NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR * June 8-22, 2012
Ask Lisa Anne HELP! MY FOURTH GRADER IS FAILING
| NYLIBERTYSTAR.COM | VOL. XII ISSUE 245
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June 8-22, 2012 .
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Local News
Bolt Does It Again
Jamaica’s Usain Bolt was pushed all the way in the 100m before powering home to take victory at the Diamond League in Oslo in a time of 9.79 seconds.
Inside
Jamaican Gangster Gets 23 Yrs In Jail, P3 Lauren Hill Could Face Jail Time For Tax, P10 Be Fit While Having Fun This Summer, P21 Semper Fidelis Liberty or Death
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june 8-22, 2012 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR
Highlighting the Spirit of the Caribbean Lenecia Hines Editor-In-Chief IVROL HINES Managing Editor Leonardo Harrison Webmaster & Community Relations arlene israel Gospel News Orville taylor Photographer Winston Hall Account Executive Telephone: (718) 785-9722 Fax: (215) 294-5903 Submit Articles nylibertystar@yahoo.com Visit us online @: www.nylibertystar.com NEW YORK CITY CORPORATE OFFICE 397 Rockaway Ave Brooklyn, NY 11212
Cuomo’s Bid To Legalize ‘Weed’ In NYC
N
ew York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo Monday said that he plans to ask state legislators to change the law that would significantly decrease the number of people, including Caribbean nationals, who could be arrested for marijuana possession because of police stops. “This proposal will bring long overdue consistency and fairness to New York State’s penal law and save thousands of New Yorkers, particularly minority youth, from the unnecessary and life-altering trauma of a criminal arrest and, in some cases, prosecution,” Cuomo said in a statement. He said the proposal would also save law enforcement “countless man-hours wasted” on arrests and prosecutions “for what is clearly only a minor offense”. In New York, marijuana remains a misdemeanour if it is in public view or is being smoked in public. Legislators and drug-reform advocates have long argued that the charge is often “unfairly applied” to suspects New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced new who did not have legislation on Monday to decriminalize public posses- marijuana in public view until the police sion of small amounts of marijuana.
Send all Mail to: New York Liberty Star 1930 Rockaway Pkwy. Brooklyn, NY 11236 New York Liberty Star welcomes letters from readers and press releases. We reserve the right to edit all materials, in keeping with publication standards. To submit an article, send email to: nylibertystar@yahoo.com. Hours of operation: M-F, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. All material due by 5 p.m., Tuesday of publication week. The New York Liberty Star is not responsible for typographical errors in ads beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Copyright New York Liberty Star 2001. All rights reserved.
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stopped them and told them to empty their pockets. The governor’s announcement comes as Caribbean American Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke held a conference with leading New York legislators on Capitol Hill in examining the negative effects of New York Police Department’s (NYPD) “stop and frisk” policies, Thursday. Critics say the policies disproportionately discriminate against Blacks and Hispanics, including Caribbean nationals. Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, met with members of the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus and the New York City Council Black, Latino and Asian Caucus in examining the implications of the practices. “In a briefing on Capitol Hill, we will discuss concerns regarding
Councilman Jumaane Williams
discriminatory policing practices surrounding stop-and- frisk’s affects on urban communities nationwide,” Clarke, who represents the largely Caribbean 11th Congressional District in Brooklyn, New York, said earlier this week. She said the groups and legislators who joined in the discussions included the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), Communities United for Police Reform, the Center for Constitutional Rights, the American Civil Liberties Coalition and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Last month, Grenadian American New York City Councilman, Jumaane Williams, who was wrongfully arrested during the West Indian American Day Carnival Parade last Labor Day, said he saw a “glimmer of hope” on the prospects for true reform of the controversial policies. Williams’ comments came after a United States federal judge in Brooklyn granted class-action status to a lawsuit challenging the NYPD’s tactics. “There is a glimmer of hope that (Police) Commissioner (Raymond) Kelly may finally get serious about true reform to the NYPD’s misuse and overuse of stop, question and frisk,” said Williams, who represents the predominantly Caribbean 45th Council District in Brooklyn.
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NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR * June 8-22, 2012
Coke Gets 23 Yrs. In NY Jail
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By Ed Pilkington
Jamaica's most notorious gang leader, who provoked a virtual state of war in Kingston two years ago when he resisted arrest in the barricaded neighbourhood he ran as his own personal fiefdom, has been sentenced to spend 23 years in a federal US prison. Christopher "Dudus" Coke, 43, was sentenced by a federal judge in New York after he pleaded guilty last August to charges that included trafficking more than 3 tonnes of marijuana and 30lb (14kg) of cocaine to the US. The drug lord was also ordered to pay $1.5m in forfeiture of profits from his global trafficking operation that was centred on Kingston, Miami and New York. "With his conviction, Coke is no longer able to traffick drugs in the US, move guns across our border, or terrorize people, and with today's sentence, he will now spend a very long time in prison for his crimes," said Preet Bharara, US attorney for Manhattan. Coke's sentencing brings to a formal end his violent reign that last
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almost 20 years with the complicity of Jamaican political interests. Before he gave himself up in June 2010 he had been on the US department of justice's list of the world's most dangerous drug traffickers. He ran the neighbourhood of Tivoli Gardens on the west side of Kingston as a sort of walled military encampment within which his rule was unchallenged. Through his gang, the Shower Posse – a reference to its members fondness for spraying people with bullets – aka the Presidential Click, he ran a state within a state. He had his own small army of up to 200 soldiers, and a makeshift jail in which he dispensed summary justice. He even organised schooling and sustenance for poor local families, rendering him at one level enormously popular. In a hand-written letter submitted to the Manhattan court asking for leniency in his sentencing , Coke wrote: "I did a lot of charitable deeds and social services to help members of my community. I also host a lot of charity events such as an Easter treat for the elderly persons in my community." But he was also brutal. Last month evidence was presented to the court in which one of Coke's former henchmen described how the gang leader would
go into the jail run by the Shower Posse and dispatch rivals by cutting them up with a chain saw. He is widely believed to have remained immune from the law for so long because of protection from leading Jamaican politicians. When the US asked for his extradition, the Jamaican government initially refused, only relenting in May 2010. That in turn triggered a state of emergency in Kingston after the Jamaican army was sent in to Tivoli Gardens. Controversy continues to swirl two years later over the battle in which 73 civilians died . Going by the names of Dudus, Presi, Bossy and Shortman, Coke was born into a life of violent crime. He inherited control of the Shower Posse from his father, Lester, under whose leadership the gang was alleged to have carried out more than 1,000 murders. The Cokes have reaped what they sewed, however. Two of Christopher Coke's brothers, a sister and his father all died violently, Lester Coke in a fire that mysteriously broke out in his prison cell as he was awaiting extradition. At the end of his sentence, Coke will be deported to Jamaica, at which point he faces retribution of another nature.
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NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR * June 8-22, 2012
commentary Too Many New York West Indians Numb To Vicious Slander And Rebuff By NYPD
T&T Writer-Activist Rosa Guy Dies At 89 local
By Dr Ann-Marie Adams I had to pause. That’s because a veteran Caribbean-American magazine publisher said that an article about a few New York police officers’ comments on Facebook, “drop a bomb and wipe them all out,” received a “eh” and a shrug from most in the city’s West Indian community. “We already know how they feel about us,” he said at a plenary session during the National Association of Caribbean-American Journalists’ third biennial regional conference at The New York Times’ building on June 1. Yes, he has a long history in the community and might be unfazed by such things -- as most veteran, hard-nosed reporters are. Or he might have chosen not to use precious energy on a few bad apples in the police department because “we have a good relationship with the police.” I understand. But I saw the face of a man anesthetized to the psychological and physical assault meted out to a whole community in the New York region and beyond. This kind of behavior has happened so many times, they said, they have become numb to the idea of a response. So they carry on with their parties. That's a disturbing message sent to the more than one million people who have enjoyed the yearly Labor Day West Indian American Day Carnival on Eastern Parkway. Many are residents of New Jersey and Connecticut. They consist of revelers from the Francophone, English and Spanish speaking islands -- pushed out by economic factors and geopolitics in the Western Hemisphere since the turn of the twentieth century. Each year, they join the parade as it meanders through the black community in Brooklyn, which comprises of predominantly African American, Caribbean Americans and Continental Africans. It is believed that one in every four blacks have a Caribbean background because of the centuries of migration that began in the 18th century. According to the 2011 US Census, of the estimated 20 million people in New York, about 17 percent, or 3.4 million, are blacks. With visitors and other ethnic groups in attendance, New York holds the largest carnival in the US However, the size of the parade “causes anxiety” on the part of those who have to monitor it. Although Carnival had its origins in Harlem in the 1920s because of Jessie Waddell, a parade to celebrate the islands' independence began in 1963 in Hartford, CT. Jamaica and Trinidad gained independence in 1962. Some West Indians distinguish Carnival from a West Indian Independence Day parade. Trinidadians and several islands stress Carnival. Jamaicans and others stress independence parade. Although this divides the community, most Caribbeans coalesced around having a joint parade and carnival. And that has been the case since the 1960s. I refused to believe that most of those people who have attended the Labor Day Carnival, and those who make a chunk of the more than $200 million generated in economic activity for the city, heard about this threat to their lives and their livelihood. Continued on Page 20
Rosa Guy
A
cclaimed Caribbean-American novelist and activist Rosa Guy, a co-founder of the Harlem Writers Guild, died Sunday afternoon after a six-year battle with cancer.
