Winemaker Simone Bergese’s Wines have won over 70 Awards

February 19, 2015

BRASELTON, Ga. – Château Élan has been making wine in North Georgia for
three decades, but it is Simone Bergese who has launched the Winery into a whole new era. Bergese
joined the winery as executive winemaker in 2012, and with him came a vision. Though he joined a
winery whose image was shadowed by that of a successful resort, he saw its potential. With a winery
renovation to complement his almost two decades of winemaking experience, he pledged to transform
the Chateau Elan Winery into something worthy of its own spotlight – a pledge that has won him 72
wine awards in just two years.
Bergese commenced the winery’s transformation by first replanting the vineyards with diseaseresistant
native Muscadine grapes. The challenge of growing classic European varieties in the region had
taken its toll on the vines, and Bergese’s vision left no room for sacrificed quality. “I saw a different way
– a possibility,” he said. “We would grow what was possible in Georgia and make it into the best
product.” For the classic European varieties, Bergese toured vineyards in California and hand-selected
those with the highest quality grapes. “For great wine you have to start with great grapes, so we tapped
into the nation’s best territories,” he said. From the West Coast vineyards Bergese takes pride in using
only fresh, whole grapes. “My vision is to make Chateau Elan the best winery in the East, which means
no compromise on freshness and quality.”
His first harvests were bottled in 2013, at which time he began sending samples to national wine
competitions. The response was amazing: Chateau Elan Winery hasn’t left a single competition
unawarded. As a result, the popularity and production of the wines has dramatically increased. 23,000
cases were produced in 2014, compared to the previous years of less than 10,000 cases. Remarkably,
Bergese’s first 2013 vintages of the double gold-winning Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve and gold-winning
Scarlet Reserve sold out completely within a year. Due to the winery’s incredible success in the past two
years, Bergese expects to increase production in 2015 to 25,000 cases.
In addition to increased volume, Bergese is also unveiling several new wines in 2015, along with
new vintages of his successful European varieties. Among the new wines is a line of three superpremium
creations entitled “Chateau Elan Fingerprint Collection.” Bergese considers these signature
wines – El Tempranillo, La Barbera and Les Petites – his mark on the great Chateau Elan heritage. They
will boast the highest quality, most extensive winemaking processes and complex techniques. The
Fingerprint wines, along with his repertoire of other American native and classic European varieties will
be entered into the top wine competitions in the nation throughout 2015 to establish Chateau Elan as a
consistent top-ten East Coast winery.
Also planned for 2015 is a cosmetic renovation of the winery to reflect the back-of-house
transformation and accommodate its continued growth and success. Plans include an expanded interior
complete with a new tapas and tasting bar, a remodeled entryway and an outdoor veranda with tasting
area and fire pit. “The winery’s transformation is for the total experience of our guests,” Bergese said.
“It’s not just about the liquid and how it tastes. We want to bring guests inside to really understand the
process and experience the art of winemaking.”
With his dedication to quality and the investment in the winery’s functional and cosmetic
aspects, Bergese has high hopes for 2015. “Georgia isn’t wine country, but we are making a story by
creating something magical out of our reality: a locally-focused winery with a national cut,” he said.
With 72 awards won since his first harvests in 2013, including multiple best-of-class, double gold and
gold medals, Chateau Elan Winery’s vision of greatness has become a reality. “I am thrilled to be taking
on some of the West Coast’s best wineries and coming out ahead,” Bergese said. “I am so proud of the
bold statement we’re making that Chateau Elan has such a strong commitment to quality.”
Château Élan Winery & Resort
Located just 40 minutes north of Atlanta, Château Élan Winery & Resort is North Georgia’s
premier meeting, event and vacation destination. On the 3,500-acre estate sits a 16th century styled
French château with a full-service winery and tasting bar, A AAA Four Diamond Inn and
conference center, a 25,000-sq ft European spa mansion, 63 holes of championship golf, tennis
center, seven distinctive dining outlets and more. Château Élan is a proud member of the
Preferred Hotels & Resorts group. For more information call 678-425-0900, visit
www.chateauelan.com or follow on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/chateauelan.

