New York Liberty Star Newspaper

Since 2001 | Serving New York City

6| CARIBBEAN

SEPTEMBER 4, 2021

Vol. XX Issue 356

| www.libertystarnews.com

Jamaica Women Dominate 2021 Season (Full story, Page 19)

Vacine Shortage, Wake-Up Call For Caribbean

Region urged to boost regional vaccine manufacturing efforts to combat new rise in COVID cases.

12| MUSIC

McGregor Headlines NYC Anniversary Celebration

Sound Chat Radio commemorated its 10th Anniversary in fine style this weekend in New York.

15| HEALTH

Answers to 6 Questions about Covid-19 Vaccines

Trusted health experts answer key questions or concerns about getting the vaccine

Sprint Queens

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September 4, 2021

Since 2001

LIBERTY STAR NEWSPAPER

Liberty Star Newspaper is published by Hines Georgia Law, LLC., a Georgia limited liability company.

Ivrol Duane Hines......Publisher/Editor in Chief Daenecia Hines.........................Design Editor Crystal Lewis...............................Press Chief Tonya Lee-Grant..........................Staff Writer Leonardo Harrison............Circulation Manager Ph: 770-628-7090 | nylibertystar@yahoo.com

LOCAL

Insurer to Pay New Yorkers $14M UnitedHealthcare Unlawfully Denied 20,000 New Yorkers Coverage For Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment

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EW YORK – Attorney General Letitia James and the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) recently announced landmark agreements with UnitedHealthcare (United), the nation’s largest health insurer, to resolve allegations that United unlawfully denied health care coverage for mental health and substance use disorder treatment for thousands of Americans.

Dejhanay Jarrell holds her newborn baby.

Brooklyn Mother Throws Newborn Baby, Toddler Out of Apartment Window BROOKLYN -- Dejhanay Jarrell, a 24-year old mother from Brooklyn, is facing multiple charges after allegedly throwing her two children — a newborn and a toddler — out of their apartment window.

According to witnesses, Jarrell threw her children from the fire escape before jumping and falling on them, afflicting more harm. She then proceeded to repeatedly hit the children’s heads into the concrete.

Jarrell and her children — a 4-week old girl and a 2-year old boy — were all naked at the time.

Their neighbors rushed to the scene when they heard a child scream and a loud bang. One of the neighbors, 41-year old Carl Chin, immediately jumped over a fence to get to the baby.

“I just ran outside cause I knew I had to do something,” Chin told New York Daily News. “I had to struggle with her to pull the baby out of her grasp.”

After taking the baby away, he asked Jarrell what was wrong.

“She actually said, ‘Please take care of my baby, take care of my daughter,’ after throwing them out the window. So there was the sign right there. Mentally she wasn’t stable. It didn’t seem like she was angry at the kids. She was just completely gone,” he said.

The baby was bleeding from her ear and the little boy had bruises on the forehead and knee when the ambulance arrived.

They all survived the fall but the newborn baby is still in critical condition while Jarrell and the little boy are now in stable condition.

Meanwhile, Jarrell was charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault, and two counts of child endangerment.

As a result of these agreements, United will pay approximately $14.3 million in restitution to consumers affected by the policies, including $9 million to more than 20,000 New Yorkers with behavioral health conditions who received denials or reductions in reimbursement.

New York and federal law requires health insurance plans to cover mental health and substance use disorder treatment the same way they cover physical health treatment. The agreements — which resolve investigations and litigation — address United’s policies that illegally limited coverage of outpatient psychotherapy, hindering access to these vital services for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers for whom United administers behavioral health benefits. In addition to the payment to impacted consumers, United will lift the barriers it imposed and pay more than $2 million in penalties, with $1.3 million going to New York state.

“In the shadow of the most devastating year for overdose deaths and in the face of growing mental health concerns due to the pandemic, access to this care is more critical than ever before,” said Attorney General James. “United’s denial of these vital services was both unlawful and dangerous — putting millions in harm’s way during the darkest of times.

There must be no barrier for New Yorkers seeking health care of any kind, which is why I will always fight to protect and expand it. I thank Secretary Walsh for his partnership on this important matter.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James.

“Protecting access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment is a priority for the Department of Labor and something I believe in strongly as a person in long-term recovery,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. “This settlement provides compensation for many people who were denied full benefits and equitable treatment.

We appreciate Attorney General James and her office for their partnership in investigating, identifying, and remedying these violations.”

New York’s behavioral health parity law — originally enacted as “Timothy’s Law” in 2006 — and the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) require insurance coverage for mental health and substance use disorder treatment to be no more restrictive than insur-

ance coverage for physical health conditions. The agreements are the product of the first joint state-federal enforcement of these laws.

The Office of the Attorney General's (OAG) complaint — which parallels USDOL’s complaint — was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, along with the agreements. Each complaint describes two practices by United that the agencies allege violated behavioral health parity laws through discriminatory practices that improperly restricted coverage of psychotherapy: 1) Reimbursement Penalty United penalized thousands of New York members by making them pay more than they should have for psychotherapy with non-physicians, who are

the predominant providers of this service. United did so by reducing the allowed amount — which determines reimbursement — by 25 percent for services provided by PhD-level psychologists and by 35 percent for masters-level therapists. This violated parity laws because United applied these reductions to psychotherapy across the board, but for medical treatments it applied similar restrictions only in limited circumstances.

2) Algorithms for Effective Reporting and Treatment (ALERT) program United employed arbitrary thresholds to trigger utilization review of psychotherapy, which often led to denials of coverage when providers could not justify continued treatment after 20 sessions. Members who received these denials had to choose between figuring out how to pay hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars for continued care, and abruptly ending necessary treatment. United denied thousands of New Yorkers’ psychotherapy claims pursuant to ALERT, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. These denials violated parity laws because United subjected all outpatient behavioral health psychotherapy to outlier management, but it employed this treatment limitation only to a handful of medical/surgical services.

United’s illegal and discriminatory practices have impeded access to behavioral health services for more than half a million New Yorkers with fully-insured United health plans and many others with self-insured private health plans administered by the company. Under the agreements, United will stop applying the Reimbursement Penalty and will not employ a new, similar policy in New York for at least two years.

LIBERTY STAR NEWSPAPER September 4, 2021

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September 4, 2021

LOCAL After Driver Strikes And Kills Six-Year-Old Girl In Dyker Heights...

LIBERTY STAR NEWSPAPER

Adams Holds Vigil With Family

By Jonah Allon

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rooklyn Borough President Eric Adams joined the family of Tamy Quema Guachiac, a six-year-old girl who was struck and killed August 24 by a reckless SUV driver in Dyker Heights, for a vigil at the site of the fatal crash. Reverend Erick Salgado, the family’s pastor, local elected leaders, and safe streets advocates also joined Borough President Adams.

By Ryan Lynch

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams at a prayer vigil for 6-year old Tamy Quemo Guachiac, Aug. 26.

On Tuesday evening, Guachiac was with her mother, Maria, crossing the street at the intersection of 12th Avenue and 67th Street in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn when a reckless driver sped through a red light, striking the six-year-old girl. According to police, the driver was speeding south on 12th Avenue when he crossed over the solid double yellow dividing line into oncoming traffic. He allegedly blew the light while making a left turn onto 67th Street when he hit Guachiac.

Guachiac and her mother had just been playing at a local park and were steps away from their home. She was taken to Maimonides Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. The driver was taken into custody and is being held on Rikers Island on $50,000 bail for manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, and other charges.

“On behalf of all Brooklynites, we are mourning with the Guachiac family over Tamy’s senseless loss. We stand ready to provide assistance to the family during this painful time. We also must renew the conversation around street safety, especially during a year that is already on track to be the deadliest since Vision Zero was first introduced.

We will make our streets safer so no more families know the grief of losing a child to traffic violence,” said Brooklyn Borough

President Eric Adams.

