011. By the time companies are large enough to do initial public offerings of stock, their ranks thin out even more, Kenney said.

Data collected by Kenney and his colleague Don Patton on all U.S. emerging growth firms that did Initial public offerings between 1990 and 2010 found, among many other data points, that only 3 percent of IPO firms had women founders. The numbers for ethnic minorities, though not part of Securities and Exchange Commission filings data, appear to be worse. ”African Americans and Latinos are massively under-represented in tech.”

“It’s a question and challenge for the whole tech industry to push for diversity” Corona said.

A possible Edge for Oakland GAME CHANGER PAGE 6

Credit History FROM PAGE 1

three main credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion). Start at www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228. If you find errors, contact the credit bureau directly.

Also be cautious of other Web sites and services advertising “free” credit reports because these may be attempts to sell you something else or even scams to collect personal information.

“If possible, request your credit report well before you apply for a loan to give you time to correct any inaccurate information,” said Evelyn Manley, an FDIC Senior Consumer Affairs Specialist.

There also are “specialty” credit

bureaus that, for example, track a person’s history of handling a checking account. For information on your right to see and correct these companies’ reports, visit the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Web site at www.consumerfinance. gov/blog/you-have-a-right-to-see-specialty-consumer-reports-too.

If you have a complaint that you can’t resolve with either the credit bureau or the company that provided the information to the credit bureau, report it to the CFPB (go to https://help. consumerfinance.gov/app/creditreporting/ask or call 1-855-411-2372). And if identity theft is suspected — perhaps your credit report says there have been loans taken out in your name and you don’t recognize them — follow the steps recommended by the FTC at www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/feature-0014-identity-theft.

6

The Hampton Roads Messenger

Caregiver Fatigue FROM PAGE 4

action for your own well-being and not react to them in a negative way,” Embrace change. “Early on, people need to understand that the keys to being a successful caregiver are flexibility and adaptability on the journey,” Goyer emphasized.

Let go. Most causes of emotional fatigue are out of the caregiver’s control. Gastfriend recommended, “Early on, caregivers need to recognize their limitations and give themselves permission to let go of or delegate some of the responsibilities they have taken on.” She added, “When they do that, they can get the replenishment they need to continue replenishing others.”

Get help. A recent study in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry shows that, even at the earliest stages of caregiving, caregivers experience increased feelings of well-being when they seek help.

But, cautions McCord, every caregiver’s situation is different so “the options that are going to help them have to be individualized.”

Home and Community Services To find individualized options, tap into the wide array of home-based services and community programs and supports that are widely available.

Some are paid for on an hourly or daily basis, some are provided for a small or sliding fee, and some are free.

For caregivers who are employed, perhaps the fastest way to find assistance you will use and can afford is to check with your company’s HR department. “More and more companies have recognized that their employees are also caregivers and use consultants to help them deal with caregiver issues,” said Gastfriend.

Volume 8 Number 8

Caregivers can also find a consultant on their own by contacting local care managers, social service agencies or national organizations, such as the National Association of Geriatric Care Managers or Care.com.

The expertise and knowledge of community resources these professionals can provide can help caregivers prioritize their needs and locate the services, agencies and organizations that can aid them.

“This can be an expensive option, but they’ll be doing a lot of the heavy lifting for you--and often you only need a couple of consulting sessions to get things moving in the right direction,” McCord advised.

To find information on your own, start with your local area agency on aging’s Family Caregiver Support Program, then widen your search net to include county or municipal offices on aging or disability, disease specific organizations (many publish excellent caregiver resource lists and guides), religiously-affiliated service groups and reputable caregiver websites or help-lines.

You can find many such resources by contacting the ElderCare Locator; call toll free: 800-677-1116. (Also, see the ElderCare Locator/Community-Based Services.) Another important source for the public is the Family Caregiver Alliance; toll-free at 800-445-8106.

Probably the most overlooked options for help are support groups.

Goyer noted, “Connecting with others who get what you experiencing gives you a safe place to talk about your feelings and hear about the options -the practical things, the strategies and tips -- you can use to cope with your emotional stress. And they can help you deal with isolation, too.”

But, stressed McCord, “You won’t even think about [joining a support group] unless you’ve identify as a caregiver.”

You are cordially invited to attend...

City Council meetings...

Norfolk - regular meetings are held on the first and fourth Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. and the second and third Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.

Chesapeake - regular meetings are held on the second, third and fourth Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m.

Newport News - regular business meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 7:00 p.m.

Suffolk - regular meetings are held on the first and third Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m.

Hampton - typically take place on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month at 7:30 p.m.

Virginia Beach - meets on the first four Tuesdays of each month.

In July the meetings are scheduled on the first two Tuesdays only.

Formal session begins at 6 p.m.

Portsmouth - meeting dates are the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m.

April 2014

No-Kill Hampton Roads Polls Candidates Regarding Programs Needed to Save Sheltered Pets

Animal advocacy group No Kill Hampton Roads is putting Hampton Roads shelter animals front and center for the May 6, 2014 elections by asking candidates running for public office to share their views regarding programs and policies affecting pets in our municipal animal shelters.

In 2013, Hampton Roads' shelters euthanized over 14,000 dogs and cats.

