This Saturday, May 12, the hugely popular actor adds yet another multi-faceted character to his list of “long-running” cameos when he debuts the one-act play, Mr. Joy, as a New York-based Chinese shoe storeowner.

Mr. Joy runs through June 2 at The Riverside Theatre located at 91 Claremont Ave. (between 120th and 122nd Streets) in Harlem from May 12th through June 2nd.

Mr. Beaty took time from his daylong rehearsals on Riverside Drive in Manhattan to answer our questions. Then the actor whose plays Ruby Dee once said, “touch the human spirit,” was back up and running, preparing for the debut of Mr. Joy, this Saturday, May 12.
In the midst of all of this, he found time to answer the Our Time Press questions below:

OTP: In what ways does this play intend to touch the human spirit?

DB: My character (Mr. Joy) has been running a shoe store in NYC for 25 years. As he repairs people’s soles, he also repairs their souls. At the beginning of the play, we discover that something has happened to Mr. Joy that impacts the community in a deep way, and the central question of the play becomes: What has happened to this community’s joy and how do we reclaim it? Various members of the community (9 characters total) tell their personal stories through their shoes that Mr. Joy has repaired for them. This play intends to touch the human spirit by showing the power of our interconnectedness through something as fundamental as the shoes we wear. The characters I portray range from a Chinese man to a white woman from the Upper East side, to a black male Republican to a young black man who lives in Harlem.

OTP: Your plays are funny, uplifting and also have a social consciousness. What is the message that you are trying to convey with this play?

DB: My goal is always to use humor and multifaceted characters to explore social political themes. In the past, all of the characters I have portrayed have been black. This is the first time I am also including nonblack characters. There are so many urgent issues facing our society. For me the state of our young people in urban communities is in desperate need of attention. I believe it is an illusion that we as human beings are separate from one another. I deeply believe that internally we are reflections of each other no matter how different we may seem externally. When I as one man am able to successfully portray such a range of characters with true dimension, humor and heart, it underscores this idea.

OTP: Your plays seem to have a healing message for black people, for example, Run Black Man Run deals with a man who seeks a “bigger worldview” of himself and his life than the images about black men in the projects. Knock Knock is about a black boy whose father is suddenly incarcerated. Did you draw on personal experiences to delve into these topics? How do you know these people?

DB: My father was a heroin addict and dealer in and out of prison during my entire growing up period. My older brother was addicted to crack cocaine and has been incarcerated as well. As a child and young man, these were my primary models of my possibilities as a black man. As I became curious about my destiny, and what I could do to walk a different path, I understood that my father and brother’s pain was the product of unhealed wounds such as the legacy of slavery, disenfranchisement and the breakdown of the family. These wounds have deeply impacted black people in this country and our nation in general. I began to understand clearly if I was to heal, I would need to not only address these wounds for myself, but also be about the business of helping others to address their wounds—to heal.
OTP: In a recent interview, you said that you have three mantras that you say to yourself: (1) No attachments, (2) No fear and (3) I trust you, God. Please explain the reasons behind each one. (Also, with so busy a life on and off-stage, how do you practice your mantra?)

DB: My daily spiritual practice is the most important aspect of my life. Spending time with God keeps me connected to purpose and I believe purpose is the bridge past ego. By ego, I mean one’s insecurities or cockiness. I believe at the core of me and every human being is the spirit of God, the Divine that is all-powerful. My daily spiritual practice keeps me in touch with God, and this keeps me from being attached to results that often are out of my control—ultimately I cannot control how someone receives my messages. This connection gives me courage in the place of fear, and ultimately, this connection enables me to trust—to have faith.

OTP: Black writers whose works are presented on-screen —— from Lorraine Hansberry, Spike Lee, Tyler Perry and Steve Tyler — continue to break down doors for struggling writers of color. Our movies are gaining increased accessibility and popularity; the current Think Like a Man … success story is one example. How can theater keep up with the big screen with regards to building new audiences, sustaining them and, at the very least, compensating actor-writers like yourself – whose shoes are surely worn from all that walking around on and off Broadway?
DB: Theater artists must tell stories that are urgent and timely. We must challenge ourselves to be consistent in our excellence and determination. The budgets that many big budget films have enable them to market in ways theater artists simply cannot. However, I have faith that there is something so core to the way live theater can touch and inspire that if theater remains committed to telling vital, urgent stories, the audiences will come. Sometimes the journey is rocky and long, but the path I travel contains the footprints of giants who have walked before me – Lorraine Hansberry, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis, James Baldwin, August Wilson, and the list goes on and on.