Nutrition and Calorie Labeling: Important Information for a Healthy Heart

Birmingham Times

February 19, 2015

SILVER SPRING, Md., /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ – February is American Heart Month. Cardiovascular disease — including heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure — is the leading cause of death among both men and women in the United States. That’s why it’s important to protect your heart health not only this month, but throughout your lifetime.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has a simple tool called the Nutrition Facts Label, and it can help you make heart-healthy dietary choices in February and every day throughout the year. The Nutrition Facts Label is found on packaged foods and beverages. It lets you see exactly what you’re eating and how a particular food (and the nutrients it contains) fits into your daily diet. Use it to compare foods and make choices that can affect your long-term health!
Get Less of Certain Nutrients
The Nutrition Facts Label helps you track specific nutrients that can have an impact on heart health. The Percent Daily Value (%DV) information shown on the Nutrition Facts Label gives a framework for deciding if a food is high or low in specific nutrients – including the ones you are trying to limit.
To help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, compare nutrients and choose foods with a lower %DV of sodium, saturated fat, and cholesterol, and try to stay below 100 percent DV for these nutrients every day. Use this general guideline when comparing nutrients in food:
• 5% DV or less per serving of a particular nutrient is low
• 20% DV or more per serving of a particular nutrient is high
And remember, the %DV listed is for one serving, but many packages contain more than one serving! So, look at the serving size and how many servings you are actually consuming.

Line Dances while “Burning Calories”

Birmingham Times

February 19, 2015

Line Dance/Fitness Extravaganza

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – D2 Line Dancing by Desi Keith, and the Magic City Ballers Dance Group by Luellen Lucas are passionate about exercise and fitness while maintaining good health. Therefore we are having a free BLACK HISTORY MONTH LINE DANCE/FITNESS EXTRAVAGANZA in District 5 at the Fountain Heights Recreation Center located at 1101 15th Avenue North, Wednesday, February 25th, from 5:30 p.m.–7 p.m. We want Birmingham citizens of all ages to attend, and get on the right path by exercising and line dancing for fitness!
Come out and learn the latest line dances while “burning calories” and jamming to fitness. This event is FREE and open to the public. We suggest all participants wear comfortable clothes, and rubber bottom shoes.
For more information, please contact Lois Germany, Event Coordinator (205) 791-2706 or lsgrm@aol.com Lin

HEAD INJURY : Concussion Experts speak at Second Annual Summit

Birmingham Times

February 19, 2015

Senior Medical Advisor to NFL Among Other Concussion Experts to Speak at Second Annual Summit at Children’s of Alabama
Children’s of Alabama will host the second annual Concussion Summit on Friday, Feb. 27, at 8 a.m. in its Bradley Lecture Center (Children’s Harbor Building, 1600 6th Ave. S., Birmingham, 35233). This year’s conference will focus on the journey from impact to recovery and include both the latest in medical research and education combined with community issues surrounding post-concussion treatments.
The day-long conference is open to the public and hosted by UAB Sports Medicine at Children’s of Alabama in conjunction with the Wise Up! Initiative. The conference will feature presentations geared to coaches, athletic directors, school leaders, school nurses, athletic trainers and parents.
“The evolution of concussion legislation and best practice is ongoing,” said Drew Ferguson, director of UAB Sports Medicine at Children’s . “It’s imperative to understand how young athletes are affected by concussion symptoms in both the short term and the long term. The more parents, athletic trainers and coaches, teachers and school leaders know about concussions, the safer our young athletes will be.”
Featured speakers at the 2015 conference include Dr. Robert Cantu, author of “Concussions and Our Kids – America’s Leading Expert on How to Protect Young Athletes and Keep Sports Safe”. Dr. Cantu is also Senior Advisor to the NFL’s Head, Neck and Spine Committee, Co- Founder and Medical Director of the Sports Legacy (SLI) Institute in Waltham, Mass., Medical and Research Director of the Cantu Concussion Center, Concord, Mass., and Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery at Boston University School of Medicine.
Topics will address Return-to-Play and Return-to-Think guidelines, as well as helmet standards, diagnosis and management of concussions and continuity of care.
Registration continues through Wednesday, Feb. 25. The cost to attend is $25. Lunch and parking are included with registration. Online registration is available at www.childrensal.org/concussion. For more information or to request a printed registration form, call 205-638-6916.
UAB Sports Medicine is recognized by the Board of Certification, Inc., to offer continuing education for Certified Athletic Trainers. This program has been approved for a maximum of (7) hours of Category A continuing education. Certified Athletic Trainers are responsible for claiming only those hours actually spent participating in the CE activity.