According to the shelter statistics reported by the city-run shelters to the State Veterinarian for 2013, the Save Rates for dogs and cats were: • Chesapeake Animal Control-48% • Peninsula SPCA-53% • Norfolk Animal Care Center-57%

Game Changer FROM PAGE 5

Ayori Selassie, a product manager and engineer for Salesforce.com in San Francisco, lives in Oakland and spends her spare time mentoring engineers and entrepreneurs here. She says Oakland will be the place that changes the status quo.

“Oakland has a unique opportunity. It has an opportunity that no other region has anywhere in the world, so if Oakland can’t do it no one else can,” Selassie said.

“Oakland has direct access to all these tech companies because they are right in our backyard. We also are facing the issues that society must solve. If we can’t leverage technology to be something that is very impactful for the communities and the corporations, then no one else can do it,” she said.

She started Pitch Mixer, to mentor budding African Americans entrepreneurs on how to pitch ideas to venture capitalists, and she was one of the organizers of Start-up Weekend/ Black Male Achievement in February.

People in Oakland are mindful of the challenges of society. “We have all these big challenges, mentioned on a national scale, when you talk about crime or education or poverty, but we are also right in the epicenter of technology and we have a direct relationship with all these great companies that are changing the world.

We need to partner these expertise.”

At Start up Weekend/ Black Male Achievement, Selassie and

Candidates are asked a series of twelve questions about their support for programs that the group says will save lives. An example of these programs is a full comprehensive adoption program, which includes extensive off site adoptions and public-friendly adoption hours.

Candidates responses to the survey will be compiled and the final result will be a voting guide which will be published in local newspapers and on the group's website and social media outlets.

No Kill Hampton Roads urges those concerned with the high kill rate at their city-run shelter to make their vote count on May 6. co-organizer Kalimah Priforce, founder of Qeyno Labs and an educator at the Hidden Genius Project, said their objective was to teach young people, particularly African American and Latino young people, to be “full participants in this. To be trail blazers,” leading their friends and families to participate as makers in the tech innovation society. “We are taking the Silicon Valley model directly to communities, to the most undeveloped communities we know and (helping them apply) it to education, housing,” Priforce said.

Selassie credited Salesforce.com with supplying boot camp training, employees, free software and training to the effort. Google, Pandora, Ask and others did as well.

Monique Woodard, co-founder of Black Founders, spent a weekend in Oakland this month to participate in Startup Weekend Oakland/Black Male Achievement at Impact HUB Oakland.

“What I notice in the Oakland startup community is a natural leaning toward using technology for social impact. Oakland has always had a thriving social justice and nonprofit community and some of that lends itself to being more inclusive for minority entrepreneurs,” she said. The natural diversity in Oakland helps, she said, making it more welcoming for entrepreneurs of color.

She is hopeful that “Oakland could become the model for what other cities need to do to attract and retain more minority tech employees, more minority tech entrepreneurs, more diverse companies, and ultimately — more profitable companies.”

T:10”

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www.hamptonroadsmessenger.com

April 2014

7

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8

The Hampton Roads Messenger

April 2014

Volume 8 Number 8

Hampton University's 36th Annual Conference on the Black Family Head Over Heels Luncheon

Photos courtesy of Dominion Virginia Power

Four of the honorees, from left to right: Bonita Billing- Journalism Professor April Woodard sley Harris, Dominion Virginia Power; Debbie Pollock- presents Bonita Billingsley Harris with her award, a glass high heel shoe.

Berry, XO Communications; Barbara Ciara, WTKRTV; Lynne Harris-Taylor, BET Networks

William Harvey, Hampton University President congratulates honoree Barbara Ciara, WTKR-TV Anchor

Dr. Harvey greets Honoree and Keynote speaker Debbie Pollock-Berry, senior vice president, Human Resources, XO Communications

Former Morgan State University President, Hampton Institute student and Proud Dad, Andrew Billingsley waves to the crowd.

Norma Harvey, Hampton University First Lady; Amy Billingsley, Morgan State University; Former First Lady Lucy Wilson, Norfolk State University, Former First Lady Hampton’s “Head over Heels” luncheon honors women, reunites old friends.

Dominion sponsors and supports their colleague Bonita Billingsley Harris at Hampton University’s “Head Over Heels” luncheon.

Kelly Harvey Gill, Bonita Billingsley Harris, April Wilson Woodard

The Hampton Roads Messenger

www.hamptonroadsmessenger.com

April 2014

HRM's Photos of the Month

Dominion Virginia Power and Library of Virginia Honor Eight African-American 'Strong Men & Women in Virginia History' Photos courtesy of Dominion Virginia Power

Networking at Palm Gardens in Norfolk Every Thursday from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m.

5957 East Virginia Beach Boulevard, Norfolk, VA

"Dominion and the Library of Virginia put on a great event, which complimented each of the participants. It is amazing what people have accomplished in their lifetime," stated honoree Marcellus “Boo” Williams, Jr. who is a youth sports mentor in Hampton.

Marcellus “Boo” Williams talks with Garrett Jones, of Greenbrier Christian Academy in Chesapeake. Jones was one of the winners of 2014 Strong Men & Women in Virginia History student essay writing contest.

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10 The Hampton Roads Messenger

Top Marketing Executive Leaves Career to Follow His Passion Greg King, owner and chef of Postcards Central American Soul Food Truck, a Southern California Gourmet Food Truck specializing in fusion Soul Food and Central American cuisine served in a wrap or a bowl. Postcards food is healthy; all meats are baked and side items cooked with NO animal products.

