OUR TIME PRESS | June 8 – 14, 2017

| From the Villa ge of Brook ly n |

OUR TIME PRESS THE L OCAL PAPER WITH THE G LOBAL VIEW

| VOL. 21 NO. 23

June 8 – 14, 2017 |

Since 1996

Tales of Two Leaders: As Librarian's Legacy Ascends, U.S. Presidency Appears to Decline

Donald Trump (Photo: Rex Shuttlestock/Zuma Press)

Sister Leola Weaver-Maddox (Photo: Lem Peterkin)

“The Character of a Leader will become the Destiny of a Nation.” Dr. Patrick Awuah, Founder and President, Ashesi University College, Accra, Ghana

View From Here ■■

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Trump's Reign Falling

By David Mark Greaves

he written testimony of former FBI director James Comey, released a day early before his appearance at the Senate Intelligence Committee, reveals a president acting like a white collar hood.

Oblivious to the idea that those skills sets are not only inappropriate, they can get you in jail, or in this case, impeached. And that’s while the investigation of the Russian connection by Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller is still ongoing. It is obvious that Mueller has given Comey a green light to tell all about his conversations with Trump and more, no doubt so that the people can begin to see how deeply the criminality of this presidency goes.

Given all that is declassified or has been leaked, we know the intelligence community has compiled, and continues to compile, information that fills in the spaces between the dots forming the straight line to the Oval Office. It is reported that the NSA is still going through its collected data, and based on what they find, which may

take some time given the volume, the country may be glad they’ve kept copies of every e-mail and phone call made in the last ten years.

And now, based upon what the intelligence community knows so far, with former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said, “Watergate pales in comparison” to the Trump-Russia connection, and understanding that while, were it anyone else, federal officers would be stepping into the office and putting the cuffs on the occupant.

Comey’s testimony has filled in some more of the missing pixels in the line connecting the obstruction of justice to the need to hide the relationship with Russia and give us an idea of the awesomeness that’s coming so that we may brace ourselves. At some point, there will come a conclusion that the Constitution has to be placed above all other interests and that Donald J. Trump has to be removed from the Office of the President as soon as possible. He’s like an animal, becoming evermore trapped, and that is not a good look for a Commander-in-Chief.

See Trump pages 6 & 11

The Life and Legacy of Leola Weaver-Maddox Remembered ■■

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By Eulene Inniss

he power and fierceness of love are unstoppable! This type of love force was most evident on the evening of June 3rd when community-based organizations and friends joined together and payed tribute to the unforgettable Sister Leola Maddox at the enchanting Mannion Stonebridge Hall in Stuyvesant Heights. Sister Leola was funeralized in her native Georgia on March 15th, 2017. She was the devoted wife of the “People’s Attorney”, Alton Maddox, Jr., Chairman of the United African Movement (U.A.M), and headquartered in Brooklyn. Sister Leola loved children and as an advocate, she first served as a librarian at the Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Teaneck, New Jersey where, in her memory, a tree with a plaque was planted.

See Page 12

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OUR TIME PRESS June 8 – 14, 2017

BAN Brings People Together to Solve Social Ills

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By Akosua K. Albritton

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n June 5, 2017, the Brooklyn Anti-Gentrification Network (BAN) held a planning session at JACK. JACK is a small nonprofit theater located at 505½ Waverly Avenue on the southern border of Clinton Hill. This venue was the appropriate place for BAN’s meeting. JACK offers live performances and seats 50 people. The space offers community forums on “racial justice, police-community relations and gentrification”, as well as theatric and musical performances. Alec Duffy, a JACK co-founder, was on hand to open JACK and participate, to some degree, in the discussion.

BAN Director Imani Henry facilitated the discussion. The meeting included a strategic component. This reporter agreed to omit the strategic aspects of the meeting in this article. It can be explained that BAN is on record for using shaming tactics such as demonstrations, rallies, videotaping

unannounced visits to building management offices and unscheduled visits to government agencies to demand habitable apartments, affordable rents and commercial leases.

Henry explained, “The shaming brings to light social injustices that persist. These injustices destabilize households, reduce the number of small businesses operating on neighborhood commercial corridors and target young people of color for physical and mental victimization”.

Throughout Brooklyn, people are witnessing the assemblage of small buildings for conversion into one single multistory luxury apartment building. BAN’s shaming tactics have succeeded in keeping such longstanding businesses as Errol’s Bakery in business at the same address and ensures tenants get the needed repairs to building-wide and apartment-specific systems.

The meeting attendees were a cross of ages, gender and races who were experiencing the reality of rising rents and displacement. One woman associated with JACK

discussed the need for agreed tactics prior to initiating a specific shaming event. It is a tribute to BAN’s organizing and coalescing abilities that this multicultural and intersectional body exists and sustains an esprit de corps.

An attorney (name withheld) raised the case to end the Urstadt Law which gives New York State legislature jurisdiction over New York City rent guidelines. Joe Lamport explains in the January 25, 2005 Gotham Gazette: “If you ask New York City housing advocates what one move would improve the lot of tenants in New York City, they would answer: Repeal of the Urstadt Law.” The state law, which then-Governor Nelson Rockefeller pushed through in 1971, and which Governor George Pataki strengthened in 2003, is named after Rockefeller’s housing commissioner, Charles Urstadt. “For more than three decades, it has effectively handcuffed the city when it comes to dealing with the main problems facing housing here -- rents and evictions.” The attorney has allies in people like CM Jumaane Williams (CD 45) and NYS Assembly member Walter Mosley (AD 57) who have gone on record in September 2014 for the repeal of the law.

The next big event that BAN is organizing is the Brooklyn March against Gentrification, Racism and Police Violence. It is slated for September 9, 2017, from 12 PM to 4 PM. Families are encouraged to participate. The impetus for the march is that “neighborhoods are being torn apart by skyrocketing rents and terrorized by police brutality. Low- to middle-income New Yorkers are being priced out or displaced by gentrification while our city is being made over into a playground for the superrich. We say NO MORE”!

To learn more about the march’s route, speakers and after-march activities, readers can attend the June 16, 2017 planning meeting to be held at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Solidarity Center NYC, located at 147 West 24th Street in New York City.

DBG MEDIA Publishers of Our Time Press, Inc. 358 Classon Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11238 (718) 599-6828 Web site: www.ourtimepress.com e-mail: editors@ourtimepress.com Publisher DBG MEDIA Editor-in-Chief David Mark Greaves Consultant Bernice Elizabeth Green Legacy Ventures Contributors Victoria Horsford Selma Jackson Margo McKenzie Priscilla Mensah Aishamanne Williams Manager www.ourtimepress.com Liani Greaves Sports Eddie Castro Office Manager Joanna Williams © 2015, DBG MEDIA Publishers of Our Time Press, Inc., printed in New York City.

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VOL. 21 NO. 23

Schneiderman Announces Guilty Plea of Major NYC Landlord Steven Croman

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EW YORK—Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced the guilty plea of Steven Croman, a major New York City landlord with more than 140 apartment buildings across Manhattan, for fraudulently refinancing loans and committing tax fraud. Under the terms of his plea, Croman would serve one year of jail time on Rikers Island and pay a $5 million tax settlement – marking a significant precedent in the effort to combat landlords who base their business model on the displacement of rent-stabilized tenants.

Rarely, if ever, has a landlord been sentenced to serve time in jail for engaging in these practices. The jail time and multi-million-settlement announced today send a strong message to landlords that the Attorney General will pursue anyone who engages in these types of practices to the fullest extent of the law.

“Steven Croman is a fraudster and a criminal who engaged in a deliberate and illegal scheme to fraudulently obtain bank loans,” Attorney General Schneiderman said.

