By Jason Alderman

We’ve all had these mo-ments: You’re at a roman-tic restaurant and theevening went great. Butjust as you and your dateare readying to leave, anembarrassed waiter ap-pears and whispers, “I’mafraid your card has beendenied.” Oh well, so much

for romance.The same thing can hap-

pen at the grocery store,when shopping online orworst of all, when you’retraveling and don’t have aback-up means of pay-ment. Why do credit cardtransactions get denied andwhat can you do to preventit?

Banks and other credit

card issuers have devel-oped complex algorithmsthat track credit card be-havior and highlight un-usual usage patterns com-monly associated with cardtheft or fraud.

“Unusual activities” thatjump out to card issuers in-clude:

When you ordinarily use

See The Exploitation, Page 9

COVER S

TORY

Exploitationof Black athletes

By Freddie Allen

W A S H I N G T O N(NNPA) – The Black un-employment rate fell to afive-year low in Novem-ber, according to the latestjobs report by the LaborDepartment, but econo-mists saw little to celebrateas Congress inaction

threatens the federal unem-ployment insurance pro-grams that helps millionsof families.

The unemployment ratefor Blacks fell to 12.5 per-cent last month the lowestsince December 2008when it was 11.9 percent.In January 2009, the samemonth President Obama

started his first term therate jumped to 12.6 per-cent.

The unemployment ratefor Whites ticked downfrom 6.3 percent in Octo-ber to 6.2 percent in No-vember.

The unemployment rate

Why was your credit card transaction denied?

By James Clingman

(NNPA) An article pub-lished on nky.com, titled,“Running for Senate notjob for paupers, stated:“The average householdin the United States has anet worth of $69,000, butthe average wealth of aU.S. senator is about $12million, according to sta-tistics from the U.S. Cen-sus Bureau and Center forResponsive Politics.” Tome, it illustrated the fact

that we are far removedfrom the original intent ofserving in Congress. Nolonger are “regular” peo-ple going off to serve fora few years and returninghome to their jobs asfarmers, shopkeepers, andfactory workers, and thelike.

Washington, D.C. hasbecome a veritable moneypit, and candidates aredoing and saying some ofthe dirtiest hypocritical

Volume XXIV, Number XXXXVI

Visit Us Online at www.NorthDallasGazette.com

Dr. Jendayi E. Frazer Ron Duprat Emeli Sande

People In The News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Op/Ed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Community News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Holiday Gift Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-8Cover Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Arts & Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Church Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14-15NDG Book Shelf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Check us out online 24/7 at NorthDallasGazette.com

INSIDE... People In The News…

COMMENTARY

‘PoliticalPoverty Pimps’

December 19-January 1, 2013

See Porgy, Page 10

Black unemployment dips to 5-year low Must-see hit is on stagein Dallas until Sunday

From the NDG Staff: Wewish you and your familya Merry Christmas and

Happy Kwanzaa!

Local psychologist offers tips to helpbeat the ‘holiday blues’ this Christmas

See Page 2

See PIMPS, Page 3

DALLAS — The holi-days are supposed to be afestive time of parties, giftsand family gatherings. Butfor many, it’s a season ofsadness, loneliness or anx-iety. Known as “the holi-day blues,” these feelingscan also cause physical

symptoms, including head-aches, insomnia and intes-tinal problems, accordingto Karen Frey, PhD, a clin-ical psychologist at Park-land Health & HospitalSystem.

“There are many reasonsfor depression and stress

during the holidays,” Dr.Frey said.

“Financial pressure, par-ticularly for householdswith children, is a leadingsource of stress. For peoplewithout close family, orwho have lost a loved one

See CREDIT, Page 16

See JOBS, Page 6

See PREMIUMS, Page 4

Photo Tax Credits / Flickr

St. Thomas, Virgin Is-lands (BlackNews.com)Internationally recognizedTop Chef and ConsultingFood and Beverage Direc-tor/Executive Chef at SugarBay Resort and Spa, ChefRon Duprat, is now BrandAmbassador for Black Elk,a wine brand featuring abest-of-the-best lineup ofpremium 100 percent vari-etal wines from viticultureregions around the world.

Chef Duprat�s ambas-sadorship is paired with theannouncement that USVISupplies, LLC, a St.

Thomas-based provider ofwine and food, will be rep-resenting the unique BlackElk brand throughout theCaribbean marketplace.

Black Elk currently pro-duces Moscato, Shiraz,Chardonnay and Tem-pranillo - all four of whichwere medal winners (Gold,Silver and two Bronze, re-spectively) this past sum-mer at the Finger Lakes In-ternational Wine Competi-tion.

Chef Duprat, a Caribbeannative, has also endorsedBlack Elk wine for

Caribbean Food and Bever-age operations. �Black Elkwines are so diverse andunique, making them anideal complement for manytypes of cuisines,� saidDuprat. �The wine is alsooffered at a great price - notonly providing a quality op-tion for professionally-pre-pared meals, but also home-cooked meals or drinkingindividually.�

For more informationabout where to buy BlackElk and about distribution,please visit www.blackelk-wine.com

Chef Ron Duprat, UnitedStates Culinary Ambassa-dor, Consulting Food and

Beverage Director and Ex-ecutive Chef at Sugar BayResort and Spa, developedhis love of culinary arts as ayoung child during his timespent harvesting fresh in-gredients from the land hisfamily farmed and watchingthese ingredients transforminto family feasts.

From this early interest inthe kitchen, Ron Duprat andhis grandmother success-fully expanded his culinarycalling to encompass nu-merous awards and nomina-tions, including a �Chef ofthe Year� award from theAmerican Culinary Founda-tion, and a flourishing ca-

ESSENCE, the preemi-nent media brand spotlight-ing African-American wo-men, announced its fifth an-nual GRAMMY AwardsWeek celebration with thereturn of ESSENCE BlackWomen in Music. In 2014,the organizers of TheESSENCE Festival in NewOrleans and Black Womenin Hollywood will show-case the incredible artistryand achievement of EmeliSandé, who has beenpraised by the New YorkTimes for her “perspective-altering voice” and admiredby Sir Elton John for hershow-stopping presence,who said: “When she is onstage, you can feel her pas-

sion for music and the heartthat goes into her lyrics.

The invitation-only re-ception, held on Jan. 22,2014, will include an exclu-sive performance fromSandé featuring specialguests, as well as music byDJ Kiss.

“We’re honored to recog-nize Emeli Sandé duringGRAMMY Week. Her soar-ing confidence as a song-writer and fearless self-ex-pression as a singer is in thetradition of many iconic fe-male trailblazers such asNina Simone,” saidESSENCE Editor-in-ChiefVanessa K. Bush. MichelleEbanks, President ofESSENCE agreed, stating:

“Emeli Sandé is a creativetour-de-force who connectswith audiences around theworld, and is fearlessly

charting her own course.”Launched in 2010 as a

part of ESSENCE maga-

TORONTO, ONTARIO -The MasterCard Founda-tion announced recently theappointment of Dr. JendayiE. Frazer to its Board of Di-rectors.

Dr. Frazer is an accom-plished policy leader andacademic with an extensiveunderstanding of issues fac-ing Sub-Saharan Africa. Shecurrently serves as Directorof the Center for Interna-tional Policy and Innova-tion and Distinguished Pub-lic Service Professor atCarnegie Mellon Univer-sity. Previously, she heldseveral positions in the U.S.government including the

Assistant Secretary of Statefor African Affairs, U.S.Ambassador to South Af-rica, Special Assistant to thePresident for African Af-fairs at the National Secu-rity Council, and Directorof African Affairs at the Na-tional Security Council.

"Dr. Frazer's in-depthknowledge of Sub-SaharanAfrica combined with herpersonal commitment tothe continent's developmentmakes her a valuable addi-tion to the Foundation'sBoard of Directors," saidLois Juliber, Chair of theBoard of The MasterCardFoundation.

During her tenure in gov-ernment, U.S. assistance toAfrica quadrupled reaching

an historic high of $6.7 bil-lion by 2008. Dr. Frazerwas instrumental in estab-

lishing some of the U.S.government's signature ini-tiatives including the Presi-dent's Emergency Plan forAIDS Relief (PEPFAR), theAfrican Education Initia-tive, as well as the Millen-nium Challenge Account.

Dr. Frazer is an AdjunctSenior Fellow for AfricaStudies a t the Counci lon Foreign Relations, theFounder, President, and CEOfor 50 Ventures, LLC, andManaging Partner of AfricaExchange Holdings Com-pany (AFEX). She also hasworked with the MoIbrahim Leadership FellowsProgram.

"I am both honoured andexcited to join The Master-

Card Foundation's Board ofDirectors," said Dr. Frazer.

"The Foundation's pro-grams provide access to ed-ucation and finance to em-power Africans to improvetheir lives and build Africa'sprosperity. I look forward tocontributing to this impor-tant work."

Dr. Frazer studied atStanford University whereshe earned a PhD in Politi-cal Science, two Master'sDegrees and a Bachelor'sDegree. She was also pre-sented with the Secretary'sDistinguished Service Me-dal, the highest honour be-stowed by the Secretary ofState in recognition of herpublic service.

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2 | Dec. 19, 2013-Jan.1, 2014 | North Dallas Gazette

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See SANDE, Page 5

Emeli Sande

Chef Ron Duprat

See DUPRAT, Page 12

www.NorthDallasGazette.com Op-Ed

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Dec. 19, 2013-Jan.1, 2014 | North Dallas Gazette | 3

P. O. Box 763866 • Dallas, Texas 75376-3866Phone: 972-516-4191Fax: 972-509-9058

By William E. Spriggs

This time of year college studentscram for final exams. They get gradedin a very stark right-or-wrong fashion.Splitting the difference between a badguess and the right answer is not re-warded.

Unfortunately, Washington is lock-ed in such a crazy struggle. Five yearsafter Wall Street's fall, the economystill is more than 1 million payroll jobsshort of where things stood at the lastpeak of the labor market. Medianhousehold income is still below thepeak, meaning more than half ofAmerica's households are behindwhere they were five years ago.

The poverty level of America's chil-dren is higher, and state and local rev-enues only recovered last fiscal year,leaving hundreds of thousands offewer teachers and larger class sizesfor our children. Our nation's total out-put is more than $1 trillion less thanwhere it would be if we could get to

full employment. Clearly, the right an-swer to this set of problems is for mas-sive government action to kick startthe economy to address the woes ofthe American people.

