District Chronicles V15 Issue 12 by District Chronicles

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Trunk or Treat halloween event was a hit, provided safe haven for kids Page 4 November 12 - November 18, 2015

A teaching garden comes to local Md school Page 12 www.districtchronicles.com

Volume 15 Issue 12

Roy Lewis/NNPA

Editorial

Blacks and poor want EPA to address environmental racism Special from Earth Justice to George Curry Media

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TALLASSEE, Ala. – The first thing you notice is the vultures, said Ronald Smith. They roost everywhere in his hometown – on neighbors’ houses, in the trees, in front yards – lured by the putrid smell of 65 acres of rotting garbage. “You walk out of the house and you’re hit with that odor, you come home and you’re hit with that odor again,” he said. Smith, 63, is a pastor and one of a new generation of activists in Tallassee, Alabama (population 4,800). In the 1990s, his parents, Ann and Thomas, protested the state’s decision to open and later expand a massive landfill in the heart of their historically AfricanAmerican neighborhood. Smith got involved in 1999 and has reinvigorated the movement. Huge trucks speed down tiny rural roads. Residents worry about air and water pollution from decaying waste. Smith said the landfill has gobbled up acreage from Black homeowners who have died or moved away, further eroding community wealth and security. Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, agencies that get federal money can’t discriminate on the basis of race. Discrimination doesn’t have to be intentional; it includes any decision that has an unjustified, unequal impact or disparate on a particular racial group. One state agency that draws from federal coffers is the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM), which gave a permit to the owners of Stone’s Throw to operate the landfill. Communities saddled with undue pollution have just one option: file a complaint with the EPA, which the Smiths and their neighbors did. Should the EPA find discrimination, it could withhold money from ADEM until the department forces Stone’s Throw to clean up its act. Agency rules say the EPA must determine whether there’s discrimination within 180 days of receiving a complaint. Residents of Tallassee have been waiting 12 years.

Tallassee activists urge the EPA to investigate the landfill pollution in their neighborhood to determine if it violates the civil rights of residents.

Earthjustice recently sued the EPA for failing to investigate whether the landfill in Tallassee violates residents’ civil rights. As part of the same lawsuit, Earthjustice is also fighting on behalf of communities in Flint, Michigan; Pittsburg, California; Beaumont, Texas; and Chaves County, New Mexico, where EPA discrimination complaints have languished for as long as two decades. A scathing report from NBC and the Center for Public Integrity shows that these delays are far from exceptional. The report found the EPA’s Office of Civil Rights takes one year on average to address complaints and that in the office’s 22-year history of reviewing nearly 300 complaints, the agency has never made a single finding of a civil rights violation. Nine in every 10 complaints are rejected or dismissed. One type of industrial facility rivals all the rest for a truly vile community experience: controlled animal feeding operations, better known as factory farms. Factoryscale pig farms housing thousands of animals dot the landscape of southeastern North Carolina where slaves historically worked on tobacco plantations and where large populations of Black residents remain. Farmers flush gallons of hog feces and urine into open pits lined only with clay and then spray the

“liquid manure” onto nearby fields. The waste leaches out of the open pits and flows as run-off from the fields, polluting nearby waterways. When it’s sprayed, the fecal matter also drifts as mist onto neighboring homes, clinging to hair and clothes and forcing residents indoors. “People can’t have cook-outs, or sit out on their porch, or invite friends over or hang laundry outside because of the odors and the flies that follow these operations,” said Gray Jernigan, staff attorney at the Waterkeeper Alliance, one of the organizations partnering with North Carolina residents to fight the impacts of factory farms. Studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill confirm that counties with larger nonwhite populations are home to more factory farm-raised hogs and that living near an industrial hog farm can lead to eye irritation, nausea, breathing troubles, high blood pressure and exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria from fecal waste caused by the hogs’ steady diet of low-dose antibiotics. With the help of Earthjustice and other groups, residents filed a complaint with the EPA arguing that the state’s general permit, which allows more than 2,000 factory hog farms to operate in the area, doesn’t do enough to protect human health and the environment.