“Tonight, we remember Tamy, but also make this promise — that we will not stop fighting in her memory to make our streets safer for everyone,” said State Senator Andrew Gounardes. “Her loss serves as yet another reminder that we must take measures to protect New Yorkers from the epidemic of traffic violence in our city, and rededicate ourselves to stopping reckless driving once and for all. I mourn the loss of Tamy Quema Guachiac and I will continue working to combat traffic violence so that we can finally put an end to such loss of life.”

“My heartfelt condolences ​ go out to Tamy’s family on this regretfully sad occasion. Once again, we gather to mourn the passing of an innocent life lost to the ongoing issue of vehicular negligence. Driving is a privilege, not a right. I urge drivers to be aware of their surroundings, follow the rules of law, and be mindful. This was a completely avoidable tragedy, and my thoughts and prayers go to Tamy’s family and loved ones,” said Assembly Member Peter J. Abbate, Jr. “Tamy Quema Guachiac lost her life this past Tuesday in a senseless moment of reckless driving. It is absolutely horrific for us to lose someone especially as young as Tamy, who should be enjoying the end of summer with friends and family and getting

ready for school in September.

There’s no way to sugarcoat it: We have a dangerous driving epidemic in this neighborhood that has basically been ignored and gone unchecked for 30 years. It shouldn’t take tragic events like this to remind us that lives depend on us doing more, and my commitment to my constituents and to Tamy’s memory is that I will always invest in safety improvements and challenge traffic violence wherever I see it,” said Council Member Justin Brannan.

“I lost my own five-yearold son, Bryan, in a crash,” said Families for Safe Streets’ Fabiola Mendieta. “Burying our young children should not be part of parenthood. Crossing the street should not be a death sentence, but it too often is because of the inaction of our elected leaders.

For my son Bryan, for Tamy, for her family, and the community mourning her loss, we do not need sympathy — we need our elected officials to fix our streets.

Dangerous corridors must be redesigned immediately, and we need our current and future mayor to act boldly, without any delay.

This is a public health crisis. Not one more family should have to bury a loved one in a preventable traffic crash.”

“2021 is on track to have the most fatalities of any year under Mayor de Blasio — seven years after Vision Zero began. Repeat-

NY Clinic Owner Charged for Stealing more than $4 Million from Taxpayers

Montgomery Offered Fake Affordable Housing Assistance to Scam Low-Income New Yorkers Into Revealing Personal Information to Illegally Profit Off of Medicaid

L

eslie Montgomery, 50, of the Bronx was indicted recently for defrauding New York state out of millions of dollars in false Medicaid claims.

Montgomery — who did business as Healthy Living Community Center (Healthy Living) and owned LCM Livery P/U, Inc. (LCM Livery) — allegedly scammed individuals and taxpayers through an elaborate scheme, whereby Montgomery advertised a fake housing assistance program to lure low-income New Yorkers into providing their personal information, including their Medicaid numbers.

Montgomery then used that personal information to submit false claims for custom-molded back braces to MetroPlus Health Plan, Inc. (MetroPlus), a Medicaid-funded managed care organization, for

braces that were not needed and never ordered by patients. Montgomery is accused of stealing more than $4 million from the illegal scheme.

“Cheating taxpayers by preying on vulnerable New Yorkers is disgraceful and unacceptable,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “This alleged scheme took advantage of those most in need, baiting individuals with fake promises of affordable housing, only to use their personal information to steal more than $4 million from taxpayers. This fraud will not go unchecked. We will go after anyone who steals from New Yorkers.”

In the indictment, the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) alleges that Montgomery regularly used social media to advertise a sham housing assistance program as a ruse to lure low-income New Yorkers to Healthy Living. Healthy Living then required New Yorkers to divulge personally identifiable information — including their

Medicaid numbers — in order to qualify for the purported program.

But instead of helping New Yorkers find housing, Montgomery used their personal information to submit false claims to MetroPlus for highly customized back braces that she never provided to the Medicaid recipients. From time to time, Montgomery provided a $20 “off-the-shelf” back brace that was mailed directly from Amazon to the recipient. However, most of the time, she provided no brace at all, yet still billed MetroPlus between approximately $750 and $1,550 per back brace.

Altogether, Montgomery is accused of pocketing more than $4 million from the scheme.

The indictment — filed in Bronx County State Supreme Court — charges Montgomery with one count of Grand Larceny in the First Degree, a class B felony; one count of Health Care Fraud in the First Degree, a class B felony; one count of Money Laundering in the First Degree,

a class B felony; and five counts of Identity Theft in the First Degree, a class D felony. In addition to the charges against Montgomery, LCM Livery is also charged with one count of Money Laundering in the First Degree. If convicted on the top charge, Montgomery could face up to 25 years in state prison.

In conjunction with the criminal case, the OAG has also filed a civil complaint against Montgomery, LCM Livery, and other companies owned and controlled

by Montgomery. The complaint — which asserts violations of New York’s False Claims Act, Section 145-b of New York’s Social Services Law, and other causes of action — seeks to recover millions of dollars in Medicaid money obtained by these defendants as a result of their fraudulent conduct.

The charges against the defendants are accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty in a court of law.

LOCAL

LIBERTY STAR NEWSPAPER September 4, 2021

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National Black Lawyers Honor J’can Son Hines Named Among America’s Top Black Lawyers

By Crystal Lewis

T

he National Black Lawyers recently named Ivrol Hines to its 2021 Top 40 Under 40 list. Each year, the organization hand-selects influential black lawyers who have a reputation for providing excellent legal representation and who are leaders in their respective practice areas.

This year, the Jamaican son is among the newest members of this exclusive group.

The former prosecutor and current senior partner at Hines Georgia Law Firm, LLC. accredits his recent success to his legal team.

“It is always welcoming to be recognized by your peers,” said Attorney Hines.

“I must admit that while I feel honored and blessed, this was a total team effort. My team works extremely hard to provide our clients with the best representation and our firm’s reputation is a credit to the efforts of our entire staff. I am very thankful for this team.”

At the Hines Georgia Law Firm, At-

torney Hines offers his clients solutions to resolve pending criminal matters in Georgia courts. He also provides advise and representation to individuals on a variety of immigration matters and personal injury cases. Additionally, Attorney Hines volunteers with various organizations to provide legal advice to low-income individuals, including Atlanta’s Volunteer Lawyers Foundation, Community Concerns Network in Brooklyn, NY, and the Veteran’s Law Clinic at Fort McPherson in Atlanta, GA. About Ivrol Hines Hines was born in Trelawny, Jamaica, to Arlene Harrison and Bertram Hines. He migrated to Brooklyn, NY at the age of 14. Ivrol attended Thomas Jefferson High School and was a member of the varsity volleyball team and Future Business Leaders of America Club. He completed high school in three years and was named “Role Model of The Year” by the New York City Counsel upon his graduation. He attended Pace University in New York for two years before joining the United States Marine Corps.

Hines served his country honorably in the United States Marine Corps as a combat correspondent. Working at home and abroad, Hines served with distinction, adhering to the Corps’ values of honor, courage, and commitment. He received various awards, including the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (the Navy’s highest noncombat decoration for heroism) and several Thomas Jefferson journalism

awards. During his four-year term, Hines was promoted to the rank of sergeant. After his time in service, Sgt. Hines returned to New York City and continued his journalism career as a civilian.

Hines soon became a newspaper publisher in New York. He published a biweekly tabloid—New York Liberty Star Newspaper—with news targeted to his Caribbean community. As a publisher, Hines was an active participant in his community, working with various organizations and political entities to bring about positive change in New York and the Caribbean.

For his efforts, the Universal Peace Federation named Hines an Ambassador for World Peace. He was also recognized by the New York City Counsel, the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the New York State Assembly, the US Census Bureau, and the New York State Senate, to name a few.

