Prince Georges Afro American Newspaper May 23 2015

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY EDITION

Volume 123 No. 42

MAY 23, 2015 - MAY 29, 2015

Honoring Our Heroes

Entire Criminal Justice System Under Review

By Roberto Alejandro Special to the AFRO

In this Aug. 11, 2014 file photo, police wearing riot gear walk toward a man with his hands raised in Ferguson, Mo. U.S.

AP Photo

Obama Puts Stricter Controls on Military-Style for Police

By Nedra Pickler Associated Press Nine months after police in riot gear dispelled racially charged protests, President Barack Obama is prohibiting the federal government from providing some militarystyle equipment to local departments and putting stricter controls on other weapons and gear distributed to law enforcement.

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The surprise announcement comes after the White House suggested last year that Obama would maintain programs that provide the type of militarystyle equipment used to respond to demonstrators last summer in Ferguson, Mo., because of their broader contribution to public safety.

But an interagency group found “substantial risk of misusing or overusing” items

like tracked armored vehicles, high-powered firearms and camouflage could undermine trust in police.

With scrutiny on police only increasing in the ensuing months after a series of highly publicized deaths of Black suspects nationwide, Obama also is unveiling the final report of a task force he created to help build confidence between police and minority communities in

particular.

The announcements come as Obama is visiting Camden, N.J., one of the country’s most violent and poorest cities.

Obama plans to visit Camden police headquarters before heading to a community center to meet with youth and law enforcement and give a speech.

Continued on A3

Maryland will soon be undertaking a review of its entire criminal justice system in an attempt to root out inefficiencies that are driving high costs and but high rates of recidivism.

Senate Bill 602, signed recently into law by Gov. Larry Hogan (R), establishes a Justice Reinvestment Coordinating Council (JRCC) within the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention. The council will Photo by Roberto Alejandro be chaired by the director of Director Chris Shank of the the Office of Crime Control Governor’s Office of Crime and Prevention, former state Control and Prevention senator Christopher Shank, discusses a new council and is tasked with using to root out inefficiencies a data-driven approach in that drive high costs and order to “develop a statewide recidivism rates in our framework of sentencing and criminal justice system. corrections policies to further reduce the State’s incarcerated population, reduce spending on corrections, and reinvest in strategies to increase public safety and reduce recidivism,” according to the law.

According to Shank, during a discussion with the AFRO Continued on A3

AFRO Exclusive:

Minister Admits to Misallocating Grant Funds

Former Baltimore Raven Torrey Smith Visits Oxon Hill High School

By James Wright Special to the AFRO

By Courtney Jacobs AFRO Staff Writer

The Rev. Anthony Motley, a longtime political operator with ties to the late Marion S. Barry, pled guilty to misallocating grant funds, an offense that took place several years ago.

A May 11 story from the Washington City Paper said Motley pled guilty in D.C. Superior Court on April 28 to stealing $52,063 from various grants in 2008 and 2009. The publication reported that Motley used his organization, Inner Thoughts Inc., to illegally take grant money intended for the National Association of Former Foster Care Children of America.

Motley said, however, that he didn’t steal any money, but he didn’t properly use the money received legally.

“The situation is real and I regret the actions of seven years ago,” Motley told the AFRO on May 14. “I made a mistake.”

His attorney, Rodney Mitchell, confirmed that Motley is facing a firstdegree fraud charge for the misallocation of funds. If convicted, Motley could face up to 10 years in prison, Facebook Photo Mitchell said. Mitchell said Motley has cooperated with The Rev. Anthony Motley the FBI and with prosecutors is a well-known political of the U.S. Attorney for the operator in the District.

District of Columbia and he hopes the minister won’t be incarcerated.

Motley will be sentenced on June 24 before D.C. Superior Court Judge Yvonne M. Williams.

Motley is a native Washingtonian who has served in the military and is a graduate of the University of Detroit and the Howard University School of Divinity.

He has worked in various capacities with Barry on his campaigns for political office and from 1987-1990, Motley served as a special assistant to the president of the United States tasked with helping the then Reagan and Bush administrations come up with policies to stop drug abuse.

Continued on A3

Former Baltimore Raven Super Bowl champion and University of Maryland Alumni Torrey Smith made a trip to Prince George’s County May 8 to visit Oxon Hill High School.

While there, he helped present their reward for winning the county’s Amerigroup Challenge competition involving nine other high schools in the county.

The Amerigroup Challenge was designed to empower Prince George’s County adolescents and their families to take the appropriate steps to stay healthy, by seeing their primary care provider (PCP) once a year for a wellness exam. The goal of the Amerigroup Challenge was to increase rates of yearly adolescent wellness exams in the Prince George’s County areas.

Ten Prince George’s high schools competed in the

Facebook Photo

Former Raven Torrey Smith, now a 49er, visited Oxon Hill High School to present them with the Amerigroup Challenge reward.

Continued on A4

D.C. Citizens Need Not Show Reason to Carry Concealed Handguns Judge Stops Enforcement of Part of ‘Good Reason’ Handgun Law

By Jessica Gresko and Ben Nuckols Associated Press (May 19, 2015) WASHINGTON (AP) — People in the nation’s capital no longer have to show a good reason to get a permit to carry concealed handguns outside their homes and businesses.

The District of Columbia’s police chief said Tuesday that she’s dropping this requirement, a centerpiece of the city’s handgun-control legislation, after a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction against it.

“…this requirement makes it impossible for the overwhelming majority of law-abiding citizens to obtain licenses to carry handguns…”

– U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Scullin Jr. This is round two for the city and U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Scullin Jr., who also found the city’s ban on carrying handguns outside the home unconstitutional last year. Now he’s stopped the

Copyright © 2014 by the Afro-American Company

city from enforcing the key provision of a law the D.C. Council adopted in response.

The city’s law, one of the nation’s toughest, says a person must show a “good Continued on A3

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The Washington/PG Afro-American, May 23, 2015 - May 29, 2015

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Nine Ga. Deputies Fired following Death of Nigerian Man While in Custody

Nine Georgia deputies were fired May 8 in connection with the death of a Nigerian man while in police custody five months earlier.

According to CNN, Mathew Ajibade, 21, was arrested in Savannah, Ga. on Jan. 1 when police received a Facebook photo. phone call about a domestic Mathew Ajibade’s family disturbance. Chatham believes police tasered County, Ga. Sheriff’s Office him while he was in police deputies responding to the custody. scene allegedly saw Ajibade holding a bruised and bleeding woman under a blanket. Ajibade suffered from bipolar disorder, according to a lawyer hired by his family.

Ajibade was arrested and handcuffed to a chair in an isolation cell after he became combative with officers during the booking process, The Guardian reported. Ajibade’s family believes police Tasered him while he was strapped to the chair, according to NBC News; he was later found unresponsive.

In the immediate aftermath of Ajibade’s death, two deputies were suspended without pay pending the results of an investigation, police said.

Authorities have not detailed the exact role the nine fired deputies played in Ajibade’s death. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Affairs Division of the Chatham County, Ga. Sheriff’s Office are both conducting investigations.

The Sheriff’s Office said it will institute new procedures that require medical personnel to be notified when a person with medication arrives for booking, as well as new implement security procedures to review the use of Taser-like devices and a clear written policy of when Tasers may not be used, according to CNN.

Mumia Abu-Jamal Supporters Decry Alleged Poor Medical Treatment

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Friends and supporters of activist and journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was convicted for the 1982 killing of a Pennsylvania police officer, are decrying the quality of medical care being provided by that state’s Department of Corrections to the ailing prisoner.

“This man’s life is in danger; we will not allow you to kill him,” said Dr. Suzanne Ross, who is among the leading voices

calling for Abu-Jamal’s release or improved treatment while in prison.

Ross and others, including Abu-Jamal’s brother, Keith Cook, delivered an open letter to Department of Corrections Secretary John Wetzel in Harrisburg, Pa. in April documenting the medical neglect and malpractice which they said has defined his treatment in prison.

Abu-Jamal was hospitalized May 12 with reports of a fever and open wounds and sores on his legs, according to a posting on his Facebook page.

That hospitalization came after Mumia Abu-Jamal was months of deteriorating health, hospitalized May 12 with the underlying reasons for reports of a fever and which remains undiagnosed. open wounds and sores Over a period of four on his legs months, Abu-Jamal has lost approximately 60 to 80 pounds, supporters said. A skin ailment, diagnosed as eczema, has worsened—images provided by family members show patches of blackened, leathery, cracking skin, which they say is itchy and bloody. Abu-Jamal also swelled due to a severe allergic reaction to steroids given him.

On March 30, his still-undiagnosed condition became life-threatening when he was rushed to an outside hospital after fainting from diabetic shock. His blood sugar level was found to be 779, right on the brink of the 800 level that marks diabetic coma. His salt level was 168, which is associated with heart attack and brain aneurysm. Just a few days later, he was returned to the prison infirmary.

The once physically-imposing man has been reduced to using a wheelchair, his breath is labored and his speech is sometimes slurring and halting, supporters report.

“His spirits are good. But it’s going to take a while for him to be the Mumia we all know and love,” his brother, Keith Cook, said in a recorded statement outside of SCI Mahoney prison in Frackville, Pa., where he visited Abu-Jamal on April 3.

Supporters say Abu-Jamal’s condition is an indictment of the poor diet and inadequate medical care often given to prisoners, which can amount to “institutional murder.”

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May 23, 2015 - May 29, 2015, The Washington/PG Afro-American

A3

Criminal Justice System

Continued from A1

about the work and mission of the council, the review of our criminal justice system will shift the focus from whether the State is being tough or soft on crime, to whether it is being smart.

“In America, in the 60s through the 90s, there was the dichotomy between soft on crime, and tough on crime, and people talked past each other. The result was swings in our criminal justice policy that were ‘A’, either retributive, or ‘B’, focused on rehabilitative [policies]. And they kind of crossed each other, and the result was a criminal justice system in the state of Maryland that spends a billion dollars a year and has a recidivism rate of 40 percent. And so, the question is, are there things that we can do better?” said Shank.

Doing better will require being able to make a distinction, with respect to persons who have broken the law, between those we are afraid of and those we are mad at, says Shank, who was quick to note that this turn of phrase did not originate with him.

“People that we’re afraid of, who have committed violent crimes against our citizens, they need to be put in a place where they can do no more additional harm. People that we’re mad at, that have violated laws, that are doing things that are destructive to themselves, others, and society, there are things that we can do within our arsenal that do involve incarceration but also involve finding better ways of dealing with situations,” said Shank.

This means analyzing, and where necessary, rethinking our approach at every stage in the criminal justice process. Shank gives the example of someone charged with a non-violent drug

“People that we’re afraid of, who have committed violent crimes against our citizens, they need to be put in a place where they can do no more additional harm.”

–Shank offense such as possession that data shows will be more likely to repeat the offense when incarcerated due to the collateral consequences of being jailed such as job loss and strained personal connections. Addressing this inefficiency should occur at the pre-trial level, before incarceration is on the table.

“What are you going to do during that period of time [incarceration] to give someone the opportunity to take the tools to transform their lives, to make things right in terms of any victims involved, and then to have a successful life when they get on the outside?” said Shank.

Another important stage is at the community corrections

level, where people have been released from prison but are still under state supervision (i.e., parole or probation). “There’s a lot more people who are being supervised in the community. What can we do there in terms of treatment, in terms of reentry, in terms of providing employment opportunities? What is going on in terms of the collateral consequences that we need to address that are inhibiting people from successfully reentering society as well?” said Shank.

If Maryland is going to reduce recidivism, not to mention the costs associated with our criminal justice system, then the state needs a complete and data-driven picture of how that system operates. Senate Bill 602 requires the JRCC to request technical assistance from the Council of State Governments Justice Center and the Public Performance Safety Project of the Pew Center on the States for the purposes of analyzing our system and developing the Justice Reinvestment Coordinating Council’s policy recommendations, which are due to the governor on or before Dec. 31.

“What my goal to produce [for] Gov. Hogan and to the state of Maryland, in terms of this whole process, is, for the first time, a holistic, critical examination of our criminal justice system. Who’s doing what in that criminal justice system, and how efficiently are we doing it, and how can we do it better? Once we have that analysis, then we have an opportunity to look at cost savings, but then we also have an opportunity to reduce the recidivism rate. And that provides a more safe society, a more just society,” said Shank.

Obama

Continued from A1 “I’ll highlight steps all cities can take to maintain trust between the brave law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line, and the communities they’re sworn to serve and protect,” Obama said on May 16, during his weekly address.

In previewing the president’s trip, the White House said that effective immediately, the federal government will no longer fund or provide armored vehicles that run on a tracked system instead of wheels, weaponized aircraft or vehicles, firearms or ammunition of .50-caliber or higher, grenade launchers, bayonets or camouflage uniforms. The federal government also is exploring ways to recall prohibited equipment already distributed.

