Boys & Girls High School’s boys basketball team is celebrating winning its third straight PSAL Championship title and the New York State Championship, both firsts in the school’s history.

The boys track team won city, state and national championships for indoor track, and in one race earned the best time in the nation for this year and the second best time in the history of United States indoor track.

Boys & Girls High School Principal Bernard Gassaway instituted a “Higher Standards, Higher Expectations” policy for student-athletes at the beginning of this year, which requires them to maintain a grade average of at least 70 percent, pass a certain number of Regents Exams, and serve 30 hours of community service to remain eligible for athletic participation.

Located in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Boys & Girls High School has graduated basketball greats like Hall of Fame player and coach Lenny Wilkens and NBA player and playground legend Connie Hawkins. Alumni also include historic presidential candidate Rep. Shirley Chisholm, singer/actress Lena Horne and many others.

Every year the city auctions off property that is on it’s annual tax lien list, which is property that has any tax debt on unpaid water bills and property taxes. But in 1997, as a way to generate more money, the city expanded the sale of properties that are in tax debt to include single-and three-family homes. Before this, commercial and industrial properties where the only ones that qualified to be auctioned off. Since then, many minority families have been disproportionally affected by this, especially homeowners in central Brooklyn.

“Four years ago the number of homes on the list in Bed-Stuy was 3,000. This year it’s 600. We want to get that number down to zero,” said Melissa Lee, Managing Director of the Coalition for the Improvement of Bed-Stuy (CIBS).

Luckily there are a wide array of services that can help homeowners stay out of foreclosure. One such service is the Tax Water Lien Help Night, a public service night held this past week at the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation building. The goal of the night was to help community members that are on the lien list, figure out a way to get off the list and see if they qualify for any exemptions that are there to help people.

The Tax Water Lien Help Night is a partnership between councilman Al Vann, City Comptroller John Liu, The Coalition For the Improvement of Bed-Stuy, Brownstoners of Bed-Stuy, Pratt Area Community Council, Bridge Street Development Corporation, Neighborhood Housings Services of Bed-Stuy and Bed-Stuy Community Legal Services.

“If you owe outstanding money on your water bill or property bill, the city can take your property, so this tax lien night is where our coalition invites homeowners from central Brooklyn to come and meet members from the various city agencies and learn tips on how prevent the city from taking their property because of outstanding debts on the property. Seniors, the disabled, and veterans can apply for some exemptions,” said Warren Hu, a home ownership Counselor at the Bridge Street Development Corporation.

The main services offered are the one-on-one sessions with counselors from the NYC Department of Finance, the NYC Department of Environmental Protection and the NYC Department of Housing Preservation. Through these sessions, homeowners can arrange for ways to get off the lien list and begin to pay back any outstanding debts.

“I was involved with this issue when I was with the City Council and now that I am comptroller, I am in a position that uniquely allows me to get the word out to Bed-Stuy and other parts of the city that this issue disproportionately affects,” said Comptroller Liu. “I don’t want to see any foreclosures due to this issue, that’s why we have a help night like this.”

The Tax Water Help Night also informs community members about how their home can become included on the lien list. Owing two or more years of property taxes and having unpaid water and sewer bills is the surefire way to make it onto the list.

There are exemptions for the list as well, if you are a senior citizen, disabled or a veteran, then you can qualify for exemptions, which can remove your home from the list completely.

“A lot of people can’t go down to City Hall, so we bring City Hall to them. We want to make it convenient for people to take care of this,” explained Councilman Al Vann. “We have reformed the legislation significantly, which is why there are fewer people on the list every year. One part of the legislation reform was that you don’t need to make a down payment to get off the list now. There are many options available for people, it’s not like as soon as you enter this process then you are in foreclosure.”

“The process here is 100% easy and stress free. A lot of people can’t go down to the municipal building because of work, so it is nice that they come here,” said Winston Blunt, a participant at the Water Tax Help Night. “you have to read to stay alert, if you don’t read the papers they send or don’t pay attention, then its your fault if you miss out.”

