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County officials help residents prepare ahead of hurricane season Page 11 May 28 - June 3, 2015
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Volume 14 Issue 40
6
Editorial
Protestants join Catholics in reconsidering death penalty By Heather Beaudoin Religion News Service
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(RNS) – Nebraska is showing the most visible signs of a change in thinking by Christians and conservatives on the death penalty, and Catholics are helping to lead the way. For many, the catalyst has been a simple question: “If I value life, how can I support taking a life when the death penalty doesn’t make us any safer?” In response, more are embracing a consistent life ethic. Three times in the past month, the Nebraska Legislature voted for a bill to repeal capital punishment and replace it with life without parole. The governor has promised to veto the legislation, and an override vote is looming. Many of the Christian lawmakers made it clear they cast their votes against the death penalty, in part, to promote a whole life ethic. The leader of the group is Sen. Colby Coash of Lincoln, a Catholic who put his personal reasons for opposing capital punishment into one easily understood phrase. “I am pro-life,” he said. Coash and his colleagues are also interested in enacting public policies based on facts, as well as on faith. They have studied capital punishment in detail and have determined it does nothing to contribute to our safety. They’re concerned about the 153 people released from death row for wrongful convictions and the death penalty’s disproportionate impact on communities of color, the poor and those with intellectual disabilities. “Is the death penalty truly effective as a deterrent?” asked Coash. “There’s absolutely no evidence that we’ve seen that the death penalty acts as a deterrent.” Nebraska conservative Christian politicians are not operating in a vacuum. This year in Kansas, Kentucky, New Hampshire and South Dakota, their counterparts sponsored bills to repeal capital punishment. In South Dakota, a Republican state representative who is an evangelical pastor changed his mind on the death penalty and sponsored the bill to repeal it. Conservatives in red states such
Salguero, president of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition, is among Church leaders fighting against capital punishment.
as Tennessee, North Carolina and Montana, as well as Nebraska, have formed groups to question the death penalty. According to a recent poll, roughly half of voters in Nebraska support replacing the death penalty with an alternative such as life in prison. That aligns with polling of Americans nationwide. For a growing number of Christians, opposition to the death penalty remains fundamentally grounded to one issue – their commitment to promoting a culture of life. “We must all be careful to temper our natural outrage against violent crime with a recognition of the dignity of all people, even the guilty,” the Catholic bishops of Nebraska said in a joint statement on March 17. Catholics will remember that the seeds for what is happening today were planted 20 years ago with “Evangelium Vitae,” Pope John Paul II’s encyclical expressing the church’s position on the sanctity of human life. Interestingly, evangelicals in Nebraska and elsewhere are joining Catholics in re-evaluating their support for capital punishment. For example, the Rev. William Thornton told the Nebraska Legislature’s judiciary committee: “I’d like to say that as a Christ
follower who believes that Christ died for all, that no person is beyond redemption, that I believe we should never advocate cutting someone’s life short and thereby guaranteeing no chance for them to experience redemption.” Nothing demonstrates this change more emphatically than the stand against capital punishment taken recently by a nationwide group of evangelicals. On March 27, the National Latino Evangelical Coalition passed a resolution calling for abolition of the death penalty. “This is a biblical commitment,” said the Rev. Gabriel Salguero, president of the association, at a news conference held during the organization’s annual meeting in Orlando, Florida. New voices, Christian and conservative, are increasingly making themselves heard in America’s death penalty debate. They are coming to the conclusion that ending the death penalty will help them adhere more closely to their faith and be more consistent in their beliefs, while helping our society better value life and promote justice. Heather Beaudoin is a national advocacy coordinator for Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty, a project of Equal Justice USA.
Finance
Blacks least likely to get business loan from banks
The Wells Fargo commissioned Gallop poll found Black owned businesses face problems when trying to get a bank loan.
By Freddie Allen Senior Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON (NNPA) – Blackowned businesses face tougher challenges than other groups when seeking bank loans, according to a new study by the Gallup polling company commissioned by Wells Fargo. Nearly half (47 percent) of Black-owned businesses operate in the South and the study found that 77 percent of Black business owners use personal cash to finance their businesses. African-American business owners were less likely to borrow money for business reasons than Asian and Hispanic business owners. “Twenty-two percent of African-American business owners say they felt that discrimination from a financial institution based on their race, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation had impacted their chances to obtain credit for their business,” stated the report. “Among those who indicated they needed credit, African-American owners, in particular, say they were not able to get all the credit they needed.” According to the report, 13 percent of Black business owners obtained the credit they needed, compared to 20 percent for Hispanic owners, 24 percent of Asian owners and 23 percent of owners in general.
