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The Greatest

Eddie Castro
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The Greatest

By Eddie Castro

Muhammad Ali

In sports, there will always be that one debate of which athletes are the best at that particular sport. Past or present, it will always be one where friends and family will express their opinions on who they feel is the best. It is a rarity where you can put up a list and say who is the best athlete of all time. If you were to make a list, how can you not include the name Muhammad Ali (aka Cassius Clay). Arguably, without a doubt, one of the most recognizable human beings in the past 30-40 years, Ali passed away at 12:10 PM last Saturday after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. Ali was 74 years old. Who would of thought that at age 12 when a bicycle was stolen from him, a legacy would be created in Louisville, Kentucky. Several public figures such as President Obama, former boxers Floyd Mayweather and George Foreman, other sports stars like Derek Jeter, LeBron James and Steph Curry all recognized Ali and paid their respects through social media.

 

At 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, Ali dominated in the ring with his cheetah-like speed and his thunderous power. Aside from his talents in the ring, it was his words outside the ring that raised eyes as well. He was far from shy in expressing how he felt about his opponents and other topics in general. On February 25, 1964 a champion was born as Ali shook the world (completely) when he defeated then-heavyweight champion Sonny Liston after Liston quit on his stool after the sixth round and winning the first of his three heavyweight titles.  Ali would go on to defend his title many times but had a portion of his prime stopped in 1967 as he was arrested after he refused to join the U.S. Army. Ali was then stripped of the belt, as well as his state license to fight. Ali was banned for three years. In one of his notable fights on October 29, 1974 in Kinshasa, Zaire, Ali overcame the odds and won back the heavyweight title with what is known as the “rope-a-dope” technique to score a 8th-round knockout of George Foreman. We also can’t forget the trilogy fights he had with Joe Frazier.

 

I remember waking up Saturday morning and looking at my phone and getting the news about Muhammad Ali. I can admit his passing touched me. He was and still is one of my idols growing up.  In fact, above my bedroom, I have a big picture of him. He made it OK no matter what race you are to stand up for what you believe in no matter how sensitive the topic is. He not only excited everyone with his moves in the ring, but his smooth poetry and his humorous interviews with sports journalist Howard Cosell. His quotes made me and I’m sure many kids and current athletes “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee”. Ali will surely be missed and without a doubt there will never be another quite like the “Louisville Slugger”. Rumble young man rumble!

 

Glyphosate Found in Urine of 93 percent of Americans Tested

Editor, Our Time Press
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Glyphosate Found in Urine of 93 percent of Americans Tested

 

Glyphosate, the most used herbicide in the world, has been found in the urine of 93 percent of the American public during a unique testing project that started in 2015.

Glyphosate, labeled a “probable human carcinogen” by the World Health Organization’s cancer agency IARC in 2015, has now been revealed to be ubiquitous in the first-ever comprehensive and validated LC/MS/MS testing project to be carried out across America.

The European Union is currently in the process of putting restrictions on the use of glyphosate due to health concerns, with member states so far unable to agree on the re-approval of the chemical beyond June 2016.

 

Glyphosate-containing herbicides are sold under trademarks such as Monsanto’s Roundup.

 

Urine and Water Testing Results

In a unique public testing project carried out by a laboratory at the University of California-San Francisco (UCSF), glyphosate was discovered in 93 percent of urine samples during the early phase of the testing in 2015.

 

The urine and water testing was organized by The Detox Project and commissioned by the Organic Consumers Association.

 

The unique project, which has already provided more urine samples for testing than any other glyphosate bio-monitoring urine study ever in America, was supported by members of the public, who themselves paid for their urine and water samples to be analyzed for glyphosate residues by the UCSF lab.

 

The data released in a presentation by the UCSF lab only covers the first 131 people tested. Further data from this public bio-monitoring study, which is now completed, will be released later in 2016.

 

The Detox Project will be working alongside a new larger lab later this year to enable the public to once again test their urine for glyphosate residues.

 

“These results show that both the U.S. regulators have let down consumers in America,” Henry Rowlands, director of The Detox Project, said. “Independent science shows that glyphosate may be a hormone hacker at these real-life exposure levels found in the food products. The safe level of glyphosate ingestion is simply unknown despite what the EPA and Monsanto would have everyone believe.”

