harlem news group, ny, nov. 21, 2013 bronx- art is our last hope, paolo bruscky

8/13/2019 Harlem News Group, NY, Nov. 21, 2013 Bronx- Art is Our Last Hope, Paolo Bruscky

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Ha r l em New sVol. 13 No. 47 November 21 - November 27, 2013 FREE

The Harlem News Group, Inc . C onne c t ing Ha rlem, Que ens , Broo k lyn and The South Bronx

C o m m u n i t y

G ood News You C an Use

visit our website: www.harlemnewsgroup.c om

face/ harlemnewsinc

@harlemnewsinc

Community C alendar of Events page 8

KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR CELEBRATES

NEW CHILDRENS BOOK WITH STUDENTS

page 21

NAACP NYState77th Annual Convention

page 22

Good Works In the Community:

West Harlem GroupAssistance, Inc.

page 10

National Black TheatreDisplays a Piece of Harlem with

The Last Saint on Sugar Hill

page 11


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A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER

Next Issue: November 28, 2013

Publisher/Editor Pat StevensonFilm/Entertainment Roberto JohnsonA&E Editor Linda Armstrong

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GOOD NEWS YOU CAN USE

Our Mission StatementThe Harlem News Group, Inc. will publish posi-

tive news and information. Our mission is to delivergood and informative news to our readers focus-ing on health, education, housing, business andemployment opportunities. We look for and publishresults, not problems. We promote businesses,opportunities and events happening in the commu-nities we serve. We are dedicated to providing ourreaders with valuable information they can use toimprove the quality of life for themselves, their fami-

lies and our communities.

Good News You Can Use!

Anyone who has lived in Harlem

for more than 20 years, have witnessed the

big changes in the community. The arrival

of all types of restaurants, major fast food

chains, banks, retailers and housing. There

seem to be new condos and apartment build-

ings on every corner. Many in the communi-

ty believe all this new housing is being

developed by outsiders for outsiders. The

fact is that long before the Empowerment

Zone began about 20 years ago, there werepeople in Har lem organiz ing to improve

conditions in the community, especially

affordable housing for residents already in

the community. Abyssinian Corporation,

HCCI and the West Harlem Group are orga-

nizations who began renovating and creat-

ing affordable housing before Harlem was

designated an empowerment zone. In this

issue, we begin the first in a series of arti-

cles being written by Luvon Robeson

focusing on organizations who are doing

Good Works In the Community.

(see page 10)

Today, November 21st, the 125th

Street BID will lead a parade of lighted

vehicles down 125th Street to turn on thelights and kick-off the Holiday Season. The

Message: Harlem residents and visitors We

want you to shop, dine and be entertained in

Harlem for the Holidays.

If you want to change your life and

do better. Just start - today.

Harlem News Group COMMUNITYHARLEM . QUEENS . BROOKLYN . BRONX

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Congressman Charles B. Rangel hosted his

highly anticipated Third Annual 2013

Rangel Career Fair on November 12,

2013, at The City College of New York, connect-

ing thousands of prospective employees with

scores of America's leading businesses, govern-

ment agencies and non-profit organizations. The

event offered eager job-hunters valuable network-

ing opportunities, and the chance to obtain valu-

able advice and information from more than 70 of

the country's top employers. The 2013 Rangel

Career Fair is part of Rangel's continued effort to

spur economic recovery in the Thirteenth Con-

gressional District of New York, which includes

Upper Manhattan and parts of The Bronx.

"America's economic recovery beginswith creating jobs in the community," said

Rangel. "I thank President Lisa S. Coico and her

outstanding staff at CCNY, for once again assist-

ing my office with the great mission of providing

opportunities for those seeking a new career. Our

continued partnership will ensure a pathway for

hundreds of people searching for gainful employ-

ment to achieve the American Dream."

The 2013 Rangel Career Fair was a

remarkable success, attracting masses of profes-

sionally-dressed recent graduates, senior citizens,

veterans and constituents of all backgrounds, who

entered the door by the hundreds, sporting hand-

some smiles and crisp rsums. Attendees were

given Employer Description lists along with maps

to locate their specific jobs of interest among the

numerous job booths that occupied the entirety of

The Great Hall's 16,465ft room.

As envisioned by Rangel, participants

were able to engage representatives of America's

financial, healthcare, law enforcement, retail,

technology, transportation, and construction sec-

tors as well as many government entities offering

job place ment serv ices and caree r assi stanc e.

Employers accepting rsums onsite attracted

especially large lines of applicants, and benefited

from the opportunity of canvassing for qualified

candidates. Individuals seeking work were able to

share their business cards, while companies were

able to market their firms by distributing business

pamphlets. Attendees that did not bring rsums

were able to receive the New York State Depart-

ment of Labor's rsum building services.

"When companies come to our CareerFairs they cannot help but admire our skilled

workforce," said Rangel. "Many of the businesses

that participated in the previous years showed up

once again, because they know that employees

from our District are ambitious, intelligent, and

most of all hardworking."

The 2013 Rangel Career Fair brought

representatives of many prominent firms and

organizations including: Aflac, Cablevision,

Transportation Security Administration (TSA),

New York State Police, North American Power,

Rapid Reality, SiriusXM, Immigration and Cus-

toms Enforcement, Time Warner Cable, U.S.

Secret Service, MetroPlus Health Plan, MTA,

U.S. Department of State, U.S. Postal Inspectors,

New York Life Insurance Company, and many

more.

Rangel has fruitfully strengthened

employment in the Thirteenth Congressional Dis-

trict to include 884,402 workers, decreasing the

unemployment rate by 0.7% since last year. The

unemployment rate within the District is currently

7.1%, which is underneath the current state aver-

age of 7.6%. Despite gaining ground in the fight

against unemployment, Rangel still believes there

is much to be done to promote jobs for his com-

munity.

"America's private sector economy is

holding strong," said Rangel. "Over 200,000 jobs

were created nationally last month, and it would

have been greater if it weren't for the GOP-gov-

ernment shutdown. Democrats know that the only

way we can grow our economy is by nurturing

our unemployed workforce, and this Career Fair

is my ongoing effort to foster an active workforce

in our beloved District."

Rangel 2013 Career Fair

Attracts Over 1,500 JobSeekers


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Harlem News Group E D I T O R I A L

Advertise in

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QUEENS COMMUNITY NEWSBRONX COMMUNITY NEWS

For our media kit,rate card and more

informationgo to:

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or email [email protected]

call us212-996-6600

Published WeeklyVol. 13, No. 47 November 21, 2013

Pat Stevenson,Publisher /Editor

P.O. Box #1775, NY NY 10027

The U.S. Gross Domestic Prod-

uct (the value of all goods and

services in the economy) fig-

ures show GDP per person is

$53,211. That's per person, not per

family. Those figures also show we

annually spend $2,797 per person on

food-that's $233 per person a month.

After netting out imports, we sell

nearly $14 billion in food overseas.

Clearly America is a wealthy nation

that is fully food secure.

So the issue is not America's

resources of income and land, it is

our choices in the distribution of our

resources. Presumably, this value

proposition was settled when Presi-

dent Lyndon B. Johnson signed the

1964 Food Stamp Act into law, with

support from the labor movement.

To be eligible for the Supple-

mental Nutrition Assistance Program

(SNAP), a family must have a total

income (including any other federal

assistance) that is less than 130 per-

cent of the poverty line (except in sixstates with limits up to twice the

poverty level); for a family of two

adults and one child, that means

income below $25,389 a year.

The maximum benefit for a

family of three fell from $526 to

$497 a month on Nov. 1. Low-

income families tend to be either old

or young. And young families happen

to be where most of America's chil-

dren live. So, there are some 21 mil-

lion children who currently are fed, in

pa rt , by SN AP be ne fi ts . Th at is

almost one in four U.S. children.

In 2009, when Congresspassed the American Recovery and

Reinvestment Act, it boosted the

maximum SNAP benefit to help fam-

ilies during the worse labor market

since the Great Depression. But that

boost was set to expire at the end of

October 2013, in hopes the labor

market would have recovered. The

labor market has not recovered. There

are still 1.5 million fewer payroll

posi tions in Amer ica today than in

January 2008. This means that unem-

ployment is real; it is not the result of

peop le be ing la zy in look ing fo r

work.

And young people-in particu-

lar-have been hit hardest. Among the

key age groups for young parents, the

share of 20- to 24-year-olds who are

employed is at 61.8 percent, down

from 69.3 percent in January 2008;

and for those 25 to 34, the share hold-

ing down jobs has fallen to 74.6 per-

cent, down from 79.6 percent in

January 2008.

House Republicans have

voted to cut SNAP, shifting the blame

for the weak economy onto young

workers and the weight of the costs

on our children by ignoring policy-

makers' failures to get the economyrunning. In a nation so rich it can

export food, this is morally wrong.

