1. law, govt and politics
2. law enforcement
3. police

1 www.cnyvision.com | FEb 26 - mar 4 | 2015
syracuse ny
feb 26 - mar 4, 2015
also
inside...
Thirty-two New Officers
join Syracuse Police
DepartmentYear
Honoring the Women of
the Civil Rights Movement,
Both Past and Present
p3
p9
2 www.cnyvision.com | feb 26 - mar 4 | 2015
LOCAL
City will hold Information Sessions to
Gain Input for Phase II of Onondaga Creekwalk
By Staff
Colvin St.
The city of Syracuse will hold public
information meetings to gather input
regarding the preliminary design
process for the second phase of the
Onondaga Creekwalk, according to a
city press release.
“The first phase of the Onondaga
Creekwalk has been a great success
and we welcome the opportunity to
plan for this expansion,” said Mayor
Stephanie Miner. “These community
meetings will allow the most important
stakeholders—our neighbors—to have
a voice in the process for this growing
asset.”
Officials said the proposed second
phase of the Creekwalk will extend 2.2
miles, from Armory Square to West
The meetings have been scheduled as
follows:
Wednesday, Feb. 25, 6:30 p.m.
Seals Community Center at Kirk Park
300 West Borden Ave.
Syracuse, N.Y. 13205
Thursday, Feb. 26, 6.30 p.m.
Southwest Community Center
401 South Ave.
Syracuse, N.Y. 13204
Wednesday, March 4, 6:00 p.m.
Museum of Science and Technology
500 South Franklin St.
Syracuse, N.Y. 13202
Officials said the first phase of the
Onondaga Creekwalk opened in
October, 2011, and is a 2.6 mile
pedestrian and bicycle trail following
the path of Onondaga Creek connecting
Armory Square to Onondaga Lake.
City to hold Public Presentations for
Semi-Finalist Design Teams’ in Urban Space Project
By Staff
Mayor Stephanie Miner has invited the
public to introductory presentations
by four semi-finalist design teams
for the New Urban Space project at
the former Commons Center Plaza,
and Perseverance Park, on March 2,
according to a city press release.
The event will be held in a storefront
of the Pike Block Building, 320 South
Salina St.
In addition, doors will open at 5:00
p.m., and the first presentation will
begin at 5:30 p.m.
“We have a remarkable opportunity to
transform a swath of land in our urban
core into a vibrant, usable public
space,” said Miner. “We are seeking
the team best qualified to work with
the community on a park design that
will be truly reflective of the city’s
assets, aspirations and potential.”
The semi-finalists are:
• Ball-Nogues Studio, with Martha
Schwarz Partners, edr landscape
architecture, and Buro Happold
Engineering.
•
Halvorson
Design
Partnership,
with Kirkland Studio, Bergmann
Associations, and Highland Planning.
• !melk landscape architecture and
urban design, with Balmond Studio,
Tillotson Design Associates, and C&S
Companies
• Scape Landscape Architecture, with
Stacy Levy and Arup Engineering
In 2014, a request for proposals was
issued by the Syracuse Urban Renewal
Agency (SURA) for interdisciplinary
teams to plan and design the former
Common Center and Perseverance
Park site.
A jury of experts in urban planning,
and public art, will review the
team qualifications and make its
recommendation to the SURA
board, which will then make a final
determination, city officials stated.
The public presentations will be the
first step in the selection process.
Support for this event is provided by
the Gifford Foundation and Central
New York Community Foundation,
according to the press release.
LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!
Leave us a comment! facebook.com/cnyvision
Local Office:
2331 South Salina Street
Syracuse, NY 13205
PH: 315-849-2461
Headquarters:
282 Hollenbeck Street
Rochester, NY 14621
TOLL-FREE: 1-888-792-9303
FAX: 1-888-796-6292
EMAIL: [email protected]
WEBSITE: www.cnyvision.com
Publisher/editor
Dave McCleary
[email protected]
office manager/
editorial assistant
Claribel Oliveras
[email protected]
Art Director
Catie Fiscus
[email protected]
PHOTOGRAPHER
La Vergne Harden
[email protected]
Advertising
Dave McCleary
[email protected]
editorial staff
Lisa Dumas
Jacque Kofi
CONTRIBUTORS
Kofi Quaye
Jacque Kofi
James Haywood Rolling
Earl Ofari Hutchinson
Boyce Watkins
CNY Vision is a publication of
Minority Reporter, Inc. We are a family of
publications and other media formats
committed to fostering self awareness,
building community and empowering
people of color to reach their greatest
potential. Further, CNY Vision seeks
to present a balanced view of relevant
issues, utilizing its resources to build
bridges among diverse populations;
taking them from information to understanding.
CNY Vision reserves the right to edit or
reject content submitted.
The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher.
CNY Vision does not assume responsibility concerning advertisers, their positions, practices, services or products;
nor does the publication of advertisements constitute or imply endorsement.
Deadline for all copy is Tuesday at noon.
CNY Vision invites news and story suggestions from readers.
Call 315-849-2461
or email
[email protected]
3 www.cnyvision.com | FEb 26 - mar 4 | 2015
LOCAL
Thirty-two New Officers join Syracuse Police Department
By Staff
the academy.
Mayor Stephanie Miner, and Syracuse
Police Chief Frank Fowler, recently
delivered remarks and presented
badges to 32 new officers that will
join the Syracuse Police Department,
according to a city press release.
A full list of the graduates is below.
Miner and Fowler gave the presentation
during the officers’ graduation from
the Syracuse Regional Police Academy.
“This is a momentous occasion in the
lives of these young men and women,
as well as an important day as we
add 32 new officers to the Syracuse
Police Department,” said Miner. “I
look forward to welcoming these new
recruits to the force as they begin their
careers serving and protecting the
people of the city of Syracuse.”
In addition, Miner said the class had
been one of the most diverse classes
of officers ever to join the the city’s
police department.
According to officials, five of the
officers were female, three were
Hispanic, four were African-American,
and one was Native American.
Additionally, six of the new officers are
military veterans.