 

Glyphosate was found in 93 percent of the 131 urine samples tested at an average level of 3.096 parts per billion (PPB). Children had the highest levels with an average of 3.586 PPB.

 

“If consumers had any doubt about the extent to which they are being poisoned by Monsanto’s Roundup, these test results should put those doubts to rest,” Ronnie Cummins, international director of Organic Consumers Association, said.

 

“These test results highlight the massive failure of U.S. regulatory agencies, including the EPA, USDA and FDA, to protect us even as they continue to perpetuate the myth that low-level exposure to glyphosate is harmless. We must bring down this poison-for-profit model and build in its place a food and farming system that regenerates and heals before it’s too late.”

WHAT’S GOING ON

Victoria Horsford
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By Victoria Horsford

 NEW YORK CITY

 The 5/29 NY Sunday Times news section cover story,  “Dreams Stall as City’s Engine of Mobility Sputters: Woes at CUNY Mirror a Trend in Higher Education,” is a disturbing account of public college culture.  the essay gives a laundry list of woes, not the least of which is the ongoing political feud between NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo.   Class overcrowding, adjuncts overseeing classrooms, and some CUNY schools can lose accreditation this year.  Opened in 1847, what is now the City University of NY was tuition free system until 1976.  It was often known as the poor man’s Harvard.

 

The 5/29  NY Times Sunday Review opinion piece  THE END OF BLACK HARLEM by agent provocateur Michael Henry Adams, is a good  polemical read  for students who follow  the intersections of  preservation, culture,  politics and gentrification. Adams wrote the meticulously researched book, HARLEM: LOST AND FOUND.

 

The Brooklyn Community Services,  BCS, organization celebrates its 150th Anniversary at a kick-off Gala,  on June 6,  at the Brooklyn Marriott.  The BCS  Benefit  honorees are philanthropists Charles J and Irene Hamm; Chirlane McCray, NYC First Lady;  Forest City Ratner Companies;  Lanetta Darlington; and Ellen Fine Levine, BCS Vice Chair.  The BCS  works with low-income communities and promotes economic self sufficiency.  Visit  wearebcs.org.

 

CARIBBEAN AMERICANS

June is Caribbean American Heritage Month. The following is a Caribbean-American WHO’S WHO directory.

LAW:   Franklyn Hernandez, Jr; Adrienne Lopez; Afua Mensah; Melanie Okpaku; Ernst Perodin;  Michele Rodney;   California AG  Kamala Harris; Nathanael Wright

MEDICINE/HEALTH:  Dr. Michelle Alexander,  Dr. Samuel Daniel, Dr. John Mitchell, Eddie Mandeville,   Dr. Cheryl Smith, Dr. Kevin Martin Roslyn Woods Cabbagestalk, RN; Joycelyn Valentine, nutritionist

 EDUCATION:  Dr. Lorraine Monroe; Fern Khan, dean emeritus Bank Street; Professor Carole Boyce Davies,  Professor Clarence Jones,   Wanda Ballard Wingfield;  Carrie Simpson, Kenneth Thomson.

ARTS/CULTURE:   Joseph Bethune;  Bette Byer;  Clifton Davis; Pearl Duncan;   Joy Elliott; Melanie Edwards;   Vy Higginsen, Anna Maria Horsford;  Queen Latifa; Debra Lee, BET;  Iyaba Ibo Mandingo; Nia Long;   Sharon Lopez, Nia Long, Hakim Mutlaq;  Anderson Pilgrim;  Jada Pinkett Smith;  Voza Rivers;  Eric Tait, Ramona Wall, Kerry Washington; Randy Weston.

CORPORATE AMERICA: Ursula Burns, Xerox Chairman/CEO; George Hulse, Healthfirst; Franklyn Thomas, Ford Foundation and BedStuy Restoration.

ENTREPRENEURS:  Jason Benta,  Benta’s Funeral Home;  Laurent Delly, IDEACOIL, IT company and real estate;    Bryan Benjamin, Genesis Companies, real estate;  Al Cunningham, real estate;  Eugene Giscombe Real Estate; Earl Graves, Black Enterprise;  Lowell  Hawthorne, Golden Krust;  Frank Hernandez, Tridez, Robert Horsford, Apex Building Co; Maurice Grey, Edward Sisters Realty;  Garry Johnson;  Paula Walker Madison whose family business is  Williams Group Holdings, LLC;  Roy Miller, Jamerica;   Charles Richardson; Alyah Sidberry, Cove Lounge;  Karen Soltau, real estate; Yvonne Stafford Real Estate.

