onyx magazine march 2010

Ella Thomas: a Biography

Winter 2010www.onyxmagazine.com

Space Coast Awards a Meet Jewel CollinsHuge Success Long-Term Relief for Haiti

WhyAm I

AlwaysSick?

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NuJak ExecutivesGrace theCover ofBlack EnterpriseMagazine

WhyAm I

AlwaysSick?

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4 Onyx Magazine Winter

Contents

Cover Story

ELLA THOMAS

From a real-life supermodel to playinga robot opposite Bruce Willis on the bigscreen in SURROGATES, there is nothingthat this statuesque beauty and star of theNBC miniseries “The Storm,” Ella Thomas,can’t do.

20

JEWEL COLLINS...A woman who has served hercommunity well.

22

HARRIS ROSENRelief donations will be

channeled through the HarrisRosen Foundation, which hasmanaged the hotelier's multi-million philanthropic endeavorsfor more than 15 years.

16

23

DWIGHT HOWARDNBA Cares Community Assist Award forOctober

DEPARTMENTS26 Florida Scope

Law Student Becomes 2nd Black President of Prestigious Political Organization

Brevard Community Collegewireless Human Similator Manikin Delivers Manikin Baby

34 In the NewsThe GrammysFAMU College of Law

Celebrate Its AccreditationJustice Reform a MustTiger Woods Breaks SilenceVolunteer USA’s National Disaster Recover Fund

Launches Card Care for Haiti39 Beauty Tips40 Eating Well42 Technology

Dude, Where Is My Dad?The Space Coast Awards 7

Volume 13 Number 1Winter, 2010

Publisher and Managing EditorLillian Seays

Associate Editor / Operations Man-ager

Lester Seays

Director of Information TechnologyBrian Seays

Director of Special ProjectsCheryll Daniels

Executive Director of Marketingand Sales

George Oliver

Northeast Florida SalesDavid Williams

Circulation ManagerKenneth Seays

Contributing WritersThe Reverend Dr. Randolph Bracy, Jr.

Joy GendusaTeri Haux

Sandi MoriasRhetta Peoples

Lucia Reid

PhotographersTed Hollins

Mike Lester Seays

Onyx Magazine is published bimonthlyby LBS Publications, Inc., P. O. Box555059, Orlando, FL 32855. Phone(407) 293-6102 or (407) 443-6237.Subscription $15 for six issues, andcan be purchased online: www.onyx-magazine.com. Letters to the editorare encouraged. Copyright 2009 byLBS Publications. All rights reserved.No part of this publication may be re-produced without the written consentof the publisher. Opinions expressedin this magazine are those of the writeror interviewee, and not necessarilythose of the editor. Manuscripts, pho-tos and art should be submitted with aself addressed stamped envelope.

DISCLAIMER: The editor does notassume responsibility for any materialsnot submitted in manner advised.Please go to the website for additioninformation regarding contributingwriters. Unsolicited materials are notsubject to payment from Onyx maga-zine.

Dear Readers,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Please note that we have made the decision to convert to an online magazine, and we arae very excited about it.We will have only one print version, and that will be during the month of the Onyx Awards. By going on-line itgives us the opportunity for frequent updates, which helps to better serve our readers.

This year, the Onyx Awards is being held on October 16, 2010. Please remember that the awards is a statewidegala. Nominees hail from different parts of the state (Florida); you are encouraged to come and support thosefrom your area. This is an event that you don’t want to miss.

Go to www.onyxawards.com for more information.

You will find a variety of topics in this issue, including the Onyx Awards which was held on the Space Coast. Ifyou have any ideas for a story, please let us know. Meanwhile, please enjoy what we have prepared for you in thisissue.

With warm regards,

Lillian and Lester Seays

Winter Onyx Magazine 7

SPACE COASTHONOREES

BUSINESSEmma and Moses Harvin

COMMUNICATIONJeffery Gallop

COMMUNITY SERVICEClara Pittman Smith

EDUCATIONRosette Brown

THE ARTSRev. Arthur Blatch

PUBLIC SERVICE (Organization)

Iota Pi Omega Chapter of AlphaKappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

CULTURAL DIVERSITYHarris Corporation &

Rockwell Collins

PUBLISHERSʼ AWARDCaptain Winston Scott

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENTRev. W. O. Wells

With an attendance of 336 quests, theSpace Coast Onyx Awards was well re-ceived for the second consecutive year. Theelegant red carpet/black tie event is an un-paralleled event honoring persons who haveused their talents, professions and resourcesto make the Space Coast a better place tolive.

The Space Coast Onyx Awards was pre-sented by Onyx Magazine and LBS Foun-dation Incorporated (a 501(c)(3)). Themission of the foundation supports the no-tion that health and education cannot becompromised. This year, the proceeds fromthe event went to the Diamond CommunitySchool.

Onyx Magazine would like to thankFlorida Institute of Technology and HarrisCorporation, the corporate sponsors, fortheir belief in and support of our mission.

We also thank our table sponsors as fol-lows:

Community Credit UnionFlorida Power and LightUnited Space Alliance

Iota Pi Omega, Alpha Kappa AlphaFifty Plus and Bridging

Melbourne/Palm Bay Chapter ofDelta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Rockwell CollinsBrevard Traffic and Safety Institute

Brevard Community CollegeDelta Life Development Center

Brevard Ebony News (Media Sponsor)

Rev. W. O. Wells,Lifetime Achievement Award and

Kendall Moore

Rev. W. O. Wells, Sr. is the husband ofthe late Dr. Anne Wells, and the father offour children. He has served in the follow-ing capacities:

Moderator of the Florida East CoastBaptist Association, Dean of the J.T. BrownSeminary of Florida, President of theNAACP of Central Brevard County, Chair-man of the Redevelopment Commission ofthe City of Cocoa, board member of theFlorida General Baptist Convention,Elected President Emeritus of the FloridaState Congress of Christina Education,served on the Block Grant Advisory Boardof the City of Cocoa, and is the presidentand founder of the 1000 Black Men Sum-mit, Inc.

THE ONYX AWARDS COMMITTEE

Purvette Bryant, Grace Smith, Jewel Collins, Beatrice Gillespie, Sandra Phillips, Lillian Seays, Audrey Grayson, Not Shown: LeRoy Darby and Lester Seays

SPACE COAST ONYX AWARDS A HUGE SUCCESS


FIRST ROW: Lester Seays, April LaRue, Rev. W.O. Wells - Lifetime Achievement; Clara Smith - Community Service; Captain WinstonScott - Publisher’s Award; Jeffery Gallop - Communication; Denise King (Harris Corporation) Cultural Diversity Award; RockwellCollins - Cultural Diversity Award; Emma and Moses Harvin - Business

THE HONOREES

A GLIMPSE INTO THE SPACE COAST ONYX AWARDS

Purvette Bryant, Mr. & Mrs. Price, Lester Seays (Onyx Magazine) Rosette Brown - Education; LeRoy Darby,Presenter


The Table of Florida Institute of Technology

CAPACITY CROWD


Emma and Moses Harvin, Winners of the Business Award

Charles Jackson, Winner of the Statewide Onyx Awards in the Category of BusinessKim Kassis, Winner in Statewide Onyx

Awards in Communication


Dr. Doreatha Fields, Founder of Diamond Community SchoolBrevard Community College

Kimberly and Kimiah Hicks Students from Viera High School Band Accompany Captain Winston Scott


OUR HONORARY CHAIRPERSONS: Dr. Maxwell King - President Emeritus, BCC and Indian River Community College,Sandy Sanderson - Area Manager, Florida Power & Light, Attorney. Kendall Moore - Johnson Law Center

Mr. & Mrs. Bookhardt (Rochelle Bookhardt, President of Alpha Kappa Alpha,Received the Public Service Award for an Organization

James and Phaedra Brown

Captain Winston ScottRochelle Bookhardt


Rockwell Collins

Harris Corporation

Raynard “Genesis” McCleese


Our HostessesMajor General Titus Hall, Captain Scott

Rockwell CollinsRev. Arthur Blatch, III

The Onyx Awards, which is presented by LBS Publications, dba Onyx Magazine, was conceived as a means of giving back to the com-munity. Therefore in 2002, the owners of Onyx Magazine created LBS Foundation as the philanthropic arm of LBS Publications inorder to make a meaningful impact in its giving. The Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3).

In May 2003, the Onyx Awards made its debut at the Rosen Plaza Hotel. Three hundred guests were in attendance. In 2004, therewere 600 in attendance. Our guests include proactive individuals from throughout the state (from state and local governmentrepresentatives to leaders of large corporations to upper and lower level professionals and people who are committed to making a dif-ference in the community. The Onyx Awards Gala brings all of these people into the same room; thus, making this venue a perfectplace for making new and meaningful contact, a place where knowledge is shared and a place for the merging of cultures. Each yearBlue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida has been our signature sponsor.

