District Chronicles V14 Issue 52 by District Chronicles

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Aug 22

H: 86 PARTLY

H: 84 SUNNY

L: 65

CLOUDY

L: 65

Aug 23

H: 88 L: 69

SUNNY

MONDAY

Aug 24

H: 91 MOSTLY L: 68

SUNNY

weather.com

Aug 21

SUNDAY

LOCAL TALENT SHOW OFF SKILLS AT SHOW PLACE ARENA 12

County youth take on Dream Team technology challenge Page 4 August 20 - August 26, 2015

Tips to follow to ease student loan debt woes Page 8 www.districtchronicles.com

Volume 14 Issue 52

Editorial

Jackson: Amend Constitution to add right to vote By Jesse Jackson Sr.

Customized solutions for independent living Restoring independence one home at a time. HandyPro has the trained professionals to provide the convenience of complete accessibility and mobility. Our company is certiﬁed to conduct a free in-home assessment to determine the best products and home modiﬁcation for your unique situation.

Call HandyPro for a free IN-HOME ASSESSMENT

800-615-6914

Mon - Fri 8:30am to 8:00pm and Sat 9am to 3pm

50.00 OFF

Bathrooms made safe and accessible Dangerous obstacles made safe or removed Kitchens made safe and usable Ramps and transitional flooring built and installed Complete handyman services Much more…

Handyman Services Minimum $250 job • Labor Only Limited Time Offer Applies to Labor Only Not Valid with Other Offers.

2 | Aug. 20 - Aug. 26, 2015 | District Chronicles

Mactrast

We offer a wide range of solutions for safe, independent living.

(TriceEdneyWire.com) – On Aug. 6, the Voting Rights Act – keystone of the civil rights movement – marked its 50th anniversary. Passed in the wake of the “Bloody Sunday” demonstrations in Selma, this act was designed to correct “a clear and simple wrong,” as stated by President Lyndon Johnson. “Millions of Americans are denied the right to vote because of their color,” said Johnson at the time. “This law will ensure them the right to vote.” Fifty years later, it is not time to celebrate that achievement. It is now time to demonstrate against the attempts being made to undermine it. After extensive hearings in 2006, the Senate reauthorized the temporary parts of the Voting Rights Act unanimously. It passed the House with only 33 votes against it. President George W. Bush reaffirmed his commitment to enforce it, but the campaign to reverse or undermine the voting rights of people of color never ends. After the Civil War, the 15th Amendment – ratified in 1870 – guaranteed former slaves the right to vote and gave Congress the power to enforce that right on the states. Blacks voted in large numbers. Black candidates were elected to state legislatures and even to Congress. The White response was brutal. The Ku Klux Klan terrorized Blacks trying to vote. Southern Democrats took back statehouses and city councils and passed a range of measures to lock Blacks out of voting: poll taxes, literacy tests, double primaries and at-large districts. The Voting Rights Act changed all of this in 1965. Black voter registration surged across the South. Under Section 4, the states that had a history of voter discrimination were put under special Section 5 scrutiny, with the Justice Department requiring pre-clearance of any laws affecting voting. Yet, as Jim Rutenberg summarizes in “Overcome: A Dream Undone” in The New York Times Magazine, the campaign to undermine the act began before the ink was dry on its signing.

Grassroot movement needed to fight for voting right.

Republicans launched their southern strategy, making themselves the party of White sanctuary. Then, to win elections, they set out to find ways to weaken the Voting Rights Act and constrict the right to vote. The five-person right-wing majority on the Supreme Court led the way. In Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder, Chief Justice John Roberts gutted the preclearance provisions of the Voting Rights Act, arguing – despite detailed congressional findings to the contrary – that discrimination in voting was no longer a problem. That opened the floodgates. Republican-dominated state legislatures across the country immediately passed laws to constrict the right to vote. They demanded official IDs that African Americans lacked disproportionately, cut days for early voting, reduced voting on Sundays, ended same-day registration, invalidated students IDs for voting and more. They gerrymandered districts, revived at-large elections and other means to reduce the voting power

of people of color. It is simply obscene that Republicans have devoted themselves to creating these obstacles to help them win elections. The right to vote protects all other rights in a democracy. Yet the Constitution does not explicitly guarantee an individual right to vote to all Americans. The 15th, 19th and 26th Amendments only outlaw discrimination in voting on the basis of race, sex and age. All other aspects of voting are generally left to the states and localities. While the 1965 Voting Rights Act was rightfully hailed as the most important law of the 20th century, the fundamental right to vote for all Americans is still an unfinished task. Selma moved us forward, but Shelby has pushed us back. We’ve gone from protecting the right to vote to suppressing it. It took a grassroots voting rights movement to gain a Voting Rights Act. It will again take a grassroots voting rights movement to add the right to vote amendment to the U.S. Constitution on the road to a more complete democracy.

Senate bill cuts housing vouchers for poor families By Freddie Allen Senior Washington Correspondent

Katie Couric, Co-Founder EIF’s National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance

Really? Did you know that of cancers affecting both men and women, colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer? But this is one cancer you can prevent. Get screened! Screening tests help find polyps so they can be removed before they turn into cancer. So, if you’re 50 or older, do everything you can to prevent colorectal cancer. Screening really does save lives! 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) www.cdc.gov/screenforlife

Appropriations House

WASHINGTON (NNPA) – For many Americans living in poverty, housing vouchers mean the difference between having a home of your own or living in a homeless shelter. As many as 85,000 lowincome families could lose access to those vouchers under policies crafted in a new funding bill approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee, according to a recent report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The cuts would come through an expansion of the Moving to Work (MTW) deregulation program that, “allows participating state and local housing agencies to obtain broad waivers of federal statutes and rules governing the public housing and Housing Choice Voucher programs, shift funds from those programs to other purposes, and receive funding under special block grant formulas,” the report said. The Senate Appropriations Committee, led by Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), the chairman, and Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), the vice chairwoman, also approved policies that would seek to prevent the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from reforming current MTW programs, while mandating that the department expand MTW to more than one-third of all voucher and public housing units. That’s despite research that showed that vouchers “sharply reduce homelessness, crowding, and housing instability, problems that have been linked to long-term, harmful effects on children’s health and development,” the report said. The CBPP report cited a recent study that found homeless families that received vouchers were nearly 60 percent less likely, “to become homeless again, 55 percent less likely to report incidents of domestic violence, and 42 percent less likely to have their children placed in foster care or temporarily housed with other family members.” In 2014 alone, agencies that implemented MTW diverted nearly $600 million allocated for hous-

Finance

Sen. Barbara Mikulskiand and her colleagues champion housing for poor families.

