Classified 11/19/15

By

Birmingham Times

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November 19, 2015

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Employment

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CUSTOMER SERVICE SPECIALIST

BJCC is seeking an exp part-time Customer Service Specialist, with a demonstrated service attitude, positive thinking & language, confidence and enthusiasm, to join its team. Go to bjcc.org for full job description. To apply send resume to careers@bjcc.org or fax to 205-458-8525.

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Drivers/ Help Wanted

Drivers, CDL-A:

Home EVERY Weekend!

ALL Loaded/Empty Miles Paid! Dedicated Southeast!

Or Walk Away Lease, No Money Down.

1-855-971-8522

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Legal

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INVITATION FOR BIDS

The Jefferson County Commission will receive bids for Pleasant Grove Storm Shelter at Room 270 of the Jefferson County Courthouse until 9:00 a.m. local time on the 15th day of December, 2015, at which time and place all bids will be publicly opened and read aloud.

Any bid to be delivered by hand or mail prior to the above time or at a different place shall be at the full risk of the bidder. Such bids may be delivered or mailed to the Jefferson County Office of Community and Economic Development, at 716 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd N, Suite A-430, Birmingham, Alabama 35203. If for any reason such bid does not reach Room 270 of the Jefferson County Courthouse prior to the opening, it may be rejected. No bids shall be accepted after the time stated for receipt of bids. This requirement shall not be waived.

All bids must be submitted on bid forms furnished, or copy thereof, and must be in a sealed envelope. The outside of the envelope should contain the following:

(1) “SEALED BID”; (2) “DO NOT OPEN”; (3) PROJECT NAME AND NUMBER; (4) PROJECT OFFICER: “Alfonso Holt”; (5) CONTRACTOR’S NAME AND ADDRESS

(6) ALABAMA LICENSE NUMBER (7)DUNS #

Bids are invited upon the work as follows:

50’-0” x 34’-0” storm shelter including electrical, plumbing, foundations, etc., 875 s.y. Type B pavement (standard duty), parking lot striping lump sum, domestic water line lump sum, septic tank and field lines lump sum, 300 l.f. Type A silt fencing. 1 each construction entrance, 0.5 acres seeding fertilizing and mulching, 185 l.f. 5’-0” sidewalk, 1 each wheel chair ramp, 50 l.f. 22” x 11” R.C. pipe Cl III, 1 each sloped concrete headwall, 500 C.Y. compacted earth fill, 560 c.y. earth excavation and re-compaction earth fill under building pad, 650 c.y. earth excavation and re-compaction in parking lot.

Bids must be accompanied by a certified check or bank draft payable to the order of Jefferson County, Alabama negotiable U.S. Government Bonds (at par value) or a satisfactory Bid Bond executed by the bidder and an acceptable surety, in the amount equal to five percent (5%) of the total of the bid amount but not to exceed $10,000.00, for the Pleasant Grove Storm Shelter. The bid security is to become the property of the owner in the event that: (1) the bidder fails to meet any of the qualifications required in the bid specifications stated herein; (2) the bidder misrepresents or falsifies any information required to be provided by the owner; (3) for any reason that the bidder fails to qualify, causing his bid to be withdrawn or rejected and such withdrawal or rejection results in delay or substantial additional expense to the owner; (4) the contract and bond are not executed within the time set forth, as liquidated damages for the delay and additional expense of the owner caused thereby.

Bid documents are on file and will be available for examination at the JEFFERSON COUNTY OFFICE OF COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, 716 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd N, Suite A-430, Birmingham, Alabama 35203; and at the BIRMINGHAM CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AUTHORITY, 601 37^th Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama 35222.

The bid package may be obtained by depositing $__50.00__ with Spencer Engineering Inc., 3237 Lorna Road Birmingham, AL 35216 205-822-2437

for each set of documents so obtained. Such deposit will be refunded in full on the first set issued to each general contract bidder submitting a bonafide bid, upon return of documents in good condition within ten days of bid date. Other sets for general contractors, and sets for subcontractors and dealers, may be obtained with the same deposit, which will be refunded as above, less cost of printing, reproduction, handling and distribution of the contract documents.

Bidders are advised that submitted bids bind the bidders to the “Bid Conditions Setting Forth Affirmative Action Requirements for all Non‑Exempt Federal and Federally‑assisted Construction Contracts to be awarded in Jefferson, Shelby and Walker Counties, Alabama, “also known as the Birmingham Hometown Plan.

Attention is called to the fact that not less than the minimum salaries and wages as set forth in the contract documents must be paid on this project, and that the contractor must ensure that employees and applicants for employment are not discriminated against because of their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or veteran status.

All bidders be advised that this contract is subject to Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development act of 1968, as amended, (12 USC l701U) which if it is in excess of $100,000, requires that to the “greatest extent feasible”, opportunities for training and employment be given lower income residents of the project area and contracts for work in connection with the project be awarded to business concerns which are: (1) 51 percent or more owned by section 3 residents; or (2) Whose permanent, full-time employees include persons, at least 30 percent of whom are currently section 3 residents, or within three years of the date of first employment with the business concern were section 3 residents; or (3) That provides evidence of commitment to subcontract in excess of 25 percent of the dollar award of all subcontracts to be awarded to business concerns that meet the qualifications set forth in paragraphs (1) or (2) in this definition of “section 3 business concern.”

All bidders must be licensed by the State of Alabama Licensing Board of General Contractors, as required by Chapter 8 of Title 34 of the Code of Alabama 1975 as amended.

The Jefferson County Commission reserves the right to reject any or all bids or to waive any informalities in the bidding.

This project will be funded in its entirety (100%) with Federal Community Development Block Grant Funds.

No Bid may be withdrawn for a period of Sixty (60) days from the date of the opening of bids to allow the Jefferson County Commission to review the bids and investigate the qualifications of bidders, prior to awarding the contract.

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INVITATION FOR BIDS

The Jefferson County Commission will receive bids for the Oak Grove Storm Shelter at Room 270 of the Jefferson County Courthouse until 10:00 a.m. local time on the 15th day of December, 2015, at which time and place all bids will be publicly opened and read aloud.

Any bid to be delivered by hand or mail prior to the above time or at a different place shall be at the full risk of the bidder. Such bids may be delivered or mailed to the Jefferson County Office of Community & Economic Development, at 716 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd N, Suite A-430, Birmingham, Alabama 35203. If for any reason such bid does not reach Room 270 of the Jefferson County Courthouse prior to the opening, it may be rejected. No bids shall be accepted after the time stated for receipt of bids. This requirement shall not be waived.

