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Volume 79 Number 20 March 14 – 20, 2010 | FREE

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Nicole C. LeeWhat Haitians Want

By Kam WilliamsCONTRIBUTING WRITER

Mo’Nique Imes was born on December 11, 1967 inBaltimore, which is where she started her showbiz careeras a stand-up comedienne on a dare a couple of decadesago. From there, she gained visibility and immense popu-larity with performances on “Showtime at the Apollo,”HBO’s “Def Comedy Jam,” “Apollo Comedy Hour”HBO’s “Snaps,” BET’s “Comic View,” The MontrealComedy Festival and Uptown Comedy Club.

Her big break arrived in 1999 when she landeda starring role on the television series, “The

Parkers.” During the show’s five-year run,Mo’Nique earned numerous awards,

including four NAACP ImageAwards as the Outstanding

Actress in a Comedy

Series. Her film credits include “Welcome Home RoscoeJenkins,” “Two Can Play That Game,” “Hair Show,”“Three Strikes,” “Baby Boy,” “Beerfest,” “Phat Girlz,”“Soul Plane,” “Irish Jam,” “Domino” and “Shadowboxer.”

As a voluptuous role model for Rubenesque females,Mo-Nique wrote the best-selling book Skinny Women AreEvil, as well as an equally-funny follow-up entitled SkinnyCooks Can’t Be Trusted. She also created, produced andemceed “Mo’Nique’s F.A.T. Chance,” America’s first, full-figured, reality beauty pageant. Struck by the skyrocketingnumber of women behind bars, she brought her act to aprison to tape a comedy special called “I Coulda BeenYour Cellmate” which aired on TV before later beingreleased on DVD. Then, she delved further into the issueas the host of “Mo’Nique: Behind Bars” for the Oxygentelevision network.

By Aswad WalkerDEFENDER

The January earthquake in Haiti and its ongoing aftermath ofsuffering has elicited humanitarian aid from the global com-munity, with the U.S. leading the way in terms of dollar value

donations. Yet, amid the generosity, some voices within the U.S. arecalling for a halt to the goodwill, declaring Haiti a beggar nation thatis being enabled by aid. Others, however, argue that whatever eco-nomic or political dysfunction exists in Haiti is due in large part tothe untold story of the historical relationship between Haiti and theU.S. Two recent forums on the topic of Haiti, one held at RiceUniversity, the other at St. John’s Downtown, provided participantswith food for thought on Haiti’s past, present and future.

Art Rascon, Emmy award-winning reporter and anchor forKTRK-TV’s Eyewitness News, who has covered major nationaland international events and natural disasters throughout theworld, was the only Houston journalist to cover the devastatingearthquake in Haiti.

“Clearly Haiti was one of the worst natural disasters I’ve evercovered,” said Rascon. “And I covered the Tsunami a few

SPECIAL TO THE NNPA FROM THE

AFRO AMERICAN NEWSPAPERS

WASHINGTON (NNPA) - President Obamahopes to see his controversial health carereform bill approved by March 18, WhiteHouse Press Secretary Robert Gibbs has said.

According to thehill.com, Gibbs said sweep-ing health care reform should move through

Congress before the presidentleaves for a trip to Australiaand Indonesia.

“We’re leaving on March 18and we believe that we’re onschedule, based on our con-versations that have been hadwith the Speaker of the Houseand the majority leader, thatwe’re on schedule to getsomething done before weleave,” Gibbs said.

The press secretary said Obama hopes theHouse will pass the Senate’s primary healthcare bill by that date, with a final bill to besigned by Easter.

Because Obama’s recent bipartisan healthcare reform summit failed to provoke anyRepublican converts, Democrats are turning toa political process called reconciliation, whichwould sidestep the need for Republican sup-port.

The process would allow the Democratic-majority Congress to approve Obama’s pro-posed health care reform with a simple majori-ty vote.

★MO’NIQUE, Page 2

★HAITI, Page 3

Mo’ Nique Oscar-Worthy!

By Monica L. ColemanDEFENDER

The boys’ basketball team at LeeHigh School and girls’ basketball teamat Bellaire took home the braggingrights and $1,000 each at the conclu-sion of the “Who’s Got Game” part-nership betweenDefenderNetwork.com and HISD.The alliance drew thousands of votesfrom community members, students,and school staffs before HISD’s bestteams were elected.

Good News for Lee High SchoolLee High School Athletic

Coordinator Bridgette Davis said thevictory positively impacted what hadbeen a dwindling school spirit aroundthe campus. For the past severalmonths, the school has made headlinesafter a couple of students arranged amurder-for-hire plot. Their boys’ bas-ketball team was on the losing side ofYates’ controversial 170-35 win. And,to top things off, their principal was Bellaire H.S. Girls basketball coach, Michael Cramer (far left) joins Bellaire Cardinals Girls and

school principal, Tim Salem, to receive the $1000 winning check from Defender WebPromotion manager, Christie Wilson.

Deadline setfor health care reform

Robert Gibbs

★GAME, Page 7

Who’s Got Game?Winners: Lee & Bellaire H.S.

Photo:Todd Wawrychuk / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Best Supporting Actresswinner Mo'Nique.

★@ defendernetwork.comDownload and signCitizens’ Petition for Haiti

2 MARCH 14 – 20, 2010 | DEFENDER

Here, she talks about “The Mo’Nique Show,” hernew late-night talk show on BET, and about herOscar-worthy performance in “Precious,” LeeDaniels’ spellbinding screen adaptation of Sapphire’snovel, Push.

Kam Williams: Hi Mo’Nique, thanks so much forthe time.

Mo’Nique: Hey Kam! Thank you, baby!KW: Congratulations on the new TV show. M: Thank you! KW: How would you describe the format? How are

you dividing the time among monologues, interviews,and musical and other performances?

M: I can’t give you those numbers, baby, becausethe show is so unpredictable. We’re just having agreat time.

KW: What interested you in doing a talk show?M: Well, I’ve always wanted to do a talk show.

That was the whole focus from the very beginning.First, I thought it’d be like Oprah Winfrey, but thecomedienne in me wouldn’t let me do that. So, whenmy husband [Sidney Hicks] and I spoke withLoretha Jones [BET’s President of Programming],we said, “We want to do late-night. We want to havea party.”

KW: Speaking of partying, you were recently spot-ted in Manhattan partying at Nick Ashford and ValerieSimpson’s Sugar Bar with Lee Daniels, Andre’ LeonTalley and some other folks. Did you have fun?

M: I had a blast, Kam. When you go to the SugarBar, the kid in you truly comes out.

KW: How much does it mean to you to have Oprahpersonally get behind the film in such a strong way.

M: It was a pleasure. She’s a powerhouse. She’sOprah Winfrey. You know what that means. So,when she said, “I dig this,” I was very appreciativeof it.

KW: How do you do it? You’re already a mother,actress, author and comedienne, and now addinglate night TV host. How you keep sane and healthyand how do you manage to juggle everything?

M: There is a great group of people that sur-rounds me, starting with my husband, who is mybusiness partner and executive producer of the talkshow. With our assistants and our staff in our home,we have a great team. So please believe me, I’d loveto say, “Oh honey, I’m a superwoman!” But I’m sofar from being a superwoman. It’s all the people whosurround us are what make Mo’Nique work.

