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Challenger Community News • April 8, 2015

YEMEN continued

should ‘we’ do about Syria/Iraq/Yemen/Libya?” While presidents go in and out of office, the people, the corporate media and the political system all accept that their government has the right to intervene in the affairs of other nations and that it is always right and moral in its claims. The numbers of Americans who question whether Barack Obama ought to be in the business of ousting the president of Syria or supporting the president of Ukraine are quite slim. The examples of foolish decisions are endless. President Reagan made deals with Iran but then instigated an Iraqi attack on Iran. Later the U.S. attacked Iraq in two different wars. The destruction of that country led to a brutal sectarian war, and to the rise of the Houthis in Yemen. Yemen is now the epicenter of imperialism run amuck. The Saudis fear that the Shi’a Houthis will be supported by their rival Iran, which the United States now wants to come to terms with in nuclear energy negotiations. Saudi Arabia is therefore on the side of Israel in attempting to scuttle any agreement. There is still no honor among all the thieves. Whatever policy decisions Washington chooses to make will result in unintended consequences and more violence. Every escalation brings greater danger and America still has no rival for bringing destruction to millions of people. Violence and chaos have become not just the means to certain ends, but ends in and of themselves. That is just how America rolls.

Margaret Kimberley’s Freedom Rider column appears weekly in BAR, and is widely reprinted elsewhere. She maintains a frequently updated blog as well as athttp://freedomrider.blogspot.com. Ms. Kimberley lives in New York City, and can be reached via e-Mail at Margaret.Kimberley(at)BlackAgendaReport.com.

SCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE continued

African American and Latino men are many. But one of the key starting points are the schools. Students of color face harsher discipline and are more likely to be pushed out of school than Whites: *40% of students expelled from U.S. schools each year are Black. *70% of students involved in “in school” arrests or referred to law enforcement are black or Latino. *Black students are three and a half times more likely to be suspended than Whites *Black and Latino students are twice as likely to NOT GRADUATE high school as Whites

Why We Need ACE Charter Dear Members of the Community: Three years ago I was astounded to realize the graduation rate for our young people, especially young Black males. These figures prompted me to get involved and explore the ways I could help. After many discussions with my faith-based peers, community leaders, parents, and youth, it became clear to me that the best way to provide our children with new opportunities for a brighter future was to open a charter school that has clear expectations and high standards for all. I have formed a team of committed community and industry-specific individuals who believe in our mission and we are in the process of designing the ACE Charter School (Architecture, Construction, and Engineering). The mission of the ACE Charter School (ACE) is to create a learning environment for City of Buffalo youth, Grades 5-12, which combines exemplary character development, practical work experience, and a rigorous and hands-on curriculum that will prepare them for college and careers in the architecture, construction, and engineering industries and to reach their potential. Many representatives from these local industries will provide students with hands-on learning experiences, internships and employment opportunities as they move through their high school career. ACE’s teaching approach will be based on the belief that every child has gifts and talents that must be discovered and nurtured. All students will consistently be encouraged to strive to do their best so they may reach their highest potential. An ACE education is one that will support strong intellectual, physical, social and emotional growth. Our hope is to open in August 2016 with Grades 5 to 8, adding a new class each year. I remember the days of the lighted schoolhouse when the school building doubled as a community center and kept kids off the street and actively involved in safe, structured activities. Our school will be open to the community every evening and will play an active role in the neighborhood and in the lives of our families. It is our hope to work with the Buffalo Board of Education to house our program at East High School in order to provide current and new students with a quality education. I believe in this school and know we have the power to change the future of hundreds of children. This is a community effort and we cannot do this alone. We welcome your input. Please join me for open discussions on my weekly radio show Saturday mornings from 9 to 10 am. Call me at the church or email me at pastor@bwhic.com. This is your opportunity to get involved in your child’s education. Bishop Michael Badger Senior Pastor of Bethesda World Harvest International Church *68 percent of all males in state and federal prison do not have a high school diploma. *One our of three African American males will be incarcerated in his lifetime *One out of six Latino males will be incarcerated in his lifetime. For more information about the upcoming forum, please call Habib Johnson at 462-1565 (Additional Information from Winepecia, , SuspensionStories. com, and various news reports.)