From the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement, the battle for equality in America marches on.

Robert Eubanks/District Chronicles

Pastor Jonathan Weaver of Greater Mt. Nebo A.M.E. Church and the Collective Empowerment Group he helped establish celebrate its 20th anniversary helping Black churches with their financial needs.

By James Clingman via George Curry Media On Dec. 3, the Collective Empowerment Group (CEG), formerly known as the Collective Banking Group (CBG) of Prince George’s County and vicinity, will celebrate a milestone achievement: Its 20th anniversary. The CEG was established in 1995 by 21 churches in response to discrimination and mistreatment by banks, some of which had financed church buildings but subsequently refused to make loans for renovations and business development. Instead of wringing their hands, whining, and begging the banks to change, Jonathan Weaver, pastor of Greater Mt. Nebo A.M.E. Church, rallied a few of his fellow ministers to respond appropriately to those banks. They used their collective leverage – the members of their respective congregations – to obtain reciprocity from the banks that they chose to be “in covenant” with. Banks began to “compete” for the churches’ business by coming to the leaders of the CEG to make their presentations. In other words, the banks did not interview the churches, the churches interviewed the banks. Important to note are the reciprocal relationships that evolved from the initiative of the churches

and their refusal to continue doing business as usual. Both sides won. The banks understood the value of being in what was called a “covenant relationship” with this newly-formed dynamic group, and the churches understood the leverage they had by working collectively and cooperatively, across theological persuasions, toward business solutions for their members. The CBG became the CEG as a result of its growth from 21 churches to nearly 150 churches, comprising 175,000 members and its desire to involve itself in other business relationships. The CEG’s aim was to be more holistic in its approach to the myriad of issues affecting the daily lives of Black people. As a result of CBG leadership recognizing the possibilities of doing even more business with other retailers, i.e. furniture stores, carpet outlets, and organizations involved in health, politics, insurance, professional services, and supplies, the name was changed to reflect the organization’s broader scope of service. Not-for-profit entities were also invited to work with the CEG, again creating mutually beneficial relationships and opportunities not ordinarily available. The CEG Strategic Partners, mostly small business owners and service providers, not only gain access to the individual members of

the CEG with whom they can do business, they respond by offering discounts and other special considerations to the CEG members. Having helped start a chapter of the CEG in Cincinnati, Ohio, I can personally attest to the benefits offered by CEG Strategic Partner businesses. CEG churches do not continue to complain about how they are mistreated despite spending significant amounts with businesses and depositing large sums of money into banks that do not reciprocate. CEG churches take the issue into their own hands, first by understanding the power of leverage, and then by being willing to address any inequities that exist in their business relationships via their collective clout. Just imagine the economic progress we would make if hundreds and even thousands more Black churches throughout this country would form CEG chapters and replicate what has been done in the original chapter and now in other local chapters. After all, as Willie Sutton once said, “That’s where the [Black] money is. For more information, go to www.collectiveempowermentgroup.org or call 301.699.8449. Jim Clingman, founder of the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce, can be reached through his website, blackonomics.com.

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Soloman Howard as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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The economic gospel of churches

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(HU News Service) It was Halloween night, and tiny goblins and ghouls, witches and pirates scurried along the streets of southeast Washington. However, they weren’t headed door to door. Instead, they were headed car trunk to car trunk, and even a few car hoods. Trunk or treat had come to Anacostia. This year, residents joined a slow growing trend across the nation in cities from Sioux Falls., South Dakota, to Detroit to Johnson City, Tennessee, in which adults bring their vehicles to a parking lot or other location where children go from vehicle to vehicle to collect treats, and get scared or wowed by fun events. In Washington, cars decorated – some as monsters and spiders – filled the parking lot behind the Big Chair in Anacostia as live music played and children dressed as Power Rangers, doctors and superheroes went from car to car screaming “trick or treat” in expectance of candy from the trunk. Jonathan Silverman, brother of at-large City Councilwoman Elissa Silverman joined the crowd. “I wanted to do something creative,” Silverman said to describe his car decorations. “Part of this trunk or treat idea is so that kids can all come together and meet

