new york trend issue

November 15th, 2012 - December 5th, 2012

Photo Credit: www.Google.com

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NOW OR NEVER

By Zena M. Gray

On November 6, 2012, President Barack Obama was more than just victorious in being re-elected for a second term he in turn defended his first term. With 332 electoral votes -to Mitt Romney’s 206- President Barack Obama was re-elected to

President of the United States. De-spite Mitt Romney initially “not accepting” the call in Ohio--which gave President Obama the neces-sary 270 electoral votes to win--he eventually conceded to our current POTUS. At a tumultuous victory commemoration in Chicago’s Mc-Cormick Place, Mr. President fired

up the audience with promises of a united country--whether he earned your vote or not--an equal country, and a fair place for all. The re-elected president called for biparti-sanship in addressing four specific priorities over his next term: revis-ing immigration laws, reducing the deficit, overhauling the tax code, and reducing the nation’s depen-

dence on foreign oil. What Obama failed to men-tion but probably should have was the fact that he can now implement all of his hard fought and equally hard earned achievements from his first term in office -- the health-care law called the Affordable Care Act (or ‘ObamaCare’ if you like) (cont. on pg. 4)

President Obama hashing out the issues with House Speaker John Boehner (pictured left) & Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (pic-tured right).

Appreciation After the Storm (Page 7)

Rihanna is “Unapologetic”(Page 8)

Premiers and Chief Ministers of Overseas Territories Convene

(Page 9)

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DIFFERENT BY NATURE

UNITED BY MISSION

We come from different places. We come to differentconclusions. But underneath it all, we share a passion for improving the human condition. When we LIVE UNITED, we create real, lasting change in the building blocks of life: the education, income and health of our communities, our families, even the person next to us. Real change won’t happen without you. SIGN UP TODAY AT LIVEUNITED.ORG.

LIVE UNITED®

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GIVE. ADVOCATE. VOLUNTEER.

New York Trend NYC November 15th, 2012 - December 5th, 2012 www.newyorktrendnyc.com 3

Pressing Onward & Upward In 1988, I had the idea that I needed to follow in the foot-steps of women like Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman and Fannie Lou Hamer. Typically, African-American newspapers were owned by men, but during the abolitionist period in this country, women owned the press. I had this bright idea to gather a few of my peers and develop a newspaper that could speak to our people, encour-age, motivate and direct them to get involved in their destiny. We pushed the envelope many times and nearly a quarter century later, New York Trend continues to deliver news to its audience in hard copy and digital formats as well as through social media outlets like Twitter or Facebook. This publication continues to fulfill what was a dream for me so many years ago.

In 2008, as I watched the first Black man become the Presi-dent of the United States, I, like all of you, felt we had reached the pinnacle in the battle against a plague of racism that prevailed in this country. But, this re-election is what has given me the fulfillment that the militant and sometimes crazy rants of one black woman on the editorial pages of New York Trend for the past 25 years did not go to waste. I am not assuming to ever compare myself to Truth, Tubman or Hamer’s greatness. I am hoping that the young jour-nalists who may have benefited or continue to allow me to mentor them, will one day take up the mantel and keep our black press go-ing. We cannot and did not do this alone, as I have not achieved this alone. It is true, we are “the strongest people on earth” and I am very proud to be the Owner and Publisher of New York Trend at this time in our history!

