Insight News ::: 6.11.12

Moody hosts Macy’s Pride June 21st, 5:30PM at Macy’s Downtown Minneapolis, 2nd Floor, Men’s Department MORE ON PAGE 4

INSIGHT NEWS June 11 - June 17, 2012 • MN Metro Vol. 38 No. 24 • The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • www.insightnews.com

Northside muralist, illustrator, and teacher Melodee Strong in front her new mural on 1417 West Broadway.

Suluki Fardan

New artwork goes up along the West Broadway Corridor Business Leadership Profile

By Erin Jerabek, Executive Director West Broadway Business Area Coalition

In continued efforts to revitalize and beautify the spaces along Broadway Avenue, a new mural has gone up.

Northside muralist, illustrator and teacher Melodee Strong has created a 15 foot wide and 20 foot high work at 1417 W. Broadway for property and business owners Michael and Doris Spicer of Dimensions in Hair Beauty

Saint Paul, HUD partner to enforce Fair Housing Act On June 11th, City of Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman will host a visit from Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Assistant Secretary John Trasvina. The meeting is to recognize the recent Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP) agreement between the City of Saint Paul and HUD. The FHAP is an important partnership between the federal government and the city to combat housing discrimination.

Under the FHAP, local agencies enforce fair housing laws that are substantially equivalent to the Fair Housing Act. The FHAP helps to protect families and individuals who believe they have been victims of discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability or familial status in the sale, rental, or financing of housing.

The FHAP partnership with Saint Paul is one of the first in Minnesota.

“The FHAP partnership will give the city federal authority to investigate complaints of housing discrimination,” said Readus Fletcher, interim Director of the Saint Paul Department of Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity.

“Through increased outreach efforts, the city will also be able to educate landlords on their responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act. The partnership allows us to amplify our enforcement and community outreach efforts so we can help prevent discriminatory housing practices from occurring within our community.”

Ultimately, the FHAP partnership is a win-win-win for the residents of St. Paul, the city, and HUD. Saint Paul residents will get more localized service and attention from local staff who understand their neighborhoods and their communities. The city will be reimbursed by HUD for its housing civil rights enforcement work. HUD is able to refer cases where the protections are the same as federal law and focus on other fair housing work in other parts of the country that do not have local or state fair housing laws.

FHAP partnerships have the highest levels of customer satisfaction with HUD compared to other HUD partners and, on a national basis, are able to investigate and bring to closure cases on a costeffective basis.

Aesthetics

Coco Jones: The “Let It Shine” interview

PAGE 4

and Barber Shop. The eyecatching mural depicts North Minneapolis residents in neighborhood scenes including a mother and daughter bicycling, women enjoying a cup of coffee, youth playing basketball and residents waiting for the bus.

The backdrop of this artist deemed “multi-cultural kaleidoscope” mural for which Strong is

known is the Minneapolis skyline as seen from Heritage Park in North Minneapolis.

Strong has designed more than fourteen public art installations throughout the Twins Cities, however this is her first piece located in the neighborhood she proudly calls home.

Growing up in rural Minnesota, Strong said she

felt isolated and disconnected from her neighbors. She said North Minneapolis has since proved to be a place where she feels strongly connected to her neighborhood and community.

Strong is an award-winning artist and illustrator best known for her illustrations for the children’s book, A Colorful World.

“I have had several moms

stop me and thank me for my work in A Colorful World,” said Strong. “One mom said, ‘my daughter connects with your book. She has a disability and your book has helped her to feel included.’

Strong is currently contracted by several suburban school districts to teach a

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The instruction

By Al McFarlane Editor-in-Chief Former United States ambassador to the United Nations, the Reverend Andrew Young seemed to be on a new diplomatic mission aimed at negotiating a mutually beneficial relationship between legacy institutions that serve Minnesota’s Black communities,

and corporate and public sector entities.

That relationship, he told hundreds of business, civic and community leaders attending the Minneapolis Urban League Annual Gala at the Minneapolis Convention Center Thursday, May 31st, should reexamine and

YOUNG TURN TO 2

Suluki Fardan

Andrew Young

W. Harry Davis: Champion in ring and in life

By Ivan B. Phifer Staff Writer The saying is to whom much is given, much is expected.

Well for William Harry Davis, though little was given, he gave as if he was given the world. Though Davis died nearly six years ago, because of what Davis gave to the residents of his beloved

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Health

MDH grant to Sabathani seeks to reduce health disparities

PAGE 6

Harry Colbert, Jr.

W. Harry Davis’ children with students from North High’s “Polar Producers.” From left to right: Teaniya Gross, Harry Davis, Jr., Diane Boyd, Evan Davis, Rita Lyell, Richard Davis, Devon Vance and Michael Stevenson, Jr.

Business

Think through your company’s marketing plan

PAGE 8

Black Music Month Profile

Jellybean Johnson

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Page 2 • June 11 - June 17, 2012 • Insight News

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Tonia Johnson: Operation D2, taking it to the streets

By Ivan B. Phifer Staff Writer Tonia Johnson, a candidate for Hennepin County Dist. 2 Commissioner, has a planned method for cleaning up the streets of Minneapolis and surrounding areas.

Johnson’s Operation D2 Clean Streets is an initiative for community residents and children to clean the streets of their neighborhoods and provide a better image for the business corridor along West Broadway. Dist. 2 borders Plymouth on the west, St.

Anthony Village on the east and includes Medicine Lake, Crystal, Golden Valley, North and Northeast Minneapolis.

“The children have picked up liquor bottles, cigarette boxes, baby formula, things that really should not be on our streets,” said Johnson. “As a business owner, I think twice about establishing a business where trash is everywhere; it’s hard to attract customers like that.”

Operation D2 Clean Streets plans to adopt a street every month to pick up trash along the roadside.

“I grew up during an era where there was a strong anti-

liter campaign. That made you conscious, that made you think twice about dripping a bag of potato chips,” said Johnson.

The candidate for Dist. 2 commissioner also carries this practice in her own community.

“I walk around with a bag to pick up trash in my own neighborhood,” said Johnson.

“You cannot get any more hands on than cleaning trash in your community. We do really good about saying we don’t want any more murders and keeping peace, but what about keeping communities clean,” she said.

In addition to promoting organic recycling to reduce

the amount of waste being land-filled or burned, Johnson plans to do more than serve an existing role model for youth to take pride in their communities. “Strengthening communities and building clean communities, that’s what this is all about,” she said.

Johnson believes a clean environment serves as a message.

“Trash is not good, and will not attract any type of business here,” she said. “What it shows investors is that people around here don’t care, so why should we. Sometimes we cannot wait for politicians to clean up, we have to be more proactive and maintain our property.”

A similar approach to community beautification can be found in the South Bronx, N.Y. Environmental justice advocate Majora Carter, founded Sustainable South Bronx (SSBx). SSBx advocated the development of the Hunt’s Point Riverside Park which had been an illegal garbage dump. In 2003, SSBx started the Bronx Environmental

Young From 1 illuminate the asset base of communities like North Minneapolis and craft economic development strategies that start with engaging residents and institutions as stakeholders in the development of the area and of the region.

In Atlanta, GA where Young served as Mayor before he was named top US diplomat, the Black community suffered lack of investment by both public and private sectors, similar, some would say, to North Minneapolis, headquarters of Minneapolis Urban League. Under his direction, city planners initiated massive development projects centered in previously marginalized communities in Atlanta’s southside. The development projects included Atlanta’s successful bid for the 1996 International Summer

Suluki Fardan

Tonia Johnson

Stewardship Training program, one of the nation’s first urban green collar training and placement systems.

“There are studies that prove when neighborhoods are clean, it discourages bad behavior, drug dealing and crime,” Johnson said.

Johnson has owned and operated a small business for the past five years as a business development consultant.

Johnson believes the cleanup will not only induce a

Olympics, and projects which led to expansions of the Hartsfield International Airport, renamed to HartsfieldJackson International in tribute to the great first Black Mayor of Atlanta, Maynard Jackson.

“On a $2 billion project,” Young said, “we went to corporate and construction industry leaders with a plan that called for 60% of the business to go to Black-owned businesses. We expected some push back and there was some.

But we made the case that 40% of $2 billion that would go to white businesses was still a lot of money….too much to walk away from….and that these developments would likely trigger future developments in which white business would take 70-85% percent of the deals.”

In what sounded like music to leaders of North Minneapolis economic and civic engagement institutions, Ambassador Young said a development that included

healthier business aspect, but could lead to a turnaround for North Minneapolis.

“With the past leadership, West Broadway of North Minneapolis and other areas of District 2 have never been able to achieve its true potential because of the closed mindedness of the leaders,” Johnson said.

Cash Money Riders, a local motorcycle club to which Johnson belongs has also joined the endeavor for a cleaner and more business viable community.

“I do not want to walk outside my business with trash all over the place,” said LaShone Hodges, Cash Money Rider member and business owner of a beauty salon on 42nd Avenue and Freemont Avenue.

Operation D2 Clean Street has a planned clean- up along Central Avenue in Northeast Minneapolis later next month.

“Everybody wants a clean community,” Johnson said. “It’s about sending the message that we all care about the community.”

concession stands sought out women who were on welfare who were heads of households and trained them to run the concession businesses. They were made not only operators, but owners of the concession businesses. Their contracts gave them 60% ownership of their concession business.

“What can we do with Black men who have disparately high rates of unemployment and underemployment?” the planners asked. “We scoured the community for men who had military or scouting experience and created security businesses that they would work and have majority ownership control,” Mayor Young said.

Likewise, Young said, the planners reached out to the youth in the early stages of the hip-hop business explosion. “We offered them exclusive contracts to develop t-shirt and other memorabilia

YOUNG TURN TO 12

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Insight News • June 11 - June 17, 2012 • Page 3

COMMENTARY

Saving main street Nobody Asked Me

By Fred Easter Republicans, in this Presidential election, say they want to focus on the economy. They would prefer that you not focus on the state of the economy that was left to President Obama when

he took office. In fact W handed over the problem even before the inauguration. I believe we can expect the economy to stall until November. Problem is; the same corporations that are now “people”; thanks to the Supreme Court, have the capacity to stall the economy without appearing to or shouldering the blame for it. They have pockets deep enough to withstand 6 months of “hardship”. This is particularly so, if their payoff is lifting all forms of regulations and allowing them to move jobs overseas and cut wages and benefits here at home.

They will spend obscene amounts of their $$ blaming Obama and obscuring his considerable accomplishments.

Romney, and his Super Political Action Committees will tell you his business experience qualifies him to lead us out of this mess. What they won’t say is that for him and his super rich cronies THIS IS NOT A MESS. They are amassing a larger and larger percentage of this country’s assets. Cash that used to be held in middle and lower class homes and swelled the aisles of Walmart, Target and SuperValu

stores with shoppers is now fueling the political campaigns of Tea Party candidates. Today, even “moderate” Republicans are forced to toe the Tea Party line. Ronald Reagan couldn’t get his campaign funded in today’s Republican political climate.

