OUR TIME PRESS | June 22 – 28, 2017

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From the Community, Messages For Life

RestorationArt students dance so that Sub-Saharan children can get fresh water. Page 6

Humanitarian Fred Roger Powell, owner of Barbara's Flowers.

Page 9

Wordsmith Albert “Prodigy” Johnson, great-great-grandson of the founder of Morehouse College. Page 2

Photo: Hollis King

Warrior Crystal Griner, Capitol Hill Police Officer. Page 11

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OUR TIME PRESS June 22 – 28, 2017

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VOL. 21 NO. 25

Prodigy, 42, rapper of Mobb Deep fame, dies of complications tied to Sickle Cell

he rapper Prodigy, one half of the American hip-hop duo Mobb Deep, died on Tuesday at the age of 42.

The Queens-born MC died after a performance in Las Vegas, having been hospitalized recently for complications tied to sickle-cell anemia.

The MC was found unconscious in Las Vegas, and while the cause of death remains unclear, the group’s publicist sent the following statement to the music website XXL: “It is with extreme sadness and disbelief that we confirm the death of our dear friend Albert Johnson, better known to millions of fans as Prodigy of legendary NY rap duo Mobb Deep. Prodigy was hospitalized a

few days ago in Vegas after a Mobb Deep performance for complications caused by a sickle-cell anemia crisis. As most of his fans know, Prodigy battled the disease since birth.

The exact cause of death has yet to be determined. We would like to thank everyone for respecting the family’s privacy at this time.”

Mobb Deep, comprised of Prodigy and Havoc, has sold more than 3 million records, their albums “The Infamous” and “Hell on Earth” having been critically acclaimed successes in the 1990s. The group took an indefinite hiatus in 2012 but reunited shortly after, releasing their eighth album, “The Infamous Mobb Deep”, in 2014.

The duo performed in Las Vegas on the

weekend of The Art of Rap tour, alongside Ice-T, Ghostface Killah and Onyx.

Prodigy published an autobiography in 2011 called “My Infamous Life: The Autobiography of Mobb Deep’s Prodigy”. He also collaborated last year with Kathy Iandoli on a cookbook, “Commissary Kitchen”, a collection of recipes he conceived while serving a three-year sentence for gun possession charges. In a candid 2011 interview with Jesse Thorn, Prodigy discussed his sickle-cell anemia: “Sickle-cell anemia is a hereditary disease that’s passed down from your mother and father, and is basically a rare blood disorder where your blood cells change from a round

shape, a normal, round blood cell shape to a sickle shape,” he explained. “They start interlocking with each other and causing clotting, and it causes pain where that happens. It’s like a domino effect, it spreads throughout your body, and the pain increases and it gets progressively worse if you don’t take care of it right away; as soon as you feel the pain, you’re supposed to go to the hospital or take pain medication for it.”

Both Havoc, born Kejuan Muchita, and Prodigy attended the Manhattan High School of Art and Design. The latter came from a family of musicians, his grandfather having played in a jazz band at Harlem’s Cotton Club alongside Quincy Jones. Prodigy’s mother and father, too, were artists, the former having performed in The Crystals, who opened for Diana Ross and The Supremes, and the latter in the doo-wop group The Chanters. (See Back Page)

Obama Jumped Into GA Special Election Race To Slam ‘Shameful’ GOP Voter Suppression Tactics Democrat Ossoff lost the most expensive congressional race ever

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Based on reporting By Sean Colarossi

ust a day before voters in Georgia’s sixth congressional district voted to choose between underdog Democrat Jon Ossoff and Trump-supported Republican Karen Handel, former President Barack Obama jumped into the race to slam GOP efforts to suppress the vote.

Responding to an ad being run in Georgia by pro-Trump group Great America Alliance, which “fraudulently” uses Obama’s voice from the audio version of his book “Dreams From My Father,” a spokesman for the 44th president said the radio spot “is a shameful, indefensible tactic that should never be heard on the public airwaves.”

The response from Obama’s spokesman comes a day after it was reported that the former president’s voice was being used out of context to keep Democrats from voting. Despite the misleading

commercial, the audio of Obama was actually the former president quoting somebody else – they weren’t his own words, despite the ad presenting them as such.

Voter suppression from Republicans is nothing new, of course. Without such tactics, whether it’s discouraging Democrats from turning out or simply forbidding them from doing so via state laws, Donald Trump probably wouldn’t be in the White House today.

The latest example in Georgia, in a district that Trump carried and that Republicans have controlled for decades, shows that the GOP were deeply concerned about losing what should be a guaranteed win for them.

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Dr. Kim Best, President 79th Precinct Community Council

33rd Annual

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On Tuesday August 1, 2017 The Brooklyn Club NANBPWC, Inc.

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OUR TIME PRESS June 22 – 28, 2017

Aaron and Deborah Dean Honored

rooklyn power couple Dr. Deborah Dean, Medical Director of the Emergency Department at Mount Sinai Brooklyn, and Aaron Dean, former chairman of Board for Brooklyn Community Services (BCS) and President of Cydean LLC, were honored with the Philanthropic Leadership Award at the BCS 150th Anniversary Finale Gala at 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge on June 5. The Fort Greene residents have made volunteering with BCS a family affair.

The couple’s award presenter at the gala was their 15 year-old daughter Cydney, who has been joining her parents in BCS activities since childhood. Aaron and Deborah have been Brooklynites for over twenty years and will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary

on July 18. Aaron grew up in Harlem, the Bronx, and North Carolina, and Deborah is from West Hempstead, Long Island.

She earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from Brown University and her medical degree from Howard University.

Aaron, who had a long career on Wall Street in advisory and investment capacities, heads a Brooklyn investment and management company focusing on residential real estate. He holds an economics degree and an MBA from Harvard University. “Deborah and I have worked too hard to get where we are in life, said Aaron. “It is only right that we reach back and help the next generation.”

Aaron was involved with BCS programs on 25 sites throughout Brooklyn, which serve 13,000 people each year.

Dr. Deborah Dean and Aaron Dean with Marla Simpson, BCS Executive Director.

“Father’s Day”

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t’s Father’s Day and I’m going to preach at Metropolitan Baptist Church in Newark when I get off the air. I was going to end the show today talking about how I’m glad I reconciled with my father after many years of division. I spoke with him this morning and my Father is in The Movement of Civil Rights like Rev. Joe Lowery and Rev. Wyatt Walker. But then Friday happened.

Another jury, another verdict. The policeman that killed Philando Castile, killed live on Facebook, live as his girlfriend filmed it, not guilty, did nothing wrong.

“Well Reverend, you’ve seen this before. You’ve fought on these cases. In some, you won. Many you didn’t.”

What really go to me about Father’s Day, what is not being told is “Yes. His girlfriend filmed it. Yes, it was on Facebook live, but her little daughter was sitting in the back of that car. Her little daughter saw this man who goes with her mother riddled with bullets. And a jury said, “There’s nothing wrong.” Even though they said he was going for his I.D., licensed gun, nothing wrong. It brought me back to when I was around five or six years old my father and mother used to drive us, my sister and I, Down South to visit their parents. I was born in New York, but they were respectively from Florida and Alabama.