But what we have is a Washingtonelite preoccupied by its fetish withfederal deficits, and a Republicanparty blinded by ideology to shrink thegovernment to the size the 1% is will-ing to pay for (meaning not very muchat all). There is such a disconnect be-tween Congress and the problems ofAmerica's households that whateverPresident Barack Obama might do isstuck in the muck of policy group-think.

The last employment numbers onlyencourage a group-think that believesthe economy is doing well. Novem-ber's numbers boosted the averagemonthly job growth to a level thatcould get private-sector jobs back totheir January 2008 peak within sixmonths-in mid-2014. But rising to thejob levels of more than six years ago

means that would leave the deficit ofall the new job entrants over that six-year period-almost 8 million jobsneeded!

Unemployment is like landing onfly paper. It is easy to get stuck. Fromone month to the next, the majority ofthe unemployed remain unemployed.Of the nearly 10.7 million peoplelooking unsuccessfully for work inOctober, 6.7 million remained unem-ployed in November. More give upand drop out of the labor force, quit-ting their searches-2.4 million-thanleave unemployment by finding a job,2.1 million; and unfortunately, 1.6million people who had been em-ployed in October joined the rank ofthe unemployed in November. Formillions of people we are simply notaddressing the immediate need to cre-ate job opportunities.

After weeks of deliberating, Con-gress appears to have reached a budget

‘The Correct Answer’

things in order to set up residencethere. At the likely prospect of be-coming millionaires, it’s no wonderthose running for office are quite will-ing to forget about “the people” andget to work immediately to maintaintheir lucrative jobs in Congress. Theyspend more time running and cam-paigning than they do governing, andthey end up staying in their positionsfor ridiculously long periods of time,which is why we have such dysfunc-tion in Congress.

But there is also a high level of dys-function among “the people” becausewe are the ones who elect and keepthem in office, despite their horren-dous record of working on our behalf.They become multi-millionaires andwe keep losing ground economically.You would think, in light of the cur-rent debate over raising the minimumwage and the sad financial situationsaffecting a huge number of Americanfamilies, “the people” would decide todo something about the disparity andthe utter disregard some of these nou-veau poverty pimps have for us.

Now let’s be real here. It takes twoto tango, right? If some of our electedofficials are pimps, what does thatmake us? You know the word, noneed to say it here. Question is, “Whydo we allow ourselves to be treatedthis way?” We are obviously mes-merized by what we perceive as “roy-alty” and celebrity in this country, butto allow our penchant for person-wor-

ship to bleed over into the politicalarena is very dangerous – and we areseeing the results of having done thatfor so long. We respond to some ofour politicians in ways that mimic idolworship, and pay them quite well inthe process.

Since award shows are in voguenow, we should have a Political Play-ers Ball and give an award for the best“playa.” They could dress in their bestplaya outfits – pinstripe suits with redor blue ties, that is, and strut their stuffdown the runway while they rattle offtheir promises and claims, and tell ushow bad they feel for the poor and fordisabled veterans. Of course, the onewho has the most money would have aleg up on the competition and wouldprobably get the most votes for “Polit-ical Playa of the Year.”

Amos Wilson wrote, “The irrationaleconomy of…America, based as it ison irrational consumption, requires ahigh level of impulsivity and eco-nomic stupidity in its population, allthe more in its lower classes and sub-ordinated African American popula-tion.” Of course, Wilson was referringto economic empowerment and thelack thereof within our ranks, but thesame principle applies to political em-powerment, not only for Black votersbut for the entire U.S. electorate.

This nation’s elite relies and thriveson the necessary “stupidity” of con-sumers and the electorate to keep themin their positions of power. Political

pimps, with an average wealth of $12million versus $69,000 for those overwhom they rule, are definitely slap-ping us around and making us paythem for doing so. What’s that famousline Huggy Bear and other pimps usedto say? “…better have my money.”

I encourage the bi-polar electorateand the blind consumers to be moreaware and active around these issues.If we act like sheep, we will be treatedlike sheep, right? We must stop get-ting so fired up about politicians whoare only interested in having a sweetjob as a result of our voting for them.We must stop being so emotionalabout politics and start being morepractical. We major in the minors andget fighting mad because someonecalls our President a name, and wespend an inordinate amount of time al-lowing the talking heads to stir theflames, which keeps our attention di-verted from important issues. Presi-dent Barack Obama is a multi-mil-lionaire too; believe me, he is not theleast bit concerned about folks callinghim names. He and his family aregoing to be just fine. What about youand your family?

Stop working for the politicalpimps; they are supposed to be work-ing for us.Jim Clingman, founder of the

Greater Cincinnati African AmericanChamber of Commerce, is the nation’smost prolific writer on economic em-powerment for Black people. He is anadjunct professor at the University ofCincinnati and can be reached at hisWeb site, blackonomics.com.

PIMPS, continued from Page 1

See CORRECT, Page 11

AUSTIN - With someprogress being reported onrepairs to Healthcare.gov,many consumers are mov-ing forward with efforts topurchase coverage throughthe electronic marketplace.However, gaining access tothe website may only be thebeginning of an exercisethat could leave many con-sumers uncertain about keydetails regarding the cover-age they choose.

Mark Bellman, presidentof the Texas Association ofHealth Underwriters, of-fered this assessment of thedilemma that many con-sumers may experience:“So many consumers willbe focused on the pricing ofthe coverage available andmay not be taking the timeto consider details that, ifknown, might cause them tomake other selections. Thecheapest deal may not bethe best deal.”

Bellman said, “Questionslike, ‘Is my current doctorincluded in the plan?’;‘How much will my out-of-pocket expenses be?’; and‘Will I be able to receive thesame medications that I’mcurrently taking?’ areamong an array of impor-tant details that most willwant to know before mak-ing a choice. Many will dis-cover, after it’s too late, thattheir doctor or preferredhospital are not in the net-works of the plan they se-

lect.”Because of complications

in using the website imme-diately following its rollout,consumers now have untilDec. 23, 2013, to purchasepolicies that will take effectJan. 1, 2014. Overall enroll-ment for the year will endon March 31, 2014.

Members of the associa-tion that Bellman leads areworking feverishly to helpTexans meet the deadlineand make the right choicesat no charge to the con-sumer, a fact that many failto realize, since agent com-missions are paid by insur-ers.

Bellman added, “The costof purchasing a policy willbe the same for a consumerthat uses an agent as onethat does not. The commis-sions an insurer expects topay are already built intothe cost of a plan, so theprice inside or outside the

Exchange is the samewhether or not an agent isinvolved.”

He continued, “Con-sumers are, in a way, leav-ing money on the table ifthey don’t seek the assis-tance of insurance profes-sionals in shopping for cov-erage that best meets theirneeds and preferences.”

Following is a briefchecklist covering some ofthe considerations thathealth agents address withtheir customers when assist-ing them in choosing cover-age:

1) Check whether yourdoctor and hospital prefer-ences are included in theplan’s network.

2) Check to determinewhat you will have to payout-of-pocket on things likedeductibles, co-pays, andpossibly co-insurance.

3) Make sure the plancovers any medical servicesor benefits that you requireas well as future health careneeds you may have.

4) Make sure the plancovers any prescriptionsthat you must take.

5) Ask about processingtime and what will happenafter you apply so you willknow what to expect.

Bellman said, “Many ofthe navigator organizationsthat the government is fund-ing to assist consumer sign-up are recognized groupsthat make significant contri-butions to our society.While their efforts are well-intentioned, we may beplacing an unrealistic bur-den on them given theirlack of expertise and expe-rience in providing counselon coverage options and inmanaging sensitive per-sonal data.”

Reports of efforts to de-fraud consumers have ledstate and federal agencies,including the Federal TradeCommission, to warn con-sumers to be cautious inproviding social securitynumbers, credit cards, bankaccounts and other personal

information to individualspurporting to be involved inassisting with insuranceregistration.

“Benefit advisers’ experi-ence and insight are not theonly reasons to seek theirhelp. Health agents are re-quired to meet strict state-level exam-based licensinglaws and annual continuingeducation requirements, aswell as significant federaland state privacy, securityand market conduct require-ments,” Bellman stated.

“It would seem to be a bitof a no-brainer on whetherto engage a trained profes-sional at no cost to offerguidance on a decision ofthis importance,” he added.

Bellman concluded, “Wejust want consumers to un-derstand we’re here to pro-vide peace of mind withtheir enrollment decisions atno charge to them.”

Individuals wanting to lo-cate a health agent in theirarea may do so at tahu.org.

4 | Dec. 19, 2013-Jan.1, 2014 | North Dallas Gazette

Health www.NorthDallasGazette.com

Agents offer checklist for buying health insurance inside or outside the exchange

Photo 401k2013 / Flickr

or recently divorced, theholidays can trigger griefand loneliness. For others,the season can feel over-whelming, with too much todo. And finding ways tomanage different personali-ties at holiday gatheringscan be challenging if oldtensions and feudsreignite.”

According to the Ameri-can Psychological Associa-tion (APA), nearly half ofall Americans report thatstress has a negative impacton their lives. A 2011 studyby the APA found that 75percent of Americans reportmoney as a significantsource of stress.

“The pressure to spendtoo much at this time ofyear is intense, so it’s im-portant for us to talk to ourchildren and family to setrealistic expectations,” Dr.Frey advised.

“For children, this can beused as an opportunity toteach them about the valueof money and spending re-sponsibly.”

Coping with negativefeelings during the holidayscan be painful, but there arethings you can do to feel

more relaxed and positive,Dr. Frey said. Following aresome tips for relievingstress and making your hol-idays healthier and happier:

Find meaning and pur-pose in the season by reach-ing out to help others. Dovolunteer work or help aneighbor in need.

Seek emotional support ifyou feel isolated. Talk to aprofessional counselor, orfind help through socialservices, religious or com-munity support systems.

Focus on family experi-ences rather than things.Start a new tradition or re-vive an old one from yourchildhood.

Keep your cool, espe-cially when someone getson your nerves. Take a walkif you need a break from ir-ritating relatives. Try to ac-cept people as they are andset aside grievances.

Feeling anxious? Listento your favorite music. Re-search shows it can relaxmuscle tension and increaseblood flow, helping to calmyou down.