All bids must be submitted on bid forms furnished, or copy thereof, and must be in a sealed envelope. The outside of the envelope should contain the following:

(1) “SEALED BID”; (2) “DO NOT OPEN”; (3) PROJECT NAME AND NUMBER; (4) PROJECT OFFICER: “ALFONSO HOLT”; (5) CONTRACTOR’S NAME AND ADDRESS

(6) ALABAMA LICENSE NUMBER ;( 7) DUNS #

Bids are invited upon the work as follows: ___New 480 square foot pre-engineered above ground storm shelter, with associated sidewalk and parking spaces._________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Bids must be accompanied by a certified check or bank draft payable to the order of Jefferson County, Alabama negotiable U.S. Government Bonds (at par value) or a satisfactory Bid Bond executed by the bidder and an acceptable surety, in the amount equal to five percent (5%) of the total of the bid amount but not to exceed $10,000.00, for the Oak Grove Storm Shelter.

The bid security is to become the property of the owner in the event that: (1) the bidder fails to meet any of the qualifications required in the bid specifications stated herein; (2) the bidder misrepresents or falsifies any information required to be provided by the owner; (3) for any reason that the bidder fails to qualify, causing his bid to be withdrawn or rejected and such withdrawal or rejection results in delay or substantial additional expense to the owner; (4) the contract and bond are not executed within the time set forth, as liquidated damages for the delay and additional expense of the owner caused thereby.

Bid documents are on file and will be available for examination at the JEFFERSON COUNTY OFFICE OF COMMUNITY & Economic DEVELOPMENT, 716 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd N, Suite A-430, Birmingham, Alabama 35203; and the BIRMINGHAM CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AUTHORITY, 601 37^th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35222

The bid package may be obtained by depositing $100.00 with

Thompson Architecture Inc. 2913 Cahaba Road Birmingham, AL 35223

for each set of documents so obtained. Such deposit will be refunded in full on the first set issued to each general contract bidder submitting a bonafide bid, upon return of documents in good condition within ten days of bid date. Other sets for general contractors, and sets for subcontractors and dealers, may be obtained with the same deposit, which will be refunded as above, less cost of printing, reproduction, handling and distribution of the contract documents.

Bidders are advised that submitted bids bind the bidders to the “Bid Conditions Setting Forth Affirmative Action Requirements for all Non‑Exempt Federal and Federally‑assisted Construction Contracts to be awarded in Jefferson, Shelby and Walker Counties, Alabama, “also known as the Birmingham Hometown Plan.

Attention is called to the fact that not less than the minimum salaries and wages as set forth in the contract documents must be paid on this project, and that the contractor must ensure that employees and applicants for employment are not discriminated against because of their race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

All bidders be advised that this contract is subject to Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development act of 1968, as amended, (12 USC l701U) which if it is in excess of $100,000, requires that to the “greatest extent feasible”, opportunities for training and employment be given lower income residents of the project area and contracts for work in connection with the project be awarded to business concerns which are: (1) 51 percent or more owned by section 3 residents; or (2) Whose permanent, full-time employees include persons, at least 30 percent of whom are currently section 3 residents, or within three years of the date of first employment with the business concern were section 3 residents; or (3) That provides evidence of commitment to subcontract in excess of 25 percent of the dollar award of all subcontracts to be awarded to business concerns that meet the qualifications set forth in paragraphs (1) or (2) in this definition of “section 3 business concern.”

All bidders must be licensed by the State of Alabama Licensing Board of General Contractors, as required by Chapter 8 of Title 34 of the Code of Alabama 1975 as amended.

The Jefferson County Commission reserves the right to reject any or all bids or to waive any informalities in the bidding.

This project will be funded in its entirety (100%) with FEMA Funds.

No Bid may be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days from the date of the opening of bids to allow the Jefferson County Commission to review the bids and investigate the qualifications of bidders, prior to awarding the contract.

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PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Jefferson County Office of Community & Economic Development

716 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North, Room A-430

Birmingham, AL 35203

(205) 325-5761

These notices shall satisfy two separate but related procedural requirements for activities to be undertaken by the Jefferson County Office of Community& Economic Development.

REQUEST FOR RELEASE OF FUNDS

On or about Friday, December 4, 2015, the Jefferson County Commission, acting as Community Development agent for Jefferson County and Consortium municipalities, will submit a request to the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development for the release of Federal Community Development Block Grant funds under Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (PL93-383) to undertake the following projects:

Fairfield Sidewalk Improvements Project II (CDBG14-03L-M-FS2)

Trafford Road Improvements Project (CDBG14003K-M-TRI)

FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT

The Jefferson County Commission through its Office of Community & Economic Development has determined that the project will have no significant impact on the human environment. Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) is not required. Additional project information is contained in the Environmental Review Record (ERR) on file at the Jefferson County Office of Community & Economic Development, 716 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North – Room A-430, Birmingham, AL 35203 where the record is available for review and may be examined or copied weekdays 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Any individual, group, or agency disagreeing with this determination or wishing to comment on the project may submit written comments to the Jefferson County Office of Community & Economic Development. All comments received by Friday, December 4, 2015, will be considered by the Jefferson County Office of Community & Economic Development prior to authorizing submission of a request for release of funds. Comments should specify which Notice they are addressing.

RELEASE OF FUNDS

The Jefferson County Commission through its Office of Community & Economic Development certifies to HUD that the President of the Jefferson County Commission consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. HUD’s approval of the certification satisfies its responsibilities under NEPA and related laws and authorities, and allows the Jefferson County Commission to use Program funds.

OBJECTIONS TO RELEASE OF FUNDS

HUD will accept objections to its release of funds and the Jefferson County Commission’s certification for a period of fifteen days following the anticipated submission date or its actual receipt of the request (whichever is later) only if they are on one of the following basis: (a) the certification was not executed by the Certifying Officer of the Jefferson County Commission; (b) the Jefferson County Commission has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding required by HUD regulations at 24 CFR Part 58; (c) the grant recipient has committed funds or incurred costs not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of release of funds by HUD; or (d) another Federal agency acting pursuant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written finding that the project is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental quality. Objections must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58) and shall be addressed to: Environmental Clearance, Mr. Charles Franklin, CPD Director, U.S. Department of HUD, Birmingham Office, Region IV, Medical Forum Building, Suite 900, 950 22^nd Street North, Birmingham, AL 35203. Potential objectors should contact HUD to verify the actual last date of the objection period.

James A. Stephens, President

Jefferson County Commission

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BID ANNOUNCEMENT

Bids will be accepted by the Jefferson County Purchasing Department no later than 5 P.M. on Monday, November 30, 2015 for proposed demolition services.

