By Brandon LarrabeeThe News Service of Florida

Herman Cain, a pizza mag-nate seen as a minor candidate in a crowded field for the GOP nom-ination, scored an upset victory Sept. 24 in the Republican Party of Florida’s Presidency 5 straw poll, raising questions about the standing of the two front-runners and the bellwether status of the fundraising event.

Cain easily won the straw poll with 37.1 percent of the 2,657 ballots cast. Texas Gov. Rick Perry, viewed as the favorite in the event after riding to the top of opinion polls, came in second with 15.4 percent. Former Mas-sachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the nationwide favorite before Perry entered the race, took 14 percent of the ballots.

After those three were for-mer U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania with 10.9 percent; U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, 10.4 percent; former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, 8.4

percent; former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, 2.3 percent; and U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Min-nesota, 1.5 percent.

In a video message to his supporters, Cain reveled in the win.

“Folks, this is what you call momentum... The Herman Cain

train is picking up steam,” he said.

The Perry campaign tried to distance itself from the notion that the loss had hurt the Texas governor’s chances of securing Florida and the nomination in the primary fight, pointing out that Perry had been in the race for less

than two months.“This is a devastating loss

for Mitt Romney,” press secre-tary Mark Miner said. “He’s been running for president for over five years, and he came in third today.”

But Romney had long ago an-nounced he would bypass direct

By Sharon Gilmore BerrianContributing Writer

The Florida State University Black Alumni Association (FSU BAA) is hosting the Black Alum-ni Reunion themed “Seminole State of Mind” in Tallahassee on Oct. 27-30. The reunion will be held the same weekend the Semi-nole football team battles the North Carolina State Wolfpack at

Doak Campbell Stadium.“The FSU Black Alumni As-

sociation Reunion is important because it gives us an opportunity to reconnect to our roots, said Terri “Shay” Alexander, FSU BAA’s reunion chair. “It is the time to renew old bonds, rekindle pride in our alma mater, create traditions and give back to an in-stitution that gave so much to us.”

Alexander says that the FSU

BAA reunion serves as a central event – unifying black alumni from all decades, affiliated with every college and school, Greek-letter organizations and various interest groups.

“The FSU Black Alumni As-sociation’s primary goals are to serve, involve and inform black alumni,” said Connie E. Jenkins-Pye, FSU BAA’s national presi-dent. “This reunion, designed to

be our largest and best ever, will offer many opportunities for in-formation gathering, networking and connecting with profession-als from across the nation.”

The FSU Black Student Union (BSU), led by President Kiaira McCoy, is co-sponsoring various events to provide oppor-tunities for current students to connect with black alumni and

Vol. 37, No. 39: Section 01Vol. 37, No. 39: Section 01 TTallahassee, Floridaallahassee, FloridaTallahassee, FloridaTTallahassee, FloridaT Sept. 29 - Oct. 5, 201Sept. 29 - Oct. 5, 20111

Inside

Briefs

This Week’s Word

50 Cents

Ministry Fair 7

PRST STD

U.S. PO

STAG

E PAID

Tallahassee, FLPerm

it No. 562

AD

DR

ESS SERVIC

E REQ

UESTED

LOCAL/NATIONAL / 3LOCAL/NATIONAL / 3OPINION / 4OPINION / 4EDUCATION / 5EDUCATION / 5RELIGION / 6RELIGION / 6COMMUNITY NEWS/ 7 COMMUNITY NEWS/ 7

“Blessed are the merci-“Blessed are the merci-ful: for they shall obtain ful: for they shall obtain

mercy.”mercy.”

Matthew 5:7 (KJV)

www.capitaloutlook.com

See REUNION, Page 2

See CAIN, Page 2

1363 E. Tennessee St, Tallahassee, Fla. 32310

Money flows in TallahasseeWillie Sutton robbed banks

because “that’s where the money because “that’s where the money is.” Sometimes it seems as if is.” Sometimes it seems as if Florida legislators head back Florida legislators head back to the Capitol for committee meetings for the same reason. meetings for the same reason. A captive audience of lobbyists A captive audience of lobbyists is simply too much for many lawmakers to resist. Here it lawmakers to resist. Here it is September, with the next is September, with the next election more than a year away, and fundraising is approaching a fever pitch, with a long list of a fever pitch, with a long list of $500-a-person “receptions” this week. Taxpayers are paying for week. Taxpayers are paying for all 160 lawmakers to attend an abbreviated three-day “week” of House and Senate committee sessions. As the afternoons wind sessions. As the afternoons wind down though, Adams Street down though, Adams Street teems with commerce – the political kind.political kind.

Gov. Scott, GOP consider Gov. Scott, GOP consider taking courts out of foreclosure process

The push is on in Florida to cut the courts out of the foreclosure process. Supporters of the concept – which is used in nearly 30 states – say it will speed nearly 30 states – say it will speed foreclosures; get houses back foreclosures; get houses back onto the real estate market and onto the real estate market and boost the economy. Opponents boost the economy. Opponents say it puts property owners at say it puts property owners at the mercy of banks. Gov. Rick the mercy of banks. Gov. Rick Scott, House Speaker Dean Cannon and Senate President Cannon and Senate President Mike Haridopolos all say they are interested in considering legislation to change Florida laws so judges won’t have to referee so judges won’t have to referee foreclosures. And the House Civil Justice Subcommittee on Sept. 20 heard a presentation on foreclosures detailing states that foreclosures detailing states that include courts in the process versus those that don’t. Bottom versus those that don’t. Bottom line: Foreclosures take longer line: Foreclosures take longer and are more expensive in states that involve courts, said state economist Amy Baker.

Florida State University black alumni to host reunion

Person of the Week

See POW, Page 2

Florida A&M: Beyond the hill

The power of the African-American consumer. . . Page 2

A Seminole state of mind

Connie E. Jenkins-Pye

See FAMU, Page 2

By Sharon Gilmore BerrianContributing Writer

When Connie E. Jenkins-Pye began her tenure as the national president of the Florida State Uni-versity Black Alumni Association (FSU BAA) in August, it put this three-time FSU graduate in prime position to do even more of what she loves doing – helping others and giving back to the alma ma-ter that has meant so much to her over the years.

The FSU BAA was founded in 1983 and is an officially char-tered affiliate of the FSU Alumni Association, and is incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in the state of Florida. As its presi-dent, Jenkins-Pye now leads a fast-growing national association that provides a powerful frame-

Cain easily won the straw poll with 37.1 percent of the 2,657 ballots cast. Texas Gov. Rick Perry, came in second with 15.4 percent. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney took 14 percent of the ballots.

By Terrika MitchellOutlook Staff Writer

Those coming to “the Hill” this Homecoming season have a special occasion to commemorate – the beginning of Florida A&M University’s year-long 125th an-niversary celebration. The event is scheduled to open with the President’s Gala – an annual Homecoming treat – on Oct. 7. This milestone is especially mo-mentous for alumni, who will be recognized for establishing a leg-acy of excellence, and for current and future generations of Rattlers who stride in the footsteps of black leaders and innovators.

“This is an exhilarating and monumental milestone in Florida A&M University’s history,” said FAMU President James H. Am-mons. “As we honor FAMU’s quasquicentennial and reflect on

the university’s achievements, I can not think of a better way to signal the commemoration’s of-signal the commemoration’s of-signal the commemoration’s official launch than to honor a leg-end [William P. Foster] who was a key figure in the life and history of FAMU.”

FAMU has come a long way since it was founded as the State Normal College for Colored Stu-dents with two instructors and 15 students. By 1905, it was estab-lished as an institution of higher learning under the Board of Con-trol’s management. Five years later, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical College for Negroes (FAMC) awarded its first degrees.

In the spirit of expansion, which the school excelled in both physically and internally between 1924-1968, FAMC was declared a university by the Florida legis-lature in 1953.

Former presidents such as:

Thomas DeSaille Tucker, Nathan B. Young, John Robert Edward Lee Sr., George W. Gore and Benjamin L. Perry established the university as a stellar institu-tion in the fields of medicine, law and education.

Consequently, the un-matched blood, sweat and tears of past FAMU administrators is why Black Issues in Higher Edu-cation recognized the university for awarding more baccalaure-ate degrees to African Americans than any other institution in this nation in 1999. FAMU was also named the first recipient of the Time Magazine-Princeton Re-view College of the Year in 1997 under then President Dr. Freder-ick S. Humphries, who is also an alumnus of the college.

