Insight News ::: 5.2.11

Interact Theater presents:

HOT JAZZ AT DA FUNKY BUTT

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Through May 21st

INSIGHT NEWS May 2 - May 8, 2011 • MN Metro Vol. 37 No. 18 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • www.insightnews.com

PYC students walk to raise awareness, breakdown stereotypes Students at PYC Arts and Technology in North Minneapolis invites the community to join them for their second annual Walk for Success at 3:00 pm, Thursday, May 19.

The event, spearheaded by the Discovery Crew, a student leadership group at PYC Arts & Tech, is designed to raise awareness and breakdown stereotypes about youth in North Minneapolis, said Kathleen Butts, co-director of education at PYC Arts & Tech.

PYC TURN TO 4

Students, teachers and staff and community gathering to begin the 2010 Walk for Success at PYC Arts & Technology High School

Ed Irwin and Carl Griffin

Cuba charting new direction

By COHA Research Associate Rebecca Walker The Communist Party Congress of Cuba ended its first session in 14 years on Tuesday, April 19, 2011. The date for the meeting was announced in November of 2010 with the publication of 311 proposed reforms intended to revive the socialist spirit of the island.

At the same time, the Cuban leadership explored alternative policy avenues for the future of the country.

Though global social upheavals have recently pushed several autocratic mid-East leaders out of power, Havana can be said to be before the curve in realizing that the time had come to initiate change before its own public would demand it. While it was hoped that the Congress would come forth with a bona fide aperture in the arena of U.S.-Cuba relations, rather than the undernourished version which the White House has occasionally prated about, Havana was not able to rise to the challenge.

This is because it is Washington who has refused to blink and Obama who has refused to act, as evidenced by the lack of promised diplomacy from the current administration.

According to the terms of the Helms-Burton Act, Cuba must act first and U.S. analysts on

US Coast Guard

Tugboats battle the blazing remnants of the off shore oil rig Deepwater Horizon.

Raúl Castro, President of Cuba Cuban affairs predict that without formative changes the U.S. will not change its policy. Meanwhile, the Castro regime will not easily survive the angry economic realities it is sure to confront. This will unfortunately disappoint the Cuban people who are in dire need of substantial changes in order to transform the island nation into the vibrant society they seek and which they were promised by the Revolution.

Education

Metropolitan State appoints Cole as academic internship coordinator

PAGE 4

The first public announcement regarding the Communist congressional agenda came on April 16, 2011.

Raúl Castro—both the president of Cuba and the leader of the Communist Party—shocked his audience by proposing term limits for Cuban politicians. The parameters submitted by Castro stipulate that no official, himself included, would serve more than two

Aesthetics

Penumbra premieres I Wish You Love

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Agência Brasil

five-year consecutive terms.

The rationale for this proposal is rooted in the cluttering of octogenarian cabinet officials in key executive offices, all of whom have exceeded the national age of retirement.

Raúl Castro, now clocking in at a spry 79, will be forced to relinquish leadership in 2021 under this new criterion.

CUBA TURN TO 2

NAACP investigation reveals broken promises by BP (Washington, DC) – A special investigation released recently by the NAACP indicates that thousands of Gulf Coast residents are still suffering mild to severe mental health problems stemming from BP oil drilling disaster last year.

The investigation’s findings reveal that the impact of the oil spill has led to an overall rise in

Health

An evening to talk about it

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stress felt by Gulf residents.

NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous sent a letter to BP CEO Robert Dudley expressing deep concern about these unaddressed issues and requesting a meeting to discuss the problems and enact solutions.

BP TURN TO 2

Artists Who Cook

Artists heat up skillets in support of the Obsidian

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Page 2 • May 2 - May 8, 2011 • Insight News

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BUSINESS Ask: Because you never know what you don’t know Plan Your Career

By Julie Desmond julie@insightnews.com It was just a report.

A straightforward spreadsheet. A list of text and numbers lined up in long columns, a few formulas, some formatting and

Voila! A report. Unfortunately, the recipient of the report did not appreciate its simplicity. “What about that other column?” he asked. “And where did those numbers come from?” Working in fits and starts, three days later, the reporting dynamo had produced the report he was looking for and pulled out most of her hair in the process.

This is the story of Ann’s first week on a new project.

She was handpicked for the high-profile position because she was uniquely capable of

succeeding. When the request for the report came through, she forged ahead. She had created other reports for other teams on other projects, and thought she knew what was expected.

Other is the operative word here. This week’s team had its own ideas about how that report should look, probably based on how they would use it. Ann assumed that their expectations aligned with the reports other teams had requested, and she assumed the information she needed would be readily

available to her. Asking a few good questions at the start could have helped Ann shine in her new role.

Ann’s problem was, she did not know what she didn’t know. Being new to the team, a fair conversation could start out, “I’ve done some reports like this one. What information does your team want me to include?” Additional questions might be, Which resources are best to use in creating this report? How do you want it to look when it’s done? Do you

have any examples of similar reports? How do you want the information distributed?

Whether the report’s column headings are bold or italic usually has zero bearing on the information provided.

However, if the team has always done it a certain way, changing up colors or formats is better saved for later on. Learn the ways of the natives before introducing your futuristic concepts. You might discover that, “We’ve always done it this way,” is code for, “This is the

best way to do it.”

Asking for assistance in a new position can feel like asking for directions at the gas station: humbling. Ann thought she knew it all, but discovered that by asking questions up front, she gained a clearer picture of what was needed, saving a fortune in time and embarrassment later on.

Julie Desmond is a recruiter for Specialized Recruiting Group in Minneapolis. Write to julie@ insightnews.com.

Banks collect overdraft opt-ins through misleading marketing Banks use scare tactics and other misleading practices to persuade consumers to opt into high-cost overdraft programs for debit card purchases, a new CRL survey finds. Even so, the survey finds, most consumers choose not to opt in. The survey results contradict claims that consumers overwhelmingly want to sign up to pay nearly $35 on average each time they overdraw their checking account by a small amount with their debit card.

The survey finds that of the 33 percent of respondents who did opt in: Sixty percent said an important reason they did so was to avoid a fee if their debit card was declined. In fact, a declined debit card costs consumers nothing.

Sixty-four percent said an important reason they did so was to avoid bouncing paper checks. In fact, opt-in rules cover only debit card and ATM transactions.

Almost half of those who opted in wanted in part to simply stop the bank’s barrage of opt-in messages by mail, phone, email, on-line and in person.

The Federal Reserve last year sought to address widespread abuse in overdraft

“protection” programs by requiring banks and credit unions to obtain customers’ opt-in before charging debit card overdraft fees, rather than automatically enrolling them. The survey confirms that many financial institutions do more than ask; they succeed in confusing and wearing down many customers into accepting a product with unnecessary, exorbitant fees.

Unfair overdraft fees cost Americans $24 billion a year, driven largely by high fees on small debit card transactions.

Consumers can accumulate several fees a day, and some banks drive the numbers up further by subtracting larger transactions first, thus emptying an account faster and putting more purchases in the red.

Neither Citibank nor Bank of America approves debit card transactions for a fee.

They say their customers’ don’t want it. But many other banks and credit unions still engage in this unfair practice.

The Fed and other regulators should implement reforms that financial institutions can’t circumvent through highpressure, deceptive marketing.