Publisher’s NoteEditor-In-Chief

Rachel Breton

Editorial AssistantDarwyn Lynch

Travel EditorJim Weaver

Circulation ManagerRobert L. Taylor

Distribution/AdvertisingDarrel Murdaugh

Graphic DesignerCorey Holmes

EmeritusOffice & Subscription Manager

Sophie Taylor

Social MediaZoie A. Williams

WritersZena Gray

James HamlettDeardra ShulerDonna Lamb

Justin A.WilliamsJim Weaver

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(cont. from cover page) and the Wall Street regulatory regime known as Dodd-Frank -- which Republican rival Mitt Romney had promised to begin dismantling “on Day One” in the Oval Office. What’s more, Obama will be in a position to reap the advantages of governing during a time of growth if the slow-but-steady recovery continues to gather steam — a stark contrast to the spi-raling economic crisis that greeted him when he took office in 2009. He already was a ground-breaking president by becoming the first person of color to win the nation’s highest office. By defeat-ing Romney, he also joins the elite ranks of just 16 other men in his-tory who have managed to win the White House twice. Obama is in the strongest political position he has been since after his first inauguration. Not only is he a better and smarter presi-dent than he was in 2008, he could now factor in all the things he has learned over the last four years. The amazing citizens of this coun-try gave him an assertion that they trust in him and his agenda and they want him to finish what he began four years ago. While there are no days off for the POTUS, the morning of January 21, 2013 (the day after the inaugural ball) Obama will still have to face a divided government, which has been the norm since the 2012 midterm elections. Democrats may have expanded control of the Senate on Election Day but Repub-licans continue to maintain their majority in the House of Represen-tatives. The great divide won’t only fall in the government, but also in the country. With this election, America showed Obama that we are greatly divided. His victory margin was way slimmer than it was in 2008 — the first second-term presi-dent in modern times who failed to carry a bigger margin then when he won re-election — and he com-manded support from only about four in 10 white voters. These facts are not shown to discredit the fact that Obama has constructed and invigorated a co-

alition of the most hastily growing parts of the U.S. electorate: African Americans, Hispanics and members of the young millennial generation. Add in a few whites, specifically

highly educated white women. If this coalition holds, they could give Democrats the sort of lasting major-ity that Franklin D. Roosevelt built in his era. Obama’s first test in his sec-ond term will come sooner rather than later in the form of negotia-tions with Congress to avoid fall-ing over the “fiscal cliff” at the end of 2012. Without a deal, the Bush tax cuts will expire, raising taxes on everyone, and sweeping spending cuts will go into effect at the Penta-gon and across domestic programs. Some economists warn that this could send the economy back into recession. Pending talks will help define the fiscal possibilities of his second term and provide an early signal of whether there is going to be a ceasefire in the partisan wars. The outcome of the fiscal cliffs will set the terms of this second term that will have an impact beyond six

months. The fiscal cliffs are just one step on the agenda for Obama’s sec-ond term, but then again, the Presi-dent never really announced an

ambitious second term agenda and if he has one, he definitely didn’t share it with the American people during his campaign trail. That is a vast difference from his campaign just four years prior. The contrast is stark with the soaring expectations for his first term, when he vowed to change the way Washington works — he no longer suggests that’s in his power — while also promis-ing to address health care, climate change, immigration and more. The first term was animated by this remarkable historic moment of electing an African-American president, by a gargantuan and perhaps unrealistic dream of post-partisan politics. On every one of those dimensions, he’s in a differ-ent situation. He’s now faced with a divided government and what will likely be an uncompromising Republican majority in the House. He’s come to grips now with the

limits of American fiscal policy and the need to scale back some entitle-ment programs the Democrats dear-ly love, as well as having a fight on his hands with House Republicans to get some revenue. This second term will be no easy feat for the POTUS. He will suffer second-term blues. Anyone who follows politics knows that second terms have been notoriously unkind to modern presidents. After George W. Bush won a second term in 2004, the public turned against the Iraq war and de-rided his administration’s handling of Hurricane Katrina; he saw the economy sink into a crisis that his successor inherited. Bill Clinton’s second term was defined by the Monica Lewinsky scandal that led to his impeachment. Ronald Rea-gan managed to push through a tax overhaul in his second term, but he also became enmeshed in the Iran-contra affair. Still, the presidents re-garded as the most influential in U.S. history have generally served more than one term, from George Washington and Thomas Jefferson to Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt. With the possible excep-tion of James Polk, who in a single term expanded U.S. territory to the West, it generally has taken presi-dents more than four years to leave a lasting mark on the nation. It’s hard to think of a truly consequential president who served only one term -- though Lincoln’s second term was cut short by as-sassination. From a broad histori-cal perspective, making big change, ensuring its implementation and weaving it into the fabric of Ameri-can society is at least a two-term en-terprise. Now with this re-election, Obama will have an opportunity to do that. Let’s all hope he does and begins a new chapter in second term victories.

Cover Story

President Obama celebrates his re-election victory on November 7, 2012 and delivers his message of being hopeful for America as we move forward.