“He went to outrageous lengths to boost his bottom line – including falsely listing rent-stabilized units at market rates when his efforts to displace those renters had failed. Now Mr. Croman faces a year in Rikers and a $5 million settlement – and unscrupulous landlords are on notice that we’ll pursue them to the fullest extent of the law.”

Croman entered into the guilty plea before State Supreme Court Justice Jill Konviser, to Grand Larceny in the Third Degree (a class D felony), and Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree and Criminal Tax Fraud in the Fourth Degree (both class E felonies). Croman fraudulently obtained several multi-million-dollar refinancing loans between 2012 and 2014, and committed tax fraud in 2011 by failing to withhold appropriate NY State payroll tax from certain Croman Real Estate employee paychecks. In addition to serving jail time, ➔➔ Continued on page 8

Applying For College and on Facebook?

Read This

Washington Post has an interesting fact.

“According to Kaplan Test Prep, which surveyed more than 350 college admissions officers, 35 percent of admissions officers said they check social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to learn more about applicants. About 42 percent of those officials said what they found had a negative impact on prospective students.”

Moral: If you've already made the first mistake of posting it, remove anything from your Facebook page you wouldn't personally hand to Admissions, as an example of your character or your work. It will still exist somewhere on the web, but at least it wont be up on the first screen.

VOL. 21 NO. 23

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OUR TIME PRESS June 8 – 14, 2017

West Africa Regional Conference

Young leaders gather to generate innovative solutions to tough challenges in West Africa PR Newswire ACCRA, Ghana, June 5, 2017 -- More than 130 young African leaders met in Accra, Ghana from May 31 to June 1 to collaborate on solutions to tough challenges in their countries and communities.

At the West Africa Regional Conference as part of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, these young professionals collaborated with their peers to share solutions for deepening engagement with youth and communities. During the conference’s pitch competition, Fellows had the opportunity to showcase their state-of-the-art projects and ideas to potential business partners, including Rainbow Consult, Kwese TV, Rendeavour, nFortics, Africa Internship Academy, and The CSR Training Institute.

Mandela Washington Fellow Laud Anthony Basing from Ghana won the competition with his innovative pitch for a v-discharge toolkit, a self-administered vaginal diagnostic tool that connects to a mobile app to treat infections and improve health outcomes for women across West Africa.

“The pitch competition and the Fellowship provided an important platform to showcase my product, obtain important feedback, find partners, and acquire investors,” Basing explained. Other pitches included a disability-friendly apparel business, a culinary tourism company, a multi-purpose community tool bank, and a community literacy project.

“the character of a leader will become the destiny of a nation.”

Dr. Patrick Awuah, Founder and President of Ashesi University College

Young African leaders from 21 countries attended the conference, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

U.S. Ambassador to Ghana Robert P. Jackson urged Fellows to continue to push forward, stressing that, “innovation is what is needed to change the face of the continent. Leaders are those who refuse to give up in the face of challenges.”

Winners of the Pitch Competition Dr. Patrick Awuah, Founder and President of Ashesi University College, delivered the keynote address and reminded Fellows that, “the character of a leader will become the destiny of a nation.”

The Mandela Washington Fellowship brings 1,000 young African professionals from across the continent to US universities for six weeks of leadership training. Competitively selected, the Fellows represent the continent’s emerging generation of entrepreneurs, community leaders,

Attendees arrive at West Africa Regional Conference for Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders.

and public officials working to shape the future of Africa. Fellows also presented on how they are tackling community problems to support entrepreneurship, end youth unemployment, and foster economic development.

Theo Sowa, CEO of the African Women’s Development Fund, encouraged Fellows to understand the importance of collaborating with each other, now and into the future. “Leadership is not about the individual. It’s about the collective and working together.”

USAID and IREX support Mandela Washington Fellows in Africa after they complete the U.S.-based portion of the Fellowship, with continuing professional development opportunities, mentoring, networking, and training to advance these young leaders along their professional endeavors as they help build a brighter future for Africa and forge deeper bonds with counterparts in the United States.

“Through the Fellowship, these young leaders can engage and build the kind of relationships, business practices, and transparent governance that is essential for both African and US businesses to enter and thrive in emerging markets,” said Taleb Salhab, Vice President for Global Programs at IREX.

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OUR TIME PRESS June 8 – 14, 2017

WHAT’S GOING ON ■■

Victoria Horsford

TALK OF THE TOWN As we watch the Trump Presidency unfold, we learn that government of the American republic is both a complicated art and a science, ill-suited to those with boorish B-School sensibilities. Domestically, America is in a state of government paralysis.

Neither Trump nor his GOP Congress can get much done. Today’s headlines indicate that drug overdoses in America has pandemic status. The President and the Republicans are working to dismantle Obamacare(the Affordable Care Act), our national health plan while the country needs one more than ever. Beneficiaries of Obamacare are most of the people who make up the Trump base.

What about public education. It seems to be on “life support” during Education Secretary Devos’ watch. What about infrastructure and bringing jobs back to America. There is little mention of those jobs emanating from Congress and the White House. What about climate change. Well, that means nothing since Trump walked away from the Paris Agreement.

US foreign affairs is in disaster mode under POTUS 45, who has managed to alienate the United States’ closest allies and partners in Western Europe. Trump complicates matters with Great Britain, once our closest ally, with his tweets about its recent terrorist assaults. US diplomats the world over are tendering their resignations in response to President Trump’s recent words and deeds.

HARLEM, NY: Congressman Adriano Espaillat convened a Town Hall in Central

group to return to the Democratic Caucus, to the proliferation of liquor licenses in his Senate District and how he put a moratorium on those licenses. He spoke knowingly about NYCHA, the Paris Agreement and affordable housing. He seems like a politically astute, savvy individual who understands the enormity of the work that has to be done with this GOP Congress and White House. We need more Espaillat Town Halls at the Harlem State Office Building.

Political incorrectness. Yes, I too was shocked while listening to the Bill Maher

Anna Maria Horsford; Marlon James, “A Brief History of Seven Killings”; Jamaica Kincaid; Debra Lee, BET; Yolene LeGrand, Nia Long, Sylvia Wong Lewis, Iyaba Mandingo, Hakim Mutlaq, Lynn Nottage, Ademola Olugebefola, Jada PinkettSmith, Queen Latifah, Voza Rivers, Cecily Tyson, Sundra Williams; MEDIA: David Greaves, Our Time Press; Errol Louis, NY1; Lester Holt, NBC-TV; Faye Rodney, Karl Rodney, Karlissa Rodney, NY Carib; Joy Reid, MSNBC; Al Roker, TODAY; Eric Tait, Jean Wells, Positive Community; GOVERNMENT: Tom Perez, DNC Chair; NYS Assemblyman Michael Blake, DNC Vice Chair; Colin Powell, Congresswoman Y vette Clarke.

ARTS/MEDIA

“Real Time Show” last Friday when he said that he was a “House Ni---r.” Until last week, that was one of my favorite TV shows. Maher’s comment was egregious.

I recommend that Maher cut back on his weed consumption before the show airs. He opened the 2017 season without introducing his guests. You seemed loaded that night also. Yes, I’ve read your apologies; I see that Senator Al Franken has cancelled his appearance on your 6/9 show. Rev. Al is irate.

Please, Maher, no more “n - - - - -” jokes ever!

BLACK ENTERPRISE

Harlem at the Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. State Office Building on West 125th Street on June 5. The turnout was full and diverse. For two hours, the Congressman fielded questions which ran the gamut from US Government actions re: undocumented populations, victims of domestic abuse, the NYS Independent Democratic Committee and how he wants the

Queen of American pop culture, is on hiatus from show business during her pregnancy.

Philanthropically, she supports Black Lives Matter. Her net worth is $350 million.