City Councilman Charles Barron

Kinard, the ex-wife of former City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Bill Thompson, is an accomplished woman in her own right as an attorney. She currently works at Medgar Evers College as the affirmative action and diversity officer.

Kinard also grew up in Flatbush and continues to live in Midwood – both in the heart of the district.
“There is absolutely no bad blood,” said Kinard, who once worked for Yvette Clarke’s mother, Una, when she was a City Councilwoman. “This is something I’m called to do. You can’t just sit back and complain. You have to be engaged and get involved. I want to help the president, move his economic agenda forward and I think we need aggressive and enlightened leadership to do that.”

While Kinard’s intentions appear honorable, almost all political pundits, including this one, feels she is facing an uphill battle. However, one source said Clarke does have some critics in the district, particularly amongst the Jewish community, who feel she is not staunch enough in her support of Israel.

One source said that City Councilman David Greenfield is among those who takes issue with Clarke’s stand on Israel. Greenfield could not be reached for comment at press time.

But Clarke spokesperson Scott Levinson called the rumor that the congresswoman is not pro-Israel enough nonsense.

“She (Clarke) has been to Israel several times and is a strong supporter of the state of Israel. To describe her as anything less than positive (towards Israel) is just not true,” said Levinson.
Jeffries works endorsements, as Barron works the streets, Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries continues to pile up endorsements in his run to succeed retiring Congressman Ed Towns for the upcoming Democratic Primary in the 8th Congressional District.

In the last week, Jeffries was endorsed by the powerful 1199 health care union, along with several clergy leaders from within the district. Of these clergy endorsements, the most surprising came from Rev. Dr. Johnny Ray Youngblood, pastor of Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church in Bedford-Stuyvesant.

Youngblood, much like Jeffries opponent, City Councilman Charles Barron, is known to have a lot of street credibility, and Youngblood and Barron have sometimes worked together on issues pertaining to the unempowered community of color.

“I think they (Jeffries and Barron) are both good men,” said Youngblood. “I’ve watched Hakeem from the beginning and it just seems like he fits into the culture of Washington.”

At the clergy endorsement press conference Jeffries also continued to showcase his political shrewdness and high intelligence regarding legislative and governance matters. For example, when asked if he supported Sen. Velmanette Montgomery’s recent proposed legislation to take back mayoral control of education, Jeffries recalled he voted against reauthorizing mayoral control in Albany, but stopped short of backing Montgomery’s bill.

Instead, Jeffries said his strong inclination is to allow a second mayor to control education and see how they do before deciding if the city’s public education system should be reverted back to a more independent entity.

Barron, meanwhile, continues to pound the pavement and despite the differences in campaign finances and mainstream support, is certainly not being outworked by Jeffries.

“I just left Coney Island where I was very well-received,” said Barron. “The only endorsement that matters is on June 26 when the people come out and vote.”

But a Medgar Evers College spokesperson Christopher Hundley noted the vote was taken only among some members and said it doesn’t accurately reflect faculty or staff sentiment.

The April 23 vote came among allegations including that under Pollard’s helm the school was discriminating against women and hiring cronies.

“A total of six chairs, four female, have been removed or forced out over three years. This is unprecedented, certainly at Medgar, and probably in CUNY,” said Dr. Sallie Cuffee, a professor at Medgar Evers College, who was recently removed as chair of the college’s Social and Behavioral Sciences Department. “These chairs were saying no to the hiring of cronies and high paid consultants.”
Cuffee said that under Pollard the school has created a hostile environment for faculty and staff.
Hundley responded the document upon which the vote was taken is filled with numerous falsehoods and mischaracterizations.

“In recent weeks, rather than pursue constructive attempts to resolve philosophical differences on the direction of the college through the proper internal channels, some members of the Faculty Senate (who organized the vote) have made these claims public, which has not only damaged the reputation of the college, but also the hard work of all of its employees, its students, and graduates,” said Hundley.
The school held a public meeting recently with Pollard reportedly in attendance and Hundley said the administration remains committed to the mission and ideals of the school.