“Various demolition work throughout Jefferson County as listed in bid specifications for each location.”

Bids will be opened at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, December 1, 2015, in Room 830 of the Jefferson County Courthouse.

Interested contractors may get a copy of the bid package by visiting or writing to the following address:

Jefferson County Courthouse

Purchasing Department

716 Richard Arrington, Jr. Blvd. N., Suite 830

Birmingham, Al. 35203-0108

All interested contractors must meet the minimum contractor requirements for bidding on or before the date and time that bids are due. Interested contractors may get a copy of the minimum contractor qualifications by visiting or writing to the following address.

Jefferson County Office of Community Development

716 Richard Arrington, Jr. Blvd. N., Suite A430

Birmingham, Al. 35203-0108

Questions should be directed to Joel Knight (205) 325-5761.

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PUBLIC NOTICE

Jefferson County, through the office of Community & Economic Development has prepared the Consolidated Annual Performance Report (CAPER) for the program year ended September 30, 2015. The CAPER is designed to provide information on how a grantee actually used its entitlement funds during its most recently completed program year. Jefferson County welcomes citizens’ comments on the CAPER. Further information may be obtained by attending a public hearing at the Office of Community Development at 716 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd., Suite A-440, Birmingham, AL. on November 30, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. You may also contact the Office of Community & Economic Development at [205] 325-5761. Special accommodations are available upon request for those with disabilities. The report will be available for review Friday, November 20, 2015 until Monday, December 7, 2015 at the following locations:

Jefferson County Midfield Public Library

Office of Community Development 400 Breland Drive

716 Richard Arrington Blvd, Suite A-430 Midfield, AL. 35228

Birmingham, AL. 35203

Adamsville Public Library Trussville Public Library

4825 Main Street 201 Parkway Dr.

Adamsville, AL. 3005 Trussville, AL. 35173

Fairfield Public Library Tarrant Public Library

4615 Gary Avenue 1143 Ford Avenue

Fairfield, AL. 35064 Tarrant, AL. 35217

Fultondale Public Library Warrior Public Library

500 Byrd Lane 10 First Street

Fultondale, AL. 35071 Warrior, AL. 35180

Homewood Public Library Hueytown Public Library

1721 Oxmoor Road 1372 Hueytown Road

Homewood, AL. 35209 Hueytown, AL. 35023

Leeds Public Library Irondale Public Library

802 Parkway Drive, SE 105 20th Street. S,

Leeds, AL. 35094 Irondale, AL. 35210

The report can also be viewed online at http://jeffconline.jccal.org/comdev/main/non-housing.html

Citizens desiring to comment on this report should forward their comments to the Office of Community & Economic Development by 5 p.m. on Monday, December 7, 2015.

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Request for Proposals

DATE November 6, 2015

TO: Prospective Offerors

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS: 16-02

SEPARATE SEALED PROPOSALS FOR: Engineering Services for Structural Survey of

Damaged Units

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE November 20, 2015 DATE/TIME 2:00 P.M. CST

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE Housing Authority of the Birmingham District

LOCATION 1826 Third Avenue South

Birmingham, AL 35233

PROPOSALS WILL BE RECEIVED AT: Housing Authority of the Birmingham District

Attn: Procurement Administrator

1826 Third Avenue South

Birmingham, AL 35233-1905

CLOSING DATE: December 4, 2015

TIME: 2:00 P.M. CST

By submission of a proposal the offeror agrees, if the offeror’s proposal is accepted, to enter a contract with the Housing Authority of the Birmingham District (HABD), to complete all work as specified or indicated in the contract documents, for the contract price and within the contract time indicted in the RFP. The offeror further accepts the terms and conditions of the RFP.

Proposals must be prepared in accordance with the section entitled “Instructions for Submitting Responses” and will be evaluated by the HABD. Evaluation will be based on the criteria within this RFP.

Copies of the RFP, which includes the scope of services, conditions and requirements, may be obtained from the HABD Procurement Office located at the address listed above. Persons who require special accommodations should immediately contact the HABD Procurement Office at (205) 521-0611.

The HABD reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals, or any proposal, and to waive any informalities or irregularities.

The HABD in accordance with the Executive Orders 11625 and 12138 promotes participation by businesses owned and operated by disadvantaged and historically underutilized businesses. Section 3 business requirements must also be met.

A copy of this solicitation is available at www.habd.org under the Purchasing and Procurement Section. Questions regarding the attached RFP should be directed to the Procurement Administrator, in writing ten (10) days prior to proposal due date. Questions received after the deadline will not be answered.

Contracting Officer: Dontrelle Y. Foster, Interim Executive Director

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MISC.

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PETS FOR ADOPTION

MALE AND FEMALE ENGLISH BULLDOG NEEDING A NEW HOME ( FREE FOR ADOPTION )

CONTACT ME FOR MORE INFORMATION ( brownadonis67@outlook.com )

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Auction of Abandoned Vehicles

In accordance with Section 32-13-1, Code of Alabama 1975, notice is hereby given to the owner, lien holders, and other interested parties that the following described abandoned vehicle will be sold at public auction for cash to the highest bidder at (time) 7:30a.m. (date) December 19, 2015 at 213 17th Avenue Northwest, Centerpoint, Alabama 35215:

1993 Honda Accord LX Vin#

1HGCB7658PA117448;

1996 Honda Accord Vin#

1HGCD5666TA052632;

1999 Ford Ranger Vin#

1FTYR14VXXTB11958;

1997 Ford Ranger Vin#

1FTCR10U3VUB70428;

2000 Ford Mustang Vin#

1FAFP4049YF120703;

1993 Ford Mustang Vin#;

1FACP41M2PF134880.

Seller reserves the right to reject any offer and has the right to bid.

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ABC WATERPROOFING

We fix wet basements, crawlspaces, instal French drains, kill mold, repair cracked foundations, walls and install grates. 24-7 Service. Call Tim (205) 230-8197. Licensed Insured – 20 Year Warranty.

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STORIES OF THOSE WHO DIED IN THE PARIS ATTACKS

By

Birmingham Times

-

November 17, 2015

0

French President Francois Hollande said the attacks in Paris targeted “youth in all its diversity,” killing at least 129. Here are some of their stories:

Among the audience at the Bataclan, Anne and Pierre-Yves Guyomard were particularly steeped in music. He was a well-known sound engineer who taught his craft at a technical institute, and she was a former student.

