In her final speech as the first lady, Michelle Obama spoke of the great value of diversity, American tradition, the country’s future and how grateful she was to have served as first lady.
“Being your First Lady has been the greatest honor of my life, and I hope I’ve made you proud,” Obama said while speaking at an event to honor the 2017 School Counselor of the Year.
Addressing America’s young people, Obama said, “this country belongs to you — to all of you, from every background and walk of life.”
She recalled how she and her husband, President Barack Obama, started their lives without a lot of money. “But with a lot of hard work and a good education, anything is possible — even becoming President,” Obama said. “That’s what the American Dream is all about.”
In pro sports, we all know the rivalries between two teams that have an historic past: Yankees/Red Sox, Jets/Patriots, Giants/Cowboys, Ohio State/Michigan and Duke/North Carolina. As far as the Borough of Brooklyn goes when it comes to high school sports, there are a few rivalries that gets everyone on the edge of their seats. When the young men of Bishop Loughlin and Jefferson get together, fireworks and dramatic endings are sure to be in the mix. This past Sunday, the two schools went head-to-head again.
From the first basket on, the squad from Loughlin had set the tone early and often as the Lions cruised to a 94-77 victory over the Orange Wave at the Third Annual Apparel, which was held in Queens. Loughlin was able to seal the W thanks, in part, to the scoring duo of Marquis Nowell and Keith Williams, who led the way with the offensive surge combining for 40 of the 94 points. Nowell started the game hotter than a fox in a forest fire in the first half dropping 19 points in the first 16 minutes of the game. The junior guard made clever decisions with the basketball and got his teammates involved as well leading his team to an early 17-4 lead in the first four minutes of the game. The duo of Nowell and Williams was just too much for the Orange Wave to handle. Although the team put up a fight, the Lions dropped an amazing 30 points in the second quarter and came out the gates even harder in the second half with a two-handed slam by Williams. When asked about his team’s impressive start-to-finish Loughlin Head Coach Edwin Gonzalez said: “I told them to be aggressive and play with confidence. I knew that (Jefferson) would come out and pressure us for 32 minutes, and I said, ‘Once we beat their press, let’s just attack the basket’.”
With the big win, Loughlin now can say that they have successfully played the role of David and have taken down the Goliath, which is the reigning Public School Athletic League(PSAL) champs. Not only does the win put them as the team to watch this year, but it also puts them as the target as teams will be doing their homework; for now, they are one of the teams the other schools will give it their all to get the victory.
Sports Notes: (Football) What is next for the New York Giants after a heartbreaking 38-13 playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers? E-mail me @ castroeddie714@gmail.com and hear why I say the team will have to spend some serious money on the offense and hope their star receiver, Odell Beckham, Jr., can mature both on and off the field during the off-season.
Brooklyn, NY – The 32nd Annual Family Celebration of Dr. King’s Life and Legacy, sponsored by the Central Brooklyn Martin Luther King Commission, will take place in Crown Heights, Brooklyn on Monday, January 16th from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm. Doors open to the general public at 12:45 pm. The event will take place at Prospect Heights High School campus, 883 Classon Avenue between President & Union Streets (across from the Brooklyn Museum). [2/3 Trains to Eastern Parkway – Brooklyn Museum or Franklin Avenue; 4/5/S Trains to Franklin Avenue]
Families and friends of art, essay and poetry contestants will be in attendance to celebrate the 27 cash prizewinners in the elementary school, middle school and high school divisions for each contest. Every child in attendance will receive a gift and there will be a free raffle drawing for families, with prizes including a computer.
Prizewinning students will present art, essays and poetry, and there will be a musical performance by the Advance Choir of the Brooklyn School for Music & Theatre. Every contestant will receive a certificate and a T-shirt.
“The submissions from our students reflected strong concerns about police brutality, climate change, prejudice against immigrants and Muslims, and gun violence, amongst other issues,” said Christopher R. Owens, Commission President and son of the late Congressman and Commission founder Major Owens.
“This celebration never ceases to uplift those in attendance,” said Owens, “because we see in real time the evolution of our future leaders. There is no better two-hour investment in Dr. King’s legacy anywhere.”
Owens continued: “Children today are both optimistic and pessimistic. One of our essay winners invoked Dr. King’s courage as she wrote about her mother wearing a hijab when others were afraid to do so. In praising Dr. King’s opposition to the Vietnam War and those who resisted World War I, another winner asked, ‘When do we draw the line between what our government tells us and what we know are facts?’”
Another essay winner declared that, “If I were Dr. King, I would probably try to lead protests just like the people are doing now” with regard to police brutality, while a poetry winner wrote, “Colored individuals have struggled for a very long time. It almost seems like a war crime. Don’t get me wrong, the times have changed. But they’ve only been slightly rearranged”.