And, in addition to the 32 officers
from the Syracuse Police Department,
officers from nine other local law
enforcement agencies graduated from
Syracuse Police Department
Police Officer Brian Bach
Police Officer Michael Birklin
Police Officer Walter Brainerd
Police Officer Jason Caceres
Police Officer Joseph Commisso
Police Officer Angel Cordero Jr.
Police Officer Gregory DiPuccio
Police Officer Tanya Dominguez
Police Officer Daniel Fahey
Police Officer Anthony Fiorini
Police Officer Gerald Fluno
Police Officer Kelsey Francemore
Police Officer Marlon Franklin
Police Officer Christopher Gaj
Police Officer JM Giarusso
Police Officer Robert Jones, III
Police Officer Brett Leonard
Police Officer Meghan Lewis
Police Officer Victoria Lasurdo
Police Officer Colin Mahar
Police Officer Daniel Medlock
Police Officer Joseph Moran
Police Officer Andrew Murphy
Police Officer Dallas Pelz
Police Officer Arthur Phillips
Police Officer Brandon Pylinski
Police Officer Kenneth Sheehan
Police Officer Brittany Shields
Police Officer Selasie Tetevia
Police Officer Mathew Tynan
Police Officer Nicholas Voggel
Police Officer Craig Walters
Onondaga County Sheriff
Deputy Sheriff Patrick Blackford
Deputy Sheriff Eddie Brown
Deputy Sheriff David Curtain
Deputy Sheriff Matthew Getman
Deputy Sheriff Kyle Guadagnolo
Deputy Sheriff Danielle Podejko
Deputy Sheriff Adam Quigley
Deputy Sheriff Marcus Rinaldi
Deputy Sheriff Helen Salling
Deputy Sheriff Justin Sorrento
Deputy Sheriff Patrick Wiater
Auburn Police Department
Police Officer Nicholas Atkins
Police Officer Nathan Gage
Police Officer Angel Gonzalez
Police Officer Adam Rivers
Police Officer Phillip Wetherell
Fulton Police Department
Police Officer Gregory Webb
Ithaca Police Department
Police Officer Justin Baldessare
New Berlin Police Department
Police Officer Anthony Grimes
Charter School Organization says State
Should Put Failing Schools into Receivership
By Staff
Families for Excellent Schools (FES), a
grassroots charter school organization
based in New York City, has announced
it will call on state leaders to place
all 178 state-designated “priority”
schools in New York under receivership
this fall, according to a press release.
Priority schools are those which
have been designated as the lowestperforming in the state, with the
lowest test scores, and graduation
rates, officials from the organization
stated.
Syracuse has 18 schools which have
been designated as priority schools.
Officials said state receivership can
mean a school has been turned over
to a state-appointed receiver, such as
a charter school operator, or other
official in educational management,
who may offer a turnaround strategy
for the school.
According to FES, a receivership model
would free chronically failing schools
from bureaucratic obstacles, placing
them under the stewardship of proven
operators.
And, if the schools were unable to
improve, organization officials said
they would then recommend the
schools should close.
“When cities like New York City refuse
to take bold action to fix the city’s
failing schools, we need the state to
act urgently,” said Jeremiah Kittredge,
CEO of Families for Excellent Schools.
“Statewide, 800,000 children fail every
year—we cannot accept that any
longer.
FES officials said additional, specific
features of the state’s 178 failing
schools include:
• Title I (high-poverty) schools that are
persistently low-achieving, and among
the bottom 5 percent of the lowestperforming schools in the state.
• Title I, or Title I-eligible, secondary
schools with graduation rates which
have been less than 60 percent for a
number of years.
• Title I, or Title I-eligible, schools
implementing school intervention
models using the School Improvement
Grants fund (SIG).
Reportedly, FES was founded in 2011,
and four of its five founding board
members are Wall Street players,
including Paul Appelbaum, an investor
who is the principal at Rock Ventures
LLC, and Bryan Lawrence, who runs
an investment firm and has years of
experience with charters.
Visit
www.
FamiliesForExcellentSchools.org for
additional information regarding the
organization.
4 www.cnyvision.com | feb 26 - mar 4 | 2015
STATE
Rich Funke proposes Legislation for Local Control of Sex Offenders
By Staff
New York State Senator Rich Funke
(R-Pittsford)
has
co-sponsored
legislation which would allow
municipalities to have local control
over where sex offenders are allowed
to live, a press release from his office
said.
Currently, the state holds the authority
over the decision.
“No two kids are the same, no two
communities are the same, and that
means that no two solutions to keep
our children safe will be the same,”
Funke stated. “Local communities need
local control to set restrictions that
make sense for their neighborhoods
and families. I am proud to be cosponsoring legislation that empowers
communities to establish their own
laws for sex offender residency, and
I look forward to working with my
Senate colleagues to pass it as soon as
possible.”
Funke and other Senate Republicans,
including Sen. Venditto (R-C-I,
Massapequa), and Sen. Terrence
Murphy (R-C-I, Yorktown), had
introduced the legislation following a
Feb. 17 Court of Appeals ruling which
said local laws are pre-empted by state
laws.
The court overturned a Nassau County
law which prohibited all registered sex
offenders from residing within 1000
feet of a school.
As a result, Funke said the decision
would immediately call into question
sex offender residency restrictions
already on the books in municipalities
across the state.
In addition, he said it would call into
question a new, proposed law in
Penfield.
According to the press release, The
Penfield Child Safety Act includes
a restriction which would prohibit
the residency of registered Level
Two and Level Three sex offenders
within designated Child Safe Zones,
or 2,000 feet from any schools, parks,
playgrounds, town facilities, or daycare
centers.
The legislation was proposed, in part,
due to the discovery that a Level Three
sex offender had recently established
residency less than 200 feet from
Penfield’s Veterans Memorial Park,
home to the town’s Little League fields.