The report also found that the larger the loan request, the higher the rejection rate. Overall, 27 percent of applications for larger loans were turned down and only 7 percent for smaller ones. The highest rejection rate – 38 percent – was among Black business owners seeking a loan of at least $250,000; 17 percent of Blacks seeking a loan less than $50,000 were rejected. By comparison, 33 percent of Asian owners were turned down for larger loans and 14 percent for smaller ones. For Latino business owners, the rejection rate was 26 percent for large loans, and 15 percent for smaller ones. Once banks declined a loan to Black business owners, they were more likely to apply for credit again than other small business owners. In a statement, Lisa Stevens, the head of Small Business for Wells Fargo, said that serving diverse communities has long been a focus area and priority. “For this reason, we commissioned the Gallup study, which gave us new insight into the perceptions and experiences of diverse business owners working with banks, and how we can improve as a company and as an industry,” said Stevens. In an interview, Ron Busby, president of the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc., said there is some good news amid the bad. “If we’re being successful with
the limited amount of resources that we have today, our future looks wonderful,” said Busby. “I think for Black businesses to be successful, they need to go in proactively. They need to have established relationships with their bankers early on before there’s an opportunity.” Busby continued: “When they’re first thinking about starting a business, they need to start a relationship with their banker.” In an effort to address some of the challenges affecting minority business owners related to the lending industry, Wells Fargo committed to a four-point plan that includes more education and credit coaching for borrowers and $75 million in grants and investments in micro-lending programs aimed at diverse business communities. “We know that in order to address the range of financial needs within all of our communities, we need to support and work with the ecosystem of organizations that serve small businesses,” said Jon Campbell, executive vice president, government and community relations for Wells Fargo. “Through this increased investment and connections with community lending organizations, we are making meaningful strides toward increasing access to capital for small businesses, as well as helping more business owners get the coaching and educational resources they need to succeed financially longterm.”
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Neighborhood
Metro Briefs: Notable news in and around Washington District of Columbia Chancellor Henderson announces threeyear appointments for school principals
C
4 | May 28 - Jun. 3, 2015 | District Chronicles
hancellor Kaya Henderson has announced today that starting in the fall, DC public school system will offer three-year appointments to principals. Three-year appointments will be offered to principals who have demonstrated strong results at their schools as measured through School Leader IMPACT, the DCPS evaluation system for principals. To be eligible, principals must have demonstrated sustained, high performance prior to the appointment. Principals who do not meet eligibility requirements will continue to receive one-year appointments, but can earn a three-year appointment by meeting the eligibility criteria during their tenure. “I’m incredibly proud of the team of principals that lead our schools. We have one of the strongest principal corps in the country,” said Chancellor Henderson. “We know it takes a considerable amount of time and hard work to get to know the school community – its students, families, staff and culture – and to improve academic performance. “A three-year appointment shows that we trust and value their leadership and ability to nurture a strong school community. I am excited to recognize our highestperforming principals with a deeper commitment to their continued success.” A statement from the chancellor’s office said that 22 principals, or more than 20 percent of DCPS principals, will be offered a threeyear appointment at the start of the 2015-2016 school year. As part of the agreement, principals must remain at the school they serve for three years. The terms of the appointment will be revisited if a principal’s performance falls below the required evaluation ratings. “While one purpose of a three-
year appointment is to demonstrate our trust in the excellent principals who serve our school communities, it also represents a commitment from our principals to DCPS,” said Chancellor Henderson said. “Accepting a three-year appointment affirms their commitment to us and their intent to continue leading their school for the next three school years.” DCPS leveraged its School Leader IMPACT Task Force, comprised of principals, assistant principals and instructional superintendents, to define the terms, expectations and rules of the appointments. The Task Force also included input from the Council of School Officers, the union that represents principals.
Prince George’s Group of parents call on elected officials to invest in county students; schools ADELPHI – A diverse group of parents and teachers gathered at Cool Spring Elementary School on Tuesday to urge the Prince George’s County Council to pass Dr. Kevin Maxwell’s plan to fund county schools. The County Council is due to vote on the plan and the county’s FY 2016 budget today, May 28. Dr. Maxwell’s plan calls for a tax increase which is an investment that will benefit all schools in Prince George’s County. The additional funding – over $130 million -- will be used by Prince George’s County schools to bolster educational programs as well as improve facilities. “It’s time to make a hard commitment to education and our community,” said Karen Scott, a parent of NUMBER from LOCATION. “The amount of money that the county has contributed toward education has remained almost the same for over the past nine years. Montgomery County spends 65 percent of their local county budget on their school system, while Prince George’s County only dedicates 35 percent of our budget.