Back in the day; when I was a young man, poor white folk, even those with three teeth, would bolster their self image by feeling superior to “Negroes”. Too many white folk, these days, are having a tough time feeling superior to the first family. They are fertile ground for the lies that the Super

PACS will be selling over the next 5 months. Yesterday, a man in a battered pickup truck yelled “Obama sucks” as he passed my car. My bumper sticker seems to have infuriated him. Quite possibly, it was the blackness President Obama and I share that set him off. Believe it, Obama’s election did not usher in the post racial era in America. Quite the contrary, it ripped a scab off an old wound.

What you can expect to get from Romney, if he is elected, is the same thing folks got at the companies that Bain Capital took

over. Raids of their pension fund, attacks on benefits and wages, winking at safety regulations will be translated into the dismantling of the social safety net that unions and progressive legislators have constructed over the last half century or so. Social Security and Medicare will be privatized without benefit of regulations on the administrators.

It is not overdramatic to say that “Mainstreet” is in a battle for its life.

If it loses this battle, expect it to move to Manila and Hunan province.

Educators, be (and inspire) the change you seek

By Adora Obi Nweze Florida State Conference President, NAACP The St. Lucie County (FL) School District has a bullying problem that appears to start with the teaching staff and filter down to the students.

The parents of fifth-grader Jonathan Jean have filed suit against the school district, alleging the district allowed their son, a special needs student, to be verbally and physically abused by his reading teacher. The suit says the teacher repeatedly insulted Jonathan in front of the class and, in October, allegedly pushed a desk into the child, daring him to move. The Jean family’s lawyer says that Jonathan’s condition has worsened and he has had nightmares for months following the incident. Jean was forced to remain in the teacher’s class and the instructor received no disciplinary action. Though

the lawsuit focuses on Jean’s status as a special needs student with an individualized educational plan, there are additional factors to consider: Jonathan is of Haitian descent, his reading teacher is white.

While national education conversations have turned to bullying, and Florida conversations are examining discriminatory treatment of African American students linked to their classroom behavior, it is distressing that St. Lucie schools are not taking the Jean family’s allegations more seriously. The school district should use this incident to overhaul its policies and stamp out trends that raise broader concerns about discrimination.

According to data reported to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, in 2009 there were 29 incidents of bullying and harassment on the basis of race, color or national origin.

Of the students who reported being bullied, 20 were Black

boys, just like Jonathan Jean.

There were no reports of bullying or harassment on the basis of special needs status or gender (the only other choices provided).

What’s more, although 31 percent of the students in

St. Lucie district in 2009 was African American.

Beyond this case of one bad teacher, the failure here lies with St. Lucie School District officials. By allowing this teacher to remain in the classroom and failing to mount

“According to data reported to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, in 2009 there were 29 incidents of bullying and harassment on the basis of race, color or national origin. Of the students who reported being bullied, 20 were Black boys...”

St. Lucie’s schools for 2009 were African American, they accounted for 53 percent of the out-of-school suspensions for that year, a large and disturbing disparity. Each of the 10 students expelled from the

any serious investigation or corrective measures, they failed to send a message that such behavior was intolerable.

The school district and faculty should set a tone that bullying is unacceptable – among peers

and especially from a teacher – toward a vulnerable child.

Schools will never succeed in teaching students to be more responsible and compassionate toward one another when the adults around them are allowed to model the opposite behavior, and do so with no repercussions.

Moreover, officials forced the student in this case to remain in this teacher’s classroom where he confronted his tormentor daily. Having deprived one student of the opportunity to learn, the school district needs to learn from its mistakes. The district should do whatever it takes to place Jean in a setting where his educational needs can be met – even if that means going outside the district’s boundaries. More teachers need training and support for teaching (academically, socially, and ethnically) diverse students.

Additionally, the District should also overhaul the personnel policies that allowed complaints to mount

with no intervention.

A 2009 law required each district to reform its policies for student discipline. That law addresses how districts handle suspensions, expulsions, referrals to law enforcement, arrests and incidents of bullying and harassment. Now that communities have a baseline of federal data from that same year, they should make it a priority to eliminate the disparities along racial lines that show up in trends like those observed in St. Lucie schools.

The academic cultural shift has to extend from the top administrators to school-level employee and on to students.

The message must be clear that bias in treatment will not be tolerated, whether the perpetrator is an administrator, a teacher or a student. The case in St. Lucie should serve as a cautionary tale for school districts across the state to investigate similar occurrences with vigor.

Page 4 • June 11 - June 17, 2012 • Insight News

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AESTHETICS Capri Theater Renaissance benefit in North Minneapolis Five years ago Plymouth Christian Youth Center (PCYC) launched a bold plan to reinvent its Capri Theater into a beacon for North Minneapolis.

The plan was to “bringing up the lights on West Broadway.”

The five-year milestone will

be celebrated on Sat., Jun. 30 with what’s being called an allstar benefit concert. The show will feature Rick Carlson, Debbie Duncan, Charmin Michelle, Thomasina Petrus, Dennis Spears, Regina Marie Williams and the Wolverines Jazz Trio.

The concert begins at 7 p.m. followed by a post-show party.

Tickets are $75, and are available at www.thecapritheater.org or through OvationTix at 866-8114111. Fifty dollars of the ticket price is tax-deductible and will go to support arts programming at the Capri.

“We launched the Capri Theater Renaissance with a special ‘Classic Capri: A Tribute to Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan’ concert on June

16, 2007, that featured Dennis, Debbie, Charmin, Rick and the Wolverines Classic Jazz Trio and it was this event that inspired the creation of our popular Legends jazz series,” said Karl Reichert, director of the Capri Theater.

“As we started to plan this festive concert to celebrate our five-year milestone, we felt it was important to feature a few of the many artists who have helped transform the Capri into what Minnesota Monthly has hailed as ‘The Twin

Cities’ Best Jazz Venue.’”

Dennis W. Spears, artistic director of the Legends series, will be directing the Jun. 30th concert, with the guest artists reprising some of their most memorable performances at the Capri over the years.

“It’s hard to believe that it was just five years ago when PCYC launched its campaign to upgrade the Capri Theater and to transform it into a highfunctioning performance and

community gathering space in North Minneapolis,” said Anne Long, PCYC Executive Director.

“We are proud that the Capri has become a hub and a showcase for North Minneapolis. During the past five years we have said we’re ‘bringing up the lights on West Broadway,’ but now we can confidently say that the lights are up.

The Capri Theater is located at 2027 West Broadway Ave.

Coco Jones: The “Let It Shine” interview Interview

By Kam Williams kam@insightnews.com A fresh-faced, bright-eyed, Southern beauty, 14-year-old, Hollywood Records recording artist Coco Jones will grace television sets across the world on June 15th when she stars in the Disney Channel original movie “Let It Shine” opposite Tyler James Williams and Trevor Jackson. Coco plays the role of “Roxie,” a teenage singing sensation whose music label is sponsoring a songwriting contest at a teen club.

“Cyrus DeBarge” (Williams) writes a contestwinning song about his love for Roxie but, when he’s too shy to claim it as his own, his best friend, “Kris McDuffy” (Jackson) takes the credit.

Based on the play Cyrano de Bergerac, “Let It Shine” relates a tale of young love with an underlying message about summoning self-confidence.

Coco can also be seen

regularly guest-starring on Disney Channel’s “So Random” and on “Good Luck Charlie.” Recently, she has been in the recording studio with Toby Gad, David Banner, and Rock Mafia. One of the hottest tracks to drop is a duet called “Whodunit?” with “Zeke and Luther” star Adam Hick which peaked on the Radio Disney charts at #20.

Born in Columbia, South Carolina on January 4, 1998, to former NFL star Mike Jones and talented session vocalist Javonda Jones, Coco was raised in Lebanon, Tennessee where she began singing as soon as she learned to speak. The young actress/singer/rapper’s first stage performance was at the age of 6 when she belted out “America the Beautiful” to a wowed crowd of parents at her kindergarten graduation.

In 2010, she released her debut CD, “Coco Jones,” featuring songs reflecting her platform of positive values and strong self-esteem. Last year, Coco was one of five finalists in Disney’s “Next Big Thing” competition, an achievement which further helped to launch her musical career. And this summer, she will be touring with the “Next Big Thing” talent contest.

Kam Williams: Hi, Coco, thanks for the interview.

Coco Jones: Thank you, Kam, for having me.

KW: What interested you in the role of Roxie in “Let It Shine?”

CJ: When I first read the script, I fell in love with it. Singing, dancing, and acting! The part was right up my alley. Plus, the thought of playing a rock star was like a dream for me.

KW: The movie is based on the play Cyrano de Bergerac.

Did you read the original play in preparation for the part?

CJ: I read a lot of summaries about the story. I also watched Roxanne, the movie starring Steve Martin.

Coco Jones KW: The lead characters’ names have been changed slightly from Cyrano and Roxanne to Cyrus and Roxie.

Has the story been changed, too?

CJ: Oh, yes, they definitely updated the story, setting it around today’s music industry, featuring Gospel and Hip-Hop music.

KW: The movie is also a musical. How much did you get to sing?

CJ: I got to sing a lot. I am singing in five songs from the soundtrack.

KW: What message do you think people will take away from the movie?

Courtesy of the artist

CJ: The main message of this movie that everyone will take away is to believe in yourself.

Cyrus learns to have confidence in his writing, Chris has confidence in his performance, and my character, Roxie, learns to be confident in her singing.

Another great message that girls will take away from Roxie is to love yourself. All girls my age know about wanting to fit in. I think that they will watch Roxie trying to do the same thing with her clothes, makeup, and her entire performance.

Over the course of the movie, she learns to be herself, to develop her own style, and to not change herself to please

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Moody hosts Macy’s Pride Minneapolis Fashion blogger, Richard Moody will host this year’s Macy’s Pride Event Thursday, June 21st – 5:30PM – Macy’s Downtown Minneapolis, 2nd Floor, Men’s Department. Enjoy a fashion presentation featuring the men

of Delta Airlines, and the music of Wenso Ashby featuring Zsamé “Contemporary Jazz with Soul”. Refreshments compliments of CRAVE, while being pampered by Winston’s Salon. Enter to win gifts from your favorite brands and a

VIP weekend stay at The Grand Hotel Minneapolis A Kimpton Hotel. The first 50 people to RSVP will receive a $20 Macy’s Gift card when checking in at the event! To RSVP, please call 1.800.329.8667.