“We will continue to increase support and initiatives for academics and student support services. We will continue to ensure our College classrooms are filled with highly qualified and effective professors. We will continue the work necessary to increase retention and graduation rates, said Hundley, throwing something of an olive breach to the faculty and staff.

“We hope to work with all campus personnel and bodies to achieve those aims for the betterment of all of our students,” he said.

American Record Holder Sanya Richards-Ross was at the Michael Johnson Classic in Waco Texas and competed in her first 400 Meters of the year blazed the race in an outstanding 50.18. Ross took to Twitter stating this was the first time she “opened-up” in the quarter so fast.

2004 Olympic Champion in the 100 Meters Hurdles Joanna Hayes at the prime age of 35 years old came out of retirement to compete at the Mt. Sac Relays in California and ran a blistering 12.70 for second place.
Allyson Felix, arguably the USA’s most decorated athlete in the 200 & 400 Meters, ran the 4×100 Meter Relay at the Mt. Sac Relays. Felix, a southern California native, returned to the track she has run on since being a teenager. She made a brief cameo as she anchored the Kersee All-Stars team of Ginnie Crawford, Jeneba Tarmoh and Dawn Harperto a win in the 400 relay in a time of 42.87.

Also at the Relays, four-time long jump world champion Brittney Reese broke the meet mark with a jump of 23 feet, 4.5 inches. Carol Lewis had set the record of 22-10.5 in 1984.

Jeremy Wariner has won four Olympic medals (three gold, one silver) and six World Championships medals. He is the third fastest competitor in the history of the 400 Meter event with a personal best of 43.45 seconds, after Butch Reynolds, and Michael Johnson. Injured last year, Wariner is looking to be among the best again. However, after running at Mt. Sac Relays, he had to settle for second place in a time of 44.96 behind Britain’s Martyn Rooney who ran 44.92.

After settling for bronze medals in both the 100 and 200 in Beijing, Walter Dix is gearing up for repeat performances in London. He put together a good effort in his race. The former Florida State star shrugged off a slow start to win the 100 in 9.85. The wind-aided time is the world’s fastest mark this year.
Other noteworthy results:

Jason Richardson, the reigning 110 hurdles world champ, ran 13.20 to break the meet mark of 13.22 set by Larry Wade in 1999.

Four-time long jump world champion Brittney Reese broke the meet mark with a jump of 23 feet, 4.5 inches. Carol Lewis had set the record of 22-10.5 in 1984.

At the Kansas Relays, Bershawn (Batman) Jackson ran the fastest time in the world this year to win his seventh 400-meter hurdles title. His time of 48.20 seconds was also a Kansas Relays record, breaking his own mark set in 2008.

Two-time Olympian DeeDee Trotter won the women’s 400-meter dash in 50.94 seconds, also the second fastest time in the world this year behind Richards-Ross.

ScholarshipTidbits
Thaddeus Hall is going to be a Gamecock. The Thomas Jefferson senior basketball star made his decision Thursday night, saying that South Carolina worked hard to recruit him. “They were pushing hard to get me and I respect that,” Hall told a reporter. “They said they’re going to put the ball in my hands.”

Sports Tidbits
Look for our Olympic Trials coverage leading up to the London Olympics exclusives and for my exclusive blog for the London 2012 Independent newspaper.

Exercise/Healthy Tidbits
Every week I will be adding to my healthy tidbits:
Work up a sweat.
Vigorous work-outs – when you’re breathing hard and sweating – help your heart pump better, give you more energy and help you look and feel best. Start with a warm-up that stretches your muscles. Include 20 minutes of aerobic activity, such as running, jogging, or dancing. Follow-up with activities that help make you stronger such as push-ups or lifting weights. Then cool-down with more stretching and deep breathing.
Get fit with friends or family.

Being active is much more fun with friends or family. Encourage others to join you and plan one special physical activity event, like a bike ride or hiking, with a group each week.