Reduce the Risk of Birth Defects: Avoid Opioids When Possible

Birmingham Times

February 19, 2015

(NAPSI)—Every 4½ minutes in the U.S., a baby is born with a birth defect leading to hospital-related economic costs that exceed $2.6 billion annually—but the risk of birth defects can be decreased.
The Problem
Many women are unaware that prescription opioid-based medications such as codeine, oxycodone, hydrocodone and morphine, used to treat severe pain, may increase the risk for serious birth defects of the brain, spine, abdominal wall and heart, as well as preterm birth when taken during pregnancy. They can also cause babies to suffer withdrawal when born.
Since half of all pregnancies are unplanned, women may be prescribed opioid-based pain medications before they know they’re pregnant. In fact, more than one-fourth of privately insured women of childbearing age fill prescriptions for opioid-based painkillers, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Expert Opinions
“This highlights the importance of promoting safer alternative treatments, when available, for women of reproductive age. We must do what we can to protect babies from exposure to opioids,” said Coleen A. Boyle, Ph.D., MSHyg, Director of CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.
“If you are using an opioid painkiller, you should also be practicing effective birth control,” advised José F. Cordero, M.D., MPH, a pediatrician, birth defects expert formerly at CDC, and member of the Board of Trustees at the March of Dimes, the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. “If you decide to get pregnant or do become pregnant, tell your health care provider about all the medications you are taking right away. You may be able to switch to a safer alternative,” he went on to say.
Dr. Cordero also urged physicians and other prescribers not to write prescriptions for opioid-based painkillers for their female patients who may become pregnant without a discussion of the risks and safer alternatives.
“The CDC’s Treating for Two: Safer Medication Use in Pregnancy initiative offers information to women and their health care providers about medication use during pregnancy. This initiative aims to prevent birth defects and improve the health of mothers and babies by working to identify the best alternatives for treatment of common conditions during pregnancy and during the childbearing years,” added Dr. Boyle.

Birmingham Times

February 19, 2015

Robert L. Johnson Donates Selections From The Barnett-Aden Collection to The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History &Culture
Privately owned by Johnson, the Barnett-Aden Collection is one of the country’s oldest collections of African American art.

The RLJ Companies logo.