The Onyx Awards is a presentation that serves a dual purpose: A. To celebrate selected individuals’ professional accomplishments andcommunity service, which we believe will provide an incentive for others to become more community oriented; thus, forming a solidnetwork of people helping people. B. To generate revenue to go directly to the Foundation to benefit Health andEducation initiatives (special emphasis on literacy and Sickle Cell Disease.

As a result, the formal mission of The Onyx Awards Benefit Gala is to create a working partnership with community entities that wemight encourage individuals, businesses, social and civic organizations to maintain a proactive presence in protecting the health, ed-ucation and socio-economic status of the people we serve. Our major focus is Sickle Cell Disease and education initiatives. Our attackfor seeking funding for our charities is deliberately designed with flair. We believe that the work of those persons who have been nom-inated to receive the Onyx Award deserve to be celebrated because they have gone above and beyond that which is expected so thateveryone they touch can have an opportunity at quality of life. We want to present their lives as a beacon and an inspiration for othersto follow. With more people falling into the footsteps of our honorees, the load gets lighter and the benefits broader. Secondly, whatbetter way to honor a person for his/her unselfish acts except by publicly saying, “Thank you.”

HISTORY OF THE ONYX AWARDS

The NBA named Orlando Magic centerDwight Howard as the recipient of the NBACares Community Assist Award for Octoberin recognition of his outstanding efforts inthe community and for his ongoing philan-thropic and charitable work.

Howard is being honored in part for hiscommitment to helping create a state-of-the-art game room designed especially forteenagers at the Florida Hospital for Chil-dren in Orlando. Having made numerousvisits to the hospital in past years, Howardrecently decided that he wanted to make alarger, lasting impact. As part of his new“Dwight Howard’s Big Change for Kids”program, Howard provided an initial$30,000 to fund the new room, which willfeature the latest in videogame technology,movies, board games, and education re-sources to provide young patients undergo-ing difficult medical treatment with a placeto relax and have fun. He plans to continu-ally support the project through fundraisingefforts at local businesses, schools, andplaces of worship.

“God blessed me with more than I couldever imagine,” said Howard. “Being ableto give back to these kids and to people whoreally need help is very important to me.”

Howard and his parents, Dwight, Sr. andSheryl Howard, began their efforts to em-power young people across America toreach their highest potential when they es-tablished the Dwight D. Howard Founda-tion in 2004. In late October, the foundationhosted “Community Spirit Week,” a five-day celebration that featured leadershipseminars, educational programming, andfun for Orlando-area youth. Over the pastfive years, the foundation has also helpedstudents by granting them scholarships toattend Howard’s alma mater, Southwest At-lanta Christian Academy, and has providedfinancial assistance to Central Floridaschools Lovell Elementary and MemorialMiddle.

This award marks Howard’s third NBACares Community Assist Award. Followinghis first award in July 2007, Howard earnedhis second in January 2009 in part for hissupport of the Parramore Kidz Zone TeenShack at Orlando’s Downtown RecreationComplex. Howard continues to support anumber of other charitable efforts focusedon local youth, including the Blessings in aBackpack program, a national nonprofit ini-tiative that tipped off in October 2008 andsupports low-income children and theirfamilies. Through the program, Howardhelps provide students at Orlando’s LakeComo Elementary School with six take-home meals each weekend in an effort toensure that they receive the nutrition theyneed to help them learn and grow.

In addition, Howard is an integral partof the Magic’s community service initia-tives throughout the season and recentlyparticipated in the NBA’s Basketball with-out Borders program, traveling with a groupof other players and coaches to South Africafor a week of basketball and community de-velopment activities.

As the October NBA Cares CommunityAssist Award recipient, Howard will receivethe David Robinson Plaque with the inscrip-tion, “Following the standard set by NBALegend David Robinson who improved thecommunity piece by piece.” In addition, a$5,000 donation will be given by the NBAto Howard’s Big Change for Kids program.

The league presents the NBA CaresCommunity Assist Award monthly to rec-ognize players for their charitable efforts.The award honors the NBA player who bestreflects the passion that the league and itsplayers have for giving back to their com-munities.

The Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard jokes arounof the special pediatric “gaming” room and addit

ORLANDO MAGIC CENTER DWIGHTHOWARD NBA CARES COMMUNITY

ASSIST AWARD FOR OCTOBER

Photo Compliments of Fernando Medina, Orlando Magic

nd with pediatric patient Greg Nelams, age 11, at Florida Hospital for Children. Howard was at the hospital to announce his initial fundingtional fundraising efforts through Dwight Howard’s Big Change for Kids program.


Atlanta-area teacher, Ronelle Keglarwas crowned Miss Black Georgia USA2010 on last Saturday, November 14 at theMiss/Ms Black Georgia USA Pageant. Fif-teen young ladies from various backgroundsand cities from across the state came tocompete; but, after months of preparationand two dazzling nights of stupendous per-formances, panel interviews and modelingstunning gowns, the judges named Keglarthe new queen.

Ronelle Keglar, a native of Indianapolis,but now a Georgia Peach, is a graduate ofAlabama A &M University and GeorgiaState University where she received herbachelor’s and graduate degrees, respec-tively. She is also an active member of theAtlanta Alumnae Chapter of the Interna-tional Music Fraternity for Women, SigmaAlpha Iota. She is employed by the DeKalbCounty Schools, where she teaches 3rdgrade.

In addition to childhood education, MissKeglar is concerned with the excess weightand obesity plaguing communities aroundthe country. She works to educate othersabout the importance of living a healthy andactive lifestyle, from proper exercising tochoosing the right foods for a healthier diet.

“We are proud to present our new reign-

ing queen for the year 2010, Miss RonelleKeglar,” stated Carletta Hurt, Executive Di-rector. “Ronelle exemplifies what this pag-eant is about – strong and empoweredAfrican-American women leaders who areeconomically empowered, politically astute,spiritually centered, and civic-minded.”

On Saturday afternoon, the Miss BlackGeorgia Teen Pageant was held duringwhich five young teenaged ladies competedfor the crown. The “Ladies of Motown”themed-pageant showcased the ladies in theareas of talent,fashion and their depiction offamed female singing artists from DianaRoss to Erykah Badu. The Jazzy Jewels ofFreedom Middle School dance troupe en-tertained the audience with a performancefilled with electrifying moves and precision.

Only one girl could be crowned queen,and 17-year-old Candi Caul, a senior at anAtlanta-area private school, won the cov-eted title of Miss Black Georgia Teen 2009for the year. Miss Caul wowed the crowdwith a self-penned, dramatic monologue onteen violence.

“This year’s pageants were filled withvery talented ladies from across Georgiawho are very talented and passionate abouttheir communities in which they live, workand attend school,” added Hurt. “Although

ATLANTA-AREA TEACHER, RONELLEKEGLAR CROWNED MISS BLACK GEORGIA

USA 2010Local Student, Candi Caul Crowned Miss Black Georgia Teen 2009

they all spent long hours preparing for thisspecial evening, only one could be crownedqueen; however, we consider them all winners.”

As the newly crowned queen, Keglar is therecipient of a $3, 000 scholarship, a Dell laptopcomputer, a professional stylists, and other prizesand services. Caul also is the recipient of an arrayof prizes and services, including a $1, 000 schol-arship. Both will head into their new reigningyears, making appearances and working causesnear and dear to their hearts.

Sponsors of this year’s events are Queen’sLevel, Aaron’s; Princess Level, Dr. Miracle’s;Media Sponsor, Rolling Out Urban Style Weekly;and Nikki Darling & Co.

Miss/Ms. Black Georgia USA is a non-profitentity designed to develop, celebrate, and assistwith the educational goals of African-Americanwomen. The organization believes minoritywomen should be economically empowered, po-litically astute, spiritually centered, and civicminded. The mission of Miss/Ms. Black GeorgiaUSA is to identify, develop, and promote nationalleadership within the African-American commu-nity among women 18-45 years of age. This mis-sion is served through intensive contestantdevelopment and by working to become thelargest state provider of scholarships to AfricanAmerican women in Georgia.


From the National Scene

Ella Thomas: a Biography


From a real-life supermodel to play-

ing a robot opposite Bruce Willis on the big

screen in SURROGATES, there is nothing

that this statuesque beauty and star of the

NBC miniseries “The Storm,” Ella

Thomas, can’t do.

Thomas was born in Addis Ababa,

Ethiopia to an Eritrean mother and a U.S.

Air Force officer who was stationed there

at the time. She spent the first few years of

her life in Ethiopia’s capital city before

moving to Germany where she spent her

childhood years. Languages came easy to

Thomas as she became fluent in German

and French while enrolled in a German

school, in addition to learning English from

her mother at home. It was there where she

fondly remembers participating in both

local and school productions and where she

first realized her love for performing.