When a season of unex-pected turbulent times came for the university, such as the uni-

President James H. Ammons

FSU BAA Spring 2011 Graduation Celebration at FSU Alumni Center

Cain win in Florida straw poll upends Florida race

Photo by CHARLIE A. JACKSON/FSUBAA PHOTOGRAPHERPhoto by CHARLIE A. JACKSON/FSUBAA PHOTOGRAPHERPhoto by

2 www.capitaloutlook.com Sept. 29 - Oct. 5, 2011Capital OutlookReunion from Page 1

competition in the straw poll event, and was one of three GOP candidates – along with Bachmann and former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, who was not on the ballot – who didn’t either present a case to the GOP delegates or send a surrogate to do so for him.

Perry, on the other hand, did contest the event, with surrogates includ-ing Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon taking to the stage to defend him. And Perry had been pummeled in the press and by con-servative pundits for his performance in the Sept. 23 presidential debate and a remark suggesting those who opposed one of his more moderate policies on immigration were heart-less.

Even some of Perry’s supporters at the straw poll said those debate snags might have hurt his show-ing.

“I think he’s going to have to go back and talk a little more about the im-

migration issue,” said Mar-ion County GOP Chair-man Roy Abshier, a Perry backer.

Matt McCary, an Or-ange Park resident, said Cain had won his support during the straw poll and the primary itself with his showing this weekend.

“The first time I heard Herman Cain speak, that did it for me,” he said.

Cain’s final, fiery speech, shortly before dele-gates headed to vote, clear-ly electrified the crowd.

He drew repeated standing ovations by draw-ing on the Declaration of Independence – at one point telling delegates, “We’ve got some altering and abolishing to do” – and Ronald Reagan’s famously optimistic description of America.

“Let’s push that shin-ing city on a hill back up to the top of the hill,” he said.

It’s unclear whether Cain can transfer the ener-gy of the victory to the bal-lot box in the state’s yet-to-

be-scheduled GOP primary. The former CEO of Godfa-ther’s Pizza and cancer sur-vivor’s only prior run for office was a bid for a U.S. Senate seat in Georgia. He finished a distant second to then-Congressman Johnny Isakson in the Republican primary, though he beat out another incumbent con-gressman in that race.

Bachmann, after all, won the Iowa Straw Poll last month before her last-place showing Saturday.

But party leaders have pushed for weeks the no-tion that the Florida event often predicts the winner of the nomination. Reagan won the event in 1979, followed by George H.W. Bush in 1987 and Bob Dole in 1995.

“As Florida goes, so goes the nation. And as you go, so goes Florida,” Gov. Rick Scott said Saturday, before the results were an-nounced.

Cain’s upstart bid could put that theory to the test.

Cain from Page 1

work for black alumni to meet for “academic, social and other alumni-oriented purposes.”

“I am so honored and humbled by this wonderful opportunity to serve,” said Jenkins-Pye. “Our associa-tion has been involved in an array of efforts that posi-tively impact black student life at FSU. Among many other things, over the years we have been actively in-volved in the recruitment and retention of black stu-dents, faculty and staff. We have also assisted in the promotion and devel-opment of activities and programs that support our students.”

Jenkins-Pye has a his-tory of service to FSU. In addition to serving the BAA in several offices, she is a life member of the FSU Alumni Association, a member of the Seminole Boosters and a member of the FSU Foundation’s Westcott Legacy Society, where she has given an es-tate gift in support of the FSU BAA and FSU Alum-ni Association.

“I believe strongly that to whom much is given, much is required,” Jenkins-Pye said.

This is exemplified

through her life’s work and volunteer efforts. She is a trustee and on several other boards at Bethel Af-rican Methodist Episcopal Church; a life member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and NAACP; sits on the advisory coun-cils of several Leon County schools and works avidly with local and national organizations supporting social workers. She has nu-merous awards recognizing her service.

When Jenkins-Pye is not volunteering her time, she is a case manager with the Tallahassee Police De-partment’s Serious Habitu-al Offender Comprehensive Action Program – counsel-ing at-risk juveniles who have had encounters with law enforcement.

“Connie epitomizes the spirit of a true public servant and she is well-known and well-respected at FSU and throughout our community,” said Terri “Shay” Alexander, FSU BAA’s Reunion chair. “The National Black Alumni As-sociation is in good hands with her. With Connie’s energy, vision and can-do spirit, I know that the best is yet to come.”

Jenkins-Pye’s first ma-

jor assignment is to work with Alexander and her committee on this year’s re-union efforts. The reunion, themed “Black Alumni Reunion: Seminole State of Mind,” will be held in Tallahassee on Oct. 27-30, during the weekend that the FSU football team hosts the North Carolina State Wolf-pack.

“This reunion is well-planned and offers many activities for current and returning Seminoles,” said Jenkins-Pye. “Beyond pro-viding an excellent venue to reunite, network and increase our membership, this event will also give us an opportunity to recognize some distinguished alumni, get university updates from FSU officials and support some current students with needed scholarship funds. We are encouraging all FSU black alumni to at-tend.”

When not working on community and volunteer efforts, Jenkins-Pye and her husband, Benjamin, en-joy traveling and ballroom dancing.

“Both are great outlets for my energy and passion for learning new things,” said Jenkins-Pye.

POW from Page 1

special guests. Alumni will also have an opportunity to hear about key develop-ments and new programs at FSU from Tom Jennings, Ph.D., vice president for university advancement and Vice President Liz Maryanski, who heads uni-versity relations.

Moreover, the reunion will recognize distin-guished alumni, including Leon County Judge Nina Ashenafi-Richardson and J. Marshall Shepherd, Ph.D..

Ashenafi-Richardson received her undergraduate degree and juris doctorate from FSU. Married to for-mer State Representative Curtis Richardson, also an FSU alumnus, Ashenafi-Richardson has served as legal counsel for the Florida Education Association, was the first African-American president of the Tallahassee Bar Association, was the first black attorney to lead Tallahassee Women Law-yers, served on the Legal Aid Foundation board and has an impressive record of community service.

Shepherd is the first African American to re-ceive a Ph.D. in meteorol-ogy from FSU, a profes-sor in the department of geography and director of the atmospheric sciences program at the University of Georgia. Shepherd has also worked with NASA and provided consultation to the White House, Pen-tagon and has been inter-

viewed on several network television shows because of his expertise on weather, climate and remote sensing.

FSU BAA will also award scholarships to three deserving students.

There are numerous other events planned for the reunion. The schedule includes an Old School v. New School Basketball Challenge, at the Law-rence-Gregory Community Center. The FSU BAA and BSU are co-sponsoring this event to engage the com-munity served by the cen-ter, and half-time entertain-ment will be provided by a local youth group.

Donations will be ac-cepted to support the FSU Dance Marathon, which is the university’s largest student-operated philan-thropy. The money raised will benefit the Children’s Miracle Network at Shands Children’s Hospital and the FSU College of Medi-cine’s pediatric outreach programs.

“The BSU selected this charity because 100 percent of the proceeds directly benefit children of Tal-

lahassee and surrounding areas, including minority children in need of medical services,” said McCoy.

Other events include an awards and recognition luncheon, the Seminole Soul Reunion tailgate, FSU football game, the FSU BAA annual meeting – an annual celebration event hosted by Parks and Crump Law Firm – and much more.

“As the BAA often states – ‘only one thing is greater than the power of an individual striving to make a difference and that is many individuals work-ing together toward a com-mon goal,’ ” said Alexan-der. “That is certainly true of those who have come to-gether to make this reunion a successful one, and we are excited by the alumni response we have already received.”

For detailed informa-tion or to download a regis-tration form, go to alumni.fsu.edu. Click “Get In-volved,” then Black Alum-ni. Contact Shay Alexander at (850) 590-7732 or shay-alexander@hotmail.com.

versity being placed on probation by the Southern Association of Colleges and School’s (SACS) Com-mission on Colleges for its unsatisfactory report in a state audit, Ammons and his team worked diligently to have this status removed.

In a grand gesture of redemption, FAMU’s ad-ministration and educa-tors continue to recruit and produce national achievers. A preliminary report from the Office of Institutional Research recorded student enrollment at 13, 284, as of Oct. 2010 – a record-high

mark, especially after ex-periencing a slight decline in enrollment from 2004 to 2008 according to FAMU’s 2009-2010 fact book.

U.S. News and World Report estimates the uni-versity freshman retention rate at 82 percent. In Au-gust, the fully-accredited College of Law welcomed its largest class of students. FAMU has also remained a Tier I HBCU – ranking No. 10 in the U.S. News and World Report 2012 HBCU standings, and the No. 1 public HBCU in its category.