VOL. 21 NO. 23

Forbes magazine has added a new list of America’s Richest Self-Made Women, which includes 60 entrepreneurs, innovators and artists whose combined worth is $61.5 billion.

African-American women who made the cut are entertainment mogul Oprah Winfrey, #3 with a net worth of $2.9 billion; Sheila Johnson, co-founder of Black Entertainment Television, which was sold for $2.4 billion.

She has invested in hotels and golf courses and has stakes in the WNBA Mystics, NBA Wizards and NFL Capital. Her net worth is $750 million. BEYONCE, #38,

Uber scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson penned a new book, ASTROPHYSICS FOR PEOPLE IN A HURRY, which has topped the NY Times best-seller nonfiction list for three weeks. NYT describes the book as an “easy to understand introduction to the laws governing the universe”.

Richard Rothstein, author of the nonfiction book, THE COLOR OF LA: A FORGOTTEN HISTORY OF HOW OUR GOVERNMENT SEGREGATED AMERICA, is interviewed by Katie Nodjimbadem for Smithsonian.com in a piece titled, “The Racial Segregation of American Cities Was Anything But Accidental”. It is a good read for students of American culture.

CARIBBEANAMERICANS In celebration of Caribbean-American Heritage Month, more updates about the culture and its denizens.

The following is a truncated list of Caribbean-Americans in the worlds of ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT: Joe Bethune, Pearl Duncan, Melanie Edwards, Joy Elliott, Eric Girault; Vy Higginsen,

EDUCATION/WORK OPS The Harlem Business Association and AARP co-host a workshop, “HAVE YOU DREAMED OF BEING YOUR OWN BOSS”?, for people age 50+. Workshop will be held on June 9, 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm at the Harlem Community Development Corporation, located at 163 West 125th Street, 17th Floor, Harlem. “Work For Yourself 50+” can help you get started. Call 888-339-5617 to register for the 6/9 workshop or a workshop near you.

Columbia University, in collaboration with Congressman Adriano Espaillat, hosts 2017 Career Expo on Monday, June 19, 9 am to 3 pm at the Riverbank State Park Gymnasium, Athletics Building, 679 Riverside Drive at 145th Street. Attendees should pre-register at goo.gl/lgqCaY. Some participating organizations are listed below.

MTMA, STRIVE, NY Fire Department, NYC Hospitality Alliance, CUNY Medical Technician Training, Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, East Harlem Talent Network. ############# A Harlem-based management consultant, Victoria Horsford can be reached at victoria. horsford@gmail.com.

Mary Lee Ward Finds a Place to Call Home, Closing Final Chapter in her Quest

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everal years ago, Mary Lee Ward, in bringing closure to Ms. Ward’s quest 77th Pct.; Det. Robert Lynch, Core Services, Press’ co-founder), Det. Pierre Louis and now 87, a former Bed-Stuy property included: Ms. Diane Foster, Community 77th Pct. NCO Program; Community Affairs other members of the 77th Pct. Community owner, was the first senior to report Board 8; Ed Abbassi, Commanding Officer, Officer Green (no relation to Our Time Council. to us her bouts with property scams, predatory lending and displacement.

This week, she sent us a photo which depicts the closing chapter of her long journey -- which included a brief stay in an automobile -- to find a safe place to live and call home.

Thanks to James Caldwell, President of the 77th Pct. Community Council, and several officers there, an apartment was found this spring.

Caldwell says he “reached out to the Trump campaign” and he and Mrs. Caldwell were “invited as guests of the then-presidential candidate to the 3rd Presidential Debate”.

“No promises were made, but after the election was final, Ms. Maria Sicurelli, a Trump aide, adopted Ms.Ward as her mother.

“Finally, Ms. Ward was awarded a 1-bedroom apartment through Catholic Charities and moved in on June 2nd, 2017.

Ms. Sicurelli’s husband sent a truck and 2 of his employees to move Ms. Ward into her Mary Lee Ward is seen here with police officers, Phillip Romano and Jason Rocke and Mr. James Caldwell. new residence and Ms. Sicurelli took care of Special thanks were also given to Captain Isa Abbassi, Commanding Officer 77th Pct. and Inspector Eddie (Ms. Ward’s) financial responsibilities.”

Lott and Lillie Adkins.

Caldwell reports that others involved

VOL. 21 NO. 23

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OUR TIME PRESS June 8 – 14, 2017

Health and Wellness

Human Immunodeficiency Virus from My Vantage Point

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By Priscilla Mensah

erhaps one of the most stigmatized diseases out there, H.I.V., has ravaged the communities of many different states and countries for over thirty years.

Even more alarming, neighborhoods like Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights are purported to have some of the highest incidences of H.I.V. in all of New York City. Standing for human immunodeficiency virus(H.I.V.), it started out as a disease that mainly homosexual males contracted. These days, for varying reasons, women also fall victim to this disease. Some women have contracted this disease due to unsterilized intravenous needle use. Others were infected by their infected mothers while in the womb. Some have caught it from their cheating and/or homosexual spouses.

Since H.I.V. was first discovered, there have been great advances in the way that the disease is treated. No longer a death sentence, it is possible for someone who has H.I.V. to live a prosperous and full life. One of the most wellknown people with H.I.V. is former National Basketball Association(NBA) player Ervin “Magic” Johnson. Johnson is happily married and credits his personalized medication regimen with helping to maintain his health. Everyone is different. A medication regimen that works for one person, may not be so good for someone else.

Truthfully, I am still not completely sure how H.I.V. is contracted. Perhaps my ignorance, as well as those of many others, is one of the reasons why neighborhoods like BedfordStuyvesant and Crown Heights have seen higher than normal H.I.V. rates. As someone who attended one of the few high schools in Brooklyn that teaches H.I.V. education, I still do not fully understand the disease. Can you imagine how deep in the dark someone who has never learned anything in school about the disease may be? I do know, however, that there are many misconceptions as to how you can get it. Contrary to popular belief, H.I.V. is not spread through saliva, sweat, feces or urine.

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A Crayola Diet

By Priscilla Mensah

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That is a fact that I still recall my gym teacher instilling in my classmates and I at Brooklyn Technical High School.

It is highly unlikely that one contracts H.I.V. from kissing. If an H.I.V.-infected person has open mouth sores or bleeding gums, then infection is possible. This fact has always befuddled me because I often have bleeding gums, especially when I brush my teeth. I am sure that many other people also have bleeding gums. If that is true, why do health experts okay kissing? According to nhs.uk, “a combination of enzymes and antibodies found naturally in saliva prevents H.I.V. from infecting new cells”. Although the statement about saliva makes perfect sense, a question still burns my mind. Namely, what about the many people who likely have bleeding gums? Perhaps my being honest about my ignorance may prompt doctors to see that there are many others like me who still have these lingering questions.

Shaking the hands of someone with H.I.V. is also perfectly okay. I would recommend, however, if you happen to be in a relationship with someone who has H.I.V. to do your own research so that you are as safe as possible. One of the best ways to reduce your risk of getting H.I.V. is by using protection. It is also extremely critical that you know the H.I.V. status of your sexual partner before engaging in sexual activities with them (Centers for Disease Control).

Now for the ways that you can get the disease. It is possible to contract H.I.V. from “blood, semen, rectal fluids, vaginal fluids, breast milk and preseminal fluid”, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports. Slightly graphic? Yes. But this information is necessary to know if one wants to greatly reduce their risk of catching the virus. There are also new medications being developed that are said to reduce the risk of one passing on the virus to their partner.