Photo Credit: WSJ.com

C o m m u n i t yTeach-In On

Youth Incarceration

By Donna Lamb

The Greater Works Deliver-ance Church, pastored by Sharlene Nash-Pryor at 1098 Bedford Ave. in Brooklyn, is a socially conscious church that believes in addressing is-sues that affect the community. To that end, on a recent Sat., it hosted a teach-in on youth incarceration, featuring the documentary film Juvie, about youth who have been tried and sentenced as adults. The event was organized by the Center for NuLeadership on Urban Solutions (CNUS), under the direc-tion of its executive director, Dr. Di-vine Pryor. Growing up, Pryor himself dropped out of school and got involved in criminal activity that landed him in jail; however, he pulled himself up and went on to become a college profes-sor, law-enforcement consultant and motivational speaker. He co-founded CNUS, an independent think tank

founded and developed by formerly incarcerated professionals working to increase justice through system re-form, community empowerment and individual transformation. CNUS recently launched Proj-ect ReNu, serving individuals return-ing home from prison, on parole and/or in recovery from drug and alcohol abuse. One of the many services it provides is a record repair program that helps individuals obtain, review

and correct their “rap sheets.” Stated Pryor, “Anyone who’s ever been ar-rested should have a copy of their rap sheet. No one should ever know things on your record that you don’t know.” He went on to say that once errors are corrected, if the individual wants to file for a Certificate of Re-habilitation, Project ReNu helps with that, too. The organization has also launched workshops teaching people how to tell their personal narrative so when they’re sitting before a potential employer, the Housing Authority, or an educational institution they will be able to talk about their criminal record in a way that minimizes the stigma and allows them to be seen as a full person. Pryor then introduced Juvies, directed by award-winning filmmaker Leslie Neale, who taught a video pro-duction class at Los Angeles Central Juvenile Hall to 12 juveniles who were all being tried as adults. Juvies is the product of that class. Narrated by ac-tor Mark Wahlberg, himself a former juvenile offender, the film follows the lives of several young people who will serve most, if not all, their lives behind bars for crimes they either did not commit or were only marginally involved in.

Among the youth featured in the film is Duc, who was arrested when he was 16-year old because he was driving a car when shots were fired from it. No one was injured, Duc was not a member of a gang and had no priors, but, incredibly, he received a sentence of 35 years to life. After the film was released, his sentenced was eventually lowered to 11 years to life. He went before the California Parole Board in 2009, but was denied parole. There was also 14-year-old Anait, an

Armenian immigrant, who drove two boys to a high school and dropped them off. The boys got into a fight with another boy and subsequently killed a third boy who attempted to break up the fight. Because she was the driver of

the “getaway” car, Anait was charged as an accessory to first-degree murder and originally faced 200 years. She has since taken a deal and is serving seven years. Then there was Mayra, a girl raised in gangs. At 16 she was asked by her gang to kill a girl - her best friend - who broke one of their rules by sleeping with a boy from a rival gang. Mayra shot the girl, paralyzing her for life. Mayra received life plus 25 years for her crime. Interspersed with the youths’ stories are interviews with experts in juvenile justice and gangs, as well as former LA District Attorney Gil Garcetti, who admitted that sentences during his own tenure as DA were unfair and never should have happened. The film also points to the well-known fact that adolescents’ brains are not yet fully developed, all too often causing them to have poor impulse control and make dumb choices without any thought as to consequences. That’s why society protects youth from adult activities by restricting the age they can drink, drive, smoke, vote, marry, and even watch R-rated movies. Yet, putting all this aside, each year over 200,000 youth are prosecuted as adults in the US, even though studies show that half of those who committed crimes under the age of 18 will never go on to com-

mit another offense but will outgrow their impulsive behavior and become productive citizens. Following the screening, Kate Kyung Ji Rhee, director of the Insti-tute for Juvenile Justice Reform and