Queen of Orange and Green Ciera Hall, a fourth year graphic design stu-dent, said the spirit of the university is “alive and well.”

“We’re just in the stage of re-energizing the old rat-tler spirit,” Hall said.

She said that keeping tradition alive and, “having pride while doing it all,” has been a key element for the university’s progres-sion under Ammons’ direc-tion.

Terrika Mitchell can be contacted at tmitchell@capitaloutlook.com.

FAMU from Page 1

FSU BAA members at 2010 Homecoming registration.Photo By CHARLIE A. JACKSON

The power of the African-American consumerSpecial to the Outlook

African-Americans’ buying power is expected to reach $1.1 trillion by 2015, according to The State of the African-American Consumer from Nielsen and the National Newspa-per Publishers Association (NNPA), a federation of more than 200 black com-munity newspapers across the U.S. This growing eco-nomic potential presents an opportunity for Fortune 500 companies to exam-ine and further understand this important, flourishing market segment. Likewise, when consumers are more aware of their buying pow-er, it can help them make informed decisions about the companies they choose to support.

“Too often, compa-nies don’t realize the in-herent differences of our community, are not aware of the market size impact and have not optimized ef-forts to develop messages

beyond those that coincide with Black History Month,” said Cloves Campbell, NNPA chairman.

Report Highlights• With a buying power of nearly $1 trillion annually, if African-Americans were a country, they’d be the 16th largest country in the world.• The number of African-American households earn-ing $75,000 or higher grew by almost 64 percent, a rate close to 12 percent greater than the change in the over-all population’s earning between 2000 and 2009. This continued growth in affluence, social influence and household income will continue to impact the com-munity’s economic power.• African Americans make more shopping trips than all other groups, but spend

less money per trip. African Americans in higher in-come brackets, also spend 300 percent more in high-er-end retail grocers more than any other high income household.• There were 23.9 million active African-American Internet users in July 2011 – 76 percent of whom vis-ited a social networking/blog site.• 33 percent of all African Americans own a smart-phone.• African Americans use more than double the amount of mobile phone voice minutes compared to Whites – 1,298 minutes a month vs. 606.• The percentage of African Americans attending col-lege or earning a degree has increased to 44 percent for men and 53 percent for women.

3www.capitaloutlook.comLocal/National Sept. 29 - Oct. 5, 2011

Special to the Outlook

On Oct. 1, the Tallahassee Regional Airport will proudly host the Airport Funfest and BBQ Challenge from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the General Aviation Area just west of the airport.

The event features a Florida sanctioned BBQ competition. In addition, there will be kids’ activities, live music, arts and crafts, aircraft and car displays, food and

beverage concessions and family fun!

The Experimental Aircraft Association, Chapter 445, will be providing free introductory flights to students between the ages of 8 and 17 years. Attendees (18 years or older) will also have the opportunity to enter into a drawing to win some fabulous prizes by donating $1 to the United Way! This free event is open to the public.

Tallahassee Regional Airport hosts Airport Funfest & BBQ Challenge

FAMU’s young alumni provide scholarships through annual luncheon

We’ve done the math for you.We’ve made sure shopping at Publix can be as economical as it is pleasant. We put hundreds of items on sale every week. Our easy-to-spot shelf signs point out the deals and your register receipt will tally up your savings for you. Go to publix.com/save right now to make plans to save this week.

to save here.

By Lorraine Cortes-VazquezSpecial to the Outlook

For many of us, part of the journey of living life to its fullest is the desire to leave a legacy - to make certain we have marked our passage through life by making the world a better place.

AARP’s founder Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, began with this mission in mind. She summed it up as “To serve, not to be served” – words that guide our work more than 50 years later.

Helping others and be-ing of service, especially to those who have had fewer opportunities or whose cir-cumstances place them in need, is something each of us can do. You don’t have to be rich, or be a celebrity and you don’t need to be a hero.

Each of us has some-thing to contribute. Each of us can ease the way for someone else.

AARP has been dedi-cated to serving others for more than 50 years. But times change. We knew that if AARP were to continue being a powerful force for social change, we needed to redefine volunteerism and to create new volun-teer opportunities. Today, time-challenged individu-als need volunteer oppor-tunities that are flexible and adaptable to fit within their active lifestyle. Given our increasingly diverse nation, AARP also sought to expand our engagement with multicultural volun-teers and communities. It is an important step, since Dr.

Andrus also said, “What we do, we do for all.” She wanted to insure no one was left behind. Today, AARP continues to fulfill her mission.

According to an AARP survey of Americans ages 44 to 79, about four in 10 people expect to spend more time volunteering when they retire, and about four in 10 retirees actually volunteer more. Among the most likely to say they want to increase their volunteer service are African Ameri-cans and Hispanics.

Yet, many said they hadn’t volunteered, simply because no one had asked them to give of their time to help. If asked, they said, they would volunteer.

AARP is asking! Join us. We have flexible, adapt-able opportunities to suit every schedule and capac-ity. And we are eagerly seeking volunteers to con-nect with diverse commu-nities to reach individuals with needs we can help ad-

dress. Join us. We need you, and your

neighbors and communities need you, to volunteer for AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide Program, the nation’s largest free, volunteer-ran tax preparation and assis-tance service available to low and moderate-income taxpayers. Please visit aarp.org/tavolunteer8 for more information.

We need you to help alleviate hunger among Americans age 50+, which has spiked nearly 80 per-cent since 2001, hitting the middle class, Hispanics and African Americans hardest. Through Drive to End Hun-ger, AARP Foundation has donated more than three million meals through local hunger relief organizations. Please visit drivetoendhun-ger.org to find out how you can help.

Helping others is something each of us can do

Special to the Outlook

Each year, Florida A&M University (FAMU) alumni return to “The Hill” to reunite with Rattlers from across the nation for the annual Homecoming celebration.

For one group, it’s also an opportunity for former students to do their part in ensuring FAMU continues to change lives and create memories for generations to come.

The Young Alumni Giving Campaign was cre-ated in 2006, and includes the annual Young Alumni

Giving Luncheon. This year’s event, The

Seventh Annual Young Alumni Giving Luncheon: Giving Back to the Future, is scheduled for Oct. 7 at 12:45 p.m. at The Gover-nor’s Club in Tallahassee.

“The Young Alumni Giving Luncheon provides a venue for young alumni to fellowship, reflect on their time on ‘The Hill,’ and most importantly, give back to students of FAMU,” said Event Chair Andre T. Hammel, FAMU’s 2002-2003 Student Government Association president. “Supporting events such

as YAG strengthens the bond between alumni and the university, while creat-ing scholarships for current and future Rattlers. This initiative is the ultimate win-win.”

This year’s Young Alumni Giving Luncheon will feature speakers:

• Marvin Green, FAMU di-rector of Student Activities;

• Tiffany Greene, sports reporter with Bright House Sports Network in Orlando;

• Derric Heck, architect and founder of I.Design, a

design, programming and project management con-sulting firm; and

• Arian Reed, publicist (Stomp the Yard) and pub-lisher of Fearless Maga-zine.

Past speakers for the event have included FAMU President James H. Am-mons, NFL Attorney Joe Briggs, Film Producer Will Packer; and Janelle Carter, former senior advisor and speechwriter for then-Sec-retary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Tickets are $50 and may be purchased at the

door or online at https://secure.qgiv.com/for/famu/event/3861/.

Donations are also being accepted. Proceeds from the event will go to-wards two scholarships: A summer tuition scholar-ship (six credit hours) for a current FAMU freshman who demonstrates finan-cial need; the second for an exam prep course (LSAT, GMAT, MCAT or GRE) for a graduating FAMU senior.

Lorraine Cortes-Vazquez

Marvin Green will be the keynote speaker for the luncheon.

By Craig KirbySpecial to the NNPA from Amer-ica’s Wire

P r e s i d e n t Barack Obama has seen better

days. But it would be a mistake to conclude that he can’t win re-election, despite his dismal poll numbers.

At the moment, the president is quickly discovering that for ev-ery foreign and domestic policy issue, there can be a political con-sequence. In the Middle East, he seeks to craft a policy fair to both sides, but that leads to attacks at home that he has abandoned Isra-el. He tries to act responsibly and reduce the federal budget deficit, but that looks like “selling out” to many who are in his Democratic base and still reeling from the re-cession.

