austin's frank erwin center scores a stop on rihanna's anti world
TRANSCRIPT
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RAPPIN’RAPPIN’RAPPIN’RAPPIN’RAPPIN’Tommy WyattTommy WyattTommy WyattTommy WyattTommy Wyatt
TPATPATPATPATPATEXASPUBLISHERSASSOCIATION
Austin’s Frank Erwin Center Scoresa Stop on Rihanna’s Anti World Tour
RihannaRihanna
by Naomi Richard & Brazia PayneThe Austin Villager Newspaper
Photos courtesy of Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Fenty Corp.
AUSTIN, TX - To the thrill of her fans, Rihanna’sAnti World Tour made a stop at Austin’s Frank ErwinCenter on May 14 and the best selling digital artist ofall time did not disappoint!
The anxious crowd stood on their feet waiting inhigh anticipation of seeing how their idol would descendon the set. The room was dark, lots of nervous chatter,some small screams as they felt her imminent arrivalupon them. From the back of the room the goddessthey were waiting for appeared to thunderous screams
See CAPTIVATING 90-MINUTES, page 2
GEAYA PRESENTS2016 MISS
JUNETEENTHPAGEANT
FEATURINGMISS. UNITEDNATIONS 2015
AUSTIN, TX – May 12, 2016 – The Greater EastAustin Youth Association (G.E.A.Y.A.) will host its an-nual Miss. Juneteenth Scholarship Pageant, Born Royalon Saturday, June 4, 2016 at 6pm CST at the newly con-structed AISD Performing Arts Center (1500 BarbaraJordan Blvd.). Miss. United Nations 2015, SherrieGerhart will present the Community Impact Award onbehalf of GEAYA which is one of Austin’s 1st black char-ity organizations.
This year’s pageant will be monumental as it marksthe year that congress finally pass legislation to makeJuneteenth Independence Day a National Day of Ob-servance in America. Joining Miss United Nations willbe teen powerhouse hosts, Jalisa Styles and BrandonWooley along with keynote speaker, Dr. CourtneyRobinson. For the first time ever, the pageant will seekto raise African consciousness by promoting unity and
See EMBRACING UNITY, page 2
AUSTIN, TX - The Austin Chapter of Links Inc., In-ternational Trends and Service facet Committee has pro-vided 100 solar lamp, to students who attend SizaneHigh School in Mpopoma Bulswayo in the province ofZimbabwe, Africa. Sizane High school is a private insti-tution owned by the AME Church, South West ZimbaweDistrict Conference.
These lamps will be given to students who willcomplete their 13th year of education in 2017. Unlikethe U.S. students that can complete theirs in 12 years.The lamps will go to students who have no electricityin their homes. Most of the 1,260 students in schoolhave no electricity and on occasion even the school willexperience a black out.
The Head Master Rev. D. Manyoba states that theschool is known in the province for its good results. Thestudents do not only exceed in Academics studies butalso excell in sports. Two students have gone to Roma-nia to compete in chess and now one is leavingMpopoma to take part in a Public Speaking contest.These solar lamps will operate for at least 2 years on adouble A battery and also requires exposure to sun lightseveral hours a day.
The Head Master has related to us that providingthese lights to help students study at night will be help-ing us to help ourselves.
Rev. Henrietta Sullivan Mkwanazi,Judge Brenda Kennedy,Debora Agboltah,Dorothy Madison, Judge Harriet Murphy,
and Chrystle Swain
Austin Chapter of Links, Inc.Provides Solar Lamps for
African Students by Harriet Murphy
Elections haveconsequences -especially forour children!
by State SenatorRoyce West
DALLAS, TX - Afterserving 23 years as a TexasState Senator, who haschampioned publicschools and the equitablefunding of such, I wouldthink that we were finallyon a path to put Texas chil-dren first. Unfortunately,that was before today,when the Texas SupremeCourt issued its ruling thatupheld Texas’ publicschool finance system asconstitutional.
The Texas SupremeCourt’s ruling held that thestate’s school funding sys-tem met “minimum con-stitutional requirements,”turning a cold-shoulder toat least two-thirds of Texasschool districts that weredesperately seeking relieffrom an inequitable, inef-ficient and unsustainableschool finance system thatTexas courts had previ-ously labeled unconstitu-See VICTORY, page 5
GAACC drives localeconomic growth for
small businesses.See PACIFIC
Page 6
Maery Streethonored as Woman
of the Year.See EBENEZER
Page 3
BBTH strengthenscommunity andpolicing bond.See YOUTH
Page 2
We Have OneLast Election
Before theSummer
I know that everyone istired from the last election onProposition 1, but it is timeto get your voter registrationcard and photo ID out againto vote to complete thePrimary election. We arenow in the process of earlyvoting which ends Friday.The election is Tuesday, May24. There are three races onthe ballot. Railroad Commissioner-Dem runoff between GradyYarbrough and CodyGarrett. Yarbrough hasbeen a candidate for manyyears. Maybe this will behis year. We do not havean endorsement in this race. Precinct 1, CountyCommissioner – There aretwo very qualifiedcandidates who survived thefive person race during theprimary election. The twocandidates who earned a spotin the runoff are ArthurSampson and JeffTravillion. Sampson work-ed for the City of Austin formore than 30 years as aProject Coordinator/Super-visor. Travillion spent 14years in state government,working at the General Landoffice and State Comptroller.He is currently a City ofAustin employee where hehas been for 16 yearsworking with a number ofdepartments, includingAustin Energy, and SmallMinority Businesses Re-sources. During the general election,we endorsed ArthurSampson for the position.We are again endorsing himin the runoff. Precinct 1, ConstableRunoff is between JanieSerna and Danny Thomas.Serna has 11 years ex-perience as a license Peaceofficer. Danny Thomas has28 years of experience as alaw enforcement officer. Heis running for reelection forthe position that he has heldfor the last 6 years. Beforebecoming Constable,Thomas served 6 years onthe Austin City Council. Weendorse Danny Thomas forreelection to this position. It is important to completethis election, before we canmove on to the GeneralElection in the fall.
Page 2 ~ THE VILLAGER/May 20, 2016 THE COMMUNIQUÉ www.theaustinvillager.com
and shots of love.The eight-time
Grammy Award® winnerarrived on a small stage toa single microphone whereshe began singing Stayfrom Unapologetic. Thesuperstar sang and dancedfrom the small stage to aclear rectangle movingbridge, which carried herto the main stage waitingto receive its star of thenight.
The set design wasimpeccable showcasing herband, the dancers, back-ground singers and a whitebackdrop setting with color-ful lights. No detail was leftunchecked and the stage
setting matched the youngBarbadian’s classy style.
Rihanna’s captivating90-minute show left youwanting for more! Sheworked the stage and gavethe audience her all. Sheshowed her vocal rangewith notes and spins onsome of her most famoushits. While singing songsfrom her new project Antilike Sex With Me and Des-perado, she also performedsuch old favorites as Um-brella, FourFiveSeconds andAll of the Lights.
To top the experienceoff in grand style, Rihannagave the audience fouroutfit changes. From a
long white hooded robe, toa beige jumpsuit, to a re-vealing black lacejumpsuit, to her final out-fit of the night, a classybrown pantsuit high-lighted by what appearedto be an armor camisole.Dropping fashion on top ofgreat music on top of greatsinging… who could askfor more!
There is one thing forsure, the village ofRihanna lovers had thenight of their lives andstayed around well pasther exit to enjoy the FrankErwin Center ’s atmo-sphere created by theiridol!
Rihanna’s Captivating 90-MinuteShow Left You Wanting For More!
RIHANNA - LIVE (Photo Credit - Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Fenty Corp.)CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Embracing Unity and Uncoveringour True, Royal History
Pan-Africanism. Cur-rently, several urban com-munities exists in Austinhowever, many African-Americans fail to connectwith one another. TheGEAYA Miss JuneteenthPageant seeks to changethat by connecting Africanand African American girlsthrough this platform ofunity.