It wasn’t until her family moved to

Connecticut at 15 that she got discovered

by her high school classmate’s mom and

her career took off. In a whirlwind of a

year, Thomas traveled to New York where

she signed with Elite Model Management

and spent the summer in Paris where she

had photo shoots with Seventeen maga-

zine, YM magazine, Benetton and was also

featured in a fashion spread for Marie

Claire magazine all at the age of 16. How-

ever, modeling wasn’t her only passion.

While attending Holy Cross High School,

Thomas immersed herself in a variety of

athletics in her free time including varsity

basketball, track, ballet and baton twirling.

Thomas continued to model with

great success for a year following high

school graduation but was forced to re-

assess her career goals when she suffered a

serious injury during a photo shoot.

Thomas decided to step back and take a

break from her rapidly growing career to

recuperate and earn her Bachelors in biol-

ogy. However, she never lost her determi-

nation and love for modeling.

After three years, Thomas was itch-

ing to get back into the industry and

moved to New York to pick up where she

left off. She instantly got back into the

modeling groove, traveling back and forth

between Los Angeles and New York for

print and commercial work including nu-

merous ads for Gap, L’Oreal, Macy’s and

Tiffany & Co. in addition to gracing the

covers and pages of magazines including

Elle, Glamour and InStyle.

It was during one of her trips to Los

Angeles that she booked her first acting

role in the Artist View thriller DISTUR-

BANCE. During the same trip, Thomas

got her big break when she met “7th

Heaven’s” creator Brenda Hampton while

volunteering at Child Help, a charity for

children who have been in the system too

long and have not been adopted. Hampton

was so amazed not only by Thomas’s

looks but also by her heart that she cast her

on “7th Heaven” as an angel who comes

back to earth to thank a family for adopt-

ing her young children after she died.

Shortly after her appearance, Thomas

moved to Los Angeles to pursue her new

dreams.

Almost instantly upon her arrival to

the “City of Angels,” Thomas began

booking guest spots on some of the hottest

shows on television. She appeared on

“Ugly Betty” as a supermodel with the

season’s hottest “must have item” oppo-

site American Ferrera. Next she landed

roles in “Las Vegas” as a New York pho-

tographer and Mike’s (James Lesure) love

interest, “How I Met Your Mother” as a

girl trying to seduce Neil Patrick Harris

into a cab and “Entourage” as “Viveca” an

adulterous woman who tried to steal

“Vince” (Adrian Grenier) away from his

girlfriend. She booked a role in the Hall-

mark film PANIC BUTTON as the daughter

of Richard Roundtree. Most recently,

Thomas starred as Sean “P. Diddy” Combs’

fiance in an episode of “CSI Miami.”

Next, Thomas stars in the apocalyptic

mini-series “The Storm,” which is part of

the highly anticipated Survival Sundays on

NBC, which features three mini-series on

what could possibly be the end of the world.

In this two-part series, Thomas stars along-

side James Van Der Beek and Luke Perry as

“Anna Roberts,” a newly single New York

City bartender that must reunited with her

ex-boyfriend to save her best friend who is

trapped outside during the storm.

In addition to “The Storm,” Thomas

will also be hitting the big screen at sum-

mer’s end as she takes on a role with action-

legend Bruce Willis in the sci-fi thriller

SURROGATES. The film is set in the near

future in which humans live in isolation

while only communicating with their fellow

man through robots that serve as social sur-

rogates of their human counterparts.

Thomas stars as “Lisa,” a surrogate who

lusts after Willis’ character, an FBI agent

who enlists the aid of his own surrogate to

investigate the murder of inventor of the

surrogates. The film also costars Radha

Mitchell and Ving Rhames.

When she is not working or on set,

Thomas enjoys staying active by dancing

and playing basketball and tennis. She also

enjoys reading sci-fi, classics and American

history every chance she gets.

...a WomanWho Has

Served HerCommunity

Well

Ever since she was a child, Jewel Collinshas had a sense of commitment to her com-munity––going door to door with hermother collecting for the March of Dimesand even joining the NAACP at an earlyage. So it’s no wonder that her constituentswould see her for what she is and elect herto serve as Cocoa City Councilwoman.

A mother of three, Jewel followed in herdeceased husband’s footstep and becameCocoa’s first African-American Council-woman, therefore, serving the communityfor two terms.

Rhetorically, how did Jewel come to bethe woman that everybody loves. Well, letme count the ways: she visits patients atWuesthoff Memorial Hospital (she doesn’thave to know them), she is an assistant tospecial needs children, she mentors studentswho need help, she sorts and bags food atthe Cocoa Sharing Center and deliversMeals on Wheels, she is always equippedwith voter registration material that shekeeps in her car to sign up unregistered vot-ers and she has cared for two grandchildrenfor 15 years and to top it off, one would behard pressed to find a civic or charitable or-ganization of which is not a member.

Further, Jewel is responsible for the TrashBash, Census Tract 626 - a project to turn aundesirable area of Cocoa into one ofwhich the community can be proud. TheRiverfront Park and development of CocoaVillage were achieved during the time thatJewel was in office. These were some ofthe reasons that in 2006, Jewel was chosenas the “March of Dimes Woman ofAchievement”. She was chosen fromamong 50 nominees and 17 finalist and waspresented the award by Dr. Lisa A. Cos-grove who was given the same honor in2004.


Orlando hotelier Harris Rosen, Presi-dent and COO of Rosen Hotels & Re-sorts, announced a comprehensive andlong-term relief effort to raise at least $1million in donations as well as to collectfirst aid, medical and hygiene supplies toassist the earthquake victims in Haiti.Rosen jump-started the fundraising cam-paign with a personal donation of$250,000 and is seeking assistance fromlocal companies, vendors, churches,Rosen Hotels & Resorts' associates andindividuals in the Orlando community toraise the balance.

Relief donations will be channeledthrough the Harris Rosen Foundation,which has managed the hotelier's multi-million philanthropic endeavors for morethan 15 years. One hundred percent of do-nations received through the Harris RosenFoundation will be used for relief effortsin Haiti.

On Wednesday, Jan. 13, Rosen and hisinternal team met with Senator Bill Nel-son and several leaders from Orlando'sHaitian community to determine the im-mediate needs of those affected by thisweek's earthquake. Along with cashneeded to buy supplies, the group is col-lecting first aid kits, medical supplies(bandages, gauze, peroxide, etc.), blan-kets, towels, washcloths, hygiene prod-ucts (soap, toothpaste, shampoo, etc.),antibiotics and bug spray. No clothes,shoes or food will be accepted at thistime.Rosen is also working with pharma-ceutical vendors via his onsite RosenMedical Center to secure donations ofmedical supplies.

Supplies may be dropped off at RosenCentre hotel, 9840 International Dr., Or-lando, FL 32819 or at First Haitian Bap-tist Church of Orlando, 4701 LenoxBoulevard, Orlando, FL 32811or at theChild development Center of Orlando,11553 Winter Garden Vineland Rd., Or-lando, FL 32836. Monetary donationsmay be mailed to the Harris Rosen Foun-dation, memo: Haiti Relief, 9840 Interna-tional Drive, Orlando, FL 32819. TheHarris Rosen Foundation is a non-profit501(c)(3) organization (FEIN #59-2890420). For more information, call407-996-6715 or visitwww.rosenhotels.com/haiti.

Approximately 30 percent of Rosen Ho-tels & Resorts' associates are from Haiti orare of Haitian descent, bringing the griefand worry very close to home for the hote-lier and the 4,500 total associates withinRosen's seven Orlando hotels. Grief coun-selors have also been made available to as-sociates via the Rosen Medical Center andFamily Outreach Center.

This is not the first time that Rosen Ho-tels & Resorts and the Harris Rosen Foun-dation have come to the aid of the Haitianpeople. Four years ago, Rosen hosted a"Water for Haiti" benefit, partnering withAir Mobile Ministries in Titusville, Fla. toraise $350,000 to purchase portable waterpurification systems for Haiti. The hotelchain regularly sends soap to the third-world country and had accumulated morethan 50,000 bars that it was going to shipprior to the earthquake. The soap will nowbe sent along with the other medical andfirst aid supplies.

"Even after we reach our goal of $1 mil-lion, we won't stop. The devastation in Haitiis immeasurable, and we know that this is along-term commitment," said Rosen. "Weare grateful for the expertise and first-handknowledge of our friends in the OrlandoHaitian community to help us determine thegreatest immediate needs, so that the reliefeffort can be done in stages."

Partners in the Rosen Hotels & Resortsrelief effort include the First Haitian BaptistChurch of Orlando, Senator Bill Nelson'sOffice, the Consulate of Haiti in Orlando,Haitian American Chamber of Commerce,Tekontrol, and Senator Gary Siplin's Office.