BETHESDA, Md. /PRNewswire/ – Robert L. Johnson, founder of The RLJ Companies and founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET), has announced a donation of select artworks from his privately owned Barnett-Aden Collection to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. A terracotta sculpture (Head of a Negro Woman) by Elizabeth Catlett and paintings from Romare Bearden (A Walk in Paradise Gardens), Archibald John Motley Jr. (The Argument), Henry O. Tanner (Flight into Egypt), and Frederick C. Flemister (Self-Portrait) will become part of the Museum’s permanent exhibition.
“As a founding council member of the NMAAHC, the artwork I have donated represents pride and dignity and is a celebration of the diverse aspects of African American history. Each piece not only represents the creative genius of the artist but also tells a story and is a tribute to African American art and culture,” said Johnson. “I identify personally with several pieces from the Barnett-Aden Collection, and I am confident the National Museum of African American History and Culture will ensure that the works from such talented artists of early American history are preserved and exposed for both educational, cultural, and enjoyment by millions of Americans and people from around the world who tour the Museum,” he concluded.
“We are delighted to receive such a significant donation from Robert L. Johnson to house as part the museum’s permanent collection,” said Lonnie G. Bunch, founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. “Mr. Johnson’s gift of artworks from the Barnett-Aden Collection marks an important milestone for the museum and for the establishment of the visual arts permanent collection,” he continued.
The Barnett-Aden Collection was founded in 1943 by Howard University’s James Herring and Alonzo Aden and is reported to be one of the country’s oldest collections of African American art featuring portraiture, urban genre themes and depictions of the African American experience.
Since the 1980s, Johnson has assembled a private collection of more than 250 pieces of artwork by 19th and 20th Century artists. The Barnett-Aden Collection, which documents the struggles, achievements and celebrations of Black people in America, was acquired by Johnson in 1998 from the National Museum of African American Art (NMAAA) based in Florida, and selections from the Collection were displayed in Washington, D.C. in early 2009.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture’s Visual Arts Gallery will be the only permanent art exhibition on the Smithsonian Mall dedicated to illustrating the critical role American artists of African descent played in shaping the history of American art. The gallery will contain various modes of fine art production, including painting, sculpture, works on paper, art installations, mixed media, photography and digital media.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture was established by an Act of Congress through legislation signed into law in 2003 by President George W. Bush. Scheduled to open in 2016, the museum is under construction on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on a five-acre tract adjacent to the Washington Monument. Upon completion, the National Museum of African American History and Culture will become the nation’s largest and most comprehensive cultural institution devoted exclusively to exploring and documenting the African American story and its impact on American history.

Get Ready for the Newest Black History Application

Birmingham Times

February 19, 2015

Get Ready for the Newest Black History Application to Grace the Android and IOS Markets, QUIZTORY®!
Creative Educational Products (CEP) Inc., founded by sisters Kysha and DAnna Mounia, launched their first, innovative educational trivia app, Quiztory® on Friday, February 13, during Black History Month! This new and exciting app will feature African American history in the 21st century from the rich historical past of African Americans to todays pop culture.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.(BlackNews.com) — CEP was created to challenge the educational status quo through creative change and answer two important questions: How can we become advocates for African American history and what vehicle will help facilitate our cause? The answer is Quiztory®!
Quiztory® will take you on a journey through African American history as never before. From the names and events you know, to those we hope will leave you inspired. From the very first question, Quiztory® seeks to capture your full attention. Unlike many trivia apps that rely on basic question and answer formats, Quiztory® creates a fun “game show” type of environment with signature clock music and with Atllas, our host who will lead you on your journey through Quiztory®.
This app will be introduced into various educational institutions and organizations and will be available for download free of charge in the App Store and Google Play.
In addition to Quiztory®, CEP, has partnered with iHeartRadio to further introduce three original shows produced exclusively for the Quiztory® channel. This Day in Quiztory is a daily segment that seeks to open all minds to the wonders of African American history, “OUR HISTORY.” Each day on This Day in Quiztory, they will share a brief historical lesson on African American achievements in everything from science, sports, music and politics, to current pop culture quite often narrated by celebrities and influential community leaders. CEP recently partnered with Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana where students contribute to the research and writing of the daily narratives.
The second show, A Moment in Hip-Hop Quiztory, is a weekly show hosted by Money B from the rap group Digital Underground and The Goin Way Back Show. Each week, Money B ties in quiztorical tidbits with interviews from some of our favorite hip-hop artists. The final show, Brownstone Radio Quiztory is a bi-weekly show where radio personalities bring the flavor and creativity of their existing format with an added Quiztory® bonus. Visit them on iHeartRadio (www.iheart.com/shows/station/Quiztory/).
The Launch Event
The launch event for Quiztory® took place at Maggianos restaurant located at The Grove in Los Angeles, Calif., Friday, February 13, starting at 8p.m.. The red carpet was open from 8p.m.- 9 p.m.
Various Wi-Fi stations equipped with iPads graced the ballroom for invited guests to experience the application along with music, hors doeuvres, drinks, games and prizes.
Invited guests were the first to experience the app. Guests included educational leaders from various middle to high schools, colleges, universities and celebrities.
Guests also received gifts and goodies from sponsors Rollercoaster Waves, Celebrity Looks Laser Center, Dental Design Studio City, YogaWorks, Cole Craig Organic Candles, Ooh Lala Cake Couture by Lakisha, Lashed Bar Co., The Black History Store, The Posh Mommy, Golf n Stuff and Variety Magazine.
For more information about Quiztory®, visit www.quiztory.com.  Follow them on their journey on Instagram (www.instagram.com/quiztory) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/quiztory) and like what they do on Facebook (www.facebook.com/quiztory).