She passed away at age 89 in her upper West Side apartment surrounded by family, according to her grandson Warner Guy III. “She was my personal pride and joy,” he said. “She was a lover of life who could hold her own in a room filled with friends like (writers) Maya Angelou and Louise Meriwether.”
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Born in Trinidad, Guy moved to New York as a child and turned her personal experiences with social instability and race politics into a series of trailblazing, taboobusting novels. “She was very sensitive to people’s real lives, their real situations,” said poet Amiri Baraka. “And she was direct about it. A lot of writers try to obfuscate the truth because they think it’s too hard for readers to accept, but she was not like that.” Among her books for young adults, a 1970s trilogy made up of “The Friends,” “Ruby,” and “Edith Jackson” was her most famous. Her 1985 adult novel “My Love, My Love: Or, The Peasant Girl” was made into the Tony-nominated 1990 Broadway musical “Once on This Island.” “She imprinted me and everyone she met with her grace, wisdom and humor,” her grandson said.
Guyana Flag Again Flies Over Wall Street Guyana’s flag, the ‘Golden Arrowhead,’ was again hoisted over Wall Street this week to mark the country’s 46th year of independence. The flag was raised for the fourth consecutive year. News Americas founder Felicia Persaud, arranged for the Guyana flag to be raised for the first time over Manhattan in 2007 to mark the South American nation’s 41st anniversary of independence from Britain. The tradition has continued ever since. The 2007 launch event had featured a cultural street ceremony with Guyanese artists and a reception at The Alexander Hamilton Customs Building in lower Manhattan that honored Hollywood actor Sean Patrick Thomas, known for his role in ‘Save The Last Dance.’
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june 8-22, 2012 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR
around town
****
JN Money Transfer Rewards New York Agents
Caribbean Week In NYC
Former President of Guyana, Bharrat Jadgeo, was in NYC on Thursday, June 7th as part of the Guyana crew at Caribbean Week in New York. (Hayden Roger Celestin image) Mary Gumbs of Heritage International Travel accepts the award for Top Customer Service Provider from Harry Bhoorasingh, New York’s Regional Manager, JN Money Services USA Inc. during the JN Money Transfer New York Agents Appreciation and Recognition Ceremony held at the Resorts World Casino, Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York, May 22. The other two top awards, for Transaction Volume and Branding, went to Dave Stewart of Gunhill Shipping. Several JN Money Transfer Agents were also presented with long service awards and certificates of appreciation for their contributions to the Jamaican-owned remittance brand.
Sports Tourism, A Big Business For Caribbean
Gifton Wright, 14, of Spanish Town, Jamaica, reacts after spelling a word during the finals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee last week in Oxon Hill, Md.
14-Year-Old Jamaican Make National Spelling Bee Finals
T
he Kingston College student and Gleaner Children’s Own Spelling Bee champion for 2012, Grifton Wright, tied for fourth place at National Spelling Bee, last Thursday, in Maryland.
“This feels really great to be back at school because I missed it,” Wright said Tuesday, on his return to school in Jamaica. Gifton was aware many Jamaicans were cheering for him. “I am extremely proud to be a Jamaican. There are about 250 Americans entering and some other countries. So to be from a small country like Jamaica, representing us and placing so far is a really great experience for me.” His spelling competition days are over because he cannot compete past eighth grade or age 14. But he has taken to the inter-form quiz and Gifton said he would join the revered Schools’ Challenge Quiz program. Ultimately he said he wants to be a doctor.
Jamaican author Carole Beckford (centre) was special guest at the kickoff event for travel agents at The Yale Club on Monday, June 4 to mark Caribbean Week in New York. Miss Beckford, publicist for Usain Bolt and CEO of Carole Beckford & Associates gave an enlightening presentation to the packed audience responsible for selling the Caribbean about Tapping Into the Lucrative Niche of Sports Tourism. Among the officials on hand to participate in the event were Hugh Riley, Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO); Hon. Richard Sealy, Minister of Tourism, Barbados; Carole Beckford, President, Business of Sport, Jamaica; Hon. Richard Skerritt, CTO Chairman & Minister of Tourism and International Transport, St. Kitts & Nevis and John Lynch, Director of Tourism, Jamaica Tourist Board. (Photo by Bill Cancellare)
FREE Immigration Clinic in East Flatbush The NYC Immigrant Advocacy Initiative (NYCIAI) was launched in 2007 as a collaborative effort between the City Bar Justice Center and New York Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (NYCIAI) holds immigration clinics throughout the city. On Tuesday, June 19, 2012, 6-9pm at the Mt. Zion
Church of God 7th Day, 203 E 37th St (Btw Church Ave & Linden Blvd) in Brooklyn, residents will be given free 20-30 minute appointments with experienced immigration attorneys, who will consult them about their various immigration concerns. This Immigration Advocacy Initiative is in partnership with
Brooklyn Center For Quality Life, Churches United to Save & Heal (CUSH), St. Lucia House Foundation and Caribbean Women’s Health Association. Space is limited so please RSVP to the Immigration Helpline at (718) 284-4375 or flatbushevents@ gmail.com
NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR * June 8-22, 2012
COMMUNITY LEADERS
HoldingPost
Celebrate Caribbean Heritage
“As a child of Jamaican immigrants whose roots are firmly planted in my Caribbean heritage, I take great pride in celebrating the sixth anniversary of Caribbean American Heritage Month. This month we celebrate and recognize the many contributions Caribbean Americans have made to this country, people like iconic actress Cicely Tyson, Former Secretary of State, General Colin L. Powell, legendary singer, actor and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte, the Honorable Shirley Chisholm, acclaimed Reggae Artist Bob Marley and political activist Marcus Garvey. “Caribbean American Heritage Month is also a time to strengthen U.S. relations between the Caribbean nations we consider our allies and neighbors. This is why I encourage all of us to continue Yvette D. Clarke to support and help fight for our Haitian Congresswoman brothers and sisters as they work to fully recover from the aftermath of the January 2010 earthquake. As a representative of the second largest population of first and second generation Haitian immigrants, I understand the importance of ensuring our nation and our global community fulfils its commitment to help Haiti fully recover. Earlier this year, I joined with Senator Kristen Gillibrand to reaffirm our commitment to the long-term recovery efforts of Haiti by announcing new legislative initiatives entitled “The Assessing Progress in Haiti act” and “A Resolution Recognizing the 2 year Anniversary of the Earthquake in Haiti.” “This year’s Caribbean American Heritage Month is also special to my heart because the nations of Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica celebrate their 50th year anniversary of Independence. I encourage you to reflect on our shared experiences and interwoven cultures. Reflect on the influence and contributions Caribbean Americans have made in our society and appreciate these contributions throughout the year. Let us never forget that we are tightly interconnected in the global community. Caribbean culture has had a positive influence in the world.”
Did you know? About Father’s Day
F
ather’s Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. Many countries celebrate it on the third Sunday of June but it is also celebrated widely on other days. Father’s Day complements Mother’s Day, a celebration honoring mothers. Father’s Day is a celebration of fathers inaugurated in the early twentieth century to complement Mother’s Day in celebrating fatherhood and male parenting. After the success obtained by Anna Jarvis with the promotion of Mother’s Day in the US, some wanted to create a similar holidays for other family members, and Father’s Day was the choice most likely to suceed. There were other persons in the US who independently thought of “Father’s Day”, but the credit for the modern holiday is always given to Sonora Dodd. Father’s Day was founded in 1910 by Sonora Smart Dodd, born in Arkansas from Spokane, who was also the driving force behind its establishment. Its first celebration was in Spokane, Washington on June 19, 1910. Her father, the Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart, was a single parent who reared his six children in Spokane, Washington. After hearing a sermon about Jarvis’ Mother’s Day in 1909, she told her pastor that fathers should have a similar holiday honoring them. Although she initially suggested June 5, her father’s birthday, the pastors hadn’t enough time to prepare their sermons, and the celebration was deferred to the third Sunday of June.
Finding Oil In Caribbean, Not All Good By David Jessop
I
n March 1980 David Renwick, the Trinidadian journalist, and I wrote an extended feature for the Caribbean Chronicle about the future outlook for the Caribbean as an oil producing region.