Coupled with the property tax cap and the loss of $20 million in state funding this year, our students, schools and community can’t move ahead.” Parents have sent thousands of emails and made hundreds of phone calls to Prince George’s County Council members, urging them to support the Maxwell plan. Advocates contend that providing more funding will not only benefit students but the community as a whole. An adequately funded county educational system will produce graduates who are well-prepared for success in post-secondary education and the workforce, which in turn will drive economic development and lead to higher property values in the county. “Prince George’s County legislators surely know that it’s 2015, not 1978. It is their responsibility to lead based on the facts today, not nearly 40 years ago,” said Charly Carter, executive director of Maryland Working Families. “Some groups and legislators are suggesting a lower property tax rate as a compromise but doing so only compromises our children’s and community’s future.” The additional funding will provide for 67 new pre-K programs; repairs and upgrades to buildings and facilities; expanding the healthy start breakfast program; providing more art and language programs; expanding gifted and talented programs; increasing digital literacy, including iPads and Chromebooks for students; ensuring that academic coaches are available to help students below grade level in reading and math; increasing teacher salaries and training; and creating more flexibility and local decision making in funding. “Teachers, students, parents -- we are all working together for a better Prince George’s and form the thread that knits this county together,” said Maria Belen, mother of two Cool Spring Elementary students. “Investing in education today means a brighter future not just for my children or my children’s friends, but for all of us.”
Divine Intervention
Are churches failing the poor? By Jacob Lupfer Religion News Service
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(RNS) – Against the backdrop of persistent poverty and dramatically increasing income inequality, a question arose: are churches failing the poor? New York Times columnist Ross Douthat took President Obama to task for stating that churches are more focused on fighting abortion and same-sex marriage than on relieving poverty. The comment was made at a recent Georgetown University summit on poverty. One of Obama’s fellow panelists, Harvard professor Robert D. Putnam, made similar comments before the event. It turns out that churches contribute only a fraction of their money toward culture war issues. And twice as many churchgoers report hearing clergy speak out about hunger and poverty than about abortion and gay marriage. Aside from whatever spiritual benefits accrue, churches are engines of social capital that nurture a variety of goods benefiting poor people – if they participate. Douthat laments the decline of religious participation among the poor. While Douthat has been less willing than some to heap moral judgment on the poor, this much is certain: poor people need more money, and churches lack the scale and competence to meet that need. There is much churches are doing, and Douthat righty challenged them to do more. On the question of whether Christians are failing the poor, Douthat implies that the answer is no. But the poverty and inequality we see today are due to policy choices we – Christians included – have made over the past two generations. Attacking unions; sanctifying entitlements for the middle class while demonizing entitlements for the poor; tolerating a level of income and wealth inequality that many people consider obscene – all these changes happened while conservative Christians were silent or, even cheering them on. The social isolation of poor people is a major theme in Putnam’s new book, “Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis.” Maybe having social connections to professional-class churchgoers would help poor people eventually. But
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President Obama participates in a discussion about poverty during a summit on poverty at Georgetown University earlier in the month. Obama and Georgetown professor Robert Putnam (right) had similar criticism on the Church’s lack of focus on poverty.
people who experience constant economic insecurity in the richest nation on earth need help now. Douthat suggests that churches can transmit bourgeois sensibilities to poor people in the pews, where virtues that lead to upward mobility are cultivated alongside worship and prayer. In showing what Christians do for the poor, conservatives can also point to the Roman Catholic Church’s strong support for robust welfare spending. But that sounds especially disingenuous coming from people who oppose such spending. It is unfortunate that the president and a leading social scientist perpetuated the uncritically accepted myth that churches do more on sex issues than on poverty. But if “doing” is shorthand for political activism, then the critique has some merit. When has the religious right gone to the mat for social assistance programs that keep people from going hungry, cold or homeless? The Circle of Protection is a coalition of Christian groups asking Congress not to cut spending on programs that help the most vulnerable. The coalition seeks to protect food stamps, unemployment benefits and a few other vital programs. Breadths of denominational and ecumenical organizations have joined the Circle of Protection, but many leading White
evangelicals are missing from the effort. Even if churches were better bulwarks against the social isolation of the poor, it takes significant public investments to combat poverty. The context of Obama and Putnam’s ill-considered remarks was a summit of evangelical and Catholic leaders seeking to make overcoming poverty a moral imperative and a national priority. Even though Christians can be as ideological and polarized as anyone else, the Georgetown summit acknowledged both the cultural and economic factors that cause poverty to persist. What do Christians owe the poor? Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor. Surely comfortable churchgoers must do more than say, “Be more like me.” Private charity remains a religious obligation that benefits the giver as well as the recipient. And Christians generously help disadvantaged people in their congregations and around the world. But without concrete political support for poor people across town and across the country, Christians will continue applying Band-Aids to social injustices. Jacob Lupfer is a contributing editor at Religion News Service and a doctoral candidate in political science at Georgetown University. His website is www.jacoblupfer.com.