Obama’s core political prob-lem, however, results from failure to establish himself as a strong leader, one willing to fight ag-gressively for what’s best for the country rather than taking his scholarly, deliberate approach. What Americans want is not nec-essarily a president who is always right but someone who stands and fights for them. They want a gut feeling that the president is on their side, that he understands struggles they face to keep or find jobs, and not to lose their homes facing foreclosure.

This president’s decline cer-tainly seems based much more on how people “feel” about their leader than his specific policies. He needs to get out of the White House to Ohio, Pennsylvania,

Michigan, West Virginia and New Mexico. He needs to prove that he is not aloof and under-stands challenges that millions of Americans, especially those in the heartland, face every day. And, when he’s on the grand stage in Washington, he must be the leader that Americans thought they were electing.

The president can’t make this comeback by himself. He needs a team that understands the pulse of the country. How could his advisers possibly think that unveiling a deficit-cutting plan that results in headlines about tax increases would be a wise politi-cal move? Instead, how about a headline saying that the president won’t allow working families to lose their homes to foreclosures and that he vows to continue the federal role in helping Americans purchase homes?

That would be leadership and smart politics.

Republicans shouldn’t start victory celebrations just yet. Election results in Jacksonville, Fla., this spring may have been overlooked in Washington but may be a good barometer for the national electorate.

Florida’s largest city is in a conservative region that tradi-tionally tilts heavily toward the GOP. Yet an African American, Alvin Brown became the city’s first black mayor by defeating a Tea Party candidate last May. Brown was the first Democrat in 20 years to sit in the Jacksonville mayor’s office.

One can only conclude that extremist positions promoted by the tea party were too outrageous for even Jacksonville’s conserva-

tive electorate. The late Lee Atwater, archi-

tect of Republican victories in the 1980s, used to court the South assiduously as a GOP electoral base. But at the same time, he would caution privately that a backlash would occur if this pow-erful base were perceived as driv-ing national policy for the Repub-lican Party, which needed themes that could also win voters in other parts of the country.

Brown’s victory certainly raises questions of whether the GOP’s presidential candidates can run viable general election campaigns after aggressively courting the tea party during the party’s nomination process. The scenario seems to mirror presi-dential politics in the 1980s when Vice President Walter F. Mondale and Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis were dismal general election candidates after wooing liberals to win the Democratic presidential nominations in 1984 and 1988, respectively.

In his mayoral campaign, Brown also won by displaying savvy political skills. These are traits that he surely learned as a close ally of Ronald H. Brown (no relation), the former secretary of commerce and Democratic Na-tional Committee chairman who led the party’s rebirth that result-ed in Bill Clinton’s presidential victory in 1992. Alvin Brown was seen as more of a centrist than a liberal. He opposed tax increases and gained key financial support from leading Republican fund-raisers. He built a broad coali-tion in Jacksonville, much as Ron Brown had done two decades ago for the Democratic Party.

Most important, Alvin Brown was able to gain support from whites while aggressively energizing a base of African Americans. In fact, one of the campaign’s strategies was to sig-nificantly increase the black turn-out, which it accomplished.

Brown also gave voters rea-sons to like him. He came across as energetic, aggressive and con-fident yet humble, hardworking and the type of person with val-ues who was at ease joining any-one for a beer, a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.

As unusual as it may sound, perhaps the president of the United States could learn lessons about politics and personality from the new mayor of Jackson-ville.

Craig Kirby is a Washington-based political consultant, who managed Alvin Brown’s mayoral campaign and was its chief strat-egist. America’s Wire is an inde-pendent, non-profit news service run by the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education. For more information, visit americaswire.org or contact Michael K. Frisby at mike@frisbyassociates.com.

By Judge Greg Mathis

D u r i n g A m e r i c a ’ s “dark years,” when segrega-tion was the

law of the land, African Ameri-cans were often terrorized by white racists, who simply could not stand the site of them.

These individuals could not turn to the justice system for help: the local sheriff was often among the group of men they feared would beat or lynch them.

Law enforcement was one of many tools that were used to oppress blacks; unfortunately, things are not much different in modern times. Instead of, while in prison, having access to the

services needed to turn their lives around, black men and women face economic exploitation.

The United States imprisons more people than any other de-veloped nation – one person for every 100. When you drill down and look at the numbers more closely, you’ll see that 40 percent of those incarcerated in Ameri-ca’s jails and prisons are black and that one in nine black men between the ages of 20 and 34 is locked down.

A lot of policies led to these race-based discrepancies, biased drug laws and mandatory jail sentences for drug users among them.

While it’s tragic that so many of our brothers and sisters end up in prison, often for low-level, non-violent drug crimes, the real

tragedy is the billions of dollars private companies are making while our people rot in jail. There are over 200 privately operated prisons in this country – meaning they are not government managed – and, collectively, are raking in so much money that Wall Street considers them safe “bets.” And why wouldn’t they?

The justice system has no desire to rehabilitate offenders or, most importantly, work to keep troubled individuals out of the system in the first place.

No, they’d rather create a cycle of recidivism that ensures the profits keep rolling in.

We can’t, however, blame government for everything. Even though many of the facts seem to show that the justice system seems to works against African

Americans, we have to be smarter and do better. If we know that criminal activity and drug use will lead us to prison, then we have to walk a straighter path. We can begin to fight back by using the education system. Even if that system isn’t in the best of shape, we can, as many have done, use what it does offer and improve our lot in life.

Of course, we should – and will – continue to fight against in-justices and exploitation. But we must make sure we don’t fall into the trap that has been set for us.

To contact Judge Greg Mathis, visit askjudgemathis.com.

Capital Outlook

Published by LIVE Communications, Inc.

1363 East Tennessee St.

Tallahassee, FL 32308

Capital Outlook Bulk Rate,

Permit No. 562 Postage Paid at

Tallahassee, FloridaSend address changes

to Capital Outlook

1363 East Tennessee St.

Founded in 1975 byStephen K. Beasley

Publisher/PresidentRev. Dr. R.B. Holmes, Jr.

Associate Editor

Education EditorDr. Ronald W. Holmes

Youth EditorDelaitre J. Hollinger

Office ManagerTaralisha M. Sanders

Distribution/Graphic Design

Advertising(850) 877-0105

advertising@capitaloutlook.com

Editorial and Advertising Office

1363 East Tennessee St.Tallahassee, FL 32308Phone: (850) 877-0105

Fax: (850) 877-5110Email:

info@capitaloutlook.comWebsite:

www.capitaloutlook.comAnnual subscription

rate: $40Published weekly on

ThursdayAdvertising and

Information Deadline: 5 p.m. the

preceding ThursdayOffice Hours

8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

4 www.capitaloutlook.com Opinion Sept. 29 - Oct. 5, 2011

For prison profiteers, it’s full-speed ahead

Debilitating poverty is corrosiveBy Julianne Malveaux NNPA Columnist

The fall of the Roman Empire is best captured in the

phrase that “Nero fiddled while Rome burned.” Set on pursuing his own pleasures and indulgenc-es, Nero could not see the walls crumbling around him. Similarly, our leaders seem oblivious to the walls crashing in on us, bickering about the way that relief on our employment situation should be structured, while poverty rates are soaring.

The data that came out last Sept. 13 included no surprises, but in some ways, it was a stun-ning indictment of the economic gridlock that has plagued us for the past year.

While Congress has been yammering on about debt ceil-ings, more and more Americans are without work; more and more have experienced poverty.

The poverty rate rose from 14.3 percent to 15.1 percent between 2009 and 2010. That means that the number of poor Americans grew by 2.6 million people, from 43.6 million to 46.2 million. For the past three years the poverty rate has continued to rise, and income has continued to

decline. In the past year, the av-erage income has dropped by 2.3 percent to $49,445. Of course, the African-American level of income saw a steeper decline, from $33,122 to $32,068, or by 3.2 percent. While median black income dropped by more than a thousand dollars a year, white in-come, from a higher perch, saw a lesser decline of about $900, or from $52,717 to $51,846, about 1.7 percent. With much less, Af-rican Americans are hit much harder.

Thus, while the overall pov-erty rate is 15.1 percent, it is 27.4 percent for African Americans, 26.6 percent for Hispanics, and 9.9 percent for whites. More than 40 percent of African-American children live in poverty. There are further indications of increased poverty and dire news for years to come. There are 2 million more “doubled up” households, mean-ing that more than one family is living in the same home. Yes, we used to do this “back in the day,” but today entire families are mov-ing in together because of eco-nomic exigencies. Poverty rates for youngsters, those under 18, have risen from 20.7 to 22 per-cent.