Rather than pass plans to hire teach-

ers to restore our children's classroom

sizes, or hire construction workers to

fix our broken roads and bridges,

Republicans argue it is better to cut

federal spending on things like SNAP

to get the federal budget in order.

Some Republicans think federal

deficits are morally wrong because

deficits leave bills for our children.

These same Republicans

fought President Barack Obama hard

to keep tax cuts in place for thewealthiest people on the planet,

ignoring that those tax cuts make the

federal deficit larger. And no moral

calculus says we should starve our

children of food and education today

to save them as weaklings for the

future.

This is more than morally

wrong. It is bad economics. The Con-

sumer Expenditure Survey gives a

deep view of America's consumption

patterns. An interest ing fact in that

data is that among families in the

income range to qualify for SNAP,

they all consume on average $20,000

to $25,000 a year. This makes sense,

as it would be hard to imagine how

someone could eat, be clothed and

have shelter and not spend at least

$20,000 a year. This means at that

income level, they do not save, they

spend every dollar. Cuts in their

SNAP benefits mean they will have

to cut something else to continue eat-

ing.

This is not a cut simply to

families struggling with an economy

that is not producing enough jobs and

wages that are barely keeping pace

with inflation. It means pulling mil-

lions of dollars out of the economy.This means less sales revenue for

small businesses selling clothes or

shoes or children's books. And fewer

bu ye rs me an le ss ne ed fo r sa le s

clerks, meaning fewer jobs.

The current economic policies

of lowering the deficit by half, boost-

ing corporate profits to record highs

and breaking Dow Jones average

records for stocks has not meant

relief on Main Street, Martin Luther

King Jr. Boulevard or Csar Chvez

Way. We need to strengthen policies

that help everyone.

Follow Spriggs on Twitter:@WSpriggs. Contact: Amaya Smith-

Tune Acting Director, Media Out-

reach AFL-CIO 202-637-5142

Cutting Food Assistance Is More ThanMorally WrongBy William Spriggs

OPT ED:

To subscribe go toour website

www.harlemnewsgroup.com



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Harlem News Group R E A L E S T A T E

HOME BUYING IN HARLEM:Be Prepared to Buy NOW!By Rev. Charles Butler, HCCI

One factor that is often over-

looked by first time home

buyers is the need to have a

good credit history. You must start

paying down current debt because

your debt to income ratio is a huge

factor in considering your being

approved for a mortgage. For most

first time buyers residing in New

York City this is a dilemma - trying

to pay off existing debt while at the

same time trying to increase your

savings to cover down paymentand closing cost.

Here are a few tips that can

assist you in doing both: (1)

Review and prioritized all of your

outstanding credit debts. Establish

a plan to pay off the smallest

amounts first. If possible pay them

off with a single payment while

continuing to make the minimum

or slightly higher payments on the

larger accounts. (2) Once the small-

er accounts have been paid them

off, then you can start to attack the

next largest debt by using themoney that previously was going to

the smaller accounts that are now

gone. Calculate the maximum pay-

ment you can afford to make on the

larger debt amounts and the num-

ber of months it will take to pay it

off. Make sure your budget

include these payments in your

monthly household estimates. (3)

Sacrifice some personal spending

until these debts are paid in full. If

you have to cut back on some

monthly household expenses, that

will be alright, it just will be for a

short period of time. Cut out the

morning coffee, take your lunch to

work, stop buying take-out meals,or when possible plan on walking

rather than taking public trans-

portation. That way you can com-

bine exercising with saving money.

If you can become comfortable

with these small changes, make

them part of your regular routine

and spending behavior and contin-

ue them even after you paid off the

debt.

Once the credit debts are

pa id of f, us e yo ur cr ed it ca rd s

strategically to maintain your credit

history and some minimum activityon the accounts. Credit card com-

panies wi ll now terminate your

account if there is too much inac-

tivity on a card. So use the cards

wisely and responsibly paying off

the debt when possible during the

grace period so you can avoid the

interest fees. This will be using

your credit cards to your benefit

and will also allow you to continue

improving your credit score. The

stronger your credit score and cred-

it history the more attractive you

will be to a perspective lender.

Your goal is to aggressively

save as much as possible for the

purchase of your home while pay-

ing off the credit. It will become

important as a new homeowner to

prac tice good cred it habi ts that

starts by paying your bills on time.

If yo u are in te rest ed in

attending the workshop or have

questions regarding the home buy-

ing process contact Rev. Charles

Butler at (212) 281 4887 ext. 231or

email at [email protected].



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Now through Dec16thThokoza, a c ompany of six SouthAfrican and African Americanwomen will extend it's current off-Broadway run of I SING FOR FREE-DOM at Baruch Performing ArtsCenter. Conceived and directed byThuli Dumakude, I SING FOR FREE-DOM features women with a collec-tive total of over 130 years of singingexperience who sing acapella andunamplified the music that they loveand that makes them feel free.Thokoza's songs, many in six part har-monies, range from Southern churchgospel to traditional South AfricanTownship songs sung in Zulu. Inter-twined are personal stories from the

performers' rich and varied histories.Performances are on Mondays at7:00 PM and Sundays at 3:00 PM atBaruch Performing Arts Center,loca ted a t 55 Lexington Avenue.Enter on 25 Street between Lexing-ton and Third Ave. All tickets are$30.00. Groups of 10 or more a re$20.00. Students and 65 and olderare $15.00 Tickets: www.b a ruch.cuny.edu/bpac or call 646-312-5073.

Nov 22, 6-8pmOpening Reception for AndreaArroyo Exhibits "Memories Inter-laced" at The Malcolm X & Dr. Betty

Shabazz Center/ Exhibition dates:Novemb er 22, 2013 - J anua ry 10,2014. Ga llery hours: Mon-Fri 10am-5pm and by appointment.The Ma lcolm X & Dr. Betty ShabazzMemorial and Educational Center3940 Broadway, New York, NY 10032(@ 165th St. Train A ,C,1 to 168th St.)Free and open to the public.

Nov 22, 7:30pmPublic Meeting - Beyond Male &Female: Trans Liberation Now! Hearspe akers Willow C arter and SaraCooley, coordinators of the FeministAllianc e a t Vassar C ollege, whohave led efforts to confront trans-phobia in activist movements. Comediscuss how to advance trans issuesand fight trans oppression under

capitalism. Hosted by RadicalWomen. At Freedom Hall, 113 W.128th St., Harlem (between MalcolmX Blvd. and 7th Ave., Subways #2 or3 to 125th St.). Meeting 7:30pm,admission free. Hearty home-styledinner served at 7:00pm for $10.00donation. Open to all genders. Chil-dren welcome. Info: 212-222-0633 ornycradicalwomen @nyct.net,www.radicalwomen.org

Nov 23, 7:30pmTHE RIVERSIDE THEATRE PRESENTS:TheAnnual NuDANCE 2013Over Two Days Presenting Six Young,Emerging Choreographers and theirInnovative C ompanies. C ontinuing

an over half a century tradition ofrich arts programming, The RiversideThea tre is proud ly presentingNuDance 2013-a two-day programof innovative and cutting-edge per-formances by the next generation ofpioneering dance artists, followed bya conversation led by dance histori-an and professor Charmaine War-ren, at the Thea tre, 91 ClaremontAve. (bet. 120th & 122nd Sts.), Morn-ingside Heights. Following each per-formanc e, C harmaine Warren willlead conversations with the choreo-graphers exploring the process andinspiration behind their presentedworks and also invite the audience

to participate in the discussions. Par-ticipating choreographers/compa-nies include: J eremy Mc Queen the2013 recipient of the J eoffrey BalletChoreographer of Co lor Award,Bugg Ballet; Cat Caliandro, DanceIquail, Dash Ensemble and OuiDanse. The NuDance performanceschedule

Nov 28, 5:30pmCelebrate Thanksgiving at Dizzy'sClub Coca-Cola with Wycliffe Gor-don & Friends:The M usic of Duke,Dizzy, and The Dorseys Doors at5:30pm; Music begins at 7pm Price:$110 (includes two sets of music andprix fixe menu)

Nov 30 12:00 NoonNational Action Network New YorkCity C hapter POLITICAL ACTIONCOMMITTEE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT"Obama Care" FORUM. Being held atTHE HO USE OF J USTIC E, 106 WEST145TH STREET, HA RLEM.SIGN UPTODAY/ NA N AC A C OMMUNITYAWARENESS INITIATIVE. Our goal as anational organization is to bringawareness to the Affordable CareAc t. Harlem Hospital, Health FirstMetro Health Plus and RetirementAspirations will provide navigators forthis event.

