(GIN) - The family of a youngNigerian traveler, who allegedlyattempted to detonate a powerfulexplosive while travelling toDetroit from Amsterdam, hasissued a statement that providesmore details of the allegedconversion of their son to extremistbeliefs.

The statement was prepared bythe suspect’s father, Dr. AlhajiUmaru Abdulmutallab, a bankerand a member of Nigeria’spowerful ruling elite. He had beenidentified early in the course of thenear-disaster by a Nigerianwebsite.

According to the story as it firstappeared on SaharaReporters.com,an anti-corruption websiteproduced by Nigerians, Dr.Abdulmutallab said he had warnedU.S. embassy officials of his son’s

possible links to an al Qaedaorganization that grew out of a visitto Yemen and his studies inLondon.

Although his son, UmarFarouk Abdulmutallab, was addedto the terrorist watch list, he was

Tom Fulton, President of theFamily Housing Fund, said theFund and non- profitorganizations created the TwinCities Community Land Bank toassemble the kinds of resourcesthat are needed for communitiesto do redevelopment forthemselves. The Bank hasmarshaled over $30 million todate and is seeking to acquire orleverage upwards of $100 millionto address the housing crisis inTwin Cities.

“The neighborhoods havebeen hard hit by the mortgageforeclosure crisis. We have asituation where we have so manyforeclosed homes, that unless wefind a way to get control of those

JJaannuuaarryy 44 - JJaannuuaarryy 1100,, 22001100 •• MMNN MMeettrroo VVooll.. 3366 NNoo.. 11 •• TThhee JJoouurrnnaall FFoorr CCoommmmuunniittyy NNeewwss,, BBuussiinneessss && TThhee AArrttss •• wwwwww..iinnssiigghhttnneewwss..ccoomm

9PAGE

Mac Walton:Gentle writer,counselor, leader

For State Senate District 58,which includes the Northsideof Minneapolis and part ofdowntown, Raymond Dehn isbuilding a grassrootsmovement to defeat DFLincumbent Sen. Linda Higgins.

Dehn says he is “not somuch running against LindaHiggins” as just trying to getdifferent representation for thecommunity. Higgins was firstelected in 1996 and currentlyserves on the Finance; Health,Housing and Family Security;and Judiciary Committees. Hermain legislative concerns havebeen housing, early childhoodissues, health, communities ofcolor, and the environment.

Dehn is running for StateSenator because he believesthat politics have becomeincreasingly polarized, even tothe point that winning is moreimportant than doing what isright for the people of the

community and the State ofMinnesota. In recent decades,he says, “the national and stateeconomies have gone throughbooms and busts. TheNorthside didn’t ever see anybenefits, but the communityhas been impacted by theburden…The people of ourdistrict need a Senator whounderstands that the status quois not working for ourcommunity.”

In addition to holdingfundraisers, Dehn’s campaignhas been holding a series of‘meet-and-greets’ in which he

Brett Favresaga wagglesthrough NFL history

11PAGE

Raymond Dehn announcesrun for Senate District 58

At the December board meetingof the Minneapolis UrbanLeague (MUL), President &CEO Scott Gray received acheck for $17,500 from theComcast Foundation to supportProject Ready. Project Ready isan after school program thathelps at-risk youth stay in school

and prepare for college. Students enrolled in Project

Ready work on mastering basicskills and prepare for PSAT, SATand ACT tests. In addition theydevelop their college portfolios,complete college applicationsand apply for financial aid andscholarships. The Comcast funds

will specifically support theprogram’s digital and financialliteracy activities as studentsprepare to go to college.

“The Project Readycurriculum requires students tobe in the program four days aweek, three hours a day for a

Comcast grant supports UrbanLeague education programs

7DEHN TURN TO

By Al McFarlane, Editor,Insight News, and NghiHuynh, Publisher, AsianAmerican Press

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAIDMINNEAPOLIS MNPERMIT NO. 32468

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

8PAGE

New Year’sResolutions: Setgoals to win in 2010

Suluki FardanMinneapolis Urban League President & CEO Scott Gray receives a Comcast Foundation $17,500

check to support the League’s Project Ready program for at-risk youth who are preparing to applyto college, from Diana Hawkins, Comcast Senior Government Affairs Professional and MUL board

member Al McFarlane.

Land Bank: An unprecedented response

WASHINGTON (NNPA) – As U.S. Senators and members of theHouse of Representatives prepareto negotiate to combine the twodistinctly different health carebills, members of theCongressional Black Caucus arevowing once again to push for apublic option to make the final billaffordable for their largelyAfrican-American and low incomeconstituencies.

In a joint statement releasedjust before the Senate’s long-awaited Christmas Eve passage ofthe bill, progressive leaders CBCChair Barbara Lee (D-CA) andCongressional Progressive Caucus

Co-chair Lynn Woolsey (D-CA),said, “If the bill requires people tobuy health insurance, there mustbe a public option to bring downcosts by providing lower-costcompetition to private insurers andchoice to consumers.”

This assertion implies possiblyacrimonious debate before thefinal version goes back before bothhouses for final passage andultimately to the White House forsigning by President Obama. Thepublic option barely squeaked bywhen the House passed the bill byfive votes the first time 220-215November 7.

The Senate left the publicoption out of the bill because itwas a deal-breaker forconservative Democrats. The billpassed 60-39, disabling a filibuster

by Republicans with the 60 votesor three-fifths of the Senate. Fifty-eight senators were joined by twoIndependents.

Black Caucus to press for publicoption in final Health Care Bill

6HEALTH TURN TO

By Lydia SchwartzContributing Writer

Sanford Moore’s “My First Loves” returns to renovated Capri Theater

9BANK TURN TO Photos: Suluki FardanRebecca Rom and Shawn Huckleby

By Hazel Trice Edney NNPA Editor-in-Chief

Raymond Dehn

Dr. Abdulmutallab said he hadwarned U.S. embassy officialsof his son’s possible links to

an al Qaeda organization

5PAGE

Byron Pittsinterview: SteppingOut On Nothinginspires

Features (left to right): Yolanda Bruce, Greta Oglesby, and Tonia Hughes

Showtimes at the Capri• 7 p.m. Saturday, January 9 • 3 p.m. Sunday, January 10

Tickets online at thecapritheater.org

>>>

Family of Nigerian bombsuspect pens open letterexpressing shock and prayers

9SUSPECT TURN TO

CBC Chair Barbara Lee (D-CA)

9COMCAST TURN TO

Special to the NNPAfrom GIN

Page 2 •January 4 - January 10, 2010 • Insight News http://insightnews.com

BUSINESS

If you can look back to January,2008, and tell me nothing haschanged, everything for you is

exactly as it was this week lastyear, I will eye you withadmiration, wondering who youare and how you escaped 2009.For the rest of us, this was a yearof change in many colors. Somelost jobs, some lost homes, somelost faith. In response to thechaos of 2009, let’s resolve thisyear to seek jurisdiction overchange, rebuilding physically,professionally, politically,emotionally and spiritually.

Restyle Physically.Avoid the age-old resolution to

diet, and make a promise to getyourself what you needphysically: exercise, nutrition,meditation, sporting events,music, whatever keeps you inshape. Some people need to helpothers to feel well physically.Some people need sleep. Othersthrive on conversation. Considerwhat you need from the insideout, and help yourself feel betterthis year.

Restyle Professionally.Working or not, you likely willhave opportunities to rethink

your career this year. Manycompanies are changing theways they do business, fromgoing greener to going leaner.Be intensely aware of your gifts,interests and talents, and go thereprofessionally this year.

Restyle Politically.Get involved. You can easilydrive the changes you seek inyour workplace, school andcommunity by simply showingup. Your phone calls and emailshave a profound impact on thosemaking decisions on your behalf.

Restyle Emotionally.Attitude. It is everything.Approach the world from a placeof curiosity, humor, openness,and you may find the worldopening up to you as well.Watch it, though. A goodattitude can slip away in the faceof adversity. Notice when youroutlook turns sour and make theeffort it takes to rethink andrecover.Restyle Spiritually. Consider that you might not bethe uppermost being in thisuniverse, and let some of your

troubles rest on other shoulders.Explore your faith and listen toyour instincts. You may changedirection based on a gut feeling,and that’s fine. Your gutsometimes knows what it’stalking about.

Julie Desmond is Director ofCareer Planning Resources withHelp Wanted! Workshop inMinneapolis. Write tojulie@insightnews.com.

By Julie Desmondjulie@insightnews.com

Planyour

career

In 2010 resolve to restyle and rebuild your life

The upcoming tax filing seasonbrings several tax credit changesdue to the American Recoveryand Reinvestment Act of 2009(ARRA) that will increase taxrefunds for many. A major changefor low- to moderate-incomefamilies is the Earned Income Tax

Credit (EITC). ARRA legislationincreased eligibility for thosewith three or more eligiblechildren in the household.So what does this mean? Here arethe 2009 earning levels for EITC: • $35,463 if you have one childin your home • $40,295 if you have twochildren in your home • $43,279 if you have three ormore children in your home • If you don’t have children,made less than $13,440, and were

between the ages of 25 and 64years during 2009, you may beeligible, too.

Add $5,000 to the figures ifyou are married and filing jointly.Remember, getting refundsthrough EITC normally has noeffect on a person’s or family’sability to get food or cashassistance, Social Security,Medical Assistance or subsidizedhousing programs. These taxcredits are available to eligibleworkers even if they didn’t have

enough job income to be requiredto file tax forms. In other words,if you’re eligible and don’t oweany income tax, you may still getmoney back, but you must filefederal tax forms to get themoney. In addition, you qualifyfor the Minnesota WorkingFamily Credit by filing aMinnesota income tax form.

There are other ARRA taxcredits that will help families inthe coming tax season. For moreinformation visit the Internal

Revenue Service website atwww.irs.gov.