In its 32-year history, more than 10,000 students have participated in the commission’s contests and other activities. More than $200,000 in cash awards and prizes have been distributed to participating students.
Prior to his passing in 2013, the late Congressman Major Owens, founder of the MLK Commission, made his vision for the commission’s contests very clear: “In memory of Dr. King, we work to improve our communities through education. For each child who participates in our contests, a memorable moment of exploration is created — she or he is challenged to learn more about Martin Luther King, Jr. and how his words relate to our lives today.”
The event is held on the first celebration of Dr. King’s birthday before the National Holiday came into being.
For more information, visit: www.cbmlkcommission.org.
President Barack Obama returned to his Harvard Law Review roots (he was the first black president of the 100-plus-year-old journal in his last year at the school) as he penned a 55-page-article on our justice system, how his administration has moved the needle and how far we have to go to make substantive change.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the closure of the Indian Point Energy Center
Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant on the banks of the Hudson, South of Peeksville.
by April 2021. The aging 2,000-megawatt nuclear power plant, located 35 miles north of New York City, has presented numerous threats to the safety of over 20 million residents and the environmental health of the area. After extensive litigation and negotiation, Entergy has agreed to end all operations at the facility, with plans to shut down Indian Point Unit 2 as early as April 2020 and Unit 3 in April 2021 – 13 and 14 years earlier than required under the anticipated federal re-licensing terms, respectively. The state will continue to closely monitor Entergy to ensure public safety and mitigate safety risks associated with the plant, including for storage of spent nuclear fuel.
“For 15 years, I have been deeply concerned by the continuing safety violations at Indian Point, especially given its location in the largest and most densely populated metropolitan region in the country,” Governor Cuomo said. “I am proud to have secured this agreement with Entergy to responsibly close the facility 14 years ahead of schedule to protect the safety of all New Yorkers. This administration has been aggressively pursuing and incentivizing the development of clean, reliable energy, and the state is fully prepared to replace the power generated by the plant at a negligible cost to ratepayers.”
“Shutting down the Indian Point Power Plant is a major victory for the health and safety of millions of New Yorkers, and will help kick-start the state’s clean energy future,” said Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman. “For the past six years, my office has led the state’s challenge to Entergy’s request for a twenty-year extension of its license to operate Indian Point, and this agreement marks the successful culmination of our work to address the serious health and safety risks that the plant poses to neighboring communities. I commend Governor Cuomo for working with all stakeholders, including my office and the committed environmental advocates at Riverkeeper, to get this important deal done for New Yorkers.”
Under Governor Cuomo, New York has taken unprecedented steps to ensure that safe, clean, reliable and affordable sources will provide New Yorkers with more than adequate replacement power after the plant’s closure. As a result of Governor Cuomo’s comprehensive clean energy strategy, the state will continue its national leadership in renewable energy and reduction of harmful greenhouse gas emissions.
Indian Point has been plagued by numerous safety and operational problems, including faulty bolts and various leaks and fires. The densely populated surrounding region lacks viable evacuation routes in the event of a disaster, and the plant has experienced more than 40 troubling safety and operational events and unit shutdowns since 2012. The plant was also once cited as the most vulnerable to earthquakes in the nation.
The governor has repeatedly emphasized the need to monitor the safety and operations of Indian Point by both state and federal regulators. In May 2015, the facility experienced a transformer fire – the 13th unplanned shutdown at the facility since June of 2012 – demonstrating that the continued operation of Indian Point threatens not only human safety but also the environmental health of its surrounding area. Routine plant operations can kill millions of Hudson River fish with its cooling water system and the plant has a history of radioactive leaks to groundwater.
“This agreement is a win for the safety of our communities and the health of the Hudson River, and it will pay big dividends in new sustainable energy sources and the well-paying jobs that come with them,” said Riverkeeper President Paul Gallay. “Riverkeeper is thrilled that the governor stepped up to get this deal done – just like he promised he would.”
“Closure of Indian Point represents a landmark victory for the Hudson River and the people of New York,” said Scenic Hudson President Ned Sullivan. “Governor Cuomo’s bold leadership in demanding and delivering on closure of the plant is a milestone that will eliminate a multigenerational threat to the health of the Hudson River and the millions of people in the region. We thank Attorney General Schneiderman for his important role in this settlement. Scenic Hudson has worked for decades to stop the massive environmental damage to the Hudson River caused by the plants’ withdrawal of billions of gallons a day of cooling water. The accelerated closure and other provisions of the settlement will protect the health and safety of New Yorkers and restore the integrity of the Hudson River. Tireless advocacy over several decades by Scenic Hudson, Riverkeeper and our partners has paved the way for a healthier Hudson River and a safer valley.”