Dec 2,2nd Annual Harlem Dowling Benefit

Concert being hosted by VaughnHarper. Being held at MIST. inHarlem, featuring award winningartists, Regina Belle, Alex Bugnon,and Dr. Ben Tankard. For more infor-mation regarding this star-studdedevent, For more information go toh t t p : / / h a r l e m d o w l i n g.org/index.php/news-a-events/110-benefit-co nce rt.html or visit theirwebsite at www.harlemdowling.orgto purchase your tickets and toexplore other op portunities to b e"part of the solution".

Dec 8, 1-4pmDavid A. Walker Memorial Double

Dutch Holiday Classic. Being held atthe World Famous Apollo Theater.The Classic presented by the Nation-al Double Dutch League is the offi-cial Double Dutch Sport & FusionFreestyle competition and featuresworld-class championship teams.The event is fun filled entertainmentfor the entire family. Tickets for theHoliday Classic Sunday, December8th are available at the Apollo BoxOffice located at 253 West 125thStreet and Ticketmaster. ReservedSeating Tickets are only $22 andGroup Sales are also available. Formore information on the NationalDouble Dutch League and the 22ndAnnual David A. Walker MemorialDouble Dutch Holiday Classic logonto www.NDDL.org.

Dec 15, 2pmTHE COLONIAL NUTCRACKER Per-formed by Dance Theatre in Westch-ester.Will be held At Brooklyn Centerfor the Performing Arts at BrooklynCollege Tickets are $10 each, andcan be purchased by phone at 718-951-4500 (Tues-Sat, 1pm-6pm), oronline at www.BrooklynCenterOn-line.org

Dec 12The Jackie Robinson Park Conser-vancy (JRPC) and the Harlem Con-gregations for CommunityImprovement (HCCI) will celebrateits 16th Annual Lights of Hope Light-ing Ceremony at the Jac kie Robin-

son Park and Recreation Centerlocated at 89 Bradhurst Avenue and146th Street. For the past 16 years,this event has grown into an impor-tant part of the Harlem Communityand attracts over 200 plus atten-dees. The festivities begin at 4 pmwith the reception, formal programwith a special performances and aspec ial tree lighting ceremony. TheLights of Hope offers everyone thechance to honor a friend, familymember, or community institution.Each light represents the commit-ment and dreams of residents, indi-viduals and corporations whobelieve in the hope of Harlem.

Dec 21, 8pmAn R&B Christmas At Brooklyn Centerfor the Performing Arts at BrooklynCollege. Brooklyn Center for the Per-forming Arts a t Brooklyn Co llegecontinues its 2013-14 season on Sat-urday, Dec ember 21, 2013 at 8pmwith An R&B Christmas. Hosted byWCBS-FM 101.1's "Broadway Bill Lee,"this holiday concert will featurechart-topping doo-wop and R&Bartists performing their biggest hitsalong with some holiday favorites.Tickets are $45/$36 (orchestra/ mez-zanine) and can be purchased byphone a t 718-951-4500 (Tues-Sat,1pm-6pm) or online a t BrooklynCen-terOnline.org.

CALENDAR OF COMMUNITY EVENTS

1838 2nd Avenu e @ East 95th St reet

212-423-1826

55 West 116th Street (Bet. 5th & Lenox)

212-876-8800


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West Harlem Group Assis-

tance, Inc. (WHGA), a

community based develop-

ment corporation, was established in

1971 to revitalize the under- invested

West and Central Harlem communi-

ties riddled with dilapidated and

abandoned buildings. However as

Harlem over the past several years

has experienced substantial economicgrowth, WHGA has expanded its

supportive and social service pro-

grams to residents facing displace-

ment. WHGA's core efforts include

affordable housing development and

preservation as well as asset building

initiatives such as homeownership

and small business development.

Conversation With ...

Donald C. Notice,

Executive Director, WHGA

Q: Mr. Notice, can you give

a brief overview on how and why

WHGAbegan?

A: During 1970 through1986 -- the so-called "Abandon-

ment Era" -- we heard talk about

how the Bronx was burning. But in

Harlem, many landlords were walk-

ing away from their buildings, literal-

ly abandoning building after

building. WHGA star ted 42 years

ago, by stepping in to help residents

in distressed buildings, by organizing

tenants and teaching them how to

manage the buildings, and doing

modest renovations in low-income

cooperatives/buildings.

From 1987 to 1999, we seethe "Revitalization Era," when there

were enormous changes in Harlem's

housing and development. The Tax

Reform Law, through the Low-

Income Tax Credit program of 1986,

offered incentives to private invest-

ment in affordable housing develop-

ment. The timing of this legislation

and subsequent influx of capital

marked Harlem's transition into the

Revitalization Era. Financial inter-

mediaries such as LISC (Local Initia-

tives Support Corporation) were just

beginning to serve as syndicators of

private equity. WHGA's participationin comprehensive revitalization

resulted in the rebuilding of entire

blocks throughout West and Central

Harlem.

What does WHGA offer the

community today?

A: We might call from 2000

to the present "The Second Renais-

sance." While WHGA's core mission

is to build affordable housing, we do

so much more now. Whereas the

housing and economic development

activities during this period were

largely community- based and below

market value, upper-income earners

also began scouting out roofless andwindowless buildings, or building

shells, priced well over a million dol-

lars. WHGA took aim at gentrifica-

tion and the resultant social and

economic polarization. Our 3- year

strategic plan, launched in 2002,

included a set of programs targeted at

protec ting affordable housing and

ensuring that the vulnerable residents

have access to tools that would aid in

their empowerment: technology

access, financial literacy, and hous-

ing preservation.

Moreover, WHGA is one of

the largest employees in the commu-nity. Our emphasis in 2013 - 2014 is

on job placement and readiness.

Columbia University's expansion

pr oj ec t pr ov id es $1 00 mi ll io n

through the Community Benefits

Agreement to the West Harlem com-

munity. Clearly, this offers a range of

opportunities, including new jobs for

the community. WHGA's job place-

ment program is not to say, "We have

a job for you," but to help ensure that

you're ready for a job. Training, edu-

cation, counseling and preparedness

are key components of WHGA pro-grams.

Training is an essential tool as

well to the WHGA's Harlem Home-

buyers Program for low - to moder-

ate- income families purchasing their

first home. Our program provides

extensive training and counseling as

our long -term renters transition to

property ownership. We work with

banks in the community to make this

pr og ram po ss ib le . WHGA al so

offers a financial literacy program

and other programs for homebuyers.

Our new initiatives also include the

Harlem Entrepreneurs Program andseveral technology centers in housing

that WHGA planned and developed.

The technology centers in our West

and Central Harlem housing are open

to the public; and those in our two

homeless developments ensure that

homeless adults and their children

have access to technology. We also

operate the technology center for

low-income seniors in our Mannie L.

Wilson Towers.

In addition to such homeown-

ership and housing initiatives, we

work in close collaboration with pub-

lic school students in Harlem's Dis-

trict 5 schools on in-school andafter-school enrichment programs.

And, we teamed up with Harlem

Grown to help give Harlem residents

access to nutrition education and

healthy food. With the higher inci-

dence of diabetes and heart disease in

Harlem compared to the rest of New

York City, our healthy food and fit-

ness program is key to our 360-

degree social service programs that

help households.

Q: What do you see as the

top issues facing WHGA at this

time?

Not in any part icular order,but I see gentr ifi cat ion as a cha l-

lenge. How do we continue to build

affordable housing? In 2012, we con-

structed three buildings, for a total of

113 units. We had 18,000 applica-

tions for those units! This over-

whelming response shows the need

for housing is great. Also, another

top issue: The re-zoning of Harlem

from river-to-river on 125th Street.

Buildings would go to the highest

bidder and buildings could be built

much higher. And, finally, Columbia

University's expansion since theCommunity Benefits Agreement was

signed, in 2009, is a give-back to the

Harlem community on the one hand.

On the other hand, what will be the

impact of expansion on job, work-

force development, affordable hous-

ing, homeownership, and education?

Because of these issues, WHGA is in

the process of developing a three-

year comprehensive strategic plan, at

the same time we continue to provide

affordable housing, leverage our

resources to create more jobs, and

build wealth through homeownership

opportunities. That's why we want toensure that our community has

access to credit and to credit opportu-

nities.Q: What are some upcoming

WHGA initiatives?

A: WHGA will sponsor an

OSHA training in November, that

will help people who are ready to

work in the construction industry to

get their OSHA certification. This

training can cost between $500 -

$600, but will be free to community

residents. We will be hosting a Job

Fair that offers Harlem residents

access to construction trades, so that

jo b- ready people an d co mpan ie s

offering jobs can be in the same

room. We expect 300 attendees. at

the Job Fair , at which time we will

be able to determine their job readi-

ness in the construction industry.

WHGA's latest initiative is

our Healthy Eating program. We're

incorporating healthy eating in our

diet and we're setting a healthy eating

agenda for Harlem. And, finally, on

Thanksgiving WHGA will be in the

Dempsey Multi-Service Center's

kitchen helping to serve dinner to

100 needy families.