“He was a kind human, super-competent, extremely funny and fun-loving,” singer Leslie Winer told The Associated Press by email. “Peerless” in both the studio and live settings, Pierre-Yves Guyomard, 43, worked with artists including Winer and the French rock band Tanger, said guitarist Christophe Van Huffel, a former Tanger member and a collaborator of Winer’s.

Anne Cornet Guyomard, 29, had been one of her husband’s students before changing careers to pediatric nursing, Van Huffel said in a bio provided to AP. She worked at a child care center near Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the Paris suburb where they lived and were married in May 2013 by Mayor Emmanuel Lamy, according to the French newspaper Le Parisien. He recalled a couple “full of life and hope.”

The two had lived for a time on the Indian Ocean island of Réunion, where Anne Guyomard’s relatives told news outlet L’Info they had spent an agonizing day and a half wondering about the couple’s fate, calling unanswered phones, and appealing for word of the two via Facebook before being told they had been killed.

Anne was “the daughter I would wish on all parents – one who’s attentive, one who’s full of life,” and she loved children and people in general, brother-in-law Chris Hamer told L’Info.

The last time Winer spoke to Pierre-Yves Guyomard, she said, “he told me they were hoping to have children sometime soon.”

—

— Elodie Breuil, 23, had gone with several friends to see the concert at the Bataclan the night of the attacks. Her brother, Alexis Breuil, told Time magazine that his family called Elodie’s cell phone all night, contacted her friends and searched for his sister at area hospitals, only to learn she was one of the victims.

The family eulogized the young woman’s death on a special Facebook page created in her memory. Ecole de Condé Paris, an art and design school in Paris, also announced Elodie Breuil’s death on its Facebook page. The school said Breuil was a 2nd year student in Product Design.

Alexis Breuil told Time that Elodie and their mother had marched in the rally following the Charlie Hebdo attacks in January, to peacefully show their support. He said he hoped the response to the current attacks would also be peaceful: “I want to show the other cheek,” Alexis Breuil said. “Instead of responding with violent acts, we have to understand what is the cause of the problem and work together to try and prevent it.”

—

— Quentin Boulenger, who led marketing projects at the French cosmetics company L’Oreal Paris, was killed at the Bataclan theater.

Boulenger, 29, was raised in the French city of Reims and had lived in Paris for the past few years working at L’Oreal. The cosmetics company confirmed his death to The Associated Press.

Boulenger graduated from the Audencia Nantes School of Management in 2010. The school eulogized Boulenger via Twitter.

—

— Suzon Garrigues, 21, loved rock music and the socially conscious works of 19th-century French novelist Emile Zola. But she will never hear another band or finish her bachelor’s degree in literature at Paris-Sorbonne University.

Garrigues died in the attack at the Bataclan theater, where she was attending a rock concert. She went to the concert with her brother, who was pushed to safety by the stampeding crowd, according to Le Parisien newspaper’s website.

In a news release, Paris-Sorbonne President Barthelemy Jobert remembered Garrigues as generous, funny, and a deep admirer of Zola’s works. Her father is a dermatologist in the Paris suburb of Maisons-Lafitte, where Deputy Mayor Jacques Myard said Garrigues’ “cowardly murder at Bataclan was the work of the dregs of humanity,” Le Parisien reported.

—

— Marie Lausch and Mathias Dymarski loved music and going to concerts and had gone with another couple Friday night to see Eagles of Death Metal play at the Bataclan music venue.

“Both of them had tremendous energy and an enthusiasm for life,” said a statement from a group of their close friends provided by friend Pierre Charton.

The pair, both 23, had been together for five years and had just moved in together in Paris two months ago, the statement says. Lausch was in her final year of business school and was doing an internship in the cosmetics industry in Paris. Dymarski, a civil engineer, had just gotten a job in the Paris region.

Lausch was passionate about fashion and dance, while Dymarski was a high-level BMX bike rider. They also enjoyed traveling, going out with their friends and sneaking off for a romantic weekend just the two of them, their friends said.

—

– Ciprian Calciu, 32, and Lacramioara Pop, 29, were among the millions of Romanians who have migrated West in recent years in search of better-paid jobs. The dream of a better life took them separately to Paris, where they met, became a couple and had a son, Kevin, now 18 months old.

They died at the Belle Equipe restaurant where they were celebrating a friend’s birthday, said Calciu’s cousin, Ancuta Iuliana Calciu.

“They weren’t even sure what restaurant to go to. There was another one about 250 meters (yards) away they wanted to go to,” she added.

Calciu repaired elevators and Pop, who had an 11-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, worked in a bar.

“I’m so glad they didn’t take their son that night,” Calciu’s cousin said Tuesday.

Flowers and candles appeared at the gate of Pop’s family home in the small village of Coas in far northwestern Romania, while in Tulcea, an eastern port at the end of the 2,860-kilometer (1,780-mile) River Danube, there was a memorial service on Monday at the church where Kevin had been baptized.

—

-Raphael Hilz, a 28-year-old architect originally from the southern German town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, was one of two German victims of the attacks, killed at a restaurant near his office.

Hilz had been working for six months in Paris in the international firm of architect Renzo Piano, his uncle told the Suedtirol News.

The firm told The Associated Press that they were “very sad to confirm that one of our colleagues of German nationality” died in the Friday attacks.

They said two other colleagues, from Mexico and Ireland, were injured but were now doing well.

—

-Nicolas Classeau, the popular director of the University of Marne-la-Vallee outside Paris, was mourned on the school’s Facebook page.

“Full of wisdom and kindness,” the page said in announcing his death the day after the attacks. “Invested in his work, dedicated to help students beginning with personalized assistance,” the page said, adding how Classeau was always able to help students to solve complicated academic problems and situations.

“Words fail to describe the sadness we currently experiencing … A thought for all the dead of this barbarism and their families,” the site said. The university also offered psychological assistance to anyone in need.

Classeau was 43 years old and the father of three children under the age of 16, according to Le Parisien newspaper.

He was a lover of rock music and played guitar in a band during high school, the newspaper said. He was attending the Bataclan when he was killed. His companion was wounded and is hospitalized in Paris.

—

– Fanny Minot went straight from her job at a TV newsmagazine show to the Bataclan on Friday night. By Sunday, the show’s host, Ali Baddou, would be mourning her death on-air.

Minot, 29, was an editor at the show, “Le Supplement.” Artistic and free-spirited, she enjoyed making independent movies – and above all, enjoyed new experiences, her friend Stephen Fox told The Associated Press. He got to know Minot purely by chance, when she and a friend of hers were traveling in the U.S. about four years ago and came to stay with him and his then-roommate, courtesy of a free-stay website for self-declared couch-surfers.

