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FIFA launches 2010 FIFA World Cup Legacy Trust for South Africa
Following a meeting with the President of the Republic of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter presented last week the 2010 FIFA World Cup Legacy Trust at Soccer City in Johannesburg. This trust will support a wide range of public benefit initiatives in the areas of football development, education, health and humanitarian activities in South Africa. The trust forms part of FIFA’s 2010 FIFA World Cup™-related legacy programmes and delivers on FIFA’s pledge to ensure that South Africans will continue to benefit from the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. The trust amounts to USD 100 million, USD 80 million of which is being allocated directly to social community projects. The remaining USD 20 million was already provided to the South African Football Association (SAFA) in the buildup to the event for preparations and for the construction of SAFA House. As a first project financed by the trust, FIFA purchased 35 of the team buses and a fleet of 52 cars, which were handed over to SAFA today for transport of their regional teams. The trust will be administered by international auditing company Ernst and Young while the trustees, consisting of a representative each from FIFA, SAFA, the
President Jacob Zuma
government and the private sector, will evaluate into which public-benefit projects the money is invested. All projects must be submitted to the trustees for review with one of the decisive conditions being that they must be for public benefit only. The beneficiaries will be selected for projects within the following four areas: • Football: administration, development, coordination or promotion of non-professional football. • Education and development: provision
of education by a school as defined in the South African Schools Act. • Health care: provision of health care services to disadvantaged communities, including prevention of HIV infection and other preventative and education programmes. • Humanitarian activities: community development for disadvantaged persons and anti-poverty initiatives. “The trust is the latest piece in our mosaic of 2010 FIFA World Cup-related
legacy activities for South Africa and the African continent. This is also a reward for South Africans for having been such great hosts. We have always said that the first FIFA World Cup on African soil should leave a lasting sports and social legacy once the tournament is over. This trust is yet another concrete achievement in this area,” said the FIFA President. “We achieved our goals with regard to the successful hosting of the FIFA World Cup event. Now remains the difficult but most important task of ensuring a lasting legacy and to build world-class national teams both at youth and senior level. The FIFA World Cup Legacy Trust which is being launched today is an important contribution to the achievement of that goal,” said President Jacob Zuma. The 2010 FIFA World Cup Legacy Trust adds to a series of legacy initiatives launched and implemented by FIFA since 2005, consisting of the 20 Football for Hope Centres, the Win in Africa with Africa initiative, the 11 for Health campaign as well as the 2010 FIFA World Cup Ticket Fund. FIFA also supports the 1 GOAL: Education for All initiative cochaired by Queen Rania of Jordan and the FIFA President.
Finalists Finish 2010 on Top The upper reaches of the latest edition of the FIFA/CocaCola World Ranking reflect the teams’ performances at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™, with world champions Spain and runners-up the Netherlands continuing to lead the way, followed by semi-finalists Germany, who have bumped Brazil out of third place. For the third year in a row, Spain are the Team of the Year, while the Netherlands have claimed the title of Best Mover of the Year for the team that earned the most points in 2010. Other teams have also caused a stir outside the top ten. Montenegro, who just a year ago were ranked 74th, gained 368 points to finish the year in 25th position. Botswana were also successful, starting the year in 118th position and ending it in 53rd. A comparison with the continental composition of the top 50 in December 2009 reveals that UEFA (29, plus 2), the AFC
(3, plus 1) and CAF (10, plus 1) have increased their representation in the top 50 at the expense of CONMEBOL (6, minus 2) and CONCACAF (2, minus 2). The top-ranked teams from each of the confederations are Spain (1st, unchanged), Brazil (4th, down 1), Egypt (9th, up 1), the USA (18th, up 6), Australia (26th, down 6) and New Zealand (63rd, down 4). The results of 111 new “A” international matches have been recognised in the current edition of the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. In terms of points, 14 qualifying matches for continental championships in Europe, the Caribbean and Africa were of particular importance, while the remaining 97 matches were friendlies. With a total of 785 matches taken into account so far this year, the final tally for 2010 may well exceed the 800 mark, bringing it just above the average for a World Cup year.
AITIAN TIME S H THE
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Haiti Presidential Poll Results Put Off An Organisation of American States (OAS) delegation will travel to Haiti next weekend and begin a vote recount on Monday after fraud allegations set off days of post-election violence.
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Haiti Cholera Toll Rises WAKEFIELD, Canada (AFP) – The top US, Canadian and Mexican diplomats met here Monday to help Central American nations fight drug cartels and ensure contested Haitian election results are properly reviewed, US officials said.
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UN Chief to Appoint Haiti Cholera Panel QUEBEC, Canada — The Barack Obama administration has rejected a call by a leading American legislator to curtail aid to Haiti in the wake of what has been described as the recent fraudulent elections in the impoverished, French-speaking Caribbean Community country.
page 15 Art & Culture Two HaitianAmericans Among NBC’s Sing-Off Winner 2010
For the third year in a row, Spain are the Team of the Year.
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Photo by courtesy of Diaspora Community Services
Brooklyn Councilmen Williams and Eugene (Bottom) and Jocelyn (Top Right) are seen among other elected officials and activists at the press conference in front of radio station Hot 97 in Manhattan.
Community Leaders Protest Hot 97 DJ Comment on Haitian Women By Ronald Aubourg Special to the Haitian Times NEW-YORK- About 50 leaders, mostly from Haitian organizations, stood outside Hot 97 radio’s studios Dec 22 calling for the firing of one of the station’s morning show disc jockeys after he made an on-air crack slamming the Haitian community. DJ Cipha Sounds, who co-hosts the station’s early morning show, infuriated listeners last Friday after explaining the reason why he’s never contracted the HIV virus. “The reason I’m HIV negative is because I don’t mess with Haitian girls,” the deejay said during a discussion with co-hosts. That same statement was repeated verbatim by Brooklyn District Leader Rodneyse Bichotte, the first Haitian-American woman elected to any office in New York City. “Hot 97 must make things right and this type of behavior is unacceptable” said Carine Jocelyn the Executive Director of Diaspora Community Services, a service organization based in Brooklyn, NY which currently assists clients and their families infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. Ms. Jocelyn suggested that Mr. Diaz be strongly disciplined if not terminated for his disparaging remarks. The comment sparked also a wave of
anger in the Haitian community, particularly amongst Haitian women. The radio was flooded with calls denounced such racist and denigrating comments. The Deejay, whom real name is Luis Diaz, has since apologized for his offensive comments. In a video about the incident, widely broadcast on the internet, Mr. Luis Diaz acknowledged making a stupid, tasteless joke that was taking the wrong way, for that he is embarrassed. Unfortunately, his apology did not go far to quell the anger of the activists fighting for women rights and against HIV/AIDS in the community. New York City Councilman Mathieu Eugene, a democrat from the 40th district in Brooklyn, repeating his message in three languages, called for D-J Cipha sounds’ immediate dismissal from the station, in order to right the wrong he created in the hearts of Haitian women across this country. Protesters pointed to others offensive broadcasts made by Hot 97 radio personalities; the most recent, being about the victims of the tsunami which killed more than half a million, back in 2005. The station remained very popular with young listeners and has
not lost any of its advertisers. Many feel that Haitian has been through so much with the earthquake, the cholera outbreak and the political unrest to be subjected to this type of stereotype. That is why several elected officials and activists alike demanding the firing of the popular radio host. New York City Councilman Jumanee Williams, whose district is the largest Haitian enclave outside of Miami, called for the station to take action or he will make sure that the listeners are tuned out. New York State Senator Eric Adams went as far as calling for a boycott of the station by advertisers; if they refused to heed to their demands. He is also calling on Hot 97 to draw the line or the coalition of protesters will. Hot 97 released the following statement: “Cipha Sounds will not be fired. He’s a young man who made a mistake. … Both Cipha Sounds and Hot 97 will offer continued support to the Haitian community.” This matter is not a New York City issue nor a Haitian one, it is for all of us to stand against and denounce these types of behavior,” Manhattan Deputy Borough President Rosemonde Pierre-Louis said.
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Le gouvernement tente de pallier au problème de carburant qui sévit à Port-auPrince, depuis la semaine dernière. Dans un communiqué conjoint, les ministères du Commerce et des Finances ont annoncé que le gouvernement a autorisé les compagnies pétrolières à importer de 90 mille barils de produits pétroliers de la République dominicaine. La distribution de ce stock de produits pétroliers qui a déjà débutée hier lundi a déjà pris fin ce matin. La Plupart des stations - service sont déjà en rupture de stock. Notons que le gouvernement avait indiqué dans ce même communiqué, qu'un tanker contenant 232 mille barils soit 134 mille de diesels et 98 mille d'autres produits est attendu ce mercredi à Port- au-prince mercredi. Les autorités ont fait remarquer cette cargaison attendue le
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22 de ce mois devrait être suffisante pour approvisionner le marché. En ce sens elles demandent à la population d'éviter tout stockage inutile des produits et donnent la garantie que le marché sera approvisionné normalement. Entre temps, de longues files de véhicules et de gens munis de récipients de toute sorte sont visibles devant la plupart des pompes à essence de la capitale haïtienne, où la pénurie se fait sentir depuis plusieurs jours. **** Le secrétaire général de l'Organisation des Etats Américains (OEA), Miguel Inzulsa, a sollicité et obtenu le report de la publication des résultats définitifs du scrutin du 28 novembre. L'Organisation hémisphérique a demandé au président haïtien René Préval que les résultats définitifs du premier tour de la présidentielle ne soient pas publiés avant recomptage et assuré que le chef de l'Etat avait donné son accord.
L'OEA a commencé à préparer la mission de recomptage des voix et ses équipes pourraient se rendre à Port-au-Prince en début de semaine, a indiqué M. Ramdin. Néanmoins l'OEA, qui travaille conjointement avec les pays du Marché commun de la Caraïbe (Caricom), ne se rendra pas en Haïti si l'annonce des résultats définitifs du premier tour n'est pas reportée comme elle le demande. ”Cela n'a pas de sens de vérifier les résultats si ces derniers sont déjà définitifs”, a expliqué Albert Ramdin. **** L'ex députée de Gros Morne, Gerandale Thelusma, est décédée ce lundi lors d'un accident de la circulation à Marchand Dessalines dans le département de l'Artibonite. L'accident est survenu dans la localité de Pinson, commune de Marchand Dessalines, ce lundi vers 5 heures AM. Mme Thelusma a été tuée sur le coup quand le véhicule a heurté un camion de transport en commun en stationnement à l'entrée de Desdunes, au niveau de Carrefour ODVA. Des témoins indiquent que le conducteur aurait perdu le contrôle du véhicule. Les proches de Mme Thelusma informent que l'ex députée qui avait déposé une contestation au Bed de l'Artibonite s'apprêtait à regagner la capitale. Mme Thelusma, candidate à la députation sous la bannière de Mouvement Chrétien pour une nouvelle Haïti (Mochrena), était admis pour le second tour du scrutin selon les résultats préliminaires du Cep. Dans ses dernières déclarations à radio Métropole Mme Thelusma, avocate de profession, s'était plainte de l'intolérance de nombreux
December 22, 2010-January 4, 2011
partisans d'un de ses concurrents. L'ex parlementaire, qui bénéficiait de l'appui de plusieurs organisations féministes, figurait parmi la vingtaine d'orateurs réguliers de la chambre basse. Présidente de la commission affaires sociales, elle s'était illustrée notamment lors de l'analyse de la loi sur le salaire minimum. **** Le policier Réginald Larosilière aurait abattu délibérément Robin Raymond au moment où des habitants de Duvivier protestaient contre la transformation du quartier en décharge publique. Cette mobilisation visait en particulier des compagnies privées et publiques qui utilisent la zone comme déchetterie. Interrogés par Radio Kiskeya, trois membres du comité de relèvement de Duvivier, l’organisation communautaire à l’origine du mouvement de protestation, accusent les forces de l’ordre d’avoir abattu délibérément Robin Raymond, propriétaire d’une quincaillerie. Le policier incriminé dans le meurtre, Réginald Larosilière, a été placé en isolement, a appris Radio Kiskeya auprès des autorités policières. Des experts en balistique devraient procéder à des analyses en vue de déterminer l’origine des projectiles ayant tué le commerçant. La PNH soutient qu’il y a eu des échanges de tirs entre les agents qui étaient présents sur le théâtre des incidents et des éléments de la population civile.
Mes coups de coeur en 2010 Du côté de chez Hugues
par Hugues St. Fort
Bien que cette année ait été l’une des pires années que nous ayons connue en tant que peuple (des déchaînements naturels aux déchaînements construits socialement ou politiquement), je tiens à livrer à mes lecteurs, comme je le fais toujours à cette époque, les livres de fiction et de nonfiction qui m’ont le plus marqué. Cette année, il y en a moins que d’habitude mais le plaisir que j’ai éprouvé à les lire reste inaltérable. 1. CREATE DANGEROUSLY. The immigrant artist at work. Par Edwidge Danticat. Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2010 Dans ce livre, la célèbre écrivaine haïtiano-américaine a rassemblé une série d’essais lus dans des conférences données à Princeton University en mars 2008 ainsi que des textes parus dans divers magazines et revues dont « The New Yorker », « The Progressive », « The Nation », etc. L’essai qui ouvre le livre et qui donne son nom à l’ouvrage raconte l’exécution de Louis Drouin et Marcel Numa le 12 novembre 1964 qui, avec le groupe « Jeune Haïti » avaient osé tenter un débarquement en Haïti pour renverser la dictature de Fran-
çois ‘Papa Doc’ Duvalier. La problématique du livre est contenue dans le titre et le sous-titre. Écrire, selon Danticat, demeure une activité dangereuse à cause du caractère subversif que peut revêtir un texte littéraire. En Haïti, des bibliothèques entières ont été brûlées par des familles craignant pour leurs vies, car le texte écrit peut être cause de mort. Ce livre est une magnifique réflexion sur la condition d’écrivain et de lecteur qui partagent finalement le même sort puisqu’ils sont inséparables l’un de l’autre. C’est aussi une pertinente interrogation sur la place et la situation de l’écrivain immigrant dans son pays d’accueil qui ne cesse de questionner ce qu’il sait de son pays d’origine et de sa terre d’accueil afin de trouver ses véritables marques identitaires. 2. La mémoire aux abois. Roman. Par Évelyne Trouillot. Paris. Éditions Hoëbeke, 2010. Ce roman est le deuxième publié par Évelyne Trouillot depuis Rosalie L’infâme publié à Paris en 2003 aux Éditions Dapper. Il fait alterner les voix de deux narratrices évoquant des mémoires douloureuses dans des circonstances pour le moins étranges. L’une est celle de la veuve d’un dictateur d’une île des Caraïbes dont la vie s’écoule inéluctablement dans un hôpital parisien ; l’autre est celle de la jeune assistante médicale qui prend soin d’elle. Le lecteur est ainsi plongé dans deux types d’évocations différentes : celles de la veuve du dictateur qui réécrit à sa manière l’histoire de Quisqueya, l’île des Cara-
ïbes, d’une part ; celles de la jeune assistante médicale d’autre part, qui n’était pas encore née à l’époque de la dictature mais dont la mère lui a laissé des souvenirs dont elle ne peut jamais se débarrasser. Ce livre d’une écriture fine et délicate confirme l’attraction de la romancière pour l’histoire nationale, et dans le cas qui nous occupe, l’histoire politique contemporaine. Mais il permet aussi de faire toute la différence entre le « devoir d’histoire » et le « devoir de mémoire ». 3. Échos en fuite (poèmes) Par Josaphat-Robert Large Le chasseur abstrait éditeur, France, 2010. Échos en fuite se présente comme une succession de poèmes sans titre, sans signes de ponctuation se déroulant à n’en plus finir dans un infini thématique dont les points de repère sont : l’Histoire, la mémoire, l’île maternelle du poète et sa langue qui n’en finit pas de se mélanger à d’autres langues, la musique du passé, « la feuille de son souvenir égratignée par le vent, mangée par le vide » (pg. 69). Ce recueil de Robert Large est un petit bijou d’expression poétique sans grandiloquence, sans clichés, à mi-chemin entre musique et poésie. C’est du lyrisme à l’état pur. 4. Haïti et ses élites. L’interminable dialogue de sourds. (Essais) Par Jean Casimir Éditions de l’Université d’État d’Haïti. 2009
L’un des meilleurs livres sur Haïti publiés en 2009 (mais que je n’ai découvert que durant l’été 2010) par le sociologue haïtien Jean Casimir qui fait partie maintenant d’une équipe de recherches « Haïti Lab » à Duke University avec les historiens Laurent Dubois et Deborah Jenson et le linguiste haïtien Jacques Pierre. En lisant ce livre, on comprendra pourquoi la société haïtienne n’a jamais pu démarrer A lire absolument le chapitre 5, pages 89-149, qui a donné son titre au livre. 5. Haïtiens à New York City. Entre Amérique noire et Amérique multiculturelle. Par Stéphanie Melyon-Reinette. Paris. L’Harmattan, 2009 Ce livre est une excellente recherche de terrain entreprise par une jeune chercheure guadeloupéenne sur les immigrants haïtiens établis dans la ville de New York. Stéphanie Melyon-Reynette s’est « intégrée » pendant quelque temps dans cette communauté haïtienne et a dégagé ses faiblesses (lenteur à s’incorporer en tant que groupe réellement politisé dans le paysage politique et social américain…). Ayant relevé une surabondance terminologique d’une gradation de la couleur épidermique chez les immigrants haïtiens, elle conclut ainsi : « Haïti est une terre de la Caraïbe hors-Caraïbe. On pourrait croire qu’elle baigne dans une autre Caraïbe. Il y a la caribéanité et l’haïtianité. L’érection de ce pays comme première nation nègre, singularisée comme unique aux yeux de see HUGUES on page 23
December 22, 2010-January 4, 2011
Haiti Presidential Poll Results Put Off An Organisation of American States (OAS) delegation will travel to Haiti next weekend and begin a vote recount on Monday after fraud allegations set off days of post-election violence. 'We need to see first the scope of the work, what the experts are expected to do, how far or how deep the clarification will be going,' OAS Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin told AFP on Monday. He said the group was still finalising a agreement on the terms of its mission with Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) and President Rene Preval's government. 'That's why we need a bit more time,' Ramdin said. The recount 'should be done in the shortest possible time without damaging the quality of the work,' he said. 'It is important that it is a credible clarification process, that we have access to all the information.' Haitians had hoped the November 28 elections would bring new leaders who could rebuild the country after a devastating January earthquake killed 250,000 people and contain a cholera outbreak that has killed some 2,500. But clashes erupted when preliminary results announced earlier this month showed Preval's handpicked candidate narrowly making it through to a January run-off despite pre-election polls and predictions. The preliminary results had opposition
candidate and former first lady Mirlande Manigat ahead with 31 per cent of the vote, followed by ruling party candidate Jude Celestin with 22 per cent. Supporters of Michel Martelly, a popular singer known as 'Sweet Micky', were furi-
ous when he came in third, less than 7,000 votes behind Celestin, in elections that several candidates said were fraudulent. OAS monitors said the election was legitimate despite several reports of irregularities and agreed to return to the country
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to hold a recount at Preval's request. It said it hoped to start a dialogue among the top three candidates, after Manigat and Martelly refused to take part in a CEP recount planned to be held in their presence.