In addition, a longer list of equipment the federal government provides will come under tighter control, including wheeled armored vehicles like Humvees, manned aircraft, drones, specialized firearms, explosives, battering rams and riot batons, helmets and shields. Starting in October, police will have to get approval from their city council, mayor or some other local governing body to obtain it, provide a persuasive explanation of why it is needed and have more training and data collection on the use of the equipment.

The issue of police militarization rose to prominence last year after a white police officer in Ferguson fatally shot unarmed black 18-year-old Michael Brown, sparking protests.

Critics questioned why police in full body armor with armored trucks responded to dispel demonstrators, and Obama seemed to sympathize when ordering a review of the programs that provided the equipment.

“There is a big difference between our military and our

“There is a big difference between our military and our local law enforcement and we don’t want those lines blurred.”

–President Obama local law enforcement and we don’t want those lines blurred,” Obama said in August of 2014.

But he did not announce a ban in December with the publication of the review, which showed five federal agencies spent $18 billion on programs that provided equipment including 92,442 small arms, 44,275 night-vision devices, 5,235 Humvees, 617 mine-resistant vehicles and 616 aircraft.

At the time, the White House defended the programs as proving to be useful in many cases, such as the response to the Boston Marathon bombing. Instead of repealing the programs, Obama issued an executive order that required federal agencies that run the programs to consult with law enforcement and civil rights and civil liberties organizations to recommend changes that make sure they are accountable and transparent.

That working group said in a report on May 18 that it developed the list of newly banned equipment because “the substantial risk of misusing or overusing these items, which are seen as militaristic in nature, could significantly undermine

community trust and may encourage tactics and behaviors that are inconsistent with the premise of civilian law enforcement.”

The Justice Department did not respond to an inquiry about how many pieces of equipment are now banned, which had been previously distributed through federal programs.

The separate report from the 21st Century Policing task force has a long list of recommendations to improve trust in police, including encouraging more transparency about interactions with the public. The White House said 21 police agencies nationwide, including Camden and nearby Philadelphia, have agreed to start putting out never-before released data on citizen interactions like use of force, stops, citations and officer-involved shootings. The administration is also launching an online toolkit to encourage the use of body cameras to record police interactions. And the Justice Department is giving $163 million in grants to incentivize police departments to adopt the report’s recommendations.

Ron Davis, director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services at the Justice Department, told reporters he hoped the report could be a “key transformational document” in rebuilding trust that has been destroyed in recent years between police and minority communities.

“We are without a doubt sitting at a defining moment for American policing,” said Davis, a 30-year police veteran and former chief of the East Palo Alto (California) Police Department. “We have a unique opportunity to redefine policing in our democracy, to ensure that public safety becomes more than the absence of crime, that it must also include the presence of justice.”

Gun Law

Continued from A1 reason to fear injury to his or her person or property” or another “proper reason for carrying a pistol” to get a concealed-carry permit.

Reasons might include a personal threat, or a job that requires them to carry or protect cash or valuables.

“For all intents and purposes, this requirement makes it impossible for the

overwhelming majority of law-abiding citizens to obtain licenses to carry handguns in public for self-defense, thereby depriving them of their Second Amendment right to bear arms,” Scullin wrote in his 23-page ruling.

His next hearing in the case is July 7.

States including Maryland, New Jersey and New York

already require people to provide a reason for these kinds of permits, and federal courts have found them to be constitutional, according to a report the city did before passing its own new law.

D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine said he still believes the law is “constitutionally valid,” but his statement did not say

whether the city will appeal.

Attorney Alan Gura, who is suing the city on behalf of the Second Amendment Foundation and three individuals, said he expects an appeal and won’t be surprised if the city asks to reinstate the requirement pending a final decision in court.

Alan M. Gottlieb, who founded the Washington

Minister

Continued from A1 In 2001, Motley worked to found the J.O.B.S. Coalition of Greater Washington, a collaborative between the faith community, construction industry, and community leaders to employ residents who have difficulty in getting and keeping employment. Motley is a minister at the Cathedral of Christ Baptist Church in Capitol Heights, Md. Motley said that there was a “lot going on” during the time he committed the offenses and said that Barry had nothing to do with the situation. He said he has always wanted to help people and will continue to do so despite his legal troubles.

Motley said that since the reporting of his legal matters, people have been both supportive and hostile to him. “A lot of people are angry at me and they have said some hurtful things about me,” he said. “I am happy that many people in D.C. and in the ward are standing by me and I have their support. It is in times like these that you learn who your true friends are.”

Motley said that he hopes that the judge will allow him to stay with his family and continue his work in the community.

He said that he now knows how returning citizens feel after they finish doing their time. “People are quick to judge and cast aspersion,” Motley said. “When you are a returning citizen, you

face disdain and ostracism. What I want is what other returning citizens want, to go on living their life.”

Motley has taken a leave of absence as the leader of the Anacostia Coordinating Council’s faith committee. Natalie Williams, the president of the Ward 8 Democrats, said that she wants to speak to Motley personally about his legal problems and then to the organization’s executive board before taking action on his chairmanship of the influential Issues and Legislation Committee.

Ronald Williams, a political activist in Ward 8, said that Motley’s actions are reprehensible based on what he has heard and read. “Rev. Motley is a disgrace to the cloth and to the community,” Williams said.

“The cloak of Marion Barry is being lifted after his death and the dirt is coming out.”

Williams said that Motley “preyed upon foster kids” and —Ronald Williams should, at the least, repay the money he misused.

D.C. Council member LaRuby May (D-Ward 8) said that she wants to give Motley the benefit of the doubt. “I don’t know anything about his situation and I need to get more information,” May said. “I really don’t know him personally but I want to get all the facts. That would be fair to him.”

“Rev. Motley is a disgrace to the cloth and to this community.”

state-based foundation, said he’s “delighted.” Requiring a reason for a permit “stinks, and always did stink, and now everybody knows it,” his statement said.

D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier, who has final decision-making authority on issuing the permits, said she won’t deny anyone for failing to show a reason. She also said she doesn’t think the preliminary injunction

will prompt a spike in applications. About 100 people have applied for permits, and very few have been denied, she said.

“The vast majority of people applying for permits to carry in the District are not D.C. residents,” Lanier said on NewsChannel 8’s “NewsTalk” program. “Our residents are very clear that this is not something they wanted.”

A4

The Washington/PG Afro-American, May 23, 2015 - May 29, 2015

Hogan Withholds $68 Million in Education Funding

D.C. Business Profile Gifted Academy Preparatory School Provides Safe, Personalized Education for Youth

By Christina Sturdivant Special to the AFRO

By Courtney Jacobs AFRO Staff Writer Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) announced on May 15 that he will deny $68 million in funding for education this year. Instead, he said he plans to use the money towards Maryland’s pension system.

Hogan wanted to maintain the level of over-payments into the state pension system the legislature had committed itself to previously in order to make up for years of under-funding, but this year’s General Assembly slashed it by $75 million, according to the {Baltimore Sun.} In the past, the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System only had about 69 percent of the assets needed to pay for future and current retirees’ pensions in the last fiscal year.

The target goal for being considered healthy is 80 percent, which the state did not reach.

“I am displeased with the governor’s decision to cut school funding, because I believe it is a disservice to the people of Prince George’s County and a significant disinvestment in the children and future of this County and our State,” Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker, III said in a news release.

Even though the public school system is the second largest in Maryland with over 125,000 students and the 17th largest school

Courtesy Photo

Governor Hogan announced $68 million in funding cuts.

Constitution, he can’t apply funds that have been appropriated for something else. What he will probably do is let the money sit in the fund and then use it as his proposed budget next year. In the meantime, there are kids in Baltimore, Montgomery County, and Prince George County that need a good education.”

Prince George’s County Public Schools will lose $20 million, while Baltimore will lose $11 million and Montgomery County will lose $17 million due to Hogan’s decision.

In Baker’s Fiscal Year 2016 budget proposal, he wanted to invest more Prince George’s County funds into the school system in hopes of moving its position to being one of the top 10 school systems in Maryland by 2020. “There comes a time when we must take a stand and

“I am displeased with the governor’s decision to cut school funding, because I believe it is a disservice to the people of Prince George’s County and a significant disinvestment in the children and future of this County and our State.”

–Rushern L. Baker III

district in the United States, about 62 percent of its students receive free or reduced lunch, according to Baker. In addition, several school buildings need significant maintenance.

“He’s (Hogan) cutting money that goes to schools with the most poor kids, kids with disabilities, and second language learners – all the impacted urban populations,” Maryland House Delegate Eric Luedtke (D-Montgomery County) told {RT}. “Under the Maryland

put politics aside to make educated and factbased decisions,” Baker said in a news release.

“And when you look at the facts, it is clear that we need to significantly increase our investment in our children and not stifle them from reaching their full potential. It is disheartening that the governor is not showing the same level of dedication to Prince George’s County children, who should also be highly valued children of the State of Maryland.”

As adolescent bullying permeates schoolyards across the country, prevention campaigns have formed from grassroots organizations and government agencies alike. Native Washingtonian Theresa Garza is a longtime advocate for safer learning environments for children as the director of Gifted Academy Preparatory School, located on the edge of Capitol Hill in Southeast, D.C. Garza started the private learning center in October of 2005, after her daughter faced a bully at her school – the same place where Garza worked as an educator. “I brought her and my son home and decided that I would homeschool them for the rest of the school year and the following upcoming school year I would look for a job,” Garza told the AFRO on May 11.

“In the process of home schooling them, I really liked knowing what they were learning, I liked their progression and I enjoyed the time we spent together.

It also allowed me time to be able to go to school at night and complete my master’s.”

As other parents heard of Garza’s efforts, a considerable amount of interest grew and soon she launched Gifted Academy.

Operating in her home, Garza can accommodate up to twelve children at Photo courtesy of Gifted Academy Preparatory School once from first graders Students working together at Gifted Academy to high school seniors.

Preparatory School.

Primary classes include reading, English, history, mathematics and science.

Older students engage in college preparatory courses such as physics, geometry, and a foreign language, along with an array of electives.

Perhaps the most important part of the program is its Christ-centered approach.

“Being a Christian myself, I truly believe that the missing part of the formula in most schools is religion because religion gives a structure and its hard to have structure when you don’t have a definite right and a definite wrong. So with Christ and with the Bible – Theresa Garza you have a definite idea of what’s right and what’s wrong.”

Students at the academy are also unique, in that they often battle learning or physical disabilities that would make them targets for discrimination in traditional schools, “I currently have a twelfth grader who is autistic… one of my ninth grade students is a cancer survivor twice… I’ve had students in the past who had eczema to the extent that their skin looked like leather… I’ve had a student who was extremely obese at the age of 11, he weighed over 350 pounds,” recalls Garza, who works to address each student’s situations with the utmost care.

While many educators may stray from such environments, Garza’s personalized approach has propelled her throughout the decades and made her a trendsetter in D.C. education.

“There have been some challenges in figuring out how to teach certain things to certain people, but that comes along with teaching in general,” she says. “[I love] seeing the light bulb come on in a child’s eyes when you know a child has it, when they’ve caught something.

Most people don’t think they can learn math and when they are able to accomplish that, that’s the most rewarding.”

“I love seeing the light bulb come on in a child’s eyes when you know a child has it, when they’ve caught something.”

Torrey Smith

Continued from A1

basketball-themed challenge during in February. Between participating schools, about 900 total wellness exam forms were completed. Students were required to visit a PCP for their annual wellness exam, have their doctor sign

the challenge coupon and return them to the school’s health department.

With 18 percent of those completed exams coming from Oxon Hill, they beat out Bladensburg, Charles Herbert Flowers, DuVal, Frederick

“You control your destination and your future. It’s all about making the right decisions and following what you’re trying to do.”

– Torrey Smith Douglass, Friendly, Largo, Suitland, Eleanor Roosevelt and Fairmont Heights Prince George’s County high schools to win the Amerigroup

Challenge and a $5,000 check towards the school.

Smith toured the newly renovated Oxon Hill High School. As he walked the

hallways, students and staff members pulled out their phones to take pictures and record videos. However, it wasn’t the typical reaction from people when they see a celebrity. The students were in more of a rush to get to class on time, which shows how disciplined they are.

“Oxon Hill is an amazing school,” Smith told the AFRO. “The things they have going on health wise, I’ve never seen that in any high school I’ve been to. It shows that the school itself cares a lot.

After the tour, Smith talked to the Oxon Hill student athletes about the importance of getting an education and maintaining their physical

health. As he walked onto the stage, the room fell silent, with students’ eyes glued to Smith.

Smith talked about growing up, telling students he never planned to be a professional athlete, but the support system from his family and coaches pushed him to the position he is now in. From his speech, students learned how to balance school and athletics, and the importance of getting an education and going to college.