Despite their different backgrounds, the guys from Shelbyville, Kentucky, and their visitors from France became such fast friends that the travelers stayed two extra days, and then the hosts drove six hours to Memphis, Tennessee, to spend another day with them. And a few months later, Fox went to France to visit Minot over New Year’s Eve.

“She was such a loving, compassionate person, with such an adventurous view on life,” said Fox, 27, who credits her energetic outlook with inspiring him to get his post-college life in gear by going to nursing school. “She was a very motivated, hardworking person, and she just loved life.”

Over the years, they stayed in touch, speaking by Skype every few months. But perhaps the memory that most sears his mind is of their goodbye at the airport in Paris.

“We just stood there in silence, realizing it was going to be a long time before we saw each other again, and we said, ‘We’re not saying goodbye – we’re saying: Until the next time,'” he recalled. “Which now kind of hurts, because that’s taken away.”

—

– Mohamed Amine Ibnolmobarak, 29, was an architect of Moroccan descent who studied and worked in Paris. He was killed at the Le Carillon restaurant in Paris while dining there with his new wife, according to a Facebook posting by his cousin Akram Benmbarek of San Diego. The wife, Maya Nemeta, was shot three times and was in critical condition at the hospital, the cousin wrote.

Ibnolmobarak was born in Rabat, Morocco, and had come to France to complete his university studies. Jean Attali, his professor at Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris Malaquais, where Ibnolmobarak also taught, wrote on Facebook that his young colleague was a “Muslim intellectual” whose thesis diploma focused on the pilgrimage to Mecca.

“Amine had found his place in our school and in the exercise of his profession of architect,” Attali wrote. “Many of us… hoped for a great future for him.”

The young architect had co-founded a cultural association focused on cities called New South. This month, the group’s work – including that of Mr. Ibnolmobarak – was exhibited at the Galerie du CROUS in Paris. On its Facebook page, New South wrote a tribute to Ibnolmobarak: “His research process, based on intelligence, tolerance and love could not have been a better legacy against terror.”

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– Kheireddine Sahbi, 29, was an Algerian violinist who had come to Paris to perfect his art at the Paris-Sorbonne university. According to an announcement by the school, Sahbi was enrolled in the Masters of Ethnomusicology program and was involved in the university’s traditional music ensemble.

The school says Sahbi died while returning home in the 10th arrondissement, where a restaurant was attacked.

The young violinist was born on the outskirts of Algiers, the capital of Algeria, and was widely known as Didine. Mr. Sahbi’s friend from Algeria Fayçal Oulebsir posted on his Facebook page: “Didine, my friend… You left us too young, dying in Paris so far away from us, taking with you your joy of living and so many hopes.”

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– Sebastien Proisy, 38, had launched a promising career in international business consulting that would never be fully realized. He died at a restaurant along Bichat street in Paris during the attacks when he was shot in the back, according to the Liberation newspaper website.

He was at a business dinner and accompanied someone at the table who wanted to take a smoke outside, according to his great uncle Daniel Senecaut, who was quoted by the La Voix du Nord news website.

Proisy had studied political science and later went to Florida with his Bulgarian wife and son. On their return, they settled in Noisy-Le-Grand on the outskirts of Paris, as the family told it. Proisy also served in staff positions at the European parliament in Bruxelles.

In the past year, he had gone into business in consulting for the Airbus Group. He had also worked as an executive for a company promoting French agribusiness abroad and another business doing market research in Iran and Central Asia, according to his LinkedIn profile. “He was very brilliant,” La Voix du Nord quoted his grand aunt Jeanne Broutin as saying. She and Senecaut described their grandnephew as kind and charming, but also a workaholic.

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– Lola Salines of Paris, a young editor at Editions First-Gründ, died at the Bataclan concert hall. Her father Georges Salines and brother Clément Salines took to social media after the attacks to launch a desperate search for Lola, who did not respond to their calls. The family later posted on Twitter and Facebook that authorities had confirmed Salines, 28, was one of the victims.

The young woman also was a member of a Parisian roller derby league called ‘La Boucherie de Paris.’ Her team name was Josie Ozzbourne, #109, according to the group’s Facebook page.

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– Francois-Xavier Prevost, 29, was head of advertising at the French advertising agency LocalMedia and also worked recently for another communications company, Havas Media Group. He died at the attack on the Bataclan theater, according to Yannick Bolloré, the Havas Group CEO who mourned the young worker and several others via Twitter.

Prevost had also spent some time in the United States. The University of North Texas said Prévost had been an exchange student at UNT in the fall of 2007. And the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, a pro soccer team in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, said Prevost interned with the team in the summer of 2009.

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– Marie Mosser’s love of music brought her to the Bataclan concert hall where she died. The 24-year-old from the French city of Nancy worked for the label Universal Music, according to the “20 minutes” news website.

Mosser’s Twitter profile said she worked in communication and digital marketing. Pascal Negre, president of Universal Music France, tweeted over her death and that of two other victims: “The Universal Music family is in mourning.” Mosser’s father is a manager in Nancy city government, “20 minutes” reported.

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– Bertrand Navarret, 37, lived in the southern French community of Capbreton near the Spanish border and was just spending a few days in Paris with friends. They decided to take in a rock concert – where Navarret was killed at Bataclan hall. Starting on a family career path in law, Navarret had given it up for a new life in Canada, where he learned to work with wood. He eventually returned to France with new skills and remade himself as a carpenter and avid snowboarder, according to the Liberation news website.

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– Nick Alexander, 36, of Colchester, England, was working at the Bataclan concert hall selling merchandise for the performing band, Eagles of Death Metal. “Nick was not just our brother, son and uncle, he was everyone’s best friend – generous, funny and fiercely loyal,” his family said in a statement. “Nick died doing the job he loved and we take great comfort in knowing how much he was cherished by his friends around the world.”

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– Hannover-born art critic Fabian Stech was among the victims killed at the Bataclan club. The 51-year-old, who had been living in France since 1994, taught in Dijon at a private art school and worked for the German art magazine Kunstforum International, the magazine said in a condolence notice on its website.

He leaves behind a wife and two children, the magazine said.

“That Fabian had to die such a horrible and unnecessary death makes our pain and grief unbearable,” his family in Germany said in a statement published in the Hannoverische Allgemeine newspaper. “Together with his children and his wife, we miss Fabian. He was a great person.”

—

Associated Press writers who also contributed to this report: Cara Anna in New York; Pamela Sampson in Atlanta; Jeff Donn in Plymouth, Mass.; Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey; Colleen Barry in Milan; Maria Verza in Mexico City; Kate Brumback in Atlanta; David Rising in Berlin; and Steven R. Hurst in Washington.