All of Postcards’ dishes are named after famous African-Americans such as The Greatest inspired by Muhammad Ali, Langston’s Choice after poet Langston Hughes, and Alice’s Final

April 2014

Volume 8 Number 8

Word, after author Alice Walker who wrote “The Color Purple.”

“Soul food is loved by people of all walks of life; however, often it’s

only found in urban communities,” commented King. “I wanted to make this cuisine healthy and accessible to everyone, and it seems to be working…”

Customers are talking…

I have always wanted to have an out of body experience. And after eating the brisket, mac ‘n cheese and kale tostada for lunch today, I had one.

DELISH – ISH!!!!!!! AD-W Twitter Best food ever at first Fridays on Venice n Abbott Kinney!!! That’s saying something because there are so many good food trucks there. TWJ Facebook This place is bomb city. I had “The Signature” which was chicken, mac ‘n cheese, and greens – in a wrap!

Easy to eat comfort food and delicious.

It’s also a nice change from the greasy, tacos/burgers/fried stuff you generally get from food trucks. ES – YELP A foodie from childhood, King began his career in the food industry working alongside his dad in the family soul food business at the young age of 12. King’s dad, a classically trained

chef, taught his four sons the artistry of cooking culinary dishes with a soulful twist. King easily picked up techniques for creating great soul food; however, in establishing his business he wanted to present it as healthier alternative to the decadent soul food created by his parents.

King launched PostcardsCAS in 2013 after leaving a successful career as a marketer for some of the biggest brands in the world, including NBC, Warner Bros., Fox Entertainment Group, L’Oreal, and Mattel.

King has utilized his professional experience as the sounding board to building a successful restaurant business. PostcardsCAS delivers tasty and healthy soul food options easily eaten on the go, because they are served in a wrap or bowl. Similar to Chipotle where Mexican cuisine is served in a wrap or bowl; King his customized a tantalizing menu offering notable soul food staples available for consumers who love southern soul food cuisine; yet, he’s added some Belizean staples (such as Rice and Peas, Oxtails and Plantain) to compliment his offerings.

For information on part-time and full-time career opportunities, call: 757-575-1863

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April 2014

Can Obama Initiatives Elevate African American Achievement in Age of Higher Education Standards?

BY GEORGE WHITE

If President Obama’s new initiatives for boys and young men of color are to succeed, educators must find ways to help underperforming students thrive under Common Core, the new and more rigorous academic standards that schools in 45 states are beginning to implement.

That’s the assessment of Freeman Hrabowski, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and chair of a new commission working on behalf of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans.

The commission and the initiative’s managers launched their efforts at an education summit in Atlanta on March 28-29.

“Common Core has the potential to have a very a positive impact on learning but we have to think about implementation,” Hrabowski says. “We need to give teachers the professional development they need to implement these new standards. Some schools may need to provide additional time and instruction to help [underperforming] students adjust – more after-school and summer programs.”

Hrabowski is widely credited for making UMBC a top national source of African-American postgraduate degrees in science and engineering. He supports the more challenging Common Core standards but says educators must also address the lingering achievement gap.

Data from the 2013 National Assessment of Education Progress, dubbed the nation’s report card, found that nationwide, just 18 percent of African American students were proficient in 4th grade reading

compared to 46 percent for whites.

Similar gaps exist for math.

Obama in January appointed the members who will join Hrabowski on the African-American education commission. The commission includes Dr. Robert Ross, president of the California Endowment and leaders in the fields of education and law.

Originally announced in 2012, the initiative is being launched as President Obama also seeks to rally support for his “My Brother’s Keeper” campaign. The two campaigns are part of a dual push to improve the education and life prospects of young Latinos and African Americans.

A recently announced summit is slated for March 28 in Atlanta, the first stop of a multi-city listening tour to identify projects that are elevating black academic achievement. A number of prominent scholars, meanwhile, are urging the commission to consider new proposals on ways to help black students who are performing below grade level in reading and math, subjects that are being overhauled under Common Core.

Hrabowski says the new standards can make it easier to learn math-related subjects because Common Core requires students to engage in more project-based learning, as opposed to

The Hampton Roads Messenger 11

simply mastering abstract concepts. As an example, he points to the success of Civil Rights activist and educator Robert Moses, who created the Algebra Project. The program has provided curriculum and teacher training that has helped schools improve the math performance of students in many low-income communities.

“The Algebra Project has been advocating for more real-world [math] applications for years,” says Hrabowski, who led a 2011 National Academy of Sciences study on increasing minority participation in science and technology. “There are many ways to help students connect to the real world. We can get companies involved by asking them to provide math-related projects to schools.”

While some education initiatives at public and charter schools have boosted the math performance of students of color, school districts have not found a model for elevating the reading and writing skills of underperforming African American males, says Alfred Tatum, interim dean of the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and director of a UIC reading research clinic that examines factors in black achievement.

For example, he says efforts to improve black male reading by providing culturally relevant texts have been used to boost self-esteem.

“However, this has not translated to improvements in reading and writing … A lot of teachers can select texts but

they can’t teach reading and writing well.”

Tatum, who authored a chapter on Common Core and the White House African American education initiative in the anthology Quality Reading Instruction in the Age of Common Core Standards, says universities should require education students to take more courses on reading and writing instruction. He also says the White House should examine new proposals for addressing black achievement issues. For example, he calls on the Obama administration to consider creating a national research center on reading for black male students.

“We need to put reading and writing at the center of all reform efforts because students will fall short of their potential if they don’t have reading and writing skills,” says Tatum.

