Our Time PressThe Local Paper with the Global View

PROJECT GREEN ECO-WEEKEND PROMOTES UNITY
& COMMUNITY SPIRIT AS NATURAL “GREEN” RESOURCE

Alicia Mack

This year’s Project Green two-day event on Arbor Day, Friday, April 24 and Family Day, Saturday, April 25 at Herbert Von King Park, where 10,000 bulbs planted in fall are now coming into bloom, helped expand the community’s perspective on its role in preserving and protecting the neighborhood’s natural resources, while creating foundations for Bedford-Stuyvesant’s sustainable future.
Project Green is also an initiative designed to bring community awareness of the neighborhood’s nature organizations – Magnolia Tree Earth Center of Bedford Stuyvesant, Von King Park & Cultural Arts Center and the Hattie Carthan Community Garden — comprising Bedford Stuyvesant’s largest green space.
With the support of major sponsors Con Edison, Amalgamated Bank and Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation; the blessing of beautiful weather; and the overwhelming response from community residents to useful free green-oriented products and information and intriguing stage performances, this year’s event was nothing less than inspiring and fun.
Arbor Day opened the weekend with a celebration of spring by some 500 area schoolchildren from P.S. 256, P.S. 305, George Murray Academy, Concord Baptist School, 117 and P.S. 3. The students were the stars of the morning presentation which featured them performing in unison the first-ever Arbor Day song, Planting Our Future, written particularly for the children of Bedford-Stuyvesant by noted composer-songwriter Larry Banks.
At the event hosted grandly by educator and Civil Rights pioneer Mama Leah (Ms. Lois Gilliard), elders, New York City Parks and New York City garden officials offered messages from the stage, which was adorned by Von King Park’s stage manager, Berris, with enlarged images of environmental heroes: Harriet Tubman, Hattie Carthan, Wangari Matheii, Majora Carter, Van Jones and George Washington Carver.
Athlete Mary Sobers, historian Mama Olatunji, and environmentalist Dyanne Norris were brief in their words, but memorable in their presentations. Ms. Norris summed up the thoughts for the day: “Green is not new to us; it represents the rich heritage from which we emerged.”
The lessons of the day extended to Mama Leah’s involving the students creating their own definition for “green.” Words and phrases from the amphitheater ricocheted off the cement walls as the young people shared what they knew and what they had learned that day about the food we eat, the air we breathe, the land we tend and more.

A tree-planting ceremony followed with the students and community leaders encircling a baby Spruce (compliments of John Bowne H.S. via the intercession of Magnolia Tree Earth Center board member Nancy Wolf). Mama Leah blessed the grounds and the ceremony, and Councilman Al Vann, life-time resident of Bedford Stuyvesant and dedicated supporter of community youth programs spoke about Harriet Tubman’s natural genius and environmentalist spirit.
With the assistance of some 40 motivated Brooklyn Job Corps’ volunteers, the children reprised Banks’ wonderful song, as they stood around the island of grass in the northeast side of the Park, now home to the Spruce and the history of that unique and memorable Arbor Day.
Brooklyn Job Corps’ volunteers also helped facilitate a structured arrangement that helped schoolchildren view and take part in the tree planting presentation. Gifts were donated from numerous sponsors to teachers and librarians in the participating schools. “The day was an overall learning experience, encouraging everyone, primarily the youth to think about nature and the environment,” said Bernice Elizabeth Green, who with James Durrah of the Neighborhood Housing Services-Bedford Stuyvesant, originated the concept for Project Green, now in its second year.
Throughout the entire structured production, students were enlightened of the many ways to live a healthier lifestyle and educated about some of the contributors who will support them in their personal and united pursuits of a sustainable future for the community.
The goodwill spirit of Arbor Day carried over to Project Green 2009 Community (“Go Green”) Expo, the next day (April 25), a day for all family members. From the numerous organizations, businesses and individuals who displayed and gave away useful products and green information, to inspirational performances promoting unity and love, the Expo explored the importance of paying attention to the earth, nature and the environment.
A sense of unity was in the air even before the Expo commenced. Mama Leah, the very first arrival at 7:30am, blessed all the corners of the park, and the Spruce Tree.

