11PAGE

Mr. T’s SportsReportFloyd Mayweather Jr.backs up his big talk

Mo’niqueat the OrpheumTheatre

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Style on a Dime:It pays to seekwisdom and askgood questions

ProfessorMahmoud El-Katiwill begin a 3 partseries on Haiti, it’sglory and it’s tragedystarting next week.Watch for it!

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MMaayy 1100 - MMaayy 1166,, 22001100 •• MMNN MMeettrroo VVooll.. 3366 NNoo.. 1199 •• TThhee JJoouurrnnaall FFoorr CCoommmmuunniittyy NNeewwss,, BBuussiinneessss && TThhee AArrttss •• wwwwww..iinnssiigghhttnneewwss..ccoomm

One day in 2004 MarionneRobbins was brainstorming tofind something that would giveseniors something to do. InMarch 2004 the Royal Red HatSabathanettes were officiallychartered in the National Red HatSociety. Robbins holds the titleof Queen Mother, because she isthe Sabathani Senior Centerchapter founder. After herleadership all other leaders arecalled Queen Bee. The currentQueen Bee is Letrice Jones.

The official colors of a RedHatter are Purple with a Red Hat.During a birthday month, a redoutfit is worn with a purple hat.All members are given fun royalnames because this is an

organization strictly for fun andenjoyment. There are nomeetings, but frequent gatheringsand events. Seniors on walkers,canes, or just moving a littleslower, are not stopped fromparticipating in the Royal RedHat Sabathanettes.

Thanks to Sabathani SeniorCenter, the organization hasaccess to transportation,provided for a nominal fee, totransport the group to ourevents. But limited by size notall are able to ride in the van.(Would someone help us obtaina larger van)

We participate with other RedHat Groups throughout the Stateof Minnesota. Our membership

enrollment is only open inMarch. We are the largest AfricanAmerican Chartered Red HatGroup in Minnesota.

The average age of a RedHatter is 75, however, theirparticipation in this group makesthem feel so much younger.

Red Hats reignat Sabathani

Eunita Jackson spoke passionatelyto over 60 of her neighbors aboutchildren and young people in theneighborhood: “They need toknow that we know each other, andthat we care about them andbelieve in them. That we’re incharge and they can count on us.”

The room was quiet as shespoke, then loud with enthusiasticapplause when she finished. Thisvibrant, lively crowd met on April11 at True Vine Missionary BaptistChurch at 26th and ThomasAvenue North.

Some say creating a village ina diverse North Minneapolisneighborhood can’t be done.Some say it can’t be done in anyneighborhood because peopledon’t know their neighbors thesedays.

Well, we are doing it! We arecreating a village! We areneighbors getting to know oneanother on many levels. There isno formal leadership, just folks

Acolleague, an elder, a friend, a leaderin the community, an educator whohas a wonderful and fascinating storyand a huge responsibility for ourcommunity, Dr. Robert Jonesexemplifies dedication to higher

education, to research and to scientificinquiry, to the University ofMinnesota and to the people ofMinnesota.

In 1978 he earned his PhD in cropphysiology from the University ofMissouri. He joined the University ofMinnesota faculty as a professor ofagronomy and plant genetics and he’sinternationally recognized as anauthority on plant physiology. Joneshas published more than 100 scientificpapers, manuscripts and abstracts. Hisresearch focused on stabilizing grain

yields of maize against environmentalstresses.

He’s been a visiting professor anda featured speaker throughout NorthAmerica and in Europe, Asia andAfrica, and during the resistance toApartheid he served as an academicand scientific consultant forArchbishop Tutu’s South AfricanEducation Program. In addition to hiscontributions to agricultureworldwide, Jones has also heldadministrative positions at theUniversity of Minnesota for the past

20 years, including his current positionas the Senior Vice Presidentresponsible for all academicadministration and outreachthroughout the five-campusUniversity system.

His university leadershipresponsibilities include, but are notlimited to, administrative oversight forthe University’s four coordinatedcampuses, public engagement andoutreach, diversity and multicultural

Suluki FardanTop left: Georgia Omorean and Queen Mother Marionne Robbins.

Top right: Virginia Clark, Queen Bee Lee Jones, Mary Mitchemand Marjorie Tendle. Bottom right: Clara Tims, Ruth Wilson,

Vernice Carter, Flora McRae, Opal Byrd, Marcileen Martin andCassie Norris.

Suluki FardanRRHS

The University of Minnesota andresidents of North Minneapoliscelebrate the opening of a first-of-itskind collaborative facility that servesthe needs of urban communities. TheU’s Urban Research andOutreach/Engagement Center(UROC) and community partnerslaunch the initiative with a grandopening celebration 1-6 pmWednesday, May 12.

UROC is located at 2001Plymouth Ave. N., between Newtonand Oliver. The building once beforeopened to great fanfare and withgreat expectations. It was the newlybuilt home of neighborhood ownedentrepreneurial enterprises. Knownas the Penn Plymouth shoppingcenter, the building opened in themid 70’s and included King’s SuperMarket, Coast-to-Coast HardwareStore, The Phone Store, aNorthwestern Bell TelephoneCompany retail outlet, the Carl EllerLiquor Store, and J.C. Clark’sPharmacy.

It was a symbol of pride hailingthe emergence of a vibrant middle-class North Minneapolis that couldsupport and celebrate Black businessleadership and development.

UROC is igniting those feelingsof pride, hope and possibility onceagain with its multi-million dollarinvestment to renovate and retool theresource to deliver impact in today’ssocial and cultural environment.

As one of the very few land-grant research universities located inan urban setting in the United States,the University of Minnesota has

4Q&A TURN TO

6NEIGHBORS TURN TO

By Al McFarlaneEditor-in-Chief

UROC:researchdriven access to power

8UROC TURN TO

Creating a village

File PhotoScientist and administrator, Dr. Robert Jones, Ph.D

Guiding public engagement

By Nettie SmithUpper Willard Homewood

Bobby Rush Revue returns to Wilebski Blues Saloon

Page 2 • May 10 - May 16, 2010 • Insight News insightnews.com

Legislature gets high marks for green jobs leadership

Jermaine Toney is the Principalresearcher at the OrganizingApprenticeship Project, whichrecently released its ‘AnnualMinnesota Legislative ReportCard on Racial Equity’. BatalaMcFarlane, publisher of‘Insight News’ and producer ofConversations with AlMcFarlane, joined host AlMcFarlane in conducting theToney interview.

Al McFarlane: The ReportCard says, “Despitedeclarations that an economicrecovery is underway; morethan a 132,000 Minnesotanshave lost their jobs sinceDecember 2007 and inparticular the unemploymentand wealth crises has worsenedfor American Indians,Communities of color and newMinnesotans who were facingdesperate poverty andunemployment rates evenbefore this recession and tomake matters worse the reportsays Minnesota’s safety net forchild care, for housing andeducation has been nearlydismantled by a decade ofpublic disinvestment. Predatorylending practices from homeownership to pay-day lendinghave undermined income andwealth opportunity making itnearly impossible forMinnesotans of color and poorMinnesotans to earn and lean onassets in hard times. Oureconomic recovery must beequitable fueled by policy thatupholds fair treatment, familysupporting wages, a vibrantsafety net, culturallyappropriate financial servicesand that build on economiccontributions of Communitiesof Color.” The reportsummarizes, “Our futureprosperity relies on eliminatingbarriers economic opportunity.Minnesota’s younger workersare more racially diverse thanolder workers. We do seetoday’s barriers will ensure thatour younger workers of colorare successful future investors,law makers, farmers andbusiness owners of Minnesota”.

So Jermaine, why it isimportant to insure equity andto reduce inequity in the area ofeconomic and wealth equity? Jermaine Toney: Paydaylending is one of the big civilrights issue of our times. Theseare short term loans but theytake a big piece of your paydaycheck.

Al McFarlane: It’s called “loansharking” and poor people areparticularly vulnerable. Youneed money for somethingtoday, maybe its food, maybeits rent, maybe its shoes, maybeits bus transportation. The needis serious so you turn to whereever you can. Too often it’s abusiness set up in or on theperiphery of your neighborhoodthat markets and provides theinfamous “payday loan.”Jermaine Toney: We are goingto set some new standards forpayday lenders. They’re goingto be now collectinginformation on who came inthrough the door, how muchwas given in advance, what wasthat interest rate. Was it 5%,was it 300%?

We are now starting tocollect this information so weknow what is happening. We goto the state legislature seekinglaws and regulations that turnthese inequities around.Minnesotans should get a fairshake, if they are gettingpayday loans.

Al McFarlane: The legislationthat was created and signed bythe Governor indicated thatpayday loan customers are morelikely to earn less than $25,000a year, typically are under theage of 45, and as often as not,tend to be people of color whoface barriers to desirable credit.They are caught in the creditworthiness squeeze. Your reporthighlights a 2001 study inNorth Carolina that revealedthat Black people were fivetimes more likely to receivemultiple payday loans, andtwice as likely to borrow,compared to whites. So it seemsour community is doublytargeted: on the one hand youare squeezed out of commercialbanking and commerciallending resources because ofcredit worthiness

considerations; then you areforced to go to these predatorylenders like the payday lenders,or payday loans. You will pay.You pay dearly.

Livable wages would relivesome of the stress our familiesexperience. How theLegislature fare in respondingto work and economicdevelopment needs of ourcommunity.Jermaine Toney: The greeneconomy is here, and it’spropped up with federalstimulus dollars and stateinvestment. Minnesota passedlegislation supporting the goodinvestment in the greeneconomy that ensures that,women, lower income workers,workers of color actuallybenefit in this sort of new greeneconomy.

The legislation says, “Hey,we are going to make aninvestment to train newworkers. We are going to investin making sure they get jobsthat pay family-supportingwages. This is part of makingsure that women, lower income

workers, workers of color get afair shake in the new greeneconomy.

Al McFarlane: Batala, youhave been involved inpromoting the green economythrough the newspaper. Howimportant is it that ourcommunity takes ownershipand gets in the forefront ofunderstanding and building agreen economy?Batala McFarlane: It’s veryimportant because I think it’sanother opportunity foremployment and along withemployment, it’s an opportunityfor small business development.We have to make sure that weare part of the conversation.The whole green jobsmovement can be inclusive. Theleaders of the green jobmovement are like multiculturaland represent a multitude ofprogressive organizations andinterests. They do want to makesure that everybody hasopportunity. This movementlooks to the future with acommitment to transparency

and accountability. Themovement demandsaccountability to the earth, tothe environment and to everyhuman being. The green jobsmovement means creatingsustainable economies that relyless on finite resources, andmore on renewable resources.That means converting our styleof living and consumption torenewable energy strategies, forexample.

Al McFarlane: What role canAfrican people, African-Americans in particular, andurban citizens in particular,play in both learning aboutwhat it means to createsustainable environmentallyconscious employment andconsumption patterns and, whatleadership role should we playin helping developingawareness globally? Is there anopportunity for us to use thegreen economy to create wealthin our community?

The bill promoting hiringequity and green jobs said,‘studies show that Minnesota’s

Communities of Color and low-income communities have beenhardest hit by the currentrecession. Thousands of Black,Latino and low-income workershave lost their jobs at a fasterclip than the generalpopulation.” This bill Senatefile 657, is a significant piece oflegislation that can increasehiring equity and build wealthin Minnesota’s Communities ofColor. This bill commits $2.5million of public investments tostrengthen opportunity andequity by preparing low-incomeMinnesotans for weatherizationjobs in renewable energy andenergy efficiency trades. Thebill supports outreach to thosecommunities. By supportingoutreach by community basedorganizations that deal withrenewable energy opportunitiesand by ensuring equitableaccess for disadvantagedwomen owned businesses andbusinesses owned by people ofcolor, and the bill calls forreporting on the progress onhow weatherization programshave specifically benefitedpeople of color and low incomepeople. Weatherization issomething that’s simple but itsglobal. Everybody livessomewhere. How do we makethe places we live more energyefficient through properweatherization? Jermaine Toney: Communitiesof color and low-incomecommunities don’t win whenwe fail to consider race andincome impacts of public policydecisions. We get left behindwhen it comes to wealthopportunities. Well here is apiece of legislation that pushesagainst that. This says if we aregoing to make progress on someof these inequities, we actuallymust be seeing if low-incomecommunities and communitiesof color actually benefit fromthe wealth building opportunity.So here they’re actually goingto report quarterly on progressturning around healthinequities, wealth buildinginequities and so forth.