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Insight News • June 11 - June 17, 2012 • Page 5

Harvey awards celebrate community leaders The Steve Harvey Morning Show and Ford Motor Company have teamed up to bring you a new life experience in Las Vegas with the “Escape to the 2012 Ford Hoodie Awards” video contest. Hosted for the 10th year by the top radio host, best-selling author and entertainer behind Family Feud and Think Like A Man – Steve Harvey’s highly-anticipated awards show honoring the nation’s best community leaders, educators, neighborhood churches, and local businesses will be a blowout celebration, with the chance for lucky listeners to experience Las Vegas’ glittering entertainment and majestic attractions in this new contest. A once-in-a-lifetime grand prize adventure for a listener and three guests, the “Escape to the 2012 Ford Hoodie Awards” takes them to Las Vegas for a VIP All-Inclusive Weekend August 3-6th at the Ford Hoodie Awards, including luxurious pampering, entertainment, a Grand Canyon helicopter ride, and traveling the city in an all-new 2013 Ford Escape.

Launching the “Escape to the 2012 Ford Hoodie Awards” video contest, from now through June 27th listeners can log onto www.SteveHarvey.com to submit their video on “Why they need to Escape to the 2012 Ford Hoodie Awards,” check out the new Ford Escape, and more. The Steve Harvey Morning Show and Ford Motor Company will judge all entries and post the Top 3 videos on www.SteveHarvey.com starting July 2nd, where listeners can vote for their favorite video from July 2 – July 5th. The video

Jones From 4 others.

KW: You sing, rap, dance and act. Which is your favorite?

CJ: I honestly love it all, which is why I enjoyed playing Roxie. Through the character, I was able to showcase all of my talents.

KW: You became a national sensation when you were a finalist on Radio Disney’s Next Big Thing competition. Do you have a concert tour on the horizon?

CJ: Yes, and I am so excited!

I will be all over the United States through 2012. I love to see people enjoy my music and my shows.

KW: You were just signed to a recording contract with Hollywood Records.

What was that like, to sign the papers and what kind of music can your fans look for in the near future?

CJ: Signing with Hollywood Records was a dream come true. I am so blessed to get to do the things that I love to do every day of my life. My fans can expect to be blown away with the music I’m writing. The day after I signed my contract, I went right into the studio. My new album will have Pop, Rap, R&B and some huge ballads.

KW: Harriet Pakula Teweles says: You’re only 14. How do you balance the demands of school and career?

CJ: Well, sometimes it is hard because my schedule is crazy.

I am homeschooled, so my school travels with me. My parents have one rule for me: I can’t do any of this if I have any C’s on my report card.

Strong From 1 program called “Artdentity.”

The focus of Artdentity is to use art to empower youth to understand their identities and to think about where their places are in their families, schools and communities.

The program pushes youth to think about diversity, equality, how to be part of a diverse community.

“Many white students don’t think they have culture,” said Strong. “They are disconnected from the idea that white culture exists.

It is important to understand one’s own culture and identity to fully understand how to be part of a diverse and inclusive community.”

Strong said through her work she wants to provide a social, political, and cultural voice for a group of people that may be misunderstood, misrepresented,

Steve Harvey

Sony Pictures

receiving the most votes will win the grand prize, and one lucky voter will receive a prize package for two to the 2012 Ford Hoodie Awards.

“This is the 10th anniversary of the Hoodie Awards and we are doing it big with Ford and this once-in-a-lifetime fun adventure to experience the Hoodie Awards Weekend and great attractions

of Las Vegas. The winner will be driving around Las Vegas in a new Ford Escape and taking a helicopter ride to the Grand Canyon, so make sure to get your videos and votes in,” says Harvey.

Created in 2001 by Harvey and television/radio producer Rushion McDonald to give star treatment to everyday men and women who uplift their

neighborhoods, this year’s 10th anniversary Ford Hoodie Awards show will be bigger than ever, which has become the crowning honor for urban communities.

Voting for the 12 awards show categories kicked off on The Steve Harvey Morning Show on June 4 and continues through June 19th, with voting open on www.

SteveHarvey.com in one category

KW: Is your online course work mostly an extension of your performance interests?

CJ: Unfortunately, not. It is the exact same work any eighth grader would do.

com/exec/obidos/ ASIN/0385739893/ref=nosim/ thslfofire-20 And my next book will be “The Hunger Games.” h t t p : / / w w w. a m a z o n . com/exec/obidos/ ASIN/0545265355/ref=nosim/ thslfofire-20

honestly, I’m in jeans and sweats a lot of the time. I like Aeropostale and Hudson Jeans.

KW: What do you plan to study in college?

CJ: I’d love to major in Music.

I love what I do, but I want to really understand it, more in depth.

KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?

CJ: No, not really... I guess I’m used to all of it by now. I just tend to feel really excited!

KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?

CJ: I am sooooo happy! I have a great family that loves me, a record deal at 14, and I get to do what I love every day.

KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?

CJ: Everyday, especially anytime I am with my daddy.

He’s so funny! My whole family jokes around a lot.

KW: What is your guiltiest pleasure?

CJ: Purses. When I want to treat myself, I will almost always get myself a new handbag.

KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?

CJ: I have read some great books recently: “Heaven is For Real,” “Bud Not Buddy,” and my favorite, “Tiger Eyes.” h t t p : / / w w w. a m a z o n . com/exec/obidos/ ASIN/0849946158/ref=nosim/ thslfofire-20 http://www.amazon.com/exec/ obidos/ASIN/0553494104/ ref=nosim/thslfofire-20 h t t p : / / w w w. a m a z o n .

and stereotyped.

Strong’s mural at Dimensions in Hair on the West Broadway Corridor is one of four recent storefront art installations by Northside artists.

Other installations include an aluminum floral mural by Souliyahn Keobounpheng at 1021 W. Broadway Ave., a mural at 1108 W. Broadway Ave. created by Juxtaposition Arts youth and a historic photography installation by Alissa Pier at 400 W. Broadway Ave. These murals were funded in partnership with the businesses/property owners, the West Broadway Business and Area Coalition, the City of Minneapolis and the Northside Funders Collective.

Four additional art installations will be unveiled later this summer.

You can check out Melodee’s work and connect with her at http://www.facebook.com/ MelodeeStrongArt or http:// web.me.com/melodee_strong/ illustration/Home.html

KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What was the last song you listened to?

CJ: I listen to Glee songs a lot.

I like their rendition of “Bust the Window Out Your Car.” http://www.amazon.com/exec/ obidos/ASIN/B002OUJUUU/ ref=nosim/thslfofire-20 KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?

CJ: I like to cook Shrimp Alfredo. It’s also my favorite dish to eat!

KW: The Sanaa Lathan question: What excites you?

CJ: Performing of any kind: singing, acting, dancing. I also get really excited during interviews.

KW: The Uduak Oduok question: Who is your favorite clothes designer?

CJ: I am so laid back that,

KW: Dante Lee, author of “Black Business Secrets,” asks: What was the best business decision you ever made, and what was the worst?

CJ: I would have to say the best was when my mom formed a company for me. I write out all of the checks for my performance business. I get to see the money I make and how much it takes to do what I do. My worst decision was not learning Spanish yet.

I think it would really help my business if I could do some of my singles in Spanish or a Spanish/English mix.

KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

CJ: A confident person who loves life. I see a happy girl!

KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?

CJ: My personal wish would be to have my own TV show but, if I could have anything, my wish for the world is that no one on the Earth would ever go hungry.

Grand Prize: Escape to the 2012 Ford Hoodie Awards VIP Trip for Four Round-Trip Airfare for Four (4) people from their hometown to Las Vegas 4 day/3 night accommodations in a Two (2) Bedroom Two-Story SKYLOFT Hotel Suite at MGM Grand Dinner for Four at “Tom Colicchio’s Craftsteak” at MGM Grand with Comedian Lavell Crawford Spa Treatment for Four at MGM Grand Spa & Health Club Four (4) Tickets to the State Farm Freedom Friday Party on August 3, starring Comedian Sheryl Underwood and live performances by Anthony Hamilton and Charlie Wilson Opportunity to walk the Ford Celebrity Blue Carpet prior to the Awards Show with Ford Multicultural Marketing Manager Shawn Lollie Four (4) Exclusive Front Row Recliner Lounge chairs to view the 10th Annual Ford Hoodie Awards Show on

August 4, hosted by Steve Harvey Helicopter Ride for Four to the Grand Canyon One VIP Beach Bungalow with catering for the Beach Party on August 5, with performances by Keith Sweat and Robin Thicke 2013 Ford Escape vehicle to drive around Las Vegas for the duration of the Hoodie Awards Weekend Voting Prize: Trip for Two to the 2012 Ford Hoodie Awards Round-Trip Airfare for Two (2) people from listener’s hometown to Las Vegas 3 day/2 night hotel accommodations in Las Vegas Two (2) Tickets to the State Farm Freedom Friday Party on August 3, starring Comedian Sheryl Underwood and live performances by Anthony Hamilton and Charlie Wilson Two (2) Tickets to the 10th Annual Ford Hoodie Awards Show on August 4, hosted by Steve Harvey

per day.

Listen to The Steve Harvey Morning Show weekdays on your radio or online live 6 – 10 AM EST for updates, laughs, daily inspiration, and more, and log onto www.SteveHarvey.com – the central place to submit videos for the contest, vote, see a rundown

of contest rules, award nominees, tickets, packages for the 2012 Ford Hoodie Awards, and more.

The “Escape to the 2012 Ford Hoodie Awards” grand prize winner and voting prize winner will be unveiled on The Steve Harvey Morning Show on July 6th.

KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?

CJ: My earliest memory is of the best Christmas gift ever, a toy train. I remember riding that thing all through our house.

do you believe all successful people share?

CJ: Determination. You have to be willing to put in the extra time and the extra practice to be the best. Also, no matter what responses you get from your work, you have to be determined not to give up on your dreams!

KW: The Kerry Washington question: If you were an animal, what animal would you be?

CJ: I would be a butterfly. A beautiful, purple butterfly.

KW: The Pastor Alex Kendrick question: When do you feel the most content?

CJ: When I’m with my entire family.

KW: The Toure question: Who is the person who led you to become the person you are today?

CJ: My parents are the people that led me here. My mom helped me learn to sing and she travels with me. My dad always told me that I could be anything I wanted, if I was willing to work hard enough to achieve it.

KW: The Judyth Piazza question: What key quality

KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?

CJ: Have confidence, do your own thing, find your talent, and work at it to be the best. And always, always have fun!

KW: The Tavis Smiley question: How do you want to be remembered?

CJ: As a sweet Christian girl, who was always loving and kind to everyone.

KW: Thanks again for the time, Coco, and best of luck with Let It Shine.

CJ: Thank you so much for having me!

Let It Shine premieres Friday, June 15 at 8 PM (7 PM Central) on the Disney Channel.

Page 6 • June 11 - June 17, 2012 • Insight News

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HEALTH MDH grant to Sabathani seeks to reduce health disparities The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recently awarded Sabathani Community Center an Eliminating Health Disparities Initiative (EHDI) grant totaling nearly $177,000.