WATCH The Trailer For The New CBS Series ‘Rush Hour’

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Birmingham Times

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November 17, 2015

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It’s been nearly 20 years since the release of the first Rush Hour(1998) starring Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan. The films sequelsRush Hour 2 (2001) and Rush Hour 3 (2007) did fairly well at the box office but it just wasn’t the same level of excitement as the first.

While fans wonder whether or not 61-year-old Jackie Chan and 44-year-old Chris Tucker will kick ass together ever again, CBS is hoping to recreate that 90s magic with their television reboot of the trilogy.

In the upcoming series, Jon Foo will play Detective Lee and Justin Hires will play Detective Carter. The films director, Brett Ratnerand executive producer Arthur Sarkissianis are also apart of the reboot. From the looks of the trailer many of the iconic lines and scenes from the films are also apart of the show.

The trailer falls flat because Hires is trying too hard to be Chris Tucker and Foo simply doesn’t have much personality, whereas Jackie Chan has great comedic timing.

It would have been great if the new Lee and Carter were actually the fictional sons of Tucker and Chan and they were apart of training the next generation of detectives. Maybe if the show survives season one, Tucker and Chan will make a cameo.

Let us know if you’ll be watching?

Originally seen on http://hellobeautiful.com/

Macy’s, Sean John, and Empire’s Jussie Smollett Remind Fans to Dream BIG.

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Birmingham Times

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November 16, 2015

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Andre The Blogger Face — Andre The Blogger

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Contributing Blogger: Andre J. Thomas

IG: @AndreTheBlogger

Jussie Smollett is having a year beyond his wildest dreams. Not only is he starring in the highest rated TV show on television this year (#Empire), his music is slowly becoming smash dance tunes played across the world. Adding to his hectic resume, he now gets to inspire the young and old through his natural expression of fashion as the newest face of the Sean John Dream BigCampaign.

In a featured event, Macys and Sean Jean welcomed the New Orleans native to AtlantaLenox Mall. Hundreds of fans stood in line to purchase the latest Sean John gear in hopes to meet and greet Americaeveryone who came to talk to him.

The one thing that was evident was that fans gravitated to the Empire star because of his genuine authenticity and love for people. As the Atlanta paparazzi snapped away, there was never a moment where Jussie

Jussie Smollett even showed off his dancing moves when he attempted to do his version of

Sean John definitely chose the right person with Jussie Smollett. He embodies their foundationDream It, Wake Up, and DO IT!American Dream by showing that no barriers can stop you when you simply be YOU!

Sean John president Jeff Tweedy stated in a recent press conference, Our Fall campaign truly celebrates young men (such as Jussie) who bring their dreams to fruition!

Jussie Smollett who appears to live by the thought,

Andre J. Thomas is a 5x award winning entertainment blogger based out of Birmingham. He can also be heard every Saturday on the the hit talk show, The Joe Lockett Show. The Joe Lockett Show airs on 101.1 FM & 1260 AM (Metro Birmingham). You can also read articles written by Andre in Black Mogulus Magazine and on andrejthomas.com.

Charlie Sheen To Reportedly Disclose HIV Status On ‘The Today Show’

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Birmingham Times

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November 16, 2015

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We’re having a hard time deciding whether this is a surprise or not…

According to TMZ, Charlie Sheen is reportedly set to reveal his HIV positive status on Tuesday’s Today Show.

Via a brand new press release from NBC, we know Charlie’s appearance will allow him to make a “revealing personal announcement,” during an interview with Matt Lauer. This comes hours after sites like the National Enquirer started circulating a story that Charlie has had the virus for years, all while keeping it a secret from the public.

Charlie has lived an intense life, basically mirroring his character on the hit show Two & a Half Men. Known for engaging in drugs, drink, and plenty of women – including that of the porn star variety – Charlie became the subject of a myriad amount of media attention back in 2011 thanks to his viral quotes like “WINNING” and “I got tiger blood, man.” However, his fall from grace began when he insulted the award-winning show’s producer and was promptly fired. Sheen has been relatively quiet since.

Check back as the story develops on Charlie Sheen’s supposed diagnosis.

SOURCE: Complex, TMZ, National Enquirer | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty

Originally seen on http://globalgrind.com/

Protests Erupt After Black Man Shot by Police in Minneapolis

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Birmingham Times

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November 16, 2015

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota agency is investigating the shooting by a Minneapolis police officer of a black man suspected in an assault, an incident that sparked protests and prompted a community forum with the mayor and police chief.

Accounts from some witnesses that the man was handcuffed when he was shot early Sunday morning led to outrage. Police said their preliminary investigation shows the man was not handcuffed, but the investigation is ongoing.

Jason Sole, chair of the Minneapolis NAACP’s criminal justice committee, said many black residents of north Minneapolis are upset.

“We have been saying for a significant amount of time that Minneapolis is one bullet away from Ferguson,” he said, referring to the police shooting last year in the St. Louis suburb that prompted nationwide protests. “That bullet was fired last night. We want justice immediately,” Sole told Minnesota Public Radio News.

The shooting happened after police said they were called to north Minneapolis around 12:45 a.m. Sunday for a report of an assault. When they arrived, the man had returned and was interfering with paramedics who were assisting the victim, police said. Officers tried to calm him, but there was a struggle.

At some point, an officer fired at least once, hitting the man, police said. Witnesses told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that there was a big crowd at the scene, and bystanders became agitated as police pushed them back. Some witnesses said police used a chemical irritant on the crowd.

Authorities have declined to release the man’s name, but the Minneapolis NAACP cited family members and witnesses in identifying him as Jamar Clark.

Martez McKnight, 22, told The Associated Press that Clark, his uncle, was put on life support after he was taken to a hospital.

“The family is heartbroken and traumatized by the whole event,” McKnight said.

A statement Sunday night from state Rep. Raymond Dehn, who represents the area, said Clark was on life support.

Police and a spokeswoman for the Hennepin County Medical Center said they could not comment on the man’s condition.

Protesters organized by the group Black Lives Matter Minneapolis marched through the streets Sunday afternoon. Some beat drums and others carried banners. The group went to a police precinct, where they banged on the door and demanded to be allowed inside.

Raeisha Williams with the Minneapolis NAACP told the AP protesters plan to stay at the precinct until the names of the officers involved are released.

Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges and police Chief Janee Harteau held a listening session with the community Sunday evening.

Steven Belton, interim president and CEO of the Minneapolis Urban League, was in attendance.