Researchers and educators with ideas on how to reduce or eliminate achievement gaps will be sought, says David Johns, executive director of the White House initiative on African American education. Johns plans to work closely with Cabinet Secretary Broderick Johnson, who will direct a task force that will spearhead the “Brother’s Keeper” campaign.

“We need as many conversations as possible that focus on how to improve education,” says Johns, citing the upcoming March 28 White House summit in Atlanta. “We want to let people know that this isn’t just a Washington conversation.”

Tell us about your

Church programs

Churches@hamptonroadsmessenger.com

Scholarship Watch Joshua David Gardner Memorial Scholarship

SCHOLARSHIP OVERVIEW:

This scholarship is for US citizens ages 17 to 25, who are admitted or enrolled in an accredited four-year historically black college or university in the United States.

To qualify for this scholarship, applicants must have a minimum 3.0 GPA , be seeking a bachelor's degree or certificate of completion from an accredited institution, and be enrolled full- or part-time. Applicants must provide an acceptance letter from the institution of higher learning they are planning to attend. Applicants must have an ACT score of 23 or SAT score of 1500.

To apply for this scholarship, applicants must submit a 500-word essay on following topic: "What is the importance of the 50th Anniversary of the March of Washington to me."

SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: • Open to United States citizens (ages 17-25) who are admitted or enrolled in an accredited four-year historically black college or university in the United States with a minimum grade point

average (G.P.A.) of 3.0/4.0.

• Official Academic transcripts from high school or an accredited four-year college or university; Student must be seeking a bachelor’s degree or certificate of completion from an accredited institution and be a full-time or part-time student.

• Must provide an acceptance letter from the higher learning institution you are planning to attend • Students should have ACT score of 23 or SAT score of 1500. Unofficial copies • Funds must be used for tuition, fees, are acceptable and/or books • Three letters of reference must be • Scholarship funds are not renewable submitted, one from an academic • Number of Awards: At least a one-time reference, attesting to the applicant’s $2,000 scholarship will be awarded character, leadership ability, and annually. academic ability.

• Applications are accepted October • A 500 word essay on the topic of “The 30, 2013 to April 30, 2014. Selected importance of personal integrity for awardees will be notified in writing by leaders.”

30 May 2014. Awards will be disbursed • A completed application form directly to the institution of higher education on or before August 1, 2014.

• There are no major or field of study criteria or requirements More Details: joshgardnerendowment.org

12 The Hampton Roads Messenger

Volume 8 Number 8

Around Hampton Roads

Advancing Women in Business Series: “Taking It To The Next Level”

Join the SBA and the City of Chesapeake for a half-day workshop focused on corporate certification, financing opportunities, wellness, corporate matchmaking and networking with peers, mentors and other Women Owned Small Business resources.

• Balance & Wellness for Women Business Owners • WBENC Certification for Public and Private Contracts – WPEO-DC • Marketing to Corporate America – WPEO-DC • Funding Your Business (Traditional to Non-Traditional Lending) – Panel of Lending • Specialists • Women Rock! What Every Woman Should Know About Their Finances – Prudential Insurance • Small Business Resources: WOSB and EDWOSB Certifications – SBA • Earn What You’re Worth – AccelerateHER • Branding 101: Why Branding Your Business is Vital to the Growth of your Business – • Something2ThinkAbout.com, LLC • What You Need to Know About Government that Affects Your Business - WIPP This event will be Thursday, April 17, 2014, 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at the Chesapeake Conference Center, 900 Greenbrier Circle – Chesapeake, Virginia. Contact Kathryn Dolan (SBA) at kathryn.dolan@sba.gov or Angela Barber (City of Chesapeake) at abarber@ cityofchesapeake.net to register.

“Placemaking” Awards Spotlight Businesses that Instill Pride, Nurture a Sense of Community in Hampton

Several local businesses - including a restaurant, an urgent care provider and an auto dealership - received “Placemaking” certificates and awards from the city Wednesday for building or rebuilding places that make public spaces living spaces for residents and others.

When introducing the nominees and award winners during City Council’s Spotlight on Citizens session Wednesday, Mayor George Wallace noted that “placemaking” instills civic pride, catalyzes economic development and nurtures a sense of pride in the community.

There were nine nominees who received certificates in five different categories. The nominees, their nominating information, and the award winners in each category: Commercial Renovation Award nominees Neighborhood Scale (less than 10,000 square feet): • McDonald’s restaurant, 1131 W. Mercury Blvd: “McDonald’s underwent a complete interior and exterior renovation. The new prototype exterior employs greater attention to quality design and quality materials… but is also fitting for the high standards set and expected by the Coliseum Central Business Improvement District.”

• The Point restaurant, 30 E. Mellen St.: The Point “has revitalized both the interior and exterior of a vacant commercial space. Their farm to table menu is based on a sustainable approach to dining and agriculture. This project is demonstrative of a quality example of regeneration, appropriate urban design and a positive contribution to the economic and social well-being of Phoebus and the greater Hampton community.”

• Red Lobster, 1046 W. Mercury Blvd.: “Red Lobster underwent a complete building interior and exterior renovation that provides greater attention to quality design and quality materials that not only improve the overall aesthetics of the site, but is also fitting for the high standards set and expected by the Coliseum Business Improvement District.”