Hines later relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, where he attended Georgia State University. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science with a concentration in international affairs. At GSU, he was named to the Presidents List and Deans List. He graduated with honors—summa cum laude. Subsequently, Hines earned a Juris Doctorate degree at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School and again graduated with honors—magna cum-laude.

After law school, Attorney Hines went into private practice before serving as an Assistant Solicitor General in Forsyth County, Georgia. Today, he has returned

Staff photo

Jamaican-born attorney Ivrol Hines was named to the National Black Lawyers Association 2021 Top 40 Under 40 list.

to private practice at Hines Georgia Law Firm. He continues to reside in north Georgia, with his wife and two children. He enjoys running, soccer, and a good game of dominoes.

Counsel Proposes Automatic Noise Enforcement

Move To Tackle Roving Motor Cycle Gangs, Blasting Music, Vehicular Noise

By Josh J. Jamieson

A

s New Yorkers drift towards slumber each night they can expect a rich cacophony of noises that keep them up each night, from cars blasting bass that shakes windows as they drive by, to motorists leaning into their horn out of anger, to roving motorcycle gangs revving engines amplified by straight exhaust pipes as they speed down sidewalks, even trucks using a jake brake that makes the Home Improvement “Argh, Argh, Argh” as they slow for a red light.

Video and triangulated audio would be captured automatically and reviewed by the police later with violations issued and mailed to the vehicle’s owner. Violations would be $150 to $525 for the first violation, $300 to $1,050 for the second offense, and $450 to $1,575 for third and subsequent offenses.

The noise wouldn’t be so bad on a highway, park, or distant vista, but it’s happening in neighborhoods across the all five boroughs that have become destinations to drive through with buildings that are 6, 12, and even 30 stories tall housing thousands of New Yorkers. NYPD’s no chase policy has left these annoyances uncurbed. According to data crunched by BetaNYC between Aug 1 2019 to Aug 1, 2020, there were 61,493 noise complaints related to vehicles. From Aug 1, 2020, to Aug 1, 2021, there were 99,621.

New Yorkers have had enough and have come out to meetings with elected officials demanding they do something about it. Council Member Ben Kallos are answering the call with new legislation for automated noise enforcement using video cameras and

microphone triangulation to catch the booming vehicles and mailing violations of up to $1,575.

“As a new parent these assholes drive by waking up my daughter after we just finished our nighttime routine and then I don’t know how I am going to get her to sleep,” said Council Member Ben Kallos.

“When I hear the revving from these roving motorcycle gangs barreling down the streets who often ride up on sidewalks, I frantically grab my daughter and find somewhere we might be safe, like by a streetlight pole where they can’t hit us, and I think to myself, ‘this can’t be normal, right?’”

Major cities around the world and other states have moved forward with automated enforcement including in California, United Kingdom, Austria, France, Switzerland, and Cana-

da. Technology has advanced to a point where noise can be isolated to individual vehicles in moving traffic.

“Our city’s insanely loud car and motorcycle culture bars our neighbors from getting a good night’s sleep and affects people’s productivity, as it makes it harder to learn at school and be effective at work when the gunning of these engines shakes people awake through the walls of their homes,” said Senator Andrew Gounardes.

“Loud motorcycling is destructive recreation that glorifies noise pollution, and while I've worked to pass legislation like the SLEEP act and measures to tackle speeding violations to curb this obnoxious behavior, there’s still more work to be done.

We must face this issue head-on by passing this new legislation to hold those who take part in

this damaging behavior accountable.”

“I have lived on east 96th street since 1986.

"Pre Everything” meaning before the neighborhood had started to really get busy. Being a New Yorker I have seen and heard stuff you just can’t dream or make up. To the point, the noise of motor vehicles is absolutely beyond any level that can be permitted. Around the clock, it sounds like I have a front seat at Daytona Raceway. The noise is unbearable!!!

Please help fix this problem, said David Gingold local resident.”

According to a Department of Transportation report, two-thirds of drivers that received speed camera violations in 2019 did not receive another violation within the following calendar year. In addition, speeding near the camera locations went down by more than 70% on average.

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September 4, 2021

LIBERTY STAR NEWSPAPER

CARIBBEAN

Former Belizean Rapper Catches up with US Celebs S

hyne Barrow, a former rapper who is now the Opposition leader of Belize, left his country recently to visit the US to strengthen and establish new relationships to further development in Belize.

Shyne Barrow-Facebook

Former Bad Boy rapper turned Belizean politician Shyne barrow and American rapper Jay-Z in the US.

While he has met with several US lawmakers it is his photograph with a highly influential US celebrity that has sent tongues wagging.

Barrow posted to his Instagram, Aug. 29, a photo of himself and American rapper Jay-Z at the 40/40Club 18th-anniversary celebration in New York City.

“It was great catching up with my brother Shawn Jay Z Carter,” Barrow stated. “Jay is one of the greatest Musicians and entrepreneurs ever that I know. A bonifide American/ world icon. I’m always inspired when we meet. I admire the humanitarian work Jay is doing with criminal justice reform and providing start up capital to invest in African American entrepreneurs. My determination to do the same for my Belizean people is reinforced. Happy 18th anniversary to Jay’s 40/40 brand. Continued success and excellence brother.”

The former Bad Boy rapper was elected to office in Belize in 2020.

Since he began his visit to the US on August 15, the Belizean opposition leader has met with several US lawmak-

ers including: Congresswoman Yvette Clark who is the Chairwoman of the Congressional Caribbean Caucus and former Vice-Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus; Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Chairwoman of the Financial Services Committee; Congressman Hakeem Jefferies, the Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Democratic Caucus; and Congressman Gregory Meeks, the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs House Committee; Mayor Ras Baraka at Newark City Hall; Congressman Adriano Espaillat who was a State Assemblyman then a State Senator before being elected to the US House of Representatives in 2017; and Mayor Michael Wildes of Englewood New Jersey. Barrow also met with the Belizean diaspora in Atlanta Georgia.

PAHO: Severe Vaccine Shortage a Wake-Up Call for Caribbean T

he director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Dr. Carissa F. Etienne says the severe shortage of COVID-19 vaccines in Latin America and the Caribbean is a “wake-up call” for increased regional production of vaccines and announced the start of a new platform to reach that goal.

“This week, PAHO will launch a platform to boost regional vaccine manufacturing efforts, beginning with the first in a series of meetings to promote greater coordination across countries and to enlist partners from both the public and private sectors to turn this idea into reality,” Dr Etienne said.

Explaining the drive for the new platform, the Dominican-born PAHO director said that “limited production and unequal distribution of vaccines” compromise the region’s pandemic response and “put public health at very high risk”.

She said reliance on imports makes Latin America and the Caribbean more vulnerable, adding “our region imports 10 times more pharmaceuticals than we produce.

“I believe that the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination crisis must be a wake-up call that we must expand regional pharmaceu-

tical production so we can be in the driver’s seat of our own pandemic responses,” she said.

Leaders from global financial institutions, governments, and public health agencies are due to meet later on Friday to discuss the platform, which will foster research and incentivize the development and manufacturing of health technologies.

“PAHO is already spearheading initiatives to help reduce our dependency on pharmaceutical imports,” Dr Etienne said.

PAHO is working with the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners to bring the highly effective mRNA vaccine technology into the region.

Dr Etienne said so far, over 30 public and private companies and institutions have expressed a desire to take part in the technology transfer, and PAHO is in the “process of identifying the most promising proposals”.

The goal is to take advantage of existing production capacities that could contribute to manufacturing RNA vaccines in the Americas. The principle is that manufacture should benefit the entire region, with regional pharmaceutical production and distribution of the vaccines by PAHO’s Revolving Fund to all countries.

Only about 23 per cent of people in the region have been fully vaccinated, and in many countries, coverage is much lower.

“Just as manufacturers adapted quickly to produce some of the PPE and ventilators our region needed earlier in the pandemic, we must bring the same spirit of collaboration into vaccine production in the region,” she said.