If you need help with the taxpaperwork, contact VITA, whichstands for Volunteer Income TaxAssistance. This free tax help willbe available at sites all overMinnesota but sites generallydon’t open until the end ofJanuary or early February. Thisis because employers have untilJanuary 31 to issue W-2 forms.There is also free electronic filingsoftware online from the IRS

website at www.irs.gov and theMinnesota Department ofRevenue website atw w w. t a x e s . s t a t e . m n . u s / .It’s important to have all neededdocumentation together prior tofiling income tax forms.Information on free tax filingprograms in Minnesota isavailable through United WayFirst Call for Help at 211 or (800)543-7709.

More will be eligible for Earned Income Tax Credits in 2009 tax season

RushCard announced theavailability of its new, highly-demanded card-to-card fundstransfer feature. The featureoffers unparalleledconvenience and affordabilityto those who want to transfermoney between Prepaid Visa®RushCards, and it comes just intime for the income tax refundseason.

With the new card-to-cardfunds transfer, RushCardmembers can instantly transfermoney at a fraction of the costthey’d pay to move moneythrough leading wire transferservices. A RushCard member

can now transfer funds toanother member’s card at a low,flat rate, and they can transferfunds between their ownRushCards for free. Transferfees with other services can beeight to ten times higher tomove the same amount ofmoney.

All funds transfers can becompleted in minutes online atrushcard.com or over thetelephone with a customerservice agent.

Also, card-to-card fundstransfers can be easily executedon a mobile phone and regularfunds transfers can be

scheduled months in advance.RushCard is the only prepaiddebit card that allows itsmembers to schedule transfersin advance.

“By giving our members theability to move funds via amobile phone and to scheduletheir money transfers inadvance, RushCard haschanged the game for fundstransfers,” said entrepreneurand philanthropist RussellSimmons. Simmons launchedRushCard to help peoplewithout a traditional bankingrelationship gain the access tothe financial services and

respect that they deserve. “Noone should be forced to payhigher fees to transfer much-needed money to a loved one orto save. Now, RushCard givesthem a very convenient, muchmore affordable way to makethese important transactions.”

Direct deposit of taxrefunds is a safe and easy wayto manage the new windfall ofcash. The new card-to-cardtransfer functionality rewardsthat sound money managementpractice, company officialssaid.

“Thanks to their tax refund,many people have extra funds

in the early part of the year tosend to others or to save” saidRam Palaniappan, generalmanager of the RushCard.“With our newest feature, ourmembers can quickly andeasily send money to collegestudents or other loved ones inneed, or transfer the funds ontotheir own secondary RushCardas a way to save. Our membersreally wanted this feature, andwe are proud to offer it for amere fraction of what otherscharge.”

In addition to card-to-cardfunds transfers, RushCardmembers also enjoy industry-

leading online budgetmanagement tools that allowthem keep track of theirexpenses and avoid costlyfinancial woes. Soon,RushCard will announce evenmore incentives to encouragedirect deposit during the 2010tax season.

Anyone interested in applyingfor a RushCard can applyonline at www.rushcard.com,or call the toll-free memberservices line at 1 (866)RUSHCARD.

RushCard announces industry’s most convenient card-to-card funds transfer feature

By Rosemary K. Heins,University of MinnesotaExtension

With signatures fromExxonMobil, Saint Paul officialsand community members saidthey are ready to start planning forthe future park that will go whereoil tanks once stood on West 7thStreet.

The Housing andRedevelopment Authority (HRA)and ExxonMobil signed off on anagreement that will transfer 36acres in the Victoria Parkneighborhood for $1, withExxonMobil also providing $5million for clean-up andredevelopment of the formerindustrial land into park land.ExxonMobil and the city came to

the agreement in October, endingyears of discussion over the futureof the land.

“This property along WestSeventh has been vacant for toolong. Finally, we can develop thisland into a community asset andcontinue the redevelopment that iscreating new opportunities forresidents and businesses in a keycommercial corridor,” MayorChris Coleman said.

“Working collaboratively,ExxonMobil and the Housing andRedevelopment Authority of theCity of Saint Paul have developeda plan that will benefit both theenvironment and the citizens of

Saint Paul,” said Kim Moore,regional program coordinator,ExxonMobil EnvironmentalServices. “This agreementprovides both the land andsubstantial funds to the HRA tocomplete the current siterestoration efforts and eventuallygive the community a beautifulpark - an excellent outcome for allparties with benefits extendingwell into the future.”

The property bordered byWest 7th Street, Otto Avenue,Shepard Road and Montreal Wayis part of the 65-acre Victoria Parkdevelopment. All the 65 acresonce housed oil tanks, with the

other 29 acres operated by KochRefinery Co. Both Koch andExxonMobil shut down theoperations in 1995, opening thedevelopment opportunities.

“Many years ago, the WestSeventh Street neighborhoodcame together to develop a plan toredevelop a polluted industrial sitein our midst. Now the end is insight and Exxon’s willingness tosettle our case will give ourneighborhood more park andrecreation space that will increasethe viability of the plannedhousing development with a parkon the bluffs of the MississippiRiver,” said Councilmember Dave

Thune, whose ward includes theVictoria Park land.

Already, the Koch portion ofthe land has attracted newdevelopments, includingtownhomes, a senior housingcomplex operated by SholomCommunity Alliance, and a newMississippi Market Natural FoodsCo-op. Community members sayadding an active park to theresidential and commercial spacewill continue the neighborhood’stransformation from it’s industrialpast.

“This is a real opportunity tocreate an asset that benefits all ofSaint Paul,” said David

Bredemus, president of the FortRoad Federation. “This will giveus the space to do some greatthings with trails and otherrecreational uses the communitycomes up with. This is going to bea real spectacular spot.”

Mike Hahm, director of SaintPaul Parks and RecreationDepartment, said work with thecommunity will begin after thefirst of the year to determine adesign for the park that willbenefit the neighborhood andcomplement the city’s parksystem.

http://insightnews.com Insight News • January 4 - January 10, 2010 • Page 3

City, community ready to start planning for future park on West 7th

At this time of year, many peoplepause to reflect on what they’dlike to change about their livesgoing forward – lose a fewpounds, take a class, spend moretime with the kids. Often, thesegoals revolve around personalfinances.

But if you’ve been battered byeconomic forces beyond yourcontrol (as many have recently), itmay be tough to craft financialresolutions ambitious enough tohave a real impact on yoursituation – especially if you fearthat unforeseen obstacles may

later force you to scale them backor even lose ground.

That’s why I urge taking babysteps – setting small, meaningfulobjectives that provide a sense ofaccomplishment and that you canramp up when your situationimproves. Here are a fewexamples:

Scale back expenses. If youcan’t make a big dent in yourmonthly costs, like refinancingyour mortgage or selling anunneeded vehicle to eliminate acar payment, look for lots of littledents that can add up:

Save $10 a week by havingone less fast food meal and to-gocoffee; or rent a DVD instead of

going out to the movies – thatmight save about $500 a year.

Lower the thermostat in thewinter by 1 degree and save 3 to 5percent on your utility bill –saving $5 a month equals $60 ayear.

Drive slower. Each 5 mph youdrive over 60 mph costs about$0.24 per gallon of gas. Properlyinflate your tires, keep the enginetuned and cut out aggressivedriving habits and you’ll saveeven bigger bucks.

Shop around for better homeand car insurance rates, andconsider raising low deductibles.(Just make sure your coverage haskept pace with inflation.)

Balance your checkbook.Even though many banks haverecently lowered fees for bouncedchecks and overdrafts, one amonth at $25 a pop adds up to$300 a year.

Build an emergency fund.Financial experts usuallyrecommend stowing three to sixmonths’ expenses in anemergency fund. That’s a goodlong-term goal, but if it’s notcurrently realistic, don’t simplygive up without trying – stashsome of the cash you’re savingabove, a few dollars each month.You won’t miss it and might justbe saved from having to take outan expensive short-term loan to

cover emergency car repairs or anoverdue electric bill.

Get organized. Even if youcan’t afford to pay off all bills infull each month, at least knowwhere you stand regarding duedates, minimum payments dueand credit limits so you don’tinadvertently rack up higherinterest rates or damage yourcredit score. If you’re a chronicprocrastinator, set up automaticbill payment with your bank – it’llsave on postage as well.

Stick to your budget. If youdon’t have a budget, make this theyear you create one. Numerousonline tools are available to help.For example, Practical Money

Skills for Life, Visa Inc.’s freepersonal financial managementprogram (www.practicalmoneyskills.com/budgeting), features budgetingworksheets and calculators,guidelines for living within yourmeans, budgetingrecommendations for back-to-school, holiday spending, travel,and much more.

Jason Alderman directs Visasfinancial education programs.Sign up for his free monthly e-Newsletter atwww.practicalmoneyskills.com/newsletter.

Take baby steps in making financial resolutionsBy Jason Alderman

When it comes to inflation, 2009 wasa good news/bad news kind of year –with a few mixed messages thrownin for good measure.

According to one widely usedinflation measurement, theDepartment of Labor’s ConsumerPrice Index for urban consumers(CPI-U), the rate of inflation actuallyfell for the quarter ending September30, 2009, compared to the sameperiod a year earlier. Remember,gasoline prices, which spiked during2008 and impacted numerous otherexpenses, subsided considerably in2009.

Those whose bills havecontinued to rise probably woulddebate whether it was actuallycheaper to live in 2009 than in 2008.Regardless, this is an importantstatistic because the IRS uses thethird-quarter CPI-U to determinewhether dozens of tax-relatednumbers such as income tax bracketlimits and maximum retirementsavings plan contributions will staythe same or increase in the followingtax year.

The good news is that althoughmany savers feared that retirementplan contribution limits mightactually drop for the first time ever,the IRS determined that provisions inthe Social Security Act prohibit such

reductions. The bad news, for thosewho would have liked to increasesuch contributions next year, is thatthey cannot do so.

Even worse, because inflationwas so low, for the first time indecades, Social Securitybeneficiaries will not receive a cost-of-living benefit increase in 2010,even though Medicare Part D(prescription drug coverage)premiums are expected to rise.

On the mixed news front, theIRS left unchanged most taxdeductions that are subject to annualinflation adjustments, although a fewdid creep up slightly. Here’s asummary of some common taxbenchmarks:

Federal personal tax exemptionsremain constant at $3,650 perindividual.

