Our Time PressThe Local Paper with the Global View

The Brooklyn Contemporary Chorus is one of the borough’s longest-running community musical groups.ÿ Today, after 35 years, it is alive and well and rehearses every Monday from September to June at Cadman Memorial Congregational Church at Lafayette and Clinton Avenue in Clinton Hill.ÿ The current director, Aaron Williams, is well-loved by the members and challenges them to high-level performances of choral music ranging from classical to modern pop.
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The origin of the name, Brooklyn Contemporary Chorus, seems lost in antiquity.ÿ The charter members that are still active in the chorus (Pete Beveridge, Leslie Bilancia, Gwen Finch, Thelma Jack and Evelyn Whitaker) might chuckle at the thought of being  contemporary but the timelessness of the chorus’s music and the ebullient spirit of the chorus’s members make the name indeed apt.
In the fall of 1970, local residents Parker Jones and Velma Johnson proposed forming a community chorus.ÿ The response was enthusiastic and James A. Simms volunteered to lead the chorus.ÿ This was a coup because Jim was no wannabe stick-waver.ÿ He was, in fact, an experienced and immensely talented organist, choir director and conductor who had worked at St. George’s Church and Riverside Church and, at the time, was serving at Trinity Church, Wall Street, where he shared in the direction of that parish’s extensive music program, including a noonday recital series and worship services both at Trinity and St. Paul’s Chapel.ÿ He was also the choral director of the Bell System Chorus.
ÿOn Sunday afternoon, January 23, 1971, after months of hard work, BCC made its formal debut, presenting a concert at Emmanuel Baptist Church featuring portions of Handel’s Messiah.ÿ The chorus went on, under Jim Simms’ guidance, to give two or three concerts a year for the next twenty years.ÿ From the beginning, the music presented by the chorus was challenging, including works such as Brahms’s Liebeslieder Waltzes, Randall Thompson’s Frostiana, Mozart’s Requiem Mass in D Minor, Zoltan Kodaly’s Missa Brevis and, not to neglect the lighter side of things, Gilbert and Sullivan’s Mikado.
ÿBetsy Lewin, noted author and an early member, remembers the 1975 Mikado concert held in Pratt’s Memorial Hall with the chorus dressed in colorful kimonos, or versions of.ÿ On the way home, she and her husband Ted spotted a parakeet in a bush.ÿ They rescued it and named it Yum-Yum, after a character in the Mikado.
ÿIn 1992, Simms’ church commitments took him to New Jersey, making weekly evening trips into Brooklyn difficult.ÿ Fortune again smiled on the Chorus, bringing Aaron Williams as its new director.ÿ Aaron, in addition to his formal schooling in music, has worked as a free-lance singer, accompanist, conductor and composer/arranger.ÿ He was and is an instructor of vocal music at a middle school in the South Bronx, and still finds the energy to lead the Chorus, as well as being accompanist for the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church’s Inspirational Ensemble and Director of Music for Cadman Church.ÿ His work with the Chorus has included Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Schubert’s Mass in G, Rossini’s Stabat Mater, Faure, Verdi and Mozart’s respective Requiems, Handel’s Messiah, Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance, Trial By Jury and Iolanthe, Moses Hogan’s settings of traditional and contemporary spirituals, and many other traditional and contemporary works.
ÿAlthough BCC employs professional singers and musicians as soloists and accompanists, there is no chorus member audition.ÿ A love and ear for music are the only requirements for membership.
ÿÿFor more information about the Chorus’s programs, or about joining the Chorus, call 718-855-5519, 718-953-8727, or visit the Chorus’s website.
wwww.brooklyncontemporarychorus.org.

Interfaith Medical Center’s Health Fair is a very special event providing a comprehensive array of medical services and education in a fun environment with games and prizes- all in one place at one time for the Central Brooklyn community. It is also very timely as it coincides with back -to -school.
Interfaith Medical Center will have a wide array of physicians at the health fair including specialists who will be available for immediate referrals for specific medical needs.
Offering a wide array of screenings for diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol and vision, for example, examinations can result in immediate care, if necessary. For follow-up, clinic schedules will be available and appointments made.
In addition, Interfaith Medical Center will provide tours of its facilities and introductions to its staff in an effort to familiarize health fair attendees with the people and services available to them. There will also be on -site health insurance enrollment of both the uninsured and the underinsured.
In addition, Interfaith Medical Center has organized a food drive for distribution to needy neighbors in the community.
And it is all free and open to everyone! Saturday, September 9, 2006 at 528 Prospect Place (between Franklin and Classon).