Rebuilding Haiti Must Start in the Classroom: Michaelle Jean With her sleeves rolled up, Michaelle Jean is laying the groundwork for what she hopes will lift her native Haiti from the rubble — once and for all. But Canada's former governor general says lots of work remains nearly a year after an earthquake crumpled buildings and shattered lives in her homeland. Ms. Jean, now a United Nations special envoy to Haiti, says it's difficult for Haitians to see tangible results of the country's sluggish reconstruction. “People are very frustrated right now,” Ms. Jean told in a telephone interview. “Unfortunately, we will commemorate the earthquake one year later, and Haitians have not seen many signs that would make them believe that the work has begun.” Recent violence triggered by Haiti's contested presidential election and a deadly, ongoing cholera epidemic have compounded the challenges. The population has been left “tired” and “traumatized,” she said. But Ms. Jean is optimistic the country will get back on its feet, even though tent cities still occupy public squares and food and drinking water remain scarce for many. “The sum of the needs is incredible, but we should not be discouraged,” said Ms. Jean, whose term as governor general ended in October. “It's a work in progress and it's time for actions.” Ms. Jean says boosting support to smalland medium-sized businesses, rebuilding cultural treasures to encourage tourism and creating the country's first national land register are keys to Haiti's development. But lasting reconstruction of the Carib-
bean nation will begin in the classroom, she insists. A quality, universally accessible education system, Ms. Jean says, will empower Haitians to rebuild their country themselves. “Afterwards, people can now say, ‘We are the ones who did it,' and they can take ownership of it,” said Ms. Jean, who was born in Port-au-Prince and moved to Canada as a child. “Haitians want to be considered and recognized as being part of the solutions. “If we don't do this, it will be a catastrophe, it will be business as usual.” In her new role with the UN's Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Ms. Jean is tasked with helping rebuild a long-impoverished country hit by a quake last Jan. 12 that killed more than 200,000 people and left more than a million homeless. Ms. Jean recalled what it was like to see the damage up close last March, during her only visit to Haiti since the quake. She walked past fallen homes and into vast encampments that were supposed to be temporary. Jolting scenes from the aftermath brought her to tears. “I knew I would find a devastated country — evidently, the scale was beyond everything we could imagine once we were on the ground,” said Ms. Jean, who hopes to return to Haiti soon, once the election crisis has subsided. At the time, Ms. Jean says, the ordeal was cast by the international community as an opportunity to do things differently in Haiti, a country that has faced trade embargoes, brutal dictatorships and natural disasters since achieving independence
Michaelle Jean
200 years ago. For decades, the country's economy has relied heavily on foreign aid. “It's going to work, we have other examples in the world,” she said of Haiti's reconstruction. Ms. Jean highlighted rapid rebuilding in the Sichuan region of China, where 90,000 people were killed in a 2008 quake. She also pointed to Rwanda, which was the scene of the 1994 genocide that claimed an estimated 800,000 lives in 100 days. “Sixteen years later you have Rwanda (and) Kigali is cleaner than Ottawa,” said
Ms. Jean, adding that Rwanda was rebuilt under a clear strategy. Haiti's tumultuous past prompted many from its elite to flee the country over the years, including Ms. Jean's family. Today, dynamic members of its diaspora have landed in places like Canada and the United States. “So, I think that in many ways, the rest of humanity also has a certain debt to Haiti, a moral debt.” The story was first published on theglobeandmail.com.
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Black Segregation in US Drops to Lowest in Century WASHINGTON (AP) – America's neighborhoods took large strides toward racial integration in the last decade as blacks and whites chose to live near each other at the highest levels in a century. Still, segregation in many parts of the U.S. persisted, with Hispanics in particular turning away from whites. A broad range of 2009 census data released Tuesday also found a mixed economic picture, with the poverty rate swinging wildly among counties from 4 percent to more than 40 percent as the nation grappled with a housing boom and bust. Just three U.S. localities reported median household income of more than $100,000, down from seven in 2000. Segregation among blacks and whites increased in one-fourth of the nation's 100 largest metropolitan areas, compared to nearly one-half for Hispanics. The latest figures reflect new generations of middle-class blacks moving to prosperous, fast-growing cities, said William H. Frey, a demographer at Brookings Institution who reviewed the census data. ”In contrast, the faster national growth of Hispanics has led to increased neighborhood segregation,” Frey said. The U.S. in many ways remains divided by race and economic lines, said John Logan, a sociologist at Brown University who has studied residential segregation. ”Whites are still on average a large majority in the places where they live, and blacks and Hispanics are the majority or near-majority in their neighborhoods,” he said. ”They suggest that all the talk about a post-racial society means nothing at the level of neighborhood.” Broken down economically, in 21 counties more than 1 in 3 people lived in
poverty, many of them American Indian reservations in the High Plains. Amid swirling congressional debate over taxing the wealthy, three localities in Virginia had median household income of more than $100,000 — Falls Church, and Fairfax and Loudoun counties. The new information is among the Census Bureau's most detailed release yet for neighborhoods, pending demographic results from the official 2010 census next spring. Among other findings: • New Orleans was among metros with the largest decline in segregation among blacks and whites since 2000, due largely to the exodus of low-income blacks from the city after Hurricane Katrina. • Four New York counties — which represent four of New York City's five major boroughs except for Manhattan — ranked at the top of longest commute times to work, all in excess of 40 minutes: Richmond (Staten Island), Queens, Kings (Brooklyn) and Bronx. Residents in King, Texas, had the quickest trip: 3.4 minutes. • Falls Church, Va., with the highest median household income at $113,313, also had the highest share of people ages 25 and older who had a bachelor's degree or higher. In all, 17 of the nation's 3,221 counties had college completion rates of more than 50 percent, compared to 62 counties whose rates were less than 10 percent. The race trends hint at the upcoming political and legal wrangling over the 2010 census figures, to be published beginning next Tuesday. The data will be used to reallocate congressional districts, drawing new political boundaries.
John Logan, a sociologist at Brown University
New Hispanic-dominated districts could emerge, particularly for elected positions at the state and local level. States are required under the Voting Rights Act to respect the interests of minority voting blocs, which tend to support Democratic candidates. Milwaukee, Detroit and New York were among the most segregated between blacks and whites, all part of areas in the Northeast and Midwest known by some demographers as the ”ghetto belt.” On the other end of the scale, cities that were least likely to be segregated included Las Vegas, Honolulu, Raleigh, N.C., and Albuquerque, N.M. Hispanic integration was mixed. There was less Hispanic-white segregation in many large metros such as Seattle, Jack-
sonville, Fla., and Las Vegas, according to census data. But in many smaller neighborhoods of places such as Los Angeles, Boston and Chicago, large numbers of more recently arrived Hispanic immigrants who often speak Spanish at home were clustering together for social support. The findings on segregation are based on a pair of demographic measures that track the degree to which racial groups are evenly spread between neighborhoods. Both measures showed declines in blackwhite segregation from 2000 to the lowest in generations. For instance, the average white person now lives in a neighborhood that is 79 percent white, compared to 81 percent in 2000. The average black person lives in a 46 percent black neighborhood, down from 49 percent. For Hispanics, however, their average neighborhood last year was 45 percent Hispanic, up slightly from 44 percent. ”The political implications of these trends are great in the long run — majority black districts will become harder to sustain, while more majority Hispanic districts will emerge, especially for state and local positions,” Logan said. The figures come from previous censuses and the 2009 American Community Survey, which samples 3 million households. For places with fewer than 20,000 people, the ACS figures from 2005-2009 were averaged to help compensate for otherwise large margins of error. Due to incomplete 2009 data, the analysis of racial segregation omits seven metro areas: Sarasota, Fla., Greenville, S.C., Harrisburg, Pa., Jackson, Miss., McAllen, Texas, Portland, Maine, and Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Senate Blocks Bill to Ease Restrictions for Illegal Immigrants Dec. 19 (Bloomberg) - A group of Senate Democrats joined Republicans Dec. 18 to block a measure allowing legal status for some younger illegal immigrants, a new setback for advocates who have sought the immigration-law change for a decade. The Senate’s 55-41 vote was short of the 60 required to take up the bill. It signals bleak prospects for the measure as well as any broader immigration overhaul after Republicans take control of the House and gain five Senate seats in January. The House Dec. 8 passed the measure, 216-198, with supporters saying it would help the U.S. economy by adding educated, ambitious young people to the workforce. Called the DREAM Act, the legislation would allow people who were brought to the U.S. illegally before age 16 and remain for at least five years to gain legal residency after going to college or serving in the military for at least two years. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, promised Latino groups and others favoring a comprehensive overhaul that he would advance the bill as a “down payment” to keep momentum in the debate over immigration. He and other backers said it would aid immigrants who have been educated here and could contribute to the economy. “Millions of children who grew up as
Americans will be able to get the education not give up on the DREAM Act, or on the they need to contribute to our economy,” important business of fixing our broken he said during debate on the bill. “Many immigration system.” who have volunteered to defend our counRepublican Support try will no longer have to fear being Similar legislation failed in 2007, though it was supported by 12 Republican senadeported.” tors, including Orrin Hatch of Utah and Amnesty Republicans largely Kay Bailey Hutchison united against the legisof Texas. The party has Republicans largely since opposed liberallation, with some arguing it provided amnesty izing immigration law united against the for illegal immigrants. amid a voter backlash Opponents said it illegal aliens legislation, with some against would provide legal and security lapses on status to people beyond arguing it provided the U.S.-Mexico bortheir college years and der. give a safe harbor to In the Dec. 18 vote, amnesty for illegal some undocumented just three Republicans immigrants. immigrants with crimivoted to let the debate nal records. go forward - Robert “The first thing you Bennett of Utah, Lisa do is you don’t reward it,” said Senator Murkowski of Alaska and Richard Lugar Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the top Repub- of Indiana. Five Democrats voted to help lican on the Judiciary Committee. “The block the measure, including Mark Pryor second thing you want to do is end the of Arkansas, Max Baucus of Montana, massive illegality that’s occurring in this Kay Hagan of North Carolina, Ben Nelson country.” of Nebraska and Jon Tester of Montana. President Barack Obama said yesterday Congressional Republicans’ current the vote was “incredibly disappointing,” stance contrasts with the efforts of former and vowed to continue seeking consensus President George W. Bush to reach out to on the divisive issue of immigration. Latino voters to expand the party’s base. “It is disappointing that common sense The harder line by Republicans bears did not prevail,” Obama said in a prepared political risks that may echo through the statement. “But my administration will 2012 presidential campaign, said Manuel
Pastor, a professor of American Studies and Ethnicities at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. ‘Frightened Away’ Voters “The anti-illegal-immigration rhetoric has frightened away Latino voters” from the Republican Party, Pastor said. Hispanics -- the fastest growing U.S. minority, making up 15 percent of the population, according to Census figures --will be a deciding factor in a number of states in the 2012 presidential election, said Robert de Posada, president of Latinos for Reform, a political action committee that urged Latinos not to vote in the Nov. 2 midterm elections. “You cannot win a presidential election without a significant amount of the Hispanic vote,” said de Posada, a former director of Hispanic affairs at the Republican National Committee. The party must become more welcoming to Latinos if it wants a shift in the ethnic group’s voting behavior, he said. Stepping Up the Effort Congressional Democrats have worked to forestall their own backlash from groups backing a broad-based immigration overhaul by stressing their effort to move ahead with the narrower DREAM Act. The Obama administration in recent weeks stepped up lobbying for it, with Education see IMMIGRANTS on page 23
The Haitian Times
December 22, 2010-January 4, 2011
Haiti Cholera Toll Rises The Haitian Times Newswires
PORT-AU-PRINCE – Haiti's cholera toll has passed 2,500, official figures showed Dec.19, dashing hopes the fatality rate might be beginning to taper off. The health ministry listed 2,535 deaths since the outbreak in the impoverished Caribbean nation erupted in mid-October. Almost 57,000 of the 114,497 people infected have been treated in hospital. Hopes rose last week that the death rate could be slowing as less than 30 people
were shown to have died on two consecutive days. Those hopes were dashed on Sunday as the earlier tolls were amended and 54 people were shown to have died on December 14, the most recent day recorded. At the outbreak's peak in November there were daily tolls of 60, 70 and even 80 and above. The cholera outbreak, Haiti's first in more than a century, spawned deadly anti-UN riots last month as a desperate populace turned its anger on international
At the outbreak's peak in November there were daily tolls of 60, 70 and even 80 and above. peacekeepers accused of bringing the disease into the country. The Nepalese army has reacted angrily
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and said there is no evidence to support allegations the cholera emanated from septic tanks at their base in the Artibonite river valley, where the majority of cases and deaths have been. The United Nations has said it will name an international panel to investigate the origin of the epidemic. A team of US and Haitian researchers confirmed last week that the outbreak was likely sparked by a human source from outside the region.
Health Organization to Pursue Cholera Vaccination in Haiti MIAMI (Reuters) – The Pan American Health Organization hopes to start a cholera vaccination program in Haiti by April but must first boost and fund production of the vaccine that is in short supply, the group said on Friday. The diarrheal disease appeared in the poor Caribbean nation in October for the first time in decades and has sickened 105,000 people and killed more than 2,000, Haitian health officials have said. PAHO, the American division of the World Health Organization, had previously opposed vaccination in Haiti on grounds that it would be too difficult and expensive. It changed course on Friday and recommended using the vaccine in Haiti, partly because it has discovered a stockpile of additional vaccine and partly out of recognition that the outbreak would not be
halted any time soon. ”This is a disease caused by a bacterium that has a foothold in Haiti and will be in Haiti causing endemic cholera for many years to come,” Dr. Jon Andrus, deputy director of PAHO, said in a webcast from Washington. ”So if we have options to better our response we really, really need to study those carefully.” Cholera is caused by a water-borne bacteria called Vibrio cholera and is transmitted when contaminated human fecal matter gets into water, food or onto someone's hands. Many people show no symptoms but can pass it along and cholera can cause extremely severe diarrhea and vomiting that will kill within hours by dehydrating victims. There are only about 200,000 to 300,000 doses of cholera vaccine available in the world at present, and only two companies
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produce it, said Dr. Ciro de Quadros, executive vice president of the Sabin Vaccine Institute. Sanofi Aventis' India-based division Shantha makes a vaccine called Shanchol for about $1 a dose, with up to three doses needed for protection, while Netherlands-based Crucell makes another called Dukoral. PAHO recently discovered a stockpile of more than 1 million doses of Shanchol that would take several months to pack and label, de Quadros said. It has not been prequalified for purchase by the WHO, but that prequalification is expected in the first or second quarter of 2011, he said. Doctors meeting on Friday under the auspices of PAHO recommended that it meet with the manufacturers to see if they see VACCINATION on page 23
Dr. Ciro de Quadros, executive vice president of the Sabin Vaccine Institute.