Amongst the thirty- eight volunteers, one stood out the most, to this writer. A teen by the name of Robert from the Bedford Stuyvesant area, stumbled upon the event, insisting that we use his help “in anyway possible.” This, indeed, was the quintessential example of the many courtesy and union aspects of “going green” that occurred over the weekend in Von King Park.
Motorcycle Bikers (who wanted to perform “great community service” for the neighborhood), Brooklyn College and Pratt College students, and local parkside neighbors were among the wide range of volunteers who dedicated their time and effort in making this two- day event a success; proving that it takes a village to create a foster a movement.
The Park was sectioned into among other areas a Children’s Arts & Crafts walkway with face painting and the Brooklyn Children’s Museum’s live animals; The Congo Drummers’ Circle, near beds of tulips, and the Restoration-sponsored At Home Way with organizations such as NHS, Brownstoners of Bedford Stuyvesant, NYSERDA, and Pratt Sustainability and enterprises such as “Go Green, Inc.” and Therapeutate.
Performances presented by various age groups on this day captured the attention of park visitors from all walks of life and all ages: the dynamic and articulate seven-year-old Nyla Anderson opened up the day’s entertainment presentations, sponsored by Con Edison and Restoration, with a remarkable speech on going green from a youthful standpoint. Von King’s Martial Arts Group, under the guidance of Master Nash, and Double Dutch Jammin Jumpers, under the aegis of Ruth Payne, by their skills and physical stamina, exemplified the importance of exercise and discipline in our lives. The ongoing Inner City Sports Little Leagues games were also a live example of this point.
A highlight of the day was the launch of this year’s celebrations of the 40th Anniversary of Congo Square Drummers and Dancers and the 10th Anniversary of the Universal Hip Hop Parade 2009 Association Inc. Phoenix Rising and Mama Leah of drum royalty led the historic Congo Square masters in a majestic performance with elder kings, Brother Abu Abidun and Brother Monte.
Nearly 700 hundred bottles of AriZona water and 250 canvas eco-bags were distributed at the event (note: attendees were provided with information on tap water vs. bottled water), and the kick-off of the Green Teen essay contest was announced by Marcia Melendez, owner of Flowerworks, who gave away a Mother’s Day gift basket and a large philodendron plant in two drawings.
Gifting and greening went hand in hand during this weekend with the sound of the drums echoing through the evening and all helping to create a green uprising, an uplift, and an awareness that it all starts with our relationship to ourselves and each other. With events such as these in the future, the community will be encouraged to become more active in the issues surrounding global warming, and how we can all contribute now and together for a “greener” future for the children of tomorrow. (Alicia Mack was the event organizer for Project Green 2009.)
(Readers, please note: A more detailed story on the Community Expo written by Kimberley Banjoko appears in next week’s Our Time Press Legal News issue.)

The case of the Central Park Jogger may be 20-years-old for some, but it is as new as this morning for Kharey Wise, Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam and Raymond Santana the young men who were convicted of raping Trisha Meili known as the Central Park Jogger, in April 19, 1989. The convictions were based upon confessions extracted from these 14-16-year-olds, after 28 hours of enhanced interrogation by seasoned and “scripted” homicide detectives. (See Attorneys Michael Warren and Roger Wareham, page 2.)

In December of 2002, attorneys Michael Warren and Roger Warham filed a motion to vacate the convictions based on a confession from Matias Reyes a convicted serial rapist and murderer and a DNA match between Reyes and semen found on Ms. Meili. The motion was affirmed and the boys, now men, are “free.”

“This is the 20th Anniversary of that event,” said Councilman Charles Barron at a press conference on the steps of City Hall. Standing with him were Raymond Santana, Kharey Wise and his mother, Sharonne Salaam, mother of Yusef Salaam, Attorneys Alton Maddox and Colin Moore. The councilman will be introducing legislation to provide compensation for the five men who were imprisoned for up to 13 years based on what attorney Colin Moore characterized as “abuses” in the District Attorney’s office.   “They have been robbed of their youth, robbed of the opportunity to develop their lives so they could have good jobs, good homes,” Barron continued. “They don’t that opportunity because of the terrorist-like tactics of the police department, to get underage minors, interrogate them for 28-hours to force confessions out of them even after they so-called ‘confessed’ they knew what the boys was saying wasn’t consistent with what happened and they prosecuted them anyway.”

The councilman said that over 22 states have exoneration laws “that say if you have been unjustly convicted and you’re exonerated, that they state will pay. It’s time for New York to catch up.”

The reporting of the case has been called a media frenzy with terms like “wolf pack” and “wilding” being used in the media at the time. Dr. James Macintosh of CEMOTAP (Committee to Eliminate Media Offensive to African People) said “The city must pay reparations. The New York Post, Daily News, New York Times also must pay reparations. The New York Post called them a rolling mass of pus. Gerald Nachman called them a melanoma. That’s a black tumor, making a racial allusion. They didn’t need courts to lynch them, so you don’t need courts to repair them. Media lynchers need to ante up.”