Nearly a third of those fami-lies headed by women are in pov-erty, and women are still earning 77 percent of what men earn. Are

civil rights laws being enforced in this age of so-called fiscal pru-dence, or would the likes of Mi-chelle Bachman throw the civil rights agencies under the bus, as she promises to do with the De-partment of Education if she is elected president?

As poverty rises, the num-ber of Americans without health insurance is also on the rise. 49.9 million people, one in six Ameri-cans, have no health insurance. For African Americans, it’s one in five; for Hispanics, it’s nearly one in three.

Those who sit at the margins of this economy languish there without the ability to deal with preventive health care, and un-able to afford medical treatment in times of illness. This erodes our national productivity and well being. Why can’t health care be a simple human right in our nation?

The Census report “Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2010” details the ways that pov-erty has increased in just one year.

In some countries, this would be a cause for alarm. In the United States, it seems to be business as usual. While poverty strikes our communities harder than it does others, the fact is that we have more people in poverty than we have had since we began to measure poverty in 1959, and

we’ve only seen poverty at this level twice since 1965. Then, we declared a war on poverty. Now, we seem content to accept it.

Those who are poor are victims of a corroded economy. While many would like to blame the 46.2 million Americans who are experiencing poverty, the real culprit is our nation’s economic failure. We are economically unhealthy, we are not generat-ing jobs, compelling investment or focusing on our future. Our children have fewer prospects that many of us had because even those who follow the rules find the payoff lower and the risks higher.

This does not mean that we should give up. It means that we should organize and galvanize ourselves to take our economy back.

Dozens of congressional representatives have ignored the poverty data, but they wouldn’t be able to ignore it if we grabbed their attention. More than 40 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. planned a Poor People’s Campaign. Who will plan it now?

Julianne Malveaux is presi-dent of Bennett College for Wom-en in Greensboro, N.C.

Lessons of Jacksonville mayor’s race could aid President Obama

Mayor Alvin Brown

Ronald W. Holmes, Ph.D.Education Editor/Vice Presi-dent

If something “looks like a duck, swims like a duck and sounds like a duck, then it probably is a duck.” The duck test sug-gests that an individual can recognize an unknown subject by observing the subject’s known character-istics.

While school districts are faced with the chal-lenge of effectively observ-ing teachers in the class-rooms and linking their assessments to student per-formance, the questions to be asked are: Is there a fair evaluation system for grad-ing teachers? What are the core principles of an evalu-ation system as determined by a state education agen-cy? What are the debates surrounding the issue of an evaluation system tied to student performance?

Collectively, A Nation at Risk Report of 1983, the Educate America Act of 1994 and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 all have played a role in shaping the expectations for fair evalu-ation systems and school accountability. According

to research, school districts with successful evaluation systems implement based on what was planned, en-sure that all parties of the district understand the in-strument and consistently use the results from the in-strument. In addition, these school districts require that the evaluation systems are interwoven with the dis-trict’s mission, focus on student achievement and ensure that professional development and teacher evaluation are connected and continuous.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie recently an-nounced they are piloting an evaluation system to grade teachers in 11 school districts. These school dis-tricts were selected among 30 districts in New Jersey that applied for the $1.1 million in grants to collab-oratively implement the pi-lot system in their schools for the 2011-2012 school year. Their role will be to establish a framework that can be used to implement a new evaluation system for all school districts in New Jersey for the 2012-2013 school year. Acting Com-missioner of Education

for New Jersey Chris Cerf noted that the “pilot dis-tricts will have flexibility in implementing a framework that best fit their needs and that adhere to several core principles.”

According to Cerf, the core principles require “teachers to be evaluated on the basis of multiple measures that include both learning outcomes and ef-learning outcomes and ef-learning outcomes and effective practice with about 50 percent associated with each” category and to re-ceive training that provides a direct link between the results of the evaluation and professional devel-opment opportunities for continuous improvement. Those teachers who teach non-tested subjects and grades will be evaluated on the basis of student work

in the classroom. Teachers who work with the school’s highest need students will be excluded from being penalized and evaluated on the basis of student prog-ress instead of absolute performance. Finally, the evaluation ratings of inef-evaluation ratings of inef-evaluation ratings of ineffective, partially effective, effective or highly effective would replace the satisfac-tory and unsatisfactory type ratings. Cerf reported that these principles “will serve as a means to significantly improve current practice while evaluating teachers on how well they teach and how much their students improve” in the educational environment.

While Massachusetts’ Department of Elemen-tary and Secondary Educa-tion has also implemented an evaluation system this school year to include stan-dardized test scores as a part of the teacher evalu-ation, a lawsuit has been filed against New York State’s Board of Regents (NYSBR). The lawsuit is regarding the degree of weight assigned to the stan-dardized test for the teacher evaluation. For example, the NYSBR seeks to have

test scores to count for 40 percent of the teacher eval-uation. The plaintiff in the lawsuit seeks to have 20 percent of the test scores tied to the teacher evalua-tion combined with another 20 percent tied to multiple measures from student growth in the educational setting.

As part of the Race to the Top grant program, U.S. states are encouraged to build data systems that measure student growth and success, inform teach-ers and principals how to improve instruction and reward teachers and princi-pals for positive outcomes. However, some educators believe that it is impossible to have an evaluation or merit pay system because it is difficult to create a fair and accurate system for evaluating and reward-ing performance. Others believe that in order for an evaluation or merit pay system to be effective, you should use multiple data sources to assess teacher effectiveness.

In other words, the system should not just measure the productiv-ity of teachers in the class-

room, but it should also measure other elements of the teacher’s workplace such as student attendance and discipline, teacher at-tendance and evaluation, parental involvement, pro-fessional development and school safety; and then as-sess how all of these ele-ments have an impact on student achievement such as students’ readiness for college and careers, gradu-ation rate, and reading and mathematics proficiency on standardized tests. If the goals are met as established at the beginning of the year, the teachers should receive a favorable evalu-ation and reward for their performance. Consequent-ly, school districts can say, humorously, if it looks like a good teacher evaluation then it probably is a good teacher evaluation.

Dr. Ronald W. Holmes is the National Superinten-dent of Education for the National Save the Family Now Movement, Inc. He is a former teacher, school administrator, and district superintendent and can be reached at rwholmes@cap-italoutlook.com.

5www.capitaloutlook.comEducationSept. 29 - Oct. 5, 2011

A Ministry of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church Reverend Dr. R. B. Holmes, Jr., Pastor

406 N. Bronough Street · Tallahassee · (850) 222-6605

Scholarship

Information

www.stepupforstudents.org or Early Learning Coalition

385-0551

PreK (Age 3) - Sixth Grade PreK (Age 3) PreK (Age 3) Small Class Sizes Christian Philosophy Christian PhilosophyChristian PhilosophyNurturing & Safe Environment Nurturing & Safe EnvironmentNurturing & Safe EnvironmentCommitted & Dedicated Teachers Challenging A Beka Curriculum Challenging A Beka CurriculumChallenging A Beka CurriculumComputer Technology Computer TechnologyComputer TechnologyMusic, Health & Physical Education

Application Information Go to

www.betheltally.org (Under Bethel’s Quicklinks

click Bethel’s Schools) or

Call (850) 222-6605 Proverbs 22:6

Train up a child in the way

he should go: and when he

is old, he will not depart from it.

Where Every Child is S-H-I-N-I-N-G: Successful, Helpful, Imaginative, Neighborly, Intelligent, Noble, and Good Natured!

Since God’s love extends equally to all people, Bethel Christian Academy welcomes and encourages all His children, regardless of race, color, or nationality, to apply for admission, scholarship, any programs of the school and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color or nationality in the administration of any program of the school.

Senate examines Texas higher education reformsBy Lilly RockwellThe News Service of FloridaSpecial to the Outlook

Lawmakers in the Sen-ate said Sept. 20 they are reluctant to fully embrace changes to higher education like those pushed in Texas and now being championed by Gov. Rick Scott.

Sen. Steve Oelrich, R-Cross Creek, said he is “willing to consider and look at this Texas plan.” But he said he was “not completely sold on it be-cause the university presi-dents don’t particularly like it.”

Oelrich, the chair of the Senate higher educa-tion committee, and whose district includes the area around the University of Florida in Gainesville, said he will meet with Scott on Sept. 21 and one item on the agenda is discussing the higher education reforms first pushed by Gov. Rick Perry in Texas.