each other. I wanted to make it kind of like a house. I wanted to make it a welcome place to come in.” Councilwoman Silverman and Ward 8 Councilmember LaRuby May sponsored the night’s events with Mayor Muriel Bowser’s help. Bowser came to watch the children have fun and to see May dance. In between eating their picked up Twizzlers, Mike & Ike and Kit Kats, children stopped to create arts and crafts, snack on popcorn, play in the bounce house or take a trip into a mobile trailer that had been turned into a haunted house. They took tours through a Halloween Metro bus decorated complete with spider webs and skeletons, and climbed atop a huge yellow steamroller to blow the horn. “I thought it was a great concept and a great idea to have everyone together and there’s a real sense of community here,” said Nicole Luke, who blogs about community events using the name D.C. Thrifty Mom. Luke said she came to hand out candy and allow her two daughters to trick or treat. Dorothy Wortham and her son and daughter traveled from Clinton, Maryland, to participate in the event. “LaRuby May is a member of my church at Allen Chapel AME

Church,” she explained. “We did it last year on a smaller scale on our church parking lot. So, Ms. May wanted to make it bigger and invite more people so they moved it out here. I love it and I think it’s a great idea.” Wortham’s son was dressed as a “Star Wars” character. “My son is having a ball,” she said. “We’re trying to get him to leave, and he doesn’t want to. We’re having a great time.” For many, the key element was that the event was a safe space for children to enjoy Halloween. “This is a safe way to do things,” said Denise Monroe who came with her husband and their three grandchildren. “I heard about it and here we are.” Ro Zebina, president of the Deuces Wild motorcycle club, and his members, dressed in emblem-covered hoodies and vests, brought along about 20 motorcycles. They handed out candy and posed with children for pictures. “I hope that there are more events like this for the kids to come out and see that there’s positivity and different things going for them,” said Zebina. “I think it’s been great. We know how this area used to be, so just keeping the kids safe and giving them something to do in a place where back in the day it used to be real rough.”

Divine Intervention

The ‘Splainer: What makes the cow sacred to Hindus?

The Splainer explains why the cow is a sacred animal in Hindu religion.

By Kimberly Winston Religion News Service

he ‘Splainer (as in “You’ve got some ‘splaining to do”) is an occasional online feature in which RNS staff give you everything you need to know about current events to hold your own at a cocktail party. Since September, four Muslims in India have been killed by predominantly Hindu mobs after they were suspected of either eating beef or slaughtering a cow, considered sacred by the country’s majority Hindus. What is behind the religious beliefs underpinning these killings? Let us ‘Splain …

Q: Do Hindus worship cows? A: No. Hindus do not consider the cow to be a god and they do not worship it. Hindus, however, are vegetarians and they consider the cow to be a sacred symbol of life that should be protected and revered. In the Vedas, the oldest of the Hindu scriptures, the cow is associated with Aditi, the mother of all the gods. Hindu imagery often pictures a pretty cow – usually white – garlanded with flowers as a sign of the faith’s special reverence. Hindus even have a “cow holiday” called Gopastami, next Thursday, when all cows – even the ones left to wander through busy streets and rural villages – are washed and dressed with flowers. To harm

a cow or kill a cow – especially for food – is considered taboo by most Hindus. Q: Why are cows considered so sacred? Why not some other animal, like the cat of ancient Egypt? A: Hindus see the cow as a particularly generous, docile creature, one that gives more to human beings than she takes from them. The cow, they say, produces five things – milk, cheese, butter , urine and dung. The first three are eaten and used in worship of the Hindu gods, while the last two can be used in religious devotion or in penance or burned for fuel. When was the last time your cat gave you anything besides a dead mouse? And here’s a fun fact – Hindus associate several animals with different gods and consider them sacred, including the monkey, the elephant , the tiger and even the rat . But none is as revered as the cow. Q: Have Hindus always considered the cow sacred? A: No. In ancient India, cattle and oxen were sacrificed to the gods and the meat was eaten. But even then, milk-producing cows were off-limits, likely because their milk was so precious as a food source. But with the rise of Buddhism and Jainism – two other world religions with roots in India and a philosophy of vegetarianism – Hindus, too, stopped eating meat.