For more information: Kathleen Day at (202) 349-

stock.xchng(LotusHead)

1871 or kathleen.day@ responsiblelending.org; Ginna Green at (510) 379-

5513 or ginna.green@ responsiblelending.org; or Charlene Crowell at (919) 3138523 or charlene.crowell@

responsiblelending.org.

See the full report: http:// w w w. r e s p o n s i b l e l e n d i n g . org/overdraft-loans/policy-

legislation/regulators/banksmisleading-marketing.html

Cuba

member is 68. Most notably, the next in line for leadership, Cuba’s Vice President José Ramón Machado, is already 80 years old.

A disappointing component of the Havana meeting was the absence of adequate discourse over the status of the proposed reforms. It was declared that nearly all the reforms were unanimously passed, but it is not known how many alterations were made to the guidelines. If the motivation for such reforms is genuine and seen from the orientation of real need, they may come to symbolize a new era of change, spliced with the leadership’s acknowledgement that the socialist status quo is preventing the country’s political system to fully function.

However, some Cuban dissidents fear that the reforms now being put in place would have the government exercise greater control of what is now an underground economy. Though it is seemingly contradictory to say that privatization is likely to enhance government power, underlying these reforms is an effort to seize functional control of the country’s now thriving informal economy.

Although this network represents one of Cuba’s most profitable markets, it yields no rewards to the government.

The black market includes illegal service industries such as plumbing, bartending, and other activities deemed lucrative by the government; now that the Havana bureaucracy is allowing more privatization and self-employment, the authorities will be better able to effectively monitor and tax these once-forbidden trades.

Legitimizing the buying and selling of homes—something that the Cuban society seems quite excited about—is another method to oversee and extract revenue from already deeply entrenched under-the-table dealings.

As Raúl has promised not to burden his nation with immediate and crippling changes due to the maleficent effects on a nation unprepared for such shock therapy, the transition time for adopting these reforms will likely turn out to be more torpid than electrifying. It is unfortunate that the mere fact that the congressional meeting occurred was more monumental than the fruits of its minute-by-minute proceedings. The upcoming weeks will likely uncover more layers of the true impact of the meeting. Hopefully, this ripple effect will turn into a tidal wave of cumulative positive change.

address ongoing needs • Providing financial support for community-based organizations that assist families suffering as a result of the oil spill • Investing in rebuilding affected industries and new enterprises that generate jobs and revenue for the region “A year after the BP spill that dumped 172 million gallons of oil into the Gulf, the surface of the water appears to be back to normal,” said Jacqueline Patterson, the Director of the NAACP Climate Change Initiative.

“Below, however, the ocean floor is severely damaged and many underwater habitats are struggling to recover. The same can be said for Gulf Coast residents. News reports that have focused on the “Spillionaires” – those who have cashed in big on the BP payouts – fail to look below the surface and see those unhealed

mental and physical wounds left by the disaster.”

According to the NAACP special investigation, the needs of residents attempting to cope with the increased stress have been largely unmet.

Most telling is the sharp spike in domestic violence.

The investigation also notes that, since the spill, reports of domestic violence have doubled and even tripled in some communities along the Gulf.

The report goes further to say that little to no infrastructure is in place to help families deal with the overwhelming anxiety brought on by the disaster. The region has few health care facilities because many fishermen in the coastal area do not have health insurance. Additionally, those who do seek treatment are often misdiagnosed and mistreated by doctors unfamiliar with the symptoms.

From 1 Finding that younger generations have become increasingly apathetic to the present political process, Raúl Castro wants to rejuvenate civic engagement among young Cubans by thrusting them into the vortex of a new more rewarding and fulfilling political life.

The new politburo, now pared down to a meager 15 members, was also ratified during the four-day meeting of the Communist Congress.

Perhaps the most dramatic element unveiled at the gathering was not so much the announcement of who was on the list, but rather, who was not. Fidel Castro, for the first time since the Revolution, is no longer the First Secretary of the Communist Party. The reason for his omission is not due to an ideological shift, but as a matter of health. Now in his 82nd year, the elderly Castro is suffering from an unspecified intestinal illness that has visibly slowed him down. Health-related issues will inevitably pose a problem for other cabinet members down the line, as the average age of the typical politburo

BP From 1 “Immediate reform is needed to prevent victims of the Gulf oil spill from falling through the cracks,” said NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. “We cannot turn a blind eye to Gulf residents who are still struggling to find normalcy.

We must make sure the problems that Gulf residents still face are brought to the surface and remedied before another year passes.”

In the letter, the NAACP writes: “We are willing to work with BP in addressing these issues. In that regard, our report offers several solutions.

These include: • Significantly increasing support for physical and mental health care systems to

insightnews.com

Insight News • May 2 - May 8, 2011 • Page 3

Police remind residents to party responsibly As the weather improves and people hold more parties both in and outdoors Minneapolis Police want to remind people to drink responsibly, be mindful of their neighbors, prevent underage consumption and take steps to prevent party guests from drinking and driving.

Last year the Minneapolis Police Department responded to approximately 2400 complaints of loud parties.

Most were called in by neighbors disturbed by the noise. Residents are reminded that there is a City ordinance regarding excessive noise after 10 pm. In most cases officers were able to convince party

Jazz From 1 Interact Theater presents: Hot Jazz at da Funky Butt.

Featuring one of New Orleans hottest jazz ensembles Rue Fiya, with Ivory Doublette, Reginald Haney and The Interact Ensemble of actors with and without disabilities. At The Lab Theater, 701 1st Street North, Minneapolis, MN. Playing now through May 21. Tickets may be purchased online at www. thelabtheater.org or The Lab Box Office: 612.333.7977.

INSIGHT NEWS www.insightnews.com

Insight News is published weekly, every Monday by McFarlane Media Interests.

Editor-In-Chief Al McFarlane CFO Adrianne Hamilton-Butler Publisher Batala-Ra McFarlane Associate Editor & Associate Publisher B.P. Ford Vice President of Sales & Marketing Selene White Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Sr. Content & Production Coordinator Ben Williams Production Intern Andrew Notsch Distribution/Facilities Manager Jamal Mohamed Facilities Support / Assistant Producer, Conversations with Al McFarlane Bobby Rankin Receptionist Lue B. Lampley Staff Writer Ivan B. Phifer Contributing Writers Maya Beecham Brenda Colston Julie Desmond S. Himie Marcia Humphrey Alaina L. Lewis Ryan T. Scott Lydia Schwartz Stacey Taylor Photography Suluki Fardan Tobechi Tobechukwu Contact Us: Insight News, Inc. Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Ave. N. Minneapolis., MN 55411 Ph.: (612) 588-1313 Fax: (612) 588-2031 Member: Minnesota Multicultural Media Consortium (MMMC), Midwest Black Publishers Coalition, Inc. (MBPCI), National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Postmaster: Send address changes to McFarlane Media Interests, Marcus Garvey House 1815 Bryant Avenue North, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55411.

hosts to comply but return calls to the same party often resulted in residents being cited. The City can use party citations as leverage against landlords to deal with tenants who create a nuisance.

The Minneapolis Police Department takes consumption of alcoholic beverages by minors seriously. Last year the MPD issued several hundred

citations for this offense.