My father was an amateur boxer. He even sparred with Sugar Ray Robinson.

Nobody could beat my father.

But I remember one night we pulled into a diner in North Carolina while driving down to spend Christmas with his parents

o t r e t a fw o , s t d e o l t a k r n d i hy y “ I dr d o b .” y y t m s r p i e h e t k t o n m ’ I even if oklyn o r B , d E

Visit NYC.gov/beattheheat or call 311 to find out what to do to prepare for extreme heat. #beattheheat

Rev. Al Sharpton’s Final Thoughts on the outcome of the Philando Castile case

in Florida. He went to get us some hamburgers and milkshakes out the diner. He came back empty-handed. We said, “What happened to the hamburgers?” He said, “They don’t serve blacks here. They told me to get out.”

My father, no one could beat, never had the same image in my young eyes again cuz somebody beat my father.

How do you think that little girl looks at men, looks at her father, looks at this nation, when the verdict told her, that her mother’s boyfriend could be killed and there’s nothing wrong with it?

What we do to young kids looking up for manhood and fatherhood and protection and security is what I’m thinking about on Father’s Day. Some of us have to be fathers despite the fact that it seems as though society is stacked against us. But we’ve got to not surrender and succumb. We’ve got to fight for the little girls in the back of the car.

(PoliticsNation, anchored by Rev. Sharpton, is broadcast Sundays, 8:00am9:00am, ET, on MSNBC.)

BEAT THE HEAT

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OUR TIME PRESS June 22 – 28, 2017

WHAT’S GOING ON ■■

By Victoria Horsford

COLLEGE PRESIDENTS Rumors are running rampant about the person destined to become Harvard University’s next president, Barack Obama, one of its most distinguished alum. While attending Harvard Law School, he became the first Black President of the Law Review.

Later, he became the 44th President of the United States, the first Black to ascend to that level of national and world power.

Carmen Twillie Ambar was named President of Oberlin College, effective September 2017. She becomes Oberlin’s 15th President and its first African-American leader in its 184-year history. Currently President of Cedar Crest College, Ambar earned her B.S. degree at Georgetown, her M.S. at Princeton and her Juris Doctor at Columbia University’s Law School. She worked as assistant dean at Princeton and as NYC Assistant Corporation Counsel.

POLITICS/USA Lynn Patton, Eric Trump’s wedding planner and erstwhile administrator of Eric’s

Foundation, was named the HUD(Housing and Urban Development) Regional Director for NY/NJ, the nation’s largest concentration of federal housing projects. Her boss is retired neurologist Ben Carson. Why are these two high-ranking HUD officials inexperienced in public housing policy matters? Donald Trump’s budget cuts allocations to NY/NJ for NYCHA repairs and improvements were reduced from $300 to $100 million. Why was a Republican like New Yorker Joseph Holland overlooked for HUD’s hierarchy? A lawyer/businessman, Holland served as NYS Commissioner of Housing and Community Renewal under Governor George Pataki?

NYC: Democratic Public Advocate Letitia James will face Bronx- based Republican politico JC Polanco in November. A former chair of the NYC Board of Elections, Polanco is an attorney and a Manhattan Community College adjunct professor.………..Donovan Richards, Democrat City Councilman from Queens, has announced his interest in the City Council Speaker post, which will be vacated

by Melissa Mark-Viverito , who is term-limited….Queens Democratic Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras-Copeland, a Mayor de Blasio minion, was front-runner for Speaker until two weeks ago when she said that she is not running for reelection.

NYS: The Senate continues to play politics with NYC Mayoral Control of education.

GOP wants de Blasio to remove caps on charter schools. Will NYC return to public school decentralization?

EDUCATION NEWS The UNCF(United Negro College Fund) will host its annual “A Mind Is….Hamptons Summer Benefit” in East Hampton, NY on

VOL. 21 NO. 25

August 5, 6 pm to 9 pm, honoring Frank Baker, co-founder and managing director, Siris Capital Group, LLC, and Dr. Ronald A. Johnson, President, Clark Atlanta

ALWAYS MATTERED is a collection of 79 essays, poems and personal narratives, edited by Abiodun Oyewole, that explores the complexity of the Black experience.

Book is published by 2LeafPress. [Visit 2leafpress.org] Ta-Nehisi Coates’ book, BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME, a tome about race in America which won acclaim and a National Book Award, goes into its next incarnation as a multimedia performance art production, presented with excerpted monologues, video projections and a Jason Moran score at the Apollo Theater next April.

BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME will be directed by Kamilah Forbes, the Apollo’s executive producer.

University. The evening benefit includes music, cocktails and conversation. Event proceeds will benefit UNCF financial aid and scholarship programs. The 2016 benefit gala fetched more than $300,000.

The Phattime Foundation, a local STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) foundation, is offering a Summer Computer Coding Program for young people ages 13 to 20. The 2-week course is a 60-hour training and development intensive which begins on July 10. Financial aid is provided to students whose family income is below $35,000. The Summer Computer Coding Program will be supervised by Alvin Rogers, Professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology, and will be housed at the Harlem Kennedy Center, located at 34 West 134th Street. [Write to alvin@phattime.com]

Happy Birthday to Cancerians: Betty Holmes-Anthony, Valerie Bradley, Joseph Bethune, Bill Cosby, Diedra Schuler, Stanley Gleaton, Danny Glover, Kevin Hart, twins Lillian and Karen Horsford, Desa Horsford, Sandy Livingston, Harriet Michel, Barbara Callendar-Mays, Barbara Montgomery, twins Frances and Frank Savage, Alyah Horsford-Sidberry, Kendall Sidberry, Bill Thompson, Mike Tyson, Wendy Williams, Goldie Watkins-Bryant and Jean Wells.

Mayor Bill de Blasio is throwing a grand 90th Birthday Anniversary bash at Gracie Mansion for the city’s most prominent Cancerian native, the Honorable David

NEWSMAKERS

CARIBBEAN-AMERICAN MONTH Some Caribbean-American headlines.

CUBA: In his perennial quest to roll back President Barack Obama’s legacy, Trump announced last week that he plans to alter the Obama/Cuba normalization agreement.

He wants to amend the agreement until all political prisoners, like Joanne Chesimard, are released. US Airlines, Big Pharma and assorted industries looked forward to the normalized relations between the North American neighbors.

Two weeks ago, Puerto Ricans voted for statehood, as in the 51st state. Voter turnout was low, but percentage of voters for statehood was high. I do not foresee this Congress nor White House moving towards accommodation of the nonbinding PR vote.

NY Carib News celebrates its 35th Anniversary and the 100 Most Influential Caribbean-Americans in NY at an invitational at Macy’s on June 29.

ARTS AND CULTURE The original new play by James Ijames at the National Black Theater, KILL MOVE PARADISE, focuses on four young men, united in the afterlife, who checked out of the physical life much too early. They are a fraternity whose members include names like Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner.