Sabathani is expected to use the grant money to work with community partners to

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address health disparities in the African-American and Latino communities in the areas of diabetes, teen pregnancy, unintentional injury and violence.

Community partners include the Minnesota Internship Center (MNIC), Southside Clinic, HUE-Man Partnership, Kente’ Circle, Young Black Male Society, and University of Minnesota.

The EHDI project was designed to break down the barriers between Sabathani’s programs, tenant organizations and community partners in a concerted effort to collectively improve community health outcomes.

In efforts to eliminate health disparities in diabetes, Sabathani will increase the amount of healthy foods distributed to low-income families through its food shelf, offer an intergenerational healthy soul food cooking class to urban teens who attend MNIC, provide an array of fitness and dance classes to neighborhood residents and MNIC students, offer a foot clinic and nurses clinic for seniors to check their glucose and weight levels and conduct a support group in for individuals who are diabetic

Minnesota Internship Center (MNIC) students or pre-diabetic through the Senior Center’s “Club Sugar.”

The latter is a collaborative effort with the University of Minnesota.

Officials of Sabathani said the second annual Hue-Man

event, a health fair specifically for men of color, will provide health education, health resources and outreach to between 600 and 800 men and their families. The event takes place Aug. 18.

Sabathani Community Center

In efforts to reduce violence, Sabathani is partnering with MNIC and the Young Black Male Society – an initiative developed by Hakim Propes – to provide afterschool programming for teens.

EHDI Coordinator, Pat Anderson, will work with MNIC staff to teach an urban health class. The curriculum is designed to address the multiple issues young urban teens face including teen pregnancy, gangs, gun violence, aging out of the foster care system, sexuality, suicide, self-esteem issues, chemical health, stress reduction and conflict resolution. According to Sabathani officials, students who are identified at risk for depression and/or suicide will be referred for counseling.

“Improving health outcomes for individuals and families within the neighborhoods we serve is critically important to strengthening our community,” said Clyde Turner, Sabathani Community Center’s executive director. “We are grateful for the opportunity provided by the EHDI grant to work together with our partners to reduce the health disparities that currently exist.”

Sabathani Community Center is located at 310 E. 38th St. in South Minneapolis.

Sabathani has been providing social services to the community since 1966.

Vice President of Sales & Marketing Selene White

Healthy foods: The affordable choice

Culture and Education Editor Irma McClaurin

By USDA Undersecretary Kevin Concannon

Director of Content & Production Patricia Weaver Sr. Content & Production Coordinator Ben Williams Production Intern Natalie Benz 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 Cordie Aziz Maya Beecham Harry Colbert, Jr. Brenda Colston Julie Desmond Fred Easter S. Himie Oshana Himot Timothy Houston Marcia Humphrey Alaina L. Lewis 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.

Fresh fruits and vegetables? Key elements of a healthy diet, for sure. But many people of modest means, including those served

by USDA’s nutrition assistance programs, wonder if they can afford to buy healthy foods like the wonderful fresh produce that can be found in summer abundance at America’s farmers’ markets.

As USDA Undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, I find that perception a source of concern because we work hard to encourage all Americans to make healthy food choices – particularly those participating in USDA’s nutrition assistance programs, from kids in school to the more than 46 million people participating in USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Well, I’m pleased to say that a recent study by USDA’s

Economic Research Service, “Are Healthy Foods Really More Expensive? It Depends on How You Measure the Price,” found that healthy food choices, like fresh fruits and vegetables, may be more affordable than people think.

They found that while it is easy to buy “cheap” calories by using less-healthy foods, there are many healthy food choices that cost no more per portion than less nutritious foods. Measured by the cost per portion, or per

pound, grains, vegetables, fruit, and dairy foods are actually less expensive than most protein foods and foods high in saturated fat, added sugars, and/or sodium.

This is great news for all those trying to get by with a limited food budget – like people receiving SNAP benefits. You don’t have to compromise on good nutrition just because money is tight. And just in time for summer.

If you haven’t been to one of the nearly 7,200 farmers’ markets across the country, I encourage you to do so. Farmers’ markets offer shoppers a wonderful place to find the fresh fruits and vegetables and other local produce so important to a healthy diet – particularly now when farmers’ markets are practically bursting with a bounty of summer produce.

USDA strongly supports farmers’ markets. And the Food and Nutrition Service, which I oversee, has farmers’ market programs for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

(SNAP) participants, for seniors, and for WIC mothers to help provide healthy food for them and their children.

We also encourage farmers markets to accept SNAP electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards, which makes it easier for SNAP participants to make purchases.

Farmers markets are the ultimate win-win situation.

They’re a win for customers because they can easily buy the freshest produce available.

They’re a win for producers because they are a convenient local market for their products.

They also provide a chance for customers and producers to meet face to face and build better understanding of community agriculture and what customers want.

So visit a local farmers’ market today – you’re in for a treat. And remember, fresh fruits and vegetables are not only the healthy choice – they’re the affordable choice, too.

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Insight News • June 11 - June 17, 2012 • Page 7

EDUCATION

Schools need reading tutors Commentary by Elissa Cook Special to Insight News Like anyone who works with young children, I have had my fair share of surprising comments from kids who haven’t yet learned societal taboos.

But one of the most striking encounters I had was with a kindergartener who has one Black parent and one white parent. As we were walking down the hall to meet with one of my fellow tutors, my student asked me, “Are they (the other tutors) dark or light?”

Startled, I replied, “They’re both light.”

“Oh good,” the boy replied.

“I like light people.”

Davis From 1 Minneapolis, his legacy will endure generations.

Davis, born April 12, 1923 in Minneapolis, MN, was an activist, boxing coach, civic leader and businessman.

Diagnosed with polio at the age of three, Davis’ life experience taught him a lot about people, opportunity and being at a “disadvantage.”

“If you saw him, you would never know he had polio,” said Harry Davis, Jr., Davis’ eldest son.

Davis learned of the harshness of life early on. He attended Michael Dowling School for Crippled Children, but because he was African American, he had to commute by taxi because he was not allowed to ride the segregated school bus. Later in life when he was able to ride the bus, his brother, Leland Davis, had to

“Why’s that?” I asked, in as neutral a tone as I could manage.

“Because I don’t like dark people,” the boy replied.

As a white female literacy tutor working in a school where the majority of kids are students of color, this episode reminded me of the great need for diverse role models in our community’s schools. This young boy is one of the 18 students –grades kindergarten through third –I serve every day as a Minnesota Reading Corps tutor. Minnesota Reading Corps is an AmeriCorps program that strives to help every Minnesota child become a successful reader by the end of third grade.

Minnesota Reading Corps is unique because it allows tutors to build professional skills while getting a foot in the door at a local school—all without

needing a college degree. While it helps to have worked with children before, via the program, tutors receive all of the training and materials they may need.

Minnesota Reading Corps tutors see incredible success in the students we serve. Statewide, 80 percent of our students – all of whom were at significant risk for failure – passed Minnesota assessment tests. This surpassed the overall 78 percent pass rate for all Minnesota students.

Though Minnesota Reading Corps has a proven track record, I still see a need in our schools for more diverse role models.

My students, including the boy with the startling question, are mostly taught by white females.

While I have a good relationship with my students, I believe having a teacher and role model to connect to on an intuitive level

can only increase the chance of academic success, especially for Minnesota students whose academic scores result in one of the widest achievement gaps in the nation.

Throughout this year, I have watched my students struggle, learn, and take off. I have seen a first grader go from dreading words to voluntarily reading aloud a whole book. I have watched kids who came to school without knowing a single letter sound begin reading words. Every time I look at my students’ progresses, I wonder what would have happened without the daily, one-on-one tutoring the students receive from Minnesota Reading Corps?

How much more effective could we be with tutors who can connect on a deeper level to students of color?

carry him from home to the bus stop.

A graduate of North High (1941), Davis refused to let polio hold him back and became a championship boxer for the school’s boxing team.

Known for his integrity and power of fighting for the oppressed, Davis immersed himself in politics. In 1949, Davis worked with then senator, Hubert Humphrey to desegregate the Minneapolis hotels.

“We can work in the hotels, we can drive people there, but we can’t stay there, it makes no sense,” said Davis, Jr., recalling his father’s words.

In 1967, after large-scale disturbances in several major U.S. cities, the largely African American neighborhood around Plymouth Avenue in North Minneapolis witnessed urban unrest. After several buildings were set on fire, Davis worked with then Mayor Arthur Naftalin to resolve tensions between community

members and the police.

Two years later Davis became the first African American to serve on the Minneapolis School Board.

Davis served on the board for 21 years.

In 1971 Davis also became the city’s first African American mayoral candidate; nominated

by Walter Mondale and endorsed by the DemocraticFarmer-Labor Party.

Davis later served on the United States Olympic Boxing Committee helping to lead the team to several victories in the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. That team included Evander Holyfield, gold medalist Tyrell Biggs, and alternate Mike Tyson.

“Dad coached boxing from 1943 until 1959,” said Davis, Jr. “During this time he coached or mentored around 800 men. Not one kid was arrested, incarcerated or charged with a crime. Those men became fathers and mentors and several became ministers, and politicians.”

Davis’ legacy in education is continued through the North High W. Harry Davis Mentoring Program. This program pairs freshmen students with oneon-one community mentors.

The mentors remain with the students throughout their high school careers. Mentors work with the students regarding academic achievements, social issues and community engagement. This year 54 students were involved in the program.

“Back in October we got the blessing from the Davis family and we brought in

Legacy in Education & Mentoring Program Education was at the core of Davis’ efforts. Though Davis was mentoring young men in the boxing ring, he was teaching them the ABCs of boxing and of life.

DAVIS TURN TO 9

Minnesota Reading Corps is now placing tutors for the 2012-2013 school year.

Learn more and or apply

to become a tutor at www. minnesotareadingcorps.org.

Page 8 • June 11 - June 17, 2012 • Insight News

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BUSINESS Think through your company’s marketing plan Plan Your Career

By Julie Desmond julie@insightnews.com Have you heard? Best Buy has printers on sale this week.

General Mills was named one of the Best Companies for Multicultural Women. You can hear Conversations with Al McFarlane on Tuesdays at 9am. How do I know?

Somebody told somebody and somehow the information found its way through to me… it’s called Marketing, and it can be the primary difference between success and failure in business. Because effective marketing has such a critical impact on a company’s bottom line, marketing is everyone’s responsibility. Owners and employees alike, who want to keep the doors open and the income flowing in, can contribute by paying attention to what people see and hear

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and understand about their organization.

When a new business is established, its creators usually develop a business plan explaining the nature of the business, the competition,

the potential for profitability.

An important aspect of this document is the Marketing Plan which explains how an owner intends to reach customers.

It lists specific steps and a timetable for promoting and

selling products. The keys to an effective marketing plan are product, price, place and promotion.