Comprehensive LongTerm Relief for Haiti

Harris Rosen

When Jewel Collins was Cocoa Council-woman, she was instrumental in bringingmany improvements to the Cocoa area.Among them were bringing 500 jobs toCocoa through the Cocoa North Wal-Mart;road improvements, storm water retentionproject, Heart of Cocoa street design andhome construction; park improvements; SR520 upgrades, Cocoa High School stadium;tax credits; and funding for new businesses;housing programs and neighborhood revi-talization. She is also a member of of theCoalition for Women and Children Issues,the Diversity Group, and a Bible teacher atthe Church of Christ on Fiske Boulevard inRockledge. Recently, she became a mem-ber of the Space Coast Onyx Awards Com-mittee where she is a complete asset to thegroup.

What has Jewel not done? Well, justabout every thing, and that’s the reason sheis much appreciated for her deeds –– herawards prove it. She received the MarjorieOlsen Child Advocacy Award, from theChild Care Association; the Heart of GoldAward, from Florida Today; the CrystalPyramid Award from Delta Sigma ThetaSorority, Inc. and the Community ServiceAward from the NAACP.

Jewel has made several friends during hertravels abroad. She seems to take sunshinewith her no matter where she goes, despitethe tragic loss of her son at the young ageof 30 years old, she refuses to allow her painto be exposed. Because of her son’s dedica-tion to his church, a scholarship was estab-lished in his name. Through it all, Jewelcontinues to keep on giving. That’s the Godin her.


Millions of Americans suffer fromheadaches, stomach problems and other ail-ments like shortness of breath, abdominalpain, or even more long-term ailments likeeczema and hypoglycemia. What’s worse,these ailments go untreated and undiag-nosed because the cause is unclear.

The answer for many of these patientscould likely be a simple food allergy, but itis difficult to detect, according to Dr.Stephen Wangen, author of Healthier With-out Wheat from Innate Health Publishing(www.healthierwithoutwheat.com).

“The number of people who react towheat and gluten, and the profound differ-ence seen in their lives when they stop eat-ing them, never ceases to amaze me,” Dr.Wangen said. “People need to arm them-selves with the facts, and they need tochange the way they think about their healthso they can address diagnosis and potentialtreatment with their physicians. With theHMO’s attention to the over-utilization ofhealthcare services, many doctors and clin-ics are pressured to move patients throughthe system quickly, without addressing thepatients’ needs more creatively. This is whyso many people are still sick even after theysee their doctor.”

Because wheat gluten is such a com-mon ingredient in foods we eat every day –including bread, pizza, pasta and others –it’s affects can sometimes go undiagnosed

Why am I Always Sick?Doctor Reveals What Might

Be Causing Headaches,Stomach Problems and Heartburn in

Millions of Americans

by many people, who just chalk their symp-toms up to stress, over-eating or general fa-tigue.

Dr. Wangen offered some tips for pa-tients seeking answers to their undiagnosedhealth issues:

Don’t self-diagnose because of TVdrug ads – Many pharmaceutical advertise-ments may describe symptoms similar toyours, but don’t be fooled by them and sim-ply ask your doctor for the prescription dujour. If traditional treatments haven’tworked, then ask your doctor to test for foodallergies. Ask for Gliadin IgA testing (avail-able from most major labs), Total IgA plustissue Transglutaminase IgA (tTIgA) testpair (available from most major labs),ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbentassay) method IgG and IgE testing forgluten or the entire grain (wheat, barley,spelt, kamut, rye, etc.) Some of these testsmay not be readily available. If your doctorcannot perform them, find one who will.

Change your philosophy on health –People’s default position should be one ofbeing healthy. Too many people walkaround suffering unhealthy symptoms, butdon’t feel it’s important enough to seek adoctor’s care for them. They are just “theway I am.” In the absence of an identifiablecause, people should generally feel goodand be healthy. If you suffer symptoms,make it a point to find out why, and seek outtreatment to correct the problem.

Wellness Visit – Too many peopleallow the “sicker-quicker” phenomenon tohappen to them. Because of the poor econ-omy, many people are working two jobs,and cannot afford to miss work to see theirdoctor for a wellness visit in order to seekanswers to their minor symptoms. What in-variably happens is that they wind up get-ting sicker, and then wind up taking a weekoff of work to get better. Moreover, thehealthcare system moves them throughquicker, because of managed care pressures,meaning that many treatments wind upbeing ineffective, anyway.

“Many people know that they have areaction to wheat or gluten, even thoughtheir doctors haven’t found any evidence tosupport the diagnosis,” Dr. Wangen said.“Others may just be beginning to suspectthat the symptoms they are experiencing arerelated to their diets. People need to read,research and discover for themselves the in-formation they need to understand and ap-preciate all forms of wheat and glutenintolerance, as well as more conventionalwheat and gluten allergies.”

About Dr. Stephen Wangen

Dr. Stephen Wangen is a nationallyrecognized expert in the field of gluten in-tolerance, a gluten-intolerant physician andco-founder of the IBS Treatment Center.


FLORIDA SCOPE

Law Student Becomes2nd Black President of

Prestigious Political Organization

African-American law studentStephen Liverpool (UF Law 2010) survivescar accident to become president of FloridaBlue Key (FBK) of UF. He will serve asonly the second African-American presidentin organization’s 87 year history.

As president, Liverpool seeks to pro-mote awareness and dialogue about issuesthat will affect the state’s future. Under hisleadership FBK will work alongside the UFgovernment relations department andalumni association to promote the new grassroots program “Gators for Higher Educa-tion.” The program advocates for the leg-islative priorities of the UF community.

FBK is a student honor and service so-ciety at UF whose members include influen-tial student leaders, businessmen,politicians, judges, and former governors.The organization actively lobbys at the statelegislature on behalf of UF's educationaland student interests.

BREVARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE,(COCOA), FLA. – Noelle, the only wirelesshuman simulator manikin in Central Floridathat delivers a baby, can also tell paramedicsand nurses when her labor pains progress.

When the mother talks, her eyes blink andmouth moves, providing students at theBrevard Community College Institute ofNursing, Brevard County Fire Rescue andarea hospitals the full impact of an emer-gency medical crisis. She also yells in threephases as labor pains intensify.

The college, which purchased a family ofwireless manikins for $27,000 each, is theonly institution to operate wireless multisimulation Gaumard manikins in CentralFlorida, said Kate Cunningham, associateprovost for the BCC Institute of Nursing.

The manikins are used to simulate emer-gency conditions such as heart attacks,bleeding, asthma attacks and amputatedlegs and arms in tragic accidents. The fam-ily includes Noelle, the mother; Hal, thedad; five-year-old Hal, the son; and twobaby Hals that can be interchanged to re-flect male or female babies.

The wireless component allows instruc-tors to use a laptop computer and operate upto three manikins at once from up to 200yards away.

“This gives us a greater ability to createmore realism with the scenarios especiallytrauma or medical emergencies,” Cunning-ham said. “They provide a real life scenario,in real time, for the students to practice be-fore entering the real world. The state boardof nursing allows 25 percent of the nursingstudent clinical hours to be used on simula-

tion manikins verses live patients.

“Emergency Medical Services studentscan have a bleeding amputation or chesttrauma and practice the emergency proce-dures they would perform in the field. If aparamedic student inserts an airway tubeinto the manikin, the computer system willlet the instructor know if the tube is cor-rectly placed.”

Health First, Wuesthoff Health System,and Brevard County Fire Rescue use themanikins for training and are “pleased thatwe can run multiple manikins at one timecreating a mass casualty setting that is moreconsistent with the real world,” Cunning-ham said.

The manikins can answer questions whenasked and students will hear a variety ofbreath sounds, heart sounds and can checkpulses or take blood pressures. The fathercan be programmed with an amputated legthat bleeds.

Nursing students, emergency medicaltechnicians, paramedic programs, first re-sponder students, and students in Introduc-tion to Health courses utilize the manikinsfor training.

The simulators are used to help nursingand EMS students with patient care. Intro-duction to Health students use them for vitalsigns and patient assessment, Cunninghamsaid. Students experience how to adminis-ter oxygen, ventilate a patient, deliver abreached birth, bag/valve mechanical venti-lation, setting broken bones in splints, andstart an intravenous connection on a patient.

The laptop computer can create traumatic

Brevard Community College Wireless Human Simulator Manikin

Delivers Manikin Baby, Teaches Emergency Medical Skills in

Classrooms, Hospitals

Photo Credit: Purvette Bryant


scenarios such as a lightning strike, heart attack, and a child struck by a car.The manikins have pre-programmed voice commands such as “Ouch!,” “I havechest pains,” “Don’t touch me,” or “My arm is broken.”

“They need to be prepared for any patient condition,” said Mike Graf, BCChuman simulator lab coordinator. “They may think they’re going for an asthmaattack and upon arrival it is either a heart attack or something totally different.It gives students critical thinking skills. In an emergency situation concise, ac-curate thinking is important to save lives.

During a class at the BCC Palm Bay campus, Graf said he created a scenariowhere a man was hit by a car. Hal the manikin was lying under the front end ofthe vehicle with massive trauma wounds.