Spoken in the wordsof Mrs. Meme Styles,Chairwoman of theGreater East Austin YouthAssociation’s MissJuneteenth Pageant “The
Community Impact Awardis given to one local charitythat reflects the goals of thepageant. Last year weawarded an amazing orga-nization that empoweredVeterans through our “Com-mand Attention” theme.This year it will be pre-sented to a mentorship pro-gram that promotes Pan-African unity in Austin.”
Shasparay Lighteard,Miss. Juneteenth 2015, willbe passing on her legacyto the next young queenon Saturday, June 4,2016. In addition to thecrowning of Miss.
Juneteenth 2016,younger participants willalso be crowned LittleMiss. Juneteenth andJunior Miss. Juneteenth.
Sponsored by KAZI88.7, tickets will be giv-ing away on-air and on-line, follow us on Twitterand Instagram atMissJuneteenthATX. Formore information on theGEAYA Miss JuneteenthPageant visit us onFacebook (2016 GEAYAMiss Juneteenth ATX).Tickets are available onour Eventbrite page, MissJuneteenth ATX.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Building Bridges Town Hall atthe Millennium Youth
Entertainment ComplexAUSTIN, TX - Come
to the Millennium YouthEntertainment Complex,the First Saturday, June 4,2016, from 1:30p.m. to3p.m. for a Town HallBuilding Bridges presenta-tion by the Austin PoliceDepartment at 1156Hargrave Street ; Austin,Texas, 512/472-6932.
Town Halls rotatemonthly presentations be-tween the Travis CountySheriff’s Office (January,May, September), the Aus-tin Police Department(February, June, October),Austin Independent SchoolDistrict (March, July, No-vember) and Austin Com-munity College (April, Au-gust, December).
In a safe, civil man-ner, the Town Halls arecollaboratively operatedby the Millennium YouthEntertainment Complexand the NAACP AustinBranch.
Since 2006, the Build-ing Bridges Town Halls al-low for the Travis County/
Austin Capital area:a. highlighting race,
female, male, age, in-come and residential in-equities and solutions; and
b. building strongerrelationships and under-standings between neigh-bors of diverse congrega-
tions, faith communities,educational and law en-forcement communities.
For more information,contact the MillenniumYouth Entertainment Com-plex at 512/472-6932, theNAACP Austin Branch at512/476-6230.
Austin Police Officer Angela JohnsonDuring #NationalPoliceWeek, Officer Johnson
explained why she became a police officer. Hearher ardent cause online at youtu.be/w5SrykLijhg.
St. Peter’s United Methodist Church 4509 Springdale Road Austin, Tx 78723Office 512- 926-1686 Fax 512-929-7281
Christian Web Site-stpetersaustintx.ning.com
[email protected] PLACE WHERE WE STEP OUT ON FAITH.
COME AND STEP OUT ON FAITH WITH USSunday School 8:45 a.m.
Praise and Worship 10:15 a.m.Wednesday Bible Study 12:00 p.m.
and Praise /Bible Study 6:30 p.m.(to include Children’s Choir Rehersaland
Bible Study with age appropiate Activities)Rev. Jack C. Gause Pastor
Agape Baptist ChurchIn “The Centre” Bldg. F-15 7801 N. Lamar Blvd. (SE Corner of N Lamar and 183)
AGAPE is a chuch for all people. “Where Jesus Christ is Magnified and the love Heexhibited is Exemplified.” Come, receive God’s unconditional lovefor you.
For there is no greater love!
Church ServicesSunday School 9:30 AMSunday Worship 11:00 AM
Mid-Week Service Thursday: Praise,Prayer and Bible Study 7:00 PMCall 454-1547 for Transporation
Website www.agapebcaustintx.comRev. H. Ed Calahan
Pastor
Imani Community ChurchDavis Elementray Auditorium 5214 West Duval Road
Sunday School 9:00 A.M.Worship Service 10:00 A.M.•Power Hour Bible Life Group 6:00 P.M.
Imani Complex & Office,11800 Mustang at Duval Austin, Texas 78727
Visit:imanichurch.comOffice: 512-343-9300Rev. Dr. Jacquelyn Donald-Mims
7801 N. Lamar Blvd,Suite D 102,
Austin, Texas 78752
Worship: Sunday--10:00 am - 12:30 pm
Tuesday Bible Studies--7:30pm - 9:00 pmFriday Prayers--7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
The Church of Pentecost, USA Inc,Austin offers a wide variety of opportuni-ties for children, youth, adults, and olderadults to be involved in worship, spiritualgrowth, education, community outreach,and making a tangible difference to thosein need in our community. You too, canmake a positive difference in our commu-nity through your prayers, your presence,your gifts, your service, and your witness.Tel: 512 302-1270
Leading People to Experience God’s Love, Know Jesus Christ & Grow in His ImageThe Church of Pentecost
Olive Branch Fellowship of Austin / All Faith Chapel4110 Guadalupe St Bldg #639 Austin, TX 78751
Sunday MorningWorship @ 11: am
Romans 5:1 Therefore,having beenjustified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ
This life, therefore, is not righteous-ness, but growth in righteousness; not health,but healing; not being, but becoming; not rest,but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be,but we are growing toward it. The process isnot yet finished, but it is going on. This is notthe end, but it is the road. All does not yetgleam in glory, but all is being purified.
--- Martin Luther
Kenneth Hill, Pastor
1179 San Bernard Street,Austin, TX 78702, 512-478-7023
Sunday Morning Bible Study, 9:00 A.M.Sunday Morning Worship, 10:15 A.M.Visit our website @ www.obcaus.org
Globalizing the Gospel
A Ministry That Ministers
Edward M. Fleming,Sr. Pastor
OLIVET BAPTISTCHURCH
Felix Bamirin, PastorGRACEWAY CHRISTIAN CHURCH
Experience Grace For Life
(By Parmer Lane Baptist Church building, behind Wells Fargo)
Call: 682.472.9073 l Email: [email protected] lVisit: www.gracewaycca.org
JOIN US This SUNDAY / THURSDAY@ 12424 Scofield Farms Drive, Austin, TX 78758
SUNDAYS 10:30 A.M., THURSDAYS 7:30 P.M.
Mount Sinai Missionary Baptist Church 5900 Cameron Road Austin, Texas 78723-1843
(512) 451-0808 (512) 302-4575 Fax Web Site - www.themount.net
WORSHIP SERVICESSunday Worship - 7:45 a.m. & 11 a.m.Church School - 9:45 a.m.Bible Studies - Mon, 6:30 p.m. & Wed., 12 noonWednesday Night Worship - 7 p.m.
“Ministries For Mankind” Luke 4:18 A.W.. Anthony Mays, Senior Pastor
Ebenezer Baptist Church1010 East 10th Street 512-478-1875 Fax 512-478-1892
WednesdayMidweek Prayer Service 7:00 P.M.Child Development CenterAges 0-5 years (Daily) 512-478-6709
Bus Ministry Call 512-478-1875
Worship Service 8:00 A.M.Sunday School 9:00 A.M.Discipleship Training 10:00 A.M.Worship Service 11:00 A.M.
Dr. Ricky Freeman,Pastor
Sunday Services
Do you have church news? Would you like topurchase a monthly ad for your church?
Inquire TODAY!Send your information to [email protected]
or call 512-476-0082
ProphetessStephanie N’ChoAssociate Pastor
469-226-4679 | www.vainqueurs.org805 S. Sherman St. Richardson, TX 75081
La Génération des VainqueursMinistry Church
Tuesday - Friday: 3pm -10pmWalking and Appointment
Wednesday Bible Study | 7:45pmFriday Prayer |7:45pm
Sunday Service | 10:00am
Villager Youth Brigade will be taking sponsorshipsstarting summer of 2015.Your support has beenmuch appreciated over the years. Please continueto invest in Austin’s youth. We look forward toanother successful year with some promisingstudents. FMI Call 512-476-0082
DAVID CHAPEL Missionary Baptist ChurchSUNDAY | Christian Education 9:15a.m.Worship 10:30 a.m. (MLK)Nursery AvailableTUESDAY | TNT Bible Study(Pflugerville) 6:45p.m.WEDNESDAY | Prayer & Praise 7:00p.m.Bible Study 7:30p.m.