“There is so much anger and pain, and it’s combined with a lack of information,” Belton said.

Harteau said after the meeting that “misinformation” is being spread about the case, but she would not elaborate.

The chief said she has asked the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to conduct an independent investigation.

“We need to know exactly what happened, we need to know the truth,” she said. “Everyone involved needs that and deserves that.”

Two officers are on paid leave, standard practice after such an incident.

Drew Evans, BCA superintendent, said the agency wants to talk to anyone who saw the shooting or might have video of it. When asked about the handcuffs, Evans said there were handcuffs at the scene, but added that authorities are working to determine the exact situation when the man was shot.

blackamericaweb.com

(Photo Source: AP)

Exclusive: Sugar Ray Leonard Reflects on “No Más” 35 Years Later

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Birmingham Times

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November 16, 2015

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sugarray_srlf1 — Sugar Ray Leonard said that he knew that he was going to win his rematch with Roberto Duran at the Superdome in New Orleans, La., on November 25, 1980. (Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation)

By Stacy M. Brown

NNPA Contributing Writer

Sugar Ray Leonard had no doubt that he’d defeat Roberto Duran when the two warriors squared off in a rematch of their epic first welterweight title bout that ended in a split decision victory for the Panamanian known as “The Hands of Stone.”

What Leonard, the legendary six-time world champion didn’t know was that Duran – one of the most feared fighters of his generation – would surrender after uttering the most-infamous phrase in the history of boxing, “No Más.”

“I went into that second fight 100 percent sure that I was going to win,” Leonard said in an exclusive interview with NNPA News Wire just prior to the 35th anniversary of his famous clash with Duran that took place before a sold-out crowd on Nov. 25, 1980 at the Superdome in New Orleans, La.

“I did everything that was necessary, I trained a lot more economically,” he said, noting that he didn’t expend the same amount of draining energy while training for his first fight with Duran in Montreal, Canada just five months earlier.

“I didn’t allow Duran’s antics to get to me,” Leonard said.

On that fateful night, legendary music superstar Ray Charles – whom Leonard was named after – performed “America the Beautiful” prior to the opening bell and the young gladiator’s confidence soared.

“That was it,” Leonard said.

Now, 35 years later, Leonard who grew up in Palmer Park, Md. vividly recalled the events leading up to the first fight and the rematch as if it happened yesterday.

Duran, who entered the first contest at Olympic Stadium in Montreal with an astonishing 71-1 record with 56 knockouts, spewed vitriol at Leonard and his wife, infuriating the welterweight champion.

“He was nasty, I hated him,” said Leonard, who entered with a record of 27-0 with 18 knockouts.

Leonard continued: “Duran was a veteran and he knew he could get inside my head, which he did. There was also a communication gap, because he didn’t speak English that well. He challenged my manhood and made me feel less than a fighter, less than a man, and he used profanity toward my wife.”

Leonard said he couldn’t stand to be around his nemesis and shocked observers by choosing to brawl with the slugger, losing the decision and his title.

“I wanted to beat him so bad and I abandoned my style,” Leonard said, noting that he over-trained for the first fight. “It’s not an excuse, I lost, but he got into my head.”

In the rematch, it was Leonard who got the mastery over his opponent, both physically and mentally.

“When he quit, however, it became more about what he did than what I made him do,” Leonard said, echoing his long-lived lament that was captured two years ago in an ESPN documentary about the fight, titled “30-for-30 – No Más”

The documentary has re-aired on ESPN since its debut and is available at Amazon.com.

The film provided boxing fans a closer look at how Leonard outsmarted, out-punched and out-maneuvered Duran, before Leonard humiliated his foe with the famous ‘Ali Shuffle,’ mock bolo punches and even sticking his chin out daring Duran to hit him.

At 2:44 of the eighth round, Duran threw up his hands and said, “No Más,” quitting after realizing he had no shot at defeating Leonard, who, with the win, regained his welterweight championship.

“As a fighter, you just have to know some things, you just want to hear him finally say that he quit because he knew I had beat him,” Leonard said of his trip to Panama to visit Duran that was captured in the ESPN documentary.

Duran never did confess to quitting in the ring that night, because he was being beaten and humiliated by Leonard. According to the world champ from Palmer Park, the Panamanian fighter still struggled with the loss when they met in his home country.

“When I saw him [in Panama] struggling with that, I didn’t want to bring him down any further,” Leonard said. “It’s crazy, standing there with him in Panama, I was a nervous wreck and so was he. But, we are friends now.”

While the Nov. 25, 1980 bout was a seminal moment in Leonard’s hall of fame career, he still provided boxing fans with even more memories.

Less than one year after he beat Duran, Leonard fought Thomas “Hitman” Hearns in Las Vegas, Nev., on Sept. 16, 1981 to unify the welterweight title in a match dubbed “Showdown at the Palace.”

“The thing with Tommy is that I had to disassemble him. He’s such an anomaly standing nearly 6’ 2” and super fast, Tommy was a beast and even my brother, Roger, thought Tommy would beat me,” Leonard said, adding that even he had doubts.

“I fought the best way that I could in the early rounds,” he said.

Looking around the packed arena, Leonard said he noticed all of the celebrities at ringside, including Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes and others.

“I said, ‘Who in this arena can beat Tommy? I saw Ali, I saw everyone,” Leonard said.

The turning point came in the sixth round of the scheduled 15 round slugfest.

“I hit him with a left hook and I said, ‘Damn, I can hit too,’” Leonard said.

Later, after unleashing one of the most spectacular barrages in ring history, Leonard punished Hearns with flush right and left hands leading the referee to stop the fight in the 14th round and awarding Leonard a TKO victory.

A Gold Medalist in the 1976 Olympics, Leonard was named fighter of the decade in the 1980s and he would go on to win titles in five different weight classes including a memorable clash on April 6, 1987 with Middleweight Champion Marvelous Marvin Hagler.

With Hagler the heavy favorite, Leonard silenced all doubters.

“I remember looking at the sportswriters at ringside and I would nod my head at them,” said Leonard. “After the ninth round, those guys started nodding their heads too because, they knew I was going to win.”

Today, Leonard still keeps up with his idol, the ailing Muhammad Ali and he continues to immerse himself in charity and other endeavors including his Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation.

“Without Ali, I wouldn’t be here,” Leonard said. “He’s hanging in there, he’s a champion.”

Finally, when asked how he thinks he would fair in his prime against today’s best, Floyd Mayweather, Leonard laughed.

