freeport roosevelt times newspaper

February 21-28, 2013 . [email protected] . freeportroosevelttimes.com

NEW YORK STATE COM-

MON RETIREMENT FUND

ANNOUNCES THIRD QUAR-

TER RESULTS

The New York State Common Retirement Fund’s (Fund) rate of return for the third quar-ter ending December 31, 2012 was 1.74 per-cent, according to New York State Comptrol-ler Thomas P. DiNapoli. The Fund’s estimated value at the end of the third quarter was $152.9 billion, near its historical high. “The New York State Common Retirement

Fund has seen steady growth in the second half of 2012 and is on pace for a positive re-turn as we approach the end of the fiscal year on March 31,” DiNapoli said. “Independent reviews of the Fund reveal it is well-run and has a long-term, diversified investment strategy designed to produce positive returns in various market conditions.” In 2009, DiNapoli initiated quarterly per-formance reporting by the Fund, which had previously disclosed its results only on an annual basis. DiNapoli’s efforts to increase transparency and accountability regarding Fund manage-

ment and performance were cited as industry leading in an independent review of the Fund conducted by Funston Advisory Services. At the end of FY 2012, the Fund’s funded status was 87 percent, placing it among the highest funded ratios of public pension plans in the country. Because of superior investment performance over the last 20 years, 82 percent of benefit costs have been paid for by investment re-turns.

To advertise, call (516) 717-9769 / email: [email protected]

Celebrity Interview: Meagan Good The

“Deception” Interview with Kam Williams

Wanted!!

Account Execu-tives

Reporters/Writers Call

(516) 717-9769

(516) 292-1263 Email:

[email protected]

Huge commissions

paid! Start Immediately!

Published since January 2010

Office:

9 Centre Street

Hempstead, NY 11510

Mailing Address

P. O. Box 1113

Baldwin, NY 11510

Tel: (516) 292-1263

Fax: (516) 292-0965

E-mail: [email protected]

Editorial Staff Managing Editor/Publisher

Elseah Chea

Alibert Davies, Deputy Editor & co-publisher

Graphic Design/Layout

KDC Graphics

Photography

Rodney Seymour . Thomas Humphreys Richard Richardson

Webdesign & Maintenance

Norman Blake

Freeport-Roosevelt Times is published weekly by EC Media Strategies Group.

Submission of letters/articles are welcome. All materials must include a self-addressed,

stamped envelope. Views/opinions ex-pressed in this publication do not necessar-

ily reflect those of the staff and editorial board. Freeport-Roosevelt Times assumes no responsibility for the loss of submitted materials. Freeport-Roosevelt Times re-serves the right to edit or otherwise alter

materials submitted for publication; refuse to publish materials deemed biased. Please

submit typed-written materials. You may also E-mail materials. Subscription to

Freeport-Roosevelt Times is $25.00 yearly.

Visit us at: www.freeport-roosevelttimes.com

. February 21-28, 2013 . Freeport-Roosevelt Times

Reserve a space in 100 Black Men of Long

Island 39th Gala Jour-nal Call (516)