Alternatives, led a teach-in and discus-sion of the film. Pastor Sharlene Nash-Pryor also spoke of her own grueling experience as a mother when her son, who is now grown up and doing well, was in and out of the system from age 13 to 16. She strongly urged people not to make the mistake she did by fil-ing a Person In Need of Supervision or “PINS” Petition in Family Court, which she thought would help her son but was damaging instead. The pastor’s nephew, Warnell Nash, who has been out of prison eight years now and will soon be ordained, said that he takes some responsibility for her son getting caught up in bad things because of the image he pro-jected back then. Nash said he believes there is a great need for men to set dif-ferent trends for the youth to model themselves on. A man doing just that is Thom-as Jackson III, who was there with his eight-year-old son, Tyson. Jackson said he was in the streets from 13 years on and went into Rikers Island at age 16. Now, he and his wife are working hard to break the cycle with their own sons. They are proud to say they are succeeding. The Center for NuLeadership on Urban Solutions is located at 510 Gates Ave. in Brooklyn. Dr. Divine Pryor can be reached at (718) 484-5879 or (718) 484-5883.

Thomas Jackson with his son Tyson


Dr. Divine Pryor tells audience about Project ReNu initiatives


Anti-Bullying Parade & Fair

By Donna Lamb

Just days after a 15-year-old high school freshman in Staten Island leaped to her death in front of a train after being re-peatedly harassed by classmates, the Flatbush Seventh-Day Ad-ventist Church’s Flatbush Stars Pathfinder Club held an Anti-Bullying Parade and Fair. As participants of all ages marched from the Flatbush Avenue Junc-tion to the Church located at 261 E. 21st St., several youths gave out United Federation of Teach-ers fliers. They informed people of the union’s “Be Brave Against Bullying” initiative which has a confidential anti-bullying ho-tline for students at (212) 709-3222, available Mon. - Fri. 2:30 to 9:30 p.m. Parade participants also handed out an anti-bullying

resource guide listing found on-line and local resources that offer information, lessons and presen-tations on bullying and bullying-related topics. For some of the young marchers, the issue of bully-ing was very immediate. Ashley Alexander, for instance, a sixth grader at I.S. 239, said that a she and a friend were going up the stairs when two seventh grade girls pushed them down the stairs, grabbed their stuff and threw it on the floor. Phylicia Samuels, a fifth grader at Fahari Academy Charter School, told of a fright-ening bullying incident her first day at school. “This girl was be-ing mean. She was jealous of me because I did all my work and everything,” Phylicia said. “She started calling me bad words and started pushing me. Then she took my bag and threw it down the stairs into the garbage.” It was hearing about in-cidents like this that inspired

Delroy Cooper, director of the church’s Pathfinder Club, and Authrine Gordon to organize this anti-bullying parade and fair. “Our mission is to unite our community and have a positive impact on our youth while we prayerfully hope to stop the vio-lence in our schools and neigh-borhood,” Cooper stated. Following the parade, the Flatbush Seventh-Day Ad-ventist Church’s pastor, Richard Cahhoun, made everyone feel welcome in the church’s large meeting room where parents and children were able to pick up safety information provided by the New York City Fire Dept, lis-ten to several speakers, and en-joy a nice lunch.

Photos from top to bottom:

Students from the lower grades to high school participate in anti-bullying parade;

Youth carries No-Bullying Zone poster;

Fire fighter Lt. Ryan Goreck offers safety information to young student.

SUPERSTORM SPARKS

APPRECIATIONBy James Hamlett

The power was out in my home for 6 days during Hurricane Sandy. There was no hot water in which to take

a shower and food had to be thrown away because of a lack of electricity. In the tri-state area Hurricane Sandy caused devastation along its path. Peo-ple have lost homes, businesses, prop-erty, vehicles and have even lost their lives in the wake of this storm. There were unprecedented winds, tides, waves which in turn uprooted an almost count-less number of trees. Gasoline had be-come difficult to obtain and individuals were waiting on lines for hours at a time

to fill their vehicles’ tanks. This was all due to power outages that came in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and its onward march through the area. But through all of these men-tal, physical and spiritual hardships, this experience has forced me to greatly ap-preciate some of the things I have some-what taken for granted. There are places on this earth in which having no elec-trical power, impure water, limited re-sources, inefficient clothing and shelter are an everyday experience. I realized after the lights went out due to Hurri-cane Sandy that I unknowingly have taken some things for granted. It is the first time in my life I have lived without electricity and hot water for that length of time. My level of appreciation has risen through “the roof” for the com-forts of life that have become a natural part of my daily existence. But when you are forced to live without, it re-quires a higher measure of faith, and pa-tience to remain optimistic under trying conditions. I realize how good many of us have it and do not fully realize it. There are many homeless people in the United States and in other countries that suffer due to a lack of resources on a daily basis. I realize that a higher