The NY Times reviewer Ben Brantley waxes poetic about it, saying, “It is the Unspeakable Pain of An African-American Afterlife.”

Play runs through June 25.

BOOKS: BLACK LIVES HAVE

Dinkins, New York City’s first AfricanAmerican mayor.

SUMMER PLEASURES The Brooklyn-based AbunDance Academy of the Arts presents SISTER ACT, AbunDantly!, a theatrical dance performance inspired by Whoopi Goldberg’s SISTER ACT films, featuring intergenerational performers, ages 3 to 83, on June 25 at 6 pm at the Kings Theatre, located at 1027 Flatbush Avenue. The fundraiser event is to support AbunDance Academy, which was uprooted from its Lefferts Gardens headquarters, a casualty of hypergentrification and astronomical rents. [See its gofundme page, abundancehastomove] A Harlem management consultant, Victoria Horsford is reachable at Victoria. horsford@gmail.com.

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OUR TIME PRESS June 22 – 28, 2017

Black School Educators Celebrate and Strategize ■■

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By Margo McKenzie

n keeping with a forty-two-year tradition, Nora Barnes, the president of the Association of Black Educators of New York (ABENY), welcomed guests and student and educator awardees at their annual celebration at Antun’s on Saturday, June 17, 2017.

Six high school and one college student were recognized for their academic excellence and the challenging road they established for themselves moving forward. On a rainy Saturday afternoon, supporters from every walk of life witnessed the recognition ceremony, most notably, Ernest Logan, outgoing president of the Council of Supervisors and Administrators (CSA) who said events such as this are important because “It’s important to give back and encourage people.”

The ABENY award ceremony, chaired

by Dr. Sheilah Bobo, awarded scholarships totaling nine thousand dollars to recipients attending an array of colleges in pursuit of challenging careers: the Theodore Jones II Scholarship recipient will attend Baruch College for accounting and finance; the ABENY Scholar, The City College Sophie Davis Medical School; the Fernley Murray Scholar, Hunter College, computer science and finance; the Jean-Claude Bobo Scholarship awardee, Barnard College, computer science & premed; the Gregory Ilaw Scholar, mechanical and space engineering; the Dr. Camille Taylor Scholar, Howard University; Dr. Lionel McMurren Scholar, The City College, computer engineering; the Jean Isbell Scholar, Adelphi University, Master’s in Social Work; and the Elaine A. Davis Scholar, Columbia University, political science, 3rd year.

Founded in 1960 as The New York Association of Negro Supervisors and

Administrators, ABENY is an affiliate of the National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE). Supporting the success of students of color in the nation’s schools remains the focus of the organization and supporting the teachers of color who educate them. In that vein, in addition to supporting students, ABENY also recognized two distinguished educators: Crystal Bonds, Principal of The High School for Math, Science and Engineering at The City College and Teacher of the Year Tracey Johanna Corbett, MS 394, Brooklyn.

The Women’s League of Science and Medicine was recognized as a Friend of Education for their efforts to encourage young ladies to pursue careers in math and science.

Some may say that in the post-Obama era, organizations such as ABENY are no longer necessary. However, the former Secretary of Education, speaking at Howard University in March 2016, suggested otherwise when he said: “Without question, when the majority of students in public schools are students of color and only 18 percent of our teachers are teachers of color, we have an urgent need to act.” (The State of Racial Diversity in the Educator Workforce) In fact, from 2002 to 2013 in New York City, “black educators experienced a significant loss in population according to the Albert Shanker Institute’s report on The State of Teacher Diversity on American Education (September 2015).” That era reflects a fifteen percent drop in the number of minority teachers.

The report also suggests that keeping minority teachers is a challenge in New York City and the nation as a whole. Add to that a June 16 New York Times article reported the Betty DeVos Department of Education will “scale back” civil rights cases. In a supportive environment, teaching is a challenging profession.

What happens to the minority educator in a nonsupportive environment?

“Educators need support and coming to an organization that looks like them where they feel empowered is critical, especially now when there is an attempt to turn back the clock,” said ABENY President Barnes.

“Without support, many leave the profession whether they are black or white.”

ABENY, working in collaboration with other entities, hopes to “stop the bleeding” and address this issue at their summer planning session, says President Barnes. “We need to be at the table devising solutions.”

In New York City, black students comprised 30% of the school population, and of the 74, 333 teachers in all, black teachers comprise 13% of the workforce (latest data 2012). Additional data shows that black males now comprise 3.7%, the lowest in a decade.

(Research Alliance for NYC Schools, “How Male Teachers of Color Work in NYC?” Posted online April 3, 2017.)

ABENY Pres. Nora Barnes (l.); Principal Crystal Bonds (r.) Teacher of the Year

September 2017, ABENY will conduct its Fall Conference entitled, “Education for Advocacy and Social Justice”, with Sean Britton, Program Manager for Diversity Recruitment for the New York City Department of Education as the keynote speaker.

“The luncheon was one way to let the public know ABENY supports all children and the teachers that educate them—black teachers in particular,” says President Barnes.

During the Fall Conference, the organization will sit down, collaborate and devise strategies to address the forces that impede that process.

ABENY Fall Conference “EDUCATION FOR ADVOCACY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE” Keynote Speaker: SEAN BRITTON PROGRAM MANAGER FOR DIVERSITY RECRUITMENT NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Registration: 9-10 AM Plenary: 10-11 AM Workshops: 11:30 – 12:30; 1:00 – 2:00

Frederick Douglass Academy 2581 Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard Saturday, November 11, 2017 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM For more information, email: sheilahbobo@gmail.com or sbobo@schools.nyc.gov

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OUR TIME PRESS June 22 – 28, 2017

VOL. 21 NO. 25

The Gift of Life: RestorationArt Dancers Perform So Sub-Sahara Children Might Live

estorationArt’s Youth Arts Academy (YAA) students graced the stage at Brooklyn College on Saturday, June 17, 2017 for their annual concert entitled “Water = Life”, directed by Writer Carl Hancock

Rux and YAA Education Director Ronald K. Alexander.

Students, ages 3-18 years old, took on the role of change agent, raising funds through a change-for-change campaign with the donation of pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters

for “The Water Project”, an organization that brings clean water through new and rehabbed

wells to schools, medical clinics and villages in Sub-Sahara Africa.

Vinie Burrows and Ismael Reed Star in “Life Among the Aryans”

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elebrated playwright, poet and novelist Ishmael Reed stars in this workshop staging of his newest

play, a satire that chronicles the misadventures of two hapless revolutionaries.

Reed is the recipient of a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship and the Langston Hughes Medal; he has been nominated for the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. Many of Reed’s previous theatrical works have premiered at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe (including, most recently, “The Final Version” in 2013). This staged reading of Reed’s newest play is directed

by Rome Neal.

Performances: June 22nd - June 25th, Thursday & Friday 7pm, Saturday & Sunday 3pm at the world-famous Nuyorican Poets Cafe, 236 East Third Street (bet. Aves. B & C ).