KW: Was it hard for you not to take you characterhome with you at the end of the day when you wereshooting “Precious?”

M: It wasn’t hard at all. We left it on the stage.When Lee said “Cut!” that’s what it was.

KW: Did you stay in touch with any of the inmatesfrom your stand-up show, “I Coulda Been YourCellmate?”

M: When I was at the Sugar Bar the other night, Ibumped into a woman who was in that prison when Iwas there. We hugged so tight, and she introducedme to her son.

KW: Do you have plans to do something like thatagain?

M: I don’t think I’ll do another one, because Ithink it was special in the moment for all of us.

KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you,that you wish someone would?

M: [Laughs] No!KW: Between the new TV show and the movie. I

was totally blown away by your performance when Isaw “Precious.” And I’ve never heard so much Oscar-buzz so far in advance of a picture’s release.Everybody’s been talking about your Academy Award-worthy performance since last January when the filmpremiered at the Sundance Film Festival. How do youfeel about all the buzz?

M: You know what? I’m excited about any buzz.I was excited when Lee Daniels first called me up.Just for the movie’s message to be told, that’s wherethe real excitement comes in for me.

KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?M: Kam, my favorite dish to cook is macaroni

and cheese.KW: How can your fans help you?M: By realizing that they’re not my fans, but my

bosses. I want them to know that I’m just as excitedas they are when they ask for an autograph or take apicture with me, because I’m still that little girl whoused to practice in the mirror.

KW: Speaking of mirrors, when you look in themirror, what do you see?

M: [Laughs] I see somebody, baby, that’s full oflife. I see somebody that still has a lot more growingto do and is willing to take it on. I see somebody thatthe universe said to her, “We’re going to give youthis and see how you deal with it.” I see somebodywho has an incredible husband, amazing kids andgreat people around her. So, when I look in that mir-ror, I be like, “For real?”

KW: How do you get through the tough times?M: Fortunately, I don’t have no tough times.KW: Thanks again, Mo’Nique and I’m expecting to

be congratulating you on your Oscar, the next time Ispeak to you.

M: Thank you so much, Kam. Bless your heart,sugar.

Mo’Niquecontinued from page 1

Photo:Richard Harbaugh/©A.M.P.A.S.

Mo'Nique, Academy Award winner for Best Supporting Actress for her workin "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire," arrives with SidneyHicks prior to the 82nd Annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre inHollywood, CA.

years ago. But that was a 10country event. The devasta-tion in Haiti was so concen-trated. It was all right there inPort-au-Prince. It was over-whelming; the likes of whichpeople in the western hemi-sphere had never seen.”

As part of the first newsteam on the scene after theearthquake, Rascon saidmaintaining a reporter’sobjective, emotional distanceduring interviews was diffi-cult at best.

“My most memorableinterview was with a personcovered under tons of rubble.We were talking throughcracks in the rock; she yellingback her answers to us. Butno one was there to rescueher. I returned twice, to checkon her. Each time her voicegot fainter. When I returned athird time, there was nothing.And this happened every-where; people could notremove the ruble fast enough.Once I was talking to six peo-ple at once, and passing thembread through crevices. Theseinterviews were shocking andoverwhelming,” said Rascon.“It made me wonder, if suchan event happened in the U.S.would we respond with thesame kind of resilience?”

Amid the outpouring ofempathy and tangible relieffor earthquake survivors havebeen calls for the U.S. to stopsupporting Haiti due to thecountry’s long history of cor-ruption, political instabilityand other self-destructivehabits. This cold shoulder inHaiti’s recent time of need isunsettling to Haitian-bornJean-Marc Tribié, one of thepanelists at Rice University’sforum, Haiti: Past, Presentand Future, sponsored byRice’s Office of MulticulturalCommunity Relations andPublic Affairs.

“U.S. citizens who say theydon’t want to help Haiti makeup a small minority, but makeme very sad because in such aglobal, modern society we areall connected,” said Tribié. “Iunderstand why some saythat [stop giving aid] becauseU.S. has given the mostmoney to Haiti and themoney has not always beenaccounted for. Thus, some arereluctant when funds end upin some government offi-cials’ pockets. But the magni-tude and the scale of theearthquake is so huge that theeyes of the world are on

Haiti. I think it would be hardfor money to go to the wronghands with so many countrieswanting to see how theirmoney is working.”

Regarding Haiti’s currentreality, Mawiyah Duperval,an activist who has beenworking in Haiti for 23 years,believes critical analysis isneeded across the boardbefore declaring that Haitioperates with a hand-out,entitlement mentality.

Duperval asserts that themajority of Haitian citizensare poor, yet wealth doesexist there. Duperval, alongwith Sonceria Messiah Jiles,and pastors Aswad Walker,Michael Bowie and ConnieJackson, were panelists in aforum on Haiti organized byformer Houston City Councilwoman Ada Edwards.

“One section of Haiti,above where the earthquakehit, has more millionaires persquare foot than anywhere inthe world,” said Duperval.“The average work week forHaiti is six 12-hour days,with workers earning about$1.80 per/hr. Last year there

were rallies to raise the Haitiminimum wage, but it didn’thappen because the U.S. did-n’t want that to happen. Yet,the U.S., France and Canadaall built brand new embassiesin the past year in the poorestcountry in the WesternHemisphere. The question weshould ask is ‘Why?’”

Duperval, as well as otherpanelists at both forums,cited a historic relationshipbetween the U.S. and Haiti

that has been decidedly one-sided in terms of economicbenefit—with the winneroverwhelmingly being theU.S. Many trace the roots ofthis relationship to the 1804victory of the enslaved popu-lation of Haiti over NapoleonBonaparte-led France.

“There is no doubt thatwhen Haiti won its independ-ence Haiti was maligned byeverybody; policies adoptedby most slaveholding coun-

tries reflected that they want-ed nothing to do with Haiti,”said Edward Cox, associateprofessor of history at Rice.Cox’s research includesCaribbean and African-American history. Currently,Cox teaches a course on hownatural disasters in theCaribbean impact theregion’s economy, politicalsystems and social structurefrom colonial times to thepresent.

“You must remember theenslaved did the unthinkable;they fought for their freedom.Slaveholding countries wereconcerned about how theHaitian example mightinspire the enslaved in theU.S., and those in thecolonies of the British andFrench. When Haiti finallynegotiated terms with Franceto be recognized as a freecountry, France hit Haiti withan arduous economic embar-go whose effects are stillbeing felt,” added Cox.

“The truth of the matter isHaiti defeated France, Spainand Britain in 1804, and thushad to be demonized,” said

Duperval. In effect, Haiti was forced

to pay reparations to Francefor winning its freedom; pay-ments that lasted until 1947(payments totaling $20 bil-lion in today’s dollars). Alongwith France, the U.S. embar-goed Haiti from 1804-1863.In addition, PresidentWoodrow Wilson ordered aninvasion of Haiti in 1915, andU.S. troops occupied theisland nation till 1934, con-trolling Haiti’s imports andexports, collecting taxes, andrunning many governmentalinstitutions.

Edwards contends thatHaitian-U.S. relations havebeen contentious and one-sided for decades but doesnot view the 1804 Haitianvictory as the culprit.