Alcohol use by minors is not only illegal but dangerous.

Each year in Minnesota there are tragic events when younger drinkers overindulge and end up with fatal alcohol poisoning and many more end up hospitalized. Additionally traffic accident statistics bear out the dangers that teens face when they combine alcohol

and driving. As a result the Minneapolis Police vigorously enforce the law when it comes to adults providing alcohol to minors through alcoholic beverage sales checks, investigations and the use of the Social Host ordinance.

Drinking and driving is also an issue which causes tragedies for families and can result in significant consequences

for offenders especially if someone is hurt or killed in a drunk driving accident.

Minneapolis Police ask that before drinking you arrange a ride and if a guest is clearly intoxicated that hosts attempt to prevent a guest from driving or arrange rides for guests in advance. Last year the MPD made almost 900 DWI arrests and the Minnesota State Patrol

contributed to the effort with significant arrest numbers on Minneapolis freeways.

In the end it is about making good decisions before choosing to party.

Please enjoy the summer but do it responsibly.

Source: The Minneapolis Police Department Public Information Office

Page 4 • May 2 - May 8, 2011 • Insight News

insightnews.com

EDUCATION North High redesign update

Victor Cole

Courtesy of Metropolitan State

Metropolitan State appoints Victor B. Cole as academic internship coordinator Victor B. Cole, Minneapolis, was appointed academic internship coordinator for the Metropolitan State University Center for Community-Based Learning. The three-quarter time appointment is effective April 18. Cole replaced Jeannine Harff who retired earlier this year.

He is responsible for coordination and implementation of the university-wide academic internship program and works with individual students seeking study abroad opportunities. He advises and assists students, coordinates internships with faculty members in each college, outreaches to communities, businesses and government agencies, and plans, promotes and evaluates the internship program.

Cole has been working since 2005 as a field experience coordinator for the Urban Teacher Program at Metropolitan State. He simultaneously was a licensure officer for the Education Department, Urban Teacher

Program. Earlier he worked as a program representative/office specialist for the University of Minnesota Learning Abroad Center; as a program-planning specialist for New York City Field Services Office, and as youth outreach director in Bronx, N.Y. He has worked as community faculty in the Urban Teacher Program, as a private contractor, and as an adjunct professor at City University of New York.

He holds a B.A. in French literature and secondary education from Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa, and an M.S. in elementary education/reading specialist from City University of New York, City College, New York, N.Y. Metropolitan State University, a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, provides high-quality, affordable academic and professional degree programs at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. It is the only state university in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

Minneapolis Public Schools and the Institute for Student Achievement (ISA) on April 20 held the first meeting of the North High Redesign Advisory Committee, a group of nine community members and five school district leaders that will help inform and guide the work of redesigning North High School. ISA is a nonprofit school turnaround organization that partners with school districts and communities to transform underperforming high schools into new academically rigorous and personalized schools.

The advisory committee is comprised of 14 total members, including the following MPS leaders: Associate Superintendent

Mark Bonine, Director of School Improvement Eric Molho, Executive Director of Family and Community Engagement Scott Redd, Director of Strategic Planning Maggie Sullivan and ex-officio committee member Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson. Community alternates for the committee include Buzzy Bohn, Erika dos Santos, Leola Seals and T. Williams.

The 9 community members selected last month to serve on the committee are Ariah Fine, Brett Buckner, Deanna Williamson, Kale Severson, Kerry Felder, Kim Ellison, Marcus Owens, Rose Brewer and Susan Young.

The advisory committee will meet regularly to help plan for

the launch of a new program at North High School starting in the 2012-13 school year. The committee will provide feedback and input into the design process, including helping to interview a new principal and shaping the school’s academic focus. At the first meeting, committee members discussed their vision for the new school and identified potential challenges.

“Hearing from the advisory team inspired and energized me in our work moving forward,” said Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson. “Realizing our vision for this school will require hard work, commitment and effort.

Most importantly, it will require each of us to think and work

differently than we ever have before. We agree that North must be a place that students are proud to call home and we are dedicated to meeting this goal.”

Peter Christensen joined the North High School administrative team as principal in March and recently agreed to continue in his position through the transition to the new North. Christensen is a well-respected educator whose long career includes experience in teaching, administration and mentoring.

To receive email updates on North, please email answers@ mpls.k12.mn.us with the subject line “North redesign updates” or call the MPS Office of Communications at 612.668.0230.

MUL Guild hosts 2011 graduation celebration The Minneapolis Urban League Guild, an auxiliary of the Urban League affiliate in Minneapolis, will host a celebration for Class of 2011 graduates on Saturday, June 4, 2011 at the Urban League Glover Sudduth Center located at 2100 Plymouth Avenue North in Minneapolis.

The purpose of this event is to publicly congratulate these students for preparing for their futures by achieving the level of academic success required to graduate. “The Guild looks for opportunities to shine a positive light on our youth and we’re honored to acknowledge such an

important milestone in their lives” says Guild President Winnie Brown. Brown adds that the event will also be an occasion to emphasize the important role of family and community in nurturing and inspiring these students to go on to explore post-secondary educational opportunities.

PYC From 1 The six-mile walk begins at Plymouth Christian Youth Center, 2210 Oliver Avenue North. The walk ends at the intersections of Hennepin Avenue and 7th Street in downtown Minneapolis.

The Discovery Crew after school program started nearly two years ago to provide students with opportunities to participate in service learning projects at school and North Minneapolis, said Walter Anderson, a staff member who founded the program. “We wanted the students to develop their potential to become

Walter Anderson leaders and to create positive change in their neighborhoods,” he said.

Since its beginning, the Discovery Crew has hosted events to end domestic

Ed Irwin and Carl Griffin

violence, participated in Peace Jam, sponsored clean-ups along West Broadway, and staged Black history showcases for area youth and families.

Walk for Success will help

Students who want to attend this first Annual Graduates Celebration are required to RSVP by calling 612-866-0470. To find out how you can support this event, call the Minneapolis Urban League’s Social Engagement Office at 612-302-3143.

our group show others the value of teamwork, reciprocity, and integrity, as well as the value of each and every young person in North Minneapolis,” Anderson said.

Community members are invited to either join the walk, or help financially by sponsoring Discovery Crew members by making a one-time donation of $20 per participant.

PYC Arts and Technology High School is a program of Plymouth Christian Youth Center (PCYC) a non-profit human services organization that serves North Minneapolis youth and families through education, community programs and community development.

For more information, visit www.pcyc-mpls.org.

insightnews.com

Insight News • May 2 - May 8, 2011 • Page 5

AESTHETICS Penumbra premieres I Wish You Love

By Alaina L. Lewis Contributing Writer Like subtle raindrops on frozen glass, Penumbra Theatre’s newest production, “I Wish You Love,” bleeds a solid tear on a subject far more ample than its doe-eyed cover.

Straight from the fingertips and carefully crafted thoughts of writer Dominic Taylor, “I Wish you Love,” directed by Lou Bellamy, definitely exceeds its backdrop of jazz music and love-laced soliloquies, as they are intertwined with the life of Nat King Cole during the period in which he hosted his own television variety show.

Penumbra’s stage is magically transformed into the set of “The Nat King Cole Show,” and the audience serve as observers of the weekly classic; a moment in time which is also equipped with retro TV commercials, and news telecasts illustrating where we stood in the civil rights movement some fifty years ago today.