717-9769 Or

(347) 475-7158

Freeport-Roosevelt Times

Freeport-Roosevelt Times

Phil Andrews to appear as

guest speaker at Uniondale

Chamber of Commerce

meeting

Master networker and motivational speaker Phil Andrews will keynote Union-dale Chamber of Commerce meeting on March 5 at the Uniondale High School. Mr. Andrews is President of the 100 Black Men of Long Island. Founded in 1974, "The 100" serves as an international coalition focused on creating educational opportunities, promoting economic empow-erment, addressing health disparities and creating positive mentoring relationships. As founder of of P.A. Public Relations Com-pany, Phil has been afforded the privilege to serve as Public Relations Director for a myriad of companies, community initiatives and professional organizations. Andrews' business acumen is often sought after by organizations that host major events, benefits and fundraisers. In 1995 and 1998, Mr. Andrews' excellence in his field garnered the Small Business Person of the Year award by two branches of the Nassau Coun-cil of Chambers of Commerce (Roosevelt and West Indian Chambers, respectively). He has also received a number of proclamations and citations from notable political officials in-cluding former Nassau County Executive Thomas S. Gullotta, former Town of Hemp-stead Supervisor Richard Guardino and Assembly-woman Earlene Hooper Hill, 18th Assembly District of Long Island NY. Phil's work has been featured in multi-platform publications including Black Star News, The New York Beacon, Amsterdam News, Minor-ity Business Review, The Network Journal and more. He is also featured in "15 Years of Minority Business Development" a book published by Mr. Robert Adams. Mr. An-

drews is listed in Who's Who in Black America and International Who's Who. RSVP by emailing [email protected] or calling 516.229.1348

FITINGO MUSIC PRE-

SENTS AN EVENING OF

SOPHISTICATED SOUL! —-En Vogue, Lillo Thomas, James D-Train Wil-liams and Cherrelle will perform for one night only at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury - March 2, 2013 En Vogue, one the best selling female R&B Grammy nominated groups of all time with their chart toppers “Hold On” and “My Love (Never Gonna Get It) “ bring their sophisticated sass and flawless harmonies to the NYCB Theatre at West-bury for a special performance on Saturday, March 2, 2013 at 8 p.m. Joining them will be R&B Crooner Lillo Thomas, the Brooklyn born vocalist who ruled the 80’s airwaves with his hits “You’re A Good Girl” and “I’m In Love ( I Surrender)”. Special guests James D-Train Williams known for his global hit “You’re The One For Me”, and the Jimmy Jam -Terry Lewis protégé Cherrelle, whose chart topper is “Didn’t Mean to Turn You On”, round out this evening of Sophisticated Soul that you don’t want to miss. Tickets are $69.50, $49.50 and $39.50 and are available at the www.ticketmaster.com, charge by phone at 800-745-3000 or at the Westbury box office. Tickets are subject to applicable service charges. All events, dates and show times are subject to change. For more information, visit www.ththeatreatwestbury.com. About Fitingo Music -= Fitingo music…music for your soul. Bringing quality back to live per-formances. Music has become more and more processed. There is nothing more magical than the sound of a riveting vocalist delivering music that touches your soul. Music is energy and draws on all your emotions. Whether it’s reliving old memo-ries or creating new ones Fitingo Music is thrilled to be able to bring unique experiences to audiences and provide a great night out while doing so. For more information on this event please contact: Kimberley Thomas, Founding Partner, Fitingo Music at 845-364-8062 or [email protected]

News

February 21-28, 2013 . Freeport-Roosevelt Times .

We welcome

Letters to the Editor Email letters to

[email protected]

Please include your name, email, telephone.

………………………………

Freeport-Roosevelt Times...featuring positive

events that celebrate our com-munity but overlooked by

mainstream media

Freeport-Roosevelt Times: highlights small businesses owners, community leaders,

local celebrities…. the grassroots.

Contact us @ (516) 717-9769 (516) 292-1263

Join the Uniondale Chamber of Commerce Why Join Uniondale Chamber 0f Com-merce, New Business Contacts - One major reason to consider active participation with the Chamber is to meet and network new businesses. Representation - The Chamber works as a voice for its members in local and state government.