Priscilla Mensah is an avid reader and scholar who resides in Brooklyn, New York. Her passions include community empowerment and improvement. Priscilla can be reached at pmensahbrooklyn@gmail.com.

hen you think of Crayola, what comes to mind? Perhaps your childhood comes to the fore of your mind, or a coloring book, or even those melted crayons that you had when you were younger. Well, that is what comes to my mind. Health experts are challenging the way we approach dieting and are suggesting that we consume foods that are colorful, much like the many crayons of Crayola. Doing so may, for some people, change some of the initial images that pop up in our heads when reflecting on Crayola.

Officially known as “The Color Diet”, and unofficially “The Crayola Diet” as coined by myself, this diet that I am researching involves eating foods that are colorful. That means, when you eat your meals, you should see plenty of color on your plate. Popular colorful foods include orange yams, purple beets and eggplants, green kale and lettuce, yellow peppers, red apples, blue blueberries, or even brown whole grains and legumes. I first came across this diet on none other than the social media site Instagram.

Trolling through the page of Dr. Jackie Walters of Bravo television show “Married to Medicine”, I could not help but notice a plate of food that she had advocating “The Color Diet”. Almost immediately, I was intrigued and did some further digging.

Come to find out, there are many practical reasons why one should adhere to “The Color Diet”. In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, color foods bring their own individual nutritional benefits. For instance, leafy greens and other greens like zucchini are rich in lutein, and zeaxanthin, which can be potentially helpful in preventing stroke and eye disease. Red-colored foods such as tomatoes and watermelon have lycopene.

Lycopene is associated with a reduced risk

for stomach, lung and prostate cancers (The 7-Day Color Diet, 2015).

Blue- and purple-colored fruits have antioxidants that may thwart tumor growth, enhance cognitive function and combat heart maladies. Orange- and yellow-colored foods such as carrots and mangoes are full of beta carotene. Our body converts beta carotene into vitamin A, which is great for vision. I vividly recall my professor offering me carrots once she realized that I had difficulty seeing the board. One of my neighbors did the same.

Based on the research that I have done, “The Color Diet” focuses primarily on fruits and vegetables. Some sources include brown whole grains and beans which are great for their fiber content (The 7-Day Color Diet, 2015).

Now, when you are chowing down on that delicious salad, try adding colors to it. Your body will thank you. Accessorize it with carrots, apples, peaches, berries or watermelon. If you crave a sandwich, be sure to include tomatoes and greens for added health benefits. Adding more color to your plate will help protect you from diseases like cancer and heart disease. Vitamins and minerals of some colorful fruits and vegetables are more effective when combined with the vitamins and minerals of other fruits and vegetables. For example, “the antho-cyanine in eggplants offer complementary benefits to the beta carotene in carrots,” says health expert Meryl Rothstein.

Once again, I will pose the same question that I asked in the beginning of this editorial.

When you think of Crayola, what comes to mind? Hopefully, your new answer includes all those colorful fruits and vegetables that are so vital to your health and wellness.

Priscilla Mensah is an avid reader and scholar who resides in Brooklyn, New York.

Her passions include community empowerment and improvement. Priscilla can be reached at pmensahbrooklyn@gmail.com.

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OUR TIME PRESS June 8 – 14, 2017

VOL. 21 NO. 23

My Meetings With The President: James Comey Speaks Excerpts from testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee

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felt compelled to document my first conversation with the President-Elect in a memo. To ensure accuracy, I began to type it on a laptop in an FBI vehicle outside Trump Tower the moment I walked out of the meeting. Creating written records immediately after one-on-one conversations with Mr. Trump was my practice from that point forward. This had not been my practice in the past. I spoke alone with President Obama twice in person (and never on the phone) -- once in 2015 to discuss law enforcement policy issues and a second time, briefly, for him to say goodbye in late 2016. In neither of those circumstances did I memorialize the discussions. I can recall nine one-on-one conversations with President Trump in four months -- three in person and six on the phone.

The President and I had dinner on Friday, January 27 at 6:30 pm in the Green Room at the White House. He had called me at lunchtime that day and invited me to dinner that night, saying he was going to invite my whole family, but decided to have just me this time, with the whole family coming the next time. It was unclear from the conversation who else would be at the dinner, although I assumed there would be others.

It turned out to be just the two of us, seated at a small oval table in the center of the Green Room. Two Navy stewards waited on us, only entering the room to serve food and drinks.

The President began by asking me whether I wanted to stay on as FBI Director,

which I found strange because he had already told me twice in earlier conversations that he hoped I would stay, and I had assured him that I intended to. He said that lots of people wanted my job and, given the abuse I had taken during the previous year, he would understand if I wanted to walk away.

My instincts told me that the one-on-one setting, and the pretense that this was our first discussion about my position, meant the dinner was, at least in part, an effort to have me ask for my job and create some sort of patronage relationship. That concerned me greatly, given the FBI’s traditionally independent status in the executive branch.

I replied that I loved my work and intended to stay and serve out my ten year term as Director. And then, because the set-up made me uneasy, I added that I was not “reliable” in the way politicians use that word, but he could always count on me to tell him the truth. I added that I was not on anybody’s side politically and could not be counted on in the traditional political sense, a stance I said was in his best interest as the President.

A few moments later, the President said, “I need loyalty, I expect loyalty.” I didn’t move, speak, or change my facial expression in any way during the awkward silence that followed. We simply looked at each other in silence. The conversation then moved on, but he returned to the subject near the end of our dinner.

At one point, I explained why it was so important that the FBI and the Department of Justice be independent of the White

Former FBI Director James Comey House. I said it was a paradox: Throughout history, some Presidents have decided that because “problems” come from Justice, they should try to hold the Department close. But blurring those boundaries ultimately makes the problems worse by undermining public trust in the institutions and their work.

Near the end of our dinner, the President returned to the subject of my job, saying he was very glad I wanted to stay, adding that he had heard great things 4 about me from Jim Mattis, Jeff Sessions, and many others.

He then said, “I need loyalty.” I replied, “You will always get honesty from me.” He paused and then said, “That’s what I want, honest loyalty.” I paused, and then said, “You will get that from me.” As I wrote in the memo I created immediately after the dinner, it is possible we understood the phrase “honest loyalty” differently, but I decided it wouldn’t be productive to push it further. The term -- honest loyalty -- had

helped end a very awkward conversation and my explanations had made clear what he should expect.

During the dinner, the President returned to the salacious material I had briefed him about on January 6, and, as he had done previously, expressed his disgust for the allegations and strongly denied them. He said he was considering ordering me to investigate the alleged incident to prove it didn’t happen. I replied that he should give that careful thought because it might create a narrative that we were investigating him personally, which we weren’t, and because it was very difficult to prove a negative. He said he would think about it and asked me to think about it.

As was my practice for conversations with President Trump, I wrote a detailed memo about the dinner immediately afterwards and shared it with the senior leadership team of the FBI.

VOL. 21 NO. 23

OUR TIME PRESS June 8 – 14, 2017

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OUR TIME PRESS June 8 – 14, 2017

VOL. 21 NO. 23

No Glass Slipper

■■

T

By Eddie Castro

here have been many teams who will come out of nowhere and sneak up on a few powerhouse teams and catch the eye of many people.

One memorable team that comes to mind is the 2005-06 George Mason basketball team who was a low-ranked Division I team that

shocked many by advancing all the way to the Final Four that year. This year in our borough, we had our own George Mason and it was on the diamond. The young men of Telecommunication Arts & Technology turned some heads this year with their fascinating play this season and postseason.