In it we observed that although nobody expected the Caribbean to ever become oil or gas rich on the scale of Venezuela, it had been known for many years that two broad strata of rock of a kind likely to bear oil, run the length of the Caribbean Basin. Up to then little interest had been shown in this fact apart from where such strata coincided with island masses; the reason being that the high cost and technical problems of recovery were far beyond the value of such relatively small quantities of crude. The article went on to say that although there were existing sites in shallow water probably capable of exploitation, most geological structures of interest were far below the Caribbean Sea. Few nations, we observed, had continental shelves and most dropped off very rapidly to depths between 600 to 3,000 feet. Somewhat presciently, we then suggested that ‘new drilling techniques and methods of platform construction now mean that it is possible to drill and – by the turn of the century – operate in depths of up to 4,000 feet.’ This meant, we argued, that it will be possible for Caribbean nations to begin to encourage offshore oil exploration. Reading these words now it is clear that much of what we forecast has come to pass. The technology to drill and recover oil and gas from huge depths now exists. Oil prices have risen to levels previously thought unthinkable, making the cost of deep sea recovery viable. Demand for energy has surged and will continue to expand as the industrialization and wealth of advanced economies continues to grow. The potential contradictions between tourism, fisheries and oil and gas recovery have been recognized and spills and environmental disasters of the kind experienced in the Gulf of Mexico have made clear the need for the legal and regulatory frameworks
in all nations in or bordering the Caribbean Sea. There have also been other issues added to the mix, making the region strategically more attractive as an energy supplier: the possibility of greater instability around the world’s major producers in the Middle East as a result of any conflict with Iran; the widening of the Panama Canal making the Caribbean a North South and East West transit a key transhipment point in the Americas; and the opportunity the regions new deep sea ports and anchorages offers for storage and transhipment. The level of exploration now taking place in the region makes it quite possible to imagine a Caribbean, a decade from now, that is energy rich, a net exporter of oil and gas and in some cases trying to address the problems associated with wealth that hardly anybody is thinking about. Some may say this is far-fetched as the US and other nations are beginning to supply an ever greater amount of their energy needs from shale gas and there is the high probability that there are huge quantities of oil and gas beneath the pristine wastes of the Canadian Arctic. However, the pace at which an ever increasing number of global oil corporations have begun actively to invest huge sums in prospecting for oil and gas in the Caribbean Basin suggests that before long more than one Caribbean nation will become an oil or gas producer. As matters stand there is oil exploration underway, planned or licensing being considered in blocks off the coasts of French Guiana; Suriname; Guyana; Belize; Barbados; the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica; and Grenada and it seems in other islands in the Windward chain. If there is a significant find, and it remains an if as only last week Spain’s Repsol announced that its exploratory well of Cuba’s north coast was dry, the Caribbean will be faced with a range of issues that no regional nation other than Trinidad has faced. Finding oil is challenging especially for small economies with small populations. It raises questions about security, stability, governance, accountability, the control of corruption and the management of rapid change. It also requires new forms of macro-economic management, a tough and independent regulatory environment and the creation of well managed sovereign wealth funds or the like to invest wisely for a nation’s future. It also challenges every poli-
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tician’s relationship to their electorate in respect of the equitable distribution of such wealth through to the provision of social programs and the management of taxation. For this reason, if oil in substantial quantities were to be found in one or another of the countries above, they would be wise to study closely for best (or worst) practice the experience of countries or regions as diverse as Norway, Ghana, Alaska, or Nigeria. For the Caribbean there are also important issues relating to the environment and tourism. As the Bahamas is finding, there is a need before agreeing to exploration to reconcile – ideally through an independent and respected national body – the conflicting interests of tourism, the environment and an industry which while essentially safe, will always carry with it recognized risks. Other issues arise as well. As some Governments like Jamaica and Cuba have already realized, the appearance of an oil industry, even nearby, offers much broader economic opportunity through the huge secondary economic demand the oil sector creates for offshore services, storage and transhipment, let alone, if the size of the find is big enough, refining and downstream industries. Oil in significant quantities would also bring significantly greater political and strategic attention to the region from the wider world, an issue that the Caribbean if wise would address on a regional basis. The probability is that oil and gas will be found before too long off one or another Caribbean nation. The implications require sober thought and careful analysis. David Jessop is the Director of the Caribbean Council and can be contacted at david.jessop@caribbean-council.org. Previous columns can be found at www.caribbeancouncil.org.
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june 8-22, 2012 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR
ASK LISA-ANNE
Knowledge is power
I Want Summer Help For My Failing 4th Grader Q. My son almost failed 4th grade this year. We got him extra tutoring and with the help of his dedicated teacher, he was able to make it through the rest of this school year. I am concerned that he will lose the new skills he has gained over the summer. How can I keep him from falling behind over the summer and prepare him for the next grade? A. It is so important to keep academic skills solid over the summer. Many children experience what’s called the ‘summer slump.’ When they return in September they appear to have never seen the tasks before. Keeping kids sharp academically, while they still enjoy the summer, is key to academic success. Kids are most vulnerable to lose the skills they learned in the last few months of school as there was less time to practice. The National Summer Learning Association reports that most students lose about two months of grade-level equivalency in mathe-
matical skills over the summer months. Low-income students also lose more than two months in reading achievement. Keeping the previous skills in tact and learning some new things for the next grade, do not have to be expensive. Most bookstores have paperback books for various subjects and for various grade levels. Some have one big book for each grade. I would recommend focusing on reading, math and writing skills. Science and social studies are important subjects too, but if your child is deficient in reading skills, he/she will have difficulty reading about science and social studies. It’s very important to remember that it’s more beneficial to work on academics everyday for short periods than once a week for long periods of time. For your son’s age and grade, I think 2 hours per day is adequate. If he is way behind, he can practice 2 hours in the morning and then enjoy some free time and then an additional hour in the late afternoon to polish his skills. Get a small review 4th grade book for the first few weeks of summer and then introduce the 5th grade skills for the rest of the summer or combine them. You will be re-teaching, teaching and pre-teaching. Here are some ideas you can use to assist you this summer: 1. Visit your local library and get your son a card so he can take out books to read. 2. Use indoor computer online time wisely with Math Playground, Funbrain, and Math
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Arcade, sites that turn math practice into pure entertainment. Coolmath4kids lets your number cruncher play games to learn times tables, decimals, and fractions. Visual learners can watch videos on teachertube that make learning fractions fun. During quiet time, slip science into your child’s nightly reading – see these recommendations of great science and nature books for your fourth or fifth grader. 3. Take advantage of the programs your library may offer for the summer. 4. Look for local churches that have small camps that provide academic support. 5. Do some simple science projects with your son that he can help create. 6. Visit local parks, the zoo, aquariums and museums as these build much needed vocabulary skills and teach science and history. 7. Take him grocery shopping with you and buy some new foods you’ve never had before and let him help you find recipes and help you cook. This again builds vocabulary and organization skills. He can also benefit from measuring and weighing as math skills. 8. Let him help you plant a garden in the backyard or in pots in an apartment window. 9. After all of these activities, encourage him to write about all he did that day. 10. Try the summer programs at school, Boys and Girls Club, community center or local Parks and Recreation Department. Summer
Lisa-Anne Ray-Bayers
File photo
activity programs give kids a place to learn new skills, make new friends and be active. 11. Limit TV and video game time to 2 to 3 hours per day! 12. Although kids won’t have school, they should still get enough rest each night so insist they are in bed early. 13. Summer is the perfect time for parents to take control of their family’s health. Eating healthy and living active helps kids feel good, reduces stress, improves strength and increases self-esteem. 14. Let them read what they want. Unlike the school year, summer offers days and days of freedom to read what they want to, rather than having to read certain books.
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CORPORATE PARTY BIRTHDAY PARTY BABY SHOWER WEDDINGS ALL OCCASIONS
ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT Machel For Caribbean Beach Festival
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rinidad-born soca star, Machel Montano, is set to take Jones Beach Nokia Theater by storm this July.
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“Machel on d’ Beach,” presented by Foreign Bass Entertainment, is set for July 8th. The day-long concert is catering to over 10,000 people, featuring the reigning 2012 triple
Soca crown winner and his HD Family. This will be the first time Jones Beach Nikon Theater will be the home of a Caribbean Concert. Also set to perform are Caribbean artistes Kerwin DuBois, Farmer Nappy, Patrice Roberts and Reggae Artists Baby Chame and I-Octane and Walker Hornung. Concert goers and celebrities will experience a unique flavor of ambiance fused with the element of Caribbean with the backdrop of Jones Beach.
Lauryn Hill Faces Tax Woes With IRS
S
inger Lauryn Hill on Thursday was charged with failing to file federal income tax returns for three years during which she earned more than $1.8 million, officials said.
Hill did not file an income tax return to the Internal Revenue Service from 2005 to 2007, the Department of Justice said in a statement. During this time her income, which primarily comes from recording and film royalties, totaled more than $1.8 million dollars.