“I don’t think people todayknow about 1804,” saidEdwards. “Negative policiestoward Haiti reflect more ageneral disrespect for peopleof color.”

During the St. John’s forumpresenters mentioned the

MARCH 14 – 20, 2010 | DEFENDER 3

The Houston Defender Newspaper publishedby The Houston Defender Inc. Company (713) 663-6996. The Defender audited by

Certified Audited Circulation. (CAC). For sub-scriptions, send $60.00 — 1 year, to:

Defender, P.O. Box 8005, Houston, TX 77288.Payment must accompany subscriptionrequest. All materials covered by 2009copyright... (No material herein may be

reproduced without the written permissionof the publisher).

VOLUME 79 • NUMBER 20 MARCH 14 – 20, 2010

PublisherSonceria Messiah-Jiles

EditorVon Jiles

Associate EditorReShonda Billingsley

Art DirectorCale Carter

Columnist Yvette Chargois

Sports EditorsMax EdisonDarrell K. Ardison

ContributingWritersAswad Walker

WebmasterCorneleon Block

Haiticontinued from page 1

★HAITI, Page 4

Visit defendernetwork.comto hear the 10 minute interview with RAYMOND JOSEPH as hediscusses the current conditions in Haiti, howAmerica can help, as wellas the stability of theHaitian Government.

★@ defendernetwork.com

U.S. profits gained and Haitian earningslost during the rule of Haiti by dictators“Papa Doc” and “Baby Doc” Duvalier(1957-1986). During those years whenmany contend the U.S. backed theDuvaliers, 10,000 Haitians lost theirlives via human rights violations whilethe pair ran up the country’s internation-al debt into the billions.

As well, policies instituted by theWorld Bank and the InternationalMonetary Fund transformed Haiti from aproducer nation into a consumer nation.It’s once thriving agricultural industrythat placed Haiti as a major world play-er in rice and sugar production, wasundercut as Haiti was forced by interna-tional policies to import U.S. subsidizedrice and sugar.

“The U.S. relationship with Haiti isthe same as its relationship with Blackpeople everywhere—very paternalisticand degrading. And it still continues.Several companies, including companiescontracted by Disney, run sweatshopthere. It’s as if the assumption is madethat wherever Blacks are in charge, we,the U.S., need to go in, regardless ofinternational law. They did it to Cuba,Grenada, and Panama as well,” saidEdwards.

Though author and former head ofTransAfrica, Randall Robinson, con-tends in his book, An Unbroken Agony,that the ousting of democratically elect-ed Haitian President Jean-BertrandAristide falls under this same categoryof U.S. mistreatment of Haiti, others seemore of a gray area.

“The people were happy at first withAristide, and then grew dissatisfied.When the U.S. returned him to power,some lauded it as a victory for democra-cy, while others did not,” said Tribié, aRice alumnus who contends that theU.S. always tried to use Haiti as anexample of democracy in the WesternHemisphere, and make sure electionshappened properly.

Edwards believes that current assis-tance given to Haiti by the U.S. shouldnot be viewed as aid but as payment for

past wrongs, and believes moving for-ward, a new relationship must emerge.

"Those concerned about the welfare ofHaiti should petition our government toforgive all past Haitian debt, declare allmonies given to Haiti from this day for-ward as grants rather than aid, and writeto Walt Disney corporation to tell themto pay their Haitian workers at least min-imum wage,” said Edwards. “It’s allabout policy. The people we elect makethe policy; and all the past negative deal-ings between our two countries havebeen driven by policy. We the peoplechange the policy by changing thoseenacting policies we believe are unjust.The issue for me is not what the U.S.does but how Blacks around the worldrespond.”

Duperval suggested that the U.S.allow minority-owned businesses to par-ticipate in the rebuilding of Haiti, and tobegin investing in the land.

Rascon returned to the U.S. with a dif-ferent take.

“I just recently returned from Haitiwhere they are very grateful for U.S. aidwhich has far surpassed aid from any

other nation. Still, they want to knowwhat will happen when they are not frontpage news. Nine out of 10 Haitians Italked to want to become a U.S. com-monwealth, like Puerto Rico. Theybelieve under U.S. rule that they wouldbe better off, and would be rid of the cor-ruption that has plagued Haiti’s govern-ment,” stated Rascon.

Whatever course of action is taken,Cox is confident Haiti will survive.

“Even though Haiti is fading from thefront pages there is still a lot of incredi-ble work going on with aid coming infrom the international community, withthe U.S. still giving generously, and withthe Caribbean community involved inhuge efforts of relief work for theirCaribbean kin as Jamaica serves asground zero for these efforts. Anddespite the short-term challenges Haitiwill rebuild. Historically, these nationsbounce back and bounce back well.Haiti will emerge with a stronger infra-structure, including better roads, houses,medical facilities, and educational sys-tem,” said Cox.

Haiticontinued from page 3

4 MARCH 14 – 20, 2010 | DEFENDER

Photo:Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson

First Lady Michelle Obama talks with Mrs. Elizabeth Preval, the First Lady ofHaiti, in the Yellow Oval Room of the White House.

FACTIn effect, Haiti was forced to pay repara-tions to France for winning its freedom;payments that lasted until 1947 (pay-ments totaling $20 billion in today’s dol-lars). Along with France, the U.S. embar-goed Haiti from 1804-1863. In addition,President Woodrow Wilson ordered aninvasion of Haiti in 1915, and U.S. troopsoccupied the island nation till 1934, con-trolling Haiti’s imports and exports, col-lecting taxes, and running many govern-mental institutions.

Fort Bend Bush head boysbasketball coach RonnieCourtney triumphantlyhugged his son, Travis,moments after the Broncosconverted a layup on aninbounds play with just overone second remaining in reg-ulation to defeat top-ratedBellaire and earn the school’sfirst ever trip to the state bas-ketball tournament.

The elder Courtney thentold Houston sports radiotalk-show host Ralph Cooperthat he said No. 1 Bellairewas a lock to win Region III-5A and make its first appear-ance at the state tournament.

Cooper replied “thanks forlistening.”

All this came afterCourtney designed a perfectplay and his son passed toChibuike Chidomere for per-fect execution to seal a 55-53nailbiter at the buzzer in theM.O. Campbell Center.

Chidomere’s game-winningbasket was his only points inthe contest.

Bush, 33-4, will playFriday at Austin’s FrankErwin Center in the Class 5Astate semifinals againstLewisville Marcus at 8:30p.m.

While Bush will be makingits first trip to the state tour-nament, Courtney is goingback for the third time.Courtney coachedWillowridge to back-to-backstate championships duringthe 2000 and 2001 seasons.

Meanwhile, Bellaire is left

Panther JewelryEarlier this week, the

final jewel to the PrairieView 2009 championshipseason was finally bestowed,literally. In a grand ceremo-ny, the team was presentedtheir championship rings.

Under the leadership ofhead coach Henry FrazierIII, the Panthers won theschool’s first SWAC cham-pionship since 1964 with a9-1 overall record. They fin-ished the season ranked 15thnationally in the SportsNetwork’s FCS CollegeFootball Poll and second inthe Sheridan BroadcastingNetwork Black College Poll.

“This will be a specialmoment in the lives of ourplayers,” Frazier said. “Thechampionship ring symbol-izes the hard work andaccomplishments of theplayers, coaches and supportstaff.”