OTP: Just for the record, please briefly describe:
Your favorite pair of shoes?
DB: My favorite pair of shoes is a pair of black leather boots. They are extremely comfortable and have a weight that grounds me.
Who applies your makeup for the Mr. Joy role? How long it takes to apply it? And why it is not so far-fetched to transform an American of African descent into an Asian?
DB: I actually do not wear any makeup in my shows. I change my characters’ physicality, voice and emotional inner life, and magically the audience is able to see a new human being emerge right before their eyes.
How do you pick up accents and styles of speech?
DB: Observation is the artist’s greatest tool. I spend a great deal of time observing people, listening to how they speak, and often more importantly, why they speak. This sensitivity enables me to pick up accents and styles of speech easily.
In the upcoming season, Mr. Beaty’s ensemble musical Breath & Imagination – The Story of Roland Hayes will premiere as a co-production with Hartford Stage and Pittsburgh City Theater. He also has a new solo play on the life of Paul Robeson – The Tallest Tree in the Forest – directed by Moises Kaufman and slated to premiere next season. He is a proud member of New Dramatists and an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University. His first children’s book based on his poem Knock Knock is slated to be released by Little Brown Books in 2013. Daniel has also written a Spoken World Ballet Far But Close that will premiere in the 2012/13 season for Dance Theater of Harlem.

For a schedule of Mr. Joy performances, please call The Riverside Theatre at 212-870-6784 or visit their website at www.theriversidetheatre.org. You can also visit Mr. Beaty’s Web site at www.danielbeaty.com.

And for a sampling of “the Daniel Beaty experience”, visit www.youtube.com to see clips of his plays. One in particular that you may enjoy is, Run Black Man Run.
(Our Time Press contributor trainee B. Sadlonova provided questions for this piece. The article is available at www.ourtimepress.com and at Facebook/ourtimepress.)

It is a pleasure to see the support of Corporate America to the USA Olympic & Paralympic programs.  Throughout the year, sponsorships are at an all-time high as corporations have finally realized “It takes funding to support our athletes.”  Citi Every Step in addition to being a sponsor to The United States Olympic Committee (USOC), they have donated over $500.000.  Some of the athletes involved are: Sanya Richards-Ross, Amanda McGrory, Bob & Mike Bryan, Carlos Leon, Christie Rampone, Cullen Jones, and Danell Leyva.  For more information, please visit the https://everystep.citi.com.

 BP has signed up as a partner of the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) and the Olympic and Paralympic athletes vying for a spot on Team USA. Not only are they providing these athletes with some much needed funding as they prepare for the 2012 Olympic Games and 2014 Olympic Winter Games, they are working with the USOC to reduce its carbon footprint. With the help of BP Target Neutral, they’ll be given support to offset their travel related carbon emissions.

 In September 2011, BP extended its sponsorship of the USOC through the 2016 Games, giving the USOC a boost as it tries to keep companies in the fold beyond this year’s London 2012 Games, and in October 2011 BP announced its support for a diverse group of U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes.  Some of the athletes include are:  Brian Clay (Decathlon), Sanya-Richards-Ross (400 Meter Sprinter), Lolo Jones (100 Meter Hurdler), Rudy Garcia-Tolson (100 & 200 Meter Swimmer), Jonathan Horton (Gymnast), Tatyanna McFadden (Wheelchair Racer), Jerome Singleton (100 & 200 Meter Sprinter), Rebecca Soni (100 & 200 Meter Breatstroke) and Matt Stutzman (Archer).  For more information: www.bplondon2012.com

The BMW Performance Team was formed to help Team USA athletes achieve their Olympic and Paralympic Dreams. Each team member is passionate, talented and constantly striving to improve in his or her sport. And with BMW’s support, members of the BMW Performance Team will be able to focus entirely on qualifying and training for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.  Members supported by this venture include:  Ricky Berens (Swimming), Bryan Clay (Track & Field), Sanya Richards-Ross (Track & Field), Janet Evans (Swimming), and April Holmes (Paralympics Track & Field).  For more information, please visit www.bmwusa.com.

The Olympic Torch Relay

 The Olympic Torch Relay will help shine a light on the whole of the UK – from dynamic urban areas to places of outstanding natural beauty.  Torchbearers will carry the Flame through more than 100 cities, towns and villages in the UK.

  Lit in Greece, the Olympic Flame arrives in the UK on 18 May 2012 before setting out the next day on a 70-day Olympic Torch Relay, bringing the excitement of the Games to everyone.

 The Olympic Flame stands for peace, unity and friendship. It will be carried by 8,000 truly inspirational Torchbearers.