Ethel Payne : A Life Worth Remembering Today

Birmingham Times

February 19, 2015

Ethel Payne, The First Lady of the Black Press: A Life Worth Remembering Today
by James McGrath Morris

The movie “Selma” has reawakened interest in the struggle for civil rights among younger generations of Americans particularly in the role of the less well-known foot soldiers of the movement. One of the more remarkable figures of that era that has almost disappeared from the pages of history is journalist Ethel Payne. Her life is certainly worth remembering today, especially in light of the news media’s recent role in reporting on the death of African Americans at the hands of the police.
The granddaughter of slaves and the daughter of a Pullman porter, Ethel Payne rose to become the nation’s preeminent Black female reporter of the civil rights era, chronicling the movement’s seminal moments in the Chicago Defender for a national Black readership hungry for stories that could not be found in the white media. From publicly challenging President Eisenhower’s commitment to desegregation in the 1950s to capturing the lives of Black troops in Vietnam in the 1960s, she became known simply as “the First Lady of Black Press.”
Her unflinching yet personable reporting enlightened and activated Black readers across the country and made her a trusted ally of civil rights leaders. When she worked in the ranks of the virtually all-white Washington press corps, she gave Black America a voice and presence at the highest reaches of power that could not be ignored.
What Payne discovered when she first arrived in Washington in 1953, as one of only three African American White House correspondents, was that merely asking civil rights questions of the president at national press conferences forced the white media to report on the issue and place it on the national agenda. From Dwight D. Eisenhower to Ronald Reagan, occupants of the White House all knew the First Lady of the Black Press.
On display in her apartment were pens given to her by President Lyndon B. Johnson that he used to sign the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Aside from Martin Luther King, she was one of the very few people who were not lawmakers to have been given pens by the President from the signing of the two most important legislative victories of the civil rights movement.
But Payne did not limit herself to merely confronting those in power in Washington. She expanded her reporting to the Southern desegregation battlegrounds in the 1950s. Her stories from the South and her continued nudging presence in the Washington press corps made her one of the civil rights movement’s most trusted sources of news for African Americans. As the movement gained traction, Payne went overseas traveling and reporting from Africa and Asia in the belief that international affairs and civil rights were inextricably linked.
As her career wound down in the 1970s Payne became the first African-American woman radio and television commentator on a national network when CBS hired her. But in the 1980s, Payne began to withdraw from public life retiring from active journalism, writing the occasional column, teaching, and protesting; she was arrested in front of the South African embassy in 1985 during an anti-apartheid protest.
She harbored no regrets, including not having been able to pursue her childhood hope of being a lawyer, except for one. “I was married to my work,” she said. “But I would have liked to have been married, yes, and have children of my own.”
Payne died alone in her Washington apartment in 1991. “Her voice was low, but her questions were piercing, and her reports on the world were cherished by millions of readers,” the Washington Post noted in an editorial. “Had she not been Black she certainly would have been one of the most recognized journalists in American society.”
Ethel Lois Payne’s story offers a gentle reminder that the great power of a free press rests on a simple notion of rendering those in power accountable. Payne’s journalism invoked none of the angry name-calling fashionable in the news media today. Rather, she brought only one weapon with her when she gained access to the halls of power on behalf of her readers. It was to ask questions that others were not asking.
And she got answers.