The manikins are used to teach Advanced Cardiac Life Support, PediatricAdvanced Life Support and International Trauma Life Support. All BrevardCounty Fire Rescue fire medics are recertified through the BCC program. Themanikins are used as part of the recertification process, Graf said.

“We also have the only fully automated birthing manikin,” Graf said. “Dur-ing a birth, if mom is a drug addict we can program the baby to be lifeless, gointo cardiac arrest or become unresponsive when born. We can simulate obstet-rical emergencies such as high blood pressure and delivery complications suchas a breached birth, a cord wrapped around the baby’s neck, the baby’s notbreathing, mom can’t stop bleeding after birth or the mother’s water breaks.”

The human patient simulator lab is located on the BCC Cocoa campus, Tech-nical Center, (Building 17), at 1519 Clearlake Road. For more informationabout the programs call Graf at (321) 433-7544 or Cunningham at (321) 433-7563.

Photo Cutline 1: Noelle, a human simulatormanikin, is used for nursing, paramedic and basichealth training at Brevard Community College. MikeGraf, human simulator lab coordinator, helps pre-pare newborn baby Hal and mother Noelle for amock birthing scenario.

Photo Cutline 2: Rod-ney Wade, a BrevardCommunity Collegesimulation technician,and Abby Covington, atrainer for GaumardScientific, Inc., thecompany that producesthe wireless manikins,cares for Hal who wasinvolved in a mock caraccident that amputatedhis arm and leg.

FLORIDA SCOPE


CAPTION: Alonzo Mourning met with members of the Congressional Black Caucus on October 7th to discuss health care re-form and kidney disease within the African American community. Pictured from left to right are Congressman Bobby Scott(D-VA), Congressman Kendrick Meek (D-FL), House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC) and Alonzo Mourning.

Commissioner LynumAttends Holiday Reception at the

White House

ORLANDO, FL – Orlando City Commis-sioner Daisy W. Lynum attended a holidayreception at the White House as a guest ofPresident Barack Obama and First LadyMichelle Obama on December 15, 2009.

Commissioner Lynum is no stranger to theWhite House, having visited several times,

with the most recent visit being March 17,2009, during the National League of CitiesCongressional City Conference. Commis-sioner Lynum and several of her NationalBlack Caucus of Local Elected Officials(NBC-LEO) colleagues met with WhiteHouse officials regarding NBC-LEO’s pri-orities and how to engage African Ameri-cans in the rebuilding of America.

“The reception was superb,” said Commis-sioner Lynum. “The White House was elab-orately decorated with dozens of trees andthe President and First Lady were very gra-cious regarding the holiday spirit.”

FLORIDA SCOPE


Congresswoman Corrine Brown Urges Immediate Assistance

for Haiti

"To whom God has given much, muchis to be expected. My thoughts and prayersgo out to the people of the island nation ofHaiti, and to the Haitian Diaspora commu-nity residing here in the United States andaround the world. The loss of life and de-struction of property in and around the Hait-ian capital of Port-au-Prince are simplyunimaginable, and the work of caring forthe injured, sheltering the displaced, and re-building the nation's infrastructure will bearduous. As President Obama and Secre-tary of State Clinton have stated, our coun-try is ready to commit humanitarian aid, andcivilian and military disaster relief to the re-covery effort. Working with the interna-tional community and withnon-governmental organizations, I am con-fident that our nation will provide emer-gency relief and support to the Haitianpeople during this critical time.

I am encouraging everyone to assistthe people of Haiti in any way possible, andam including a few important phone num-bers and websites to donate and/or to makea contribution.

Moore Dance Project will present its highly-acclaimed dance epic, Colours of Courage: A Cele-bration of Black History in America, in partnership with The Garden Theatre, located at 160 West PlantStreet in Winter Garden, FL. Created for presentation at venues and organizations celebrating BlackHistory Month, Colours of Courage blends contemporary dance, cultural music and historically-accuratenarratives to trace the triumphs and challenges of the African-American experience from 17th-centuryAfrica to today. Performances take place at The Garden Theatre on January 29 and 30 at 8pm, and Jan-uary 31 at 2pm. General admission is $22 on Friday and Saturday ($18 for guests 65+ and students);on Sunday, general admission is $18 ($10 for children under 12). Tickets can be purchased online atwww.gardentheatre.org or by calling the box office at (407) 877-4736.. To learn more about MooreDance Project, including information about additional performances of Colours of Courage takingplace throughout Central Florida, please visit www.TheCenterForDance.org or call (407) 695-8366.

Produced by The Center for Contemporary Dance and made possible by funding from United Artsof Central Florida and Target Stores, Colours of Courage "is an artistic documentation of African-American history," says Dario J. Moore, Artistic Director for Moore Dance Project. Beginning in 17th-century Africa and moving forward in time through significant events, including the Atlantic slave-tradeand the Civil Rights Movement, Colours of Courage "has been inspiring and educating audiences ofall ages for the past four years," explains Craig W. Johnson, Executive Director for The Center. Per-formances are followed by an open-forum discussion about the impact of African-American history onmodern culture. "Colours of Courage is a story about all of us," says Moore, "Above all else, the showis about the responsibility we share in creating the kind of world we'd like to see."

Moore Dance Project BringsBlack History to Life at The

Garden Theatre

FLORIDA SCOPE


On October 31, 2009, Onyx Connection hosted a Masquerade Affair to provide funding and toys for children in CentralFlorida that have sickle cell disease or the sickle cell trait. The toy give away was held December 19th.

The Orlando Chapter of Onyx Connection Plays Santa at Christmas Time

FLORIDA SCOPE


FLORIDA SCOPE


3

In the News Again: Itʼs a good thing!

Orlando - The Orlando Sentinel recog-

nized the 2009 Top 100 Companies for

Working Families. Brian O. Coleman,

D.M.D. - Omega Dental Group was one of

them!

Sometime ago, one of Dr. Coleman’s

employees sent in a letter to nominate him

for this recognition and he was selected!

“I’m so proud of him,” stated his wife,

Yvonne.

In this economic environment his office

like every business, has had to find ways to

be more efficient. He not only works hard

to ensure that his employees can still re-

ceive health, profit sharing and other bene-

fits, but he also takes a sincere interest in

their families. He does the same with his pa-

tients too. He encourages kids education,

helps find scholarships, goes to graduations

and athletic games, attends family reunions,

and the list goes on and on.

He consistently motivates his team to find ways to continue pro-

viding the best care to his patients. His heart always goes out to his

employees and the community in time of need. Says Yvonne, “You

have no idea how much he does for so many….quietly, without any-

one ever knowing. The only thing that he hopes to get in return is

that others learn to give back.

This is a huge honor for Dr. Brian Coleman. Says Yvonne, “I’m

his wife and his biggest cheerleader, but he truly deserves a pat on

the back.”

CONGRATULATIONS, TO DR. BRIAN COLEMAN

Dr. Brian

Coleman

FLORIDA SCOPE


FLORIDA SCOPE

Lakeland, FL - Frank Kendrick andTimothy Jackson are on the cover of theMarch issue of Black Enterprise. The arti-cle “How We Grew Our Business UsingTechnology” is the feature of the issue.

Company COO, Timothy Jackson notesthat “NuJak uses technology to plan andmanage construction projects timely and ef-ficiently. We use project management soft-ware to track our projects to mitigate delays,save time and reduce costs.”

Founder and CEO, Frank Kendrickadded “We have always been on the cuttingedge of technology and will continue tostrive to exceed our client’s expectations.”

The magazine will be on newsstands this week at all major bookstores andretail outlets.

NuJak teamed with Skanska USA wererecently selected to build the new Univer-sity of South Florida Polytechnic Campussignature building designed by the worldrenowned Santiago Calatrava. This will bethe first campus in the world built from theground up in the 21st century. Cutting edgetechnology that is currently not being usedon any other college campus in the worldwill make this structure a hallmark in theacademic community. The campus will belocated at the epicenter of the Florida HighTech Corridor.

NuJak Companies is a full-service con-struction and commercial real estate com-panies serving the state of Florida. Thecompany expertise lies in three primary dis-ciplines: construction, property manage-ment and real estate development.

The company was recognized by theINC Magazine Fast 5000, Tampa Bay Busi-ness Journal 8th fastest growing, privatelyheld company in the Tampa Bay area andthe 10th largest Minority Company.

Both Mr. Kendrick and Mr. Jackson are graduates of the University of Florida, M.E.Rinker School of Building Construction. Mr. Kendrick earned a Masters Degree in ChurchLeadership and Administration from Southeastern University. Mr. Jackson earned a Mas-ters Degree in Real Estate Development from New York University Schack Institute ofReal Estate.

NuJak Executives Grace the Cover ofBlack Enterprise Magazine March Issue


It takes an amazing feat to render mespeechless.