ing vouchers to cover administrative costs, public housing repairs and affordable housing construction, the report said. Some of the voucher funding was even held in reserves. “About 63,000 families who could have been assisted with available funds were left without vouchers as a result,” according to the report. “These activities often have benefits, but they do little or nothing to offset the loss of vouchers by extending assistance to additional families.” The report warned that deeper cuts could be on the horizon if more funds designated to housing vouchers are shifted to block grants and more agencies apply MTW policies to current and new housing programs. The Senate appropriations bill proposes greater latitude in how MTW policies are implemented, even as findings suggest that the effective housing voucher program is under-utilized “Fewer than one in four low-income families eligible for vouchers receive any federal rental assistance, and there are long (often multi-year) waiting lists for assistance in most of the country,” the report said. “HUD estimates that in 2013, some 7.7 million renter households that had incomes below half of the median income in their area and did not receive any rental assistance either lived in substandard housing or paid more than half their income for housing.” Instead of promoting independence and economic mobility, other MTW polices such as work

requirements and time limits on housing assistance, could drive working-poor families deeper into poverty. Further, the report said: “Research shows that using vouchers in low-poverty neighborhoods can have a major positive impact on young children’s adult earnings and rates of college attendance, along with other positive effects.” In a joint statement in late July, U.S. Representative Nita Lowey (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, and Sen. Mikulski, said that it’s time to negotiate a bipartisan budget deal that eases the burden of sequestration. “The spartan sequester-level caps on discretionary spending have resulted in Appropriations bills that hollow out America,” the statement said. “These bills fail to keep promises to our veterans and seniors, and shortchange critical investments in safe roads and bridges, education, scientific discovery and innovation, clean air and water, and our national security. The sequester makes America weaker.” The statement continued: “As the Ranking Democrats on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, we call on Republican leadership in both bodies to end the political gamesmanship, and engage with Democrats to negotiate a new budget deal modeled after the bipartisan agreement of 2013, that removes the threat of a government shutdown and allows for responsible investments in America’s future.”

24 hours a day. 7 days a week. 52 weeks a year. Visit www.districtchronicles.com.

District Chronicles | Aug. 20 - Aug. 26, 2015 | 3

Neighborhood

Attention: VIAGRA & CIALIS Users

There’s a More Affordable & Effective Alternative to U.S. Pharmacy High Prices!

Area youth take on the Dream Team challenge

By Edwin B. Lake

50 Pill Special:

Only $99 Plus Free Shipping!

For discreet home delivery, CALL NOW!

800-293-1092 Operators Available 24/7!

Prince George’s OIT

4 | Aug. 20 - Aug. 26, 2015 | District Chronicles

ayla Wright flew a drone as part of her summer job. But Wright, 18 and incoming freshman at Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk, Va., this fall, wasn’t just taking an opportunity for some youthful fun. Wright along with 35 other high school and college youngsters were participating in Prince George’s Office of Information Technology “Dream Team Challenge.” The challenge was a sixweek contest to see which of six separate teams could devise the best solution for a problem that a county agency could face. The program, which started three years ago, gives young and brilliant minds a chance to solve problems that technology is becoming more and more capable of handling. The “Dream Team” is part of a wider initiative called Tech Prince George’s, that seeks to bolster opportunities for minority youth in large technology companies in the area -- like NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Lockheed Martin and even with government agencies like the NSA, according to Vennard Wright, director of Prince George’s Office of Information Technology (OIT). “What I’m trying to do is to expand these young people’s network,” commented Wright. Programs like the “Dream Team” give students concrete experience in technology, experience they can take to a potential employer, he added. Wright and her teammates were assigned to work with a flying drone. The student called their device, the “Parrot Be-Bop Drone,” a name they created for the device. The group looked at an area of the county they referred to as a TNI or Transforming Neighborhood Initiative. The areas, which her group was assigned included Marlboro Heights and Hillcrest Heights. “We were assigned the Office of Finance, Office of Management and Budget and the county police,” Wright said. For example, she said if there is a dangerous area which it was not

Dream Team student flies drone outside OIT office.

prudent to send a police officer, the drone could be used instead to survey the area and transmit video. Normally, if there’s a disturbance at a home, a police officer would be sent to investigate the incident, she explained. “Instead of sending the police officer, you could send the drone before that officer gets there to see how urgent it is,” Wright said. On most days the six groups worked separately guarding closely the solutions they were working on because the outcome of the program was a competition to be the best team. Sandra Longs, training manager for Prince George’s OIT, interacted with the teams daily. “We’re trying to take them through a pipeline,” Longs said. By that she means she wants the students to travel from their classroom in school, then on to OIT. “ Then they possibly get hired with companies,” Longs added. The challenge was over August 7. Mobile F Team, which worked with mobile apps or application, won. The programs under Tech Prince George’s are really going the extra mile. “We teach the kids how to use software packages, PowerPoint, and Outlook Mail,” Longs continued. So they can communicate better. “We teach them how to dress properly, how to act professional, how to behave your-

self even when you’re not in eyesight of adults.” In addition, the students are exposed to “Design Thinking,” a method that helps the teams work as unified groups. American University, 18-yearold Terrell Green, is a finance major. He belongs to another team in the challenge called the Community Upgrading Project or CUP Team. The group was working in the Bladensburg community, and was looking at problems at the Health and Human Service Agencies. The technology they were working with was a 3-D printer. The machine is capable of taking an image of an object and producing a three-dimensional object. When they started working with the printer, in one day they had it working, said Denver Smith, 18, a freshman at Florida A&M, with a major in pre-physical therapy. She said one of the team members made an Omega Psi Phi key chain for County Executive, Rushern L. Baker, who is a member of that fraternity. Darryl Barnes, the president of Men Aiming Higher, a service organization in the DMV. “I think the vision that Vennard Wright had has grown beyond everyone’s imagination,” Barnes said. “These kids are on the cutting edge of doing some wonderful things in the future.”

Divine Intervention

Arian Foster: Can you be an atheist in the NFL? By Laura Turner Religion News Service

AMG | PHOTOGRAPHY 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.