Exercise is also a greatstress-reliever. Studies havefound that your mood can

be lifted for up to 12 hoursafter a good workout.

Acknowledge your feel-ings. It’s normal to feel sadif you’re missing a lovedone. It’s okay to expressyour sadness to a friend orcounselor.

Stick to your budget.Overspending will onlymake you feel bluer. Set upa family tradition of draw-ing names for gift givingrather than buying foreveryone or donate to a fa-vorite charity to help con-trol expenses.

Plan ahead to eliminatelast-minute frenzy. Makeshopping lists, set asidetime for cooking and clean-ing. Ask your family tohelp.

Prioritize your health. Eatholiday treats in moderationand avoid over-indulging inalcohol.

Use techniques like med-itation, breathing or musclerelaxation to alleviate stressand anxiety.

Parkland offers behav-ioral health services throughthe Community OrientedPrimary Care health cen-ters. For more information,visit www.parklandhospi-tal.com.

BLUES, continued from Page 1

Community News

Dec. 19, 2013-Jan.1, 2014 | North Dallas Gazette | 5

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DALLAS – Ladies and gentlemen…start your engines! Aio Wireless’ “30 Day,30 Dreams” program is providing 30greater Dallas/Fort Worth-area studentswith the necessary throttle to make asmoother transition to college. On Dec. 11,these young people each received a $1,000college scholarship, a tablet, and the op-portunity to take a full lap around the TexasMotor Speedway courtesy of Aio Wireless’“30 Days, 30 Dreams.”

In DFW, Aio collaborated with threecommunity-based organizations -- TheConcilio, The Urban League of GreaterDallas and North Central Texas, and TheYMCA of Greater Dallas – to identify andrecognize 30 recipients who are poised tomake a positive difference in their commu-nities.

“’30 Days, 30 Dreams’ is about workingwith organizations to help turn dreams intoreality for young people representing the di-verse neighborhoods we serve,” said Nore-lie Garcia, Aio’s director of sponsorshipsand community engagement. “Aio is proud

to include Dallas on the list of cities – in-cluding Houston, Orlando, Atlanta and LosAngeles -- where ’30 Days, 30 Dreams’ issupporting local youth along their path tosuccess.”

The scholarships and tablets were pre-sented during Aio Wireless’ “30 Days, 30Dreams” celebration on Dec. 11 at 6:30p.m. at the Texas Motor Speedway.

Aio will continue to celebrate the inspi-ration and achievement by highlighting thedreams and aspirations of the scholarshiprecipients on its Instagram and Facebookpages.

Aio makes wireless easy with a friendlyin-store and online experience and threesimple plans to choose from. All three plansinclude unlimited talk, text, and data—witha pre-established amount of high-speed ac-cess, including 4G LTE. Plans range from$40 to $70 per month, taxes and fees in-cluded.

For more information visit www.aiowire-less.com, www.facebook.com/aiowirelessand www.twitter.com/aiowireless.

Aio Wireless invests in 30 DFW students on the fast track to success

GARLAND – The Na-tional Association for theAdvancement of ColoredPeople (NAACP) Garland,Texas unit will host its25th annual Dr. MartinLuther King, Jr. paradeand march on Saturday,Jan. 18, 2014, beginning at10 a.m. The parade beginsnear Embree Park onDairy Road and ends at theGranville Arts Center inDowntown Garland. The2014 theme is “Preparing

Our Youth for Success inthe 21st Century.”

Grand marshals for thequarter-century celebrationin Garland will be attorneyGary Bledsoe, Texas StateNAACP president andMrs. Linda Lydia, TexasState NAACP secretary.The celebration continueswith an MLK Commemo-rative Program in theGranville Arts Center, 300N. 5th Street, downtownGarland, immediately fol-

lowing the parade andmarch.

Garland’s massive MLKCommunitywide YouthChoir led by clinicianReuben Lael Griffin andthe St. Luke AME PuppetMinistry led by Ms. Beat-rice Mosley will both per-form.

This event is free andopen to the public. Formore information visitw w w . G a r l a n d T x -NAACP.org.

Garland NAACP’s 25th AnnualDr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Parade and March set for Jan. 18

zine’s year-long 40th an-niversary commemoration,ESSENCE Black Women inMusic continues to heraldthe accomplishments ofboth emerging and estab-lished artists and influ-encers during GRAMMYweek.

Previous celebrants in-clude: GRAMMY-winnerMary J. Blige, GRAMMYwinner Kelly Rowland,G R A M M Y- n o m i n e eJanelle Monáe, music in-dustry veteran SylviaRhone, and singer/ song-writers Solangé and LianneLa Havas.

The ESSENCE BlackWomen in Music event isbeing held in conjunctionwith the publication of thebrand’s special GRAMMYInsider package (Februaryissue, on newsstands Janu-ary 10th), which profilesSandé and features the“Evolution of R&B”—saluting the past, presentand future of the genre. Thepackage also includes aGRAMMY Awards flash-back, as well as a list of“New and Next” artists towatch and much more.

“What a privilege to havereceived the news that I willbe a part of celebrating

powerful, strong, creativewomen in the music indus-try today,” commentedSandé: “I am honored tohave been selected byESSENCE magazine andlook forward to an eveningof empowerment.”

Emeli Sandé got her firstbig break as a singer-song-writer after her kid sisterfilmed her performing oneof her own songs; Sandésent the clip to a BBC talentcontest and was named oneof the contest winners.Sandé soon started fieldinga flood of record-deal of-fers.

But instead of signing toa label, Sandé put her musiccareer on hold and em-barked on a six-year degreein clinical neuroscience.Cut to present day andSandé’s lavishly acclaimedfull-length debut, Our Ver-sion of Events, has emergedas the best-selling album of2012 in the UK (where it re-mains the top-seller of 2013to date). Our Version OfEvents has now loggedmore consecutive weeks inthe UK album chart’s Top10 than any other debutalbum in chart history, sur-passing even The Beatles.Featuring the RIAA-certi-

fied platinum single “NextTo Me,” Our Version ofEvents spurred Sandé totake home the prestigiousCritics’ Choice Award at theBRIT Awards 2013, as wellas a Silver Clef Award andthe International UK Awardat the 2013 BET Awards.

S t a y t u n e d t o E S -SENCE.com for highlightsand behind-the-scenes ac-cess.

F o l l o w t h e m o nTwitter and Instagram@essencemag #EssenceRed-Carpet.

SANDE, continued from Page 2

for Black men over 20 alsoimproved dropping from 13percent in October to 12.3percent in November. Thejobless rate for White menfell from 6.2 percent in Oc-tober to 6 percent in No-vember.

The jobless rate for Blackwomen fell from 11.5 per-cent in October to 11.1 per-cent in November, com-pared to White women thatsaw their unemploymentrate fall from 5.5 percent inOctober to 5.3 percent inNovember.

Black youth between 16-19 years old continue to suf-fer the worst unemploymentrate at 35.8 percent. The un-employment rate for Whiteyouth in the same age groupwas 18.6 percent in Novem-ber.

The economy added203,000 jobs last month.

“What this report showsis that the economy contin-ues to grow at a very tepidpace,” said Bernard Ander-son, an economist and pro-fessor emeritus of theWharton School at the Uni-versity of Pennsylvania inPhiladelphia. “The econ-omy is not growing at a ratethat will reduce the over-hang of long-term unem-ployment.”

Economists fear thatCongress won’t act to ex-

tend federal unemploymentinsurance benefits, a movethat could stifle job growthin 2014.

“For lawmakers to not beconsidering extending[unemployment insurance]means that they are reallynot looking at what’s hap-pening in the economy andthey think that things arebetter than they are,” saidElise Gould, the director ofhealth policy research at theEconomic Policy Institute.

Gould added: “What’soften missed in these dis-cussions is that these unem-ployment payments to peo-ple actually provide stimu-lus for the economy. With-out [the benefits] the labormarket will actually losemore jobs in 2014.”

Chad Stone, chief econo-mist at the Center onBudget and Policy Priori-ties, agreed.

In a blog on the center’swebsite, Stone wrote: “De-spite improvements thisyear, the labor market is stillnot strong enough for poli-cymakers to let emergencyfederal unemployment in-surance (UI) expire asscheduled during Christmasweek.”

According to CBPP, thelong-term unemploymentrate has never been higherthan 1.3 percent when the

federal unemployment in-surance program endedafter past recessions.

The current long-term un-employment rate is 2.6 per-cent. More than 4 millionpeople have been lookingfor work longer than sixmonths.

If Congress allows theemergency federal unem-ployment insurance (UI) tolapse, Stone wrote: “Thatmeans more hardship forthe families of workers whoare still struggling to find ajob, and it also means thatfamilies that lose EUC willhave less to spend. Reducedspending, in turn, will hurtthe recovery and slow jobcreation.”

Those hardships wouldbe disastrous for the fami-lies of Black workers, whocontinue to endure higherlevels of unemploymentthan White workers.

The number of Blackworkers either employed orlooking for work fell from60.7 percent in October to60.6 percent in November,compared to White workerswho saw an uptick in theirlabor force participationrate from 63 percent in Oc-tober to 63.1 percent in No-vember. A decrease in thelabor force can make theunemployment rate lookbetter than it does on theground.

“In general, nothing has

changed in the relative eco-nomic position of AfricanAmericans relative toWhites in November com-pared to what it was in Oc-tober,” said Anderson. “Idon’t see anything to shoutabout. I guess one can behappy that the African

American unemploymentrate didn’t go up, but the un-employment rate didn’t goup for anybody.”

Anderson said: “AfricanAmericans have a relation-ship with the Americaneconomy similar to the ca-boose on the train. When

the train speeds up, the ca-boose speeds up, and whenthe train slows down, thecaboose slows down, but inthe natural order of things,the caboose never catchesup with the engine. That’swhat these numbers showyou.”

6 | Dec. 19, 2013-Jan.1, 2014 | North Dallas Gazette

Education www.NorthDallasGazette.com

JOBS, continued from Page 1

Daseta Gray of Sabree Edu-cation Services says thatBlack children are not gettingthe preparation they need toexcel in school during theearly years of their develop-ment and argues that educa-tion needs to be a priority,even at infancy.

Grey is the founder andCEO of Sabree EducationServices, which offers parentstips and tools to get childrenprepared before leaving homeand going to kindergarten. Theservice is also offered to care-givers and offers cookingclasses, book recommenda-tions and lessons on brain de-velopment.