Smith told the AFRO the one thing he wants students to take from his comments is that, “It’s not about where you are from or where you started or what you have to deal with when you go home.

You control your destination and your future. It’s all about making the right decisions and following what you’re trying to do.”

Although Smith has spent the last decade in Maryland, he is now apart of the San Francisco 49ers and resides in California.

May 23, 2015 - May 29, 2015, The Washington/PG Afro-American

A5

WOMEN’S HEALTH

Glaucoma, Cataracts among Black Women

Barbados Eye Study, researchers have investigated how glaucoma affects different Black populations, globally and found that with such a prevalence among For generations, a belief has existed Blacks, grouping based on race may among African Americans that gradual help physicians better understand the loss of eye sight was both normal and risk factors for African Americans, and natural. The culprits in most cases, eventually, in developing more effective cataracts and glaucoma, have come to treatments. be associated with growing older in the According to the Baltimore Eye same manner as developing arthritis, Study, primary open angle glaucoma though both are largely preventable and, (OAG), the most common form of like many degenerative conditions, attack glaucoma in the US, impacts an Blacks disproportionately, due to poor estimated 2.2 million Americans over fitness. age 40. OAG is three times more Cataracts and glaucoma are the prevalent among African Americans leading causes of blindness in the Black in the United States than among community with the diseases striking Caucasians and similarly impacts Black earlier and progressing quicker among West Indian populations in St. Lucia and Black women than any other population.

Barbados at rates of 8.8 percent and 6.6 Half of those with glaucoma don’t know percent, respectively. they have it.

While the prevalence of glaucoma in Cataracts are characterized by African Americans in the United States progressive damage to the optic nerve is three to four times that of Caucasian that tends to begin with the loss of side patients, African Americans are six to or peripheral vision, then gradually the 10 times more likely to go blind from loss of central vision, until the total sight glaucoma when compared to their is compromised. Cataracts develop as a Caucasian counterparts. In addition, result of clouding in the lens of the eye the Baltimore Eye study found that that affects clear vision. There is often African Americans appeared to develop pressure felt in the eye with cataracts glaucoma 10 years earlier than their that many believe is linked to an onset White counterparts, leading researchers of glaucoma, where fluid inside the eye to debate the inherent increased does not drain properly from a buildup of susceptibility to disease or development that pressure inside the eye. based on socioeconomic factors.

In both conditions, people with “There is significant proof that access diabetes type 1 or 2 are at very high to physicians and poor follow-up impede risk for their development and more diagnosis and treatment or late diagnosis likely to develop them at younger among minority patients, but there are ages. In fact, high levels of blood also factors that the medical community sugar (hypoglycemia) are significantly may never fully understand when it related to cataract development, as are comes to how stress and hypertension hypertension and prolonged steroid use react in the body,” said Hasin Abdullah, (for treating conditions like asthma). a holistic practitioner in Southeast, D.C. Researchers, including Carla J. “It is not to dismiss the fact that Siegfried and David C. Beebe, have too many of us are overweight, but worked since 2011 to more succinctly malnourished – meaning the junk we position the oxygen flow (oxygen consume is literally going into our metabolism) and pressure in the optic systems and consuming us – we are nerve to the development of cataracts strapped as Black people with stressors and glaucoma. Their findings have that make us sleep deprived, depressed, helped unlock race-based differences in anxious, and sometimes resistant to development and progression.

Western medicine,” Abdullah said.

“Our findings suggest there may Suggesting that Blacks return to a be physiologic differences in oxygen holistic approach in improving their metabolism between African Americans overall health, Abdullah said that water and Caucasians,” said Siegfried.

“Glaucoma often affects African Courtesy photo intake, proper sleep and hygiene, and Americans at a younger age, and when Diet and exercise, along with following the doctor’s orders can help prevent many of the conditions the elimination of sugary and salty processed foods would go a long way in we used statistical methods to adjust associated with the development of glaucoma and cataracts. improving the diabetes and hypertension for differences in age, the difference numbers, and subsequently impact the in oxygen levels between African prevalence of glaucoma and cataracts Americans and Caucasians became more among Black women. sight will never go back to the way it was. I take the blame. significant. Then, when we controlled “We have to get those screenings as African Americans, and If I can help someone keep from going through this, I want to for racial differences, we found that increased age became then act responsibly in following the doctors’ orders. Changing help.” an important indicator of elevated oxygen levels in certain our living habits is critical to our health,” Abdullah said.

In studies such as the Baltimore Eye Survey and the locations in the front part of the eye.”

While glaucoma is usually, but not always, associated with elevated pressure in the eye (intraocular pressure), elevated eye pressure that leads to damage of the optic nerve is believed to be caused by poor regulation of blood flow – as seen in hypertension

By Shantella Y. Sherman “The antioxidants and diabetes patients. Glaucoma occurs about five Special to the AFRO in the fruits and times more often in African Americans; blindness vegetables that we from glaucoma is about six times more common. In The Glaucoma Research Foundation and the American Diabetes eat can potentially addition to this higher frequency, glaucoma often Association suggest a number of tips to help safeguard and improve block oxidation occurs earlier in life in African Americans — on the eye sight of those concerned with developing glaucoma and stress that can lead average, about 10 years earlier than in other ethnic cataracts. Among them: to cell damage in populations.

• Get regular eye checkups because eye diseases don’t always glaucoma,” Giaconi Yolanda Yancy has lived with glaucoma for have symptoms. African Americans over age 35 should get a said. nearly three years. Despite the slow dissipation of comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once every two years. If The Glaucoma her sight, Yancy said she ignored the warning signs you have diabetes, you need an eye exam at least once a year. Ask Research because she believed they were simply indicators your doctor how often you should have your eyes checked; Foundation found of aging. Now, at 56, her sight in both eyes has • Protect your eyes from the sun with sunglasses and a hat; evidence that deteriorated to a point where surgery is necessary.

• Don’t smoke. If you smoke, try to quit; regular exercise “African Americans may be sick of hearing that • Control your blood pressure; and can reduce eye they develop conditions quicker, have progression • Eat healthy foods, including lots of fruits and green leafy pressure on its own, rates that are higher, or have complications or death vegetables. and can also have a from diseases that others are successfully treated Following the call for holistic eating practices to combat eye positive impact on for, but that reality is there,” said Yancy, whose conditions, JoAnn A. Giaconi, a physician with the American other glaucoma risk glaucoma was the result of untreated hypertension Glaucoma Society also advocates a diet of foods that appear sightfactors including and early diabetes. “My condition is based almost protective including fresh oranges, peaches, spinach and collard diabetes and high entirely on me not eating right and not exercising.” greens and kale. blood pressure. In a Yancy, a Cheverly, Md. resident, said that even Courtesy image Of the 584 Black women participating in Giaconi’s recent study recent study, people after her initial diagnosis, she found it difficult of osteoporotic fractures, she found that glaucoma was diagnosed with glaucoma who Diet makes the difference in warding off to stick to the physician’s regiment that included and improving life with glaucoma. in at least one eye in 77 participants. Correlations between food exercised regularly controlling her diet, exercising, and taking intake and glaucoma were evaluated and she found that eating three for three months medications on time, every day. or more servings of fruit or fruit juices daily decreased the odds of reduced their IOPs “All the studies in the world and all the Black women developing glaucoma by 79 percent. More than two an average of 20 percent; those riding stationary bikes 4 times per Obamacare on the planet will not help us to live servings per week of fresh oranges and peaches also significantly week for 40 minutes saw measurable improvements in eye pressure better if we don’t stick to the basics of eating and decreased the chance of developing glaucoma. and physical conditioning; and glaucoma patients who walked exercising properly. I went from taking eye drops, Additionally, eating one serving of collard greens or kale briskly 4 times per week for 40 minutes were able to lower their to pills and now have to have surgery to keep from decreased the odds of glaucoma by 57 percent.

IOP enough to eliminate the need for beta blockers. going totally blind,” Yancy said. “The tragedy in this is that no matter what I do to stop it now, my

By Shantella Y. Sherman Special to the AFRO

Lifestyle, Dietary Links to Glaucoma, Cataracts in Black Women

A6

The Washington/PG Afro-American, May 23, 2015 - May 29, 2015

COMMUNITY CONNECTION Fairfax, Va. Latin Explosion 2015 Artists including Wisin y Yandel and J. Alvarez, Alexis y Fido, Ivy Queen among others will hit the stage for the Latin Explosion 2015 DMV on May 23 at 7 p.m. at the Patriot Center, 4400 University Drive. Tickets for the show cost $185, $105, $62 and $35 (plus applicable service charges) and are on sale now. Tickets are available through all Ticketmaster outlets including the Patriot Center box office, online at www. ticketmaster.com and via Phone charge at 800-745-3000. Accessible seating is available for patrons with disabilities by calling 703-993-3035.

Washington, D.C.

Darlene Dancy or Lester Cuffie, on (202) 525-1233 or lestercuffie15@hotmail. com. All donations are tax deductible.

Our City Festival The Our City Festival is a celebration of D.C. through film, music, art and literature. The weekend-long event, taking place June 5 to June 7 will bring the diverse communities together in effort to encourage a greater understanding and appreciation of the city and its people through the arts. The festival is presented in partnership by the D.C. Public Library and D.C.-based communications firm, KRPR, and is backed by an advisory committee that includes luminaries such as writer, George Pelecanos (“The Wire,”” Treme”), musician Brendan Canty (Fugazi), Esther Kim (Fantom Comics), progressive hip-hop artist Chrystylez Bacon and many others. The film festival portion of the Our City Festival’s Main Weekend Events will take place at the Goethe Institute, 812 7th St., N.W. The live performance and exhibits will be held inside of or in the vicinity of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G St N.W. For more information visit http://www.kidsfirst.org.

Silver Spring, Md.

St. George’s Episcopal Church International Sunday The International Sunday Ministry presents the 13th annual International Sunday “Unity in the body of Christ” on May 24 at the church located on 160 U St., N.W. at 9 a.m. A luncheon is scheduled to follow. Rev. Prince William will speak at the event. For more information, contact Gordon Smith at 301869-1824, or Cleopatra Rishton at 301-345-2357. All proceeds to benefit the Phase II Building Fund.

Housing Justice and Community Service Awards Ceremony The D.C. Coalition for Housing Justice “Coalition” a 501(C) 3 non-profit tax-exempt organization will honor those who have contributed to the “Social Justice and Affordable Housing” struggle, at its “9th Annual Housing Justice & Community Service Awards Ceremony & Fundraiser,” to be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on June 4 at Busboys & Poets restaurant, located at 1421 V St., N.W. Awardees have included City Councilmember’s, housing experts, organizations, media, businesses, social justice advocates, activists, artists, and the at-large community representatives. For further information contact:

KIDS FIRST! Film Critics Summer Boot Camp KIDS FIRST! Film Critics Summer Boot Camp returns to the DC area this summer with its annual day camp taking place at Discovery Communications’ World Headquarter, One Discovery Place, on Aug. 10 to 14 (9:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m. daily). Taught by leading producers, directors and filmmakers, children ages 10 to15 become red carpet film critics and reporters through this unique star-making program. In addition to Silver Spring, KIDS FIRST! has partnered with four other venues around the country to host this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity including Seattle, Wash.; Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.; Santa Fe, N.M. and New York City. This is the second time the program returns to Silver Spring. For more information about the camp, scholarships, and to register, go to http://www.kidsfirst.org/become-a-juror/2015.BootCamp. html or call 505.989.8076.

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May 23, 2015 - May 29, 2015, The Washington/PG Afro-American

COMMENTARY

A7

Lessons from Baltimore

This year Senator Elizabeth Warren and I have teamed up to launch a series of investigations — the Middle Class Prosperity Project — in order to focus greater congressional attention upon the bread and butter issues that matter the most to our nation’s working families.

In February, we examined the harsh reality that inadequate, stagnant wages persist despite overall worker productivity that has never been higher. As Senator Warren observed, “In the 32 years from 1980 until 2012, 90 percent of Americans got zero income growth — nothing.”

Why? A significant reason has been deliberate choices in Washington that have worsened the inequities that are starving America’s working families, suffocating consumer demand and endangering our economy.

In March and April, Senator Warren and I focused on rapidly increasing college costs, the often-staggering financial debt that Elijah Cummings threaten America’s middle class, and the exploitation of retirement savings by under-regulated “financial advisors.”

Then, in the wake of the Freddie Gray family’s personal tragedy, protests and upheaval, we brought our continuing investigation to Baltimore. Here, on May 11, we were joined by our colleague, Congressman John Sarbanes, and financial experts to examine some of the fundamental challenges that our neighbors face.

Freddie Gray’s death brought renewed attention to the importance of police and criminal justice reform.