Product: what are you selling? When you meet people at a graduation open

house or wedding reception this weekend, can you clearly describe the product your company sells? Think of a brief and catchy way to tell a stranger who you work for and what they sell.

Price: business owners have a responsibility to price products properly. Not too low, not too high for the market.

Cover expenses, and then some.

Years ago, the U Haul company conducted a survey asking people how much they thought it cost to rent a truck or trailer for a local move. Surprisingly, the survey revealed that people assumed prices were far higher than they actually were. In response, U Haul reviewed their pricing. But they also raised awareness by painting the price of the rental right on the vehicles. If your prices are competitive, capitalize on that through advertising, word of mouth and social media.

Place: Who needs to know about your product or service? Where are they?

Would advertising online be noticeable to your customers?

Or would a giant billboard be

more effective? If you operate a home daycare, carrying business cards to neighborhood parks will spread the word. But your best referrals will come from current customers so give business cards or fliers to them.

Remember that brief and catchy description you developed a few minutes ago? Who will you tell it to? Who needs to know?

Promotion: There is a fine and fuzzy line today between advertising and public relations.

Traditional advertisements are still a good way to reach targeted customers.

But remember that every Tweet, blog and comment associated with your company also communicates.

Employees and owners together can manage the messages your customers send out to the world: if someone tweets about a problem with your product, fix it and fast. Quality is an excellent marketing strategy.

Julie Desmond is a Certified Staffing Professional and headhunter. Send your career planning questions to Julie@ lakeregionstaffing.com.

Dislocated worker program to award $600,000 in grants to help laid off workers The Dislocated Worker Program has awarded $600,000 in grants to provide services for 150 workers who were laid off at three metro area businesses.

The former employees of

BAE Systems, Cargill and Quality Wine and Spirits will receive a variety of services designed to help them get back to work, including assistance with exploring new careers,

updating skills and learning job-hunting strategies.

“Losing a job can cause significant stress for workers and their families,” said Mark Phillips, commissioner of the

Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), which administers the program. “The Dislocated Worker Program helps ease the transition for

people who are looking for new work or want to train for new careers.”

Grants in equal amounts were awarded to BAE Systems in Minneapolis, Cargill in Wayzata, and Quality Wine and Spirits in Bloomington. The monetary amount for each grant is $200,000. Each grant will provide service up to 50 former

employees.

DEED is the state’s principal economic development agency, promoting business recruitment, expansion and retention, workforce development, international trade and community development. For more details about the agency and the grants, visit www. positivelyminnesota.com.

insightnews.com

Insight News • June 11 - June 17, 2012 • Page 9

LIFESTYLE New tool for gardeners helps strengthen plants Uncovering problems early may be the difference between a little clean up and the need to treat.

And, if treatment is needed, look for the most eco-friendly products available.

Investing a bit of time and energy now to lay the foundation for a healthy and productive

Melinda Myers, LLC

selection, and care are also critical in growing beautiful, productive and healthy plants.

Monitor your plants’ health throughout the growing season.

By Melinda Meyers As gardeners well know, there are plenty of challenges our landscapes will face throughout the growing season. Heat, drought, pests and disease can all take their toll on our plants, causing wilting, brown leaves, damaged plants and even plant death. Fortunately, gardeners now have an exciting new organic tool for growing healthy, productive, and beautiful landscapes all season long.

Researchers have discovered that when some plants are stressed they produce certain molecules that help them better tolerate environmental stresses as well as insect and disease attacks. They isolated the molecules and applied them to other plants. This improved the treated plants’ own natural defenses, much like immunizations do for us.

All natural plant strengtheners, like JAZ Spray, were developed as a result of these findings. Plant strengtheners immunize plants against environmental stresses such as heat and drought, while building their defenses against insects and diseases.

They are not fertilizers that provide nutrients, nor are they pesticides that kill the insects and disease organisms. This new tool can help gardeners

Davis From 7 Deanna Smith to help bring in mentors and the number is growing,” said Scott Redd of the Minneapolis Public Schools. “I’ve never had such an easy time recruiting.”

Davis, Jr. said it was easy for his family to get behind the mentoring program.

“A lot of parents drop their kids off to have the school raise their children,” said Davis, Jr. “I work for Hennepin County and believe me, our children are under siege. Once you get in the county system, it’s over with.”

North High Principal Shawn Harris-Berry also sees the importance of this program.

“The students who participate in this program need to know and hear the history of how the program has been developed,” said HarrisBerry. “Every child should have someone in their life that is successful that supports them. That should not be determined by birth right; every child should have that.”

Melinda Myers

Mark Avery

deal with gardening challenges that are beyond their control.

By using a plant strengthener you are proactively boosting a plant’s immune system before environmental stresses hit and ultimately helping it thrive as it faces serious challenges throughout the season.

Because these natural plantderived products improve plant health and resilience by strengthening their resistance to plant stressors, including heat, drought, over-watering, insects and disease, they’ve become a valuable and must-have tool for both beginning and experienced gardeners especially given the variable and unpredictable weather patterns we’ve experienced in recent years.

They can also increase gardening success when busy

schedules, vacations or lack of experience get in the way of providing ideal care.

Begin treating established plants from the start of the season to help build their natural defenses. Treated plants will be more robust, suffer less damage, and recovery more quickly from stress. Plant strengtheners are also effective when applied at the first sign of stress or when moving plants indoors for winter, since the lower light and lower humidity conditions can be very stressful on these plants.

Prepare your plants for the growing season by arming yourself with this exciting new line of organic products that are safe for pets, kids and the environment.

And always remember that proper soil preparation, plant

“(My father) took all the negatives and turned them into positives,” said Davis, Jr. “Being the first one (in the family) to graduate from high school and having a mother

focused on education is his legacy. Mentor one person because that one person snowballs.

Mentoring by example is a strong asset.”

landscape will surely pay off with low maintenance, beautiful gardens for years to come.

For more gardening tips visit www.melindamyers.com.

Melinda Myers is gardening expert, TV/radio host, author & columnist.

Page 10 • June 11 - June 17, 2012 • Insight News

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Black Music Month profile: “Jellybean” Johnson

By Harry Colbert, Jr. Contributing Writer It is a Sunday night at Bunkers, a dive bar just north of downtown Minneapolis and Dr. Mambos Combo is in the middle of a set of 1970s R&B cover tunes.

Suddenly, Rick Ross’ “Hustlin’” comes blaring through the house speakers and a tall man with a large Top Hat slowly rises from his barstool and makes his way to the stage. The man straps on an electric guitar that is already waiting for him on stage.

He briefly tunes the instrument and joins in with the rest of the band in an up-tempo cover of the Al Green classic, “Love and Happiness.” Toward the end of the tune the man breaks into a riveting guitar solo that screams of the unmistakable “Minneapolis Sound.”

The tall man in the audacious

hat is Garry “Jellybean” Johnson.

For many casual – or even not so casual – music fans, the sight of Johnson on guitar may at first seem odd because of the origins of his fame – as he is best known for being the drummer of the R&B/ funk band, The Time. But for the fans of the area music scene, seeing Johnson wailing on the six strings has become somewhat commonplace. And while most Twin Cities artists who have achieved great musical success have departed for warmer winters, Johnson has chosen to remain.

“I will always be here (in the Twin Cities),” said Johnson.

“I love the music scene here.

Nobody has a music scene like us.

Every night you can go see a great band. Most towns can’t say that for themselves.”

Johnson, who resides in Brooklyn Park, was born in Chicago, but moved to Minneapolis in 1968 as a pre-

Garry “Jellybean” Johnson teen. The move was prompted by Johnson’s mother, who recognized that the neighborhood gangs in Chicago were heavily recruiting her son.

Early on, Johnson’s love for music was recognized.

“My mom got me my first drum set when I was thirteen. I started teaching myself the guitar at fifteen,” said Johnson. And while Johnson is considered a

superb drummer and guitarist, he admits he has no formal training.

“I don’t read music. I can’t read music. Prince is the same way. It’s just a feel. If I can’t feel it, I can’t play it.”

Origins of The Time It was not long after Johnson’s move to Minneapolis when he linked-up with a group of fellow teen prodigies including James

“Jimmy Jam” Harris, Terry Lewis, Morris Day and Prince. Johnson joined Flyte Tyme with Jam and Lewis while Prince and Day were

Harry Colbert, Jr.

in the group, Grand Central.

Once Prince scored his record

JOHNSON TURN TO 13

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Insight News • June 11 - June 17, 2012 • Page 11

FULL CIRCLE

What makes a man good? more.

Although there is no such thing as a “perfect” man, good men strive for perfection. To do this, spiritual evaluation is required. The man that does not desire the things he lacks spiritually may be materially rich but he is destined to remain spiritually poor. Because of this, good men work every day to be better. Knowing that they are capable of sin, these men submit themselves daily to the authority of God. It is through him that they lack nothing.

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

I believe that God is the source of all that is good, therefore; the desire for God should always be paramount. If anyone expects to find a good man in someone who has ignored God’s word, they will be disappointed.

He may be handsome, rich, famous, and well-educated, but he will always be lacking. It is the quest for God that makes a man better. A good man has God in his heart. This keeps him centered, balanced, and stable which, in turn, makes man good.

Man Talk

By Timothy Houston Everyone seems to be looking for a few good men. What makes a man good? There was a rich man in the Bible who desired to be good enough to be accepted into God’s kingdom.

From the time he was a child, he kept all of the commandments.

He came to Jesus seeking to know what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told to him to sell all he had and give the money to the poor.

The young man, surprised by Jesus response, sadly turned and walked away unwilling to submit to the request. This young man believed in his heart that he had done more than enough to (make it in.) Because he was his own standard, he refused to do more.

Unfortunately, some men today follow this same standard. They believe that if they are better than most, then they are good enough. The rich man had money, but he lacked compassion. He was controlled by his wealth, and he didn’t even know it. Had he been in control, he would have let it go, knowing that what he planted would come back to him in a

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greater measure. The truth is a good man desires to be better by going after what his spirit lacks.

The heart (spirit) of man is like soil, and the best soil soaks up all the rain which makes it rich.

The man that seeks after what

his spirit lacks becomes rich in spirit. This is a part of man’s quest for excellence.

What makes a man good?

There is none good but one, that is, God (Mark 10:18KJV).

Not to sound too much like

the preacher, but no man can be good without God. He will always be at the mercy of whatever has taken the place of God in his life. It does not matter whether it is, money, drugs, alcohol, anger, or pride,

if a man cannot control it, he will be at its mercy. A good man desires more despite the good he already has. Just as a poor man desires riches, foolish man wisdom, and a hungry man food, a good man must desire

Timothy Houston is an author, minister, and motivational speaker who is committed to guiding positive life changes in families and communities.

For questions, comments or more information, go to www. tlhouston.com.

