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Challenger Community News • June 3, 2015
AREA BRIEFS Judge Jaharr Pridgen Gets Unanimous Endorsement From Democratic Committee Buffalo City Court Judge Jaharr Pridgen has received the unanimous endorsement of the Erie County Democratic Committee. Judge Pridgen was appointed by Mayor Byron Brown in January to fill a vacancy created by the e l e c tion of Judge Pridgen Judge E. Jeanette Ogden last November to the State Supreme Court. This year Judge Pridgen will run in the upcoming election to retain her city court seat. Judge Pridgen is a graduate of the Thomas M. Cooley Law School at Western Michigan University. Prior to becoming a judge she worked in the Erie County District Attorney’s office for eight years and spent her last three years in the Felony Trial Bureau. She is affiliated with the Bar Association of Erie County the Minority Bar Association of Western New York and the National Association of Women Judges.
Aloma D.Johnson Charter News
-Student RecitalAloma D. Johnson Charter is having a Student Recital, showcasing the talents of our students in such activities as violin, art, singing, etc. on Friday, June 12, at 5:30 p.m. at the school. -Sizzling Summer Enrichment ProgramAloma D. Johnson is also sponsoring a Sizzling Summer Enrichment and Activity Program at the school beginning Tuesday, July 7. Call (716) 856-4390 for more information about either event. The school is located at 15 Jewett Pkwy.
Eve Denies Grassroots and Unity are Brokering Any Kind of Alliance
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nity Party president Arthur “Champ” Eve Jr. denies that his organization is brokering any kind of deal with Maurice Garner and the Grassroots organization “Nobody from Grassroots has ever approached me about working together,” said Eve, “and there is no way I would consider it.” The on-line publication Buffalo Chronicle reported that Garner was seeking an alliance between the two political organizations in the wake of the recent joint FBI and State Police investigation into the dealings of Garner’s business partner and political operative, G. Steven Pigeon. Deputy Mayor Steve Casey, Mayor Brown’s former Deputy Mayor who is closely aligned with Pigeon, and Chris Grant, the current Chief of Staff for Republican Congressman Chris Eve (left) and Garner Collins, was included in a recent search warrant. Mayor Brown told Time Warner Cable News that he was unaware of any wrongdoings and that he has been advised by law enforcement that he was not involved it the investigation. In 2013 County Legislators Betty Jean Grant and former Legislator Timothy R. Hogues complained to the now-defunct Moreland Commission on Public Integrity - a state ethics panel - about Pigeon and a political campaign fund linked to him. Grant was defeated by State Senator Tim Kennedy in 2012 by a mere 139 votes. She challenged him again in 2014 but lost that election. The Grant-Kennedy race in 2012, Eve noted, was a travesty, with Grassroots in full support of Tim Kennedy; robbing the Black community of the history-making opportunity to elect the area’s first Black and first woman to the newly created 63rd senate district. “They can take the credit for us not having Betty represent us in Albany today,” he said. “I’m supporting Betty Jean Grant for Legislator this year and the word is they’re running someone against Betty again.” She was challenged by a Grassroots sponsored candidate in the last election but won an easy victory. In addition, he continued, Grassroots is supporting two Republicans for Family Court. Garner, who along with Denins Gorski founded Grassroots, is the Chairman of the Urban Chamber of Commerce. “Twenty-eight years ago former Gorski formed Grassroots with the goal of getting rid of established Black leadership,” said Eve. “that goal continues.” -a.b.
Meeting Set to Plan A Summer Basketball Tournament A strategic planning meeting for a Buffalo Summer Basketball Tournement hosted by Legislator Betty Jean Grant, We Are Women Warriors, John Washington II, Buffalo Peacemakers, Stop The Violence Coalition, Homicide Prevention Education and Buffalo S.N.U.G. will be held on Wednesday, June 3, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. at the Frank E. Merriweather Library, 1324 Jefferson Avenue. The purpose of the meeting develop a plan of action to address the matter of an organized summer basketball tournament for the youth of Buffalo. For the last 20+ years, City of Buffalo youth have had access to and participated in a national competitive basketball tournament over the summer break. Last year that event was moved to Darien Lake. This year it was moved to Grand Island. “This has left parents and youth without easy access to this venue... Join us as we come together as a community to brainstorm a plan of action to create a new and alternate opportunity for our youth” urged organizers.” Participation is free and open to the public. All advocacy groups, clergy, activists and community leaders are welcome. For more information or if you are interested in participating, please call 602-5877.