The icon for this lynch mob attitude was Donald Trump who was singled out for special mention. “And as for Donald Trump,” said Barron, “You’re the one who put out a big ad calling for a return of the death penalty and that these boys should be executed. You should put out another ad that says ‘I was a fool and made a mistake. If the city does not compensate them I will.” However, because such an action would call for both humility and grace, not two of Mr. Trump’s known strong suits, this was probably a rhetorical suggestion.

Attorney Alton Maddox spoke to the systemic nature of the legal assault on the boys. “20 years ago there was a tragedy in this city that we will never repay. Young men under the age of 16 were in a situation where they could not defend themselves. There were four Black lawyers who came forward in this case. All four of them, after they came forward were disciplined by various grievance committees. Three of them have been disbarred, and the other one was suspended for a substantial period of times.”

Speaking of the defendants he says, “They have to be compensated. We cannot ask people who have been crucified to resurrect themselves on their own. We don’t expect any of them to be Jesus.”

With this being an election year and with Robert Morgenthau not running there is a wide open race for New York District Attorney. And Maddox promises that “Whoever the next D.A. is, he’s going to have to come through the Black community. We want to know where he stands on compensation for the Central Park 6. Nobody will become the next District Attorney of this County without us.”

A Personal Tragedy
Sharon Salaam, mother of Yusef Salaam. “My son still struggles with this situation. Recently there was an article about the case in the Daily News. They went back years to find a picture of my son and over that picture it said ‘Matias Reyes, convicted rapist.’ When is justice going to happen for my son? We cannot go forward without some kind of justice. My son needs a chance to live his life as a decent human being because that’s what he is. If we are denied justice at every avenue, when will justice prevail, not only for us but for all the others?”

Mrs. Wise: “You took something dear and precious away from me. At the time I was five and a half months pregnant, and Kharey was sixteen, turning 17 and you just took him. My son went to jail at sixteen and came out at 30. How can he get an apartment to live in? You say he can’t live with me because I was receiving Section 8, so you gave him nothing. Today he has no house to live in. He’s going from place to place. You gave him no job. You wouldn’t even give him therapy. What you took from me and what you sent back is not the same.”

Raymond Santana: “I lost seven years of my life. I lost my childhood. I lost my mother, she died of cancer while I was in prison. I lost talents, I used to draw. I used to play basketball. I lost all of that. Now I’m just a man in this world trying to survive day-to-day. I don’t want this to happen to anybody else’s kid. It’s our duty to make sure others don’t go through this. To be swallowed up and pushed to the side as though we were nothing.”

Colin Moore, attorney for Kharey Wise, said, “we’re not here seeking justice, justice has already spoken. These young men are innocent. District Attorney Morgenthau had to admit he made a mistake. And he made a motion to invalidate the conviction of these young men. But what we want is a special commission appointed to look into the abuses of the District Attorney’s office in this case. This was the first case in which it became clear that you can actually force young men to convict themselves. There is overwhelming evidence if you apply the correct pressure you can get people to convict themselves. It is obvious from the transcripts that the District Attorney knew or should have known that the confessions were inconsistent with the evidence.”

Councilman Barron will shortly be making a motionto the City Council for compensation for these young men.

The Business of New York is Business

Comptroller Thompson on Business and Banking, Part 3

By Mary Alice Miller

As chief fiscal officer, Comptroller Thompson’s primary job for the last 7 years has been counting the city’s money. The Comptroller conducts audits of city agencies; during his tenure from 2002 to 2008, Thompson has uncovered $260.2 million in actual and potential revenues and savings through 658 audits and special reports. In FY  2008 alone, the Comptroller conducted 80 audits and special reports, generating $16.5 million  in actual revenue and savings. Thompson found if all his recommendations in the 2008 audits and special reports were implemented, the potential cost avoidance, savings and revenues identified in FY 2008 would total $59.1 million in addition to the 16.5 million in actual revenues and savings.

Thompson has made numerous recommendations for fair, alternative means of strengthening the city’s finances and has advocated for state and federal policy favorable to the city.  Using the power of his office, Thompson’s sharp eye has contributed greatly to the city’s financial health while balancing the needs of business and residents.

Acknowledging the current restructuring of Wall St.’s financial services industry,
Thompson said, “I think we still will want to be the business capital of the world; the financial capital of the world. But we have been overly dependent on Wall Street and have not wanted to break that dependence.”

Thompson actions as Comptroller reveal his support for ethics in NYC’s business environment.

Weighing in on the side of NYS Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Comptroller Thompson recently submitted an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court, asking the court to support the State AG’s right to investigate national banks for possible violation of state fair lending laws.