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The Haitian Times
EDITORIALS/OPINIONS
December 22, 2010-January 4, 2011
Chaotic Elections Bookends Tumultuous Year in Haiti
It is only fitting that a man-made disas- has been allocated and none of it can be ter would bookend the year in Haiti after a traced to Haitian government officials or Haitian businessmen. natural disaster started the year. The lure of that money attracted a plethHaiti has had quite a year of devastation, empty promises and more misery. Unfor- ora of candidates claiming to be presidentunately it appears that 2011 will not bring tial materials. Last month the election that any solace to a people who have shown an was supposed to usher in a new governuncanny ability to rise above the pile of ment resulted in chaos and the results remain as much in limbo as the money rubble heaped upon it for two centuries. After the early days of last January’s pledged to Haiti. So now after days of riots the streets of earthquake, everyone in Haiti agreed that a new mindset should be in place the major cities remain calm as people await the results. According for the country to get most observers, the from under the rubble How can a president to results are likely to of the seismic shock that killed an estimated who swept into office be negotiated behind closed doors as they 250,000 and left 1.5 million displaced. Pol- with so huge a popular are arrived at behind closed voting station. iticians, intellectuals and entrepreneurs took vote, have squandered The government of René Préval botched to the airwaves and extolled the virtue of it so fast, remain one of these elections so much togetherness and how the great mysteries in that there are no good solutions. Préval, overwe should unite as a saw one of the worst nation and put aside Haitian politics. elections in Haiti’s our differences. fragile democracy, less For a moment it seemed that since our independence in than five years before the previous admin1804 we would rise against insurmount- istration tried to derail his win. Préval knows the situation extremely able odds and proved the naysayers wrong. We believed rightly so that in the face of well having been a major player in Haiti’s such adversity that we were going to rely political scene since 1986. He is said to on ourselves first and foremost and then be deeply frightened of being sent to exile whatever others give us, we take it as at best or imprisoned, at worst. Now why would a president in a democracy fear such unexpected bounty. But by March we were giddy with fate? This is something that the WikiLeaks excitement as leader after leader pledged cables from the American Embassy in money to Haiti during a donor’s confer- Haiti did not shed any light on. How can a president who swept into ence at the United Nations. A whopping $10 billion to help it get back on its feet. office with so huge a popular vote, have Haitian leaders made the second mistake squandered it so fast, remain one of the thinking that these pledges were soon great mysteries in Haitian politics. He going to be reality. The majority of these made history in 2001 by being the only nations pledging these funds like monop- Haitian president to have remained in the oly money are democracies that require country after serving his term as president legislative approval for any money to be and to recapture the palace. Now Préval disbursed. What the leaders, including US will be just another failed president who Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, failed has misled the troubled Caribbean nation to say is that they had no plan to lobby since its independence. When you test their legislative bodies to get that money to fate, you have to be true to yourself. Haiti. So a year later, only a small portion
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In Our Hands, Lies Our Destiny countries are ruled by laws that must be respected, especially by those aspiring to lead them, any solution outside the framework of the Constitution and the electoral laws would only accelerate the country’s By Max A. Joseph Jr. descent into the realm of the rule of necesThe hundreds of sity. Adding a third candidate to the Januthousands of deaths ary 16th run-off, as advocated by the interthat occurred on Janu- national community or a second vote that ary 12th 2010, no doubt includes all 18 presidential candidates, as tragic and unfortunate, suggested by Michel Martelly, would be could have served as a catalyst for a illegal under the 1987 Constitution and the renewal of the Haitian spirit that has been current electoral laws. adversely afflicted with a defeatist sentiThe politicians’ appeals to the interment as long as any Haitian alive today national community for mediation may could remember. But the hope of Haitians seem reasonable, seeing that the country retaking and rebuilding their country is is hopelessly locked in a battle of wills becoming more and more a distant dream amongst the actors and a consensus canstruggling in the shadows of the unimagi- not be reached, however, is there really a nable loss of lives and physical destruction need to proceed with this course? Unforof Haiti. The country’s political leaders’ tunately, the international community is inability to find a Haitian solution to the actually the chief protagonist in the cricrisis and their overreliance on foreign- sis and cannot therefore be expected to ers practically doom Haiti’s chance at play a constructive or impartial role that regaining its sovercould bring peace to eignty for the foreThe paternalism and the dysfunctional seeable future. What and weary nation. other country in our One must remember intrigues of the world would ask for that before the closinternational commuoutside “technical” ing of the polls on help with recount28th and nity that pitted Haitians November ing ballots, which frauds were evident involves matchand widespread, the against Haitians must ing cast votes with international comvoter registration munity had come out end, because in our lists? With these in favor of upholding hands, lies our destiny. the legitimacy of the fraudulent elections and René Préval’s vote. It is therefore pathetic plea for outside help with the inconceivable that a solution could come recount, Haiti has sunk to a new low and from an entity that stood ready to sancrevealed to the world her shortcomings. tion an elaborate deception that was only The country founded on the sweat and thwarted by the vigilance of the people. blood of resolute lovers of freedom and Any Haitian or a presidential candidate, justice does not deserve such fate. for that matter, who willingly encourages When Nazi Germany surrendered on the prolongation of this crisis, does not May 7th 1945, the victorious Allies were represent the interests of the country. The quick to tell the German people that they cholera epidemic (2402 deaths) that must were not in Germany to restore civil life in be contained and the urgent need to rebuild that country which, they insisted, was the Haiti must supersede political or personal task of the German people. Even though ambitions, if the country were to regain its Haiti was not defeated in a war, but a footing and move forward. Undoubtedly victim of geopolitical power play, this his- magnanimity and patriotism are presently torical analogy is nonetheless warranted, in short supply, but plain common sense since the Haitian leaders, unlike the Ger- can still prevail since the ramifications mans, simply abandoned the building of from a prolonged crisis are too dreadful their society to the care of the occupiers. to contemplate. While Haitian politics is This sentiment has permeated the popula- devoid of morality and ethics, saving a tion to the point where the nation sits idly dying Haiti is a moral obligation to which and waits for the administrators of the all politicians must bear. The aggrieved occupation 2004-? to come up with what- candidates must therefore look past the ever they may perceive is best for Haiti. November 28th travesty and work toward Sadly, there is currently no institution reforming the CEP which, within its actual in Haiti with the moral gravitas to impose framework, can easily be corrupted by a solution on the feuding political class Machiavellian characters, like the ostensiwhich remains pathologically inclined to bly harmless but astute René Préval. bring destruction to the country and its Haiti has become a laughingstock due people. However, the quest for interna- to the actions of its politicians and Haitional mediation by the government and tians everywhere are treated with utter Michel Martelly, the wronged presidential disrespect by others because they reprecandidate, is reflexive amongst Haitian sent a failed nation, notwithstanding their politicians and only reinforces the notion academic and professional achievements that we have failed as a nation. that surpass those of many of their detracFurthermore, it is outrageous that the tors. The paternalism and intrigues of presidential candidates, having accepted the international community that pitted the legitimacy of the Electoral Provi- Haitians against Haitians and caused us to sional Council (CEP) by participating in lose of our raison d’être must end, because what was from the beginning a fraudulent in our hands, lies our destiny. The sooner endeavor, are now crying foul. Given that collaborators and occupiers come to this the framework established by the CEP realization, the better the solution, and the was one of exclusion which they willfully pernicious “threat to international peace agreed on, the aggrieved candidates must and security” will automatically disappear. now accept the consequences. Because Contact Joseph at djougan@yahoo.com
Under The
Radar
December 22, 2010-January 4, 2011
Is Obama Really the New Comeback Kid? The ink was barely dry on the ObamaMcConnell tax deal and already Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer had proclaimed the president “the new comeback kid.” Many in the media quickly echoed this new meme. “Political Rebound? Obama sets up as new Comeback Kid” seconded USA Today. “Some now see Obama as the ‘comeback kid’” wrote the Christian Science Monitor. You get the gist. Six weeks ago, in the wake of the Democrats’ midterm shellacking, many commentators put the Obama presidency on life support; he was weak, spineless, out of touch. Now they’re promoting the exact opposite narrative—Obama is strong, ruthless, willing to put the good of the country ahead of his whiny liberal base. Time for a reality check: Obama’s presidency didn’t end after the midterm election and it hasn’t been revived during the lame duck session of Congress. Polls currently show a mixed bag of news for Obama. After dropping precipitously in 2009, his numbers have held steady for much of 2010. According to the latest Gallup poll, 46 percent of Americans approve of the job he’s doing as president, while 45 percent disapprove. He’s facing a divided country and a weak field of prospective 2012 GOP challengers, with the possible exception of Mitt Romney, who’ll spend the next year trying to convince Tea Party activists how “Romneycare” is different from “Obamacare.” Good luck with that, Mitt. Yet other numerical indicators don’t paint a rosy picture for the president. No president since FDR has run for re-election or been re-elected when the unemployment rate was over 8 percent. Nearly six in ten Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, according to the latest Marist poll. Obama’s approval ratings among liberal Democrats—his strongest and most reliable constituency—fell below 80 percent for the first time last week, after the tax deal was announced. He’s losing his base but failing to bring independents back into the fold. (I made these points last
The Haitian Times
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Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
President Barack Obama whistles as he walks along the Colonnade of the White House following a holiday reception, Dec. 14, 2010.
week on MSNBC’s “The Last Word” with Lawrence O’Donnell. Posting clip below.) Both substantively and politically, the tax deal was hardly a courageous move by Obama. His negotiation strategy came straight from the Rahm Emanuel school of politics—take the path of least resistance (extending all the Bush tax cuts), get what you can in return (unemployment benefits, the continuation of some progressive tax cuts), declare victory and move on. Or, in the case of this deal, kick the can down the road another two years and hopefully make the tough choices then. Repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was a more clear cut victory for the president, a policy change that would have been unthinkable under George W. Bush, who spent much of his time in office trying to prevent equality for gay and lesbian
Americans. Passage of the START treaty will be trumpeted as another major victory, even if most Americans don’t know what that is or care. But the tax cut deal, not the repeal of DADT or passage of START, will likely be the precursor of things to come in the new Congress. A hostile GOP House will want to negotiate on their terms and will be determined to make Obama’s life a living hell. We don’t know how the president or Congressional Democrats will react to this new reality. The Obama administration accomplished a lot in the past two years but it also disappointed and alienated a good chunk of core supporters. Did Democrats make the most of their legislative supermajority, in terms of the breadth and scope of legislation passed, or did they unnecessarily compromise on too
many top priorities? Obama supporters are debating this very question today and historians will continue to for years to come. In the past two years Obama has been uneven on offense—determined to do big things but often ambivalent about how hard to push and the best path to get there—and untested on defense (that elbow he took on the basketball court was a bad sign). Can he outmaneuver his opponents or will he fall victim to the ideological extremity of the right, agreeing, for example, to cut Social Security benefits and shred a core platform of the Democratic Party? Let’s hold off, please, from anointing Obama the comeback kid until we know what the full extent of that “comeback” actually entails. The opinion was first published in The Nation.
Is a Good Teacher Worth $400,000? Over the course of a school year, a good teacher produces $400,000 more OPINION in future earnings for a class of 20 students than an average teacher. What's more, replacing the worst-performing five to eight percent of teachers with average teachers could catapult the U.S. to near the top of international math and science rankings, padding GDP by $100 trillion and generating returns that dwarf ”the discussions of U.S. economic stimulus packages related to the 2008 recession ($1 trillion).” These are the findings of a National Bureau of Economic Research study by Stanford's Eric Hanushek, which investigates the interplay between teacher effectiveness and the economic impact of higher student achievement, specifically in terms of test scores. Hanushek notes that one challenge his
paper doesn't tackle is how to link pay to effectiveness; instead, the research ”simply suggests that the economically appropriate rewards for particularly effective teachers in the context of a performance pay plan could be very large.” There Are Two Ways to Interpret This Data, argues Adam Ozimek at Modeled Behavior. Studies like this show that teachers are valuable and that we should raise wages to attract better talent. But iff good teachers are very valuable, then bad teachers are very costly. This means we should be willing to pay more for good teachers, but it also increases the benefit of getting rid of bad teachers and ensuring we have a system that can do that. After all, every dollar spent on a bad teacher has the high opportunity cost of good teachers. Findings like this tell us that we should place even less relative value on teacher wellbeing for it’s own sake (which is separate from teacher well-being to the extent that
it improves outcomes) when considering reforms. I think this is something that some progressives aren’t as happy to hear, especially with regard to using the teaching profession as a middle class jobs program. Shrinking Class Sizes Has Diluted Teacher Talent, asserts Reihan Salam at National Review: Had we stayed at the teacher-student ratios of the 1970s, we'd have 2.2 million public school teachers rather than 3.2 million. Know what else happened over the last 40 years? Labor market discrimination against women and African Americans declined, giving talented female and African American workers who had once gravitated to the teaching profession other options. Allowing effective teachers to take on larger classes in exchange for more pay could have a powerful positive effect. We Should Put The Findings In Context of Other Research, says Catherine Rampell
at The New York Times. She mentions a recent study claiming that a strong kindergarten teacher is worth $320,000 a year based on the additional earnings that a class of students can expect to earn during the course of their careers. Benefits of Above-Average Education Will Only Increase, states Derek Thompson at The Atlantic. In this ”stratified, winnertakes-almost-all economy,” he explains, ”the middle class has hollowed out and earnings among the college-educated far outstrip high school graduates.” Thompson also compares Hanushek's research to a 2009 McKinsey finding that if the American education system performed at the level of South Korea, the US economy would improve by a sixth of GDP, or more than $2 trillion. The Opinion was first published in theatlanticwire.com.
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December 22, 2010-January 4, 2011
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December 22, 2010-January 4, 2011
2010's World Gone Wild: Quakes, Floods, Blizzards This was the year the Earth struck back. Earthquakes, heat waves, floods, volcanoes, super typhoons, blizzards, landslides and droughts killed at least a quarter million people in 2010 - the deadliest year in more than a generation. More people were killed worldwide by natural disasters this year than have been killed in terrorism attacks in the past 40 years combined. ”It just seemed like it was back-to-back and it came in waves,” said Craig Fugate, who heads the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency. It handled a record number of disasters in 2010. ”The term '100-year event' really lost its meaning this year.” And we have ourselves to blame most of the time, scientists and disaster experts say. Even though many catastrophes have the ring of random chance, the hand of man made this a particularly deadly, costly, extreme and weird year for everything from wild weather to earthquakes. Poor construction and development practices conspire to make earthquakes more deadly than they need be. More people live in poverty in vulnerable buildings in crowded cities. That means that when the ground shakes, the river breaches, or the tropical cyclone hits, more people die. Disasters from the Earth, such as earthquakes and volcanoes ”are pretty much constant,” said Andreas Schraft, vice presi-
dent of catastrophic perils for the Genevabased insurance giant Swiss Re. ”All the change that's made is man-made.” The January earthquake that killed well more than 220,000 people in Haiti is a perfect example. Port-au-Prince has nearly three times as many people - many of them living in poverty - and more poorly built shanties than it did 25 years ago. So had the same quake hit in 1985 instead of 2010, total deaths would have probably been in the 80,000 range, said Richard Olson, director of disaster risk reduction at Florida International University. In February, an earthquake that was more than 500 times stronger than the one that struck Haiti hit an area of Chile that was less populated, better constructed, and not as poor. Chile's bigger quake caused fewer than 1,000 deaths. Climate scientists say Earth's climate also is changing thanks to man-made global warming, bringing extreme weather, such as heat waves and flooding. In the summer, one weather system caused oppressive heat in Russia, while farther south it caused flooding in Pakistan that inundated 62,000 square miles, about the size of Wisconsin. That single heatand-storm system killed almost 17,000 people, more people than all the worldwide airplane crashes in the past 15 years combined.