Dr. Joseph C. Parker, Jr.Senior Pastor
512-472-9748 www.davidchapel.org2211 E.MLK @ Chestnut St. Austin, TX 78702
DOUBLE
GROCERY“R”
450l East Martin Luther King Blvd.*We cash ALL Tax Refund*Checks *Check Out
Country Boyz Fixin’s4140 E. 12th Street, Austin, TX 78721
Featuring Fish, Poboys, Hot Wings, Pork Chops,Homemade Gumbo, Shrimp and Alligator
DINE IN OR ORDER TO GOMon - Friday 11 am - 8 p.m.Saturday - 12 noon - 8 p.m.
Closed SundayCall (512) 928-5555
*Mention this ad and get a FREE 20 oz. Drink*
www.theaustinvillager.com THE BULLETIN THE VILLAGER/May 20, 2016 ~ Page 3
We Want YOU!Advertise With
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HappyBirthdayCarroll
Carroll Ann HarrisMay 20, 1954 - July 25, 1994
Today, we Honoryour special day with ourbeautiful memories ofyou. We truly miss you.We wish that we couldhave just “5” more min-utes.
“As I Sit in Heaven”As I sit in heaven and
watch you everyday,I try to let you know withsigns I never went away.I hear you when you’relaughing, and watch youas you sleep. I even placemy arms around you tocalm you as you weep. Isee you wish the daysaway, begging to have mehome. So I try to send yousigns so you know you arenot alone. Don’t feel guiltythat you have life that wasdenied to me. Heaven istruly beautiful, just youwait and see. So live yourlife, laugh again, enjoyyourself, be free. Then Iknow with every breathyou take You’ll be takingone for me.
Love always, DeNell,Chaz, Marissa, Rocky,Roxanne, Pamela, Keith,Tiffinie, Destinie, Royie Jr.,Royie III, Lonnie,Lae’Lonnie, Carroll, andChad.
EBENEZER BAPTIST CHURCH 72ND
WOMAN’S DAY OSBERVANCE
AUSTIN, TX - Mrs.Maery L. Street was hon-ored as Ebenezer ’s“Woman of the Year” onFriday, May 13, 2016, at a“Gala Evening Affair” cel-ebrating the 72nd Woman’sDay of Ebenezer BaptistChurch. She attendedpublic schools in Miami,Florida and received her B.S. Degree from TuskegeeInstitute (University) andthe M. Ed. Degree fromThe University of Texas atAustin. Her educationalcareer included being astaff member and teacherat Huston-Tillotson Col-lege (University) and is aretired educator of AustinIndependent School Dis-trict. Mrs. Street joinedEbenezer during the pas-torate of Reverend JeromeC. Lott and has been activein church activities
OUR FAMILY STREET - Maery Lou Street, front center, and her fam-ily at the Gala Evening Celebrating the 72nd Annual Woman's Day atEbenezer Baptist Church on May 13, 2016. Street was named Woman ofthe Year. Photo by Carolyn Jones
throughout. One of hermost rewarding activitiesin the church is organizingthe Grief Ministry Com-mittee in 2002, which shechaired until 2016. Shehas been commissionedChair Emeritus of thisCommittee. Mrs. Maery L.Street, the mother ofthree sons, is the widow ofMr. Oliver B. Street.
Ebenezer ’s 72nd
Woman’s Day Observanceculminates on Sunday,May 22, 2016, beginningwith Ecumenical Candle-light Service at 8:00 A. M.,Mrs. Ola Jobe of Mt. SinaiMissionary Baptist Church,Speaker. Mrs. Jobe, a life-long resident of Austin,Texas, is very active in thecommunity and in herChurch, where Rev. A. W.A. Mays is Pastor. Shepresently serves as 3rd Vice
President of St. John B.L.H.Bradshaw Mission II Aux-iliary and leads a groupthat feeds the downtownhomeless once a month
The speaker at the11:00 A. M. Worship Ser-vice, Mrs. J. Laverne Mor-ris-Parker of David ChapelMissionary Baptist Churchis a native of Macon, Geor-gia. She is an active mem-ber in her church whereher husband, Rev. Dr. Jo-seph C. Parker, Jr., Esq. isSenior Pastor. She cur-rently serves as Presidentof the Greeters, AssistantCoordinator for the YouthMinistry, and Advisor tothe Women’s Ministry.She has served on severalboards and is active in theAustin Community.
Women’s attire forthe day is white. The pub-lic is invited.New Study
ShowsTrouble
Ahead forTexas
NursingHomes
(AUSTIN, Texas) — Anew study estimates theLone Star State short-changed Texas nursinghomes about $267 millionlast year.
“The ability to meetthe needs and expecta-tions of the growing eld-erly and disabled popula-tion should be a majorcause for concern for ev-eryone. As a result of theshortfall, as many as 80
percent of nursing homesin Texas are not havingtheir costs for taking careof Medicaid patients metby the state,” said KevinWarren, president of thenon-profit Texas HealthCare Association. “An-other shortfall on coveringthese costs is setting us upfor trouble ahead for Texasnursing homes.”
The study, sponsoredby the non-profit Ameri-
can Health Care Associa-tion, comes on the heels ofrecent news that nursesare fleeing Texas facilitiesat an unprecedented ratewith nurse assistants oftenable to receive higherwages in the fast food in-dustry. Registered nursesin Texas nursing homeshave a 94-percent annualturnover rate.
See SHORTFALL,page 7
Page 4 ~ THE VILLAGER/May 20, 2016 YOUTH BRIGADE www.theaustinvillager.com
Youth of TodayHope of Tomorrow
PREP Rally
Last Friday, ManorMiddle School had a PREPRally to help us getpumped up for STAAR test-ing for the upcomingweek. During the rally, the
Erika LipscombManor Middle School
band played the music,the principal had rentedreal live ponies for a while.One was name Silver andanother was namedCarmel. What made hav-ing them so entertainingwas the fact that they keptpooping on the floor. Idon't think this was ex-pected. But it was funnythough. The music is whathelped people get the en-ergy. Some kids got up onthe floor and started danc-ing. I hope everyone doeswell on the test. Thanksto our school for helpingus get into the groove ofSTAAR.
Kevin ParishPark Crest M.S.
8th Grade Formal
At my school, ParkCrest Middle School, wehad our first 8th grade for-mal on Friday. Everyonethat was going to the for-mal could have a date to
it if they wanted to. Myformal date and I decidedwe both would wear blueso we could match. WhenI got there a lot of peoplewere outside and we weretaking pictures. The themewas “A night under thestars”; there were bluelights, balloons, and stars.They provided us somefood and it was JohnnyCarino’s .After the danceeverybody said that “thedance was lit” whichmeans fun. I had a reallygreat time at the formaland I hope that there canbe one next year for the8th graders.
Genesis StiggersElgin Middle School
Tapestry Reports
For my ELA, or Englishlanguage arts, class, wehave to do somethingcalled a Tapestry Report.Pre-Ap ELA students haveto do it every year inmiddle school, and al-though I’ve only done ittwice, I’m dreading it. It isredundant and is a waste oftime. And the worst part is,it’s has a two page mini-mum. I can’t wait until I’min high school becausethen I will finally be rid ofthe dreaded tapestry report.
A tapestry report isbasically an essay about 3-5 books and how they sharea central theme. For the tap-estry report, we have cer-tain guidelines we have tomeet in order to get a goodgrade. First of all, you haveto have at least 9 para-graphs. You also have to
have a minimum of 2 pagesor you won’t get full credit.You have to write an introparagraph, a paragraphsummary of each book, fourbody paragraphs that ex-plain the books compari-sons to the central theme,and a conclusion to tie it allup. It is also a project youhave to complete at homewhich makes it even moredifficult. Doing work athome is almost impossiblewith me because I am veryeasily distracted withthings like Netflix andYouTube.