Winner: McDonalds Design Excellence Award nominees • Zaxby’s 201 Todds Lane: “Zaxby’s in Hampton opened in 2013, was built on an infill site, and is the first Zaxby’s to open in Hampton. The building design and site layout represent a good project that maximized the development potential of the site. It is a fast, casual restaurant, which offers a unique design with high quality materials.”

• Patient First, 2304 W. Mercury Blvd.: “Patient First is open every day of the year to provide urgent medical care to patients. The site was designed to decrease the impervious cover by adding landscaped areas around the building and in the parking lot. The building is constructed out of high-quality materials and is aesthetically pleasant. The addition of Patient First provided a new medical facility in an area with many residences.”

• Tysinger Audi, 2712 Magruder Boulevard: Tysinger Audi is a new two-story auto dealership built of glass and metal in a modern design. This development is a recognizable design being utilized by Audi internationally; a prestigious brand that could attract additional investment along the Magruder Boulevard corridor.”

Winner: Zaxby’s Infill Project Award nominees • HHHunt Homes Hampton Roads, South 2nd Street, Mallory, Pembroke and Point Comfort: has developed several homes in the area, and “collectively these homes are

EFFORTS TO INTENTIONALLY SABOTAGE THE PRINTING, DISTRIBUTION OR REPUTATION OF THIS PUBLICATION IS A VIOLATION OF THE US CONSTITUTION’S PROTECTION OF FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AND MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF ANTITRUST LAWS. IF YOU KNOW OF ANYONE PARTICIPATING IN SUCH ACTIONS, PLEASE REPORT IT TO THE US JUSTICE DEPARTMENT.

April 2014

shaping the bayfront in accordance with the vision set forth by the Buckroe master plan…

The development has high visibility in Buckroe, adds to the population, contributes to street life and helps support a burgeoning commercial district.”

• Zaxby’s: (see information above) Winner: HHH Homes “Third Place” Award nominees: (A third place project isn’t a third choice… it’s a project/place that is an anchor of community life - after home and work – and fosters and facilitates creative interaction.)

• The Barking Dog restaurant, 4330 Kecoughtan Road: “The Barking Dog restaurant has utilized a vacant commercial space on Sunset Creek in Wythe to open a hot dog and burger joint with outdoor seating directly on the water. This project is a prime example of a “third place” for its ability to bring the neighborhood together.”

• Venture Kitchen & Bar, 9 E. Queens Way: “Venture believes that sharing a meal is sharing of yourself. This neighborhood-scale commercial renovation, Venture, has revamped a restaurant space on East Queens Way, which has proven very popular since its opening.

The project is an exemplary example of a “third place” for its ability to bring together the neighborhood.”’

• The Point (see information above under commercial renovation) Winner: The Barking Dog Placemaking Award (top honor) nominees: • The Point: (see information above under Commercial Renovation) • HHHunt Homes: (see information above under Infill Project Award) Winner: The Point www.hampton.gov

Notecards Commemorate Closed West Avenue Library in Newport News

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - West Avenue Library in downtown Newport News closed in 2013, but it is not forgotten. The Newport News Public Library System has created limited edition notecards that feature historical and architectural images and facts about the library, which opened in 1929 as the first purposely built library in Newport News.

The West Avenue Library Commemorative Notecards are for sale only in the Friends of the Newport News Public Library Bookstore, located inside Main Street Library, 110 Main Street in Newport News. Each notecard in the package of 10 features unique black-andwhite images on the front and facts about the library and images on the back. The inside is blank for personalized messaging. Only 40 packages of 10 notecards with matching envelopes were printed, and each package sells for $20.

All sales benefit the Newport News Public Library System Foundation, which is a private non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization established in 2007 to help support future library capital needs and programs.

West Avenue Library, located at 2907 West Avenue, was the first building constructed as a library in Newport News, and operated as a Library from its opening on Oct. 14, 1929, to June 30, 2013. In 2007, it was designated as a historical landmark because of its Georgian Revival architecture and its role in the desegregation of Newport News, and it was featured in the first coffee table book on libraries, "Heart of the Community: The Libraries We Love," as the only Library in Virginia to be featured.

The Friends of the Newport News Public Library Bookstore is open 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Friday; 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Saturday; and 2 - 4 p.m., Sunday.

Norfolk Southern Announces 2014 Schedule of 21st Century Steam Excursions

A new season of "21st Century Steam" train excursions has launched, with Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) and partners Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum and Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society scheduling 18 excursions in seven states from April through July.

Tickets are available through the websites of TVRM (www.tvrail.com) and FWRHS (www. fortwaynerailroad.org). All excursions are round trip.

Third Annual 'Portsmouth Best In Business Awards'

The Portsmouth Department of Economic Development is calling for nominations for the Best in Business Awards 2014. For the third year, the Department is recognizing the following examples of excellence in the business community: Spirit of the City Award celebrates a business that has fostered a positive image of the City of Portsmouth as a business location by being a local favorite and recognized regionally Community Business Award celebrates a for-profit business that participates actively in the City and within neighborhoods by contributing its resources back into the community Environmental Steward Award recognizes a business that conducts or participates in activities that benefit the environment through its business practices and policies on an on-going basis.

Do you know of a business that is deserving of being honored for representing the character of the City, or being a community partner, or being environmentally responsible? Nominate a business (or your business) today! Nominations close Thursday, May 1, 2014 at 5:00 p.m.