Eating & Exercising! It’s MY LIFEStyle LifeFITNESS
For more information or questions, please contact dd@dianedixonfoundation.org.

On the ground in Brooklyn, where you see poverty block by block, the economic segregation that is worthy of news when it comes from overseas, is an everyday occurrence in one of the poorest neighborhoods in New York, where relatively expensive restaurants are packed and police towers and mobile units dot the streets, keeping them what is called “safe”.

A part of this repressive push is the continuous, almost tribal attacks on Comptroller John Liu and the astonishing dismissal of him as a mayoral candidate, most recently in a “poll” in the New York Daily News. The reason is clear: they, meaning the 1%ers and those they have in their thrall, have looked at his record as comptroller and know to a man, that they do not want that thinking in the Mayor’s office.

These white-haired gentlemen in their suits and ties, have felt Liu repeatedly go into their pockets, expanding minority participation here, finding money hidden away there, paying back wages and correcting contracts and saving the city hundreds of millions of dollars. That’s money and power that did not accrue to their class and those folks are not happy. They know that Liu does not share their history of accepting white supremacy and privilege, and since he’s not a member of that club, he is unreliable.

Instead this “poll” offers Public Advocate Bill DeBlasio, Former Comptroller William Thompson and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and suggests that an ideal mayoral race would be between Ray Kelly and City Council President Christine Quinn.

That’s a race from hell and the back of the hand to the black and brown communities of the city, but let them get their wish. It’ll clear the way for a new coalition to march on the ballot box. We’ve been there and done that, but please know that if we don’t win this time, there may not be another chance.

New York State Senator Velmanette Montgomery

If you give control to a person whose entire career is spent using and analyzing data, then don’t be surprised when all they [Bloomberg and the DOE] care about is data,” says Jim Vogel, a spokesmen for Sen. Montgomery. “Children now spend almost one third of their day just doing test prep.”

Under the proposed Senate bill the city would create an independent NYC Board of Education panel, to replace the current Panel for Educational Policy, which is spearheaded solely by the Mayor and the DOE.
The new board would have the authority to appoint the NYC Schools Chancellor and have control over educational policy. The bill would also allow parents and community education professionals to have a greater voice in the education process.

“Mayoral control does not work.” said Montgomery, “Control of our schools must be put back in the hands of educational professionals who have a deep understanding of our children’s needs—and the skills to produce positive educational outcomes.”

The proposed legislation also requires the new Board of Education to be comprised of individuals appointed by several entities that include: each borough president would get to appoint one member, the city council would appoint four members, and the mayor would appoint four members.

Among the stipulations for appointment are that some members would have to have a child currently in city schools.

“We need parents involved in their children’s education. We need schools that are focused not solely on test results, but on providing the best education. We need a Board of Education focused on an environment supportive of the achievement of all our children. This bill will provide for all these things,” said Montgomery.

The proposed bill would also require that the new board chooses the NYC schools chancellor. Under Bloomberg, every chancellor he has appointed had no background in professional education, which is required by the state for all schools chancellors, but the mayor received waivers to bypass the rule.
Opponents of the measure argue that this would take the system back to the “dysfunctional days” of the old Board of Education when there were too many local sub-departments and corruption.

“This legislation is an anarchist’s dream,” said Joe William, of Democrats for Education Reform.
“Have people forgotten about the corruption? It took forever to get anything done.” wondered Bay Ridge Sen. Martin Golden (R).

Sam Anderson from the Coalition for Public Education said the bill merely tweaks what’s already in place.
“It will not address the issue of who has the power to govern the DOE and eliminate the privatization of our public education system,” said Anderson.

The Mayor’s office has also charged that the legislators are doing the bidding of the United Federation of Teachers, who has seen their influence dwindle under Mayoral control, rather than serving the interests of students. But, as Vogel insists, “This isn’t about going back, but about moving forward.”

“I don’t really know too much about this issue,” said Gwendolyn Brown, a parent at P.S 289 George V. Brower in Crown Heights. “But I think it’s a step in the right direction.”