Having a talk show allows me to talk forhours on end and meet famous people. But,what I saw on Sunday, January 31, 2010 inLos Angeles literally left my mouth wideopen. Attending the 52nd Annual GrammyAwards certainly started my year off with abang!

Hitting the red carpet is always a blast!At 2:15 p.m. sharp (West Coast time), mycrew was ready for a night of fun and seri-ous work. Darren secured my light for theinterviews and set his tripod in place. Next,Elvis (yes, that’s his real name) fixed hiscamera lens for all the shots. Third, Mikeheld my questions, backpack and mybeloved lip-gloss. Just like clockwork, anagent for the Academy of Recording Musicwalked by to ensure that we had signed allthe waivers necessary for our Press/MediaCredentials. This lets you know that you areabout to embark on a truly memorableevening. You are nothing without a killerpress pass!

The limousines arrived, the publicisttook their place on the carpet and then thecrowd began to form. My first interviewwas none other than pop sensation StefaniJoanne Angelina Germanotta. You mayknow her by her stage name, Lady Gaga.She is known for being dressed in over-the-top attire and she did not disappoint. To beonly twenty-three years old, she is quite fas-cinating and completely normal. Which is astrong contrast to her onstage persona. Su-perstar producer and artist, Akon joined ourconversation. He should, after all it was hewho discovered her.

Personally, I was waiting for my three

favorite acts to arrive. The Black Eyed Peas,Maxwell and Rihanna! After interviewingJennifer Hudson, Green Day, Kings ofLeon, Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi, Tedius “TheDream” Nash, Aubrey “Drake” Graham,Eminem, Justin Bieber, Stevie Nicks, JamieFoxx, T-Pain, Celine Dion and Sir EltonJohn, I still hadn’t met whom I came her tosee. Yes, those names are impressive, but Iwasn’t done until I had my dream cometrue.

As if they heard me, they were there!The Black Eyed Peas, Maxwell and Ri-hanna! I actually had to control my team ofguys because they were about to chase Fer-gie. Getting nervous in front of celebritiesis not in my genes. I see them just like I seeAngela, John, LaWanda, Marvia or Sandra.However, when I talked to Will.i.am of theBlack Eyed Peas, I was rendered speech-less. I talked to him about his songs forPresident Obama, his charity and whom heis working with next. It was incredible! Dar-ren asked Fergie if she wanted his phonenumber. She simply hugged him and gavehim her autograph. Maxwell gave me a bighug and I nearly fainted. Rihanna came in ablur with her security close by; she was verysweet and apologized for having to leave soearly.

The show opened with Lady Gaga andthe phenomenal Sir Elton John. WOW! Iknew after that introduction, my crew and Iwere in for the time of our lives! Last yearwe were on the third level, this year wewere on the floor. Thanks to my wonderfulagent Monique, she keeps me ahead of thegame.

With Pink soaring high above thecrowd, drenched in water and using no netto catch her stopped the show! Beyonce

came with over forty military-style guardswhile she belted out her hit, “If I were aBoy” mixed in with “You Oughta Know”by Alanis Morisette. Bon Jovi rocked thehouse with, “Livin’ On A Prayer”, whileTaylor Swift was joined by Fleetwood MacLegend Stevie Nicks to sing a version oftheir hits; “You Belong With Me” and Ri-hannon”. I thought it was over until JamieFoxx, T-Pain, Lil Wayne and Slash (Guns nRoses) decided to take this party to a newlevel. As if that weren’t enough The BlackEyed Peas, all in black leather, graced theaudience with their biggest songs of theyear.

Now, the performances were jaw-drop-ping, but when the all-star cast walked onstage to honor the late Michael Jackson,there was not a dry eye in the house. Afterdonning my 3D glasses Jennifer Hudson,Usher, Celine Dion, Carrie Underwood andSmokey Robinson paid tribute to the Kingof Pop. After the song Paris and PrinceJackson accepted the special honor for theirlate father. Again, rendered speechless.

As I returned to the Press/Media Bus,everyone was talking. Me, I was on my lap-top, uploading my pictures, and working onmy story for my awesome editor, LillianBrown Seays. I know Mrs. Seays loves me,but she wants her story, too!

Well, that’s the Grammy’s in a nutshell.Glitz, Glamour and some pretty gratefulartist who get to share their gift with the restof us. Monique is working on press passesfor the Academy Awards in March, if I go,I’ll let you know.

Otherwise, grab your mint julep, big hat,place your bet and find a seat. The Ken-tucky Derby 2010 is around the corner!

Beyonce, Drake, Lady Gaga, and Taylor Swift...

Must be the Grammys!

By Dr. Denise Y. Mose

IN THE NEWS

FAMU College of Law Celebrates Accreditation

importance to all citizens of our state.”

FAMU’s College of law is committed toenabling all students in the state of Floridawho want a degree.

Recently, FAMU’s College of Law wasselected as the most diverse law school inthe nation.

The Dean of the College stated, “ Welook forward to broadening the relation-ships with the legal. business, governmentaland educational professions to ensue thatthe FAMU College of Law becomes a pre-mier institution of legal education, commit-ted to leaving an indelible mark on thecommunity and the world.”

The program was preceded by an elab-orate reception. The celebration that fol-lowed was opened with FAMU Connectionperforming a lively number, Can You FeelIt. Guests were greeted by Dr. FrederickHumphries, LeRoy Pernell, and James Sim-mons.

The FAMU Connection rocked thehouse with They Keep Coming.

The FAMU College of Law goes fromprovisional to full accreditation. A celebra-tions of this accomplishment was held atDisney’s Coronada Springs Resort Hotel onFebruary 20, 2010.

Says FAMU’s President, Dr. James H.Ammons, “Since being re-established in2000, the FAMU College of Law has distin-guished itself by increasing the pool of tal-ented minorities in the State of Florida’slegal community. As a result, the contin-ued success of the institution is of increased

LeRoy Pernell, Dean of FAMU’sCollege of Law

Dr. James H. Ammons, Presidentof Florida A&M University



A lifetime of pain, hurt and dis-enfran-chisement often follows minors who makestupid mistakes. State's juvenile justice sys-tems and youthful crime block kid's chancesat a college scholarship, the military andcertain jobs.

It is important for all states to focus onlegislative bills that will allow the sealingof court records when a juvenile success-fully completes a diversion or probationprogram in juvenile or county courts. Leg-islators must introduce bills now, for dra-matic reforms in how states treat juvenileoffenders. Among other things, it wouldallow the issuance of "civil citations" forminor offenses to relieve pressure on juve-nile courts and get kids into counseling ses-sions as a proactive approach toincarceration.

Such legislation must give schools abigger stake in handling truants and givejudges the power to order families to getcounseling to address a child's problems.Too many juveniles with minor, nonviolentoffenses are being sent to facilities that onlymake matters worst.

I encourage parents, school and commu-nity advocates to lobby their States Law-makers to sponsor legislation on juvenilejustice reform. As school districts across thecountry continue to face budget cuts of mil-lions of dollars, there are more tax dollarsbeing placed on the criminal justice sys-tem which becomes a formula for failureand disaster. Also, further cuts of teachersand support staff will result from thesebudget cuts and will continue to grow thecriminal juvenile justice system and theprison industrial complex.

Nationally, 1 in 3 African American and1 in 6 Latino boys born in 2000 and beyondare at risk of imprisonment during their life-time. While boys are five times as likely tobe incarcerated as girls, there also is a sig-nificant number of girls in the juvenile jus-tice system today. This rate of incarceration

is endangering children at younger andyounger ages.

America's pipeline to prison, will createa trajectory that leads to marginalized lives,gangs, violence, imprisonment and oftenpremature death. Although the majority of4th and 5th graders cannot read at gradelevel, many states spend about three timesas much money per prisoner as per publicschool pupil.

In the United States, youth of colorcaught in the crossfire of the war on drugsare frequently subject to persecution, incar-cerated and denied access to educational op-portunities. The irony is that the war ondrugs is often defended as a necessary pol-icy and method to protect the nation's youngpeople. In reality, rather than protectingyouth, the drug war has resulted in the in-stitutionalized persecution of Black, Latinoand Native American young people. Whilemore and more young men and women ofcolor are being ushered into the criminaljustice system under the guise of fightingdrugs, resources for educating youth are di-minishing and barriers to education restrictstudents with drug convictions from receiv-ing higher education.

In the United States, youth of colorcaught in the crossfire of the war on drugsare frequently subject to persecution, incar-cerated and denied access to educational op-portunities. The irony is that the war ondrugs is often defended as a necessary pol-icy and method to protect the nation's youngpeople. In reality, rather than protectingyouth, the drug war has resulted in the in-stitutionalized persecution of Black, Latinoand Native American young people. Whilemore and more young men and women ofcolor are being ushered into the criminaljustice system under the guise of fightingdrugs, resources for educating youth are di-minishing and barriers to education restrictstudents with drug convictions from receiv-ing higher education.