News

. February 21—28, 2013 . Freeport-Roosevelt Times


Please present ad for discount

How are African-American and New Immi-grant Children Doing Academically? Q. As we celebrate Black History Month, what is the state of academic achievement for African-American children and new im-migrant children at this time? A. The stats are still poor. Overall, African-American students score lower on standard-ized tests, graduate at lower rates and are considerably more likely to be expelled, suspended or placed in special education. If they are poor and new immigrants the gaps are even worse. If students are new immi-grants who speak another language like His-panic, African or Haitian students the ability to achieve is hindered even more. Research shows that African-American children tend to attend districts with substandard teachers, administrators and resources. Some districts resort to moving their low functioning mi-nority students to alternative schools or spe-cial education so that their low scores will not pull down the overall scores of the dis-trict. One would think that districts would implement researched based programs proven to be effective with poor minority and new immigrant students but all school districts are complaining about is little to no funding. Those who do research in educa-tion will often list what poor children need to succeed, what minority children need to succeed and what second language learners need to succeed academically however, it is rare to find school districts that implement these kinds of programs. Often these three components overlap. Two recent reports, one from the Council of the Great City Schools and one from the American Insti-tutes for Research, reveal that the achieve-ment gaps are still large between African-American and white students. But concerted efforts in certain states and districts have shown that the historical trend doesn't have to remain the same, and overall the picture may have brightened slightly over the past decade or two, according to statistics and anecdotal observations. According to the Alliance for Excellent Education, African-American high school students are notably falling behind their white counterparts in graduation rates, drop-out rates, literacy rates, and college prepar-edness rates. * In 2005, only 55 percent of all black stu-dents graduated from high school on time with a regular diploma, compared to 78 per-cent of whites. * In 2005, the on-time graduation rate for black males was 48 percent nationally; for white males it was 74 percent. * Nearly half of the nation’s African Ameri-can students, but only 11 percent of white students, attend high schools in which graduation is not the norm.

*In 2002, 23 percent of all black students who started public high school left it pre-pared for college, compared to 40 percent of whites. *On average, African American and His-panic twelfth-grade students read at approxi-mately the same level as white eighth grad-ers. *About half of poor, urban ninth graders read at only a fifth- or sixth-grade level. * The National Assessment of Educational Progress reports that 88 percent of African American eighth graders read below grade level, compared to 62 percent of white eighth graders. * The twelfth-grade reading scores of Afri-can American males were significantly lower than those for men and women across every other racial and ethnic group. A disproportionate number of failing schools, across grade levels, are predomi-nantly comprised of poor, racial, and ethnic minority students. These segregated schools tend to have fewer financial, human, and material resources than schools in more af-fluent areas. By the time students who attend these schools reach high school, the aca-demic challenges they face have been com-pounded by years of substandard education. What Can Parents Do? We could spend hours discussing the state of education for African-American children. The research is voluminous and thorough. While the school boards and politicians fight over funding and teacher evaluation systems, our children lose valuable time and re-sources. People live where they can afford but that doesn’t mean they should stand for substandard schools. Parents have to take a much more active role in their children’s education. Here are my tips for parents:

• Make sure your child has good nutri-tion.

• Make sure your child has enough sleep.

• Make sure your child does all home-work, assignments and readings.

• Read to your child and insist older chil-dren read everyday.

• Ask ‘wh’ questions while you read to improve comprehension skills.

• Turn off the TV and video games and read.

• Take them on outings and improve vocabulary and exposure to new things.

• Visit the library and library shows. They are free and informative.

• Learn the curriculum for your child’s grade and reinforce skills at home.

• Watch educational TV like Discovery Channel, National Geographic and PBS!

• Have a good relationship with your children. Emotional health is just as important as physical health.

• Have good routines for homework, meal times and sleep.

• Stay in touch with your child’s teacher often. Ask what you can do to help.

• Join your schools PTA. Be active and present at school.

• Attend all meetings at your child’s school.

• Let your children know education is a priority and non-negotiable.

• Encourage writing skills. Help them write about a book they just read or a show they watched. Let them write letters to family on paper or online.

• Make sure your child is in good health.

• Have your child’s vision and hearing tested.

• If your child is struggling academically have him/her evaluated early for a learning disability so there can be early intervention.

• Attend school board meetings and know what is happening in your district.

• Make sure your child has all school supplies needed.

• Expect much from your district and teachers.