The show opens with the grace of Cole’s beautiful voice walking us through every

Dennis W. Spears as Nat King Cole emotion that surrounds his vocal palette. But it is, in fact, when the cameras are off that we become privy to the real man behind the masked entertainer Cole presents to the television audience; a man who must deal with the racial injustice that surrounds an African

American vying for success in an industry dominated by white managers and producers.

Although Cole broke several barriers, his actions did not remove the incendiary breath of racism and ignorance or the constant pressure of always

Courtesy of Penumbra Theatre

having to smile during the hour when his soul yearned to cry. Taylor and Bellamy do an excellent job of delivering the rise and fall of an emotion, as we laugh at Cole’s subtle jokes, and smile at the beauty of his instrument before being swept

Review: Madea’s Big Happy Family her timely sermonizing as for all that trademark tomfoolery.

While undeniably upping the ante in terms of sheer frivolity, this sixth installment is also grounded by a bittersweet storyline. At the point of departure, we find Madea’s niece, Shirley (Loretta Devine), being informed by her physician (Philip AnthonyRodriguez) about a resurgence of the cancer that she’s been fighting for the past seven years.

Despite the urgent diagnosis, she declines further

Film Review

By Kam Williams kam@insightnews.com Hold onto your wigs and fat suits, folks, because Tyler Perry is back in drag as America’s sassiest granny. But don’t make the mistake of attributing the Madea franchise’s enduring appeal to the loudmouthed hussy’s bodaciousness alone, since she’s as much beloved for

Quantrell Colbert

Brown (David Mann) and Madea (Tyler Perry)

MADEA TURN TO 7

away by a storm called life.

Dennis W. Spears stars as Nat King Cole, a role that feels as if he was born to play it. He delivers eloquence, grace and strength as the man who knew how to charm an audience when the lights were on, and at the same time, exude strength in the face of some very challenging situations. Kevin D. West plays his right hand man, Oliver Moore, a witty bass player with a big bite; unafraid to look his adversary in the face, and coolly unphased by the strike of any challenge. Eric Berryman strolls into the part of the young pup in the group, Jeffrey Prince, a man with a lot of heart, still climbing over the hump of being the novice in some pretty gritty circumstances.

Michael Tezla wears several hats during the production. He steps into the role of Bill Henry, Cole’s boss, the announcer of “The Nat King Cole” show, as well as the nightly news anchor. All parts that, although they require a different face

inside the televised glass, still bring us back to one definitive understanding, Tezla represents “Them,” – those who hold the power, while Cole and his band symbolize “Us,” – the many still seeking power when the glass appears to be half full.

“I Wish You Love” is a refreshing, eye opening play that will make you laugh, cry, and remember a legend not only for his music, but also for his strength of fighting a fight in entertainment, that African American’s no longer have to battle today.

“I Wish You Love” runs now until May 22. So far, its run has been delivered beautifully to sold-out audiences. Plan ahead, and plan to be part of the music, the magic and the dazzle of Nat King Cole as seen through the eyes of Dominic Taylor and the Penumbra Theatre.

For more information or tickets: www.penumbratheatre. org.

Page 6 • May 2 - May 8, 2011 • Insight News

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HEALTH

Photos by Mike Benham

Above: Honoree representatives: Shirley Marie Graham, Community Fitness Today; Ramon Harris, Shiloh Temple International Ministries; Melinda Donaway, Open Cities Health Center; Pastor Andre Crockett, Vision Church; Miguel Rivera, NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center; Yianeque Walker, Kofi Services, and Ora Hokes, Greater Friendship Missionary Baptist Church.

An evening to talk about it

By Chris Garner Contributing Writer It can be hard to sponsor lasting health initiatives in the community with the economy in current disarray, but that has yet to be the case for the American Cancer Society’s (ACS) Let’s Talk About It initiative. With community organizations— Community Fitness Today, Greater Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, Kofi Services, NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center, Open Cities Health Center, Q Health Services, Shiloh Temple International Ministries, and Vision Church—ACS has held 119 sessions educating over 2027 individuals on the effects of colorectal and prostate cancer.

Through the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Midwest division of the ACS has managed to get government funding for over two years. Mary Manning, director of MDH’s Chronic Disease helped the ACS apply to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for these grants.

Based on the relationship CDC has had with ACS in the past helped in them receiving funding for the initiative.

“We’ve worked with the American Cancer Society and know that they have a great community network relationships and we have worked with a number of these churches,” said Manning Monday April 18th at the Let’s Talk About It event honoring the community. She said when writing the grant they were confident in receiving funding because the CDC had faith in the work that would be done based on the organizations ACS enlisted. Manning hopes that this initiative will continue to get the funding needed to work in the community but there is no guarantee.

Roshan Paudel, director of Community Partnerships for the ACS Midwest Division, believes funding is based on priority. “The goal is to come up with programs that make sense in the community,” said Paudel. “We’re not the best organization, we’re not the worst organization but we try to do the best with resources

Durado Brooks,MD, Director of Prostate and Colorectal Cancers for the American Cancer Society

Lou Harvin, PR director at the Midwest Division of the American Cancer Society

Honoree Pastor Andre Crockett of Vision Church in Rochester, MN

we have.”

By centering themselves directly in the trenches, Manning feels they don’t have much to worry about in this economic crunch. Regardless of the fact that continued funding for this endeavor in the future is unsure, everyone is sure that ACS with the help of the community has made a difference in many lives and hopes this will continue.

“You have taken it upon yourselves to carry information to a community where a disproportionate amount is affected,” said Dr. Durado

Brooks, MD, the director of Prostate and Colorectal Cancers at the ACS home office who handed out awards to the community honorees.

Brooks believes what ACS has accomplished in Minnesota with Let’s Talk About It is something unique. He has had the opportunity to visit all of the ACS divisions but believes the approach the Midwest is taking by having the community bring information to the community has shown to be the most successful. Brooks hopes to replicate what Minnesota has done across the country.

insightnews.com

Insight News • May 2 - May 8, 2011 • Page 7

Governor Mark Dayton unveils administration’s focus on jobs Gateway to excellence

By Scott Gray MUL President/CEO Albert Einstein is credited with saying, “Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them.”

Thomas Edison often said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it looks like work.” Noted wealth creation author of Rich Dad-Poor Dad fame, Robert Kiyosaki, shares that “inside every problem is opportunity.”

Clearly, Governor Mark Dayton is focused on reaching solutions and harnessing opportunity in spite of perceived problems for African Americans in Minneapolis. On March 30th at the Twin Cities Economic Summit Governor Dayton listened to community needs and swiftly responded with feedback detailing opportunities for improvement that can sow seeds of sustainable Job growth in our state. For this the governor should be

Madea From 5 treatment, explaining that she’s simply too tired to do another round of chemotherapy. And with just weeks to live, the devoutly-religious Christian resigns to the will of the Lord.

What does still matter to her, however, is seeing her three children one last time to break the unfortunate news to

applauded. I am also appreciative of the leadership that made this summit possible provided

by Representatives Bobby Joe Champion and Jeff Hayden, and Rev. Jerry McAfee and the summit organizers. A review of the Governor’s April 8th Twin Cities Economic Summit Report outlines his intentional actions designed to seize opportunity and make it work.