Coleman, All-ConferenceDespite a subpar record

this season, Houston Cougarguard and Fort BendMarshall grad, AubreyColeman has been the lonebright spot. RecentlyColeman was named firstteam All Conference USAfor the second consecutiveyear. This season, Colemanleads the Cougars,Conference USA and thenation with 26.0 points pergame. He has posted nine30-point games, including acareer-high-tying 38-pointeffort at Tulane on Saturday

★ARDISON, Page 6

★EDISON, Page 6

MARCH 14 – 20, 2010 | DEFENDER 5SPORTS

Max Edisonon

Sports

Darrell Ardison

on H.S.Sports

By Max EdisonDEFENDER

In case you missed it, last Friday marked the beginningof the NFL’s free agency period. In case you’re not afan of the NFL (imagine that), free agency is closely

akin to Christmas. Teams get to improve their teams by“cherry picking” the rosters of other teams key playerswhose contracts have expired and their existing teams areno longer interested in retaining them; most of the timebecause said player wants more money than their team iswilling to pay. The free agency period, along with theplayer draft (April 22-24) are the key times that teamshave an opportunity to improve their franchises.

The number one free agent this year is former CarolinaPanther defensive end Julius Peppers (6’7” 283 lbs.) andthe draft pick-strapped Chicago Bears wasted little timegetting Peppers to sign on the dotted line. The Bearsponied up a reported $84 million reasons for Peppers tofall in love with the “Windy City!” The six-year deal issaid to include approximately $40 million in guaranteedmoney, making him the league’s highest paid defensiveplayer.

Peppers will be paired with Bear defensive stalwartsBrian Urlacher, Lance Briggs and Tommie Harris, whohave been to the Pro-Bowl a combined 14 times. He willalso be coached a pair of coaches that boast Super Bowlpedigree, head coach Lovie Smith and defensive coordina-tor Rod Marinelli. Obviously, Peppers was elated with hisdecision.

“I’m excited to be here (Chicago) and looking forwardto doing big things,” Peppers intimated. “Getting to cometo a place with a deep-rooted tradition of winning is agreat thing for me. It’s one thing to play football in thisleague and make a living, but it’s a totally different thingto come to a place with a great tradition and rich footballculture like the Bears.”

The Bears are without a first or second round draft pick

By Darrell K. ArdisonDEFENDER

AUSTIN – The body languageof Cy-Fair High School seniorpost Chiney Ogwumike was thatof a champion.

That was in the pre-gamewarm-ups prior to the tipoff ofthe girls Class 5A state champi-onship game between the LadyBobcats and Fort BendHightower at the Erwin Center.

Ogwumike took shots from allher favorite spots on the floor -the face-up jumper from theperimeter, the hook shot frominside the paint, the fadeawaybaseline jumper and finally fromthe free-throw line. She madethem all while shouting outencouragement to her team-mates.

This came after Ogwumikescored 24 points, grabbed a 5Astate-tournament record 25rebounds and played all 32 min-utes in Cy-Fair’s 54-50 victoryover Cedar Hill that advancedthe Lady Bobcats into the 2010title game. She did miss seven ofher 11 free-throw attempts in thegame.

The title game would be a his-tory-making event. It would alsoshow that the top-ranked 5Aschool in Texas with the nation’stop recruit, was without peer onthis day.

For the first time in the historyof the University InterscholasticLeague girls basketball state 5Atournament, two Houston areaschools would meet for the

championship.Hightower was seeking

revenge after losing 66-61 to Cy-Fair in the second game of theseason. The Lady Hurricaneswouldn’t fare as well the secondtime around.

In a performance for the ages,Ogwumike dominated everyphase of the game and finishedwith 31 points, 18 rebounds, foursteals and three blocked shotswith no turnovers.

The Stanford University com-mit even sank three of her fivefree-throw attempts as Cy-Faircruised to a 65-41 win over

Hightower for the school’s sec-ond state championship in threeyears. Ogwumike was selected aunanimous Most ValuablePlayer.

Yet her Cy-Fair teammatesprovided plenty of help.

Ogwumike scored the first sixpoints of the contest and theperimeter defense of guardsCassie Peoples, Aarika Reynaand Danika Cervenka completelydisrupted Hightower’s offensiveflow.

Peoples, a Texas commit whomissed last year’s state tourna-ment with a broken leg, nailed

the first of her four three-point-ers in the game with two min-utes, 33 seconds left in the open-ing quarter to give her team a 17-4 advantage.

Cy-Fair, 36-1, finished off thefirst eight minutes on a 19-0 runand led 27-4 going into the sec-ond stanza with Ogwumike lead-ing the way with 14 first-quarterpoints.

“We always try to come outwith a chip on our shoulders likesomeone is out to get us,”Ogwumike said. “We feed off of

★HIGH SCHOOL, Page 6

Cy-Fair girls celebrate winning state championship.

★SPORTS, Page 6

Ogwumike leads Cy-Fair to 5A supremacy

NFL Free AgencyGentlemen,start yourspending

Photo: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Julius Peppers, #89 of the Carolina Panthers, walks off the field in the rain.

6 MARCH 14 – 20, 2010 | DEFENDERSPORTS

mulling over what might have been.With the score tied at 53 late in the fourth quarter, the Cardinals

got a defensive stop and called a timeout with two minutes, 13 sec-onds left. Bellaire held the ball until 23.4 seconds remained andcalled another timeout.

They missed a contested close-range shot with seven seconds togo and Bush sprinted downcourt and a floating runner was blockedout of bounds by Bellaire center Tobi Oyedeji with 1.3 seconds left.

That was all the Broncos would need.

Yates Boys Join The Party In AustinOn the way to its second consecutive trip to the Class 4A state

basketball tournament in Austin, the defending state champions setseveral more records.

Yates defeated La Marque 101-83 to win its second straightRegion III-4A title in front of a standing-room-only crowd of morethan 6,000 at Katy’s Merrell Center.

For the 56th consecutive game, Yates emerged victorious and forthe 14th straight game, the Lions surpassed the 100-point plateau,tying the national record held by Hobbs, N.M.

Brandon “Snap” Peters turned in a superb performance for theLions with 33 points, eight rebounds and four steals.

Yates, 32-0, will face Lewisville The Colony in the 4A state semi-final round.

Ardisoncontinued from page 5

during the regular-seasonfinale, and is tied for fourthin Houston history with 1230-point games during hiscareer. He already ranks 15thon the school’s career scor-ing chart with 1,400 pointsin only 62 games and needsonly 36 more points tobecome the greatest two-yearscorer in Houston history.Although known for hisoffensive prowess, Colemanalso is a leader on the defen-sive side of the court. Heleads the league and rankssecond in the country with2.7 steals per game and topsthe Cougars with 7.5rebounds per game, goodenough to rank eighth in theleague. If he can regain thenational lead in steals by theend of the season, Colemanwould become the first play-er in NCAA Division I histo-ry to lead the country in bothscoring and steals in thesame season.

Cougars Offer ClinicAttention high school

football coaches, theUniversity of Houston foot-ball program announced ear-lier this week that it wouldconduct its 3rd AnnualCoaches Clinic on March26-27, as a precursor to thecommencement of springfootball practice.

