TPA TPA TPA TPA TPA TEXAS PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION Presorted Standard U.S. Postage Paid Austin, Texas Permit No. 01949 INSIDE Vol. 42 No.51 Phone: 512-476-0082 Email: [email protected]May 8, 2015 RAPPIN’ RAPPIN’ RAPPIN’ RAPPIN’ RAPPIN’ Tommy Wyatt Tommy Wyatt Tommy Wyatt Tommy Wyatt Tommy Wyatt www.TheAustinVillager.com This paper can be recycled Happy 42 nd Anniversary, Villager Newspaper! Happy 42 nd Anniversary, Villager Newspaper! ZACH Theatre casts Broadway’s Original Dreamgirl, Jennifer Holliday, in Sophisticated Ladies JENNIFER HOLLIDAY backstage during the 2014 Stellar Awards for Gospel Music in Nashville, TN. (Photo courtesy of Naomi Richard) Austin, TX - With much excitement, ZACH Theatre announces that Broadway’s Original Dreamgirl, Grammy and Tony award-winning JEN- NIFER HOLLIDAY will star in this summer’s Duke Ellington musical revue Sophisticated Ladies. For its premiere production in Austin, the show will play on the Topfer Stage from July 15 – August 23, 2015 under the direction of ABE REYBOLD. Sophisticated Ladies will welcome audiences to Harlem’s famed Cotton Club in this stylish, brassy musical celebration of Duke Ellington’s greatest musical hits. A full on- stage orchestra backs su- perb jazz vocalists, ex- traordinary tap dancers, dazzling deco costumes, and unforgettable torch singers who bring classics like “Mood Indigo,” “Take the A Train,” “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” to vivid life in this grand Tony Award-winning Broadway musical. “I’m thrilled that Jen- nifer is joining this incred- ible cast. She has a real affinity and love for Duke Ellington’s music, which I know will come through in her performance and will bring something very spe- cial to this production,” says Abe Reybold, Direc- tor. “I’m also excited to in- troduce Austin to the cho- reography of Dominique Kelley. He has a deep knowledge of this style of work and brings tremen- dous versatility. He toured Europe with the revue Black and Blue at age 12, so he has an authentic his- tory with this style of movement, but also brings a modern perspective with contemporary dance influ- ences. “ An actress and re- cording artist, Miss Holliday’s show-stopping, heart-wrenching perfor- mance of the torch ballad “And I’m Telling You, I’m Not Going” in the smash hit Broadway musical Dreamgirls introduced her big soulful voice to the world and garnered her a Tony Award for Best Ac- tress in a Musical and her first Grammy Award for Best R&B Female Vocalist. She won a second Grammy for her memorable record- ing of Duke Ellington’s sa- cred “Come Sunday.” Holliday’s other theater credits include Sing Mahalia Sing: The Mahalia Jackson Story, Down- hearted Blues: The Bessie Smith Story, Harlem Suite (with Aretha Franklin), Chi- cago, Grease, and Black Nativity. Over the years, Jennifer has worked and recorded with many other major artists including Barbra Streisand, Luther Vandross, David Foster, Paul Simon, Michael Jack- son, and Jennifer Hudson. She has also appeared on TV series such as Ally McBeal, Touched By An Angel, Hang Time, Happily Ever After, The Love Boat and Ellen. Holliday contin- ues to perform all over the world with leading sym- phony orchestras in con- cert. Additional casting will be released shortly. AUSTIN, TX - Huston-Tillotson University’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Larry L. Earvin, Ph.D., will confer degrees for the larg- est class, the first associate of arts in liberal studies can- didates, and the first stu- dents to complete the bachelor’s degree while enrolled in the Adult Degree Program. This will be Earvin’s last HT convocation before his June 30, 2015, re- tirement. The Commence- ment Convocation will be Saturday, May 9, 2015, at 8:30 a.m. on the athletic field at 900 Chicon Street. Congressman Will Hurd will render the keynote address. Natalie Cofield, President and Chief Executive Officer for the Greater Austin Black Chamber of Commerce in Austin, Texas, will render the keynote address at the Honors Convocation on Fri- day, May 8, 2015 at 10 a.m. in King-Seabrook Chapel. Both programs are open to the public. HT to Graduate Its Largest Class Saturday Dr. Earvin HT to Graduate Its Largest Class Saturday Black Families Must Focus on Asset Building African American family photo courtesy of http://www.cdc.gov/minorityhealth/populations/REMP/black.html By Charlene Crowell NNPA Columnist by Naomi Richard Villager Columnist As the wealthy few continue to prosper, the rest of the nation is caught in a financial tug-of-war between stagnant wages and a rising cost of living. In communities of color, chronic unemployment and underemployment and a host of other social ills are added burdens to an already challenging economy. These and other dis- turbing trends were the focus of the recent Color of Wealth Summit, con- ceived and convened by a national research organi- zation, the Insight Center for Community Economic Development and a solu- tion-oriented social change nonprofit, the Cen- ter for Global Policy Solu- tions. The two-day confer- ence engaged prominent thought leaders to pro- pose solutions to the growing racial income and wealth divide that has come to characterize America’s economy. According to Maya Rockeymoore, its presi- dent and CEO, Most orga- nizations and policy mak- ers focus on improving in- come and income supports such as safety net pro- grams. While this ap- proach is vital, it is not See INVEST, page 2 Another year has come and gone! Well it slipped up on me too. As you can see from our top of the page notice, this week is the 42nd Anniversary of THE VILLAGER. It may seem a little early, but that is because the second week of May came a little early this year. The first issue was Friday, May 1. It goes without saying that we owe our success for all of these years to our readers, community organizations, local and national businesses and everyone else who has helped us get to this point. We depend on all of you to keep us relevant to the community. Without each and every one of you, this milestone could not have been possible. We have to also give thanks to our writers, photographers, distribution team, our Youth Brigade and everyone else who has had a hand in helping us move forward. We all know that small businesses are the backbone of American business. While the large multi-national corporations control the money, small businesses hire many of the people who may otherwise not have jobs. We want to say thanks again to everyone who has had any part in our success in providing the community one of the more successful community newspapers in the area. As we move forward, we need your continued help in remaining viable and relative to the community. We need your help in two areas. First we would need some suggestions as to how we should celebrate our anniversary next year. We would love to have a big event. However, I do not know what goes with 43rd. Next, we would love for you to tell us some of your favorite stories from the past.As we look over the many editions that we have covered over the years, we would love to revisit some of your favorites. However, we will need to have the date of the issues that they were published. It will be good to do a “Looking Back” series. Again, THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT!!! Happy Mother’s Day May 10, 2015 McConaughey host exclusive youth benefit showcase. See LIVIN Page 2 Texas residents host APA food and heritage festival. See ISLAND Page 6 Tennessee lands top-flight assistant coach. See AFTERMATH Page 8
ZACH Theatre casts Broadway’s Original Dreamgirl,Jennifer Holliday, in Sophisticated Ladies
JENNIFER HOLLIDAY backstage during the2014 Stellar Awards for Gospel Music in Nashville,TN. (Photo courtesy of Naomi Richard)
Austin, TX - Withmuch excitement, ZACHTheatre announces thatBroadway’s OriginalDreamgirl, Grammy andTony award-winning JEN-NIFER HOLLIDAY will starin this summer’s DukeEllington musical revueSophisticated Ladies. Forits premiere production inAustin, the show will playon the Topfer Stage fromJuly 15 – August 23, 2015under the direction of ABEREYBOLD.
Sophisticated Ladieswill welcome audiences toHarlem’s famed CottonClub in this stylish, brassymusical celebration ofDuke Ellington’s greatestmusical hits. A full on-stage orchestra backs su-perb jazz vocalists, ex-traordinary tap dancers,dazzling deco costumes,and unforgettable torchsingers who bring classicslike “Mood Indigo,” “Takethe A Train,” “It Don’tMean a Thing (If It Ain’tGot That Swing)” to vividlife in this grand TonyAward-winning Broadwaymusical.
“I’m thrilled that Jen-nifer is joining this incred-ible cast. She has a realaffinity and love for DukeEllington’s music, which Iknow will come through inher performance and will
bring something very spe-cial to this production,”says Abe Reybold, Direc-tor. “I’m also excited to in-troduce Austin to the cho-reography of DominiqueKelley. He has a deepknowledge of this style ofwork and brings tremen-dous versatility. He touredEurope with the revue
Black and Blue at age 12,so he has an authentic his-tory with this style ofmovement, but also bringsa modern perspective withcontemporary dance influ-ences. “
An actress and re-cording artist, MissHolliday’s show-stopping,heart-wrenching perfor-
mance of the torch ballad“And I’m Telling You, I’mNot Going” in the smashhit Broadway musicalDreamgirls introduced herbig soulful voice to theworld and garnered her aTony Award for Best Ac-tress in a Musical and herfirst Grammy Award forBest R&B Female Vocalist.She won a second Grammyfor her memorable record-ing of Duke Ellington’s sa-cred “Come Sunday.”Holliday’s other theatercredits include SingMahalia Sing: The MahaliaJackson Story, Down-hearted Blues: The BessieSmith Story, Harlem Suite(with Aretha Franklin), Chi-cago, Grease, and BlackNativity. Over the years,Jennifer has worked andrecorded with many othermajor artists includingBarbra Streisand, LutherVandross, David Foster,Paul Simon, Michael Jack-son, and Jennifer Hudson.She has also appeared onTV series such as AllyMcBeal, Touched By AnAngel, Hang Time, HappilyEver After, The Love Boatand Ellen. Holliday contin-ues to perform all over theworld with leading sym-phony orchestras in con-cert.