Noting that investment is key, Dr Etienne said the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank and other partners have expressed a desire to help the region expand its pharmaceutical production.

“The region’s values of Pan Americanism and solidarity can help us strengthen pharmaceutical production.

The investments we make today will not only help us get through this pandemic faster, but they will also lay the groundwork to deal with future health crises, so we have no time to waste.”

Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, director of the Pan American Health Organization

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CARIBBEAN

LIBERTY STAR NEWSPAPER September 4, 2021

7

Injured in Haiti Quake at High Risk of Infection, Amputation T

he home of clothing merchant Felix Pierre Genel collapsed before he could flee outside as a powerful earthquake shook southwestern Haiti.

He was dug out of the rubble that same day with a broken arm and was among the somewhat fortunate ones who promptly received medical care at a local hospital. But even so, he could not escape amputation, a common consequence of the calamity.

Doctors at first told the 36-year-old they would try to save his right arm. He had surgery to place rods in to stabilize the broken bone. Then came an infection and a second operation.

“Instead of dying, I took the decision of letting them cut off my arm,” Genel said from his bed at the Les Cayes’ general hospital, his right arm bandaged where doctors amputated it above the elbow. “From where I’m coming from, inside the mouth of death, it’s best that they cut the arm off.”

Broken bones that cause open wounds are frequent injuries in devastating earthquakes like the one that battered the Caribbean nation on August 14. That combination causes a particularly high risk of infection, and even more so when, as in Haiti, access to health care is limited or people delay seeking medical attention in favour of natural remedies.

“The risk of infections goes up the longer you wait to get care, and some of that is related to access to health care, not all of it,” said Dr Christopher Colwell, chief of emergency medicine at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital.

“If there are fractures or broken bones that are associated with those open wounds, those infections can be devastating and

Matias Delacroix

Robenson Perjuste, 15, whose leg was amputated after he was injured in the August 14th, 7.2 magnitude earthquake, lies in a bed at the general hospital in Les Cayes, Haiti, Aug. 25.

can result in the need for amputation, or, in some cases, even threat to life, over the next days and weeks,” he added.

The magnitude 7.2 quake, centred under the country’s southwest peninsula, killed at least 2,207 and injured 12,268 people. About 130,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. Hospitals, schools, offices and churches were also affected.

Health care facilities were already at a critical point before the temblor because of the pandemic.

The ability to get medical attention also was complicated by a tropical storm that trailed the earthquake.

Colwell, who was not in Haiti, said natural remedies can have varying degrees of success, but some not only are unhelpful, they are harmful and can even intro-

duce bacteria that lead to infected tissues.

In the weeks after a massive earthquake struck Haiti in 2010, hospitals only admitted patients in the most serious conditions. Some with simple fractures that did not expose the bone through the skin left without seeing a doctor, only to return later with complications and serious infections.

The nongovernmental organization Humanity and Inclusion concluded that as a result of the complications, “amputations represented an exceptionally large proportion of the surgical operations" and added, "Some amputations performed under extremely difficult circumstances required corrective surgery.”

The organization estimated the number of amputations at between 2,000 and

4,000, with at least 1,000 people requiring a lower limb prosthesis.

Far fewer people were injured this time compared to 2010 when at least 300,000 Haitians were hurt and the government asserted that a similar number of people died.

The group now has a team in Haiti assisting health care personnel and assessing patients’ needs. They can examine scars and stumps, teach patients exercises and work on joints to avoid muscle stiffness.

They also help with psychological support efforts.

“People can be traumatized, and they can be very sad, depressed, but also some of them, they’re kind of in denial, and they believe extremely strongly that their life is going to be the same, which can be true, but same but different.” rehab specialist Virginie Duclos said.

Governments too have sent aid to southwestern Haiti, including the US military, whose USS Arlington arrived with a surgical team. The NGO Samaritan's Purse also opened an emergency field hospital in Les Cayes a week after the temblor.

“When we opened, we saw many people who were seeking care for the first time — and that was already a week after the earthquake — with broken bones and with wounds,” said Melanie Wubs, medical director for the field hospital.

She said others "had been hastily patched up right after the earthquake but now required more further care, whether that is surgery or debridement of wounds.”

Wubs said her team has only performed one amputation so far.

A couple of beds from Genel’s, Robenson Perjuste lay with his eyes closed Wednesday, the left leg bandaged where doctors amputated it well above his knee.

His older brother, Ricardo Lavaud, fanned him with a small square of cardboard.

Community Feeds Elderly during Lock Down

By Crystal Lewis

J

amaica’s government has initiated various countermeasures to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus across the country, including periods of “lock down,” where all non-essential workers must remain home.

During these lock downs, volnurable populations struggle to find food and other life essentials.

In the community of Freeman’s Hall, located in the southern hills of Trelawny, a group of community organisers work to supply seniors with food and other supplies with the help of donors.

The group is called the Com-

munity Development Committee (CDC). According to Norman McNaughton, CDC president, the members work to give aid to the community’s most vulnerable populations, such as those who are elderly, poor, and in need.

“We took this opportunity to provide for the elderly, giving out care packages and food from our feeding program because they are not able to provide for themselves,” said Norman. “We started the CDC in 2013 because we saw a need in our community. And now, when the country is shut down, we have to work even harder to ensure our people have what they need to survive.”

During the lockdown periods, the group focuses primarily on taking care of its senior community members.

“Giving back to the elderly is a good feeling, as the recipients accept the gifts with pride and gratitude,” said Carmen James, the CDC Public Relations Officer.

“The smiles on their faces and the encouragement they give us are some of the factors that motivate the members of the CDC to continue helping.”

This program was established to assist in the development of the community by helping those in need and providing a platform for those who wish to help. The CDC funds the program via charitable donations and from proceeds received from various events. Most donations are provided by current or former members of the rural community.

Events, like the CDC’s annual Funday, were cancelled this year due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus. As such, the group has to rely solely on sponsors and donors to continue its mission.

The CDC also assists students of the Freeman’s Hall Primary and Infant school with back-to-school supplies and school fees.

To learn more about the CDC, visit the group’s Facebook page.

CDC photo.

Members of the Community Development Committee prepare to distribute food and supplies to their community.

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September 4, 2021

LIBERTY STAR NEWSPAPER

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LIBERTY STAR NEWSPAPER September 4, 2021

9

IMMIGRATION IMMIGRATION The Path to Citizenship, Path MATTERS to a More Democratic America Ask Attorney Ivrol Hines

Q. I just turned 19 years old.

How can I become a citizen through my U.S. parent?

A. You may qualify for automatic citizenship through your parent under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000. Under the act, a child born outside of the United States automatically becomes a U.S. citizen when the following four conditions have been met: 1. The person is a child of a parent who is a U.S. citizen by birth or through naturalization (including an adoptive parent); 2. The child is under 18 years of age; 3. The child is a lawful permanent resident; and 4. The child is residing in the United States in the legal and physical cus-

Q. I am a green card holder and would like to know if I can bring my Jamaican parents here and help them.

What is the process and how long does it take?

tody of the U.S. citizen parent.

If you believe you meet the above conditions, you may file an Application for Certificate of Citizenship with USCIS. You may also apply for a U.S. passport with the Department of State to serve as evidence of your U.S. citizenship.

Since you are 19, you may submit the Application for Certificate of Citizenship yourself. While you will need your U.S. citizen parent’s information for the application, you do not need them to file a petition on your behalf. If your application is approved, USCIS will issue proof of U.S. citizenship in the form of a Certificate of Citizenship. You may be required to take the Oath of Allegiance.

A. Your parents can come to the US as vistors, but only U.S. Citizens can petitionfor permanent residence for their parents.

If you become a U.S. citizen, you can file a Petition for Alien Relative with USCIS.