“When our town board received
notice that a level 3 sex offender was
living just a few hundred feet from
one of our most attractive parks, we
knew we needed to look for a better
way to protect our youngest residents,
our children,” said Tony LaFountain,
supervisor of the Town of Penfield. “The
state legislation lacked appropriate
protection, and did not adequately
address someone living next to our
Bail Bonds
New York State Senator Rich Funke
many parks, playgrounds and town
facilities. Penfield is fortunate to have
Sen. Funke fighting for our children,
and their families, by introducing
legislation to clarify the current state
law, and to allow local communities to
set residency restrictions.”
According to the press release, Funke’s
legislation includes two sections: the
first clarifies the legislature’s intent
to allow municipalities to enact local
laws regarding where registered sex
offenders may reside; and the second
explicitly authorizes municipalities to
impose such restrictions.
“MyWordisMyBond”
7 Days a Week
Family Owned and Operated
24 Hours a Day
ProfessionalBondAgents
TheJeffersonBuliding
gggEastJeffersonStreet
Syracuse,NY
Phone:.....BOND
Cell:.........
Fax:.........
www.cnyvision.com
5 www.cnyvision.com | FEb 26 - mar 4 | 2015
NATIONAL
Democrat and Republican Senators
join forces to overhaul prison sentencing guidelines
In what could be a boon for
communities of color, Democratic
and Republican Senators from New
Jersey to Illinois to Utah are working to
overhaul prison sentence guidelines in
an effort to give judges more control to
mete out punishments for nonviolent
drug offenders.
U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) the
minority whip, Cory Booker (D-N.J.),
and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), have joined
Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Ted Cruz
(R-Texas) in an effort to dismantle
mandatory minimum sentencing laws
that have caused the federal prison
population to explode, with about half
of those behind bars for nonviolent
drug offenses, reports St. Louis Public
Radio.
Last week, Lee introduced the Smarter
Sentencing Act of 2015 aimed at
reducing the size of the prison
population, which according to The
Hill, has skyrocketed by more than 500
percent since the 1980s, and almost half
of those federal inmates are doing time
for drug offenses such as possession.
Many of the inmates are Black,
according to Hilary O. Shelton, the
NAACP Washington Bureau Director
and Senior Vice President for Advocacy,
who praised the measure, saying
unfair prison sentences have taken
an emotional and economic toll on
African American families. Blacks make
up about 40 percent of the nearly
2.3 million prison overall population,
although African Americans comprise
13 percent of the U.S. population,
according to Shelton, which is working
with lawmakers to reduce sentencing
guidelines.
“Minimum mandatory sentencing
guidelines have had a disproportionate
impact on racial and ethnic minorities
and we applaud the senators for their
work,” Shelton, a longtime advocate
for sentence reform guidelines, told
NewsOne. “Mandatory sentence laws
were done arbitrarily to get tough on
crime in an uninformed way. It’s now
time to change all of that. A young
person should not have to pay for a
mistake for the rest of his or her life. ”
While the measure does not eliminate
mandatory sentencing or decrease any
maximum penalties, it would expand
a judge’s purview over sentencing for
certain non-violent drug offenders, the
Hill says.
“A lot of people like to refer to the
fact that it costs $20,000 a year in this
country to put a person in a minimum
security prison, but that, in my opinion,
is not the most significant cost,”
Lee said, the Hill writes. “The most
significant cost is the human one.”
already voiced opposition to measure,
but its backers are resolute.
Durbin says billions of dollars are
wasted to house criminals long term for
crimes that do not match the sentence.
“We’re not giving up on anybody, even
Chuck Grassley,” Durbin said, the Hill
reports.
“Billions of dollars that could be spent
to prevent the commission of crimes
and to make certain that we have the
most effective prosecution sadly is
put into long and lengthy sentences,
which really don’t square up with the
offense,” Durbin said, according to St.
Louis Public Radio.
Lawmakers are not the only ones to
take up battle against strict sentencing
guidelines. It is a signature initiative
for outgoing U.S. Attorney General
Eric Holder, who discussed the issue
Tuesday at the National Press Club
in Washington, D.C. In the first full
year since he imposed reforms to
Department of Justice charging policies
in nonviolent drug trafficking cases,
federal drug prosecutors last year
pursued mandatory minimums at the
lowest rate on record.
Despite its bipartisan support, the bill
may face some obstacles. According
to the Hill, Senate Judiciary Committee
Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has
“For years prior to this administration,
federal prosecutors were not only
encouraged – but required – to always
seek the most severe prison sentence
possible for all drug cases, no matter
the relative risk they posed to public
safety. I have made a break from
that philosophy,” Holder said in a the
statement.
“While old habits are hard to break,
these numbers show that a dramatic
shift is underway in the mindset of
prosecutors handling nonviolent drug
offenses. I believe we have taken steps
to institutionalize this fairer, more
practical approach such that it will
endure for years to come.”
Take Action to Improve Your Financial Situation
By Katie Bryan, America
Communications Director.
Saves
America Saves Week, February 24 –
March 1, 2014, is a time to review
your finances, decide what you want
to save for, and set up a system that
will allow you to save automatically.
That’s why the America Saves Week
theme is Set a Goal. Make a Plan. Save
Automatically. Did you know that only
half of Americans report having good
savings habits? Even if you are already
saving, it’s good to take a look at
your goals and decide if you can save
more or start a new savings goal. Join
thousands of others who are pledging
to pay down debt, save money, and
take financial action during America
Saves Week.
Not sure what to save for or what
to save for next? Here are the most
popular saving goals of those who
have pledged to save through America
Saves:
• Save for Emergencies - Only 37
percent of low-to-moderate income
households have a savings or money
market account at a bank or credit
union and nearly a quarter of savers
who have pledged to save have chosen
“emergency savings” as their first
wealth-building goal. Learn more.
• Save for Education - Saving for
education is the second most popular
goal savers select when they pledge
to save with America Saves. There are
many different things to factor in when
saving and paying for college. Learn
more.
• Pay Down Debt - Getting out of debt
is the #3 goal Savers select when they
pledge to save. That does not come as
a surprise since a 2012 survey found
that 45% of families with annual
incomes under $50,000 rely on credit
cards to pay for basic needs such as
rent, utilities, insurance and food.