Additional castingwill be released shortly.
AUSTIN, TX -H u s t o n - T i l l o t s o nUniversity’s President andChief Executive Officer,Larry L. Earvin, Ph.D., willconfer degrees for the larg-est class, the first associateof arts in liberal studies can-didates, and the first stu-dents to complete thebachelor’s degree whileenrolled in the Adult DegreeProgram. This will beEarvin’s last HT convocationbefore his June 30, 2015, re-tirement. The Commence-ment Convocation will beSaturday, May 9, 2015, at8:30 a.m. on the athleticfield at 900 Chicon Street.Congressman Will Hurd willrender the keynote address.Natalie Cofield, Presidentand Chief Executive Officerfor the Greater Austin BlackChamber of Commerce inAustin, Texas, will renderthe keynote address at theHonors Convocation on Fri-day, May 8, 2015 at 10 a.m.in King-Seabrook Chapel.Both programs are open tothe public.
HT to GraduateIts Largest
Class Saturday
Dr. Earvin
HT to GraduateIts Largest
Class Saturday
Black Families MustFocus on Asset Building
African American family photo courtesy of http://www.cdc.gov/minorityhealth/populations/REMP/black.html
By Charlene CrowellNNPA Columnist
by Naomi RichardVillager Columnist
As the wealthy fewcontinue to prosper, therest of the nation is caughtin a financial tug-of-warbetween stagnant wagesand a rising cost of living.In communities of color,chronic unemploymentand underemployment anda host of other social illsare added burdens to analready challengingeconomy.
These and other dis-turbing trends were thefocus of the recent Colorof Wealth Summit, con-ceived and convened by anational research organi-zation, the Insight Centerfor Community EconomicDevelopment and a solu-
tion-oriented socialchange nonprofit, the Cen-ter for Global Policy Solu-tions. The two-day confer-ence engaged prominentthought leaders to pro-pose solutions to the
growing racial income andwealth divide that hascome to characterizeAmerica’s economy.
According to MayaRockeymoore, its presi-dent and CEO, Most orga-
nizations and policy mak-ers focus on improving in-come and income supportssuch as safety net pro-grams. While this ap-proach is vital, it is not
See INVEST, page 2
Another yearhas come and
gone! Well it slipped up on me too.As you can see from our topof the page notice, this weekis the 42nd Anniversary ofTHE VILLAGER. It mayseem a little early, but that isbecause the second week ofMay came a little early this year.The first issue was Friday,May 1. It goes without saying thatwe owe our success for all ofthese years to our readers,community organizations, localand national businesses andeveryone else who has helpedus get to this point. We dependon all of you to keep usrelevant to the community.Without each and every oneof you, this milestone couldnot have been possible. We have to also givethanks to our writers,photographers, distributionteam, our Youth Brigade andeveryone else who has had ahand in helping us moveforward. We all know thatsmall businesses are thebackbone of Americanbusiness. While the largemulti-national corporationscontrol the money, smallbusinesses hire many of thepeople who may otherwise nothave jobs. We want to say thanksagain to everyone who has hadany part in our success inproviding the community oneof the more successfulcommunity newspapers in thearea. As we move forward, weneed your continued help inremaining viable and relative tothe community. We need yourhelp in two areas. First wewould need some suggestionsas to how we should celebrateour anniversary next year. Wewould love to have a big event.However, I do not know whatgoes with 43rd. Next, wewould love for you to tell ussome of your favorite storiesfrom the past. As we look overthe many editions that we havecovered over the years, wewould love to revisit some ofyour favorites. However, wewill need to have the date ofthe issues that they werepublished. It will be good todo a “Looking Back” series. Again, THANK YOUFOR ALL OF YOURSUPPORT!!!
Happy Mother’s DayMay 10, 2015
McConaughey hostexclusive youth
benefit showcase.See LIVIN
Page 2
Texas residents hostAPA food and
heritage festival.See ISLAND
Page 6
Tennessee landstop-flight
assistant coach.See AFTERMATH
Page 8
THE COMMUNIQUÉPage 2 ~ May 8, 2015/THE VILLAGER www.theaustinvillager.com
enough to build economic security for vulnerablefamilies over a lifetime. To achieve true security forvulnerable families, asset building must be part of thestrategy. Through wealth, families can have the finan-cial resilience they need to sustain themselves in theevent of a job loss or illness. Wealth also gives fami-lies the resources to invest in their future and realizetheir dreams. A truly transformational economic secu-rity strategy should focus on both income and wealth.
Recent research confirms how hard it is for fami-lies that lack adequate earnings, to make it from onepayday to the next. While the idea of saving is valued,for too many consumers nothing is left once basic liv-ing expenses are met.
According to the most recent report of the JointEconomic Committee of Congress: Median net worthin Black households fell by more than 40 percent from2007 to 2013. White households during this sameperiod saw median net worth drop 26 percent; Me-dian weekly earnings of Black college graduatesworking full-time and their White counterpartsshowed that the Black grads’ annual earnings were$12,000 less; and Overall, the Black median earn-ings of $34,600, is nearly $24,000 less than the samemeasure for Whites.
The same groups of people who have historicallybeen left behind are growing in number and popula-tion, observed Angela Glover Blackwell, a summit par-ticipant and founder and CEO of PolicyLink. It is criticalthat we support asset-building programs and policiesthat create and protect opportunities for all families tosave and invest in themselves, their futures, and theircommunities.
Historically, homeownership has been the gate-way to building wealth and assets. Unfortunately, thenation’s foreclosure crisis altered wealth-building formillions. According to the National Association of RealEstate Brokers, nearly 14.8 million foreclosure noticeswere filed from January 1, 2007 to May 31, 2013.
By late 2014, according to the Census Bureau, only42 percent of Black families were homeowners morethan 22 percentage points lower than that of the na-tion (64 percent) and 30 percentage points lower thanthat of Whites (72 percent). The current homeownershiplevel is the lowest since 1993.
For Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-Mo.), asummit keynoter, the discussions provided a timely con-nection between his work in the House Financial Ser-vices Committee and the conference’s agenda.
The collapse in home values during the Great Re-cession hit Black households especially hard. At a timelike this, we need more affordable housing and a stron-
Dr. Maya Rockeymoore
Wealth Gives Families Resources to Invest in Their Futurecontinued from page 1
ger safety net, said Cleaver. Both in the House Finan-cial Services Committee and in the Congress as a whole,we have more work to do to increase opportunities forfamilies around the country.
According to Cleaver, FHA’s lowering of mortgageinsurance premiums earlier this year, is one exampleof a government initiative that will bring consumerscloser to the keys of their own home. An estimated90,000-140,000 buyers will be assisted this year.
While most Black and Latino homebuyers have hadtheir mortgages underwritten by government-backedprograms such as FHA, VA and USDA, the greater chal-lenge has been access to private sector conventionalmortgages that over the life of a loan are far cheaperthan the government-backed offerings.
The annual Home Mortgage Disclosure Act report(HMDA), quantifies by race and ethnicity mortgage lend-ing and denials for mortgage loans. For 2013, the mostup-to-date report, the data clearly reveals that whileconventional mortgage originations rose slightly from2012 to 2013, nationwide Black consumers, who aremore than 13 percent of the population, received only2.3 percent or 36,903 loans. In 2012, the same datapoint was even smaller, with only 26,500 such loans.
Earlier research by the Center for ResponsibleLending (CRL), a summit co-sponsor, revealed that manyhomebuyers of color were steered into higher-cost,subprime loans even when they qualified for cheaperones. After analyzing 50,000 subprime loans, CRL con-cluded that Blacks and Latinos were almost a third morelikely to receive a high-priced loan than were Whiteswith the same credit scores.
Additionally, research by the Center for Commu-nity Capital at the University of North Carolina foundthat borrowers of color and low-wealth families whoreceived safe mortgages that were fully-underwrittenduring the housing crisis saw their home equity appre-ciate by $23,000.
Proving that when families receive responsiblemortgage loans, they are able to build a financial safetynet that they can access during challenging times, saidNikitra Bailey, a CRL executive vice-president.
There are a number of wealth gaps that are trou-bling, said john a. powell, director of the Haas Institutefor a Fair and Inclusive Society at the University of Cali-fornia at Berkeley; one is the gap between the very richand everyone else. Another is the gap between peopleof color and their White counterparts. What is not ap-preciated and needs to be explored is the relationshipbetween these gaps.
The policy answer to that keen insight will deter-mine whether this and future generations will be able
Professor john a. powellto reasonably accomplish what our parents and forefa-thers did a better quality of life.
America will be a people-of-color nation by 2042,and addressing the racial wealth gap is necessary toensure sustained economic growth for all Americans,stated Blackwell.
Ever-widening wealth gaps are not a Black, orWhite, or Latino problem. Nor can the dilemma be-come more fodder for partisan bickering. It is anAmerican problem that deserves a response equalto its challenge.
Concluded powell, Our lives, our economy andour democracy are at risk.
Matthew McConaughey “just keeplivin” Pop-up Shop by Naomi Richard | Villager Writer
austin, texas - Academy Award winner and phi-lanthropist Matthew McConaughey hosted an exclu-sive one-day only “just keep livin” pop-up shop in hishometown of Austin, Texas to benefit his charity thejust keep livin Foundation. Children from the Founda-tion were in attendance and spent time with the starwhere he chatted with them about working towards theirdreams, the importance of maintaining a healthylifestyle, amongst other fun topics including his mov-ies, exercise regimen and more.