I think it shows that whencommunity leadership andlegislative leadership worktogether we can get lot done toadvance racial equity inMinnesota.

By Al McFarlaneEditor-in-Chief

Courtesy of OAPJermaine Toney

Sometimes, all somebody needsis a leg up. Kids, parents, work,laundry… Women today face along list of challenges. Manyhave overcome the setbacks ofdivorce, mental illness,substance abuse or poverty.Finally ready to move forwardand put the past behind them,these courageous women mayfind closed doors at every turn.Fortunately, an organizationexists that offers women theencouragement and support thatcan help them move from“Ready” to “Successful.”

I first heard about One toOne: Women Coaching Women,from a friend who is also acoach in the program. She said,“We never have a waiting list,and we should.” One to One’smission is to enable women to“achieve sustained success bycreating the life of their dreams”through free one-to-one lifecoaching. Targeting its servicesto women from challengingsocial and economicbackgrounds, One to Oneprovides an upbeat, affirmingrelationship where a strugglingwoman’s hopes can betranslated into “practical,realistic and actionable lifeplans.”

The life coaching providedby One to One is directedspecifically at those women bestpositioned to benefit.Participants must be motivated

to have bigger lives, howeverthey personally define that. Itmight be a better career, betterhome life, better relationships;they just have to be motivated toset goals. They must also becommitted to reaching thosegoals, committed to movingforward in their lives. And theymust be able to demonstrate thatthey have had some success inthe past, that they are capable ofsucceeding in the program.

Finally, and importantly,One to One coaching is for thosewomen who absolutely couldnot afford life coaching serviceson their own.

One to One Coaching is nottherapy. These coaches believetheir clients are the experts ontheir own lives and guide themto reach the goals they set forthemselves. Through 26 weeklyphone sessions, trained lifecoaches listen to their clientsand provide feedback andsupport while stayingcommitted to client’s agenda.

According to one client, “Itfeels like you have a best friend,cheerleader, mom and pastor allrolled into one person,committed to helping you getwhere you want to go in yourlife.”

Empowered and confident, awoman who gets great lifecoaching can be a source ofchange for herself, her family,and her community.

If you or someone you knowis ready to move forward in life,consider becoming a client atOne to One: info@onetoone.info or call(205) 969-1223 for moreinformation.

Julie Desmond leads job searchand career planning workshopsin Minneapolis. Send yourquestions and comments tojulie@insightnews.com.

Minneapolis this week approved$578,175 in grants to businessdistricts through the City’s GreatStreets neighborhood businessdistrict program. The grants willassist business districts throughoutthe city with technical assistancesuch as branding and marketing,merchandising, businessrecruitment, and design services.

Recognizing that commercialareas are not the same, the GreatStreets Business District SupportProgram is designed to support arange of activities that strengthen andsupport neighborhood businessesdistricts throughout the city. Inaddition to providing importantgoods and services for residents, asignificant number of jobs arelocated in neighborhood businessdistricts. The most recent data, fromDecember 2008, shows 133,802 jobswere located on commercialcorridors.

A “Request for Proposals” wasissued in January 2010; 32 proposalswere received and 18 funded. Thetarget contract amount was definedas between $5,000 and $50,000.Recipients include:• African Development Center:$50,000 for technical assistance,business planning, workshops onbookkeeping and accounting. Area:Cedar Riverside LRT area; FranklinAve.; East lake; Midtown Lake;West Lake; Nicollet Ave.; CentralAve.• Catalyst Community Partners:$50,000 for business development,retail recruitment, site development,retail recruitment and messagingmaterials. Area: West Broadway• Elliot Park Neighborhood Inc.:$10,000 for tenant recruitment,redevelopment strategy, and pitchpacket for investors. Area: Chicago

Ave.• Latino Economic DevelopmentCenter: $50,000 for technicalassistance. Area: Midtown; EastLake Street; Central Ave.• Metropolitan Consortium ofCommunity Developers: $15,000 fortechnical assistance, business districtcapacity building. Area: 38th St. andChicago.• Metropolitan EconomicDevelopment Association: $45,000for business technical assistance.Area: West Broadway.• Native American CommunityDevelopment Institute: $40,000 forcorridor branding and analysis anddesign, marketing materials, andbusiness directory. Area: FranklinAve.; Franklin Ave. LRT.• Neighborhood DevelopmentCenter/Midtown Global Market:$40,000 for business technicalassistance and marketing. Area:Midtown Lake St. (Midtown GlobalMarket); Midtown LRT Station;Chicago and Lake St. ActivityCenter.• Nicollet East Harriet BusinessAssociation: $40,000 for marketingand branding. Area: 38th St. andNicollet; 43rd St. and Nicollet; 46thSt. and Nicollet; 48th St. andNicollet; 38th St. and Grand; 36th St.and Lyndale; 40th St. and Lyndale;36th St. and Bryant; 46th St. andBryant.• Northeast CDC/NortheastChamber of Commerce: $10,000 foroutreach to businesses, referral totechnical assistance services. Area:13th Ave. NE and University Ave.NE; 22nd Ave. NE and Johnson St.NE; 29th Ave. NE and Johnson St.NE; 37th St. NE and Central Ave.NE; Lowry Ave. NE and MarshallSt. NE; Lowry Ave. NE andUniversity Ave. NE; Central Ave.

• PEACE Foundation: $10,000 tosupport the Northside event, FLOW.Area: West Broadway.• Seward Redesign: $22,000 todevelop a tenant recruitment packet,

recruit businesses, direct work withproperty owners. Area: Franklin Ave.(LRT to river); Franklin Ave LRT(east side).• Seward Redesign with SENA:$42,900 for business recruitment,encouraging investment, businessorganizing, and branding. Area: 38thSt. LRT; 46t St. LRT; 28th Ave. &42nd St.; Cedar & 42nd St.; Cedarand Minnehaha.• Sheridan NeighborhoodOrganization: $20,000 for brandingand event production. Area: 13thAve. NE and University Ave. NE.

• Uptown Association: $24,975(challenge grant) for branding,development of marketing materialsincluding brochures, website,banners. Area: West Lake St., Lakeand Hennepin; Lyndale Ave.• Victory NeighborhoodAssociation: $20,000 for marketingand branding. Area: 44th St. andPenn Ave. N.; 42nd St. and ThomasAve. N.• West Bank BusinessAssociation: $50,000 for publicsafety activities, branding,marketing, and special events. Area:Cedar Riverside LRT area; Cedar;Riverside.• West Broadway Coalition:$38,300 for coordinating streetcleaning, community clean-upevents, Adopt-A-Block, and WinterCarnival. Area: West Broadway.

Great Streets Program OutcomesIn 2008 and 2009, through the GreatStreets Business District Supportprogram, over 270 businessesreceived technical assistance inmarketing, bookkeeping, productmix, licensing and coderequirements, and business planning.This type of technical assistance

supports both new and existingbusinesses.

Technical assistance forbusinesses is given high prioritywithin this program. Especiallygiven the economic conditions of thelast couple of years, supportingexisting businesses as well asgrowing new businesses andcreating jobs is critical.

One example, the LatinoEconomic Development Centerworked closely with Tortilleria LaPerla when the economy entered intocrisis, avoiding the loss of 40 jobshad the business failed.

Daniel Bonilla, Program andProjects Coordinator for the LatinoEconomic Development Center(LEDC) says, “The Great StreetsBusiness District Support grant isproviding opportunities for localCDCs [Community DevelopmentCorporations] to help small businessto remain open, keep current jobs,and work more efficiently in themiddle of this economic crisis.”LEDC has excelled at responding tobusinesses’ needs with flexible andinnovative programming.

LEDC recently implemented aproactive, comprehensive “check

up” program for businesses, to makesure they understand and complywith the City’s regulations andordinances. Since 2003, LEDC hasprovided training and technicalassistance to 610 businesses, 390 ofwhich were start-ups, and of those,295 are still in business.

More on the Great Streets ProgramNeighborhood business districts areessential elements of a great city. In2007, the Minneapolis City Councilapproved the Great StreetsNeighborhood Business DistrictProgram, a coordinated effort to helpbusinesses develop and succeedalong commercial corridors and atcommercial nodes throughout thecity.

Through the Great Streetsprogram, the City also providesfunding to business districts for otheractivities that support the economicvitality of the entire district,including business loans, real estatedevelopment gap financing andbusiness district assistance such asmarket studies and retail recruitmentefforts, and façade improvementgrants.

Sabathani Senior Center willsponsor an Estate Planning Fairfrom 10 am to 1 pm Friday, May14 at Sabathani CommunityCenter, 310 E. 38th St., Suite106. The event is free of chargeand is geared toward senioradults.

Teams of lawyers fromDorsey & Whitney LLP andUnitedHealth Group will beavailable to draft simple wills,health care directives andfinancial powers of attorney.Pre-registration is required. All

participants must bring alldocuments related to their needs,including relevant informationabout their assets, insurance andthe names and addresses ofdesignated beneficiaries.Documents will be prepared forcompletion and signature on theday of the event.

Pre-register for this event bycalling the Senior Center at(612) 821-2306 to make anappointment. Sabathani SeniorCenter is a program of SabathaniCommunity Center, Inc.

insightnews.com Insight News • May 10 - May 16, 2010 • Page 3

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Proud to be headquartered in Minnesota

Free life coachingservice empowerswomen to succeed

Great streets program supports Minneapolis business districts

Sabathani sponsors estateplanning fair for seniors

By Julie Desmondjulie@insightnews.com

Planyour

career

“Great Streetsprogram has assisted

more than 270businesses with

technical assistancesince 2008”

Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS)sixth grade teacher Ryan Vernoshis 2010 Minnesota Teacher of theYear. The appointment, which

was made public Sunday, May 2,is the culmination of a searchprocess that began with morethan 400 nominations and 107

candidates.“ R y a n

represents theteacher of thefuture that ourn a t i o n ’ sstudents needright now,”said Saint PaulP u b l i cS c h o o l s

Superintendent Valeria Silva.“He truly embodies the passion,dedication and determination ofour District’s quality educatorsthat work tirelessly in ourclassrooms to effect positive

change in our students’ lives.”Vernosh, who teaches sixth

graders at Maxfield Magnet aspart of the school’s genderspecific programming, is thesecond ever SPPS teacher to benamed Teacher of the Year. Hehas been with the District since2004 and has taught at Maxfieldsince 2006.

“This isn’t a testament toanything I’ve done,” Vernoshsaid. “It’s a testament to the hardwork that the young men in myclass do. They come to us withincredible brilliance and theyshine everyday.”

Maxfield Magnet PrincipalNancy Stachel said Vernosh is theconsummate educator.

“He’s an excellent teacherwho truly sees the potential ineach of the young men withwhom he works,” Stachel said.

The Teacher of the Yearprogram is underwritten byEducation Minnesota, thestatewide educators union. Thismarks the 46th anniversary ofthe program. As Minnesota’sTeacher of the Year, Vernosh willbe the state’s nominee forNational Teacher of the Year2011.