It seems that althoughI do well with school andhomework, I actually havea lot of troubles with finish-ing home projects. I think thereason is because I have alot of time on my hands so Idon’t feel rushed. WheneverI do projects by myself, Ihave to either stay after fortutorials or go to thelibrary’s extended hours. Ireally hate having to rely onwasting time or a quietplace to finish work, be-cause if I do that in collegeI will never succeed. I amgoing to try and do more ofmy work from now on, evenif it’s not due soon. Thanksfor listening readers, andsee you soon.
Ava RobertsSpring Hill Elementary
Final Days of School
On last week 4th and5th graders finished theSTAAR testing. We alsohad our "Lego Walk ofFire". This was a celebra-tion for the student read-ers who made their read-
ing goals. They choosewhich SHES staff wouldstep on Legos with barefeet. Now we only haveabout two weeks of schoolleft. There are a few coolyear end events. I hopethat you can attend.Spring Hill Elementary isthe place to be!
Upcoming Events atSpring Hill Elementary: 5/20 Multicultural Festivalbegins at 5PM; 5/24 SHESArt Night begins at 6PM ;5/26 4th Grade Musical be-gins at 6:30 PM and 5/31Student Awards Ceremony(all day various grades).
STAAR Testing Is Over
Averill ToppsO. Henry Middle School
Hello everybody, to-day I have very good newsto bring to my readers.There will be no moreSTAAR Tests going on forthe rest the school year!
The STAAR testmeans State of Texas As-sessments of AcademicReadiness. Why do thestudents in Texas have totake this test? The State ofTexas wants to make sureall students are academi-cally ready and knowl-edgeable about theirgrade level in reading,math, writing, science andsocial studies. The STAAR
test is mandatory for allpublic school students.
There is also a con-troversy that had been cir-cling around ever sincethe STAAR Test replacedthe TAKS Test. Some reli-able sources like "SaveTexas Schools" and " TheHuffington Post" say thatthe test isn't diagnosticand will inflicted the great-est harm on disadvantagedstudents. Some parentsare even refusing to let theschools give their kids thistest.
I am very happy be-cause all of the pressureis off of the students tostudy hard for the tests. Ialso got commended onmy reading STAAR andfour points away from get-ting commended on mymath STAAR. I also took thescience and U.S. HistorySTAAR Tests but wehaven't gotten those re-sults in yet.
Well that's all for to-day. Until Next Time, GoO’Henry Mustangs!
IDU Project
SaNaya WhiteAnn Richards
At my school all 6thgraders are participatingin a project called the IDUproject. In the IDU projectyou are required to makean exhibit about the topicthey give, that year. Every-one gets the same topicbut the topic changes byyear. This year, the topicis about girl's educationin other countries. Every-one was split into groupsand every group was as-signed a different coun-try.
My group firstpicked jobs, and I waschosen to be the teamleader. After we finishedassigning jobs, we gotour country. Our countryis Burundi. Burundi is acountry in Africa that ispretty small in size. Mygroup and I researched alot of information on girls'
educated in Burundi. Ilearned that many girlsdid and still do not go toschool either becausethey simply did not haveany money, or becausethey sent the boy off toschool and sent the girlto get married early. Girlsmarried as early as 7-12years old.
To inform us moreabout the topic, we hadspecial guest speakerscome if they were in aorganization that workswith problems like this, orif they had to go throughsomething like that.When we finished our re-search we had to createan exhibit/poster topresent along with every-one else's. Everyone pre-sented their project andI really enjoyed it be-cause I had no classesfor the whole week andplus I got to learn moreabout girls education. Itis really sad to know thatsome people go to schooland say they hate it anddon't want to go butsome people want to goto school and never havethe chance to go.
Remember this whenyou go to school. Alwaysbe happy that you wereable to have the chance tobe educated.
End of Year Testing
Ira “T.J.” WilliamsCedar Ridge H. S.
During the month ofMay, schools across thestate of Texas are prepar-ing their students for theend of course exams cre-ated by the teachers.These tests are intendedto determine how muchthe students have learnedand what they've retainedover the past year. How-ever, students can becomeover stressed by thesetests and crack underpressure.
In the high schools inthe Round Rock Indepen-dent School District(RRISD), the final examstake place over the lastfour days of the school
year. Each day will havetwo finals and will end at1:15 in the afternoon. Thestudents also have the op-portunity to exempt up to3 of their exams if their se-mester average in thatclass is at least an 85%.
However, many stu-dents are stressing them-selves out just trying toexempt a particular test.The stress negatively im-pacts on their gradeswhich hurts their average.These students are usu-ally disappointed whenthey find out that they areunable to exempt anexam due to their semes-ter average being belowthe threshold.
I think one shouldonly try to exempt a classthat he knows they havea chance of exceedingthe 85% average. I, too,am trying to exempt afew of my exams but onlythe ones in which I havemeet the requirements.Hopefully, I will do wellon the tests I’m not ex-empting and that every-thing I’ve learned thisyear will be reflected inmy score.
@TheVillagerATX
NSBE/Freshstart
Damon Luckett IIHays High School
On May 15, I attendedthe NSBE/Freshstart pro-gram. It is a free, day longprogram that containsworkshops that teacheskids STEM. STEM is an ab-breviation of science, tech-nology, engineerring, andmath. While I was there, Imet a man by the name ofAriel. He is in the audioengineering field, I am alsointerested in audio produc-
tion. He also was incharge of the production ofthe " Saints Row"gamesequel.
I noticed that mostsuccessful people investtheir free time into the fu-ture. Free time is a luxurythat we all take advantageof. If you have free timeand you want to be suc-cessful then obviously youare doing somethingwrong. Since I visited theprogram, I thought ofsomething very valuableas a teen. If you live in themoment as a teen, thenlife will catch up with youFAST, but if you practiceand work hard as a teen,then your whole life will beset. The program taughtme lessons that I willsurely need in the long run.I highly recommend it toyoung people like myself.
www.theaustinvillager.com THE COURIER THE VILLAGER/May 20, 2016 ~ Page 5
UT College of Education to Lead Governor’s Literacy InitiativeAUSTIN, Texas — The College of Education at
The University of Texas at Austin has been awarded$4 million for the contract by the Texas EducationAgency to design and launch the state’s new literacyand reading-to-learn academies. The goal of the acad-emies is to provide professional development forTexas K-5 elementary school teachers this summerand next summer on research-based best practicesthat can be implemented to enhance Texas students’reading skills.
The UT College of Education has a history of tak-ing the lead on statewide education initiatives for pastgovernors. “We are honored to once again be seen asthe trusted leader and go-to partner on Gov. GregAbbott’s reading academies,” said Dean Manuel J. Justiz.
“The Meadows Center is nationally recognized asa research leader in the areas of reading, writing andliteracy. IPSI is an innovator in student achievement andeffectiveness,” said Justiz. “Together, through thissummer’s literacy academies, they will help teachersacross Texas benefit from their latest research findingsand field-tested strategies for reading instruction andintervention. Teachers will carry that new knowledgeback to classrooms across Texas, improving the learn-ing of countless students,” he said.
The College of Education’s Meadows Center forPreventing Educational Risk is developing the evidence-based course content for the academies. Its contentdevelopment teams are charged with creating engag-ing, hands-on professional development sessions.
The college’s Institute for Public School Initiatives(IPSI) will implement the train-the-trainer model inintensive sessions beginning June 20 with kindergar-ten and first-grade teacher literacy academies. Train-ers from urban school districts and 20 regional Edu-cation Service Centers will come to Austin or SanAntonio for the IPSI-led sessions. During the summerof 2017, IPSI will implement the second- and third-grade teacher literacy academies, and the fourth- andfifth-grade reading-to-learn academies.