The three counts against Hill each carry a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine, the department said. The William Morris Agency, which represents Hill, declined to comment. Hill's lawyer, Nathan J. Hochman, could not be reached for comment. Hill, once a member of the hip-hop band Fugees, is best known for "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill," the 1998 album that won five Grammys, including Album of the Year. Hill also owns and operates four companies: Obverse Creations Music Inc., Boogie Tours Inc., L.H. Productions 2001 Inc., and Studio 22 Inc., the Justice Department
said. Hill, whose home address is listed as South Orange, New Jersey, is scheduled to appear on the charges before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Shipp in Newark on June 29.
NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR * June 8-22, 2012
entertainment
VISA Back:
Beenie Set For NYC
T
wo years after his USA work permit was initially cancelled, controversial DJ Beenie Man, aka Moses Davis will return to the USA for a performance at the inaugural 'Groovin In The Park' concert on Sunday, July 1, 2012 at Roy Wilkins Park, Queens, NY. Beenie Man, who recently lost his dad, was one of five top Jamaican entertainers whose visas and work permits were revoked by the US Embassy in Kingston, Jamaica in April 2010. "I am extremely excited to announce that our booking agent here in New York was able to secure a work permit for the dancehall king Beenie Man to be a headline performer at this year’s 'Groovin In
the Park' concert on July 1,” and elated Christopher Roberts, CEO of Groovin Inc., parent company of Groovin In The Park said. “Music fans in the tri-state area have been waiting for a very long time for the opportunity to see Beenie Man perform live here in the USA again. I am glad we were instrumental in making it happen for the fans. Beenie Man is an extremely talented entertainer and we are happy that he will be again able to showcase his talents on stage in New York” Roberts said. R&B crooner R Kelly who was originally booked for the Queens concert will not perform. "Kelly will no longer perform at the
'Groovin In The Park' concert because of a scheduling conflict with the date of our festival on Sunday, July 1" Roberts said. "We have added Beenie Man and also plan to add an exciting high calibre R&B artiste to the line up. An announcement will beforthcoming in the media shortly" he said. Other headline performers for 'Groovin In The Park' are Boyz 11 Men, Jimmy Cliff and Beres Hammond. 'Groovin In The Park' is in part a tribute to three great nations who are celebrating independence anniversaries: the United States celebrating 236, and Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago who are both celebrating 50 this year.
Konshens Inks Exclusive Deal With VP New Single ‘Gal A Bubble’ Tops Singles Chart
V
P Records and Subkonshus Music join forces in an exclusive deal to promote Konshens' chart-topping summer anthem "Gal A Bubble."
The single, from one of hottest emerging dancehall artists, will be featured on VP's top-selling series Reggae Gold 2012. The label began servicing the song to commercial radio this week. Konshens' "Gal A Bubble" is currently sweeping the streets and charts in Jamaica.
The track has been consistently selling on iTunes and has landed the #1 spot for the second week in a row on Jamaica's Weekly Music Countdown Chart by Richie B. The "Gal A Bubble" video has also received almost 1.5 million YouTube views to date. About Konshens Born Garfield Delano Spence in the St. Andrew parish of Jamaica, the multitalented singer and lyricist got his start while living in Kingston. In 2005, Konshens and his brother Delus formed the musical duo Sojah. Their first single ''Pon Di Corner," produced by Cash Flow Records, led to the release of two Sojah albums in Japan. As a solo artist, Konshens is known for hits
like "Jamaican Dance" (from the video game Just Dance 3), "Do Sum'n," "The Realest Song," "Good Girl Gone Bad" with Tarrus Riley and "Winner" (which received a Song Of The Year nomination from Jamaica's 2008 Hype TV Awards). Konshens also took home the title of Best New Artist at Jamaica's Excellence In Music and Entertainment (EME) Awards as well as Stone Love Awards that same year. In February 2012, he released the solo album Mental Maintenance on his own label Subkonshus Music through VPAL distribution. The album has been well received by fans, and critics like BBC raved that the release was "nothing short of essential."
101.5FM MUSIC CHART TOP DANCEHALL HITS
# ARTIST
SONG
1. KOSHENS BUBBLE 2. MOVADO CAN’T HOLD MI 3. POTENTIAL KID YOU SO NICE 4. MR VEGAS BRUCK IT DOWN 5. BABY CHAM WINE 6. POPCAAN CLEAN 7. NAVINO LIVE FOREVER 8. VYBZ KARTEL PARTY MI SEH 9. KOSHENS BUN SATAN 10. RASS RIDDLEY & TORI ALL YOUR LOVE
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june 8-22, 2012 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR
more A&E
Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte Defends Poor In America
L
egendary calypso singer and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte has claimed that America has criminalised the poor.
The singer, now 85, said that although he voted for Barack Obama, he is disappointed by how the President has spent his time in office. “My criticism of Obama is not based upon on petty politics, it’s not Republican verses Democrat, it's based on deeply provoking human circumstances,” he said. "America has the largest prison population in the world. By far the largest majority of that population is black and young and the incarceration machine is relentless in how it carnivorously sucks up the young and people who are poor.” “America has criminalised poverty and if you've criminalised poverty, you've got a huge class of people that are going to be demonised,” he added. “I think that the President of the United States of America has a moral obligation, forget politics, he has a moral obligation to change the direction of this tragedy and by not doing that I think he misused or abused or lost the real essence of why he was voted of many of us to be the President.” Belafonte, who is perhaps best known for singing the Banana Boat Song with its iconic Day-O lyric, also spoke of his struggles with racism. He recalled an incident where he was accosted by a policeman for using a segregated toilet. “When I got to the urinal this state trooper, fully adorned in uniform, said ‘If you let go of a drop you're a dead n****r’.” Belafonte's daughter has made of film of her father's life entitled Sing your Song.
NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR * June 8-22, 2012
13
Herbs, Spices Add Healthy Zest By Fran Berkoff
G
ardening season has begun and whether you have a backyard garden, a plot in a community garden or even a balcony garden, I hope you can plant some yummy vegetables and also include fresh herbs.
Basil, dill, parsley, coriander and more all grow well and can provide wonderful flavours in your food. These fresh herbs add not just wonderful taste to food but if you're trying to reduce sodium or fat, they're even more important. We always think of spices
and herbs as something that adds taste, but we forget that they also can provide health benefits. As I've written often, everything that comes out of the ground, whether it's an apple, carrot or parsley, has important plant chemicals that protect the plant as it grows and protects your health when it's ingested. Researchers have shown that many culinary herbs have antioxidants that are powerful protectors against disease. Several years ago, researchers measured the antioxidants in about 1,000 common foods and published a list of the best. Of the 50 with the most antioxidants, 12 were herbs or spices. Now, it's not realistic to think that you'd eat enough of the herbs and spices to provide the same protection as a serving of peppers or berries, but they do add important benefits and shouldn't be seen just as a pretty garnish. Some of the most potent
ones include garlic, cinnamon, rosemary, oregano, turmeric, cloves, ginger, basil, curry, chili and parsley. Herbs vs spices? The difference between herbs and spices is where they come from on the plant. Herbs are the leaf of the plant (e. g. parsley or basil) and spices are the roots (e. g. ginger), bark (e. g. cinnamon), buds (e. g. cloves) or seeds. The herbs can be both fresh or dried, but since its growing season this is a good time to eat more fresh. Dried herbs are much more concentrated than fresh, so you use smaller amounts in cooking. A few tips on herbs: If shopping for herbs, buy them close to the time you plan to use them. If you're growing them, the best time to pick them is morning, before the sun gets hot. Choose ones with bright co-
lour and no signs of wilting or browning. If the leaves are beginning to yellow or brown or have black spots, it could mean the herbs are no longer fresh. Wash herbs just before you use them. Wash smaller amounts thoroughly under cool, running water, pat dry, shake off moisture or dry with a salad spinner. Store in sealed containers or plastic bags in the refrigerator. Fresh herbs (washed and patted dry) can also be frozen in freezer bags. Unlike dried herbs, fresh are best added toward the end of the cooking to preserve their flavour. They can be added to refrigerated cooked foods several hours before serving. Spices and dried herbs should be stored in an airtight container, in a cool, dry dark place away from light and heat.
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june 8-22, 2012 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR
travel Bahamas - 4 nights at Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach - An All-Inclusive Resort, a 3-star All-Inclusive resort in Grand Bahama Island, arriving July 5, starting at $350 per person based on double occupancy ($700 per room), FastDeal #R10171 1-800-998-6925
Bahamas - 7 nights at Breezes Resort & Spa - Bahamas, a 4-star All-Inclusive resort in Nassau, arriving August 11, starting at $812 per person based on double occupancy ($1,624 per room), FastDeal #R10128 1-800-998-6925
Beyond The Beach: Great Ideas For Outdoor Activities This Summer
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asking on the beach or playing in the surf are high points of summer vacation for many people. In fact, going to the beach is among the top five activities for American leisure travelers, according to the U.S. Travel Association.