Swapping out light bulbs, testingheating and cooling systems, anddiscussing ways to update olderbuildings for energy savings is atough job for any team ofengineers. But when the team’saverage age is 10, and they areproposing safety goals toadministrators at their own middleschool, the challenge is eventougher. Unless, of course, it’sEarth Day and the buddingengineers are Girl Scouts whocome together to make our worlda better place.

“We are looking at things likewhich light bulb is better to use,”said Naya Tadavarthy, 10. “Maybeone is more money, but if it isbetter in the long run, then it’sworth it. We are learning to noticethe things around us more so wecan keep learning about scienceand technology.”

Tadavarthy, a fourth grader atSt. Paul Academy and SummitSchool, joined more than 80 girlson Earth Day as they took part in“Get Moving,” a project gearedtoward Girl Scouts in fourth andfifth grades investigating howenergy can spark interest in theirown lives.

“Whenever we have a chanceto listen to children, we learnsomething,” said GregoryJackson, multicultural initiativesmanager, Girl Scouts of the USA.“They have an awe and curiositythat we tend to lose when webecome adults. We can always

learn when we see what they aredoing and seeing.”

One of 36 councils nationwideawarded a grant to promoteenergy awareness andconservation, Girl Scouts ofMinnesota and Wisconsin RiverValleys partnered with volunteersfrom Trane and ThermoKing toteach girls that understandingscience, technology, engineering,

and mathematics can make apositive difference in their livesand their communities.

Girls who attend Laura JeffreyAcademy worked on anenvironmentally focusedcurriculum for several months aspart of the grant program. Theculmination of their work was theApril 22 event hosted at theirschool where they conducting an

energy audit with the help ofengineers from Trane andThermoKing.

Trane and ThermoKing arebrands of Ingersoll Rand, whichfunded the grant for the six GirlScout councils. The partnershipwas an excellent fit becausescience, technology, engineering,and math, or STEM, is one of fivemajor areas of leadership

development programming in GirlScouts. Laura Jeffrey Academy inSt. Paul is a STEM school forgirls.

“Recruiting women engineersis a challenge,” said Mary Sueker,human resources representativefor ThermoKing. “If we can sparkinterest at this age, we can helpthese girls grow into our engineersof the future.”

Laura Jeffrey Academy fifth-grade science teacher ArdenAshley-Wurtmann said the energyaudit may be presented to theschool at its end-of-the-yearcelebration so students andadministrators can see howimprovements in technology candirectly affect their schoolcommunity. But moreimportantly, Ashley-Wurtmannsaid getting the girls involved inthis project is a great way to showthem the growth and careeropportunities that are connected toengineering.

“It is so important to get girlsinterested in math and science,especially at a young age,” saidValerie MacAlpine, Trane accountmanager who volunteered for theproject. “It can be a good careerand a good life for women. It hasbeen for me, and I started backwhen we didn’t have the tools andthe innovation that we have now.And we didn’t have the Internet topush out our message and reachthe girls. We have to use thetechnology to get these girls

interested and keep theminterested.”

GSUSA’s Jackson agreed.“Only eight percent of skilledengineers are women, and whatwe want to do is use the GirlScouts as a pipeline to this careerfield,” he said. “We need toexpand opportunities for our girlsbeyond historical boundaries.”

According to the USDepartment of Labor, 75 percentof tomorrow’s jobs will requiretechnology skills and that numberis expected to grow over thesegirls’ lifetime. “It’s unfortunatethat we weren’t talking aboutthese issues 10 years ago, but I’mexcited to see what these girls willbe getting done 10 years fromnow,” said Sueker. “These are thegirls who will lead us.”

In partnership with 18,000adult volunteers, the Girl Scoutsof Minnesota and WisconsinRiver Valleys helps nearly 45,000girls each year-in all or portions of49 counties in southern Minnesotaand western Wisconsin-todiscover new abilities, connectwith new friends, and take actionto improve their communities.Girl Scouts is the world’spreeminent leadershipdevelopment organization forgirls, building girls of courage,confidence, and character, whomake the world a better place. Formore information, call 800-845-0787 or visitwww.girlscoutsrv.org.

affairs, pre-k-12 and other youth andfamily programs, urban initiatives, andUniversity of Minnesota Extension.He’s a strong leader for diversityinitiatives locally, nationally andinternationally. He’s spearheadedefforts to provide better access forinternational students and he’sdeveloped support systems to helpretain students of color. He’s initiatedprograms to recruit and retain facultyof color as well. He has recentlycreated an initiative to position theUniversity as a World-Class UrbanUniversity, one that responds moreintentionally and strategically to createauthentic partnerships to addresscomplex problems the urbancommunities. He is a man committedto science and education, but he is alsoan artist. He’s a member of the world-renowned Grammy award-winningSounds of Blackness.

Jones talked with communityelders and me at a breakfast meeting atSunnyside Deli & Café last year andin a studio interview at KFAI-FM 90.3in Twin Cities.

AL MCFARLANE: I invited youbecause I wanted to take a time to talkto you about your history and yourbackground. You and I have talkedbefore on this program. Ourconversations generally focus on oneproblem or another. It’s been conflictthat’s brought us together. It’s not thatwe have been boxing, but we’ve beendealing with stuff that was weighty. Ihaven’t taken the time to step backand give myself and my listeners achance to know you and know thebreadth of your engagement andyour interests. I hope that today’sprogram will begin that.

I want to start by asking you totalk about your background, whereyou’re from, and how is it that as a sonof the South you have attainedawesome accomplishment andresponsibility as a leader at theUniversity of Minnesota.

ROBERT JONES: I appreciatethe opportunity to be here and likemost people, I’m a little reluctant to

talk about my story. But I hope thatlisteners will find some value in whatI have to say this morning.

Clearly, it is a road less traveledfor an African American born in theDeep South to arrive some thirty yearsto forty years later, depending onwhere you start calculating, to be aleader of one of the largest, mostcomprehensive research universitiesin the country.

It is a road less traveled and it’s notsomething that I necessarily set out todo at a very early age. I probably amamong the last of a generation that cansay we are children of sharecroppers.We just don’t have people coming outof that kind of environment anymore.I take great pride in the fact that myfather was a sharecropper and foundsome way, even in that very difficultsituation, to eke out a decent livingfor his wife, his three kids and hismother, who was part of ourhousehold as well.

I grew up in a small town calledDawson in southwestern Georgia. Igrew up on a peanut and cotton farmwhere my dad was a sharecropper. Ispent most of my formative years inthat kind of environment. But notwithstanding the difficulties ingrowing up in the Deep South duringthe heart of the civil rights movementand in the midst of the racism and thesegregation, I was able; my parentswere able to instill in me the value andimportance of education.

One of the things I reallyappreciate about my father, whopassed away two years ago at the ageof 84, is that he worked extremelyhard to give us a sense of value and asense of worth that would withstandthe fact that we were poor.

So we didn’t realize we were poor.We knew we were better off than a lotof folks in that community. Heemphasized education and Iremember vividly, we were probablythe only family that was in asharecropping situation where my dadhad that courage and the vision to sayto the landowner, “My children willnot miss a day out of school to pickyour cotton.”

AM: That is so important. I’m alsothe son of a sharecropper. My motherand her parents were part of the

sharecropping system in Mississippi.I understand from stories. But youwere there. You were there.

RJ: I was there. Eighteen years.

AM: My mother always told me thatwhen crop planting and harvestingseasons came, school let out. Noschool because everybody had to go tothe fields. There wasn’t a choice inmost cases.

RJ: We had a comparable systemin Terrell County, GA, where theBlack schools, or colored schools,started about thirty days later than thewhite school in order for thesharecroppers to get most of the cropsout of the field. By the time school didstart about thirty days later, it was stillvery common for the Blacksharecroppers to keep their kids out ofschool to finish bringing in the rest ofthe crop.

You had to get all the peanuts andcotton out of the field by a certain date.My father insisted on us going toschool. But that didn’t mean we didn’tget into the fields as soon as that busrolled through the plantation at 3o’clock. We got off that bus and wepicked cotton ‘til six or seven. But he was absolutely committed thatwe didn’t miss any time out of school.One of the questions the listeners andpeople have is how did you get from asharecropping situation in the cottonand peanut fields of southwesternGeorgia, to where you are today?

As a child I was always very, verycurious and always got myself into alot of trouble by taking things apartand attempting to put them backtogether again. I didn’t always succeedand that’s why I got into trouble. Iwould go into my mom’s kitchen andtake vinegar and baking powder andmix stuff together just to see whatwould happen. So I guess I’ve been ascientist at heart probably since theday I emerged from my mom’swomb. That scientific curiosity neverleft me.

I’ve probably known since abouteight or nine years of age that I wantedto be a scientist. Along the way I hadthat inspiration and that desire to be ascientist further supported by having acouple of key mentors in my life.

Page 4 • May 10 - May 16, 2010 • Insight News insightnews.com

EDUCATION

INSIGHT NEWS

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Insight News is publishedweekly, every Monday byMcFarlane Media Interests.

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Maxfield Magnet teacher named Minnesota Teacher of the Year

Earth Day celebration introduces Girl Scouts to engineer profession

Education MinnesotaRyan Vernosh

Q&AFrom 1

7Q&A TURN TO

After 78 years, students, staffand families will honor thehistory and traditions ofFolwell Middle School with aclosing celebration scheduledfor May 20. The school isseeking old schoolphotographs, artifacts and

yearbooks for acommemorative booklet whichwill be published by currentFolwell students.

Food and entertainmentwill be provided. There is nocost to attend. The event isThursday, May 20 with a

Multicultural buffet from 5:30- 6:30 pm, welcome andceremony at 6:30 pm and acommunity social 7:15-8 pm.

All events are at FolwellMiddle School, 3611 20thAvenue South, Minneapolis,MN 55407.

Now closing, Folwell celebrates history

Photo courtesy Girl ScoutsMore than 80 Girl Scouts and students at Laura Jeffrey Academy in St. Paul celebrated Earth Day

with volunteers from Trane and ThermoKing as they conducted an energy audit on the schoolbuilding. The science, technology, engineering, and math focused school had instituted Girl Scoutsprogramming into its curriculum. The school then hosted a culmination event on April 22 where the

girls applied what they had learned about energy consumption and conservation. The girls alsoparticipated in fun new experiments like testing the heat created by incandescent and CFL lightbulbs. Cooler light bulbs like the CFLs, the girls found, reduce wasted energy because they don’t

create heat when they are meant to create light.

Penumbra does it again… but that’sa statement that assumes that there

was ever any doubt in the worldpremiere of their new play, TwoOld Black Guys Just Sitting AroundTalking.

If the title is a mouthful, it onlyplaces second to the incredible tugof war story, sewn togetherbetween two elder Black menwhose lifelong hate for oneanother, provides an unbreakablebond of necessity and brotherlylove.

The story, written by VirginIslands native and retiredUniversity of Arizona professorGus Edwards, isn’t your typicaltale spawn from a problem and metwith a cliché resolve. Rather, itillustrates a truer depiction of lifeand the art of getting around itsmany challenges, by focusing moreon a cloud’s silver lining withoutpretending that in the end there willnever be another storm.

There’s a lot to learn fromdropping eaves on a privateconversation between two elderswho deliver more bark than bite,during their daily war over a bench

in the park outside their apartmentcomplex. In this Odd CoupleParody, Abe, is an old school gentand a former prize boxer who’sjoined at the heart strings withHenry, a suave and artisticallyinclined fellow, due to a bondformed by their love for the samewoman.

As the saying goes, there trulyis a thin line between love and hate.And for two men who’ve spent thefortunes of their youth intertwinedby a window seat into each other’slives, they learn that after the jobs,the women, and their agility are

said and gone, their current needsare timely met and defined by amultitude of inner riches. Theirrelationship, although seeminglybuilt on a sand trap and meldedwith a consistent antagonizingspirit, is more rhyme than riddle,and incased in a solid friendship.