“We show parents how touse things at home at how to

develop their child’s skills,”Gray said. “Research showsthat a lot of children of colorin underserved communitiesdon’t have these skills. Weshow people how to get thoseskills and how to give a childtime to be creative and reachsmall goals.”

Research shows the average24-month-old is already be-hind, according to the Chil-dren’s Defense fund. One bi-partisan research group re-vealed that 68 percent ofAmericans feel that childrenget to kindergarten and don’thave the skills they need.

“One of the reasons I startedSabree is because that conver-sation is not happening in theAfrican-American commu-

nity,” Gray said. “If you listento politicians, they are focus-ing on kindergarten, but if thechildren don’t have the skills,they are not going to beready.”

Right now, Grey said par-ents with babies should haveage-appropriate books out onthe floor, interactive toys anditems that help develop thewrist and the fingers. She alsosays to not speak to children in“baby talk.”

“When you are born, yourbrain is 25 percent devel-oped,” Gray said. “By the timeyou are five, it is 95 devel-oped. Although the child willnot talk until age 13 months, achild needs to be hearing lan-guage.”

Educators stress the crucial years of early childhood learning

By Ruth Ferguson NDG Editor

Here are just a few of theinteresting gift ideas thathas crossed desk this year.Stay tuned for even more.

Ok I know a vacuumcleaner at the top of a giftguide list is interestingchoice, but frankly last yearmy Brunn coffee makerchanged my tune on appli-ances for Christmas. Thisyear the Delta Force StickVacuum is on track to dothe same.

The older you get themore you just want to get itdone, easily with no fuss. Igrew up with my mother’streasured Hoover vacuum.However, these days as wemoved away from wall towall shag carpet (come onwe have all moved awayfrom that right), the “stickvacuum” trend has grown agreat deal. The model theysent is light-weight, so nolugging a heavy machinearound, which is wonderfulif you have a two storyhouse. The great thing is it

can handle bare floors, arearugs or carpet (yes evenshag if it must). I also lovethe fact it is bagless, whichis cheaper, and for us techchallenged, just easier todeal with. And the last spe-cial treat – it is cordless!Just charge it up and itshould last about 40 min-utes, which gives you agreat excuse to stop. Youcan find it the Delta ForceStick Vacuum at Macy’s orDillards. Rowenta.com

Keeping with Rowentafor a moment and againcurling irons are usually not

high on the list unless youare 15-year-old girl thatmust be pried from the mir-ror. However, again con-venience and frankly bud-get will make you changeyour song. Who has time togo to the beauty shop everyweek, so to avoid beingdoomed to a month of badhair days you should con-sider the Straight ExpressFlat Iron. What I lovedabout this flat iron is the 16comb teeth, which helps tostraighten frizzy hair likemine. This puppy don’tplay, because it can heat up

to 450 degrees, so makesure you follow directionsclosely. Visit their websitefor more details, bottomlineis the results. It delivers onstraightening your hair inone swipe. Rowenta.com

Naturalizer is probablymy favorite shoe companythese days – and I don’teven own a pair right now –but I love the Lerato designfrom their fall line-up. Theyare a stylish flat with sass.The shoes are offered in dif-ferent color options, but thesample pair sent was brownwith Cordovan leather – byfar my favorite. It seriouslydresses up jeans and niceshirt – with a leather jacketof course – and you aregood to go for a night at themovies or dinner. Natural-izer.com

BToys is a great inde-pendent toy company thatwe have profiled in each ofour holiday issues. It is acompany that makes funand engaging, but SMART

toys without a single videoinvolved. It gives that senseof just good old fashionplaytime that requires some-thing called imagination!This year BToys submitted

for our review YouTurns,which is geared to a childbetween the ages of 1 to 5years. The child will have

Arts & Entertainmentwww.NorthDallasGazette.com Community Spotlight

Dec. 19, 2013-Jan.1, 2014 | North Dallas Gazette | 7

See GUIDE, Page 8

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NDG’s 2013 Christmas Gift Guide

Delta Force Stick Vacuum

Lerato is a comfortable, stylish pair of flats from Natu-ralizer

8 | Dec. 19, 2013-Jan.1, 2014 | North Dallas Gazette

Visit www.NorthDallasGazette.com and click on Community Calendar for more events!

fun moving the animalsaround in the barn, they canwatch balls swirl down thesilo and listen to four songsand more.

Also, they sent their Illu-minated Teepee, perfect foryour favorite princess or ad-venturous wannbe camper.The teepee is easy to as-semble – and to take apart.Just in case your camper is alittle afraid of the dark,when the pull the cord, theycan enjoy a colorful lightshow of stars. You can pickup these gifts and morewonderful BToys locally atyour favorite Target. By theway the company donates.10 to Free the Children forevery purchase. BToys.com

This recent cold snap hadeveryone scrambling to staywarm but that doesn’t meanyou don’t want to be fash-ionable while staying warm.Who would know betterabout the need to stay warmthan NBC’s Today Showweatherman Al Roker whilehe is staying outside in thefreezing New Yorkweather? He has beenknown to wear scarfs fromthe British Barbourthroughout the season. TheBarbour’s Ordley Fairislescarf is a lovely shade of in-digo, is one of two I re-ceived. The scarf is won-derfully crafted from 100percent lambs wool. It issubstantive, but not tooheavy, so a perfect choicefor the few real cold dayswe have in Dallas. You canfind Barbour’s designs on-line or at St. Bernard Sportsin Dallas. Do rush over be-fore the next cold front!

Speaking of stayingwarm, anyone who muststand outside or rush backand forth to a bus stop

would love to find Ther-macell’s Heated Insolesunder the Christmas tree.They come in a wide rangeof sizes from Small toXXLarge and include a re-mote control. They arewater resist, customizableand really soft and comfort-able. You can turn them off,or crank up to 111 degreeson a truly cold day. Youmust visit ThermaCell.comfor more info.

No doubt the prettiestitem I received to reviewthis year were these exqui-site CicciaBella Kwiltsslippers that are simply di-vine. Sadly I can’t get mytoe in them, but just runningmy hands across the fauxfur bottoms was delightful.They have a knit/chevronstrap featuring their signa-ture butterfly button. A coldwinter day, cup of hotchocolate and these slippers– it will be heavenly. Cic-ciaBella.com

If there was another trendduring the gift submissionsthis year it was self-expres-sion through your words. Ihave been carrying aroundfor months a lovely SheicJournal. My review copycame in a beautiful giftwrapped box which I hatedto open it was so pretty, butthe true prize was inside.The leather cover is durablebut pretty in pink, it con-tains a refillable notebookand zipper pocket for thoselittle notes or business cardsyou need handy. I love thehidden magnetic closuretoo. Order one for yourselfand then order one for theyoung lady or man (yesthey have more than pink)who you want to encouragea life long habit of journal-ing. SheicJournals.com

Not everyone loves tojournal, I get that, but manyfolks love personalize sta-tionary and note cards.Again, the packaging wasbeautiful last week whenthe items from Milo Paperarrived, I received LuxeNotes in a pretty clear hold-ing case, that just screamsfor a spot on my desk. Also,in one of my two boxes wasa cute mid size Sticky NoteCube with my name on theouter rim of the cube at thebottom. My favorite itemwas the Chunky Notepadin a pink design with myname at the top. Maybe youcan’t order it for Christmas,but order something foryourself as you prepare foryour get organized NewYear’s resolutions coming.Milopaper.com

So the The Justin PowerCase by Innovative Tech-nology is designed for theiPad, but guess what I don’teven own a tablet yet. How-ever, ever since they sentone to me it has been in mycar or bag most days.

Because I have a powerhungry iPhone and the abil-ity to simply plug into thislightweight tablet case ispriceless.

It can recharge my cellphone several times (up toseven according to the com-pany, but I have notcounted) without needing asingle recharge itself thanksto a built-in 11,600 mAhrechargeable battery. Youonly need a universal USBcharging port which canplug into your phone. ILOVE this case, but now itis time for Santa and I totalk about an iPad to fill it.

Please visit the NorthDal-lasGazette.com for evenmore gift ideas andMERRY CHRISTMAS andHAPPY KWANZA.

The Justin Power Case

GUIDE, continued from Page 7

Dec. 19, 2013-Jan.1, 2014 | North Dallas Gazette | 9

www.NorthDallasGazette.com Cover Story

By Everett L. Glenn

WASHINGTON (NNPA) – Adescription of Rice University’sstand-alone major in sports man-agement describes the enormity ofthe sports business: “Experts con-servatively estimate the sport in-dustry at $500 billion a year mak-ing it one of the top 10 industriesin the nation.”

Touting its sports managementprogram, George WashingtonUniversity in the District of Co-lumbia observes: “No single as-pect of our culture receives asmuch media attention nor has thepower to bring people together assport.”

It is clear from above that uni-versities are following the moneyin hopes of their students gettinga larger slice of it and, along theway, praying that alumni will notforget their alma mater when theywrite checks to charity.

However, as we’ve seen in PartI and Part II of this series, Blackathletes are primarily fueling thismoney-machine at the collegiateand professional levels yetAfrican-Americans are excludedfrom everything from getting inon construction contracts, agentrepresentation, media advertisingand accounting to financial plan-ning.

This must change.In its TV commercials, the

NCAA accurately states that mostcollege athletes will turn pro in afield other than athletics.

I hereby submit CommunityAction Plan #1:Petition the NCAA to finance a

study to determine what happensto the 99 percent of Black student-athletes in college basketball andfootball who do not go pro.

Some who do turn pro are ill-equipped for life.

One of the saddest spectacles Ihave ever witnessed was formerAll-Pro defensive end DexterManley of the Washington Red-skins testifying before Congress in1989 that he could not read, writeor spell. He was failed at everypoint in his life – from high schooland university coaches who al-lowed him to play football with-out mastering basic academicskills to the NFL that allowed himto continue on his dead-in path tonowhere.

That’s one of the reasons we atthe National Sports Authority es-tablished our Business of SportSuccess program (BOSS). Essen-tially, we use sports as a vehicle tomotivate middle and high school

students to complete high schooland go on to college by exposingthe students to the business side ofathletics.