Learn more.
• Save for a Home - For decades, home
ownership has been the main path
to wealth for most Americans. Today,
home equity - the market value of a
home minus the balance on any home
loans - represents more than fourfifths of the typical family’s wealth.
Learn more.
• Save for Retirement - Retirement
savings is a top priority for many
Savers. Saving for retirement now will
ensure that you have enough money
to maintain a comfortable standard
of living when you stop or reduce
the amount of hours you work. Learn
more.
Not sure how to save for your goals?
Here are some saving strategies to
help:
• Save Automatically - The easiest
and most effective way to save is
automatically. This is how millions
of Americans save at their bank or
credit union, and how millions of
employees save through 401(k) and
other retirement programs at work.
Learn more.
• Save at Tax Time - Do you spend
weeks eagerly anticipating your tax
refund? When the money finally
comes in, is it gone tomorrow? Many
people view tax refunds as unplanned
bonuses. They see the money as a
gift from the government, to use for
splurges or treats. But a tax refund
provides the opportunity to improve
your financial situation. Learn more.
Take the America Saves Pledge (or
re-pledge) today to set your savings
goal and make a plan to save. When
you take the pledge you can also
choose to receive text message tips
and reminders to help you save for
your goal. And don’t forget to follow
America Saves on Facebook and
Twitter.
America Saves Week is coordinated
by America Saves and the American
Savings Education Council. Started
in 2007, the Week is an annual
opportunity for organizations to
promote good savings behavior and a
chance for individuals to assess their
own saving status
6 www.cnyvision.com | feb 26 - mar 4 | 2015
COVER
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced
“Enough is Enough,” a wide-ranging statewide
campaign to push for the passage of the Governor’s
legislation combatting sexual assault on college
campuses. Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul will
embark on a statewide tour to bring “Enough is
Enough” to college campuses, meeting with members
of the student body, faculty and administration as
well as service providers and advocates for survivors
of rape and sexual assault. The campaign also
includes a website, www.ny.gov/EnoughisEnough,
and a video featuring students, advocates and
elected officials supporting the Governor’s policy to
address sexual assault on college campuses.
“We must do more to address sexual assault
and rape on college campuses, and this law will
ensure that students at all colleges in the State are
protected by the same uniform policies that SUNY
adopted last year,” Governor Cuomo said. “New
York must take a stand to combat the culture of
sexual violence in higher education. This is a call to
action for everyone who believes students should
be protected by their college or university, and
New York should be a leader in the fight against
sexual violence on college campuses.” As part of the
Enough is Enough campaign, New York State Police
Superintendent Joseph D’Amico today announced
a dedicated hotline for reporting sexual assaults on
college and university campuses: 1-844-845-7269.
The hotline went live at 11 am today. Speciallytrained members will be on-call 24 hours a day to
respond to sexual assault calls throughout the State.
Over the next several weeks, State Police will also
develop response protocols and training courses to
share with campus partners.
This year, Governor Cuomo announced legislation
that would codify a sexual assault prevention and
response policy previously adopted by the State
University of New York, applying the provisions to
all colleges and universities – public and private –
in New York State. The Governor’s legislation will
extend the SUNY policy and protections to colleges
statewide and ensure that the State’s 1.2 million
college students are protected with comprehensive
and uniform procedures and guidelines, including
affirmative consent and access to law enforcement.
Once law, this policy will go far to protect more
students in New York.
The “Enough is Enough” website and video are a
call to action for supporters to spread the message
and provide facts about sexual assault on college
campuses. The website acts as a resource for victims
who are in need of help. It includes information
about the Governor’s proposal and tabs to write
letters to the editor, share stories and state support
for the policy. It also links to campuscrime.ny.gov,
which the Governor launched last year to provide
important information regarding sexual assault
prevention and response on all college campuses in
New York.
“This is a call to action for everyone who believes
students should be protected by their college or
university, and New York should be a leader in the
fight against sexual violence on college campuses”.
Governor Cuomo
The New York State Police is an active partner with
all SUNY police and public safety departments
enforcing the Governor’s sexual assault policy. The
State Police investigates more than 3,000 sexual
assaults across the State each year.
The Governor’s on-campus sexual assault prevention
proposal includes the following components:
• A statewide definition of affirmative consent,
defining consent as a clear, unambiguous, and
voluntary agreement between the participants to
engage in specific sexual activity;
• A statewide amnesty policy, to ensure that students
reporting incidents of sexual assault or other sexual
violence are granted immunity for certain campus
policy violations, such as drug and alcohol use;
• A Sexual Violence Victim/Survivor Bill of Rights,
which campuses will be required to distribute to
all students in order to specifically inform sexual
violence victims of their legal rights and how they
may access appropriate resources. The Bill of Rights
clearly states that students are given the right to
know they can report sexual assaults to outside law
enforcement, including the State Police;
• Comprehensive training requirements for
administrators, staff, and students, including at new
student orientations.
SUNY has already implemented this policy, having
adopted the Governor’s proposal last year. Campuses
have implemented the Victim/Survivor Bill of Rights
which is provided to all students via email from the
University President or a designee, and university
police and public safety officials have completed
training in new policies. The SUNY Implementation
Task Force is developing an on-campus system-wide
police training effort as well as materials to educate
students, faculty and staff, which will be completed
in May 2015. System Administration will also support
campuses in starting their own student awareness
campaigns beginning this spring.
7 www.cnyvision.com | FEb 26 - mar 4 | 2015
state
Keystone XL Bill Gets Quick Veto from President Obama
By Staff
Demonstrators camp outside White
House in a 2011 protest against
Keystone XL Pipeline
Demonstrators camp outside White
House in a 2011 protest against
Keystone XL Pipeline
President Obama’s third veto in his six
years in office came Tuesday when he
quickly killed the Keystone XL pipeline
legislation hours after it arrived at his
desk.
The president said the bill was an
attempt by Congress to “circumvent
longstanding and proven processes for
determining whether or not building
and operating a cross-border pipeline
serves the national interest.”