When MUL began serving this community 85 years ago, its aim was to be a catalyst for improving the quality of life for people of color, to serve as a compass directing those in need to a trail of personal opportunity. The MUL Gateway to Opportunity, its strategies and programs, and our efforts over the past year are firmly aligned with Governor Dayton’s vision and proposed plan of action for the next four years.

The MUL Gateway to Opportunity, and its four intersections, College Readiness/ Career Development, Workforce Solutions, Health and Wellness, and Wealth Accumulation; each critical to the overall quality of life for youth and adults. MUL and other community agencies are prepared and equipped to play

integral roles in executing these visionary strategies, ultimately resulting in measurable outcomes for our community. A close review of the Governor’s April 8th Report illuminates the extent of the strategic alignment between the work of MUL and the Twin Cities future.

A Shared Vision: The MUL Gateway to Opportunity and Governor Dayton’s Plan For example, at the cornerstone of the report is the expressed intent to Expand Employment Opportunities.

The MUL Workforce Solutions intersection focuses on increasing job opportunities strategically by partnering with employers and unions to create jobs programs fueled by business requirements.

MUL has formed a CEO Roundtable, a vehicle which allows business leaders to directly communicate the 21st century foundational, technical and soft skills that people need to thrive in their companies. MUL programs like BIG STEP and LEAP, in partnership with the unions, will serve to position people to fill jobs in construction, health care, power distribution, agriculture and other emerging work opportunities.

The MUL Workforce Solutions

intersection currently provides services as proposed by the Governor’s FastTrac workforce development initiative, and MUL can do more.

Key to economic vitality is expanding the growth of small businesses, particularly minority businesses. MUL, through its planned expanded supply chain programming, and support of collaborative business partnerships, views the Governor’s plan to revitalize the Urban Initiatives Board as a resource that can become critical to increasing enterprise and creating more jobs.

Through the MUL College Preparedness and Career Development Intersection, best practice and evidence-based career development models are being employed to prepare youth so that they can find their place in the 21st century workplace.

Creating employment and training opportunities for Twin Cities youth is an important aspect of MUL’s work, as the familystrengthening model is its service delivery strategy.

This summer, MUL will pilot its Grade 8.5 program with some 50-75 youth, exposing them to career opportunities, while

them in person. The trouble is that all of them are currently consumed by bad relationships, each more in crisis than the next.

Daughter Tammy (Natalie Desselle) is married to a wimp (Rodney Perry) who lets their smart aleck sons (Stevie Wash, Jr. and Benjamin Aiken) walk all over her. Materialistic middle-child Kimberly (Shannon Kane) cares so much about her high-paying corporate job and the trappings

of success that she ignores her toddler and takes her patient hubby (Isaiah Mustafa) for granted.

Elsewhere, 18 year-old Byron (Bow Wow), Shirley’s youngest, is being pressured by his gold digger of a girlfriend (Lauren London) to supplement his modest income by selling drugs on the street again.

Adding to the recent-parolee’s angst is the baby-mama drama surrounding his hypercritical ex’s (Teyana Taylor) demands for more child support for their son.

Care to hazard a guess whose help Shirley enlists to slap some sense, both literally and figuratively, into this dysfunctional menagerie?

Madea, of course, proceeds to browbeat her misbehaving extended family into shape in her own inimitable style which simply will not be ignored.

Along for the ride purely for comic relief are a couple of embarrassing relatives: Aunt Bam (Cassi Davis) and

Mr. Brown (David Mann). The former is a feisty septuagenarian who smokes marijuana and flirts shamelessly (“Are you married?” “Are you straight?”) with younger men. The latter is a garishly-dressed master of the malapropism who somehow convincingly confuses the words “prostitute” with “prostate,” “carbon peroxide” with “carbon monoxide,” and even “colonoscopy” with “Coca Cola.” Such distracting buffoonery notwithstanding, Madea as usual miraculously manages to straighten everybody out, and right in the nick of time for the uplifting, closing credits Kodak moment.

Melodramatic tough love as meaningful group therapy!

Very Good (3 stars) Rated PG-13 for profanity, mature themes and drug use.

Running time: 106 Minutes Distributor: Lionsgate Films

strengthening their academic skills so that they can transition into 9th grade better prepared to master high school. The 9th grade is a pivotal year for atpromise youth who are hindered by barriers, and MUL’s Grade 8.5 program will serve to provide critical mentoring and coaching, and other developmental assets that the Minnesota-based Search Institute has found to change lives. Additionally, MUL is finalizing its concept for a 13th year program, an employability and career ladder program aimed at providing unemployed and underemployed individuals 18 to 21 with a postsecondary pathway to attain certifications and credentials which can lead to work. Engaging males is a key element of this envisioned 13th year program.

What Can Governor Dayton Do? Critical first steps have been taken, and the Governor has begun to craft a roadmap that can lead in a direction to maximize our community’s potential; but for that to happen it would be necessary for several things to occur under the Governor’s leadership:

• Governor Dayton can play a strong role in helping to bring more CEOs to the table so that industry skill needs and workforce development programs can be better aligned and job placement benchmarks established and tracked, • Continued support for full funding of the Minnesota Department of Human Rights to guarantee equal rights for all Minnesotans, • Linkage of tax credits to job placement goals ensuring that these credits are awarded to companies that support the expansion of employment opportunities for those jobseekers with barriers is essential, • Full engagement and tapping into the services and competencies of Community Based Organizations that can reach jobseekers who may require supports not offered in traditional employment and training settings.

This can provide enhanced opportunities to reach the chronically underemployed and unemployed in our community, • Provide more workforce development resources to

DAYTON TURN TO 11

Page 8 • May 2 - May 8, 2011 • Insight News

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Artists heat up skillets and ovens in support of the Obsidian Charles Bibbs from Los Angeles, California, is an accomplished Fine Artist, entrepreneur and philanthropist who has always believed that we are the keepers of our culture, and as such, has spent much of his time working towards developing a cohesive, energized African American Community. He is arguably the most commercially successful Black artist working in the country today.

Bibbs along with local artists Loretta Day, Nate Young, Ernest Arthur Bryant III, Richard Amos, Esther Osayande, Aziz Osman, Shirley Robertson, Charles Caldwell, Tobechi Tobechukwu and LaDonna Funderburke are participating artists at the Obsidian Arts presentation, Artists Who Cook 2011.

Artists Who Cook, which

Charles Bibbs

Courtesy of Obsidian Arts

could be renamed as ‘Artists As Cooks’, brings together these hottest African American visual artists working to create their favorite dishes for the public to sample. The event will be held Saturday, June 4, 2011 from 5–8 pm at Wilson Park Tower– Event Center located at 14th and Hennepin Avenue in Downtown Minneapolis. Tickets, $35.00, can be purchased at www. obsidianartscenter.org.

In recognition that African American traditional cuisine can be fairly unhealthy Obsidian Arts has struck up a promising partnership with three local coops. The Wedge, Eastside Market and Linden Hills will provide each artist-chef with a $200 ingredient voucher.

This will allow each artist-chef to shop for and use the most

wholesome of ingredients in the preparation of the dish they will create for public participants to sample. We expect their use of more wholesome ingredients will be shared between the artist-chef and the people who sample as the artist-chef shares why the dish was created and the impact of using wholesome ingredients.