Under current law, Mayor Bloomberg’s control of the public school system is not up for renewal until 2015.

Former First Lady of Japan Kayoko Hosokawa (left), wife of Morihiro Hosokawa, 79th Prime Minister of Japan from August 1993 to April 1994, is Honorary Chairperson, NPO Special Olympics Nippon, and Chairperson, Japan Floor Hockey Federation. She is seen here with her interpreter at the Marcus Garvey Park (Madison at East 122nd St.) for a Little League baseball game – one of the many events that took place during the April 14-15 Cherry Blossom Festival weekend in Harlem. The Festival celebrated the 100th anniversary of a 1912 ceremony when The Committee of Japanese Residents gifted 2,000 cherry trees to New York City as a symbol of friendship. The trees were planted in what was then called Claremont Park at West 122nd Street and Riverside Drive, and the park was renamed Sakura, the Japanese word for cherry blossom.  ¸”XÒ”I think sports has the power to let everyone’s soul shine,” the former First Lady once said. “And so do gifts of trees,” commented Voza Rivers, who produced the Festival for the Consulate General of Japan in New York and the New Heritage Theatre. The Nippon Club and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry co-sponsored the event. Photo Credit: Seitu Oronde

On Sunday April 15, 2012, the Harlem Little League played the the West Coast Japanese Little League on the Friendship Field at Marcus Garvey Park, Madison Ave. E. 120th Street to 124th Street. Family, community residents, and special guests participated in the Opening Ceremony which included special messages from Dwight RaifordCo-Founder of the Harlem Little League, Assemblyman Keith Wright, Lloyd Williams, President & CEO The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, the former First Lady of Japan Mrs. Hosakawa, Yasuhisa Kawamura, Deputy Chief of Mission, the Consulate General of Japan in NY, Voza Rivers, Executive Producer, and Katsuya Abe, International Producer New Heritage Theatre Group.

The game, which was won by the West Coast Japanese team (8-3), was enthusiastically watched by a cheering crowd of parents and sports enthusiasts. The Little League game was presented by Harlem Little League Commission, International Baseball Education Committee (IBEC USA), New Heritage Theatre Group, and The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce.

The mission and purpose of the International Baseball Education Committee in USA (IBEC USA) is to foster friendships among youth of various ethnic groups through baseball and their global cultural exchange program. IBEC USA believes this program will educate the youth of the world to become better citizens, learning a sense of love, community, respect and appreciation through the sport of baseball.
New Heritage Theatre Group is the oldest not for profit black theatre in New York, celebrating their 48th Anniversary.

Last year at a Jefferson Avenue (between Tompkins and Throop Avenues) block party, I heartily shouted out my favorite phrase: “Bed-Stuy, do or die!”

Some do not like that term, which has been buried in the archives of Central Brooklyn’s past.
In fact, in some sense, it could be said that the old Bed-Stuy did, in fact, die, given the huge demographic changes of the past two decades.

And now, with Congressman Ed Towns’ announcement that he was retiring after 30 years in office, it’s more clear than ever that a new Bed-Stuy is being born.

At the birthing table these days, eager with scalpels, are Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries and Councilman Charles Barron, who are vying with eagerness to replace Towns as Central Brooklyn’s Big Daddy in Washington.
Here’s the interesting thing that makes Bed-Stuy so important in this.

Jeffries, a 41-year-old attorney at ease in corporate board rooms (as well as on the street), now represents Fort Greene, a place that has become a Brooklyn version of Chelsea, with snazzy hipster restaurants up and down DeKalb Avenue, a gathering place for countless newcomers from Michigan, Wisconsin, Alaska and beyond.

Barron, a ex-Black Panther who says he sometimes likes to curse out (white people) for emotional release, was elected to the Council from Brownsville and neighboring sections, which have some of the highest crime and poverty rates in the city, and where young black men are stopped-and-frisked by police every day of the week.