“In New York City, African-American and Hispanic homebuyers and owners, at all income levels, have been the victims of disparate and unequal treatment by home mortgage lenders, including national banks and their affiliates,” Thompson said in the  brief. “Our information shows a clear pattern of racial disparities in the lending practices of banking institutions in the city.”

Thompson provided the court with data collected by his Community Action Center (CAC) through its Foreclosure Prevention Helpline. In April 2007, Thompson launched the  Foreclosure Prevention Helpline – at (212) 669-4600 – to help individuals and families confronted with losing their homes. The Helpline since has received more than 4,100 calls, resulting in 2,200 cases being opened. Thompson’s office used that data to produce detailed maps showing that foreclosure rates are much higher in minority communities in New York City irrespective of income levels.  Thompson’s submission illustrates that in New York City there is a clear distinction between the banks’ treatment of minority and white residents that clearly justify the Attorney General’s investigation.
“After years of unchecked subprime lending, the subprime crisis occurred, followed by national and worldwide financial crises,” Thompson said. “Earlier scrutiny, exposure and correction of national banks’ abusive subprime lending practices, such as unequal treatment of minority borrowers, might have lessened those crises. For that reason, it is vital that Attorney General Cuomo and other state regulators be permitted to investigate the home-lending practices and other legal compliance of national banks.”
Thompson’s advocacy for fair lending practices began years earlier when in 2002, he stood with the City Council’s attempt to legislate  a proposal that would have prohibited the city from doing business with institutions that engage, directly or indirectly, in predatory lending practices. When Mayor Bloomberg responded by taking the Council to court in Mayor of New York vs. City Council of New York, the Comptroller spoke up.

The Comptroller has sought various other means to enhance collection of tax revenue and stimulate diversity of businesses in NY.

This past February, Thompson urged the City to implement a tax amnesty program (particularly for businesses) to increase revenue. In a letter to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Thompson stressed that while the state has created a mechanism for enhancing tax revenue collections, the city must fully participate to generate as much revenue as possible. “Tax amnesty programs have been used to good effect in the past to bring in additional revenue during times of fiscal stress,” Thompson wrote.

Thompson referred to last summer’s NYS “Voluntary Disclosure and Compliance Program,” essentially a tax amnesty program, which allows eligible taxpayers to avoid monetary and criminal penalties by paying unpaid taxes that one owed and agreeing to pay all future taxes. “While the city will benefit from this program when delinquent taxpayers pay taxes that also have a city component, such as personal income or sales taxes, the city is not taking advantage of this program to enhance collections of the taxes it administers – specifically the business taxes,” Thompson added.

According to Thompson, in Fiscal Years 2003 and 2004, the city collected $106 million in tax revenue through tax amnesty programs. This included $22 million stemming from a state tax amnesty program in FY 2003, and $84.4 million from a city tax amnesty program in FY 2004, — data from the Office of Management and Budget’s tax program estimates. The latter program provided an amnesty over three months for a range of city-administered taxes including business taxes, the real property transfer tax and others.

Comptroller Thompson supports extension of the Empire State Tax Credit Program to include the film and television production industry, which employs 30,000 people directly in the city and tens of thousands indirectly in related fields. “The Empire State Tax Credit Program affects a wide range of individuals and businesses across the city and state,” Thompson said. “I am urging the governor to extend this tax credit to help sustain job creation in this vital New York industry, and am further asking the state to apply federal stimulus funds for this purpose. The program creates jobs and provides significant tax revenue to the state treasury. It’s just the kind of economic push that New York State needs right now. It just makes fiscal sense.” Thompson added, “To those who would question funding for a tax credit during a fiscal downturn, I would counter that this program has been enormously successful in increasing employment and providing a boost to a host of local businesses – from caterers to postproduction houses – that serve the film industry.”

Comptroller Thompson’s office oversees management of NYC’s 5 pension fund and retirement systems – NYC Board of Education, Employees, Fire, Police and Teacher’s. The Comptroller’s Pension Policy Division develops programs consistent with the fiduciary obligations of the funds’ and systems’ trustees, and are aimed at advancing corporate governance, and corporate social and environmental responsibility reforms at selected companies in which the funds and systems are shareowners.