This event is a fundraiser for signature Obsidian Arts endeavors, which include the African American Art Bridge to be created over I-94 in 201112, and the African American Art Library which houses over 2,000 books related to arts and Black culture from across the globe.

Artists Who Cook is a part of Obsidian Arts 2011 Black Arts Weekend which kicks off

on Friday, June 3 with a master class for young artists led by Charles Bibbs and concludes on Sunday with an artist’s talk featuring Charles Bibbs in dialogue with art historian Suzanne Roberts. The talk will be followed by an art sale and signing.

Obsidian Arts supports the growth of ideas...valuing artists, curators, and art historians in the examination of Black history and culture. Founded in 2003, Obsidian Arts works to share history through art, get artists connected, and push artistic innovation.

To know about Obsidian Arts and the event, visit www. obsidianartscenter.org or 3501 Chicago Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55407, or call 612-787-3644.

Fast Five: All-stars return

image.net

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker lead a reunion of returning allstars from every chapter of the explosive franchise built on speed in Fast Five. Newly joined

by Dwayne Johnson, they take the series that hooked the world on adrenaline and amp up the action and spectacle on a global scale.

In Fast Five, former cop Brian O’Conner (Walker) partners with ex-con Dom Toretto (Diesel) in a very unfamiliar place:

the opposite side of the law in exotic Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Elsa Pataky joins Johnson and returning favorites Jordana Brewster, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Matt Schulze, Tego Calderón and Don Omar in an ultimate high-stakes heist.

The series that first captivated audiences a decade ago with its crew of underground Los Angeles street racers bound by a code of family and loyalty takes its die-

hard audience on the biggest thrill ride to date. After blasting through heart-stopping runs in Miami’s race circuit, exposing the insular underworld of Tokyo, drifting and rocketing through tunnels hidden underneath the U.S./Mexico border, our heroes are back in action.

Since we last saw them, Brian and Mia Toretto (Brewster) broke Dom out of custody and have blown across many borders to elude authorities. Now backed into a corner in Rio, they must pull off one last job in order to gain their freedom. Their mission? Assemble an elite team of top operatives made up of their family of friends to orchestrate an insane heist worth $100 million. Dom and Brian

know their only shot of getting out for good means crippling the corrupt businessman (Joaquim De Almeida) who wants them dead. But he’s not the only one on the unlikely allies’ tails.

Hard-nosed federal agent Luke Hobbs (Johnson) never misses his target. When he is assigned to track down Dom and Brian, he and his strike team launch an all-out assault to capture them. But as his men tear through Brazil, Hobbs learns he can’t separate the good guys from the bad. Now, he must rely on his instincts to corner his prey... before someone else runs them down first.

Returning to this installment is a talented production crew of series favorites, led by director

and executive producer Justin Lin (Fast & Furious, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Better Luck Tomorrow) and producers Neal H. Moritz (The Fast and the Furious series, I Am Legend, The Green Hornet, Battle: Los Angeles), Vin Diesel (Fast & Furious, Los Bandoleros) and Michael Fottrell (Fast & Furious, Live Free or Die Hard). Chris Morgan (Fast & Furious, Wanted) writes from characters created by Gary Scott Thompson (The Fast and the Furious, television’s Las Vegas).

Also rejoining the series is an accomplished behind-the-scenes team, including cinematographer Stephen F. Windon (The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift,

HBO’s miniseries The Pacific), editors Christian Wagner (Fast & Furious, Mission: Impossible II), Kelly Matsumoto (The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift) and Fred Raskin (Fast & Furious, Kill Bill series), costume designer Sanja Milkovic Hays (The Fast and the Furious series, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor), composer Brian Tyler (The Fast and the Furious series, Rambo) and executive producer Amanda Lewis (Fast & Furious, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift) and Samantha Vincent S (Fast & Furious). Production designer Peter Wenham (The Bourne Ultimatum, Battle: Los Angeles) joins Lin’s group for Fast Five.

insightnews.com

Insight News • May 2 - May 8, 2011 • Page 9

COMMENTARY Republicans propose devastating legislation Capitol Report

By Rena Moran State Rep. District 65A We are heading into the last leg of the 2011 legislative session and the stakes continue to be high for Minnesotans.

Budget proposals passed by the Republican majority will have particularly devastating effects on our community.

As a new member to the Minnesota State Legislature, I ran with the belief that it was our job to do right by Minnesotans across the state regardless of political affiliation. Despite the perceived difficulties of no

longer being in the majority, I was confident that the new Republican majority would be fair and balanced in their budget approach, setting in place resources for those who need it most, while making sure that everyone participates in a shared sacrifice for our state’s economic future. I must admit, my confidence in this shared ideal has been shaken.

Cuts to K-12 education found in the GOP budget will have a disproportionate effect on children attending public schools in the Twin Cities versus those living in suburban and rural areas of the state.

Creating a system of winners and losers, the bill eliminates Integration Revenue used by schools in St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Duluth to ensure equitable opportunities for all students to be academically successful.

The elimination of Integration Revenue, when combined with a cut to special education and other provisions means St. Paul Public Schools would see a drastic cut of $13.7 million in 2012 and $14 million in 2013, as compared to current funding levels. Cuts of this size would equate to schools receiving $376 less per pupil in 2012 and $383 less per pupil in 2013. Cuts this substantial will have a definite and immediate impact on the academic success for many children in our community.

One of my top priorities has been ensuring our community is safe and resources are available to those who need them. The Public Safety budget would significantly cut funds that protect our communities and keep them safe. Programs for battered women and survivors of sexual assault would see a

significant reduction in funding.

Additionally, programs aimed at stopping crimes before they start would see substantial cuts like community crime prevention and gang and drug task forces.

The budget hits children particularly hard, slashing funds for many essential services that keep our kids out of harm’s way.

Steep cuts to programs that keep at-risk youth out of the juvenile justice system and services for victims of child abuse, along with a near million dollar cut to the Guardian Ad Litem program—which provides advocates for abused and neglected children in court— will mean our children are not receiving adequate resources necessary for their safety and success.

Republicans dismantle the bi-partisan strides made in health care reform over

the past few years, resulting in decreased access to care and an increase in insurance premiums. Repealing the early Medical Assistance expansion will result in approximately 105,000 Minnesotans losing health insurance and will cost hospitals, clinics and doctors $1.3 billion. This will result in a reduced quality of care, higher health care premiums for consumers, and the loss of nearly 20,000 private jobs in the health care industry.

Now is not the time to take a backseat as these cuts will have a dramatic impact on the vitality of our community. In the coming days and weeks, the cuts outlined in these budgets will make their way to Governor Dayton. I call on you to express how these cuts to programs and services will impact you and your family,

as well as our community, by contacting the Governor’s office. You can contact Governor Dayton by calling his office at 651.201.3400 or by submitting concerns online at http://mn.gov/governor/contactus/form.

I strongly believe in the power of the public voice.

However, I recognize the complexity with regards to these issues and the difficulty with ensuring that your concerns are heard clearly. I urge you to contact me with any questions, ideas, or concerns.

You can reach me by phone at 651.296.5388 or by email at rep. rena.moran@house.mn.