The team was ranked No. 14, however, the team was making noise in the postseason, grabbing some impressive victories over some higher-ranked teams. This past Saturday, the Yellow Jackets found themselves in a battle with the boys of James Monroe. Telecom struck first with an early run in the second inning only to have Monroe come back with a run of their own

in the fourth. Monroe’s Miguelange Toribio hit a triple and they took a 2-1 lead. In the seventh, the Yellow Jackets capitalized on some errors made by the Eagles, which allowed Julian Juame to hit a single to tie the game. In the later innings, it was two costly errors by Telecom which loomed large as Monroe senior Jason Pineda hit a sacrifice fly to help the Eagles take a 3-2 lead. Telecom senior starting pitcher Frank Campanelli pitched a glorious game keeping his team in the game the best he can striking out nine batters in seven and one-third innings. The sacrifice fly by Pineda ended the Yellow Jackets Cinderella run as they fell 3-2.

Although the young men of Telecom had championship aspirations on their mind, the team had an amazing season and did many things even they thought they would not do. Coach Robert Calise feels his team played hard and have absolutely nothing to hang their heads about. “I’m happy with the way these kids performed.

Every day they worked hard and were going to take it to the max next year as well. Every year we’ll always be in the hunt.” If this year’s Telecom team was any indication of things to come, then the program’s future indeed looks quite promising.

Sports Notes: (Notable games) Nazareth 3, LaSalle 9; Midwood 2, Fort Hamilton 1; Poly Prep 6, Horace Mann 3.

A Scholar Shares Her Struggles with Memory Loss ■■

By Margo McKenzie

D

r. Joyce Simons had acquired two master’s degrees and a doctorate, and over a thirty-year period served from kindergarten teacher to Professor of Education and Dean of Academic Support Services at Nyack College.

As professor, she taught foundational education courses for aspiring teachers.

Her role expanded to Dean of Academic Development servicing children who needed support services, financial and academic. She supervised the Writing Center and conducted staff meetings with heads of departments. Her role involved presenting reports to the President and Vice President of the college and heads of departments.

After fourteen years of efficiency, Dr. Simons noticed mundane professional tasks became more difficult to perform: when she spoke, words became harder to find, two-minute e-mails required an hour to compose, and lectures became harder to deliver even when they were about topics she knew well.

After a visit to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, Dr. Simons learned she was experiencing symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer’s and was advised to retire. Her initial response was to soldier on. She continued teaching and delivering lectures until she realized the wisdom of her doctor’s advice and filed her papers. But Dr. Simons’ enthusiasm for life did not end there.

Her memory might have been compromised, but a fire still burned within.

Though she had never been out of the country, initially, Dr. Simons used that fire to travel the world with her husband. In a two-and-half-year span, she traveled to South Africa, Zambia, Australia, Malaysia, Greece, Turkey, Singapore and just last month, Cuba. Brazil and Argentina are the next two countries on her itinerary. “There’s

a lot of world I haven’t seen and I want to see it,” she says.

To educate herself and her family about the disease, she joined the Alzheimer’s Association and their advocacy division.

She learned that the Social Security Administration did not classify early-onset Alzheimer’s as a Compassionate Allowance Condition. As a result, patients younger than 65 with early-onset Alzheimer’s could not apply for disability.

This knowledge catapulted Dr. Simons onto a new platform on which to redirect her energy and enthusiasm-- Ambassador for the National Alzheimer’s Association.

In that capacity, she testified before the Social Security Administration(SSA) about the loss of function early-onset Alzheimer patients experience which makes it difficult to fulfill their roles on the job. As a result of her testimony and that of two others, SSA added early-onset Alzheimer’s to their Compassionate Allowance list qualifying patients for disability.

At first, Dr. Simons was reluctant to share her condition with others, but she repeats the adage, “To whom much is given, much is expected.” She credits her family, husband, children and her faith community, Christian Cultural Center of Brooklyn, for their support. She realizes that many people who contract this disease may not experience the tremendous family support she has or the faith that has kept her grounded, “If it weren’t for God, I don’t know where I would be.”

According to the Alzheimer’s Association website, over 5 million people nationwide are living with the disease and 390,000 live in New York State. Fran Davies, of the Alzheimer’s Association, says the numbers are “tremendously underreported,” but if we take a look at the number of senior citizens in a given community, we can draw some conclusions about the

Date

Event

Location

June 3

Crown Heights Public “Living with Alzheimer’s” Library 560 New York Avenue

Tues., June 6

Legal and Financial Planning for Alzheimer’s disease

Thurs., June 15

NYC Public Library in Healthy Living for Your Yorkville Brain and Body: Tips from 222 East 79th Street, NYC the Latest Research 10021

Wed., June 21 Sat., July 1

Alzheimer’s Assoc. - NYC Chapter Office 60 East 42nd Street, Suite 2240, Manhattan, 10165

Carter Burden Day Care The Basics: Memory Loss, 301 East 99th Street Dementia and Alzheimer’s Manhattan, 10029 Crown Heights Public “Living with Alzheimer’s” Library 560 New York Avenue

number of people with the disease.

If we take a look at communities of color, according to the Alzheimer’s Association NYC Division, “African-Americans and Hispanics are especially hard hit by the disease.” However, according to Christopher Smith, Executive Director of the Alzheimer’s Association of New York City, “In communities of color. . . diagnosis and treatment often come later than in other populations. . . [but] we are making care and support services and education outreach in these communities a priority.”

Understanding the prevalence of the disease and the need to put a face on it have propelled Dr. Simons forward. She has posted a video on YouTube to further educate the public and will participate in Alzheimer’s Awareness Day on June 21st and in the Alzheimer’s Walk on October 27th to raise further awareness and funding for research.

Time 10-1:30 pm

6-7:30 pm

3-4 pm

1:30-2:30 pm 10-1:30pm

Dr. Simons encourages family and caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients to take advantage of all the services and workshops the Alzheimer’s Association offers, namely the education seminars listed below. Preregistration is required. (Call 800.272.3900) Caringkind, another support group for Alzheimer’s patients, is conducting the workshop indicated below: Monday, June 12: You’ve Applied for Medicaid.

Now Learn How to Access Home Care Service 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Register: please call our 24-hour Helpline (646) 744-2900.

Simons says, “The research shows African-Americans and Latinos have the highest incidence of this disease. They’re sort of resistant to the notion, and very few take advantage of support services available.

We have to change that.”

Guilty Plea of Major NYC Landlord Steven Croman ➔➔ Continued from page 2 Croman also must pay a $5 million tax settlement to the State Department of Taxation and Finance. Croman will be sentenced on September 19, 2017.

A year-long investigation by the Attorney General’s office found that Croman purchased buildings with rent-stabilized units and, immediately after purchase, began the process of displacing rent-stabilized tenants while simultaneously attempting to refinance the initial mortgage.

Pursuant to the plea agreement and the defendant’s allocution, Croman submitted false documents to banks, including rent rolls that falsely reflected market rate

rents for units that were actually occupied by rent-stabilized tenants. Croman also inflated the amount of rent charged for certain commercial spaces in his buildings in an effort to show greater rental income.

Croman falsified these rent rolls in order to inflate the annual rental income of his buildings, upon which his refinancing terms are partially based.

All told, over a three-year period, Croman received more than $45 million in loans under these false pretenses.

Croman also intentionally failed to withhold New York State payroll taxes from bonus payments made to a former Croman Real Estate property manager, who was paid bonuses to get rent stabilized and rent controlled tenants out

of Croman apartment buildings. The criminal referral in the Croman investigation was provided to the Attorney General’s office by the New York State Department of Housing and Community Renewal’s Tenant Protection Unit (TPU).

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said, “We have zero tolerance for those who seek to use harassment and intimidation to chase tenants out of their homes. The Tenant Protection Unit was created to crack down on these unscrupulous practices and this prosecution sends a clear message that New York stands united and the full force of the law will be used to ensure the rights of renters are respected and protected.”