Charisse Carney-Nunes

Birmingham Times

February 19, 2015

Charisse Carney-Nunes, writer, speaker and literary advocate, is the award-winning author of the children’s books, I Am Barack Obama (2009), I Dream For You A World: A Covenant For Our Children (2007) and Nappy (2006), as well as Songs Of A Sistermom: Motherhood Poems (2004).
I Am Barack Obama recently won a 2009 Honor Award from Skipping Stones Multicultural Magazine.
Charisse is the founder of a publishing company, Brand Nu Words LLC where she has sold over 18,000 books, and now concentrates on digital publishing. She is a senior officer of The Jamestown Project, an action-oriented think tank focusing on democracy; a Diamond Life Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; and a graduate of Harvard Law School, where she was a schoolmate of President Obama, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, where she was poet laureate.
Charisse has served as a speaker or presenter for numerous national and regional organizations, and has appeared on Inside Edition, ABC News Now, CBS’s CW Network, Comcast’s CN-8, Radio One, and American Urban Radio Networks. She resides in Washington, D.C. with her husband of over 14 years, Harvey, and their daughter and son.
Visit her website, www.BrandNuWords.com where you may contact her for bookings and engagements.

Black History: Aaron, Henry Louis

Birmingham Times

February 19, 2015

(1934- )

Henry Louis Aaron was born February 5, 1934, in Mobile, Alabama, the third of eight children to Herbert Aaron, a shipyard worker at Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company, and his wife, Estella. Aaron decided he wanted to be a major league baseball player after hearing a speech by the Brooklyn Dodgers’ Jackie Robinson while visiting Mobile on April 3, 1950, during spring training. While in high school, Aaron began playing for the Mobile Black Bears, a semi-pro team, and in 1952 began a season with the Indianapolis, Indiana Clowns. Aaron was the last player to come from Negro Leagues and achieve success in Major League Baseball.   In 1954 Aaron was brought up to the Milwaukee Braves to replace an injured outfielder. Aaron hit a home run in his first major league at-bat. He would continue to hit home runs in remarkable fashion for the next two decades. Aaron was the only major league player to hit at least 20 home runs in every season for 20 consecutive years, at least 30 for 15 years, or at least 40 for eight years. He was the first player to record more than 3.000 hits and 500 home runs. On April 8, 1974, Aaron hit his 715th career home run, breaking the record long held by Babe Ruth.   In the period when Aaron was closing in on Ruth’s home run record, he grew angry and disillusioned by the hate mail and physical threats he and his family received on a daily basis. When asked if he threw out the hate mail, Aaron replied that “No, I didn’t. That will never be thrown away…We still have to be reminded that things are not as good as we think they are.”  Although he will be remembered as the player who broke Babe Ruth’s home run record, “Hammerin’ Hank” Aaron set a number of other records in Major League Baseball. He holds the record for most career home runs (755), most runs batted in (2,297), and most games played (3,298). Aaron also won three consecutive Gold Glove awards from 1958 through 1960, played in a record-tying 24 All-Star games and was named National League MVP in 1957. Hank Aaron was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982. The Hank Aaron Award is given annually to the best overall hitter in each league. In 2002 Henry Aaron was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush, the highest honor given to a civilian by the American government.
Sources:
Tom Stanton, Hank Aaron and the Home Run that Changed America (New York: William Morrow, 2004); National Baseball Hall of Fame, http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/hofer_bios/aaron_hank.htm; The New Georgia Encyclopedia: Hank Aaron, http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-739

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