Happy Thanksgiving,Harlem!

For more information about

the wide-ranging work of WHGA in

the community, visit www.whgainc

.org or telephone 212.862.1399.

Good Works in the Communit y:West Harlem GroupAssistance, Inc. (WHGA)By Luvon Roberson

This column showcases organizations that work to build the community by providing much-neededresources to the people who live there. In this columnist's view, the bottom line of good works is: Doinggood by working to improve the lives of others.

Donald C. Notice


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National Black Theatre Displays a Piece of Harlem withThe Last Saint on Sugar Hill By Roberto Johnson

Dr. Barbara Ann Teer's

Na ti on al Bl ac k Thea tr e

(NBT) located in the heart

of Harlem on 5th Avenue is current-

ly running The Last Saint on Sugar

Hill , a very exquisite and realistic

tale about present-day Harlem.

With a mission to create a

new theatrical experience within the

African-American Community, Dr.

Barbara Ann Teer, writer, producer,

teacher, actress and visionary,

founded the National Black Theatre.

NBT began its theatrical influence in1968, and served as a representation

of authentic cultural traditions of

people of African descent born in

America. As was Teer's mission

when she began this artistic institu-

tion, NBT founds its work on self-

empowerment, liberation, truth and

the training for a new generation of

artists and creative entrepreneurs. Its

prior ity to deliver authentic works

that represent the rural life of the

city remains strong with its current

pr od uc ti on of th e La st Sa in t on

Sugar Hill.The Last Saint on Sugar Hill

is a part of NBT's Main-stage Series,

Harlem Now. The story follows

Napoleon Pettigrew and his sons

who are die-hard Harlemites and

feared property owners who live in a

Harlem populated by a myriad of

tourists, new residents and new

establishments. The Pettigrew fami-

ly hopes to make a profit from this

new Harlem, however, when they

discover one of their properties is a

real moneymaker, everything they

hold sacred- family, loyalty and

community- falls apart. Sitting on a

gold mine, the Pettigrew men are

faced with the biggest decision intheir lives-save or destroy the last

untouched neighborhood in Harlem.

Potent to the story and narra-

tive of the piece is the character of

"Napoleon Pettigrew." The play

revolves around Pettigrew's desire to

claim Harlem, one property at a time

while becoming Harlem's one and

only "Daddy Warbucks." His sons

get in the way of him accomplishing

such aspirations, however, which

sends Pettigrew whirling into a bat-

tle of moral and ethical proportions.

Actor Danny Johnson fills the shoesof "Napoleon Pettigrew." His quick-

witted and whole-heartedly commit-

ted performance lifts audiences out

of their seats. Johnson fills Petti-

grew with vigor, finding humor in

all the appropriate places and

urgency in others. To mention other

aspects of the performance, the

ensemble of actors provides a

grounded performance authentically

dedicated to the life of Harlem. The

narrative itself is rich with drama,

which each actor taps into quite

well. The set is minimally designed,

which helps to highlight the charac-

ters in their high-stake situations and

invoke realism within the world of

the play.

The Last Saint on Sugar Hill

is currently running at the National

Black Theater as a part of their

Main-stage season until November

24th. The National Black Theatre is

located at 2031 5th Avenue, New

York, NY 10035. Tickets can be pur-

chased online at www.nationalblack-

theatre.org or on location. Perfor

mances run Thursdays, Fridays, Sat-

urdays and Sundays, either at 2:00

pm or 7:30 pm.

Harlem News Group THEATER


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Harlem News Group ART & CULTUREHARLEM . QUEENS . BROOKLYN . BRONX

"THE SOUNDS OF HARLEM" Music RevuePRESENTS

"JAZZ MASTERS IN HARLEM"

With The Phil Young Experienceat "Upstairs At The Dino" DINOSAUR BBQ

700 West 125th StreetFEATURING

Bil l Saxton-Saxophone, Alex Blake-Bass, Neil Clarke-

Percussion, Phil Young-Drums andFuture Master Solomon Hicks-Guitar

Plus Special Guest Musicians and VocalistsRoscoe Orman-Master of Ceremonies

SHOW STARTS-7PMMusic Charge - $20.00 per person

COMPLIMENTARY BUFFET SERVED 6:30 PM to 8:00PMFeaturing Selected Items From Dinosaur BBQ Famous Menu

PARKING DIRECTLY AROUND THE CORNER 125th Streetand WESTSIDE HIGHWAY

Produced by ELC Productions, Inc. &The Phil Young Experience

For More Info and Reservations:Emmett Causey-917-742-1239

and/or Phil Young-646-399-8362

Thursday, November 21, - 7pm

Elizabeth Catlet t : A Polit ically Aware Trai lblazing Art istBy Stacey Ann Ellis, Prod. The Blackwash Televised Art Gallery

"I have always wanted my art to

service my people - to reflect us,to relate

to us, to stimulate us, to make us aware of

our potential."

- Elizabeth Catlett

Those of you who are familiar with

the Invisible Man sculpture should

take the time to really familiarize

yourself with the creator and her career.

Elizabeth Catlett was born April 15, 1915,

leaving this world in 2012 at 96 years old.

Elizabeth witnessed the African American

struggles, the Depression, the McCarthy

years and the evolution of society and pol-

itics into the technological age. Through

her works and life she shared the strength

and plight of women, African Americans,

the downtrodden and the struggles of

artists. It is sad to think that this talented

woman won a scholarship to Carnegie

Institute of Technology and was refused

matriculation because of the color of her

skin. Alice Elizabeth Catlett then opted

for Howard University and graduated

from the university cum laude. She

earned her MFA at the University of

Iowa. Ms. Catlett taught at Dillard Uni-

versity in New Orleans. She then met and

married famous artist Charles White.

Their marriage lasted 5 years. After the

divorce Ms. Catlett moved to NYC,

taught at George Washington Carver

School in Harlem and studied with Russ-

ian sculptor Ossip Zadkine. Then came a

major turning point in her life. Ms.

Catlett went to Mexico on a fellowship

where she met and married Mexican

weaver, musician and artist Francisco

Mora.

In Mexico, Ms. Catlett was

offered and accepted an opportunity to

work at the Taller de Grafica Workshop

for Murals and Graphic Arts. It is unfor-

tunate that this was during the McCarthy

years. Like many creative arts organiza-

tions during this time of the "Red Scare",

the TGP was considered a Communist

organization resulting in Ms. Catlett being

considered an undesirable alien by the

U.S. Embassy. She was arrested during a

railroad worker's strike. Did Ms. Eliza-

beth Catlett let this stop her? No way. As

do so many strong committed artists she

marched on, giving up American Citizen-

ship and becoming a citizen of Mexico as

well as the first female Department Head

of Sculpture at the N.A. University of

Mexico School of Fine Arts. Ms. Catlett's

work is now seen around the world - The

High Museum in Atlanta, The Museum of

Modern Art in Mexico City, The National

Museum of Prague, The Metropolitan

Museum of Art and MOMA in New York

City.

If there is a lesson to be learned

from this prolific woman artist it most

definitely is that outstanding art has a job

to do and that outstanding work will speak

for itself and its creator, no matter who

the creator is and no matter what anyone

says or thinks about the creator. We

thank you Elizabeth Catlett for your per-

sistence, commitment and strength.


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Harlem News Group THEATERHARLEM . QUEENS . BROOKLYN . BRONX

Follow Your Doctors Orders for Better HealthBy William Gillespie, MD

Whether you or your children are

taking a short-term antibiotic or

daily medication, it is important

that you do not alter your treatment plan

against your physician's recommenda-

tions.

Prescription guidelines exist to

keep your body running at its optimal

state both during and after an illness.

Skipping doses of medication or stopping

medication altogether can jeopardize your

health and make recovery difficult. In

some instances, it can cause serious - even

deadly - consequences.

For instance, the most important

way to control your asthma is by the care-

fully planned use of treatments agreed

upon by your doctor or asthma nurse.

Medications that prevent asthma symp-

toms from triggering need to be taken on

a daily basis because their protection

builds up over time. By stopping your

asthma medication or skipping doses, you

increase the likelihood of having a seri-

ous, life-threatening attack.

If you are taking an antibiotic,

never stop taking the prescribed medica-

tion when you begin to feel better. You

must take all of the medication as pre-

scribed. To make sure you are taking your

medication correctly, the Food and Drug

Administration recommends that you ask

your doctor or pharmacist the following

questions:

* Why am I using this medicine?

* How long should I use it?

* What should I do if I have

problems or side effects?

* Should I take it on an

empty stomach, or with food?

* Is it safe to drink alcohol

with it?

* How do I store it?

* Is there a preferred time of

day to take the medication?

* What should I do if I forget

to take it?