The play is raw, gritty,humorous and real. Under thedirection of Lou Bellamy, this two-person story doesn’t exist toresolve any lifelong issues betweenthe pair, but rather it serves as aguidebook to any adversaries, byshowing us that the best resolution

is not that of always expecting afairytale happy ending, but ratherlearning to co-exist in areas whereagreeing becomes the hardest task.

Two Old Black Guys JustSitting Around Talking, runs atPenumbra until May 23. And if myopinion counts for more than justink trappings on a page, Iencourage everyone to check outthis wonderful tale, if not for agood laugh, than to witness theunmistakable magic and chemistryshared between the characters.

For more information, visitwww.Penumbratheatre.org

insightnews.com Insight News • May 10 - May 16, 2010 • Page 5

AESTHETICSTwo Old Black Guys: Raw, gritty, humorous and real

When it all began for Mo’NiqueImes-Jackson, things weren’t alwaysa laughing matter. Coming from atroubling start after suffering abuse atthe hands of her very own brother, theactress got tough and found a way tooutsmart her circumstances.

Through the craft and tool of joketelling, intelligence and a naturalcharisma, Mo’Nique superseded herprior conditions by claiming her rightto offer everyone she touched apermanent smile. With each of hercareer endeavors, she has seen amultitude of success and fortune thatnaturally place second when youcompare them to the richness in herspirit.

The comedian, whose claim tofame started on the UPN televisionseries “The Parkers” and also anauthor of the bestselling book SkinnyWomen are Evil, has hosted a BeautyPageant on the Oxygen Network forPlus Size women called “F.A.T.Chance” and is now the host of her

own BET talk show called “TheMo’Nique Show.” Aside from that,she also has many films under herbelt that illustrate her talent and herprogression through the arts.

For someone who was oncethought of by a few biased critics asjust another a “ghetto comic,” for herroles in films like B.A.P.S, Phat Girlz,Hair Show and Soul Plane, she’sproved that true talent cannot beconfined to a box or subjected to any

one label. Her Oscar-winning portrayal of

Mary Lee Johnston in the moviePrecious, proved to everyone, thatrather then living up to othersexpectations of her film roles, she’llcontinue to be the Galileo behind herown quest through the stars.

Bringing it back to square one,and revisiting a natural ability tofurnish a laugh, Mo’Nique andfriends, Rodney Perry, Tone-X andDJ Ant, have hit the road on a newcomedy tour that is sure to bring love,laughter, and plenty of welcomesurprises. Presented by HennepinTheater Trust, Mo’Nique’s “Spreadthe Love Tour,” arrives inMinneapolis at the State Theater onMay 14th.

Tickets range from $39.50 to$65, and will definitely be a showyou won’t want to miss, from a starthat exudes the essence of a keptpromise. Prepare to be entertained.

For more information pleasevisit, www.ticketmaster.com or theState Theater Box Office.

Mo’Nique at the Orpheum Theatre

Ann MarsdenLeft to right: Abdul Salaam El Razzac and James Craven

Courtesy Hennepin Theatre TrustMo’Nique

By Alaina Lewis

By Alaina Lewis

Blues master Bobby Rush, one of theenduring elder statesmen ofAmerican Blues music, returns toTwin Cities next week for two showsSaturday night, May 15, atWilebski’s Blues Saloon, 601Western Av., St. Paul.

It will be a grand reunionperformance event. Rush helpedbuild the legend of Wilebeski’s as abona fide Blues saloon a couple ofdecades ago when over the years,Rush brought his world-famousBlues Revue to the St. Paul Club.

Where Bobby Rush went, otherBlues masters followed. Wilebskihosted the giants of the idiomincluding Buddy Guy, MuddyWaters, Johnny Taylor and others.

Tad Wilebski, who has recentlyreintroduced the Wilbeski brand, iscoming back to the blues barbusiness after selling the business

and leaving the music scene forseveral years.

“But I love this music, Brother,”Wilebski testified in an interview lastweek on the “Conversations with AlMcFarlane” broadcast on KFAI FM90.3. “And I am honored that BobbyRush connected with us to help usbring new life into the Twin CitiesBlues scene.”

Bobby Rush joined the KFAIradio broadcast by phone fromJackson, MS. He talked about hislongevity in the industry, about hishealth, and about the business ofbuilding new and expandingaudiences that will be touched by theartistry of his gift.

Rush has discovered themeaning of timelessness. Hissoujourn as artist, performer,entertainer, and businessmanincludes experience gained andshared throughout the Chitlin’Circuit South, and Urban BluesEmporiums across the North andWest Coast. He has performedthroughout the capitals of Europe

and even at the Great Wall of China.The multitudes of Chinese fans

who saw him perform, he said,hailed him warmly as “LittleBrother.” With endearing embracesthey compared him to the Great Wallof China. “You have withstood thetest of time,” they said,acknowledging his stellar career thatproduced over 260 records overmore than a half century ofperformance.

Bobby Rush’s Blues Revuefeatures what Wilebski’s bills as “hislovely ladies” … whose sensualdance gives meaning to a bluesman’slament. Rush’s dancers conjure therhythmic juke-joint gateway,breathlessly revealing thediaphramic connection betweenancient African worlds and SouthernSoul.

Minnesota’s own blues master,Willie Walker opens the set withperformances beginning at 7:30 pm.Doors open at 6 pm. For tickets andinformation call (651) 331-0929.

RushFrom 1

In the United States, prematurity/lowbirth weight is the second leading

cause of all infant deaths during thefirst year of life.

According to the Office ofMinority Health, during 2000-2002in the United States, African

American mothers were nearly 2.5times as likely as non-Hispanicwhite mothers to begin prenatal carein the third trimester, or not receiveprenatal care at all.

As a result, preterm birth rateswere highest for Black infants (17.6percent) than other minorities.African American infants were overfour times as likely to die fromcauses related to low birth weight,compared to non-Hispanic whiteinfants.

Prenatal care is important inmaking sure you and your baby stayhealthy throughout pregnancy andthe birth of your child.

What is prenatal care?Prenatal care is the health care youget while you are pregnant. Takecare of yourself and your baby by:• Getting early prenatal care. If youknow you’re pregnant, or think youmight be, call your doctor toschedule a visit.• Getting regular prenatal care. Yourprovider will schedule you for manycheckups over the course of yourpregnancy. Don’t miss any - theyare all important.• Following your provider’s advice.Eat a healthy, balanced diet, getregular exercise if your providerfeels it is safe to do so. Do notsmoke cigarettes or drink alcoholwhile you are pregnant.

Who provides prenatal care?Physicians who specialize inobstetrics and gynecology usuallyprovide prenatal care.

In addition, certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) are advancedpractice nurses with specializedtraining and experience inmidwifery. CNMs provide prenatalcare, labor and delivery, care after

birth, yearly gynecological exams,assistance with family planningdecisions, preconception care,menopausal management andcounseling in health caremanagement and disease prevention.They can prescribe medication,perform medical procedures andprovide other interventions whenmedically necessary.

Many family practice physiciansalso provide obstetric care. Theycan provide continuity of care acrossthe life spectrum, and can care forthe entire family.

At Hennepin County MedicalCenter, The Nurse-Midwife Serviceis a practice of certified nurse-midwives who care for womenthroughout their life, includingduring pregnancy, labor and birth.The midwives see patients in sevenlocations throughout the metro areaand deliver babies at HennepinCounty Medical Center.

We also have family practicedoctors who provide obstetric care atall of our community clinics, as wellas a full service OB/GYN clinic atHCMC. The High Risk OB clinic,at the HCMC OB/GYN clinicprovides multispecialty care toaddress the needs of a wide range ofcomplicated pregnancies. It isstaffed by board certifiedperinatologists, an internal medicinephysician, a psychiatrist, and adietician.

What can I expect from prenatalcheckups?During pregnancy, regular check-ups are very important. Thisconsistent care can help keep youand your baby healthy, spotproblems if they occur, and preventproblems during delivery. Typically,routine checkups occur:

• Once each month for weeks 4through 28• Twice a month for weeks 28through 36• Weekly for weeks 36 to birthWomen with high-risk pregnanciesneed to see their doctors more often.

At your first visit your doctor ormidwife will perform a full physicalexam, take your blood for lab tests,and calculate your due date. Theymight also do a breast exam, a pelvicexam to check your uterus (womb),and a cervical exam, including a Paptest. During this first visit, yourdoctor or midwife will ask you lotsof questions about your lifestyle,relationships, and health habits. It’simportant to be honest with yourdoctor of midwife.

After the first visit, most prenatalvisits will include:• Checking your blood pressure andweight• Checking the baby’s heart rate• Measuring your abdomen to checkyour baby’s growth

You also will have some routinetests throughout your pregnancy,such as tests to look for anemia, teststo measure risk of gestationaldiabetes, and tests to look forharmful infections.

Where can I get prenatal care?Most hospitals that deliver babies,like the Birth Center at HennepinCounty Medical Center, provideprenatal care. In addition to regularlyseeing your doctor or midwife,classes are often available onpreparing for childbirth,breastfeeding, newborn care, siblingpreparation, infant and child CPRand more.

What Is Centering Pregnancy®?Available at Hennepin County

Medical Center locations,CenteringPregnancy® is prenatalcare in a group with other womenwho are also pregnant. Groups ofeight to 12 women are seen togetherthroughout their entire pregnancies.Group sessions, available in bothEnglish and Spanish, are led by adoctor or midwife and a prenataleducator. This often proves to be apowerful bonding experience, aswomen of different backgroundsprogress through the joys andchallenges of pregnancy together.

Groups follow the sameschedule as standard prenatal visits.At each appointment, patients:• Spend individual time with thedoctor or midwife talking about theirown health and the baby’s health.• Ask questions and support eachother throughout the pregnancyexperience.• Are told about community servicesand important information abouttheir pregnancy.

Who do I call for moreinformation?

For more information aboutprenatal care available throughHennepin County Medical Center,call 612-873-BABY (2229). Tolearn more about CenteringPregnancy, call (612) 873-2530.

Melody Mendiola, MD, is a board-certified general internal medicinedoctor and medical director ofHennepin Care North, a clinic ofHennepin County Medical Center,located in Brooklyn Center, MN. Dr.Mendiola is accepting new patientsat Hennepin Care North. Toschedule an appointment, call (612)873-8800.

A majority of Americans believenutrition in local school meals fallsfar short of what children need, a newsurvey finds. And the foods peoplemost associate with school meals -pizza, chicken nuggets andhamburgers - are the same foods they

believe should be cut drastically fromschool menus.

The survey reports near-universal agreement that childhoodobesity is a problem or crisis, andimproving the health of Americanchildren requires communities toprioritize access in schools to freshproduce and exercise.

The survey was commissioned by theW.K. Kellogg Foundation andreleased last week at the Foundation’s10th annual Food & CommunityNetworking Meeting, held this yearin Chandler, AZ.

Food & Community is thepremier gathering of the good foodmovement, drawing 650 activists,

reformers, researchers and publichealth officials to explore topics suchas farm-to-school projects anderadicating “food deserts.” Thesurvey was conducted in Aprilamong 801 adults from all regions ofthe country.

Page 6 • May 10 - May 16, 2010 • Insight News insightnews.com

HEALTH

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Prenatal care is equally important for mother and baby

Parent survey finds school food lacking

By Melody Mendiola

7SURVEY TURN TO

Key findings include:• 55 percent of Americans - and 63percent of parents of school-agechildren - described the nutritionalquality of local school food as “poor”or “only fair.”• The top five items that came tomind when asked about school foodare all high in fat or sodium: pizza;hamburgers; French fries/tater tots;hot dogs/corn dogs; and chickennuggets.• These are the very foods Americanswould like to see drastically cut from

school menus. Nearly 70 percent ofAmericans said pizza should beserved in school just once a week orpulled from menus entirely; morethan 60 percent said chicken nuggetsand hamburgers should be limited toonce a week or removed.