The changes would promote tying state fund-ing to the performance of universities, such as gradu-ation rates, and include a type of merit pay for pro-fessors that would give stu-dents more power in deter-mining professor bonus pay and tenure. The idea is that universities should func-tion more like private busi-nesses and be scrutinized in terms of how productive the faculty is and how effi-

ciently the university oper-ates.

Scott has made higher education changes a key priority, and has spent a sig-nificant amount of energy reaching out to university and college presidents and speaking to his appoint-ments to college and uni-versity governing boards about the Texas plan.

At a Senate higher education committee meet-ing on Sept. 20, the first since the legislative session ended in May, lawmakers began studying the issue by hearing an update on how the state university system compares to simi-lar systems in other states. For instance, Florida has the fourth highest rate of graduation within six years, at 61.4 percent.

Graduation rates are seized on as a way of mea-suring the success of a uni-versity because it can rep-resent how well a school ef-resent how well a school ef-resent how well a school efficiently educates students. The longer a student takes to graduate, the more ex-pensive that student is.

But at least one law-maker, Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, said the respon-sibility for graduating falls on the students.

“We should also focus on what is the student do-ing?” Negron said. “No one should take six years to graduate college, unless there is a financial or medi-cal emergency.”

Oelrich said gradua-tion rates need to be “tight-ened up.” Some universi-ties have too few students graduate in six years he said. “It is not right and they are taking taxpayer dollars,” he said.

While more than 60 percent of Florida universi-ty students finish within six years on average, the low-est is Florida A&M Univer-sity, where fewer than half of students get their degree within that time frame.

Oelrich said the com-plex reforms contained in the Texas plan will take time to study.

“It will probably not happen this year, but cer-tainly that would probably be on the table for next year,” he said. “To have it come up here in a couple of months, literally, three months is pretty aggres-sive.”

Another lawmaker said the topic should be ex-plored albeit cautiously.

“I think it’s worth ex-ploring,” said Sen. Evelyn Lynn, R-Ormond Beach, and the chair of the Sen-ate’s higher education bud-get committee, about pro-fessor merit pay. “Whether that is going to work or not, I’m not sure.”

Lynn said lawmak-ers have to tread carefully when it comes to tinkering with universities. “We at-tract some of the best and finest professors from all

over the world,” Lynn said. “We don’t want to lose that edge.”

State University Sys-tem Chancellor Frank Bro-gan said Sept. 20 after the meeting that some univer-sity presidents are open to discussing changes in how they are funded. “Once you get past the initial reaction, which is ‘Change is scary,’ …I really think there is a broad consensus that now is a good time to begin to have these conversations.”

Universities have long been funded based pre-dominantly on enrollment. Larger universities get more money from the state than smaller universities. That tends to encourage universities to constantly try to get bigger.

“What we have now basically says ‘If you grow, we will give you more money,’ ” Brogan said.

He said now is a good time, because of a dramatic drop in funding from the state, to consider account-ability-based funding.

“We all agree the old funding model isn’t even being used right now,” he said.

The House’s education committee met Sept. 21. Its chair, Rep. Bill Proc-tor, R-St. Augustine, has said he has some reserva-tions about the Texas plan, including how it calls stu-dents “customers.”

Is there a fair evaluation system for grading teachers?

Ronald W. Holmes, Ph.D.

North Carolina A&T names Lester associate vice chancellorSpecial to the Outlook

Dr. Wanda Fleming Lester has been named as-sociate vice chancellor (AVC) for academic affairs at North Carolina A&T State University. Lester has more than 30 years of pro-fessional accomplishments in corporate, governmental and academic sectors.

Lester previously served in the interim capac-ity of AVC for academic affairs. Prior to that, she served as associate dean of the School of Business and Economics. In that role, she provided major leadership for the School’s Associa-tion to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business ac-creditation and the develop-ment of the Financial Trad-ing Room and Closing Bell Speaker Series.

She was also an assis-tant professor in the school. Lester has also taught at Norfolk State University and Florida A&M Univer-sity (FAMU).

A certified public accountant, Lester has worked at the Ohio Col-lege of Podiatric Medicine, Digital Equipment Corpo-ration, City of Clearwater, Harper, Van Scoik & Co., American Hospital Sup-ply and KPMG (formerly Peat, Marwick, Mitchell

and Co.). She is affiliated with

numerous professional organizations including North Carolina Council of Economic Education, Academy of Management and Southern Management Association.

Lester earned a bach-elor’s degree in account-ing/economics from FAMU and a Ph.D. in strategic management/management information systems from Florida State University.

Wanda Fleming Lester

By Kerri-Ann Haye-DonawaSpecial to the Outlook

It’s interesting to watch toddlers at play. Their interaction with each other can sometimes be downright hilarious; but at other times they are genu-ine, unadulterated, unre-fined reflections of our own base human tendencies.

Case in point, I have a 1-year-old nephew, and he’s just the most adorable little human being alive, however, right now he’s primarily a taker. He likes to get his hands on what-ever he sees in our hands, and so I’ll let him play with my belongings from time to time. What amuses me is how quickly he forgets that what I’ve given him to play with still belongs to me. Hence, most often than not, when I attempt to retrieve the item, I’m met with a fight, a tightly curled little fist refusing to let go. He pulls back and runs in the opposite direction, “No!” his little voice firmly pro-tests, “Mine!”

Now this might be cute when a child is 1, maybe 2 years old, but the cuteness quickly fades as the child ages. Imagine having to chase your 8-year-old niece for your hairbrush. Imagine that same child at 10 years old screaming with tears in her eyes, “No! My spoon!” A little outrageous, right? That is because sooner or later children are expected to grow and understand the difference between what belongs to them and what doesn’t.

Well, now the same principle applies to our re-lationship with God and our understanding of provision. We are dependent, which

means that all we have was given to us. We are borrow-ers from the hand of God. Therefore, our giving must be predicated upon the fact that what we have isn’t re-ally ours. As such, He has the authority to dictate how we use whatever He has placed in our hands.

God does not expect His grown, child who is supposed to be mature in the principles of the King-dom, to run from Him with clenched fists, screaming “No! It’s mine!” In fact, if we keep refusing to let go when He says to, He’ll soon refuse to put anything in our hands. Know that we are not meant to be takers, but instead to be givers. That said, if God is able to trust you with little, He will entrust you with much. Go ahead, open your hands.

Scripture Of The Day: “Now may He who sup-plies seed to the sower, and bread for food, sup-ply and multiply the seed you have sown and in-crease the fruits of your righteousness” - 2 Corin-thians 9:10 (NKJV).

Borrowed goods

6 www.capitaloutlook.com Religion Sept. 29 - Oct. 5, 2011

Women’s Devotional –– “Abundance from Above” –– “Abundance from Above” –– “Abundance from Above” –– “Abundance from Above” –– “Abundance from Above” The Capital Outlook continues its weekly women’s devotionals.

This week’s devotion is prayerfully presented by Natalie R. Jackson John 10:10

Buenos Dias! I hope you are well and looking forward to an awesome day in God.

This September we had a storm brewing in Tal-lahassee and one thought that came to mind was “get out the candles.”

Well, what happens when you have the candles with no matches? They’re useless. The potential of the candle lies in the match. Do you know that we are candles waiting to be lit? Our “match” is Jesus.

Have you said, “what is my purpose? Why am I here? What am I supposed to be doing?” There’s your candle. Now invite Jesus in and He will strike that match to get you going.

What do you find yourself doing and enjoy-ing most, other than shop-ping or sports, that gives God glory and helps some-body else? I found that my candle is teaching, and I ask God to guide me in teaching who and what and when.

God’s word says in Ephesians 4: 1; 7-8, “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called; 7But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captiv-ity captive, and gave gifts unto men.”

So you have your can-dle. Ask God to strike the

match so that your light, that He has given you, can shine, shine, shine.

Love you much. God loves you best. Good day. God’s way.

“The Christ Centered Church With a Program of Prayer and Progress ”

Reverend Dr. R. B. Holmes , Jr.

“The Christ Centered Church With a Program of Prayer and Progress ”

Natalie R. JacksonFirst Mission COGIC,

Tallahassee, Fla.

“Get Out the Candles”

By Joe StowellSpecial to the Outlook

Scripture: 2 Corinthi-ans 5:1-10 “We are con-fident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be pres-ent with the Lord.” - 2 Corinthians 5:8Bible in a year: Proverbs 13-15; 2 Corinthians 5

As I was talking with a gentleman whose wife had died, he shared with me that a friend said to him, “I’m sorry you lost your wife.” His reply? “Oh, I haven’t lost her; I know ex-actly where she is!”