The annual Jazz in the Valley concert in upstate Rosedale, New York has been perhaps a best kept secret. Although, not really. As really cool stuff tends to go, those who know – know. For others, well, sooner or later they’ll eventually catch on.
Now, in its seventh year, Jazz in the Valley kicked off its first successful concert in 2000, featuring Ahmad Jamal, and was an instant smash. Founder and creator, Greer Smith, then a recently transplanted upstate-New Yorker, marshaled her very spirited cultural worker sensibilities and fulfilled a vision that has consistently drawn throngs of downstate and out-of-state lovers of the jazz idiom, as well as folks who simply enjoy having a good time. Past performers include Randy Weston, Roy Hargrove, Jann Parker, Ron Carter and the late Oscar Brown, Jr. in his final concert.
An audience adept not only with an instinct for identifying and embracing the real happenings but also blessed with a burgeoning desire to share their glory with friends and family, Smith, CEO of TransArt and Cultural Services, each year has watched her dream grow almost purely by word of mouth. Formerly a one-day event, Jazz in the Valley has now become a full weekend activity held at three venues (Aug 26-27), and now includes a three-day African Diaspora Cinema Series (Aug 25-27).
Breathtaking mountain views, biking and hiking combine a sumptuous open air concert and a taste of Mid-Hudson splendor. Jazz in the Valley with tent and lawn seating is a rare treat against the picturesque Williams Lake Resort in Rosedale, NY; a lovely summer getaway at the price is right.  Of course a smooth scenic ride awaits drivers. But Smith, a Brooklyn native herself, has also thought through public travel considerations to make downstaters sojourns as stress-free as possible. Limited direct shuttles to the main concert from the Poughkeepsie train station are being provided as well as special bus arrangements for groups.
To plan a group bus trip: Ed Desisso at 646 379-7643, Tickets or transportation by bus call Rich Washington (646) 220-9051 For information visit www.transartinc.org.
This year’s Jazz in the Valley performers are: Cedar Walton, Curtis Fuller, Joe Cuba, Kevin Mahogany, Michelle Rosewoman, Ray Schinnery, Carol

NEW YORK, NY, Aug. 8, 2006 – Ninety-seven percent of African-American women said they know physical activity can significantly impact their health, but only 9 percent exercise enough, according to an American Heart Association survey. Current recommendations are that women should engage in moderate-to-vigorous aerobic activity for at least 30 minutes five times per week.
Synovate, Inc., a market research firm based in Chicago, conducted the national survey in February 2006 using their online consumer panel.
Benefits of physical activity include a lower risk of high blood pressure control, diabetes and obesity. The American Heart Association reports that data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) study from 1990 – 2000 showed almost 20 percent of black women were obese by ages 18-24, increasing to over 35 percent by ages 25-44.
The American Heart Association survey also revealed:
úAbout 85 percent of African-American women said obesity contributes more to heart disease than physical inactivity. This supports the idea that if you are thin, you can be sedentary.
*Half as many African-American women (18 percent) cite health as
a personal goal as do their white counterparts (37 percent).
*African-American women are four times more likely to change their spending habits than change their level of physical activity.
“These survey results are alarming with regard to the current health state of African-American women,” said Jennifer H. Mieres, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.A.H.A, Director of Nuclear Cardiology at New York University School of Medicine. “We know that, compared to white women, African-American women have a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke, and more than twice the prevalence of diabetes – a major risk factor for heart disease especially among African Americans. Given their greater risk, African-American women are not doing enough to improve their health through physical activity.”
Donna Richardson Joyner, one of the nation’s premier fitness and wellness experts and a member of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness, said “My challenge to African-American women is to raise their level of physical activity. An investment in your health is an investment in your future.”
Joyner said she became spokesperson for the American Heart Association’s Choose To Move program to educate women about the benefits of physical activity – including increased energy to meet the demands of family and career.
Choose To Move is a free 12-week program that includes tips on how women can incorporate physical activity and a flavorful, healthy diet into their lives. It includes an easy-to-follow plan, a helpful handbook, monthly e-mails with suggestions for physical activity, tips on how to stay motivated and recipes with nutrition information. Some of the tips include:
* Schedule time for you and your spouse to be active together.
Take a walk around the neighborhood after dinner, or go for a bike ride.
* Challenge yourself to try new physical activities to avoid
boredom and stay motivated.
* Choose healthy snacks. Instead of grabbing a candy bar, carry fruit, yogurt or a handful of roasted almonds.
* Make simple cooking substitutions. For example, instead of using table salt, try a salt-free seasoning blend to flavor your favorite meats, vegetables and other foods.
* To get the most benefit during the day, exercise as early as you can, even on a lunch break. Physical activity, even moderate walking, improves fitness, enhances energy levels and promotes a positive state of mind.
Choose To Move is part of Go Red For Women, the American Heart Association’s national movement to raise awareness that cardiovascular disease is women’s No. 1 killer and show women how to reduce their risk. Women can register for the program by visiting americanheart.org/choosetomove or calling 1-888-MY-HEART (1-888-694-3278).
Register now and receive a Choose To Move X Band with an instructional poster while supplies last. You can use the resistance band to incorporate strength training into your daily routine, whether at work, home or traveling. Just stick it in your bag and go!
Check out Choose To Move’s “online neighborhood” discussion board to share your success stories and tips for staying motivated. Let your “neighbors” know how the program is working for you and get help from them in return. Visit y.americanheart.org/jiveforum/index.jspa.