The just keep livin Foundation implements afterschool fitness and wellness programs in 24 inner cityhigh schools/sites. The foundation is designed to work
with schools and non-profit organizations in each localcommunity to reach the maximum number of teenagerswith the greatest needs. In the programs, students areencouraged to make positive life choices that improve theirphysical and mental health through exercise, teamwork,gratitude, nutrition and community service. Participatingstudents have a safe place to enhance their lives withfitness coaches and health experts.
In conjunction with the brand’s new e-commercewebsite which launched in April, the pop-up shop fea-tured McConaughey’s clothing line “just keep livin” ofwhich 100% of net proceeds generated during the eventbenefited his very own just keep livin Foundation.
FREE CLOTHING CLOSETFOR MEN
LOOKING FOR WORK
Austin, TX: The Workforce and Education ReadinessContinuum (WERC) program and City of Austin’s Rose-wood-Zaragosa Neighborhood Center are holding “TheGentleman’s Clothing Closet”, a clothing closet with freeinterview clothes for Austin-area men who are activelylooking for work.
“The Gentleman’s Clothing Closet” will be held atthe Rosewood-Zaragosa Neighborhood Center on 2800Webberville Road Austin, TX 78702 in “The Gym” on Thurs-day, May 14th from 10:00am to 1:00pm. This free clothingcloset is open to men of any age who are currently seek-ing employment and need interview clothes. Men will beable to access clothes ranging from dress pants and dressshirts to shoes and ties. There will also be WERC careercounselors at the event that will be helping job seekersedit their resumes. Job seekers must be registered onWorkinTexas.com and bring a copy of their resume in or-der to attend the event.
WorkinTexas.com is a job matching site that helpsjob seekers access career tools and builds their resume.Please visit your local Workforce Solutions office to signup or log-on to www.workintexas.com.
“The Gentleman’s Clothing Closet” is an event heldby The Workforce and Education Readiness Continuum(WERC). WERC (www.wercaustin.com) is a City of Austin-funded network of community partners linked to help pre-pare Austin-area residents to enter or reenter today’s com-petitive job market. With 38 locations, WERC provides cli-ent services ranging from Adult Basic Education (ABE) andEnglish as a Second Language (ESL) to job readiness in-struction and occupational training with the goal of em-powering clients with the skills they need to advance theiremployment opportunities and realize their economicpotential.
Please contact Sofia Salazar, WERC career counselorat (512) 972-6743 for any questions regarding the clothingcloset or if you would like to make a clothing donation.
CHURCH & TOWN BULLETIN
St. Peter’s United Methodist Church 4509 Springdale Road Austin, Tx 78723
Office 512- 926-1686 Fax 512-929-7281Christian Web Site-
THE PLACE WHERE WE STEP OUT ON FAITH.COME AND STEP OUT ON FAITH WITH US
Sunday School 8:45 a.m. Praise and Worship 10:15 a.m.
Wednesday Bible Study 12:00 p.m.and Praise /Bible Study 6:30 p.m.
(to include Children’s Choir Rehersaland Bible Study with age appropiate Activities)
Rev. Jack C. Gause Pastor
Agape Baptist ChurchIn “The Centre” Bldg. F-15 7801 N. Lamar Blvd. (SE Corner of N Lamar and 183)
AGAPE is a chuch for all people. “Where Jesus Christ is Magnified and the love Heexhibited is Exemplified.” Come, receive God’s unconditional lovefor you.
For there is no greater love!
Church ServicesSunday School 9:30 AMSunday Worship 11:00 AM
Mid-Week Service Thursday: Praise,Prayer and Bible Study 7:00 PMCall 454-1547 for Transporation
Website www.agapebcaustintx.comRev. H. Ed Calahan
Pastor
Imani Community ChurchDavis Elementray Auditorium 5214 West Duval Road
Sunday School 9:00 A.M.Worship Service 10:00 A.M.•Power Hour Bible Life Group 6:00 P.M.
Imani Complex & Office,11800 Mustang at Duval Austin, Texas 78727
Visit:imanichurch.comOffice: 512-343-9300Rev. Dr. Jacquelyn Donald-Mims
The Church of Pentecost, USA Inc,Austin offers a wide variety of opportuni-ties for children, youth, adults, and olderadults to be involved in worship, spiritualgrowth, education, community outreach,and making a tangible difference to thosein need in our community. You too, canmake a positive difference in our commu-nity through your prayers, your presence,your gifts, your service, and your witness.Tel: 512 302-1270
Leading People to Experience God’s Love, Know Jesus Christ & Grow in His ImageThe Church of Pentecost
Olive Branch Fellowship of Austin / All Faith Chapel4110 Guadalupe St Bldg #639 Austin, TX 78751
Sunday MorningWorship @ 11: am
Romans 5:1 Therefore,having beenjustified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ
This life, therefore, is not righteous-ness, but growth in righteousness; not health,but healing; not being, but becoming; not rest,but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be,but we are growing toward it. The process isnot yet finished, but it is going on. This is notthe end, but it is the road. All does not yetgleam in glory, but all is being purified.
--- Martin Luther
Kenneth Hill, Pastor
DOUBLE
GROCERY“R”
450l East Martin Luther King Blvd.*We cash ALL Tax Refund*Checks *Check Out
1179 San Bernard Street,Austin, TX 78702, 512-478-7023
“Ministries For Mankind” Luke 4:18 A.W.. Anthony Mays, Senior Pastor
Country Boyz Fixin’s4140 E. 12th Street, Austin, TX 78721
Featuring Fish, Poboys, Hot Wings, Pork Chops,Homemade Gumbo, Shrimp and Alligator
DINE IN OR ORDER TO GOMon - Friday 11 am - 8 p.m.Saturday - 12 noon - 8 p.m.
Closed SundayCall (512) 928-5555
*Mention this ad and get a FREE 20 oz. Drink*
www.theaustinvillager.com THE VILLAGER/May 8, 2015 ~ Page 3
Ebenezer Baptist Church1010 East 10th Street 512-478-1875 Fax 512-478-1892
WednesdayMidweek Prayer Service 7:00 P.M.Child Development CenterAges 0-5 years (Daily) 512-478-6709
Bus Ministry Call 512-478-1875
Worship Service 8:00 A.M.Sunday School 9:00 A.M.Discipleship Training 10:00 A.M.Worship Service 11:00 A.M.
Dr. Ricky Freeman,Pastor
We Want YOU!Advertise With The
VILLAGER
We Want YOU!Advertise With The
VILLAGER
Sunday Services
Villager Youth Brigade will be taking sponsorshipsstarting summer of 2015.Your support has beenmuch appreciated over the years. Please continueto invest in Austin’s youth. We look forward toanother successful year with some promisingstudents. FMI Call 512-476-0082
Do you have church news? Would you like topurchase a monthly ad for your church?
By Carla Hoxie and Arlene L. Youngblood | Wesley UMC Publicity Committee
Mrs. Olige, GuestSpeaker
Mrs. Owens,Workshop Speaker
[Austin, TX] - The“Women of Wesley”(W.O.W.) have scheduledtheir Annual Women’sDay Observance for theWeekend of May 15 – 17,2015. The year’s theme is“Courageous Women,Looking Back and MovingForward,” as taken fromIsaiah 43:18. Activities forthe three-day celebrationpromise to be exciting,educational, and memo-rable and will take placeat Wesley United Method-ist Church located at 1164San Bernard Street.
The first event willoccur on Friday, May 15,2015 at 7 p.m. in the Fel-lowship Hall. A DinnerTheater production, en-titled: “Two Sisters -TwoWives” will be presentedand feature the ‘WesleyPrime Time Players’. Din-ner will be served at 7 p.m.followed by the live pro-duction which promises tobe quite entertaining. Forticket information, please
contact a committee mem-ber or the church office at(512) 478-7007.
The second activity isslated for Saturday, May16, 2015 at 10 a.m. andalso will be held in the Fel-lowship Hall. A ‘Women’sDay Workshop: Coura-geous Women LookingBack and Moving For-ward’ will be conducted byMrs. Pamela BensonOwens. Mrs. Owens isPresident/CEO of Edge ofyour Seat Consulting, Inc.;which focuses on custom-ized training, strategicplanning, speaking and
executive coaching. Shewill acquaint participantswith courageous womenof the ages and whatmakes them ‘courageous’.The workshop is free andopen to the public, withlunch available at cost.Please contact the churchoffice at (512) 478-7007for information on lunchtickets.
The third and finalactivity of this three-dayweekend will culminate ina morning worship serviceon Sunday, May 17, 2015at 10 a.m.in the MainSanctuary. This year’s
guest speaker will be Mrs.Angela Olige, AssistantCommissioner for theTexas Department of Ag-riculture (Food & NutritionPrograms). Mrs. Olige’swork has impacted the nu-trition of our school chil-dren as well as food banksand other community andfaith-based organizations.She also serves as a Min-istering Elder, working invarious ministries in herchurch.
We welcome all ofour friends and neighborsand ask that you join us forthis exciting and informa-tive Women’s Day 2015Weekend! The Rev.Sylvester E. Chase, Jr. isSenior Pastor. Ms. BarbaraWilliams- Huggins andMs. Georgia LeggettJohnson are chairs for thisyear’s observance.
