BROOKLYN — The family of 16-year-old Chanel Petro-Nixon — an honors student who was found strangled in a garbage bag on a Brooklyn sidewalk in June 2006 — was in seclusion Friday after learning the main “person of interest” in her murder, Veron Primus, has now been charged with killing another woman on the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent.
Primus, now 29, appeared in court on Saint Vincent Friday morning, according to Kenton Chance, a reporter from the IWitness News outlet on the island.
Chance said Primus is charged with fatally stabbing a St. Vincent real estate agent, Sharleen Greaves, last fall. Her body was discovered in her office last November but police didn’t have any suspects until a bizarre series of events that started last Friday, April 15th.
PIX11 Investigators started receiving Facebook messages on the Mary Murphy Mystery page several days ago from the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent. To read more, click on link below:
(L to R) Walter Mosely, New York Assembly (Brooklyn); Peter Kwong, Professor of Asian American studies and Urban Affairs, Hunter College; Michael Garner, President One Hundred Black Men of America; John Wang, President Asian American Business Development Center; Ron Kim, New York State Assembly- (Queens); and Rev. Jacques DeGraff, Associate Pastor of Canaan Baptist Church.
New York, NY-After NYPD Officer Peter Liang was convicted of second degree manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Akai Gurley, Asian American and African American communities responded in different ways. The Asian American Business Development Center and One Hundred Black Men came together and organized a panel of community, civic and political leaders to discuss collaborations between the two communities.
Political, community and civic leaders meet to discuss race collaborations and come together to strategize better communications between Asian and blacks.
When you think of one athlete in the sport of softball, one woman that comes to mind is former Arizona Wildcat and Olympian Jennie Finch. She, without a doubt, has been softball’s most dominant pitcher with her numerous no-hitters to her 2 Olympic medals. Not to put pressure on this young lady, but perhaps the next Jennie Finch is being created and you can see her pitch right here in our borough at James Madison High. Her name is Isabella Gerone.
In a rival game also known as the “Dust Bowl”, Gerone struck out a career-high 17 batters allowing just four hits and didn’t walk a batter in eight innings as she led the Knights to a 3-1 victory over Telecommunication last Tuesday. Not only did she have a great performance on the mound, but also helped herself out on the offensive end as she hit a go-ahead towering 2-run homer to left-center. She added the cherry on the cake by striking out the last three batters to end the game. Before her heroics, it was not all sunshine and rainbows for the ace pitcher. From two weeks before last year’s postseason till now, Isabella added nearly seven miles per hour to her fastball and changed her pitching motions while working on her craft with pitching coach Glen Payne. After settling in with her pitching motion, Gerone has been channeling her inner Jennie Finch taking the PSAL Brooklyn A Division by storm with a current record of 4-1 with a 1.22 ERA (earned run average) and a scorching 70 strikeouts in just 31 innings pitched. Her teammate Junior catcher Sam Mendelsohn said “As soon as the season started, I noticed right away she was faster,”
The victory over Telecom puts the Lady Knights in first place in the division. The team has now won five straight since losing on Opening Day against Susan Wagner. If Gerone keeps pitching the way she has along with her bat, it could be a magical year for the Lady Knights and a brighter future for Isabella.
Sports Notes: (Baseball)As we go to press, the New York Mets are known for their Fab Five-like pitching rotation. No one could have saw their offense doing what they have been doing of late. Over 20 homers in less than 10 games is amazing. The team looks to keep that going against one of the toughest teams in the league in the San Francisco Giants. (Football)For my football fans, tune in to the 2016 NFL Draft live from Chicago on Thursday night. See if the Jets and Giants get one step closer to that precious Vince Lombardi Trophy.
By Bernice Elizabeth Green
We missed Spike’s celebration of Prince on Thursday, April 21, the day of his untimely death.
Spike put the word out in the afternoon of the day of his death, and within hours the world knew, and it appeared the world showed up in Fort Greene to pay homage.
Super Talent Meeting: Prince Nelson Rogers and Spike Lee at an NBA game.
The block party immediately launched “royal” love fests for the music genius all over the world, and they increase as we go to press. Put Prince and Spike Party or Prince and Tributes in any search engine. What will be revealed is a never-ending line dance.
We finally joined the dance on Sunday, realizing that Prince, a Jehovah’s Witness, who renamed soulful music (pardon us Rev. Waterman) Funk ‘n Roll, was indeed as spiritual as he was natural. We went to church, wondering if we would find Prince there. We were not disappointed. On these pages are some of Prince’s witnesses: old school, elders – folk who were bopping to his music in the midst of his reign.
We learned of Antioch Pastor Robert Waterman’s sermon on Prince’s music, and how that music can be
Bridge Street parishioner Helen Sumpter and its long-time organist, Professor Keith Proctor. (Photo:BGreen)
played in church because music he said “is beyond categorization.”