MEDIA:    Rushell Boone, NY1;  David Greaves, Our Time Press, Brittany King;  Karl and Faye Rodney and Karlisa Rodney,  NY Carib News; Sylvia Wong Lewis;  Errol Louis, NY1;  Lester Holt, NBC;   Joy Reid, MSNBC, Sheryl Huggins Salamon; Jean Wells, Positive Community Magazine;  Constance White

POLITICS: Nicole Benjamin, Cordell Cleare, Leroy Comrie, Denny Farrell,  NYS Assembly Speaker  Carl Heastie, David Paterson  Basil Smikle,   Roy Paul,  Jumanne Williams,  Charlie Rangel, Keith Wright,  Mathieu Eugene,  Ambassador Patrick Gaspard, Ny Whitaker

GOVT/COMMUNITY:  Rev.  Jacques DeGraff;  Rev. Dennis Dillon;  Chirlane McCray, Stanley McIntosh,  Lloyd Williams, Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce;  Dr. Keith Taylor, PhD;  Susan Taylor;  Rev. Dr. Michael Walrond

 

EDUCATION UPDATES

 

The NY Urban League’s (NYUL ) NEXT Academy  invites 8th graders and their parents to  its  Summer STEM  (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Program.   The Next Academy is a community STEM engagement program composed of two summer learning academies with a parent and student track.  Courses will be held at NYUL office at 204 West 136 Street Harlem.  Students begin classes on July 11 and run for 6 weeks,. Courses for parents begin on July 18.  Application deadline is June 10.  Visit www.nyul.org/next or call 212,926.8000, X136.

 

The UNCF  “A Mind Is …..Hampton’s Summer Benefit” will be held on Saturday,  August 6  from  6-9 pm. Filmmaker Reginald Hudlin, Hudlin Entertainment President; Cathy Hughes, Radio One, Inc.;  and Dereck Jones,  managing director GCM Grosvenor Private Markets are the Gala honorees  The evening unfolds with a jazz combo, a fashion show, networking.  The United Negro College Fund is the nation’s largest and most effective “minority education” organization having raised more than $4.5 billion since it was founded in 1944.

 

BLACK MUSIC MONTH

 The Uptown Dance Academy, UDA,  hosts its 21st Anniversary Gala,  honoring its  benefactor PRINCE, at the Hostos  Center for Arts and Culture,  at 450 Grand Concourse, Bronx,  on June 3, 7:30-9:30 pm.  Based in East Harlem, the UDA was founded by dancer, Ms. Robin Williams, who is its artistic director.   Conceived as a dance school for urban youth,  it offers classes in ballet, tap, modern, jazz, Hiphop, and African dance forms. Music man, PRINCE  Roger Nelson  donated $250,000 to UDA.  Visit uptowndanceacademy.com, call 917.202.1601.

 

The Duke Ellington Center For the Arts revives Ellington’s First Sacred Concert on its 50th Anniversary,  at the Grace Congregational Church, located at 310 West 139 Street, Harlem,  on June 4/5.  The sacred concerts were Ellington’s way of bringing the Cotton Club revue to the church, which was usually Grace Congregational.  Virtuoso musicians will provide accompaniment for vocalists Chantel Wright, Tammy McCann, Brandi Sutton  and for  dancers  Maurice Hines and Savion Glover.

 

The  “Lush Life, Celebrating Billy Strayhorn” concerts, with the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, joined by vocalist pianist Johnny O’Neal,  completes  the JALC’s  2015/2016 season, will be held on June 10/11 at the Rose Theater, at Jazz At Lincoln Center, on Broadway at 60 Street. Visit jazz.org.

 

The annual “Invincible: A Glorious Tribute to Michael Jackson” concert, returns to the northeast, on June 11, from 5-11 pm,   at the NJ  Performing Arts Center, in Newark.   Show stars MJ impersonator Michael Trapson and is produced by Darrin Ross, the MJ choreographer for 23 years.  MJ classics like “Thriller,” “Billy Jean,” “Beat It”  will be performed, and a re-imagining of MJ works and how they would play today is part of the INVINCIBLE  plan.  Call 917.416.1745.