The standard tax deduction forheads of households increases by just$50 to $8,400. It remains unchangedat $11,400 for married couples filingjointly and $5,700 for singles andthose who are married but fileseparately.

Various tax bracket thresholdswill increase slightly – for example,the threshold between the 15 percentand 25 percent tax brackets formarried couples filing jointlyincreases by $100 to $68,000.

The annual gift tax exclusionremains unchanged at $13,000.

The Social Security taxable

wage base (upper income limitsubject to Social Security taxes)remains unchanged at $106,800.

The maximum annualcontribution to 401(k), 403(b) and457 plans remains unchanged at$16,500 (plus an additional $5,500for those over age 50). The annuallimit for combined employee andemployer contributions to such plansremains at $49,000.

The maximum contribution to aregular or Roth IRA remainsunchanged at $5,000 (those aged 50and older can contribute anadditional $1,000).

Married couples filing jointlywill see the amount they cancontribute to a Roth IRA gradually

phased out if their adjusted grossincome exceeds $167,000 – a $1,000increase over 2009’s level; thephase-out limitation floor for othersremains unchanged at $105,000.

Check www.irs.gov for other2010 tax changes.

Bottom line: In 2010, inflationpays a very minor role in terms of taxthreshold changes compared toprevious years.

Jason Alderman directs Visasfinancial education programs. Signup for his free monthly e-Newslettera twww.practicalmoneyskills.com/newsletter.

Low inflation leaves tax deductions mostly unchangedBy Jason Alderman

Last week Saint Paul PublicSchools Superintendent ValeriaSilva and Dr. Douglas Reeves ofthe Leadership and Learning

Center (LLC) shared summaryfindings of an ImplementationAudit of 15 key SPPS academicinitiatives. The Audit will help

SPPS determine both the extent towhich the initiatives areimplemented at the school anddistrict level, and also the extent towhich the initiatives are linked tostudent achievement.

The purpose of theImplementation Audit™, accordingto the LLC, is to neither criticizenor recommend a particularprogram, but rather to reveal theactual level of implementation andimpact on student achievement sothat system-level leaders can makewise decisions about the allocationof time, energy and money.

This is the first time SPPS has

conducted such an extensive andthorough review of academicinitiatives. The audit will provideinformation to the district in orderto help focus, and ultimatelyreduce, initiatives to those with thebest chance of improving studentachievement. The goal, as part ofthe 2010-11 budget process, is tore-align district resources to theareas most likely to help improvestudent achievement.

Among the key findings in theaudit:• SPPS needs to focus on fewerinitiatives with greater depth.• SPPS senior leadership has a

clear and specific vision. • Principals and teachers areclearly focused on achievement andequity. • District leaders and schoolprincipals need to clarify andspecify expectations forinstructional coaching. • SPPS is rich in data, but moreprincipals and teachers could usethe data in specific and detailedways to improve instruction andmake leadership decisions. • Time requirements forinitiatives need to correspond tocapacity and needs. • Professional developmentneeds to more carefully matchspecific teacher and administratorneeds.

The relationship betweenimplementation of initiatives andgains in student achievement isgenerally low-due to fragmentationof support and multiple initiativeshappening at once.

High degrees ofimplementation of several SPPSinitiatives are related to gains inachievement. Audit results for fiveinitiatives-Writer’s Workshop,Everyday Math, Content-FocusedCoaching, Professional LearningCommunities, and Language SkillsBlock-indicate a strong positivecorrelation between higher levels ofimplementation and substantiveincreases in student achievement.Other audited initiatives needfurther analysis.

Next steps regarding the auditinclude fully reviewing andanalyzing the informationcontained in the report. Veryshortly, the district’s SeniorLeadership Team will appoint an

audit to the project team to fullyanalyze findings and prepare areport with preliminaryrecommendations to theSuperintendent by January 29,2010. The project team is expectedto include a combination of centraladministrative staff, principals, andteachers, and to use a non-biasedexpert facilitator.

The district’s Center forProfessional Development, theOffice of Accountability and schoolexecutive directors will providesupport to school principals in earlyJanuary for the analysis of localschool data contained in the audit.Between mid-January and earlyMarch, district leadership will beworking to align the draft auditrecommendations to the budgetdevelopment process while alsogathering input for both.

Shortly after winter break, staff,families and community memberscan expect a number ofcommunications about engagementopportunities related to thecombined budget and auditrecommendation process. TheSuperintendent plans to makedecisions on specific initiatives andapproaches, within the context ofthe district-wide budget andpriority-setting process, by March5, 2010, so that items requiringaction by the Board of Educationmay be forwarded to the Board wellbefore final decisions on the budgetare required.

The executive summary of thereport is available on the SPPSWebsite: http://www.spps.org/

Page 4 • January 4 - January 10, 2010 • Insight News http://insightnews.com

EDUCATIONAudit of 15 key SPPS academic initiatives

INSIGHT NEWS

www.insightnews.com

Insight News is publishedweekly, every Monday byMcFarlane Media Interests.

Editor-In-ChiefAl McFarlane

CFOAdrianne Hamilton-Butler

PublisherBatala-Ra McFarlane

Associate Editor & AssociatePublisherB.P. Ford

Vice President of Sales & MarketingSelene White

Director of Content &ProductionPatricia Weaver

Sr. Content & ProductionCoordinatorElliot Stewart-Franzen

Web Design & ContentAssociateBen Williams

Distribution/FacilitiesManagerJamal Mohamed

ReceptionistLue B. Lampley

Contributing WritersBrenda ColstonJulie DesmondMarcia HumphreyAlaina L. LewisRashida McKenzieRyan T. ScottLydia SchwartzStacey Taylor

PhotographySuluki FardanTobechi Tobechukwu

Contact Us:Insight News, Inc.Marcus Garvey House1815 Bryant Ave. N.MinneAPOlis., MN 55411Ph.: (612) 588-1313Fax: (612) 588-2031Member: MinnesotaMulticultural MediaConsortium (MMMC) MidwestBlack Publishers Coalition,Inc. (MBPCI) NationalNewspaper PublishersAssociation (NNPA)

Postmaster: Send addresschanges to McFarlane MediaInterests, Marcus GarveyHouse 1815 Bryant AvenueNorth, Minneapolis,Minnesota, 55411.

Byron Pitts was born onOctober 21, 1960, in Baltimore,MD where he was raised by asingle-mom who saved to sendhim to Catholic school on amodest seamstress’ salary,despite the fact that they werechurchgoing Baptists. Althoughhe would eventually embark onan enviable career on TV as awell-respected news journalist,Pitts had to overcome illiteracyand a host of other seemingly-insurmountable childhoodchallenges en route to turninghimself into a great successstory. That admirable endeavorwas intimately recounted in hisrevealing memoir Step Out onNothing, a best seller whichearned the #2 spot on my annualTop Ten Black Books list. Earlier this year, he became theheir apparent to Ed Bradley’scoveted spot on “60 Minutes”when CBS named him acontributing correspondent tothe long-running, televisionnewsmagazine. Byron lives inNew Jersey with his wife, Lyne,and their six children. Herecently sat down to speak withme about his new job, hisautobiography, his faith and hisfamily.

Kam Williams: Hi Byron,thanks for the time.Byron Pitts: Absolutely! Mypleasure.

KW: I’m going to start of witha question from children’s bookauthor Irene Smalls. She says inmany ways yours is a true rags-to-riches story. What guidance

can you offer young peopletoday?BP: I think there’s real value inremaining optimistic and inhaving a plan for your life. Iwas raised to believe thatstrength only comes throughstruggle, and in seeingobstacles as stepping-stones, asteachable moments. By asking,what can I learn to improvemyself from this experience?That’s a sphere of optimism Igot from my mother.

KW: Attorney BernadetteBeekman notes that you hadsome learning disabilities as achild. She was wondering,whether your path to successwould have been easier if you’dbeen ready to read before thefirst grade? She also asks if yousupport efforts to invest in earlycare and education, especiallyin areas such as East New York,Harlem and Baltimore wherethere are high concentrations ofyoung African American males?BP: Definitely, that wouldmake all the difference in theworld for a number of young

people. Yeah, it would make atremendous difference, becausethe earlier we can teachchildren to read, the moreproductive citizens they’ll be,and the fuller lives they’ll live.Would it have made my lifeeasier? I don’t know. Could Ihave achieved more? I’d like tobelieve that.

KW: Reverend FlorineThompson asks how has yourfaith shaped your life?BP: It’s the foundation. Everygood choice I’ve made in mylife has come as a result ofprayer and faith, and every poorchoice has come when I’vedeviated from that. It certainlysustained me as a child, andsustains me today.

KW: Reverend Thompson alsoasks, what is your favorite andmost profound quote fromscripture? BP: Isaiah 40:31, which is alsomy grandmother’s favoriteinscription, which reads, “Butthey that wait upon the Lordshall renew their strength; theyshall mount up with wings aseagles; so that you can run andnot be weary; and walk and notfaint,” which speaks to thatsame Step Out on Nothingspirit.

KW: Who has been the mostinfluential person in your life?BP: My mother.

KW: Also from the goodReverend: How did youovercome the obstacle ofilliteracy? What did you do torebuild your self-esteem?BP: A remedial readingprogram in East Baltimore that

broke things down for me so Icould grasp them in small bites.I think that reinforces the needfor the kinds of resources youmentioned in your earlierquestion which should be madeavailable to young people at an

early age. In terms of rebuildingmy self-esteem, my mother andimmediate family deserve agreat deal of credit for that.They were always supportiveand kind, and knew the powerof laughter as a real ointment to

heal what hurts you.