Youth of color most often bear the bruntof harmful drug policies, from arrest toprosecution to detention in correctional fa-cilities. Some states in the U.S. now havethe distinction of sending moreAfrican American and Latino young peopleto prison every year than graduate fromstate college and university programs. Thislegacy of discrimination in U.S. drug policyamplifies the widening gap in opportunitiesavailable to white youth and youth of color.In order to correct this discrepancy, policiesmust be enacted that make education a pri-ority over incarceration.

We must work to the best of our abilityto eradicate the issues of poverty, raciallydiscriminatory policing, despaired druglaws and other barriers that hinder the edu-cation of our youth.

Finally, we must look within ourselves,our education, religious, political, civilrights, grassroots and business communitiesand ask the question: Are we better servingor under serving our At-Risk community?Also, why aren't political leaders and econ-omist debating skyrocketing Prison Costwithin budget talks?

"At no time do we condone wrongnesson either side of the wall"

Richard P. Burton, Sr.,Director PROJECT R.E.A.C.H., INC.P.O. Box 440238Jacksonville, FL 32244Bus: 904-786-7883 610-349-3358E-mail [email protected] http://projectreachinc.webs.com/

A non-profit 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) (Re-enfran-chisement) Organization

Your Gifts And Donations Are Tax De-ductible.

PROJECT R.E.A.C.H., INC. will host aPoverty and Criminal Justice Conference in2010. Further information will be an-nounced soon.

Juvenile Justice Reform a Must in 2010

IN THE NEWS

In a statement that lasted nearly 14 min-utes Tiger stated, “I had affairs, I cheated.What I did was not acceptable, and I am theonly person to blame." Tiger was sur-rounded by about 40 hand-picked familymembers and friends at the interview at theTPC Sawgrass clubhouse in Ponte VedraBeach, Florida when he delivered his apol-ogy.

As a child, Tiger was exposed to theteachings of Buddhism, which is an Asianwidespread religion or philosophy. Bud-dhism has no creator god; it gives a centralrole to the doctrine of karma.

The “four noble truths” states that all ex-istence is suffering, that the cause of suffer-ing is desire, that freedom from suffering isnirvana, and that this is attained through the“eightfold” path of ethical conduct, wisdomand mental discipline. Tiger said that hestrayed away from these teachings in recentyears…“I don’t get to play by differentrules,” he stated, “the same rules that applyto everybody else, apply to me…I do planto return to golf one day, I just don’t knowwhen that day will be.”

Tiger ended his apology with, “I ask youto believe in me again”. He then went to his

mother and embraced her. His wife, ElinNordegren, was not present.

Tiger Woods is in a sex rehab program,Gentle Path in Hattiesburg, MS. The Gen-tle Path Program is said to cost up to$60,000. Obviously, the center has gainedovernight popularity with the admission ofTiger.

The program requires that both Tigerand Elin submit to therapy during familyweek.

Tiger will also check into another rehabcenter in Arizona upon leaving Hattiesburg,MS.

The golf industry has suffered a tremen-dous loss since Tiger said that he would begone indefinitely. Some of his sponsorsdropped him, but Nike has stuck with himthroughout the entire ordeal.

Tiger Woods BreaksSilence:

Apologizes toFriends, Family, Fellow Golfers

and Fans

The Florida

Statewide

Onyx Awards

Has Been

Postponed

until

October 16, 2010

IN THE NEWS



Project of love & hope to brightenlives of families during long recoveryphase~

Tallahassee, FL – The VolunteerUSA Foundation announces that theNational Disaster Recovery Fund is accepting picturesand cards of love and inspiration to send to children andfamilies affected by the earthquake in Haiti. In additionto the millions of dollars that are pouring into Haiti fromUS donors, the Cards of Care project aims to share thesehopeful messages with families who live in Haiti andtheir loved ones in the U.S.

"Millions of people in American are praying andsending their well wishes to the people of Haiti,” saidBill Simon, CEO of Wal-Mart and National DisasterFund Chair. “We know children and families here wantto do more, and we ask they do so by simply sending uscards, letters, prayers and pictures that will help spreadhope among our Haitian neighbors. We know the re-building process will take years, and we believe thesemessages of encouragement will have a long-lasting im-pact."

In addition, a television public service announcement(PSA) will soon begin airing to promote the Cards ofCare project throughout the southern U.S., thanks to apartnership with Comcast. The PSA features Haitian-American family members, whose relatives in Haiti arealive but, like tens-of-thousands of others, are strugglingin the disaster’s aftermath.

Volunteer USA is also providing a free lesson plan tohelp teachers use the Haitian earthquake and other real-life disasters as examples of how Americans assist withhumanitarian and recovery efforts, as well as provide aplatform to discuss the need for all families to developand practice personal disaster plans. Visit www.volun-

teerusafoundation.org for access tothe educational material.

“We know the road to recoveryand reclaiming of lives will be long –physically and emotionally exhaust-ing,” said Jeb Bush, honorary chair of

Volunteer USA. “It is our hope that by sending simplebut heartfelt messages to the victims of this overwhelm-ing earthquake, they will draw some comfort and hopein the months and years ahead.”

Volunteer USA will work with hospitals, shelters,schools, non-profit and faith-based organizations to de-liver the Cards of Care to the people of Haiti in themonths ahead.

Please send cards to: Volunteer USA Foundation – Cards of Care for Haiti 5970 SW 1st Lane, Ocala, FL 34474*Please be sure to include your name and contact in-

formation with your message/card.

Volunteer USA's National Disaster Recovery Fundfunds faith and community-based non-profits that havetrack records of sustainable efforts helping communitiesrebuild. We use volunteer labor to stretch resources,and use donated funds to purchase materials and, whennecessary, pay for travel expenses. Work often includesrebuilding non-profit buildings, such as childcare cen-ters, so employees can get back to work; purchasingitems such as roofing materials to repair or rebuild se-verely damaged homes; or funding nonprofits to rebuildthe local economy. For more information about theproject and on disaster preparedness tips for familiesand schools, please visit www.nationaldisasterrecovery-fund.org/ or www.volunteerusafoundation.org.

Elizabeth E. HirstSenior Vice President, Volunteer USA Foundationwww.volunteerusafoundation.org

VOLUNTEER USA’S NATIONAL DISASTER RECOVERY FUNDLAUNCHES CARDS OF CARE FOR HAITI:

Project of love & hope to brighten lives of families during long recovery phase

IN THE NEWS


I find it hard not to flat iron my hair inbetween washes because my hair loses itscurl and goes flat. Is there a thermalproduct that I can use to protect my hairwhen I want to flat iron more often?

The problem with heated appliances is theydry out the hair. There is nothing that willprotect your hair from excessive heat if youcontinually use heat on dirty hair. Washyour hair weekly and use the irons onlywhen your hair is freshly washed to preventexcessive damage. The only other option isto roller set.

I am very interested in healthy hair care,and I bought your book, which is veryhelpful, but there is only one questionthat I have. How can you have healthyhair without trimming it when you canget split ends?

Split ends are caused by what you do anddon’t do to your hair. Brushing our hair isone of the major causes of split ends. Ex-cessive heat is another cause. You can avoidsplitting end problems if you stop the dam-aging things you do to your hair. Trimminghair ends is a maintenance step that makesthe hair look nice. You can tuck your endsunder if you don’t want to trim your hair.You can minimize split ends by using goodproducts that improve the hair and by adopt-ing less abusive hair care techniques.

I have heard that it is ok to use productswith mineral oil or petroleum as long asthese products are not first or second onthe list of ingredients. Is this true?

No it is not true. Mineral oil and Petroleumlay on the surface of the hair locking mois-ture out!I encouraged my sister and cousin to gonatural and so far we have used only

your products with great results. Evenour hairdresser has now ordered yourproducts as she too has gone natural.Like you, we do not intend to use chemi-cal relaxers ever again. I thought that Iwas (according to the natural hair sites)damaging my hair and stunting itsgrowth by blow drying and flat ironing itevery week before twisting it. Are yousaying that as long as I continue to deepcondition and moisturize daily the ‘oncea week’ heat treatment will not damagemy hair or stunt its growth?

I am proving what I say every day. As longas your hair is strong, you need not worryabout (ridiculous remarks like “stuntinggrowth”) I use only UBH products so if youuse any thing else you may be setting your-self up to fail. As long as you follow my ad-vice and use my products your resultsshould be the same as mine. The internet isfull of “expert opinions” - I have provenwhat I preach! That’s the difference.

What do I need to do if my hair does notstay straight? It reverts back very easily(i.e. humidity, sweat). Does the hair haveto be “trained” before it will stay straightfor at least 2 weeks? I constantly wear awig because it does not last very longwhen I press it. I want to wear my hairout; however, if I press it, it may last fora day or two if I do not do my regular ex-ercise routine. I know that it is nothealthy to press my hair every day. Doyou have any suggestions?