To get our young Black malespointed in the right direction,we hereby submit CommunityAction Plan #2:As part of the BOSS initiative,

convene a national conference, tobe jointly sponsored by such or-ganizations as 100 Black Men andmale Greek organizations for thefall of 2014 to address Black maleissues, including Black male stu-dent-athletes.

As was pointed out in Part I ofthis series, Black athletes repre-sent 52.9 percent of Ohio StateUniversity’s basketball and foot-ball rosters and dominate amongits star players, fueling a nearly$130 million athletic departmentbudget on a campus where Blackmales represent only 2.7 percentof the student body. The disparitybetween the graduation rate forOSU’s Black football players, at38 percent, and all student-ath-letes, at 71 percent, represent thehighest disparity in the Big-10.

Community Action Plan #3:Petition the NCAA and each of

the six major conferences (ACC,Big East, Big-10, Big-12, Pacific-12 and SEC) to impose sanctionson their members, including theloss of scholarships and/or a banon bowl appearances, if the grad-uation rate of Black student-ath-letes in basketball and football isnot within 20 percent of the grad-uation rate of all student athletesin their respective institutions,commencing in 2016 when theNCAA’s new eligibility standardsfor prospective student-athletes gointo effect.

In Part II, we cited examplesfrom the long list of professionalathletes who earn millions of dol-lars yet, in the case of Allen Iver-son, for example, he had reachedto point where he said he couldnot afford to buy a cheeseburger.

Again, this is where family andfriends – true friends, not vultureslooking for a soft landing spot –can assist.

It was inspiring to see thatPhiladelphia 76ers rookie MichaelCarter-Williams, who is beingmanaged by his mother and herbest friend, is placing his entiresalary in a trust fund that he can-not touch for three years. Insteadof dipping into his salary of $4.5million over his first two season –with the possibility of earning $10million if the 76ers pick up thefinal season of his two-year deal –

Carter-Williams is living off of themoney he is making from en-dorsement deals with Nike andPanini trading cards. Other proathletes should follow his exam-ple.

Of course, athletes need stadi-ums and arenas in which to play.And, like everything else relatedto the business side of sports,Blacks are Missing in Action.

Our taxes are used to help fi-nance new or modernized sportsfacilities, but we do not get a re-turn on our investment.

Approximately two-thirds ofthe $21.7 billion spent on the 95stadiums and arenas built between1990 and 2000 were heavily sub-sidized or entirely financed by taxrevenues. The carnival of con-struction taking place today is pro-ceeding without an effective strat-egy to ensure meaningful partici-pation by Black construction pro-fessionals. The National SportsAuthority (the “Authority”), ofwhich I am president, was estab-lished in last year, in large meas-ure, to reverse this trend.

The entire Black communitywill benefit if we can redirect just10 percent of the sports industryspend on goods and services.Such a shift will create new andexciting opportunities for Blackaccountants, construction profes-sionals, consultants, financial andreal estate professionals in thesports industry.

It will also have the trickledown effect of increasing discre-tionary income available to Blackprofessionals and businesses tosupport institutions and organiza-tions in our community, from theNAACP, the National UrbanLeague, the National Action Net-work and the Rainbow/PUSHCoalition to Black churches thathave been the backbone of our

community.We know from first-hand expe-

rience this can work.The National Sports Authority

was able to secure more than $25million in contracts for people ofcolor on the Levi’s Stadium proj-ect, the new home of the SanFrancisco 49ers, even though theproject was already 60 percentcomplete and contracts for morethan 80 percent of the work hadbeen awarded.

On the heels of that experience,our organization has initiated con-versations with the principals onthe new $500 million SacramentoKings arena and the $1 billion-plus Atlanta Braves stadium/en-tertainment center project, with aview towards creating even moreopportunities by being engagedfrom the very start of those andother projects.

Our effort was supported bymore than 12 million Blacks whoare members of the CaliforniaBlack Chamber, the National As-sociation of Minority Contractors,the Empowerment Experiment,the Fritz Pollard Alliance, theNAACP, National Action Net-work, the National Association ofReal Estate Brokers, the NationalBaptist Convention, the NationalUrban League and the U.S. BlackChamber, Inc., as well as the SanFrancisco and Oakland African-American chambers.

Of course, the problem extendsbeyond sports.

A Nielsen report, produced incooperation with the NationalNewspaper Publishers Associa-tion (NNPA) titled, “Resilient, Re-ceptive and Relevant: TheAfrican-American Consumer2013 Report,” disclosed that al-though annual Black spending isprojected to rise from its current$1 trillion to $1.3 trillion in 2017,

advertisers allot only 3 percent oftheir $2.2 billion yearly budget tomedia that target Black audiences.

To address this and relatedproblems, we offer CommunityAction Plan #4:Convene a national conference

in July of 2014 jointly sponsoredby major civil rights organizationsand the U.S. Black Chamber todevelop strategies for holding col-leges, professional leagues andmajor corporations accountablefor the lack of economic reciproc-ity in their goods and services theypurchase.

As Cheryl Pearson-McNeil,senior vice-president, public af-fairs and government relations forNielsen, said, “Until we do a bet-ter job as consumers in the choiceswe make and invest in companiesthat invest in us, we are not goingto have any changes.”

We hope you’ll join our nation-wide effort at the National SportsAuthority to empower our com-munity by letting everyone knowthat sports in more than a game –it’s a business.Evere t t Glenn o f the Na-

t ional Sports Authori ty canbe reached at 562.619.8460 oreglenn@thensa.org.As a sports agent, Attorney

Everett Glenn has negotiated con-tracts for some of the biggestnames in sports, including NFLHall of Famers Jerry Rice,Richard Dent and Reggie White aswell as 11 first round draft picks.He has also had a front-row seatobserving how Black athletes andthe Black community are ex-ploited, enriching others whileleaving the community and, ulti-mately, the athletes themselvesdestitute. Sports are a $500 billionper year industry, but few of thosedollars return to the African-American community. Accordingto Sports Illustrated, by the timeformer NFL players have been re-tired for two years, nearly 80 per-cent of them “have gone bankruptor are under financial stress be-cause of joblessness or divorce.”Within five years of retirement, ap-proximately 60 percent of formerNBA players are broke. After morethan three decades of looking atthis tragedy on the collegiate andprofessional level, Attorney Glennpulls back the cover on thesepractices in a 3-part series for theNNPA News Service and, more im-portantly, outlines what can bedone to halt the wholesale ex-ploitation and initiate economicreciprocity.

The Exploitation of Black Athletes: An Action Plan for Success

Everett Glenn with Minnesota Vikings Coach Leslie Frazier.

Car Review

10 | Dec. 19, 2013-Jan.1, 2014 | North Dallas Gazette

Arts & Entertainment

Do you have a upcoming event? Send information to: Entertainment@NorthDallasGazette.com

If you have not heard the name AngelaBlair expect that to soon change.

With an amazing vocal range, thisaward-winning psalmist is second tonone. Also, Blair is no stranger to acting.She played an Angel of Mercy Singer inthe movie Leap of Faith. Now she is setto hit the big stage again Dec. 17 - 22,starring as Mama Lu, in the much antici-pated stage play, Christmas Da Hood,written by Kendrick D. Young.

Because of Blair’s strong but charmingpersonality, she brings wit, and sass as thematriarch of the family, Mama Lu. Blair,along with the rest of the celebrity cast,Palmer Williams Jr. from Tyler Perry’s,Love Thy Neighbor and The House ofPayne, Tony Grant from Tyler Perry’sMadea Gets a Job, and Kier “Junior”Spates from the Steve Harvey MorningShow.

When asked about playing such a vitalrole in Christmas N Da Hood Angela said,“I am so grateful to God for any opportu-nity I’m given to share my gift. To workwith such an amazing cast of people andhave the honor of bringing the playwright,Kendrick D. Young’s dream to the stage,is a blessing. To God be the Glory.

Happy Birthday Jesus.”The show is scheduled Thursday Dec.

19 at 7:30 p.m., Friday Dec. 20 at 8 p.m.,Saturday Dec. 21 1 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 8p.m.; and Sun. Dec. 22 3 p.m. and 7:30p.m.

To purchase tickets visit www.ticket-master.com and 800-745-3000 or formore information visit www.TheSilent-Partner.biz.

Angela Blair appearing inChristmas N Da Hood

DALLAS - The Gershwins’ Porgy andBess, winner of the 2012 Tony Award forBest Musical Revival is on stage at theMargot and Bill Winspear Opera House inthe Dallas Arts District for a limited en-gagement through Sunday, Dec. 22, as partof the Lexus Broadway Series.

Based on DuBose Heyward’s novel“Porgy” and the play of the same name,which he co-wrote with his wife DorothyHeyward, the Broadway revival of theGershwins’ Porgy and Bess is a stunningand stirring new staging accompanied by alush 23-piece orchestra and includes suchlegendary songs as “Summertime,” “ItAin’t Necessarily So,” and “I Got Plenty ofNothing.”

The classic story is set in Charleston’s fa-

bled Catfish Row, where the beautiful Bessstruggles to break free from her scandalouspast, and the only one who can rescue her isthe courageous Porgy. Threatened by herformidable former lover Crown, and the se-ductive enticements of the colorful trouble-maker Sporting Life, Porgy and Bess’ rela-tionship evolves into a deep romance thattriumphs as one of theater’s most exhilarat-ing love stories.

Ticket prices range from $150 to $30,with prime orchestra seats for most per-formances priced at $85. Tickets can bepurchased online at www.attpac.org/porgy,by phone at 214-880-0202 or in person atthe AT&T Performing Arts Center Infor-mation Center, 2353 Flora Street (Mondaythrough Sunday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.).

The must-see hitPorgy and Bess onstage until Sunday

DALLAS -- Belk, the nation’s largest family ownedand operated department store company, today releasedrenderings of its new store at the Galleria Dallas. Theopening of Belk’s Galleria Dallas location marks a newmilestone for the 125-year-old company, with its firstflagship store in Texas.

As part of Belk’s move to Galleria Dallas, the mall’snorthern façade will get an update that will create amore inviting entrance while staying true to its originaldesign. The centerpiece of the exterior will be a tower-ing 68 foot blue mosaic glass tile backdrop. The signa-ture mark on Belk’s main entrance at Galleria Dallaswas created to have a waterfall-like effect, adding

Belk unveils new Galleria facade

See BELK, Page 11

greater visual appeal to theDallas landmark. Construc-tion on Belk’s 180,000square foot space began inJuly 2013.