Parents of U.S. citizens are considered immediate relatives so they usually don’t have to wait for a long time to get a visa number. The process may take a bit longer today, because of the ongoing pandemic. The I-130 petition for your parents can take up to 20 months to process. Once approved, your parents can come to the United States through consular processing on immigrant visas. They’ll receive their Green Cards when they arrive in the U.S.

Q. I am a permanent resident and I filed an I-130 application for my son earlier this year. He got married recently. Will this affect his application?

A. Yes, your son’s marriage will remove him from the preference categories and he will no longer be able to apply for an Immigrant Visa until you become a United States citizen. Immigration law does not permit a lawful permanent resident to sponsor a married son or daughter.

If you have an immigration question that you would like us to respond to in this collumn, write to Attorney Hines at nylibertystar@yahoo.com.

Title the subject of you email “IMMIGRATION MATTERS.” Ivrol Hines, Esq. is a licensed attorney in the State of Georgia.

By Andrew Moss

I

f negotiations in Congress open a path to citizenship this year for the roughly 10.2 million undocumented immigrants in America, the U.S. economy will grow by as much as $1.7 trillion over ten years, according to a joint study conducted by the Center for American Progress and the University of California, Davis's Global Migration Center.

This increase in the nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will accrue from wage increases following legalization and citizenship, as well as from enhanced educational attainment and training made possible by the changes in status.

These benefits to the economy have received a fair measure of attention in the media, but what hasn't received as much attention is how an opened path to citizenship will also strengthen American democracy. It will do so by making our system of government more representative.

The issue of representativeness is grounded in economic facts and in the realities of daily life for both undocumented immigrants and documented noncitizens (i.e. people with DACA— Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals--status, Temporary Protected Status, or some form of work authorization like a Green Card). For many years, undocumented immigrants have paid billions in federal, state, and local taxes, and many pay into Social Security as well, even though they're not eligible to receive retirement benefits.

Yet as author John Washington has noted: Many basic conceptions of political equality are thrown out the window when it comes to immigrants. You can pay taxes, serve in the military, own property, go to school, be a working and contributing and fully engaged member of the community, and yet you can be arrested by immigration authorities while picking your kid up from school, in many states you might not be able to legally drive, and in almost all cities you can’t even vote for your City Council representative.

For a nation whose drive to independence was impelled, in part, by the sentiments behind the phrase, "no taxation without representation," there's more than good reason for enfranchising millions of residents who contribute so much to this society – and yet who are denied the opportunity of participating fully in the political life of their communities and the nation.

There are those who make their calling in projecting fear about such enfranchisement. Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson tells his views and readers, "If you change the population, you dilute the political power of the people who live there. So every time they (Democrats) import a new voter, I'd become disenfranchised as a current voter."

Carlson presents his zero-sum vision of political life in language with a

powerful subtext: the Republican Party's embrace, under President Trump, of a racist anti-immigrant program that has extended beyond the end of the Trump administration.

This anti-immigrant program continues in, among other things, the lawsuit brought against DACA by Republican officials from Texas and eight other states, a lawsuit that led to the ruling last month by a federal judge in Texas that DACA was unlawful.

It's understandable that Carlson and others fear the full political participation of people long-denied and long-suppressed by xenophobic rhetoric and policy. Such fear grows out of choices that Republican leaders and allied opinion makers have been making for some time.

But if their own choices now constrict and bind these leaders, why must the nation be equally bound and constricted?

Some may ask, "why reward people who crossed illegally, or who were brought over illegally?"

And one may answer: sometimes you have to ask different kinds of questions, questions that broaden our humanity, deepen our ties, and expand our potential as a nation.

A question, therefore: what do you say to a physician, health aide, nurse, or pharmacist – a DACA recipient, one of 30,000 who worked tirelessly, and still works tirelessly, to protect patients from Covid – what do you say if our nation cannot, finally, acknowledge him or her as a citizen and as a full person?

What do you say to any one of the five million undocumented immigrants deemed as "essential workers" – people working in construction, agriculture, food manufacturing, and health care?

People who continue to feed the nation, care for its children and its elderly, and build and maintain its infrastructure?

Citizenship, and the voting rights that go with it, are ultimately issues of agency, power, and voice. The question is: will the power remain exclusively and narrowly held, relegating people to the shadows, and undermining the nation's vitality and growth?

Or will an inclusive and democratic vision prevail? Will we move to a renewed and wider sense of what the American experiment will be? In the coming weeks, so much will depend on this Congress – and upon the collective pressures that will be brought to bear upon it.

Andrew Moss, syndicated by PeaceVoice, is an emeritus professor (English, Nonviolence Studies) at the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

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September 4, 2021

LIBERTY STAR NEWSPAPER

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12

September 4, 2021

LIBERTY STAR NEWSPAPER

ENTERTAINMENT

McGregor Headlines Sound Chat Radio’s NY Celebration

By Flair Lindsey

S

ound Chat Radio commemorated its 10th Anniversary in fine style this weekend in New York, culminating with an appearance by The Captain of the "Big Ship" Freddie McGregor OD on their soldout "Reeewind Sundays on the Ocean" All White Cruise.

Freddie McGregor was recently honored by the City of Hartford, CT. for his contributions to reggae music, with the city declaring Aug. 14 Freddie McGregor Day.

The exclusive Sunday, August 29 event came fresh off the heels of the famed singer being honored with an official "Freddie McGregor Day" by the city of Hartford, Connecticut.

The Grammy-nominated Freddie McGregor has been serving up musical greatness for more than six decades and was the ideal artist to headline the milestone occasion for Sound Chat Radio, one of the world's largest online Caribbean radio stations. The legendary act joined an all-star lineup of Sound Chat Radio "Reeewind Sundays" personalities including Bobby Channel One, Carl

B Moxie, Supa Fridge, Nexxt Level, Jah Wise, Johnny Guard and Kulcha Kartel.

"It's truly a blessing to have sustained Sound Chat Radio for 10 years," said Bourne before the event kicked off. "We are proud that Freddie McGregor will be on deck to celebrate this accomplishment with us, as we have built a great relationship with the legendary entertainer over the years and our listeners love him."

Launched by Garfield “Chin” Bourne of Irish and Chin, Sound Chat Radio is syndicated in more than 30 markets and has amassed millions of listeners. Bourne credits the success of the Sound Chat Radio sound system-driven talk show for catapulting Sound Chat Radio into an expansive network.

“The journey has had challenges, but it’s rewarding to see the growth and even more humbling to see the overall influence the platform has had on media,” Bourne said. “Sound Chat Radio has provided a blueprint for sound system based talk programming, spawning scores of shows taking on its format.”

Consisting of more than 40 programs with top sound systems, DJs, radio personalities and esteemed journalists, Sound Chat Radio offers

an interactive radio experience to a wide audience, ranging from 28-71 years old. The station is a conduit of the global Jamaican Diaspora, connecting them with timely, important and substantive content. Topics span entertainment, politics, business, sports, economics, health, spirituality and more.

“I believe that Sound Chat Radio’s diverse and insanely talented roster and unorthodox style of radio are the main ingredients in its winning formula. We took a chance and broke the monotony of traditional radio, incorporating sounds as radio personalities, unique topics and audience involvement. It worked!

You’ll never hear the same show twice,” said Bourne enthusiastically.

Over the course of his incredible career, the internationally acclaimed Freddie McGregor has made unmatched contributions to Reggae music. The singer, record producer and famed “Big Ship Captain” is a cultural icon and premiere voice and face of Jamaican music.

Recording since seven years old as “Little Freddie,” the Clarendon, Jamaica born entertainer continues to deliver impeccable, soulful records.

His sons, producer Stephen “Di Genius” McGregor and artist Chino, are boldly carrying the McGregor musical legacy.

Jamaican Actor Plays MLK in Aretha Franklin Biopic

By Stephanie Korney

G

ilbert Glenn Brown is an actor, writer, and director born in New York City in a hardworking and family-oriented Caribbean home that emphasized love for the Jamaican heritage of his immigrant parents.