• Ask the teacher for resources you can reinforce at home.

• Find out what your child will be learn-ing next week so you can introduce it over the weekend.

• Get a tutor if you can. Professional tutors can be expensive but you can connect with your local high school and ask for a student who is good in math, for example, who you can pay a stipend to tutor your child.

• If you can let your child learn to play an instrument, join a sport or join a club. Kids who are engaged in a group do better in school because they are more focused, tend to have more friends, and have better self-esteem.

• Praise your child for his/her strengths. He may not be on the honor roll but he may be an excellent writer or debater or an excellent artist. Praise progress, improvement and good effort as if it was an A+.

• Make sure your child attends school! It’s hard to grasp something new if you were not there to learn it and practice it.

• Keep your children actively learning through the summer months. They can still have fun and read a book and do a few pages of work, too.

Some information gathered from the www.all4ed.org and www.districtadministration.com websites. Lisa-Anne Ray-Byers is a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist who has worked in education for over two decades. She holds graduate degrees in speech-language pathology and multicultural education. She also holds certification in educational administration. She is the author of the books, They Say I Have ADHD, I Say Life Sucks! Thoughts From Nicholas and They SSSay I’m a StStStutterer, But I SSSay Nothing! Meet Kelly and co-author of 365 Ways to Succeed With ADHD! She is the Education Editor of the Community Journal newspaper in Baldwin, NY and a member of the National Education Writers Association. You may contact her at [email protected] or by visiting her website at www.AskLisaAnne.com.

News . February 21-28, 2013 . Freeport-Roosevelt Times

Take It or Leave It…Right Now Ever watch the game show Let’s Make A Deal? A costume clad audience member is faced with several prize options and must make an instant decision as to which to choose. Curtain #1? Maybe curtain #3? The prize choice must be made quickly; after all, it’s only a 30 minute show! Some salespeople ask for an instant decision from their customers. With a one-time cus-tomer, as with a retail sale, asking for a quick decision is expected. After all, in retail, the mall closes at 9, and customers must vacate the premises. But when building a long-term relationship with a customer, salespeople might want to rethink the quick sale approach. “Take it or leave it…right now” might make a potential long-term customer sprint away faster than the Road Runner. Build a relation-ship with a long-term customer by avoiding hard-sell, I-need-a-decision-right-now-or-nothing pressure. Instead of demanding an instant decision, ask your customer for a time you can visit or call to get a decision. With a returning customer, take the time to build the relationship. The return on your patience might just be a life-long client. ————Gail Lewis, M.A. teaches Communications; is a corporate trainer with The Communication Depot (www.TheCommunicationDepot.com); and never passes up an opportunity to watch Star Trek.