The cast includes: Ishmael Reed, Broadway veteran and AUDELCO/ NBTF Living Legend Award-winning actress; Vinnie Burrows, AUDELCO Award-winning actor; Robert Turner and AUDELCO/NBTF Lloyd Richard Awardwinning actor/director, Rome Neal.

Also: Lisa Pakulski, Frank Martin, Verinia Taylor, Joseph DiSalle, Tom Angelo, Chandra Brown, Dori Levit, Eric Frazier, Malika Iman and Tennessee Reed.

Visit us on the web and browse previous issues. www.ourtimepress.com

VOL. 21 NO. 25

OUR TIME PRESS June 22 – 28, 2017

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The Best of Brooklyn All in a Row

Academic excellence and community life were in abundance at the Job Corps Center in Bedford – Stuyvesant as Community Board 3 hosted its, now annual, “Bed-Stuy’s Best 2017” event last week. The theme of the event was “A Celebration of Excellence in Education”. Hosted by the Community Board 3 Subcommittee of Education and Youth, “Bed-Stuy’s Best 2017” celebrated teachers, parents and principals who are doing notable work in various Brooklyn districts such as 13,14 and 16.

Awardees of “Bed-Stuy’s Best”: Joanne Hunt (Brooklyn Charter School-Most Improved K-8), Principals of the Year - Nikki Bowen and Meredith Anderson (Excellence Girls - Elementary and Middle Academy) and Adofo Muhammed (Bedford Academy), Student Awards Humble Humanitarians - Jadel Hope (P.S. 5) and Carmen Talia (Leadership Prep); Lena Gates (PS 5- Annette Robinson Vanguard in Education Excellence), Teacher of the Year--Ambosia Johnson (Excellence Girls Elementary) and Jennifer Oznegbe (Madiba Prep Middle School), Parents of the Year - Valerie Mayo (PS 5) , Community Partner CEC 16.

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OUR TIME PRESS June 22 – 28, 2017

The Future of New York Basketball

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By Eddie Castro

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ith the NBA season over and done with, the month of June looms very important for many NBA teams with the NBA Draft taking place this evening at the Barclays Center in downtown Brooklyn. Two of the teams that will look to take the first step to

turn their franchise around will be our beloved New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets.

For the Brooklyn Nets, once again the team is feeling the effects and maybe some regrets of trading away a few future firstround draft picks as a result of the trade that sent Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry to Brooklyn from the Boston Celtics.

Earlier this month, the Celtics (via Nets) got the lucky lottery ball when they got the top overall pick in this year’s draft. The Nets this year was one of the worst teams in the league. With not much expected from the team’s front office, the Nets made one of the biggest pre-draft trades Tuesday evening when they acquired the young and talented

A

Assemblyman Walter Mosley

point guard D’Angelo Russell from the Lakers in exchange for longtime Net Brook Lopez. The Nets have their point guard for the future in place and will look to build from the draft.

As far as the New York Knicks goes, it seemed like everything went wrong this year.

From another 50-loss season to the Carmelo Anthony trade rumors that loomed over the team all year, it was simply one big mess for the Knicks. In fact, the Knicks have even opened the doors into trading their young superstar Kristaps Porzingis, which indicates the team is preparing to rebuild their roster once again. The team has the No.8 overall pick in tonight’s draft but are looking to

VOL. 21 NO. 25 move up in the draft even if it means parting ways with Porzingis after 2 years. The Carmelo Anthony era in New York appears to have hit the end of the road as the team looks to add some pieces in exchange for Anthony although his value is not as high as it once was and definitely not a higher value then Porzingis.

No one knows what the future for both New York teams will look like for the upcoming season in November. Whatever decisions these franchises end up doing needs to be a move that will start the process of bringing a winning culture back to our city.

Sports Notes: Do you think it is smart for the Knicks to trade Kristaps Porzingis?

Who’s to blame for both the Nets and Knicks demise? E-mail me at Castroeddie714@ gmail.com.

Mosley “Phone Home” Bill Passes Assembly

ssemblyman Walter T. Mosley (D-Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights) yesterday saw his bill (A. 1730) of allowing inmates to make a telephone call when they are transferred from correctional facilities pass the Assembly.

The transfer process can take up to a week, and families of inmates have no information about where their loved one is during this process. Currently, inmates are not allowed to make phone calls until their transfer is complete. The measure would

allow inmates to make a single phone call within 24 hours of arriving at a new facility, unless such a phone call would create an unacceptable risk to the facility of its personnel.

“Families of inmates deserve to know the whereabouts of their loved ones. Currently, families receive no notice about transfers until the inmate is in a new facility. This had led to families continuing to visit the former facility, only to be told their loved one isn’t there. Not only does that lead to immense stress and anxiety, it places extra

travel burdens on families, who have now traveled hours for no reason. This bill would ensure that people are informed, within reason, about the movements of their relatives,” said Mosley.

“Families don’t stop worrying about their loved ones when they are in correctional facilities. This bill would ensure that relatives do not face the anxiety that comes with not knowing where their loved one is, and it is my hope that this bill makes the transfer process smoother for all involved,” the lawmaker added.

present-focused with little consideration into the evolution of the community and what night time usage would be promoted.

It is noted that CB2 elects the sidewalk café application to be handled by the Transportation and Public Safety Committee.

Other community boards assign sidewalk cafes to the economic development committee.

MTA New York City Transit’s Andrew Inglesby, Assistant Director of Government and Community Relations obliged the committee by responding to an extensive list of questions. There were many instances of unanswered questions, though this portion of the meeting ran long. Response highlights include: There are two vacuum trains that clean the tracks The 93% - 95% functioning rate of escalators is due to the public pressing the “Stop” buttons.

By 2020, 100 unspecified stations will be made ADA compliant.

The IRT Clark Street and Hoyt Street tubes will be closed between 11:45 PM to 5:00 AM from June 16, 2017 to Spring 2018 for the next 56 weeks for extensive repairs to “fix MTA assets damaged during 2012 Hurricane Sandy and to install resiliency measures to minimize flood risk and to better respond to potential future storms.”

Every subway station is treated to a maintenance inspection on a 90-day cycle.

Following Inglesby’s report was the Department of Transportation’s four

initiatives: Car-share pilot program in Brooklyn Heights and Boerum Hill Artistic rendering of the Time Plaza and vicinity Enhanced crosswalks and other safety improvements in Fort Greene The expanded Fulton Street bus lane The car-share pilot program was presented by Laura MacNeil, Program Manager and Will Carey. The goal of car-sharing is to reduce car ownership in New York City. Currently, 20% of New Yorkers are involved in car-sharing (e.g., ZipCar and Car2Go) and have parted with their automobiles. MacNeil and Carey took turns explaining different aspects of the program. It will involve on-street parking, five sited in Brooklyn Heights and 18 sited in Boerum Hill. Two cars will be sited in each of the 23 locations. Each area will be designated a particular car-share corporation. There will be multilingual signage to serve the public.