For context, the most recentSchool Nutrition Dietary AssessmentStudy conducted by the USDAfoundthat 90 percent of school lunchmenus offer entrees such as pizza andcheeseburgers.

“The data in this survey highlightthe widespread support fortransforming school food to help allchildren lead healthier lives,” said Dr.Gail Christopher, who oversees food,

health and well-being as vicepresident of programs at the W.K.Kellogg Foundation. “When studentshave access to healthy, locally-grownfood and physical activity, it allowsthem to thrive both in and out of theclassroom.”

Through its Food & CommunityProgram, the Kellogg Foundationtargets investments to improveschool food, increase access to goodfood and physical activityenvironments, and shape the nationalhealthy eating and active livingmovement.

Survey respondents were clearabout what needs to be done to turnthe childhood obesity epidemic

around.More than 85 percent said fresh,

not canned, fruit and vegetablesshould be offered every day in schoolcafeterias. Eighty-six percent listedrequiring 60 minutes of exercise inthe school day as either the top or ahigh priority in improving students’health.

Asked about factors contributingto the obesity epidemic, 71 percentlisted cutbacks in recess and physicaleducation as a significant factor.The survey was conducted by LauerJohnson Research and has an overallmargin of error of plus or minus 3.5percent. The full results are availableat http://drop.io/fac2010.

W.K. Kellogg Foundation and itsFood & Community Programadvocate equitable access to goodfood and physical activity. Thefoundation has directed more than$230 million toward supportinghealthy food and farming projects.Food & Community(www.foodandcommunity.org) seeksto improve food systems and the livesof vulnerable children. The KelloggFoundation is also a foundingmember of the Partnership for aHealthier America, a foundation thatsupports First Lady MichelleObama’s Let’s Move! initiative withthe goal of curbing childhood obesitywithin a generation. .

who initiate and participate fromtheir passions.

James Nelson gets block clubleaders together to create safetyand support. New neighbors aretreated to home-made bread and aconversation about who we areand what we expect from eachother. Nelson also gets the youth

out on Sundays to play football!Jim Lovestar and the garden creware on the third year of anexpanding garden at 24th andUpton. Plans for the summerinclude monthly gatherings downat the garden with True-Vine as arain back-up. Some folks likeJoAnne Ulm, Eunita Jackson andToni Collins meet and greetneighbors everyday by being outin their yards and taking walks andengaging with those they meet.Emma Fiala developed our

website and then organized arummage sale on the Parkway onApril 17th. A number of familiesshowed up to sell “treasures” andthe rest of us shopped and chattedwith new and old friends. A clubfor kids/youth that will be aparent- and neighbor- run place forkids to get to know each other,learn skills and hear stories fromthe incredible adults who live inthis neighborhood is in the works.

Neighbors are creatingrelationships with the local

businesses in the area. Al-Amin’s Fish House, Rising

Star Auto Sales, CVS Pharmacy,North End Hardware, BroadwayLiquor Outlet, The AmazingOriental Grocery Store and GloverInsurance have all madecontributions to the gatherings. We

shop local. Residents who want toget involved can contact NettieSmith at (612) 588-4934nettiekay.smith@gmail.com orJames Nelson at (612) 588-9530jamesdoublenelson@yahoo. comor go online to www.upperwho.org

insightnews.com Insight News • May 10 - May 16, 2010 • Page 7

...this is why we shine so bright.

For over 80 years, Hallie Q. Brown has been the Lighthouse of the Community...

The Hallie Q. Brown Early Learning Center is currently accepting applications for enrollment.

We are a licensed daycare and preschool program with a 4 Star Parent

Aware rating. We feature licensed and trained staff, Project Early Kindergarten (PEK) curriculum and a sliding fee scale. We gladly

accept Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)

Contact us today for a tour and more information.

Hallie Q. Brown Community Center 270 N. Kent Street St. Paul, MN 55102 651-224-4601 www.hallieqbrown.org

SurveyFrom 6

NeighborsFrom 1

That’s why I emphasize theimportance of mentoring. I knowit’s kind of a buzzword now that wehear a lot about. But I can tell you, Ican’t think of any person that’sevolved or come to any kind ofleadership or successful positionthat hasn’t had someone to mentorthem. I had a high schoolvocational agriculture teacher whoset the stage for me and what I wasto become.

In ninth grade when I startedhigh school I started to takevocational agriculture courses. Mr.Walter Stalwar took me under hiswing. He started to call me“professor” in the ninth grade, andhe called me professor all the wayuntil I graduated. Then he insistedthat I attend Ft. Valley State Collegeand major in Agriculture. There Ihad a second mentor, Mr. M.C.Blunt, who told me very early thatonce I received my B.S. degree, Ineeded to start thinking aboutgetting a Masters and getting a PhD.

My life was pretty much laidout for me and charted for methrough the influence of my parents,their values, their religious values

and their work ethic. I was drivenby the fact that I knew that I wantedto have a better existence for myfamily, for my wife and my kidsonce I got married and started tohave children. I wanted to have abetter life. I knew thatsharecropping and that kind ofexistence was not the life for me.

Through mentoring and theinfluence of my parents, I went onto pursue graduate degrees andfortunately found myself here at theUniversity of Minnesota as a 26-year-old PhD fresh out of graduateschool in Missouri. I had the verygood fortune to start a newacademic research program here atthe University of Minnesota that Iwas involved with for 31 years, inaddition to my administrativeresponsibilities. My researchexplored ways to improveagricultural crops, so I still have thisstrong tie back to my sharecroppingdays. I researched how to stabilizethe grain yield of our majoragricultural crops. Thirty years agowhen I started this work,environmental stress, global climatechange, was something that mostpeople didn’t believe was real.

But it’s here now. And as thatold saying on the side mirror ofthe car goes, objects in the mirrormay be closer than they appear:

Clearly, global climate change ishere. We have to find ways tostabilize our major agriculturalcrops against these global climatechanges or otherwise there will bea lot of hungry people in theworld.

Now I would like to remindpeople, the only thing I’ve everreally planned professionally in mylife was to get a PhD and become ascientist. The other things havehappened along the way. I neveraspired to be a Universityadministrator. I’m not like a lot offolks you find in higher educationwho say, “I want to be a collegepresident.” That has never been anaspiration or goal. What hashappened to me has been being atthe right place at the right/wrongtime, depending on how you want tolook at it. I set out to be the bestfaculty member and best professor Ipossibly could be. The rest of thethings happened through situationalcircumstances. I was asked to do asmall task and that led to additionalresponsibilities, and led to peoplenominating me for differentleadership roles at this University.I’ve probably had more titles thanany other person at the University inthe last 22 years. That has given megreat insight and great opportunitiesto really make a difference.

Q&AFrom 4

If you are part of the 20% of peoplein Minnesota who did not mail backa census form, you will soon receivea call or a knock on your door. Hereis the information you need to beaware of as this next phase in the2010 census effort kicks off.

- The U.S. Census will try to contactyour household either in person or byphone up to six times or untilcounted.

- If no one is home:1) Census takers will leave Notice ofVisit hanging on the door, with phonenumber to call; 2) Residents may give their answersto census taker by telephone or call toschedule return visit;3) Census takers will visit at differenttimes of day;4) As a last resort, census takers mayask landlords or neighbors for basicinformation about a home that doesnot respond after six tries.

- Identifying a census taker:1) They are officials of the U.S.Department of Commerce;2) Identification badge withwatermark/seal and name ofenumerator;3) Black canvass shoulder briefcasewith white U.S. Census Bureau logo;

- Census takers will:1) Show their identification;2) Ask to speak with responsiblehousehold member at least 15 yearsof age;3) Give residents a written statementabout the confidentiality of personalresponses;4) Ask only the ten questions onstandard 2010 Census form andrecord answers themselves;5) Ask residents to give answersagain even if residents say theymailed back a form

Sworn interpreters may accompanycensus takers, as needed. If censustaker cannot communicate withanyone in household, they will showa card with short statement in 59languages and ask resident to identifylanguage spoken at home.

- Census takers will not: 1) Ask to enter a residence;2) Ask for any identification fromresidents;3) Ask for documentation ofimmigration status;4) Ask for social security #, bankaccount or financial information;5) Question a residents report of thenumber of people in the household

Be counted

placed a priority on discoveringsolutions to the many complex issuesfacing urban communities.

Creating a physical presence inthe urban community was the firstmajor step in this initiative.

UROC comes online as home to12 university programs that pursueresearch and outreach in partnershipwith individuals and organizations inthe communities.

“The University of Minnesota iscommitted to developing strategic,sustainable partnerships with urbancommunities, residents andgovernments, leading to positive,measurable outcomes withsignificant impact toward improvinglives and stimulating economicgrowth,” says university Senior VicePresident Robert Jones.

The event is free and open to thepublic and will include buildingtours, refreshments, an art exhibit byFawzia Kahn and Lynn Fellman, ayouth choir performance byCitySongs and brief remarks byUniversity of Minnesota Board ofRegents Chair Clyde Allen,university President RobertBruininks and several communityand government leaders who havebeen instrumental in making thepartnership a reality. Jones will hostthe event that includes welcomefestivities at 3:30 p.m., followed by aribbon-cutting ceremony and shortprogram at 4 p.m.

Ora Hokes, a long-timeNorthside resident who participatedin all of the early meetings that led toUROC’s formation, says UROC is afulfillment of the community’svision. “When I look at the endproduct-UROC-and think about allthe community requested of theuniversity-it’s all there,” she says.

“The U said, ‘We’re going to walkwith you.’So we’re seeing programsat UROC that help young parentslearn to feed their kids healthy mealsand that help our youngentrepreneurs get a solid start. The Ulistened to us and the U heard us.”

The event will provide anopportunity for guests to talk withcommunity partners and universityfaculty and staff about the manyresearch, outreach and educationprograms in the facility that aredesigned to address key issues suchas health and nutrition, education, thearts, and community and economicdevelopment. These programs arehighlighted athttp://www.uroc.umn.edu/programs/index.html.

More information about theevent can be found atwww.uroc.umn.edu. You can RSVPat www.uroc.umn.edu/launch or by

calling (612) 626-UROC (8762)

The following programs areaffiliated with UROC:African American & African StudiesOutreachCollege of Liberal Arts Broadband Access Project Business and Technology Center (B-Tech Center)Office for Business and CommunityEconomic Development (BCED) Center for Health EquitySchool of Medicine Child and Family Center CitySongs ExtensionUrban Youth Development: (612)624-4658; Nutrition Education:(612) 624-4820; FamilyDevelopment: (612) 624-4858 FIPSE-UROC Work GroupsFund for the Improvement ofPostsecondary Education

Five Hundred Under 5Center for Early Education andDevelopment (CEED) Simply Good Eating ProgramsUniversity of Minnesota Extension University Northside Partnership Community Affairs Committee Urban Minnesota Area HealthEducation Center (AHEC) Pam Cosby, director(612) 624-4541 Urban Youth Development Office(Urban 4-H)University Extension

The project was developed byUROC’s founding director, Dr. IrmaMcClaurin, Associate Vice Presidentfor System AcademicAdministration, and tenuredprofessor in the University’sAnthropology Department.