Huffington Post

rofessional football isn’t known for being a place that encourages deep intellectual reflection. With its history of silence on head injuries, lockerroom harassment and macho culture, the NFL would be the last place you would expect to find a philosopher and a poet – and an atheist to boot. But all of those things come together in Houston Texans running back Arian Foster, who is the subject of a feature in ESPN The Magazine’s Aug. 18 College Football Preview Issue, published last week. He revealed that he didn’t believe in God. That’s unusual in a league where players regularly point to the sky (never mind the questionable theology behind the assumption that heaven is somewhere up in the sky) and meet for regular Bible studies. Foster, raised in New Mexico and San Diego, played for the University of Tennessee Volunteers before entering the NFL in 2009. His father was Muslim, and Foster grew up in that tradition, praying five times a day and asking God for help when he was in a difficult situation. He eventually garnered the courage to tell his father that he didn’t believe in God, and instead of a lecture, Foster’s father told him to “go find your truth.” So he set off to do that: Foster majored in philosophy at the University of Tennessee, where, as a member of the football team, he was also required to attend church services as a form of “team-building.” The team didn’t go to any majority-Black churches, Foster noted, and he felt a chasm develop between himself and his teammates. Even the ones who weren’t devoutly religious accepted the terms on which they had to belong to the team, things such as attending Bible study and chapel outside of practice. Like many people who don’t adhere to a religion, Foster’s disbelief in God stems from intellectual objections to the existence of an omnipotent, loving being. “There’s no dogma in science

Houston Texan’s Arian Foster revealed he is an atheist.

itself,” he said. “But religion can be like, ‘We’re right, and if you’re not in the boat, you’re going to hell.’” One of the deep-seated issues with evangelical culture is the way Christians love to claim celebrities as their own. We like to point to famous people and say, “See? They’re one of us! They’re influencing the culture for good.” When Shia LaBeouf commented last fall that he had “found God” during the filming of “Fury,” Christian outlets across the Internet were quick to pick it up. When I – after initially falling for it, too! – wrote that I thought he had been talking about method acting and not a personal experience of religious conversion, I got some of the meanest, most blistering comments I’ve ever had the pleasure of receiving. (Sample: “God will judge you for your judgment. How dare you put words into anyone’s mouth.”) It’s only been a few days since the ESPN article came out, and Foster will face plenty of obstacles on the road ahead. His wife filed for divorce in July – they are the parents of two young children – and he settled a lawsuit out of

court last year with Brittany Norwood, a woman who claimed Foster tried to pressure her into having an abortion after he cheated on his wife with her. The reaction from Christians on social media to Foster’s atheist revelation has been varied. One person called Foster a “fool,” citing Psalm 14:1: “Fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is no one who does good.” Several have lamented the fact that Foster has been praised for his courage in talking about atheism but that Tim Tebow was “slandered” for being vocally Christian. Many, though, have been kind, even conciliatory. Is it possible that Christians are making America a better, more tolerant place for pluralism? Or are we making it worse? Probably the answer is both, because Christians, just like everyone else, can be both obnoxious and wonderful people. The NFL will have to add religious diversity to its ever-increasing list of issues to tackle. Laura Turner is a writer and editor living in San Francisco.

24 hours a day. 7 days a week. 52 weeks a year. Visit www.districtchronicles.com.

SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY LAW Win...No Award / No Fee

All Cases Considered

Applications/Hearings/Appeals Immediate Access to Experienced Personnel

We Strive For Quick Claim Approval

Free Consultation

CALL TODAY FOR IMMEDIATE HELP!

(800) 991-9385

Bill Gordon & Associates is a nationwide practice limited to representing clients before the Social Security Administration. Bill Gordon is a member of the Texas & New Mexico Bar Associations. The attorneys at Bill Gordon & Associates work for quick approval of every case. Results in your case will depend on the unique facts and circumstances of your claim.

District Chronicles | Aug. 20 - Aug. 26, 2015 | 5

Cover

Black male enrollment in med schools worrisome

By Freddie Allen Senior Washington Correspondent

male freshman (37.5 percent) than Black females (31.9 percent) reported that they intended to major in a STEM field, but four years later, “female African-American students received the majority of overall science and engineering degrees, totaling 100,435, while male African-American students received 51,969 science and engineering degrees,” the AAMC report said citing a study by the National Science Foundation. A limited pool of scholarships and the staggering cost associated with earning a medical degree were identified as key challenges to getting more Black males into the medical school pipeline. More than 30 percent of all 2014 medical school graduates reported that they accumulated a total education debt amount that eclipsed $200,000; meanwhile nearly 42 percent of Black male medical school graduates amassed that much debt. Entering the labor market with a heavy debt burden can often contribute to a sense of lasting economic strain for health professionals and can also act as another deterrent for Black male college students weighing the value of a medical degree. In 2006, just 26 percent of Black

Black Press USA

WASHINGTON (NNPA) –The number of Black males applying to medical school is lower than it was three decades ago, raising concerns about the United States’ future ability to have health care providers be as diverse as the patients they serve, according to a new report by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). “No other minority group has experienced such declines,” wrote Marc Nivet, the chief diversity officer for AAMC, in a foreword for the report. “The inability to find, engage, and develop candidates for careers in medicine from all members of our society limits our ability to improve health care for all.” The AAMC report titled, “Altering the Course: Black Males in Medicine,” paints a stark image of the current science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) pipeline and specifically how ineffective it has been with motivating young Black males to pursue medical careers. In 1978, there were 1,410 Black male applicants to medical school. By 2014, however, that number had

declined to 1,337, according to the report. “A similar trend is observed for first-time matriculants: in 1978, there were 542 [b]lack male matriculants to MD-granting institutions, and in 2014, there were 515,” the report said. “In addition, of all racial and ethnic groups, the proportion of applicants to medical school who were male compared with female is lowest for African-Americans – despite an overall increase in the number of Black male college graduates.” The AAMC represents 144 accredited medical schools in the United States, 17 accredited Canadian medical schools and nearly 400 major teaching hospitals and health systems. The push to get more young minorities to embrace STEM careers comes at time when researchers are predicting a shortage of 46,000 to 90,000 physicians by 2025 and studies have shown that increasing diversity in medical schools and in health care professions can boost civic engagement, expand exposure to different educational approaches and make it easier to recognize racism, the report said. In 2006, more incoming Black

The cost of medical degree is one key factor in the decline in Black male medical students.

male physicians stated that they had “excellent” or “very good” financial status compared to 33 percent of Black female physicians, 54 percent of White female physicians and 53 percent of White male physicians, who reported the same financial status. “Talent is universal, but opportunity is not,” exlained Nivet. “Not only are there several programs to address the issue, such as the White House initiative My Brother’s Keeper, but academic medicine is working within the community and partnering with minority-serving institutions – the largest feeder schools to medical school – to help

develop the next generation of physicians.” According to the report, Morehouse College in Atlanta was the undergraduate institution that provided the most Black male applicants to medical schools with 148 between 2010 and 2014. The University of Florida in Gainesville (129), Howard University in Washington, D.C. (92), Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana, (90) and the University of Maryland in College Park rounded out the top five over the same time period. Four of the top 10 schools that provided Black male applicants to medical schools were HBCUs.

communities of color. Two 2016 Democratic presidential candidates were present at last week’s rally in the shadow of the King Memorial on the Mall, and both expressed strong disapproval of this current state of affairs. No Republican candidates attended. “Anybody who is suppressing the vote, anybody who is intentionally trying to keep people from voting – because that candidate knows that people will vote against him or her – that person is a political coward,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). “That person is undermining American democracy.” Democratic candidate Willie Wilson, a Chicago businessman, talked about the difficulty of longshot candidate participating in the political process. “When I ran for mayor of Chicago … it cost me more than $200,000 just to get on the ballot. When I finally got on … 50,000 people, my supporters were told they weren’t on the [registered voter] roll. When I am denied, you are denied.”