  Where is the Olympic Flame going?

 The Olympic Flame will travel to within an hour of 95 per cent of people in the UK, the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey during the 70-day Torch Relay. It will enable local communities to shine a light on the best their area has to offer. 

The most memorable Olympians I can recall are:

Memorable Olympic champion Carl Lewis

In Women’s Soccer, player of the 1990’s, was Mia Hamm who has been an inspiration to young players around the world, Teresa Edwards who holds the record as both the youngest and the oldest Olympic Gold Medalist in Women’s Basketball.  One of only four Olympians to win nine Gold Medals, Carl Lewis was among the greatest Olympic idols of the 20thcentury.  Jenny Thompson’s 12 Olympic medals make her the most successful female Olympian to ever compete in the pool.  Stephanie Cook has the honor of being the first ever female Olympic Gold Medalist in Modern Pentathlon.  Michael Jordan’s remarkable achievements throughout a long and illustrious career make him one of the greatest basketball players of all time and Michael Phelps an American swimmer who has, overall, won 16 Olympic medals—six gold and two bronze at Athens in 2004, and eight gold at Beijing in 2008, becoming the most successful athlete at both of these Olympic Games.

Exercise/Healthy Tidbits

Drink Clean Water

 Our bodies are mostly water, approximately 85% of your brain, 80% of your blood and 70% of your muscle is water. So logically, our bodies need water as a source of replenishment. But I even find it a challenge at times to make sure I am always drinking water. One system I’ve developed is simply making sure I drink 1 cup of water (about 8-12 ounces) every hour on the hour between the hours of 9-5. If you have a cell phone or you are on your computer for a major part of the day, set a reminder alert for every hour.

 Drink some Green Juice
Every day for the next week, find a way to incorporate a green drink in your diet, preferably in the morning. Whether it is a glass of wheatgrass, adding spinach or kale to your morning smoothie, or juicing, find a way to have it in liquid form.

 Green Juice of Champions
2 bunches of greens (kale, spinach, chard etc) 1/2 bunch parsley, 1 inch piece of ginger, half of a lemon, 2-3 apples

 Drink 2 Cups of Tea a Day
The benefits of tea are undeniable. Most teas contain antioxidant, may reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke, can boost your immune system, and phytochemicals that protect your bones. Unbeknownst to many, teas actually contains fluoride and tannins, so drinking unsweetened tea, and brushing afterward (some teas can cause stains), can aid your smile.

  Eating & Exercising! It’s MY LIFEStyle LifeFITNESS

 For more information or questions, please contact OlympianDianeD@yahoo.com and check out my blog at http://olympiandianedixon.wordpress.com

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.”

Take for example, Sanya Richards-Ross who last year had a culmination of ups and downs in the 2011 World Championships finishing 7th place in the 400 m in a time of 51.32 but ran 50.18 (world leading time this year) in her first race last week and a wind-aided 10.89 in the 100 Meters. This seems to negate my previous statement.

Here is how this works: The Trials are from June 22nd – July 1st at the Hayward Field University in Eugene Oregon. Each individual race selects the top 3 to make the team. In the 100, 200 and 400, the USA can select all 8 members to make up the pool for the 4×100 and 4×400 Meter Relays. The alternates that place 4th – 8th place can run in the earlier rounds such as the heats & semis to support the teams to make the finals. The catch is that in the semi-finals at least 2 individuals that will be on the final team also have to race. Usually the USA Team Head Coach can discuss with other members who those individuals will be. If the team medals than the other supporting team members also get the same medal as the final team members.

This was initiated at the 1984 Olympic Games when it was discussed that if an alternate competed to get the team into the final then they should also be rewarded the medal. I look back at my Olympic days and remember the 4×400 in Seoul Korea. It took the Soviet Union to break the existing world record to defeat us. Our team was made up of Denean Howard (49.7), Diane Dixon (49.2), Valarie Brisco (48.5 and the late Flo Jo (48.1). The USA Olympic Team in Korea has held this American record since 1988.

Flo-Jo had just competed in the 4×100 Meter Relay 20 minutes prior to this. She literally jogged down the track to get her warm-ups and came to meet us at the check-in. The camaraderie of our team was amazing and to represent your country in front of billions of people is a breath-taking unspeakable moment that is indescribable.

What a memorable moment that was. My only regret is that You Tube, Twitter, FaceBook and other social media outlets were not present and therefore it is hard to locate some of my races such as the 1991 World Indoor Championships where I broke the American Record in the 400 in 50.64 and became the first American Woman to do so. Gail Devers followed in 1993 to win the 60 Meter Dash.