In the United States, 30 people died in the Nashville, Tenn., region in flooding.
”It's a form of suicide, isn't it? We build houses that kill ourselves (in earthquakes). We build houses in flood zones that drown ourselves,” said Roger Bilham, a professor of geological sciences at the University of Colorado. ”It's our fault for not anticipating these things. You know, this is the Earth doing its thing.” No one had to tell a mask-wearing Vera Savinova how bad it could get. She is a 52-year-old administrator in a dental clinic who in August took refuge from Moscow's
Haiti, Cote d'Ivoire, Sudan Remain High in UN Priorities, Says Official Susana Malcorra, the UN under-secretary-general for the Department of Field Support (DFS), said on Monday that the electoral processes of Haiti, Cote d' Ivoire and the preparation for Sudan's referenda remain ”high in our priorities.” ”These three simultaneous electoral processes have put a level of burden on support that has been really really high,” Malcorra told a press conference here on the updated work of the DFS. The UN has been instrumental in providing the national authorities with all the logistics that have been required to achieve the registration in the case of Sudan, and the processes themselves in both Cote d'Ivoire and Haiti, she noted.
”These three things have been high in our priorities in the last few weeks and months,” Malcorra said. Haiti meanwhile is experiencing rising tensions with its disputed elections with suspicions of fraud. Currently, Cote d'Ivoire is undergoing a political crisis, as two different candidates, Alassane Ouattara and Laurent Gbagbo, were both sworn in as president after the Nov. 28 presidential runoff election. In the case of Sudan where the referenda are scheduled for Jan. 9, ”we still have a lot of additional work to be done,” Malcorra said. The story was first published in peoplenews.com.
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Susana Malcorra,
record heat, smog and wildfires. ”I think it is the end of the world,” she said. ”Our planet warns us against what would happen if we don't care about nature.” The excessive amount of extreme weather that dominated 2010 is a classic sign of man-made global warming that climate scientists have long warned about. They calculate that the killer Russian heat wave - setting a national record of 111 degrees - would happen once every 100,000 years without global warming. Preliminary data show that 18 countries broke their records for the hottest day ever. ”These (weather) events would not have happened without global warming,” said Kevin Trenberth, chief of climate analysis for the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo. That's why the people who study disasters for a living say it would be wrong to chalk 2010 up to just another bad year. ”The Earth strikes back in cahoots with bad human decision-making,” said a weary Debarati Guha Sapir, director for the World Health Organization's Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters. ”It's almost as if the policies, the government policies and development policies, are helping the Earth strike back instead of protecting from it. We've created conditions where the slightest thing the Earth does is really going to have a disproportionate impact.” Here's a quick tour of an anything but see DISASTER on page 15
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The Haitian Times
Paj Kreyòl Ayisyen
Dèyè Nou pran nan Tonton Nwèl… Pawòl Nou pran nan Twa Wa!!! Gen Pawòl Avèk Wozvèl Jan — Batis Tradisyon m eseye tabli ak nou pou m pale sou sezon Nwèl chak ane pa janm ka pran paske nou toujou antòtye nan on koze Tonton Nwèl. An desanm 2005, m te poze nou kesyon “Èske nou kwè nan Tonton Nwèl?”… epi se konsta nou te fè Tonton Nwèl pran pretèks kidnaping pou l pa pase. An 2006 m te di “Tonton Nwèl, m tounen nan kò ou ankò!”, tankou on gwo san wont, pou m “mande ou yon grenn bagay: pote on ‘konsyans politisyen reskonsab’ ni pou Premye Minis lan, ni pou Prezidan an. Pote tou pou tout minis yo. Pote pou tout politisyen nan peyi a, pou mwen. Mèsi!” Depi 2007, m pa kontinye, paske m remake se mouvman nil. Ane sa a, 2010, se pi rèd: nou pran nan Tonton Nwèl pou toutbon. Depi byen bonè, nou kòmanse pran pataswèl. 12 janvye vin tounen on dat (Douz Janvye) nan vi nou. Epi nou tonbe nan K ak Kolera, nou deklare KKK (Konbit Kont Kolera). Epi!? Nou fenk kare nan ka ak deblozay eleksyon. Nou menm pran nan twa wa, twa kandida pou prezidan ki, nan batay premye tou, ta renmen al fè on kou sou fotèy boure apre dezyèm tou. Yo tout pale. Yo tout gen rèv yo. Yo chak ap tann Tonton Nwèl pa yo, nan sans pa yo… twa wa, non, de wa,
on rèn, ki lage nou nan kouri… ak mesaj yo le 8 desanm 2010. M ban nou yo nan lòd. Se kado Nwèl nou… “Menm jan apre eleksyon, gen yon dividal lòt moun ki dwe pran responsabilite yo. Kanta pou mwen menm, m ap kenbe kin alaganach avèk nou. Mwen tande chif K.E.P. a bay; yo pa koresponn ditou ak pwosèvèbal pa m yo, paske daprè chif pa nou, fòk mwen ta pi wo lontan. Nou pral reklame dwa nou. M ap envite tout moun ki gen reklamasyon, pou yo fè menm jan, pou yo fè l nan tèt frèt, jan lalwa mande. Se poutèt sa, mwen mande on evalyasyonn endepandan pou pwòpte rezilta sa yo. Mwen espere laverite a ap djayi ni sou kantite vwa pa m, ni sou pa lòt kandida. Moun ki fin awoyo nan fè fwod, ak zòt ki ankouraje yo, oubyen ki fèmen je yo sou move [dosye?] sa yo, y ap konn sa pou yo di ak konsyans yo, devan yon pèp ki nan grangou, ki pa gen kay, k ap mouri anba kolera, devan yon pèp ki merite tou sa ki bon, men ki nan tout malsite. Nou di moun sa yo pinga! Pèp sa a, mwen redi nou li ankò, li gen moun ki ka defann li. Mwen menm, mwen menm, Milann Maniga, mwen se youn lan yo. M pral sonje sa nèt alkole. M ap pwofite pou m voye yon gwo mèsi bay tout moun ki te vote pou mwen, avèk tout difikilte nou viv, tout magouy ke nou te reyisi kwape jou dimanch sa a. Batay la po ko bout. N ap rete kanpe dèyè vòt nou, e nou pa p pèdi batay la. Ansanm! Ansanm! Ansanm! Jouk nou pote laviktwa!” “Pèp ayisyen, m ap di ou mèsi pou
lanmou ke ou gen pou mwen, e mwen koube byen ba pou m salye nou toupatou. Depi yè swa, K.E.P. a lage peyi a nan yon tchouboum avèk rezilta malatchong li an. Depi lè sa a, tout peyi a leve kanpe pou l rele chalbari dèyè yo pou mande respekte vòt pèp la. Ni kominote entènasyonal la, ni CNO, ni fowòm ekonomik la, tout lòt obsèvatè yo, deklare ke rezilta sa a se pa bon rezilta a. Mwen konprann kòlè nou. Manifeste san vyolans se dwa pèp la. M ap mande nou veye enfiltrasyon ak pwovokasyon pou zòt pa vin lage responsabilite sou do nou. Veye anwo, veye anba. Mwen avèk nou jiska laviktwa, tèt kale. Michèl Mateli, kandida a la prezidans, Repons Peyizan.” “Pèp ayisyen! Apre senk siklòn, on tranblemanntè, on epidemi kolera, pye Ayiti glise, men Ayiti pa tonbe. Nou remake gen kèk moun nan yon atitid iresponsab, ki anvi lage peyi a nan tchouboum, san yo pa genyen okenn konsiderasyon pou sila yo ki pa gen gran mwayen nan men yo, moun k ap viv o jou le jou yo; san yo pa gen okenn konsiderasyon pou moun ke maladi kolera frape e ke on lit sewòm te ka bay lavi si yo te gentan rive lopital a tan; san yo pa gen okenn konsiderasyon pou timoun ki pa ale lekòl; san yo pa panse ke kraze biznis moun nan sektè prive a, kraze komès ti machann pa p rapòte pesòn anyen. Okontrè, li fè tout moun vin pi pòv. Nou menm, pandan ke n ap remèsye tout sipòtè nou yo, ki te vote nou an mas nan tout rakwen peyi a, n ap kontinye mande yo pou yo rete kal, pou yo pa pran lan
December 22, 2010-January 4, 2011
entimidasyon ni lan pwovokasyon. Nou kwè sèl ke kontestasyon elektoral pa p ka fèt nan kraze brize. Nou ban n garanti ke vòt nou yo pa p pase anba pye. Nou deja pran tout dispozisyon lalwa prevwa pou K.E.P. a respekte vòt pèp la. Nou tout te chita anba lonbray lwa elektoral la, e n ap kontinye rete anba l. N ap kontinye fè l konfyans, tankou n ap fè tout aktè ki konsène, ki enplike pa eleksyon an, konfyans. N ap pale de K.E.P., de Nasyonzini, de OEA, CARICOM. Demokrasi ke nou vle konstwi a egzije ke chak moun se yon vwa, e chak vwa dwe konte. Se lè chak vwa konte, grenn pa grenn, san manke yon sèl, ke prezidan ak palmantè yo genyen lejitimite pou yo mennen bak peyi a. Pandan ke n ap koube nou byen ba devan kadav moun ki mouri yo, n ap swete fanmi yo kondoleyans. N ap voye senpati nou bay ti machann ki pèdi komès yo, bay sektè prive a, bay manm sektè prive a ki pèdi biznis yo, bay atispent Plas Sen Pyè yo ke yo boule tablo yo, bay tout moun ki pèdi machin e vit machin yo. Pandan ke n ap rete mobilize dan tou lè dis depatman yo, nou mèt kontinye rete tèt frèt, pandan n ap itilize lalwa pou n defann vòt nou yo. Toujou sonje ke fòs fènwa pa ka gen laviktwa sou fòs limyè. Ayiti pa p peri. Mèsi!” (Jid Selesten) Nou gendwa resevwa mesaj yo “tèt frèt” kondi Maniga ak Selesten… osnon “tèt kale”, kondi Mateli. Kontakte Wozvèl Jan-Batis nan rorojb@netzero.com
AITIAN TIME S H The Haitian Times
December 22, 2010-January 4, 2011
THE
BRIDGING THE GAP
and Its Staff Wish
A Merry Christmas 2010 and Happy New Year 2011 Bon Fet Nwel 2010 epi Bon Ane 2011 To all Its advertisers and Readers
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The Haitian Times
December 22, 2010-January 4, 2011
The Haitian Times
December 22, 2010-January 4, 2011
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January 12 Haiti was hit by an earthquake Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush visited Haiti on March 21st
The Year
HAITIAN TIMES
VOL. 12 NO. 12/March 24-30, 2010 $1.00
A child being treated for cholera which first appeared last October in the central city of Mirebalais.
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Haitian protested Nov. 28 over alleged election fraud in polls in Port-au-Prince
in Pictures
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Canada Governor Michaelle Jean visited Haiti on March 8th. She is seen hugging her god daughter who lost her mother activist Magalie Marcelin in the January earthquake
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An aerial view of the region hit by hurricane Thomas which struck Haiti in the weekend of Nov 5.
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Several Hundres farmers marched to protest against donated genetically modified seeds by Monsanto, a corporation in the United States.
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United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Haiti on May 10. Haiti drop case against 10 missionaries in adoption case; one of them is seen leaving the country.
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Grammy-award winning musician’s wild popularity is not in question, says Henry Carey, a political science professor at Georgia State University. “He will be perceived as the next savior. ... All he really has to do is have a few rock concerts.” “Raymond Joseph is nothing compared to him,” he adds. “Raymond Joseph is really no big deal in Haiti.” Wyclef has reportedly taken legal steps to run for president, including filing all necessary papers. Appearing at the Portau-Prince international airport on Thursday, he told Reuters that he was in Haiti to meet with lawyers and have his fingerprints taken by the judicial police as part of the legal process of preparing to run for president. “There are a lot of rumors that I am running for president. I have not declared that,” he told the news agency. “If we decide to move forward, I am pretty sure that we have all our paperwork straight.” Wyclef may need a lot of lawyers if he
plans to be president, as his legitimacy as a candidate could come down to a court decision. Of six constitutional requirements to run for president, one is that the candidate have lived in Haiti for the five preceding years. Is an election even possible? But Professor Henry Carey, who has monitored several Haiti elections for international observers, argues that it’s highly unlikely that Haiti will be able to host elections in November, the date set by current President René Préval, who must retire after this term. “Every single election in Haiti has been delayed for any number of reasons,” he says. The Jan. 12 earthquake destroyed or damaged 188,383 homes, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and among them were many places used for polling stations. It remains unclear where people will vote in Port-au-Prince. Moreover, the Provisional Electoral Commission (CEP) must determine in what districts that the 2 million displaced Haitians are allowed to vote.
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Queens Museum honored Haiti 100 years of Art and Architecture
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Puppets made by mask Maker Didier Civil from Jacmel participated in New York Halloween parade
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Angelina Jolie returned to Haiti for the United Nations in the weekend of June 19- 21.
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Former US Presidents, Bill Clinton (3L) and George W. Bush (2L), visit Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Presidents Clinton and Bush speak to the owners of the Caribbean Crafts factory. Former US presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush visited Haiti Monday to reassure the shattered nation the world has not forgotten it 10 weeks after the deadliest earthquake of modern times.
Presidents Bush, Clinton Visit Devastated Haiti PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton clasped hands with residents of one of Haiti’s massive tent cities Monday on a tour of its quake-devastated capital — a visit intended to remind donors of the immense needs facing the recovery effort. The two former leaders, who were tapped by President Barack Obama to spearhead U.S. fundraising for the crisis, made their first joint visit to Haiti. They spotlighted the dramatic need for help ahead of a critical March 31 U.N. donors conference in New York where Haitian officials will ask for $11.5 billion in reconstruction help. At a news conference with President Rene Preval on the grounds of the collapsed national palace, Bush said he was struck by the devastation caused by the Jan. 12 earthquake. “It’s one thing to see it on TV, it’s another to see it firsthand,” said Bush, who was making his first visit to Haiti. “Hopefully our visit will remind people that Haiti needs help.” Clinton and Bush later greeted quake survivors camped on the Champ de Mars, the national mall filled with 60,000 homeless
people. Secret Service agents and Haitian police surrounded the men as they waded into a fenced-in section of the mall where dozens of families have pitched blue, orange and silver tarps. While many of the homeless welcomed the visit as a sign that the U.S. would continue to supply aid, some said they were disappointed the presidents did not bring anything more tangible.
“Hopefully our visit will remind people that Haiti needs help,” said Bush. “The visit is like no visit at all. They walked inside, it’s to show off,” said Rene Pierre, a 35-year-old homeless man. About 100 protesters burned tires and an American flag outside the national palace to demand the return of ousted President JeanBertrand Aristide, who was flown from Haiti aboard a U.S. plane during Bush’s presidency and now lives in South African exile.