BID

Buffalo City School District Advertisement for Bids

Sealed proposals for the following project will be received at the Office of Plant Services, 403 City Hall, Buffalo, NY 14202. On Thursday, April 30, 2015 at 2:00 p.m., bids will be publicly opened and read aloud for the following general construction contract:

Sealed proposals for the following project will be received at the Office of Plant Services, 403 City Hall, Buffalo, NY 14202. On Monday, April 20, 2015 at 2:00 p.m., proposals for the General Contracting work only will be publicly opened and read aloud for the following projects, consisting of multiple schools being bid as one contract:

PROJECT 0074-009: Gymnasium Flooring and Related Work P.S. 74 Hamlin Park Elementary 126 Donaldson Road, Buflo., NY 14208 Beginning April 7, 2015, bidding document packages may be viewed and purchased through Avalon Document Services online Planroom website at www.avalonbuff-planroom.com, under “Public Jobs”, or ordered by phone at 716-995-7777. Owner can assume no responsibility for errors, omissions, or other misinformation obtained via other bid document distribution resources. A mandatory pre-bid conference will be held at the facility on April 15, 2015 at 3:00 p.m.; please assemble at the main entrance. The Architect will be present. Eligible bidders are required to attend this walkthrough or another previously arranged and documented site visit with Architect and/or District personnel.

BPS Pools Phase 1: P.S. 30/38 Frank A. Sedita Academy, P.S. 91 BUILD Academy, P.S. 200 Bennett High School, P.S. 307 East High School Beginning Monday, April 6, 2015, bidding document packages may be viewed and purchased through Avalon Document Services online planroom website at www.avalonbuff-planroom. com under “Public Jobs”, or ordered by phone at 716-995-7777. Owner can assume no responsibility for errors, omissions, or other misinformation obtained via other bid document distribution resources. A mandatory Pre-Bid meeting will be held on Monday, April 13, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. at 403 City Hall. The final day for RFI questions will be April 15, 2015 at 12:00 p.m.

Please note that required bid bond is 10%. The work will be subject to the equal employment opportunity requirements. Any questions regarding this project, please refer to Daniel Keefe, AIA at (716) 816-3725.

Please note that required bid bond is 10%. The work will be subject to the equal employment opportunity requirements. Any questions regarding this project, please refer to Marcial Morales, Labella Associates, D.P.C., mmorales@labellapc.com.

Paul McDonnell, AIA Director of Facilities Planning

14 BLACK HISTORY

continued was created after Muslim conquests made travel to the Holy Land dangerous. The church structures are in two groups, divided by the Ethiopia’s own river Jordan but is connected to them by a series of trenches. Several differing legends explain why King Lalibela was inspired to build the site. A particularly interesting story is that men worked on the construction during the day, and at night angels would pick up the slack - getting twice as much work done. In Ethiopia, where nearly two-thirds of the population is Christian, Lalibela has become almost important as the real Holy Land. And just as amazing as the fact that these structures are still standing, is that they are still used to hold church services! “What makes the Lalibela churches important is that they are still in use,” said Woldegiorgis. ‘It’s not a museum; it’s a living heritage. Every day, every morning, there is a service in all the churches.’

CONCERNED CLERGY continued

excess of 30,000 students – the largest system in the region. The search he said, should search far and wide for the best possible candidate. Other members of the Concerned Clergy Coalition made the following statements in reference to the issues: “Our responsibility as Pastors is to ‘stand on the wall’ and herald the dangers of the day. We must call some to accountability and others to action,” said Reverend Gregory P. Nelson, Pastor Delaine-Waring AME Church Buffalo and President of the Buffalo Chapter of the National Action Network. Here we are once again failing in our most basic responsibilities to the very young and we really must demand that we act positively for their benefit instead of for their destruction,” stated Reverend Raymond Allen, Pastor of Bethany Baptist Church, Niagara Falls, NY and President of the Niagara Falls Ministerial Alliance Admonished Rev. William Gillison, “To pretend that we are devoid of responsibility with regard to the area’s youngest citizens would be malpractice and the Court of Heaven would condemn our inactivity. We must demand better for the region’s children.” Reverend Gillison is Pastor Mt. Olive Baptist Church, Buffalo, NY and moderator of the Great Lakes Missionary Baptist District Association. “We must move now to insure that children have a restoration of the realities that increase their probability for success, the research and common sense dictate as much,” said Reverend Mark E. Blue, Pastor Second Baptist Church, Lackawanna, NY and President of the Baptist Minister’s Conference of Buffalo and Vicinity. We cannot afford to hold our peace in the face of these gross injustices. It is time to take charge of the circumstances that have risen before us. We encourage all to join with the Concerned Clergy Coalition of WNY Tuesday, April 7th, 2015 at 11:00 am on the steps of Buffalo City Hall. The Concerned Clergy Coalition of WNY will also direct concerned citizens to speak at the soon scheduled meetings of the Buffalo Board of Education.