Millions of people do not take

their medication correctly, so do not

assume you know the answers to these

questions. Doing so could put your health

and life at risk.

If you're bothered by side effects

from a certain medication, talk to your

doctor about your concerns. Your doctor

may be able to change your medication or

adjust your dosage.

If medication cost is a problem,

your physician may be able to substitute a

less expensive, generic drug or suggest

other ways to save on prescriptions costs.

Generic drugs can cost 30 to 80 percent

less than brand-name drugs, so it may be

worth asking if there is one available to

take.

If your schedule causes you to

miss doses, try daily dosing containers or

set reminders on your computer or phone.

Various apps exist for smartphone users

that allow you to set medication

reminders, and even connect you to your

local pharmacy to refill prescriptions.

It is important to take medication

as prescribed. Keep healthy by staying on

track.William Gillespie, M.D., is Chief

Medical Officer of EmblemHealth.

Merck and The American College of

Endocrinology Of fer Game Plan

To Help Patients Tackle Type 2 Diabetes

Nearly 26 million Americans

live with diabetes, and 90 -

95% have type 2 diabetes.

For many of these people, manag-

ing blood sugar can feel over-

whelming. Not only do they need to

manage high blood sugar, but they

should also be aware of ways to

manage low blood sugar, which canmake a person feel dizzy, shaky and

sweaty.

Certain diabetes medica-

tions, skipping meals, irregular

meal times or excessive exercise

may cause low blood sugar, and if

it's not treated quickly it can have

serious consequences such as faint-

ing and could require emergency

medical care. Since a low blood

sugar episode can happen at any

time, including while driving, exer-

cising, or while at work, it's impor-

tant to know the causes andsymptoms, and have a diabetes

management plan in place.

With that in mind, the Amer-

ican College of Endocrinology

(ACE) and Merck teamed up to cre-

ate The Blood Sugar Basics Game

Plan, a step-by-step educational

program designed to help educate

people with diabetes, their families

and their loved ones about the

importance of controlling high and

low blood sugar as part of a suc-

cessful diabetes management plan.

"One of the toughest thingsabout managing type 2 diabetes can

be the fe el ing that you have to

change everything about your

lifestyle, all at once," says Dr. Etie

Moghissi, Associate Clinical Pro-

fessor of Medicine at the University

of California, Los Angeles. "That's

why we've developed The Game

Plan, available on BloodSugarBa-

sics.com, to offer easy-to-under-

stand goals to help people with type

2 diabetes make important lifestyle

changes and help manage both high

and low blood sugar.BloodSugarBas i c s . com

offers resources to help work with a

health care provider to develop a

"game plan," including diet, exer-

cise and if appropriate, medication.


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Need a Personal Assistant? Try These 9 Apps!By Ron Stephenson

While some argue that our

society has become

obsessed with our smart-

phones , there' s no denying that

apps add many conveniences to

our lives. As we juggle careers,

family, healthy living, friendships,

and so much more, incorporating

money and time-saving solutions

into our lives is necessary.

Recently, Mashable.com

publ ished an ar ticle, "These 11Apps Will Supercharge Your Per-

sonal Life." After reviewing the

list and researching many of the

apps, I agreed. Here are a few of

my favorites that are available for

both iOS and Droid users.

Cozi Family Organizer

Cozi is a shared family cal-

endar with shopping lists, events

and to-do lists. It will keep you

from buying milk twice and make

sure you don't schedule a company

dinner on top of your son's soccer

game. Enough said.

Orange Diary Pro

Orange Diary is an oasis for

your personal life. Post photos,

voice memos, to-do lists and more,

just for yourself and your own ref-

erence. You can export to Google

Drive or back up with Dropbox so

you won't lose your memories.

Price: $1.99Evernote

Whether you're making

memos for yourself to remember

later or brainstorming with a team,

Evernote's mobile app keeps you

connected and syncs to every plat-

form.

Goodreads

Looking for your next liter-

ary destination (I mean book)?

Check out what your friends have

read and what they thought with

Goodreads. The app allows you to

scan book barcodes to add to your

"to read" list so you'll never reach

the end of one book without hav-

ing another on deck.

HelloWallet

Budgeting is hard, but Hel-

loWallet takes out the tedium. You

can sign up with your bank

accounts and sort transactions to

bet ter unders tand your spendinghabits. If your bank doesn't have an

awesome app, this is a great way to

stay on top of bills and account

balances on the go.

Manilla

Manilla helps you keep

track of bills from anywhere. This

one will save you from late fees --

well worth it.

Meditation Oasis

You might not have time or

patience to si t in order to clear

your mind, but this walking medi-

tation app will guide your mental

journey to stillness and peace

Quibly

Quibly is a new Q&A site

with a responsive design, specifi-

cally for parents. As a parent you

might spend less time behind a

computer and more time at soccer

games so you'll appreciate the abil-

ity to find answers to just aboutanything, from fellow parents,

when you need them.

A HIIT Interval Timer

Do you plan your own

workouts? This interval timer can

be set up to your personal routine

to keep you honest so you don't

bum out on reps (like me).

Right Black at Ya!

Harlem News Group TECHNOLOGYHARLEM . QUEENS . BROOKLYN . BRONX


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Harlem News Group EVENTSHARLEM . QUEENS . BROOKLYN . BRONX


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Harlem News Group EVENTSHARLEM . QUEENS . BROOKLYN . BRONX

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Audelco Announces 2012-2013Vivian Robinson/ Audelco AwardsNominees

AUDELCO was established in 1973 by Vivian Robinson, to generate more recognition, understanding

and awareness of the arts in African-American communities; to provide better public relations and to

build new audiences for non-profit theatre and dance companies.

For the past 41 years AUDELCO has promoted and celebrated African-American involvement in

American Theatre. The Vivian Robinson/AUDELCO Awards known as the "VIV", has become the pre-emi-

nent recognition for African-American Theatre Artists.

This year's awards will be held on Monday, November 25th, 7pm, at the Symphony Space/Peter

Jay Sharp Theatre, 2537 Broadway at 95th Street.

Serving as Co-Chairpersons are dancer and choreographer Carmen de Lavallade, actor and comedi-

an Roscoe Orman, playwright, producer and director Aduke Aremu and actor Jerome Preston Bates.

For more information please go to the website: www.audelco .net

LIGHTING DESIGNMelody A. Beal (Iced Out, Shackled and Chained)Scott Borowka (Dreamgirls)James Carter (The Importance of Being Earnest)Rui Rita (The Piano Lesson)Colin D. Young (Detroit '67)

SET DESIGNMichael Carnahan (The Piano Lesson)Chris Cumberbatch (Iced Out, Shackled andChained)Jaime Durant (The Obeah Symphony)Neil Patel (Detroit '67)Harlan Penn (Dreamgirls)

COSTUME DESIGNGail Cooper-Hecht (The Importance of BeingEarnest)Esosa (Detroit '67)

Joey Haws (Dreamgirls)Karen Perry (The Piano LessonNicole Wee (Storyville)

SOUND DESIGNFitz Patton (Choir Boy)Shane Rettig (Detroit '67)David Van Tieghem (The Piano Lesson)Michael Wimberly (Iced Out, Shackled andChained)David D. Wright (The Importance of Being Earnest)

DIRECTOR/DRAMATIC PRODUCTIONTrip Cullman (Choir Boy)Kwame Kwei-Armah (Detroit '67)Robert O'Hara (Wild With Happy)Ruben Santiago-Hudson (The Piano Lesson)Jeffrey V. Thompson (Iced Out, Shackled andChained)

DIRECTOR/MUSICAL PRODUCTIONBill Castellino (Storyville)

Keith Lee Grant (Dreamgirls)Ben Harney (Pearl)Mark Harborth (Dreamgirls)Andy Sandberg (Shida)

CHOREOGRAPHERMercedes Ellington (Storyville)Keith Lee Grant (Dreamgirls)Elyse Daye Hart (Dreamgirls)Dyane Harvey (Iced Out, Shackled and Chained)CB Murray (Pearl)

PLAYWRIGHTColman Domingo (Wild With Happy)Tarell Alvin McCraney (Choir Boy)Dominique Morisseau (Detroit '67)Kisha T. Spence & Mo Beasley (Iced Out, Shack-led and Chained)Karl O'Brian Williams (Not About Eve)

SUPPORTING ACTORChuck Cooper (The Piano Lesson)

Jason Dirden (The Piano Lesson)Patrick Mitchell (The Obeah Symphony)Gary E. Vincent (Sowa's Red Gravy)Charles Weldon (The Great MacDaddy)

SUPPORTING ACTRESSAraba Brown (The Great MacDaddy)Crystal A. Dickinson (The Call)Brittany Erin (Finding Home)Toni Seawright (Sowa's Red Gravy)Sharon Washington (Wild With Happy)