level of appreciation has been generated in me, due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy. It is really true that you do not realize what you have, until it is taken from you. When electricity and hot water is snatched from your life, you realize with pure clarity how important, and necessary these things are for your survival. Natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy also remind us that we are mortal and will not live forever. We are also re-minded that we need to enjoy life while it is flowing through us. We can some-times get stuck in an “auto pilot” state of mind, not fully realizing how impor-tant and precious our lives really are. When you are forced to live without the basics for awhile, and your normal life is returned to you, it comes back with a fresh, vibrant color, and tone. The ap-preciation you have for these things is increased and recognized fully. Life also has deeper meaning and feels a bit more sacred afterwards. Unexpected change can sometimes turn the daily routines we take for granted into special timeless moments. The aftermath of Hurricane Sandy has sparked a deeper appreciation in my heart for all the things this won-derful life brings – both big & small.

Members of the Freeport Fire Department respond to a house fire down a flooded street in Freeport, New York.

Photo Credit: Reuters/Shannon Stapleton

C o m m u n i t y


Enter tainmentRIHANNA IS

“UNAPOLOGETIC”7 ALBUM IN 7 YEARS & THE

UNPRECEDENTED “777” TOUR

The elements have all converged for global icon Rihanna, as “Diamonds,” the fastest-rising single of her career, rises to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 - her re-cord-breaking 12th Hot 100 #1 - setting the stage for the arrival of UNAPOL-OGETIC (released Novem-ber 19th). The chart-dominating #1 global hit “Diamonds” took over the #1 spot in the U.S. with a 125 million ra-dio audience. It happened against the backdrop of her unprecedented “777 Tour,” in which she took a group of die-hard fans and a traveling international media corps of over 150 journalists repre-senting 82 countries, aboard a chartered Boeing 777 twinjet to 7 concerts in 7 days in 7 countries, march-ing toward the UNAPOLO-GETIC release day. “Rihanna is a multi-dimensional musical force who continues to prove she is one of the greats,” said Steve Bartels, President & COO, Island Def Jam. “Sev-en albums in seven years is amazing in itself, but to con-stantly dominate the charts and set new records year after year is an astonishing feat achieved by only the best. I have just personally returned from being aboard the ‘777 Tour’ global blitz, and I can tell you from first-hand experience that no one works harder, and has more fun doing it, than Rihanna.” The “777 Tour” pro-

ceeded as follows: Wednes-day, November 14th in Mexico City; November 15th in Toronto; November 16th in Stockholm; Novem-ber 17th in Paris; November 18th in Berlin; worldwide release date, Monday, No-vember 19th in London; and

Tuesday, November 20th in New York City. Rihanna announced local venues di-rectly to her fans as she ar-rived in each city. Working with global sponsor, HTC Corporation, the “777 Tour” played an intimate gig in each of 7 cities, including one in the UK co-sponsored by River Island.

With the #1 success of “Diamonds,” Rihanna now overtakes Whitney Houston (with 11 #1’s) - all the more incredible as Rihanna is only 24 years old! Rihanna is now tied at 12 #1’s with Madonna and the Supremes, only behind the Beatles (20

#1’s), Mariah Carey (18 #1z’s), and Michael Jackson (13 #1’s). In addition to her 12 Hot 100 #1 singles and 23 Hot 100 Top 10 singles, Rihanna also has 18 #1 sin-gles on the Billboard Dance Club Song Charts. Rihanna’s 12 #1 Hot 100 hits comprise: “S.O.S.” (her first #1, from her sec-ond album, A Girl Like