This year marks several major anniversaries in the struggle for Black rights, including the 150th anniversary of emancipation, the 50th anniversary of the Watts riots, and the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama, which helped make the Voting Rights Act a reality. This month, the NAACP kicked off its historic, 860-mile “America’s Journey for Justice” relay march from Selma to Washington, D.C. Noted activist and comedian Dick Gregory spoke at length on voting rights, his activism, and the perils of American racism. “We built everything, now we’re going to ask them for some bull—-? They reduced us, and we believed it,” he said. “I wouldn’t be here now had I not seen people willing to die for this Voting Rights Act. We still have that same power.” Two bills aimed at repairing the damage by the Supreme Court are pending in Congress: the Voting Rights Amendment Act and the Voting Rights Advancement Act.

Unfriendly Congress, Supreme Court threaten voting right

By Jazelle Hunt NNPA Washington Correspondent

6 | Aug. 20 - Aug. 26, 2015 | District Chronicles

youtube/bernie2016

WASHINGTON (NNPA) – As the nation marks the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, civil rights groups and leaders, union representatives, elected officials, and citizens gathered at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to address the threats to voting rights earlier this month. “We stand here today with two missions: To celebrate the signing of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, and to recommit ourselves to making sure that the victory won 50 years ago will not be wiped away by a Supreme Court that has shown us supreme disrespect by gutting a key section of the Voting Rights Act,” said Charles Steele, Jr., president and CEO of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), which co-sponsored the rally. “The illegitimate reason for this action is that it’s all about politics … where people figure if they can suppress

10 to 15 percent of the Black vote, they can steal an election.” Section 4 gave the voting law teeth; it provided an objective measure for discriminatory practices, and flagged the states that had discriminated against Black voters. Section 5 mandated that these flagged states could not change voting procedures without first clearing the proposed changes with the U.S. Justice Department or a federal judge in Washington. The states could be exempted from such requirements upon proving they no longer discriminated. Two years ago, in a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court found Sections 4 and 5 unconstitutional. The conservative majority ruled that the measure, based on practices and data from the 1960s, was no longer relevant in today’s racial and political climate. Two hours after the ruling, the Texas attorney general authorized a voter ID law that the Justice Department had previously blocked as a civil rights violation. According

Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders at the Voting Rights rally in D.C. August 6.

to the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, 22 states passed new voting restrictions in time for the 2014 midterm elections. Voting faces other challenges as well. Thanks to felony disenfranchisement laws, six million Americans cannot vote – 13 percent of Black men fall into this gap, which is seven times the national average, according to the Brennan Center. States with a Republican majority in the State House are also closing polling locations, chipping away at early voting, and redrawing district lines to dilute the voting power in

Politics First Republican debate skips race issues By Charles D. Ellison Special to the NNPA from The Philadelphia Tribune

MSNBC

or Black voters paying attention to the recent Republican debate in Cleveland, most notable was the convenient absence of big ticket race-related and racism-triggered issues that have kept a politically polarized nation steadily transfixed since the death of Michael Brown a year ago. Fox News moderators pretty much stayed laser focused on what Republican base voters wanted: a check-the-box conversation full of probes into GOP candidate views on border security, wars abroad, abortion and other issues. Surprisingly, a next-day released Gravis Marketing Poll showed the soft rise of retired neurosurgeon, Ben Carson, who surged three points ahead of Donald Trump as a view favorite. Carson’s ascendance as something of a post-debate focus group favorite puts a strangely ironic Black face on a debate highly defined by heavy strokes of White voter anxiety and disillusionment. While Fox News and the Republican National Committee had no real political obligation to the Black viewers to address any issues they had prioritized as of late, other hot button topics such as immigration and ISIL were immersed in all sorts of racially singed undertones. Few expressed shock that Fox News moderators would spend much time on anything even remotely related to recent front and center issues on police misconduct and Voting Rights. Despite years

of active GOP pushing on voter ID and other electoral suppression laws, as if voter fraud should be a top policy issue, there was nary a mention or whisper about it during the debate and on the 50th Anniversary of the 1965 Voting Rights Act passage. The topic of immigration took up enormous oxygen in the room, its jagged racial edges a thorny litmus test for candidates who needed tough-talking, border-closing street cred for a red-meat conservative audience. That debate participants committed as much time as they did to “illegals” and their rhetorical portraits of violent “sanctuary cities” perhaps offered as much a glimpse into White voter fear of rapid demographic changes as a clear sense of what issues will dominate the Republican primaries from now till Super Tuesday next year. “The fact is … many killings, murders, crime, drugs are pouring across the border, [there’s] money going out and the drugs coming in. [W]e need … to build a wall, we need to keep illegals out,” said Trump to roaring applause and cheers from a packed Cleveland stadium. Marco Rubio, heralded in a former political life as an immigration reform advocate, seemed to follow suit and reaching beyond Mexico: “The evidence is now clear that the majority of people coming across the border are not from Mexico,” said Rubio. “They’re coming from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras. Those countries are the source of the people that are now coming in its majority. I also believe we need a fence.” After many raucous moments

GOP candidates focus their attention on immigration, defunding Planned Parenthood.

over immigration, ISIL strategies, NSA surveillance and defunding Planned Parenthood, moderators eventually touched on race. “[M]any in the Black Lives Matter movement, and beyond, believe that overly-aggressive police officers targeting young African Americans is the civil rights issue of our time. Do you agree? And if so, how do you plan to address it? And if not, why not?” asked moderator Megyn Kelly. Interestingly enough, Kelly punted that question to a rather dry performing Gov. Scott Walker

24 hours a day. 7 days a week. 52 weeks a year. Visit www.districtchronicles.com.