Page 12 • June 11 - June 17, 2012 • Insight News

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Truth: The ounce of prevention Man Talk

By Timothy Houston Editor’s note: Right headline, wrong article.

Insight regretfully printed the wrong article last week for Timothy Houston’s column entitled Truth: The ounce of prevention. Here is the correct article.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Henry

de Bracton’s De Legibus (c.

1240). This proverb has been around for hundreds of years and is still true today. The proverb speaks to doing things now that will have positive future impact. The little things we do up front can have monumental impact down the road. The ounce of prevention involves truth and advance knowledge, and it is the reason why we get polo or flu shots.

In this application, prevention will be more powerful than the cure because it has the potential to make the cure unnecessary.

The ounce of prevention is true for relationships as well.

Some relationship pitfalls

can be avoided. The earlier the information is known, the greater the impact. Over the years, I have talked to many women who have said to me, “Had I known this about him up front, I would never have wasted my time with him in the first place.” The “this” varied from woman to woman, but the “had I known” was the common thread that ran through all their accounts.

How differently things would have turned out it these women had had some foreknowledge.

What we don’t know can hurt us. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32). It is only the truth that we know

that can make us free. The truth we know is our ounce of prevention. We are empowered when we use the information we have to better our decision.

Prevention is a function of information and choice. It is a good idea to use every one of your senses to help you in your relationship decisions. If it does not look, smell, or feel right, it may not be right.

We are surrounded by the truth. We live in a world today that provides us plenty information. When it comes to relationships, you must be patient not to move too fast.

While your brain is processing information, your heart is establishing emotions. We

must choose to maximize the power of our brain to sort through the tons of information we receive every day. What we see, hear, smell, taste, and touch sends millions of signals to our brain and we must sort through it quickly to make it useful. Prevention is the patience needed for the truth to reveal itself.

It has been almost 800 years since Henry de Bracton’s De Legibus wrote those famed words. It is true than and now that our present actions will determine our future outcome.

In today’s complicated relationship environment, moving too fast will result in emotional based decisions

Young

Timothy Houston is an author, minister, and motivational speaker who is committed to guiding positive life changes in families and communities.

For questions, comments or more information, go to www. tlhouston.com.

throughout the Minneapolis Public Schools District who gathered at North Community High School Academy for Arts and Communications.

Young told three stories about young people who discovered the connection between the pursuit of higher education and training, and their ability to find fulfillment in the world.

There was a young woman who came from complete, total and abject poverty. She and her younger sisters and brothers were being raised by a single mom. She worked part time to help the family make ends meet.

She was a straight “A” student. She was brilliant. She was gifted. And she worked very, very hard. She earned a scholarship to a major university in the North. The scholarship was for nearly $60,000 a year for 4 years.

From 2 concessions that complimented and supported the business developments,” he said.

Young’s message was that the gateway for growth for the white community, for the corporate community, was in partnership and development of the Black community.

His instruction was that the development of the Black community was dependent on elevating the art of stakeholdership, which, in the arena social entrepreneurship, approximates and drives returns on investment equivalent to stockholdership.

Earlier in the day, Ambassador Young, who also was elected to the US Congress from Georgia, addressed an assembly of high school students from

and that person will most likely end up with the “had I known” regret. An ounce of prevention is letting the truth about the other person reveal itself. This requires patience, information, and choices that are based on time. You must be confident that truth always reveals itself over time, and good things still come to those who wait.

Andrew Young addressing the audience at North Community High School Academy for Arts and Communications

Suluki Fardan

YOUNG TURN TO 13

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Insight News • June 11 - June 17, 2012 • Page 13

An intimate look at love and relationship with raw honesty Book Review

By Kam Williams kam@insightnews.com “There is an illusion of marriage created by Hollywood… that only exists in the movies and on TV… All ‘housewives’ are not ‘desperate,’ and ‘How I Met Your Mother’ is seldom an accurate depiction of a Godly marriage…

This book has been written to help couples find fulfillment in marriages and to provide spiritual release to those who have broken the marital covenant and bond by divorce. We want to help save marriages and provide

Young From 12 “My wife and I heard about her and sought her out.

Because even though she had the scholarship, she had no resources to even get the clothing she would need to live in a northern city…no winter clothing, no overcoat, no boots and the like. We told her ‘when we take our kids shopping to get ready for college and the school year, we’re taking you too.’”

“She was so exceptional we wanted to know how her younger brothers and sisters were doing. Were they like her, smart, focused? She said all of them are straight “A” students as well. In fact, when her employers and colleagues heard about their co-worker’s exceptional children, they wondered, what about the mother?

Johnson From 10 contract with Warner Bros.

Records, it was negotiated that Prince could sign acts under him.

The first act he signed was The Time – and it did not include Jellybean.

“There was a meeting to form the group and it was going to be Alexander O’Neal signing lead and Jam, Terry, Jesse (Johnson, no relation to Jellybean), Jerome (Benton), Monte (Moir) and Morris on drums,” said Johnson.

“People don’t know Morris is a world-class drummer.”

According to Johnson, during the formation of The Time, O’Neal angered Prince and was removed from the group before it truly formed. “Morris said, ‘Go get Jellybean. He’s our drummer.

I’ll sing,’” recounted Johnson.

In 1981 The Time signed with Warner Bros. and dropped the single “Get It Up.” “I went for playing in these little clubs to playing in front of 26,000 people at Joe Lewis Arena in Detroit.

The Time went on to sell millions of records, but later fractioned off with Jam and

a basis to salvage relationships that may be floundering under the stresses of life or the pressure of current trends.”

-- Excerpted from the Introduction (pg. 5) During the traditional exchange of wedding vows, a bride and groom invariably promise to remain together “’til death do us part.” Yet, so many marriages end in divorce nowadays, suggesting that something must be amiss, given the clarity of that unambiguous pledge.

As pastor of Destiny Worship Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, Bishop Alphonso Lee Smith has pronounced plenty of couples husband and wife over the years, only to see some of those supposedly-sacred unions ultimately end in divorce. This has led the good reverend to

It goes without saying that the mom, who was working as a nurse’s assistant, was brilliant as well. They found a way to enable her to go to a local community college, where she, of course, became a straight “A” student.

The point, Ambassador Young said, is that this girl, and this family, discovered the link between dedicated, focused preparation and opportunity.

“You do your part….get prepared…and God provides the opportunity that’s tailor made for you.

The second story involved a junior high school student.

Young was invited to address students and noticed one kid in particular who stood out in the crowd. “He was a skinny kid with a huge, meticulously groomed Afro. When I walked past him I smacked him upside the head. He jumped back, startled, with a ‘why’d you do that look’. I told him I hope

Lewis going on to produce multiplatinum selling albums and singles for several artists, Jesse Johnson releasing solo projects and Day, Benton, Moir and Jellybean Johnson continuing on as Morris Day and The Time.

Johnson was also a member of another Prince formed group, The Family, which release the 1985 hit single, “Screams of Passion.”

Following the break-up of The Time, Johnson began producing and playing for several other artists. The Alexander O’Neal hit “Innocent” features a gritty guitar solo from Johnson. Later, when Janet Jackson needed a rocked-out track for her “Rhythm Nation 1814” album she called on Johnson. The result was the chart topping, “Black Cat.” “When the song was sent to me the riff to “Black Cat” was originally on piano,” Johnson said laughing. “First thing I did was change it to a guitar riff. The other key (to the song’s success) was getting her to sing it like a rock goddess. I didn’t know if she could pull it off, but she’s a Jackson and she killed it.”

Rift with Prince Last year, the original members

JOHNSON TURN TO 15

Courtesy of Bishop Alphonso L. Smith

Pastor Bishop Alphonso L. Smith wonder whether “vow-takers really know to what they are committing” or if they appreciate “the gravity of the wedding ceremony.”

In What in the Hell

Happened? An Intimate Look at Love and Relationship with Raw Honesty, he maintains that “marriage, as a practical consideration, should be entered into with wisdom… reverently,

what’s inside the head is as together as what is outside.

He told his parents that a school visitor hit him in the head. They told him that “visitor” was the Mayor of Atlanta.

I came across him a decade later. He was a student at Howard University in Washington, D.C. and wrote asking what I thought about his plan to run for student government president on a platform challenging all students to allocate an additional $15 to their tuition and student fees, for a student controlled fund designated to provide cash assistance to students who found unforeseeable financial challenges that might derail their education. He won that election, even in a student body that was known for bourgeois

privilege and not for charitable compassion.

Today, Young said, that young man, Kasim Reed, is Mayor of Atlanta, and next month is hosting a conference of Black mayors from North and South America, the Caribbean and Africa. His gift: the ability to perceive and define opportunities to create common good though collaboration and sharing.

The last story was most personal. In his own youth, Young was privileged to have parents that could send him to any school. At a summer job as a lifeguard, he rescued a drowning junkie, who recognized him, and reminded him that they both had been kicked out of school in the 3rd grade for a prank they pulled.

Young remembered the incident and his childhood

discreetly, advisedly, soberly, and in the fear of God.” For he feels that engaged couples ought to be ought to be fully conscious of the covenant they are about to make with the Almighty.

classmate.

“Whatever happened to you?” he asked.

That expulsion began a descent into the nether world of detention centers, reform schools and state penitentiaries.

“When he asked what had become of me, I said I was still bouncing from school to school, uncommitted and undecided on what I wanted to do. He read me the riot act. He said you got back in school in the 3rd grade because you had parents who could come to school and get you back in school. ‘My mom worked for a few dollars a day plus tips doing domestic work and she could not miss one day of work to argue on my behalf with schools or the courts. You should be ashamed to be bouncing around without direction. You must do better!’ he insisted.”

That admonishment

Still, there comes a point in a severely strained relationship where one must assess whether it can be saved, if it isn’t on the rocks already. That is why the author places such an emphasis on premarital counseling.

Not being a hypocrite, Bishop Smith admits that even his own marriage failed, and he devotes an entire chapter to sharing that painful story. On those pages, he chronicles the emotional roller coaster ride he experienced as he went through the stages of denial, anger, guilt and selfconfrontation prior to arriving finally at a peaceful place, by the grace of God. A practical, prenuptial primer, written from a faith-based perspective, urging couples to reflect and really look before you leap.

brought focus to his life, Young said, and set him on course to become a preacher, a pastor, a congressman, a mayor, and an ambassador, an architect of the Civil Rights Movement with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., an author, and holder of over 100 honorary doctorate degrees from prestigious colleges and universities worldwide.

He had two things to say about politics. First get a job for your professional development and living, do it well, and volunteer in local political activity. If you are earnest and effective, the party and voters will seek you out entrusting you to serve their interests. Secondly, he said, remember, politics is about being at the table, or having your person at the table, when the money is being divided up.

Page 14 • June 11 - June 17, 2012 • Insight News

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COMMUNITY Summer food service program at PCYC Plymouth Christian Youth Center (PCYC) is participating in the Summer Food Service Program. Meals will be provided to all children without charge.