KW: Reverend Thompsonobserves that it’s been said thatwe are a part of something

AESTHETICShttp://insightnews.com Insight News • January 4 - January 10, 2010 • Page 5

By Kam Williamskam@insightnews.com

Byron Pitts interview: Stepping Out On Nothing inspires

6PITTS TURN TO

www.mediabistro.comByron Pitts

much greater than ourselves. Ifthis is true, when did youdiscover this truth and what hasit meant to your success?BP: That’s a great question. I’msure that I became fully awareof that by my 40s. That’ssomething that became clear tome as I was working on thebook. It took so many peopleinvesting in me for me to do thethings I’ve been able toachieve. And I’m very mindfulof the few gifts that I’ve beengiven and of the value insharing them with others. WhenI think about my journey,learning to read was certainlyhuge. Learning not to stutterwas incredibly important, aswas coming to understand thepower of prayer and having afamily which was incrediblysupportive. If you take awayany one of those things or oneof about 50 others, would I bewhere I am now? I tend to doubtit.

KW: What interested you inbeing a war correspondentearlier in your career, and howdid your wife handle your beingin so many dangerous places? BP: My wife is a journalist withclose to 30 years in the industry.She knows the business as wellas I do, so she’s aware of therisks. But she is also a womanof great faith, and sheappreciates the value andimportance of journalism.

KW: Did you ever find yourselfaddicted to being in war zones?BP: No, but I’ve certainlyalways been willing to go towar zones and to cover disasterswhen necessary. I coverstruggle because I rememberwhat it meant as a child to feelvoiceless. Now, as a journalist,it’s my job to go give voice tothe voiceless. And I take thatmission very seriously. I’vealso covered the last fewpresidential campaigns. I justwant to cover the news.

KW: College student Laz Lylessays, shows like “The DailyShow” and “The Colbert

Report” illustrate aconvergence and permeabilityof news, entertainment, politicsand marketing called“discursive integration.” Shewants to know, if you think thisconfluence will have more of apositive or negative impact onnews in the future?BP: Great question! It concernsme because there is ageneration of people growingup who think that shows like“The Colbert Report” are newsprograms. While what they dois entertaining, I wouldn’tconsider it covering the news.There’s certainly a place forwhat they do in our greatsociety, but there should also bea place for people to find thesober truth about whathappened today.

KW: Laz goes on to inquire,how can we achieve greaterintegrity in journalism today?BP: I think accountability isimportant, that newsorganizations should be heldaccountable by their readers,listeners and viewers. And I

President Obama – in route toachieving a key campaign promise- has said the public option is notabsolutely necessary as long as thehealth bill has other keycomponents that could serve thesame end to provide affordabilityfor low income or no incomepeople, such as Medicaid.Components that Lee and Woolseysay the bill must have in order tomeet their concerns are:

• Affordability protections:Meaning, the “legislation mustprotect lower and middle-incomeindividuals by ensuring thatsubsidies make coverageaffordable and that Medicaidpatients have access to primarycare physicians.”

• Tighter market regulation:Meaning, “New regulations mustkeep premiums reasonable andend abusive practices. Insurancecompanies should no longer be

exempt from anti-trust laws andany premium increases must bereviewed before they take effect.”

• Employer mandates: Meaning,“If individuals are required to buyinsurance, employers should berequired to provide it.• Tax surcharges: Meaning,“Health care reform should befinanced by tax surcharges on thewealthy not excise taxes on healthinsurance plans offered to manyworkers and union members.”

The painstaking fight formaximum health care affordabilityis clearly not over althoughprogress has been made.“While we still have much work todo, we applaud Majority LeaderHarry Reid and Sens. Ben Cardinand Roland Burris for their hardwork to ensure that the muchneeded health disparities provisionremained in the legislation,” theLee-Woolsey statement said.“Also, we applaud Sen. BernieSanders for helping to secure $10billion more in the revised bill forcommunity health centers.”

Meanwhile, the passage wasapplauded by the Rev. JesseJackson, who also asserted that thepublic option is still a need.“Forty-five million families [are]without health insurance as weapproach the year 2010, some 10

million of them children. For toolong, America’s record on healthcare has been a moral disgrace. Byvoting for health care today, theCongress is taking steps to reversethis trend,” he said in a statement.

But, Jackson described thevictory as having come “withsome heavy scars”. Heexplained, “Without a single payersystem or some form of publicoption, the Senate bill relies toomuch on the good will of theinsurance industries, health careproviders, pharmaceuticalcompanies to hold premiums andcosts down and make qualityhealth care truly more affordableand accessible. That is unlikely,given the army of lobbyists theseforces have deployed to safeguardtheir private interests, andundermine and scuttle health carereform.”

The Democrats’ determinationto get the bill to the President forsignage, the Republicans’determination to kill it, and theCBC’s determination to include apublic option will make for hotdebate with much at stake whenboth Houses return to sessions inJanuary.

Despite objections from theCBC and the Progress Caucus,Democratic leaders are willing tosacrifice the public option in order

to at least pass a palatable healthcare bill.

House Majority Whip JamesE. Clyburn, the highest levelAfrican American inCongressional leadership,commended Reid and hisDemocratic colleagues in theSenate for passage withoutmentioning the public option. In his roll as Whip - to move thelegislation toward passage –Clyburn pointed to the positives ofboth bills.

“Both House and Senate billscut the deficit, bring down rapidlyrising health care costs for familiesand businesses, provide choice,and end discriminatory practicesof the insurance industry that denycoverage if you get sick or have apre-existing condition,” he said. “Ilook forward to working with mySenate colleagues and thePresident on a final bill that meetsthe core principles of healthreform: affordability for themiddle class, security for ourseniors, responsibility to ourchildren by reducing the deficit,and accountability for theinsurance industry.”

HEALTHPage 6 • January 4 - January 10, 2010 • Insight News http://insightnews.com

Wintertime weather can bringabout more than just snowemergencies in Minnesota.Accidental carbon monoxide(CO) poisonings also peakduring winter months, accordingto a new report on CO exposuresreleased by the MinnesotaDepartment of Health (MDH).

The report, entitled

Minnesota EnvironmentalPublic Health Tracking: CarbonMonoxide Data and Measures2000-2007, presents trends inunintentional CO exposures andpoisonings throughout the state.Its findings include the numbersand rates of Minnesotans whoare sickened by exposure to thisodorless, tasteless, and colorless

gas. The report was prepared bythe Minnesota EnvironmentalPublic Health Tracking program(MN EPHT), which tracksenvironmental hazards andhealth in Minnesota. MN EPHTis now part of a larger networkof CDC-funded states collectingdata on CO poisonings, makingthis the nation’s first consistentapproach to tracking COpoisonings.

The report notes that whileCO poisonings occur year-round, they occur most oftenduring fall and winter. Thesecolder months are when faultyfurnaces and improperlymaintained or operated fuel-burning devices such as non-electric space heaters and powergenerators are likely to be used.Hospitalizations, visits to theemergency department (ED),and deaths due to unintentional,non-fire related CO poisoningsare also more common among

outstate residents comparedwith metro region residents.

In just a five-year period(2003-2007), unintentional COpoisonings were responsible for61 deaths, 175 hospitalizations,and 1,261 ER visits amongMinnesotans. These numbers,which refer only to incidentsthat are not fire-related, areeven higher when incidentsinvolving accidental fires (suchas residential fires) areincluded. The statistics paint agrim picture, especially sincemost of these unintentional COpoisonings are completelypreventable.

Fortunately, legislation is inplace in hopes of curbing thenumbers of unintentional COpoisonings in Minnesota. A newMinnesota state law requiringCO alarms in all single-familyhomes and multifamilyapartments became fullyeffective on August 1, 2009. In

conjunction with thislegislation, MDH is collectingtelephone survey data on howmany homes have CO alarms.This survey data, along withfuture CO reports, may behelpful in measuring theeffectiveness of the new COalarm legislation.

To prevent CO poisoning,MDH recommends thefollowing: Install and maintain a CO alarmwithin 10 feet of each roomused for sleeping – it’sMinnesota state law: www.dps.state.mn.us/fmarshal/CO/CO.htm.

Have a qualified techniciancheck your heating systems andfuel burning appliancesannually. Educate yourself and familymembers about the signs andsymptoms of CO poisoning,such as severe headache,dizziness, nausea, and

drowsiness: www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/indoorair/co/index.html.

Never leave a car or truckrunning inside a garage attachedto your house, even if you keepthe garage door open. Instead,start your vehicle and back itout of the garage to let it warmup outside during cold weather. Never use a generator or fuel-powered tools inside the home,garage, in enclosed areas, ornear windows, doors, vents, andother openings.

The new carbon monoxidereport is available atwww.health.state.mn.us/tracking/.

For more information about COpoisonings, or if you have apoison emergency, call the 24-hour Minnesota Poison ControlSystem at 1-800-222-2222.

New report shows CO poisonings occur most often during winter

HealthFrom 1

PittsFrom 5

8PITTS TURN TO

http://insightnews.com Insight News • January 4 - January 10, 2010 • Page 7

encourages people in thecommunity to come meet him.He invites people of thecommunity to discuss issuesthat are critical to the future ofthe community and state. Dehnwants people to ask him“difficult questions becauseour politicians are only asgood as how we hold themaccountable.”

Dehn is hoping to engagepeople who are new to thepolitical process and electionsin general, which he says is“just as important as mycampaign…I have lived by thebelief that if you want to seechange, you have to work forthat change. It is only byworking together that we willbe able to build upon ourcommunity assets and achievea greater quality of life forourselves, our families, andour community.”

Originally from BrooklynPark, Dehn attended CooperHigh School and the

University of Minnesota. Heand his partner Joan have livedin the Willard-HayNeighborhood since 2001.Dehn says they “chose to livein North Minneapolis becauseof the vibrant diversity thatmakes it such a rich

community.”In the past, Dehn has

worked with his neighborhoodblock club, participated in hisneighborhood association,served on the City ofMinneapolis Long RangeImprovement Committee, andvolunteered for US Sen. PaulWellstone’s campaign.

Dehn is currently a memberof the DFL State CentralCommittee and works for anarchitecture firm based in

Minneapolis.In his campaign, Dehn

addresses social programs andtheir impact on public safety.He believes that all children inMinnesota should have accessto educational opportunities.Education provides a

foundation for their futuresuccess as teenagers andadults. Dehn says, “If we don’tmake investments early in thelives of our children, we willcertainly pay the price later.Early childhood developmentand education need to be thecornerstones of acomprehensive public safetyor social serviceprogram…Social programsand anti-poverty efforts arecost-effective ways to reduce

the incentives for crime andviolence in the long run.”