To some, this may seem like a rather bold or even flippant assertion. With so many after-death theories, one might wonder how we can be really sure where our loved ones go

after death; let alone where we ourselves will end up.

Yet, confidence is ap-propriate for followers of Jesus Christ. We have the assurance from God’s word that when we die we will immediately be with our Lord (2 Cor. 5:8). Thank-fully, this is more than just wishful thinking. It is grounded in the historic reality of Jesus, who came and died to cancel our pen-alty for sin so that we could receive eternal life (Rom. 6:23). He then proved that there was life after death by exiting His grave and as-cending into heaven where, as He promised, He is pre-paring a place for us (John 14:2).

So, rejoice! Since the benefits of this reality are out of this world, we can boldly say with Paul that “we are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8).

For the follower of Je-sus, death means heaven,happiness and Him.

Prayer: Lord, when I take my final breath

And see You face to face in death,

Then shall my heart for-ever sing

The heavenly praises of my King. - Raniville

Blessed assurance

Special to the Outlook

The Bethel Mission-ary Baptist Church held its 2011 Ministry Fair on Sept. 10 – its first one in over ten years. With 35 ministries participating and nearly 300 people in attendance throughout the day, the fair was considered a major success.

The fair was held in the gymnasium of the Bethel Family Life Center and was the result of a brainstorm-ing session the pastor, the Rev. Dr. R. B. Holmes Jr., had with the Collegiate and Young Adult ministries dur-ing a church revival earlier this year.

The event was de-signed to give members of Bethel and the commu-nity an opportunity to learn more about how Bethel members glorify God and

serve their fellow man. Ministry leaders and rep-resentatives were on hand to explain their ministry’s focus, activities and church and community outreach programs. The fair also pre-sented an opportunity for each ministry to provide in-formation and answer ques-tions in order to help indi-viduals decide which of the many ministries they would like to contribute their time and talent to.

From the Prayer min-istry informing people that a person can find salvation and calm assurance through prayer to the Health care ministry taking everyone for a ride on their “Glory Train” through skit, festivi-ties were plentiful. They in-cluded skits by the Prayer, Health care and Ushers ministries, dance presen-tations by the Dance and

Mime ministry and songs of praise by both the Mass and Youth choirs. Short presentations were also given by the Homeless, Girl Scouts, Retirement, Young Mother’s Mentoring and Media ministries. The Media ministry, along with Bethel Christian Academy and C. K. Steele-Collins Middle School, gave away five computers to students and their families. Twala Carter ended the day with a soul stirring song of praise.

The fair committee was headed by Victor and Letetia Wiley. Working with the Wileys on the were LaTarsha Bradwell, Raquel Coleman, Whitney Wiley, Devora Simmons, Taralisha Sanders and Darnell Jones. Countless other volunteers helped with the fair prepa-ration including Cassandra Poole and Ceseann Carroll.

7www.capitaloutlook.comCommunity NewsSept. 29 - Oct. 5, 2011

Bethel holds Ministry Fair 2011

RonShay Dugans’ legacy continues at the Boys and Girls Club By Ashley HogansOutlook Staff Writer

Family, friends and employees gathered on Sept. 7 at the Boys and Girls Club of the Big Bend, to dance and perform in remembrance of RonShay Dugans.

“Wild Out Wednes-days was her favorite day here at the Boys and Girls Club,” said James West, Dugans’ brother. “They actually named this room after her because this used to be one of her favorite ac-tivities here.”

Eight-year-old Dugans was killed in a car accident on Sept. 8, 2008, when a drowsy driver of a cement truck crashed into the rear end of the Boys and Girls Club bus.

Dugans’ family part-nered with Rep. Alan Wil-liams, D-Tallahassee, to create a law that would prevent drivers from driv-ing drowsy. Last June, former Gov. Charlie Crist passed the “RonShay Du-gans Act,” to warn drivers of the severities of driving drowsy.

“We are just trying to encourage people to utilize the rest areas, and if they are sleepy, we want them to go to bed and get the proper rest,” said Josie West, Du-gans’ adoptive mother and biological aunt.

With the RonShay Dugans Act into effect, lawmakers dedicated the first week of September as Drowsy Driving Preven-tion Week in Florida. The family has hosted various

events such as “Wake Up and Smell the Coffee,” giving away free coffee at an I-10 rest stop. The fam-ily hopes the “You Snooze, You Lose-Don’t Drive Drowsy” campaign will draw awareness to this is-sue.

“I see RonShay’s spirit in what we are doing,” said Josie West. “A perfect ex-ample is the Boys and Girls Club.”

More than 50 people attended the “Wild Out Wednesday” event in honor of Dugans, including for-mer employees who shared memorable moments at the Boys and Girls Club.

“A lot of times, espe-cially around her birthday and around the time she passed away, it can get kind of hard,” said Anita Ed-

wards, former employee at the Boys and Girls Club of the Big Bend. “For every-one to come out and cel-ebrate and refocus on the positive and preventive part of this week so that no one else has to suffer a loss like we did is great.”

According to the National Highway Traf-National Highway Traf-National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ,more than 100,000 crash-es, 1,500 deaths and 71,000 injuries occur as a result of driving drowsy.

“I am praying and hop-ing that it will go national so that people can really know that drowsy driving is really serious,” Edwards said.

Ashley Hogans can be contacted at ahogans@capitaloutlook.com

Thomasville, Georgia Area Buffalo Soldiers Inc. & Jack Hadley Black History Museum Hosting: Lt. Henry O. Flip-per “2011” Banquet/Ballper “2011” Banquet/BallWhen: Oct. 8Time: 6 p.m. – 12 a.m.Attire: FormalWhere: Frederick Douglass Alumni Complex/Museum214 Alexander St.Thomasville, Georgia 31792Donations: $25/Single & $40/CouplesContact: Rena Nelson @ 850-590-7397

Calvary Missionary Bap-tist ChurchRev. Kevin L. Johnson, Pastor“On Fire for the Lord”When: Oct. 13 @ 7 p.m. Evangelist Stefanie Wil-liamsWhen: Oct. 14 @ 7 p.m. Minister Laurence McGriffWhere: 1915 Dale StreetCall: 850-321-6142

Providence Missionary Baptist Rev. Dr. Emory C. Virgil, Senior Pastor“Annual Women’s Day Celebration Program”When: Oct. 16 @ 3 p.m.Speaker: Mrs. Robin CalhounMusical Guest: Albany State UniversityWhere: 1215 Magnolia St.Thomasville, GA.Contact: Patrachia Kelly @ patrachiak@hotmail.compatrachiak@hotmail.com

Bundle brilliant TV with pure speed for an even better experience.

PrismTM TV• Over 120 all-digital channels

• FREE HD and Whole Home DVR for 3 months

Pure Broadband• All High-Speed Internet,

no phone line required

• Consistently fast all day, every day$65.95

a month for6 months*

PrismTM TV + Pure Broadband

Call 866.484.7057

2 WAYS to test-drive Prism:

> 1544-2 Governor’s Square Blvd.> 1410 Market St. > 2020 West Pensacola St., Suite 210