The mood that day at Serendipity II proved to be infectious. The substance abuse treatment program, founded in 2001, this March celebrated its Fifth Anniversary with a cake, balloons, honorees and an extravaganza of singing, dancing, skits and recitations by the female residents. At one point, a resident of Serendipity I, the men’s program just down the street, presented Facility Director Lisa Alexander with a huge bouquet of flowers. Then another male resident got up and serenaded the crowd, to the whoops and cheers of his fellow peers. Later, State Senator Velmanette Montgomery arrived and helped cut the cake, to great applause. After all, without her support sixteen years ago, neither Serendipity program would probably exist.
A more typical day in the forty-woman facility reflects the tough-yet- compassionate love that characterizes a Therapeutic Community (TC). Serendipity II is a residential treatment program for women who struggle with recovery from drug or alcohol abuse; most reside in the facility for nine to twelve months, moving through a series of phases as they prepare to reenter society. A TC provides a structured community in which a woman can wrestle through her personal demons with the help of others like her, and learn the practical skills needed to empower her recovery and become a caring, responsible adult.
The women here are a varied lot. A few are as young as eighteen, or as old as sixty. Some have no children, yet others have nine or more. A few have walked in off the street, though most are mandated by the courts, by probation, parole or another criminal justice agency. Some of the women have been in prison for a number of years. Each, though, has a unique story to tell.
One resident, Annette (all names are fictitious), began using drugs only in her late twenties, and then just with her friends on weekends. Eventually, though, she began using during the week, and consequently lost her job. Then, to support her habit, Annette began selling drugs, a plan that backfired when she became her own best customer. That left only one thing left to sell: herself. Too ashamed to be around her family, she refused to ask for help. One arrest, a release, and then she missed court dates because she was back selling drugs. It did not help that during this time she lost her brother. Finally, a judge mandated her to Serendipity II, and Annette had to face who she had become. Yet, this story has a happy ending. Today, Annette lives in Georgia and has an interior design job she loves.
Ruby, on the other hand, started smoking pot at twelve. At an age when she should have been going on sleepovers with friends, she began to cut school. As she admits, she became “everything I was raised not to be. In the twelve years of my addiction, not once did I have a thought to quit. At fourteen, it got worse when I ran away from home, and just lost all morals, self-respect and values. After about six months, I was at bottom; I had been raped, cut, robbed, kidnapped and abused, not once thinking that my addiction was the problem. A few months later, I was sent to a group home where I only got worse; now I knew a little about the streets, or so I thought. I ended up running away from there because I tried to sneak some boys in, but got caught. My low dropped even further; I was having sex with guys I didn’t know, just to have a place to stay.” By age 22, she had been jailed for drug trafficking, and finally sent to Serendipity II.
Ruby’s story illustrates many of the challenges facing women struggling with substance abuse, especially those in the criminal justice system. It has been estimated that 90% of such women have been sexually and/or physically abused during their life. Those who began taking drugs or alcohol early have never had a chance to grow up, much less obtain the needed education, job skills or work experience most of us take for granted. Unlike some men, most women in jail or prison experience incarceration as failure and humiliation. Developing self-esteem often seems like an impossible dream to women like Ruby.
Nonetheless, Serendipity II specializes in helping dreams to come true. Treatment does work, often enough that programs like Serendipity more than pay for themselves, both financially and in human terms. Perhaps one of the most rewarding sights is when a woman visits months after completing, her children in tow, for a happy reunion with her former peers. She has become a role model, not only for her children but also for those women coming after her. It’s not by accident that Serendipity II calls itself a family, of the very best kind. (For more information on Serendipity II: tel. 718-802-0572.)
The Serendipity Bed-Stuy Health Fair will be held on Saturday, September 16, 2006 at Herbert Von King (aka Tompkins) Park from 10 am-4 pm. TALENT SHOW, LIVE MUSIC, FREE RAFFLES, FREE MASSAGES, CLOWNS & FACE-PAINTING. To participate in the Fair, or in the Talent Show, call Peter Fry @ 212-971-6033.