By the first century A.D., cows had come to be associated with Brahmans, the highest caste, or class, in Hinduism. To kill a cow was likened to killing a Brahman – a big taboo. Soon after, Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu, one of the three main Hindu gods, was often depicted in literature and art as cavorting with cows. Q: What’s behind the current events in India? Why are Hindus apparently killing Muslims over cows? A: There is a lot more at work here than just vegetarianism or a reverence for the bovine. India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, came to power in 2014 at the head of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP. In speeches, Modi has condemned the “widespread killing of our cows” and has been criticized for being largely silent or late to comment on the slayings of Muslims suspected of eating beef or slaughtering cows. Vigilante groups such as “Save the Cow” have arisen, barging into the houses of Muslims, looking for beef. Ten members of Save the Cow were arrested in October after they allegedly killed a Muslim man suspected of having beef in his refrigerator. Local police say he did not. One member of Save the Cow told The New York Times, “We are more attached to the cow than our own children.”

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District Chronicles | Nov. 12 - Nov. 18, 2015 | 5

Cover By Hazel Trice Edney

Roy Lewis/NNPA

(TriceEdneyWire.com) – Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake gave a blank stare when she was asked if she was familiar with the Baltimore-based group called 300 Men March. “That’s like asking me if I’ve heard of the Baltimore Orioles. I’m from Baltimore. I get it,” she retorted. As indicated by the mayor’s response, this group of men, known for patrolling Baltimore streets as a display of positive force and responsible manhood, have made quite a name for themselves. But financial support for the group appears stagnant despite rising homicide rates across the country. “You certainly get a whole lot of activity from people when it comes to police brutality – every time something goes on with the police and the Black man,” said the group’s founder and president, Munir Bahar. “Yet, there’s not enough support and involvement on a day-today basis of men of color especially, but all men around the country with regards to community violence.” The surge in national homicide statistics has been well-documented by local and national media. This week, a heart-breaking national news story focuses on the

Chicago police investigation of the multiple shooting of 9-year-old Tyshawn Lee. The boy, killed Nov. 2, while walking through an alley near his grandmother’s house, is believed to have been the target in a feud involving one or more of his relatives. The indiscriminate killings of Black people –babies, children, teens and adults – is a scenario that has become all too common, said Bahar. At this writing, in Baltimore, the count has long surpassed 235 – well more than last year’s total of 211; in Chicago, it’s now more than 300, 20 percent up from the 244 all of last year. It’s the same story in cities across the country. For example, in Washington, D.C., homicides are up 36 percent; New Orleans, up 19 percent; St. Louis, up 60 percent; and Detroit, up 50 percent since last year. And despite a season of decline during the past decade, the numbers have continued to mount for years. In fact, since 1975, when the Federal Bureau of Investigation first began keeping homicide statistics, the combined national numbers of street homicide deaths surpass a half million. That’s enough to populate several entire cities. As the protests and outrage over the killings of Black men and women by police officers continue around the country, this one group

300 Men March/Courtesy

Baltimore warrior responds to rise in street violence

Members and supporters of the 300 Men March take to the streets to send a message in Baltimore and beyond. Leader Munir Bahar (right) is determined to stop what he calls a ‘genocide’ of young Black men as national homicide rates continue to rise.