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Cover
New Congressional Caucus champions HBCUs
By Jazelle Hunt NNPA Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON (NNPA) – A little help may be on the way for HBCUs struggling against falling financial support and an increasingly skeptical public. The Bipartisan Congressional HBCU Caucus was launched this month, with Congressional members Representatives Alma Adams (D-N.C.) and Bradley Byrne (RAla.) at the helm. Its 45 members and counting are charged with safeguarding the interests of HBCUs, supporting students and graduates; creating a national dialogue; and educating other members of Congress on the value of these institutions. “[HBCUs] do what no other schools do for students like me, a poor Black girl from Newark, New Jersey who came to North Carolina – wasn’t fully prepared – but yet North Carolina took me in, got me prepared, and I was able to do what I’m doing right now,” said Rep. Adams, creator and co-chair of the caucus, alumna of North
Carolina A&T State University, and former administrator at her alma mater and Bennett College, both in Greensboro, North Carolina. The caucus comes at a time when HBCUs are facing a barrage of challenges. In 2011, Congress put more funding toward need-based Pell grants, but lowered the cap to 12 semesters (or six school years) instead of the previous 18. Non-traditional students, such as parents, veterans, and people beyond their early 20s, as well as low-income students who work part-time, often have complicated circumstances that make it difficult to go straight through four years of school full time. For such students, it can take several years to earn a degree. “Many of our young people really do have to work … to pay for education. So a large majority of students we serve at our HBCUs in particular are on financial aid – several types of financial aid,” said Rep. Adams at a launch event for the Caucus. “We talk about access and affordability. You don’t have access if you don’t have the check to go with it.”
The same year, federal parent PLUS loan requirements were changed in an effort to keep financially burdened families from taking on more debt. The changes went into effect almost immediately, and thousands of previously approved parents were abruptly denied for a renewal. As a result thousands of students – largely Black, lowincome, and first-generation – were forced to pause or delay their college educations. According to data from the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, enrollment at HBCUs fell 3.4 percent for fall 2012. The number of students with PLUS loans fell 46 percent, and HBCUs saw a 36 percent decrease in the awarded dollar amounts. That meant fewer students able to continue college, and less revenue for the schools. The Obama administration has corrected this oversight, but the damage has been done. “Our parents spend much more money on educating their children than White families do. That’s just a fact, if you look at percentage of income,” said caucus member Rep.
James E. Clyburn (D-SC) at the same event. “We’re talking about good students who need an opportunity, who need to go into an environment that’s nurturing. So we are going to have to fight for these HBCUs.” There is also less aid available for institutions. According to a 2014 report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, state schools now rely on students’ fees and tuition for 48 percent of their revenues, compared to 24 percent in 1988. Of the nation’s 105 HBCUs, nearly half are state schools. Meanwhile, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Florida, and Delaware were all caught withholding state funds specifically from their HBCUs. The Department of Education shells out roughly $300 million for Black schools each year. But this funding, like all federal money, can change without warning from year to year. Howard University, for example, is a private school, but has historically had its own line in the budget that serves as a criti-
cal source of funding. In 2012, this funding was cut by more than $12 million, and has remained at that amount each year since. The Obama administration has attempted to work around the financial squeeze by awarding of grants and contracts to HBCUs through the White House Initiative on HBCUs, but some reports state that the amount of these awards is also on the decline. President Obama’s America’s College Promise comes on the heels of these blows. The proposal offers the first two years of community college free for students who attend consistently and at least part-time, and maintain a 2.5 GPA. However, HBCUs and community colleges have always competed for non-traditional students, as well as students who need extra instruction or assistance to get acclimated and succeed in college. With this proposal and slim chances for HBCUs to match the offer, community colleges may be a more attractive choice. Follow Jazelle Hunt on Twitter at @ JazelleAH.