The Comptroller’s 2007 Corporate Governance Proposals called for numerous policies including: stronger criteria of director independence for members of board audit and compensation committees; a proposal for adoption of a board policy for addressing shareholder proposals that win majority votes; a proposal for adoption of a policy requiring that a significant portion of future stock options granted to senior executives be performance-based; a proposal for adoption of a pay-for-superior performance standard in company executive compensation plans for senior executives; and a proposal for adoption of a policy to allow shareholders an advisory vote to ratify the compensation of named executive officers. These proposals were met with considerable success, and were adopted by 10 companies the pension funds invest with.
Proposals regarding the recommendations from the Comptroller’s office on corporate, social and environmental responsibility issues were submitted to 76 companies, requesting either board adoption of a specific policy or issuance of reports disclosing board policy or actions on 14 specific issues. The corporate social and environmental responsibility program included proposals asking companies to take actions on one or more of the following and other issues: implement the International Labor Organization (ILO) and UN Human Rights Norms in their international operations, and allow for independent monitoring of compliance; adopt an explicit prohibition of workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity; report on company policy to prevent negative racial and ethnic stereotyping in products; report on efforts to reduce carbon dioxide and other emissions from existing and proposed power plants; disclose political contributions; report on company policy and procedures regarding company assessment of the adequacy of host countries’ standards to protect human health, the environment and company reputation; institute policies to help protect freedom of access to the Internet; and report on policies and procedures for minimizing customer exposure to toxic substances and hazardous components in marketed products. Proposals were adopted by the boards of directors at 28 companies.

According to a spokesperson, Comptroller Thompson is very concerned about the impact of financial services on the city, and is monitoring these issues closely as part of his responsibilities providing oversight to the city’s budget and finances.

FRIDAY, APRIL 24 (10a-12n)
Bedford Stuyvesant
Arbor Day Celebration of Spring
Herbert Von King Park
670 Lafayette Avenue – Brooklyn, NY
(Raindate: Friday, May 1)
HIGHLIGHTS:

Hundreds of schoolchildren participate in planting of Spruce Tree in Herbert Von King Park and performing in unison — for the first time — original Arbor Day songs (“Planting Our Future” and “Like an Oak Tree”) composed by Larry Banks, blind writer/music impresario and New York City Parks  Music and Drama Instructor. Gardening Interns identify trees in the 140-year-old park, and point out flowers blooming from 10,000 bulbs planted last fall.

________________________________________________________

SATURDAY, APRIL 25
(12n-4p)
Bedford Stuyvesant
Community Environmental “Go Green” Expo
Herbert Von King Park
670 Lafayette Avenue – Brooklyn, NY
(Raindate: Saturday, May 2)
HIGHLIGHTS:
Eco-News Announcements:

Special “Go Green” welcome and remarks by Nyla Anderson, 7-year-old  Girl Scout (Brownie), on new eco-service initiative;

“Green Teen” Announcement from FlowerWorks and City of New York;

For Families, Young People: Storytelling Hours- Brownstone Books special “green books” sessions; and David Mark Greaves (“Sycamore Tree”)

Origami, Insect Identification Workshop, Bat Calls – Michael Foster, Bio-Diversity, American Museum of Natural History

Climate Change Information- City Tech

Live Animals-Brooklyn Children’s Museum

Newspaper Placemat making-Our Time Press/

Herb-Planting, Clay Pot Painting-Magnolia Tree

Tree & Flower Identification

Double Dutch Demo- Jammin Jumpers.

Finger Print Identification – New York Life Insurance

Information on Children’s Savings – Amalgamated Bank

Eco-Entertainment:

Ancestral “Eco” From the Past – (Legacy Ventures): The Legendary Congo Square Drummers of Prospect Park

Green Rap, Dance, Hip-Hop, Spoken Word-Universal Hip-Hop Parade Association

Composer Larry Banks (“Like an Oak Tree”) Gospel & Von King Drama Group.

Eco-Sustenance:

Water, Vegetables, Fruit – Bed Stuy YMCA and Foodtown
For Mind, Body, Soul:

Healthy Living: Mind, Body, Soul product giveaways – Phoenix Rising, Tioma and Therapeutate entrepreneurs

Second-Time-Around “Reuseable” Treasure Clothing, Books

FREE Massages.

At Home:

At-Home “Green” Cleaning Demonstration, Tips

Energy Saving Tips and Giveaways from Con Edison – major sponsor, Pratt Sustainability & NYSERDA

For Young  Strivers:

Career, Job, Entrepreneur, Education Routes w/Brooklyn College, Vannguard, Job Corps.

Land People:

Gardening Workshop, Seed Giveaway -Hattie Carthan Community Gardeners

Local Planting and Foods – Yonnette Fleming

FREE Compost-Von King Park;

And More.  For info: 718-599-6828 – Alicia Mack, Event Coordinator

Project Green 2009 — produced by LEGACY VENTURES

for Magnolia Tree Earth Center, Von King Cultural Arts Center and Hattie Carthan Community Garden

Major Sponsor:  Con Edison