April 2014

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Around Hampton Roads

Public Hearing: Route 58/Holland Road Corridor Improvements Project

Route 58/Holland Road Corridor Improvements Project Open Forum Thursday, April 24, 2014, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at Lakeland High School Cafeteria, 214 Kenyon Road, Suffolk, VA. The purpose of this Public Hearing is to receive public input on the proposed roadway improvements along Route 58/Holland Road in Suffolk extending between approximately 0.8 mile west of Manning Bridge Road to U.S. 13/32 (Southwest Suffolk Bypass).

Proposed improvements include roadway widening to six lanes with access management improvements; intersection and signal improvements; installation of storm drain facilities, curb and gutter, median, street lighting, a multi-use trail, sidewalks and other related items.

The meeting provides an opportunity for any individual, association, citizens’ group or governmental agency to offer written and verbal comments for the project record. Exhibits will be provided for review and City representatives from Suffolk as well as the design consultants will be present to answer questions. Project information, including the draft environmental assessment document, will also be available 30 days prior to the Public Hearing at the office of Public Works Engineering located on the second floor of the Human Resources Building at 440 Market Street, Suffolk, Virginia 23434.

The following items will also be available at the Public Hearing: 1. Design plan sheets 2. Public hearing brochure 3. Information regarding tentative project scheduling 4. Property impacts and right-of-way relocation assistance information 5. The approved draft environmental document In compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act, Section 106 and 36 CFR 800, information concerning potential effects of the proposed improvements on properties listed in, or eligible for listing, in the National Register of Historic Places is included in the environmental document.

Upcoming Events

The Hampton Roads Messenger 13

Comment sheets may be submitted at the meeting or submitted to the Department of Public Works, Attention Sherry Earley, 440 Market Street, Suffolk, VA 23434, by May 24, 2014. A stenographer will also be available at the meeting to record verbal comments.

The City of Suffolk ensures nondiscrimination and equal employment in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. For more information or special assistance for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency, contact Sherry Earley, Public Works Engineering Manager, at (757) 514-7703 (TTY/TDD 711), or email searley@suffolkva.us.

KOSTER American Corporation Breaks Ground on Major Expansion in Virginia Beach

Mayor Will Sessoms joined Basil Mewes, president of KOSTER American, at a ground breaking event to kick off construction on the expansion of the company’s Virginia Beach headquarters and manufacturing operations last month. The company, recognized as the industry leader in moisture and oil remediation in concrete flooring systems, will remodel and expand its facility at 2585 Aviator Drive.

Located in Oceana South Industrial Park, KOSTER purchased their original 14,000-squarefoot facility in 2004. In 2013, the company purchased an existing 8,000-square-foot building to serve as the first phase of their expansion. Today’s groundbreaking will begin KOSTER’s next expansion phase with the construction of a 14,000-square-foot production facility. The company has future plans to construct two additional 11,000-square-foot facilities. In all, KOSTER will have more than 50,000 square feet of space in Virginia Beach for its North American headquarters and manufacturing operations.

The company will invest more than $4.6 million in improvements to the site. KOSTER will also hire six additional full-time personnel with average annual salaries of $70,000.

“KOSTER has been a great corporate partner over the past 20 years,” said Warren D. Harris, director of Virginia Beach Economic Development. “We are pleased the company has found success to launch distribution to North America through this Virginia Beach location. We anticipate its growth and success will only continue.”

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Chesapeake Branch NAACP Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) Sargeant Memorial Collection Online Monthly Meeting Weight Management Support Genealogy Database Class Event Dates: Event Dates: Event Dates: First Tuesday of the Month 7pm-8pm Mondays 5:30 PM (except holidays) Saturday, April 12 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM Event location: Event location: Event location: Providence United Church of Christ Norview Community Center Mary D. Pretlow Anchor Branch Library 2200 Vicker Avenue 6380 Sewells Point Road 111 W. Ocean View Avenue Chesapeake, VA Norfolk, VA Norfolk, VA 23503 Contact info: Contact Info: Contact info: (757)485-8916 289-7088 (757) 441-1750 localhistory@norfolk.gov The Chrysler Museum’s Money Smart Week: Couponing 101 (757) 664-7485 Art of Jazz with a Frugal Chic Event Dates: Event Dates: Every first Wednesday 6:15-8:45 pm Monday, April 7 5:45 PM NCNW Norfolk Section Meeting Event location: Little Creek Branch Library Event Dates: The Chrysler Museum Event location: 2nd Saturday of the month 10:30 am 245 W. Olney Road 7853 Tarpon Place Event location: Norfolk 23510 Norfolk, VA 23518 Oakmont Family Investment Center Contact Info: Contact info: 7241 Oakmont Drive MaryAnn Toboz 757-664-4675 (757) 441-1751 Norfolk, VA Contact info: NAMI Connection Veterans Homework Help 757-701-9819 Support Group Event Dates: Event Dates: Mondays – Thursdays Norfolk Branch NAACP Meeting 1st Thursday of the Month 6-7:30pm 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM Event Dates: Event location: Event location: 2nd Monday of the month 7pm-8pm 100 Medical Drive, Suite A Horace C. Downing Branch Library Event location: Hampton, VA 23666 555 East Liberty Street Huntersville Community Center Contact info: Norfolk, VA 23523 830 Goff Street To RSVP: Monyka Ruiz 788-0049 Contact info: Norfolk, VA (757) 441-1968 Contact info: Learning on Laptops: Homework 757 627-1096 Help (ages 12-18) “Traveling The Road To Success” Event Dates: Youth Workshops Virginia Beach NAACP Meeting First Thursday of each month Event Dates: Event Dates: 6-8 p.m. excluding holidays April 10, 2014 Second Monday of the month 7:00pm Event location: 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM Event location: Grissom Library Event location: 868 North Newtown Rd Suite 101 366 Deshazor Drive Camelot Community Center Virginia Beach, VA Newport News, VA 23608 948 King Arthur Drive Contact info: Contact info: Chesapeake, VA 757-490-7799 757-369-3190 Contact info: (757) 485-7400 Money Smart Week: Paying for First Friday in Olde Towne College (Adults & Teens) Portsmouth Newport News Branch NAACP Event Dates: Event Dates: Event Dates: Wednesday, April 9 6:00 PM First Friday of the month 5 pm – 8 pm Monthly Meeting Event location: Event location: 2nd Thursday of the month | 7:00 pm Little Creek Branch Library Olde Towne Portsmouth Newport News Community Center 7853 Tarpon Place High Street 605 South Ave Norfolk, VA 23518 Contact info: Newport News, VA 23601-4448 Contact info: Katie Cross (757) 397-8473 Contact info: melanie.greene@norfolk.gov 757-532-9486 (757) 441-1751 Resume Workshop & Computer 757-532-4701 (text) Tutoring (Adults) Sisters Network of Southeastern VA Event Date: Wards Corner Community Day at Support Meetings Monday - Thursday K&K Square Event Dates: 12:00 - 1:30 PM & 2:00 - 3:30 PM Event Dates: 3rd Sunday of every month Event location: Saturday, April 12 Event location: Barron F. Black Branch Library 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM 5606 Virginia Beach Blvd 6700 East Tanners Creek Drive, Event location: Bldg. A, Ste. 201 Norfolk, VA 23513 K&K Square Virginia Beach, VA 23462 Contact info: 7550 Granby Street Contact info: (757) 441-5806 Norfolk, VA 23505 Deborah Hunt 757 536 6555