Brown’s latest role is playing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the new Jennifer Hudson film, “Respect,” which follows the life of superstar singer and cultural icon Aretha Franklin.

While Brown had originally auditioned for another part in the film, he declined that role as it didn’t feel right to him. He received a call a week later, on his birthday, asking him to audition for the role of Dr. King, and after about two weeks, he was offered the part. Brown shared that he had played the role of Dr. King in other productions and had already done considerable research to prepare for the challenge. His previous portrayals of King were presented in a staged reading of the play “Mountaintop” before it appeared on Broadway, participating in the national tour of the show, and then starring in the show in its production in Los Angeles in 2019.

Describing the greatest challenge in taking on the role of the historic and iconic Dr. King and participating in the film project, Brown noted the scope and size of the overall vision involved in

telling Franklin’s story and the difficulties of including all the important and amazing figures in history connected to her life in a two-plus-hour film.

Telling the singer’s story was “not a simple feat,” he said, adding that it was also humbling and slightly intimidating to share the experience with actors and artists he had always admired.

Brown described Dr. King as a “wonderfully complex and powerful person.” For the actor, the role did not involve focusing only on his vocal intonations and the ability to deliver his speeches, but also to show that the man was a “living, breathing human being who was deified, but who never saw himself that way.” Dr. King always viewed himself just as a man working for the people who had the same hopes, doubts, fears, and aspirations. “I wanted to present him that way,” Brown added.

Brown first became interested in acting as a profession when he saw Sidney Poitier on screen.

In high school, some of his teachers introduced him to Broadway theater, and he was especially inspired by a production of “The Tempest” starring Aunjanue Ellis and Patrick Stewart and decided he wanted to be a part of the theater world.

He joined the Mind Builders Creative Arts Center Positive Youth Troupe, a group focused on issues facing young people, and saw for the first time that people like him could talk about their own challenges and issues. At the age of 15, Brown went on tour with the troupe to Detroit, and the trip showed him that his love of theater could open doors for him that he had never thought possible. This was when he realized he could make

Gilbert Glenn Brown

acting his career.

Now a seasoned performer, Brown has succeeded in many performing genres, including stage, television, screen, voiceover, writing, directing, producing, and as director of photography. Among his many accomplishments are originating the role of R&B singer “Jett Slade” on “The Young & The

Restless”, recurring as “Dean Evan Foley” on the Emmy-Winning “The Inspectors”, and appearing with Taraji P. Henson and Sam Rockwell in “Best of Enemies” as “Howard Clements.” He recurs as “James Michael Chapel” in DC’s “Stargirl” and appears as “Dr. Riley” in Walter Mosley’s “The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey” with Samuel L. Jackson.

LIBERTY STAR NEWSPAPER September 4, 2021 13

14

September 4, 2021

LIBERTY STAR NEWSPAPER

HEALTH

We’re Covering and Marketing Covid Vaccinations All Wrong

By Steve Klinger

S

ince the numerous vaccines for Covid-19 were fast-tracked through trials and production in the second half of 2020 the news media have been covering their development and deployment nonstop, and as a bit of a news junkie, I’ve been reading and, mostly, watching with great interest.

Lately it has been with growing dismay at the new nationwide surge, thanks to the Delta variant, that threatens to undo all the progress we’ve made. On a national scale, this is a self-inflicted setback inasmuch as the great preponderance of serious infections and fatalities is among those who remain unvaccinated.

Although the FDA granted full approval to the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine on Aug. 23, providing cover for government agencies and private employers to require inoculation and/or frequent testing, and those who had demurred because the Pfizer vaccine was experimental had one less excuse, the road to anything approaching herd immunity through inoculation remains a long and winding one.

The remarkable scientific accomplishments of fashioning safe, effective vaccines at warp speed certainly deserve all the coverage I’ve watched, but if promotion is even a part of the endeavor, the media have been doing it all wrong. I have a modest proposal.

Why in this age of fabulous graphics generation and instant access to vast quantities of video resources is the coverage so incredibly lame, predictable and counterproductive? Every single network and local news broadcast continues to loop the same tired video: It starts with a conveyor belt of glass vaccine vials with pastel-colored tops, then progresses to healthcare workers jabbing needles into the arms of vaccine recipients with their sleeves rolled up, and usually looking in the other

direction. Sometimes there’s a long shot of a gym interior or other space. By late spring of this year, any video of mass vaccination events or lines of cars waiting patiently had given way to mostly empty popup gazebos with idle personnel looking about vainly for customers before the voiceover returned to the endless jabbing and the marching vials.

In a typical newscast I’ve counted at least five to 10 individuals getting injected and hundreds of vials of vaccine parading across the screen.

Although I got my two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech as quickly as I could possibly arrange it, I still get a slight chill and shudder just a little each time I see the long needle come out and plunge into someone’s arm on the nightly news. I figure I must have seen somewhere between 2,000 and 5,000 inoculations in less than a year of watching the vaccines’ rollout.

Vaccine-resisters probably watch less news--a lot less, perhaps--but surely even most of them have seen at least dozens of shots administered on TV by now.

A few women and more candid young people will admit they’re afraid of needles, but how many men would fess up that needles make them cringe, inwardly if not outwardly? On surveys, fear of the jab would not put up big numbers for why the unvaccinated continue to resist inoculation, but I’m confident it is a significant reason for many people.

What if, instead of showing arm-jabbing and conveyor belts of vials ad infinitum, media took a different approach? Let’s zoom in on healthcare workers handing out and vaccine recipients applying the smiley-face stickers to their chests that say, “I got the vaccine.” Let’s show people wearing those stickers gathering with friends and family. Let’s show concert halls and restaurants with happy, confident customers.

Let’s show grandparents hugging their grandkids.

There’s a place for deterrence as well. Why not take a page from the very successful campaigns of decades past to reduce smoking by

linking it with cancer? Those of us old enough to recall will not soon forget those images of pale, wasted, lung-cancer patients on oxygen telling viewers in a raspy voice they wished they had quit their habits or never started in the first place. Who can forget the woman without a jaw or the former athlete with the disfigured face urging viewers to stop smoking or chewing tobacco?

There is, unfortunately, abundant video available of very ill Covid-19 patients telling their care providers they wish they had been vaccinated, perhaps even poignantly asking them for the vaccine when it is far too late.

A government-sponsored public service campaign on a vast scale with those kinds of videos or photos would do more to overcome vaccination reluctance than the current menu of scolding, finger-wagging public officials and the aforesaid counterproductive video loops of needle jabs.

This approach won’t convince everyone, and of course there are many people with immunosuppressive issues and other very legitimate concerns who are being failed by numerous systems and have valid reasons for remaining unvaccinated. The misinformation and, worse, the disinformation, launched last year by Trump and his cultists, and politically ambitious governors like Abbott and DeSantis, continue to do devastating damage to our efforts to get ahead of this pandemic, but we can move closer to some kind of herd immunity, or at least minimizing the opportunity for new and more contagious or deadly variants to develop.

We can accomplish a reopening of America that will actually be safe and joyous. But we have to understand our failures to communicate effectively before we can overcome the profound social and cultural impasse dividing us over vaccines.

The Covid-19 vaccines are a remarkable scientific achievement. They’re free, they work, and they’re verifiably safe, with only rare serious side-effects.

We can sell this. It’s called marketing. Let’s do it right.

Steve Klinger, syndicated

by PeaceVoice, is a veteran community journalist and college English instructor based in southern New Mexico.

ARA photo

Fuel kids with foods that are scientifically proven to boost focus and improve brain performance.

Back-To-School

Eats:

5 Brain-Boosting Foods for Kids (BPT) - As summer draws to an end, many families are gearing up for an exciting new school year. And while picking out new pencils and notebooks is a fun way to prepare, it's even more important to make sure your child is mentally ready to return to the classroom - whether that be virtually or in person.