(R-WI), without any mention of the four very high profile killings of unarmed Black people that happened in Ohio. Walker predictably dodged it, using controversial and rabidly conservative Black Milwaukee County Sherriff David Clarke as the “my Black friend” cover. Even with the Buckeye State’s governor mere yards away from Walker, it appeared odd that no one thought to ask him about cases such as Tamir Rice, which happened right in Cleveland , even though he is a two-term governor

who won with nearly a quarter Black support in his state – in his eagerness to pivot to a Whiter national Republican electorate. When asked by Kelly what he would do to help heal the racial divide, Carson responded: “You know, we have the purveyors of hatred who take every single incident between people of two races and try to make a race war out of it and drive wedges into people. And this does not need to be done,” in what seemed like a standard template Black Republican response.

District Chronicles | Aug. 20 - Aug. 26, 2015 | 7

Student Life

Pitfalls to avoid when borrowing for college education. By Charlene Crowell NNPA Columnist

Get DISH! promotional prices starting at only ...

19.99

14.95

/mo.

where available

FREE

PREMIUM CHANNELS For 3 months.

/mo.

for 12 months. Not eligible with Hopper.

Call Now and Save 50%

ADD HIGH-SPEED INTERNET

With qualifying packages and offers.

1-800-370-9350 Call 7 days a week 8am - 11pm EST Promo Code: MB62015

Offer subject to change based on premium channel availability.

FREE SAME DAY INSTALLATION in up to 6 rooms

CALL TODAY INSTALLED TODAY!

where available

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Offers valid through 10/30/15 and require activation of new qualifying DISH service with 24-month commitment and credit qualification. An Early Termination fee of $20 for each month remaining will apply if service is terminated during the first 24 months. All prices, fees, charges, packages, programming, features, functionality and offers subject to change without notice. PROGRAMMING DISCOUNT: Requires qualifying programming. Receive a discount for each of the first 12 months as follows: $35 per month with America’s Top 250; $30 per month with America’s Top 200; $25 per month with America’s Top 120, America’s Top 120 Plus; $15 per month with Smart Pack; $25 per month with DishLATINO Dos, DishLATINO Max; $20 per month with DishLATINO Plus; $15 per month with DishLATINO Clásico; $5 per month with DishLATINO Basico. After 12-month promotional period, then-current monthly price applies and is subject to change. You will forfeit discount in the case of a downgrade from qualifying programming or service disconnection during first 12 months. HD FREE FOR LIFE: Requires qualifying programming and continuous enrollment in AutoPay with Paperless Billing. Additional $10/mo. HD fee is waived for life of current account. Offer is limited to channels associated with selected programming package. Qualifying programming packages are America’s Top 120 and above, DishLATINO Plus and above. You may forfeit free HD in the case of service disconnection. PREMIUMS FREE FOR 3 MONTHS: Receive Showtime, Starz, Blockbuster @Home and Encore free for the first 3 months. You must maintain all four movie services during the promotional period. Offer value $132. After 3 months, then-current prices will apply unless you elect to downgrade. 6 FREE MONTHS OF PROTECTION PLAN: Receive the Protection Plan free for the first 6 months. Offer value $48. After 6 months, then-current price will apply unless you elect to downgrade. Change of Service fee will apply if you cancel the Protection Plan during the first 6 months. DIGITAL HOME ADVANTAGE: EQUIPMENT: All equipment remains the property of DISH at all times and must be returned to DISH within thirty days of account deactivation or you will be charged an unreturned equipment fee ranging from $100 to $400 per receiver. Lease Upgrade fees are not deposits and are non-refundable. Maximum of 6 leased receivers (supporting up to 6 total TVs) per account. You will be charged a monthly equipment rental fee for each receiver beyond the first, based on model of receiver. WHOLE-HOME HD DVR: Monthly fees: Hopper, $12; Joey, $7, Super Joey, $10; second Hopper, $12. First Hopper HD DVR receiver and up to 3 Joey receivers available for a one-time $199 Upgrade fee. $199 Upgrade fee waived at time of service activation with subscription to America’s Top 120 and above or DishLATINO Plus and above. A second Hopper HD DVR receiver is available for a one-time Upgrade fee: $49 for a Hopper, $99 for a Hopper with Sling. With a second Hopper HD DVR receiver, one additional Joey receiver is available for a one-time $99 Upgrade fee. Hopper and Joey receivers cannot be combined with any other receiver models or types. PrimeTime Anytime and AutoHop features must be enabled by customer and are subject to availability. With PrimeTime Anytime record ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC plus two channels. With addition of Super Joey record two additional channels. AutoHop feature is available at varying times, starting the day after airing, for select primetime shows on ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC recorded with PrimeTime Anytime. Recording capacity varies; 2000 hours based on SD programming. Equipment comparison based on equipment available from major TV providers as of 12/01/14. Watching live and recorded TV anywhere requires an Internet-connected, Sling-enabled DVR and compatible mobile device. On Demand availability varies based on your programming subscription. Requires Android OS 4.0 or higher to watch on an Android device and iOS 7.0 or higher to watch on iPhone or iPad. Select DVR recordings cannot be transferred. ALL OTHER RECEIVER MODELS: Lease Upgrade fee(s) will apply for select receivers, based on model and number of receivers. Monthly DVR and receiver fees may apply. Digital Home Advantage offer is available from DISH and participating retailers for new and qualified former DISH residential customers in the continental United States. You must provide your Social Security Number and a valid major credit card. Participating retailers may require additional terms and conditions. The first month of DISH service must be paid at time of activation. Number of channels may decline. Local and state sales taxes and state reimbursement charges may apply. Where applicable, monthly equipment rental fees and programming are taxed separately. Standard Professional Installation includes typical installation of one single-dish antenna configuration, typical hook-up of an eligible receiver configuration and equipment testing. More complex installations may require additional fees; other installation restrictions apply. Prices valid at time of activation only; additional fees will apply to upgrade after installation. Any unreturned equipment fees will automatically be charged to your DISH account or credit or debit card provided to DISH. DISH shall determine eligibility for this offer in its sole and absolute discretion. Programming and other services provided are subject to the terms and conditions of the Digital Home Advantage Customer Agreement and Residential Customer Agreement, available at www.dish.com or upon request. Blackout and other restrictions apply to sports programming. All service marks and trademarks belong to their respective owners. ©2015 DISH Network L.L.C. All rights reserved. HBO®, Cinemax® and related channels and service marks are the property of Home Box Office, Inc. HBO On Demand® and Cinemax On Demand® require compatible HD DVR receiver model. HBO GO® and MAX GO® are only accessible in the US and certain US territories where a high-speed connection is available. Minimum connection of 3 Mbps required for HD viewing on laptop. Minimum 3G connection is required for viewing on mobile devices. Some restrictions may apply. SHOWTIME and related marks are registered trademarks of Showtime Networks Inc., a CBS Company. STARZ and related channels and service marks are property of Starz Entertainment, LLC. ESPN GamePlan, NHL Center Ice, NBA League Pass, ESPN Full Court and MLS Direct Kick automatically continue at a special renewal rate each year provided DISH carries this service, unless you call to cancel prior to the start of the season. ESPN GamePlan, NHL Center Ice, NBA League Pass, ESPN Full Court and MLS Direct Kick are nonrefundable, nonproratable and nontransferable once the season begins. NHL, the NHL Shield and Center Ice name and logo are registered trademarks and The Game Lives Where You Do is a trademark of the National Hockey League. NHL and NHL team marks are the property of the NHL and its teams. © NHL 2015. All Rights Reserved. NBA, the NBA logo and team identifications are the exclusive property of NBA Properties, Inc. © 2015. All rights reserved. © 2015 NFL Enterprises LLC. NFL and the NFL Shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League. MLS Direct Kick is a trademark of MLS. Sling is a registered trademark of Sling Media, Inc. All new customers are subject to a one-time processing fee.