In March, Jones announced aleadership team that will work with

him to build the next critical phase ofdevelopment of the Urban Researchand Outreach/Engagement Center(UROC) including:

Heidi Barajas, associate dean forengagement and facultydevelopment, College of Educationand Human Development, andassociate professor, Department ofPostsecondary Teaching andLearning;

Rose Brewer, professor and pastchairperson of the African-Americanand African Studies Department,College of Liberal Arts, andUniversity Morse-AlumniDistinguished Teaching Professor;Geoff Maruyama, professor ofeducational psychology, College ofEducation and HumanDevelopment, and special assistantto the senior vice president forSystem Academic Administration.

What you don’t know can’t hurtyou, right? Not!! Actually whatyou don’t know can deal adevastating blow to your health,career, and finances. In the Biblethere is an insightful scripturewhich basically says: Wisdom isthe principal thing, so seek wisdomand get understanding Proverbs4:7.

One of my favorite familymembers, Cousin Betty, recentlyreminded me of how a lack ofunderstanding robbed ourgrandmother of her sight. My 93-year-old grandma lost her vision toglaucoma several decades ago.Prior to that, this very proud,independent woman struggled toraise eight children, largely on herown. When she first began toexperience the symptoms ofglaucoma, she kept it to herself. Bythe time she finally admitted her

problem to a doctor and her adultchildren, it was too late. With earlydetection her glaucoma could havebeen treated and her eyesightsaved, but she did not know andworse, she did not make herdifficulties known to others so thatshe could gain an understanding ofher condition. By the time she wascompletely blind, my witty andfeisty Grandma continued todemand that her eyeglasses beplaced in her hand so that she couldwear them. She felt that everyonedid not need to know that she wasblind.

In many ways Grandma was indenial of her situation. Instead ofacknowledging the fact that hersight was slowly failing, andseeking help, she suffered insilence. It did not have to be thatway. Are you in need of answers orinsight regarding a health concern?Are you seeking a job (or a betterjob)? Are you having relationshipdifficulties? Asking questions,especially the right ones, can beone of your most beneficial assets,so don’t be shy.

1. Ask Your Doctor-Are youstruggling with a nagging healthconcern that has been botheringyou for months? Instead oftorturing yourself with worry,

make an appointment with yourphysician. Write out questions inadvance, so you don’t forget.Studies show early detection andtreatment of medical issues,provide the best opportunity foroptimal recovery. Also, to stay intip top shape, don’t neglect yourannual examinations.

2. Ask Your Boss/Mentor-Instead of being frustrated at workafter not getting the promotion-when you were clearly mostqualified- go to your manager ortrusted mentor and ask forfeedback. Ask a question like,“What specific things will makeme a strong candidate for the nextadvancement opportunity?

3. Ask Your Family; askYourself -Isn’t it amazing how ourfamily and close friends can seethings in us that we are unable, orunwilling to see? If you are in aplace where you feel stuck, it maybe time to ask for some candidfeedback from one or two honestpeople in your life who really loveyou. You might ask, “What do yousee as my greatest strengths? Whatdo you feel may be my greatestopportunity for growth? Whatuntapped potential do you see inme?” Sometimes you have to get

very honest and have aconversation with yourself and ask,“Am I setting goals and makingpositive plans for my life?” “Aremy current friends a help or ahindrance to my life?” “Do I needmore education to fulfill mydreams?”

While it’s true that you may not

find all the answers to thequestions that you ask, justremember that knowledge ispower. Read books, listen to CDsrelated to your interests and goals.Be wise. Gather information. Askquestions. These principles willplace you on a successful pathtoward fulfilling your purpose in

life. Lastly, ask God to show youhow to apply the wisdom. Enjoy!

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

Page 8 • May 10 - May 16, 2010 • Insight News insightnews.com

LIFESTYLEIt pays to seek wisdom and ask good questions

By Marcia Humphrey

Style on a dime

www.minority-speak.com

UROCFrom 1

insightnews.com Insight News • May 10 - May 16, 2010 • Page 9

The Sierra Club North Star Chapterand the Minneapolis NAACPpartnered together to hold an EarthDay Celebration to honor “GreenHeroes of Color” on Thursday, April22. The celebration included dinner,a demonstration garden, and youthperformances by Climate ChangeCrew and the Arts Us dance crew. St.Paul City Council Member MelvinCarter III (Ward 1) and formerMinnesota State Representative, andgovernor hopeful, Matt Entenzawere also in attendance.

Climate Change Crew is part ofthe Kitty Anderson Youth ScienceCenter at the Science Museum ofMinnesota. Their song, “Change IsNeeded,” won the Green for AllNational ‘Dream Reborn’ contest.

Keynote speaker Leslie Fields,the National Director ofEnvironmental Justice for the SierraClub and a former lobbyist for theNational NAACP WashingtonBureau, congratulated the people ofMinnesota for all the work we havedone regarding food security andenvironmental justice and hopes wewill continue to lead the country andbe a voice for those who are notheard.

Van Jones was one of the GreenHeroes being celebrated for hisfounding of Green For All and hiswork with The Green-Collar Jobscampaign. There were six total

“Green Heroes of Color” beinghonored at the celebration. Alsoamong them was Robert Bullard,who, in 2008 won the BuildingEconomic Alternatives Award fromCo-Op America and was named an“Environmental Leader of theCentury” by Newsweek. MajoraCarter was another Green Hero. Shefounded Sustainable South Bronxand pulled out a Tibetan flag duringthe 2008 Summer Olympics TorchRelay. Also celebrated was TomB.K. Goldtooth, the ExecutiveDirector of the IndigenousEnvironment Network and co-producer of the award-winning film,Drumbeat For Mother Earth.

Annie Young, who was also inattendance at the celebration, washonored as a Green Hero for herwork in the founding of theEnvironmental Advocates ofMinnesota (EJAM). She is theEnvironmental Justice organizer forthe Harrison NeighborhoodAssociation and is currently servingher twenty-first year on theMinneapolis Park and RecreationBoard and is the Vice President andChair of Planning.

EJAM works in collaborationwith low-income communities,communities of color, andIndigenous communities to createequitable, healthful, and sustainablefutures for all generations. The groupbelieves that “environmental justicemeans that no population should beforced to shoulder an unfair share ofexposure to the negative effects of

pollution.” EJAM has worked toreduce mercury pollution inMinnesota, helped create laws toprotect children from lead poisoning,and provide youth the tools neededto reduce cancer causing chemicalsin their communities. The group alsopromotes energy-efficient homesand has reduced exposure to airpollution from the Riverside coal-fired power plant in Minneapolis.

US Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN)was another Green Hero inattendance who was beingcelebrated for his part in thefounding of EJAM and for being alegislative champion of clean energy.“What [do environmental injustices]say about how we rate our fellowhuman beings? Wherever there isenvironmental injustice, we will ban

together and fight,” he said.Earlier that day, Ellison had

introduced a bill to the US House ofRepresentatives that would ban theuse of atrazine, an herbicide used tocontrol broadleaf weeds and grassesin corn fields. Atrazine is the mostcommonly detected chemical in USwaters and levels are highest inMinnesota. The chemical isassociated with infertility, low birthweight, abnormal infantdevelopment in humans, andcreating hermaphrodite frogs.“Working in agriculture should notendanger your life,” Ellison said.

Karen Monahan, CommunityOrganizer for the Sierra Club NorthStar Chapter, and a member of theMinneapolis NAACP ExecutiveCommittee, also spoke at the

celebration. “It doesn’t matter whatthe color of your skin is or whatneighborhood you live in, we all careabout the environment, it’s part ofour everyday lives,” she said.

Alessandra Williams, anorganizer at HIRE Minnesota, alsospoke at the event. She said that weneed to bring together green jobs andhiring equity to ensure that everyonehas a chance to take part in the newclean economy. “Communities ofcolor have traditionally been left out.We have to unite as a community toget it done,” Williams said.

HIRE Minnesota is a coalition ofcommunity organizations led bySummit Academy OIC and the WillSteger Foundation. The coalition isseeking public investments that growour economy; provide living wages,green jobs, and trainingopportunities to low-income peopleand people of color; promote healthycommunities; works to ensure thatthe agencies in charge of publicinfrastructure investments meet theirwomen and minority hiring,contracting, and training goals; andthat our government is accountableand transparent to all communities.

Collie Graddick, an agriculturalconsultant from The Co-Op Project,discussed a “community foodsystem” where individuals within acommunity can cooperatively worktogether to start small, independentagribusinesses. According toGraddick, urban agriculture could bethe most sustainable green job.“Farming isn’t all about getting your

hands dirty, it’s also about packagingand marketing the food…Kidsshouldn’t be thinking about getting ajob,” but starting their own businessand obtain food justice at the sametime. “We can eat our way out of therecession,” Graddick said.

The Executive Director for theAlliance for Metropolitan Stability, acoalition that works for racial andenvironmental justice, Russ Adams,discussed transportation equity at thecelebration. He argues that theMetropolitan Council is moving tooslow in regards to light railconstruction. Even so, it is vital forthe community to be heavilyinvolved in the decision-makingprocess. In the early planning stagesof the Central Corridor light rail, thecentral section of the line, the pooreststretch, had a mile between stops;whereas everywhere else only hadone half of a mile between stops. Theneighborhood “Stops for Us”campaign was able to successfullyconvince the Metropolitan Councilto add more stops. Adams says thatthis level of community involvementshould also occur at all levels of theBottineau Corridor light raildecision-making. He asked: “Whosevision will win out, [HennepinCounty’s] or the residents’?”

Boise Jones of Emerge, alsodiscussed urban agriculture and thecommonality of environmentalinjustices. “It’s about sustainability,food justice and security. We’re all inthis together,” he said.

While anti-immigrant attention isbeing drawn to events in Arizonaand inflammatory comments arebeing made by politicians in otherstates, Minnesota lawmakers andstate officials are receiving a studyon their desks that makes thesesober assessments:

We depend on immigration inMinnesota. Our state economy andquality of life will become evenmore dependent on immigration inthe coming decade.

These points generallysummarize the findings of Prof.Katherine Fennelly, an immigrationand public policy expert at theUniversity of Minnesota’s

Humphrey Institute, and graduatestudent Anne Huart. They’veresearched and written acomprehensive report: “2010: TheEconomic Impact of Immigrants inMinnesota,” that is now beingprinted and distributed to stateofficials by a grant from theNorthwest Area Foundation.

That latter grant, however, camein recognition that this report hasinformation that must be seen andunderstood by people who wouldshape or influence future publicpolicy. It could assist people whoseek to be builders of the commongood; it may temper the baserelements in Minnesota society thatmight seize on xenophobia, racismand bigotry from elsewhere inAmerica for political gain here at

home.“The impact on communities is

most evident,” Fennelly said in aninterview this past week. “Thecommunities that have growth in thelabor force can thank immigrantworkers. The schools that havemaintained enrollment andprograms and (keep communitiesalive) can thank immigrant children.The other communities have agingpopulation and are in decline.”

Equally important, she added,new residents are revivingcommercial activity in rural areasand urban neighborhoods, arestarting new businesses, arestabilizing housing markets, and arebringing purchasing power thatripples through local and regionaleconomies.

Oh, and these new people paytaxes and make Social Security taxpayments that support the agingpopulation that is rapidly reachingretirement age. Even the illegalimmigrants, or “undocumentedworkers” that allegedly are the causeof consternation in Arizona andother states, contribute mightily fortheir stay in this country. The studycites a Brookings Institution reportthat shows more than $560 billion intaxes are collected from wages forSocial Security and other purposesthat will not be claimed by thepayees.

Such workers, however, aremostly myth workers in Minnesotawhere documented workers are thesource of most new entrants into thelabor pool.

The economic benefits ofrefilling the workforce pipeline ismade obvious by the businessinterests that formed the MinnesotaBusiness Immigration ReformCoalition, an umbrella group thatsupported the immigrant study.Among members of that group arethe Minnesota Agri-GrowthCouncil, Minnesota Chamber ofCommerce, Minnesota MilkProducers Association, HospitalityMinnesota and the MinnesotaNursery and Landscape Association.