Me, 2006); the Grammy Award®-winning “Umbrel-la” (featuring Jay-Z), “Take A Bow,” and “Disturbia” (all three from Good Girl Gone Bad, 2007); “Live Your Life” with T.I. (2008); “Rude Boy” (from Rated R, 2009); “Love the Way You Lie” with Emi-nem (2010); “Only Girl (In the World),” “What’s My Name” (featuring Drake), and “S&M” (all three from Loud, 2010); “We Found Love” (featuring Cal-vin Harris, from Talk that Talk, 2011); and now “Dia-monds.” Rihanna also has six Grammy Awards®, three MTV Video Music Awards, six American Music Awards, 18 Billboard Music Awards, and the hard-earned title of Facebook’s most-liked public figure with 62 million likes to her name. She was also named the world’s #1 social media star by Forbes, with over 2.9 billion views on You-Tube/VEVO, the most ever for any female artist, and over 26 million Twitter fol-lowers. To commemorate the arrival of UNAPOLOGET-IC, two different Limited Edition Direct-to-Consumer deluxe box sets are up for sale to members of the Ri-hanna Navy, exclusively at the RihannaNow.com web-site: the DIAMONDS BOX and the DIAMONDS EXEC-UTIVE PLATINUM BOX, carrying amazing never-be-fore-released Rihanna images, art and custom-made accessories. (Article Provided by Universal Mu-sic)

Rihanna’s UNAPOLOGETIC album cover.

Y e a r i n R e v i e wPremiers and Chief

Ministers of Overseas Territories

ConveneBy David Jessop

On December 4 and 5 the Premiers and Chief Ministers of the UK’s Overseas Territories will gather in London for their annual Joint Ministerial Council with the British Government. The meeting will begin by focussing on the UK’s White Pa-per published in June; consider the UK’s priorities, than move on to is-sues such as relations with the UK parliament and self-determination. Participants will also discuss issues such as investment promotion, rela-tions with the Commonwealth and the role of national security coun-cils. True to his word, the British Foreign Secretary will bring Min-isters from every relevant British Government department to spell out how they and their officials will work to support the overseas territo-ries in the areas of education, gov-ernance, justice, health care and the environment. They will also meet the Prime Minister, confirming a new found centrality that overseas

territories have in the UK’s think-ing. Despite this, some of the Caribbean Overseas Territories Governments have other concerns on their minds that are likely to emerge, particularly in their bilat-eral meetings. In the last few days articles have appeared in the UK media that

suggest a growing climate of hos-tility towards the offshore financial services that the UK’s Caribbean Overseas Territories provide. Unfortunately the issue is surrounded by confusion as much of the media are prone to wrongly conflate the very varied offshore, fi-nancial, registry and other services offered, into an all-embracing story

of illegality, greed and tax evasion.

The newspaper campaign began a week or so ago with a re-port that the British Treasury has in draft form an agreement that will require all offshore centres over which it has jurisdiction to disclose from January 1, 2014 on, the ben-eficial owners of all accounts held

by UK taxpayers including those hidden by trusts or companies. To achieve this the Brit-ish Government was reported to be threatening to prevent Crown Dependencies (the Isle of Man, Jersey, and Guernsey) and, it was suggested, the Overseas Territories, from agreeing to meet the terms of the US Foreign Tax Compliance

Act (FATCA) unless they agree to a similar information-sharing agree-ment with the UK. The US FATCA, which comes into force on 1 January 2013, requires foreign banks to provide full details of all US citizens hold-ing accounts outside of the US to the US Internal Revenue Service. Without doing so their US banking operations could not continue. The original story emerged through a leak to the magazine, the International Tax Review, which suggested the UK government is drawing up plans to impose its own version of the US Foreign Tax Com-pliance Act (FATCA) on its Crown Dependencies, and possibly there-after on its Overseas Territories. What, however, is still far from clear is how these reported de-velopments might relate to existing provisions. The Caribbean Overseas Territories are already subject to the EU Savings Tax Directive. This re-quires that the number of accounts that EU citizens have with financial institutions and their aggregate sav-ings income are automatically re-ported to tax authorities in Europe and to the European Commission. These are difficult issues as they divide the ways in which the Caribbean Overseas Territories and the British and other developed na-tion Governments, see the world.