Acceptance and participation requirements for the program and all activities are the same

for all regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, age or disability, and there will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service. Meals will be provided at the following sites and times:

Site 1- PCYC - 2210 Oliver Ave. No. Dates: June 18-August 10Monday-Friday (closed July 4) Times: Breakfast 9:00-9:30am; Lunch 12:30-1:00pm Site 2- PCYC - 2021 W.

Calendar • Classifieds Send Community Calendar information to us by: email, natalie@insightnews.com, by fax: 612-588-2031, by phone: (612) 588-1313 or by mail: 1815 Bryant Ave. N. Minneapolis, MN 55411, Attn: Natalie Benz. Free or low cost events preferred.

Events Minneapolis Community Summer Events The City of Minneapolis invites and encourages participation by every resident to each program, service and event within the city. For more info and Mpls Events calendar, visit: http://www.minneapolismn. gov/ncr/calendar/index. htm. For American Indian Month Community Events Calendar visit: http://tinyurl. com/7vqme9p.

Wanting to build your summer paddling, mountain biking and trail running skills? May– June Join the City of Lakes Tri-Club!

Using Minneapolis’ chain of lakes and one-of-a-kind trail network in Theodore Wirth Park, participants will learn from expert instructors the many ways to have fun during a Minneapolis summer. Stay active and expand your recreational horizons. Club meets Wed. 5/23-6/20, 6–8pm. http://www.loppet.org/adultprogramming/loppet-tri-club/

Bike Fest June 9–21 Get your bike tuned up for the summer. Venture North bike mechanics will be on hand to make minor repairs and adjustments. Learn how to fix a flat, enter to win a new bike, enjoy food and fun with neighbors young and old, and ride through the safety course (for kids ages 6-12). For more information, call 612.377.3029 Springboard for the ArtsIrrigate Project June 10 & 17 Two hour demonstrations of how to create a 3-D and a bas-relief silicon rubber mold including the mother mold for both products. Learn how to create a rubber mold for a three dimensional and a bas-relief design. Each observer will learn how to work with molding materials including plaster and a non-toxic resin. The workshops will be held on June 10 & June 17 1pm–3pm.

A night on the St. Croix river “Fun, food, and fellowship” June 11 St. Thomas Center for Academics and Sports which provides free summer academic and sports camps for Twin City area youth with an emphasis on serving low income and diverse populations is holding a fun fund raiser. The event will feature a buffet dinner, live music, a silent auction, NO SPEECHES –just

Broadway Dates: June 18-August 10Monday-Friday (closed July 4) Times: Breakfast 9:009:30am; Lunch 12:30-1:00pm Site 3- Cottage Park - 2027 James Ave. No.

Phone: 612.588.1313

fun on the St. Croix. Boarding will begin at 5:30pm on June 11 at the Andiamo dock on the south end of Main St. in Stillwater with the cruise lasting from 6pm until 8:30pm. Cruise Tickets are $35. To buy boat tickets, raffle tickets, make a contribution, or for additional info, call Bob Brown at 651.962.4992 or at rjbrown@stthomas.edu Challenging the School to Prison Pipeline and the Prison Industrial Complex June 12 A panel and community conversation; confronting “The New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander. Tue. June 12, 6–9pm at Minneapolis Urban League.

The event is hosted by Dr. Nancy A. Heitzeg, William W. Smith IV and Jocelyn Smith and funded by a grant from St Catherine University.

Public Hearing for the Bottineau Transitway preferred route June 12 The Bottineau Transitway is a proposed 13-mile transit line serving the cities of Minneapolis, Golden Valley, Robbinsdale, Crystal, New Hope, Brooklyn Park, Maple Grove and Osseo.

Residents, business owners and neighborhood groups and others interested in speaking at the public hearing are encouraged to sign up ahead of time by calling Maggie at 612.348.9260 or you can sign-up at the public

Dates: June 18-August 10Monday-Friday (closed July 4) Times: Breakfast 10:0010:30am; Lunch 1:00-1:30pm Site 4- Cleveland Park - 3232 Queen Ave. No. Dates: June 18-August 10-

Fax: 612.588.2031

hearing. There is a three-minute limit for each speaker, so please prepare accordingly. Hearing is at 5pm June 12, in the Hennepin County Board Room, A-2400, 300 S. Sixth St., MPLS. “The Education of a White Parent” Author, Susan Naimark, discussion June 13 and June 14 The book talks about the relationship of race and opportunity. First discussion will be held on Wed. June 13, 4:30 – 6pm at Humphrey School of Public Affairs University of Minnesota, 301 19th Avenue South in Freeman Commons.

On Thur. June 14 3:00 – 4:30pm at Phyllis Wheatley Community Center, 1301 10th Ave North. To RSVP or questions call 612-3744342.

It’s the BIG FIVE for Live on the Drive! June 14, July 12, Aug 9 Celebrate by packing a picnic, bringing your family and inviting your friends to the fabulous fifth anniversary summer concerts on June 14, July 12 and Aug 9. The free concerts are held from 6 to 8pm on Victory Memorial Drive at 34th Avenue North in Minneapolis.

For further information, call 612-588-1155 or see www. clevelandneighborhood.org West Broadway Farmers Market Announces Second Season June 15 –Oct. 19 Northside grown mushrooms, veggies, fruits, sweet bread, quality art, and more. Music, cooking demonstrations (with free samples), physical activities and classes, art activities, health services (i.e. blood pressure checks), and more will take place weekly. New location at the Hawthorne Crossings parking lot, 900 West Broadway Avenue in Minneapolis, near the intersection of Bryant and West Broadway. Market hours are Fridays from 3pm to 7pm.

All who walk or bike to the market can enter to win a $25 voucher for market goods.

For updates and to sign up for the weekly email newsletter visit www.westbroadway. org or for any questions contact Alicia at 612.353.5178 or at marketmanager@ westbroadway.org Regina Marie Williams is Live on the Drive June 16 With Thom West on piano, Dave Karr, sax, Kevin Washington PUBLIC NOTICE WEATHERIZATION ELECTRICAL-RELATED SERVICES REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

MPR presents Tying the Knot: Songs for Our Fathers June 16 Emmy-winning actor T. Mychael Rambo curates and hosts an evening’s celebration of the unbreakable bonds that connect the richness of African-American culture to the vital and universal role of fathers and fatherhood in our communities. Sat. June 16 8pm at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul. Tickets $32 and MPR members receive a discount. For tickets call MPR box office at 651.290.1200.

2012 Juneteenth Celebration June 16 Saturday, June 16, 10 a.m.6:30 p.m. at North Mississippi Regional Park, 5114 North Mississippi Drive, Minneapolis.

This year’s theme is “Building the Future.” The Juneteenth Festival observes the June 19th 1865 proclamation of the abolition of slavery in Texas.

This celebrates the freedom for people of all racial backgrounds.

Questions: 612.238.3733 or send email to info@ juneteenthminnesota.org Progressive Summer Youth Program 2012 June 18–Aug. 24 Youth, grades K–6 will experience pony rides, water parks, challenge their reading skills, learn about different cultures and learn the Word of God. Cost: $130/week; includes program t-shirt, breakfast and lunch and all activity fees.

There is a $35.00 registration deposit. Childcare Assistance is accepted. 7:30am–5:30pm, June 18–Aug. 24. Contact Rev. Areda Stewart 651.774.5503. Space is limited and Registration closes June 15th.

Youth Employment Forum June 19 Open forum to discuss how the residents of Brooklyn Park can work with teens and young adults in finding work in this tough economy. Parents of teens, community organizations, and teens and young adults encouraged to attend. Tue., June 19, 6-7:30pm at Brooklyn Park City Hall 5200-85th Ave N Brooklyn Park, MN 55443. For questions contact Kendra Kuhlmann

Each applicant’s qualifications and all contracted services provided by or under the applicant must fully comply with all applicable federal and Minnesota weatherization assistance and financial assistance program requirements and regulations. Only applicants currently licensed by the Minnesota State Board of Electricity as an Electrical Contractor and who meet the other requirements set forth in the Request for Proposal dated May 29, 2012 (the “RFP”), as issued by Community Action of Minneapolis, may respond to the RFP. The complete RFP, including background information, instructions, description and scope of services, minimum specifications, timeframe, established price item listing, and evaluation criteria, is available beginning at 9:00 a.m. CDT on May 29, 2012 and continuing until 4:30 p.m.

CDT on Friday, June 29, 2012. A copy of the complete RFP may be obtained by contacting: Lyssa Westling, Fiscal Manager, Community Action of Minneapolis, 505 East Grant Street, Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55404, 612-348-8858 (main), 612-767-1703 (direct), 612-348-9384 (fax), or lwestling@campls.org (email). Proposals will be received until 4:30 p.m. CDT on Friday, June 29, 2012 at Community Action of Minneapolis, 505 East Grant Street, Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55404, and will be opened at 8:30 a.m. CDT on Monday, July 2, 2012. It is anticipated that a selection of the pool of successful RFP proposers will be made on or about July 31, 2012.

Assumed Name 1. State the exact assumed name under which the business is or will be conducted: Eye on Healthy Alternatives 2. State the address of the principal place of business: 9130 Yates Bay, Minneapolis, MN 55443-1628 3. List the name and complete street address of all persons conducting business under the above Assumed Name OR if an entity, provide the legal corporate, LLC, or Limited Partnership name and registered office address.

Attach additional sheet(s) if necessary: Ralph K. Edwards, 9130 Yates Bay, Minneapolis, MN 55443-1628; Shirley White-Edwards, 9130 Yates Bay, Minneapolis, MN 554431628 4. I certify that I am authorized to sign this certificate and I further certify that I understand that by signing this certificate, I am subject to the penalties of perjury as set forth in Minnesota Statues section 609.48 as if I had signed this certificate under oath.

Signed by: Ralph K. Edwards Date Filed: 05/21/2012 Insight News: 6/4/2012, 6/11/2012

Email: natalie@insightnews.com

on drums and Jay Young on bass Thur. June 14., 6– 8pm.

Victory Memorial Parkway at 34th Avenue North, Minneapolis.

FREE, For more information, call 612.588.1155 or visit www. liveonthedrive.org.

Community Action of Minneapolis, 505 East Grant Street, Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55404 will receive proposals on an established price process to contract for United States Department of Energy (“DOE”) and United States Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) Low Income Weatherization Electrical-Services, as funded by the DOE and the HHS for the purposes set forth in the Energy Conservation in Existing Buildings Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 6861 to 6873, and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 8621 to 8629, as administered by the Minnesota Department of Commerce, and as delivered by Community Action of Minneapolis.

Monday-Friday (closed July 4) Times: Breakfast 10:0010:30am; Lunch 1:00-1:30pm For questions, please contact Karen Goodenough, Director of Youth & Family Programs at 612.643.2082 or kgoodenough@ pcyc-mpls.org.