PARENT VOICES MATTER Residents attending a recent Parent Forum outline what they want to see in a School Superintendent and the School Reform Plan he or she will implement
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he Buffalo District Parent Coordinating Council, supported by the members of the Buffalo Board of Education and the IAAM Think Tank held a forum focused on the insights and perceptions of parents of children attending Buffalo Public Schools. The meeting, held at the Makowski Early Childhood Center on Best and Jefferson Avenues May 28, included parents and other Buffalo residents. Event organizers were concerned that the interests, perspectives and concerns of large portions of the Buffalo community were not being taken into account as the District moved forward in finding a replacement for departing Buffalo Schools Superintendent, Dr. Donald Ogilvie. Failing to gain broader participation of District school parents and other Buffalo residents threatened to undermine the goal of finding a strong superintendent candidate soon enough to insure quality leadership at the head of the Buffalo Public School District for the upcoming school year. Forum organizers recognized that only the Board of Education can select a new school superintendent. The forum would provide a means by which parents and other residents could express their views to the Buffalo School Board, the Mayor and the Buffalo Common Council as it concerns *the principles and criteria they would like to see established that would guide the selection process for the next superintendent, and *what features they would like to see become a part of the reform plan that the new superintendent would administer Following is a summery of the open and frank discussion the meeting produced. On the question of the principles and criteria they would like
to see established that would guide the selection process for the next superintendent, the participants stated the next superintendent should be: *Transparent *Have a resume that shows that she or he cares about the children *Open to the findings and recommendations by the Office of Civil Rights investigator, Dr. Gary Orfield *Committed to diversifying the instructional staff of the schools over the next four years *Committed to creating smaller class sizes *Committed to the redesign of the school system to address the social problems in students’ homes and neighborhoods *Committed to a basic system redesign so that the system is focused on the successful education of every child *Committed to school-based budgets specific to the needs of the students being served at the individual school *Committed to regular “fireside chats” with the community *Committed to both parent engagement and to parent empowerment (i.e., helping parents become better leaders of their children’s education at home) *Able to run a billion dollar school business regardless whether having a strong education industry resume *A moral person *A person who will insure integrity in what is being taught *A person who will live on the eastside or in a similar community *A person with successful experience running an urban school district, and someone who has lived in a central urban city environment *A person who will be both responsive to parents and accountable to follow through on their concerns *Willing to put more resources into the school buildings and less into central staff operations Continued Page 10
Lewis Latimer
Black Inventions
Lewis Latimer (1848 – 1928) What He Invented: The Carbon Filament For The Light Bulb. Why It’s Important: Latimer is one of the greatest inventors of all time. Thomas Edison may have invented the electric lightbulb, but Latimer helped make it a common feature in American households. In 1881 he received a patent for inventing a method of producing carbon filaments, which made the bulbs longerlasting, more efficient and cheaper. In 1876, he worked with Alexander Graham Bell to draft the drawings required for the patent of Bell’s telephone. source: theroot.com invention.smithsonian.org Otis Boykin (1920 -1982) What He Invented: The Artificial Heart Pacemaker Control Unit. Why It’s Important: Although there were variations to the pacemaker before Boykin’s invention, the modern-day pacemaker would not exist without his work. Henry Brown What He Invented: The Modern-Day Fireproof Safe Why It Is Important: When Henry Brown patented a “receptacle for storing and preserving papers on November 2, 1886″ This was a fire and accident safe container made of forged metal, which could be sealed with a lock and key. Anyone who has ever had important documents stored in a safe and saved in a fire can thank Brown. More Next Week