of Black men – 300 Men March – have decided that African-American street violence against each other is what they are called to fight. Winning the respect of their peers, they have proven to be a different kind of warrior. To make that point nationally, Bahar, in August, led about 50 men in a march all the way from Baltimore, 35 miles south to Washington, D.C. “We wanted to take this straight to our capital, straight to the doorsteps of our president under the banner of the My Brother’s Keeper Initiative,” said Bahar, 35. But, of course, it’s not that simple. Though he hopes to establish 300 men strong over the next five years, Bahar said they currently

have about 60 faithful participants. “We have a large amount of Black men who are literally sitting aside watching our race be destroyed from the inside. Guys who would rather go to happy hour at an all-white party, or a cocktail party or a whatever party than to spend that time mentoring some young people in this city,” he said. Bahar’s nearly 12-year-old nonprofit organization, COR Health Institute, which birthed the 300 vision two years ago, mentors young men in fitness, martial arts, and health programs. On the streets, the 300 Men March is symbolic of the small group of warriors in the movie, 300, who “went up against an army that everybody thought

they would lose,” described Bahar. The 300 men have inspired many, including Mayor RawlingsBlake, and the National Bankers Association have helped raise funds for their mission. Other community leaders have also expressed support. Civil rights activist the Rev. Jamal-Harrison Bryant, pastor of Baltimore’s Empowerment Temple, said some of his male members are a part of the group, which he describes as “redefining what Black male imaging looks like ... for Black men to stand and let their voices be heard, this is so significant when we’ve had more than 237 homicides in Baltimore and they are overwhelming majority Black males.”

College students, families to feel loss of Perkins Loans By Courtne Dixon Howard University News Service College students throughout the nation have been stripped of more than a billion dollars in aid after the Senate refused to renew the nation’s oldest loan program. The 57-year-old Federal Perkins Loan Program expired at the end of September after the Republican-controlled Senate, led by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), blocked legislation to extend it, even after the legislation passed the House of Representatives. Under the program, students with exceptional financial need can borrow up to $5,000 at a 5 percent fixed rate. It serves close to 1,700 schools and awarded over $1.15 billion in aid to over 539,000 students in the 2013-14 academic

year, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Brian Johnson, associate director of financial aid at Howard University, said the loans have been a boost to needy students and the absence of the funding could create a huge strain on the university and its students. “It’s been great, because it has assisted students who had difficulty meeting the financial obligations with the university,” said Johnson. “Now, students who usually received those funds will have to seek funding from other sources. Hopefully we will be able to assist students with other resources, but again, that will be challenging for those students who were recipients in the past.” On average, District of Columbia students borrow more than

6 | Nov. 12 - Nov. 18, 2015 | District Chronicles

other states or providences that participate in the program. Their borrowing averages $3,351, compared to the national average of $2,172 per student. Just last year, approximately 5,000 college students in D.C. received over $16 million in aid. Students at the Catholic University of America will feel a strain from the loss of the Perkin loans as well. The institution’s students received $1.2 million in aid last year and were awarded $2,000 a semester on average, according to Jo Ann Humphreys, assistant director of financial aid at Catholic University. “We are trying to deal with it as best as possible,” said Humphreys. “We tried to provide deadlines to encourage them to get their promissory note done in time.”

Nearly all Washington schools will be affected to some degree, according to Department of Education statistics. At George Washington University, 2,237 students received more than $4 million in loans for the 2013-2014 year, and at Georgetown, more than 1,200 students received almost $8.5 million. Historically, HBCUs will also take a hit. Hampton University will lose about $1 million, nearly 500 students at Tuskegee University will lose $1.7 million and 15 percent of the students at Clark Atlanta University will go without $1.3 million. Starting Oct. 1, some candidates may still receive the loan on a limited basis, said Miriam Niblack, assistant director of Georgetown University Student

Loan Services. “Students who accepted the loan prior to Sept. 30, 2015, are able to be grandfathered into the program and still receive funds on a limited basis upon meeting certain criteria,” said Niblack. “Those who have the loan can continue to use the benefits of the program until it is exhausted or the loan is repaid. After any final disbursements, without the program being re-instituted, the loan will no longer be available.” For those who are not grandfathered in and future incoming students, the forecast seems much bleaker. “The biggest burden will be for those students who had that shortcoming, because they won’t have access to those resources anymore,” said Johnson.