Wyclef Jean
Raymond Joseph
Queens Museum Honor 100 10 Years
Clinton and Bush visited the country as it struggles to feed and shelter victims of the magnitude-7 quake, which killed an estimated 230,000 people. Another 1.3 million quake survivors are homeless, with many living in camps prone to dangerous flooding in the April rainy season. The former presidents also visited the Maxima SA woodworking plant where manager Evelien Degier, a native of the Netherlands, said they can build houses for $2,000. She said she hopes the presidents help direct investment to companies like hers that employ Haitians as part of the reconstruction effort. “It’s wonderful to have the handouts and the food,” she said. “But now people need to go back to work to real life to earn real money.” The chairman of Haiti’s chamber of commerce, Reginald Boulos, said Monday that Clinton and Haitian Prime Minister JeanMax Bellerive will co-chair a task force overseeing the large amounts of international aid expected to pour in next month. Clinton said he had not been formally
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Jocelyne Dorisme and Kerta George in a duo at the 100 yea Arts and Architechture in Haiti. The Event wsac in Honor of Alix Roy, Wilson Bigaud who died in the Jan. 12 earthquak
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The Haitian Times
December 22, 2010-January 4, 2011
The
Prescription By Dr. Gerald W. Deas
A Santa of Color While growing up, the only Santa Claus that I believed in was a fat, cheery, robust, white Santa. He was the one that I waited for to climb down the chimney and put a favorite toy under my tree. In fact, I was conditioned by the media that Christmas was a day when you got something without doing anything, other than being a good boy or girl throughout the year. I must say, however, at this junction, that my parents did balance my material desires by taking me to Sunday School and church every Sunday. This impressed in me the real meaning of Christ-Mass, which was the entrance of God’s son into the world. That belief became the center of my life and impressed me to realize that it was more important to give than to receive. Getting back to Santa Claus, I had always been presented with a white Santa, and truly believed he could take care of my wishes. I did, however, wonder why there was not a Santa who had the hue of my skin, but as long as he could do the job of giving me gifts, I didn’t pass judgment. I did however, question how one Santa could do his job adequately. In fact, I also wondered how he could slide down a chimney exposed to all of that soot and come out white! While working at Gertz Department store, management decided that they would have a white Santa and a black Santa back to back in their toy department. The children, black and white, would line up in long lines overworking the white Santa. No one, including black children wanted to sit on the black Santa’s lap. When I observed this, I suggested to management that they have one Santa at a time
and not give children an option. When this took place, it was amazing how all the children, black and white, were glad to sit on the black Santa’s lap. It was said by Jean Bruyere, “Children have neither past nor future; and what scarcely ever happens to us, they enjoy the present.” Finally, I would like to close with a song I wrote that was recorded by Brook Benton, and which still plays worldwide: Soul Santa Since nobody has seen Santa on Christmas When he steals down the chimney with care Wouldn’t it be so revealing If Santa had black, kinky hair Now, I know his cheeks wouldn’t be rosy But you could tell it was cold When you saw his red underwear peeking Over his soulful jellyroll Now, Santa is a fine soul brother He loves all his fellow man And he’ll do anything for you At least all that he can But, no matter what he looks like No matter what you’ve been told There’s one thing about your Santa He has that thing called Soul! Have a blessed Christ-Mass and a healthy New Year! For more health tips and access to an online community of physicians and other healthcare professionals visit: DrDeas.com
Sunnyvale City Council Votes to Ban Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Medical marijuana dispensaries have no place in Sunnyvale, according to the city council. The council voted on Dec. 14 to prohibit medical marijuana dispensaries within city limits, ending months of research and debate and going against the recommendation of the planning commission. The prohibition will go into effect after a second reading of the ordinance in January. ”I don't think we want to be a community that allows this kind of storefront,” Mayor Melinda Hamilton said. ”We don't allow gambling, we don't allow any more strip clubs or other nuisance businesses. I think this says a lot about the community we are. ”We want to be a community that's compassionate, but not one that's compassionate at the expense of our future,” Hamilton said. More than 60 people turned out to the meeting, and more than 40 spoke in a debate that lasted nearly four hours. The council approved the city staff's recommendation to prohibit dispensaries, passing a draft ordinance by a 4-2 vote. Councilmen Tony Spitaleri and David Whittum voted against the ban, and Councilman Ron Swegles was absent. ”A ban doesn't work when you don't provide alternatives,” Spitaleri said. ”To not explore how this can work and how we can regulate it is a shame.” The planning commission discussed the issue at its Nov. 22 meeting, recommend-
ing the city council direct staff to write up a draft ordinance to allow medical marijuana dispensaries. Had the council followed the planning commission's recommendation, a draft ordinance would have been presented for discussion at a January meeting. Of the more than 40 public speakers at the meeting, the vast majority supported a ban on medical marijuana dispensaries. ”A well-crafted ordinance is one thing, but the reality of the regulation and safety of these business is another,” resident MeiLing Stefan said. Resident Carol Eyring, who brought her daughter, Kaylene, to the podium, added, ”Do not prostitute our city and our children for the price of taxes from medical marijuana dispensaries. Just say no to drugs.” Community development director Hanson Hom stated in his staff report that the city believes the costs to regulate and police medical marijuana distribution would be ”significant,” and the lack of state oversight was a major concern. Whittum said concerns over rising marijuana use among teens would not be allayed by prohibiting medical marijuana dispensaries. ”I think the proponents of this ban should leave tonight and come up with a way to deal with the issues that have been raised tonight,” Whittum said. ”This problem isn't going away. Teenagers aren't going to stop smoking marijuana just see MARIJUANA on page 23
December 22, 2010-January 4, 2011
HEALTH
The Haitian Times
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UN Chief to Appoint Haiti Cholera Panel An expert scientific panel will be appointed to investigate the origin of the cholera outbreak in Haiti, says the United Nations secretary general. Details of the independent panel, which will include world-renowned microbiologists and epidemiologists, among others, will be rolled out as soon as possible, Ban Ki-moon told reporters in New York Dec. 17 in his year-end speech. ”We want to make the best efforts to get to the bottom of this outbreak and get the answers the people of Haiti deserve.” Since it emerged in late October, the disease has spread throughout much of Haiti, killing 2,535 people and sickening 114,497more. The UN says up to 650,000 people in Haiti could get cholera over the next six months. There is widespread belief in Haiti that UN peacekeepers from Nepal are the source of the disease. A French epidemiologist, who studied the outbreak on behalf of the Haitian and French governments, came to the same conclusion. In his wide-ranging speech Ban also touched on the recent elections in the Ivory Coast. Ban said Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo must step down and hand power over to opposition leader Alassane Ouattara. The United Nations declared Ouattara the winner in a run-off election last month. But the pro-Gbagbo Constitutional Council has rejected the UNcertified results and insists Gbagbo won the vote. Gbagbo's attempts to hold onto power and remain the country's president ”cannot be allowed to stand,” Ban said.
Disasters continued from 5
normal 2010: HOW DEADLY: While the Haitian earthquake, Russian heat wave, and Pakistani flooding were the biggest killers, deadly quakes also struck Chile, Turkey, China and Indonesia in one of the most active seismic years in decades. Through midDecember there have been 20 earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or higher, compared to the normal 16. This year is tied for the most big quakes since 1970, but it is not a record. Nor is it a significantly above average year for the number of strong earthquakes, U.S. earthquake officials say. Flooding alone this year killed more than 6,300 people in 59 nations through September, according to the World Health Organization. In the United States, 30 people died in the Nashville, Tenn., region in flooding. Inundated countries include China, Italy, India, Colombia and Chad. Super Typhoon Megi with winds of more than 200 mph devastated the Philippines and parts
On the subject of the WikiLeaks cables, Ban said these types of documents should be preserved in secret for 30 years. WikiLeaks Cablegate will ”make very difficult the normal operation of business, particularly in the diplomatic world,” he said. On July 25, 2010, WikiLeaks published nearly 77,000 secret U.S. military and intelligence documents that revealed new details about the war in Afghanistan, including the close relationship of the Pakistani military with Afghan insurgents. On Nov. 28, 2010, the site began publishing more than 250,000 leaked United States embassy cables. WikiLeaks says the documents show how the U.S. kept tabs on its allies and on the UN, turned a blind eye to corruption and human rights abuses in states it supported, and how U.S. officials described foreign leaders. Ban was coy when asked by a reporter whether he will run for a second term. ”I will address this issue some time next year,” he said. 2011 will be the last year before Ban's likely re-election. So far there are no other candidates for the job and all the previous secretary-generals have always been re-elected for a second term, except one — Boutros Boutros Ghali. Meanwhile, a small group of supporters gathered outside Canada's mission to the UN, shouting, ”We're here to celebrate Canada.” They came to thank Canada for its tough stand on Iran's human rights record and for raising that issue in a resolution at the UN this year.
of China. Through Nov. 30, nearly 260,000 people died in natural disasters in 2010, compared to 15,000 in 2009, according to Swiss Re. The World Health Organization, which hasn't updated its figures past Sept. 30, is just shy of 250,000. By comparison, deaths from terrorism from 1968 to 2009 were less than 115,000, according to reports by the U.S. State Department and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The last year in which natural disasters were this deadly was 1983 because of an Ethiopian drought and famine, according to WHO. Swiss Re calls it the deadliest since 1976. The charity Oxfam says 21,000 of this year's disaster deaths are weather related. HOW EXTREME: After strong early year blizzards - nicknamed Snowmageddon - paralyzed the U.S. midAtlantic and record snowfalls hit Russia and China, the temperature turned to broil. The year may go down as the hottest on record worldwide or at the very least in the top three,
Credit: Mariana Nissen/UNDP
Earthquake-affected Haitians remove garbage from a canal in the Bel Air zone, Port-au-Prince.
according to the World Meteorological Organization. The average global temperature through the end of October was 58.53 degrees, a shade over the previous record of 2005, according to the National Climatic Data Center. Los Angeles had its hottest day in recorded history on Sept. 27: 113 degrees. In May, 129 set a record for Pakistan and may have been the hottest temperature recorded in an inhabited location. In the U.S. Southeast, the year began with freezes in Florida that had cold-blooded iguanas becoming comatose and falling off trees. Then it became the hottest summer on record for the region. As the year ended, unusually cold weather was back in force. Northern Australia had the wettest May-October on record, while the southwestern part of that country had its driest spell on record. And parts of the Amazon River basin struck by drought hit their lowest water levels in recorded history. HOW COSTLY: Disasters caused $222 billion in economic losses in 2010 more than Hong Kong's economy
- according to Swiss Re. That's more than usual, but not a record, Schraft said. That's because this year's disasters often struck poor areas without heavy insurance, such as Haiti. Ghulam Ali's three-bedroom, one-story house in northwestern Pakistan collapsed during the floods. To rebuild, he had to borrow 50,000 rupees ($583) from friends and family. It's what many Pakistanis earn in half a year. HOW WEIRD: A volcano in Iceland paralyzed air traffic for days in Europe, disrupting travel for more than 7 million people. Other volcanoes in the Congo, Guatemala, Ecuador, the Philippines and Indonesia sent people scurrying for safety. New York City had a rare tornado. A nearly 2-pound hailstone that was 8 inches in diameter fell in South Dakota in July to set a U.S. record. The storm that produced it was one of seven declared disasters for that state this year. There was not much snow to start the Winter Olympics in a relatively balmy Vancouver, British Columbia, while the U.S. East Coast was snowbound.
In a 24-hour period in October, Indonesia got the trifecta of terra terror: a deadly magnitude 7.7 earthquake, a tsunami that killed more than 500 people and a volcano that caused more than 390,000 people to flee. That's after flooding, landslides and more quakes killed hundreds earlier in the year. Even the extremes were extreme. This year started with a good sized El Nino weather oscillation that causes all sorts of extremes worldwide. Then later in the year, the world got the mirror image weather system with a strong La Nina, which causes a different set of extremes. Having a year with both a strong El Nino and La Nina is unusual. And in the United States, FEMA declared a record number of major disasters, 79 as of Dec. 14. The average year has 34. Through September, the 2010 disaster death toll had already surpassed such notable years as 2004, when the South Asia tsunami struck, and 2008, when Myanmar was hit by a massive cyclone and China suffered a devastating earthquake.
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The Haitian Times
New YorkManhattan-
December 22, 2010-January 4, 2011
COMMUNITYCALENDAR
-The Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI) and The Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA) are proud to copresent the highly anticipated group exhibition entitled, Re-Imagining Haiti, curated by Shantrelle P. Lewis and Shante Cozier. The exhibition will be on view at CCCADI from January 13th to May 8th, 2011 and at MoCADA from January 20th to May 8th, 2011.On the eve of the oneyear anniversary of the earthquake that ravaged Haiti in January 2010, this collaborative exhibition offers contemporary work by artists who are examining the spirituality, aesthetics, and re-construction of Haiti. Through an open call, visual, performing and literary artists as well as musicians and filmmakers were invited to submit work that is centered on a conceptual rethinking of the cosmological and socio-political conditions in Haiti at the present moment. Over twenty artists were selected to participate in Re-Imagining Haiti featuring works in painting, photography, video, installation, illustration and mixed media. The Opening Receptions will take place at CCCADI on Thursday, January 13th from 6-9 PM and at MoCADA on Thursday, January 20th from 6-10PM. The openings will have refreshments, music, and the opportunity to meet the featured artists and the exhibitions’ curators. The Caribbean Cultural Center/African Diaspora Institute is located at 408 West 58th Street, New York NY 10019 (Between 9th and 10th Avenues). To get there by Subway take the 1, A, B, C and D at 59th Street Columbus Circle. Admission $5, Free for CCCADI members. Hours of Operation are Monday ? Friday, 10 am to 5 pm. MoCADA is located at 80 Hanson Place at South Portland in the Downtown Brooklyn. To get there by Subway take the 2, 3, 4, 5, B, and Q stop at Atlantic Avenue; the D, M, N, and R stop Dear Friends I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our friends and supporters a very joyous and safe holiday season. As the New Year approaches it is common for all of us to reflect on the past and project hopeful aspirations into the future. At Brooklyn South, all of us who patrol our streets and those of you who live and work here can proudly point to dramatically safer streets and improved quality of life for everyone. This did not happen by accident; it took dedication and cooperation by everyone involved. All of our dedicated groups from the Precinct councils, Auxiliary officers, to those who gather for our special events such as the Brooklyn South Showcase to National Night Out against Crime should look with great satisfaction on the progress that has been generated in here over the last ten years. Our Officers that ensure our safety along with their Commanders are among the most dedicated group in law enforcement, and with you and them standing side by side with them, I am confident that this upcoming year will be as rewarding to all of us just as the last ten years have been. In closing I wish you all the best in the coming year. Sincerely, Joseph Fox Assistant Chief
at Pacific Street; the C stop at Lafayette Avenue or the G stop at Fulton Street. Admission $5 for adults, $4 for students (with valid ID) and seniors. Free for children 12 and under. Hours of operation are Wednesday ? Sunday, 11am to 6pm, with extended hours are Thursday from 11am- 8pm - The Sidney Hillman Foundation is now accepting nominations and submissions for the 2011 Hillman Prizes, which that honor investigative journalism that fosters social and economic justice. The 2011 prizes will be given for work produced, published, broadcast, or exhibited in 2010. Our six categories will include books (non-fiction), reporting in newspaper, magazine, and online (including blogs), film and broadcast journalism (includes television and radio), and photojournalism. Authors, editors, reporters, producers and photo editors are urged to submit nominations now. The contest is open to journalists and subjects globally, although work must be published in the United States. The postmark deadline for ALL nominations and submissions is January 31, 2011. There is no submission fee. A cover letter and four copies of the nominated material are all that are required. For photojournalism entries, we would most like to see tear sheets (photos as they were published), but scanned work on discs is also acceptable and/or can be supplemental. Please fill out the nomination form on our website. Online and blog entries can be submitted entirely on this form. Winners will be announced in May 2011. Each winner is awarded travel to New York City to receive a $5,000 prize and a certificate designed by New Yorker cartoonist, Edward Sorel, at our cocktail reception and awards ceremony to be held May 19, 2011. Submissions are judged by a distinguished panel of judges: Hendrik Hertzberg, senior editor, The New Yorker, Susan Meiselas, Magnum photographer, Harold Meyerson, Washington Post and Los Angeles Times columnist and editor-at-large, The American Prospect, Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor and publisher, The Nation, Rose Marie Arce, senior producer, CNN, and Charles Kaiser, ”Full Court Press,” found on the website of the Sidney Hillman Foundation. Please forward all nominations/ submissions to: Alexandra Lescaze Executive Director, The Sidney Hillman Foundation 49 West 27th Street, 3rd Floor New York, NY 10001. For more information call 917-696-2494. --The U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) has announced that this year the government has changed its guidelines on who should get a flu shot to include just about everyone. Also according to the CDC, if you got one or both of the available flu shots last flu season, or you had the flu, you still need to get this seasons shot for protec-
to The Haitian Times For more information visit
www.haitiantimes.com
tion against this seasons flu. If you are currently sick with a moderate or severe illness like a nasty cold or worse, government health experts advise holding off on getting a flu shot until you are better. The elderly, health workers, and people who have chronic immune disorders such as HIV infection are especially encouraged to get a flu shot. The guidelines on who should not get vaccinated have not really changed. Children under 6 months of age still should not get a flu shot nor should those who have had a previous allergic reaction to eggs or other vaccine components. Just call your care provider, local board of health, or your job's human resource department. Or check out flu.gov to find flu shot clinic locations and more. But do it soon to avoid catching a nasty case of this season's flu. -Helen B. Atkinson Health Center will be having mammogram check every First Monday of each month from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. In front of CHN's Helen B. Atkinson Health Center, 81 W. 115th Street, New York. These Mammograms will only be for women ages 40 and older, with or without insurance who are New York City residents. Mobile mammogram unit provided by American Italian Cancer Foundation. To Make An Appointment: Call (212) 426-0088 -The Men's Health Clinic at Helen B. Atkinson Health Center will offer Primary health care services for men in a male-centered environment every first and fourth Saturday of every month from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m at the CHN's Helen B. Atkinson Health Center, 81 W. 115th Street, New York. To Make An Appointment: Call (212) 426-0088. -Spring Valley- Citizens in Ramapo will have a celebration of the Life, Hope, and Growth of Haiti on the anniversary of the most devastating earthquake in Haiti's History and the fifth deadliest earthquake in the history of the world from January 9th to 15th, 2011. The program is as followed: Sunday, January 9- Friday, January 14-Tent City Demonstration to be held on the front lawn of the Town of Ramapo Village Hall, Suffern, NY. A replica of an actual tent city, to remind the community of the horrific living conditions that is the reality of over 1 million Haitian people. Members of the campaign, and other sponsors, will spend the week living in these tents to show our support and camaraderie for our brother and sisters in Haiti. Monday: January 10- Kick off Breakfast at our Tent City demo in Front of Ramapo Town Hall in Airmont; -6 pm Reflections on Haiti sponsored by ERCSD (SVHS Spring Valley, NY) Tuesday: January 11- “Haiti in History” Presented by: Dan Desmond, 6 PM-RCC Spring Valley Campus Wednesday: January 12- “Haiti Solidarity Day” (participants include various school districts); Candlelight Prayer Vigil (16 East Church Street, SV, NY) from 4:005:30 PM Thursday: January 13-Mass at Saint Joseph Church in Spring Valley @ 7PM Friday: January 14- “One Year Anniversary Forum” (Ellipse Room at RCC, Suffern, NY) 9 AM -2 PM; Gospel Music Celebration (Town of Ramapo Cultural Arts Center, Main Street, SV, NY) 6 PM-9PM Saturday: January 15- Relief Anniversary Dinner (Town and Country Caterers, Congers, NY) $80 per person For more information, please call (845)-425-4623.