Unrest sows seeds of future leaders, opens eyes of youth By Richard B. Muhammad Special to the NNPA from The Final Call
6 | May 28 - Jun. 3, 2015 | District Chronicles
struggle in the city with youth voices and youth leadership. In less than a week, she pulled together groups across 30 local communities for B’More Youth Rise to complete a mural in the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood and offer young people a platform. “It was an opportunity for the youth to talk, and talk about what really happened, their feelings on how police are dealing with them, and how they see change in their community,” she said. “You can’t do anything in the community without dealing with the people. You have to listen to the people first.” In Harlem Park, the day closed with a rally that included national and local leaders and hip hop artists. “We have to make change happen as a unit and it doesn’t matter who gets the credit,” said DBoi Da Dome, one of several performers. He said those with resources and power should not keep those who can reach young people away because of past problems. Peace By Piece is just a few months old, but Faraji is an up and
Richard B. Muhammad/NNPA News Service
BALTIMORE (NNPA) – Unrest in a city known yesterday for crab cakes, row houses, marble steps, downtown tourist spots and sports stadiums – alongside struggles with decay, violence and heroin – has captured global attention. Powerful images of Black children hurling rocks at police officers in riot gear, crouched behind shields, captured an urban intifada inside America. It was a rebellion against oppressive police practices, stifling poverty, subpar education and frustration over bleak futures. But the children some called thugs and lawbreakers, comments retracted by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, are tired. They are tired of being pushed around and tired of having nothing. “I just felt like it shouldn’t end after a week of fighting, it should like go on. We shouldn’t just look at this like a month later and everything be just completely gone,” said 15-year-old Jerome Lyles. “We should use this and use Bal-
timore as an example for the nation and try to actually make some change.” Jerome’s stepfather brought him to “Bmore Youth Rise,” a day devoted to young people and support for local organizations. The day started with a reverse town hall meeting at Baltimore City Community College, where panelists asked youth in the audience questions and for solutions. The day included a march past their new mural dedicated to Freddie Gray, the unarmed Black man whose death following an encounter with police sparked outrage and national protests, and other victims of police killings. Whether in street organizations, official groups or simply joining rallies, marches and protests, young people are having experiences that are awakening them to injustice, racial oppression and social conditions. Many are asking questions, seeking and offering solutions and trying to have an impact. Yo’Nas Da LoneWolf of National StopTheKilling.com organized B’More Youth Rise to connect the
Jerome Lyles, 15, wants effort for justice to keeping going.
coming leader in the city. The organization plans to work with a high school in the community where Gray lived and died to develop leaders and community advocates. Peace By Piece also connects with gang members, those out of school and on the streets to help them with education, jobs and services. The larger problems and patterns of police brutality are systemic and work with young people will range from neighborhood clean ups and clothes giveaways to community education and advocacy, like pressing state lawmakers
to pass legislation that holds police officers accountable, he said. Ronnae Cooper, a 16-year-old student at St. Francis Academy, felt the initial battles between police officers and students near Mondawmin Mall were “ridiculous.” The day the clashes erupted police shut down transportation at the major hub, closing a subway station and pulling young people off of buses without explanation, she said. That “just made things worse. They were trying to leave.” See UNREST, page 7
Politics Searching for the compassionate conservative By Dr. E. Faye Williams
UNREST From page 6
“This whole stereotype about us, African-American kids in the city, of us being thugs, I just think it’s unfair. Because it’s not everybody, it was a small group of kids who decided to act idiotic,” said Ronnae. She continued: “The cops don’t really acknowledge the young people anymore ... It’s not really a friendliness atmosphere around them. That’s why (young people) feel like they can’t really be around them. They have to run every time they come around.” “It’s not like the cops really, like my sis-
Gage Skidmore/Creative Commons
(TriceEdneyWire.com) – One of the principles of civics that I hold inviolate is that which tells me to vote for the candidate who’s most likely to pursue policies and practices I believe are in my best interest and the interest of my community and country. After giving it thought, most will agree. Accepting that principle means that I must search for and accept a candidate without regard for political party affiliation. In each election, I strive to do that. The 2016 election is no exception and I’ve already begun my evaluations of declared and potential candidates. Since the Republican Presidential candidates are greater in number this cycle, I’ll begin with them to decide whether a worthy Republican exists. Although I usually find the “Morning Joe” program too negative to begin my day, I learned that Louisiana’s Governor, Bobby Jindal, would be a guest on the show.
Since I’m a native of Louisiana and have family members who remain there, I’m always eager to examine the vision of any Louisiana politician who aspires to lead us into the future. Having done nothing to improve Louisiana or its national image, I was not surprised to hear Jindal state the unrealistic case for considering him for the presidency. Facts (according to StateMaster.com) I consider about Louisiana reveal that crime is a significant problem. The state leads the nation in homicides per capita, in the number of state and federal prisoners in jail per capita. It maintains relatively high levels of aggravated assaults and violent crimes. Health is a major concern. Of the 50 states, Louisiana was dead last in Morgan Quitno Press’s Health Index. Key indicators were a high child mortality rate, the nation’s highest rate of STDs and low health coverage for residents. These issues were made worse by Hurricane Katrina.
Many Republican presidential hopefuls like Louisana governor Bobby Jindal will have a hard time appealing to voters beyond their party base.