VOL. 21 NO. 23

Classifieds

LEGAL NOTICES

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NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT: KINGS COUNTY FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION; Plaintiff(s) vs. ROSITA TORO; et al; Defendant(s) Attorney (s) for Plaintiff (s): ROSICKI, ROSICKI & ASSOCIATES, P.C., 2 Summit Court, Suite 301, Fishkill, New York, 12524, 845.897.1600 Pursuant to judgment of foreclosure and sale granted herein on or about September 29, 2015, I will sell at Public Auction to the highest bidder in Room 224 at the Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn,

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NY 11201. On July 13, 2017 at 2:30 pm. Premises known as 176 NICHOLS AVENUE, BROOKLYN, NY 11208 Block: 4121 Lot: 58 ALL that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York. As more particularly described in the judgment of foreclosure and sale.

Sold subject to all of the terms and conditions contained in said judgment and terms of sale. Approximate amount of judgment $519,666.58 plus interest and costs. INDEX NO. 10276/10 Michael F. King, Esq., Referee

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COURT - COUNTY OF KINGS U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE OF OWS REMIC TRUST 2015-1, Plaintiff, Against Index No.: 509325/14 CARLOS LIRIANO, JASSON LIRIANO, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered in the Kings County Clerk’s Office on 4/6/2017, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at Room 224 of Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 on 6/29/2017 at 2:30 pm, premises known

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME

CLOVER MILL ASSOCIATES, INC. 337 Merrick Road Lynbrook NY 11563 • 516-568-1800

Associate Broker

9

OUR TIME PRESS June 8 – 14, 2017

FAX 516-872-1398

10

OUR TIME PRESS June 8 – 14, 2017

NEW BUSINESS FORMATIONS Notice of formation of AMOROSA 5, LLC, a Limited Liability Company (LLC). Certificate of registration filed with Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 03/06/2017. NY office location: Kings County. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to the United States Corporation Agents Service Inc., 7014 13th Avenue , suite 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228 Purpose: Any lawful activity.

and wine service. Latest dissolution date: 5/18/2117.

Integrated Bodywork Center of Brooklyn, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 11/17/2017. Office location: Kings County.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 488 Carroll Street, Brooklyn, New York 11215 . Purpose: Any lawful activity.

SAMARKAND SERVICE LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 05/04/2017. Office location: Kings County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 1656 E19TH APT 1G, Brooklyn, NY 11229 . Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of SMORKIN FAMILY MANAGEMENT LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 12/24/15. Office location: Kings County.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, 1169 Ocean Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11230.

As amended by Cert. of Amendment filed GREENE AVENUE NATURAL with SSNY on 08/29/16, name changed WINES LP Cert. of Limited Partnership to SMORKIN-EVERS MANAGEMENT filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 5/18/2017. LLC. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Office in Kings Co. SSNY designated as agent of LP upon whom process may be NYC/VTR LLC Notice of formation served. SSNY shall mail copy of process of NYC/VTR LLC Arts. of Org. filed to 292 Carlton Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11205, with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) which is also the principal business loca- on 02/21/2017. Office location, County of tion. Name and address of each general Kings. SSNY has been designated as agent partner is avail. from SSNY. Purpose: food of the LLC upon whom process against it

LEGAL NOTICES ➔➔ Continued from page 9 as 905 Belmont Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11208 and described as follows: ALL that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York and designated on the tax maps of the Kings County Treasurer as Block 4228 and Lot 40. The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $506,616.14 plus interest and costs. The premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 509325/14. Dominic J. Famulari, Esq., Referee. STIENE & ASSOCIATES, P.C. (Attorneys for Plaintiff), 167 Main Street, Northport, NY 11768 Dated: 4/12/2017 File Number: 201401018 SLC NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF KINGS HSBC Bank USA, National Association as Trustee for Nomura Asset Acceptance Corporation, Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series2007-1, Plaintiff AGAINST Luan Dzafa; et al., Defendant(s) Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly dated November 24, 2014 I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street, Room 224, Brooklyn, NY 11201 on June 29, 2017 at 2:30PM, premises known as 18 Brighton 4th Terrace, Brooklyn, NY 11235. All that certain plot piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York, Block: 7262 Lot: 30. Approximate amount of judgment $788,195.69 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index# 2136/2013. Steven Cohen, Esq., Referee Shapiro, DiCaro & Barak, LLC Attorney(s) for the Plaintiff 175 Mile Crossing Boulevard Rochester, New York 14624 (877) 759-1835 Dated: May 3, 2017 45988

NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF KINGS, FIRST MORTGAGE STRATEGIES GROUP, Plaintiff, vs. CLETUS PASCAL, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly filed on April 22, 2015, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Kings County Supreme Court, Room 224, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY on July 06, 2017 at 2:30 p.m., premises known as 953 Ashford Street, Brooklyn, NY. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York, Block 4403 and Lot 49.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 661/09. Regina Darby, Esq., Referee Law Offices of Alan J. Waintraub PLLC, 97-17 64th Road, 3rd Floor, Rego Park, New York 11374, Attorneys for Plaintiff NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT COUNTY OF KINGS, CITIMORTGAGE, INC., Plaintiff, vs. DWAYNE N. MCKAY, ET AL., Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly filed on April 13, 2016, I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction at the Kings County Supreme Court, Room 224, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY on July 06, 2017 at 2:30 p.m., premises known as 966 Madison Street, Brooklyn, NY. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York, Block 3366 and Lot 19. Approximate amount of judgment is $779,050.85 plus interest and costs. Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed Judgment Index # 507058/13. William D. Bowman, Esq., Referee Knuckles, Komosinski & Manfro, LLP, 565 Taxter Road, Ste. 590, Elmsford, NY 10523, Attorneys for Plaintiff PROBATE CITATION File No. 20151271 SURROGATE’S COURT - KINGS COUNTY CITATION THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, by the Grace of God Free and Independent TO:

may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: LEGALINC Corporate Services, Inc. 1967 Wehrle Drive, Buffalo NY 14221, STE 1 # 086. Purpose: any lawful act.

Notice of formation of PROGRESS THROUGH PROCESS LIFE COACHING, LLC, a Limited Liability Company (LLC).

Certificate of registration filed with Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 5/16/2017.

NY office location: Kings County. SSNY is designated as agent upon whom process against the LLC may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of process to the LLC at 671 Monroe Street, Brooklyn, New York 11221.

Purpose all lawful activities.

Notice of formation of BRANKER & BRANKER LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 3/31/2016. Office location, County of Kings. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 125 S. Oxford St., Brooklyn NY 11217.

Purpose: any lawful act.

Notice of Formation of MIYO’s ENTERPRISES LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 01/17/2017. Office location: Kings County.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to United States Corporation Agents Service Inc., 7014 13th unknown persons whose names or parts of whose names, and whose place or places of residence are unknown and cannot after due diligent inquiry, be ascertained, distributees heirs at law and next of kin of said Millicent Brown A/K/A Millicent Viola Brown and if any of the said distributees, heirs at law or next of kin of deceased, be dead, their legal representatives, their husbands or wives, if any, distributees and successors in interest whose names and or places of residence and post office addresses are unknown. A petition having been duly filed by Joseph Scantlebury, who is domiciled at 3829 Cullingworth Rd., Burtonville, MD 20866. YOU ARE HEREBY CITED TO SHOW CAUSE before the Surrogate’s Court, KINGS County, at 2 JOHN STREET, ROOM 319, BROOKLYN, New York, on July 11, 2017 at 9.30 o’clock in the fore noon of that day, why a decree should not be made in the estate of Millicent Brown A/K/A Millicent Viola Brown lately domiciled at 984 Lincoln Place, admitting to probate a Will dated January 5, 2010, a copy of which is attached, as the Will of Millicent Brown A/K/A Millicent Viola Brown deceased, relating to real and personal property, and directing that Letters of Testamentary issue to: Joseph Scantlebury. Dated, Attested and Sealed, May 19, 2017 HON. Margarita Lopez Torres, Surrogate and Doreen A. Quinn, Chief Clerk Attorney for Petitioner Sonja M. Tanksley Telephone Number 914-479-5804 Address of Attorney 377 Ashford Avenue, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522 NOTICE OF SALE SUPREME COURT - COUNTY OF KINGS U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE OF OWS REMIC TRUST 2015-1, Plaintiff, Against Index No.: 509325/14 CARLOS LIRIANO, JASSON LIRIANO, ET AL., Defendant(s).

Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale, duly entered in the Kings County Clerk’s Office on 4/6/2017, I, the undersigned Referee, will sell at public auction at Room 224 of Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 on 6/29/2017 at 2:30 pm, premises known as 905 Belmont Avenue, Brooklyn,

VOL. 21 NO. 23 Avenue, Suite 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228 Purpose: Any lawful activity.

Notice of Formation of Ackee Jamaican Grill, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on11/28/2017. Office location: Kings County. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to United States Corporation Agents Service Inc., 7014 13th Avenue, suite 202, Brooklyn, NY 11228 Purpose: Any lawful activity.

SE7EN IMAGES, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY on 4/11/2017 Office: Kings County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, c/o United States Corporation Agents, Inc. Suite 202, Brooklyn NY 11228. Purpose: to engage in any and all business activities Notice of Formation of LOPEZ DECORATING LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 04/13/17. Office location: Kings County.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to Corporation Service Co., 80 State St., Albany, NY 12207, regd. agent upon whom and at which process may be served. Purpose: Any lawful activity.

NY 11208 and described as follows: ALL that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, with the buildings and improvements thereon erected, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings, City and State of New York and designated on the tax maps of the Kings County Treasurer as Block 4228 and Lot 40. The approximate amount of the current Judgment lien is $506,616.14 plus interest and costs. The premises will be sold subject to provisions of the aforesaid Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale; Index # 509325/14. Dominic J. Famulari, Esq., Referee. STIENE & ASSOCIATES, P.C. (Attorneys for Plaintiff), 167 Main Street, Northport, NY 11768 Dated: 4/12/2017 File Number: 201401018 SLC NOTICE OF SALE PUBLIC AUCTION Supreme Court of New York, Kings County.

SRMOF II 2012-1 TRUST, U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, NOT IN ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS TRUSTEE, Plaintiff, -againstCLEO CHARLES-PHILLIPS; ROBERT PHILLIPS; CITY OF NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU; CITY OF NEW YORK TRANSIT AUTHORITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION & FINANCE; SOPHIA JOHNSON, Index No. 2713/2013. Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale duly dated, February 21, 2017 and entered with the Kings County Clerk on April 6, 2017, Gregory Laspina, Esq., the Appointed Referee, will sell the premises known as 553 Lenox Road, Brooklyn, New York 11203 at public auction at Kings County Supreme Court, 360 Adams Street, Room 224, Brooklyn, New York 11201, on June 15, 2017 at 2:30 P.M. All that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Brooklyn, County of Kings and State of New York known as Block: 4845; Lot: 28 will be sold subject to the provisions of filed Judgment, Index No. 2713/2013. The approximate amount of judgment is $1,047,226.32 plus interest and costs. FRIEDMAN VARTOLO, LLP 85 Broad Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10004, Attorneys for Plaintiff.

VOL. 21 NO. 23

OUR TIME PRESS June 8 – 14, 2017

Trump’s Climate Withdrawal Is an Impeachable Offense Tuesday, June 06, 2017 By Marjorie Cohn, Truthout | News Analysis

President Trump announced his decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate accords in the Rose Garden of the White House June 1, 2017 Photo: Rex Shuttlestock via Zuma Press

W

hen President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris climate agreement, he acted in concert with 22 Republican senators, who collectively receive $10,694,284 in contributions from the coal and oil industries.

These 22 senators wrote to Trump, asking him to pull out of the accord. The president and the senators put their own political and economic interests above the safety, security and indeed survival of the American people and the entire planet.

The climate accord is a landmark deal, in which 195 countries responsible for 95 percent of carbon emissions worldwide agreed to voluntarily reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in order to slow down global warming.

Under the pact, the Obama administration promised to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 26 percent to 29 percent lower than 2005 levels by 2025.

But according to the Rhodium Group, Trump’s new policies will only cut emissions 15 percent to 19 percent below 2005 levels by 2025, considerably lower than the commitment made by the Obama administration.

The United States is the second largest purveyor of fossil fuels. China, which is first, and India, third, made significant commitments to cut their emissions as well. China is shutting down coal mines and plants and replacing them with solar plants and wind turbines. India is substituting solar panels for expansion of its coal companies.

The Climate Action Tracker (CAT), a consortium of four European research organizations, determined that “without any further action, the [United States, under the Obama pledge] will miss its commitment ‘by a large margin.’” The 2015 Clean Power Plan, which would shut down hundreds of coal-fired power plants, freeze construction on new ones, and replace them with new wind and solar farms, was one of the most significant programs in US climate action, according to the CAT. But Trump signed an executive order in March, directing the Environmental Protection Agency to begin withdrawing from the Clean Power Plan.

Both China and India, on the other hand, are on track toward meeting their emissions goals, CAT found.

A study by the Grantham Research Institute concluded that the existence of the Paris climate agreement has caused dozens

of countries to pass new laws requiring the use of clean energy.

The United States is now only one of three countries in the world that will not be party to the climate accord. Nicaragua did not join because the agreement wasn’t strong enough. Syria did not join because it is embroiled in a war and operates under a severe sanctions regime.

Withdrawing From the Climate Agreement Is a Political Offense Trump’s withdrawal from the climate agreement constitutes an impeachable offense.

The Constitution provides for impeachment of the president when he commits “High Crimes” and misdemeanors. They include, but are not limited to, conduct punishable by the criminal law.

Alexander Hamilton wrote in the Federalist No. 65 that offenses are impeachable if they “proceed from the misconduct of public men, or, in other words, from the abuse or violation of some public trust.”

“They are of a nature which may with peculiar propriety be denominated POLITICAL, as they relate chiefly to injuries done immediately to the society itself.”

“The Abuse or Violation of Some Public Trust” No individual embodies the trust of the public more than the president, who is elected by the people. When the people choose their president, they are entrusting that person with their security, well-being and survival. The voters trust the president to act in their best interests and protect them from harm. By withdrawing from the climate agreement, Trump is violating the trust that “We the People” have placed in him.

Timothy Wirth, under secretary of state in the Clinton administration, told The Nation that Trump’s withdrawal from the pact was “a stunning moral abdication of responsibility to future generations.”

“Injuries Done Immediately to the Society Itself” “We’ve watched Arctic sea ice vanish at a record pace and measured the early disintegration of Antarctica’s great ice sheets,” Middlebury College environmental studies professor Bill McKibben wrote in the New York Times. “We’ve been able to record alarming increases in drought and flood

and wildfire, and we’ve been able to link them directly to the greenhouse gases we’ve poured into the atmosphere.”

In his analysis for Truthout, Dahr Jamail cites a recently published study showing that “the depletion of dissolved oxygen in Earth’s oceans is occurring much faster than previously believed.” Thus, he writes, anthropogenic climate disruption (ACD) “is now recreating the conditions that caused the worst mass extinction event on Earth, the Permian mass extinction that took place approximately 250 million years ago and annihilated 90 percent of life. Dramatic oceanic warming and acidification were key components of this extinction event, and these conditions align with what we are seeing today.”

Jamail adds, “Scientists have said that the US withdrawal [from the climate accord] could add up to 3 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere on an annual basis.”