The aftermath also highlighted the systemic economic obstacles that far too many Americans must confront and attempt to overcome every single day.

The thousands peacefully protesting on Baltimore’s streets were standing up for human dignity, but they also were sending an economic and political message. People are tired of being tired — and they are unwilling to take it quietly any more.

“Recent events in Baltimore are not the result of a single tragedy,” Senator Warren declared. “These events are also about millions of people, young and old, here and across this country, who find themselves struggling to make it in a system that is increasingly rigged against them.”

I must whole-heartedly agree.

Clearly, the economic and financial struggles that we are documenting by our investigations are not limited to Americans of Color. Millions of Caucasian families are being harmed as well.

Yet, there is little doubt that Black families, as a group, are being hardest hit. In 2013, the average wealth of America’s Caucasian families was $142,000, while the average wealth for African American families was $11,000.

We brought our investigations to Baltimore so that the eyes of the nation do not turn away before they see the full scope of our underlying economic challenges — and the urgent need to address them.

Here was our strategy.

We asked our expert witnesses in the Baltimore hearing to focus upon everyday financial transactions that middle class Americans take for granted — like cashing a paycheck or obtaining a small, short-term loan.

We focused upon the hardships and exploitation faced by families who do not have bank accounts or otherwise find it necessary to use “alternative” financial service providers: check cashers, liquor stores, online payday lenders and pawn shops.

Here is what the evidence revealed.

The hardships that these families endure are pervasive, as one of our witnesses, Ms. Mitria Wilson of the Center for Responsible Lending, pointed out. For the millions of American families, closed out of the regular banking system, the average annual cost in interest and fees that they must pay to alternative financial providers is $2,412 — 10 percent of their incomes. In perspective, that is more than the average family spends on food.

Maps of Baltimore compiled by the National Community Reinvestment Coalition graphically portrayed the dangerous and costly financial desert that dominates much of our city. A close-up of Sandtown, where Freddie Gray lived, revealed only three bank branches — but 18 “alternative” financial providers.

GOP Lunatic Center

The Republican Party doesn’t have a lunatic fringe. It has a lunatic center: a core bloc of White voters and officeholders whose extreme conservatism leads them to indulge again and again in outlandish conspiracy theories and, more seriously, proposed and enacted legislation of disgraceful callousness.

The past few weeks have offered two striking examples of how dependent the Party’s base and elected officials have become on spouting and trying to enact as legislation their own worst impulses.

One involves the American military’s three-month-long Jade Helm 15 combat-training exercises that will get underway in July and spread over various sparsely populated parts of the Southwest and West from Texas to California. The military periodically engages in such exercises, and officials said they’ve chosen these states because the terrain where the exercises will occur most closely matches the terrain where combat troops and Special Forces units have recently Lee A. Daniels seen and are likely to see action.

But to the conservative conspiracy bloc, Jade Helm 15 is, as one conspiracy-monger posted, part of Obama’s plan to provoke civil unrest, enact martial law, suspend the Constitution, suspend next year’s national elections, and extend his term of office indefinitely.

A poll released last week by Public Policy Polling organization found that 60 percent of those likely to vote in the Republican primaries believe that Jade Helm 15 could be a federal government attempt to take over Texas.

Pentagon officials have tried to calm the fears. And Arizona Sen. John McCain R-Ariz.), among a few other Republicans, derided the claims as “bizarre. We’ve been having military exercises in the Southwest for a couple of hundred years.”

But Texas Republicans by and large have held a firm line on pandering to the extremists. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the state national guard to “monitor” the military’s activities once the exercises start.

And Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Louie Gohmert characterized the conspiracy concerns as understandable because, as Cruz said, the Obama administration “has not demonstrated itself to be trustworthy.”

I like New York Times columnist Gail Collins’ take on this. Before noting that although the state is a hotbed of anti-Washington sentiment, more than a quarter of the committees in the House of

While some of these alternative providers offer financial services on fair terms, others employ predatory and abusive terms that lock families into long-term cycles of high-interest debt that they cannot escape.

Lessons from Baltimore Clearly, federal agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are justified in promulgating stronger regulations against abuse. Rather than trying to roll back consumer protections and weaken the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, we must ensure that it has authority to enforce fair regulations that will protect all consumers from abusive financial service providers.

The Congress should take a closer look at the Community Reinvestment Act, which was designed to encourage banks to invest in our communities — and the Postal Service should expand its financial services offerings, just as it did many decades ago.

These reforms would be important first steps, but far more will be required.

We need to redouble our support for early education programs like Head Start, health programs for prenatal care, lead paint abatement, early childhood development, community college programs, and employment training programs. We need to invest in infrastructure improvements that will help our communities, help our businesses, and help our workers.

What we must stop doing is what Washington has been doing for the past several years. We must stop slashing the funding for these critical programs, stop imposing harmful sequestration cuts and shutting down the government, and stop giving lucrative tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans and corporations.

Our nation’s future prosperity must rest upon the shoulders of an expanding middle class. Working together, we can assure that these lessons from Baltimore guide our way.

Congressman Elijah Cummings represents Maryland’s 7th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives.

Representatives are currently chaired by Texas Republicans (and two of the last four presidents have been Texas Republicans), Collins wrote, “Texas is getting more diverse by the hour, so maybe that’s it.”

That population diversity – the substantial growth over the last two decades of Texas’ and the nation’s Hispanic citizens (54 million), and the sizable bloc of undocumented Hispanic immigrants (about 11 million) – is indeed what’s behind conservatives’ interest of recent years in revising the clause of the postCivil War 14th Amendment that automatically grants U.S. citizenship to “all persons born or naturalized in the United States.”

Of course, the “birthright citizenship” clause was specifically enacted to ensure that all Black Americans had full citizenship rights. But by the end of the 19th century, the court had ruled that the “all” in its language did indeed apply to all other peoples in the U.S. as well.

Now, some conservatives want to sharply narrow that bedrock characteristic of the American nation (the principle is actually older than the 14th Amendment clause). In the Senate, Louisiana’s David Vitter has been introducing a bill to narrow the clause since 2011; and in late April the House Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security (Republican-chaired, of course) held a hearing on birthright citizenship, at which two of the three witnesses argued the issue deserves a “national debate.”

It’s clear the birthright citizenship clause is safe; the extraordinary mechanism for revising or excising a constitutional amendment makes it so.

But that doesn’t mean we should ignore the true purpose of this gambit. Conservatives aren’t primarily concerned about the children of undocumented immigrants being born here now. They’re worried – given the GOP’s hostility to immigration reform – about what party those children will support when they reach voting age.

In short, they’re worried that the children of today’s undocumented immigrants – citizens of the United States by birth – will be adding to the substantial majority of Hispanic-Americans, and other Americans of color, who have multiple reasons not to vote Republican.

So, in that regard, conservatives’ current Jade Helm 15 lunacy and their attacking the principle of birthright citizenship offer further evidence of how driven the conservative movement is by a view of American society that demands they dominate other Americans – especially the ones who are “colored.”

Lee A. Daniels is a longtime journalist based in New York City. His new collection of columns, Race Forward: Facing America’s Racial Divide in 2014, is available at www.amazon.com

A New Normal for Baltimore...and Beyond

As the light continues to shine on Baltimore it is an opportunity for us to show the world how we transform broken down neighbors and the lives of many of the individuals living in them. There is no getting around the number of boarded up houses that still exist in our city and cities like Baltimore around the nation and the injustices through mass incarceration that has helped to create criminal records for so many young men in our communities.

Solution: Baltimore has several colleges and institutions of higher living that graduate thousands of students each year. We have not addressed how we keep some of those graduates in Baltimore. Visualize if you will that we ask all of our Baltimore area Colleges and Universities to identify; and I’ll choose an arbitrary number (200) students who are expected to graduate that are interested in living in Baltimore.

Working in collaboration with our business community both profit Catherine Pugh and non-profits we secure for those graduates employment in our city and surrounding jurisdictions. Here is where the pendulum swings in the direction of increasing our population and reducing the number of boarded up houses in our city. With our colleges and universities we create these neighborhoods, can you imagine the Morgan-Johns Hopkins- Loyola Community, the Coppin-University of Maryland Community, the Maryland Institute College or Art-University of Baltimore community in these areas where we have block after block of boarded up houses. The city working through the eminent domain process would give to those graduates a boarded up house for $1 and require them to pay around $2,000 year to the city which provide the taxes to the city and puts those properties back on the tax rolls. The agreement with these new home owners is the city will not assess their properties for ten years while they renovate those homes and live in them. The city would get the banks and perhaps this is where the city, state and federal government and some public private partnerships come together to provide low interest loans and grants to help them renovate those properties. Tax Breaks and Tax Incentive Financing that we give to the development of downtowns can be activated for these new communities. Some of this we already do.

Not only are we reducing the boarded up homes in our city faster we are building wealth through home ownership for those graduates who take advantage of this opportunity. I started my first business with the equity I had built up in my home.

One Step Further This effort could yield up to 1500-3,000 houses a year that would require renovating. This week Governor Hogan will sign a bill I wrote asking the state to create a demonstration project for those exiting our penal institutions to create their own businesses. I wrote this bill based on an experience I had campaigning. I stopped by a business and asked a gentleman if I could put a sign up on his business.

The gentleman asked me if I remembered him and I replied no. He said you were my graduation speaker.

I’m looking at the man trying to figure out was that in high school or college, he said…”You were my graduation speaker in prison….I never forgot what you said,”…and he repeated to me what I did say.

“Congratulations guys, this is a big day for you having earned your GED…but let me say to you…You have a hard road ahead of you…but let me suggest if you have skills and the capacity to operate a business start one…and give good customer service, because what people care about is the quality of your service not your background. “ He went on to say…”that was me five years ago…this is my business…and when you finish go across town and put your sign on my other business.” The gentleman operates an automobile repair shop. He also pointed out to me that the people he was training were also ex-offender.

This step forward with our graduating students will create thousands of homes a year to be renovated.

It gives Baltimore another opportunity to create jobs and business opportunities for so many in our city that have been caught up in the criminal just system. We could create training programs that can lead to real jobs and business opportunities in construction, plumbing, remodeling, landscaping, renovation and demolition for many individuals in this community that have the capacity to do this work.

In communities like Sandtown-Winchester we need side-by-side and exspungement center, GED program, Jobs Training and Business Creation Center and perhaps a manufacturing plant so that we show a real commitment to turning that community around. We have to remember that there are other families living in Sandtown-Winchester who are not all poor, but have brought homes, and have lived there for decades only to watch the lack of investment tare their neighborhoods apart.

We have to come to the realization that minimum wage jobs are not sufficient for some people with families to take care of them. That’s why we have to recommit ourselves to new ways and innovative ideas that can lead to the transformation of broken neighborhoods and broken people.

NEW WAY Finally as we move in this direction there has to be conversations and action on how we do drug treatment in these neighborhoods that don’t lead to the closing or mass exit of businesses as we have seen in Charles Village that is now inundated with drug treatment facilities. It is not that Baltimore doesn’t need drug treatment but it does need to create facilities away from communities in communal holistic environments that takes them away from the behavior that led them to the condition that they find themselves in today. In those settings we can provide drug treatment, job training and skills that can lead them to more productive lives. Ask yourself one question…If you were a drug dealer where would you setup shop…and Baltimore like so many cities make it more difficult to get off of drugs when the drug dealer stands across the street or near the facility selling drugs and keeping folks in this condition.

The new normal for Baltimore and Communities like Baltimore will take resources, new thinking, new ideas and a commitment to transform neighborhoods and the lives of people who not only need help but want it.

Sen. Catherine E. Pugh represents Baltimore’s 40th District.

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The Washington/PG Afro-American, May 23, 2015 - May 29, 2015

May 23, 2015 - May 29, 2015, The Washington/PG Afro-American

On the runway in a Spring ensemble

Chapter members modeling furs

Scholarship recipients with Charlene Matthews (center), chair, scholarship committee

Margaret Mitchell, Tracy Salaam Sofia and Toni Cloud

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Khadija Barkley and Genevieve Floyd

On April 18, Xi Sigma Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority hosted its annual Fashion Show and Scholarship Luncheon at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Maryland.

“Fashions in Bloom “ was this year’s theme for this signature fundraiser.

In over 30 years of existence, Xi Sigma Omega has awarded over $142,500 in scholarships. This year, 16 graduating Montgomery County seniors were awarded scholarships based on distinguishing themselves as leaders, excelling academically and as exemplified in their community service. Among the scholarships, over $8000 was awarded to students attending HBCU’s. This elegant affair showcased couture fashions from Ida’s Idea based in Washington D.C. and beautiful Furs by Gartenhaus in Bethesda, Md. Guests enjoyed the mistress of ceremonies, Alfredas, from WKYS. Over 900 guests were in attendance.