All these groups, one might say,have enlightened self-interests todiscourage biting the hands that feedthem, or works with them, or buystheir products.

Fennelly sees the immigrantstudy as supportive of work that

State Demographer Tom Gillaspyand State Economist Tom Stinsonhave done on the changing laborforce and economy around the state.In presentations to civic andbusiness groups, the two havefocused on the impact of aging andwho will do the work in the yearsahead.

Gillaspy, for instance, isforecasting a major labor shortage inMinnesota by the year 2020--aforecast that is in step with similarstudies around the nation.Unfortunately, such thoughtfulforecasting is easy to ignore in alingering recession with highunemployment.

In a January profile feature inTwin Cities Business magazine,

NAACP and Sierra Club honor “Green Heroes of Color”

Immigration: The key to Minnesota’s growth and prosperity

By Lydia Schwartz

Suluki FardanRep. Keith Ellison (D-MN)

By Lee Egerstrom

11MN TURN TO

Page 10 • May 10 - May 16, 2010 • Insight News insightnews.com

On April 24, a volunteer crew from Comcast painted andcleaned at the Minneapolis Urban League’s SharonSayles Belton Community Center at 411 E. 38th St. inMinneapolis. The community center was one of morethan two dozen work sites for “Comcast Cares Day.”

“We’re glad to help,” said Comcast’s projectcoordinator Robert Langle. “This building was damagedby last summer’s tornado and it gets lots of communityuse.”

Comcast has strong ties to the Minneapolis UrbanLeague (MUL) throughout the year. Diana Hawkins,government affairs specialist for Comcast, serves on theMUL board and was at the community center forSaturday’s work session. This is the third year that avolunteer crew has worked at an MUL site for “ComcastCares Day.”

As the economy continues to tighten its grip onMinnesota nonprofits, Comcast employees volunteeredall over the Twin Cities on Saturday, April 24 assistingmany nonprofits in upgrading their facilities. More than1,200 local Comcast employees and their families andfriends volunteered at 30 Twin Cities nonprofit sites aspart of Comcast’s 9th annual “Comcast Cares Day.”

At the same time across the country, more than50,000 Comcast volunteers participated on this annualday of service, which is one of the largest single days ofcorporate volunteer giving in the country. Volunteerspainted, landscaped, sorted food donations, tackled springcleaning, and restocked warehouses.

“We are well aware of how the economy has pinchedmost nonprofits,” said Mary Beth Schubert, Comcast’s

vice president of corporate communications. “ComcastCares Day is an important way for hundreds of our

employees and volunteers to directly impact theircommunities through service.”

EventsStroke Risk Screenings – Tues. and Thurs. in MayMay is Stroke Awareness Month and Fremont’s StrokePrevention Project is offering free stroke risk

screenings all month on Tuesdays and Thursdaysfrom 9a-12p and from 2:15p-4p.

Independence & Revolution 1810/1910/2010. -Thru. May 28The exhibit is part of the framework for the festivities

commemorating the Bicentennial of theIndependence of México and theCentennial of the Mexican Revolution.Participating Artists: Martha Driessen,Veronica Jato, Sandra Felemovicius,Gustavo Lira, Maria Cristina Tavera, andXavier Tavera. Scheduled gallery toursthrough the duration of the exhibit:Tuesdays (May 4 - 25): 4pm & 5pm,Fridays (May 7 - 28): 10am & 11am,Saturdays (May 1 - 22): 12pm &1pm

Take Charge of Your Health Care:Asking Questions, Getting Answers -May & JuneFree class that teaches consumers toempower themselves by using the Internetto learn about health issues and to askquestions of health care providers. Afterthis program, participants will feel moreempowered to ask questions of health careproviders and more confident in findinghealth information on the Internet. •The “Take Charge of Your Health Care”class will be presented on the followingdates: •Mon., May 24, 6:30pm, Rice StreetLibrary, 1011 Rice St. 651-558-2223•Sat., June 19, 2pm, Riverview Library, 1E. George St. 651-292-6626•Mon., June 21, 6pm, Dayton’s BluffLibrary, 645 E. 7th St. 651-793-1699•Sat., June 26, 11pm, St Anthony ParkLibrary, 2245 Como Ave. 651-642-0411•Wed., July 7, 10:30am, Highland ParkLibrary, 1974 Ford Parkway St. Paul, 651-695-3700For more information, please call or email:Nathan Maas @ 612-298-7068 ornathanmaasmhlp@gmail.com

Credit Smart- OngoingFREE Credit Education Classes. EveryTuesday, 6-8pm. Minneapolis UrbanLeague 2100 Plymouth Ave. N. Mpls.HYPERLINK “http://www.mul.org/”www.mul.orgContact Theresa (612) 827- 9268.

Realizing the American Dream –OngoingHome Buyer Program. First Thurs. ofevery month, 6-8pm. $25.00 per Family at

the Minneapolis Urban League 2100 Plymouth Ave.N. Mpls. HYPERLINK “http://www.mul.org/”www.mul.org Contact Theresa(612) 827- 9268.

Arty Pants: Your Tuesday Playdate at the WalkerArt Center – May 11&25The Arty Pants programs in May and June arepresented from 11 am–1 pm Tuesdays, May 11 and 25,and June 8 and 22. Activities are free with galleryadmission; Walker members and children ages 12 andunder always receive free admission.

NAACP Saint Paul Chapter Meeting of theMembers - May 116:30-7pm @ Hallie Q. Brown Community Center,270 North Kent St. Meetings of the Members are thesecond Tuesday of the month. They run 30 minutesand provide our members the opportunity to presentissues to the Executive Committee. Open to activemembers of the Saint Paul Chapter. Call Lisa Tabor at651-489-5215 or e-mail lisa@culturebrokers.comwith any questions. For more information about ourchapter, visit www.naacp-stpaul.org

“Waiting Child” Adoption Meeting - MAY 11Learn about the nearly 500 Minnesota children whoneed families, and how you can adopt through thisState-funded program, at a FREE Waiting ChildOrientation Meeting from 6-8 pm Tuesday, May 11 atHOPE Adoption & Family Services, 5850 Omaha AveN, Oak Park Heights, MN. The meeting is free butplease register: 651-439-2446 or www.hopeadoptionservices.org.

Freeport West & SteppingStone Theatre presentCreate-A-Play - May 12Freeport’s Domestic Violence program utilizescreativity to spark thought provoking conversationsresulting in the culmination of a play productionfocusing on the issue of domestic violence. Thismonth’s play is scheduled for Wed. May 12, 2010.The performance will take place at SteppingStoneTheatre located at 55 Victoria Street, St. Paul, Doors at6:30pm, performance at 7:00pm. Free.

Innovation in History: Impact and Change - May 12Join Minnesota students who present their laborhistory-related projects for Minnesota History Day, onthe topic of “Innovation in History: Impact andChange.” The program promotes the study of historyby engaging students and teachers in the excitement ofhistorical inquiry and creative presentation. Watchlabor history come alive with these imaginativeprojects! Wed., May 12, 7:30 pm at St. Paul LaborCentre, 411 Main St.

Immigration in Our Community – May 13Thur. May 13th, 7pm, at the Parish Community of St.

Joseph, 8701-36th Ave. N. (corner of Boone) in NewHope. This program is hosted by the NorthwestNeighbors for Peace and is free and open to all. Theevening will feature a panel of Latino speakers andwill include a discussion of immigration issues, adialogue to promote understanding, action steps tomove forward immigration reform, and ways thatLatino immigrants are uniting in this action. For moreinformation, Linda Thomson, 763-478-4956.

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota Adoption -May 13 & 14Join us at our upcoming Special Needs AdoptionTraining Workshop. “Special Needs” describeschildren who have experienced abuse or neglect andnow live in foster homes. This workshop is the firststep in preparing families to adopt and parent thosespecial children. The Center for Changing Lives, 2400Park Ave., Mpls. (Centrum B), 9am-6pm Thur., May13 and 9am-3:30pm, Fri., May 14. For moreinformation or to register, visit www.minnesotaadoption.org or call 1-888-205-3769.

West Broadway in Bloom - May 13A wine tasting fundraiser to support the WestBroadway Business & Area Coalition. 5:45-7:00pm:Premier reception & wine tasting - $75. 7:00-8:30pm:Wine tasting only - $25. Thur., May 13 at LundstrumCenter for Performing Arts. 1617 North 2nd St. Mpls.Tickets - www.westbroadway.org

RetroRama - May 13May 13, 7 – 11 p.m. at the Minnesota History Center,345 Kellogg Blvd W., St. Paul. $15 or $12 forMinnesota Historical Society members. Parking is $5.651-259-3015, www.mnhs.org/retrorama.

Watershed High School Garage Sale - May 14Clothing, household items, electronics, toys, games,knick-knacks and other misc. This is a great chance tonot only make some purchases, but also to tour theschool, meet students, faculty and administrators. Fri.,May 14 - 9am-3pm at Watershed High School, 45444th Ave. S. Mpls.

Watershed High School Plant Sale - May 14&15A variety of annuals and perennials are being sold toraise money for the 2010 Senior class trip to Chicago.Fri., May 14 - 9am-3pm and Sat. May 15 - 10am-1pmat Watershed High School, 4544 4th Ave. S. Mpls.

Hospice and palliative care: What’s it all about? -May 15Representatives from: HealthPartners Geriatrics &Palliative Care Regions Hospital Palliative Care Team.Sat., May 15, 1-3pm. Presbyterian Homes (CentralTower) 20 E. Exchange St. St. Paul.

Comcast employee Mike Randall and Gwen Garber help paint a hallway atthe Mpls. Urban League as part of Comcast Cares Day.

CLASSIFIEDS

PHONE: 612.588.1313

FAX: 612.588.2031

EMAIL: sales@insightnews.com

PHONE: 612.588.1313 EMAIL: ben@insightnews.com

FAX: 612.588.2031 ONLINE: http://insightnews.comCOMMUNITY CALENDAR

STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA ) IN THE FAMILY COURT ) FOR THE

COUNTY OF ORANGEBURG ) FIRST JUDICIAL CIRCUIT

May E. Kiazolu, ) Docket No. 10-DR-38-278 ) Plaintiff, ) )

v. ) SUMMONS )

Varney Jumor Kiazolu, ) ) Defendant. )

)

TO: THE DEFENDANT ABOVE-NAMED

YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED AND REQUIRED to answer the Complaint in

this matter, a copy of which is herewith served upon you, and to serve a copy of your

answer to said Complaint upon the subscriber at his offices located at 2000 Park Street,

Suite 100, Post Office Box 8596, Columbia, South Carolina, 29202-8596, within thirty

(30) days from the service thereof, exclusive of the day of such service; and if you fail to

answer the Complaint within the time aforesaid, judgment by default will be rendered

against you for the relief demanded in the Complaint.

ISAACS & ALLEY, L.L.P.