For more information,contact the church officeat (512) 478-7007, orpleases visit our websiteat www.wesleyunited.org.
New Campaign Focuses on, “Your Child’s Emotional Backpack”Mental Health Awareness of Children 14 and Younger
by Traci PattersonSpecial to the Villager
Houston, TX - Half ofall lifetime cases of men-tal illness begin by thetime a child is 14 yearsold. Despite having effec-tive and available treat-ments for many children,there are often long de-lays between the onset oftheir symptoms and whenthey actually get help. Afew common reasons fora child going withouttreatment include misun-derstanding or ignoringthe symptoms of illness,not knowing who can help,and the stigma of their
child having a mental ill-ness. This leads to a childchallenged with an illnessand symptoms that aremore severe and harder totreat. It can even lead tothem having more thanone mental health con-cern.
Studies show thatone in five children in theUnited States is living witha diagnosable mentalhealth disorder, yet lessthan a quarter of those af-fected children actuallyreceive needed treatment.Mental Health America ofGreater Houston’s, newchildren’s mental healthpublic awareness cam-paign, “Your Child’s Emo-tional Backpack,” bringsgreater focus to some ofthe mental, emotional andbehavioral health needs ofchildren age 14 andyounger. It encourages par-ents and guardians to filltheir child’s emotionalbackpack with resources,
tools, and strategies tohelp keep them mentallyhealthy. As the campaigndevelops, it will also offerchildren 14 and youngersimple ways to empowerthemselves to becomeaware of their own men-tal health—helping themto learn and identify signsof trouble, knowing wherethey can go on their ownto ask questions and tofind help.
“Every child de-serves to have mentalhealth and when there isa mental illness they de-serve access to treat-ment, resources, supportand assurance that theyare not being judged,ridiculed, or penalized.This is the only way theycan get the help theyneed,” said SusanFordice, president andCEO of Mental HealthAmerica of Greater Hous-ton. “Mental health is awellness issue. Let ’s
work together to create ageneration of childrenand parents who are fear-less when talking aboutand taking care of a men-tal health concern.”
The PSAs which arein English and Spanish,are scheduled to air onradio, TV and social me-dia beginning in May forMental Health Month,and more specifically,Children’s Mental HealthAwareness Week, May 3-9. Each features the ex-perience of a local youngperson diagnosed with amental health concernand how they got throughor manage the symptomsof their illness.
To view the PSAs andto learn more about the“Your Child’s EmotionalBackpack,” campaign visitMental Health America ofGreater Houston atwww.mhahouston.org/your-childs-emotional-backpack/.
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAYHAPPY MOTHER’S DAY MAY 10th2015
MAY 10th2015
YOUTH BRIGADEYouth of Today
Hope of Tomorrow Black RegistryBlack RegistryBlack RegistryBlack RegistryBlack Registry
Page 4 ~ May 8, 2015/THE VILLAGER www.theaustinvillager.com
On Thursday April 16th
I was in my second fashionshow. I was participated inAustin fashion week, Aus-tin fashion week is the larg-est fashion event in Texas& most highly acclaimed insouthern Texas. DesignerLauren Franco had me mod-eling her lovely clothes.
Aubri Allen-BrentDel Valle High School
Austin Fashion WeekModeling in Austin fashionweek was honor to me be-cause I look modeling so Ifeel that if I model I get toexpress my sense of style tomany people. It feels sogood to be finally writing anarticle again. I’ve been sobusy with school and get-ting ready for my junior yearin high school, with only 5weeks till summer it ’sCRUCH TIME in school.
Last week I took theACC TSI test in order to seeif I could take college classesand get my college creditsearly, good news is I passedso I’ll be taking collegeclasses as a junior in highschool. When I graduatehigh school I want to go tocollege to become a neona-tal nurse practitioner. Untilnext time GOO CARDS!
NBA Playoffs
Ira “T.J.” WilliamsRidgeview M. S.
This past week, theNBA playoffs were takento a whole other level.Blow outs and upsets tookplace all over the country,and the teams for theSemifinals have been se-lected.
In game 6 of theChicago Bulls vs. Milwau-kee Bucks series, the Bullsdefeated the Bucks by 54points. Chicago’s shootingguard, J immy Butler,helped lead the Bulls tovictory the entire series.This Monday, the Bulls willplay the Cleveland Cava-liers for a spot in the East-ern Conference Finals.
On Saturday night,game 7 of the Los AngelesClippers vs. San AntonioSpurs series was settled atthe Staples Center in LosAngeles, California. LosAngeles point guard, ChrisPaul, suffered a righthamstring injury and wasout for most of the firsthalf. The Clippers couldn’t
keep their lead over theSpurs for the entire game.However, near the end ofthe second quarter, ChrisPaul returned to tie thegame with a buzzer beaterat the end of the thirdquarter.
The second quar-ter was brutal. The teamswere neck-and-neck. ChrisPaul, with his injuredhamstring dropped 27points to keep the scoreseven. W ith one minuteleft on the clock, the Spursand Clippers grasped fortheir spot in the Semifi-nals. With eight secondsleft in the game, the Clip-pers had the ball. ChrisPaul drove to the basketand shot a one handedlayup off of his bad leg.The ball went off thebackboard and into thebasket. With one secondleft, the Spurs passed it in.San Antonio’s small for-ward, Kawhi Leonard,tried to tip the ball intothe basket but the Clip-pers’ Matt Barnes swattedthe ball away and won thegame for Los Angeles. TheClippers moved on to theSemifinals and leave theworld champions goinghome in defeat.
The Clippers’ nextgame will be against JamesHarden and the HoustonRockets. Who will come outon top and compete in theWestern Conference Fi-nals? Watch the NBA play-offs and find out.
Pep Rally
Hello everyone, thispast week has gone byfast! We finished all STAARtesting and we are prepar-ing for the end of theschool year. Our teachersdid a lot to get us readyfor our test and told us tojust relax, read each ques-tion carefully, and take ourtime. Our test was at thebeginning of the weekand we ended the weekwith a pep rally.
Montrae NelsonRiverplace Elementary
We waited in ourclassroom before we werecalled to come to the gym.We all ran as fast as we couldpassing the other classesand grade levels. Then wesat down and the kinder-garten class stood in frontand sang a song to us aboutthe STAAR test. It wascalled, “I’m All AboutSTAAR”. I thought it was areally cool song they madeup.
After that they turnedon a song by Bruno Mars andeverybody got up andstarted dancing. Peoplewere on the stage, we werelaughing and singing. It wasa lot of fun! Classes startedto leave as the song wasending and we went back toour classrooms to get readyto go home. I feel I passedmy test and I hope that allof you who took the STAARtest passed as well!Goodbye and have a won-derful week!
Genesis StiggersElgin Middle School
The Asian Forest Scorpion
The Asian Forest Scor-pion, also known as the Gi-ant Forest Scorpion, is whatI’ll be talking about today.It is so dangerous it is num-ber three on my top tendangerous animals. It isdangerous because of itsvenomous strike. Scorpionsare amazing creatures, butnot all of them are safe tobe around. This one is es-pecially hazardous.
The Asian Forest Scor-
pion is found in tropical andsubtropical south-east Asia.They are also found in Cam-bodia, Laos, Thailand, Viet-nam, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal,and China. Asian ForestScorpions are usually verylarge, their length at 100-200 millimeters. Thesescorpions are usually blackor brown, but sometimesthere is a greenish tint. Theyare usually heavily built,which is good for a scorpion.
An Asian Forest Scor-pion has a lot of toxins. Theirsting causes local pain, in-flammation, swelling andredness and more. Thesesymptoms can be a coupleof hours, or a couple of days.The Asian Forest Scorpionhas an antidote found in aplant but still should not bereckoned with. The AsianForest Scorpion is bothbeautiful and dangerous,which is why it is in my top3.
Mud Fest
Did you have a goodweekend? Well I did. OnFriday I spent the night atmy friend’s house. Weplayed outside games liketrampoline fighting andwrap-up tag. All of uswaited till Saturday morn-ing for a Mud Fest that wewere going to be in. WhenSaturday came we woke upearly. Right when we got
Kevin ParishPark Crest M.S.
there it was a long line.When the time came up forus to go we went to thestarting line. The wholething was 1.2 miles and allof us ran the whole way.There were a variety of ob-stacles that were there.
The best one was icemud where there is a thou-sand of gallons of ice dumpedinto a muddy pit. We all hadto swim/walk through it andwith all that ice in it, it wasreally cold. We went to thenext obstacle after that. Thenwe had to swim across thelake and on the last ob-stacle, we had to do climband slide down a mud wall.Man that was fun! We had agreat time I hope all of youwho read this can do thesame next year.
8th Grade Fieldtrip
De’Ja HillLamar Middle School
Hello readers,There was nothing
too exciting happening atschool this week. I thinkthe most exciting thingwas in my Science classour teacher has us learn-ing about sharks. Ithought that this was re-ally awesome because Ilearned something about
sharks other than they willeat a person. For in-stance, did you know thatsharks are killed every dayfor their fins?
Next week we haveour dance recital and I tostay after school Monday,Tuesday, and Wednesdayfor rehearsal. Unfortu-nately, I no longer dancewith the Lavysh dancecompany due to personalreasons. I’m not happyabout the decision be-cause I really enjoyeddancing with them, but Iwill be fine.