Nothing will keep your hair straight whenpressed hair is in humidity. One option is tochoose a different style if you want to main-tain the health of your hair.

Cathy Howse is a Black hair care expert

and the founder of Ultra Black Hair Prod-

ucts/UBH Publications Inc., is a 20-year

old company that teaches the truth about

Black hair care and growth. Her book,

Ultra Black Hair Growth II, is noted as the

only proven black hair growth system in the

world. Notoriety for her method has been

included in Who’s Who in America, Who’s

Who of American Women, and Who’s Who

in the World. Visit her website at www.ul-

trablackhair.com or send your hair care

questions to her via email to Cathy@ubh-

publications.com ã 2009

Cathy’s Hair Tipsby

Cathy Howse

BEAUTY TIPS


EATING WELL

Foods for a healthy lifestyle can be fullof great flavor. The traditional Mediter-ranean diet is a wonderful example of greatfood that can have a healthy impact on thebody.

The Mediterranean diet is characterizedby daily consumption of olive oil, fish,fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and wholegrains. It encourages eating fewer processedfoods and reducing consumption of meat, acommon source of Omega-6 fatty acids.

Everyone needs Omega-6 and Omega-3 essential fatty acids because our bodiesdon’t produce them. But it’s important tokeep them in the right balance to each other— a 2:1 ratio of Omega-6 to -3. TheMediterranean Diet helps achieve that bal-ance by focusing on using olive oil insteadof vegetable cooking oils that are high inOmega-6.

Chef Nick Stellino, of PBS-TV fame,uses Pompeian OlivExtra Plus with Omega-3 DHA for sautéing, baking and preparingsoups, sauces and marinades becauseOlivExtra Plus has both olive oil and anadded infusion of Omega-3 to help achievea better balance.

you are going to cook with oil, doesn’tit make sense to cook with one that containsmore Omega-3?” asks Chef Stellino. In fact,OlivExtra Plus contains a full 32 mg ofOmega-3 per serving, which the FDA statesis considered an excellent source of Omega-3 DHA.

These recipes for Chicken Marsala, RedBeet and Blood Orange Salad, and BlackBean, Edamame and Wheat Berry Saladmake it easy to set a healthy table everyonewill be happy to sit down to.

Set a Healthy TableDelicious Ways to Add Omega-3 to Your Meals

For more delicious ways to set a healthytable, visit www.pompeian.com.

What Is Omega-3 DHA?Omega-3 DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)

is a long-chain Omega-3 fatty acid. It servesas a primary building block for the brainand the eyes and supports brain, eye andcardiovascular health throughout life. DHAhas been shown to reduce the decline inmental function among healthy adults.

There is a large and growing body ofscientific evidence demonstrating that peo-ple of all ages benefit from an adequate sup-ply of Omega-3 DHA in the diet.

Simple SubstitutionsInstead of using butter or margarine, try

substituting heart-healthy olive oil. Thischart from the International Olive Oil Coun-

Chicken Marsala


cil shows how:

Butter/Margarine this much olive oil1 teaspoon 3/4 teaspoon1 tablespoon 2 1/4 teaspoons2 tablespoons 1 1/2 tablespoons1/4 cup 3 tablespoons1/2 cup 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons2/3 cup 1/2 cup3/4 cup 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon1 cup 3/4 cup2 cups 1 1/2 cups

Chicken Marsala (Serves 4)

2 1/4 pounds chicken parts, skin removed

2 tablespoons Pompeian Extra Virgin Olive Oil1/2 cup Pompeian Marsala

Cooking Wine8 garlic cloves with skin on2 to 3 lemons cut into wedges4 rosemary sprigs

Salt and pepper to taste*

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place chickenpieces in a roasting pan and drizzle withextra virgin olive oil. Season with salt andpepper to taste. Place garlic among chickenpieces and tuck lemon wedges alongsidegarlic.

Pour cooking wine over chicken. Scatterrosemary sprigs on top of chicken and bakefor 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperatureto 350°F and bake for another 15 minutes,or until chicken is golden brown and juices

run clear when chicken is pierced. Serveimmediately.

*All cooking wines are denatured, so adjustyour salt content accordingly.

Black Bean, Edamame and Wheat Berry SaladServes 6 (3/4-cup servings)4 cups water1/2 cup dry wheat berries1/2 of a 15-ounce can of

black beans, rinsed and drained1 cup frozen, shelled

edamame, thawed1 cup chopped tomato1/2 cup finely chopped red

onion2 tablespoons Pompeian

Red Wine Vinegar3 tablespoons Pompeian

OlivExtra PlusSalt and black pepper to taste

Combine water and wheat berries inmedium saucepan and bring to a boil. Re-duce heat, cover and simmer 55 minutes oruntil wheat berries are just tender.

Place in a fine mesh strainer and rununder cold water to cool quickly; drain well.

Combine wheat berries with remainingingredients in medium bowl. Serve imme-diately or cover with plastic wrap and re-frigerate up to 8 hours in advance.

Note: Wheat berries are unprocessedwheat kernels and are sold in major super-markets and health food stores.

Red Beet and Blood Orange SaladServes 4 (about 1 cup salad per serving, plus 1/4 cup dressing for later

Dressing1/4 cup Pompeian OlivExtra Plus1/4 cup Pompeian Blueberry

Pomegranate Infused Red Wine Vinegar

2 to 3 tablespoons sugar1 1/2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

Salad2 medium size, fresh beets

(about 10 ounces total), stemmed and scrubbed

4 large Romaine lettuce leaves or 4 cups loosely packed field greens

(about 4 ounces total)2 blood oranges or navel oranges,

peeled and cut into sections1/2 cup thinly sliced red onions1/4 cup chopped cilantro

ounce chopped walnuts, toasted (optional)

Preheat oven to 425°F. Peel beets under running water to pre-

vent staining of fingertips. Drain on papertowels and cut each beet into eight wedges.

Place beets on foil-lined baking sheet,drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil (from the dress-ing ingredient list) and toss to coat well.Arrange in a single layer, bake 10 minutes,stir and cook 10 minutes longer or until justtender. Remove foil and beets from bakingsheet and place on wire rack to cool at least10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine salad dressing in-gredients in a jar or container with lid.

Arrange lettuce on a large platter, topwith remaining salad ingredients and beets.Shake jar vigorously and drizzle one half ofthe dressing evenly over all. Refrigerate re-maining dressing up to 3 days for later use.

Chef Nick Stellino

Courtesy of Family FeaturesRed Beet and Blood Orange Salad

Black Bean, Edamame and Wheat Berry Salad


It’s a growing problem with a grow-ing solution – elderly dementia patientsgo missing every day – so much so that18 states have created programs calledSilver Alerts to help find missing elderlypeople before they fall into harms way.

The Alzheimer’s Association warnsthat more than 60 percent of elderly pa-tients afflicted with dementia will wan-der and become lost at some point intheir lives.

One solution many advocates arepromoting is the use of personal GPStracking devices to help locate dementiapatients within minutes of the realizationthey have gone missing.

“Personal GPS devices that can betracked via an online dashboard can liter-ally be lifesaving devices,” said GeorgeKaronis, CEO of LiveViewGPS(www.liveviewGPS.com) and a formerlaw enforcement officer with 15 years onthe street. “Some devices are so small,they can fit on a keychain, in a pocket orthey can even be sewn into clothing ifneed be.

Having been in law enforcement andhaving dealt with missing persons cases,I can tell you that the first few hours thatan elderly person wanders is the mostcritical, as many dementia patients sufferfrom other ailments and are on strictmedication regimens. If they are withouttheir medication for too long, they cancollapse, suffer a cardiac arrest or worse.These devices can be tracked online,meaning you can actually log onto yourdashboard online and get an exact posi-tion of the GPS holder that is accurate upto the last 20 seconds if they are on foot.”

Karonis said that caretakers of eld-erly dementia patients should look for

devices that have feature sets designed tohelp them track and locate people fast, in-cluding:

• Online tracking via the Internet

• updates, so the location reported is accurate

• Long battery life, and a motion-acti- vated power button, so the unit is only using the battery for power when it is in motion

• Portable, capable of fitting in your hand or on a key chain

• Memory that stores tracking points for future reference

“A portable GPS monitoring system canbe an invaluable aid for law enforcementand rescue workers trying to locate missingelderly people before they can be hurt andproviding peace of mind for family mem-bers,” Karonis said. “When used correctly,it can act as a safeguard against tragedy be-cause it enables family and police to find amissing person within minutes.”

About George Karonis

George Karonis, CEO of LiveViewGPS,is a 15-year law enforcement veteran withyears of experience in security and surveil-lance.

Dude, Whereʼs My Dad?New GPS Technology Can Help

Prevent Silver Alerts

TECHNOLOGY

New

GPS

Can

Prevent

Silver

Alerts

onyx magazine march 2010

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