Indeed, the Antioch Baptist Choir backed up Waterman’s tribute with Prince’s Purple Reign in the form of the equally exalting “God’s Love Reigns”. We asked Bridge Street’s Pastor, the Rev. David Cousin, if he liked Prince’s music. He shared that his favorite song is, “When Dove’s Cry”. Now we know that Rev. Cuz of The Bridge can dance because his second-favorite is “Let’s Go Crazy”.
Examples of Purple Passion are all over and Brooklyn’s tributes are increasing. But there are none so poignant, so far, as Spike’s tribute.
Glowing for the Brooklyn, Borough Hall remembers Prince.
Prince provided music for Spike’s “Girl 6”. They both love basketball. And they are both favorite artists of President Barack Obama. No surprise. For us, they, including Mr. President, represent what is regal in our perspective of
Black America. Prince, who said if he had not decided on a music career, would have been an educator. Prince, who said everyone should start listening to Dick Gregory, left a legacy that’s beyond his moving us to wear purple or to dance. Prince and Spike represent what happens in America when Black boys-turning-to-men, given the space and the time, and the support systems, can go, with all things equal.
Prince fan Brenda Brown Clare, Antioch member for 54 years, styled her ‘fro and her outfit in a stylish homage to the artist. (Photo: BGreen)
Prince, like Spike and Obama now, was in control of his art. He produced all of his music and concerts. He owned his, and he was his own man.
Spike threw a party with just minutes to plan it, and a few hours to put it in place. That’s power. And that’s the example that young Black men need to know, and America needs to get straight.
Prince’s last concert tour was titled “Welcome 2 America”.
Where would America be without a Prince or a Spike? We missed the party but we didn’t miss the boat.
By Bernice Elizabeth Green (Text and Photos)
In this digital world, you would not expect a Fortune 500 company to be attuned to old-school forms of communication.
But the djembe, cowbells, horns, chants, with the voices of mothers and children
at the Verizon building located at Flatbush Ext./Fulton Intersection are sending a message from striking Communication Workers of America to pedestrians and drivers along the Flatbush Extension to and from the Manhattan Bridge and throughout Downtown Brooklyn.
And they are being heard. The response to the CWA members’ fight for better benefits and compensation in the face of the company’s reported huge profits is a cacophony of honks, applause and cries of support. According to Job and Hire, “more than 35,000 employees went on strike last Apr. 13” and “employees’ protests and picket lines (have) stretched across the Northeast”.
On this page are just some of the “voices” walking the line near Verizon headquarters at 395 Fulton Street, and the biggest chanter is from 7-year-old Cory Ballard, who is enjoying the school break. BG
Verizon workers and CWA members Lanova Malone (far left) and Daisey Jefferson, best friends for 19 years, are picketing for better compensation and benefits from the Fortune 100 company in Downtown Brooklyn. On Saturday, April 23, Ms. Malone’s son, Corey Ballard, 7, joined the rally, urging the picketers to push forward. Corey is the son of Thomas Ballard, Chief Steward, CWA Local 1101. Ms. Jefferson told Our Time Press,”If children can understand what it means to have a well-paing job, they will understand, at a young age, everything in life worth fighting for, and that it you want something, you must work to get it. What we do here, now, will reflect what our children will have in the future. Corey, a third-grade A student, has a head start on the future; he skipped first grade, moving from pre-K directly to 2nd. (Photo: BGreen)
Communication Workers of America’s stand …
“We are on strike because we will do whatever it takes to create a better workplace for ourselves and those that follow.
“We’re standing together to make sure the needs of working families are met, instead of standing by as a handful of individuals get richer and richer.
“We’re standing together because Verizon has fired, threatened and intimidated working people at Verizon Wireless who are trying to create a better future for themselves and their families.
“We’re standing together because we want to earn a living in our own communities instead of moving away from our homes and our families for months at a time. We want good jobs to stay in the United States, not be sent overseas.
“We’re standing together to make sure that working people at Verizon cannot just make a good living, but also have a good life.” www.cwa-union.org
Verizon’s Point …
In an April 13 PR Newswire release, Verizon said: “Despite Verizon’s good-faith efforts to get to new labor contracts, CWA and IBEW leaders, unwilling to make an agreement or even seek the assistance of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), have called a strike …. Verizon has activated its business continuity plans as customer service remains the company’s top priority.
For the past 10 months, Verizon has tried to reach agreements for the company’s 36,000 wireline associates in the East. While the company has (on the table) proposed wage increases, continued retirement benefits [including a generous 401(k) match] and excellent health care benefits, union leaders decided to call a strike rather than sit down and work on the issues that need to be resolved. “
“It’s regrettable that union leaders have called a strike, a move that hurts all of our employees,” said Marc Reed, Verizon’s chief administrative officer. He also said in the announcement, “Since last June, we’ve worked diligently to try and reach agreements that would … make the wireless business more successful now and in the future. Unfortunately, union leaders have their own agenda rooted in the past and are ignoring today’s digital realities”.