We all know the endof the year is coming up andthe last week of school wedo not do too much work.Our entire eighth gradeclass will be going on afieldtrip to Fiesta Texas onJune 1, 2015 and I cannotwait for that to happen.
Job Hunting
Hello readers,This week at Reagan
High School in one of myclasses a video about aman that found a rat in-side his Mountain Dewdrink and then sued Pepsi.Pepsi said the gentlemanwas not telling the truthbecause if his drink wouldhave had a rodent insideof it he would not havebeen able to tell . Thecompany said that the ratwould have broken down
Zyon HillReagan High School
to a point that a personwould not have noticedanything except the tail.So we watched a video ofthis process and sureenough over a period oftime the rat did breakdown and the only thingthat was left was the tail.However, I could still tellwhat it had been andmaybe that is because Iknew it was in the drinkbefore it broke down.
I have been talkingwith my mother about find-ing a job for the summer.One of her suggestions wasbecoming a lifeguard for thesummer. I do not think Iswim good enough to beresponsible for savingsomeone else’s life. Be-cause I do not turn 16-yearsold until mid-June it makesit pretty hard to find some-thing. I keep brainstormingand hopefully come upwith something I can dobefore the new school yearcomes around.
When the Presidentof the United States needshelp making decisions re-garding the country in acertain area or depart-ment he has a Secretary inthat Department. The Presi-dential Advisory alsoknown as the Cabinetstarted in the Early Repub-lic right after the AmericanVictory of the AmericanRevolution against England.Our First President GeorgeWashington needed help incertain areas during hisPresidency. That momentthe Cabinet was formed.The first Cabinet jobs that
Zachariah WashingtonCedars Academy
Cabinet Jobs Pt.4were established were theSecretary of State, Secre-tary of War and the Secre-tary of Treasury. Over theyears we as a country haveestablished more jobs fordifferent needs and crisis.Here are all of the Cabinetjobs.
Secretary Of Agricul-ture, Secretary of Com-merce, Secretary of War,Secretary of Education,Secretary of Energy, Sec-retary of Health and Hu-man Services, Secretary ofHomeland Security, Secre-tary of Housing and Devel-opment, Secretary of Inte-rior, Attorney General ofthe U.S., Secretary of La-bor, Secretary of State,Secretary of Transporta-tion , Secretary of Treasuryand Secretary of VeteranAffairs
These Jobs help ourdaily lives. If it’s the foodwe eat to defending ourcountry these jobs l ikeany Political job like thePresident, Supreme Courtmembers or a congress-men these jobs are likebackbone of the UnitesStates.
@TheVillagerATX
YOUTH BRIGADEwww.theaustinvillager.com THE VILLAGER/May 8, 2015 ~ Page 5
Imani DempsDel Valle High School
Everywhere
I started my seniorproject this week and Ikind of wanted to changeit. I feel like I have a goodtopic I just feel it’s some-thing else I can do that willbe a little better. But I can’tchange it because I al-ready wrote a paper on it
and I don’t want to writeanother paper. I’m just go-ing to do a l ittle morebrain storming to see whatI can come up with.
My topic is reallyeasy I just want to get thebest grade I possibly can.I’m so excited that wehave 24 school days left.I’m ready to go to collegeand see what life brings.I’m not sure what I won’tto do but I have an idea.I’m excited to go but I’mreally going to miss myfamily. I know I’m not go-ing far but not seeingthem everyday I feel is go-ing to kill me. But I’m get-ting older and its part oflife.
Malakhi WashingtonCedars Int’l Academy
Money
It’s very unfortunatebut the world revolvesaround money. Everyoneloves money, who doesn’t,and most would do any-thing to get it. Last week inschool we learned aboutmoney and I learned twonew terms. I learned aboutvariable and fixed expensevariable. Variable means itchanges very much such asthe electricity bill or waterbill. Fixed expense is some-thing that stays the same,such as your car note, rent,or mortgage payment.
Money is not justconsidered as the dollar
bil l or coins. There aremany different forms ofmoney. Credit cards,checks, money orders, andcashier checks are someother forms of money.Most money is universal itjust depends on whereyou go. Most countriesoperate on a differentmoney system. The olderI get I seem to realize theimportance of money andI find that I am more wiseon what I tend to spendmy money on.
When I was youngerI found myself spendingmy money on junk foodand other meaninglessthings. Nowadays, I spendmy money on things that Ican make more money onor investments. I love do-ing arts and crafts and findthat I tend to spend mymoney on things that I canmake and sell for profit. Ilike drawing pictures andselling them to my familyand friends. By doing thisI make more money andtry to save a portion of theprofits to buy somethingbig I may want later.
It’s funny how step-siblings work. Your parentsmeet their significant otherand they happen to have achild. I hear stories aboutpeople having bad experi-ences with their step-sib-ling or people not talking totheir siblings but my step
Damon Luckett IIHays High School
Step Siblingbrother and I have good re-lationship. We don’t argueor have any problems beingstep brothers. Some peopletend to be uncomfortablewith the fact that their par-ent is in a new relationshipwith another person unliketheir original parent.
I can relate with that110 percent but at the endof the day, you have to getalong because that’s yourstep parent from now on.That’s your step sibling andyou have to live with themor else you and your familywill be unbalanced. I am ahappy person with thepeople I have now and haveno problems with them.Whoever is reading this,please take this as advice orshow someone with thisproblem.
Hannah RobertsonConnally High School
Prom
This past week, I wentto my Senior Prom forConnally High School. Atfirst I wasn’t excited aboutthe prom but having gone Iam glad that I did because Ihad a chance to spend sometime with my friend. It was
a lot of work finding theright dress, shoes to match,jewelry, flowers and otheraccessories. Plus, I had toget my hair and nails done.
When the big daycame, I was excited andnervous. My parents took alot of pictures and when myfriend came to pick me upwe took some more pic-tures. We first went out todinner which was reallynice then after we went tothe prom.
I didn’t stay out toolate because I thought myparents would be up wait-ing on me. But when I gothome everyone was in bed.I guess that means theytrusted me to be home be-fore my curfew. Going withone of my best friends and Ireally enjoyed myself. I’mglad I got to experience theprom and I recommend it toeveryone who have thechance.
Sarah RobertsonAthlos Leadership Acad.
Avengers
This past Saturday mydad and I went to see thenew movie Avengers: Ageof Ultron. The movie was
so awesome and fantasticfor the Marvel fans espe-cially watching the movie in3D. I would love to see thismovie again and again.
The plot to the movieis that Tony Stark and BruceBanner tryies to jump-starta peacekeeping programnamed Ultron. However,Ultron took it the wrong waythinking the best way to cre-ate peace was by destroy-ing humanity but first it hadto destroy the Avengers.That is all that I’m going totell you because if youhaven’t seen the movie Idon’t want to spoil it foryou. I hope that you get tosee the movie and love italso.
Wesley DickersonCedar Ridge H. S.
AAU Basketball
As the school yearends and spring and sum-mer get closer and closerto us AAU basketball be-gins. AAU stands for Ama-teur Athletic Union, whichencompasses a multitudeof different sports activi-ties and promotes ama-teur athletic developmentthrough competitionsacross the country. Whenpeople say that they playselect basketball, volley-ball, or any select sportthis is included under theAmateur Athletic Union.The select or AAU systemis most commonly de-signed as a network ofteams put together by pri-vate organizations to com-pete in tournamentsaround the United States.
In my case I am in-volved in AAU basketball. Iplay for a team that is com-prised of my high schoolbasketball teammates, andwe travel together playingin tournaments around thestate of Texas. Although
this is an uncommon way togo about putting together aselect basketball team;many people chose to gothrough services and pro-grams that have businessescentered around selectsports. For example thereare many programs in theAustin area alone that offerthese types of services.These organizations workby holding tryouts and thenplacing the athletes thattried out onto teams of dif-ferent competitive skill lev-els. These players then payfor uniforms, tournamentfees, and coaching services.
Personally I play AAUbasketball for fun and thelove for the game of bas-ketball. Other players andathletes see select bas-ketball as a way to get rec-ognized by college recruit-ers in order to play basket-ball in college and to re-ceive athletic scholar-ships. In this aspect AAUbasketball is very seriousfor some people. So seri-ous in fact, that manypeople will not play fortheir school basketballteam because it would in-terfere with their AAUschedule. Being involvedin an AAU/select sport isvery enjoyable and can bevery beneficial to the ath-letes involved. Basketballis just one example andmy personal favorite, butthere are multiple sportsthat offer AAU/select levelcompetition that I wouldencourage all athletes totry.
Fourth Annual Touch-A-Truck Puts Kids in the
Driver’s SeatEvent features military, construction, and
A family-friendly event where kids of all agesget the chance to touch, explore, and climb on ve-hicles like fire trucks, ambulances, recycling trucks,bulldozers, military transporters, and many more
Saturday, May 9, 2015 at Camp Mabry 2200 W35th St., Austin, TX 78703
VIP Admission 9:00 am - General Admission10:00 am– 3:00 pm
An event built around outdoor family fun, Touch-A-Truck lets kids get up close and personal with alltheir favorite vehicles. Four different ‘Vehicle Zones’encompass a lot of big rigs: Military, Sports/Recre-ation, Community, and Construction. Thousands ofAustinites are expected on the grounds of CampMabry for this fun, family-friendly event, which raisesfunds for Austin Children’s Services.