“The UT College of Education is consistently rankedamong the nation’s top five public colleges of educa-tion. We are proud to serve the great state of Texas byproviding the intellectual capital and effective instruc-tional practices for the state’s teachers,” said Justiz.
Governor Abbottcalled the ruling a“victory for Texas
taxpayers.”tional.Despite the Court cit-
ing the need for “transfor-mational, top-to-bottomreforms” for Texas schoolsand calling the system “os-sified” and “ill-suited” for21st century Texas,” the all-Republican court punted onthe issue. Instead, it en-couraged the Republican-dominated legislature thathas overseen the inad-equate system for over adecade, to fix the problem.
Governor Abbottcalled today’s ruling a “vic-tory for Texas taxpayers.”One could make that argu-ment in the short-term.But where is the victory forTexas public school stu-dents? As our publicschools continue tostruggle and as academicperformance and collegereadiness continue to de-cline, future Texans whoare educated and have
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 good jobs will carry moreof the tax burden as fewerpeople have the tools nec-essary to compete andparticipate fully in theeconomy and larger soci-ety. Future Texas businessowners will also rue thisdecision as they struggleto hire, train, and retaincompetent, qualifiedworkers.
Texas currently ranks38th in the country in per-pupil education funding.Earlier this year, one na-tional publication rankedTexas’ educational system43rd in the country. Texansdeserve better. Our chil-dren deserve better. Butelections have conse-quences. Texas SupremeCourt judges are electedofficials, as are legislators.I urge you to considertoday’s ruling as you de-cide whether and how toparticipate in the electoralprocess in the future.
Huston-Tillotson University Expands ItsSustainability Commitment
AUSTIN, TX —Huston-Tillotson Univer-sity President and ChiefExecutive Officer ColettePierce Burnette signed theSecond Nature ClimateCommitment, reconfirm-ing the University’s carboncommitment and addingresiliency to the pledge(formally known as theAmerican College and Uni-versity President’s ClimateCommitment). The pledgealso accelerates theUniversity’s transition tolow-carbon energy whileenhancing sustainable andresilient practices acrosscampus in order to reducethe University’s green-
house gas footprint.“Huston-T i l lotson
University is committed toplaying a leading role insecuring a future thatplaces environmentalawareness at the fore-front,” said PierceBurnette. “The establish-ment of the Center forSustainability and Environ-mental Justice (CSEJ) so-lidifies the University’scommitment tosustainability across cam-pus operations, academicprograms, and outreachinitiatives, striving to de-velop students into lead-ers prepared for a globalfuture.”
As a signatory of Sec-ond Nature’s ClimateCommitment, HT is part ofa robust network of morethan 600 college and uni-versity presidents andchancellors who havecommitted their institu-tions to take bold and cata-lytic climate actions, in-cluding completing a Cam-
pus-Community ResiliencyAssessment. The ClimateLeadership Commitmentsare a key driving force fortransformative campuschanges. As part of theCommitment, HT will:
• Achieve carbonneutrality by 2048 and cre-ate thresholds for increas-ing climate resilience.
• Make carbon neu-trality and climate resil-ience part of the curricu-lum and other educationalexperiences for all stu-dents.
• Expand campus re-newable energy. Late lastyear the campus com-pleted installation of 240kW rooftop solar photo-voltaic arrays, which madeHT the first private histori-cally black college or uni-versity with significant on-site renewable energygeneration capacity,
• Expand energy andwater efficiency programsand focus on resource uti-lization including waste
avoidance.For the past two
years, Huston-TillotsonUniversity has beenamong the finalists for theannual Second Nature Cli-mate Leadership Awards.The award is a nationalcompetition among highereducation institutions thatare signatories to the Cli-mate Commitment.Twelve four-year institu-tions, including HT, andseven two-year institu-tions were named finalistsin 2015.
As a historically blackinstitution, Huston-Tillotson University nur-tures a legacy of leader-ship and excellence in edu-cation, connecting knowl-edge, power, passion, andvalues. The University of-fers associate and master’sdegrees in addition toBachelor of Arts and Bach-elor of Science degrees inmore than 19 areas ofstudy. Discover HT atwww.htu.edu.
Austin Ranked inTop 10 Best Cities
for TechProfessionals
City comes top of 2016Homes.com New Tech
City Index
Austin, TX - has beennamed as one of the besttech cities to live in fortech professionals accord-ing to a new ranking ofemerging US tech hubs.
The city ranked 9thout of over 365 cities ana-lyzed as part of theHomes.com New Tech CityIndex1. Cities were rankedusing factors including av-erage wage in the sector,industry employment inthe city and the averagehouse price for those look-ing to move there.
Austin has had one ofthe largest increases inhouse prices over the pastfive years, making prop-erty a good investment fortech professionals lookingto settle down.
Denver came first
overall, thanks to a combi-nation of a high averagewage across the industry($91,861), steady industryemployment levels (3.8/1000 jobs in the tech sec-tor) and a booming hous-ing market which has seenhouse prices rocket in thepast 5 years (+41.29% over5 years).
The Massachusettstown of Framingham, witha population of under70,000, came in a surpris-ing second, perhaps inpart due to tech giants likeBose setting up bases inthe town. In third, proxim-ity to more traditional techhubs like San Jose and SanFrancisco, inevitably makeCalifornia’s Oakland (CA) atempting prospect formany tech professionals.
For the fullHomes.com New Tech CityIndex, visit our blog athttp://www.homes.com.
2016 Excellence in Education WinnersSAN ANTONIO, TX —
On Friday, May 13, H-E-Bannounced statewide win-ners of the 15th annual H-E-B Excellence in Educa-tion Awards during anawards ceremony at SanAntonio's La Cantera HillCountry Resort. At the cer-emony, H-E-B Chairmanand CEO Charles Butt per-sonally handed out$430,000 in cash awardsand grants, and congratu-lated eight educators, twoschool districts, one earlychildhood agency and apublic school board forbeing among the best inTexas. The program hasgiven away more than $8million in cash and grantssince 2002.
Neil deGrasse Tysondelivered the keynote ad-
dress to a ballroom packedwith hundreds of educa-tors, elected officials, com-munity leaders and H-E-Bemployees. Tyson is a re-nowned astrophysicist, re-searcher, author and hostfor television and radioshows exploring the fron-tiers of science.
Lifetime AchievementThe Lifetime Achievement Category
salutes teachers with more than 20 yearsof experience. Winners received $25,000
in cash for themselves and a $25,000grant for their school.
Elementary CategoryLaurie Holmes
Popham ElementaryDel Valle ISD, Del Valle
Secondary CategoryMartha Saucedo
Westlake High SchoolEanes ISD, Austin
Large School DistrictThe winning large
school district receiveda $100,000 cash prize.
Nine GroupsCall for Gov.
Abbott toAppoint Task
Force toAddress
School Policing
AUSTIN, TX - Citing recent police use of force on students in Texas schools byschool resource officers, today nine advocacy organizations called on Gov. GregAbbott to establish a task force to examine school policing issues in preparation forthe 2017 legislative session and school year.
The letter to the governor, signed by Texas groups focused on children’s policy,civil rights, mental health and education, explained, “We would like to work to-gether to ensure all students are able to learn in safe school environments andschool police have clearly defined roles and effective training.”
The letter also urges the governor to end participation in the U.S. Departmentof Defense’s 1033 Program, which provides military weapons for school police of-ficers to use in K-12 public schools.
Page 6 ~ THE VILLAGER/May 20, 2016 HEADLINES www.theaustinvillager.com
Central Texas Celebrates Asian Pacific Islander American History Month
The month of Mayhas been set aside forAsian-Pacif ic-IslanderAmerican History Month.During this month, we asAmericans commemoratetheir contribution toAmerica and how this coun-try changed for the better.In Central Texas, the AsianAmerican Resource Centerheld the event called“Celebr-Asia.” It was an op-portunity for them toshowcase the great Asian-Pacific-Islander history toCentral Texas. According toCelebr-Asia, “What betterway to celebrate?” Therewere cultural perfor-mances and experiences;a variety of Asian-focusedculinary food presentationsand fun kids’ activities.There was something foreveryone! Admission wasFREE.”