President Obama backs ‘ban the box’ to help ex-cons get jobs By Hazel Trice Edney

Youtube/TheWhiteHouse

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - President Barack Obama says he is “taking action to ‘ban the box’’ for the most competitive jobs at federal agencies.” He is pushing to remove job application questions about a person’s criminal record to make it easier for ex-inmates to get jobs. Those questions have often ended with rejection slips; especially for convicted felons. “Now, the federal government is a big employer and like a lot of big employers, on many job applications there’s a box that asks if you have a criminal record. If you answer yes, then a lot of times you’re not getting a call back,” the President told the audience during a criminal justice forum at Rutgers University in Newark, N.J. “We’re going to do our part in changing this. The federal government, I believe, should not use criminal history to screen out applicants before we even look at their qualifications. We can’t dismiss people out of hand simply because of a mistake that they made in the past.” Obama’s announcement has won resounding applause from civil rights, criminal justice and labor groups. “Unfortunately, too many hardworking and highly qualified men and women are finding their path to success blocked by a system that is rigged against them,” said Richard L. Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO. “Measures such as Ban the Box are the right approach to ease the job hunt for working people with prior convictions.” “President Obama’s move to ban the box will benefit everyone: families, employers, communities, and of course people with records. The facts are clear: returning citizens who find jobs are far more likely to stay out of prison,” said Kevin Gay, CEO of Operation New Hope and creator of Ready4Work, a nationally recognized reentry program for the formerly incarcerated. “And we can’t rebuild families and communities destroyed by incarceration if people who leave prison end up right back behind

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President Obama calls for removing from job applications questions about a person’s criminal past to give ex-cons a chance at employment.

bars when they are released. Banning the box is an essential step to reducing incarceration rates in the United States.” Civil rights groups have long called for the removal of such questions from job applications. In July, Wade Henderson, president/CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, called for President Obama to “take the next step in helping the formerly incarcerated re-integrate by issuing an executive order to ban the box and implement fair chance hiring practices for federal jobs and contractors. The 700,000 people released from American prisons every year are met with innumerable obstacles to successfully re-entering their communities.” The President’s push for a better life for former prisoners comes as the Justice Department releases about 6,000 inmates early from prison. The prisoners, released between Oct. 30 and Nov. 2 account for the largest mass release of prisoners in three decades – in order to reduce overcrowding and give fair treatment to non-violent drug offenders who received sentences that were too long. While some were released to halfway houses or home confinement, some are on supervised released and most will need jobs. The announcement came after a year of meetings between President Obama and stake holders in

criminal justice, including prisoner advocates, inmates, police and correctional offices among others. The White House has issued a fact sheet to outline the main steps the President is taking to deal with the criminal justice system as well as reintegrating former prisoners back into society. Among them are calling on Congress to pass criminal justice reforms that reduce recidivism and the sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015, had strong bipartisan vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Department of Education will award up to $8 million to at least nine communities to support educational programs. As part of Obama’s TechHire initiative, over 30 communities are expanding access to tech jobs for more Americans with fast track training like coding boot camps and new recruitment and placement strategies. Obama has vowed to keep criminal justice reform a priority during his final year in office. “Now, we account for 5 percent of the world’s population, 25 percent of its inmates.” He said. “They are disproportionately black and Latino. Around 70 million Americans have some sort of criminal record. That’s almost one in five of us. we’ve got to make sure Americans who’ve paid their debt to society can earn their second chance.”

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District Chronicles | Nov. 12 - Nov. 18, 2015 | 7

Technology

5 life hacks for a better cell signal

BPT

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8 | Nov. 12 - Nov. 18, 2015 | District Chronicles

(BPT) - From calls to texting to browsing the Web, today’s smartphones and tablets have the potential to keep us in constant communication while on the go. But for mobile users who suffer through dropped calls, slow downloads or delayed voicemails, that potential isn’t always realized. In fact, 20 percent of respondents experience dropped calls 15 times or more per week, according to a recent consumer survey conducted by weBoost. Another 15 percent experience dropped calls 10 to 15 times a week. When poor cell reception occurs on a daily basis, even the most amazing piece of mobile technology can lose a lot of its value to the user. While those who report these common mobile challenges may be quick to blame their device or carrier, the real culprit may be neither. The surprising truth is anything interrupting the line of sight from a cell tower to a device - such as uneven terrain, dust in the air and tall foliage - can reduce signal strength. Perhaps the biggest misconception of all is that there’s nothing we can do. But it’s much easier than many mobile users realize to improve signal strength. Here are some simple tips for better reception: Track your tower. Knowing which tower your device is using can go a long way