December 22, 2010-January 4, 2011
BUSINESS
The Haitian Times
17
Visit to Haiti Discourages Local Businessman ORLEANS — Thomas Cronin was just trying to get back to the Cape from Haiti when the Orleans businessman got caught up in violent protests, the latest threat to the Caribbean country's survival. Still digging out from last year's cataclysmic earthquake, the Haitian people now are also combating a deadly cholera epidemic. The violent riots began Dec. 7 after the Nov. 28 presidential election results were released amid allegations of widespread voting fraud by the government. Cronin arrived in Haiti on business as the riots began. ”People went berserk; they were furious,” Cronin said during an interview at his American Heritage Realty real estate company in South Orleans. ”Their only weapon against anything governmental — the only method of protest they have — is to blockade the roads of Haiti with burning tires, large boulders and stones, car parts and anything else that would suffice. They effectively shut the entire country down.” The airport and banks in Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital, were closed because people couldn't get to work through roadblocks, which Cronin compared to union picket lines. Several people were killed. When he tried to drive out of the country Dec. 8, he was repeatedly stopped by crowds of angry Haitian men at blockades of burning tires. He, a business partner and a translator-driver had to talk or buy their way through two roadblocks on the ninehour journey to the Dominican Republic. Cronin arrived home Dec. 12 with three
impressions: the lack of progress in repairing the country's earthquake damage, the Haitians' unhappiness with U.N. peacekeepers and the seriousness of the cholera epidemic. ”The earthquake was nearly a year ago. Since then, we have heard about hundreds of millions of dollars of aid going into the country,” Cronin said. ”But as I went around Port-au-Prince, I could see absolutely no evidence of any meaningful cleanup of the rubble.” Only $897 million of the more than $5.7 billion pledged for 2010-11 has been delivered, The Associated Press reported Thursday, reporting on the visit by former president Bill Clinton, the U.N. special envoy to Haiti. Cronin said United Nations troops were
everywhere during his visit, always in air-conditioned white SUVs and tanklike trucks. ”I never saw them out of their vehicles, among the people,” he said. ”Every Haitian I spoke to was very bitter about the U.N. presence, the millions spent and nothing accomplished. To a single Haitian, they want them out.” Lyndia Cobb of West Harwich, who has family in Port-au-Prince, agreed. Last March she and her husband, pastor Jonathan Cobb of the First Baptist Church in Harwich, delivered $10,000 raised on Cape Cod to feed hungry Haitians in the wake of the earthquake. ”The U.N. doesn't help the people at all,” she said. ”People want the U.N. to leave.”
Fueling Haitians' anger is the belief that U.N. troops are responsible for the cholera epidemic in the country, first noticed in October, she said. Just when Haiti needs more help, people are staying away because of welection violence. The competition is fiercest between supporters of the ostensibly eliminated popular singer Michel Martelly, in third place by just 1 percent of the vote, and second-place candidate Jude Celestin, who is backed by the unpopular President Rene Preval. Mirlande Manigat, the 70-year-old law professor and former first lady, is in first place, according to The Associated Press. One delegation of doctors and nurses is postponing a trip because of the election protests and riots, said Orleans' Joanne Liberles, a veteran of four trips to Haiti with medical groups. ”It's just too dangerous in an already dangerous place,” she said. Cronin has visited Haiti 26 times since 1979, including visits in the early 1980s linked to Barnstable High School, where each homeroom adopted an orphan. He last visited Haiti in 1990, just after the election of popular president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. ”Since I first started going, nothing has changed in Haiti,” he said. ”No matter how many times you've been there, it's shocking to see the poverty. It's just astonishing that people live like this.” The story was first published on capecodonline.com
British Airways Gives 250 Small Businesses the Holiday Gift of a Lifetime The Haitian Times Newswires
NEW YORK -British Airways today announced that 250 small business owners are being awarded the opportunity to travel anywhere in the world to conduct vital business meetings. The initiative is part of the British Airways Face-to-Face program, which provides small business owners and entrepreneurs the critical tools for building business relationships abroad and stimulating economic growth through the power of face-to-face interaction. ”We are very excited for the 250 small business owners who, beyond the educational resources already provided through the Face-to-Face program, now have the opportunity to fly British Airways overseas to conduct vital face-to-face meetings for their business,” said Simon TallingSmith. ”Each of the winner's stories is uniquely inspiring and our hope is that the program is a powerful catalyst in ensuring lasting and fruitful businesses for them.” Three of the 250 winning businesses will now compete to win a travel grant from British Airways, featuring 10 round trip tickets to fly anywhere in the world in the next year. The three companies, selected by a public vote, will present their
business plans on February 2, 2011, at the British Airways Face-of-Opportunity conference in New York City. At the event, they will be judged by a panel of celebrity entrepreneurs, including Bill Rancic, Barbara Corcoran and Bethenny Frankel, for a chance to win the British Airways travel grant The finalists are Adam Braun, Pencils of Promise, New York, NY; Chris Eilers, Dunn Bros Coffee, Minneapolis, MN; Danae Ringelmann, IndieGoGo, San Francisco, CA. Braun founded the nonprofit organization, Pencils of Promise, designed to help communities build primary and preschools in the developing world. His initiative focuses on early education, female empowerment, and enabling a new generation of leaders to create profound good. Eilers founded this coffee franchise in 1987 when Ed Dunn opened the first shop in St. Paul, MN. Since then, Dunn Bros. Coffee has been sourcing coffee beans from some of the best farmers in the world. Today, there are more than 85 stores throughout the Central US, roasting their coffee beans fresh every day. In 2008, Ringelmann co-founded IndieGoGo, an online platform for anyone to promote
projects, engage a fan base, and get ideas funded. IndieGoGo's members, from over 90 countries, have successfully funded projects ranging from books to movies and events to charities. ”After viewing the submission of Dunn Bros Coffee, IndieGoGo and Pencils of Promise, it is clear that all three companies are strong candidates to expand their business internationally in the upcoming year with the British Airways travel grant and I look forward to learning more about these companies at the Face-of-Opportunity conference in February,” said Bill Rancic, best-selling author and first season winner of The Apprentice.” ”I am inspired by the talent and entrepreneurial spirit of the 250 British Airways Face-of-Opportunity winners,” said Barbara Corcoran, best-selling author, investor on ABC's SharkTank and contributor to the Today Show. ”I will enjoy giving one of them the added advantage of 10 international British Airways flights on February 2nd.” ”Running a small business can be very challenging. British Airways has just given 250 deserving companies a head start to growing their business internationally. Congratulations to the Face-to-Face win-
ners,” said Bethenny Frankel, celebrated natural food chef, creator of the Skinnygirl Margarita, New York Times bestselling author of Naturally Thin and The Skinnygirl Dish and star of ”Bethenny Ever After.” British Airways is one of the world's largest international airlines. Operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks, together with its codeshare and franchise partners, the airline flies to more than 300 destinations worldwide. The 250 small business owners also received an exclusive invitation to attend British Airways Face-of-Opportunity conference in New York City on Feb. 2, 2011, where they will receive firsthand tips and advice from influential international business experts while networking with venture capitalists, renowned entrepreneurs, media and other small business owners. The conference will include an introduction by Simon Talling-Smith, Executive Vice President Americas, British Airways and keynote speeches by Rhonda Abrams, best-selling author and USA Today small business columnist and Bill Rancic, bestselling author and first season winner of The Apprentice.
18 8
The Haitian Times
December 22, 2010-January 4, 2011
Compiled by Ralph Delly
Wyclef Jean in Dakar
The international star Wyclef Jean was welcomed last Friday in Dakar at the opening of the third World Festival of Negro Arts. Addressing all young people in Africa who love hip-hop, the former member of The Fugees who sold millions of records had this message for them: ”Do not make music because you want the bling-bling or the beautiful girls. Do not imitate what you see in the West, the big bottle of champagne ... Make hip-hop because you want your country to go forward”. He spoke to the crowd filling up half the largest stadium in Dakar before the start of a concert of the biggest stars of African music including Manu Dibango, Senegalese Youssou Ndour, Baaba Mal, Ismael Lo, the Benin's Angelique Kidjo and South African Mahotella Queens.
Clinton Benoit has Joined DOLA
It's a natural progression to want to try something different. Some of the best bands ever didn't last long. Clinton Benoit needs what he needs, not more of the same. The singer, who turned his back to Compas music, is now making a comeback after couple years by joining New York band, DOLA. Working musicians often work in more than one band, and artistically, Clinton has more than one project, maybe in different styles. This time, DOLA falls into his lap without him even try, that is he gets a last minute call from the band that was playing a show but because of Armstrong decision to call it quit, so he has to fill in. “This is art, and I want something different from my effort than what I get from them.”, the singer said.
Haitian Christmas Market Opened in Brussels with Gael Turine Author of ”Voodoo”
This book published in three languages, takes us to the heart of the Vaudou religion practiced in the bush villages of Benin into the suburbs of Miami and the Florida beaches through the many mystical voodoo sites in Haiti.
Six Haitian writers shortlisted for the Prix Carbet the Caribbean
Six Haitian writers are vying for the 21st Carbet prices in the Caribbean and the AllWorld 2010. The award ceremony will take place this Friday, December 17 at the Residence Hotel Gosier County’s Department of Bas du Fort, Guadeloupe. Jacques Gillot, president of the General Council will present this trophy to the winner. As a prelude to the ceremony for the price, some activities were held in Guadeloupe, while others will run until the eve of this fateful day for the Haitian authors invited. The artists are Evelyne Trouillot (memory at bay, romance, Hoëbeke), Gary Victor (Blood and sea novel, Wind elsewhere); Kettly Mars (Seasons wild novel, Mercury), Rodney St. Eloi (Haiti Kembé Li! 35 seconds) ; Michel Laffont (My country to rebuild); Robert Berrouet Oriol (Poem of waning) and James Noel (Fists white-hot).
Calixte Beyata, to Run for the Elysee Office
The Franco-Cameroonian novelist, Calixte Beyata announced her intention to run for the presidency 2012. At the amphitheater of the Sorbonne in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, Claude Imbert, Director of Point pinned the medal of Chevalier of the Legion of Honor on the novelist. During the evening, the novelist has announced her intention to run for presidential elections in 2012. Now, with the group Citizen Equality, she went to collect five hundred signatures needed to validate her candidacy. Mother of two children, Beyata is a professional writer. In 1987, at age 23, she published her first novel, “The sun had burned my skin.” Since the writer is in her 19th publication, including the youngest released this year, “Les Lions Indomptables.”
The annual event opened with Gael Turine, Belgian photographer and member of the prestigious agency VU around. His splendid book ”Voodoo”, published by Lannoo and prefaced by Laurent Gaude, Laennec Hurbon, Caroline Milic was presented at the event.
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Reknowed Artists Make a Sculpture for Sale for Haiti
Maybach and Julian Schnabel, partners for a period of 2 years and unveil a bronze sculpture with the sweet name of ”Queequeq”, presumably inspired by the hunter to harpoon Moby Dick. Measuring 4.83 m long, 1.70 high, this artwork previously registered in the Daimler Collection was auctioned on Dec. 2 along with 5 other creations. The best part is that the sale was donated in full to the founding of Sean Penn, who actively supports the reconstruction of Haiti.
ART&CULTURE
December 22, 2010-January 4, 2011
The Haitian Times
19
Two Haitian-Americans Among NBC’s Sing-Off Winner 2010 Gervais, who played drum, guitar, bass, piano and saxophone, has been singing at an early age as well. He came from an New York -Two Haitian Americans are instrumentalist family who also sing and among the six-man crew from Committed were all part of a choir. His father, Tony who won NBC's ”The Sing Off” Dec. 20, has been a talented guitar player and a earning $100,000 and a Sony recording choir member at a very young age in Haiti. contract. Hailing from Huntsville, Ala“I feel good and praise the Lord for bama, Committed won ”The Sing-Off” that,” a joyful Therèse Gervais said in a after performing hit songs such as ”This telephone interview from Orlando, FL Love” by Maroon 5 and Al Green's ”Let's where she and Tony raised their children. Stay Together.” “The whole family is so proud of him, The winning song, however for Alain he went to many challenges this year,” Tommy Gervais and Jason Pierre and their she said. crew came from vault of Michael Jackson. Tommy has six other siblings. He went Performing the newly released ”Hold My to Evans High School, Fl. He completed Hand” -featuring Akon, Committed was his Senior year at Forest Lake Academy a able to beat the six-man group ”Street private school. Corner Symphony.” The other four members of the all-male “It was like a dream. No word can gospel group are Maurice Staple, Therry express how it felt that night,” Pierre, 23 Thomas DJ Baptiste and Robbie Tressley. said referring to the very moment show They began their group in 2003 and host Nick Lachey named the group. We solidified their sound while at school at work very hard. Oakwood College in Huntsville, AL. ComPierre, who has been singing at a very mitted has grown to be a very sought after young age, is from Maple, Florida. He a cappella group for many events around majored in Biology. the North Alabama area and various places “It was a great moment. I was cry- around the country. ing, I have been dreaming of that for ”The Sing Off” began airing Dec. 6 the longest,” Gervais said in a telephone and lasted two weeks on NBC and feainterview at a studio the group has been tured judges Ben Folds (Ben Folds Five), working all day. Shawn Stockman (Boyz II Men), and By Darlie Gervais The Haitian Times Staff
Nicole Scherzinger (The Pussycat Dolls). The show featured the country's top 10 a cappella groups performing songs that are entrenched in popular culture. Street Corner Symphony which was placed second and The Backbeats and Jerry Lawson & Talk of the Town which also competed in the finale are the other
groups in the contest. At the finale all four groups perform ”Put a Little Love in Your Heart.” Then, Committed and Boyz II Men perform ”Motownphilly” together. Next, The Backbeats pair with Sara Bareilles and sing ”King of Anything.
Avant-Garde Arts Festival to Launch in St. Maarten St. Maarten will welcome some of the Caribbean's finest artists for the inaugural ”Arts in the Plaza” event taking place on Dec. 22nd, at the plaza at Porto Cupecoy. The monthly arts festival will be of the first of its kind to combine visual, performing and musical arts from St. Martin/St. Maarten's avant-garde arts scene. The festival promises to be one of the most important arts events in this part of the world, featuring Dutch, French, Indian and Island Caribbean influences. This month's launch, taking place will be open to the public, kicking off the high season on the island. ”The Arts in the Plaza festival will be innovative, interesting and different. St. Maarten is a multi-cultural society. We can offer anything from classical Indian dance
to Capoeira, from the Brazilian martial arts movement. I have seen fire artists and amazing stilt walkers who dance five to 10 feet off of the ground,” said Clara Reyes, founder of the Imbali Center for Creative Movement. According to Ms. Reyes, the festival will consist of not only the island's finest art and music, but also a series of unique performances choreographed specifically for the event. Additionally, the gourmet restaurants in the plaza will be offering specials for festival guests, and the shops will stay open late, offering specials of their own. The marina will be offering complimentary dockage on festival nights for mega-yachts and pleasure-craft visitors from St. Barth's, Anguilla and other marinas.