“The Presidential power to veto
legislation is one I take seriously. But I
also take seriously my responsibility to
the American people,” the president
said in a written statement “ And
because this act of Congress conflicts
with established executive branch
procedures and cuts short thorough
consideration of issues that could bear
on our national interest — including
our security, safety, and environment
— it has earned my veto.”
The Keystone XL bill, the first measure
approved by the new Republican
controlled senate, received enough
Democratic votes to prevent a
filibuster but was dead on arrival to
the president’s desk.
Stressing the loss of about 42,000
construction jobs, Republicans say
the president is more interested in
catering to his political base than
delivering tangible results for the
American people. But Democrats say
the pipeline is slated to produce just
35 direct long-term jobs.
The Keystone pipeline is a system
designed to move more than 830,000
barrels of petroleum per day from
western Canada to ports and oil
refineries on the Gulf Coast. About
half of the system is already built but
the Keystone XL is a proposal to build
an additional 1,179-mile shortcut
connecting to existing pipelines to the
Gulf Coast.
8 www.cnyvision.com | feb 26 - mar 4 | 2015
for more classifieds and bid notices visit us
online at www.cnyvision.com click the classifieds tab!
Adoption
A dream is a wish your heart makes, our wish is a baby
to love. We’re loving, educated, close family. Expenses
paid. Danny/ Lorraine 1-866-997-7171
A-Wish. We offer free towing and your donation is 100%
tax deductible. Call
315-400-0797 Today!
Career Training
ADOPTION: A childless young married couple, hands
on mom/ devoted dad (she-31/ he-37) seeks to adopt.
Financial security, expenses paid. Call/ text Mary & Adam
1-800-790-5260
WELDING CAREERS - Hands on training for career
opportunities in aviation, automotive, manufacturing
and more. Financial aid for qualified students. Job
placement assistance. CALL AIM 877-206-4006
Auctions
Help Wanted
AUCTION CHEMUNG COUNTY REAL PROPERTY
TAX FORECLOSURES- 100+ Properties March 25
@11AM. Holiday Inn, Elmira, NY. 800-243-0061 HAR,
Inc. & AAR, Inc. Free brochure: www.NYSAUCTIONS.com
Quality Drive Away is adding drivers to its driver family.
Quality drivers enjoy speed-of-light settlements and
competitive rates. With Quality’s nationwide network of
pickup locations, Quality Drivers enjoy the
best reload opportunities in the industry! Call 866-7641601 or email [email protected] today to
take your driving career to the next level.
Auto Donations
Donate your car to Wheels For Wishes, benefiting Make-
AIRLINE CAREERS begin here Get FAA approved Aviation
Maintenance Technician training. Financial aid for
qualified students – Housing available. Job placement
assistance. Call AIM 866-296-7093
ABSOLUTE LAND SELL OFF! MARCH 14TH & 15TH!
COOPERSTOWN, NY! 60- 70% BELOW MARKET
PRICES FROM $19,900 OR $254/MONTH! 26 TRACTS!
WATERFRONT! VIEWS! WOODS! 6 miles from Village,
low taxes, town rd, utils, 100% g’tee! Call: 888-905-8847
to register! NewYorkLandandLakes.com
Miscellaneous
SAWMILLS from only $4397.00- MAKE & SAVE MONEY
with your own bandmill- Cut lumber any dimension.
In stock ready to ship. FREE Info/DVD: www.
NorwoodSawmills.com 1-800-578-1363 Ext.300N
Wheels For Wishes benefiting
Central New York
*Free Vehicle/Boat Pickup ANYWHERE
*We Accept All Vehicles Running or Not
*100% Tax Deductible
WheelsForWishes.org
Vacation Rentals
x
% Ta
100 tible
uc
Ded
Call: (315) 400-0797
Cash for OLD Comics! Buying 10c and 12c comic books
or MASSIVE quantities of after 1970 Also buying toys,
sports, music and more! Call Brian: 1-800-617-3551
CASH for Coins! Buying Gold & Silver. Also Stamps, Paper
Money, Comics, Entire Collections, Estates. Travel to your
home. Call Marc in NY: 1-800-959-3419
BID NOTICES:
Land For Sale
DONATE YOUR CAR
Wanted
OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND. Best selection of affordable
rentals. Full/ partial weeks. Call for FREE brochure. Open
daily. Holiday Resort Services. 1-800-638-2102. Online
reservations: www.holidayoc.com
BID 8223 COUNTY OF ONONDAGA – BID REF # 8223 FOR
FURNISHING ELECTRONIC COMPONENT PARTS IS DUE
MARCH 24, 2015 AT 2 PM IN THE DIVISION OF PURCHASE.
REGISTER AT www.cnybuys.com TO DOWNLOAD
SPECIFICATION DOCUMENTS.
BID 8196 COUNTY OF ONONDAGA – BID REF # 8196 FOR
FURNISHING BLOCKS AND WEDGES IS DUE MARCH 12, 2015
AT 2 PM IN THE DIVISION OF PURCHASE. REGISTER AT www.
cnybuys.com TO DOWNLOAD SPECIFICATION DOCUMENTS.
BID 8222 COUNTY OF ONONDAGA – BID REF # 8222 FOR
FURNISHING TREE AND BRANCH REMOVAL AND DISPOSAL
IS DUE MARCH 25, 2015 AT 2 PM IN THE DIVISION OF
PURCHASE. REGISTER AT www.cnybuys.com TO DOWNLOAD
SPECIFICATION DOCUMENTS.
BID 8224 COUNTY OF ONONDAGA – BID REF # 8224 FOR
FURNISHING AND APPLICATION OF PAVER PLACED SURFACE
TREATMENT IS DUE MARCH 20, 2015 AT 2 PM IN THE
DIVISION OF PURCHASE. REGISTER AT www.cnybuys.com
TO DOWNLOAD SPECIFICATION DOCUMENTS.