As always I ask for your continued partnership as we move forward with the important work of this legislative session. Together we can make a difference.

Children’s health on the chopping block Child Watch

By Marian Wright Edelman Like many parents, California mother Anne-Marie Skinner knows “accidents happen.”

Her active, athletic teenagers Constance and Lucas are both involved in a number of extracurricular activities, and both have unfortunately suffered sports-related injuries that required serious medical care. One of the worst accidents happened when a basketball hit Constance in the face, requiring an emergency room visit, an MRI, and follow-up care from multiple doctors, including a pediatric

eye care specialist. Thankfully, both Constance and Lucas have been able to get the care they need because they are enrolled in Healthy Families, California’s version of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)—low-cost health insurance for children, teenagers, and pregnant women. Healthy Families makes Constance and Lucas’s care affordable for their family. Anne-Marie has already cut her family’s budget back to bare bones in this economy, including spending less on buying food. “If it wasn’t for Healthy Families I would be buried in a blanket of medical debt,” she says.

Alicia Alferez faces a different challenge—keeping up with her child’s chronic health condition.

Her oldest son, 14-year-old Alexei, has severe asthma. Like Anne-Marie, Alicia is a California resident who relies on Healthy Families coverage for her three

children. With his Healthy Families coverage, Alexei is able to access preventive care including a machine to administer medication to help him breathe and multiple prescription drugs to prevent and treat his asthma.

Several times a year, Alexei still ends up in the emergency room. Last year Alexei suffered an asthma attack and fell to the ground while running in gym class, and was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance.

Healthy Families has made it possible for Alicia to manage Alexei’s prescription drugs, doctor visits, and emergency room visits and helped AnneMarie through Constance’s eye injury. But in recent years, changes in the state budget for Healthy Families and California’s Medicaid program, Medi-Cal— including significant premium and co-payment increases—have been making it harder for families

to get critical health care services for their children. Another round of cost-sharing increases in the state’s 2011-2012 budget will cause real and lasting hardship for families like the Skinners and the Alferezes including the difficult decisions they will face if the copayment for an emergency room visit increases to $50 per visit.

These two families are among the millions around the country whose health coverage is “on the chopping block” twice over, once because of state budget cuts and a second time because of federal budget cuts. They all risk losing the affordable, comprehensive health coverage their children need to grow up healthy and strong. The U.S. House of Representatives approved an unfair and shortsighted budget that will assault vulnerable children and low income families. It would make deep cuts in Medicaid, shift more costs to states, and eliminate

core protections for the 30 million children served by the program.

In 2013 it would de-fund the successful and cost effective Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) these and many thousands of California families need. All this at a time when 50 million Americans, including more than eight million children, are uninsured. The House budget would repeal health reform that would reach an additional 32 million people and 95 percent of all children over the next few years. Children of color, who make up more than half of the children served by Medicaid, would fare worst and be placed at risk of preventable suffering, chronically poor health, and even death. And for what purpose?

To pay for more tax cuts to the wealthiest individuals and corporations in America.

President Obama said this last week about the House budget for

2012: “There’s nothing serious about a plan that claims to reduce the deficit by spending a trillion dollars on tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires. And I don’t think there’s anything courageous about asking for sacrifice from those who can least afford it and don’t have any clout on Capitol Hill.

That’s not a vision of the America I know.” If this is not the America you want, stand up and speak up and say no!

Marian Wright Edelman is President of the Children’s Defense Fund whose Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. For more information go to www. childrensdefense.org.

Page 10 • May 2, - May 8, 2011 • Insight News

insightnews.com

Coffee Break 37. Rock formed as deposit from springs or streams 39. Departure from life 40. Please do not delay 41. One way to sell tickets 43. Causing pain 44. Large, colorful parrot 46. Christmastime 47. Objective case of “they” 48. Deficiency of red blood cells 50. “The Coal Miner’s Daughter” is her life story 52. Metal-bearing rock 53. *Busy moms keep a to-do ____ 55. Wooden pin 57. Like a gruesome murder scene 60. *Minnelli’s mom 64. Infamous Greek lawmaker 65. Street in France 67. *”Mommie Dearest,” e.g.

68. Related to oats 69. Function 70. Get up 71. *Some moms seem to have these in back of their heads 72. Bachelor’s dwelling 73. Disintegration

S TAT E P O I N T CROSSWORD THEME: MOTHER’S DAY ACROSS 1. Eats hastily 6. Thrown before a hook?

9. British art gallery 13. Spurious wing 14. _ __ carte 15. Frodo Baggins’ homeland

DOWN 1. Site of 1993 Texas disaster 2. “A Series of Unfortunate Events” count 3. Should be checked for cancer 4. Quickly runs away 5. Dar es ______, Tanzania 6. Folsom or Sing Sing, e.g.

7. “___ the King’s Men” 8. Light craft wood 9. You, in bygone era 10. ____-de-camp 11. Mouse catcher, e.g.

12. Unagi 15. Impressive display of food 20. Alex Haley’s dramatized novel 22. Give it a shot 24. Automatic option 25. As opposed to a comedy 26. Seventh month of Hebrew

16. Humpy ungulate 17. Under the weather 18. “_____ to the metal” 19. *Mother-__-_____ 21. *Mamma in movie “Mamma Mia!” 23. ___ Paolo, Brazil 24. A foolhardy challenge 25. *Yours is 50% inherited from your mom 28. Spy 30. Whine 35. Tears

calendar 27. Speedily 29. *She gave birth in life and on TV on same day 31. Not in a horse’s diet 32. “_____ Man,” song 33. Olden days anesthetic 34. *Mother Goose story form 36. Junk e-mail 38. Russia to U.S. in WWII 42. Pen in Italian 45. *President who proclaimed second Sunday of May as Mother’s Day 49. Be unwell 51. Conventional 54. Comes from tapped maples 56. First word in chorus of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” 57. Between black and white 58. Equal to distance divided by time 59. Frosts, as in a cake 60. Turned to the right, as in horse 61. Latin for bird 62. Not yet final or absolute 63. Sandra and Ruby, actresses 64. *Bambi’s mom 66. Sum of 50 statescoral 34. Bashfully 36. Crooned 38. *”... a ____ of a fateful trip.”

42. Site of 1945 Allied conference 45. Place of worship 49. Not a win nor a loss 51.

Japanese electronics manufacturer 54. As opposed to poetry 56. Brightest star in Cygnus 57. Type of fish net 58. Smallest of a litter 59. Related 60. *Where “Friends” hung out?

61. Center 62. Snoopy’s original owner 63. Like ear infection 64. *About Sunshine Cab Company 67. T-cell killer

eek w e h of t

te o Qu “Grown

don’t mean nothing to a mother. A child is a child. They get bigger, older, but grown.

In my heart it don’t mean a thing.

—Toni Morrison

”

FAST FACT JJohn o h n Love L ove inve i nven nte ted d tth he pe ncil ssharpener pencil harpe ne r in 1 8 897.

97.