Dehn also notes that publicsafety relies on a justicesystem that is fair, equitable,and most importantly appliedequally to all citizens ofMinnesota.

Advancing greentechnology and creating jobsin the community are alsomajor issues addressed byDehn’s campaign. He says,“We have the chance to createnew industries and providenew skills for many who areunderemployed, if we arewilling to invest in greentechnologies, green buildingretrofits, and related educationand training.” The emerginggreen economy has the

opportunity to place low-skilled workers into new jobsthat can provide futurepromotional opportunities.Because of the recession,having a job with a livingwage has become vital for somany families.

Another important issue toDehn is the devastation toneighborhoods caused by thehousing and mortgageforeclosure crisis. Manyfamilies and individuals havebeen displaced and manyhomes have fallen intodisrepair. “If we do not actswiftly, the loss of thesehouses and families will have aprolonged negative impact onour community. We need todevelop a strategy to rebuildour neighborhood fabric andreturn our community to thestability neighborhoods we alldesire,” he says.

Neighborhood businessdevelopment is anotherimportant issue to Dehn. Hehas ideas for a viablecommercial corridor in NorthMinneapolis as well as afocused effort to revamp

Broadway Ave. He holds thedevelopment on ChicagoAvenue and Lake Street as anexample of how to worktogether to achieve success inneighborhood businessdevelopment. The City ofMinneapolis, HennepinCounty, and private developersall came together to create aplan for the area.

Unless we all worktogether, he says, “all the greatredevelopment efforts that wesee today, such 1101Broadway, the Capri Theater,and development along Lowrymay fall short. We need tofocus on cross-jurisdictionalefforts to coordinate the kindsof program that will establishand maintain businessesproviding vital services to thecommunity.”

Precinct caucuses to votefor candidates are on February2 and the District 58 DFLConvention is February 22.

For more information onRaymond Dehn’s campaign,visit www.raymonddehn.org orcall (612) 310-3346.

DehnFrom 1

“just as important as my campaign…I have lived by the belief thatif you want to see change, you have to work for that change. It is

only by working together that we will be able to build upon ourcommunity assets and achieve a greater quality of life for

ourselves, our families, and our community.”

believe it speaks to the value ofhaving more diverse voices, ofpeople bringing different lifeexperiences to newsorganizations.

KW: Aspiring actor TommyRussell asks, as a Black manwho is also a very publicfigure, do you think Black malecelebrities, entertainers, sportsfigures and politicians gettreated more harshly for theirtransgressions and mistakesthan others?BP: I was raised to believe thatmuch is required of those towhom much has been given. Ithink anyone in a position ofimportance has a responsibilityto carry themselves in a certainway.

KW: Tommy continues with,since the election of BarackObama, do you think America

has entered a post-racial periodin our history?BP: No. I think race stillmatters in our country, althoughperhaps not as much as it usedto. I think race, class and

ethnicity are things that stillmatter.

KW: Is there any question noone ever asks you, that youwish someone would? BP: No, but my all-timefavorite question is, what’s theone thing in life you know forsure?

KW: Okay, what’s the one thingin life you know for sure?BP: That God is good.

KW: The Tasha Smith question:Are you ever afraid?BP: Not anymore. I used to be,quite often. I have momentswhen I’m frightened, but not

afraid.

KW: The Columbus Shortquestion: Are you happy?BP: Hmm… another greatquestion. That’s not something Ispend much time thinkingabout. I have joy in my life, butI think there’s a differencebetween joy and happiness.Happiness, I find, oftendepends on the circumstances,while joy is something that cansustain you in the slowmoments and keep you smilingin the happy moments.

KW: The Teri Emersonquestion: When was the lasttime you had a good laugh?BP: This morning, with my

wife.

KW: The bookworm TroyJohnson question: What was thelast book you read? BP: What the Dog Saw by

Malcolm Gladwell. I met him acouple of weeks ago. A verybright man.

KW: The music maven HeatherCovington question: What areyou listening to on your iPod? BP: Mostly Gospel. I have norhythm, no taste in music. Mywife, siblings and children havefar more sophisticated tasteswhen it comes to music than Ido. But I grew in the church,sang in the choir, and still lovechurch music. What’s on myiPod is mostly religious music.

KW: The Laz Alonso question:How can your fans help you?BP: That’s a nice question.Certainly by supporting the

book and, if they believe what itsays, spreading the word byencouraging other people,especially schoolchildren, toread it. That would really warmmy heart.

KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question:What is your earliest childhoodmemory? BP: What stands out in mymind is my mom helping meinto a little suit with short pantsand a jacket when I was aboutfive because she was obsessedwith dressing me like John-JohnKennedy. I remember feelingvery protected.

KW: The Mike Pittmanquestion: Who was your bestfriend as a child? BP: My best friend in theneighborhood, after my parentssplit up, was a guy named Budwho lived a couple doors up thestreet. He came to my booksigning in Baltimore the otherday. And my best friend in highschool was a guy named JoeStrombowsky.

KW: When you look in themirror, what do you see?BP: The power of grace.

KW: What is your favorite dishto cook?

BP: I like to grill out. I’d haveto say barbecued chicken.

KW: The Flex Alexanderquestion: How do you getthrough the tough times?BP: By remembering theprevious tough times and whatgot me through those difficultmoments.

KW: What advice do you havefor anyone who wants to followin your footsteps?BP: Go further. My motherraised her kids with a basicphilosophy: if you work hard,pray hard, and treat peopleright, good things will happen.That certainly worked for me.

KW: What made you decide togo public with your life story?BP: Because I believe we’re allconnected in some way. Itrelates back to ReverendThompson’s earlier questionabout being a part of somethingmuch greater than ourselves. Isaw it as an opportunity toencourage other people on alarge scale.

KW: Thanks again for the time,Byron, and best of luck with thebook and with “60 Minutes.” BP: Thank you, all the best.

Page 8 • January 4 - January 10, 2010 • Insight News http://insightnews.com

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Recently while going through anold stack of papers, I came acrossa piece of paper whose headingread Humphrey Family Goals2006. As I looked over the list, afeeling of pride rose up inside ofme. Basically all of the goals hadbeen met. The next feeling wasone of disappointment for tworeasons: First, I don’t think wewrote down our family goals for2009. Secondly, I know there is atleast one important goal leftoverfrom 2008 (probably earlier thanthat) that remains unachieved.Are you expecting to get off to agood start in 2010? I am too and

my plan to achieve that goal startswith a pen and paper. That’s right,I am writing down my goals, sothat I can actually remember whatI am aiming for and what steps Iwill take to get there. What I amnot doing, however, is callingthem New Year’s resolutions. Atleast in my mind, there issomething about a resolution thatscreams, “Break me!” so I willinstead refer to these goals as justthat-GOALS. Let’s get started!

Organization Goals The key to getting and stayingorganized is making lists andchecking them twice. Whetheryou are making goals for the yearor goals for the week, write themdown, and place the mostimportant one at the top of the list.

If you want to make longer rangegoals, break them down inmanageable parts. For instance, ifyour goal is to organize and purgeyour closet, start with the goal ofspending 15 minutes each nightsorting into labeled boxes;giveaway, throwaway, and cleanor mend. Keep these boxesnearby so you can pick up whereyou left off the next day. Needhelp getting started? Check outwww.flylady.net. Considervisiting this free, helpful, andhumorous site if you live inCHAOS (Can’t Have AnyoneOver Syndrome)!

Financial GoalsStart off 2010 by recordingcurrent expenses and compare itagainst your income. Are you

spending more than you make ordo you have enough to start (orbuildup) that emergency fund?For practical advice on budgetmatters, visitwww.daveramsey.com. If youneed extra income, you mightconsider a part-time job or at-home work. Companies hirework-from-home customerservice agents,www.vipdesk.com, mysteryshoppers, transcribers,www.productiontranscripts.com,and more. (Do thorough researchand never pay any fees to thoseclaiming to have at-home jobleads.)

Fitness GoalsHow do you envision your life tenor twenty years from now? Do

you see yourself living an active,healthy life or a life plagued withdiabetes, high blood pressure, orhigh cholesterol? Take control ofyour health and your life bywriting down a plan for success.Don’t overwhelm yourself; startwith small goals. Do some type ofactivity each week; walking,dancing, shoveling snow, etc. andcut back on fried, greasy foods. Agreat tool to help you get movingon your journey toward physicalwell-being can be found at Dr. IanSmith’s websitewww.50millionpounds.com .

There are several benefits toputting your personal goals onpaper: you are able to feel thesatisfaction and self-confidence insuccessfully accomplishing a task;you are able to steer your life in a

positive direction toward yourlong-range plans, and you are ableto enjoy peace of mind inknowing that you have createdmore order in your life and in thelife of your family. Goal settingdoesn’t have to be executed withperfection, but it does requirededication-especially wheninevitable missteps occur.Consider your goals, write downyour plan, make it clear, and thenmake it a reality; for your sakeand for the sake of your family.Enjoy!

Marcia Humphrey is an interiordecorator and home stager whospecializes in achieving high styleat low costs. A native ofMichigan, she and her husband,Lonnie, have three children.

New Year’s Resolutions: Set goals to win in 2010

I believe we’re all connected in some way. It relates back toReverend Thompson’s earlier question about being a part of

something much greater than ourselves. I saw it as anopportunity to encourage other people on a large scale.

By Marcia Humphreymarcia@insightnews.com

properties and to rehabilitate themand get them back in the hands oflow and moderate income homeowners, we are not going to beable to sustain the vitality of thoseneighborhoods,” he said in aninterview with ethnic medialeaders following the launch ofthe Land Bank last month.

“The Land Bank was formedas one of many tools that are partof a much bigger partnershipcreated with the understandingthat the leaders of this effort arereally the people who live andwork in these neighborhoods.They are the ones who haveshown so much resilience. Thereare all kinds of grass roots effortsthat are going on to keep thosecommunities vital. Land Bankwill support that communitybased work,” said Fulton.