8 | Aug. 20 - Aug. 26, 2015 | District Chronicles

Pixabay

Want The Best Deal On TV & Internet?

If you are a college student, a recent college graduate or even a college drop-out, student loan debt is not only likely, but probable. Among Black families, more than half – 52 percent – borrow for college costs, according to the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL). Additionally, paying off college loans can take years, if not decades. If students fail to complete their program or secure a good paying job, they may find themselves at greater risk of defaulting on their loans. Today, more than 8 million student borrowers have fallen into default on more than $110 billion student loans. So it is critically important that families sending their children to college as well as current and former students gain insights into their legal rights and the pitfalls that can arise when repaying student loans. When entering into a student loan, borrowers and co-signers should clearly understand all of the loan terms. This includes understanding when payment on the loan will begin, how interest is assessed, and what types of repayment options are available. Student borrowers in distress should also understand their legal rights. For example, there are restrictions on when and how debt collectors may contact a borrower. Borrowers who have paid their student loans as required may also have earned a tax benefit. This tax break could be particularly valuable to private student loan borrowers who incurred debt at higher interest rates than that offered by the federal government. However, borrowers rely on correct and timely information and forms from their servicer to be able to claim their deduction. Scams are also popping up online to take advantage of student loan borrowers. Fraudulent companies peddle bogus student loan debt relief services. Others lure consumers in, charging them money for advice and services they could otherwise receive for free, like filling out federal student

aid forms. If you think these kinds of issues do not really amount to much – think again. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently levied fines and restitution against a student loan servicer and a company providing financial aid advice for their violations that together affected more than 200,000 students. On July 22, the CFPB ordered Discover Bank and its affiliates to return $16 million to more than 100,000 borrowers and an additional penalty of $2.5 million. Discover overstated the minimum amounts due on billing statements and denied consumers information they needed to obtain federal tax benefits. According to the CFPB, the company also engaged in illegal debt collection tactics. “Discover created student debt stress for borrows by inflating their bills and misleading them about important benefits,” said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. “Illegal servicing and debt collection practices add insult to injury for borrowers struggling to pay back their loans.” Maura Dundon, a CRL senior policy counsel, added, “The servicing and debt collection practices detailed in the Discover consent order demonstrate the harms that borrowers can face in the student loan market. The CFPB is appropriately investigating student loan servicers, but a larger, more comprehensive effort is urgently

needed. The CFPB should develop new rules to protect all borrowers and address the abuses rampant in the broader student loan market.” In response to the CFPB’s request for public statements on student loan servicing, CRL’s comments stated, “Origination is just the beginning of the lending process. Successful repayment depends in great part on the servicer, who controls every aspect of repayment, and serves as the gateway to any relief or assistance to which the borrower might be entitled.” A second enforcement action occurred July 23, just one day later. Student Financial Aid Services, Inc. purportedly helps students and their families navigate the financial aid process and get the most aid for which they qualify by assisting them in filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as FAFSA. Its violations occurred when the corporation billed annual subscription charges without consumers’ knowledge or consent. “Our enforcement action will put money back in the pockets of consumers who were misled while seeking to access federal student aid,” said CFPB’s Cordray. Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org.

Classifieds

JOBS…AUTOS…REAL ESTATE…COMPUTERS…AND MUCH MORE…

TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD CALL 202 806-9401 CLASSIFIEDS MUST BE PREPAID

Announcements

Events

Miscellaneous

Wanted to Buy

Acorn Stairlifts. The AFFORDABLE solution to your stairs! **Limited time -$250 Off Your Stairlift Purchase!** Buy Direct & SAVE. Please call 1-800-410-7127 for FREE DVD and brochure. DONATE YOUR CAR, TRUCK OR BOAT TO HERITAGE FOR THE BLIND. Free 3 Day Vacation, Tax Deductible, Free Towing, All Paperwork Taken Care Of. CALL 1-800-895-7416 Got an older car, boat or RV? Do the humane thing. Donate it to the Humane Society. Call 1- 800-758-2204 Got Knee Pain? Back Pain? Shoulder Pain? Get a pain-relieving brace -little or NO cost to you. Medicare Patients Call Health Hotline Now! 1- 800-419-3684 Sell your structured settlement or annuity payments for CASH NOW. You don’t have to wait for your future payments any longer! Call 1-800-391-0460 SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS. Unable to work? Denied benefits? We Can Help! WIN or Pay Nothing! Contact Bill Gordon & Associates at 1-800-208-6915 to start your application today!

Holding a Carnival! Fair! Festival! Jubilee! Promote it to over 1 Million readers for only $200!!! Visit www.midatlanticevents.net for more details or call 800450-7227.

CASH FOR CARS, Any Make or Model! Free Towing. Sell it TODAY. Instant offer: 1-800-864-5784 Dish Network - Get MORE for LESS! Starting $19.99/month (for 12 months.) PLUS Bundle & SAVE (Fast Internet for $15 more/month.) CALL Now! 1-800-615-4064 Make a Connection. Real People, Flirty Chat. Meet singles right now! Call LiveLinks. Try it FREE. Call NOW: 1-888909-9905 18+. AVIATION Grads work with JetBlue, Boeing, Delta and others- start here with hands on training for FAA certification. Financial aid if qualified. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 866-453-6204 DISH TV Starting at $19.99/month (for 12 mos.) SAVE! Regular Price $34.99 Ask About FREE SAME DAY Installation! CALL Now! 877-477-9659

CASH for sealed, unexpired DIABETIC TEST STRIPS/ STOP SMOKING PRODUCTS! Free Shipping, 24hr Payments! Call 1-877-588-8500, Espanol Available www.TestStripSearch.com.