In addition to bringing this type of governance to the United States as president, Jindal has stated that he, specifically, wants to get rid of the Affordable Care Act. I can only guess that he desires for all lower- and middle-income Americans to suffer for health care the way similarly situated Loui-
ter said, acknowledge the young people. It’s like the kids are more afraid of them than they are of each other – if one is more dangerous than the other,” said Rodney Cooper, 16, standing next to his twin sister. “It’s like if you see a cop run, that’s why Freddie Gray made eye contact with that cop and he tried to get away. He got nervous.” “It just says he didn’t want to be near that cop. He didn’t want to be suspect[ed of] anything. He didn’t do anything wrong,” the high school student added. Rodney doesn’t really fear police but, he said, many young people do. He would like to see changes in the way police deal with people.
sianans do now. I have personal knowledge of the many who seek health care they can afford while Gov. Jindal refuses to exercise his power to help them get it. Jindal thinks that he can improve upon American Education. I would hope that he doesn’t “improve” it to Louisiana’s current standing. According to ALEC, the right-leaning American Legislative Exchange Council, Louisiana ranks 48th in national academic achievement levels. It’s also a good time to note that this same brand of Republican education leadership guides 16 of the bottom 25 states in the union. He thinks he has the answer to “Religious Freedom.” He’s among Republican candidates who criticize President Barack Obama for overstepping the legislative process on things like Immigration Reform. As is typical with hypocrites, after the Louisiana legislature gave the governor thumbs down on his personal brand of religious freedom, what did the
governor do? Within hours, he initiated an Executive Order reversing the will of the legislature. If we analyze the records of many of the other candidates as closely as we have Jindal’s, we’d have to ask, “When the problems of your state, seemingly, overwhelm you, how do you expect us to hand the reigns of national authority and leadership for you to dismantle the good we’ve been able to wrench from those vested against us.” I will always give people a chance to prove themselves, but, when their record of failure and incompetence dictates, I will not allow them to convince me to join them in the madness of their failures. One good thing I can say is that Louisiana remains the largest producer of crayfish in the world. Dr. E. Faye Williams is President of the National Congress of Black Women. She can be reached at 202.678.6788 or by logging on to www.nationalcongressbw.org.
BID DUE DATE: Tuesday, June 2, 2015 at 12:00 p.m.
Mississippi Ave., S.E. Archer Park Apartments Owner: WC Smith Co. ARCHITECT: SK&I CIVIL ENGINEER: Dewberry
Project Location: Mississippi Ave, SE between 13th St. and 10th Pl. Washington, DC 20020 WCS Construction, LLC is the selected general contractor for the Archer Park Apartments project. Archer Park is a 190 unit 183,098 sf apartment building with 4 stories above ground and 1 story below ground. Trades include: surveying, concrete podium, concrete retaining walls, masonry, misc. steel, rough carpentry, wood framing, engineered wood trusses, finish carpentry, millwork, Armstrong kitchen cabinets, plam countertops, fiber cement siding and panels, 2 ply modified bit roof, waterproofing, insulation, caulking, doors, frames and hardware, storefront, overhead doors, tubular plastic windows, drywall, ceramic tile, flooring (laminate, carpet, vct, vinyl), paint, toilet accessories, louvers, blinds, mechoshades, trash chutes, elevators, sprinkler, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and low voltage. This is a Davis Bacon residential wage rate project. This is a DC First Source project for new hires (detailed info is on the website). Site construction will begin in May 2015.
Plans are on our web site at: http://www.wcsconstructionplanroom.com **Plans can be accesses using the access code provided in the bid invitation or go to the plan site listed above, click on the Archer Park LP Sitework project and you will be taken to a pager where the documents can be downloaded.**
Bids will be accepted by fax: 202-889-8875 or email, fdipietro@wcsmith.com or wmeacombs@wcsmith.com. Contact Fred A. DiPietro 202-903-2267 or Wesley Meacombs 202-9032285 wmeacombs@wcsmith.com with any questions. Please indicate your interest in bidding by logging on to www.wcsconstructionplanroom.com, and select "Accept", "Decline", or "Undecided"; or send back this completed form. Please take time to confirm your information is correct on the "My Info" link on the website. Plans: Electronic Bid Documents are provided free of charge by downloading from our website (see above link). If desired, bidders may purchase printed copies or CDs of the Bid Documents from our plan site after you log in. **Plans are not available for pick-up**
Company Name:______________________________________________________________________________ Contact Name: __________________________________________ Phone #________________________________ Trade(s): ___________________________________________________Bidding? Yes_________ No__________ Fax #__________________________________ email:_________________________________________________
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WCS Construction, LLC. 3303 Stanton Road, SE Washington, DC 20020-2203 Telephone 202 889 3615 Facsimile 202-889-8875 www.wcsconstruction.com
District Chronicles | May 28 - Jun. 3, 2015 | 7
Arts and Entertainment B.B. King is gone, but his influence lives on AMG | PHOTOGRAPHY
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We photograph concerts, birthdays, weddings, sporting events, portraits and more. E-mail amgunited@ymail.com to receive a free quote on your next event. Messiah and Friends at G2 Lounge 10-21-11. See more photos at flickr.com/amgunited.