For more information and Tickets: touch-a-truck-austin.eventbrite.com
The 57th Annual ZilkerSummer Musical
HAIRSPRAYbrought to you by Zilker Theatre Productions
Hairspray VolunteerInformation Session
May 17th2:00 - 4:00 @
The Beverly S SheffieldHillside Theater
Each summer, ZTPrelies on our wonderful vol-unteers to bring the magicof the Zilker Summer Mu-sical to The Hillside.Would you like to join usthis summer? Come to ourVolunteer Info Session tolearn about all of the op-portunities and ways youcan help, ranging from the
HT University OpensRegistration for Summer
Science and Math ProgramThe science, technology, engineering, and math-
ematics program targets minority students interestedin STEM field opportunities.
The application process is open for middle- andhigh-school students interested in the Huston-Tillotson University Austin Pre-Freshman Engineer-ing Program (AusPrEP) summer program scheduledJune 8 through July 24, 2015.
In addition, fifth graders only are eligible for ad-mission to the four-week Pre-Algebra Institute thatwill be held June 29 through July 24, 2015. Both pro-grams are scheduled on the Huston-Tillotson Univer-sity campus located at 900 Chicon Street. Applica-tions may be submitted by mail, fax, email, or in per-son no later than May 15, 2015.
For more information, contact Dr. MoniqueJohnson-Jones, Program Site Director at [email protected] OR 512.505.6448
concession stand to back-stage positions. PleaseRSVP so we can havedrinks and snacks for ev-eryone!
Austin, Texas –TheGreat Grown-up SpellingBee for Literacy on Thurs-
day, April 30th raised morethan $87,000 for the Lit-eracy Coalition of CentralTexas, an Austin-basednonprofit agency thatserves adults and familieswith low literacy levels.
Held at the historicScottish Rite Theater, theevent pits the spellingskills of costumed teamsrepresenting local busi-nesses to take the title“Best Spellers in Austin.”This year, Team Hell Yes!sponsored by the AustinBeer Garden Brewing
Company (the ABGB) tookgold, with returningchamps the Dell Diamondslanding as Runners-Upand taking home the SpiritStick for most Spirit.Freescale’s team the Bee-yonces won Best Costume.
Presenting sponsorsincluded H-E-B and Dell.
As many as 1 in 5adults living in CentralTexas can’t read or writewell enough to fill out a jobapplication. The LiteracyCoalition improves re-gional literacy rates by
supporting and providingcommunity-based educa-tional programs for adultsand families outside of thepublic K-12 education sys-tem. Our network includesprograms in Bastrop,Caldwell, Hays, Travis, andWilliamson Counties. Lit-eracy programs that wesupport include family lit-eracy, GED preparationclasses, workplace skillsdevelopment, English as aSecond Language (ESL),computer literacy, healthliteracy, and more.
CITY ~ STATE ~ NATIONAL ~ WORLDPage 6 ~ May 8, 2015/THE VILLAGER www.theaustinvillager.com
The Asian-Pacific Island American Community Celebration
On May 2 the Asian-Pacific Island AmericanCommunity kicked off thecelebration of the AsianAmerican History Month. Itwas an opportunity for theAsian-Pacific Island Ameri-
Ramey Ko, M.C of the Asian Pacific-Island American event. Photo courtesy of Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon
can Community of CentralTexas to showcase theirculture and history to thegreater Central Texascommunity. At this event,attendees were able toenjoy the diversity of theAsian-Pacific Island Ameri-can culture.
According to theUnited States census, theAsian American groups arenow the fastest growingsegment of the U.S popu-lation. Also, according tothe 2013 U.S Census Bu-reau there are about19,437,463 Asian Ameri-
cans. Here in Texas, theAsian-Pacific Islanders areabout 4.3% of the popula-tion. As the Asian-PacificIsland Americans grow so,does their business andpolitical strengths in-crease.
At this event, the at-
tendees had the opportu-nity to see the variousAsian American Pacific Is-land dances and song pre-sentations. For instance,there was a Bengali-American dance perfor-mance that showcasedtheir background. In addi-
tion, the attendees had theopportunity to visit varioussetups of different Asiancountries like Korea. Over-all, it was a “good familyfun” day in which everyonelearned more about thegrowing Asian-Pacific Is-land population.
by Tsoke(Chuch) Adjavon
Elections in Central Texas
Once again, voters inCentral Texas will go to thepolls due to the fact thatearly voting has begun. InTravis County, only the Cityof Manor will be holding itsmunicipal elections. Forinstance, the residents ofManor will have the oppor-tunity to vote for the May-oral position and variousCity Council positions.
In WilliamsonCounty, numerous munici-palities will be holding CityCouncil elections. For in-stance, the city of RoundRock, Cedar Park andLeander will be holdingCity Council elections. InRound Rock, it will be WritBaese versus Todd Meng.Moreover, both of thesetwo candidates have neverheld elected offices.
In Cedar Park, thereare three council seats upfor election. In Place 1, BobLemon verses StephenThomas. In Place 2, it willbe Melissa M. Cowartverses Lyles Grimes. Fi-
Maria Tamalo
nally in Place 3, it is MariaTalamo verses John Lux.Moreover, in both countiesthere will probably a very
low voter turnout. In thepast years, the voter turn-out for an “off-year” elec-tion was about 10%.
The International Festival
Over the years thecity of Austin has becomemore of an “Internationalcity” due to the factpeople from all over theworld are moving here.People of all six continentsare moving to Austin dueto the good economy andalso due to the great Uni-versities. In other words,Huston Tillotson Univer-sity, St. Edwards Univer-sity, Concordia Universityand the University of Texasat Austin are great mag-nets that attract peoplefrom all over the world.
Although the growthcan cause issues likegentrification; but at thesame time it brings newideas and festivals. Inother words, the face ofAustin “has changed” toinclude new people fromall parts of the world. Forinstance, the upcomingInternational Festivalplans to honor and to rec-ognize the populationgrowth of people from nu-merous and various cul-tures.
Moreover, the Inter-national Festival will be onMay 16 at the Oswaldo A.BCantu Pan American Rec-reation Center. The eventis “free” and open to the
by Tsoke(Chuch) Adjavon
Austin Dance India
public. There will be nu-merous cultural groupsthat will make varioustypes of presentations. Forinstance one of the groupsthat will be performing isthe Austin Dance IndiaCompany. In addition,
there will be numerousnon-profit groups like“Diaspora Vote” who willbe providing voter regis-tration. Furthermore, therewill be numerous “familyfun” activities at thisevent.
Wireless RechargingNew Seating
Recharging deviceswithout plugging in is aunique feature of the new-
est seating installed atAustin’s airport. This fea-ture, the Duracell
Powermat, will wirelesslycharge any device that’sQi wireless charge com-patible. This includesmany state-of-the-artphones, tablets, andwatches.
Twelve of the newseating units have beeninstalled near gates 21,22, and 23. Twelve morewill be installed in the ar-eas around Gates 17, 18,and 4. Installation beganin mid-April and is ex-pected to continue throughMay.
Walk the Talk - A talk and tour for people interested in learning more about“missing middle” housing in Austin, and meeting the homeowners, builders, anddesigners who built them.
The tour highlights examples of Missing Middle housing in Austin, which theNorth Loop neighborhood has a concentration of as compared to other areas ofAustin. Missing Middle housing is defined as housing that is located within walk-ing distance to shops and amenities, and fills the gap between single-family homesand apartment buildings. They include duplexes, tri-plexes, accessory dwellingunits, townhouses, and courtyard apartments.
Walk the Talk -Tour and Panel
Discussion
Saturday, May 16, 2015 - 1:00pmRidgetop Elementary School,5005 Caswell Avenue, Austin, TX 78751Order tickets via Eventbrite.
by Tsoke(Chuch) Adjavon
CLASSIFIEDS ~ PUBLIC INFORMATION
City of AustinPurchasing Office
EMPLOYMENT / PROPOSALSPUBLIC
INFORMATIONFOR SALE / FOR RENT / BIDS
MISCELLANEOUS
The City of Austin Purchasing Office invitesyou to view current bid solicitations at https://www.c i . au s t i n . t x . u s / f i nanceon l ine /vendor_connection/solicitation/solicitations.cfm.Vendors are encouraged to register on-line in theCity’s Vendor Self Service System. Once yourcompany is registered, you will receive notifica-tions about new bid opportunities. For addi-tional information regarding current bid opportu-nities or Vendor Registration, please call the Pur-chasing Office at 512-974-2500.
For information on the City of Austin’s Mi-nority Owned and Women-Owned ProcurementProgram and the certification process, pleasecontact the Small & Minority Business ResourcesDepartment at 512-974-7600 or visit their websiteat http://www.austintexas.gov/smbr.
City of Austin Featured JobOpportunities
www.theaustinvillager.com THE VILLAGER/May 8, 2015 ~ Page 7
Apply at HRMiddle Fiskville Rd.
6th Floor, Austin, TX 78752Job Line (512 223-5621hhtp://www./austincc.ed
EEOC/AA/M/F/D/V
The City of Austin is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Please visit the City of Austin employmentwebsite at www.austincityjobs.org to view
requirements and apply for these and other jobopportunities. We encourage you to check the
employment website often as new jobopportunities are posted daily.
If you have any questions or need assistance,please call 512-974-3210 or email us [email protected].