Auto Donate your car to Veterans today. Fast FREE pick up. 100% tax deductible. Call 1-800-709-0542 TOP CASH FOR CARS, Any Car/Truck, Running or Not. Call for INSTANT offer: 1-800-454-6951 CASH FOR CARS: Cars/Trucks Wanted! Running or Not! We Come To You! Any Make/Model. Instant Offer – Call: 1-800569-0003

Building Materials Metal Roofing & Siding for houses, barns, sheds. Close outs, returns, seconds, overruns, etc. at Discount Prices. Huge inventory in stock. 717-445-5222 Ephrata Pa.

Business Advertise to 500,000 Homes with a business card size ad. You choose the area of coverage in free community papers… we do the rest. Call 800-450-7227 or visit macnetonline.com

Employment The path to your dream job begins with a college degree. Education Quarters offers a free college matching service. CALL 1-800-375-6219 Buying classifeds just got easier. Log on to districtchronicles.com and click “Classifieds,” or Call (202) 806-9401

For Sale Safe Step Walk-In Tub Alert for Seniors. Bathroom falls can be fatal. Approved by Arthritis Foundation. Therapeutic Jets. Less Than 4 Inch Step-In. Wide Door. Anti-Slip Floors. American Made. Installation Included. Call 1-800-9063115 for $750 Off DISH TV Starting at $19.99/month (for 12 mos.) SAVE! Regular Price $34.99 Ask About FREE SAME DAY Installation! CALL Now! 877-648-0096

Health VIAGRA 100MG and CIALIS 20mg! 50 Pills $99.00 FREE Shipping! 100% guaranteed. CALL NOW! 1-866-312-6061 VIAGRA 100mg, CIALIS 20mg. 40 tabs +10 FREE, $99 includes FREE SHIPPING. 1-888-836-0780 or Metro-Meds.net Call (202) 806-9401 today to receive a FREE rate quote on your next ad campaign.

Help Wanted LiveGreen Plumbing Service’s Now hiring: Plumbers Dispatchers Marketing/sales reps 202-838-9009 CFO.livegreen@gmail.com

Lots & Acreage ABSOLUTE LAND LIQUIDATION! 20 TRACTS! 5 COUNTIES! 5 TO 144 ACRES FROM $8,900! Lakes, streams, State Land, cabins, views! G’teed buildable! Terms avail! Call 888-738-6994 or NewYorkLandandLakes.com ADIRONDACK HUNTING & TIMBER TRACTS 111 ACRES – LAKE ACCESS – $195,000 144 ACRES – TROPHY DEER – $249,900 131 ACRES – LAKEFRONT – $349,900 3 hours NY City! Survey, yr round road, g’teed buildable! Financing avail! 866-495-8733 WoodworthLakePreserve.com SO. ADIRONDACK LAKEFRONT PROPERTIES! 50 ACRES – 3 CABINS – $199,900 51 ACRES – LODGE – $399,900 Less than 3 hours NY City and 40 mins from Albany! Call 888-431-7214 or tour at WoodworthLakePreserve.com

Real Estate Time to downsize? Overwhelmed by bill collectors? Need to sell quickly? WE BUY HOUSES CASH! Any condition, any situation. Ask for Jeff. 240-257-0051.

DC Photo Needs

Buying classifeds just got easier. Log on to districtchronicles.com and click “Classifieds,” or Call (202) 806-9401

Adoption Autos Business Education Jobs Real Estate

Wanted to Buy CASH PAID- up to $25/Box for unexpired, sealed DIABETIC TEST STRIPS. 1-DAYPAYMENT.1-800-371-1136 Wants to purchase minerals and other oil and gas interests. Send details to P.O. Box 13557 Denver, Co. 80201 e

e ph lif astro ES!

S fr

i av

a at T ngtial c INU

I live

alone

Y ER

but I’m never alone. I have Life Alert. ®

One press of a button sends help fast, 24/7, even when you can’t reach a phone.

AS SEEN ON

For a FREE brochure call:

1-800-837-1721

24 hours a day. 7 days a week. 52 weeks a year. Visit www.districtchronicles.com.

Buy classifieds at districtchronicles.com

District Chronicles | Aug. 20 - Aug. 26, 2015 | 9

Classifieds

Exclusive Offers

COMPUTER PROBLEMS?

Announcement Adoption Autos Business Education Jobs Real Estate

We will Fix Your Computer

Reduce Your Tax Bill by as Much as 75% or More! ARE YOU BEING AUDITED? ARE YOU FACING A LEVY ON YOUR WAGES, YOUR BANK ACCOUNT OR YOUR PROPERTY? DID THE IRS SEND YOU A FINAL NOTICE OF INTENT TO LEVY? The Tax Doctor, in association with National Tax, has reduced some of our customers’ tax bills by as much at 75%. Why pay more than you should to the IRS?

PUT THE MONEY BACK IN YOUR POCKET. Our experts will fight for you using IRS guidelines, to stop any actions... like bank levies or wage garnishments. Plus eliminate penalties and interest… and reduce your past tax bill so you pay the IRS less.

CALL NOW TO SEE IF YOU QUALIFY!

800-585-3970 Call Monday-Friday 9 am-9 pm EST

10 minutes of your time could save you THOUSANDS. If you owe $10,000 or more in back taxes, don’t fight an IRS audit alone. The Tax Doctor is here to help you negotiate a lower tax bill…

800.399.8843

CALL US NOW FOR A FREE DIAGNOSIS!

Confused about your Medicare Options? Paying too much for your current Supplemental Medicare plan? Save up to 65% by comparing TOP carriers in your area! Call Now!

CALL US! WE CAN HELP

800-360-6514

LEARN about the plans, COMPARE the different types of plans, and SAVE on the plan you choice! Speak with a licensed adviser today!

:HȇOO KHOS \RX ȴ QG WKH ULJKW SODQ DQG FDUULHU IRU \RX Compare every plan in your area with the lowest rates! Compare top carriers costs and EHQHȴ WV VLGH E\ VLGH

Buy classifieds at districtchronicles.com

Get a FREE no obligation review of your Medicare options.

Compare your plan to current market rates!

$UH \RX DQG ROGHU" MedicareFAQ (Elite Insurance Partners) helps individuals understand all Medicare options, including original Medicare Parts A or B or any of the other Supplemental Medicare plans like; Medicare Supplements (Medigap), Medicare Advantage (Part C) or Prescription Drugs (Part D).