BID 8226 COUNTY OF ONONDAGA – BID REF # 8226 FOR
FURNISHING COLD MILLING OF BITUMINOUS PAVEMENT
IS DUE MARCH 24, 2015 AT 2 PM IN THE DIVISION OF
PURCHASE. REGISTER AT www.cnybuys.com TO DOWNLOAD
SPECIFICATION DOCUMENTS.
BID 8225 COUNTY OF ONONDAGA – BID REF # 8225 FOR
FURNISHING EQUIPMENT RENTAL IS DUE MARCH 26, 2015
AT 2 PM IN THE DIVISION OF PURCHASE. REGISTER AT www.
cnybuys.com TO DOWNLOAD SPECIFICATION DOCUMENTS.
Leave us a comment!
facebook.com/cnyvision
9 www.cnyvision.com | FEb 26 - mar 4 | 2015
NATIONAL
Honoring the Women of the
Civil
Rights Movement, Both Past and Present
First Lady Michelle Obama Honor Women in Civil Rights
By David Hudson
(TriceEdneyWire.com) - In 1957,
Carlotta Walls, a 14-year-old AfricanAmerican girl living in Little Rock,
Arkansas, elected to attend Little
Rock Central High School. One of the
nine students who desegregated the
school, Carlotta was subjected to
constant bullying, physical abuse, and
violent attacks - her parents’ home
was bombed in February of 1960.
Shortly after, she earned her high
school diploma.
In 1961, Charlayne Hunter became
the first African-American woman
to attend the University of Georgia.
Enduring everyday bigotry and racial
slurs, and bottles and bricks thrown
at her windows, Charlayne went on
to get her degree - which has since
propelled her to a successful career as
a journalist with NPR, PBS, CNN, and
the New York Times.
These are just two of the influential
women who took part in a special
panel discussion at the White House
in celebration of Black History Month
Feb. 20. Moderated by Essence Editorin-Chief Vanessa De Luca, the panel
brought together five women who
have played critical roles in America’s
progress on civil rights.
They are: Carlotta Walls LaNier,
youngest member of the Little Rock
Nine; Charlayne Hunter-Gault, activist
and journalist; Sherrilyn Ifill, president
and director-counsel, NAACP Legal
Defense and Educational Fund; Janaye
Ingram, national executive director,
National Action Network; and Chanelle
Hardy, senior vice president for policy,
National Urban League.
First Lady Michelle Obama said in her
introductory remarks, what connects
each of these panelists’ stories is a
“hunger for and belief in the power of
education.
CAPTION: First Lady Michelle Obama delivers remarks at “Celebrating Women of the Movement,” an event honoring Black History Month, in
the East Room of the White House, Feb. 20, 2015. Here, the First Lady introduces moderator Vanessa De Luca, Editor-in-Chief of Essence magazine
and the panel of intergenerational women who have played a pivotal role in the civil rights movement – both past and present. PHOTO: Amanda
Lucidon/The White House
“At some point in their journeys, these
women understood that if they were
going to reach their potential - if they
were going to make a difference not
just for themselves but for this country
- They would have to get a good
education. Every woman on this stage
graduated from college. And some
of them did it at tremendous risk to
themselves and to their families.”
She continued, “Thanks to their
sacrifice, there are no angry mobs
gathering outside our schools. Nobody
needs a military escort to get to class.”
But the First Lady also explained that
too many of our children still face
struggles related to education, and
detailed the work that remains: Too
many of our young people attend
crumbling schools that don’t have the
technology, or the college prep classes,
or the college counseling they need to
complete their education past high
school. And too many of our young
people can’t even envision a better
future for themselves - or if they do,
they aren’t connecting their dreams to
the education they’ll need.
So today, too many of the opportunities
that these women fought for are going
unrealized. “In the end,” she said, “if
we really want to solve issues like
mass incarceration, poverty, racial
profiling, voting rights, and the kinds
of challenges that shocked so many
of us over the past year, then we
simply cannot afford to lose out on the
potential of even one young person.
We cannot allow even one young
person to fall through the cracks.”
Check us out online!
www.cnyvision.com
www.cnyvision.com
10 www.cnyvision.com | feb 26 - mar 4 | 2015
OPINION/EDITORIAL
The views expressed on our opinion pages are those of the author and do not
necessarily represent the position or viewpoint of MRMG or CNY Vision
Rudy Giuliani and the Race to the Bottom
(TriceEdneyWire.
com) - “I do not
believe, and I
know this is a
horrible thing to
say, but I do not
believe that the
president loves
America…He
doesn’t love you.
And he doesn’t
Dr. Wilmer J. love me. He
wasn’t brought
Leon III
up the way you
were brought up and I was brought up
through love of this country.” - Rudy
Giuliani, February 18, 2015
During a private fundraiser for
Republican
presidential
hopeful
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, former
New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani openly
challenged President Barack Obama’s
patriotism by questioning whether
or not he “loves America.” Later, on
Fox Giuliani said that he was “not
questioning [Obama’s] patriotism”.
That sounds like a distinction without
a difference, or as others might say,
“some real BS”.
Mainstream American media created
this myth of Giuliani being “America’s
Mayor” after the 9-11 attacks. He has
subsequently pimped (others might say
parlayed) that into a lucrative security
and anti-terrorism persona. Now he’s
engaged in a race to the bottom with a
number of other Republican crackpots.
Louisiana Governor and Republican
presidential hopeful “Bobby” Jindal
said about Giuliani’s comments, “If you
are looking for someone to condemn
the Mayor, look elsewhere.”
Some are saying that these comments
really don’t matter, it’s just Giuliani
being Giuliani. Rep. Darrell Issa (RCA) tried to defend the indefensible
by stating, “The reality is that Rudy
has taken our debate — and I think
we should thank him for this part of it
— back to national security, to the key
element that the president should be
focusing on…” Let’s be clear, Giuliani
was not focused on policy. He was
focused on pigment and personality.
He used code language and veiled
bigotry to speak to a narrative that
resonates quite well within a particular
segment of the Republican Party.