Pictured left to right is Mimi Lee, Khan Nguyen and Jodie Huynh. by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon
by Tsoke(Chuch) Adjavon |Villager Columnist
Furthermore, at thisevent, there were variousAsian American presenta-tions. The presentationscame from a variety ofgroups from within theAsian-Pacif ic-Islander
American community. Forinstance, the perfor-mances included ChineseDances, April Rain ChineseDances; Koreab TraditionalPercussion Performances,Taiwanese, Aboriginal
Dances, IndonesianDances, Thai Classicaldances and many othergroups also gave their pre-sentations. In addition,there were numerousbooths such as the Greater
Asian American BusinessChamber of Commerce. Itwas an opportunity forGAABC to showcase theirmission statement whichis, “Promoting economicgrowth through the advo-
cacy of connections andthe education of smallbusinesses in the AsianPacific American commu-nity in Central Texas.”
Over the years, Cen-tral Texas has become amagnet attracting peopleof all racial and ethnicbackgrounds. CentralTexas has seen a big influxof Asians due to high techjobs and its good Univer-sity. Just like the rest of theUnited States, CentralTexas for the Asian Ameri-can population has beenbooming. According to theUS census report, AsianAmericans are the fastestgrowing segment of thepopulation. Moreover, theAsian American commu-nity is not monolithic but,has a diversity that in-cludes Indian Americans,Chinese Americans, Paki-stani Americans and oth-ers. Here in Austin, theSouth Asian Communityheld their annual festival.
Travis County Candidates HostAnnual Ice Cream Bowl Fundraiser
Jeff Travillion for Travis County Commissioner Court Precinct 1
On May 19, 2014Bruce Elfant held an “An-nual Ice Cream BowlFundraiser Event” in theheart of downtown Austin.These ice cream eventsare held to generate fundsfor various nonprofits. Inthe past year, the moneyraised has gone to variousnonprofit. For instance, in2014 the East Austin Con-servancy Program was therecipient of the moneythat was raised. For thisyear, the beneficiary of thefundraiser was for the vari-ous Voter Registration pro-grams occurring through-
by Tsoke(Chuch) Adjavon |Villager Columnist
out Central Texas.A crowd of Travis
County elected officials,candidates, civic leaders,and citizens gathered forthe Ice Cream Socialevent. In other words, theIce Cream Social tended tobe made up of the “who iswho” of Central Texas poli-tics. For instance, JeffTravallion who is in therunoff for the TravisCounty CommissionerCourt Precinct 1 was at theIce Cream social shakinghands and talking to bothcommunity leaders andvoters. Also, it was an op-portunity for variouspeople to network. In ad-dition, there were numer-
ous community and TravisCounty Party leaderspresent at this event.
The 2016 Ice Creamsocial had different icecream flavors. All of theattendees were eagerlyanticipating the various icecream flavors. For in-stance, Colliers, one of theparticipants had a pecan-vanilla flavor ice cream.Moreover, the event wasvery family-friendly andwell attended. The firstplace winners was theCelia Team; 2 was the Lynand Bruce came in 3rd. Asthe 2016 Ice Cream socialcomes to a close, the plan-ning for the 2017 icecream social has begun.
Jimmy Flannigan Announces Run forthe Austin City Council District 6
On May, 12, JimmyFlannigan announced hisintention to run for theAustin City Council District6. Moreover, this race willbe a “re-match” betweenthe incumbent DonZimmerman and him.About two years ago, theincumbent won by less than150 votes. In other words,it was very tight race. Afterthe two year term, the Aus-tin City Council District 6 isup; Consequently Mr.Flannigan believes that hehas a strong opportunityto win.
So far, the incumbentZimmerman’s term hasbeen disastrous on theCity Council. Recently, heopposed an item set be-fore the Council which wasa Community Clinic thatsought to work with mi-norities in the Austin area.Not only did the clinic seekto provide treatments but,also to find ways to pre-vent diseases like diabe-tes. Furthermore, Mr.Zimmerman has opposed
by Tsoke(Chuch) Adjavon |Villager Columnist
numerous sensible itemsthat sought to improve thequality of life of Austinites.Although, his district has alarge amount of Republi-cans, numerous residentsof the district have op-posed some of his ideas.
Finally, JimmyFlannigan is a long-timesmall business owner, acommunity and businessadvocate. According toJimmy Flannigan some of
the core issues that he isrunning on, include the fix-ing Austin’s traffic prob-lem, housing affordabilityand fiscal responsibility,water infrastructure, wild-fire prevention, and im-proving public safety inNW Austin. Furthermore,Austin District 6 is locatedin Northwest Austin whichhas some parts in bothTravis and WilliamsonCounty.
J. Flannigan for Austin City Council District 6
City of Austin Featured JobOpportunities
Apply at HRMiddle Fiskville Rd.
6th Floor, Austin, TX 78752Job Line (512 223-5621hhtp://www./austincc.ed
EEOC/AA/M/F/D/V
The City of Austin is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Please visit the City of Austin employmentwebsite at www.austincityjobs.org to view
requirements and apply for these and other jobopportunities. We encourage you to check the
employment website often as new jobopportunities are posted daily.
If you have any questions or need assistance,please call 512-974-3210 or email us [email protected].
EMPLOYMENT | PROPOSALS | PUBLIC INFORMATIONFOR SALE | FOR RENT | BIDS | MISCELLANEOUS
www.theaustinvillager.com CLASSIFIEDS THE VILLAGER/May 20, 2016 ~ Page 7
Hensel Phelps ConstructionCo., ConstructionManager@Risk, will be solicitingproposals from contractorsand material suppliers for thecon- struction of DelawareNorth Concessions Build-Out Project Number F4005.54 “Salt Lick” rest-aurant space and Project#F4005.52 “I Vini” rest-aurant space at AustinBergstrom InternationalAirport, Austin, TX. Projectconsists of Demolition,Electrical, Drywall, InteriorFinishes,Millwork and HVACassociated with rebrand- ingand interior upgrade of anexisting restaurant space. IVini will be a new restaurantspace located on the WestConcourse. The ProposalPackage will be available onMay 25, 2016 by contactingour office,mentioned below. Proposalselection will be on a bestvalue basis. We will acceptproposals for this package viaemail on June 22, 2016 at2:00 PM. A Pre-ProposalConference and Job Walkwill be held at 9:00AM onJune 1, 2016 at The HenselPhelps Field Office located at10211½ Hotel Dr., Austin,TX78719. All City of AustinCertified Dis- advantagedBusiness Enterprises areencouraged to submitproposals. Hensel PhelpsCon- struction Co. isavailable at(512) 994-7697 or (512) 713-9399 or by email:[email protected] or mbridle@ henselphelps,com. Our company isan E.E.O. Employer. Weencourage and actively solicitproposals fromDisadvantaged BusinessEnterprises for all projects
The City of Austin is currentlyacceptingapplications for the following positions:
• Chief Equity Officer
• EMS Medic l - Communications
• Heating & Refrigeration Mechanic III
• Emergency Plans Officer
• Librarian I or Librarian II
• Facility Service Coordinator
• Heavy Equipment Operator II
• Registered Nurse Supervisor
• Administrative Assistant
• Cashier (30 Temp/Seasonal Positions)
• Human Resources Advisor
• Accountant Associate
• Paralegal
• Plumber II
New Jobs for the Weekof 05/15/2016
Specialist, Instructional DesignHays CampusJob# 1605011
Assistant, Interpreter ServicesRiverside Campus
Job# 1605013
Austin Community CollegeDistrict (ACC) is solicitingproposals from qualified firms toprovide Media Buying Services.Request for Proposal
(RFP) No. 915-16019VJAll proposals must be submitted toACC Purchasing by no later thanThursday, June 16, 2016 at 2:00p.m., Central Time. Solicitationpackages are available on the ACCPurchasing website at http://w w w. a u s t i n c c . e d u / o f f i c e s /purchasing/advertised-solicitationsor in the ACC Purchasing Officewith advance notice (512) 223-1044between the hours of 9am and 4pmCST, Monday through Friday.A mandatory Pre-Proposalmeeting is scheduled for May 26,2016 at 2:00 pm at the ACCService Center, Rm 168.All proposals must be sealed andreturned to the ACC PurchasingOffice, ACC Service Center, 9101Tuscany Way, Austin, Texas 78754,by the date and time indicatedabove. Electronically transmittedbids will NOT be accepted unlessotherwise stated in the documents.The ACC Board of Trusteesreserves the right to reject any and/or all responses and waive allformalities in the solicitationprocess.