Rebecca Rom is president ofthe Land Bank. She said thepartnership formed the Land Bankwith an extremely flexiblebusiness model to be able movequickly and to address new crises

as they emerge. “Short term weare just focusing laser-like on theforeclosure crisis, bringing all thetools that we can assemble to helpour partners on the ground to dealwith this crisis. We also have thislonger term vision of how youwork so that everyone can risefrom the tide. How we can takethis crisis and make it into anopportunity, to help more peoplethan have ever been helpedbefore,” she said.

“So, we are looking acrossneighborhoods. We are workingwith residential property indistressed neighborhoods, but werealize you need to haveconcentric circles that includevibrant business and commercialresources adjacent to or withinthese distressed neighborhoods.So we are not looking at justhousing. We are looking at thewhole economic framework andstructure that is needed to makethese communities sustainable,”Rom said.

“We are looking at how wecan help bring the jobs to theneighborhood. We can helppeople who’ve been most heavilyimpacted both short term and longterm. It’s intended to be very

broad. We also recognize thatthere is more to a neighborhoodthan structures. So we’re workingwith these communities, so theycan engage in communitybuilding processes while they dotheir redevelopment. We arelooking also at changing theinfrastructure, trying to bringgreen space to communities.”

Rom said the Land Bankinitiative will provideopportunities for gardens or urbanagriculture with play lots nextdoor, so people can start living intheir community more fully andenjoy healthy food that’s grown intheir neighborhood. They want topromote parks and recreationareas. “Crime is less in areas thatare treed than in areas that arebarren of trees,” Rom said. “So itall ties together in this verymultifaceted way involvingbuilding of the infrastructure, thebuildings and people.

Rom said the Land Bank willbenefit from knowledge andexperience of similar projectsaround the country.“There havebeen very successful land banksdeveloped around the countryover the last ten years, mainly inRust Belt communities. They

arose out of dramatic losses injobs: In Flint, MI, and Detroit, MI,the change in the economics oftheir primary industry, theautomobile industry, has resultedin 30, 40, 50% of the populationmoving out of the communities,”she said.

“When those folks havemoved away, they walked awayfrom their houses. What Detroitcommunities experienced wasvast quantities of empty housesthat nobody could claim.Ultimately those houses went tothe tax forfeiture processes, butthey were in states where lawsrequired cash to buy them, and ittook years and years and years.The Michigan legislature createda legal framework for a land bankas governmental entity andprovided that tax forfeited landcould be deposited immediatelyinto these land banks. Then theyreformed the tax forfeiture law sothey would be deposited relativelyquickly. Now, communities couldcontrol their land and were able tostart reshaping and rethinkingtheir cities.

“We ultimately chose adifferent model in that we’re not agovernmental entity. We’re veryunique in that regard but we didthis because we wanted to workacross the metro area. We didn’twant to be tied to a singlegovernment unit, a city, a county.We’re metro wide. That’s the waywe’ve been working in thiscommunity in a very collaborativeway we thought that it was veryimportant to keep thatframework,” said Rom.

“Second, in dealing withforeclosure as opposed to taxforfeiture, we knew we needed a

large amount of money. We haveto buy this property. We weren’tgoing to get it free from forfeitureto the government. So we neededa vehicle that would allow us toraise new capital outside ourcommunity and we felt a private,non-governmental model wouldgive us better access to capital,”Rom said.

“Last, we also new in thesetimes of stress, if we were agovernmental unit, we would beasking the city of Minneapolis orSt. Paul to add another line item ofexpense to its budget for operatingincome. That just wasn’t realistic.So we created a new model. It’sunique in the country and so farseems to be working. We’ve beenable to raise resources so that wecan help our partners acquire thisproperty and we are workingacross the metro area. So far, sogood,” she said.

Shawn Huckleby, a veteran infederal and state housingadministration work, is managingthe public outreach initiative forthe Twin City Community LandBank.

“We are engaging communityand as we talk about community.It’s not only with the communityof our development partners,CDCs, neighborhood basednonprofits, or for-profitorganizations, but also withindustry partners including thelenders and the realtors, that wecan, in a coordinated way,approach and attack this issue. Butthere is a third partner - thecommunity at a very grass rootslevel, making sure that ourprograms and efforts align withtheir desires and their needs. Thatrequires a dialogue that will have

to continue over an extendedperiod of time —one that makessure that we structure ourprograms and deliver them in away that the community needs,”Huckleby said.

“Now the demographics in ourmarket have changed and we haveseen increases in our communitiesof color in terms of population.That requires us to find creativeways that we can work with themto increase capacity within thesecommunities so they can have arole in the identification of needsand resources. They must alsohave the role in the actual physicalwork and business that willtransform their communities,” hesaid.

not denied boarding privileges onthe Amsterdam-ChicagoNorthwest Air flight. He reportedlypaid cash for a one-way ticket andwas allowed to board.

But shortly before arrival,Umar Farouk attempted to ignite afire which would have set offexplosives he was carrying in hisunderwear. It is believed theseexplosives were strong enough toblow a hole in the plane’s fuselage.At the sound and smoke from thefire being ignited, Umar Faroukwas wrestled down by passengersand attendants who successfullydoused the flame.

The first official response byUS Homeland Security secretaryJanet Napolitano, was that “thesystem worked very, verysmoothly over the course of thepast few days.” But she retractedthat assessment and now admitsthat there were failures with airlinesecurity.

As to the al-Qaeda connection,as late as last August, experts saidthey were unable to find evidenceof Osama Bin Laden’s group inNigeria, despite several arrests bythe government and two warnings

from the US about potential attackson its interests in the country in asmany years. Analysts remainskeptical about any link betweenNigerian radical Muslims andglobal jihadists.

Last week, Dr. AbdulMutallabreleased the following letter:

“Our family, like the rest of theworld, [were] woken up in theearly hours of Saturday, 26thDecember, 2009 to the news of anattempt to blow up a plane by ayoung Nigerian man, who waslater identified as Umar FaroukAbdulMutallab. Umar FaroukAbdulMutallab is the son of Alhaji(Dr.) Umaru AbdulMutallab, thehead of this Family.

“Prior to this incident, hisfather, having become concernedabout his disappearance andstoppage of communication whileschooling abroad, reported thematter to the Nigerian securityagencies about two months ago,and to some foreign securityagencies about a month and a halfago, then sought their assistance tofind and return him home.

“We provided them with all theinformation required of us toenable them do this. We werehopeful that they would find andreturn him home. It was while wewere waiting for the outcome of

their investigation that we arose tothe shocking news of that day.”

“The disappearance andcessation of communication whichgot his mother and fatherconcerned enough to report to thesecurity agencies are completelyout of character and a very recentdevelopment. As before then, fromvery early childhood, Farouk, tothe best of parental monitoring,had never shown any attitude,conduct or association that wouldgive concern. As soon as concernarose, very recently, his parentsreported it and sought help.

“The family will continue tofully cooperate with local andinternational security agenciestowards the investigation of thismatter, while we await results ofthe full investigation. We, alongwith the whole world, are thankfulto All-Mighty God that there wereno lives lost in the incident. MayGod continue to protect us all,Amen.”

Finally, as the matter is beinginvestigated by the variousagencies, and has already beenmentioned in a US court, thefamily requests that the pressshould regard this as the onlystatement it will make for now.

Mac Walton, a gentle man,author, and counselor, diedpeacefully surrounded byloving friends and family onDecember 22, 2009, at hishome in Minneapolis. Waltonwaged a valiant battle againstcolon cancer for over fiveyears. Although his physicalform succumbed the illness, hiswill to live and his passion forideas and people triumpheduntil the end, writing daily forfollowers of his blog“daddyBstrong,” responding toreader comments whileenduring the most intense sideeffects of chemotherapy, andauthoring three books duringhis illness.

Walton was born in PhenixCity, AL, to Henry and CherryWalton in 1951. The familyrelocated to Atlanta, GA, whereMac’s father worked as a unionorganizer and played bluesguitar with local musicians.When Mac was a teenager, hisfather was tragically killed inan auto accident, and hismother died shortly thereafter.The captain of the footballteam at his Atlanta high school,Mac’s scholarly talent was alsonoticed by school counselorswho recommended him for fullscholarship to Ripon College in1967, during the aftermath ofthe civil rights movement. AtRipon, and later at the

University of Wisconsin-Madison, Mac was an avidstudent of history, economics,political science, and literatureand participated in campusprotests of the Viet Nam war.Following college, Mac taughtat an alternative high school inMadison, Wisconsin, and wasbeloved by his students.

Mac moved to Minneapolisin 1977 to study economics atthe University of Minnesota,but his passion for helpingothers and giving back tocommunity led him to workwith the Bridge for RunawayYouth, Turning Point, PhyllisWheatley Community Center,and Minneapolis Public

Housing. In the mid-1990s,Mac shifted his career focus todomestic violence educationand counseling, inspired byPaul and Sheila Wellstone’snational leadership on theissue. Seeing an acute need forculturally aware programs foranti-violence education, Macdeveloped a curriculum thatintegrated spirituality, culture,values education, history, andanger management for maleperpetrators through hisconsulting business, CulturalDynamics. The curriculum isstill in use today at the PhyllisWheatley Community Center inMinneapolis. Mac served for 15years as a volunteer counselor

to Visitation Monastery inNorth Minneapolis.

Mac Walton leaves behindmany loving friends and familyin the Minneapolis area,including the sisters ofVisitation Monastery. He alsoleaves behind faithful followersof his blog,daddybstrong.blogspot.com.His books Miles to Go Before ISleep: Lessons in Living withCancer Today and TheRebellious Sixties: Yes, IRemember, are available forpurchase through Amazon.com.

In lieu of flowers,memorials to a fund to supporttalented individuals in theVisitation Monastery

community who intend to studydomestic violence counselingare requested.

http://insightnews.com Insight News • January 4 - January 10, 2010 • Page 9

Photo courtesy the familyMac Walton

SuspectFrom 1

Mac Walton: Gentle writer, counselor, leader

BankFrom 1

total of 600 hours a year,” saidScott Gray, President and CEOof the Minneapolis UrbanLeague. “Our goal is to recruitand enroll 75 students and we

expect 90 percent will reachcollege-ready benchmarks forreading and math. Each studentwill attend at least eight of 10workshops. We also want 35 ofthese students to participate inthe Historical Black College andUniversity Tour.”