Foster/Adoptive Parent Information Session Event Dates: 3rd Tuesday of the month, 12-1pm & 6-7pm Event Location: Churchland Library 4934 High Street, Portsmouth 23703 Contact info: Shonya Anderson (757) 622-7017 Young Girls Rock Inc. Mentoring Program Event Dates: Saturday April 19, 2014 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Event location: Portsmouth Main Library 601 Court St Portsmouth, VA 23704 Contact info: Ellen Johnson 757-510-1236

Grief and Loss: Bereavement Support Group Event Dates: 4th Thursday of Each Month Event location: Mary Immaculate Hospital, Heart Center Waiting Room, 2 Bernardine Drive, Newport News, VA Contact info: Charles Chappell 886-6934 PDCCC’s 5th Annual Literary Festival Event Date: Friday, April 24, 2014 6-9 p.m.

Event location: PDCCC Hobbs Suffolk Campus 271 Kenyon Road Suffolk, VA 23434 Contact Info: 757-925-6331

Wills and Trusts Workshop: Gamma Fair Housing - It's the Law Delta Omega, Alpha Kappa Alpha Event Dates: Event Dates: Thursday, April 24 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM Saturday April 19, 2014 Event location: 11:00 AM - 1:30 PM Main Library Event location: 4207 Victoria Blvd.

Churchland Library Hampton, VA 23669 4934 High St W Contact info: Portsmouth, VA 23703 757-727-8311 Contact info: Jule' Lawrence 757-297-2847 The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) “Ask the International Children's Festival Candidates Forum” Event Dates: Event Dates: Saturday, April 19 Friday, April 25, 2014 6:00 pm–8:30 pm 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Event location: Event location: Hampton City Council Chambers Mill Point Park 22 Lincoln Street 100 Eaton Street Hampton, VA Hampton, VA 23669 Contact info: Contact info: (757) 877-0792 or (757) 218-8157 757-727-8314 GOSPEL KARAOKE Event Dates: 3rd Saturday of the month Starting April 19, 2014 - 4pm – 7pm Event location: Zion Baptist Church 633 20th Street Newport News, VA 23607 Contact info: 757-380-1885

American Indian Pow Wow Event Dates: April 26, 2014 · 11 am - 6 pm Event location: Mount Trashmore Park 310 Edwin Drive Virginia Beach, Virginia Contact info: fun@VBgov.com (757) 385-2990

Hampton Roads Rubber Duck Race “Ask the Candidates Forum” Event Dates: Event Dates: April 26, 2014 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM Thursday, April 24, 2014 6p.m.–9p.m.

Event location: Event location: Intracoastal Waterway at Great Bridge 12465 Warwick Boulevard 116 Reservation Road Newport News, VA Chesapeake, VA Contact info: (757) 877-0792 (757) 218-8157

14 The Hampton Roads Messenger

Your Opinion Matters

Hampton, VA: A True Land of Opportunity

BY ANGELICA WILLIS

Breathtaking beaches, spectacular seafood and heartwarming history are just a few of the myriad things for which Hampton, VA is known.

Nestled on the mouth of Virginia's Chesapeake Bay, the City of Hampton is a vibrant community within the larger metropolitan region known as Hampton Roads. According to the city's official website, Hampton has a population of more than 137,000 people, in which the majority race is African American. Hampton's median household income is over $49,000, and 88 percent of people have graduated from high school. These statistics alone present Hampton as unique locality; however, there are many other factors that further explain the city's unusual characteristics. Hampton is very complex and diverse because of its unique geographical location and topography, rich history, and large military and government influence.