Michele Thompson, Carla McNeal, Tara Jacob Martin and Melissa Jetts Coley

Chapter president (7th from right) with the planning committee Jai Bonner, Mechelle Johnson-Webb, Erica Myers, Luana Dean, Ruth Myers(seated),

Jessica Gray, Nicole Harrison and

Tiffany McEwan

Classy silhouette

Jacquelyn Rose, chair, fundraising committee and Roberta Haines chapter president Photos by Rob Roberts

Alfredas, RadioOne, Mistress of Ceremonies

Colorful yellow gown

Catherine Leggett and Roberta Haines, chapter president

Stacey Mangham (3rd from left) and her guests

Janet Lavalle, Venattia Vann, Dr. Lorraine Banks, Deborah Hobbs, Sandra Fleming, Dr. Aria Bentley, Bridget Harrison, LaDonna Howell and Beverly Brooks Anderson

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett, T. Diane Prris, Amber Okusaga, Catherine Van Hollen and Jorre Hernandez (both standing), Catherine Leggett and Melissa Smith

Eric Holder, Taylor Branch, Laura Murphy and Mee Moua

Rose McKinny, Nickey Knighton, Angela Ewell-Madison, Sandra V. Richardson, Annette Sanks, Pauletta Walker, Brittani Blackwell and Robert E. Richardson

Charita Mariner, Dara Baldwin, Charles Sims Jr., Jacqueline Sims and Donna Foster

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights held its 39th Annual Hubert H. Humphrey Civil and Human Rights Awards

Dinner on May 13 at the Washington Hilton Hotel.

Honorees included Bob Dole, former ACLU Washington Director Laura Murphy,

Bill Keyes, Lola Keyes, William H. “Billy” Murphy Jr. and Laura Murphy’s son, Bertram Lee

the recently retired U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.

Several congressmen and other delegates attended the dinner. The Humphrey

Award is presented annually to outstanding individuals who best exemplify Senator Humphrey’s selfless and devoted service in the cause of equality— an honor roll that, over the years, has included President Bill Clinton, Congressman Michael D. Calhoun, president, Center for John Lewis, Responsible Lending, Wade Henderson, former chair president and CEO, The Leadership of the Federal Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Bill Deposit Robinson, Michael J. Remington, Drinker, Insurance Biddle and Reath, LLP

Corporation Sheila Bair, civil rights champion Dr. Dorothy Height, disability advocate Tammy Duckworth, and labor leader Dolores Huerta, among others.

Photos by Rob Roberts

Debbie Bragg and Leon Townsend

Former Attorney General Eric Holder and AFRO publisher Jake Oliver

Vanita Gupta, acting Assistant Attorney General

Bob Dole receives the Hubert H. Humphrey Civil and Human Rights Award

Rev. Marvin M. Silver, Pastor of Jubilee United Church of Christ

Taylor Branch and former Attorney General Eric Holder, recipient of the Hubert H. Humphrey Civil and Human Rights Award

Mee Moua, Laura Murphy, recipient of the Hubert H. Humphrey Civil and Human Rights

Award and Wade

Henderson

Mistress of Ceremonies, Maureen Bunyan

Congressman John Conyers Jr. and Monica Conyers

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The Washington/PG Afro-American, May 23, 2015 - May 29, 2015

Vivica A. Fox, Tyson Beckford and Robert Ri’chard

Is Vivica Really Dating the Handsome Hunk Who Plays Her Son in the Movie?

VAF: [Laughs] We’re having fun, but let me set the record straight. No, it’s not true. It was my first time working with him. And our scenes were so intense that everybody was like, “Wow! They have a major connection with each other.” But it was literally mutual respect as actors. There’s no romance going on.

RR: Yet. I wonder how the tabloids are predicting the future.

VAF: [Laughs]

The “Chocolate City” Interview with Kam Williams Vivica A. Fox, Tyson Beckford and Robert Ri’chard co-star in Chocolate City which is basically a remake of Magic Mike.

Director Jean-Claude La Marre explains that he felt an African-American variation on the male stripper theme was in order, given the absence of black faces in the original.

This version of the tale revolves around a cash-strapped college kid (Richard) who hides from his mother (Fox) the fact that he’s moonlighting as an exotic dancer at a neighborhood nightclub on ladies’ night. The three recently spoke to me via a conference call about the film, and also about the rumors circulating in the tabloids of a steamy set romance between Vivica and Robert.

KW: Editor/Legist Patricia Turnier for Vivica: I am a big fan and have followed your career since the late Eighties. I probably watched Two Can Play That Game, one of my favorite romantic-comedies, over 40 times. Is there any chance you’ll make another sequel of this movie?

VAF: We actually made one sequel, called Three Can Play That Game. I did co-produce the film, but it didn’t do as well, because they didn’t allow me to have my original cast back. Lord, would I love to get that original cast back together, and do the real sequel that should’ve been done, because it’s a cult classic, and it’s been done by other nationalities. So, I’d love to do a true sequel. Absolutely!

KW: Patricia would also like to know whether you might like to direct in the future.

VAF: Ooh! Directing is a lot of responsibility. In the future, yes, but I probably wouldn’t get into that for another five years or so.

Wikimedia Commons

Robert Ri’chard, Vivica A. Fox and Tyson Beckford star in “Chocolate City.”

Kam Williams: Hey, thanks for the interview.

Robert Ri’chard: Hey Vivica, how are you?

Vivica Fox: I’m fine darling. How are you?

KW: Patricia has a question for Tyson. She says. You have roots in Panama, and I am taking this occasion to say that I went there last year for almost a month. I was very moved by the warmth of the people there. Not one person was impatient towards me when I looked for words in my French-Spanish dictionnary to communicate with them. Given your diverse background, would you be open to play in a foreign film in the future?

TB: Yeah, I would definitely love to do that.

Panama is like one of my homes. I have cousins down there that I’d like to bond with. So, I‘d love to make a movie there.

KW: What advice do you have for guys who want to follow into your footstep in modeling and for those who want to be involved in modeling?

TB: That’s tough to answer, because you have to be cut from a certain type of cloth. You have to have be a certain height, build and a have a certain look.

You can’t just wake up and decide to model one day. It’s hard to explain, but getting into the business is all about the features.

RR: When are you going to take me out for a glass of champagne, so I can buy you some chocolate?

VAF: [Laughs] You’re starting way too early, Robert. What, are you in need of a mimosa already? You’re too much! Too much!

Tyson Beckford: [Joins call] Hey, what’s happening everybody?

VAF: Hey, Tyson.

RR: I heard you’re in Vegas.

TB: No, I was in Los Angeles a few hours ago. But now I’m in New York. And I’ll be back in Vegas at this time tomorrow.

RR: I wanna dance tomorrow.

TB: You keep sayng that, but you’ve got to rehearse. You can’t just show up and get onstage.

We’ll have to work you out. You’re rusty.

RR: I want to come to a rehearsal tomorrow.

TB: We don’t have one scheduled. I’ll have to bring you in and rehearse you real quick, if I have time for it.

KW: Let me start off the interview with a question from children’s book author Irene Smalls.

She asks: What interested each of you in Chocolate City?

TB:I’ll answer first, since I was the first to sign on. What interested me was the script.

I loved how the characters showed their emotions. It made me feel for Robert’s character [Michael], because I’ve been through that as a college student trying to make my way through life. And I did the whole topless waiter thing in a male revue before, so I knew I could connect with it. In addition, I found the idea of Jean-Claude [director Jean-Claude La Marre] building an entire cast around me kind of intriguing. I was eager to see what he would come up with. So, that’s why I jumped in.

VAF: I’ll be very honest with you, Kam. I had worked with Jean-Claude before and, when I heard that he was doing this, I went to see Magic Mike. And I went, “Wow! How crazy is it that they don’t have any African-Americans in this?” I felt that whoever makes this film AfricanAmerican will win. Jean-Claude let me know he wanted me to play the mom and, when he told me about the cast, I said, “I’m so totally in for this.” I’ve seen it, and it’s awesome. It’s a feelgood, girl’s night out film that everybody will enjoy.

KW: And why’d you do the film, Robert?

RR: Because I had a crush on Vivica.

VAF: [LOL] TB: You see, that’s how rumors get started, Robert!

VAF: Exactly!

RR: The first time I ever modeled, I walked the runway with Tyson. And he let me walk in front of him. He was the man! I was like, “This is my dude!” So, when I was approached about working with him for a whole movie, I didn’t hesitate for a second. I just said, “Count me in.”

KW: Is there any truth to the rumor that you two are an item since making this movie?

VAF: Yes, Robert Ri’chard is the love of my life!

RR: The rumor’s not big enough.

KW: “Realtor to the Stars” Jimmy Bayan says: Vivica, when you’re really feeling naughty, and you just want to let your diet go off the rails, what’s your guiltiest pleasure? Is there a place you specifically go in LA to get some really “bad” food? The type that makes you say, “Boy, I’m gonna have to hit the gym tomorrow.”

TB and RR: [LOL] VAF: Do you hear them giggling in the background? I hear you. They’re so bad! Can you imagine having to deal with this all day? Where do I go? Two places: Casa Vega, because I love some good ole Mexican food, and California Pizza Kitchen, because I also love pizza. Those are my guilty pleasures, and not something else that they’re snickering about.

TB and RR: [Laugh some more] KW: Thanks again for the time, everyone, and best of luck with the film.

VAF: Alright, thank you, Kam TB: Take care.

RR:: Thanks, Kam. To see a trailer for Chocolate City, visit: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=42HA58cBHAM

May 23, 2015 - May 29, 2015, The Washington/PG Afro-American

ARTS & CULTURE

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Blues Enthusiasts Mourn Loss of B.B. King

By Shantella Y. Sherman Special to the AFRO

His gritty vocals and acoustic guitar waves were like a shaman’s ritualistic whisper, transfixing the very souls of those who heard it. Riley “B.B.” King lived the very blues music he composed and made the unheralded existence of millions of Delta-dwelling African Americans, fluid with every stroke. At 89, the man the world came to acknowledge as the King of the Blues, died peacefully in his sleep.

The Indianola, Mississippi-native battled the unrelenting segregation and racism of the Jim Crow South, working cotton fields alongside his maternal grandmother following abandonment by his parents. By age 12, King, a self-taught guitarist, began performing on local radio stations and in small nightclubs between the Delta and Memphis. In 1949, Sam Phillips with Sun Records began recording King, helping to launch his career beyond the Deep South.

King would go on to enjoy phenomenal success, earning 15 Grammy Awards and inductions into both the Rock and Roll and Blues Halls of Fame, and being honored with an honorary doctorate in music from Yale University. King’s music transcended musical genres, captivating and influencing three generations of rock and roll, jazz, and rap artists, including Mos Def, The Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, and Eric Clapton, who released a video statement through social media expressing his grief.

“I wanted to express my sadness and to say thank you to my dear friend B.B King. I want to thank him for all of the inspiration and encouragement he gave me over the years and the friendship we enjoyed,” Clapton said. “There’s not a lot left to say because this music is almost a thing of the past and there are not many who play it in the pure way the way that B.B. did.

He is a beacon for all of us who love this type of music and I thank him from the bottom of my heart. If you are not familiar with his work, go and find B.B King Live at the Regal – that’s where it all started for me.”

Others similarly, took to social media to express their condolences, including John Mayer, who is featured extensively on the King documentary, “The Life of Riley,” released just last Courtesy photo year.

Legendary Blues Guitarist B.B. King continues to live on in the commentary of “What a sad day, and a monumental loss. BB King’s life was in and of itself a time capsule, musicians of all ages and genres. and a yardstick for modern music history, most of which played out under his watch,” Mayer said. “[King] will forever inspire guitar players to argue (successfully) that less is more, that heart will always win over mind. Whenever your heart hurts and you don’t know if you have it in you right then and there to make sense of it, put on some B.B. King and feel what happens.”

King’s youngest daughter, Claudette, confirmed through her spokesperson Angela Moore, that King’s memorial service will take place May 23 in Las Vegas, followed by his funeral in Indianola. King’s attorney, Arthur Williams Jr., told the Associated Press that the musician wanted his funeral to be held in a church near the site where he picked cotton as a boy.

Dru Hill’s Nokio Speaks About Baltimore’s Recovery

By Gregory Dale AFRO News Editor Nokio has been all around the world in the two decades the 36-year-old has performed, written and recorded music as one-fourth of the R&B powerhouse group Dru Hill.

But while he’s seen it all, his hometown has stayed in his heart. That’s why he said he was devastated as he watched the Baltimore uprisings unfold following the death of Freddie Gray.

“I was out of town and to see parts of my old neighborhood on fire and to see the rioting and the protesting and everything that was going on, I couldn’t take it anymore,” he told the AFRO during a recent interview.

Nokio, born Tamir Ruffin, knew that he had to do his part to aid in his city’s recovery. So he and the group turned to their first instinct.