Answers on page 11

Classifieds / Event Rush Riverview Townhomes

Now accepting applications for our Section 8 waiting list. Please call 320-358-3917 or email us at rushriverview@metesbounds.com Equal Housing Opportunity

DUPLEXES FOR RENT East St. Paul - 2 bdrm remodeled duplex units starting at $775/month - Income Restricted Properties - EHO 651-430-1888 www.applegateproperties.com

Financial Services Manager

The U.S. District Court, District of MN is accepting applications for a full-time Financial Services Manager. Starting salary $69,337 - $86,697; range to $112,737 DOQ. For a complete description visit the court’s website, www.mnd.uscourts.gov, Employment.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

Program Assistant II

The City of Brooklyn Park is seeking applicants for a part-time Program Assistant II to provide customer service and general clerical and administrative support to the Recreation and Parks Department and Community Activity Center. Schedule: 1:30-6:30 p.m. MondayFriday. $18.45/hr. City and supplemental applications forms and job posting with additional information and required qualifications available on city web site or address below. Closing date: 5 p.m., Friday, May 13, 2011.

TELEMARKETING POSITION Insight News is seeking applicants for a part-time Classified Sales Telemarketing Representative.

PHONE: 612.588.1313

FAX: 612.588.2031

EMAIL: andrew@insightnews.com

Book signing and reception:

SPINIELLO COMPANIES 354 Eisenhower Parkway Livingston, NJ 07039

REQUEST FOR QUOTATION We are requesting Quotations from Qualified MBE/WBE /DBE Subcontractors/Vendors for:

Senior Jazz Children’s Book

2011 Scanlon Interceptor Rehabilitation Owner: Western Lake Superior Sanitary District Location: Duluth, MN Bid Time: 5-12-2011 2:00 PM WE ARE REQUESTING QUOTES FOR THE FOLLOWING ITEMS: CCTV Inspection, Pipe Cleaning, Manhole Rehab, and related work/supplies Spiniello Companies can supply free copies of the plans and specs to all interested parties. You may also contact us for assistance on obtaining bonding, insurance, or lines of credit. Quotes will only be accepted if the following forms are submitted to Spiniello Companies in a timely manner before the bid closing: MBE/WBE/DBE Certification (If applicable) Business/Contractor Licenses (If applicable) We kindly request that you perform Good Faith Efforts if you intend to subcontract any portion of your work.

Spiniello Companies General Inquiries: Marlena Lawrence Telephone No: 973-808-8383 Email: bidcipp@spinielloco.com Fax: 973-860-2900

Front cover design by Robert “Pops” Montgomery

This position is perfect for a college student or someone looking for part time employment.

Hours are Mon-Thursday, 10 – 2 PM, not to exceed 20 hours per week.

Position Duties: • Deliver prepared sales talks, reading from scripts that describe Insight News and www.insightnews. com, in order to secure classified advertising.

• Contact businesses by telephone in order to solicit sales.

• Adjust sales scripts to better target the needs and interests of specific individuals.

• Answer telephone calls from potential customers who have been solicited through advertisements.

• Telephone or write letters to respond to correspondence from customers or to follow up initial sales contacts.

• Maintain records of contacts, accounts, and orders.

This position requires a high school diploma, previous telemarketing experience and the ability to produce results.

Please submit resume with three references to batalara@insightnews.com NO WALK-INS and no PHONE CALLS, please.

Congratulations graduate!

YOUR MESSAGE HERE STUDENT PHOTO HERE

STUDENT NAME SCHOOL NAME Class of 2011

Special Offer

Congratulate your graduate Just $25.00 per week Call Patricia @ 612.588.1313 or email patricia@insightnews.com

Robert “Pops” Montgomery Courtesy of Robert “Pops” Montgomery

Author and Illustrator Robert “Pops” Montgomery will read from his new book, Senior Jazz Children’s Book and then take part in a reception and book signing event on Thursday, May 12 11:00 - 1:00 at Wilder Humboldt Apartments, Community Room, Building 510 Humboldt Ave, St. Paul, MN (Enter campus @ Robie St.) Montgomery, a resident of St. Paul, Minnesota, lived in Chile in the 1990s. His book is based on the beliefs and traditions of the Chilean people of South America, as they travel over the snow peaked mountains, over the flatlands, through the forest, and down the Great River of Jazz, making their way to the Great Jazz Concert (by the Grand Old River of Jazz) in Los Andes, Chile.

An interactive book, the reader is invited to be part of the story and take the journey to the Great Jazz Concert with the cast of characters.

“A ‘MUST OWN’ for all children under 100 years old.”

For more info regarding event: Robert Montgomery, r.montgomery2009@live.com

insightnews.com

Insight News • May 2 - May 8, 2011 • Page 11

Wheaties champions mentorship with “Fuel a Future” campaign Wheaties FUEL®, the first-ever cereal designed specifically to help fuel wins, launched its FUEL a Future campaign to empower parents and other mentors to help develop the next generation of champions through sports.

As of April 6, any adult can pledge to play one game of basketball with a child in their family or community at www.

FuelaFuture.com.

Wheaties FUEL will donate $1 per pledge to Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Wheaties FUEL guarantees a $50,000 donation to Boys & Girls Clubs and will donate up to $40,000 more based on pledges.

Wheaties FUEL teamed up with basketball superstar Kevin Garnett to encourage youth mentorship.

Garnett’s coach, William “Wolf” Nelson, at Farragut Career Academy in Chicago was—and continues to be—one influential mentor in Garnett’s life.

“I had a lot of potential and a talent for basketball, but the guidance of mentors in key stages of my life helped me realize my dream and get where I am today,” said Garnett.

According to a recent national survey of American adults, 54% of respondents felt mentoring is difficult, but that sports provide a simple platform to help teach the next generation.

Dayton From 7 Community Based Organizations, enabling these organizations

Jim Prisching/AP Images for Wheaties Fuel

The NBA’s Kevin Garnett spoke to teens on the importance of mentoring at the Wheaties “FUEL a Future” event at the James R. Jordan Boys and Girls Club in Chicago, on Wednesday, April 6, 2011. The event kicked off a Pledge campaign to show the importance of mentoring the next generation of champions.

In fact, 85% of Americans believe sports play a critical role in teaching life lessons such as perseverance, personal responsibility, teamwork and

commitment.

“The Wheaties brand has long been associated with what it takes to become a champion, and the FUEL a Future campaign is

extending that association by supporting and sustaining new champions through influential mentor relationships,” said Betsy Frost, marketing manager

for Wheaties.

Despite showing strong opinions on the importance of mentoring, more than half (52%) of American adults grew

up without the guidance of a mentor. Through the FUEL a Future campaign, Wheaties FUEL hopes to change this statistic, one pledge at a time.

to conduct comprehensive employment and training programs that are culturally sensitive to the needs of the job seekers, and • Identify opportunities for the Workforce Investment

Board to fully partner with Community Based Organizations by including these organizations in decision-making processes and by providing adequate funding which enables these community organizations to conduct training

services tailored for jobseekers that may not thrive in traditional postsecondary settings.

We know that at the core of a community’s economic vibrancy and future growth are jobs, opportunity, and people

possessing the skillsets and competencies that employers require. Providing an economic gateway for all African Americans in the Twin Cities will require the collective efforts of business, community organizations,

government agencies, and individuals. Complete resolution cannot occur in absence of collective effort across these sectors and a shared vision for the future.

Solutions From 10

MOTHER’S DAY

Page 12 • May 2 - May 8, 2011 • Insight News

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