“Locally, a number ofComcast employees volunteer

annually in a wide variety ofprograms supportingMinneapolis Urban Leagueeducation initiatives,” said BillWright, Regional Vice Presidentof Comcast in the Twin Cities.“Comcast has a long history ofsupport for the programs ofNational Urban League affiliatesacross the United States. Here

in the Twin Cities we are pleasedto continue our corporatepartnership with the Leaguethrough this foundationsupport.”

The Comcast Foundationwas founded by ComcastCorporation in June 1999 toprovide charitable support toqualified non-profit

organizations. The foundationinvests primarily in programsintended to have a positive,sustainable impact oncommunities. The foundation’sthree community investmentpriorities are promotingcommunity service, expandingdigital literacy, and buildingtomorrow’s leaders. Since its

inception, the ComcastFoundation has donated morethan $77 million nationwide toorganizations in thecommunities Comcast serves.More information about thefoundation and its programs is atwww.comcast.com/community.

ComcastFrom 1

Rebecca Rom

Shawn Huckleby

Al McFarlane, Nghi Huynh, Rebecca Rom, and Shawn Huckleby.

Page 10 • January 4 - January 10, 2010 - January 3, 2010 • Insight News http://insightnews.com

Send Community Calendarinformation to us by: email,ben@insightnews.com, by fax:612-588-2031, by phone: (612)588-1313 or by mail: 1815 BryantAve. N. Minneapolis, MN 55411,Attn: Ben Williams. Free or lowcost events preferred.

Events

African Dance / Afro Modern -OngoingAfrican Dance: Every Wednesday7:00pm - 8:30pm. Live drummingby Fode Bangoura & DanHandeen. Afro Modern: EveryThursday 5:30pm - 7:00pm. ZenonDance Company and School, 528Hennepin Ave. #400 Mpls. Visithttp://www.zenondance.org/news.asp?news_id=503 for details &registration.

Chinese Traditions for theWinter: Tai Chi and ChineseMedicine for Your Health – Jan9Sat., January 9th, 2-4 pm, withBarbara Davis, Great River T’aiChi director, and Ming ChuBenson, licensed acupuncturist, atSun Gallery, 4760 Grand AvenueSouth, Minneapolis. Free and opento the public. 612-822-6388.

“Yolka”: Masked Ball for Kidsand Adults - Jan. 9Sat., Jan. 9, 3 pm at Holy CrossLutheran Church, 1720Minnehaha Parkway, Mpls.Registration: 612-978-6209 or e-mail:elesha52@yahoo.com.www.rusculturemn.com

Winter Trails at Fort Snelling -Jan. 9Sat., Jan. 9, 1pm – 4pm; FortSnelling State Park Picnic ShelterA, Minneapolis, MN. Visit

www.wintertrails.org for moreinformation or call 651-635-0211.

Listening to the Past: BrownieGirl Scout Workshop – Jan 9Jan. 9, 10:30 a.m. to Noon at theMinnesota History Center, 345Kellogg Blvd W., St. Paul. Formore info and ticket information:www.minnesotahistorycenter.org,651-259-3000. Reservations required.

10th Annual MLK Celebration –Jan. 10The Minnesota Chapter ActionCommittee for Social Change willhave their 10th AnnualCelebration, honoring the life andworks of Dr. Martin Luther King,Jr. on Sunday, January 10, 2010,3:30pm at Grace TempleDeliverance Center, located at1908 4th Avenue South, Mpls.612-805-1923.

Jawaahir Dance Company 17thAnnual Henna Party – Jan 10Sun., Jan. 10, 2–5 P.M. at JawaahirDance Company, 1940 HennepinAve., Mpls. $10 single, $8 each forgroups of five or more. 612-872-6050, www.jawaahir.org

St. Joan of Arc MIM – Jan 11Mon, Jan 11, 5:45—8:15pm; St.Joan of Arc Church Mental IllnessMinistry; 5:45: Light mealprovided; 7—8:15: Topic: Suicide;Speaker: Mary McGuire andPanel, SAVE; Free/open to all;Certificate of Attendance;Roseann, 612.823.8205; Mary,claudemaryparadis@comcast.netLocation: SJA Church HospitalityHall, Door 1, 4537 Third Av S,Minneapolis; www.stjoan.com/mimfr.htm

Technology for Girls: My MessyLittle Experiments - Jan 12Afree workshop for middle-schoolgirls with disabilities. Tuesday, Jan.12, 6 to 8 p.m., at PACER Center,8161 Normandale Blvd.,Bloomington, Minn. Advanceregistration is required. To register,call PACER at 952-838-9000 or952-838-0190 (TTY) or visitPACER.org.

Capoeira Kids – Jan 12, 13Children ages 5-10 will experiencethe movements of Capoeiraincluding cartwheels, kicks and

defenses, and the rhythmic gingaor mobile guard. They will alsohave the opportunity to play themusic of Capoeira on instrumentslike the pandeiro, agogo, andatabaque. Tuesday 6-7 PM StartsJan. 12 or Weds. 5-6 PM StartsJanuary 13. Enrollment for the 8week term is $60. Siblings receivea 15% discount, total being $102.E-mail abcapoeira@gmail.com toreserve a spot.

Minneapolis in the 20th Centurywith Iric Nathanson – Jan 14Jan. 14, 7 p.m. at the Mill CityMuseum, 704 South Second Street,Mpls. For more info: 612-341-7555, www.millcitymuseum.org.Free.

MCTC 2nd annual power ofgiving MLK day of service - Jan16Saturday, Jan 16, 8 am - 1 pm.www.minneapolis.edu

New Year’s Tea Brunch & BibleFellowship – Jan 16Saturday, January 16, 9:00 AM –11:30 AM at Dennis Ministries(located in the Dymanyk ElectricBldg), 1919 Broadway NE, Mpls.R.S.V.P by: January 12. 763-951-2288,dennisministries@yahoo.com.

The Puggles— A PlatypusAdventure – Jan. 16, 17Sat., Jan. 16, 7:00 pm. Sun., Jan.17, 1:30 and 4:00 pm. Heart of theBeast Puppet and Mask Theatre,1500 E. Lake Street, Mpls.612.721.2535, www.hobt.org. Forreservations, call 612-721-2535 orvisit www.hobt.org.

HBCU COLLEGE FAIR – Jan.183:00 PM - 6:00 PM at St. Peter’sAME Church, 401 E. 41st Street,Mpls. For more information callArnise Roberson (612) 455-1566,email: aroberson@achievempls.org. orvisit www.achievempls.org.

Activate the Dream II: HomeOwnership – Jan 18 January 18, 6pm - 8pm at ShilohTemple International Ministries,Business Division, 1201 WestBroadway Ave., Mpls. Free. Learn

about the home buying process andthe tax credit for homebuyers - upto $8,000. For more information:Call Joseph Dillard at 612-251-6593, email: jdillard3723@msn.com

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.Annual Holiday Breakfast - Jan18January 18, 7:00 am at the MPLSConvention Center. www.mlkbreakfast.org for ticketsand information.

History HiJinx Craft Program:I Have A Dream Luminaries -Jan 18Jan. 18, Noon to 4 p.m. at theMinnesota History Center, 345Kellogg Blvd W., St. Paul. Formore info and ticket information:www.minnesotahistorycenter.org,651-259-3000.

Hamline University Annual Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr.Commemoration – Jan 19Tues., January 19, 4 p.m. in SundinMusic Hall, located at 1531 HewittAvenue in Saint Paul.

MLK Week at MCTC - OngoingWednesday, January 20, 6:30p.m.—MCTC Campus - GourmetDining Room, T.1000, PanelDiscussion, “An Oral History ofAfrican-American Race Relationsin the Twin Cities”

Thursday, January 21Noon to 1:30 p.m., MCTCCampus - Gourmet Dining Room,T.1000Chaplain and Colonel Wally G.Vaughn, “Reflections on OurPastor: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church,1954-1960” and “The SelmaCampaign, 1963-1965: TheDecisive Battle of the Civil RightsMovement.”

Friday, January 22, Noon to 1:30p.m., MCTC Campus - HellandStudent Center Open microphoneevent. Students will share andperform pieces that speak to whatDr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’slegacy means to them.

5th Annual Twin CitiesSnowshoe Shuffle - Feb. 610:00am 5K/10K Race/Walk KidsFun Run, Long Lake RegionalPark, 1500 Old Highway 8, NewBrighton. $35 adults, $20 students,Kids Fun Run free. Proceedsbenefit Camp Bovey, a summercamp youth program of East SideNeighborhood Services.www.snowshoeshuffle.org, 612-787-4000.

MayDay Community Meeting –Feb. 9Tuesday, February 9, 7pm-9pm,No reservation necessary. IN THEHEART OF THE BEASTPUPPET AND MASKTHEATRE, 1500 E. Lake Street,Minneapolis. 612.721.2535.www.hobt.org

An Alternative for yourSweetheart: Sock PuppetSerenade – Feb. 13, 14February 13, 7pm, February 14, 4pm and 7 pm. At THE HEART OFTHE BEAST PUPPET ANDMASK THEATRE, 1500 E. LakeStreet, Mpls. Tickets are $10 andavailable at www.hobt.org or 612-721-2535.

HandsOn Twin Cities VolunteerExpo – Feb. 20Saturday, Feb 20, Mall of America,Best Buy Rotunda, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.Free. Visit www.handsontwincities.orgfor more information.