G. Robin Alley, Esquire 2000 Park Street, Suite 100 Post Office Box 8596 Columbia, SC 29202-8596 (803) 252-6323 Attorneys for the Plaintiff

gra@isaacsandalley.comColumbia, South Carolina

February 12, 2010

NOTICE: The Summons in this action, of which the above is a copy, together with the Complaint therein was filed with the Clerk of Court of Orangeburg County on March 5, 2010

Hallie Q. Brown Community CenterExecutive Coordinator

DEPT: AdministrationSUPERVISED BY: Director of Finance and Operations & Executive DirectorTITLES SUPERVISED: N/AFLSA: ExemptSALARY GRADE: $25,000 - $33,000

POSITION SUMMARY:Coordinates the day to day affairs of Executive Management for the agency. Keyresponsibilities include: Executive support, office administration; humanresources program coordination, customer relations, employee recordsmanagement and regulatory compliance support.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES:1. Supports the overall leadership for the Agency.2. Provides administrative support for the Executive Director, including but notlimited to: Taking projects from start to finish including troubleshooting, problemsolving and providing updates as necessary; anticipating and proactivelysupporting the administrative needs of Executive Director including conductingresearch and analysis, preparation of correspondence, reports and charts,managing calendar and schedule. Maintains files and records as appropriate.3. Assists Executive Management with Board meeting logistics and details,including scheduling and administratively supporting the production of Boardmeeting information packets, etc.4. Supports the Director of Finance and Operations in the coordination of thehuman resources function, including maintaining personnel files and appropriateagency documentation to support compliance requirements; documents the HRactivities, actions and processes related to hiring. 5. Develops reports and budget information as needed.6. Provides general office support to Executive Management.7. Professionally represents HQB in various community engagement activitiesand meetings, as appropriate. 8. Acts as a liaison between general public, partners, organizations and otherkey constituents and Hallie Q. Brown Executive Management.9. Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:Education and Work Experience: Bachelors Degree with 2-3 years ofadministrative experience, Associates Degree with 3-5 years of administrativeexperience or the equivalent required.

Other Requirements: • Ability to deal with confidential information • Ability to handle tight deadlines • Exceptional computer skills • Excellent verbal and written communication skills • Excellent customer service skills • Organized and detail oriented • Ability to work effectively with employees, colleagues and manager • Agree to mandated child abuse reporting guidelines • Ability to relate to people from diverse socio-economic and culturalbackgrounds • Dealing with unfavorable weather conditions

To apply, send a cover letter, resume, salary requirements andreferences to:

Hallie Q. Brown Community CenterATTN: Human Resources270 N. Kent StreetSaint Paul, MN 55102651-224-7074-Faxhr@hallieqbrown.org

Hallie Q. Brown Community CenterSubstitute Teacher

DEPT: Early Learning CenterSUPERVISED BY: Youth Program ManagerTITLES SUPERVISED: N/AFLSA: Non-ExemptSALARY GRADE: $10-13/hour

POSITION SUMMARY:This is a substitute position designed to fill in as needed on a short or longterm basis for permanent teaching staff. Substitute Teacher participates inlong and short range activities for students in accordance with curriculumobjectives and engages students in developmentally appropriate activities.Assists with ensuring that the classroom is appropriately staffed andmaintained to provide a safe and secure environment for each child.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES:1. Works with teaching staff to implement program curriculumand coordinate students activities.2. Plans and supervises the arrangement of the classroomenvironment in accordance to program goals and philosophy.3. Maintains a safe and healthy environment, including safelymanaging developmental activities for the participants.4. Keeps all appropriate records such as records, attendance,time sheets and accident reports.5. Maintains open communication with parents/guardians of theprogram participants regarding the developmental needs of theparticipants.

QUALIFICATIONS:Education: Associates degree or equivalent in early childhooddevelopment. B.S. in Early childhood Development preferred.

Licensing and Certifications: CPR and Meet all applicable licensingregulations. Valid Driver's License and proof of insurance. MinnesotaTeachers' License (preferred).

Work Experience: 5 years of Child Care Center or related experiencerequired.

Other Requirements:• Dealing with confidential information.• Tight deadlines.• Dealing with unfavorable weather conditions.• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.• Ability to work effectively with employees, colleagues and manager.• Agree to mandated child abuse reporting guidelines.• Ability to relate to children from diverse socio-economic and culturalbackgrounds.

To apply, send a cover letter, resume, salary requirements andreferences to:

Hallie Q. Brown Community CenterATTN: Human Resources270 N. Kent StreetSaint Paul, MN 55102651-224-7074-Faxhr@hallieqbrown.org

ABAMinnesota Blizzards

Basketball The Minnesota Blizzards ABA Basketball Teamis announcing a program for college Internshipsfor the fall and winter. The program will consistof five teams of 5 interns each in the followingareas: (1) Sales, (2) Basketball Operations. (3)Marketing (4) Public Relations (5) Businessadministration. Each team will have a leaderand be given challenging assignments.

We are looking for college students majoring inSports Management, Business, PublicRelations, Marketing Sales, Broadcasting andEvent Planning. We need 20 or 25 internsworking with us for a (minimum of 8 hours aweek) on a part-time basis. Interns will gainvaluable experience, and in most cases collegecredits. Interested Parties please sendresume to:

The Minnesota ABA Team Attn: Internship Program10125 Crosstown Circle #200 Eden Prairie, MN55344

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

Photos courtesy of ComcastVa-Lesha Davis (foreground) and Comcast employees Jatan Brown and

Lenny Garber help paint a hallway at the Mpls. Urban League.

1,200 volunteers serve 30 area nonprofits on Comcast Cares Day

Townhomes For Rent2 Bedrooms - $490/month3 Bedrooms - $565/monthFor more information contact: Fergus Falls HRA1151 Friberg Ave, Fergus Falls, MN218-739-3249 • fergusfallshra.com

Floyd Mayweather Jr. has a bigmouth. My brother taught me earlyon that “loose lips sink ships” butupon closer review, FloydMayweather’s high-speed motormouth may be big in terms of overallvolume of bullcorn produced, butbullcorn can also be known asfertilizer. In Mayweather’s case, thefertilizer produced by his oral cavityis feeding the growth of a rare plant

called The Money Tree.Two weeks ago, Mayweather

put on a clinic of various forms, inhis defeat of Sugar Shane Mosley.Many would point to the slippery,angled, boxing gameplan thatMayweather executed, or the sonicspeed jabs that he continuallysnapped Mosley’s head with. Butwhat impressed me the most ofMayweather in this fight, was theway in which he endured gettingsocked-up during the first couplerounds of the fight. While Mosleymay have been simply trying tomake the show look good during thelater parts of the fight, he brought hisscrappin’ shoes early on; and itworked. The fact that Mayweather’snose didn’t swell from theconnections Mosley made early on,may have said something about thepower of the punches, but

Mayweather’s knees told a differentstory.

Despite the shock of the earlythumping, Mayweather didsomething impressive: he wentforward. Though he was tacticalabout it, Mayweather never shiedaway from putting his nose back intothe “knuckle zone” (the knucklezone ends where the other fightersknuckles can’t reach). And as thefight went on Mayweather met lessgloved knuckles in the knuckle zone,which in turn provided additionalspace for him to run his mouth. In theend, Mayweather showed that he hasa champs chin, and that is theprimary reason that he is still theWBA World WelterweightChampion.

Now back to what I first saidabout Mayweather having a bigmouth. Muhammad Ali seemed tostart the whole “loud mouth boxer”routine, but if you know anythingabout Ali, you know that he was sowitty and brilliant that he may havebeen pulling a trick on someone thatthe person would only recognize farafter the fact. Ali did this in all facetsof his boxing career, and in the ring,nobody knows Ali’s mouthtricksbetter than George Foreman (See:The Rumble in the Jungle and TheRope-a-Dope). I bring this upbecause of Mayweather’s ongoing

claims that he, and not MuhammadAli, is The Greatest of All-Time(G.O.A.T.)

Now first of all, let me get thisout, “Fool, Please”, as a response toMayweather’s claim (or “Please,Fool” if you want to sound stiff andgrammatically correct). Nowobviously Mayweather is trying tofertilize his financial legacy throughmaking this salacious claim, but outof respect, he needs to at least alwaysadd a disclosure when he spouts thatmess. Something like: “I’m theGreatest if you don’t count the factthat Ali changed the World throughthis simple, elegant, and brutal sport,but also laid the foundations for meto make all the money I make fromrunning my mouth and backing it upwith my fists.”

In a recent interviewMayweather spoke of the fact that henever had to use any rope-a-dopetactics to win any fights like Ali did.Once again, “Fool, Please!” Menshouldn’t hit women, and womenshouldn’t try to fight men. Andthough Mayweather is not a woman,at 5’8” and “not enough” poundsMayweather might as well be afancy young lady if he were to take afull-on haymaker from GeorgeForman in his prime; and I’m rightthere with him at 5’11” and “not’enough”. If you lined up every man

on the planet and gave them thechoice of taking a punch from MikeTyson in his prime, or GeorgeForeman in his prime, at one glanceevery man would shift to the MikeTyson line (though that’s a badsituation all around)

Now I’m sorry. I like to watchall sizes of gentleman lace thegloves up, but unless Mayweatherhad a slingshot, a stone, and arighteous blessing from God uponall the generations that shallfollow the Mayweather lineage,then Floyd couldn’t beat not onesoul that Ali fought. And I don’twant to here nothin’ about

“pound-for-pound” or “strictlyboxing” --Ali just deserves hisrespect all-around.

Though the glories of theHeavyweight boxing division areon life support at best these days,when it comes to the G.O.A.T.claims, you at least have be biggerthan a goat, and nobody should beable to call you “Small Fry”. ButI’ll give Mayweather this: he’s gotplenty of fertilizer, and he’sundefeated as a pro. Now if hespouts some poetic fertilizer andstands out front for immigrationrights or something, then…he’dstill get knocked out by Foreman.

insightnews.com Insight News • May 10 - May 16, 2010 • Page 11

SPORTSFloyd Mayweather Jr. backs up his big talk

By Ryan T. Scottryan@insightnews.com

Mr T’sSportsReport

Gillaspy explained to writer SvenWehrwein that it no longer is amatter of individuals growing older,which has always been the case.Rather, Minnesota “society” isgrowing older, like in some otherdeveloped countries, where theresident population isn’treplenishing itself with youngerpeople and workers.

Census data now beingassembled should strengthenunderstanding of the trends spottedby the academic researchers.Meanwhile, here are a fewimportant nuggets found in theFennelly-Huart study:

In 2008, immigrants represented8.5 percent of the Minnesota laborforce. Meanwhile, half ofMinnesota’s 87 counties haddeclining population between 2000and 2008--the second highestpercentage in the Midwest. Giventhe aging of the state’s population,and particularly in rural counties, thenumber of people in the working agepopulation (15 to 64) is shrinkingeven faster than total populationnumbers.

About 40 percent ofMinnesota’s immigrant populationcame here as refugees from war-tornand politically unstable countries.As a result, the national originprofiles of Minnesota’s foreign-bornpopulation varies from national data,with 35 percent from Asia, 26percent from Latin America (51

percent in U.S.), 18 percent fromAfrica, 17 percent from Europe andfive percent from other regionalcategories.

Regardless of where the newMinnesotans come from, they tendto be employed or are entrepreneursstarting their own businesses, theyconstitute new and youngerworkers, they tend to have familiesand that in turn keeps school districtsand local services functioning forthe betterment of communities, andthose households have importantmultiplier-effect impacts on othermerchants and service providers intheir communities.

Fennelly and Huart summarizedit this way:

“Without new, young workers,certain sectors of the economy willcontinue to contract; by one

estimate, if immigrants wereremoved from the labor force,Minnesota would lose over 24,000permanent jobs and $1.2 billion inpersonal income.”

Right now, Fennelly said, Latinochildren are “saving” rural schooldistricts. “Without them, we wouldhave school consolidations andclosures all over the place.” AndHmong and Somali immigrants andtheir Minnesota-born children areresponsible for revitalizingneighborhoods in the Twin Cities,she added. “That wouldn’t happenwithout new people.”

What should be clear is this:“Minnesota Nice” will paydividends for Minnesota goingforward. “Minnesota Ugly” willexact a terrible cost.

MNFrom 9

lomejordelboxeo.comFloyd Mayweather Jr.

Page 12 • May 10 - May 16, 2010 • Insight News insightnews.com