KuhlmannK@district279.org or Samantha Brown Samantha. brown@brooklynpark.org Be Book Smart with Reading is Fundamental June 22 –July 11 largest annual fundraising campaign held at Macy’s stores nationwide. The funds raised will benefit your community’s local RIF programs and provide books and reading resources to the children who need them most. Macy’s customers may join the effort by giving $3 to help provide a book for a child and receive $10 off a purchase of $50 or more. Macy’s will donate 100% of your $3 to RIF to help reach our goal of giving 1 million books to kids this summer.

Guthrie’s Midsummer Mischief Dance Party June 23 The public (ages 18+) are invited to dress creatively and enjoy an evening of music and enchantment at this red carpet event Sat. June 23, 9pm –1am.

Tickets to the Midsummer Mischief Dance Party are $10 in advance ($15 at the door) and are on sale through the Guthrie Theater Box Office at 612.377.2224 or at www. guthrietheater.org/costumeball In addition to the dance party, there will be a cocktail party with live music, a silent auction and photo booth from 5-7p.m. and a choice of three unique dining options. Dinner tickets start at $250 and include the dance party. For more information on dinners call 612.225.6151.

Khalid Al-Amin Basketball Summer Camp 2012 June 25–29 Co-Ed grades 4 – 8 at North Community High School 1500 James Ave N. Mpls. Details and to register visit www.elaminbasketball.com Dip Your Toes or Dive In to Music This Summer at Camden Music School June 25–July 19, July 23–Aug. 16 Dip or dive in to Musikgarten classes for ages birth to 8, individual, team and group instrumental and vocal lessons for ages 8 and up and a great variety of ensembles for ages 5 and up – including our new bluegrass class and rock ‘n roll and movie music for strings.

Registration is now. Summer scholarship applications are due by 5pm Monday, June 18.

Check out the CMS website for all your great options, www.camdenmusic school.com, or call 612-618-0219.

Looking for Christian Roommates?

North & South Minneapolis * $400/month + utilities urbanhomeworks.org/housing/urban-neighbors 612-910-6054 / un@urbanhomeworks.org

PUBLIC NOTICE WEATHERIZATION/INSULATION SERVICES REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Community Action of Minneapolis, 505 East Grant Street, Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55404 will receive proposals on a competitive bid process to contract for United States Department of Energy (“DOE”) and United States Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) Low Income Weatherization/Insulation Services, as funded by the DOE and the HHS for the purposes set forth in the Energy Conservation in Existing Buildings Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 6861 to 6873, and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 8621 to 8629, as administered by the Minnesota Department of Commerce, and as delivered by Community Action of Minneapolis.

Each applicant’s qualifications and all contracted services provided by or under the applicant must fully comply with all applicable federal and Minnesota weatherization assistance and financial assistance program requirements and regulations. Only applicants currently licensed by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry as a Residential Building Contractor or Residential Remodeler, and who meet the other requirements set forth in the Request for Proposal dated May 29, 2012 (the “RFP”), as issued by Community Action of Minneapolis, may respond to the RFP. The complete RFP, including background information, instructions, description and scope of services, minimum specifications, timeframe, competitive bid item listing, and evaluation criteria, is available beginning at 9:00 a.m. CDT on May 29, 2012 and continuing until 4:30 p.m.

CDT on Friday, June 29, 2012. A copy of the complete RFP may be obtained by contacting: Lyssa Westling, Fiscal Manager, Community Action of Minneapolis, 505 East Grant Street, Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55404, 612-348-8858 (main), 612-767-1703 (direct), 612-348-9384 (fax), or lwestling@campls.org (email). Proposals will be received until 4:30 p.m. CDT on Friday, June 29, 2012 at Community Action of Minneapolis, 505 East Grant Street, Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55404, and will be opened at 8:30 a.m. CDT on Monday, July 2, 2012. It is anticipated that a selection of the pool of successful RFP proposers will be made on or about July 31, 2012.

PUBLIC NOTICE WEATHERIZATION MECHANICAL-RELATED SERVICES REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Community Action of Minneapolis, 505 East Grant Street, Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55404 will receive proposals on a competitive bid process to contract for United States Department of Energy (“DOE”) and United States Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) Low Income Weatherization Mechanical-Services, as funded by the DOE and the HHS for the purposes set forth in the Energy Conservation in Existing Buildings Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 6861 to 6873, and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 8621 to 8629, as administered by the Minnesota Department of Commerce, and as delivered by Community Action of Minneapolis.

Each applicant’s qualifications and all contracted services provided by or under the applicant must fully comply with all applicable federal and Minnesota weatherization assistance and financial assistance program requirements and regulations. Only applicants currently licensed by the City of Minneapolis (MN), Business Licenses and Consumer Services Division as a Mechanical/Heating Contractor and who meet the other requirements set forth in the Request for Proposal dated May 29, 2012 (the “RFP”), as issued by Community Action of Minneapolis, may respond to the RFP. The complete RFP, including background information, instructions, description and scope of services, minimum specifications, timeframe, competitive bid item listing, and evaluation criteria, is available beginning at 9:00 a.m. CDT on May 29, 2012 and continuing until 4:30 p.m.

CDT on Friday, June 29, 2012. A copy of the complete RFP may be obtained by contacting: Lyssa Westling, Fiscal Manager, Community Action of Minneapolis, 505 East Grant Street, Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55404, 612-348-8858 (main), 612-767-1703 (direct), 612-348-9384 (fax), or lwestling@campls.org (email). Proposals will be received until 4:30 p.m. CDT on Friday, June 29, 2012 at Community Action of Minneapolis, 505 East Grant Street, Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55404, and will be opened at 8:30 a.m. CDT on Monday, July 2, 2012. It is anticipated that a selection of the pool of successful RFP proposers will be made on or about July 31, 2012.

Minnesota’s African American groundbreakers at Minnesota Humanities Center June 28 The Minnesota Humanities Center will hold the second in its “Lunch and Learn” series, on June 28. “Firsts: Minnesota’s African American Groundbreakers” will feature former Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sales Belton and award winning author Alexs Pate.

The “Lunch and Learn” event will be held at the Minnesota Humanities Center on June 28, 2012 and is open to the public. 987 Ivy Avenue East, St. Paul, MN 551062046 651.774.0105 www.mnhum.org Cost is $15 and includes lunch.

Reservations can be made at www. mnhum.org/lal.

insightnews.com

Insight News • June 11 - June 17, 2012 • Page 15

West Broadway Farmers Market moves to new location can enter to win a $25 voucher for market goods. The West Broadway Farmers Market gladly accepts EBT and will double EBT card holders’ first $5 spent each market day (funding is provided by Blue Cross® and Blue Shield® of Minnesota).

Products Available Vendors will be selling a variety of MN and Northside grown produce throughout the season. Stop by each week for new and different goods as the changing season will

West Broadway Business Area Coalition

Produce vendors at the Farmers Market during the 2011 season The West Broadway Farmers Market has announced its much anticipated second season. This year, the market moves to a new location, the parking lot of Hawthorne Crossings, 900 West Broadway Avenue in Minneapolis, near the intersection of Bryant and West Broadway. Market hours are Fridays from 3:00pm to 7:00pm, with the season running from June 15th to October 19th. The West Broadway Farmers Market is a project of the West Broadway Business and Area Coalition (WBC).

The West Broadway Farmers Market Committee met throughout the off season to refine the mission of the market for the 2012 season; The West Broadway Farmers Market increases healthy food access, promotes economic

development among Northsiders, and cultivates a dynamic gathering space for community members, visitors, and businesses.

To fulfill this mission and build upon last season’s successes, the market will feature many Northside produce, art, and specialty vendors.

During its inaugural season last year, the market boosted economic development in the community by providing an accessible selling space for new entrepreneurs and businesses. Northside residents or business owners made up 63 percent of all market vendors. This season, the market looks forward to growing the number of Northside vendors at the market and welcoming the many returning vendors. Look for new Northside vendors such as Mississippi Mushrooms and the Northside Arts Collective as well as

returning Northside businesses such as Artist Angela Davis, Bouquets ‘N Such Floral Gifts, Grass Root Growers, and Project Sweetie Pie. Several non-Northside vendors will add additional variety and choice to the market this season.

Beyond hosting wonderful products for purchase, the West Broadway Farmers Market is a positive and vibrant community gathering space. Last year, the market hosted over 107 programs, most done in collaboration with over 40 community partners. This season, special events and programs will occur each market day. These events will include cooking demonstrations, exercise activities, art activities for all by local artists, live music and performances, and more. In addition, each week, all who walk or bike to the market

Johnson

compensated. He alienated all of us that grew up with him. We were friends ever since I was 12 years old.”

Johnson said he is both angry with Prince and hurt by his legal maneuverings. He attributes the rift between Prince and the members of The Time to Prince’s ego.

“It’s like Jesse (Johnson) said, The Time is like Frankenstein to him (Prince),” said Johnson.

“Yeah, he created us, but he couldn’t control us. See, he couldn’t have known that Jam and Terry would go on to sell hundreds of millions in records, that Jesse would be a solo star; that Morris was going to be the star that he is, that I would produce number one hits. That was a threat to (Prince).”

The group formerly known as The Time decided to continue on as The Original 7ven.

In a similar situation The Family was forced to change its name as well and now performs as fDeluxe.

Nowadays, Johnson can easily be considered the James Brown of Minneapolis – the hardest working man in show business, playing drums with the various forms of The Time and fDeluxe and guitar with JB and the Routine and sitting in with Dr. Mambos Combo and others.

And Johnson credits much of his success to the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

“I’m just proud to be a Minnesotan,” said Johnson.

From 13 of The Time got back together to perform a few shows in Las Vegas.

Shortly after, the members felt the vibe and time was right to reunite and record another studio album.

But, according to Johnson, once Prince got word of the pending album, he had lawyers send cease and desist letters to each of the members asserting he owned the name, The Time. The move did not sit well with Johnson.

“I can’t even talk to him (Prince),” said Johnson. “Yes, he made me famous but he got well compensated for that; well

brings new produce items. Produce appearing throughout the season will include greens, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, cucumbers, herbs, lettuce, onions, peas, green tomatoes, okra, oriental vegetables, potatoes, cabbage, summer squash, zucchini, kohlrabi, carrots, watermelon, spinach, berries, apples and pumpkins. Each market day extraordinary chefs will showcase their sweet bread, hand-mixed spices, and homemade jams while talented local artists display flower

bouquets, paintings, greeting cards, jewelry, and specialty onesies.

Get Involved!

The market is looking for involvement of varying types. Start by signing up for the e-newsletter at www.westbroadway.org/ farmersmarket.

Please contact Alicia Uzarek for information on sponsoring the market, tabling at the market, volunteering at the market and with any questions –manager@ westbroadway.org.

Page 16 • June 11 - June 17, 2012 • Insight News

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