Because Hampton is a beach town, with many rivers, creeks, marshlands and inlets, the city’s

culture is rooted in marine activities and conservation is extremely important. During the summer months, Hampton’s waterways bustle with large ships and commercial fishing boats, and it’s marinas are filled with the sailboats and yachts of locals, as well as tourists. Marine tourism is a major contributor to the local economy, however the waterways in and around Hampton has an even larger impact on the economy with regard to transportation. More than 95% of the world’s shipping lines call on the nearby Port of Virginia, which links Hampton and the U.S. to more than 250 ports in more than 100 countries (“Hampton, VA Community Profile” 2). Hampton is also near a major crab harvesting area in the Chesapeake Bay; this bay is home to the famously delicious Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab, which is found nowhere else in the world. Hampton's geographical and topographical composition is very unique, and therefore profoundly impacts the city’s natural resources, tourism and overall economy.

Due to it’s geography, Hampton has been a prime location for military

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April 2014

Volume 8 Number 8 defence and other federal government centers. Hampton is home to Langley Air Force Base, Fort Monroe and Fort Wool Army Installations, as well as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center. Though NASA has an economic impact as a major employer in Hampton, the government agency's contributions run much deeper. NASA Langley supports the Hampton School System’s science curriculum and even provides homework help and science project assistance while educating the general public through its museum and visitor’s center called the Virginia Air and Space Center.

According to the Hampton Department of Economic Development, over 5,190 of Hampton’s residents are in U.S. Armed Forces (“Hampton, VA Community Profile” 2). Furthermore, the larger coastal region is the most heavily defended region in the United States because every branch of the military--Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard--has a presence in Hampton Roads, and the region’s 100,000 plus active-duty and reserve personnel is second only to the Pentagon (“Why Hampton Roads”). Because of Hampton’s large military presence, the city’s population is constantly changing as service members, and their families, move in and out of the city. The population in Hampton is a flowing river of diversity, where other communities can be stagnant ponds overflowing with newer generations of those communities’ founding fathers.

Hampton’s history, including its extensive military history, dates back to colonial times and the Revolutionary War and continues through the Civil War and beyond. The first southern battle of the Revolutionary War took place in Hampton. As stated in the article Dunmore’s Proclamation by Eric Herschthal, “Though not as well-known as early battles in the North, like Bunker Hill, the Battle of Hampton was a pivotal moment in the nascent conflict.” Fort Monroe itself was founded in 1819 and played a major role in the Civil War. The fort even served as the prison for Confederate President Jefferson Davis after his capture in May 1865.

Today, the island of Fort Monroe draws tourists from all over the county that come to see its massive moat and historic buildings.

It is no surprise that largest ethnicity in Hampton is African

American, when one considers how much Black History exists within the city’s limits. The first recorded African American birth in the American colonies took place in Hampton.

According to the African American Registry, William Tucker was baptized on January 3, 1624, in Jamestown, Virginia. Two of the first Africans to be brought to North America in 1619 were simply called Anthony and Isabella they were married and in 1624 gave birth to the first Black child born in English America naming him William Tucker in honor of a Virginia Planter (“First Black Birth Recorded in America."). Also, it was in Fort Monroe, or "Fortress Monroe," as it was called then, in 1861, that three escaped slaves named Shepard Mallory, Frank Baker, and James Townsend appealed for protection and were judged to be "contraband of war."

Some 10,000 slaves soon took refuge behind Union lines and thousands more in other parts of the South, creating the momentum, historians say, that led to the emancipation of all enslaved persons in the United States ("Contraband Slave History").

The historic Hampton Institute, now Hampton University, was founded seven years later in 1868. Living so close to so much history is amazing, humbling and occasionally spooky, but above all, it is inspiring; one can imagine the footsteps of those who wrote their names into the history books traversing the same paths that still exist today and grasp the magnitude of many historic accomplishments.

From it’s landscape to its population, Hampton is very unique, and provides residents with an unparalleled connection to nature and history, while offering a protected economy that is fuelled by a steady flow of defence and other federal dollars, as well as robust fishing, transportation, and tourist industries.

I have taken many long walks along Hampton’s sparkling shores and wondered what the English settlers thought of the area when they first arrived in Jamestown--a few miles away--so many years ago. Were they in awe of its beauty? Could they recognize the potential of the land and waterways? Did they dream of their future as colonists? I am sure of one thing: they saw opportunity for themselves, and for their future generations.

Today, Hampton continues to present itself as a shining beacon of opportunity for those that are hard-working and open-minded.

5. Add margarine and mix by hand or with mixer for 1 minute.

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April 2014

Rajeev Suri to Be Next Nokia CEO, Says Report

BY INDIA WEST

Rajeev Suri, chief executive officer of Nokia Solutions and Networks, Nokia’s telecom network equipment division, is likely to become the Finnish company’s next chief executive after the sale of its handset business to Microsoft, Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat reported March 14, citing sources close to board discussions.

Suri is the leading candidate to succeed Stephen Elop, who will move to Microsoft to head the devices and studios business, after the $7.5-billion handset sale is finalized by the end of March. The newspaper said Nokia’s board would nominate a new CEO shortly after that.

The Hampton Roads Messenger 15

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16 The Hampton Roads Messenger

Volume 8 Number 8

April 2014