The anchor store’smakeover will include anentirely updated interior.

Belk at Galleria Dallas willhave three floors of shop-ping, a wider selection ofmerchandise and high-endbrands.

“Our goal for the designof this flagship store is topreserve the mall’s iconic

façade while giving it a re-freshed, welcoming atmos-phere,” said Jan Clevenger,chair of the Western Divi-sion.

Belk will open its doorsat the Galleria Dallas inApril 2014. This locationwill be the company’s 18thflagship store.

Dec. 19, 2013-Jan.1, 2014 | North Dallas Gazette |11

www.NorthDallasGazette.com Sports/

BELK, continued from Page 10

IRVING – The Hospitality Sales &Marketing Association International(HSMAI) will recognize the Irving Con-vention and Visitors Bureau (ICVB) withtwo Silver Adrian Awards for compellingmarketing and public relations campaignsin the 57th annual Adrian Awards Com-petition, the largest and most prestigioustravel marketing competition globally.

The ICVB was recognized for its workon a digital marketing campaign for bridalevents held at the Irving Convention Cen-ter at Las Colinas(ICC) and key public re-lations placement in the national marketfor the ICC consumer event Zestfest.

These two awards bring the total num-ber of Adrian Awards received by theICVB to 16 in the last four years. HSMAIwill present the awards on Feb. 24, 2014,during the annual HSMAI Adrian AwardsGala at the New York Marriott Marquis,a black-tie affair attended by more than1,000 hospitality, travel and tourism mar-keting executives.

"The fact that these awards recognize

the comprehensive expertise of our staff,as well as the actual results derived fromcreative efforts, is important, said MauraAllen Gast, executive director of theICVB.

The Adrian Awards stage represents thepinnacle of a very large and competitiveindustry. These awards are validation thatwhat we do, we do well, and it delivers re-sults.

This year's contest attracted more than1,200 entries from around the world – thewinners displayed premium industryknowledge and delivered excellent con-sumer engagement results. The entrieswere judged by top executives from allsectors of the industry.

All winning entries will be accessiblein the HSMAI Adrian Awards Winners’Gallery online following the gala. Formore information on the HSMAI AdrianAwards competition and Gala, please con-tact AdrianAwards@hsmai.org or visitadrianawards.com.

Irving Convention AndVisitors Bureau receivestwo Adrian Awards

LEGAL NOTICEThe North Central Texas Coun-

cil of Governments is soliciting re-quest for proposals to conductpublic awareness surveys in orderto assess citizens’ expectations of9-1-1 emergency services, capa-bilities, educational efforts, effec-tiveness and identify opportunitiesfor improvement.

If interested, please call KellyWilliams at 817-704-5681 or ob-tain an RFP packet athttp://www.nctcog.org/aa/RFP.asp.

Sealed RFPs will be due 1/17/14.

compromise. Fortunately, itmakes a sizable portion ofthe sequestration cuts infederal spending go away,making the federal govern-ment less a drag on theeconomy. It will help createmore jobs but only a tinydent. And it is being doneby punishing federal work-ers-both civilian and mili-tary-by reducing their re-tirement benefits. And fed-eral unemployment benefitsare set to expire for 1.3 mil-lion still stuck in the unem-ployment queue, leavingthem with no relief.

Back in October, therewere 2.87 unemployedworkers for each job open-ing. This is why more than4 million Americans re-mained unemployed formore than 27 weeks. Theloss of income for thesefamilies is a strain and partof the reason household in-comes remain below theirpeak of five years ago.

The Congressional Bud-get Office has shown thatunemployment benefitshelp stimulate the economymore than any other gov-

ernment program. It is onlycommon sense.

Unemployed workersneed to make rent or mort-gage payments, buy gro-ceries and pay utilities.With the fall in incomefrom a job loss, all unem-

ployment benefits are put touse. And, unlike a tax cutthat a Wall Street brokermight use to go take a skitrip to St. Moritz, those gro-cery bills and utilities aredollars that circulate in thelocal economy.

A compromise that splitsthe difference between not

extending unemploymentbenefits and choosing to ex-tend them is moving awayfrom the right answer. Asthe bumper sticker says, "I'dagree with you, but then wewould both be wrong."

Fol low Spr iggs onTwit ter : @WSpriggs.

CORRECT, continued from Page 3

Isaiah Rice, the child ofMr. Roderick L. Gathrightand Ms. Samuella Gathrightof Dallas, Texas, and a 2011graduate of Warren T. WhiteHigh School, is participat-ing in the 2013-14 BatesCollege Junior Year Abroadprogram.

Rice, who is majoring indance and politics at Bates,is studying in Atlanta, Geor-gia, through the MorehouseCollege Exchange program.

About 60 percent ofBates students study a-broad, and Bates offers ac-cess to study-abroad pro-

grams in more than 80countries. Through academ-ically rigorous and cultur-ally enriching study-abroadexperiences, Bates studentsengage the transformativepower of our differencesand develop a commitmentto responsible stewardshipof the wider world.

Located in Lewiston,Maine, Bates is internation-ally recognized as a leadingcollege of the liberal arts,attracting 2,000 studentsfrom across the U.S. andaround the world. Since1855, Bates has been dedi-

cated to educating thewhole person through cre-ative and rigorous scholar-ship in a collaborative resi-dential community.

With a commitment to af-fordability, Bates has al-ways admitted studentswithout regard to gender,race, religion or nationalorigin.

Cultivating intellectualdiscovery and informedcivic action, Bates preparesleaders sustained by a loveof learning and zeal for re-sponsible stewardship ofthe wider world.

Isaiah Rice participates in BatesCollege Junior Year Abroad program

12 | Dec. 19, 2013-Jan.1, 2014 | North Dallas Gazette

Reader Advisory: the National Trade Association we belong to has purchased the following classifieds. Determining the value of their service or product is advised by this publication. In order to avoid misunderstandings, some ad-vertisers do not offer employment but rather supply the readers with manuals, directories and other materials designed to help their clients establish mail order selling and other businesses at home. Under NO circumstance should yousend any money in advance or give the client your checking, license ID, or credit card numbers. Also beware of ads that claim to guarantee loans regardless of credit and note that if a credit repair company does business only over thephone it is illegal to request any money before delivering its service. All funds are based in US dollars. 800 numbers may or may not reach Canada.

To advertise call 972-509-9049 Email (ad for quote) opportunity@northdallasgazette.com

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Community Calendar Visit www.NorthDallasGazette.com and click on Community Calendar for more events!

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reer as Executive Chef at one ofthe top-rated hotel club restaurantcompanies in America and theCaribbean, a fierce cheftestant onthe sixth season of Bravo TV�s�Top Chef: Las Vegas,� and a hostof �Bar Rescue New Orleans,� onSpike TV and �Iron Chef� on theFood Network.

Chef Duprat�s culinary cre-ations are inspired by French,Cajun, American, Haitian andother various ethnic and worldcultures. His Haitian heritage al-lows him to add the flair and widerange of bold flavors found inCaribbean cooking to othercuisines.

�The style of my food reflectsexquisite, sophisticated and con-temporary French cuisine withCaribbean influences,� saidDuprat. “I focus on locally-grownproducts, seasonal ingredients,impeccable presentation, and cut-ting-edge menu choices to createa truly memorable dining experi-ence. A key element of my philos-ophy is that food should be as

fresh and as local as possible.”Chef Duprat has a carefully cul-

tivated network of areagrowers/suppliers who enable himto practice what he believes is bestfor procuring and serving food.

His ability to effortlessly as-semble an exceptional dining ex-perience has allowed Chef Dupratto excel in his career. Meremonths after graduating from La

Varrene Culinary in France andCIA ProChef, he was awarded the�Chef of the Year Award� from theAmerican Culinary Foundation in2000. Soon after, Chef Duprat be-came the Executive Chef for thePelican Bay Foundation, OplOcean Properties, Host Mark,Benchmark International, and TheFame Montauk Yacht Club Resortand Marina.

DUPRAT, continued from Page 2

Do you know what the worstpart of being young and healthyis? It’s being young and healthy. Itis said that so much is wasted onthe youth but Obamacare hasn’twasted one single opportunity tofine, tax and gouge the youth atevery turn. The affordable care actis in full bloom with the youngpeople of the nation firmly in itscross hairs. This should be alarm-ing to Americas 20 somethingcrowd and the democrats are un-derstandable nervous.

The liberals are losing themuch sought after youth vote.Young people are realizing thatthey are baring the cost of Oba-macare. The basic philosophy of aworkable Obamacare policy isthat the younger healthier genera-tion must pay for the older andsicker people. This is not only phi-losophy it’s the law. The law

spells out what’s called the 'com-munity rating rule.' This is a man-dated portion of Obamacare thatforces insurers to keep an artifi-cially high difference in premiumsbetween younger people and theirolder counter parts. Young adultswho are by far the hardest hit(sofar! the employer mandate startsin 2015) by this law will in somecases pay double in premiumsthen what they would have paidbefore Obamacare.

Here how these exchangeswork: “In the exchanges, thosewho aren't offered minimal essen-tial coverage elsewhere (likethrough an employer) and who

earn between 100 percent and 400percent of the federal povertylevel (FPL) are eligible for a pre-mium subsidy after they pay a cer-tain percentage of their income inpremiums. The applicable per-centage of income increases withincome level. Subsidies will bebased off of the second-lowestcost silver-level plan in a givenarea,” according to the HeritageFoundation.

Let’s understand that the premi-ums will vary by age. That meansthe younger people by law willpay more. The percentage how-ever that the individuals will paywill not change. What that meansis that a younger person of 30 willpay far more in total premium costthan a 60 year old but the samepercentage. So younger peoplehow does it feel to be singled outby age and penalized for it? It may

mean that you younger folks mayhave to give up your daily $3.85latte in favor of paying your pre-miums.

It does seem however that theyouth maybe getting the message.A recent Harvard university pollfound that 57 percent of youngadults disapprove of the health-care law. This poll must be con-cerning to the White House. TheObama administration has re-cently started an aggressive lob-bying campaign aimed at theyounger population. They haveemployed the liberal forces ofHollywood to weigh in on theworthiness of the new law. Theyinclude a push by the sexist manalive (according to People Maga-zine not this author) Adam Levine.In a more controversial move theWhite House has even garneredsupport from some National Foot-

ball League teams to push for thetroubled law.