toward improving your signal. A downloadable app called “Open Signal,” available on Google Play and Apple’s App Store, will show you all the cell towers in your area, as well as which tower you’re connected to. By knowing where the tower is, you’ll know which direction to face when using your mobile device, which reduces the chance of any obstructions blocking your signal. If you find you’re not connected to the closest tower, simply reboot your signal by turning your phone off and on again. Keep your device charged. If you’ve ever picked up your phone and suddenly noticed several delayed texts or voicemails appear at once, try checking your battery. When you’re actively using your phone, it pings the towers more frequently, which uses more power. However, it conserves power when it’s on standby mode - which means if your battery is low, your phone could be receiving updates less frequently. The solution is simple: just charge your battery. Roll down the windows. Energy-efficient building products, such as insulation and tinted windows, can block a cell signal in a home or office building. Similarly, most vehicles are built with large amounts of metal, often with a metallic tint covering the windows. If

you notice you’re struggling for a good signal indoors, or while on the road, the solution could be as easy as rolling down the window. Your cell signal could double in strength. Compare carriers. If none of the above solutions seem to improve your cell reception, your carrier could be the problem. Not all carriers serve the same locations, and it’s quite possible your carrier just doesn’t provide a strong signal in your area. To know for sure, simply look up coverage maps for each of the major carriers and compare their service areas. Switching to a different carrier could be the best option where you live. Boost your signal. While there are many effective ways around the problem of poor cell reception, it’s also surprisingly easy to fix it permanently. A weBoost cell phone signal booster installed in a home or car can greatly amplify a weak signal - essentially creating your own personal cell tower. The result is faster download speeds, clearer conversations and better battery life (since your phone will no longer need to transmit over long distances). Just like a cell tower, a weBoost cell signal booster works with every network, and there’s no limit to how many people can use it at once.

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In the Neighborhood

Metro Briefs: Notable news in and around Washington District of Columbia DCHFA, SOME bring new mixed-use housing to Benning Road

he District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency has closed its second development transaction of the 2016 Fiscal Year, issuing $26 million in short term tax exempt obligations to fund the construction of the Conway Center on Benning Road in northeast. The center will bring affordable, permanent supportive housing units, medical services and job training to a single location in Ward 7. Two weeks prior to closing, the agency also underwrote an investment of $20 million in low-income housing tax credit equity for the new center. The non-profit organization So Others Might Eat (SOME) will own and operate the newly constructed, mixed-use development. SOME has been working to eradicate poverty and homelessness in the District of Columbia for 45 years, providing food, clothing, healthcare and other services to the poor and homeless. The Conway Center will include 202 units of affordable housing for low-income individuals and families. A portion of the units will

Prince George’s Council adopts legislation providing 24-month residential leases for senior citizens The Prince George’s County Council, during session last week, unanimously adopted legislation allowing for 24-month leases to residents living in age-restricted senior living facilities. Council Member Deni Taveras (District 2) sponsor of the legislation, said the law will assist county seniors challenged by the cost of rental housing.

be used as permanent supportive housing. The complex will also house SOME’s Center for Employment Training and a dental and medical clinic operated by Unity Healthcare. It will be adjacent to the Benning Road Metro station in the Northeast Capitol View neighborhood. “The Agency welcomes the opportunity to align our mission of expanding affordable housing with a venerable organization such as SOME,” said Maria K. Day-Marshall, interim executive director of DCHFA. “Financing this unique and innovative development project is an investment in the future of the District.” Through its Public Finance division, DCHFA issues tax-exempt housing mortgage revenue bonds to lower the developers’ costs of acquiring, constructing and rehabilitating rental housing. The agency offers private forprofit and non-profit developers low cost construction and permanent financing that supports new construction, acquisition, and rehabilitation of affordable rental housing in the District.