Legislator Abrahams to Host 3rd Annual “Holiday of Giving” Nassau County Legislator Kevan Abrahams is pleased to be hosting, in conjunction with Glory House Recovery, Inc., the 3rd Annual “Holiday of Giving & Information Expo,” at Roosevelt Firehouse (56 W Centennial Ave.) on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012 from 12-4 p.m. There will be fun raffles, give-aways and FREE prizes (while sup-plies last). Be sure to bring the kids to have their picture taken with Santa! Children accompanied by their par-ents or guardians will receive a toy from Santa, as well as their picture. Free information will be available, as well, on storm recovery and more

from various county departments, outreach agencies, local businesses and community groups. Donations of new toys are still accepted. The office of Legisla-tor Abrahams is also seeking volun-teers to help Santa on the day of the event. Additionally, any company or business that would like to make a donation or become a sponsor can contact the legislator’s office – who is working with Glory House Recov-ery, Inc., a 501 (C)3 organization – to receive more details and amounts (contact info below). There are still tables avail-able for free. Vendors have the op-portunity to speak with people about their product, business or service. They will provide attendees with giveaway items along with informa-

tion about their product or service. All interested vendors may contact Legislator Abrahams’ office for the necessary forms and giveaway ideas. This is a great time to dis-cover more about services and busi-nesses in the community. Residents of all ages are encouraged to come and enjoy an afternoon that aims to make our communities better, safer, stronger and more knowledgeable. For those who would like to donate a new toy, please call 516-571-2455 for drop off locations and arrangements. For more informa-tion about the 3rd Annual “Holiday of Giving,” please contact the office of Legislator Abrahams at 516-571-6201 (Se Habla Español).


Toni Braxton encourages you to learn the signs of autism at autismspeaks.orgEarly diagnosis can make a lifetime of difference.

© 2012 Autism Speaks Inc. “Autism Speaks” and “It’s time to listen” & design are trademarks owned by Autism Speaks Inc. All rights reserved. Courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment.

Odds of having 3 multi-platinum albums

1/ 1,650,000

Odds of having a child diagnosed with autism

1/88

TravelBethlehem, Pennsylvania Christmas City USA by Jim Weaver To understand why Beth-lehem, Pennsylvania, is known as the “Christmas City” it’s im-portant to know something about the original settlers, the Moravi-ans. The Moravian Church was an early Protestant faith founded by a Catholic priest named Jan Hus in the late fourteenth century in what is now the Czech Republic. To es-cape religious persecution they came to America. After the failed attempt to establish a settlement in Georgia, the Moravians were able to establish a permanent presence in Pennsylvania. Moravian settlers purchased 500 acres to establish

the settlement here in 1741. The settlement was christened “Bethle-hem” on Christmas Eve that year. The Moravian Star origi-nated in the 1830s at the Moravian Boy’s School in Niesky, Germany, probably as a geometry lesson. It was soon adopted throughout the Moravian Church as an Advent symbol. There are many forms of Moravian stars, but the most commonly seen and most wide-ly available is the 26-point form, composed of eighteen square and eight triangular cone shaped points. The stars are sold at the Moravian Bookstore and other locations here. One of the city’s major at-tractions is the admission free Christmas City Village, an open-air Christmas market located in the heart of the Historic District. Fash-ioned after the traditional German Christmas Markets, the Village fea-

tures 20 wooden huts where vendors sell a variety of holiday food, crafts, and gifts. Visitors enjoy traditional German foods and hot mulled wine. In recognition of Bethlehem’s Ger-man roots, Christmas City Village is held outdoors in the courtyard of the historic Sun Inn (founded in 1758). See <SunInnBethlehem.com>. Many of Bethlehem’s holi-day traditions date back to 1937 when the name “Christmas City USA” was first adopted. More than a million people visit the city each year during the Christmas season. Another holiday market, Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem is held this year from November 15 to De-cember 23 each Thursday through Sunday except Thanksgiving. It’s located on PNC Plaza, East First Street. Presented by ArtsQuest, the city’s arts and culture organiza-tion, it’s another popular holiday event. Christkindlmarkt Bethle-hem offers fine handmade crafts by many of the nations best arti-sans, the heart-warming sounds of live Christmas music, delicious food and more. For ticket infor-mation, see www.ArtsQuest.org. A great way to experience the magic of Bethlehem during the holidays is on A Christmas City Stroll (walking tour). A certified guide in period dress will share the story of Bethlehem’s unique beginnings in 1741, explain the