In the end it might be asking toomuch of our young people to growup so fast and be responsible forus older folks. This youth demo-graphic that voted for Obama isoverwhelming numbers may havejust looked up for a brief momentfrom their Apple computers andYouTube to see the AffordableCare Act and just as quickly re-sumed their self-absorbed entryback to the internet fantasy world.

Let’s face it folks Grand TheftAuto and ITunes are far more in-teresting than premiums andpenalty’s. Today’s young peoplenow might have to make a choicebetween an new upgraded cellphone and health insurance.Barry Curtis publishes The

Curtis initiative at www.thecurtis-report.com.

The problems with being young and healthy in an Obama worldCurtisReportby Barry Curtis

DALLAS— Dallas ISDstudents made significantgains in eighth-grade read-ing on the 2013 NationalAssessment of EducationalProgress (NAEP), alsoknown as The Nation’s Re-port Card. Dallas’ gains out-paced those of the nation’spublic schools and Texaswhen compared to 2011.

Results for the districtheld steady across the boardfor fourth-grade readingand math and eighth-grademath, but the sampling ofeighth-grade Dallas ISDstudents who participated inthe 2013 Trial Urban Dis-trict Assessment, or TUDA,reading assessment regis-tered a three-point increasecompared to the 2011 re-sults. This is the secondtime Dallas ISD has partic-ipated in TUDA.

“The results released bythe NAEP this week are en-couraging because theyshowed increases in areaswhere we needed to makegains and confirm that the

Dallas ISD is makingsteady progress toward in-creasing student achieve-ment levels,” said DallasISD Superintendent MikeMiles. “This is only the sec-ond time that the district hasparticipated in this nationalassessment, and our fourth-and eighth-grade studentsshowed they can perform atthe level of other compara-ble urban districts.”

The assessment resultsalso revealed that DallasISD Hispanic students,English language learnersand students eligible to re-ceive free and reducedmeals made the most gainsin several areas.

The sampling of fourth-grade English languagelearners who participated inthe assessment registeredgains of three points in mathand five points in reading.Eighth-grade English lan-guage learners registered a16-point gain in math and a12-point gain in reading.

“These new results

demonstrate that Dallas ismaking among the strongestreading gains among itsurban peers nationally andis beginning to realize thefruits of its performance,”

said Michael Casserly, ex-ecutive director of theCouncil of the Great CitySchools, based in Washing-ton, D.C. “The progress isparticularly prominent

among Hispanic studentsand students who are eligi-ble for free and reducedlunch.

“This is particularly im-portant because progress is

being demonstrated whereit is most needed,” Casserlyadded. “The results alsodemonstrate where the dis-

Attention Suppliers of Goods,Services and Construction

Review Competitive Opportunities atwww.bidsync.com

www.garlandpurchasing.com

972-205-2415

GRAPHIC ARTISTSmall Community Newspaper

looking for a partimestudent graphic artist.

Prefer student (intern) that'savailable on a per project basis.

Must have knowledge ofQuark and Indesign software.

Work will be doneat company office.

Must be professional anddependable. Fax resumes to:972-509-9058, or email to:inquiries1909@gmail.com

Dec. 19, 2013-Jan.1, 2014 | North Dallas Gazette | 13

www.NorthDallasGazette.com Contact 972-509-9049 for Career Opportunity Advertising

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Store ManagementOpportunities

Hobby Lobby is a leaderin the Arts & Crafts indus-try with 530 stores andgrowing located in 46states. Candidates musthave previous retail storemanagement experience inone of the following:

Supermarket chain,Craft chain Mass mer-chant, Drug chain Build-ing supply chain

Must be willing torelocate.

Benefits include:• All Stores Closed on

Sunday!• Competitive Salaries• Paid Vacations• 401K Plan• Medical/Dental• Life Insurance• Merchandise Discount• Flex Spending Plan

Qualified Candidateswho are self motivated

and top performersmust apply online.

www.hobbylobby.comEOE

Dallas ISD makes significant reading gains in ‘Nation’s Report Card’Minority achievement gap narrowed; English language learners show progress in math and reading

See DISD, Page 16

AVENUE F CHURCHOF CHRIST IN PLANO

Mondays – FridaysCall 972-423-8833 for AF-FECT, Inc. or email: AF-FECTxInc@aol.com forcounseling services, re-sources and assistance forjob readiness and trainingprograms for individuals.

December 22, 8 a.m.You’re invited to worshipwith us in Early MorningWorship Service; stay forBible Classes at 9:30 a.m.and for our regular MorningWorship at 10:45 a.m.

December 25, 10:30 a.m.Join us in our to ourWednesday Morning BibleStudy and/or our 7 p.m.Evening Bible Study.

December 29, 9:30 a.m.You’re invited to join us inour 5th Sunday Services;there will be meals and ac-tivities after service.

Brother Ramon Hodridge,Minister of Education1026 Avenue FPlano, TX 75074972-423-8833www.avefchurchofchrist.org______________________

BIBLE WAYCOMMUNITY

BAPTIST CHURCH

December 22, 8 a.m.You’re invited to our Sun-

day School at 9:30 a.m. andstay for Morning WorshipService as we praise Godfor all of His blessings.

December 25, 7 p.m.Join us in Bible Study eachWednesday to learn moreabout God’s Word for yourlife.

Dr. Timothy Wilbert, Sr.Senior Pastor4215 N. Greenview DriveIrving, TX 75062972-257-3766www.biblewayirving.org ______________________

CHRIST COMMUNITYCHURCH

IN RICHARDSON

December 22, 8:45or 11 a.m.

Join us in one or both of ourWorship Services as wehonor and praise God forHis many blessings.

Dr. Terrence Autry,Senior PastorGeorge Bush Fwy atJupiter Road on theGarland/Richardson Border972-991-0200www.followpeace.org ______________________

DAYSTARDELIVERANCE

MINISTRIES

December 2013For those in need visitHelen’s House Tuesdays

and Fridays (exceptions arebad weather and holidays)to receive, to give, to com-fort and to fellowship.

Pastor MinnieHawthorne-Ewing635 W. Campbell RoadSuite 210Richardson, TX 75080972-480-0200______________________

FELLOWSHIP CHRISTIAN

CENTER CHURCH IN ALLEN“The Ship”

Monday – Friday9 a.m.-1 p.m.

TheShip3C’s Prayer Linesfor those that are in need are972-649-0566 and 972-649-0567 or they may be sub-mitted via email to: prayer-line@theship3c.org

For Community help theAssistance Center servesCollin County by respond-ing to people in crisis foremergency shelter, clothing,food, and access to medi-cine and medical servicesfor county residents. Callthe church or Allen’s CityHall for details.

December 22, 8 a.m.Join us in Early Worship at200 W. Belmont Drive loca-tion in Allen as we praiseGod and at 9:30 a.m. at1550 Edelweiss Drive inAllen for Sunday Morning

Worship.

What’s on Your Mind?Don’t copy the behavior, at-titude and action of theworld. Let God transformyou into a new person bychanging the way you think.Romans 12: 2a. Join us forone or both of our WorshipServices as we praise Godfor the victories in our lives.

December 25, 7 p.m.You’re invited to join us forWednesday Night Live inthe Joycie Turner Fellow-ship Hall on Belmont Drive,with old school prayer andtestimony. Also, come toour Corporate Prayer andour Kidz Zone (an environ-ment to equip children togrow and to show God’slove.)

Dr. W. L. Stafford, Sr., Ed.D.Senior Pastor1550 Edelweiss DriveIn Allen for SundayMorning Worship.Admin. Building AddressIs 200 W. Belmont DriveAllen, TX 75013 972-359-9956www.theship3c.org ______________________

MT. OLIVE CHURCH OF PLANO (MOCOP)

December 22You’re welcome to our Sun-day School at 8:30 a.m. andto stay for our Sunday

prayer at 9:30 a.m. andWorship Service at 10 a.m.

December 25, 7 p.m.Join us in our Bible Studyto learn and grow in God.

Pastor Sam FenceroySenior Pastor300 Chisholm PlacePlano, TX 75075972-633-5511______________________

SHILOH MBCIN PLANO

December 22,8 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Join us for one or both ofour Worship Services as wepraise and honor God. Sun-day School starts at 9:45a.m. After each serviceministers and deacons areavailable to meet with youfor prayer or questions.

December 25, 7 p.m.Come see what the God’sWord can do for you eachWednesday in Bible Study.

Dr. Isaiah Joshua, Jr.Senior Pastor920 E. 14th StreetPlano, TX 75074972-423-6695www.smbcplano.org ______________________

THE INSPIRING BODYOF CHRIST CHURCH

December 22, 7:30 a.m.You’re invited to join us aswe worship, honor andmagnify God’s Holy name.

December 23, 7 p.m.Come to Monday School aswe study the Word of God.We will worship Him andpraise His Holy name.

December 27, 7:30 p.m.Join us at our Men’s Fel-lowship each Friday as wepraise and worship God.

Pastor Rickie Rush7701 S Westmoreland RoadDallas, TX 75237972-372-4262www.ibocjoy.org

14 | Dec. 19, 2013-Jan.1, 2014 | North Dallas Gazette

Church Happenings www.NorthDallasGazette.com

According to the CDC’sflu-tracker the flu is gainingtraction in Texas.

Just one 8-ounce glass of100 percent Florida orangejuice is an excellent sourceof vitamin C, a key nutrientthat helps support a healthyimmune system and overallhealth.

Other nutrients found inorange juice like folate,potassium and thiamin canalso help support the im-mune system, the body’snatural mechanism to resistillness.

Load up on fruit and veg-etables: Consume at least

five servings of fruit andvegetables each day to get avariety of vitamins, miner-als and phytochemicals.

Liquids help with hydra-tion, which is essentialwhen you feel under theweather. Be sure to drink

plenty of water and incor-porate nutrient-dense bever-ages into your diet.

For example, 100 percentorange juice is more nutri-ent dense than many com-monly consumed 100 per-cent fruit juices.

Have you ever stopped towonder what this life is allabout? Why you’re hereand where you’re goingwhen your lease on timeruns out? May you’ve beenfar too busy trying hard toreach your goal; would you

let me ask you kindly;“Have you thought aboutyour soul?”

ou may reach the highestportals, and your dreamsmay all come true; wealthand fame may be your por-tion, and success may shineon you. All your friendsmay sing your praises, not acare on you may roll; whatabout the great tomorrow,“Have you thought aboutyour soul?”