While beach time will always have its place in the hearts of anyone who loves being outside in summer, there are plenty more ways to enjoy the great outdoors beyond the surf and sand. Consider these tips from the outdoor fun experts at the Myrtle Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau: * Warm up to wildlife - Look for an outdoor destination that will afford the opportunity to see native wildlife in its natural habitat. From dolphin watching to critter spotting, getting an eyeful of the local wildlife can be a fun, exciting way to enjoy the outdoors. Choose a spot that offers variety. For example, Huntington Beach State Park in the Myrtle Beach area of South Carolina is home to more than 300 species of birds, making it a favorite birding spot for both beginners and dedicated birders. Further south, the Center for Birds of Prey also offers weekly flight demonstrations of wild birds. * Play on and in the water - When you want to really enjoy all the water has to offer, look for a beach destination that offers an array of water sports, from windsurfing and parasailing to
kayaking or fly fishing. * Romp under the water - Splashing in the surf is great fun, but don't overlook the cool things that wait beneath the surface. Snorkeling for brightly colored fish and coral is great for the whole family or, if you're more adventurous, shipwrecks serve as homes to underwater sea creatures and make interesting viewing for explorers. Look for outfitters like Coastal Scuba in Murrells Inlet, S.C., that offer scuba adventures for divers of varying experience levels. * Get the lay of the land - When you want to wander away from the water, look for a destination that offers interesting landscape beyond the beach. The best destinations will offer a variety of interesting hiking and biking trails, appropriate for people of varying skill levels. * Go guided and organized - You can work up a sweat and enjoy the great outdoors with more sophisticated fun, too. Golf is the ultimate refined sport and a healthy way to savor time outside. It can even be an opportunity for family time. In Myrtle Beach, 46 courses offer free play for children during the summer months, including Arrowhead Country Club, which is renowned for its scenic Intracoastal Waterway views and all-day tee times. Another unique Myrtle Beach opportunity is "paddleboard yoga." Surf the Earth, a gear shop in Myrtle Beach, leads a paddle to a secluded beach where participants enjoy core-focused yoga. When it comes to outdoor fun in the summer sun, no one wants to miss the beach. But when you're ready to get off the beach towel, keep in mind the plethora of other activities and opportunities the great outdoors offer.
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NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR * June 8-22, 2012
15
the black church
African American Clergy Must Decide: A Line Drawn In The Sand Or - Walking The Plank By Rev. Dr. Clenard H. Childress, Jr.
D
r. Martin Luther King’s book, “A Stride Toward Freedom,” was considered the handbook of the Civil Rights movement of the fifties and sixties.
It was in this writing Dr. King expressed the necessity for the Church to be engaged and informed about the social injustices plaguing the country. Dr. King said, “It is not enough for the Church to be active in the realm of ideas; it must move out to the area of social action.” As I have related repeatedly, America is not at the crossroads, it has all ready gone down the wrong road and it’s all happened while the Church in America has stood amicably by. Race is not found in heaven but certainly plays a major role here on earth and certainly in America. It is quite ironic, no, just down right insidious that it would be the first Black president to ‘draw the line in the sand’ demanding the Black Church to follow in complete allegiance, in complete lockstep. ‘Drawing the line in the sand’ does not adequately describe the challenge to the Church, since the president has now declared his open support for homosexual marriage; it is more like walking the plank, and just before you step into oblivion, Barack Obama removes the blindfold. Being fair, the president inherited Roe Vs Wade. Abortion has been a scourge on the land for nearly 40 years. Unfortunately the Black Church ignored Obama’s deplorable record on the moral issues, his heartless, calloused voting record on abortion, and his ever advancing abortion agenda with many of the key Church leadership knowing the decimating effect abortion is having on the African-American community. Moreover, these last few years, much of the Black Leadership - some well meaning with good intentions - have been blindly following and supporting the president’s policies but last Tuesday, Obama lifted the blindfold. If you didn’t know where Barack Obama was going all along, you should most assuredly know now. You excused his Klan-like relationship with Planned Parenthood and blatant disregard for the Judeo-Christian ethic you claim as your own. Yes, Church, he’s been cheating on you all along, but you ignored the signs because, you just wanted to work it out. You were hoping you could make him love you and take care of home. Well, we ignored the late nights coming home... the missing cufflinks... the strange numbers on his cell phone... and calls made when you were not around. Now the president has let you know, he is in bed with someone else, and demands you must go along with it. And when you asked him why he cheated on you, he said he “talked it over with his daughters and Michelle,” and to add insult to injury, hoping he’d fooled all of us, had the audacity to claim it was teachings he learned from the One who built and founded you. Wake Up Church! In a further effort to blur the lines between truth and falsehood, Nancy Pelosi is emailing America telling you how wonderful it is for the president to stand up for marriage equality, and Al Sharpton has written you letters literally asking you to not let this effect your - voting - allegiance to the president, ‘cause he’s counting on you’ this November. And no doubt, Roland Martin of CNN - appealing to your vanity - is on the phone right this minute, burning up the wires, trying to get the biggest names in Christendom to do another interview with the sole purpose of damage control and further bewitching the minds of the saints so you stay enthralled with the color of the president’s skin and not the content of his character. Continued on Page 20
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june 8-22, 2012 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR
Dwight Williams, DDS, MPH
health & living
What Are The Different Types Of Dental Fillings? By Dwight Williams, DDS, MPH
D
ental fillings are used to fill dental cavities once the decay have been removed by the dentist.
A drill is used to remove the decayed portion of the tooth, this is caused by acid-producing bacteria that invades a tooth. Poor oral hygiene that causes plaque and tartar build up provides the environment in which these bacteria flourish. Once the infected hard tissues have been removed, the resulting cavity preparation must be filled in order to restore structural integrity to the tooth. This helps to prevent further damage to the tooth and hopefully prevents the need for eventual root canal or extraction. Types of Dental fillings - Amalgam ( also called silver fillings) - Composite resin ( also called white or plastic filling) - Glass Ionomer Cement - Resin- Ionomer Cement - Porcelain ( ceramic) - Gold Amalgam: these fillings are a mixture of mercury( 43-54 %) and powdered alloy made mostly of silver, tin, zinc and copper .Due to the known toxicity of mercury, the main component of amalgam fillings, there is ongoing discussion on the use of this filling material. These fillings have been in use for many years and are very strong, they can withstand heavy biting pressure. In addition to that, it is relatively inexpensive and most dental insurance companies will cover amalgam fillings. Composite Resin: these fillings are a mixture of powdered glass and plastic resin, and can be made to resemble the appearance of natural tooth. They are strong, durable and cosmetically superior to the ‘silver’ fillings. These fillings are more expensive than amalgams and usually take a little longer to do. They stain over a period of time depending on factors such as tea, coffee and tobacco use. For the posteria teeth, composite fillings are not as strong as amalgam but many dentist and patients prefer them due to the more cosmetic appearance. Many insurance companies do not pay for composite filling on back teeth. Glass Ionomer Cement: these fillings are a mixture of glass and organic acid, they are tooth colored but vary in translucency. They contain and
releases fluoride which is important in preventing carious lesions. They are usually used for root caries and sealants. Resin-Ionomer Cement: these are a combination of glass ionomer Amalgams have been used for more than 100 and composite resin and usually reyears and continue to be used by many dentists quires to be light cured to become around the world. hard. Porcelain: these fillings are hard and brittle and can wear away opposing teeth. Gold: Gold fillings ( not gold caps) have excellent durability and if done properly can last a long time, up to 30-40 years. However due to the availability of composite ‘white’ fillings and recent advances in dental porcelains, gold fillings are not done as much any more. They are also very expensive usually made with 14 or 18 kt gold for inlays and onlays or 24 kt gold when done as a ‘gold foil’, a certain type of filling that is rarely done anymore. Recommendation: the most obvious differences between amalgam and composite fillings are the color. Although more cosmetic, composite fillings are not as strong as amalgam fillings and may have to be replaced more often if used on the back teeth. Composites are the filling of choice for front teeth, they can mimic natural teeth color very closely and are used to get great cosmetic results. Amalgams have been used for more than 100 years and continue to be used by many dentists around the world. Even in small amounts, mercury can be a deadly poison. However, in a filling, the metals are mixed into a highly durable, stable compound and only an infinitesimal amount escapes into the body, less than half of what we normally get daily from food, air and water. However because of the recent controversy surrounding mercury in food stuff, dental fillings and the environment, many patients are opting to replace their amalgam fillings with composite fillings. This decision should be purely elective for the patient, because no scientific study to date have indicated that dental fillings release significant mercury in the body to cause any harm.