“We bump into each other and he says, ‘I can beat you,’ and I’d say ‘you can’t touch me,’” Leonard said. “I’m a fighter, a champion.”

sugarray_srlf2 — Sugar Ray Leonard was named fighter of the decade in the 1980s and he would go on to win titles in five different weight classes. (Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation)

photo credit: Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation.

Daily Quote ~November 16, 2015~

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Birmingham Times

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November 16, 2015

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Spiritual Thought/Empowerment

White House: ISIS has ambition for U.S. attack, but likely lacks capability

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Birmingham Times

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November 16, 2015

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Antalya, Turkey (CNN)President Barack Obama’s national security team is sending a message Sunday that might lend at least a glimmer of reassurance to Americans traumatized by the terror attacks in Paris.

Saying that while the ISIS ambition is certainly there to launch similar attacks on U.S. shores, the capability is not great.

Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters that one big difference between the situation in Europe and that in the U.S. is that “thousands” of fighters have traveled to Syria and then returned to Europe. That number being tracked in America is far smaller– around 40, according to the Director of National Intelligence James Clapper earlier this year.

Clapper added that not all of those ISIS joiners were necessarily fighting — some might have served other roles for the terrorist group, such as first aid — and he knew of no terrorist plots that any of those returning have been involved in once back in the U.S.

Rhodes said that ISIS has found more utility in trying to recruit or motivate sympathizers in America online, from abroad.

A top FBI counterterrorism official told Congress this year that “hundreds, maybe thousands” of people in the U.S. follow ISIS online. And this year alone, at least 49 alleged ISIS “supporters” in America have been charged with related crimes. The largest number of those were in New York.

An ISIS-inspired plot in Garland, Texas, in May, in which two men with body armor and assault rifles opened fire outside an art contest in which participants drew pictures of the prophet Mohammed, was thwarted by a security officer who shot and killed both suspects.

The FBI had been watching one of the suspects’ online activity referencing the contest, and had warned police in Garland hours before the attack, though officials didn’t know he was planning an attack, and weren’t closely monitoring his physical whereabouts.

Following that attack, intelligence officials have said they are now doing more monitoring of “hundreds” of suspected ISIS supporters.

Rhodes emphasized Sunday there is currently “no specific, credible threat” of an attack being planned in the U.S., but vigilance among law enforcement is high.

A South Carolina Story About Hope

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Birmingham Times

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November 13, 2015

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By Alice Bernstein

As South Carolina endured terrible flooding and continuing rains, I’ve tried to reach many friends my colleagues and I have made over 15 years, to say how much they mean to us and to offer encouragement. Among the many men and women we’ve met through our work with the nonprofit Alliance of Ethics & Art, are unsung pioneers interviewed for “The Force of Ethics in Civil Rights” oral history project, and participants in our free educational performance event, “The People of Clarendon County” – A Play by Ossie Davis, & the Answer to Racism! And as a journalist, my articles about what Eli Siegel, the great American poet and founder of the education Aesthetic Realism, explained is the cause and answer to racism, appeared in S.C., including the Community Times, Charleston Chronicle, and Black News. The cause of racism and every injustice is contempt, “the addition to self through the lessening of something else”– and the answer: learning to criticize contempt, including in oneself, and to see the depths of others are as real and alive as our own.

And, I am personally grateful to have learned from Aesthetic Realism, that our hope to like reality – even under terrible or difficult circumstances – and to do all we honestly can to like reality, is our deepest desire and the most sensible way to take care of ourselves.

A poem which I care for is “Somewhere Along the Line,” by Eli Siegel, from his series of “Hope Poems.” In it, the world as known and unknown, logical and confusing, is given musical form that is graceful and matter-of-fact, true and comforting at once.

Somewhere Along the Line

by Eli Siegel

As we look in any direction,

We don’t know, but there may be some good thing

Somewhere along the line.

And now I’d like to tell you about something truly hopeful – a “good thing” – that happened in South Carolina in recent days.

Bishop Frederick James & Prosperity’s Rosenwald School

When I finally reached Bishop Frederick James (now 93) in Columbia, I was relieved to hear that he and his wife are faring well. Then I gingerly asked how his dear, unfinished Rosenwald School building in Prosperity, S.C. had fared. Before I tell his answer, I’ll give some history.

This school was one of over 5,000 built in the South in the 1920s –’30s to provide quality education to Black children which the racist Jim Crow laws deprived them of. These schools were the vision of Jewish businessman Julius Rosenwald (1862-1932), encouraged by educator and former slave Booker T. Washington. They were built to improve the lives of Black Americans, and would educate hundreds of thousands of children.

Frederick James attended the Prosperity Rosenwald school from 1st to 10th grade (1927-37). His treasured education led to a life as a distinguished theologian and advocate for education, human and civil rights for people of all faiths and ethnicities – in the U.S. and beyond. He marched with Dr. King, opposed the racist apartheid system in South Africa – and attended the inauguration of Nelson Mandela as that country’s first Black president.

For 30 years he has dedicated himself to restoring and preserving the dilapidated building –originally one of the most beautiful of Rosenwald schools – so it may be a center of education, culture, and economic uplift for the entire community in the 21st century.

The Alliance was proud to partner with the Bishop in his effort to raise funds, by applying for a grant in his behalf, which would enable us to come to S.C. and produce our Clarendon County/Answer to Racism event as a fundraiser for the school. The Puffin Foundation answered the call and sent a $1,000 grant for this purpose. And while other grant-seeking efforts at the time didn’t pan out, Bishop James used the Puffin funds to further restore the building’s many large windows.

Hope Was “Somewhere along the line”

When I asked how his dear Rosenwald school had fared with the flood and rains, he said that because it was on high ground, it was not flooded. And he added, “I’d like to thank you for your role in helping to preserve those windows; it also led to helping our school building to withstand these great rains. I will be forever appreciative of that.”

And he continued, “That Puffin Foundation grant triggered other people to have faith enough to give large gifts – there is encouragement in numbers. I can’t talk enough about your role in this.”
Bishop James said further: “I’d like to say what’s in my heart. What this nation needs is more caring across ethnic lines. I think our nation and the world needs what Eli Siegel, the great founder of Aesthetic Realism, the philosophy of life in America and the world, teaches. It’s certainly in harmony with the great religious scriptures and the heart of all faiths across this globe.”

We are proud to be a means of preserving history, some of which might never have become known, and of encouraging people everywhere to study Aesthetic Realism’s scientific, kind, and urgent explanation of the cause and answer to racism. To learn more: www.Allianceofeticsandart.org.

Alice Bernstein is a journalist, Aesthetic Realism Associate, and civil rights historian.