"To help them stay focused and learn more efficiently, fuel your kids with foods that are scientifically proven to boost focus and improve brain performance," says Marissa Meshulam, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and founder of MPM Nutrition. Instead of stocking up on sugary cereals and processed meals, Meshulam shares her go-to foods for feeding little minds: 1. Berries Strong evidence suggests that blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and other berries have beneficial effects on the brain. Their high levels of antioxidants help protect and boost memory functioning. Try sending the kids off to school with a berry smoothie or pack a fruit cup with berries for lunch to help keep their

minds sharp throughout the day.

2. Eggs A versatile and easy option for any healthy, filling meal, eggs contain a variety of nutrients such as choline and lutein that are essential for brain health. To ensure your family is getting the most out of their favorite egg-centric snack or recipe, choose Eggland's Best eggs. Compared to ordinary eggs, EB eggs contain more than double the Vitamin B12 and Omega-3s, which help regulate sugar levels in the brain and can improve memory function.

3. Nuts Most nuts have brain-boosting benefits, but walnuts are especially high in Omega-3s, Vitamin E, antioxidants and folate content. Nuts make a great snack and also pair well with fruit or as part of a granola.

4. Avocado Avocados have nutrients that protect the nerve cells in the brain that carry information. Try spreading avocado on a sandwich for lunch or mashing up with some garlic, salt, chopped tomatoes and lemon juice for a quick dip with chips or veggies for an after-school snack.

5. Leafy greens Leafy-green vegetables are rich in so many vitamins, including Vitamin K, lutein and beta-carotene, which all contribute to healthy brain functioning. If you have trouble getting your kids to eat fruits and veggies, try sneaking them into smoothies or blended soups.

HEALTH

LIBERTY STAR NEWSPAPER September 4, 2021 15

Answers to 6 Common Questions about Covid-19 Vaccines

(BPT) - COVID-19 vaccines are authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for widespread use for those who are eligible. But while vaccines are now more accessible, vaccination rates are slowing across the country.

Those still uncertain about whether the COVID-19 vaccine is right for them can look to trusted health experts within their communities like pharmacists to address key questions or concerns about getting the vaccine, the vaccination process, and common or expected side effects. Dr. Kevin Ban, Walgreens chief medical officer, addresses six common questions about getting the vaccine.

1. What are the benefits of getting a COVID-19 vaccine?

Getting a COVID-19 vaccine has many benefits, including reducing the chances of severe illness if you do get sick with COVID-19 and allowing you to get back to pre-pandemic activities, like gathering indoors without a mask. Additionally, getting the vaccine can help prevent you from getting and spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 to those around you.

COVID-19 can have serious, life-threatening complications that may lead to hospitalization, intensive care or even death. There is no way to know how contracting COVID-19 might affect you, or anyone else, so it's important to get the vaccine to protect yourself and those around you. With COVID-19 vaccine rollout, infections have declined significantly, according to the CDC, but more people need to get vaccinated to continue to reduce community spread and protect from variants that have proven to be more transmissible. The benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks associated with getting COVID-19, Ban said.

2. COVID-19 vaccines were developed quickly,

how do I know they're safe?

Vaccines were evaluated in clinical trials with tens of thousands of participants, meeting the FDA's rigorous scientific standards for safety, efficacy and manufacturing quality needed to support emergency use authorization.

In addition, the safe and speedy roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccines is backed up by decades of research from a variety of prestigious medical and research institutions on this type of vaccine. Millions of people in the U.S. have received COVID-19 vaccines and these vaccines have undergone the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history, the CDC said. Experts are regularly reviewing and monitoring adverse events to assess whether there is a true safety concern.

Vaccines have played a vital role in protecting the health and safety of communities throughout history.

3. Are there any long-term side effects caused by the vaccine?

Some people will experience no side effects at all, while others may experience common short-term symptoms, like pain at the injection site or tiredness. These are normal signs that your body is building protection against COVID-19 and should go away in just a few days. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about taking over-the-counter medicine like ibuprofen to relieve any arm soreness or aches you may feel after getting vaccinated.

Serious side effects are extremely rare following any vaccination, including COVID-19 vaccination. The FDA required each of the authorized COVID-19 vaccines to be studied for at least two months after the final dose even though anticipated effects occurred weeks before that.

Hundreds of millions of people have received COVID-19 vaccines, and no long-term side effects have been detected, according to the CDC. Pharmacists are trained to respond and manage any instances of allergic reactions in the rare case they occur, as well as report to the CDC. 4. Do I really need more than one dose of the Pfizer

or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines?

If you receive a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, it's vital that you receive both doses to get the maximum protection they provide, Ban said. Although the first dose provides some level of protection, the exact length of time you are protected is unknown. Getting the second dose sends a powerful response to your immune system to boost your antibodies, making them more effective against COVID-19. If you've waited longer than the recommended time between doses, it's better to get the second dose late than not at all. Get the second shot as soon as possible if you missed the recommended window.

5. If I'm young and healthy, why do I need a vaccine?

Although COVID-19 symptoms can vary from person to person, people can get very sick and have complications, long-lasting symptoms or die from contracting the virus. COVID-19 can also be transmitted to others if you're infected, even if you don't have any symptoms.

Further, the Delta variant, deemed by the CDC a "variant of concern" for being more transmissible, continues to spread, accounting for more than 10% of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. Until more people are vaccinated against COVID-19, the virus will continue to mutate. The vaccine is meant to protect not only you, but also those around you, like family members and friends who may have weakened immune systems.

6. Where do I go to get a vaccine?

You can conveniently and safely get the COVID-19 vaccine at numerous locations including your primary care provider, off-site vaccination clinics or at your local pharmacy. Not only do they have pharmacists to help answer any questions you may have, but they are now offering same day and walk-in appointments. For more information, visit Walgreens.com/ScheduleVaccine or call 1-800-WALGREENS.

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September 4, 2021

LIBERTY STAR NEWSPAPER

Brilliant Rutherford Seals Successful Run Chase for Patriots

SPORTS

Windies Rising Stars U19s Receive Covid-19 Vaccines

Sherfane Rutherford goes on the attack during his match-winning half-century, Aug. 29.

A

sensational unbeaten half-century by Sherfane Rutherford fired St Kitts and Nevis Patriots to a convincing six-wicket victory over Guyana Amazon Warriors, keeping them unbeaten and top of the Caribbean Premier League standings, Aug. 29.

Asked to chase a tricky 167 for their third victory at Warner Park, the hosts overhauled their target with four balls to spare, with the left-hander Rutherford producing a dashing 59 not out off 34 balls against his former franchise.

Entering at number four, the 23-year-old belted a four and half-dozen sixes in a dazzling Manof-the-Match performance, helping Patriots to gather 54 runs from the last 26 deliveries of the innings.

“It all started from this morning when I woke up with a hunger that whatever position I bat or whatever situation my team is in, I’m going to give it my all to win it,” said Rutherford, who scraped a dismal 39 runs from seven innings for Amazon Warriors last season.

“I had a point to prove so it was good for me to come out here and show what I can do and with a lot of support from my team,” he added. “I want to say thanks to them for giving me the confidence to go out and play with a free mind. After last year I went back to the drawing board. I think I worked very hard coming into this CPL as well because after a bad tournament you don’t want a repeat.”

Members of the West Indies Rising Stars U19s team prepare to get their first doses of COVID-19 vaccinations in Antigua.

S

everal members of the West Indies Rising Stars U19s team received their first doses of vaccinations against COVID-19 in Antigua, where they have been preparing for their upcoming tour of England.

Cricket West Indies (CWI), in partnership with the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, through the support of the Ministry of Health and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), secured COVID-19 vaccines for all interested squad members between the ages of 16 and 18 who received

parental consent.