Dr. Dwight Williams
Dr. Dwight Williams is the founder of Optimum Dental Care, “a state of the art” dental facility located at 3370 Baychester Avenue in the Northeast Bronx. The facility is equipped with the most modern dental equipment and technology that are presently available. Optimum Dental Care, LLC is a multi-specialty group practice, having on staff Board eligible and Board certified specialists in the different areas of dentistry. To contact Dr. Williams or Optimum Dental Care, LLC. call (718) 671-2826 or visit the website at: www. optimumdentalcare.com
NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR * June 8-22, 2012
Longer Life Spans Shifting Focus Toward Dignity, Quality Of Life
T
he life expectancy for average Americans is longer than ever before - 78 years for a child born in 2007 versus 71 who was born in 1970, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
That's the good news, and it's been evolving over decades. Until recently, however, that positive change has come with a less happy corollary: More aging Americans are entering long-term care facilities, where they cope with basic issues of dignity such as incontinence, and independence, like the ability to choose their own waking and meal times. The need to address the issues of dignity and independence is spurring change in the health care and extended care communities. "With people living so much longer, a sea change is occurring in the health care community, and especially among providers of extended care," says Dan Love, president of the personal care division for Medline Industries, Inc. "The focus is shifting away from simply extending life and toward a greater emphasis on enhancing quality and maintaining dignity in the later years of life." To better preserve the dignity of those in long-term care, a culture change movement is afoot in longterm care facilities, which is good news for older Americans. Today's long-term care facilities are transforming services for older adults
n y c
through better attention to patientdirected values that include choice, dignity, respect, self-determination and purposeful living, according to the Pioneer Network, a not-for-profit advocacy group. "The resident-centered care in long-term care encompasses nearly every aspect of life, from simple things like incontinence products that fit properly, to allowing residents to determine when they would like to get up in the morning and have dinner at night," Love says. "These changes focus on preserving an individual's dignity and autonomy as much as possible." In fact, incontinence is a good example of a simple, yet pervasive need that directly impact's an individual's sense of dignity. More than half of all nursing home residents are incontinent, and it's the second leading cause of institutionalization, according to the National Association for Incontinence. Yet in the past, incontinence products have been little more than extra-large diapers that did little to preserve an individual's dignity. Demand for better fitting products prompted Medline to develop a new design in adult briefs. FitRight provides a more comfortable, garment-like fit, with odor protection and leak guards that enhance the wearer's dignity, mobility and independence. Visit www.medline.com/ pages/fitright to learn more about incontinence products. "By switching to better-fitting, discreet and more absorbent incontinence products, facilities have taken steps toward mitigating the embarrassing effects of this issue," Love says. "It's a good example of how facilities are emphasizing the need to
listen to - and respond - to residents' needs and concerns." With Americans living longer, that means there will be a lot more of them. About 13 percent of the population (nearly 40 million people) are 65 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. By 2030, that number is expected to rise to 72 million, or nearly one in five Americans; and the need for quality extended care facilities and products like FitRight will almost certainly rise with that number. If you need to seek extended care for a loved one, the Pioneer Network offers some advice on how to evaluate whether a facility is on board with, and acting on, the concept of patient-directed care. The organization recommends you ask these questions: * How will they get to know your family member? - The facility may have a questionnaire to gather information about your loved one, and should be prepared to spend time with you and the patient to learn about their preferences, past, current interests, goals and wishes for the future. * Will your family member be able to choose his or her own wakeup and meal times? * Will your loved one be able to choose to have a shower or bath, and when that will happen? * What recreational activities will be available? "Every day, we're learning more about how to extend life," Love says. "Now, the challenge is to ensure that extra time is lived with the most dignity and best quality possible. Extended care facilities are finding that they can achieve that goal, often by taking some of the simplest steps."
h e l p l i n e s
1-800-LIFENET 1-800-LIFENET, a confidential, toll-free help line for New York City residents, is operated by the Mental Health Association of New York City (www.mhaofnyc. org) in partnership with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Alternate numbers are available for Spanish and Chinese callers. Domestic Violence Hotline If you are a victim of domestic violence and want to talk to a trained counselor, call (800) 621-HOPE free, 24 hours a day. Hot Line for Youth Programs and Crisis Intervention The NYC Youthline (800) 246-4646, staffed by trained “listeners� between the ages of 16-24, gives callers information in several languages on nearby youth programs and provides crisis intervention services.
Report a Child in Danger Child abuse and neglect reports can be made 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through the Child Abuse and Maltreatment Hotline (800) 342-3720. If a child is in immediate danger, call 911. Victim Information Notification Everyday (VINE) The New York City Police Department (NYPD) has a hotline for victims of crimes concerned about the custody status of the person charged in their cases: (888) VINE4NY.
Always dial 911 in case of Emergency
Health
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june 8-22, 2012 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR
word fit leisure
Can you fit the words correctly into the grid? (Solution, Page 22)
MORE OR LESS
Each letter of the alphabet has been given a different numerical value between 1 and 26. Four numbers have already been entered in the solution area. Most of the remaining letters have an arithmetical clue shown below them which equates to the numerical value of the letter. Use the clues and your reasoning powers to match each letter with its correct numerical value. Symbols: (+) Plus (-) Minus (/) Divided by (x) Multiplied by (>) More than (<) Less than Answer: Page 22
HUB WORDS
How many words can you make from the letters in the wheel? Each word must contain the hub letter R. Can you find a 9-letter word and at least 20 other words of five letters or more avoiding proper nouns? Answer: See Page 22
ARCH CAGE ONCE TYPE AGILE
CHEAP COYPU DWELL EVERY GIFTS MAGIC
VAGUE YARDS YOUTH DEVOUT SEASON WORSEN
ZITHER MERMAID NATURAL PROTEIN REFLECT SOLDIER
ZOOLOGY ABSORBED CHEERFUL REVEALED TOLERANT
Wordsearch
CELEBRITIES
Can you find the hidden words? They may be horizontal, vertical, diagonal, forwards or backwards.
AL PACINO, BRAD PITT, BRITNEY SPEARS, BRUCE WILLIS, CAMERON DIAZ, CHER, DOLLY PARTON, DREW BARRYMORE, ELIJAH WOOD, EWAN MCGREGOR, GEORGE CLOONEY, HALLE BERRY, HARRISON FORD, HUGH GRANT, JENNIFER LOPEZ, JODIE FOSTER, JOHN CUSACK, JOHNNY DEPP, JOHN TRAVOLTA, KEANU REEVES, KEVIN SPACEY, KURT RUSSELL, LIV TYLER, MADONNA, MEL GIBSON, TOM HANKS
NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR * June 8-22, 2012
money matters
Lat Auto Repairs, Inc.
FORMER TLC AUTO REPAIRS, INC.
CTO's Sylma Brown Bramble,SG Hugh Riley and HBC's Felicia Persaud at the Invest Caribbean Now Forum on Wednesday, at the Marriot Marquis in Times Square.
North American Investors Tout Positive Experiences At Invest Caribbean Now Forum North American investors, Jonathan Blue and Jay Yeo, are touting their positive investment experiences, in the Caribbean region. At the Invest Caribbean Now forum on June 6th in New York City, both institutional investors shared their experiences with over 150 delegates including over a dozen Caribbean ministers of government. Blue, chair of Blue Equity LLC, spoke of his multi-million dollar investments in Jamaica and expressed extreme satisfaction with the country and its business environment. He referenced seamless transitions among three governments since Blue Equity has invested in Jamaica. "Blue Equity is continuing to evaluate opportunities in the Caribbean and is committed to inspire other investment firms to follow their lead," Blue said. Jay Yeo, President of the Canadian-based Solamon Energy, spoke of his firm's work in the Caribbean and said governments should be focusing on renewables, especially solar, to solve its high energy cost. "Capital intensive renewable energy is an important vehicle to increase the inflow of capital into the Caribbean and achieve economic growth," said Yeo, adding that jobs could be increased 11 times more than in companies where energy comes from coal or natural gas. Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization and Minister of Tourism of St. Kitts/Nevis, Ricky Skerritt, opened the panel and said the Caribbean may not be a fully
fledged BRIC group yet, but the message from Invest Caribbean Now is, that it's on its way. Jean Arnell, vice president of the French Saint Martin Chamber of Commerce, told the audience that the Caribbean island is open for business and over the next five years is looking to create a "Free Zone" of office and warehouse, an island wide broadband open access network and expand its road, water and sewage networks and the Grand Case Airport for regional traffic. St. Martin was represented by a delegation of five including President of the Collectivity, Alain Richardson. In addition, there were several ministers of tourism present including Chief Minister Government of Anguilla, Minister of Finance, Economic Development, Investment, Commerce & Tourism, Hubert Hughes; and the Premier of the British Virgin Islands, Dr. Daniel Orlando Smith. Lisa Lake, Chief Development Director, Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship - Caribbean, who wrapped up the panel, insisted that the ultimate goal of the center was to help young entrepreneurs grow and create employment for others. One of the world's most renowned and successful entrepreneurs, Sir Richard Branson, was this year's inaugural Leadership Award recipient. Branson, in his acceptance remarks, said he is now directing a lot of his interest and his funds in entrepreneurial enterprises in the Caribbean through his Branson Center of Entrepreneurship - Caribbean and reiterated his
commitment to young entrepreneurs and the region. "The Caribbean may still be best known for its sun and its beaches, but we are proving that there is so much more to this region," said Felicia Persaud, CEO of Hard Beat Communications and convener of Invest Caribbean Now, in summing up the conclusion of the June 6th sold out power forum, held in collaboration with the Caribbean Tourism Organization, as part of Caribbean Week in New York. "What has to happen now is for government ministers to take their jobs of doing business with the private sector seriously." The forum was moderated by W. Dave Dowrich, Vice President of Risk and Capital Markets in the Financial Institutions Group at Goldman Sachs, who observed that "too long the Caribbean has been simply known as a playground and great for partying but when it comes to the serious business of investment - not so much so." "We hope to begin through this forum to change that image somewhat - yes the Caribbean is great to vacation, but it's also a hot emerging market that should not be ignored and should be considered for some of your wallet share," said Dowrich. Other private sector delegates included CEO of Spackman Capital, Martin Mohabeer; Lugano Group's Harold Doley, III, Dean Chang of CIBC Markets; Laura Perez of Merrill Lynch; Kathleen Mulhern of the Coleman Alliance and Brian Lilly, founder of One Caribbean Television.