On October 31, the DC Department of Housing and Community

Development’s lead safe Washington program held a Halloween event for local families to educate them on the major health hazards lead paint poisoning can cause in children. The children and their parents watched a skit performed by the LSW team about how to recognize the signs of lead paint poisoning and hazards to look for in their homes. The children also had a chance to have story time with DHCD Director Polly Donaldson, and participate in educational games. While the children enjoyed their time, the parents and other adults present received training on lead safe rules and regulations, plus eligibility requirements for grant funding of the program. LSW tests eligible properties at no charge for lead-based paint hazards. If an eligible property is identified as having lead-based paint hazards, DHCD can provide grant funding up to $25,000 to property owners for the repair of lead-based paint hazards. Renters who are dealing with chipping and peeling paint in their unit are encouraged to ask their landlord to apply. For more information on the Lead Safe Washington program including how families can qualify for grant funds to remove lead based paints from their homes, please visit the DHCD website dhcd.dc.gov or call 202-442-7279.

“A large number of our county’s senior residents are on limited or fixed incomes, and the rising cost of rent is proving problematic for many of them,” said Taveras. “It is important to have policies in place that protect our seniors from entering into a lease agreement that leaves them vulnerable to unexpected rent increases and fees they cannot afford.” Council Member Todd M. Turner (District 4) co-sponsor of the bill, said the legislation will allow senior residents to enter into a lease agreement free from the worry of an unmanageable rent increase. “Our seniors should not have to worry about how they will afford a rent increase if or when it happens,” said Turner. The new

law eliminates the uncertainty, ensuring that residents of our county’s age-restricted living facilities know their monthly rent expense for at least two years.” Under CB-59-2015, Prince George’s County seniors living in specified age-restricted housing will have the opportunity to enter into a 24-month lease agreement that will not incur fees or rent increases for the term of the lease. Landlords will be required to provide written notice concerning the 24-month period when entering into a new lease or a renewal lease. Council Members Mary Lehman (District 1) and Andrea C. Harrison (District 5) also cosponsored the bill.

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In the Neighborhood

Metro Briefs: Notable news in and around Washington Montgomery County

County seeks volunteers to work with sexual assault victims

olunteers are needed to assist sexual assault, domestic violence victims, and their families through the Victim

Assistance and Sexual Assault Program (VASAP) of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services. Interviews are currently being conducted for a December 2015 training session. VASAP outreach volunteers donated more than 10,000 hours in 2014 serving victims of sexual assault in Montgomery County. They provide 24-hour crisis counseling and companion services at Mont-

gomery County hospitals and police stations for victims of rape and sexual assault. Bi-lingual volunteers are encouraged to apply. All potential volunteers must attend a training program, which covers crisis intervention skills and the specialized knowledge of the emotional, medical and legal issues that victims face. Volunteers must commit to serve for one year, in an oncall capacity, for one 12-hour shift

or two six-hour shifts per week. All volunteers must be at least 21 years of age, Montgomery County residents, have a valid driver’s license and immediate access to transportation. For more information or to arrange an interview, call the Montgomery County Victim Assistance and Sexual Assault Program at 240.777.1355 or go to www.montgomerycountymd.gov/vasap.

REAL School Gardens, area volunteers launch a “Big Dig” learning garden at Beacon Heights Elementary school

Robert Eubanks/District Chronicles

Robert Eubanks/DistrictChronicles

Robert Eubanks/District Chronicles

Robert Eubanks/DistrictChronicles

Robert Eubanks/District Chronicles

12 | Nov. 12 - Nov. 18, 2015 | District Chronicles

REAL School Gardens and scores of teachers, students and community volunteers helped to build a new learning garden at Beacon Heights Elementary on Saturday November 7, 2015 in Riverdale, Md. REAL helps build gardens in low income schools that are proven to improve academic performance, teacher effectiveness and student engagement especially in science coursework. (Credit: Robert Eubanks/District Chronicles)