The two-day event willbe held on the UH campus inthe Carl Lewis Auditoriuminside the Athletics/AlumniCenter and will feature guestspeakers from the profes-sional, college and highschool levels. The featuredguest speaker is Frank Bush,defensive coordinator for theHouston Texans.

For more informationplease contact the UHFootball Office at 713-743-9388or visit the officialCougar Coaches Clinic web-site athttp://www.uhcougars.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/2010-coaches-clinic.html.

Edisoncontinued from page 5

in 2010 because of the Jay Cutler deal,so for them free agency was a surefireway to improve their team. In additionto Peppers, they also signed formerMinnesota running back ChesterTaylor (4 yrs. $12.5 million, $ 7 mil-lion guaranteed) and former SanDiego tight end BrandonManumaleuna (five-year deal, termsnot disclosed).

On the home front, the Texans lostone and kept one, during the initialdays of free agency. Dunta Robinson,a staple in the secondary for six yearshas literally gone home, signing a six-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons fora reported $57 million with a $22.5million guarantee. Robinson’s grew upin nearby Athens, Georgia, an hourfrom Atlanta.

Robinson, who went through a con-tentious negotiating period with TexanGM Rick Smith last off- season, wast-ed little time signing with a squad thatwas a playoff team in 2008.

“It’s a blessing to be able to comehome and play for the home team,”Robinson gushed. “It’s something youdream of as a youngster and for the

dream to come true is an amazingfeeling for me.”

Robinson did, however, expressgratitude for the time spent as a Texan.

“The thing I’ll miss the most otherthan the city of Houston is the rela-tionships I built on and off the fieldwith my teammates. I love them andI’m going to miss them. Thank you,Houston.”

Although the Texans lost a keydefensive standout they were able toretain a key weapon on offense,receiver Kevin Walter. Walter had hisshare of suitors in free agency, butultimately got the deal he wanted fromthe team that gave him a chance to bea starter in the NFL, the Texans.

“What I found out on Friday wasthere were some other teams that wereinterested, but it feels great that you’rewanted here,” #83 said. “It feels evenbetter (that) you don’t have to move,we have a three month old daughter. Idon’t have to learn a new system.There’s a lot of factors that go into it,but I’m just glad to be back and readyto get to work.”

Kevin will reportedly receive $ 21.5million over 5 years, with $ 8 millionguaranteed.

Walter in four years with the Texans

has emerged as the perfect comple-ment to Pro-Bowler Andre Johnson.He had 60 receptions for 899 yardsand 8 TD’s and averaged 15 yards percatch in 2008. In 2009 missed twogames because of injury, but still fin-ished with 53 receptions for 611 yardsand 2 touchdowns.

Head coach Gary Kubiak admiresthe way Walter has developed into asolid NFL receiver.

“He came here, earned his way andbecame a starter and has become avery productive player in this league,”Kubiak said. “He stands for every-thing we want to be at his team. He’saccountable, he’s a hard worker. Youget everything he’s got, weekend andweek out and to me he’s still in thebest years of his career. All of thosethings added up to us keeping himgoing here in Houston.”

The Texans also resigned punterMatt Turk.

Expect the team to attempt to sign acornerback in free agency, to replacethe departed Robinson. They also willbe looking to find help in the offensiveline. Areas that are not addressed infree agency will certainly be high pri-ority item in the upcoming PlayersDraft.

Sportscontinued from page 5

each other’s energy and try to keep itgoing and going. It’s important for usto get hustle points and the energythat we brought came from every-where.

“Even Cassie, the most silent per-son on the team, was yelling andscreaming,” Ogwumike said. “It wasa great moment for us to come outstrong and know that we can beatthis team.”

Much to the chagrin of the LadyHurricanes, it didn’t get any better inthe second quarter.

Peoples connected on three morethree-pointers before intermissionand the last gave Cy-Fair an insur-mountable 45-9 edge with 38 sec-onds remaining in the first half.

Hightower’s Tyler Gilbert drovethe baseline for a layup as timeexpired and the Lady Hurricanesfaced a 34-point deficit (45-11) at thebreak.

GAME OVER!

“Chiney is a great player and shegot us going like she has all season,”Peoples said. “We knew that we hadto help her since this was her lastgame. We came out with a defense-first mentality and just wanted togive it all we had.”

A game Hightower squad tried tobattle back in the second half andoutscored Cy-Fair 30-20, but thedamage had been done. SixHightower players scored five ormore points. Yet none reached dou-ble figures. Azalea Hall led the waywith eight points.

“We talked about it earlier in theday during the gameplan session andthe kids wanted to come out andpressure Hightower,” said Cy-Faircoach Ann Roubique. “They wantedto press and get after them.

“I thought we could, but unlessthey’re going to buy into it, youdon’t know what’s going to happen,”Roubique said. “Anytime someonewants to play defense, I think youhave to go with that.”

Cy-Fair qualified for the state bas-

ketball tournament in all four ofOgwumike’s seasons on the team.The first two years her sister Nnekawas the team’s star player and theLady Bobcats lost to Rockwall inovertime in the 2007 final anddefeated DeSoto in the 2008 statetitle game.

Mansfield Summit defeated Cy-Fair in the 2009 state tournamentsemifinals before knocking offAldine Nimitz to win the statecrown. Summit was also the onlyschool to beat Cy-Fair (63-56) thisseason.

“This group of kids made theirminds up that we were going to getthis done,” Roubique said. “We’renot an intimidating group at all butthey work together. It’s amazingwhat can happen when you have agroup of kids that are on the samepage.”

Chiney will join Nneka at Stanfordnext fall with her head held high.

“I have dreamed of being here andI’m loving every second of it,”Chiney said.

High Schoolcontinued from page 5

HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOLDISTRICT NOTICE TO PROPOSERS

The Houston Independent School District located in the Hattie Mae White EducationalSupport Center at 4400 West 18th Street Houston,Texas 77092 will accept proposals, until thestated date and time deadlines, in the Board Services Office, Level C1 ‘

• Project 10-03-08 – Hosting Service Upgrade for Moodle – with a deadline of 10 a.m. March31, 2010. The pre-proposal conference for this project will be in Room 2NE32 at the abovestated address on March 24, 2010 at 10 a.m.

Proposals are available on the HISD web-site at www.houstonisd.org.The District reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, or, to accept the proposal that is

most advantageous to the District.Scwyana Smith

BID OR PROPOSAL NOTICE FOR Roosevelt Elementary School

Houston Independent School District (HISD)Gamma Construction as Construction Manager-at-Risk for HISD, in accordance with TexasEducation Code Section 44.038, will receive bids or proposals from subcontractors for replacementof Roosevelt Elementary School. The work includes construction of a new 2-story school andsite work. Bids or proposals are due no later than 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 1, 2010 at theoffices of Gamma Construction, 2808 Joanel St., Houston,TX., phone (713) 963-0086, attentionDavid Oaks.

The plans and specifications will be available beginning Monday, March 8, 2010, and may beobtained from A & E Graphis Complex, (713) 529-1234 or www.aecomplex.com, upon refund-able deposit of $250.00 for each set of printed plans and specifications. Documents in pdf formatare also available from A & E Graphics on disk for a deposit of $50.00. Deposit checks should bemade payable to HISD. Requests for access to on-line documents and any questions regardingdocuments are to be addressed to Gamma Construction, 2808 Joanel St., Houston,TX., phone(713) 963-0086, fax (713) 963-0961, Attn: David Oaks.