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL- FEMALEJennie Harney (Pearl)Dion Millington (Dreamgirls)Debra Walton (Storyville)Zakiya Young (Storyville)

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL- MALEOscar Aguirre (Dreamgirls)Michael Leonard James (Storyville)Isaiah Johnson (Far from Heaven)Caliaf St. Aubyn (Dreamgirls)

OUTSTANDING MUSICAL DIRECTORAndrew Arango (Dreamgirls)Charles Czarnecki (Pearl)William Foster McDaniel (Storyville)Ryan Touhey (Dreamgirls)

Jesse Vargas (Shida)

MUSICAL PRODUCTION OF THE YEARDreamgirls (Gallery Players)Dreamgirls (Harlem Repertory Theatre)Pearl (Suite Roots LLC)Shida (Shida Productions LLC)Storyville (York Theatre Company)

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCEChoir Boy (Manhattan Theatre Club)Circumstances (HADLEY Players)Detroit '67 (CTH/NBT/The Public Theater)Iced Out, Shackled and Chained (National BlackTheatre)Not About Eve (Braata Theatre Workshop)Plenty of Time (New Federal Theatre)

SOLO PERFORMANCEBryonn Bain (Lyrics from Lockdown)Jeannette Bayardelle (Shida)Perri Gaffney (The Resurrection of Alice)

LEAD ACTORBrandon J. Dirden (The Piano Lesson)Colman Domingo (Wild With Happy)Anthony Gaskins (Honky)J. Kyle Manzay (The Great MacDaddy)Michael Rogers (Breakfast with Mugabe)

LEAD ACTRESSDebra Ann Byrd (The Importance of BeingEarnest)Rosalyn Coleman (Breakfast with Mugabe)Eisa Davis (Luck of the Irish)Lonette McKee (Sowa's Red Gravy)Roslyn Ruff (The Piano Lesson)

BEST REVIVALBenefits (HADLEY Players)Plenty of Time (New Federal Theatre)The Great MacDaddy (Korner Theatricals/NegroEnsemble Co.)The Importance of Being Earnest (Take Wing and

Soar/New Heritage Theatre Group)The Piano Lesson (Signature Theatre Company)

DRAMATIC PRODUCTION OF THE YEARChoir Boy (Manhattan Theatre Club)Detroit '67 (CTH/NBT/The Public Theater)Iced Out, Shackled and Chained (National BlackTheatre)Not About Eve (Braata Theatre Workshop)Wild With Happy (The Public Theater)

The 2012-2013 VIV Award Nominees


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Harlem News Group CONSUMERHARLEM . QUEENS . BROOKLYN . BRONX

I'm usually in too much of a

Thanksgiving food coma to hit the

sales on Black Friday, but millions

of other Americans somehow find the

energy. Last year, 89 million people

took advantage of Black Friday sales

(57 million of them online), while an

estimated 247 million shopped

throughout the four-day weekend, as

stores increasingly have opened their

doors on Thanksgiving itself.

In addition, millions of bargain

hunters spent another $2 billion on

Cyber Monday, so it's clear that onlineholiday shopping is here to stay.

Unfortunately, cyber criminals have

zeroed in on this trend and are redou-

bling their efforts to separate shoppers

from their hard-earned cash.

Whether you're shopping

online by computer, smartphone or

tablet, here are some common cyber

scams to watch out for and security

precautions to take:

Tips for buying gift cards:

* Only buy from secure web-

sites of trusted retailers (look for an

"s" in the "https://" web address and a

lock symbol).

* At walk-in stores, only pur-

chase cards from employees who have

them locked up. Avoid cards at unat-

tended display racks, since thieves can

scan the card's unique serial number;

then, after you've loaded it with cash,

drain its value with online purchases

before the recipient has a chance to

use it.

* Never purchase deeply dis-

counted cards or event tickets from

online marketplaces like eBay orCraigslist - chances are good that the

cards are counterfeit or were stolen.

Most retailers offer holiday

sales as a way to boost their year-end

bottom line. If you've "liked" a prod-

uct or store on Facebook or Twitter, or

have signed up to receive their emails,

you may well get genuine offers for

steep discounts or last-minute sales.

But beware of bogus offers

from sites that mimic those of legiti-

mate retailers. They could be:

* Trying to harvest your credit

card number and other personal infor-

mation to make illegitimate charges to

your account or open new accounts in

your name.

* Attempting to sell you coun-

terfeit or stolen goods.

* Trying to gain access to your

social media profile to log into other

accounts tied to it, or to post illegiti-

mate offers purportedly endorsed by

you to lure in your friends.

Another common scam is to

send an email claiming a courier is

trying to deliver a package or there's aproblem with your order. You'll be

told to click on a link to get details

and will likely be asked to reveal

account or other personal information

to verify. Unless you previously pro-

vided them your email address, this is

probably bogus.

A few additional holiday-relat-

ed security tips:

* When shopping online,

avoid pop-up ads touting incredible

deals. If you think it might be real, log

into the retailer's website yourself to

see whether the deal is posted.

* Hackers create realistic-

looking web addresses that, when

clicked, take you to a bogus site that

can infect your device with malware

or install a Trojan Horse program to

steal your personal information. To be

safe, let your cursor hover over web

addresses you didn't type in yourself

and look for misspelled or weird-look-

ing sequences of characters.

* Before completing an online

order, visit the site's "Contact Us" and

"Terms and Conditions" pages fortheir phone number, mailing address,

return policies, etc. Phony sites often

either don't have such pages or they're

filled with easy-to-spot errors.

Don't let the prospect of get-

ting a great deal on Black Friday

allow you to drop your guard against

scammers who would love to fill your

stocking with coal.

Jason Alderman directs Visa's

financial education programs. To Fol-

low Jason Alderman on Twitter:

www.twitter.com/PracticalMoney

Dont Let Cyber Grinches Ruin Your HolidayBy Jason Alderman


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Harlem News Group CONSUMERHARLEM . QUEENS . BROOKLYN . BRONX

Holiday shopping for the spe-

cial guy in your life can be

taxing -- especially if you

aren't quite sure where your relation-

ship is going yet! Whether you just

started dating or you've been married

for years, knowing the rules of gift

giving can help ensure you're giving

your gent a great, yet appropriate gift.

Here's a helpful holiday guide

to finding the perfect tech gift for

your guy -- at every stage of a rela-

tionship:

Newly Dating

When you first start dating,

you'll want to get him something

nice, but not freak him out by spend-

ing too much money.

Think about accessorizing his

mobile electronics collection while

making his life easier with portable

power. The Just in Power Case by

Innovative Technology is a light-

weight case that protects an iPad

while giving it and all your other

mobile devices a boost through the

case's universal USB charging port

and built-in rechargeable slim-line

battery.

The Boyfriend

Whether he is a bystander or

an adventurer, if your boyfriend likes

his music, podcasts or sports stats

wherever he is, a Bluetooth enabled

water-resistant speaker, such as the

Slingshot Speaker from BlueFlame,

allows him to bring his music and

news in the shower, to the beach, by

the pool, or tailgating at his team's

game.

Is he an active mobile guy?

Consider upgrading his uncomfort-

able, lower quality earbuds with the

Munitio SV Mobile Performance Ear-

phones . Ideal for runners, bikers,

snowboarders, or any weekend war-

rior, these gift-priced buds also offer

an in-line mic for calls on-the-go.

The Newlywed

Want to spoil your husband

during your first holiday season as a

married couple? For serious audio

fans, consider a pair of SVS`s Book-

shelf Speakers, which provide a mas-

sive soundstage with refined

acoustics so you'll never need a night

out at the movie theater again.

The Hubby

When the focus has shifted

from spoiling your husband to spoil-

ing the kids, look for a gift that bene-

fits the home and prevents the need

for that "honey-do" list. A high-qual-

ity silent garage door opener is the

perfect home improvement gift for

you, for him, for the house. Look for

an energy-efficient model with safety

features that's also battery backup

compatible, such as those from Lin-

ear.

Empty Nesters

If your kids have moved out,

now is the time to travel and enjoy

the fruits of your labor. Transform

your space into a high-tech smart

home and give the gift of peace of

mind for those times when you're

away.

A Control4 home automation

system lets you monitor and remotely

manage your home's lighting, climate

control and security from the compa-

ny's MyHome app on your smart-

phone or tablet from nearly anywhere

in the world. When you are home,

enjoy the benefits of an automated

system that can control your home

theater, music and intercom.

This holiday season, give your

man a present that not only comple-

ments his tastes, but complements

your relationship as well.

Holiday Tech Gif t Guide for the Man in

Your Life(Statepoint)


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Harlem News Group HOLIDAYHARLEM . QUEENS . BROOKLYN . BRONX

Charles Country Pan Fried Chicken2841 Frederick Douglass Blvd @ 151st Street


21/35

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Harlem News Group YOUTHHARLEM . QUEENS . BROOKLYN . BRONX

Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), the

nation's largest children's literacy

organization, hosted a special lit-

eracy celebration featuring basketball leg-

end and best-selling author Kareem

Abdul-Jabbar on the morning of Novem-

ber 14. Abdul-Jabbar spoke to students in

grades 4 - 6 who were part of the St.