CWI continues to support the efforts of regional governments to encourage everyone to get vaccinated against COVID-19, with the West Indies Women’s team and West Indies Men’s team having received vaccines in recent months.

In a statement CARPHA noted, “CARPHA is pleased to have worked with CARICOM to execute the United States Government donation of 5.5 million Pfizer vaccines to the Caribbean. This will facilitate the vaccination of young persons from 12 years of age, which was not possible before. This is crucial for protecting young people from severe illness and death.”

CWI’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Israel Dowlat again offered CWI’s appreciation of

the support received on the vaccinations and their importance to the squad.

“CWI is fully committed to supporting the vaccination drive throughout the region.” Dowlat said. “We are extremely grateful to have our governments and CARPHA who have been partnering with us to host cricket safely and to get our squads vaccinated.”

The West Indies Rising Stars U19s will depart for England on today where they will play six Youth One-Day Internationals at The County Ground, Beckenham and The Polo Farm, Canterbury from Saturday, September 4 to Friday, September 17. This is part of their preparations for the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup to be hosted by CWI from January 4 to February 3, 2022.

Ugas Stuns Pacquiao to Setup Unifier with Spence

E

rrol Spence Jr. (27-0-0, 21 KOs) is next on the list for the WBA (Super) welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas (27-4-0, 12 KOs).

Yordenis Ugas used his size and boxing skills to convincingly defeat Manny Pacquiao in Vegas last month.

After stunning the heavily favored Manny Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs) in their title bout at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada last month, the Cuban wants a unification bout for his next assignment.

Ugas was the last minute replacement for Spence — Pacquiao's initial foe for the WBC and IBF welterweight titles.

Spence, whose father is Jamaican, had to withdraw from the fight with Pacquiao due to a torn retina for which he has since undergone surgery. Ugas was the defending champion coming into the bout against Pacquiao, as he was elevated to WBA (Super) champion earlier this year.

Pacquiao originally held the belt when he defeated Keith Thurman in July 2019.

The fighting senator was unceremoniously stripped of the title due to "inactivity".

Ugas, though, has earned his laurels as the WBA (Super) titlist with the unanimous decision win over Pacquiao.

"I told you, I am the champion of the WBA and I showed it tonight," Ugas said through his interpreter after the victory over the 42-year-old.

As for the unification bout, Spence has already said he plans to face the winner between Pacquiao and Ugas once he recovers.

LIBERTY STAR NEWSPAPER September 4, 2021 17

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LIBERTY STAR NEWSPAPER September 4, 2021 19

Jamaican Bobsled Team to Raise Funds to Qualify for 2022 Winter Olympics

J

amaica’s bobsled team, which experienced challenging issues when it first attempted to qualify for the Winter Olympics in 1988 is facing similar difficulties with trying to qualify for the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.

Jamaica’s 4x1 relay team celebrate their 2021 Olympic finals victory. From left to right, Elaine Thompson Herah, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson, and Briana Williams.

Jamaican Sprint Queens Dominate Track Season Q

By Tonya-Lee Grant

uickness is engraved in the blood, sweat, and tears of Jamaican sprinters, formed by sheer determination and will to produce world records and championship medals.

Jamaica, also known as the “Sprinting Factory,” produced both the world's fastest man (Usain Bolt) and the world's fastest woman (Elaine Thompson Herah) over 100 and 200 meters. In 2021, the world witnessed Jamaica's track and field dominance again with the recent successes of three “Jamaican Sprint Queens.”

This summer, the trio--Shelly-Ann Frazer-Pryce, Thompson Herah, and Shericka Jackson--have dominated the track and field arena with record-breaking wins. Starting in the Tokyo Olympics, Thompson Herah (10.61), ShellyAnn Fraser-Pryce (10.73), and Shericka Jackson (10.76) placed first, second, and third, respectively. The trio secured a new nickname, the “Tokyo Podium.”

“Congrats to Elaine on successfully defending her title,” Fraser-Pryce said on Facebook. “Grateful to make the podium for a 4th final.”

The trio later faced off against the United States's young superstar Sha’Carri Richardson in a showdown at the Eugene Diamond League Classic. There was much anticipation to see how the newcomer Sha’Carri would fair against Jamaica’s Sprint Queens. Richardson missed the Olympics because of a onemonth suspension after testing positive for marijuana. Unfortunately, the competition failed to live up to the hype. The American runner was no match for the Jamaicans. Thompson Herah led Jamaica to victory once more with a jaw-dropping time of 10.54, breaking her record set in Tokyo.

Fraser-Pryce finished second with a time of 10.73, and Shericka Jackson placed third with a time of 10.76. Richardson finished ninth with a time of 11.14.

“Not bad for a Diamond League season 100m opener. New PB, NR, DLR second fastest time ever,” Thompson Herah posted on her Facebook page after the race. “Thank you all so much for the love and support. Continuous improvement is the order of the day.”

Despite the loss, Richardson said she

was not disappointed in her return.

“It was a great return back to the sport,” the 21-year-old Richardson said.

“I wanted to be able to come and perform. Having the month off, dealing with all I had to deal with, I’m not upset with myself at all. This is one race, I’m not done. You know what I’m capable of.

Count me out if you want to, because I’m here to stay.”

At the Lausanne, Diamond league, Jamaica claimed its third clean sweep in the 100-meter finals, despite Thompson Herah’s eight-race winning streak coming to an abrupt end. Fraser-Pryce ran a meet record and personal best of 10.60 at the Lausanne, Diamond league event, Aug. 26th. Thompson-Herah finished second (10.64) and Shericka Jackson came in third (10.92). Fraser-Pryce now holds the third fastest time ever behind Florence Griffith-Joyner (10.49) and Thompson Herah (10.54).

“A new [personal best],” Fraser-Pryce posted on Facebook. “Thank you Switzerland! See you in Paris.”

The world record for the women’s 100-meter sprint is now under immediate threat by not only one Jamaican athlete, but two, as both sprinting queens Thompson Herah and Fraser-Pryce are eyeing Florence Griffith-Joyner 10.49 record.

This has prompted Chris Stokes, former bobsled team member and the author of “Cool Runnings,” the book that inspired the 1993 Disney film of the same name, to form a strategic partnership with Jacob York of Electric Token and Rohan Midha, the sponsorship agent for Jamaica’s bobsled team, to raise the necessary funds for the team’s Olympic qualification through the use of NFTs as an equity source.

“NFT” stands for “Non-Fungible Token.”

Non-fungible means that the token is unique and can’t be replaced with anything else. NFTs are meant to show ownership of something that can’t be copied. While an NFT can be anything digital, many current NFTs involve using the technology to sell digital art. For example, while anyone can purchase a print of a Picasso painting, there can be only one owner of the original painting. Another feature of NFTs that is attractive to buyers is that they can be structured to pay the owner a percentage each time the NFT is sold, which means that if an artwork becomes popular and increases in value, the owner receives some of the benefits. As the market for NFTs has grown, some have sold for thousands and even millions of dollars.

This initiative, which is the first of its kind to combine authentic Jamaican digital and physical experiences from music and art with the purpose of securing a place in the 2022 Olympics for the bobsled team, has scheduled the NFT drop for later in 2021. The NFT will feature limited edition digital art highlighting the best of the Jamaican bobsled brand: courage, persistence, and claiming a place in the world “regardless of where you are,” according to Stokes and Midha.

Each of the unique collectibles will be a Jamaican-themed bobsled “wrapped in works of digital 3-dimensional art curated by Florian Tappeser, a digital artist and animator at Genies.

The NFTs will include designs for each of the six Jamaican bobsleds that will compete in the 2022 Winter Games. Original work by Jamaican artists selected with input from Electric Token, experts in NFT, and the Jamaican Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport will support each NFT. NFT artist Gabe Weis will be featured in the first of the initiative’s drops.

September 4, 2021

LIBERTY STAR NEWSPAPER