Don’t forget your daysare numbered, though youmay be riding high, but likeall of us poor mortals,

someday you’ll just up anddie. Your success, yourfame and your glory won’tbe worth the bell they toll;let me ask just one question,“Have you thought aboutyour soul?”

If you’ve never thought itover, spend a little timetoday, there is nothing moreimportant that will evercome your way, than the joyof sins forgiven, and toknow you’ve been madewhole, in the name of Christthe Savior, “Have youthought about your soul?”

Things to Ponder: The

best vitamin for a Christianis B-1 (Be One.) We are op-erating under the samemanagement for over 1900years. Plenty of “Soul”food served here; come inand try some for your life.Give a liberal offering ifyou love Jesus – Anyonecan honk and most will.

Don’t wait for the hearseto bring you to church andthank God that you canwalk in on your own power.Life has many choices.Eternity has only two –what’s your choice?

The most destructive

habit is worry, becauseworry is interest paid ontrouble before it is due.Don’t be guilty of payinghigh interest rates when youdon’t have to.

Prevent truth decay;brush up on your Bible, theWord of God. It’s hard tostumble when you are downon your knees. Never givethe devil a ride; he will al-ways want to drive.

Can’t sleep? Peace ofMind is the most effectivesleeping pill. Or try count-ing your blessings andthank God for what he has

done for you. Forbidden fruit creates

many jams; however, if youdon’t want to reap the fruitof sin, stay out of the devil’svineyard.

Don’t let the littleness ofothers bring out the little-ness in you. The deadliestweapon is the tongue. It istrue, God answers knee-mail, try Him.

The greatest advice is,“Try Jesus; if you don’t likeHim, the devil will alwaystake you back.”

Merry Christmas andHappy New Year to All.

Dec. 19, 2013-Jan.1, 2014 | North Dallas Gazette | 15

www.NorthDallasGazette.com Community

Avenue F Church of Christ1026 Avenue F • Plano, TX 75074

972-423-8833www.avefchurchofchrist.org

Ramon Hodridge, Minister

Early Sunday Morning ......................8:00 amSunday Bible Class...........................9:45 amSunday Morning Worship...............10:45 amEvening Worship...............................3:00 pmWednesday Bible Class....................7:00 pm

Radio Program @ 7:30 am onKHVN 970 AM Sunday Mornings

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Send email to: salesmanager@northdallasgazette.com tosign up for Sister Tarpley'sweekly electronic newsletter.

Elder Willie Williams, new Pastor of Love Chapel C.O.G.I.C.

‘Have you thought about your soul?’

Flu is spreading in Texas – fruits andvegetables can make a difference

16 | Dec. 19, 2013-Jan.1, 2014 | North Dallas Gazette

NDG Book Review www.NorthDallasGazette.com

By Terri Schlichenmeyer

This time of year, one of yourfavorite things to do is to look atlights.

Your entire neighborhood isfilled with all kinds of them.Lights on houses, lights on trees,lights on bushes, wire, decks, andsteps. You might see them onboats, in the park, on a statue, ormade into shapes in someone’sfront yard. And you might evenhave them inside your own house,on a tree or in a window.

They’re twinkly. They’rebright. And you can’t stop lookingat all the lights. So let’s take awalk to see the lights in Dusk byUri Shulevitz.

It gets dark very early in thewinter, sometimes even beforeyou get home from school. On thisone winter afternoon, a boy, hisgrandfather, and their dog decideto take a walk around the city. Bythe time they got to the edge of thewater, the sun was disappearing

beyond the horizon.“How sad,” the boy said, “the

day is no more.”But the grandfather (who had a

very long beard) wasn’t worried.It was only dusk, which is whathappens when the sun goes down.

On their way back to the city,they noticed that people werescurrying everywhere. Some wereon their way back home at the endof the day. Others were hoping todo a little shopping at the down-town stores.

The grandfather and the boymet a lot of unusual people as theywalked. One man was shoppingfor toys. A woman with a veryfancy hat was looking for gifts forher kitten. People were lookingfor yummy things and weirdthings.

But the boy, his grandfather,and their dog kept right on walk-ing. It was starting to get dark.“As nature’s lights go out, city’slights come on” and so did the

lights on all the downtown stores!The boy saw Christmas lights onthe street lamps and on Christmastrees inside and outside. He sawcandles on a menorah, and chil-dren celebrating Hanukkah. Hesaw candles in another window,standing proud on a kinara andsurrounded by children celebrat-ing Kwanzaa.

It was beautiful. It was magnif-icent. It was almost as if the sunwas still out.

So your child wants a read-aloud tonight, but there’s notmuch time for it. Grab Dusk, then,because this book won’t take long.

Author Uri Shulevitz tells astory of an evening stroll on a coldnight and he does it with a handfulof words; some pages, in fact,hold just a half-sentence. Thatforces you to take a slower, am-bling pace in reading – somewhatlike a leisurely walk.

And maybe because thosewords are so sparse, it’s easy to

focus on the illustrations here –which is, perhaps, what youshould be doing anyhow. Shule-vitz’ drawings are done in gor-geous color, evoking the nightchill and the warmth of the lights.

If you’re looking for a Kwan-zaa-Christmas-Hanukkah bookthat will dazzle your 2-to-6-year-old, this one’s it. Read it, andDusk could become one of her fa-vorite things.

Dusk by Uri Shulevitz is a delightful children's holiday book

your card only rarely, butsuddenly make severalcharges in one day.

Making multiple pur-chases at the same store (orwebsite) within a few min-utes of each other.

An unusually large pur-chase – say for a major ap-pliance, furniture or jew-elry. Alert your card issuerbefore making large pur-chases.

One small purchasequickly followed by largerones. Thieves will test thewaters to see if a small pur-chase is denied; if it’s not,they’ll quickly run up major

charges.Exceeding daily spending

limits. Some cards limithow much you can chargeper day, even if you havesufficient remaining credit.

Making large purchasesoutside your geographicarea.

Multiple out-of-town pur-chases in short succession.(Always tell your card is-suer when you’ll be travel-ing.)

International purchases,whether online or whiletraveling. In fact, some cardissuers automatically de-cline international transac-

tions because of the highpotential for fraud, so learnyour issuer’s policy beforeattempting one.

Other common triggersfor credit card denials in-clude:

Outdated or incorrect per-sonal information – for ex-ample, when you’re askedto enter your zip code at agas station. Always alertyour card issuer wheneveryou move.

Also, make sure youdon’t mistype your creditcard number, expirationdate, security code, addressor other identifying infor-mation.

Expired card. Always

check the card’s expirationdate. You should receive areplacement card severalweeks beforehand. It’s oftenmailed in a plain envelope,so be careful what you toss.If the new card doesn’t ar-rive, contact the issuer toensure it hasn’t been stolen.

You’ve reached yourcredit limit. For the sake ofyour credit score, try tokeep your overall and indi-vidual card credit utilizationratios (credit available di-vided by amount used) aslow as possible – ideallybelow 50, or even 30, per-cent.

A temporary hold hasbeen placed on your card –

say for a rental car or hotelreservation – that puts youover your credit limit. Al-ways ask whether a holdwill be placed, how muchand for how long, and fac-tor that into your remainingbalance calculations.

You miss a monthly pay-ment. Card issuers may letthis slide once or twice, de-pending on your historywith them, but eventually ifyou don’t make at least theminimum payment due,your card will probably befrozen.

The primary cardholdermade changes on the ac-count and forgot to tellother authorized users – for

example, reporting his orher card stolen, loweringcredit limits or removingyou from the account.

On last thought: If yourcard is denied, don’t shootthe messenger – he’s onlyfollowing instructions.Rather, call the card issuerand find out what happened.Embarrassment aside, it’snice to know that someoneis trying to ensure your cardisn’t being used fraudu-lently.Jason Alderman directs

Visa’s financial educationprograms. To Follow JasonAlderman on Twitter:www.twitter.com/Practical-Money

CREDIT, continued from Page 1

trict faces its greatest chal-lenges and where prioritiesfor future work rest.”

In addition to showingconsiderable gains com-pared to the 2011 assess-ments, the representativesampling of several studentgroups equaled or signifi-cantly outscored their peersin comparable participatingdistricts or large cities over-all in fourth- and eighth-grade math.

The NAEP is known as

The Nation’s Report Cardbecause it is the only na-tionally representative as-sessment of what U.S. stu-dents know and can do incore subjects such as math-ematics, reading, scienceand writing. It reports onstudent achievement at thenational and state levels and21 selected urban districts.The 21 urban districts thatparticipated in the 2013TUDA include New York,Los Angeles, Chicago,

Houston, and Austin.NAEP results for Dallas

ISD also showed that therepresentative sampling ofthe district’s African-Amer-ican and Hispanic studentsnarrowed the achievementgap in eighth-grade mathand reading when comparedto the performance of whitestudents statewide.

The gap between DallasISD Hispanic eighth-gradestudents and white studentsstatewide who participatedin the NAEP reading as-sessments narrowed 11points when compared to

2011 results. Similarly, inreading, the achievementgap between DallasAfrican-American eighth-graders and white studentsstatewide narrowed by fourpoints compared to 2011 re-sults. Hispanic fourth-graders who participated inthe reading assessment alsonarrowed the gap by fourpoints compared to theirwhite peers statewide.

In math, the achievementgap for eighth-grade His-panic students narrowed byfive points and the one forAfrican Americans nar-

rowed by three points.Dallas ISD students who

qualify for free and reducedprice meals also outscoredor matched their peers inseveral districts in math andreading in fourth and eighthgrades. Of the 21 participat-ing districts, Dallas ISD hasthe third or fourth highestpercentage of students whoare eligible to receive freeand reduced price meals,depending on the assess-ment sampling.

NAEP results showed aslight decrease that may not

be statistically significantfor white and African-American students whotook the eighth-grade mathassessments when com-pared to 2011 results. Whitestudents also registered aloss of six points in fourth-grade reading when com-paring the current resultswith 2011.

African-American stu-dents registered a three-point decline in fourth-grade reading when com-pared to their performancein 2011.

DISD, continued from Page 13