Aloysius Education Clinic, a RIF pro-

gram in Harlem that provides educational

programming and academic support to

students throughout New York City. He

read excerpts from his new children's

book Sasquatch in the Paint and discussed

themes from the book, including courage,

friendship, and teamwork.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Celebrates New Childrens Book wit h Students


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22



The Hon.Hazel Dukes, Presi-

dent, officers and members of

the NAACP New York State

Conference and Officers of the

NAACP invited all church officers,

and community leaders, and NAACP

members to join them when they con-

vened the NAACP New York State

Conference 77th Annual State Con-

vention on October 11th-13th at the

Crown Plaza Syracuse Hotel, Syra-

cuse, NY.

AT 12:00 noon On FridayOctober 11th opening day of the con-

vention, and over the entire weekend,

guest Included the Hon. Stephanie A.

Miner, Mayor, Syracuse; Hon.

Samuel D. Roberts, Assembly Mem-

ber, Distr ict 128-D; Preston Fagan,

President, NAACP Syracuse; Rev-

erend Phil W. Turner, Senior Pastor,

Bethany Baptist Church; and; Honor-

able Linda R. Ervin Democratic Floor

Leader Onondaga County, NY;Legis-

lature; Hon. Van B. Robinson, Presi-

dent Syracuse Common Council and

more.

During the three-day Conven-

tion, participants joined workshops

that focuses, specifically, on the

Affordable Health Care Act and how

it affects the uninsured and the under

insured. Participating in the discus-

sion about health included experts

Dr. Jaime R. Torres, DPM, MS and

Kelvin S. Sapp, MPH, NYS Depart-

ment of Health. The education work-

shop was lead by Dr. Lester W.Young, Jr., Ed.D, Regent At- Large,

Board of Regents, University State of

New York and Shar on Cont re ra s,

Superintendent, Syracuse City School

District. In addition there were work-

shops on the Voting Rights Act, Gun

Violence in the Community, and

much more.

In addition, Gloria Benfield,

Membership Chair, NAACP New

York State Conference invited all

participants to take out a membership

with the NAACP.

Founded in 1909, The Nation-

al Association for the Advancement

of Colored People (NAACP) is the

nation's oldest and largest civil rights

organization. Its half-million adult

and youth members throughout the

United States and the world are the

premier advocates for civil rights in

their communities, conducting voter

mobilization and monitoring equal

opportunity in the public and private

sector.

NAACP New York State

77th Annual Convention

Fall In The Brownstonefor the latest Hats & Handbags

The Brownstone is Your Placefor

Contemporary Fashion andone of a kind Accessories

Two Great Locations

212-996-7980

www.thebrownstonewoman.com

(l-r) Lakeview Youth Advisor; a youth attendee; Hazel N. Dukes, President, NAACP NewYork State Conference; and Beatrice Bayley, President NAACP Lakeview Branch, cele-brate at the 77th Annual NAACP New York State Convention, held in Albany, NY


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Harlem News Group LIFESTYLEHARLEM . QUEENS . BROOKLYN . BRONX

Solutions to Puzzleon page 30

Beauty, Fashion, Lif estyle & Stuf f :

Tis the Season!By Audrey Adams

Tis the season to be . . . gener-

ous. Thanksgiving is next

Thursday and then, we are off

to the start of the rest of the holiday

season. I love this time of the year.

Memories of past holidays with fam-

ily and friends flood my mind. There

are visions of huge festive meals and

gifts piled high underneath the

Christmas tree, the giggles of delight

and squeals of discovery . . . . and a

warm and cozy home with loving

parents. Then there are the dailyimages on the news, of men, women

and children standing in long lines

waiting for a holiday meal or bags of

food. All very disconcerting when

commercials aired throughout televi-

sion programs are urging us to buy,

buy, buy! Economic indicators will

be released by the government to let

us know that if we don't spend

money this holiday season, that the

economy might suffer. Tell that to

those without jobs or those who lost

their homes and are on the street.

My goodness, they would have you

think that you and you alone will

rescue the economy if you spend

your hard earned money during

these few weeks of madness! Instead

why not focus on the mess that our

politicians created to precipitate the

increased numbers of lost jobs? Oh,

if only the good tidings would last

year-round!

What seems to be true though

is that the holidays always seem to

br in g ou t th e ge ne ro si ty of th ehuman spirit. Organizations host

holiday dinners for those less fortu-

nate, gifts are collected for the chil-

dren of the less fortunate and for a

few short weeks life gets a little bet-

ter for them. What about the rest of

the year? Their needs are still the

same. They still sleep in homeless

shelters, under bridges, in cars and

go without food and other life neces-

sities; needless to say, money is

scarce. They won't be shopping until

they drop! Living from day to day

takes up most of their time.

So, while you are enjoying

your holidays, remember that life

doesn't really change much for peo-

ple who struggle everyday just to

survive. Be thankful that you enjoy

life's basics. Be thankful for your

health. If you can find it in your

heart to remember the less fortunate

during the holiday season; then you

can surely find it in your heart to

remember them the rest of the year.

Be as generous as you can everyseason because poverty never takes

a holiday. Think about it. See you

next week.

RADIO ON DEMAND

This week on TALK! with

AUDREY: DR. DEMETRIUS K.

LOPES, Neurosurgeon and National

Spokesperson, American Heart

Association/American Stroke Asso-

ciation is my guest. One in six peo-

ple worldwide will have a stroke in

their lifetime. In the United States

alone, someone has a stroke every

40 seconds. The American Heart

Association and American Stroke

Association urges those who care for

others and the general public to

learn the stroke warning signs, since

by st an de rs of te n en co un te r

strangers having a stroke, and need

to act fast in a stroke emergency.

Visit TALKWITHAUDREY-

com and checkout my online radio

show, TALK! with AUDREY for a

weekly interviews that will inform,

motivate and inspire you. Tune in tolisten to a live broadcast of TALK!

with AUDREY . . . every Tuesday

from 6:00 to 7:00 P.M. on Harlem's

WHCR 90.3 FM.

Audrey Adams, former direc-

tor of corporate public relations and

fa sh io n me rcha nd is in g fo r

ESSENCE continues to motivate and

inspire women through her syndicat-

ed columns and motivational speak-

ing engagements


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Harlem News Group LITERARY CORNERHARLEM . QUEENS . BROOKLYN . BRONX

You figured you had a lock on

things. Sell or steal a little

something. Hold for somebody,

"borrow" a car, gain respect. Make a lit-

tle money and it'd be all good, right?

Now that lock you had has

you. You're in prison and it's a whole

new world in there, one you're not sure

you can survive. But when you read

"Letters to an Incarcerated Brother" by

Hill Harper, you'll see that you have

choices.

It's no secret that there are more

people in American prisons than ever

before. "In less than thirty years," saysHarper," our prison population has

mushroomed." But though statistics

show that offenders are likely to return,

Harper says "there is hope and there are

solutions." This book lays them out.

When Harper was contacted by

an old friend who landed in "county," he

admitted to the young man that he "did-

n't know what to say." Harper believes

himself to be a problem-solver. He had

no answers that time, but he quickly dis-

covered some.

First, he says, find mentorship.

You can't go it alone, so look for some-

one you want to make proud. Consider

prison as a place to "make tune-ups

and adjustments" in your life, but

remember that "you need to be prepared

to change."

Stay patient, even though it's

hard and even though you don't always

understand what's to come. Sometimes,

"it's more important for you to simply

understand you." Learn to keep your

mind free, even if your body is not.

Get as much education as you

can: get your GED, look for collegecoursework that's available to incarcer-

ated students, and read. The time you

spend in prison shouldn't go to waste;

use it to better your mind.

Stay in your children's lives any

way you can. Keep away from prison

gangs and trouble; it's only going to

make things worse. Learn not to take

things personally. Understand that real

men do ask for help when they need it.

Eliminate disrespectful words from your

vocabulary, particularly in reference to

women. Set goals. Learn to apologize

and embrace change. Be a leader.

And do not "micro-quit."

In his introduction, author Hill

Harper lays out several goals for this

book: among others, to show the impor-

tance of education, to offer inspiration

through example, and to explain how to

"beat the odds and avoid returning" to

jail.

Definitely, those goals are

attained but that's not all. Harper offers

words of wisdom from influential con-

tributors to support his ideas. There's

guidance here, help and resources, and

he displays gentle patience, even defer-ence, for his friend - but Harper's

nobody's fool. He's not afraid to call the

man on his lies and half-truths, and he's

not afraid to show frustration. Such real-

ism makes this one powerful book.