The legendary blues singer B.B. King passed on May 14, 2015 at his Las Vegas home.
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8 | May 28 - Jun. 3, 2015 | District Chronicles
By Marc H. Morial (TriceEdneyWire.com) – “The blues has lost its king, and America has lost a legend…B.B. may be gone, but that thrill will be with us forever.” – President Barack Obama, Statement on the Passing of B.B. King, 2015 As a young boy in 1920s Mississippi, Riley B. King – who would one day come to be known as legendary blues icon B.B. King – was introduced to the electric guitar at Rev. Archie Fair’s church. The introduction soon turned into infatuation, with King deciding he would learn to play a guitar. As soon as King got old enough, he ordered a guitar playbook from a Sears and Roebuck mail catalog. The first tune he learned to play was “You Are My Sunshine.” Fortunately for us, it would not be the last tune he would coax from his yielding guitar strings. King was born in 1925 on a cotton plantation in the Mississippi Delta. The future King of the Blues – the son of sharecroppers and the great-grandson of a slave – worked the fields, first as a picker at the age of seven and then a mule driver. He aspired to be a gospel singer like his mentor, Rev. Archie, but fate had other plans. In a 1993 interview, King admitted to leaving Mississippi in the early 1940s because of the racial violence, lynchings and hangings that were becoming all too commonplace. King moved to Mem-
phis, Tennessee, playing small gigs and working as a disc jockey at WDIA, the local blues station. The station manager dubbed King the “Beale Street Blues Boy,” which was shortened to “Blues Boy,” and then to B.B. – and it stuck. It was at this time that King made another momentous introduction, this time to T-Bone Walker singing “Stormy Monday.” King said it was the first time he had ever heard blues on an electric guitar and he was determined to get one. He got that electric guitar in 1946. What followed was an enduring, influential career that defined and redefined the blues –a quintessentially American art form with roots in African-American slave songs, field hollers and spirituals – King carried its moans and mourning to the four corners of the earth. The blues, set loose on the guitar strings and growl of one of America’s greatest musicians, spoke of our universal experience of pain and perseverance, tribulations and triumphs. King once remarked that, “Blues music actually did start because of pain.” A pain he experienced at an early age, and like so many influential and groundbreaking figures that had come before him, King used his talent to rise out of the dirt of his humble beginnings to live a life as industrious as it was incredible. A 15-time Grammy Award winner – the most Grammys ever received by a blues singer – King was
also awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987. In 1998, his most acclaimed song “The Thrill Is Gone” was awarded the Grammy Hall of Fame Award. King also received a National Medal of the Arts award, a Presidential Medal of Freedom and has been inducted in both the Rock and Roll and Blues Halls of Fame. King seemed to always be performing somewhere, playing an average of over 200 concert dates a year well into his seventies. In 1956, King and his band played an astonishing 342 concerts. King passed away peacefully in his sleep at his Las Vegas home, and yet, the thrill is far from gone. His notes and innovative sound gave birth to countless blues and rock players, including Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana and Keith Richards, to name a few. His contribution to the blues can be heard, and will continue to be heard, in jazz and rock. B.B. King is to blues what Louis Armstrong is to jazz, Elvis is to rock, James Brown is to funk and Michael Jackson is to pop. It is, perhaps, from his brand of soul music that we can learn what found him in that recording studio or night-club almost every day of his life: “Everybody wants to know why I sing the blues. Yes, I say everybody wanna know why I sing the blues. Well, I’ve been around a long time. I really have paid my dues.” I couldn’t agree more. Rest in peace, B.B.
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Legal Notice Notice is hereby given that the following vessel has apparently been abandoned for 25 years on the property of Lessie Landry, 6708 Dower House Road Upper Marlboro, MD, 301 599-0337. The vessel is described as: 7395H, 64W12202, 1964 Sea King, 15 ft. white. Application for title will be made in accordance with Section 8-722 of the Annotated Code of Maryland, Natural Resources Article if the vessel is not claimed and removed from the above property within 30 days of this notice.
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This is a solicitation for insurance. Not a branch of Medicare or any other government agency.