Jamaica Minnesota OrganizationBenefit RaffleAll Proceeds Benefit JMOScholarship Program. $5Contribution per ticket. Increaseyour chances with multiple tickets.Contact JMO members for ticketsor Mail contributions to JMO ataddress: JAMAICA MINNESOTAORGANIZATION, P.O. Box580726, Minneapolis, MN 55458.For contributions by mail, JMOwill mail out tickets. More info:651-639-7687

‘Soap Boxing’ poetry slam –OngoingMonday’s at the Artist’s Quarter,408 St Peter Street, St. Paul.(Under Great Water’s Brewery) $5cover (free if you compete in theSlam) 18+. Doors @ 7 pm. Slam@ 8:00. FFI: 612-207-7991,w w w. s o a p - b o x i n g . c o m ,www.myspace.com/soapboxingslam

Artists Quarter Open Mic –OngoingMonday’s at the Artist’s Quarter408 St. Peter Street, St. Paul. LiveJazz by “Green” from 7 pm till9:30 pm, No cover – two drinkminimum

Willard-Homewood Block ClubLeaders (and Residents)Meetings – OngoingEvery third Thursday of the month,6:30-8:00 pm at Northpoint Health& Wellness Center, 1315 PennAve. N. (Human ServicesBuilding, not the clinic), Mpls.,Room 108. See the block club pageat www.willard-homewood.org.

Wanted: Community-mindedbook lovers - OngoingOne in seven U.S. adults lack theliteracy skills necessary to enjoygreat books, help their childrenwith homework, or understandmedication labels. But you canchange this by volunteering withthe Minnesota Literacy Council.With only two or three hours aweek, your love of reading cancreate a stronger community.Tutor an adult learner, assist in anadult classroom, or teach a basicEnglish or GED class. We havelocations throughout the Twin

Cities area, flexible scheduling andtraining to help you get started.Contact Allison atvolunteer@themlc.org or 651-645-2277, Ext 219 or visit us on theweb at www.themlc.org.

Get to Know Guild – OngoingHear from individuals served,family members, and staff aboutthe work Guild Incorporated isdoing to help people move alongtheir paths of recovery. To RSVPor for more information, callGeorge Broostin at 651-925-8454.Visitwww.guildincorporated.org/events.htm for more info.

Touch Kickball at Phelps Park –OngoingCome and play TOUCH kickballwith your family & friends June 27- Aug. 22 (except the 4th of July).4:00 every Saturday at PHELPSPARK, 39th & Chicago Ave. Moreinformation: 612-824-4900,kelley01@visi.com.

Neighborhood DevelopmentCenter business workshops –OngoingNDC is a non-profit that works toempower low-income Twin Citiescommunities through successfulentrepreneurship. Visit www.ndc-mn.org or call 651-291-2480 forinformation. Workshops are free.

Credit Smart – OngoingFREE class explains how tomanage credit. Tuesdays from 6–8pm at the Minneapolis UrbanLeague, Glover-Sudduth Center,2100 Plymouth Ave. N.,Minneapolis. To RSVP callTheresa at 612-827-9268.

Minneapolis Urban LeagueCAC and UNP Meetings –OngoingSeptember 16th, 2009, 6:00 pm –7:30 pm, Lao Assistance CenterNovember 18th, 2009, 6:00 pm –7:30 pm, Minneapolis UrbanLeagueDecember 16th, 2009, 2:00 pm –3:30 pm, Urban Research andOutreach/ Engagement CenterJanuary 20th 2009, 6:00 pm – 7:30pm, Urban Research and Outreach/Engagement CenterFebruary 17th, 2010, 2:00 pm –3:30 pm, Urban Research andOutreach/ Engagement CenterMarch 17th 2010, 6:00 pm – 7:30pm, Urban Research and Outreach/Engagement CenterApril; 21st, 2010, 2:00 pm – 3:30pm, Urban Research and Outreach/Engagement CenterMay 19th, 2010, 6:00 pm – 7:30pm, Urban Research and Outreach/Engagement Center

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Hawthorne Huddle – Jan 7January 7, 7:30 to 8:45 a.m. in theMultipurpose Room at FarviewPark, located at 621 29th AvenueNorth. A continental breakfastwill be available at 7:15 a.m.Main Program Topic: Building ahealthy, stable, environmentallysound North Minneapoliscommunity.

ABAMinnesota Blizzards

Basketball The Minnesota Blizzards ABABasketball Team is announcing aprogram for college Internships for thefall and winter. The program will consistof five teams of 5 interns each in thefollowing areas: (1) Sales, (2)Basketball Operations. (3) Marketing(4) Public Relations (5) Businessadministration. Each team will have aleader and be given challengingassignments.

We are looking for college studentsmajoring in Sports Management,Business, Public Relations, MarketingSales, Broadcasting and EventPlanning. We need 20 or 25 internsworking with us for a (minimum of 8hours a week) on a part-time basis.Interns will gain valuable experience,and in most cases college credits. Interested Parties please sendresume to:

The Minnesota ABA Team Attn: Internship Program10125 Crosstown Circle #200Eden Prairie, MN 55344

952-829-1250 Fax: 952-829-1040www.minnesotablizzards.com

Grants and AppealsCoordinator

Summit Academy OIC is seeking ahighly skilled and experienced grantand appeals writer to coordinate anddevelop long-term, expandedconstituency for grants, and gifts forsupport of vocational educationprograms of the Summit AcademyOIC. The ideal candidates must havea four-year college degree and atleast four years proven grant writingexperience and development work inthe non-profit sector. Candidatesmust also possess expert level skillsin word processing, spreadsheetsand database managementprograms. Salary is commensuratewith education and experience. ValidDriver's license required. EEO/AAEmployer. Position open until filled.Women and minorities encouraged toapply. Submit all resumes tocbennett@saoic.org. No phoneinquiries, please.

EmploymentExperiential off-campus-study nonprofitseeks part-time entry-level office &program assistant. Requires B.A.,strong attention to detail, and proficiencyin Microsoft Word & Excel. Preferred:Exp. in web-based applications. Interestin social justice pedagogy. $12.15/hourw/full benefits. Full posting atwww.hecua.org/jobs.php. Candidates ofcolor encouraged to apply.

razoo.comGeoffrey Canada

Celebrate the Dream MLK event- Jan. 15Geoffrey Canada, educationalpioneer and social reformer, tospeak at MCTC’s2010 “Celebrate the Dream”Tribute, Jan. 15, 7 p.m., Basilica ofSaint Mary, 88 17th Street NorthMinneapolis, MN

Grey Nayman

Saint Paul Winter Carnival -January 21 - 31, 2010For more information, visitwww.winter-carnival.com

treehugger.com

Much of the hoopla surroundingBrett Favre, and his manywaggles through NFL history,may end up sounding like amale soap opera sometimes, butas Favre nears the end of hisNFL journey (I think he’sretiring after this year…really)there is only one fictitiousmovie icon that comes to mind:The Spaniard, The Gladiator,Maximus.

“My name is MaximusDecimus Meridious…Father toa murdered son, husband to amurdered wife. And I will havemy revenge in this life or thenext.” Now, while actor RussellCrowe delivered that line aboutas best as could possibly bedone in the movie Gladiator, it’seasy to insert Favre’s pensivecountry boy swagger to thatmemorable motion picture line.“My name is Brett LorenzoFavre…Quarterback of theGreen Bay Packers, quarterbackof the New York Jets and theMinnesota Vikings. And I willsuck all of the air out of theroom if you let me (pause fordramatic effect)… in this life orthe next.”

I get a whole bunch of stuffwrong, but I nailed this one along time ago. When Favre wasgoing through his manyvicissitudes (My mother likesbig words. Vicissitudes meanschanges or fluctuations) inGreen Bay, it seemed to me thatthe whole scenario of himversus the Green Bay executiveleadership resembled thestoryline of the movieGladiator.

The antagonist in the moviewas the ruler Julius Caesar.Caesar was unable to killMaximus because he hadcurried such favor with the

crowds at the RomanColloseum through his dazzlingperformances, that he becamemore beloved by the peoplethan Caesar himself. Thus,Caesar couldn’t kill Favre, Imean Maximus, so as not to

promote him to the level ofSainthood through hisassassination. In other words,Maximus was taking all theshine, and Cane killed Abel yadig. Maximus killed Caesar inthe end of the movie, and Favrekilled Green Bay coach MikeMcCarthy when he came backwith the Vikings to beat GreenBay both times they squared offthis season. Even though GreenBay kicked him to the curb (Ibet Favre hates to hear thatphrase), Favre came back tosuck all the air out of the roomand soak up all the shine likeold times. McCarthy wasn’tdead after all that, but he surelooked like one beet-red,pissed-off, fat football coach.

Now in the movie, Maximustoo died in that final scene, sonobody else had to bother withdealing with his greatness in theeyes of the people, or hismilitary skill. In the Favreversion of this storyline,Maximus gets picked up at theairport by Vikings coach BradChildress and owner Zygi Wilf.I know they were happy to getthe celebrated gladiator intotheir SUV, but how in the worldthey could see well enough todrive, with all that shine in theircar, is beyond me. There are noRay-Ban, Oakley, or BlueBlocker sunglasses availablethat can withstand the potencyof that Mississippi Favre shine.Old ladies with those, massive,

prescription, head wrappingsunglasses have been knockedon their soft sides from lookingdirectly at Favre’s shine.

So when Favre and Vikingshead coach Brad Childress hada little spat on the sideline over

whether Favre should stay inthe game, Childressaccidentally stepped into theGladiator arena with Favre.While Caesar had to deal withthe whims of the crowds’thumbs up, or thumbs down

judgment, Childress has to dealwith the nations’ powerful,unrestrained media judgmentmachine. Whether with a prideof lions, a human marriage, orPresidential internationalaffairs, people, including themedia, invasively want to knowone thing about relationships:Who’s wearin’ the pants?

Did I mention that BrettFavre has an endorsementcontract with Wrangler jeans?“Spaniard! Spaniard! Spaniard!”

And yes, I crack myself upsometimes, and hope you get achuckle or inspirational thoughthere and there from the column.Happy New Year.

Brett Favre saga waggles through NFL history

http://insightnews.com Insight News • January 4 - January 10, 2010 • Page 11

By Ryan T. Scottryan@insightnews.com

SPORTS

latimes.image2.trb.com

Favre has an endorsement withWrangler jeans...I’m just sayin’

Page 12 • January 4 - January 10, 2010 • Insight News http://insightnews.com

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