In the 200/400 double only two women have won Olympic Gold medals in both races in the same year: Valerie Brisco-Hooks in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and Marie-José Pérec, in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Only one male athlete has done this which was Michael Johnson in the 1996 Atlanta Games.

The Penn Relays
The oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States is the Penn Relays and they are held April 26-28 at Franklin Field in Pennsylvania. High schools, colleges and the USA versus the world come out to compete. Most athletes consider this to be a prelude leading up the Olympics. The men’s 4×100 Meter Relay with Mike Rodgers, Justin Gatlin, Doc Patton, Walter Dix won the event this year in 38.40 and the women followed them with the win with Tianna Madison, Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight, Carmelita Jeter in 42.19.

The Men & Women’s 4×400 Meter Relays were won by Team USA. The men’s team anchored by LaShawn Merritt won in 3.00.15 and the women’s team anchored by Sanya Richards-Ross (49.5) won in 3.21.18

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

Exercise/Healthy Tidbits
Every week I will be adding to my healthy tidbits:
Balance your food choices – don’t eat too much of any one thing.
You don’t have to give up foods like hamburgers, french fries and ice cream to eat healthy. You just have to be smart about how often and how much of them you eat. Your body needs nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, fat and many different vitamins and minerals such as vitamins C and A, iron and calcium from a variety of foods. Balancing food choices from the Food Guide Pyramid and checking out the Nutrition Facts Panel on food labels will help you get all these nutrients.
Eat more grains, fruits and vegetables.
These foods give you carbohydrates for energy, plus vitamins, minerals and fiber. Besides, they taste good!

Try breads such as whole-wheat, bagels and pita. Spaghetti and oatmeal are also in the grain group. Bananas, strawberries and melons are some great tasting fruits. Try vegetables raw, on a sandwich or salad.
Eating & Exercising! It’s MY LIFEStyle LifeFITNESS For more information or questions, please contact dd@dianedixonfoundation.org.

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.

The Citizens Committee for Children study also found that despite the recent influx of wealthier people and trendy shops to the neighborhood, Bed-Stuy’s overall concentrated poverty rate rose from 38.0 percent in 2000 to 43.2 percent in 2006-2010.

The report comes on the heels of the latest State Labor Department unemployment statistics showing New York City’s unemployment rate increasing to 9.8 percent far surpassing the national unemployment average of 8.4 percent in the month of March. This includes a 10.8 percent unemployment rate in Brooklyn.

“The increasing poverty rate in our city, and especially in Black and Latino communities, is an issue that has been at the forefront of my committee’s agenda,” said Vann, chair of the Council’s Community Development Committee. “While the Bloomberg Administration has held big announcements to unveil anti-poverty initiatives for young children, the working poor and disconnected youth, the mayor has simultaneously cut programs and opposed policies that benefit these same populations.”

Calls to Bloomberg’s press office were given over to the city’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC) for a response, where a spokesperson downplayed the State Labor Department statistics as based on a smaller and less reliable sample than overall job growth.

“We are encouraged that New York City’s private sector continues to add jobs, which is really the best sign of the health of the City’s economy,” said EDC Spokesperson Patrick Muncie. “Improving employment opportunities for all New Yorkers remains our top priority going forward, and we are continuing our work towards this important goal.”

Ironically, Vann’s war of words comes on the day that Bloomberg vetoed on City Council bill and vowed to veto another measure that requires some larger companies doing business with the city to pay a fixed livable wage – far above the state minimum wage – to their employees.

“Those bills – the so-called living and prevailing wage bills – are a throwback to the era when government viewed the private sector as a cash cow to be milked, rather than a garden to be cultivated,” said Bloomberg in announcing his veto.

“When it comes to creating jobs, government is not the architect of the economy – that’s the private sector’s job. I believe government has an obligation to set a minimum wage – but beyond that, private businesses should be free to make their own decisions,” he added.

Bloomberg noted that developers walked away from a deal at the Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx because they would have been forced to bring in only businesses that paid a set livable wage. He suggested that the development would have brought hundreds of jobs to the Bronx, which has the dubious distinction of having the highest unemployment rate of any county in the state at 13.6 percent.

“I will not sign legislation – no matter how well-intended – that hurts job creation and taxpayers,” said Bloomberg.

But Vann, who co-authored the measures, said the mayor’s cuts to funding for child care and after-school programs – and opposition to laws that move working people closer to earning self-sustaining wages – have been devastating.

“In order to achieve any success in the fight against poverty, we need a stronger commitment from our mayor to policies and programs that we know are crucial to preventing and reducing poverty,” said Vann.