Giuliani is engaged in a race to the
bottom of political hatred with the
likes of Joe Wilson (R-SC) with his now
infamous “you lie” comment. Mike
Huckabee, the former Republican
governor of Arkansas is one of many
who incorrectly questioned President
Obama’s nationality, “If you think
about it, his perspective as growing
up in Kenya with a Kenyan father…”
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich
said, “What if [Obama] is so outside
our comprehension, that only if you
understand Kenyan, anticolonial
behavior, can you begin to piece
together [his actions]? That is the
most accurate, predictive model for
his behavior.”
Even though the “birther” movement
is all but dead in Republican circles,
some Republican members of
Congress continue to play the “birth
card” as a means of asserting that
the President is something other than
Christian and American. Recently,
Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) was asked
why President Obama prefers not
to use the term “radical Islam.” He
replied, “It’s probably an unfortunate
byproduct of the days when he was
in a Muslim school being taught that
Islam is a religion of peace…” Former
President George W. Bush and Vice
President Cheney must have attended
the same Muslim school as President
Obama since they also refused to use
the term “radical Islam”.
As Robert Draper reports in his book
“Do Not Ask What Good We Do: Inside
the U.S. House of Representatives”,
the obstructionist agenda that was
developed by Newt Gingrich, Frank
Luntz, former Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA)
and others is a clear indication that
these individuals would much rather
vote their hatred than consider what
is in America’s long-term best interest.
Some Democrats also participated in
this obstructionist behavior.
Traditionally, the respect for the office
of the president has outweighed other
US government officials’ dislike for the
man holding the office. The president
is America’s chief diplomat and the
nation’s preeminent spokesman of
American foreign policy. To undermine
the man holding the office of the
president is to undermine America on
the world stage.
All of these efforts to portray President
Obama as “other” and outside the
American norm are a part of the
traditional narrative of associating
America and The American Dream with
whiteness and virtue. In the minds of
too many Americans, whiteness has
been used as the line of demarcation
between “us” and “them”. That’s why
Giuliani felt comfortable saying, “He
doesn’t love you. And he doesn’t love
me. He wasn’t brought up the way you
were brought up and I was brought up
through love of this country” during
a private fundraiser for conservative
candidates. That’s also how Gingrich’s
reference to President Obama as being
“so outside our comprehension” can
go unchallenged.
According
to
Time.com,
DNC
Chairperson Debbie Wasserman
Schultz
called
on
Republican
presidential candidates to repudiate
Giuliani’s remarks on Thursday,
challenging “Jeb Bush. Scott Walker.
Marco Rubio. Now it’s your turn… In
fact, I would challenge my Republican
colleagues and anyone in the
Republican Party to say enough. They
need to start leading.” WassermanSchultz is correct and the same
members of (the) mainstream media
who dubbed Giuliani “America’s
mayor” need to stand up as well
and hold him and his defenders
accountable.
What does it do to the morale of the
American troops when “America’s
Mayor” says that their CommanderIn-Chief does not love his country?
Will Giuliani’s ridiculous statement
become another part of the terrorist
recruiting narrative?
To listen to Giuliani, Gingrich, Jindal
and others and to see how far they
have gone to undermine the president
through the politics of racism and
obstructionism, one has to question
where their loyalties lie. As they drag
the country down in a race to the
bottom…do they really love America?
---------------------Dr. Wilmer Leon is the Producer/ Host of the
Sirius/XM Satellite radio channel 126 call-in
talk radio program “Inside the Issues with
Wilmer Leon” Go to www.wilmerleon.com or
email:[email protected]. www.twitter.com/
drwleon and Dr. Leon’s Prescription at Facebook.
com © 2015 InfoWave Communications, LLC
The History in Your Attic
(TriceEdneyWire.
com) - We gather
together
this
month to lift
up the names
that have been
frequently lifted,
to call the roll
of those African
Americans who
have made a
difference. While
Julianne
some names are
malveaux
the tried and
true names of important leaders,
we need to pay as much attention to
the legacies of those whose lives and
contributions have been swallowed.
Madame CJ Walker’s life and legacy
is no secret. There is a woman who
shares her name though, and she is
rarely lifted up when the roles of black
women in our nation’s history are
mentioned. Maggie Lena Walker, with
a second grade education, established
Penny Savings Bank in Richmond,
Virginia. She was the first African
American woman to establish such a
bank. Through the Great Depression,
and through bank regulation shifts,
some version of Penny Savings Bank
existed until the early twenty-first
century. This woman’s contribution
has been swallowed because it is easy
to ignore her contribution to history.
Madame CJ Walker garnered public
attention, and few realize that she was
not the first to do “black hair”. Annie
Malone developed a thriving hair care
business in St. Louis and surrounding
areas. According to some sources,
she had at least two dozen training
schools in the early twentieth century.
Some say she mentored Madame
CJ Walker. Many acknowledge that
her hair care educational foci were
a model for Madame Walker. Did
Walker, more flamboyant and better
connected, establish a place in history
while Annie Malone and Maggie Lena
Walker could not? What does it say
about Black history when the glitz and
glitter are substitutes for sacrifice and
substance?
Far too often, we expect leaders to
embrace and lift up our black history.
And far too often, we ignore the history
in our attics. We forget the uncle who
was a member of the Brotherhood of
Sleeping Car Porters – an independent
union of sleeping car porters and maids
cont’d on next page
www.cnyvision.com
11 www.cnyvision.com | FEb 26 - mar 4 | 2015
OPINION/EDITORIAL
The views expressed on our opinion pages are those of the author and do not
necessarily represent the position or viewpoint of MRMG or CNY Vision
The History in Your Attic...FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
established in the 1920’s to advocate
for their rights. We forget the aunt
who was a domestic worker in New
York City. We remember the cousin
who was a teacher in Mississippi,
Alabama, or Louisiana (the last states
to desegregate schools), but we have
never explored the sacrifices she
made to manage such a segregated
environment.
These are the names we must call.
We call them when we pour libation.
We call their names and say ache’.
Our next responsibility is to lift their
names up, to claim them as the postal
workers, the civil rights workers, and
the activists. Our next responsibility is
to remind ourselves and those around
us that we don’t have to have a name
to have “cred”.