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Too Many New York West Indians Numb To Vicious Slander & Rebuff By NYPD From Page 5 It might be they don’t read the Times but rather read the ethnic papers, which write about news that matters to them and their families in the US and the Caribbean. An online search, however, showed no mention of these comments in these ethnic papers. Thus, the primary goal of the NACAJ regional conference was to bring awareness. A threat to “drop a bomb and wipe them all out” is never “old news.” It has far-reaching implications for those who travel to New York and for those who remember 9/11. At least one community leader recognized the gravitas of this NACAJ moment and seized it to voice her concerns among dozens of people with the power to give her community a voice. “We are not naïve. We do know [anti-West Indian sentiment] exist. We know that it’s ignorant. But we were shocked at the audacity to put it out there,” said Yolanda Lezama-Clark, former president of the West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA) and
the daughter of the late Carols Lezama who popularized the event. His daughter didn’t need a hand-delivered invitation to the NACAJ meeting. She recognized the importance of the discussion in the current economic climate suffused with anti-immigrant sentiments. That is the exemplary response expected from our community leaders, and it is a voice the NYT’s editors and reporters could have sought out if they had those contacts in their rolodex. As someone who prides herself on being on the ground and close to the community, I’m aware that the ethnic press almost always gets the story first. That’s why most “mainstream” reporters worth their salt read ethnic papers. So I was not enamored by the NYT’s run of the article. But here’s an undeniable fact: The NYT reaches more than a million across the nation and the Western Hemisphere. It broadcasts the news to people like me who don’t live in New York but often travel and do business in the city. In the news business, we call that impact and reach. Maybe some jaded reporters need to rediscover what constitute news. There are many dimensions of news. Here’s one to consider: News is something that matters to a community. In this case, the NYT’s December 5 article will always be relevant news -- with legs -- to us.
African American Clergy Must Decide On Obama From Page 15 Let’s go back to Dr. Martin Luther King’s ‘Stride Toward Freedom’ and hear what he says about the preacher... “It is impossible to speak about the role of the Church without referring to the ministers. Every minister of the Gospel has a mandate to stand up courageously for righteousness, to proclaim the eternal verities of the Gospel, and to lead men from the darkness of falsehood and fear to the light of truth and love.” One of the “eternal verities” of the Gospel is that, marriage is between one man and one woman; another “eternal verities” of the Gospel is, Thou shalt not kill. Some who are reading this may say, ‘The Christian is supposed to forgive and go on and stay together.’ Well, first let me say in reply, we are to always forgive, but that does not mean I am to follow and support what is patently untenable and undeniably unconscio-
nable. Others may say, ‘Just as a wife or husband should forgive due to infidelity, we should forgive Barack Obama for his.’ That would be fine, Church, but in the spirit of John the Baptist, I declare unto you, it is not lawful for you to have him, for you are not married to him. Obama is not your husband! You must go back to your first love - JESUS and ask for His forgiveness. He will take you back, for he is married to the backslider and stands at the gate waiting for the Prodigal.... We must be free to stand up for righteousness as Dr. King charged and we must be bold in our positions, for ‘a man cannot serve two masters.’ We cannot walk in support of ideologies which are destroying the social fabric of the African-American community, this country, and diminish and demean the Gospel we preach. In closing, let’s look at Dr. King’s ‘Stride Toward Freedom’ once again for insight: “Any discussion of the
President Barack Obama role of the Christian minister today must ultimately emphasize the need for prophecy. Not every minister can be a prophet, but some must be prepared for the ordeals of his high calling and be willing to suffer courageously for righteousness.” A line in the sand - or - walking the plank... brethren, which is it? Rev. Dr. Clenard H. Childress, Jr. is the founder of www.BlackGenocide. org - a website designed to reach the Afro-American community with the truth about abortion.
opinions
Counting the Cost of War Forever Changed Lives Of Servicemen & Servicewomen By Eric Pomeroy
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othing is more firmly burned into my mind than the images from hours upon hours spent counseling soldiers and listening to servicemen and servicewomen tell story after devastating story of their experiences over in the desert and how their lives are forever changed in countless ways in many cases for the worse.
Are these devastated lives and in some cases lost lives really worth the ends that they are so carelessly sacrificed for? I am reminded of a young infantry soldier who came in my office one day and we were sitting and talking and he flashed back to a time when he was on patrol in Afghanistan and came across two Afghan men burying something in the sand off to one side of the road. He told the story of how he preceded to discharge two rounds into each of them at close range and watched their lifeless bodies fall to the ground. He went on to tell of how he would wake up in the middle of the night with cold sweats and see images of those Afghan men forever burned in his mind. I recall another story of an in-
telligence soldier who was in my office and told a story of how he was out on patrol and was taking a break while his team pulled security. He had taken a knee, taken his ballistic helmet off, and laid his M-4 down, within an arm’s reach, to take a drink of water. He continued on to tell of how a nomadic man came up and grabbed his M-4. He told of how he without a single hesitation took out his bayonet and slit the man’s throat. He hesitated as he spoke of how he witnessed the man in agony as he died. He made specific emphasis about how the real life death of someone by means of a slit throat is nothing like it is portrayed in the movies. This soldier too is devastated by images and nightmares of this man he watched die by his own hands. How would it feel to have your son, daughter, brother, sister, father, mother, husband, wife or cousin sent to a far of land and come back with these sorts of experiences to show for it? Would you be excited to send him or her out the door if you could foresee them going through this sort of devastation? Do you think it is really worth it? How about if it was a loved one of yours who was the person killed? Would the sacrifice be worth it to you? I remember doing a debriefing during a combat live-fire exercise, where all the soldiers were instructed to close their eyes for 30 minutes and think back to the field operation that had just taken place. Following that time of silence the soldiers were given an opportunity to share any thoughts or images that had come to their mind. There was one female quartermaster soldier who recounted of how she had been in a vehicle
Eric Pomeroy convoy in Afghanistan and how an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) had hit their convoy. She continued on to tell how the explosion destroyed the vehicle in front of hers and claimed the lives of her company commander and his driver. She spoke of how she can’t shake the thought that, it could have been her vehicle. She wouldn’t have been around to tell that story or to watch her two children grow up had it been her. These are just a few of the many servicemen and servicewomen’s life changing stories that I have heard during my hours of counseling. There are literally hundreds of thousands of stories just like these told throughout the U.S. Military. This sort of devastation affects all sorts of soldiers regardless of their jobs in the Military. In light of this very small sample, but not insignificant, of experiences it becomes very apparent that these ends don’t come anywhere near equating to the collateral damage and devastation that was caused in achieving such meager ends.
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dining
Red Peas Soup
Man is what he eats. Swapping
Recipes
Ingredients: • A few slices Bacon - chopped and stir-fried. • One or two stalks scallion - chopped. • One can of Red Peas (Kidney beans). • A sprig of fresh Thyme. • A few pieces of Scotch Bonnet pepper - deseeded and de-veined. • 1 chicken, pork or beef stock cube - or a teaspoon of powdered or liquid stock of any sort. • 1/2 teaspoon of any sugar (I use dark brown or muscavado). Directions: •Put the tin of red peas, the sprig of fresh thyme, the pieces of scotch bonnet, and the stock cube, into a saucepan. •Add enough water to cover them. •Blend till smooth with a stick blender, adding extra water if necessary to give a thick soup consistency. •Add the stir fried chopped bacon and scallion. •Stir and taste. •It is very doubtful if you will need to add black pepper or salt, but if you do add them according to your taste. •Bring all ingredients just to a simmer in a saucepan.