The City of Austin is currently seeking qualifiedapplicants for the following positions:
Cash Construction Company, Inc.P.O. Box 1279 Pflugerville, Texas 78691
April 30, 2015Cash Construction Co., Inc. is soliciting City of Austin certified WBE / MBE /HUB / SMB participation for the following City of Austin project.Name of Project: COA-Parmer Lane 24” Water Line ExtensionPhase 2IFB Number: CLMC 536Plans are available at the Austin area plan rooms, and on our sharefile website.Contact us for instructions on how to download.BID DATE AND TIME: 06/04/15 @ 10:00AMQUOTES ARE DUE NO LATER THAN 9:00AM on 06/03/15Items below marked with “x” are included in this project:
Contact our office for detailed information on the scopes of work beingsubcontracted and the relevant terms and conditions of the contract.Telephone # 512-251-7872. Fax quotes to # 512-251-2578 or e-mail [email protected]
Please check the COA web site for any ADDENDA on this project
· 911 Call Taker Trainee- Multiple Positions• General Maintenance Worker I• General Maintenance Worker I - BartonSprings Pool• Swim Team Coach (30 openings)• Treatment Operations & MaintenanceTechnician Associate (2 Positions)• Database Administrator• Maintenance Worker III• Administrative Assistant• Administrative Specialist
Austin Community CollegeDistrict is requesting proposalsfrom qualified firms for the purposeof selecting providers for District-Wide Recycling Services.
Request for Proposal No. 926-15019RW
All proposals must be submitted tothe Purchasing Department by nolater than Thursday, June 25, 2015at 2:00PM.Request for Proposal packages areavailable on the ACC Purchasingwebsite at http://www.austincc.edu/purchase/ and at the ACC Pur-chasing Office between the hoursof 9 am and 4 pm, Monday throughFriday (512) 223-1044.All responses must be sealed andreturned to the ACC PurchasingOffice, ACC Service Center, 9101Tuscany Way, Austin, Texas 78754,by the date and time indicated above.Electronically transmitted res-ponses will NOT be accepted unlessotherwise stated in the documents.The ACC Board of Trusteesreserves the right to reject any and/or all responses and waive allformalities in the solicitationprocess.
Austin Travis County IntegralCare is currently solicitingproposals through a Request forProposals (RFP) process forConstruction Manager-at-RiskServices. RFPs may be mailed orsent electronically, bycontacting Brody Ballard atbrody.ballard @atcic.org or (512)440-4022 beginning April 27,2015. The deadline to submit aproposal under the RFP is 2 p.m.CST on May 19, 2015.Historically UnderutilizedBusinesses, including Minority-Owned Businesses andWomen-Owned Businesses, areencouraged to apply.
New Jobs for the Week of 05/03/2015Administrator, Database
Service CenterMonday-Friday,
8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.$4,924-$6,155/Monthly
Job# 1504031Manager, Project
Service CenterMonday-Friday,
8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.$5,170-$6,463/Monthly
Job# 1504027
Join Hensel Phelps,Construction Manager At Risk
Outreach-Meet & Greet Eventfor the
ABIA Terminal Apron Expansion and ImprovementsProject
Solicitation No. CLMA016on Thursday, May 21, 2015 | 10 am to 12 noon
at the Hilton Austin Airport Hotel9515 Hotel Drive | Austin, Texas 78719
Certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) arestrongly encourage to attend and learn about the upcoming “ABIATerminal Apron Expansion and Improvements Project” contracting
opportunities and requirementsHensel Phelps’ Project Management Team will give anoverview of the project and have on hand a list of the project’s
proposed opportunitiesThe City of Austin’s ABIA and the Small and Minority
Business Resources Department (SMBR) staffs will be available toinform and answer questions about the federal aviation
administration’s and the city’s disadvantaged business certificationrequirements
For more information contact
Kelli Mitchell, LEED® AP, DBISenior Estimator
Construction GroupABIA Terminal Apron Expansion and Improvements Project
The Housing Author-ity of the City of Austin(HACA) this week received44 additional vouchersfrom the U.S. Departmentof Housing and Urban De-velopment (HUD) totaling$291,572, bringing theagency’s total HUD-Veter-ans Affairs SupportiveHousing (HUD-VASH) Pro-gram allocation to 449.The distribution is part ofan ongoing effort by HUDand the U.S. Departmentof Veterans Affairs (VA) toend veteranhomelessness.
The HUD-VASH Pro-gram combines rental as-sistance from HUDcoupled with case man-agement and VA clinicalservices. HUD-VASH re-duces veteranhomelessness by provid-ing funding for both thehousing and supportiveservices for thousands ofveterans nationwide, in-cluding those who callAustin home.
“Too many of ournation’s veterans strugglewith homelessness andinsufficient services,” said
HACA President and CEOMichael Gerber. “Thesevouchers will help our com-munity better address theneeds of those who haveserved our country.”
In the HUD-VASHprogram, VA Medical Cen-ters (VAMCs) assess vet-erans experiencinghomelessness before re-ferring them to localhousing agencies l ikeHACA for these vouchers.Decisions are based on avariety of factors, mostimportantly the durationof homelessness and the
need for longer term,more intensive supportin obtaining and main-taining permanent hous-ing. The HUD-VASH pro-gram includes both therental assistance thevoucher provides and thecomprehensive casemanagement that VAMCstaff offers.
Veterans participat-
ing in the HUD-VASH pro-gram rent privately ownedhousing and generally con-tribute no more than 30percent of their income to-ward rent. Since 2008,more than 69,000 vouchershave been awarded andmore than 88,000 home-less veterans have beenserved through the HUD-VASH program.
HACAReceives 44
NewVouchersto Help
HomelessVeterans
FindPermanent
HomesNAHREP AnnouncesNuevo Latino Tour
Featuring its“53 Million & One ®”
Original StageProduction
San Diego, CA - TheNational Association ofHispanic Real Estate Pro-fessionals ® (NAHREP) an-nounced a 25-city nationaltour featuring 53 Million &One, a NAHREP originaltheatrical performancethat tells the story of animmigrant from rural
Mexico who comes to theU.S. and succeeds as areal estate entrepreneurto live the Americandream. The Nuevo LatinoTour is sponsored by Cen-tury 21 Real Estate.
Following the formatof Billy Crystal’s “700 Sun-days” and Mike Tyson’s“Undisputed Truth,”Gerardo “Jerry” Ascencionarrates, assumes mul-tiple characters and lever-ages his skills as aMariachi performer toguide audiences throughthe most impactful events
of his extraordinary life.The show highlights thecommon challenges, expe-riences and aspirationsthat bind the 53 millionLatinos who call Americahome.
The tour also featuresthe talents of award-win-ning Broadway and Holly-wood veteran Rick Najera,who will share his own in-sights and experiences asa Nuevo Latino in the me-dia and entertainment in-dustry. Najera will presentand define the Latino ex-perience in Hollywood us-
ing pieces of his owncomic memoir, “AlmostWhite: Forced Confessionsof a Latino in Hollywood.”
“We are excited toshare 53 Million & Onewith audiences fromaround the country,” saidTeresa Palacios-Smith,2015 NAHREP president.“It is an American storythat will move and inspireeveryone who sees it.”
The national tourkicks off in Texas with astop at The Stateside The-atre at the Paramount inAustin on May 19th.
National PsychiatricLeader Will Run Joint
HT-UT Program
AUSTIN, Texas - Anationally recognizedleader in psychiatric careand research will steer thelandmark partnership be-tween Huston-TillotsonUniversity and the DellMedical School at The Uni-versity of Texas at Austin,bringing new health re-sources — especially men-tal health resources — tohistorically underservedresidents of East Austinand other parts of TravisCounty, the universitiesannounced Tuesday.
Dr. William Lawsoncomes to Austin from theHoward University Collegeof Medicine in Washing-ton, D.C., where he servedas professor and chair ofthe Department of Psy-chiatry and Behavioral Sci-ences. He has been pub-lished in more than 180publications, received nu-merous federal and localgrants, and served as chiefof psychiatry in Arkansasfor the Veterans Adminis-tration and chief medicalofficer for the TennesseeDepartment of MentalHealth.
He will manage whatwill be known as theSandra Joy Anderson Com-munity Health andWellness Center atHuston-Tillotson, a his-torically black university inEast Austin. His team,working at both HT and UTAustin, will work to in-crease access to mentalhealth care forunderserved communitiesacross Travis County andto promote research thatwill help reveal the causesof disparities in care.
“I am pleased to be apart of this collaborationto address what are, inmany instances, hiddencommunity medical careneeds,” Dr. Lawson said.
Page 8 ~ May 8, 2015/THE VILLAGER www.theaustinvillager.com
DIALOGUS VERIDICUSGraduationAftermath
Slam Dunking Dreams from Texas to Tennesseeby Angela Wyatt ~ Villager Columnist
The University of Ten-nessee, Knoxville wel-comes their newest addi-tion to the coaching staff,Ira Poole. Poole joins theTennessee Volunteers asa part-time assistant bas-ketball coach. Poole waspreviously an assistant onthe basketball coachingstaff at the University ofTexas at Austin under theleadership of former men’sbasketball coach, RickBarnes. “Coach Barnesasked me to come be agraduate assistant there.I’ll be a student at [Ten-nessee], taking graduateclasses while holding apart-time job with themen’s basketball program.I’ll be working on playerdevelopment and things[Barnes] wants the play-ers to improve on,” ex-plains Poole.