Board member Sid Meyer, a Boerum Hill resident and member of the Boerum Hill Association, voiced his opposition to the curbside parking because Boerum Hill currently has CitiBikes on-street corrals and bike lanes on the streets. There will be no issuance of residential parking permits because this would require NYS legislature action. The car-share parking spaces will not be located at metered spaces.

Note: This report does not cover the three other Transportation Department initiatives.

Brooklyn CB2 …

Transportation & Public Safety Committee Decides on Sidewalk Cafes & Car Sharing ■■

C

By Akosua K. Albritton

ommunity Board no. 2’s (CB2) Transportation and Public Safety Committee met June 15, 2017 in Long Island University’s Jonas Board Room. Juliet Cullon-Cheung serves a Chairperson and Cheryl Gelbus as Vice Chair. Given the community district covers Brooklyn’s central business district, DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights, Fulton Street Mall and Livingston Street BIDs, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill and Brooklyn Navy Yard, it is remarkable that the agenda for the last 201617 term was void of Police Department, Fire Department, Emergency Medical Services and NYCHA Police items.

One of the two public hearings scheduled for the session was the Department of Consumer Affairs Application no.

7945-2017-ASWC. It concerned granting Brooklyn Tacos, Ltd. d/b/a Roccos Tacos permission to operate an unenclosed

sidewalk café at 339 Adams Street which is in the vicinity of New York Marriott Hotel at Brooklyn Bridge. Rocco’s Director of Operations Peter Vittas and Attorney Alex Victor attended the meeting.

The essential concern was locating the sidewalk café at an extremely busy pedestrian and motor traffic path. The sidewalk is 19’7” and Rocco’s Pizza plans to use half of it. The configuration proposed gives an eight feet clear path. Board members Hilda Cohen, Patrick Killackey, and Syd Meyer registered their opposition. The site already has an Infosign, and several street vendors-one of which is in front of the business.

The sidewalk café would operate Sundays – Thursdays until 12:00 AM. The committee vote resulted in 5 approve, 5 oppose, and 1 abstain. The item did not pass. A motion was made to remove two tables to decrease the space. This configuration resulted in a vote of 10 approve, 0 oppose, and 1 abstain. The deliberation over this matter was very much

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VOL. 21 NO. 25

“Here’s to Life: Hundreds Gather for an Evening in Remembrance of Fred Roger Powell”

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9

OUR TIME PRESS June 22 – 28, 2017

■■

By Priscilla Mensah

June 18, 2017 Hundreds gathered last Wednesday to honor the life of Crown Height’s own, Barbara’s Flower Shop owner, Fred Roger Powell. The evening of remembrance opened with an African drums ceremony and a prayer by the host of the night, Rev. Dr. Johnny Youngblood of Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church. Community notables graced the staged sharing words of reflection about their friend Fred Powell.

Among those who spoke were NYC Council member of the 35th District, Laurie Cumbo, Veronica Harris of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, and the host himself Rev. Dr. Johnny Youngblood.

Others sang in honor of the man who so many held near and dear to their heart, Fred Powell.

A common sentiment that the speakers had when reflecting on the life of the businessman was that he was a lover of the arts, his people, history preservation, and that he had an unwavering commitment to the Crown Heights community. When a representative of the Frank R. Bell Funeral Home spoke about Fred, she recollected on how he made it a point to ensure that he served his clients and that he served them well. His flowers were always top-notch and he would often willingly conduct business at short-time notices. In this sense, he was her “magic man.” She also said that he was my friend and drew attention to the fact that his name, Fred, even sounds like the word “friend”, thus amplifying her point. The funeral director went on to say that Fred was “never boastful, always accommodating, and found joy in serving.”

Shortly thereafter, Fred’s children, Gregory and Tara Simone Powell spoke. They shared fond memories of their father and emphasized the fact that although he “raised his children in the suburbs of Teaneck, New Jersey, he loved NYC.” His son highlighted what many had come to know by now, which was the fact

that “his labor of love was Barbara’s Flower Shop in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.” Fred had the shop for over 40 years. Also included in his son’s moving reflection was the fact that although his dad experienced many hardships in running the shop, “he never considered moving the business as he was a fixture and faithful servant in the Crown Heights community.” Fred’s son-in-law, Sheldon Woodlen, also spoke. He stated that “Mr. Powell was a soldier. Yes, he was a soldier in the ➔➔ Continued on page 11

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10

OUR TIME PRESS June 22 – 28, 2017

NEW BUSINESS FORMATIONS Notice of Formation of JL & MT Realty LLC. Arts of Org. filed with NY Secy of State (SSNY) on 6/5/17. Office location: Kings County. SSNY is designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 187 Wolf Rd, Ste 101, Albany, NY 12205.

The name and address of the Reg. Agent is Business Filings Incorporated, 187 Wolf Rd, Ste 101, Albany, NY 12205. Purpose: any lawful activity.

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.

LEGAL NOTICES SUPREME COURT – COUNTY OF KINGS EMC MORTGAGE CORPORATION, Plaintiff against VALERIE ISOLENE RUTHERFORD, et al Defendant(s). Pursuant to a Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale entered on November 29, 2016. I, the undersigned Referee will sell at public auction in Room 224 of the Kings County Courthouse, 360 Adams Street, Brooklyn, N.Y. on the 27th day of July, 2017 at 2:30 p.m. premises described as follows: 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, Said premises known as 632 Vermont Street, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11207.

(Block: 3824, Lot: 48). Approximate amount of lien $ 570,241.54 plus interest and costs.

Premises will be sold subject to provisions of filed judgment and terms of sale. Index No. 10380-11. M. Randolph Jackson, Esq., Referee. McCabe, Weisberg & Conway, P.C. Attorney(s) for Plaintiff145 Huguenot Street – Suite 210 New Rochelle, New York 10801 (914) 636-8900 SUMMONS AND NOTICE Index No. 18082-2014 Borough: Brooklyn Block: 1432 Lot: 53 SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF KINGS NYCTL 1998-2 TRUST AND THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON, AS COLLATERAL AGENT AND CUSTODIAN, Plaintiffs,v. HEAL HOME OWNERS INC; ALEAH HOLLAND, if living, or if she be dead, her husband, heirs-at-law, next of kin, distributees, executors, administrators, assignees, lienors, creditors, successors-in-interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through said ALEAH HOLLAND, by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise of any right, title or interest in and to the premises described in the complaint herein, and all creditors thereof, and the respective husbands, or widowers of hers, if any, all of whose names and addresses are unknown to Plaintiffs; NIGEL POWELL, if living, or if he be dead, his wife, heirs-at-law, next of kin, distributees, executors, administrators, assignees, lienors, creditors, successors-in- interest and generally all persons having or claiming under,by or through said NIGEL POWELL, by purchase, inheritance, lien or otherwise of any right, title or interest in and to the premises described in the complaint herein, and all reditors thereof, and the respective wives, or widows of his, if any, all of whose names and addresses are unknown to Plaintiffs; WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB DOING BUSINESS AS CHRISTIANA TRUST NOT IN ITS

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.