“At first we were like, we should do a concert, but then we decided to do a song,” he said. “From that conversation, I basically wrote a song in 15 minutes. The ball’s been rolling on that and it will be coming out soon.”

The singer explained that he’s also used this time to try to connect to the youth and speak at local schools.

“I want to be a voice to the kids who are here and I want to try to help them understand that you can get out of here,” he said. “That’s Nokio not me telling them to forget Baltimore, but I want to tell them that you can get out and learn something and bring it back.”

That method is something that Nokio and the other members of Dru Hill know all too well.

The group’s humble beginnings started right on the streets of Charm City, where they performed at local talent shows as teens. They finally got their big break in 1995 when they were signed to Universal Music Group’s Island Records. Subsequently, the group went on to have a string of successful hits such as “In My Bed,” Never Make a Promise,” and “How Deep is Your Love.”

While he’s resided in different places over the span of his career, Nokio said that homesickness drew him back. And now, with all of the recent drama that has unfolded in his city, he believes that this is perfect time to bring about change—especially in African Americans’ relationship with law enforcement.

“The whole issue of police brutality isn’t something new,” he said. “Within the laws of the land and the lessons that we are taught of right and wrong, what happened shouldn’t have happened.

Your first thought of seeing a police officer should be ‘you are here to protect me,’ not ‘you are here to throw me away.’ As Black men, we will sit there and think about if we did something just at the sight of the cops pulling up.”

The singer explained that he believes having “neighborhood cops” who are familiar with their assigned area and its citizens could be a move in the right direction.

But ultimately, he said he believes it all goes back to the kids. He said he hopes to build new schools in Baltimore at which students will learn about finances and managing money just as much as they learn about other subjects.

“One of the biggest things that happens with us as artists and Black people in general is that we don’t ever learn about money as a concept,” he said.

“If you learn it and adopt certain practices, once you achieve your goal, you’re not going to be running out the gate to buy everything that you ever wanted in life.”

Continuing the (Photos via Facebook) conversation about the Dru Hill member Nokio said he penned a song dedicated negative issues that affect the to Baltimore in 15 minutes.

Black community is also important, he said.

“If we don’t continue to have the conversation about the problem, it’s not going to be a balance,” he said. “Everybody needs to know that this issue is not going away this time.”

Share

the road

Let’s admit it. It’s hard not to notice a 9 feet wide, 12 feet tall, red and yellow streetcar that weighs 33 tons. These modern, large and ultra-cool vehicles are the latest addition to the District’s roads.

Whether you’re a motorist, pedestrian or cyclist, welcome them by paying attention and sharing the road.

dcstreetcar.com

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The Washington/PG Afro-American, May 23, 2015 - May 29, 2015

AFRO Sports Desk Faceoff

SPORTS

Should Wizards Coach Randy Wittman Return Next Season? games to two, but those games showed Wittman’s inconsistent rotations and new ways that the Wizards continued to come up with to lose games and derail their chances. It appeared at times throughout the series that Wittman was just a step behind Atlanta’s more experienced Mike Budenholzer, and you wonder whether Wittman will ever be able to match up against some of the more advanced minds in the Association.

Washington needed a coach to help them get their act together and clean up a faulty program. Wittman has done that and now it’s time to bring in a coach to get them to the next level.

By Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley Special to AFRO The Washington Wizards showed grit and guts in their loss to the Atlanta Hawks in a six-game series. Washington put the East’s top-seeded Hawks on the ropes for much of the series, and had a chance at advancing if a few balls bounced their way. However, Washington went home early for the second straight year, and set themselves up for what could be another busy offseason.

Critics of the franchise argue that head coach Randy Wittman has done all he can do for the team, and has exhausted his stay in the District. Supporters suggest that Wittman is doing fine and more onus should be put on the players. One thing’s for sure: Washington cannot enter next season with the same roster and staff intact if it expects to advance. Outsized contracts virtually lock in much of the roster, so is a coaching change the only sensible step to take?

Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley of the AFRO Sports Desk debate the question.

Green: Many coaches are only products of their rosters, and I think Wittman falls into this category. Washington’s unit is promising yet faulty, and I just can’t see how another coach could possibly squeeze more out of this group than what’s already there. Wizards fans were clamoring for names like Kris Humphries and Kevin Seraphin to receive more playing time once the postseason began, and those names aren’t exactly Hall of Famers. The second round appears to be the ceiling for this team as currently constructed. I’m a fan of loyalty and I think Wittman has done an outstanding job Green: Wittman has done an admirable job for the bringing this team from where it was not too long ago. I think Wizards over the last few seasons. He’s not a flashy coach, you have to reward a coach who stayed in the trenches and Critics of the franchise argue that head coach Randy nor is he a highly acclaimed one, but he’s gotten the job done dug the team out of a big hole. Wall and Beal have progressed Wittman has done all he can do for the team, and has and helped the franchise reestablish itself after the Gilbert well under his tutelage offensively—and that’s been widely exhausted his stay in the District.

Arenas gun fiasco of a few years ago. Washington’s second noted—but their defensive prowess helped turned this team round exits over the last two seasons haven’t been complete into a contender. Washington’s big men disappointed fans choke jobs by Wittman, but rather a wake-up call in revealing the team’s lack of talent. John this season; Nene and Gortat were expected to play much better. Let’s see Wittman with a real Wall and Bradley Beal make up the team’s most marketable asset: its backcourt. But aside from impact big man before we can him. sophomore forward Otto Porter and a rapidly-aging Paul Pierce, there isn’t much to get excited about when it comes to Washington’s roster. There isn’t a coach in the league who could put Riley: The talent up front is still questionable, but we’ve seen coaches do more with together a deep run with this collection of guys, so changing coaches wouldn’t work in terms less, so I can’t totally buy in to that excuse for Wittman. This team and franchise is yearning of resetting the team. Wittman’s done the best job possible, he needs to be rewarded with some desperately for a championship, and relying on a coach with limited playoff experience and no extra juice on his bench. championship experience is a dicey proposition. Washington cannot expect to rely on Wittman if it wants to go to the promised land. At this point, we’ve seen what this roster can do and the Riley: Washington is still progressing in stages after being the laughingstock of the league only hope to push them over the top is landing an impact free agent. The more reputable the just a few seasons ago. There’s still two things remaining for them to advance: a new coach and coach, the easier it’ll be for Washington to secure that last need. Wittman’s done a remarkable another big man. I agree the talent isn’t overwhelming outside of Beal and Wall, but even this job, but we’ve reached an advanced stage in Washington’s development, and the Wizards need team should be in the Eastern Conference Finals right now. The Hawks beat the Wizards four an advanced coach.

Racial Remarks by Brazilian Gymnasts Being Investigated

By Adriana Gomez Licon Associated Press RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The Brazilian confederation of gymnastics opened an investigation this weekend into remarks made by three members of the men’s team toward a Black teammate that surfaced in a video last week.

The gymnasts were seen telling fellow athlete Angelo Assumpcao, 18, that a smartphone’s screen is white when it works and black when it doesn’t; that supermarkets’ bags are white and trash bags black. Newspaper O Globo obtained the video and made it public, saying it originated from the Snapchat app account of gymnast Arthur Nory Mariano, who also appears in it.

Klayler Mourthe, coordinator of the Brazilian Confederation of Gymnastics, said Saturday that he is gathering more information to decide what measures to take. The sport’s governing body said the national team is currently in Portugal, training for the next World Challenge Cup and then for the Pan American Games in July in Toronto.

After the incident created a stir among athletes and human rights advocates, Mariano shared another video on his social media accounts with two other gymnasts and Assumpcao saying they wanted to publicly apologize to their teammate. They justified that they were joking and that viewers misunderstood them and blew the incident out of proportion.

“There are no hard feelings. We are friends,” said Assumpcao in the video. He recently pulled an upset victory in the vault in a world qualifier earlier this month in Sao Paulo.

But Giovanny Harvey, the country’s minister of racial equality, has tasked the confederation and Brazil Olympic Committee to take the matter seriously. He is also following the case to see if there’s space for a criminal complaint, under Brazil’s antidiscrimination laws.

“It’s not a joke. This is a crime,” Harvey told Globo TV network on Saturday.

afro.com • Your History • Your Community • Your News

Your favorite graduate might be in our June 6 special section including commencement photos from Bowie, Coppin, Howard, Morgan, UDC and UMES. Howard University 2015 graduates

Washington Nationals Weekly – 6

Nationals Continue Winning Ways, Take Two Road Series

By Dion Johnson Special to the AFRO The Washington Nationals continued their winning ways in the month of May, winning four of six games from May 11 through May 17, including series victories on the road over the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Diego Padres. Washington holds a 22-17 record, and sits in second place in the National League East.

May 11-13: Nationals Win Two on Road Against Diamondbacks The first contest in a seven-game West Coast swing brought Nationals Manager Matt Williams back to Chase Field, where he was a first- and third-base coach for Arizona before joining Washington. In Game One on May 11, Denard Span hit a leadoff home run into the right-field seats as Washington went on to crush Arizona. Ryan Zimmerman also homered in the first inning as the Nationals scored 10 runs in the first two innings. Washington’s potent offense gave ace pitcher Max Scherzer a sizable cushion to work with; he allowed only one run through seven innings of work. Scherzer (3-3) shut out the Diamondbacks before giving up a home run in the sixth.

Game Two on May 12 saw starter Stephen Strasburg continue his puzzling season.

Strasburg delivered possibly the worst start of his young career en route to a 14-6 loss. The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the Nationals. Diamondbacks’ Mark Trumbo’s mammoth three-run homer into the second deck in left field with one out in the fourth inning ended Strasburg’s night. The eight runs allowed were a career worst for Strasburg (2-4), and the seven earned runs he gave up matched a career high. Bryce Harper hit his seventh home run in six games in the losing effort.

In the rubber match of Game Three, pinch hitter Michael Taylor turned a negative episode for Washington into a positive outcome by crushing a game-winning grand slam in the ninth inning for a 9-6 comeback win. Harper was ejected in the seventh inning for arguing with the home plate umpire and Washington surrendered the lead in the eighth. But Taylor’s clutch homer, combined with reliever Drew Storen throwing a perfect ninth inning, gave the Nationals their fifth straight series win.

May 14-17: Washington Takes Series over Padres In the Game One of a four-game set in San Diego, the Padres hit a combined three homers off Washington starter Doug Fister in a 8-3 win for San Diego. Former National Derek Norris, now with the Padres, contributed with five RBIs. A two-hour rain delay seemed to have an effect on Fister, who had his worst start of the season, allowing seven runs and eight hits in just two innings pitched.

Jordan Zimmermann continued his mastery of the Padres in Game Two at Petco Park, striking out six batters and allowing only six singles in a 10-0 shutout for Washington. The Nationals offense contributed a season-high 16 hits, which included Bryce Harper’s 13th of the season. Zimmermann (3-2) improved his record at Petco Park to 3-1 with a 0.50 ERA in five starts.

In Game Three, Scherzer was nothing short of brilliant, striking out 11 Padres in seven innings in a 4-1 victory. The win marked Washington’s 14th victory in 18 games. Scherzer (43) set a personal season-high in strikeouts and allowed only four hits and two walks. Wilson Ramos’s RBI single was part of a three-run first inning for the Nationals and extended his career-best hitting streak to 18 games, the longest in the majors this year.

The Bryce Harper Show continued in Game Four, as he went 3-for-4 at the plate with four RBI, including his 14th home run of the season. Strasburg gutted through five innings and delivered seven strikeouts to notch the win in a 10-5 Nationals victory. Harper improved his batting average to .338 in the young season, along with 37 RBIs. Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa hit a two-out, three-run homer to give his team the decisive runs.

Analysis: In the month of May, the Nationals have gotten healthy, and with health comes production. Production for this roster should make them a dominant force in the National League, and that is exactly what the team has been over the last four weeks. With Harper developing into a legitimate MVP candidate and the Nationals getting key contributions from Danny Espinosa and Yunel Escobar, the offense has revved up and the wins have piled up.

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Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM532 Edith E.S. Peterson AKA Edith Estelle Stevens Peterson AKA Edith Estelle Stevens AKA Edith Diggs Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Melvin Diggs, whose address is 3817 New Hampshire Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20011 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Edith E.S. Peterson, AKA Edith Estelle Stevens Peterson, AKA Edith Estelle Stevens AKA Edith Diggs who died on December 23, 2014 without a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

20001, on or before November 22, 2015.

Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before November 22, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: May 22, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Melvin Diggs Personal Representative

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM548 Dorothy Mae Johnson Decedent Alan Frankle, Esq 751 Rockville Pike Suite 7 Rockville, MD 20852 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Ramona Louise Johnson & Cedric Johnson, whose addresses are 709 Roxboro Place, NW, Washington, DC 20011 were appointed personal representatives of the estate of Dorothy Mae Johnson, who died on April 15, 2015 with a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose where-abouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

20001, on or before November 22, 2015.

Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before November 22, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: May 22, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Ramona LouiseJohnson Cedric Johnson Personal Representative

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM117 Ethel Y. Ross Decedent Wesley L. Clarke 1629 K Street, NW Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Wesley L. Clarke, whose address is 1629 K Street, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20006 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Ethel Y. Ross, who died on May 12, 2003 without a will, and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before November 15, 2015.

Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before November 15, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: May 15, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Wesley L. Clarke Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 05/15, 05/22,Tue 05/29/15 TYPESET: May 19

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WASHINGTON AFRO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER Legal Advertising Rates Effective October 1, 2008 PROBATE DIVISION (Estates) 202-332-0080 PROBATE NOTICES a. Order Nisi $ 60 per insertion b. Small Estates (single publication $ 60 per insertion c. Notice to Creditors 1. Domestic $ 60 per insertion 2. Foreign $ 60 per insertion d. Escheated Estates $ 60 per insertion e. Standard Probates

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TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia TRUE TEST COPY 05/22, 05/29, 06/05/15 PROBATE DIVISION REGISTER OF WILLS TYPESET: Tue May 12 14:23:47 EDT 2015 Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 05/22, 05/29,Tue 06/05/15 TYPESET: May 12 14:23:22 EDT 2015 Administration No. Superior Court of 2015ADM535 the District of Brenda Satterfield Superior Court of District of Columbia Decedent the District of PROBATE DIVISION Ronnie Thraxton, Esq District of Columbia Washington, D.C. 1629 K Street, NW, PROBATE DIVISION 20001-2131 Suite 300 Washington, D.C. Administration No. Washington, DC 20006 20001-2131 2015ADM497 Attorney Administration No. John Benjamin ColNOTICE OF 2013ADM719 lington APPOINTMENT, Dewey C. Holloway Decedent NOTICE TO AKA Clarissa T. Edwards CREDITORS Dewey Clanton Hol-Law Office of AND NOTICE TO loway Sr. C. Thomas, Chartered UNKNOWN HEIRS Decedent 2402 Lenfant Square Terry Satterfield, whose Bobby G. Henry Jr. SE address is 1012 An9701 Apollo Drive, Washington, DC 20020 d e r s o n P l a c e , S E , Suite 201 Attorney Washington, DC 20032, Largo, MD 20774 NOTICE OF was appointed personal Attorney APPOINTMENT, representative of the NOTICE OF NOTICE TO estate of Brenda SatAPPOINTMENT, CREDITORS terfield, who died on April NOTICE TO AND NOTICE TO 4, 2015 withouta will, and CREDITORS UNKNOWN HEIRS will serve without Court AND NOTICE TO Madeline Michele Col- supervision. All unknown UNKNOWN HEIRS lington, whose address is heirs and heirs whose Gregory C. Holloway, 1609 27th Street, SE, whereabouts are unwhose address is 3609 Washington, DC 20020, known shall enter their Scruggs Place, Springwas appointed personal a p p e a r a n c e i n t h i s dale, MD 20774 was aprepresentative of the proceeding. Objections pointed personal repreestate of John Benjamin to such appointment (or sentative of the estate of Collington, who died on to the probate of deDewey C. Holloway AKA April 27, 2014 without a cedent´s will) shall be Dewey Clanton Holwill, and will serve with- filed with the Register of loway, Sr., who died on out Court supervision. All Wills, D.C., 515 5th May 18, 2013 with a will, unknown heirs and heirs Street, N.W., 3rd Floor and will serve with Court whose where-abouts are W a s h i n g t o n , D . C . supervision. All unknown unknown shall enter their 20001, on or before heirs and heirs whose a p p e a r a n c e i n t h i s November 22, 2015. whereabouts are unproceeding. Objections Claims against the deknown shall enter their to such appointment cedent shall be preappearance in this shall be filed with the sented to the underproceeding. Objections Register of Wills, D.C., signed with a copy to the to such appointment (or 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Register of Wills or filed to the probate of deFloor Washington, D.C. with the Register of Wills cedent´s will) shall be 20001, on or before with a copy to the underfiled with the Register of November 15, 2015. signed, on or before Wills, D.C., 515 5th Claims against the de- November 22, 2015, or Street, N.W., 3rd Floor cedent shall be pre- be forever barred. PerWa s h i n g t o n , D . C . sented to the under- sons believed to be heirs 20001, on or before signed with a copy to the or legatees of the deNovember 15, 2015.

Register of Wills or filed cedent who do not reClaims against the dewith the Register of Wills ceive a copy of this notice cedent shall be prewith a copy to the under- by mail within 25 days of sented to the undersigned, on or before its first publication shall signed with a copy to the November 15, 2015, or so inform the Register of Register of Wills or filed be forever barred. Per- Wills, including name, with the Register of Wills sons believed to be heirs address and relationwith a copy to the underor legatees of the de- ship. signed, on or before cedent who do not re- Date of Publication: November 15, 2015, or ceive a copy of this notice May 22, 2015 be forever barred. Perby mail within 25 days of Name of newspaper: sons believed to be heirs its first publication shall Afro-American or legatees of the deso inform the Register of Washington cedent who do not reWills, including name, Law Reporter ceive a copy of this notice address and relationTerry Satterfield by mail within 25 days of ship.

Personal its first publication shall Date of Publication: Representative so inform the Register of May 15, 2015 Wills, including name, Name of newspaper: TRUE TEST COPY address and relationAfro-American REGISTER OF WILLS ship.

Washington Date of Publication: Law Reporter 05/22, 05/29, 06/05/15 May 15, 2015 Madeline Michele Name of newspaper: Collington Afro-American Personal Washington Representative Law Reporter Gregory C. Holloway TRUE TEST COPY You know you’re Personal REGISTER OF WILLS in the know...

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TYPESET: Tue May 12 16:24:58 EDT 2015 LEGAL NOTICES SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM551 Estate of Victoire FrancoisEugene Deceased NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by Laura Francois-Eugene for standard probate, including the appointment of one or more personal representative.

Unless a complaint or an objection in accordance with Superior Court Probate Division Rule 407 is filed in this Court within 30 days from the date of first publication of this notice, the Court may take the action hereinafter set forth.

0 Enter an order determining that the decedent died intestate 0 Appoint an unsupervised personal representative..

Register of Wills Clerk of the Probate Division Date of First Publication May 15, 2015 Names of Newspapers: Washington Law Reporter Washington AFRO-AMERICAN Laura Francois-Eugene 43 Randolph Road #123 Silver Spring, MD 20904 Signature of Petitioners/Attorney 05/15, 05/22/15

B6 The Washington/PG Afro-American, May 23, 2015 - May 29, 2015

TYPESET: Tue2015 May 05 15:37:38 TYPESET: Tue2015 May 12 14:25:10 TYPESET: Tue May 19 15:13:07 TYPESET: Tue2015 May 12 14:24:48 TYPESET: Tue2015 May 19 15:14:12 TYPESET: Tue2015 May 05 15:34:03 TYPESET: Tue2015 May 05 15:37:18 TYPESET: Tue2015 May 19 15:13:50 TYPESET: Tue2015 May 19 15:14:54 LEGAL NOTICES LEGALEDT NOTICES LEGALEDT NOTICES LEGALEDT NOTICES LEGALEDT NOTICES LEGALEDT NOTICES LEGALEDT NOTICES LEGALEDT NOTICES LEGALEDT NOTICES Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM573 Martha L. Fenwick Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Gwendolyn Fenwick, whose address is 20 T Street NW, Washington DC, 20001, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Martha L. Fenwick, who died on April 26, 2015 with a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

20001, on or before November 22, 2015.

Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before November 22, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: May 22, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Gwendolyn Fenwick Personal Representative

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM426 Sarah Williams Decedent Claude Roxborough Sr. 705 Irving St. NW Washington, DC 20010 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Patricia Lipford, whose address is 649 Morris Pine, Washington, DC, 20002 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Sarah Williams, who died on June 4, 1998 without a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before November 15, 2015.

Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before November 15, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: May 15, 2015 Name of newspaper: TRUE TEST COPY Afro-American REGISTER OF WILLS Washington TRUE TEST COPY TRUE TEST COPY Law Reporter REGISTER OF 2015 WILLS TYPESET: Tue May 19 15:15:56 EDT REGISTER OF WILLS Patricia Lipford 05/22, 05/29, 06/05/15 TYPESET: Tue May 19 15:14:32 EDT 2015 TYPESET: Tue May 19 15:15:16 EDT 2015 05/22, 05/29, 06/05/15 Personal 05/22, 05/29, 06/05/15 Representative Superior Court of TRUE TEST COPY the District of Superior Court of Superior Court of REGISTER OF WILLS TRUE TEST COPY District of Columbia the District of the District of REGISTER OF WILLS TYPESET: Tue May 19 15:13:29 EDT 2015 PROBATE DIVISION District of Columbia District of Columbia 05/22, 05/29, 06/05/15 Washington, D.C. PROBATE DIVISION PROBATE DIVISION TYPESET: May 12 05/15, 05/22,Tue 05/29/15 20001-2131 Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. Superior Court of Administration No. 20001-2131 20001-2131 the District of 2015ADM10 Administration No. Administration No. District of Columbia Edward B. Stewart Superior Court of 2015ADM498 2015ADM572 PROBATE DIVISION Decedent the District of Mary Freeman Rose Louise Coghill Washington, D.C. NOTICE OF District of Columbia Decedent Decedent 20001-2131 APPOINTMENT, NOTICE OF NOTICE OF PROBATE DIVISION Administration No. APPOINTMENT, APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO Washington, D.C. 2015ADM531 NOTICE TO NOTICE TO CREDITORS 20001-2131 Robert Anthony Fields CREDITORS CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO Administration No. Sr. AND NOTICE TO AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS 2015ADM494 Decedent UNKNOWN HEIRS UNKNOWN HEIRS Dionne M. Gaddy, whose Lacy Wall 3012 Irma Court R a y m o n d L . G r i e r, address is 10464 Markby Kevin Tyree Coghill, Decedent Suitland, MD 20746 whose address is 25 Car- Court White Plains, MD whose address is 5219 NOTICE OF Attorney rie Place, Emal, NJ 20695, was appointed 5th Street, NW, WashingAPPOINTMENT, NOTICE OF 08081, was appointed personal representative ton, DC 20011 was apNOTICE TO APPOINTMENT, personal representative of the estate of Edward pointed personal repreCREDITORS NOTICE TO of the estate of Mary B. Stewart, who died on sentative of the estate of AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS Freeman, who died on December 7, 2014 with- Rose Louise Coghill, UNKNOWN HEIRS AND NOTICE TO April 17, 2015 with a will, out a will, and will serve who died on December A r l e n e F. M a r s h a l l , UNKNOWN HEIRS and will serve without 20, 2008 without a will, Monica M. Fields, whose Court supervision. All un- without Court supervi- and will serve with Court whose address is 1828 sion.

All unknown heirs address is 3012 Irma known heirs and heirs supervision. All unknown Tu b m a n R o a d , S E , Court, Suitland, MD whose whereabouts are a n d h e i r s w h o s e heirs and heirs whose Washington, DC 20020, whereabouts are un20746 was appointed unknown shall enter their whereabouts are un- was appointed personal personal representative a p p e a r a n c e i n t h i s known shall enter their known shall enter their representative of the estate of Lacy Wall, who of the estate of Robert proceeding. Objections a p p e a r a n c e i n t h i s appearance in this Anthony Fields, Sr., who to such appointment (or proceeding. Objections proceeding. Objections died on March 19, 2015 died on February 6, 2015 to the probate of de- to such appointment to such appointment with a will, and will serve without a will, and will cedent´s will) shall be shall be filed with the shall be filed with the without Court superviserve without Court sufiled with the Register of Register of Wills, D.C., Register of Wills, D.C., sion. All unknown heirs pervision. All unknown 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd and heirs whose whereWills, D.C., 515 5th heirs and heirs whose Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Floor Washington, D.C. Floor Washington, D.C. abouts are unknown whereabouts are un- W a s h i n g t o n , D . C .

20001, on or before 20001, on or before shall enter their appearknown shall enter their 20001, on or before November 22, 2015. November 22, 2015. ance in this proceeding. appearance in this November 22, 2015. Claims against the de- Claims against the de- O b j e c t i o n s t o s u c h proceeding. Objections Claims against the de- cedent shall be pre- cedent shall be pre- appointment (or to the to such appointment cedent shall be pre- sented to the under- sented to the under- probate of decedent´s shall be filed with the sented to the under- signed with a copy to the signed with a copy to the will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., signed with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed Register of Wills or filed Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with the Register of Wills 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. with the Register of Wills with a copy to the under- with a copy to the underFloor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before with a copy to the under- signed, on or before signed, on or before 20001, on or before November 22, 2015. signed, on or before November 22, 2015, or November 22, 2015, or November 15, 2015.