M/WBE documents as described below will be received until 4:00 p.m. on the due date. There willbe no public opening of bids or proposals. All bids or proposals shall be available after award ofcontract or the 7th day after final selection of bids or proposals, whichever is later. After receipt ofbids or proposals, Gamma Construction will conduct its evaluation of the subcontractor bids orproposals in relation to the project requirements and will select the bid(s) or proposal(s) that offersthe best value to HISD.

Gamma Construction, is committed to meeting the M/WBE goals set for this project. M/WBEforms, schedules and statements, as required by the package documents, shall accompany eachbid or proposal that is submitted. BIDS OR PROPOSALS SUBMITTED WITHOUT ALL REQUIREDINFORMATION AND IN THE MANNER SPECIFIED MAY BE CONSIDERED NON-RESPONSIVE.

A pre-bid/proposal conference will be held at 10 a.m., Monday, March 22, 2010, at ConstructionServices, 3500 Tampa, Houston, TX 77021.

Drawings and Specifications may be reviewed at:Gamma Construction, 2808 Joanel St., Houston,TX., phone (713) 963-0086, and the follow-ing Houston locations:

A.O. Phillips & Associates, 4615 S.W. Freeway, Suite 510, (713) 621-8532Associated General Contractors, 3825 Dacoma Street, (713) 843-3700McGraw Hill Construction Dodge Plan Room, 10106 Hempstead Rd., Ste.110, (713) 316 9411Associated Builders & Contractors, 3910 Kirby, #131, (713) 523-6222Alliance of Minority Contractors of Houston, 1616 West 22nd Street (713) 802-4145Revive Houston Plan Room, Roland W. Smith Bldg., Rm. 122, 555 Community College Dr.,Houston, TX 77013, (281) 704-9269Hispanic Contractor’s Association, 7 Parker Road (713) 699-2732

BID OR PROPOSAL NOTICE FOR Allen-Kennedy Consolidated

Elementary SchoolHouston Independent School District (HISD)

Comex Corporation as Construction Manager-at-Risk for HISD, in accordance with Texas EducationCode Section 44.038, will receive bids or proposals from subcontractors for replacement of Allen-Kennedy Elementary School. The work includes construction of a new 2-story school and sitework. Bids or proposals are due no later than 4:00 p.m.on Friday,April 2,2010 at the offices of ComexConstruction, 9841 Spencer Hwy, La Porte, TX, 77571, phone (281) 479-2322, attention David Walker.

The plans and specifications will be available beginning Monday, March 8, 2010, and may beobtained from Ridgway’s, 2900 Smith St, Houston,TX 77006, (713) 782-8580 or www.plot@ridg-ways.com, upon refundable deposit of $250.00 for each set of printed plans and specifications.Documents in pdf format are also available from Ridgway’s on disk for a deposit of $50.00. Depositchecks should be made payable to HISD. Requests for access to on-line documents and any questionsregarding documents are to be addressed to Comex, phone (281) 479-2322, and fax (281) 479-2069, attention David Walker.

M/WBE documents as described below will be received until 4:00 p.m. on the due date. There will beno public opening of bids or proposals. All bids or proposals shall be available after award of contractor the 7th day after final selection of bids or proposals, whichever is later. After receipt of bids or pro-posals, Comex will conduct its evaluation of the subcontractor bids or proposals in relation to the proj-ect requirements and will select the bid(s) or proposal(s) that offers the best value to HISD.

Comex Corporation, is committed to meeting the M/WBE goals set for this project. M/WBE forms,schedules and statements, as required by the package documents, shall accompany each bid or pro-posal that is submitted. BIDS OR PROPOSALS SUBMITTED WITHOUT ALL REQUIRED INFORMA-TION AND IN THE MANNER SPECIFIED MAY BE CONSIDERED NON-RESPONSIVE.

A pre-bid/proposal conference will be held at 10 a.m., Tuesday, March 23, 2010, at ConstructionServices, 3500 Tampa, Houston,TX 77021.

Drawings and Specifications may be reviewed at:Comex Corporation, 9841 Spencer Hwy, La Porte, TX, 77571, (281) 479-2322 and the followingHouston locations:

A.O. Phillips & Associates, 4615 S.W. Freeway, Suite 510, (713) 621-8532Associated General Contractors, 3825 Dacoma Street, (713) 843-3700McGraw Hill Construction Dodge Plan Room, 10106 Hempstead Rd., Ste.110, (713) 316 9411Associated Builders & Contractors, 3910 Kirby, #131, (713) 523-6222Alliance of Minority Contractors of Houston, 1616 West 22nd Street (713) 802-4145Revive Houston Plan Room, Roland W. Smith Bldg., Rm. 122, 555 Community College Dr.,Houston,TX 77013, (281) 704-9269Hispanic Contractor’s Association, 7 Parker Road (713) 699-2732

COMPETITIVE SEALED PROPOSAL NOTICE FOR

Renovation work at Burbank Middle School

Houston Independent School District (HISD)The Houston Independent School District will receive Competitive Sealed Proposals from contractorsfor work on the Burbank Middle School. The work includes site improvements and repairs, addi-tional parking, mechanical, electrical & plumbing improvements and repairs, exterior windowupgrades, exterior wall repairs and cleaning, roofing, ADA compliance, interior finishesimprovements and repairs, auditorium and laboratory classroom upgrades, safety and securityimprovements, fire and life safety improvements, technology and public address systemimprovements, hazardous materials abatement. Proposals are due no later than12:00 noon onApril 8, 2010 at the Board Services Offices, 4400 West 18th Street, Office of Board Services, Level 1South, Houston, Texas 77092. Burbank Middle School is located at 315 Berry Road, Houston,Texas 77022

The Request for Competitive Sealed Proposal (RFCSP), which includes plans and specifications, will beavailable beginning Monday, March 8, 2010, and may be obtained from Ridgways, Inc. 2900 SmithStreet, Suite 100, Houston, Texas 77006/www.ridgways.com/, 713.782.8580 upon refundabledeposit of $100.00 for each set of plans and specifications.Deposit checks should be made payable toHISD. Any questions regarding bid documents are to be addressed to Steve Nguyen, voice713.426.7494, fax 713.850.7308, email steven@kirksey.com.

The Competitive Sealed Proposal process will be utilized as authorized in Senate Bill 669, Section44.039 of the Texas Education Code. The Competitive Sealed Proposal process enables HISD to selectcontractors on the basis of price and qualifications/methodology.

Price proposals will be opened and the amounts read aloud at 2:00 PM on the due date. Followingopening of proposals, HISD will conduct its evaluation and scoring of contractor proposals in relationto the selection criteria published in the RFCSP. HISD will select the Proposal that offers the best valueto HISD based on the published selection criteria and on the ranking evaluation.

M/WBE Forms, schedules and statements, as required by Section AB of the RFCSP and in accordancewith the Office of Business Assistance, will be received at 2:00 PM, Thursday, April 8, 2010, at theBoard Services Office, 4400 West 18th Street, Office of Board Services, Level 1 South, Houston, Texas77092. PROPOSALS SUBMITTED WITHOUT M/WBE FORMS, PROPERLY COMPLETED, MAY BECONSIDERED NOT RESPONSIVE.