Austin Travis County IntegralCare is currently solicitingproposals through a Request forProposals (RFP) process forWebsite Redesign, Build andDeployment Services. RFPs may besent electronically, by contactingBrody Ballard at [email protected] or (512) 440-4022beginning May 16, 2016. Thedeadline to submit a proposal underthe RFP is 4 p.m. CST on June 10,2016. Historically UnderutilizedBusinesses, including Minority-Owned Businesses and Women-Owned Businesses, are encouragedto apply.
Are you interested in doing businesswith the City of Austin?
We are here for you!City of Austin
Purchasing OfficeVendor Registration
www.austintexas.gov/department/purchasing
For information on the City of Austin’s Minority/Women-Owned Procurement Program please contact theSmall & Minority Business Resources at 512-974-7600 orvisit www.austintexas.gov/smbr.
And as Texas nursinghomes struggle with staff-ing issues, Texas’ seniorcitizen population is set toexplode. The U.S. CensusBureau estimates thatmore than 20 percent ofTexas’ population will beover age 60 by the year2030, an increase of closeto 25 percent from 2012.
Warren said thestate’s Medicaid reim-bursement shortfall —about $232,000 per homeeach year — not onlyforces down wages forfront-line staff, but prohib-its nursing home ownersfrom buying much-neededmedical equipment or up-dating aging facilities.
“Most nursing homesin Texas take care of Med-icaid patients at rates thatjust don’t cover theircosts,” Warren said. About85-percent of residents inTexas nursing homes relyon Medicaid or Medicare.
“Buying a new venti-lator or investing more forstaff is tough when you
aren’t getting paid in fullfor providing care for amajority of your resi-dents,” Warren said.“Texas nursing homes are100-percent dedicated toproviding high-quality,hands-on care every day.But when it comes time topay the bills, the state isfalling short — about 12-percent short to be exact,according to this study.”
Texas lawmakers canavert a future nursinghome crisis by fixing thefunding shortfall next leg-islative session, said Dr. C.Bruce Davis, DeputySpeaker Pro Tem for theTexas Silver Haired Legisla-ture. The issue is one ofthe group’s top legislativepriorities for the 85th Leg-islative Session, whichstarts in January.
“The low Medicaidreimbursement rate inTexas, 49th lowest in thenation, threatens the clo-sure of many of our ruralnursing facilities,” Davissaid
Care for seniors costs $267million more than state pays,
Medicaid reimbursementshortfall is about $232,000 per
home each year
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
Hensel Phelps Construction Co., ConstructionManager @Risk, will be soliciting proposals fromsubcontractors and material suppliers for theconstruction of the City of Austin, COA Project No.11222.001, ABIA – Terminal/Apron Expansionand Improvements Project. Proposal Package 6consists of Package 3D – Terminal ExpansionSubsurface & Superstructure which includesDemolition of Paving Earthwork, UndergroundUtilities, Concrete Foundations, Structural Steel,Underground Mechanical and Electrical, andStructural Precast. The Proposal Package will beavailable on May 17, 2016 by contacting our office,mentioned below. Proposal selection will be on abest value basis. A Pre-Proposal Conference willbe held at 1:00PM on May 25, 2016 at 2716 Spiritof Texas Dr. Room 174, Austin, TX 78719. OnJune 16, 2016 at 2:00 PM, we will acceptproposals for this package at our office, 10211½ Hotel Dr., Austin, TX 78719 . All City of AustinCertified Disadvantaged Business Enterprises areencouraged to submit proposals. The project’s DBEGoal = 8.01%. Hensel Phelps Construction Co. isavailable at (512) 834-9848 or fax (512) 834-9844.Our company is an E.E.O. Employer. We encourageand actively solicit proposals from DisadvantagedBusiness Enterprises for all projects.
Runway to Opportunities 2016
Doing Business with Austin-Bergstrom International AirportJune 2, 2016 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Hilton Austin Airport Ballroom 9515 Hotel Dr.Complimentary Parking
From construction to concessions, this event provides insight on how to dobusiness with Austin’s airport. We have opportunities for small, minority, and
women business owners in construction, IT, concessions and more.Hosted by the City of Austin Departments of Aviation and Small & Minority
Business ResourcesFor more information contact the City of Austin Small and Minority Business
Resources Department at 512-974-7677.RSVP on Eventbrite at www.austintexas.gov/runway-opportunities
Town Hall Meetings on New Office of EquityMay 25th and 26th, 2016
AUSTIN, TX - Citizensare invited to participateat two town hall meetingsthat will be held later thismonth for the purpose ofgathering community in-put regarding the creationof the City of Austin’s Eq-uity Office.
As you may know, theCity has embarked on an
historic effort to establisha new Equity Office thatwill enhance the City’scommitment to equity inthe programs and servicesit provides to its residents,including housing, jobs,health, public safety, andmany more.
To support this effort,the City recently hired two
consultants with signifi-cant experience workingon social justice issues atthe local governmentlevel. The Hawkins Groupis assisting with the re-cruitment of the Chief Eq-uity Officer, and the Gov-ernment Alliance on Raceand Equity (GARE) is advis-ing us on “best practices”gathered from its morethan 100 local governmentmembers.
But for this effort totruly succeed, we needyour help! The City is un-dertaking an extensivecommunity engagementcampaign to gather asmuch public input as pos-sible. To kick-off this off,two town hall meetingshave been scheduled togather feedback on thefocus, structure, and func-tion of the Equity Office.Child care, in addition tolight snacks and refresh-ments will be provided atboth meetings. The meet-ing details are as follows:
May 25, 2016Asian AmericanResource Center
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.8401 Cameron RoadMay 26, 2016Dove SpringsRecreation Center6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.5801 Ainez DriveIf you cannot attend
either meeting, we en-courage you to provideyour input by [email protected],by calling 3-1-1, or in per-son by submitting writtensuggestions to the EquityOffice Comment Box lo-cated in the 3rd Floorlobby of City Hall.
Page 8 ~ THE VILLAGER/May 20, 2016 THE DISPATCH www.theaustinvillager.com
The Winners!Mom, 7 Adult Children Win
$429.6 Million Powerball Jackpotby: Michael Catalini Associated Press
FAMILY AFFAIR - Siblings Jacqueline Sessoms, left, Marsha-AnnRebecca Smith, second left back, Tracy Angela Smith, third left, StevenElliot Smith, fourth left, Rene Bethina Smith, third right, and KatherineNicole Nunnally, right, along with their mother , Pearlie Mae Smith, sec-ond right, listen to their sister Valerie Marie Arthur, at podium, talk aboutlife after winning the lottery Friday, May 13, 2016 in Lawrenceville, N.J.The eight family members will claim their share of last weekend’s $429.6million Powerball jackpot, which was won with a $6 investment. The tripto claiming the jackpot began last week at a 7-Eleven in Trenton whensomeone bought two $2 tickets, one each for drawings held last Wednes-day and Saturday, and spent an extra $1 on each ticket to get the “PowerPlay” option that multiplies the winnings. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)
LAWRENCEVILLE,N.J. (AP) — A woman andher seven adult childrenstepped forward Friday toclaim a $429.6 millionPowerball jackpot and saidthey have plans to tithe totheir church, go on a fam-ily vacation and help theircommunity.