 

ROOTS

 It is hoped that everyone saw the ROOTS miniseries remake which was broadcast simultaneously on the A&E, Lifetime and History Channels, from May 30 through June 1.

The first  segment was poignant, visceral and addictive.  Many scenes were cathartic to a Black viewer.  The story opens on location in Africa, the genesis of modern history’s greatest tragedy, the enslavement of African people by Europeans, who brought them to the appropriately named New World. ROOTS unfolds in early 18th Century Virginia.   To be sure,  the cable channels will rerun the series regularly.

A Harlem-based writer, Victoria Horsford can be reached at victoria.horsford@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

2015-2016 Participatory Budgeting Results: 67,000 New Yorkers voted to allocate $38M for locally developed capital projects across the city.

Editor, Our Time Press
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2015-2016 Participatory Budgeting Results: 67,000 New Yorkers voted to allocate $38M for locally developed capital projects across the city.

 

BP Adams Hails Participation of 10 BK Council Districts:  “Civic engagement is the fuel that powers our democracy.”

 

 

Last Thursday, Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and the New York City Council announced the voting results and winning proposals of the 2015-2016 Participatory Budgeting cycle.

 

During the voting period of March 26th through April 3rd, over 67,000 New Yorkers voted to allocate $38 million dollars for locally developed capital projects across 28 Council Districts in New York City.

 

“Participatory Budgeting puts power back into the hands of the people, giving New Yorkers a direct say in how their taxpayer dollars are spent to improve their local community. With this cycle, over 67,000 New Yorkers cast their votes across 28 districts in the city in our most expansive Participatory Budgeting process to date.

 

“This cycle also featured key innovations in voter engagement –  including remote voting, digital ballots and pop-up poll sites – that allows our city to test new tools to increase civic participation. Participatory Budgeting brings the full diversity of New York City to the decision-making table and I thank everyone who participated for helping grow and strengthen this deeply democratic process,” said Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito.

 

New Yorkers cast 67, 690 ballots in the 2015-2016 Participatory Budgeting cycle. Out of 379 projects on the ballots, 132 will be funded with $38,295,700.

 

“I was proud to implement Participatory Budgeting in the 35th District for the very first time to gain key insight into the needs that exist within the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Crown Heights, Prospect Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant,” said Council member Laurie A. Cumbo.

 

“Our nineteen projects ranged from public safety enhancements to technology upgrades on our city streets, housing developments and public schools. This was an exciting time for the diverse voices of my district to allocate real money towards real projects as a reflection of real power. With 1,660 votes in our inaugural year, this endeavor was overwhelmingly successful thanks to the participation of our youth, seniors and families. Congratulations to this cycle’s winners: the Willoughby Senior Center, Public Schools 9, 16, 20, 375 and 532.”

 

Council member Robert Cornegy said: “We are proud of the positive results from the inaugural undertaking of the Participatory Budgeting process. This experience has allowed us to engage youth in the city’s budget procedures and we applaud the intergenerational show of democracy. Our winning projects will be beneficial to all members of the community and we look forward to its implementation.”

 

Participatory Budgeting is a grass-roots process through which community residents vote to directly allocate at least $1 million in capital funding per district toward proposals developed by the community to meet local needs.  Through a series of public meetings, residents work with elected officials throughout the year to identify neighborhood concerns and craft proposals to address them. Residents then decide which proposals to fund through a public vote.

 

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams said: “I am proud that Brooklyn has embraced Participatory Budgeting like no other borough, with residents in 10 council districts getting empowered to design and vote on transformative local projects funded by their hard-earned tax dollars. The $1 million leveraged through my capital budget amplified the power of everyday Brooklynites in this process, and I look forward to seeing all of the additional community improvements come to life in neighborhoods from Gravesend to Greenpoint. Civic engagement is the fuel that powers our democracy and the City Council should be commended for their commitment to supercharging that fuel through PB.”