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Metro Briefs: Notable news in and around Washington Montgomery County May 24-30 is National Hurricane Preparedness Week
T
he National Weather Service has designated the week of May 24, 2015, as National Hurricane Preparedness Week leading up to the June start of the summer storm and hurricane season. The Atlantic Hurricane season lasts from June to November. The Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS) joins the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and the National WeatherService (NWS) in urging residents to take necessary precautions to stay safe. County residents are encouraged to sign up for Alert Montgomery, Montgomery County’s emergency warning system, to receive important notifications of weather watches and warnings, along with information about road and facility closures, traffic signal outages and other emergency information. Go to to sign up for alerts that can be sent to land-line phones, cell phones or other mobile devices. The effects of a hurricane or tropical storm can be far-reaching. Areas impacted directly by a hurricane or tropical storm can be affected by high winds and flooding, especially along waterways and in low-lying areas. Fringe areas of these storms are vulnerable to tornadoes and in-land flooding caused by heavy rain. A Hurricane “Watch” is issued if hurricane conditions are possible within the specified area. Watches are typically issued 48 hours in advance of the anticipated onset of tropical-stormforce winds. Residents are advised to prepare their homes and businesses; review an evacuation plan and listen closely for further condition updates and instructions. A Hurricane “Warning” is issued when hurricane conditions are expected within the specified area. Warnings are typically issued 36 hours in advance of the anticipated onset of tropical-storm-force winds. When a Warning has been issued residents should complete storm preparations and seek shelter or evacuate if instructed to do so.
Storm Preparedness Tips: Before a Storm < Build an Emergency Supply Kit, which includes items like non-perishable food, water, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, extra flashlights and batteries. < Make a Family Emergency Plan. Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so it is important to know how you will contact one another, how you will get back together and what you will do in case of an emergency. < Continually monitor the media (radio or TV) – Be aware of storms which could impact your area. < Know how you will be warned in an emergency…Alert Montgomery, (NOAA Weather radios with a tone alert are a good option). < Ensure your home is ready. Bring in outdoor items that could become projectiles in high wind. < Turn the refrigerator and freezer to the coldest setting in anticipation of a power outage. Open the door only when necessary and close quickly. Frozen food in a half-full freezer will remain safe for up to 24 hours, and in a full freezer, up to 48 hours. DURING A STORM < Follow instructions and emergency advicefrom County officials or heed shelter or evacuation requests made through announcements on radio/ television. < Keep an eye on the sky. Look for darkening skies, flashes of light or increasing wind. Listen for the sound of thunder. If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning. < Blowing debris or the sound of an approaching tornado may alert you. Tornado danger signs include a dark, almost greenish sky; large hail; a large, dark, low-lying cloud or a loud roar, similar to a freight train. < Gather family members, bring pets indoors and have your emergency supply kit ready. < Close outside doors and window blinds, shades or curtains. Close all interior doors. Stay away from doors, windows and exterior walls. Stay in a shelter location (small interior room, closet, or hallway on the lowest level) until the danger has passed. < During lightning, do not use wired telephones, touch electrical appliances or use running water. Cordless or cellular telephones are safe to use. < During a power outage use flashlights and battery-powered lanterns for light. Avoid using candles which pose a fire risk.
< Ensure a supply of water for sanitary purposes such as for personal cleaning and flushing toilets. Fill a bathtub or other large container with the water. This is particularly important for those whose water runs off of an electrical system. < If your residence could flood, store valuable and personal papers in a waterproof container. < Do not walk through flowing water. Drowning is the number one cause of flood deaths. Six inches of swiftly moving water can knock you off your feet. < Stay indoors and limit travel to only absolutely necessary trips. Listen to radio/television for updates. Do not attempt to drive through a flooded road – you can become stranded or trapped.
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(800) 967-8641 A Place for Mom is the nation’s largest senior living referral information service. We do not own, operate, endorse or recommend any senior living community. We are paid by partner communities, so our services are completely free to families.
AFTER A STORM < Stay off roads to allow emergency crews to clear roads and provide emergency assistance. < Help injured or trapped persons. Do not attempt to move seriously injured persons unless they are in immediate danger of death or further injury. < Use the telephone only for emergencies. < Use care around downed power lines. Assume a downed wire is a live wire. < Watch out for overhead hazards such as broken tree limbs, wires and other debris. < Avoid walking into flood waters. The water may be contaminated by oil, gasoline or raw sewerage, contain downed power lines or animals. < Look for hazards such as broken/ leaking gas lines, damaged sewage systems, flooded electrical circuits, submerged appliances and structural damage. Leave the area if you smell gas or chemical fumes. < Clean everything that gets wet. For food, medicines and cosmetics; when in doubt, throw it out. < Make sure backup generators are well ventilated. Never use grills, generators or camping stoves indoors. < Call 311 (or 240-777-0311 from a cell phone or from a location outside of Montgomery County) to report downed trees on public property and for help with County services, or go to mc311.com. If wires are involved with the downed tree, if anyone is trapped, or the tree is blocking a roadway, call 9-1-1. For additional emergency information visit the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security website at: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/oemhs.
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District Chronicles | May 28 - Jun. 3, 2015 | 11
Robert Eubanks/District Chronicles
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12 | May 28 - Jun. 3, 2015 | District Chronicles
Robert Eubanks/District Chronicles
Robert Eubanks/DistrictChronicles
In the Neighborhood D.C. celebrates the Grand Review Parade that marked the end of the American Civil War