But mostly they’rejust still letting it sink in.
“Wow. That’s whatit ’s like,” Pearlie MaeSmith, 70, said at a newsconference at state lotteryheadquarters with herchildren. “I’m still trying tofigure out what it’s like.”
Smith’s daughterValerie Arthur, who retiredafter 27 years as a statecorrections administratorlast August, said she ex-pected “in about an hourfrom now everyone weknow will come out of thewoodwork.”
“We each have
dreams that we want tofulfill in this life and do forour community and do foreach other and our fami-lies, and it was like, well,we have been funded todo that,” Arthur said.
Smith, of Trenton,opted for the lump sumpayout of $284 millionwhen she purchased sepa-rate $3 tickets last week ata 7-Eleven in Trenton fordrawings held Wednesdayand Saturday. Arthur saidthe family hired lawyersand took time before com-ing forward to get edu-cated on how best tohandle the windfall.
The ticket is the larg-est single jackpot winningticket sold in New Jerseyand the sixth-largest inPowerball history.
The other siblings,seated in front of dozensof reporters and cameras,said they don’t plan to quit
their jobs but hadn’t yettold their employers aboutthe win.
“Are we live?” Arthurasked. “They’re findingout right now.”
Katherine Nunnally,another of Smith’s daugh-ters, says she works ineducation and wants tohelp put at-risk girls intouch with powerfulwomen as role models andhelp them get internships.Now she has the money todo it herself, she said.
Son Steven Smithsaid he’d go into businesshimself.
The winning num-bers were 5-25-26-44-66,and the Powerball numberwas 9.
Powerball is played in44 states plus Washington,D.C., Puerto Rico and theU.S. Virgin Islands.
The odds of winningare one in 292.2 million.
AUSTIN, TX – In cel-ebration of National Se-nior Health & Fitness Dayon Wednesday, May 25,Texas seniors will joinmore than 100,000 olderadults across the countryparticipating in health andwellness events at morethan 1,000 locations.
National SeniorHealth & Fitness Day aimsto promote the impor-tance of regular physicalactivity for seniors, andshowcase what local orga-nizations are doing in theircommunities to help im-prove the health of olderadults.
In Texas, National Se-nior Health & Fitness Daywill be celebrated at se-nior centers, retirementcommunities, Ys andhealth clubs, hospitals andhealth systems and localaging organizations.Events at these locations,made possible in partthrough the support ofTexas sponsor Humana,will include health fairs, fit-ness walks, exercise dem-onstrations and presenta-tions by health and fitnessexperts.
Health and well-be-ing company Humana willhost health fairs at itsHumana Guidance Cen-
ters in Austin and San An-tonio from 10 a.m. to 2p.m. on May 25. Bothevents include free fitnessclasses by SilverSneakers,nutrition demonstrations,health information andcommunity organizationinvolvement including theNational Park Service andAlzheimer’s Association.
The Humana Guid-ance Center in Austin islocated at 10710 ResearchBlvd., Suite 120, and theHumana Guidance Centerin San Antonio is located atLas Palmas Shopping Cen-ter, 803 Castroville Rd.,Suite 300. For more infor-mation, contact the Austincenter at 512-808-2821 orthe San Antonio center at210-424-6086.
“This year is the 23rdanniversary of NationalSenior Health & FitnessDay, the nation’s largestolder adult health promo-tion event,” said PatriciaHenze, executive directorof the program. “We arepleased to be workingwith Humana in Texas andwith more than 1,000 lo-
cal organizations in otherstates to organize olderadult health and wellnessevents throughout theUnited States on Wednes-day, May 25.”
“For a second year,Humana is proud to be thestate sponsor of SeniorHealth & Fitness Day tomake Texas a healthierplace to live, work andplay,” said Dan Tufto, Presi-dent of Senior Products forHumana of Texas. “It is ourpassion to help our Texasresidents embrace per-sonal wellness and toachieve their best healthpossible, at every age andstage of their life.
“Senior Health & Fit-ness Day truly aligns withHumana’s goal to inspirehealth and empowerpeople to do everythingthey can to get and stayhealthy,” he said. “Theevent is a perfect exampleof how Humana is workingtowards its Bold Goal of a20 percent improvementin the health of the com-munities we serve by2020.”
Texas Organizations to Host LocalHealth Events on National Senior
Health & Fitness Day May 25
For second year, Humanais exclusive Texas sponsorfor annual event designedto promote the importance
of physical activityfor older adults
Police: Iowa Student Lied About BeingVictim of Hate Crime by: Ryan J. Foley Associated Press
Marcus Owens(Screengrab WQAD8 news)
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP)- Police say a Black Univer-sity of Iowa student liedabout being the victim ofa racially motivated beat-ing and that he instigatedat last one of several alco-hol-fueled fights.
Marcus Owens toldpolice that he was at-tacked April 30 by threeWhite men who hurled ra-cial slurs as they damagedhis eye socket and knockedout his front teeth. The al-leged hate crime stoked
safety concerns and dis-trust among some minor-ity students in the univer-
sity.But police said Tues-
day that his report wasfalse. Investigators ob-tained surveillance videoshowing Owens had beena participant and instigatorof fights that started insidea bar and continued out-side.
Owens will not becharged, and police won’tseek restitution to coverthe cost of the investiga-tion. He and his family is-sued an apology.
Florida ManRunning forUS Senate
CallsObama
‘Animal’by: The Associated Press
Florida businessman Carlos Beruff (left), andPresident Barack Obama (right). (Courtesy and
AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.(AP) - A Florida business-man seeking to replaceMarco Rubio in the U.S.Senate is standing by hisremark calling PresidentBarack Obama an “ani-mal.”
GOP and Democraticcandidates runningagainst homebuilderCarlos Beruff called his re-marks insulting and offen-
sive.In a speech to a Re-
publican group Thursday,the GOP candidate criti-cized Obama as an “ani-mal” who has “destroyedthe country.”
U.S. Rep. David Jolly,a Republican, and U.S.Rep. Patrick Murphy, aDemocrat, called on Beruffto apologize. Both are run-ning for the Senate seat.
Todd Wilcox, one ofthe GOP candidates alsoseeking the post, saidthat “name calling forshock value” isn’t goingto solve the nation’sproblems.
Beruff in a statementstood by his remarks,which were first reportedby The Huffington Post.
The White House de-clined comment.
Miriam Conner & Sania Tamimi Art ExhibitionExhibition I - May 21 - June 29thExhibition II - June 2nd - June 12thClosing Reception & Exhibition III - June 17th - June 19th
The synchronicity of their having been friends from childhood in Aus-tin, journeying for their respective professional studies, and returning toAustin at nearly the same time encourages Conner and Tamimi to seek tobring the Austin art scene to a higher homegrown level.
The artists are bringing together shows that they have presented sepa-rately, Conner at the California Institute of Arts and Tamimi at the ParsonsSchool of Design in Paris.
The show will run from May 21 through June 19. There will be threeevening Exhibitions of the work on May 21, June 2, and June 17 at 7 pm inaddition to regular gallery hours, Saturday & Sunday, 11-4 pm.
TEXAS - Texas Authors created an educative and interactive platform known as “DEARTexas.” DEAR Texas which connotes “Drop Everything And Read” was established with theprimary goal of encouraging people of all ages and from all walks of life to re-discover thefun, excitement and joy associated with learning new things through reading. This organi-zation will launch its first annual Lone Star Book Festival on the 24th and 25th of Sept,2016. For further information about the event and to purchase booth space, please visittheir web site at http://LoneStarBookFest.com, or call the LSBF office at 512-554-9560.
Texas Authors Join Forces to Create the Lone Star Book Festival