A prestigious curator committee has been assembled to select the various performers for each of the ”Arts in the Plaza” events. The individuals tasked with this are among the most recognized and respected not only in St. Maarten, but also in the Caribbean and worldwide: Reyes; Roland Richardson, the iconic artist often called the ”Father of Caribbean Impressionism,” along with wife Laura Richardson; Neville York, one of the most recognized steel drum players in the world; and Thierry Gombs, Director of Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs - St. Martin. The event is free and open to the public. The festival will continue into 2011 with new performances and exhibits each month scheduled for January 19, February 16, March 16, April 20 and May 18.
Clara Reyes, founder of the Imbali Center for Creative Movement
First Lady Michelle Obama Presents Top Museum Award to The New York Botanical Garden NEW YORK- First Lady Michelle Obama presented a 2010 National Medal for Museum and Library Service to The New York Botanical Garden one of five museums and five libraries honored in a White House ceremony on Dec. 17. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) awards the National Medal, the nation's
highest honor for museums and libraries, to institutions for outstanding social, environmental, or economic contributions to their communities. This year the Institute is recognizing one museum and one library for their work to advance global cultural understanding. The New York Botanical Garden was chosen for this distinc-
tion due to its pioneering work in worldwide botanical research, conservation, and horticulture technology and display. Gregory Long, President of The New York Botanical Garden, and Carrie Laney, the Garden's Vice President for Government and Community Relations, attended the White House ceremony accompanied by Karen
Washington, a community activist who, in partnership with the Botanical Garden's Bronx GreenUp program, turned empty lots into beautiful gardens. The New York Botanical Garden has been a vital New York City cultural destination since its founding in 1891. The Garden pursues its mission through its role as a muse-
um of living plant collections arranged in gardens and landscapes across its National Historic Landmark site; through its comprehensive education programs in horticulture and plant science; and through the wideranging research programs of the International Plant Science Center.
20
The Haitian Times
December 22, 2010-January 4, 2011
Wedding Series: HIRE A PLANNER I am in the event business, and while I am in the business of making money, I am also in the business of ensuring a quality and great event. As a caterer, my focus is food including the presentation and the serving at events. However, over the last few years, I have developed the event planning component of my company to a great extent because I realized, people needed event help; especially brides. So as I write this wedding series and mention to one of the best event planners I work with, Fabienne Blanchard about the various tips and ideas I was offering the HT readers, we both realize simultaneously, first we needed to tell the soon to be married couple to hire a wedding planner. I love planning events, but when it comes to wedding planning, I leave that to Fabienne. So I consulted her on why all bride and grooms should consider the services of a wedding planner or coordinator in the planning of their special day. REASON #1 WHEN YOU PAY SOMEONE, YOU HAVE SOMEONE TO YELL AT! Ok. Perhaps I am being a bit sarcastic in the way I am framing Fabienne’s words, but you get my dress. It’s important to have someone to hold accountable. That person will take their job that much more seriously. With wedding planning come details of space, cost, vendors, invitations, honeymoon, dresses, photographers, space layout, decorations, etc. All of this can and is quite overwhelming. It is good to have someone who is trained and knowledgeable to ensure all these details are taken care of. REASON #2
YOU SAVE MONEY While it may cost to have a wedding planner- and yes, it does cost- what you spend on a planner, you save at least 2 to 3 times over with your other vendors. Planners benefit you because they have something most individual brides/ grooms don’t. They have relationships. Because they work with these vendors on a regular basis, vendors offer them discounts with no hesitation. While you are viewed as a one time customer, your planner will be viewed as a long term partner. Even if they are using a vendor for the first time the vendor will automatically see dollar signs when they hear they are a wedding planner, because they will view them as long term business.
I can’t stress the ways a planner can save you money. They can help you make informed decisions such as your invitation procedures, best space for your event and menu choices that can end up saving you tons of money. REASON #3 YOU SAVE TIME The average wedding can take more than two hundred fifty hours just to plan. With today's hectic lifestyles, you may not have time to compare all the options, making sure you get the best deal and all the details are in place, says Sasha Souza of the Whole Shebang. This is the time that an individual may not have but a wedding planner will be dedicated to. REASON #4 THEY SAVE YOU AGGRAVATION Wedding planners serve as contract negotiators between you and your vendors. They serve as advisors to help you make informed and logical decisions, and often time they serve as therapists between you and your crazy parents. Often time your wedding planner may become part of your family as you are planning your special day. HIRE THE RIGHT PLANNER While it’s important to under-
stand the reasons why a planner is needed, it is also important to ensure you are hiring the right planner. Since this is someone you will be spending quite a bit of time with, ensure that you get along and that your personalities match. While you may not necessarily agree on everything, it is important you go with a planner who understands your vision for your day and will help you to effectively bring that into reality, not change your mind. Wedding planners guide, not take charge. I know the question that’s about to come? Just how much do planners cost? Well some planners charge differently, but expect to either pay a percentage of the wedding cost (10%-15%) or a flat rate, anywhere from $2500-$5000 or higher depending on the type of planner. Some charge per hour, but I say avoid this. Hourly rate range anywhere from $30-$50 per hour. If budget is a major issue and you have the time to plan and negotiate, definitely go ahead and do the work yourself or find a trusted friend or person to handle the details. One more alternative is to bring in a day of coordinator. This is a person that you bring in about a week or two before your wedding to help you coordinate the day of wedding events. This is usually a per hour rate of $30-$50 per hour.
Nadege Fleurimond is the owner & business manager of Fleurimond Catering, Inc., an off-premise catering firm serving the NY/NJ/CT/MA areas. She is also the author of a Taste of Life: A Culinary Memoir, a humorous and heart warming compilation of recipes and funny anecdotes. (http://www.nadegefleurimond.com) Please submit thoughts and questions pertaining to the column via email at nadege1981@gmail.com.
December 2-8, 22, 2010-January 4, 2011 December 2009
HTCLASSIFIEDS HTCLASSIFIEDS place an in adTHE in THE CLASSIFIEDS Section, — 8700 To To place an ad CLASSIFIEDS Section, call call (718)(718) 230 230 — 8700
LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE SUMMONS NOTICE NOTICE OFAND FORMATION OF SUPREME COURT OFCOMPANY. THE STATE LIMITED LIABILITY OF NEW2865 YORKCONEY - COUNTY OF NAME: ISLAND KINGS AVENUE LLC. Articles of INDEX NO. 10429/09 Organization were filed with NYCTL 2008-Aof TRUST, the Secretary State of AND New THE BANK OF YORK York (SSNY) on NEW 12/14/05. AS AND The COLLATERAL latest date of AGENT dissolution is CUSTODIAN FOR THElocation: NYCTL 12/31/2045.Office 2008-A TRUST, Plaintiffs – Kings County. SSNY has been againstNIGEL PILE,of NGOSI designated as agent the LLC BROTHERSON living andagainst if he/ upon whom ifprocess she be dead, any andSSNY all persons it may be served. shall unknown to plaintiffs, claiming, or mail a copy of process to the who have an interest LLC, may c/o claim StuarttoGoldstein, 150 in, or Neck generally specific lien Great Rd.,orGreat Neck, upon real propertywhich described in New the York 11021, is also this such unknown persons the action; registered agent address. being herein For generally Purpose: any described lawful and intended to be included in purpose. the following designation, namely, the wife, widow, husband, widower, at law, nextfiled of Articles ofheirs Organization kin, distributees, descendents, with the SSNY on 6/25/09 for executors, administrators, devisees, SAINTWELL WEALTH-BUILDING legatees, creditors, CENTER, trustees, AND INFORMATION committees, lienors, successors LLC, 1405 Brooklyn Ave 6G, in interest NY and11210. assignees of such Brooklyn deceased, any and all persons deriving interest in or lien upon, or title to OF saidFORMATION real property OF by, NOTICE through or underCOMPAGNY. them, and LIMITED LIABILITY NAME : 754 GRAND STREET, their respective wives, widows, LLC. Articles of Organization husbands, widowers, heirs at were next filed ofwith Secretary law, kin,thedistributees, of State of New York (SSNY) descendents, executors, on 09/10/09. The latest date administrators, devisees, legatees, of dissolution is 12/31/2050. creditors, trustees, committees, Office location: lienors, successorsKings in County. interest, SSNYassigns, has been as and all designated of whom and agent of the LLC upon whom whose names, except as stated, process against it may be are unknown to plaintiffs KWAISI served. SSNY ifshall mail BROTHERSON living anda ifcopy he/ of process 220 she be dead, to any the and LLC, all persons Montauk toStreet, Valley Stream, unknown plaintiffs, claiming, or Newmay Yorkclaim 11580. Purpose: For who to have an interest anyorlawful purpose. in, generally or specific lien upon the real property described in this action; such unknown persons NOTICE FORMATION being hereinOF generally described of 6715 BaytoPkwy., LLC Art. and intended be included in of following Org filed Sec’y ofnamely, State the designation, (SSNY) 11/2/09. Office the wife, widow, husband, location: heirs Kings atCounty. SSNY widower, law, next of designated as agent of LLC kin, distributees, descendents, upon whom process against executors, administrators, devisees,it may be served. shall legatees, creditors,SSNY trustees, mail copy oflienors, process to c/o committees, successors Domenico and assignees Anna Aulisa, 24 in interest and of such Bayridge any Parkway, deceased, and allBrooklyn, persons NY 11209 Purpose: deriving interest in or any lien lawful upon, activities. or title to said real property by, through or under them, and their respective wives, widows, Notice ofwidowers, formation husbands, heirs of at LLC ALWAYS AT SEA law, next of kin, distributees, PRODUCTIONS, LLC128 St. descendents, executors, Marks Avenue Brooklyn, NY administrators, devisees, legatees, 11217. creditors, trustees, committees, lienors, successors in interest, and assigns, all of whom and Notice of Formation of Golden whose names, except as stated, 88 Realty LLC, Art. of Org. filed are to plaintiffs NEW Sec'yunknown of State (SSNY) 10/8/09. YORK DEPARTMENT OF Office STATE location: Kings County. TAXATION AND FINANCE, NEW SSNY designated as agent of YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL LLC upon whom process against CONTROL it may be BOARD, served. NEW SSNY YORK shall CITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION mail copy of process to 6820 BUREAU, ESTATE OF HERDIS 15th Ave., Brooklyn, NY ALBERT A/K/A 11219.FRANCIS Purpose: any HERDIS lawful FRANCIS, ELVIE L. SANDY and activities. �JOHN DOE No. 1� through �JOHN DOE No. 100� inclusive, the namesENTERPRISES of the last LLC, 100 JWGF defendants fictitious, the a domesticbeing Limited Liability true names of said filed defendants Company (LLC) with being unknown to of plaintiff, it the Sec of State NY on being intended toNY designate fee 10/23/09. Office owners, occupantsSSNY of the location:tenants KingsorCounty. liened premises as and/or is designated agentpersons upon or parties havingagainst or claiming an whom process the LLC interest or a lienSSNY uponshall the may beinserved. liened the aforesaid mail apremises, copy ofif any process individual defendants are living, against the LLC served upon and if any to or all of said individual him/her Richard Gordon, defendants be St., dead, their heirs 291 Warren Brooklyn, NY at law, next of kin, distributees, 11201. General Purposes
executors, administrators, trustees, adoption committees, devisees, legatees, and the assignees, lienors, creditors A BABY IS inOUR and successors interestDREAM: of them, We're Lori &allSteve, a having loving and generally persons couple longing to or claimingwho's under, by, through, or adopt!the We aboutnamed you. against saidcare defendants Please call of1-800-982-3678. as a class, any right, title, or Expenses interest in orpaid. lien upon the premises described in the complaint herein, Defendants. autos Wanted ADDRESS: 836 HANCOCK STREET, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK DONATE VEHICLE: RECEIVE 1490 BLOCK: $1000 GROCERY COUPON. LOT: 22 ARC SUPPORT NO NOAH'S KILL SHELTERS, RESEARCH TO THE ABOVE NAMED TO ADVANCE VETERINARY DEFENDANTS: TREATMENTS FREE YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED TOWING, TAX DEDUCTIBLE, to answer the complaint in this NON-RUNNERS ACCEPTED action within twenty days after the 1-866-912-GIVE service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service or within thirty days after service is completed oppoRtunity ifBusiness the summons is not personally delivered to you within the State of ALL CASH VENDING. Do New York. In case of your failure you earnor answer, $800 judgment in a day? to appear will Your ownagainst local you candy route. be taken by default Includes 25 demanded Machinesin and for the relief the Candy. complaint. All for $9,995.888-7713496 OF NATURE OF ACTION NOTICE AND RELIEF SOUGHT
Help Wanted THE OBJECT of the above entitled action is to foreclose a tax lien AIRLINES AREdue HIRINGTrain for the amount and interest, recorded the officeAviation of the for highin paying Register/Clerk the CountyFAA of Maintenanceof Career. KINGS on the 15th day of July, approved program. Financial 2008 CountyHousing Register aid and if bearing qualifiedFile Number CALL 2008000280709 Available. Aviation covering described as Institute premises of Maintenance follows: (888)349-5387 ADDRESS: 836 HANCOCK STREET, landBROOKLYN, NEW YORK BLOCK: 1490 LOT: 22 NC MOUNTAINS ClOSEOUT COUNTY: KINGS SALE! Cabin shell, 2+ acres with great view, very private, The relief sought in &thelarge within big trees,waterfalls action a finalnearby, judgment$99,500 directing publicislake the sale of the premises described Bank financing. 866-275above to satisfy the debt secured 0442 by the tax lien described above. Plaintiff designates KINGS County as the place of trial. Venue is lotsupon & acReage based the county where the Property being foreclosed upon is ABANDONED UPSTATE NY located. FARM! 10 acres- $26,900 Adjoins Land, views, WE AREState ATTEMPTING TO mowed fields, COLLECT A woods, DEBT, apple ANY trees, lots of deer! Terms! WILL Call INFORMATION OBTAINED now! BE USED877-856-0882 FOR THAT PURPOSE. Dated: November 18, 2010 Miscellaneous New York, New York
ATTEND COLLEGE ONLINE from home. *Medical, WINDELS LANE & *Business, MARX*Paralegal, MITTENDORF LLP *Accounting, *Criminal MICHAEL H. RESNIKOFF, ESQ. Justice. Job placement ATTORNEYS FOR PLAINTIFFS assistance Computer 156 WEST 56TH STREET available. Financial NEW YORK, NEW YORK Aid 10019if qualified. Call237-1102 888-201-8657 PHONE: (212) www.CenturaOnline.com TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: The foregoing Misc foR sale summons is served upon you by publication pursuant to an Order New italian Leather Living of the Court dated MARCH 26, Room and Set. $3000 2010 filedOrig. along with the Steal for $699* Wood supporting papers inSolid the KINGS Captain Stirage County Clerk’s Office. Bedroom This is an New In Box action to foreclose a tax lien. Orig. $2,800 Steal for $699* Call 718-499-4499 SCHEDULE A - DESCRIPTION All that certain plot, piece or parcel Misc sale of land, foR with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lyingBEDROOM and being inSET. the CHERRY Borough of Brooklyn, County of Solid Wood, never used, Kings, State ofboxes. New brand City new and in factory York, bounded and described as English Dovetail. Original follows, to wit: Sell BEGINNING at cost $4500. for $749.