This isn't just a reference for

inmates, though. It'll also be a great help

for families, as well as a caution for

boys who are headed for trouble. If that

- or encouragement, sense, or inspira-

tion - is what you need, "Letters to an

Incarcerated Brother" has it locked up.

"Letters to an Incarcerated

Brother"

by Hill Harper

c.2013,

Gotham Books

$27.50 / $29.00

Canada

400 pages

Review by Terri Schlichenmeyer, Harlem News contributor

Letters to an Incarcerated BrotherBy Hil l Harper

24


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Harlem News Group URBANOLOGYHARLEM . QUEENS . BROOKLYN . BRONX

HemNwGoNm22

The Great Pyramid of Giza was

bu il t us ing sacred geometry,

which is defined as how the

spirit integrates with matter through

geometric form, structure and design.

The geometric marvels of the Great

Pyramid, the oldest standing structure

in the world, have never been replicat-

ed, even with today's advanced tech-

nology. It is the only structure in

existence aligned true north with only

3/60th of a degree of error.

When you take in the fact that

the Great Pyramid lies in the center ofgravity of the continents; and it also

lies in the exact center of all the land

area of the world, one can only wonder

about the intelligence of the builders.

The sacred cubit is an ancient measure-

ment found carved in stone just above

the entrance to the King's Chamber

inside the Great Pyramid.

In 1991 the late inventor Slim

Spurling (In the Mind of a Master)

developed a copper ring using the

sacred cubit measurement equaling

20.6 inches. Spurling discovered that

the rings using this cubit length have a

natural resonant frequency of 144

MHz, which is a harmonic of light

speed. It is also a measurement of a

wavelength in the standing gravity

wave of the planet.

Further study and experimenta-

tion lead to the discovery of the Lost

Cubit measurement. The Lost Cubit

has a natural resonant frequency of

177MHz which corresponds to the fre-

quency of DNA, thereby facilitating

DNA repair and the capability of con-

sciously controlled DNA activation

and ascension.

Thanks to the research done bySlim Spurling, there are now energy

tools on the market that make use of

ancient Egyptian sacred geometry to

create a healing energy that modern

quantum physic pioneers such as Niko-

la Tesla (1899) and Albert Ein-

stein(1920) called Scalar Energy or

Zero-Point Energy.

Scalar energy strengthens

chemical bonds within DNA, making it

more resistant to damage. Scalar ener-

gy improves the function of the

Immune System; it improves mental

focus and can cancel out the harmful

effects of 60 cycle power line pollu-

tion, electromagnetic fields, radiation

and microwaves.

I was introduced to the healing

tools, at this year's New Life Wellness

Expo. I met a young inventor Jonathan

Tice, who has developed a number of

energy tools using the sacred geomet-

ric lengths taken from the great pyra-

mid. I agreed to work with Jonathan

on the marketing of these tools, after

experiencing how effective they were

as healing tools.

If you visit my blog

www.theartofwarogers.com I have anumber of articles on the amazing peri-

od in early Egypt where science and

technology was more advanced than

what we have today. The Great Pyra-

mid of Giza still stands, built with sci-

ence and technology that the modern

world is just discovering.

You cannot truly understand

the amazing intelligence of the culture

that built the Great Pyramid unless you

take the time to google the many fea-

tures of this magnificent structure,

built with sacred geometric technolo-

gy. As many of you know, I have been

greatly influenced by the work of

Wayne B. Chandler (Ancient Future)

who provides scholarly research that

points out the many contributions the

early Egyptian culture have made in

the development of mankind.

What is also amazing to me is

in 2013 I am writing about marketing

energy wellness tools constructed by

using sacred geometric forms, a tech-

nology that was developed in Africa

(Egypt) around 3000BC; energy tools

that can be used to address harmful

exposure to AM/FM radio waves,

VHF/UHF Televisions waves, Radar,Microwave ovens and radiofrequency

energy exposure emitted from cell

phones. A true example of, Ancient

Future.

If you would like more infor-

mation on the energy wellness tools,

send me an email at life@theway2

wellness.info or give me a call at 646

329-6727. I plan to interview Jonathan

Tice and Wayne B. Chandler on my

WHCR 90.3FM Urbanology radio

show (also on line at www.whcr.org)

in the near future, I will keep you

updated.

November 30, 2013

As we said in last week's article,

the prostate gland can become

inflamed (prostatitis), enlarged

(causing a sensation of fullness in the

rectum) or infected, causing backache,

impairment of sexual potency, frequent

and/or burning/discomfort/pain upon

urination, recurring flare-ups and some-

times a slight discharge or blood in theurine.

Drink a full glass of room tem-

perature Alkaline water within 20min of

waking and another glass within the

next hour; another 3-6 glasses through-

out the day.

Prostate cancer is the most com-

mon cancer found in men. It is the sec-

ond leading type of cancer death in

men, after lung cancer. There is not

enough known about what causes

prostate cancer and how to prevent it.

Yet the disease is treatable if found in

early stages. This can be a challenge,

since prostate cancer can show no

symptoms until it has spread to otherparts of the body. STAY AHEAD OF

THE GAME - GET AN ANNUAL

CHECK UP (+PROSTATE SCREEN-

ING).

If you begin to feel any of the

above symptoms here are a few herbal

tea suggestions (take 2-5 cups daily, for

mild-to-acute conditions):

Urinary tract infection: Black

walnut bark-1/4pt, buchu leaves-1pt,

chaparral-1/2pt, echinacea-1/4pt, plan-

tain-1pt, wild yam root-1/4pt, uva ursi-

1pt, marshmallow-1/2pt. Men younger

than 50 who have a bladder infection

should see a doctor to determine thecause (since it is so rare). Men over 50

with recurring bladder infections most

likely need to address their prostate

health while also dealing with the acute

infection.

Prostate cancer: buchu leaves-

1pt, juniper berries-1/4pt, echinacea-

1/2pt, golden seal-1/4pt, chaparral-1pt,

kelp-1/2pt, sarsaparilla-1pt, uva ursi-

1pt, wild yam root-1/4pt, yellow dock-

1pt, yarrow-1/2pt, black walnut

bark-1/2pt.

Painful urination: buchu leaves-

1pt, juniper berries-1/2pt, marshmal-

low-1pt, uva ursi-1pt, plantain-1pt,

yarrow-1/2pt.CAUTION - do not take juniper

berries if you have any type of kidney

disease or infection. If any of these con-

ditions present, see your doctor immedi-

ately. Continued long term use of these

formulas is not suggested.

HERBS ARE NATURES MEDICINE:Mens Healthyarrow uva ursi marshmal lowBy Zakiyyah

Sacred GeometryBy WilliamA. Rogers


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Harlem News Group CHURCHHARLEM . QUEENS . BROOKLYN . BRONX

26HemNwGoNm22

CHURCH NEWS:

BEYOND THE MICROPHONEBy Bro. Bill, Host of 3G Experience, WHCR-90.3 FM Gospel Radio

So many questions are left unan-

swered following the suicide of Rev.

Teddy Parker, Jr., 41 year old Pastor

of Bibb Mt. Zion Baptist Church, in

Macon, Georgia last week. Upon complet-

ing his Sunday morning service the Pastor

went home and killed himself. He left

behind a wife, Larrinecia and two daugh-

ters. Be supportive of your Pastor. You

never know what troubled thoughts lurk

behind the smile he gives freely every time

you meet him. Have you ever considered

the pressure that Pastors are under. Of

course suicide is not an answer, especially

if one believes in the saving power of God.We sing songs and are a fount of biblical

clichs, but do we really believe what we

speak?We are preparing for Thanksgiv-

ing celebrations across America. What are

you thankful for? Drop us a line and tell

us what you are thankful for. Remember

as you prepare your Thanksgiving feast,

that there is a family in your building that

will not be celebrating. Be a good neigh-

bor and reach out to someone to join you

in your celebration. Or you could at least

offer a plate!

Controversy has arisen over radio

personality Rush Limbaugh's comments in

regard to the "Democrats are turning

women into nothing but abortion

machines." There is no controversy. Rush

Limbaugh is entitled to say whatever he

wants to say. You cannot silence him

through letters and protests. This is Amer-

ica and we do have a right to freedom of

speech - no matter how offensive it may

be. The remedy to radio and TV personali-

ties you disagree with is to turn the dial!

LaGree Baptist Church, 360 West

125th Street is offering Thanksgiving

breakfast on Thursday morning. There is

no charge for this meal.

There was a revival at New St.

John Baptist Church, 2409 Lorillard Placein the Bronx, from Wednesday through

Friday. Rev. Bennie Wright, Jr. is the Pas-

tor.There was a concert at New Mt.

Zion Baptist Church, West

harlem news group, ny, nov. 21, 2013 bronx- art is our last hope, paolo bruscky

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