Communication Corner With Gail Lewis

Meagan Good The “Deception” Interview

with Kam Williams

Meagan Good stars in NBC's midseason drama "Deception" as Joanna Padget Locasto, a San Francisco narcotics detective with childhood ties to a notoriously secretive and powerful New York family, the Bowers. When her childhood best friend, Vivian Bowers, is found dead under myste-rious circumstances, Joanna is enlisted by the FBI to help to find the killer, agreeing to go undercover into the opulent lifestyle she thought she'd left behind. Meagan has become one of Hollywood's most sought-after young actresses, recently completing a season-long arc on Showtime's acclaimed series "Californication" as well as a role in "Think Like a Man," the feature film based on the best-selling book by Steve Harvey. In 2011, she starred on the big screen alongside Angela Bassett and Paula Patton in "Jumping the Broom." The versatile actress has mastered a variety of film genres, ranging from horror with "The Un-born" opposite Odette Annable and Gary Oldman to comedy with "The Love Guru," co-starring Mike Myers, Jessica Alba and Justin Timberlake. She rose to fame as a result of her box-office hit "Stomp the Yard," but was recognized earlier for her acclaimed performance opposite Samuel L. Jackson in the eerie family drama "Eve's Bayou," for which she received an NAACP Image Award nomination. Additional feature film credits include the criti-cally-acclaimed cult film "Brick," opposite Joseph Gordon-Levitt, "You Got Served," "D.E.B.S," "Waist Deep" with Tyrese Gibson, Queen Latifah's "The Cookout," "Biker Boyz," "Deliver Us from Eva," "Friday" with Ice Cube, "Roll Bounce" and the horror film "Saw V." Besides acting, Meagan has produced independ-ent films such as "Miles from Home," which she starred in opposite actor/director Ty Hodges. The picture screened at the Pan African Film & Arts Festival, the Washington D.C. Independent Film Festival and the Atlanta Film Festival, where it swept all of the awards - Best Feature, Best Actor and Actress (Meagan Good) and Best Director. More recently, she produced and starred in "Video Girl," the "Gia"-esque film that depicts the sordid and misunderstood life of a music video superstar. Born in Panorama City, California, Megan began appearing in commercials at the age of 4 and to date has completed over 60 national television commercials. She made her primetime television debut on the WB nighttime series "Raising Dad," and her first major television role was as a regular on the hit show "Cousin Skeeter." And she has guest-starred on "Moesha," "The Steve Harvey Show," "The Division," "The Parent 'Hood," "My Wife & Kids" and "All of Us," too. Meagan was recently married to DeVon Frank-lin, an executive for Columbia Pictures who is also a preacher and motivational speaker. Here, she talks about her new show, “Deception,” which airs Monday nights on NBC at 10 PM ET/PT. (Check local listings)

Kam Williams: Hi, Meagan. Congratulations on your marriage, newlywed! How was the honeymoon? Meagan Good: It was fantastic, especially considering we were celibate until marriage! KW: What interested you in Deception?

Meagan: The script was incredible and there were so many elements that appealed to me creatively and physically, and the cast seemed like an amazing group of people. KW: Tell me a little about the show? Meagan: My character’s name is Joanna Locasto. Her mother worked for the Bowers family and she grew up in the house and was best friends with Vivian. They had a strange falling out when they were 17 and I moved to San Francisco and went on to become a narcotics officer with the SFPD, while Vivian went on to become a “celebutante.” The show opens with Vivian’s murder and the FBI brings me in undercover to find out who did it KW: Will solving this murder take up the whole first season? Meagan: Yes, but the show is so crazy and there are many other things that unfold while the murder is being solved. KW: How would you describe your charac-ter, Joanna Locasto? Meagan: Tough, ballsy, and vulnerable, with a strong moral compass. She has a moral heart and wants to pursue justice and see the right thing happen. KW: How did you prepare for this role? Did you consult your father, since he was a po-lice officer in the LAPD? Meagan: Yes I did, and also his wife who is currently in the FBI. They helped me learn about the mentality of a police officer and what a day in their life is like, and what it takes to be a person who will give their life for the call of duty. KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would? Meagan: I wish someone would ask if I was “saved” before I met my husband. A lot of people assume I had a spiritual awakening when I met him and it bothers me that people think that happened overnight. KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read? MeaganMG: I’m currently reading my hus-band’s book, “Produced by Faith.” http://w w w . a m a z o n . c o m / e x e c / o b i d o s /ASIN/1451671962/ref=nosim/thslfofire-20 KW: The Uduak Oduok question: Who is your favorite clothes designer? Meagan: I love anything vintage. And I love Marc Jacobs and shoes by Giuseppe Zanotti. KW: Dante Lee, author of "Black Business Secrets,” asks: What was the best business

decision you ever made, and what was the worst? MeaganMG: Best – to do Deception. Worst – one or two films I did that I won’t call out by name. KW: The Michael Ealy question: If you could meet any historical figure, whom would it be? Meagan: Rosa Parks or Jesus. KW: The Pastor Alex Kendrick question: When do you feel the most content? Meagan: When I’m with my family. KW: The Toure question: Who is the person who led you to become the person you are today?