Poole brings greatdepth and knowledge ofthe game with two yearsof coaching experiencealong with his love ofsports. Ira began workingwith coach Barnes and theUT basketball team hisjunior year. While Poolewill be graduating from UTand continuing his educa-tion, he plans to kick starthis childhood dream andfuture career as a coachat Tennessee. “It’s defi-nitely a career plan. I wantto be a college basketballcoach. This is in-line withwhat I want to do with myfuture,” says Poole.
With graduation, anda new move weeks aroundthe corner, Ira finds him-self exploding with excite-ment and curiosity. “I’m
looking forward to going toTennessee, where I don’tknow anyone. I’ve lived inAustin my whole life andI’ve always had a group offriends where I haven’t re-ally had to venture outsideof my social group, so thiswill be an entire new en-vironment where I canmeet new people. I’m ex-cited to do that. Furtherinto the future, I’m lookingforward to coaching. I likebasketball. It’s somethingI’m really comfortablewith; and just being in agym feels like a secondhome to me,” said Poole.
Ira went on to say fiveyears from now, hopefully,he will have a special as-sistant job for a major Di-vision I (D1) program,whether it is film or playerdevelopment, and wouldlike to hopefully still be inTennessee.
As a toddler, Ira’s in-terest in sports took off instride. A graduate of L.C.Anderson High School, Iraearned experience andrecognition on his dedica-tion to the Trojans’ basket-ball team. He also creditshis sports fondness to hisparents, Mr. Ira Poole andMs. Lisa Camero. “My fa-ther is my greatest influ-ence, 100 percent, noquestion. I remembergrowing up, it was a mixbetween my mom and dad,fostering my love forsports and me being goodat it as well helped tre-mendously. My mom wasalways playing and throw-ing balls with me and thatwas my first word: ball.Once I grew up and started
to show passion forsports, my dad took andran with it. We went to allthe Erwin Center basket-ball games and I remem-ber watching coach Barneson the sideline with play-ers and staff; and me idol-izing them and wanting tobe them one day. So it’skind of cool. Sort of like acircle of life how every-thing is working out for
me,” describes Ira.Poole is a member of
the ZBT (Zeta Beta Tau)fraternity, where he be-came the Athletic Chair; incharge of planning basket-ball tournaments. OnceIra started working withthe basketball team, all theextra activities went outthe window. In his fresh-man and sophomore year,Ira was in PTO (Physical
Therapy Organization),that was originally what hewanted to do but basket-ball took over his interest.
Soon to be an alum-nus of UT Austin, Poolereflects back on how thesefew years have preparedhim for the future whilesharing one of his morevaluable experiences. “Ithas to be working with thebasketball team. Just be-ing around athletes, youhave to work so hard dur-ing practice; and they allwork extra hard in theirstudies. To balance thatout is probably my best lifelesson; learning time man-agement. And that’s reallysomething that taught meto become a man. I work acouple of hours beforepractice and a couple ofhours after; so it gave mediscipline. I had to cut outthe extracurricular, finetune all my activities andfocus on what I wanted.There was zero free time.”
Ira broke down a typi-cal college day over the pasttwo years. “I’d wake up;have classes from 8 a.m.until noon or 1 p.m.; we’rerequired to take classesearly in the morning due toour practice schedule. Afterlunch, I head over to Cooley(Denton A. Cooley Pavilion)and start setting up for prac-tice, which begins at 3:30and runs to 6 p.m. Follow-ing practice I also do film;so I break down the film onoffense and defense forCoach Barnes and trackstats in addition too. Oncea week I do laundry; so I’llbe there for another hour.Most nights I’m home by
8 o’clock, I do laundry by10 o’clock, and then wouldcome homework.”
One of Ira’s most sat-isfying and motivating ac-complishments was get-ting accepted into UT Aus-tin. “Getting accepted tothe University of Texas atAustin is one of the great-est accomplishments be-cause UT is a huge familyschool for me. I felt closerto my family being a partof that tradition. Fear wasmy motivation to finishand graduate. I didn’t wantto drop out. I know it’s re-ally important to my fam-ily, all my family are col-lege graduates. I didn’twant to be the one whoquit. Plus, I like learningand it got me working withthe basketball team, so Iowe it that much.”
With such a busy andproductive year, Poolethanks his spring semes-ter teaching assistant,Paul Bloom, for making aprofound impact and tran-sition a breeze. Poole alsoadvises incoming fresh-men to choose a careerpath they enjoy and thatwill make college a biteasier. “It’s tough be-cause, as a freshman youdon’t really know whatyou want to do yet. It tookme to my junior year torealize I wanted be in thebasketball field and coach-ing. I would just say, try tofind a career you like andenjoy, then go all out forit.”
Congratulations onall your success and goodluck on your future Ira “IJ”Poole.
Ira Poole
GraduationAftermath
The Colorism of Race: Bill Duke
Bill Duke
by Mary L. DatcherSpecial to the NNPA from The Chicago Defender
Bill Duke is one ofAmerica’s most prolificactors and directors as hecontinues to capture thetopics that challengepeople to think con-sciously on social issues.His latest project, LightGirls, is a documentary filmand book as a follow-up tohis Dark Girls film based onthe serious problem ofskin color discriminationwithin certain ethnic cul-tures — specifically theAfrican American commu-nity.
Having a distin-guished and long careerthat has brought him fromhis hometown ofPoughkeepsie, New Yorkto studying drama at Bos-ton University and continu-ing further instruction atNew York University’sTisch School of the Artsand the American Film In-stitute, Duke launched hisprofessional career onBroadway. Among some ofhis more notable roleswere the imposing, con-scious character AbdullahMohammed Akbar in themovie Car Wash, as wellprominent roles in MenaceII Society, Exit Wounds, XMen: The Last Stand andGet Rich or Die Tryin‘. Butit is his talents as a direc-tor that continue to keephim on speed dial with
many production compa-nies and film studios.
Duke is consideredone of the most sought-after directors to captureand bring stories to liferegardless of race, genderor cultural definitions; heis the actor’s director andthe director’s director. Hisdirectorial work hasspanned from the criti-cally acclaimed televisionseries Hill Street Blues andMiami Vice to featurefilms such as A Rage inHarlem, Hoodlum, DeepCover, and Sister Act 2:Back in the Habit alongwith the PBS broadcastdocumentary PrinceAmong Slaves.
Duke was in Chicagoto showcase his filmsLight Girls and Dark Girlsalong with participating invery in-depth panel discus-sions about the topics dur-ing the Black Women’sExpo last month.
CD: What was themotivation behind doingthe films Light Girls andDark Girls? It has beensomething that has beena taboo topic in the Afri-can American commu-nity. What made you feelit was necessary to tellthis story?
BD: Based on my ownexperience as a youngman coming up in
Poughkeepsie, NY beingdark complexioned andbeing tall, it was difficult.Luckily I had parents thatre-enforced my worth tome. Early on, it was noteasy for my sister, mymother and my niece.Some of the things theyand other young girls wentthrough from the commu-nity. Also, seeing the ‘col-orism’ in our communitytoday, it said to me, ‘Thisneeds to be given a voice.’As a result, I put togetherthe two films and a book.
CD: What motivatesyou to give back andmentor young people?
BD: It’s not our obliga-tion, it’s our responsibilityas Black men. The sufferingof our young men due tolack of exposure to valuesand opportunities. The so-lution to that problemcan’t be placed upon theshoulders of a system thathas ignored them for manyyears.
We’re playing check-ers in a chess game. Soci-ety is chess. We’re wait-ing for the chess playersto come and teach us howto play chess. Those of uswho learn how to playchess have to teach otherpeople how to play chess.
You can’t compete if youdon’t have the informa-tion, knowledge and tech-niques for competition. So,it turns into complaints,violence and frustration.It’s a little frustrating anddisturbing.
CD: Do young actorsand filmmakers of colorneed to know how toplay chess in order tocompete and survive inHollywood?
If you come to Holly-wood and you are dream-ing of having aspirationswithout understandingwhat is called ‘show busi-ness,’ you may get very,very lucky. That’s not whatI see; I see the majorityBlack, Hispanic and Asianscoming to Hollywood endup in positions that neverlead them to their career.It’s an extremely competi-tive, rejection business.People hide the pain ofrejection by dealing withthe symptom which is usu-ally through drugs, alco-hol, partying or other ac-tivities that don’t deal withthe root of the problem.Right now, the kids I seecoming to Hollywood haveno clue. They think we’rein the film and televisionbusiness. We’re in the ‘me-dia business.’
“It’s about a Mexicanfamily and Black familywhere the young Blackman falls in love with theMexican girl. They get
married and have a babyand she’s a “Blaxican.” Theproblem is that the fatherof the Black family hatesMexicans and the father ofthe Mexican family hatesBlack people. It’s a conflictbetween those two cul-tures while the wife, childand husband love eachother and love their fami-lies. It’s how they resolvethese issues; it ’s adramedy.”
It was just recentlyannounced that Dukewould be working on thebiopic of the gospel legendMahalia Jackson and film-ing in Chicago. Currently,the director is in discus-sions with potential inves-tors to bring the gospelsinger’s celebrated life tothe big screen.
Duke reveals his ad-miration, “She was one ofthe first brilliant Blackbusiness women in thiscountry. Although, it was amale dominated cultureand society, she let no mantell her what to do. Shestood up for women’srights and her rights. Herstory should be cel-ebrated. It’s not a Blackstory. It ’s a story of awoman — a human being— that grew up in the ru-ral South with nothing. Herfaith brought her throughcircumstances that the av-erage person could notsurvive. You can feelthrough her music.”