IN STORE: ONLINE: seeprismtv.com

*Offer ends 12/31/2011. Offer and stated rates are available to new, first-time CenturyLink™ Prism™ TV residential customers in select areas only. The $65.95 monthly rate applies to up to 1.5 Mbps Pure Broadband and Prism™ TV package for six (6) months of service with a minimum service commitment of twelve (12) months, after which standard rates apply. A $6.99 monthly DVR service fee applies when the Quad Play DVR is purchased with Prism™ TV package. Promotional offer cannot be combined with any other Prism offers. All prices, packages and programming are subject to change without notice. Taxes, fees, and surcharges will apply. An additional monthly fee (including professional installation, if applicable) and a shipping and handling fee will apply to customer’s modem or router. Customer must cancel DVR and/or HD service, by calling CenturyLink Customer Service, before the end of the six-month promotional period to avoid monthly charges, or the standard monthly rate for each service will apply until service(s) are cancelled. Offers may be limited to specific locations. General – Services and offers not available everywhere. CenturyLink may change, cancel, or substitute offers and services, or vary them by service area, at its sole discretion without notice. Requires credit approval and deposit may be required. Additional restrictions apply. Terms and Conditions – All products and services listed are governed by tariffs, local terms of service, or terms and conditions posted at http://about.centurylink.com. Terms and Conditions – All products and services listed are governed by tariffs, local terms of service, or terms and conditions posted at http://about.centurylink.com. Terms and Conditions – Taxes, Fees, and Surcharges – Taxes, fees, and surcharges apply, including a Carrier Universal Service charge, National Access Fee surcharge, a one-time High-Speed Internet activation fee, state and local fees that vary by area and certain in-state surcharges. Cost recovery fees are not taxes or government-required charges for use. Taxes, fees, and surcharges apply based on standard monthly, not promotional, rates. Call for a listing of applicable taxes, fees, and surcharges. Monthly Rate for All Service Bundles – The monthly rate for all bundled services will apply while customer subscribes to all qualifying services. If one (1) or more services are cancelled, the standard monthly fee will apply to each remaining service. Pure Broadband – Early termination results in customer being responsible for payment of the applicable monthly recurring service fee multiplied by the number of months remaining in the minimum service period, up to $200. Performance will vary due to conditions outside of network control and no speed is guaranteed. Telephone landline is part of the service only for the purpose of data traffic transmission/connection and cannot be used for voice traffic transmission, except for 911 services. CenturyLink™ Prism™ TV – All plans require separate local phone service plan and include digital channels (including local channels), one (1) set-top box, one (1) modem gateway, and up to four (4) standard direct video streams to residence. CenturyLink-provided set-top boxes are required to view TV. If a term agreement applies to the offer, an early termination fee in the amount of discounts received applies if customer terminates services before the end of the applicable term agreement. Local channel availability varies by market. Caller ID service must be purchased separately to enable the on-screen Caller ID feature; Caller ID feature is not available in all areas. High Definition (HD) available on all TV plans for an additional $11.99/month, and up to two (2) of the up to four (4) video streams can be in HD. Customer’s location determines both HD availability and the maximum number of HD video streams (between 0 and 2 HD streams) a customer can view and record at any one time per residence, regardless of the number of set-top boxes (STBs) in the household. All non-HD video streams are provided in standard definition. Subscription to service precludes customers from purchasing high-speed Internet services from any third party. Additional charges will apply for additional programming packages, movie channel subscriptions (except for Prism™ Premium plan), Pay Per View movies and events, On Demand purchases, and premium services/subscriptions for all plans. Some subscription services, events, and broadcast network service may be blacked out in customer’s area. Customer may dial *67 (touchtone) or 1167 (rotary) prior to placing a call to block their calling information. In order for media sharing to operate correctly customer must have Windows XP or VISTA and Windows Media Player 11. Equipment – Minimum equipment and CenturyLink professional installation are required. At initial installation, each customer receives: one (1) VDSL 2 modem; up to six (6) STBs (standard plan includes one (1) STB; additional STBs are available for an additional monthly rate, per STB); and one (1) remote control per STB installed. All equipment must be returned to designated CenturyLink retail store within thirty (30) days after service disconnection in an undamaged condition, or customer is charged for each equipment piece not returned or returned as damaged. Prism™ TV Plan – Quad Play DVR service excluded and is available for an additional monthly fee. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1: ©2010 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. ©2011 CenturyLink, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The name CenturyLink and the pathways logo are trademarks of CenturyLink, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

+

+ =

www.capitaloutlook.com8 Sept. 29 - Oct. 5, 2011Classifieds

ADMISSION

FEATURING

benefitting the United Way of the big bend.

Tallahassee Regional aiRpoRT’s Tallahassee Regional aiRpoRT’s Tallahassee Regional aiRpoRT’s Tallahassee Regional aiRpoRT’s Tallahassee Regional aiRpoRT’s Tallahassee Regional aiRpoRT’s Tallahassee Regional aiRpoRT’s Tallahassee Regional aiRpoRT’s Tallahassee Regional aiRpoRT’s Tallahassee Regional aiRpoRT’s Tallahassee Regional aiRpoRT’s

Florida Sanctioned BBQ Competition

Live MusicKids’ ActivitiesArts and Crafts

Aircraft and Automobile DisplaysFood and Beverage

ConcessionsGift Raffles

Attendees 18 years plus who donate $1 to the United Way may win a fabulous grand prize! PRoCeeDS BeneFit the UniteD WAy oF the BiG BenD

www.flytallahassee.comwww.flytallahassee.com

THANKS TO FLIGHTLINE GROUP, INC.PLATINUM LEVEL SPONSOR

Florida Sanctioned

benefitting the United Way of the big bend.

LEON COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERSJOB OPENINGS

THE FOLLOWING POSI-TION HAS A CLOSING DATE OF: September 30, 2011

Housing Services Coordi-nator

THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS HAVE A CLOSING DATE OF: October 7, 2011

Information Professional(Full-time position @ N.E. Branch)

Facilities Support Techni-cian II

THE FOLLOWING POSI-TIONS ARE “Open Until Filled”

Application Development Analyst

GIS Database Analyst

Application Development Analyst(Applications & Database)

THE FOLLOWING PO-SITIONS ARE “OPEN CONTINUOUSLY”

Paramedic (PRN)EMT (PRN)

For additional information on these positions and oth-er job openings:• Go to www.leoncountyfl.gov/HR/jobs/joblist.asp• Call our Job Line at (850) 606-2403• Watch Comcast Channel 16 (Tuesdays 9am-12am)

• Visit Human Resources, • Visit Human Resources, 315 South Calhoun Street, 5th Floor, Suite #502

An Equal Opportunity Em-ployer

COOK BROTHERS, INC. Is bidding the fol-lowing project and would appreciate a bid from your firm.LAKE JACKSON BRANCH LIBRARY, COMMUNITY CENTER AND HUNTINGTON OAKS RENOVATIONS

DESCRIPTION:PHASE 1A +/- 12,000 GSF RENOVATION, PAHSE 1B +/-3,000 GSF RENOVATION, PHASE 2 FRONT FAÇADE RENO-VATION

BID DATE: 10-12-2011BID TME: 2:00 ET

PLEASE SEND BIDS NO LATER THAN 1 HOUR PRIOR BID TIME

FAX BIDS TO: 850-514-1007 or MAIL BIDS TO: 1255 COMMERCE BLVD., MIDWAY, FL 32343

It is the bidder’s responsi-bility to confirm all chang-es, supplements or addenda and that any bid was re-ceived by Cook Brothers, Inc. prior to bid closing.CBI is not be responsible for bids received late, for any reason and DOES NOT encourage emailed bids.

SCOPES OF WORK IN-CLUDED:

SITEWORK, CON-CRETE, MASONRY, STRUCTURAL STEEL, LIGHT GAUGE STEEL, ROUGH CARPENTRY, FINISH CARPENTRY, MILLWORK, INSULA-TION, WATER REPEL-

LANTS, METAL ROOF-ING, HOLLOW METAL ING, HOLLOW METAL DOORS, GLASS AND GLAZING, HARDWARE, DRYWALL, ACOUSTI-CAL CIELINGS, CE-RAMIC TILE, FLOOR-ING, PAINT, TOILET PARTITIONS, SIGNAGE, BLINDS, FIRE PROTEC-TION, MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, PLUMB-ING, MODIFIED BITU-MINOUS ROOFING, STUCCO, PROJECTION SCREENS, DEMOLI-TION

Plans are available for pur-chase at THE BLUEPRINT SHOP in Tallahassee, FL. (850-224-2699) and for no cost review in our office or online at www.theblue-printshop.com (click on PLANWELL at the top left PLANWELL at the top left of the page and then PUB-LIC PLANROOM at the bottom left. Look for file # 99-0040).COOK BROTHERS INC. DOES NOT HAVE PLANS TO DISTRIBUTE – IN ANY FORMAT.If you have any questions or problems obtaining or reviewing plans and or reviewing plans and specs, please contact PETE MABRY at phm@cook-brothersinc.com. or by phone at (850) 514-1006.

Cook Brothers, Inc. Is Actively Attempting To Obtain MBE/WBE Par-ticipation. There will be a ticipation. There will be a pre-bid meeting on Thurs. 09/29/2011 at 2:00 PM. Eastern time in the Cook Eastern time in the Cook Brothers Inc. office at 1255 Commerce Blvd. Midway, FL. ALL PARTICIPANTS ARE INVITED AND W/ARE INVITED AND W/MBE PROSPECTIVE BIDDERS ENCOUR-AGED TO ATTEND. IF YOU HAVE NOT AL-READY DONE SO, PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR MBE CERTIFICATION AT THAT MEETING.

COOK BROTHERS, INC.Pete Mabry, Proj-ect Managerect Manager

CLASSIFIEDS

Employment

Invitation to Bid