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.

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 GREENE AVENUE NATURAL LLC upon whom process against it may be WINES LP Cert. of Limited Partnership served. SSNY shall mail process to the LLC, filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 5/18/2017. 1169 Ocean Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11230.

Office in Kings Co. SSNY designated as As amended by Cert. of Amendment filed agent of LP upon whom process may be with SSNY on 08/29/16, name changed to served. SSNY shall mail copy of process SMORKIN-EVERS MANAGEMENT LLC. to 292 Carlton Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11205, Purpose: Any lawful activity. which is also the principal business location.

Name and address of each general partner is NYC/VTR LLC Notice of formation avail. from SSNY. Purpose: food and wine of NYC/VTR LLC Arts. of Org. filed service. Latest dissolution date: 5/18/2117. with the Sect’y of State of NY (SSNY) on 02/21/2017. Office location, County of Integrated Bodywork Center of Kings. SSNY has been designated as agent Brooklyn, LLC Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of the LLC upon whom process against it INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY BUT SOLELY AS LEGAL TITLE TRUSTEE FOR BRONZE CREEK TITLE TRUST 2013NPL1; NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING PRESERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT; NEW YORK CITY PARKING VIOLATIONS BUREAU; NEW YORK CITY TRANSIT AUTHORITY TRANSIT ADJUDICATION BUREAU; NEW YORK CITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL BOARD; NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE; NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE and “JOHN DOE #1” THROUGH “JOHN DOE #100”, the names of the last 100 defendants being fictitious, the true names of said defendants being unknown to plaintiffs, it being intended to designate fee owners, tenants or occupants of the liened premises and/ or persons or parties having or claiming an interest in or lien upon the liened premises, if the aforesaid individual defendants are living, and if any or all of said individual defendants be dead, their heirs at law, next of kin, distributees, executors, administrators, trustees, committees, devisees, legatees, and the assignees, lienors, creditors and successors in interest of them, and generally all persons having or claiming under, by, through, or against the said defendants named as a class, of any right, title or interest in or lien upon the premises described in the complaint herein, Defendants. TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS:YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in the above-entitled foreclosure action, and to serve a copy of your answer on Plaintiffs’ attorney within thirty (30) days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service or within thirty (30) days after completion of service where service is made in any other manner than by personal service within the State. The United States of America, if designated as a defendant in this action, may answer or appear within sixty (60) days of service hereof. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint. Kings County is designated as the place of trial. The basis of venue is the location of the subject premises. Dated: December 22, 2015 TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: The foregoing summons is served upon you by publication, pursuant to an Order of Honorable Kathy J. King, a Justice of the Supreme Court, dated January 28, 2016, and filed with supporting papers in the Kings County Clerk’s Office and an Order of Honorable Kathy J. King, a Justice of the Supreme Court, dated February 10, 2017, and filed with supporting papers in the Kings County Clerk’s Office. This

is an action to foreclose a tax lien covering the property known as 2089 Pacific Street, Borough of Brooklyn, New York and identified as Block 1432, Lot 53 (the “Tax Parcel”). The relief sought is the sale of the Tax Parcel at public auction in satisfaction of the tax lien. In case of your failure to appear, judgment may be taken against you in the sum of $11,327.03, together with interest, costs, disbursements and attorneys’ fees of this action, and directing the public sale of the Tax Parcel. PHILLIPS LYTLE LLP Anthony J. Iacchetta Attorneys for Plaintiffs NYCTL 1998-2 Trust and The Bank of New York Mellon as Collateral Agent and Custodian 28 East Main Street Suite 1400 Rochester, New York 14614 Telephone No. (585) 238-2000 aiacchetta@phillipslytle. com 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, 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 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. 25 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.

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, ➔➔ Continued on page 11

VOL. 21 NO. 25

11

OUR TIME PRESS June 22 – 28, 2017

Capitol police heroes saved the day, preventing congressional massacre ■■

C

By thegrio.com

apitol Police officers Crystal Griner and David Bailey are the heroes who kept the shooting on Wednesday from being the “massacre”

Congress members say it could have been.

Both of the officers are on Rep. Steve Scalise’s security detail and put their lives on the line to respond when shots rang out at a congressional baseball practice.

Scalise was standing near second base and was shot by James Hodgkinson before both Griner and Bailey rushed into action, taking down the shooter despite both being injured. Both have since been taken to the hospital and are recovering from their injuries.

“Had they not been there, it would have been a massacre,” Senator Rand Paul said to MSNBC. Majority Leader Eric Cantor praised both agents, who had served on his protection detail before. “[Griner’s] an incredibly able and professional individual who always takes her job and responsibility seriously,” Cantor told The Daily Beast. “It is not surprising to hear of her heroism and bravery during this horrible attack.”

“The bravery David showed reflects the kind of commitment he, Crystal, and the team demonstrated each and every day,” Cantor continued. “Incidents like the attack today are never

In Other News

Rep. Scalise is still in a Washington, DC hospital, recovering from a bullet wound to the hip that once had him in critical condition.

In a speech on the US House floor later that morning, Speaker Paul Ryan, calling Bailey and Griner “heroes” said, “We are, as ever, awed by the tremendous bravery of the Capitol Police. “I expressed our profound gratitude to them. It is clear to me, based on various eyewitness accounts that, without these two heroes, Agent Bailey and Agent Griner, many lives would have been lost,” Ryan added.

Special Agent Crystal Griner, 32, who was shot in the ankle, is known as a “high achiever” scholastically and former basketball standout for Hood College in Frederick, Md.. Her former chief at the US Capitol Police said she exuded “confidence and dedication.

US Capitol Special Agent David Bailey, 32, is a 2007 alumnus of North Carolina Central University in Durham, from where he earned a BS degree in physical education, and was also a member of NCCU Student Government. He reportedly attended high school in Maryland.

Bailey has reportedly been a US Capitol police officer since 2008 and was an administrator at US Fish and Wildlife before that.

Bailey reportedly twisted his ankle

during the shooting, and he was released from the hospital that Wednesday afternoon Congressman G. K. Butterfield (DNC-1), is an alumnus of NCCU and says he’s knows David Bailey.

“He’s a heroic brother. I’m very proud of David” Rep. Butterfield said Tuesday by phone from Washington, DC. “I’ve known David for the past eight or nine years since he came on the [US Capitol Police] force. I know him in a very special way because both he and I are graduates of North Carolina Central University.”

Rep. Butterfield added that there aren’t that many Black officers on special leadership detail on the US Capitol Police force, so African-American members of Congress instinctively bond with the few who are checking with them routinely to make sure they’re all right.

“We’re proud of ‘em,” the former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus insisted. “We have fought to get them these opportunities in the leadership detail.

Butterfield said he’s always been impressed with how professional and dedicated Bailey is, and while he didn’t know Crystal Griner as well, has always been very impressed with how professionally she carried herself while on the job.

Referring to the June 14 shootings, Congresswoman Alma Adams (D-NC-12) said all members of Congress are “really shaken” by the assassination attempt.