A pre-proposal conference will be held on Thursday, March 25, 2010, at Burbank Middle School,315 Berry Road, Houston,Texas 77022 at 3:30PM.

Drawings and Specifications for the RFCSP may be reviewed at the Reed Construction DataElectronic Plan Room and the following Houston locations:

A.O. Phillips & Associates, 4615 S.W. Freeway, Suite 510, (713) 622-8532Associated General Contractors, 3825 Dacoma Street, (713) 843-3700McGraw Hill Construction Dodge Plan Room, 10106 Hempstead Rd., Ste.110, (713) 316 9411Associated Builders & Contractors, 3910 Kirby, #131, (713) 523-6222Alliance of Minority Contractors of Houston, 1616 West 22nd Street (713) 802-4145Revive Houston Plan Room, Roland W. Smith Bldg., Rm. 122, 555 Community College Dr.,Houston,TX 77013, (281) 704-9269Hispanic Contractor’s Association, 7 Parker Road (713) 699-2732

HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NOTICE TO PROPOSERS

The Houston Independent School District will receive Competitive Sealed Proposals from contractorsfor work on the Installation of Synthetic Turf System at Butler and Barnett Stadiums.The work includesinstalling a synthetic turf system which include demolition, grading, drainage, and a detention pond..Proposals are due no later than 2:00 PM on March 31, 2010 at the Board Services Offices, 4400West 18th Street, Office of Board Services, Level 1 South, Houston,Texas 77092. Project locationsare the Butler Stadium at 13755 South Main, Houston, Texas 77035 and the Barnett Stadium at 6800Fairway, Houston,Texas 77087.

The Request for Competitive Sealed Proposal (Project # 10-03-07), which includes plans and specifica-tions,will be available beginning Monday,March 8,2010 and may be obtained from Johnston,LLC,800Wilcrest Drive, Suite 150, Houston, Texas 77042, (713)532-2466 office, 713532-9006 fax upon a non-refundable deposit of $100.00 for each set of plans and specifications. Checks should be madepayable to Johnston, LLC. Any questions regarding bid documents are to be addressed to Brent Dahl.

The Competitive Sealed Proposal process will be utilized as authorized in Senate Bill 669, Section44.039 of the Texas Education Code. The Competitive Sealed Proposal process enables HISD to selectcontractors on the basis of price and qualifications/methodology.

Price proposals will be opened and the amounts read aloud at 2:00 PM on the due date. Followingopening of proposals, HISD will conduct its evaluation and scoring of contractor proposals in relationto the selection criteria published in the RFCSP. HISD will select the Proposal (s) that offers the bestvalue to HISD based on the published selection criteria and on the ranking evaluation.

A pre-proposal conference and walk-thru will be held on Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at the Butler SportsComplex, 13755 South Main, Houston, Texas 77035 at 10:00 a. m. A walk-thru at Barnett Stadium willimmediately follow.

Drawings and Specifications for the RFCSP may also be reviewed at:

Associated General Contractors, 3825 Dacoma Street, (713) 843-3700F.W. Dodge Plan Room, 4101 Greenbriar, Suite 320, (713) 529-4895

FREE TUTORING SERVICES!ELIGIBLE HOUSTON ISD STUDENTS CAN RECEIVE TUTORING IN READING, WRITING, MATHAND/OR SCIENCE BEFORE OR AFTER SCHOOL, ON WEEKENDS, OR ONLINE AT THE FOLLOWINGHOUSTON ISD SCHOOLS: CLC MS, DOWLING MS, EDISON MS, HOLLAND MS, PRO-VISIONMS, RYAN MS, AUSTIN HS, CHAVEZ HS, CLC HS, DAVIS HS, JONES HS, LEE HS, MADISONHS, SHARPSTOWN HS, STERLING HS, WESTBURY HS, WHEATLEY HS, WORTHING HS, ANDYATES HS.

IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR SCHOOL'S PRINCIPAL, THE CAM-PUS CONTACT PERSON FOR SES, OR YOU CAN CALL HISD'S DEPARTMENT OF EXTERNALFUNDING AT 713-556-6928.

INVITATION TO BIDDERS

Clark Design/Build, LLC will receive sealed bids for George Bush Airport Project 500L as listed below.Bids will be received on or before April 15, 2010 at 2 PM at:

Clark Design/Build, LLC7880 Airport Blvd.Houston,TX 77061

ATTN: Bush Elevators Bid

Bids will be received for the following trades:

Visit www.HASexpansion.com for more information regarding important dates for the project orcontact Michael Rivera, Procurement Manager, via email at michael.rivera@clarkconstruction.com.Pre-Bid meeting will be held at Clark’s trailers at 4800 Wright Road,Houston TX,77032. Bid packagesand drawings will be available after March 22, 2010. Bid documents can be purchased fromRidgeways15534 West Hardy, Houston, TX, (281) 447-4441 or requested from Clark at the pre-bidmeeting. Bid bonds or bid securities are required. City of Houston certified M/W/SBE participation ishighly encouraged.

• Metal Panels• Concrete and Demolition• Doors/Frames/Hardware• Drywall and Gypsum Assemblies• Electrical, Communication, Security, and

Fire Protection• Elevators• Glass and Glazing

• Masonry• Mechanical and Plumbing• Paint and Coatings• Pavement Markings• Roofing• Steel and Miscellaneous Metals• Trash Chutes

CLASSIFIED

fired. “Because of so much of the negative pub-

licity that our school has received, this waslike a breath of fresh air,” Davis said.

When the boy’s basketball team at LeeHigh School received the news that they wonthe “Who’s Got Game” contest, the newsspread throughout the entire campus.

“The boys were excited. They were tellingtheir friends and came and told me, ‘CoachDavis, we won, we won.’ They thought theywere going to get a share of the $1,000, butwhen we told them they weren’t, they were alittle down but excited nonetheless,” Davisadded.

Davis said that Lee High School PrincipalPaul Castor, who could not be reached forcomment, contributed largely to the school’ssuccess as he cheered the team on duringhard times. The school will put the moneyinto a booster fund and use it for uniforms orother items needed by the team, she said.

“Thanks to everyone who voted for us,”Davis added. “I don’t know what the reasonswere, but whatever they were, I am so thank-ful. [The community] could have easilyvoted for the number one [performing] team,but they just saw something in our team. Forwhatever little reason it was, it made a bigimpact on our team.”Basketball Fever at Bellaire High School

“Over here at Bellaire, it’s all basketball,”said Michael Cramer.

The Bellaire High School AthleticCoordinator said everyone was excited to seethe girl’s basketball team win “Who’s GotGame.” Cramer said the victory means a lotto the girls because it’s good to see the com-munity support them when they are such ayoung team, mostly freshmen and sopho-more players.

“When you see that the girls came in [firstplace] with ‘Who’s Got Game’, that wasnothing but positive for the team. It says thatthere’s somebody out there that’s watchingus.”

Bellaire High School Principal Tim Salemsaid that winning is a true reflection of thepower of community support for students.

“We’re honored to be selected by the com-

munity for this award. I think it shows justhow far-reaching Bellaire students can beamong the community,” he said.