Friendly service, hassle free & no obligation to sign up!

STAY CONNECTED TO YOUR WORLD

www.districtchronicles.com 10 | Aug. 20 - Aug. 26, 2015 | District Chronicles

This is a solicitation for insurance. Not a branch of Medicare or any other government agency.

Call 202-806-9401 to advertise in the District Chronicles. districtchronicles.com

In the Neighborhood

Metro Briefs: Notable news in and around Washington

Finding Senior Housing can be complex, but it doesn’t have to be. “You can trust A Place for Mom to help you.” – Joan Lunden

District of Columbia Vision Zero asks riders to Bikeshare their safety stories

Norton: Completion of DHS construction almost certain WASHINGTON, D.C.—The office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) says the recent Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s markup of a resolution authorizing $18 million for design costs for the Department of Homeland Security headquarters consolidation project at St. Elizabeths is another important indication of the intention of Congress to complete the DHS headquarters consolidation. Through this funding, Norton said, Congress acknowledges the new Enhanced Master plan that reduces costs by more than $800 million, increases the number of employees now able to be housed at St. Elizabeths from 14,000 to 17,000 and accelerates full consolidation by

(800) 967-8641 Twitter/bikeshare

he District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has released 30 custom Vision Zero Capital Bikeshare bicycles into circulation as part of a promotion Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Vision Zero initiative, which aims at eliminating all fatalities and serious injuries to users of the District’s transportation system by 2024. DDOT is seeking further input describing the experience of bicycling in the District. People on bikes are a particularly vulnerable population of travelers, and the Vision Zero team wants to ensure that this perspective is reflected in our safety strategies. DDOT is asking Capital Bikeshare riders to Bikeshare their safety stories. Through this visual storytelling exercise, people on Capital Bikeshare bicycles – including the new Vision Zero bike – to their favorite bicycle-friendly street or trail, and tweet a photo to @DCVi-

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.

D.C. Vision Zero Captial Bikeshare bicycles at Dupont Circle.

sionZero to explain how it keeps them safe. Likewise, Bikeshare riders are asked to go to DDOT’s Vision Zero Safety Map at http://visionzero.ddot.dc.gov/VisionZero/ and report locations where they believe protected bicycle facilities and infrastructure are lacking. All 30 Vision Zero bikes initially will be placed at the Dupont Circle Station located at Massachusetts Avenue and DuPont Circle NW. DDOT will track the journeys of each bicycle and the safety stories riders share for approximately three weeks.

Vision Zero is a part of Mayor Bowser’s response to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Mayor’s Challenge for Safer Streets, which aims to improve pedestrian and bicycle transportation safety by showcasing effective local actions, empowering local leaders to take actions, and promoting partnerships to advance pedestrian and bicycle safety. To find out more about Vision Zero visit www.DCVisionZero. com. You can access the Vision Zero Safety Map by visiting http://visionzero.ddot.dc.gov/VisionZero/

five years. The increase in employees at reduced cost implements the new utilization rate of 150 square feet per person for affected agencies, far lower than the previously planned 220 square feet per person before the reduction now in effect for all federal agencies. “This authorization had the unanimous bipartisan support of the Committee, showing that these efficiencies have achieved congressional understanding that the best way forward is to quickly consolidate additional agencies at St. Elizabeths and save taxpayers from needless, costly leased space,” said Norton. “This authorization, which facilitates full consolidation, should put to rest doubts about the completion of the consolidation on the West Campus of St. Elizabeths.” The U.S. General Services Administration resolution does not require House floor approval and

Norton is working now on committee approval in the Senate where she does not anticipate difficulty. The Senate fiscal year 2016 Homeland Security Appropriations bill included $212 million for consolidation of the DHS headquarters at St. Elizabeths. In May, the National Park Service transferred eight acres located in Shepherd Parkway to make infrastructure improvements at St. Elizabeths after Norton requested that the transfer be expedited. Construction is already underway for the Center Building, which will house the DHS Secretary and up to 900 of his staff. Norton got $144 million included in the fiscal year 2015 omnibus appropriations bill for DHS Consolidation at St. Elizabeths and for GSA to make infrastructure improvements there. In addition, a new access road to support federal employee traffic into St. Elizabeths will be completed by May 2017.

24 hours a day. 7 days a week. 52 weeks a year. Visit www.districtchronicles.com.

District Chronicles | Aug. 20 - Aug. 26, 2015 | 11

In the Neighborhood

Metro Briefs: Notable news in and around Washington Prince George’s

County coughs up $20M more for Purple Line.

knowledge centers, increasing jobs, and ensuring our economic competitiveness,” said Glaros. “Now is the right time to take this next step, and I am glad that Gov. [Larry] Hogan and County Executive Baker, a long-time advocate of the Purple Line, recognize this,” said Taveras. “I am also hopeful that the federal, state, both county governments and the private sector will now come together to make this essential addition to our transportation network a reality.” The Purple Line Light Rail, expected to move more than 60,000 riders each day, will connect to MARC, Amtrak, and local bus services, providing connections to major activity centers in the region, including the University of Maryland and its research center, New Carrollton, Bethesda and Silver Spring.

mtcpurpleline.com

he Prince George’s County Council, a strong proponent of the Purple Line, has praised Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker, III, for increasing the county’s Purple Line Light Rail contribution to $120 million. The Purple Line, a proposed 16-mile light rail line, will extend from Bethesda in Montgomery County to New Carrollton in Prince George’s County, providing a direct connection to the Metro Red, Green and Orange lines. Prince George’s

County will increase its Purple Line Light Rail contribution by $20 million, for a total of $120 million in bond and in-kind support from the county. The agreement assures construction of the Purple Line will begin in Prince George’s County and the primary command center will also be located in the County. District 3 Council Member Danielle Glaros and District 2 Council Member Deni Taveras will have a combined 11 light rail stations in their districts – nine in District 3 and two in District 2 – better connecting communities and businesses, and expanding employment opportunities for thousands of Prince Georgians. “The Purple Line will bring substantial economic return to District 3, Prince George’s County and the State of Maryland, connecting

Prince George’s County contribution to the Purple Line raises hopes of substantial economic returns to District 3

Local artists, designers showcase talent at Artifest

Robert Eubanks/DistrictChronicles

Robert Eubanks/District Chronicles

Robert Eubanks/DistrictChronicles

Robert Eubanks/District Chronicles Robert Eubanks/District Chronicles

12 | Aug. 20 - Aug. 26, 2015 | District Chronicles