Be Fit, Have Fun This Summer
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ummer means longer days, warmer temperatures, and more time spent outdoors. The pleasant weather brings more opportunities to improve your lifestyle and start a new commitment to wellness. With a few tips, you can be on your way to fit and fun summer living.
1. Eat fresh. Summer is prime time for fresh produce, and incorporating fruits and vegetables into your daily menus is a delicious way to a fit lifestyle. With a high-performance blender like the Vitamix 5200, you can easily make hundreds of whole-food recipes that taste great. Whether it’s a whole-fruit smoothie, frozen sorbet, fat-free salad dressing, or veggie dip, this powerhouse machine can whip up endless nourishing options. Vitamix offers nutritious recipes that are perfect for any summer occasion, so your taste buds will stay happy while you get in shape this summer. A nutrientpacked fruit smoothie takes only seconds to prepare in the Vitamix 5200 and is sure to please even the pickiest palate. 2. Move it. Getting fit doesn’t need to mean hours at the gym, especially during these warmer months. Simple activities like going for a bike ride or taking your dog for a walk are great ways to get moving while also enjoying the outdoors. Swimming is a great lowimpact, full-body exercise that lets you work out while cool-
ing off. Or try another sport that you wouldn’t be able to participate in during winter, such as golf, outdoor basketball, or beach volleyball. Making an activity part of your routine is a great way to keep at it, so set aside a window of time for exercise each day. Take advantage of the warm weather and get moving outdoors for a fit and funfilled summer. 3. Relax. Summer is the perfect opportunity to unwind and treat yourself to some “me” time. Focus on doing things you enjoy, such as finishing that book you’ve been reading for months, learning to play tennis or how to surf, or simply basking in the sunshine. Whatever you choose, make time each week to let go and de-stress. Summer is a popular season for vacations to the beach and other outdoor destinations, but you can also find tranquility in your own backyard. Meditation and yoga are calming activities that will leave you
feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, too. 4. Sleep. You can improve your lifestyle even when you’re not awake. Good sleep habits are essential to physical and mental well-being, and inadequate rest can curtail your efforts to eat right and exercise. Muscles need time to repair and regenerate after working hard, making proper rest a vital component of any fitness routine. Make sure your bedroom is a comfortable temperature, adding fans or blankets as needed, and remove or turn off bright lights and electronic screens. Get into a nightly routine, and try not to eat or exercise for at least an hour prior to going to sleep. When you’re wellrested and rejuvenated, the other aspects of your improved lifestyle will be even more enjoyable and effective.
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libertystarsports
Catch Me If You Can
C
o-champions Jamaica had Dominica in its rear view for the duration of its season opener, June 3, at Thomas Jefferson High School Field, in Brooklyn, destroying the competition by 9-0, to register one of the most lopsided contest in the 21 year history of the Caribbean Cup Soccer Championship. (Photo courtesy of Sharon Bennett) Hub Words\More or Less Solutions From Page 18
9-letter word - NAVIGATOR Some other words of five letters or more containing the hub letter R:
agora, antra, aorta, argon, argot, atria, grain, grant, griot, groan, groat, groin, intro, naira, noria, organ, raita, ratio, riant, riata, taira, tiara, train, varan, vigor (US), virga, angora, organa, rating, ration, raving, roving, trigon, virago, aviator, orating, vagrant, variant.
SOLUTIONS WORD FIT SOLUTIONS
From Page 18
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Sports
Jamaican track star Yohan Blake
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My Time To Shine
By Ivrol Hines
J Usain Bolt of Jamaica celebrates winning the men's 100m race during the Diamond League athletics competition at the Bislett Stadium in Oslo, Thursday.
Bolt Pips Powell In 100m
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sain Bolt was pushed all the way in the 100m before powering home to take victory at the Diamond League in Oslo in a time of 9.79 seconds.
The world record holder finished clear of Asafa Powell, who came second in 9.85 seconds, his best time of 2012. Team GB's Marlon Devonish finished sixth but Mark Lewis-Francis was disqualified following a false start. Jessica Ennis, who was taking part in the 100m hurdles, also missed out after false-starting. The men's 100m was the race everyone was waiting for and it did not disappoint. Jamaican Powell has history in Oslo after setting the stadium record of 9.72 seconds two years ago. Neither he nor Bolt could emulate that time but Powell did enjoy his best time of the year so far, as the compatriots head into form at the right time. Powell started the better, as he
burst out of the blocks and must have thought, for a split second at least, he had got the better of his countryman, only for Bolt to power through to pip him at the post. Such was his surge at the end, his momentum almost saw a flower girl sent flying but, still beaming from victory, the Jamaican showed some neat footwork to keep the girl on her feet. It was a night of mixed emotions for the Britons in action with LewisFrancis and Ennis disqualified. Ennis, who was making a rare appearance at the Diamond League, qualified for the final of the 100m hurdles in third place, behind world champion Sally Pearson. But as she lined up for the final she was too eager to get out of the blocks and was shown a red card. The race got under way without the heptathlete and as expected Australia’s Pearson won in some style, with a time of 12.49 seconds, with Great Britain’s Tiffany Porter in third place. Britain’s world 400m champion Dai Greene was making his first Diamond League appearance of the season and admitted he struggled to keep the pace set by winner Javier Culson. The Puerto Rican cruised to victory in a time of 47.82 seconds, with
Greene in fourth with 48.98. “I think I went off too fast for where my fitness levels are at the moment,” said a disappointed Greene, who has been suffering with a virus. Nicola Sanders was another who was left disappointed after she came eighth in the women’s 400m, some three seconds behind Botswana’s Amantel Montsho who made easy work of the field in a time of 49.68. “I’m really disappointed,” said the 29-year-old Brit. “I felt really good in warm-up. It’s a shocking time, just wasn’t good enough.” Abi Oyepitan finished second in the women’s 200m behind Murielle Ahoure, who ran the fifth fastest time in the world this year. Oyepitan also competed in the 100m but finished in last place, in a time of 11.70. Fellow Brit Montell Douglas finished fifth, while Norwegian Ezinne Okparaebo took first place on home turf. There was better news in the 800m where Britain took first and second place. Gareth Warburton set a new Welsh record as he won the race in one minute 44.98 seconds, which is also an Olympic ‘A’ standard. Guy Learmonth came second, with a personal best of 1:47.14.
amaican track and field star and World 100-meter champion Yohan Blake says he wants to prove himself on the world’s largest athletic platform, the Olympic Games to be held this summer in London. Blake says he is ready for an Olympic display that will propel him past his training partner -- and world’s fastest man -- Usain Bolt. According to Blake, training is going really well and he is optimistic. “I think everything is going according to plan even though I’ve just run 200s so far for this season,” the youngest world 100m champion said Thursday during a press conference for the Diamond League Meet to be held at Icahn Stadium in New York, this weekend. “I think everything is going really well.” Blake believes he has a shot at gold in the summer games and possibly even a world record. “When I run I just think about what my coach told me and go out there and execute the race because anything is possible,” he said. “Everybody wants to be that number one person. You don’t want to be that second guy. I already have a world championship and for me that don’t count. That was last year. This year is this year. In London I have to earn my respect, and say look this is going to be my first Olympics, I want to be an Olympian, I want a gold medal at the Olympics and that’s where I want my respect.”
Butts: Gayle Will Bring Quality
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hairman of selectors Clyde Butts has welcomed Chris Gayle’s return to the West Indies team for the one-day tour of England and says the big-hitting left-hander will bring a “quality dimension” to the Caribbean side. The talismanic Gayle was on Monday chosen in a 15-man squad, breaking a protracted impasse with the West Indies Cricket Board that saw him excluded from selection for the last 14 months. “Chris is a player of proven quality and we are looking forward to him adding this dimension to the side and his contributions as a senior member of the
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Chris Gayle
squad,” Butts said. The way was paved for Gayle’s return after he sat down in a high-level meeting in St. Vincent on Sunday with his representative Michael Hall, WICB president Julian Hunte, WICB director Elson Crick and the Board’s legal officer Alanna Medford. St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves and Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer also attended the meeting. Gayle, who has scored 8087 runs from 228 ODIs with 19 centuries, will now join the side led by captain Darren Sammy and which includes eight members of the current Test squad already on tour. Trinidadian opener Lendl Simmons has also been recalled following injury while Dwayne Smith has been given the nod in a one-day unit for the first time in over two years. Butts said the composition of the team reflected the continued preparation for the 2015 World Cup in Australia. “We are now beginning to move into the next phase of the development of the team as we continue to build our ODI side as we continue to plan for the 2015 World Cup,” Butts pointed out.
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