If the climate continues to change at a rapid rate, society itself will be injured. As the glaciers melt and the oceans swell, the land will recede. Crops will die. Mosquitos will increasingly carry diseases. The Earth will be hit with massive floods, devastating heat waves and drought. Polar bears will become extinct. People will lose their lands, their homes and their lives. Indeed, life as we know it will come to an end.

“To refuse to act against global warming is to condemn thousands of people to death and suffering today and millions more tomorrow. This is murder,” Mark Hertsgaard wrote in The Nation.

A Crime Against Humanity Moreover, by withdrawing the United States from the climate accord, Trump has committed a crime against humanity, which also constitutes a High Crime.

Trump has been aided and abetted in his crime against humanity by the following 22 GOP Senators: Inhofe (Oklahoma), Barrasso (Wyoming), McConnell (Kentucky), Cornyn (Texas), Blunt (Missouri), Wicker (Mississippi), Enzi (Wyoming), Crapo (Idaho), Risch (Idaho), Cochran (Mississippi), Rounds (South Dakota), Paul (Kentucky), Boozman (Arkansas), Shelby (Alabama), Strange (Alabama), Hatch (Utah), Lee (Utah), Cruz (Texas), Perdue (Georgia), Tillis (North Carolina), Scott (South Carolina) and Roberts (Kansas).

Crimes against humanity can be committed even without a state of war. The Rome

11 Statute for the International Criminal Court (ICC) defines crimes against humanity as “inhumane acts ... intentionally causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or to mental or physical health.” They must be “committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack.”

Since taking office, Trump has mounted a methodical assault on the people of the United States. He has systematically endeavored to destroy the social safety net, including the rights to healthcare, public education and a clean environment, as well as the rights of workers, immigrants, women and LGBTQ people.

By withdrawing from the climate agreement and refusing to shoulder the United States’ share of responsibility for slowing climate change, Trump has intentionally committed an inhumane act that will ultimately cause great suffering to the people of the world.

Although the ICC cannot directly prosecute and try climate crimes, the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC said in a policy paper last year that it would construe crimes against humanity more broadly to include “destruction of the environment” and make prosecution of those crimes a priority.

According to the Center for Climate Crime Analysis (CCCA), a new nonprofit established to support the ICC prioritization of environmental crimes, “Climate crimes are criminal activities that result in, or are associated with, the emission of significant amounts of greenhouse gases (GHG). The CCCA does not aim to criminalize GHG emissions per se. Most emissions are legal.

However, a significant share of GHG emissions results from, or is associated with, conduct that violates existing criminal law.”

The CCA notes, “Climate crimes are often intertwined with other serious international crimes. As a result of this link, as well through their impact on climate change, climate crimes may represent a threat to international peace and security and potentially affect all of humankind and the very foundations of civilization.”

Richard Harvey, a specialist in international criminal and environmental law, told Truthout, “Given what the ICC prosecutor and the Center for Climate Crime Analysis consider environmental crimes against humanity, Trump’s attempt to renege on this international agreement is a clear invitation to his Big Carbon cronies to continue policies designed to consign humanity to the greenhouse gas chamber. Is that conspiracy to commit a crime against humanity? You be the judge.”

By pulling out of the climate accord, Trump “makes himself guilty of what looks like a grave crime against humanity, the planet Earth, and future generations,” Uffe Elbæk, former Danish minister of culture and leader of Denmark’s Green Party, said.

Tom Engelhardt at TomDispatch calls the “system of destruction on a planetary scale ... the ultimate ‘crime against humanity.’” He writes, “It is becoming a ‘terracide.’”

The House of Representatives Should Impeach Trump It takes 51 percent of the House of Representatives to impeach the president.

Republicans control a majority of the seats in the House. But imperiling the planet should not be a partisan issue.

The fact that virtually every other country in the world, as well as US states and cities, corporations and activists worldwide are taking steps on their own to slow the changing climate does not absolve Trump from his crime.

It is incumbent upon the House of Representatives to vote for the impeachment of Trump.

Meanwhile, we must, and will, continue to build the global climate justice movement.

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OUR TIME PRESS June 8 – 14, 2017

VOL. 21 NO. 23

Communities Pay Tribute to the late Activist, Educator SISTER LEOLA WEAVER-MADDOX

Eulene Inniss

he power and fierceness of love are unstoppable! This type of love force was most evident on the evening of June 3rd when community-based organizations and friends joined together and payed tribute to the unforgettable Sister Leola Maddox at the enchanting Mannion Stonebridge Hall in Stuyvesant Heights.

Sister Leola was funeralized in her native Georgia on March 15th, 2017. She was the devoted wife of the “People’s Attorney”, Alton Maddox, Jr., Chairman of the United African Movement (U.A.M), and headquartered in Brooklyn. Sister Leola loved children and as an advocate, she first served as a librarian at the Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Teaneck, New Jersey where, in her memory, a tree with a plaque was planted. She later became the Chief Librarian at Medgar Evers College in Crown Heights and worked there until her death in March. Sister Leola was also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Teaneck Public Library, a semiautonomous body appointed by the mayor and city council. She loved people of African ancestry and identified with their plight. She believed in the future of children and was the Founder/Director of the Freedom Retreat Summer Camp for Youth in the Catskills.

There, children were exposed to a rigorous curriculum in African History and Culture, outdoor living and love of self.

The memorial hall’s African setting exemplified Sister Leola’s life story. Her lifesize portrait welcomed guests at the entrance as drummers, Brothers Shabu and Rafael, rhythmic beats ushered them in to merge with the strategically placed and unique African sculptures from the collection of Minister Brown’s Museum (T.A.P. Videos).

Libations and prayers by civil rights icon Reverent Herbert C. Oliver set the tone.

New York State Assembly member Charles Barron remembered Sister Leola as, “A Queen who walked royally among us

and the work she did was not for attention or rewards. She loved children and was always warm with words of encouragement and a genuine embrace”, he said. Assemblyman Barron presented the family and community with a citation and intends to have the event entered in the New York State Assembly records in Albany.

Charles Maddox, her only son, was overcome with joy and appreciation. He

considered it a “blessing, because everyone here shows love, no deception because of the work my mother did. Everyone is for my mother because of love”, he exclaimed.

Michael Grey, host of the “Community Cops” weekly Cable TV Show, and Keisha Hopkins-Forrester, host of the weekly Radio Talk Show, “Straight Black Talk”, both spoke of their experience working with Sister Leola at UAM and Freedom Retreat. They spoke of

M C Michael Grey

Gene Johnson, Jr.

Charles Maddox

Photo: Bernice Green

Assemblyman Charles Barron

Members of the United African Movement

Pam Africa

Rev. H. Oliver her leadership skills, love for children and willingness to offer support to others. Former Sankofa International Academy graduate Gene Johnson, Jr. reminisced of his learning experience at UAM weekly lectures and the Freedom Retreat. He said, “Sister Leola was always connected with the children. She was a silent Queen Warrior”.

Followers came from Washington, D.C., New Jersey and the five boroughs of New York. They included: ardent supporter Queen Judy Thurston McNeil, Pan-Africa; historians Dr. Leonard Jeffries; Dr. Umar Johnson; Dr. Kaba Hiawartha Kakmene; the Committee to Eliminate Media Offensive to African People(CEMOTAP); Black Solidarity Education Committee (BESEC) and U.A.M. They all agreed that Sister Leola was the “sweetest soul with the purest heart who they ever met and if they ever needed support, she was always there”.

An IGBO proverb states – “A River may be dried up but its name is never forgotten”such is Sister Leola Maddox. She personified love.

All Photos: Lem Peterkin

Rev. Clemson Brown