Bed-Stuy is the no-man’s-land of the congressional race and all are waiting to see which way she will go.
“It’s neither of their bases,” said political consultant Lupe Tood, now working as a spokesperson with Jeffries.

“Bed-Stuy will be the Ohio of this race . . . It’s the toss-up.”

Bedford-Stuyvesant, you see, was once an archetypical ghetto. I remember well the 1964 riots and the quick departure of Jewish storeowners after that, as they their time was up and they sold their businesses to a new generation of Latinos and Arabs of more recent years; and even black professionals abandoned the community for what they considered prettier pastures.

How different things are now. Everyone wants to come back to Bed-Stuy. There are so many white young women walking from Fulton Street subway stations at night that my grandparents would not believe it, even if they were alive to see it.

So how will Bed-Stuy go in the June 26 election?

Perhaps the most telling indicator is the decision, a few weeks ago, by the Vanguard Independent Democratic Association(VIDA). They invited Towns, Jeffries and Barron to show up and make their cases before the group. Towns didn’t even show up (perhaps an early indication he had little desire for the fury that would blow through this political race).

VIDA chose to support Jeffries, said activist and Bed-Stuy political scholar Dr. John Flateau.
It’s since occurred to me, by the way, that perhaps Barron burned his bridge with VIDA back a few years ago when he supported challenger Mark Winston Griffith over incumbent Bed-Stuy Council member Al Vann.

Then again, burning bridges is Barron’s favorite pastime, said political consultant Hank Sheinkopf.
As for Barron, he says he will spend his coming days and nights on the streets and at meetings, seeking votes of those who, he said, want “a fighter” like him to speak for them in Washington.

Barron told me that Jeffries “has no history in our struggle” and that he is a “go along, get along” politician currying favor with unions and political bigwigs.

Almost any other elected official in the city would take issue with that, pointing out that Jeffries has pushed for state laws controlling aggressive police tactics, for example, and recently sponsored a law making sure prisoners get counted in the communities they come from, rather than the upstate counties that hold them behind bars. This means more political power for Central Brooklyn.

History matters here. The redrawn lines of Towns’ district (now the Eighth Congressional District of New York) leaves it less Black than it was before. But it is still mostly Black. And its history as a Voting Rights District – requiring review by Washington before changes to its makeup – make it especially meaningful to Brooklyn old-timers and others who appreciate Civil Rights history.

Jeffries says it is he who can bond the past with the present, and he is strongly critical of Barron for Barron’s continual complaining about alleged shortcomings of President Barack Obama.

“This is a generational moment,” Jeffries said of the current political contest (in which he has perhaps eight times more than Barron in campaign contributions and far more endorsements from political leaders and unions).

Jeffries said the race is between “someone who has a strong legislative record” and “someone whose focus has been on rhetorical flourish.”

He did not say precisely who was which, but given the tenor of the exchanges so far, no one really has to guess.
Ron Howell is an associate professor of journalism at Brooklyn College.

The Rev. Al Sharpton adjusts the microphone for Tracy Martin, Trayvon’s father, at the National Action Network’s Convention yesterday in Washington, D.C., as he comments on the anouncement of the arrest of his son’s shooter. Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon’s mother is at right.

Minutes after learning that George Zimmerman has been charged with second-degree murder in the killing of their son, Trayvon Martin, a stoic Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton addressed a crowd on Wednesday at the National Action Network convention in Washington, D.C.
Before the parents took the podium, the Rev. Al Sharpton reflected on all that had transpired to bring them to this point. “Forty-five days ago, Trayvon Martin was murdered. No arrest was made. The chief of police in Sanford announced, after his review of the evidence, there would be no arrest,” he said. “An outcry from all over this country came because his parents refused to leave it there.”
Sharpton also stressed to the crowd, many of whom applauded and rose to their feet when the family and their attorneys walked into the conference room, that the arrest in no way constitutes a victory. “We do not want anyone high-fiving tonight,” he said. “There are no winners here. They’ve lost their son. This is not about gloating; this is about pursuing justice.”
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