She believes the time has come for more “good guys” like David Bailey and Crystal Griner to provide better security for her and her congressional colleagues.

“It could have been any one of us,” she said Monday by phone from Charlotte.

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

COMMUNITY HAILS TWO HERO CAPITOL POLICE OFFICERS PHOTO CUTLINE: PHOTO COURTESY OF CONGRESSMAN BUTTERFIELD’S OFFICE US Capitol police special agent David Bailey (L) posing with NC Congressman G. K. Butterfield at the Congressional Charity Baseball Game last week. Bailey threw out the first pitch. He was credited with confronting a gunman during the GOP baseball practice June 14th.

BY CASH MICHAELS OF THE WILMINGTON JOURNAL As of June 14, beyond the US military, the nation has celebrated two new American heroes who not only reminded us of what true bravery is in the face of certain danger, but also of the constant threats our elected officials face in what many agree is a very divisive, corrosive atmosphere.

On the morning of June 14, US Capitol Police Special Agents David Bailey and Crystal Griner, rushed into the line of fire when an angry gunman, armed with an automatic weapon and reportedly searching for Republicans to kill, began firing his weapon at a public park in Alexandria, Va. where several GOP members of Congress were having baseball practice for a charity game later in the week.

When it was all over, the gunman was killed, but not before he had shot and wounded at least three others, included US House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La).

LEGAL NOTICES ➔➔ Continued from page 10 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

something many of us even imagine happening. David is a trained professional who was and remains ready to act whatever the threat.

Wishing him a full recovery.”

After being shot, Griner and her wife, Tiffany, were given a bouquet of white flowers by President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, as she recovered in the hospital. Both agents’ injuries have been described as non-life-threatening.

Scalise remains in critical condition at the hospital. Two others were also Capitol Hill Police Officer David Bailey Photo: Ken shot: Zach Barth, Branson/MasterMIND Production a congressional staffer, and Matt Mika, a lobbyist. Barth’s ening, but Mika’s are considered to be injuries are not considered to be life-threat- serious.

“Here’s to Life: Hundreds Gather for an Evening in Remembrance of Fred Roger Powell” ➔➔ Continued from page 9 Army, but that he was [also] a soldier of his family and community.” He went on to say that “he took shots like a soldier would have taken…but he did not allow that to make him leave the community… [which is] one of the things that I admired about Mr. Powell”.

Finally, in a teary opening, Fred’s daughter Tara took the stage. From the onset, she made clear to the audience that she had failed to prepare a speech for the evening because she has not yet come to terms with the fact of her father’s passing. Instead, she spoke from the heart, relying on honest reflection to express her feelings. Tara began by saying, “Daddy’s presence was so huge and his melodic-layered voice so strong that you always knew when he was in the room”. Fred’s last words to his daughter were, “See you in the funny papers”, which is one of the reasons why accepting his death is so difficult, said Tara.

“Daddy would have been 80 in July [so] I would like it to feel that if Daddy were here in the audience it would be a program that he enjoyed,” stated Tara. This explains why a family friend sung one of Fred’s favorite songs, “My Way”, during the memorial service. The service being held at Restoration Plaza’s Billie Holiday’s Theater furthers the merits of this point. Tara closed her tear-jerking speech by saying, “A store on the corner of Nostrand and Bergen is where this all began…[I] am thankful to all of you for being a part of this and allowing Daddy to share his soul, gifts, passions”. Tara ended by saying: “I pray that my hero, ace, partner will laugh again.”

Priscilla Mensah is an avid reader and scholar whose passions include community development and empowerment. She can be reached at pmensahbrooklyn@gmail.com.

Gha’il Rhodes Benjamin Salutes a Native “Son” And Mentor

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OUR TIME PRESS June 22 – 28, 2017

VOL. 21 NO. 25

From a Prison Cell, One Man’s “Deep” Gift to the Community

Health

Albert “Prodigy” Johnson’s Cookbook for Healthy Eating

A

By Tove Danovich for “Food for Thought”, NPR

fter he was sentenced for illegally possessing a firearm, Albert “Prodigy” Johnson, of the hip-hop duo Mobb Deep, discovered how hard it was to eat healthy behind bars. His new cookbook tells the story.

It’s hard enough to eat healthy--even when you have access to grocery stores, sharp knives and refrigerators. But for those in prison, it can be almost impossible.

Behind bars, it often takes ingenuity, a hodgepodge of commissary items and food shipped from loved ones to even approximate a proper diet. This is what Albert “Prodigy” Johnson, of the influential hip-hop duo Mobb Deep — you might remember their ‘90s hit single “Shook Ones, Part II” — discovered after he was sentenced for illegally possessing a firearm in 2007.

Knowing what to eat and how to make it is evidently such an important part of prison life that there’s an entire cottage industry of cookbooks written on the subject. Inmate survival guides often have a section on food and how to use the commissary to augment prison diets. “Commissary Kitchen: My Infamous Prison Cookbook”, which will be published this month, is written by Prodigy and journalist Kathy Iandoli.

In the book, Prodigy describes how his lifelong battle with sickle cell made him hyperconscious of what he ate while incarcerated.

“I couldn’t afford to get sick in prison,” he writes. “My sickle cell is no joke, so I couldn’t eat poorly or not exercise. And everything in jail is designed to do the exact opposite.”

This is just a hint of what sets “Commissary Kitchen” apart from other books in the genre

— it’s about Prodigy’s experience of prison as much, if not more than, about the food itself.

Unlike most cookbooks, there will also be an audio version read by Prodigy — recipes included.

While the prison menus did change, he writes that there was only one green vegetable that made it onto his cafeteria tray — green beans — and it was served only once a week. Even though he tried to eat healthy, readers of the book will notice the recipes are a far cry from anything Gwyneth Paltrow would whip up in her kitchen. “It’s not all healthy stuff,” Prodigy told NPR in an interview. “There’s a lot of butter and seasonings — it’s as healthy as I could get in the prison system.”

Just because inmates have access to the prison cafeteria doesn’t mean that they have

enough to eat. Prison meals are often so cheap, meager and bad that they’ve incited riots, caused starving inmates to supplement their diets with “toothpaste and toilet paper”, and sparked investigations from human rights organizations, according to the Marshall Project, a criminal justice advocacy nonprofit.

“Commissary Kitchen: My Infamous Prison Cookbook”

By Albert Johnson, Kathy Iandoli and Eddie Huang

Access to food is such a part of prison life that inmates use ramen as currency to trade for gifts and services. As punishment, guards can restrict access to the commissary or dole out portions of the cardboard-flavored food brick known as Nutraloaf in lieu of regular meals.

Prodigy says that the prison “day room” — a common area of sorts — was where inmates did all of their cooking. “In the building I was in, there was about 30-40 inmates in that particular dorm, and we’d all have to share one microwave and one toaster oven and take turns cooking there,” he says. Those who try to cook during allotted times to avoid prison fodder might have to use a knife so dull that “it only works as a stirrer”, Prodigy writes. Some inmates try to save can lids — “the sharpest object you can get” — because they can be held sideways to chop food.