 

For the 2015-2016 cycle, 28 council members facilitated Participatory Budgeting in their districts:

 

o Corey Johnson (District 3, Manhattan)

o Ben Kallos (District 5, Manhattan)

o Helen Rosenthal (District 6, Manhattan)

o Mark Levine (District 7, Manhattan)

o Melissa Mark-Viverito (District 8, Manhattan/Bronx)

o Ydanis Rodriguez (District 10, Manhattan)

o Andrew Cohen (District 11, Bronx)

o Ritchie Torres (District 15, Bronx)

o Paul Vallone (District 19, Queens)

o Julissa Ferreras (District 21, Queens)

o Costa Constantinides (District 22, Queens)

o Barry Grodenchik (District 23, Queens)

o Jimmy Van Bramer (District 26, Queens)

o Daneek Miller (District 27, Queens)

o Karen Koslowitz (District 29, Queens)

o Elizabeth Crowley (District 30, Queens)

o Donovan Richards (District 31, Queens)

o Eric Ulrich (District 32, Queens)

o Steve Levin (District 33, Brooklyn)

o Antonio Reynoso (District 34, Brooklyn/Queens)

o Laurie Cumbo (District 35, Brooklyn)

o Robert Cornegy (District 36, Brooklyn)

o Carlos Menchaca (District 38, Brooklyn)

o Brad Lander (District 39, Brooklyn)

o Mathieu Eugene (District 40, Brooklyn)

o David Greenfield (District 44, Brooklyn)

o Jumaane Williams (District 45, Brooklyn)

o Mark Treyger (District 47, Brooklyn)

 

A map of winning projects and full voting results by district can be viewed at labs.council.nyc/pb/.

 

Voting in Participatory Budgeting is open to all residents of participating districts 14 years of age and older. The sole identification requirement is proof of residency in the district, removing traditional obstacles to full civic participation such as youth, income status, English-language proficiency and citizenship status.

 

“At a time when Americans are deeply divided, Participatory Budgeting brings thousands of people together to improve their communities and transform our democracy. PBNYC is one of the largest and most inclusive Participatory Budgeting programs in the world, recognized by the White House and Harvard as a model for innovative and open government. We are excited to spread this new approach to civic engagement across the country,” said Josh Lerner, Executive Director of the Participatory Budgeting Project, the nonprofit leading the growth of Participatory Budgeting in North America.

 

In future issues, Our Time Press will feature some of the winning Participatory Budgeting projects.

Eddie Castro Sports: Next Step Forward

Editor, Our Time Press
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Clear skies, light winds, sun out and all you can ask for is a hot dog and a bag of cracker jacks to describe the ultimate baseball feeling. For Poly Prep High School, it was just that kind of day and an emotional day for their shortstop Anthony Prato. Prato, a senior at Poly Prep played his last home game as a Blue Devil and made sure he would leave on top. Last week, Prato helped the ball club to an impressive 9-0 victory against Fieldston High in the semifinals of the New York State Association of Independent Schools. The win extends the winning streak to 11 straight and puts them one step closer in capturing their fifth state title in six years.

 

When asked about his athletic high school years coming to an end Prato said, “I’ve had the greatest four years of my life, I’m going to miss it so much”. Not to be outdone by Prato’s performance of a triple, a double driving in two runs, there was another key player who has been hotter than a “fox in a forest fire” in Poly Prep’s sophomore pitcher Oliver McCarthy. After a shaky start where he walked the first two batters, the crafty left-hander settled in nicely and had the Fieldston batters guessing with a great mixture of his pitching arsenal in which he allowed two hits in five innings, striking out five.

 

There is another big game ahead for top-seeded Poly Prep as they will take their talents to Manhattanville College to battle second-seeded Rye Country Day. Upon preparing himself for the challenge, Prato simply put things into perspective saying, “We got business to do. We got one more game to go out a winner”.

 

 

Sports Notes: (Basketball) Once again, on behalf of myself and everyone here at Our Time Press, we want to thank everyone (past and present) who have served our country and we thank you for keeping us safe and free as we celebrate another Memorial Day. For the Defending Champion Golden State Warriors, it was a memorial one for Steph Curry and company as they completed the task of coming down from three games to one becoming just the 4th team in NBA history to do so. The Warriors defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder and now sets up a NBA Finals rematch with the Cleveland Cavaliers which begins tonight! LeBron James will now have his team at full strength as teammates Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love missed last year’s finals due to injury.

 

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