Meagan: God. And my mom has been amaz-ing. KW: The Judyth Piazza question: What key quality do you believe all successful people share? Meagan: They don’t believe in “no.” KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps? Meagan: Keep God as your main focus. Make sure your desire to do what you’re aspiring to do is deeper than just fame and being a celebrity. Be willing to work hard, and don’t believe that when a door closes it’s anything personal. KW: How do you want to be remembered? Meagan: As a woman who represented God but was controversial, stood by what she believed and wouldn’t allow other people’s opinions of her to manipulate her directions. As someone who helped others, loved others deeply even if they tried to hurt her, was there for people when she could be, and ulti-mately made everything she did about God and not just about herself. KW: Thanks again for the time, Meagan, and best of luck with the show. Meagan: Thanks, Kam. To see a trailer for Deception, visit: h t t p : / / w w w . y o u t u b e . c o m / w a t c h ?v=_BscRYjNdMQ

Movies . Book Reviews . DVD Reviews . Celebrity Interviews

Kam Williams

Kam’s Kapsules

...the economy is at a down-turn, but we’ve got work

Start a job TODAY! Want to earn extra money? Become an Independent sales representative—Sell advertising spaces for print and online local and regional

newspapers: Hempstead/Uniondale Times (www.hutimes.com), Freeport/Roosevelt Times

(www.freeportroosevelttimes.com), Lakeview Village Star (www.lakeviewstar.com) the Long Island Dispatch (www.lidispatch.com), New York Health News

No Salary—Huge commissions paid on every transaction, other incentives

Interested, call (516) 717-9769 or email: [email protected] All levels of experience—college students, retirees, homemakers—okay.


The Top 5 Obstacles Facing

Business Owners & Sales

Management Every year sales organizations spend millions of dollars investigating new ways to grow sales. Business Owners know that sales are the life blood of the company, or do they? Are you thinking that the only way to grow is through maintaining existing accounts, referrels, or through attending networking events? Is that really satisfactory growth to you? If you can't produce new business, then there is no company, or at least no future for that company; it is that simple! A past study of 2,663 sales organizations by Think Training, Nightingale Conant, and

Trainique uncovered five areas that differenti-ate successful sales organizations from the rest. Obstacle One – A wing-it mentality towards selling. 82% of all Business Owners said their company had a sales process that was poorly defined, wasn't being followed or no sales process at all. A sales process is analogous to a professional basketball team playbook. Without a consistent offense, a consistent defense and a consistent agreed to set of plays, what you have are great players who can't put the ball in the net because they just don't know what their next move is. They become purely reactive to the opposing team, in this case the prospect! Is your sales team proactive and offensive in their business development approach, or have them become reactive and purely defensive in their ap-proach? Obstacle Two – Lack of sales knowledge and lack of application. 42% of Business Owners and CEO's stated their sales people lacked the essential basic skills needed to produce at a rate consistent with real growth. Regardless of sales experience remember the following. You.... Read More Need More Prospects? www.MoreBizU.com Need help with Social Media? www.SoundviewInternetInstitute.com ————Jack works with a select group of clients who are driven to improve their profits, team per-formance, and lifestyle. Are there areas in your business that need some adjustments? "Helping Middle Class Business Owners Become Wealthy Entrepreneurs" Call me direct @ 631-757-2936 or email: [email protected]

Jack Signorelli

Jack Signorelli



(516) 717-9769


Showcasing a few samples of Freeport/Roosevelt Times—

Published since January 2010. Reaching over 100,000 homes/

businesses via home delivery, mass distribution at supermarkets,

grocery stores, libraries, Village Hall, schools, and other public

outlets….FREE!


In print and online at

www.freeport-roosevelttimes.com

Advertise . Subscribe

Contact us at [email protected]

freeport roosevelt times newspaper

Documents