Claims against the deNovember 22, 2015, or be forever barred. Per- be forever barred. Per- Claims against the decedent shall be prebe forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs sented to the under- sons believed to be heirs sons believed to be heirs or legatees of the de- cedent shall be preor legatees of the desented to the undersigned with a copy to the or legatees of the decedent who do not re- cedent who do not reRegister of Wills or filed cedent who do not re- ceive a copy of this notice ceive a copy of this notice signed with a copy to the with the Register of Wills ceive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of Register of Wills or filed by mail within 25 days of with a copy to the underby mail within 25 days of its first publication shall with the Register of Wills its first publication shall signed, on or before its first publication shall so inform the Register of with a copy to the underso inform the Register of November 22, 2015, or so inform the Register of Wills, including name, signed, on or before Wills, including name, be forever barred. Per- Wills, including name, address and relation- November 15, 2015, or address and relationbe forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs address and relationship. ship. or legatees of the desons believed to be heirs ship.

Date of Publication: Date of Publication: cedent who do not re- Date of Publication: or legatees of the deMay 22, 2015 May 22, 2015 ceive a copy of this notice cedent who do not reMay 22, 2015 Name of newspaper: Name of newspaper: by mail within 25 days of ceive a copy of this notice Name of newspaper: Afro-American its first publication shall Afro-American by mail within 25 days of Afro-American Washington so inform the Register of Washington Washington its first publication shall Law Reporter Wills, including name, Law Reporter Law Reporter Kevin Tyree Coghill so inform the Register of address and relationDionne M. Gaddy Raymond L. Grier Personal Wills, including name, ship.

Personal Personal Representative address and relationDate of Publication: Representative Representative ship.

May 22, 2015 TRUE TEST COPY Date of Publication: Name of newspaper: TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS TRUE TEST COPY May 15, 2015 Afro-American REGISTER OF WILLS REGISTER OF WILLS Name of newspaper: Washington 05/22, 05/29, 06/05/15 Afro-American Law Reporter 5/22/15, 5/29, 6/05/15 05/22, 05/29, 06/05/15 Washington Monica M. Fields Law Reporter Personal Arlene F. Marshall Representative Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM537 Collette Dickerson Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Bridgette Remekie and Jonathan Dickerson, whose addresses are 4612 Kane Place, NE #1, Washington, DC, 20019, were appointed personal representatives of the estate of Collette Dickerson, who died on March 9, 2015 without a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before November 22, 2015.

Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before November 22, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: May 22, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Bridgette Remekie Jonathan Dickerson Personal Representative

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM525 Flossie Marie Williams Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Phillip C. Williams, whose address is 4516 Illinois Ave., Washington, DC 20011 was appoin ted personal representative of the estate of Flossie Marie Williams, who died on October 15, 2012 withouta will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before November 22, 2015.

Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before November 22, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: May 22, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Phillip C. Williams Personal Representative

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Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM492 Lucille Crawford Decedent John F. Mowery, III 1629 K Street Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Gwendolyn M. Herring, whose address is 1324 Inland Dr. Forestville, MD 20742, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Lucille Crawford, who died on April 18, 2000 without a will, and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, November 15, 2015.

Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before November 15, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: May 15, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Gwendolyn M. Herring Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM45 Rosa M Adams Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Gerald R. Belton whose address is 1101 L Street, NW, #806, Washington, DC 20005 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Rosa M. Adams, who died on February 10, 2014 with a will, and will serve, without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose where-abouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

20001, on or before November 8, 2015.

Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before November 8, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: May 8, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Gerald R. Belton Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

TRUE TEST COPY

REGISTER OF 2015 WILLS TYPESET: Tue May 19 15:15:35 EDT

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05/15, 05/22,Tue 05/29/15 TYPESET: May 05 15:34:24 EDT 2015of Superior Court

Superior Court of the District of 14:25:30 2015 District EDT of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM250 Nora Lee Hampton Decedent Peggy A. Miller, Esq 5130-7th St. NE Washington, DC 20011 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Nora A. Hampton Sibert, whose address is 6016 Riggs Road, Hyattsville, MD 20783 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Nora Lee Hampton, who died on December 18, 2014 without a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before November 8, 2015.

Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before November 8, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: May 8, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Nora A. Hampton Sibert Personal Representative

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM441 Teretha J. Watkins Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Reginald D. Watkins , whose address is 3102 Logan Street, District Heights, MD 20747 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Teretha J. Watkins, who died on December 21, 2014 with a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose where-abouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

20001, on or before November 8, 2015.

Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before November 8, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: May 8, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Reginald D. Watkins Personal Representative

the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM555 Horace Elwood Park Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Diane Brent Farmer, whose address is 11000 Belton Street, Upper Marlboro MD, 20774 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Horace Elwood Brent, who died on October 28, 2012 without a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before November 22, 2015.

Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before November 22, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: May 22, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Diane Brent Farmer Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 05/22, 05/29, 06/05/15

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM446 Shannon Eckhart Decedent Wesley L. Clarke 1629 K Street, Ste 300 Washington, DC 20006 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Richard Eckhart, whose addres is 910 Trail Cross Court, Santa Fe, NM 87505, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Shannon Eckhart, who died on March 13, 2015 without a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

20001, on or before November 8, 2015.

Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before November 8, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: March 8, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Richard Eckhart Personal Representative

TRUE TEST 05/15, 05/22,Tue 05/29/15 TYPESET: May 19 15:16:19 EDTCOPY 2015

REGISTER OF WILLS

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM565 Estate of Louis Flemuel Davis Deceased N O T I C E O F S TA N DARD PROBATE Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by Anthony Scott Davis for standard probate, including the appoint-ment of one or more personal representative. Unless a complaint or an objection in accordance with Superior Court Probate Division Rule 407 is filed in this Court within 30 days from the date of first publication of this notice, the Court may take the action hereinafter set forth.

0 Admit to probate the will dated May 3, 2010 exhibited with the petition upon proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution by affidavit of witnesses or otherwise Register of Wills Clerk of the Probate Division Date of First Publication May 22, 2015 Names of Newspapers: Washington Law Reporter Washington AFRO-AMERICAN Anthony Scott Davis 1409 Waterford Drive District Heights, MD 20747 Signature of Petitioners/Attorney 05/22, 05/29/15

SUBSCFRIBE TODAY

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM545 Eva Melvina Trivino AKA Eva Trivino Ling AKA Eva Trivino Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Jovana M. Cooke, whose address is 9282 Adelphi Rd., Apt 204, Aldelphi, MD 20783, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Eva Melvina Trivino, AKA Eva Trivino Ling, AKA Eva Trivino who died on October 15, 2014 with a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

20001, on or before November 22, 2015.

Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before November 22, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: May 22, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Jovana M. Cooke Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 05/15, 5/22, 5/29/15

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TYPESET: Tue May 05 15:32:49 05/15, 05/22, 05/29/15 Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM439 Mildred A. Woodruff Decedent Laura V. Farthing 451 Hungerford Drive, Ste 750 Rockville, MD 20850 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Byron L. Woodruff, whose address is 10126 Greenock Road, Silver, Spring, MD 20901 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Mildred A. Woodruff, who died on February 12, 2015 with a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

20001, on or before November 8, 2015.

Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before November 8, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: May 8, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Byron L. Woodruff Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 05/15, 05/22, 05/29/15

May 23, 2015 - May 29, 2015, The Washington/PG Afro-American

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TYPESET: Tue2015 May 05 15:35:04 EDT TYPESET: Wed May 06 TYPESET: 10:07:04 EDT TYPESET: Tue May 05 15:31:02 EDT TYPESET: Tue2015 May 05 15:31:49 EDT TYPESET: Tue2015 May 05 15:31:26 EDT 2015 TYPESET: Tue2015 May 05 15:35:27 EDT Tue2015 May 05 15:33:39 EDT TYPESET: Tue2015 May 05 15:30:39 EDT TYPESET: Tue2015 May 12 14:25:58 LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM416 Odessa A. Saunders Decedent David F. Hall 840 1st Street, NE, 3rd FL Washington, DC 20002 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Barbara J. Taylor and Debra J. Blake, whose address is 6217 Atwood St., District Heights, MD, 20747 & 236 Bobbie St., Allenhurst, GA 31301 were appointed personal representatives of the estate of Odessa A. Saunders, who died on October 7, 2014 with a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

20001, on or before November 8, 2015.

Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before November 8, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: May 8, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Barbara J. Taylor Debra J. Blake Personal Representative

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2014ADM868 Edmonia L. Lovett AKA Edmonia Louise Lovett Decedent Karl L. Chen, Chen Law, LLC 9701 Apollo Drive, Suite, 337 Largo, Maryland 20774 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Eric Abdullah, whose address is 2315 Havarford Road, Apt D., Ardmore, PA, 19003 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Edmonia L. Lovett, AKA Edmonia Louise Lovett who died on December 28, 2012 without a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before November 8, 2015.

Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before November 8, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: May 8, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Eric Abdullah Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

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LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM463 Angelique Nicole Ewell Weber Decedent DeniAntionette Mazingo 238 Jelly Way Hemet, CA 92544 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS John Bernard Ewell & Maria J. Ewell whose address is 7112 7th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20012 were appointed personal representatives of the estate of Angelique Nicole Ewell Weber, who died on February 26, 2015 without a will, and will serve Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

20001, on or before November 8, 2015.

Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before November 8, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: May 8, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter John Bernard Ewell Maria J. Ewell Personal Representative

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM203 Edgar Burton May Decedent David W. Buckley Esq 1828 L Street, NW Suite 270 Washington, DC 20036 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Linda May and Serra May Plourde, whose add r e s s i s 3 5 4 1 Brandywine St., NW, Washington, DC and P. O . B o x 3 2 2 H u b bardston, MA were appointed personal representative of the estate of Edgar Burton May, who died on January 19, 2015 without a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

20001, on or before November 8, 2015.

Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before November 8, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: May 8, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Edgar Burton May Personal Representative

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM474 Allan B. Chinn Decedent Clinton L. Evans, Jr. Esq 1629 K Street, NW Suite 300, Washington, DC 20006 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Barbara Ann Chinn, whose address is 2480 -16th St. NW, Apt 632, Washington, DC, 20009 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Allan B. Chinn, who died on February 15, 2015 with a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

20001, on or before November 8, 2015.

Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before November 8, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: May 8, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Barbara Ann Chinn Personal Representative

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM462 Evelyn B Mason Decedent Jamison B Taylor 1218 11th St. NW Washington, DC 20001 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS P a t r i c i a M . Wo o d s , whose address is 4403 New Hampshire Ave., NW, Washington, Dc 20011 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Evelyn B. Mason, who died on May 4, 1988 without a will, and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose where-abouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before November 8, 2015.

Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before November 8, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: May 8, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Patricia M. Woods Personal Representative

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM240 Thelma Reynolds Robinson Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Eileen Michelle Reid, whose address 103 College Station Drive, Largo, MD 20774 is 103 College Station Drive, Largo, MD 20774, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Thelma Reynolds Robinson, who died on January 12 , 2015 without a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before November 8, 2015.

Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before November 8, 2015 or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: May 8, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Eileen Michelle Reid Personal Representative

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM520 Dena M. Dickson Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Denise Gordon, whose address is 3231 S Leisure World Blvd, 106A, Silver Spring, MD 20906, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Dena M. Dickson, who died on August 5, 2014 without a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before November 15, 2015.

Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before November 15, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: May 15, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Denise Gordon Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM495 James Atkocius Decedent Robert M. McCarthy, Esq 4405 East West Highway Suite 201 Bethesda, MD 20814 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Helen Atkocius, whose address is 8503 Pelham Road, Bethesda, MD 20817 wasappointed personal representative of the estate of James Atkocius, who died on February 18, 2015 withouta will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding.

Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C .

20001, on or before November 8, 2015.

Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before November 8, 2015, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship.

Date of Publication: May 8, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Helen Atkocius Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

05/08, 05/15, 05/22/15

05/08, 05/15, 05/22/15

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

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TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 05/15, 05/22, 05/29/15

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The Washington/PG Afro-American, May 23, 2015 - May 29, 2015

Staying True To Our Commitments.

With construction well underway, MGM National Harbor is committed to hiring local and minority-owned businesses.

Our first County report demonstrates we exceeded our project goals in minority hiring categories for work in 2014.

31% Minority Business Enterprise participation, exceeding the 30% project goal 16% County-based Minority Business Enterprise participation, exceeding the 12% project goal These outstanding results reflect the historic commitment to diversity and inclusion that are cornerstones of the corporate mission of MGM Resorts InternationalÂŽ.

And weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re just getting started.

Building Excitement.

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