famous candles-in-every-window, and shed new light on the famous Bethlehem Star. Historic highlights include Bethlehem’s exquisite Vic-torian and colonial architecture, including two National Historic Landmarks. Make reservations and meet your guide at the Visitor Cen-ter. On this 45 minute tour, guests are exposed to seasonal elements. Umbrellas, winter clothing, and comfortable shoes are encouraged. New in 2012 is the Bethle-hem Night Bus Tour. Tours leave from north and south side locations. Sit back and enjoy a trip back in time with our certified guide in pe-riod dress. Acclaimed “one of the best way to see Bethlehem” the tour includes a visit to the famous star atop South Mountain, a look at early and current local holiday tra-ditions and access to historic high-lights in north and south Bethlehem! The Moravian Museum of Bethlehem, at 66 W. Church Street, is open during the holi-day season. Step back in time in the 1741 Gemeinhaus, the old-est building in Bethlehem and a National Historic Landmark. The 2012 holiday season will feature period decorations including the 1747 pyramid of greens decorated with candles and fruit, which has been called the “one of the oldest holiday decorations in the country.” Its the perfect place to purchase

sugar cookies and Moravian stars. A popular attraction dur-ing the holidays are the Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides through the city’s downtown and historic district. Enjoy a holiday tradition for locals and guests alike. Car-riage Tours (20 minutes for up to four persons) are the perfect way to enjoy the lights, sights and sounds of Christmas City with your family, friends, and loved ones. For information and tickets for each of these holi-day activities call (610) 691-6055 or 1(800) 360-TOUR. The Star of Bethlehem, the city’s official symbol, was first erected on the top of South Moun-tain in 1937. Two years later the wooden star was replaced with a star made of Bethlehem steel. In 1967, the current star, 91 feet high, was installed on the old steel frame and set in a concrete base. Begin-ning in the mid-1990s, the star

has been lit from 4:30 p.m. until midnight, every day of the year. To learn more, view www.ChristmasCity.org and www.BethelehemPA.org.

The Moravian Star is a symbol of the Advent Season.

The Christmas Village is an annual event in Bethlehem.

Carriage Rides through the Historic District are popular at the Holiday season.

The Star of Bethlehem located atop South Mountain is lighted each night throughout the year.


November 15th, 2012 - December 5th, 2012

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A NEW START FOR THE NEW YORK KNICKS

By Darwyn Lynch

This time of the year is always an anxious and ex-citing time for all New Yorkers. As the 2012-2013 NBA season was ready to kick off, fans couldn’t wait to see what the new season would bring for the New York Knicks. Al-though they lost an overnight superstar in Jeremy Lin, they made some key acquisitions in the off-season to replace Lin and also to bolster their chances to bring a title back to New York for the first time in over 30 years. Head Coach Mike Woodson, well known and respected as a defensive coach, insists on living by the motto “Offense wins games, but de-fense wins championships.” To really implement defense and get his team to buy into the way he wants to play he brought in a quartet of players known for their defensive abilities.

Former team member Raymond Felton was brought back to the Knicks to take over as point guard for Lin. De-fensive specialists such as Kurt Thomas, Marcus Camby, Rasheed Wallace, and Jason Kidd were also brought in over the summer to provide depth and veteran leadership to the Knicks young and core group. So far, the decision to let Lin walk has paid off big time as they boast the league’s best record and best start since the 1993-1994 season at 8-2.The team’s comradery and cohesiveness are a couple of reasons why Knicks fans are the most excited that they’ve been in over a decade. The world’s most famous arena Madison Square Garden is once again electrified to come out and see their team put on a show every night. The best part of the team’s success so far this season is that they are doing it without two of their key players in Amare Stoudemire and second year guard Iman Shumpert. It will be real interest-ing to see how much better the Knicks can get once these players come back, as long as they continue to keep up their team chemistry memorable seasons in a long time!

S p o r t s

NY Knicks celebrate after beating the San Antonio Spurs 104-100 on November 15thPhoto Credit: D. Clarke Evans/NBAE/Getty Images

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