We glorify those whose names are
represented in the headlines. We
ignore those whose contributions,
albeit important, hover on the
sidelines. We know that we stand on
mighty shoulders, but we are unwilling
and sadly sometimes unable to call
their names.
We call their names when we read
Howard Zinn’s “A Peoples History of
the United States” that exemplifies
“the people’s history”, not the celebrity
history. We own our history and affirm
our connection to it, when we own the
papers in the attic.
As I move around during this Black
History Month, people tell me stories
that they need to tell others. There
was the uncle who took his horn
through the “chitlin circuit” backing up
major artists, and leaving the circuit
when the pull of family took him
home. These are the revolutions that
will not be televised, the stories that
will only be told when we tell them.
We need to tell them year round. It
is a travesty of history to reduce an
accounting of our heritage to a onemonth commemoration of the history
that defines our nation. When we are
unable to recount the occurrences
of Tulsa and Rosewood, of the Red
Summer of 1919 and the Poor People’s
Campaign, we allow our history to be
swallowed and appropriated.
Commemorate Black History Month if
you will. Attend the gatherings at your
churches and colleges. And then go
home and pull the history out of the
attic. If you are a citizen of the world,
race notwithstanding, you have some
hidden history in your attic. When
you share your family stories, you take
ownership in a Black History Month
that is not about those named, but
those unnamed who have made a
critical difference in our lives.
------------------Julianne Malveaux is an author and economist
based in Washington DC
Debunking Corporal Punishment: A Child’s Tale
Wallace
Mabry
Growing up I recall
many instances
where my mother
literally beat my
behind, my back,
my legs, and my
trying-to-blockthe-blows arms
with a shoe, belt,
or an extension
cord.
Infrequently, she
beat me with her fist as she held me
down with her foot.
She would say, “GIVE me something,”
as she looked around for something
close to hand to bring about my
undoing, and to satisfy her frustration
with my disobedience, and my devilish
behavior.
Mama did not play.
My grandmother, on the other hand,
was more inclined to use the switch,
that sturdy but slender branch, with
the bark removed, revealing its wet,
green and glimmering underside,
which would cut into the flesh.
One never forgets those days filled
with wishes, prayers, welts, some
blood, and lots of tears.
My mother was a single parent, raising
me and my older sister. I have no
memory of my father. My mother told
me he was killed by a white man in
Mississippi when I was a baby.
My stepfather and my mother met in
the south, and, with his two children,
we blended into a family unit. The
family moved north.
My sister, my stepbrother, my
stepsister, and I (the youngest of the
four) enjoyed a bonded relationship,
with some back and forth banter
about skin complexions. It was our
inside joke.
I do not remember a time when my
brother did not have my back.
My stepsister (the older of us four)
and I, however, were the focus of the
punishment meted out in the family. I
suppose we were the hard-headed of
the bunch.
My mother disciplined me, and her
father disciplined her.
She and I survived the many beatings
we endured, of course, but we
carried, in addition to the physical
scars we sustained, an abundance of
psychological and emotional scars as
well.
Many black adults today (old school),
who happened to have been raised
up in similar home environments,
continue to hold to that measure of
discipline, regarding those methods as
a sure way to alter, or transform, their
children’s acting out behavior.
However, as much as I would like to say
the punishment meted out to me by
my mother worked to my betterment,
I cannot.
It, in fact, had the opposite effect.
My sense of the world, in microcosm,
was of violence and unremitting
pain. And, I have found the world, in
macrocosm, to be just as violent and
painful for millions of people.
There are those amongst us, I am
sure, who will contend that, although
they use the belt or strap in meting
out discipline to their children, when
necessity calls for it, they do not carry
it to the extremes.
They contend that the few whacks
they deliver to their child’s backside
cannot be construed as abuse or
maltreatment, because they do not
require their child to remove one
stitch of clothing.
These same loving and caring parents
often argue against non-corporal
discipline techniques as advocated
by child protective services, and as
practiced by a plethora of families.
They contend that those techniques,
time-out, taking away privileges,
rewarding good behavior, and the like,
will not and do not impress upon their
children the urgent necessity for a
change in behavior.
If I do not dissuade them, they argue
in respect to their children, in the
home, from their misbehaviors, their
lack of motivation, their disrespect
for the principles of getting ahead in
this society, to they will end up on the
street, selling drugs, getting involved
in drug related violence, or worst, the
police will shoot them and they will
end up dead, in jail or in prison.
www.cnyvision.com
Others view corporal punishment
as a parent’s legitimate right, and
responsibility, to mete out as they
so determine. The police, many will
say, told them they should whip their
child’s behind, but just do not leave
any marks or bruises.
Still others will point out, with no
regard for consequence, that their
children are not going to tell them to
go f---k off, like they hear many white
children tell their parents.
Winning the battle to get black families
turned from corporal to non-corporal
discipline techniques is oftentimes
fraught with many pitfalls.
A child’s potential, generally, is
stymied, in a home rife with crisis after
crisis, brought on by domestic violence,
anger management issues, drug use,
alcoholism, ignorance related to a
lack of parental knowledge of child
development issues, and parents and
guardians too involved in their own life
pursuits to be motivators and positive
role models for their children.
Fortunately, many of these children
find their own successes in life by
looking elsewhere, outside the home,
for love, protection, guidance, and
above all, for the necessary tools with
which they can forge new patterns and
lifestyles for themselves.
Too many others, unfortunately, end
up on the street, superfluous, carrying
on a tradition of hopeless expectations.
12 www.cnyvision.com | feb 26 - mar 4 | 2015
2014-2015
• Storer Auditorium
Friday • Onondaga Community College
t
n
a
v
l
a
S
in
r
o
L
c
M
Cecile
Grammy Nominee
30 pm
February 27 • 4:30 & 7:
: $30
Individual ticket price
TO PURCHASE TICKETS
Call the IBEW/NECA Box Office at the SRC Arena and Events Center at
(315) 498-2772 or order online at www.srcarena.com