a point on the southerly side Can deliver.Street, 917-731-0425 of Hancock distant three hundred and fifty-six (356) feet ITALIAN LEATHER (3) inches westerly from theLIVING corner ROOMby SET original plastic, formed theinintersection of the never used. Original price southerly side of Hancock Street $3,000, sacrifice Bill with the westerly side $975. of Howard 347-328-0651 Avenue, at a point opposite the center of a party wall; RUNNING Real estate THENCE Southerly parallel with Howard Avenue, and a part of Smithville, NJ -55+ the distance through saidFOUR party SEASONS-Large MULBURY wall one hundred (100) feet; Model, handicap THENCE Westerly acceddible, parallel with 2 sunrooms, premium lot. Hancock Street, eighteen (18) feet Nearnine AC (9) andinches; shore.THENCE Owner and Northerly, with financing again 3%. parallel 609-748Howard Avenue, one hundred 2988 609-335-5124 (100) feet, to the southerly side of Hancock Street, and THENCE Upstate NArrowsburg! 27+/Easterly, the said southerly Acres along Private, Secluded, side of Hancock Street, eighteen Fields, Woods Views, (18) feet andHUnting, nine (9) inches to the Excellent Camping point or place of BEGINNING. and Four Wheeling. Accessed Said premisesFt.being known as by 3,000 Right-Of-Way, 826 Hancock Street, #10764 Brooklyn, Asking $150,000 NY Block : 1490, Lot: 22 www.eaglevalleyrealty.com Reference #: 708132.866 845-252-3085
FLORIDA DOCKABLE CLASSIFIEDS LAKEFRONT! Developer Must Adoption Sell! was $350,000, NOW $149,900. Land sales are Adoption: Childless, loving booming!A Own dockable woman wishesacreage to adopt newborn. lakefront on one Financially with close of Florida'ssecure top recreational extended family. and lakes- at price well Legal below cost. confidential. Expenses paid. ALL infrastructure completed! Please call Lisa at 1-866-855Prime location- 90 minutes 2166 Disney. Financing. These bargainsWarm, wonĂtverylast!happily Call ADOPT: now 866-352-2249 www. married couple will give your FLlanddeal.com newborn a future full of love, security, support and opportunity. Legal expenses paid. Please call Wanted to Buy Laurel/ Adam: 1-877-543-9827 BUY ANYTHING OLD. AWE committed, financially secure Costume couple seeksJewelry, to adopt.fountain Warm, pens,home. old watches, world fair caring Love to travel. Ready military Cigarette toand provide a items. birth and happy lighters; anything Call future. Expenses paid.gold. Neil and Mike888-492-6273. 718-204-1402. Doak,
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Commercial Real Estate AuctionHolding, Dec. 5. Margaretville/ Plaintiff XXIII, LLC The name ofCatskills. the Foreign18,000 Limited Arkville, Liability sf bldg, Company 2.5 ac. is: 845Plaintiff 586Holding, XXIII, LLC. App. for 1234, theoldbatfactory.com Authority filed with the Dept. of State of NY on 11/12/2010. Jurisdiction: DE and the date of its organization is: 11/10/2010. out of state land Business Opportunity Office foRlocation salein New York State: you earn 230–8700 $800 in a day? Kings County . The Secretary Do (718) of the State of NY (â€?SSNYâ€?) is Your Own Local Candy Route! designated as agent upon whom 25 machines and candy All for process against it may be served, $9995. 877-915-8222 All Major the address to which the SSNY Credit Cards Accepted! shall mail a copy of such process is: Harvey R. Hirschfeld, 26 Court Drivers to the Outreach Center “Car for Kidsâ€? Program St., Ste. 1104, Brooklyn NY Training CDLA: 11242. Address maintained in its Driver. Free Pick-up andTractor Tow to Earn $35- $45,000 jurisdiction is: 2711 Centerville Trailer.Learn Any Model or Condition Hurry and Donate to NTTS grad employers, Rd., Ste 400, Wilmington DE Nowper Receive Your Year End 19808. The authorized officer D.O.L.,A.T.A., National Tractor IRS Tax Deduction Helpjurisdiction Kids in Need of organization Trailer School, Liverpool, NY in its where a copy of its Certificate www.ntts.edu 1-888-243-9320 of Formation can be obtained is: James W. Bullock, DE Sec'ty of Financial State, Duke of York & Federal Sts., Dover DE 19903. The purpose of Trying to Get Out of Debt? NO ObligationComplimentary the company is: any lawful act.. Consultation $5kBuin Credit Card/ ya eek we’ll u W Unsecured Debt YOU have pgrade end & you Upfront Options!! Learn about NO to a     URBAN STORIES I LLC, a domestic Fee Resolution Programs! ď€€ď€‡ď€ Call Limited Liability Company (LLC), 888-452-8409 ď€‚ď€…ď€ ď€ ď€ƒď€€ ď€ filed with the Sec of State of NY on 9/16/10. NY Office Help Wanted Romantic Weekends • Parties • Anniversaries location: Kings County. SSNY is Try Before You Buy • Or Just to Warm Up Your Winter! designated as agent upon whom Weekend, Monthly & Seasonal Rentals Available! process against the LLC may AIRLINES ARE HIRING- Train for be served. SSNY shall mail a high paying Aviation Career. FAA copy ofwww.TheHotTubRentalCompany.com any process against the approved program. Financial LLC served upon him/her to The aid if qualified- Job Placement LLC, 411 6th Ave., Brooklyn, NY Assistance. CALL Aviation Institute 11215. General Purposes. of Maintenance (866)296-7093
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The The Haitian haiTian Times Times
21 21
YAZ_SAU50NY.ai 11/19/2009 4:09:33 PM
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To place an ad in THE CLASSIFIED section, call (718) 230 — 8700 Ad Deadline: 5pm Friday for following issue. Classified ads may be placed over the phone with a credit card from Monday through Friday, 10am to 5pm. Ads may be faxed to (718) 230 — 7172. Ads must be sent in by Friday, 5pm for insertion in the following Wednesday's paper. Please include credit card details (card number, Name, Experation date, a contact phone number) Ads may be sent in via email to info-ht@haitiantimes.com Ads may be sent in by mail. Send typewritten or clearly printed ad along with a check or credit card information and contact phone number to: Haitian Times, Classified Dept., 495 Flatbush Ave. Brooklyn NY 11225 We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. 3 line minimum for all ads.
22 8
HEALTH&BEAUTY
The Haitian Times
December 22, 2010-January 4, 2011
A Better You
By Onyi
Nwosu
I’ve Fallen and I Can’t Get Up Remember that Life Call commercial with the elderly woman laying next to a bathtub with her walker laying on top of her? The infamous “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” commercial. People made jokes and even parodies about that commercial for years. It was kinda funny. But it was serious business. I always think about that one line in the commercial that made it so famous whenever I’m down. “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” often describes how many of us may feel when something gets us down. It can be anything from bills piling up to the loss of a loved one to a bad decision. Whatever it may be at the time, it makes you feel helpless. Helpless to the point where you think there’s no way out. People often turn to drastic measures from lashing out at the wrong person to running away to violence. It’s even harder to deal with if you don’t actually realize there’s a problem. You’re acting out and don’t even realize it. But if you fall and you feel like you can’t get up here’s a news-
flash: you can and you will! Most setbacks are just that. Yes, it’s unfortunate that you’ve regressed a little bit (or a lot) but that doesn’t mean you can’t move forward. You feel like you can’t and you have no one, but chances are there are others who’ve suffered similar setbacks or at least have ideas on
how to get you out of your rut. And when I say ‘others’ I don’t mean random people in the ether, I mean people right up under you. Your parents, your kids, you sister, brother, co-worker, friend...somebody can relate and probably help. We often feel like we’re the only ones suffering and no one else can relate or help or care. But you’re not the only one. I don’t say that to say get over it. I say that to say you can find support all around you. You will get through it. It may not feel like it, but you will. Think of the small things that make you happy. Think of what you’re working towards. Think of the bigger picture. In the grand scheme of things this setback is minor. Remember, you don’t have to go through anything alone. You can find support. You can find something to cheer you up. And if you can’t I’m always here for you. I’m serious. Until next time, cheers to a better you.
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HAIT Aquarius
Jan. 20 - Feb. 18
You've been working exceptionally hard, Aquarius. Today is a good day to recharge your batteries. It seems everyone wants a piece of you. You may have reached the point where you have nothing left to give. It's OK to say so. If possible, take the phone off the hook and reserve the day for yourself. Sleep in, meditate, go for a walk - you get the idea!
Pisces
Feb. 20 - March 19
Today could be a turning point for you, Pisces. Is it possible that you've finally learned how to say no? You're the one everyone asks for help. You spend so much time on other people's problems that you have little energy left for you. This situation ultimately helps no one. Put yourself first and there will be plenty of you left for others. If you're depleted, everyone loses
Aries
March 20 - April 18
Today's planetary positions urge you to assert yourself, Aries, but take care not to take this encouragement too far. You have a tendency to go a bit overboard when making a point. There are times (and this is one) when subtlety is more powerful. Try being low key and open rather than uptight and defensive. You have a warm personality, so why not let others experience it?
Taurus
April 19 - May 20
You have a strong creative component to your personality. You should use it more. Today's planetary positions will influence both your creativity and productivity. You will likely find yourself working as never before, and with better results. Take advantage of this phase while it lasts! This is your moment to prove to others just what you're capable of.
Gemini
May 21 - June 20
You're highly sensitive and highly intellectual, Gemini. This is a wonderful combination and part of what makes you a superstar. Today's planetary positions challenge you to think how you can best combine these two key components of your personality. Have you considered writing? It might provide the sort of balance you seek. Start writing and see if it suits you.
Cancer
June 21 - July 22
You may be inclined to stay in bed today with the latest best seller, Cancer. Who wouldn't want to spend the day this way? Alas, that isn't going to happen. The planets are practically pulling the covers off you and pushing you out of bed. There's work to be done! And more importantly, there are people you need to see right now. Put a bookmark in the book. It can wait.
Leo
July 23 - Aug. 22
You have a lot to offer, Leo. Everyone appreciates what you have to contribute. Yet you've been unable to give yourself credit for all that you've accomplished. It would be worthwhile to take some time to contemplate why this is so. You have a strong need to be loved, but you must first love yourself. Your family and friends will support you, but first you must support yourself.
Virgo
Aug.23 - Sept.22
Whether you acknowledge it or not, there's a child inside you who needs tending, Virgo. You're proud of the person you've become - and well you should be. But you're the product of who you once were. Today's planetary positions suggest you acknowledge all parts of your past - the good and the bad. Only after you've integrated all the elements can you be the person you're meant to be.
Libra
Sept.23 - Oct. 22
Think of today as a well-earned rest day, Libra. You're usually the one people turn to when they need consolation. Today, in spite of the tension in the air, your words seem to have no effect. Let other people take care of themselves for a change. You can spend your time quietly reading a good book. It's much more relaxing to get involved in drama that's fictional rather than real.
Scorpio
Oct. 21 - Nov 20
Today take stock of all that's occurring on the home front, Scorpio. Think back over the last few months and you will see how much of your attention has been on work rather than loved ones. There's probably some fallout as a result. Fortunately, a few days in close contact with family will put everything right. You can't blame them for wanting to be with you. Try to indulge them.
Sagittarius
N o v. 2 2 - D e c . 2 1
Think long and hard before making commitments, Sagittarius. Much is at stake, especially where your love life is concerned. It's likely that a proposal is coming your way. Do you know how you will answer? Events may have you feeling like you're at a crossroads when actually you're more on track than ever. The key lies in trusting your instincts and remaining true to your ideals.
Capricorn
Dec. 22 - Jan 19
You will be busy today, Capricorn. Nevertheless, you still may end the day with your desk piled high with projects - not because you're unproductive, but rather because you're popular and your work is valued. You may be wishing you weren't quite so valuable! Don't get stressed about all you have to do. No one expects you to get it all done immediately. Get some rest. Tomorrow is another day.
495 Flatb
The Haitian Times
December 22, 2010-January 4, 2011
23
Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy
President Barack Obama, with mother-in-law Marian Robinson, daughters Sasha and Malia, and First Lady Michelle Obama, react as they push the button to light the National Christmas Tree during a ceremony on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., Dec. 9, 2010.
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because” of the ban. ”I think regulation is preferable to turning a blind eye,” he added. The city studied the issue of medical marijuana distribution for most of the year. The council passed a temporary moratorium in May banning medical marijuana dispensaries, then extended it in July to give city staff time to study possible effects and gauge public reaction to possibly allowing dispensaries. The city held three public outreach forums and posted an online survey for residents to complete. Supporters of allowing dispensaries argued that medical cannabis patients deserve safe access to marijuana and that tight regulation of the dispensaries would allow the city to manage the issue. ”What you're looking at is if you want
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could ramp up production and work with organizations that could help finance the purchase of the vaccines. ”If there would be a (financial) guarantee, both suppliers could produce 2 to 3 million doses a year,” de Quadros said. With that in place, PAHO could start a vaccine-demonstration project in Haiti in March or April, he said. The doctors said they do not know how many doses would be needed in Haiti and
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The LLC name is Tonalli Botanica LLC was filed with the Department of State Division of Corporation on. The Articles of Organization was filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on September 29, 2010. New York office location: County is Kings SSNY has designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it nay be served. The
to grab the reins, regulate and get control of this issue,” resident Craig Litwin said. ”That's far superior to turning your backs on it.” The most common concern among council members was that the city was being asked to deal with a wide-ranging, statewide issue without support or guidance from the state. Medical marijuana cultivation and use is legal in California, but the state does not provide financial or political assistance to cities to deal with the issue, council members said. ”The state has not given us the tools to deal with this,” Councilman Jim Griffith said. ”I understand that Oakland can handle regulating medical marijuana distribution, but we have a fraction of the resources of Oakland. We're not ready to deal with this yet.” The story was first published in mercurynews.com.
that there were many logistical challenges to work out. Haiti is deeply impoverished and struggling to rebuild from a catastrophic January earthquake that killed more than 250,000 people. Andrus said the vaccine must be considered ”an extra tool in the toolkit” to fight cholera. Health organizations have so far focused on treating cholera patients with a rehydration fluid containing special sugars and salts, and on educating people about how to halt its spread through hand-washing and sanitation measures.
post office address to which the SSNY shall mail a copy of ant progress against the LLC served upon him/her is:1217 Flatbush Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11226 The Purpose: To sell religious items. __ NOTICE OF FORMATION of Preview Production LLC. Art. of Org. filed w/Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/28/10. Office location: Kings County. SSNY designated as agent and shall mail process to: 173 N. Main St. #400, Sayville, NY 11782. Purpose: Any lawful activity.
OCEAN VIEW PRO SERVICES, LLC, a domestic Limited Liability Company (LLC) filed with the Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) on August 24, 2010. NY office of location: Brooklyn County. SSNY is designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of any process against LLC served him/her to: 3057 Coney Island Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11235 Purpose:Any lawful activity.
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ses voisins, y contribue certainement. » 6. Une saison en enfer. Yon sezon matchyavèl. Traduit en créole haïtien par Benjamin Hebblethwaite, Jacques Pierre et Fabrice Policard Edité par Benjamin Hebblethwaite et Jacques Pierre. Paris, L’Harmattan, 2010. La traduction de la poésie a toujours été une entreprise lourde, indigeste et insatis-
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Secretary Arne Duncan, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano calling lawmakers to urge support. Senate Democratic leaders said after the vote they won’t give up on the immigration issue in the next session of Congress. Senator Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said he is seeking bipartisan support for a broad measure that would wrap in the DREAM Act and hopes to introduce it in 2011. “It will be tough” due to the political volatility of the immigration issue, he said. Still, “immigration reform is hardly dead.” The immigration debate has been shunted to the background since Obama took office in January 2009 and said an overhaul was a top priority. The issue was set aside as a drive to overhaul health care took precedence and dragged on longer
Notice of formation of BILL PREPAID LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the Sect'y of State of NY (SSNY) on 7/23/2010. Office location, County of Kings. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o Zalman Schochet, Esq., 225 Broadway, 39th Flr. NY NY 10017. Purpose: any lawful act. Notice of Qualification of Marasmius Ramealis LLC. Authority
faite. En choisissant de traduire en créole haïtien Arthur Rimbaud l’un des poètes français qui ont révolutionné le langage poétique et les critères de lecture de la poésie française, les trois auteurs cités ont pris un risque certain. Ils s’en sont bien tirés toutefois grâce aux principes bien assimilés de la traduction et à leur connaissance de la langue de départ et de la langue d’arrivée. Nulle traduction n’est parfaite mais ils ont fait tout de même un travail exemplaire. Contactez Hugues St.Fort à Hugo274@aol.com
than expected. Senate Democrats in April drafted a proposal to boost border security before later providing a way for a portion of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants to become U.S. citizens. Border Security The only significant immigration legislation to clear Congress in the past two years was a $600 million border security law Obama signed in August. It included funding to hire 1,500 Border Patrol, Customs and other agents along the border with Mexico. When Republicans take control of the House in January, the pushback against illegal immigrants will grow stronger. Representative Lamar Smith, a Texas Republican who will become chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, says he will focus on border security and cracking down on companies that hire undocumented workers.
filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 10/6/10. Office location: Kings County. LLC formed in Delaware (DE) on 7/3/08. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: c/o National Registered Agents, Inc., 875 Ave. of the Americas, Ste. 501, NY, NY 10001. Principal office address: 100 Lefferts Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11226. Address to be maintained in DE: c/o National Registered Agents, Inc., 160 Greentree Dr., Ste. 101, Dover, DE 19904. Arts of Org. filed with DE Secy. Of State, 401 Federal St., Ste. 4,
Dover, DE 19901. Purpose: any lawful activities. Notice of Qualification of Brooklyn Bazaar LLC, Authority filed Sec'y of State (SSNY) 10/19/10. Office loc.: Kings County. LLC org. SSNY desig. as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of proc. to Brooklyn Bazaar LLC, 214 Park Place, Apt. 1, Brooklyn, NY 11238. Cert. of Form. on file. Purp.: any lawful activities.