Bellaire high school athletic coordinatorssaid they will also use the $1,000 award willbe used to buy uniforms and other itemsneeded by the teams.Continued Community Support Needed

Through “Who’s Got Game,” DefenderWeb Promotion Manager Christie Wilsonsaid she saw an actuality of the much-neededcommunity support for the HISD sports pro-gram.

“Not only did we have a great turnout ofonline voters, we also had an increased num-ber of attendees at the games. During games,cheerleaders and dance teams helped pro-mote the competition by tossing ‘Who’s GotGame’ mini-balls and t-shirts to the crowd.This further exploded the excitement aroundthe games by encouraging the attendants toget involved,” Wilson said.

Wilson further encouraged communitysupport:“Parents, teachers, alumni and anyone elsewith a love of sports should come and sup-port our Houston youth. You don’t know howmuch your presence means to each player,”she said. “Throughout the competition, Inoticed a higher level of pride from the play-ers, knowing that the media took time tofocus on their athletic accomplishments. Justthink of how prideful they will become if allstands were filled with die-hard high schoolsports fans every game.”

HISD Athletic Director Daryl Wade saidthe community support shown during thecompetition reinforces the positive thingshappening among HISD students.

“As long as kids are involved [in sportsand other positive activities], they will staysafe,” he said.

Wade also thanks Defendernetwork.comfor presenting the idea of “Who’s GotGame”.

“We have some great programs, severalsell-out crowds this year. The impact[“Who’s Got Game?”] had on school spiritwas huge,” he said. “We appreciate the part-nership and look forward to bigger andgreater things with the Defender andHouston ISD.”

Gamecontinued from page 1

MARCH 14 – 20, 2010 | DEFENDER 7

Author Sheila P. Coats Carla Lane, Francis Page Jr., Rosalyn Bazzelleand Judson Robinson

Kristyn Page

Conversationalist Dr. JoanieHare and Dr. Sonia Sloan

Lynette Hutchinson, Shatamia Adams,Conversationalist Dr. AbenaaBrewster and Christina Johnson

Sherea Poston, Conversationalist Mayor AnniseParker and Diedra Fontaine

MACY’S “CELEBRATESYOU”..…..Macy’s Galleria at Hildago host-ed Sheila P. Coates, author of MamaAlways Said Be Your Own Brand and cre-ator of the “Be Your Own Brand.” The“Celebrates You” event honored AfricanAmericans, past and present who have madean impact on their communities and haveinspired others to be their best selves. Apanel of successful African-American trail-blazers gathered to discuss their amazingstories that inspired and encouraged every-one to be their best that included,Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee,Carla Land, Francis Page Jr., JudsonRobinson III and Rosalyn Bazzelle. GreatEvent!.........TABLE TALK…….The 13thAnnual Table Talk sponsored by theUniversity of Houston Friends of Women’sStudies was recently held. The event fea-tured 50 women conducting 50 conversa-tions with 500 women and shared their suc-cesses with the ladies at their tables. Someof the conversationalists included Dr.Abenaa Brewster, Mayor Annise Parker,Dr. Joanie Hare and Joy Sewing, to namea few. Included in these conversationswere Dr. Sonia Sloan, Shannon Buggs,Sherea Poston, Diedra Fontaine, PaulineHiggins, Yava Scott, Gwen Brown,Stephanie Bundage, Lynette Hutchinson,Shatamia Adams and Christina Johnson.Continued Success!.......HEART OFGOLD……….Neighborhood Centers, Inc.,Houston’s largest human services organiza-tion hosted their annual “Heart of Gold”Luncheon. The organization bringsresources, education and connection to morethan 237,000 people throughout the regioneach year and chose a fitting theme, EveryHeart Counts.” We salute AngelaBlanchard, President & CEO, EmeldaDouglas, Senior Vice President & CDO andthe entire NCI staff for the outstanding serv-ices the organization provides throughworking directly with communities to nur-ture growth and independence. Spotted atthe luncheon were Denise Bates, AndreaGillis, Libby Wright, Stasha Scruggs,Ernest Walker, Margaret Spivey, MaryGriffin, Ty Houston, Will Matthews andPat Eleby. Kim Davis, Senior Producer,KPRC Local 2, welcomed the sell-outcrown and did a splendid job of serving asthe Mistress of Ceremonies. Congrats andkeep up the good work!......2010 LASTMARDI GRAS BALL…….The HoustonArea Urban League Guild hosted its 12thAnnual Mardi Gras Ball, sponsored byH.E.B. at Brady’s Landing. This year’shonorary chairs Judge Clarease RankinYates and her husband, banker Cary P.Yates shared accolades along with Dr. J. D.and Pat Collins, corporate honorees WinellHerron and Doug Herron and long-timesupporters, Shirley and Pervis Thomaswho received special recognition. In atten-dance were HAUL President & CEOJudson Robinson, III, Cora Robinson,Barbara Seymour, Dr. Monica Williams,Sylvia and Errol Brooks, Sydna Paul,Joan Green and event chair Bobby Scottand co-chair Mary Gallentine David.Continued success to you also!........VIPKICK-OFF…….The Ivy LeagueEducational & Charities Foundation recent-ly held a grand VIP kick-off reception for itsup-coming 2nd Annual Educators’ Ball.Foundation Chair and bestselling author,ReShonda Tate Billingsley greeted the 18“Stars in Education,” that will be honoredon March 27, 2010 at Norris ConferenceCenter-CityCentre Houston in Town andCountry Lane. Event Chairpersons,Larissa Estes, Alicia Cyrus and TomayiaMontgomery introduced the outstandingeducators to a crowd of well wishers.Included were school based teachers, coor-dinators, principals, professors and educa-tional leaders. You can call 713-451-0995or email Larissa Estes atILECF@ivyleagueeducationalandcharities-foundation.com for more information. Wesalute all educators!.........NEWSFLASH……..Due to the heavy snows inthe Northeast and Midwest, the productionschedule of Who’s Who in Black Houstonhas fallen behind. The unveiling and recep-tion of the Fourth Edition of Who’s Who inBlack Houston will be held on Monday,April 26th at the Four Seasons Hotel down-town. Mark your calendar!.......Have agreat week and remember to watch CROSS-ROADS on Channel 13 Sunday morningwith Melanie Lawson for your event cov-ered by Ms. Chag. Also check out ourwebsite at defendernetwork.com to viewthe “Event of the Week.”…..From Chag’sPlace to your place, Ciao Darling!

8 MARCH 14 – 20, 2010 | DEFENDER

Conversationalist Joy Sewingand Shannon Buggs

D'Anderia Dunham, Bobby Scott and Mary Gallentine David

Gwen Brown and Stephanie Bundage

Pauline Higgins and Yava Scott

ReShonda Tate Billingsley, Warner Ervin and Pamela McGee Tomayia Montgomery, Alicia Cyrus and Larissa Estes

Emelda Douglas, Libby Wright and Stasha Scruggs

Ernest Walker, Margaret Spivey, Mary Griffin and Ty Houston

Kim Davis and Denise Bates

Will Matthews and Pat Eleby

Angela Blanchard and Andrea Gillis

Pervis and Shirley Thomas

Winell and Doug HerronDr. J. D. Collins, Pat Collins, Judge Clarease Rankin Yatesand Cary Yates