Only correctional officers can access refrigerators. But despite this, Prodigy managed to make curry gravy, macaroni and tuna salads, baked seafood with vegetables and sweet potato pie – all recipes that are available in the book.

In addition to wanting to eat better food, there’s another reason cooking is such a popular pastime in prison. “It’s just relaxing and you almost forget where you’re at for an hour or two,” Prodigy says. “It helps people get along, too. Sometimes if you’ve got a group of people in there that are cool with each other, we’d order a chicken [from the commissary] together or make a dinner.”

The further you go into the book, the less healthy (and, in Prodigy’s estimation, more disgusting) recipes become. Near the end, there are recipes like “Prison Surprise”: a mixture of ramen noodles, Doritos, Jack Mack (canned mackerel) and hot sauce. Prodigy ends his cooking instructions for these dishes with, “Good luck, yo”.

The most important part of prison cooking, Prodigy writes, is the seasonings. Luckily, the commissary offered a lot of them: hot sauce, soy sauce, sugar, mayonnaise, ketchup, barbecue sauce and honey. He could also get spices like Goya Sazón and Adobo, as well as garlic, onion and curry powders. Ramen seasoning packets were popular behind bars, he says, but

because each packet contains about 1,000 mg of sodium, he stayed away.

Prodigy credits the success of his prison recipes to an inmate from the Virgin Islands who had been a chef on the outside. Prodigy and others gave this inmate food to cook, and soon the chef started explaining how to do things like debone canned fish or create a sauce.

“He was showing me different techniques and eventually I started making up my own recipes and cooking them,” Prodigy writes. “I found that preparation is everything when you cook.” He says that even people on the outside heap on spices when food is done cooking rather than during the prep stages, when you can get the best flavor.

Despite the cooking tips, “Commissary Kitchen” is as much about the politics of prison life as it is about making meals from almost nothing. Prodigy writes about difficult relationships between inmates and correction officers, whom he alleges were running prostitution rings and asking for sexual favors in exchange for extra food.

Ultimately, these aren’t recipes you’re

likely to try at home — though they might be just the thing when your refrigerator is bare.

(Prodigy said they are marketing the book on college campuses since dorm-room cooking implements aren’t so different from what inmates are allowed.) Unlike most cookbooks, this food is not about beautiful recipes or seasonal ingredients. Prodigy writes that, “In a world where prisoners are treated like animals, preparing food made them feel human”.

And perhaps reading “Commissary Kitchen” and other prison cookbooks can “give people more of an understanding of the kind of people that are locked up in jail”, Prodigy says. “You have people there from all walks of life: people who made mistakes and have to deal with the consequences, mothers and fathers.

You wouldn’t expect them to be behind bars.” But there they are, feeding themselves and just trying to get to know each other over a home-cooked meal.

As Prodigy writes, “This book won’t make you a better cook, but it might make you a better person”.

The Tragic Loss of Mobb Deep’s Prodigy Reminds Us of the Importance of Sickle-Cell Awareness ■■

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By Nikki Igbo

rodigy often referenced his experiences of living with sickle-cell anemia in his music. He said in the song “You Can Never Feel My Pain”, “Nineteen seventy-four…I was born with pain, my moms and my pops pass it down to me so don’t talk to me about can I feel yours.

Cause I ain’t feelin’ you at all, your pain isn’t pure. My pain’s in the flesh and through the years that pain became my friend; sedated with morphine as a little kid, I built a tolerance for drugs, addicted to the medicine now hospital emergency treats me like a fiend. I’d rather die sometimes”.

Sickle-cell disease is not easy to cope with. The disease is inherited by a child when both of that child’s parents carry the recessive sickle-cell trait. In sickle-cell anemia, red blood cells, which are normally round and flexible to facilitate the carriage of oxygen throughout the body, are instead shaped like sickles or crescent moons. The irregular shape of these cells can slow or block blood flow and oxygen and result in terrible, debilitating pain known as “sickle-cell crisis”.

The severity of the symptoms of the disease differs with each individual. Sickle-cell crises and/or the production of sickle cells in those with the disease are most commonly triggered by dehydration, infection (like an

illness or virus), high stress or increased acidity in the blood. However, most often the triggers are unknown. Many with sickle-cell anemia control their condition by avoiding liquor, cigarettes, eating a high-protein diet, maintaining a healthy weight and taking folic acid. These folks also tend to manage their pain with pain meds. Hospitalizations and blood transfusions are often a regular occurrence with sufferers.

Though some breakthroughs have been made with treating the disease in children with bone marrow transplants, there is still no cure for the disease. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, as of 2015 about 4.4 million people have sickle-cell disease with an additional 43 million being carriers of the sickle-cell trait. The disease is most common among people of African, Arabic and Indian descent. The life expectancy of those living with the disease can range from 40 to 60 years depending on the person’s environment and access to care. Prodigy was just 42 years old when he passed today.

Ironically, World Sickle-Cell Awareness Day is observed annually on June 19 and thus was observed just yesterday. The day was designated to increase public knowledge and understanding of sickle-cell disease while educating those who are largely unaware of the challenges and struggles experienced by those with sickle-cell disease and their families and/or caregivers. Many simply don’t

understand the level of pain that someone with sickle disease experience every day.

The only way to keep this disease from spreading is by knowing whether or not you and your partner are carriers of the trait. If you plan to have children and you are a carrier of the trait, it is important that your partner does not also have the trait. While it is a common practice for people in African nations to know their sickle-cell trait status, many Americans remain ignorant about their status. To learn more about sickle-cell disease, click here.

To find out more about getting screened to know your sickle-cell status, visit: https://

www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/sicklecell/index.html Nikki Igbo is an Atlanta-based freelance writer and political junkie. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Political Science from California State University at Fullerton and a Master’s in Fine Arts of Writing at Savannah College of Art and Design. When not staring in disbelief at the antics unfolding on C-SPAN, she enjoys philosophical arguments with her husband, 70’s-era music and any excuse to craft with glitter. Feel free to check out her freelance services at nikigbo. com and stalk her on Twitter @nikigbo or Instagram at @nikigbo.

Publisher’s Note: Sickle-Cell Information Resources & Local Hospitals NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS: • • • • •

American Sickle-Cell Anemia Association -- www.ascaa.org US National Library of Medicine -- ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/sickle-cell-disease National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute -- www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/ topics/sca/ Sickle-Cell Disease Association of America -- www.sicklecelldisease.org Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/sicklecell

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK HOSPITALS Maimonides Hospital – Sickle-Cell Thalassemia Patients Network sctpn.net/about.php or maimonidesmed.org Kings County Hospital Center - www.nyc.gov/html/hhc/kchc/html/services/specialties. shtml or sicklecellbrooklyn.org/sicklecellcenter.html (Note: KCHC houses the first and oldest sickle-cell program in existence) The Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center Sickle-Cell Anemia - brookdalehospital.org/sickle-cell-anemia.html or email info@bhmcny.org. patients or call: (718) 240-5077