By Esther Callens

Flautist and composer Colette Michaan’s third release brings a refreshing take to the music industry. Incarnate Encarna, its title, features a wonderful mix of Latin and jazz music. With love as the central theme, Incarnate Encarna is perfect to listen to with your significant other.  Album favorites are “Rico Melao” and “Historia De Un Amor”.
Track listing:  Incarnate-Encarna; Identidad; Intention; Obatala; Wisdom; Throw It Away; Rico Melao; Historia De Un Amor; Innocence.

Returning with her third release as well is Joanne Tatham. Out Of My Dreams (Café Pacific Records) features Tatham’s sultry vocals and an all-star lineup of musicians. Joining Tatham are Tamir Hendelman, Jamieson Trotter, John Clayton and others. This album is a fabulous, one of a kind recording that includes Tatham’s interpretations of Harry Nilsson, Herbie Hancock, Dave Frishberg and others’ music.
Track listings: You Taught My Heart To Sing; Without Him; Devil May Care; Vivo Sonhando; Cool; Double Life (Tell me A Bedtime Story); Detour Ahead; Too Long In LA; You’re Sensational; In A Lonely Place; Out Of My Dreams.

Last, but certainly not least is the new release, Something Beatles from Phil Haynes and Free Country (Jim Yanda, Hank Roberts and Drew Gress). Okay – I know the sum is innumerable when trying to tally all the Beatles’ interpretations that have been recorded. However, Phil Haynes and Free Country have covered Britain’s brightest exceptionally while incorporating their own exclusive musical technique as well as adding a few extra surprises. Something Beatles was recorded live which adds a special something to Haynes and Free Country’s jazzy bluegrass bravura.
Album favorites includes “Here Comes The Sun”, “Something”, “Birthday” – well the entire set. What can I say – It’s the Beatles!
Track listings: Shenandoah; Mari’s Wedding; Mother Nature’s Son; Let it Be; Here Comes The Sun; Something; Birthday; Revolution; Hey Jude.

by Jo Hooks

Family, a group of people related to one another by blood or marriage.

In a world of turmoil and uncertainty, it is more important than ever to make our families the center of our lives and the top of our priorities. We sometimes consider our first cousins, second cousins and third cousins, we think of them as close family. Sometimes in our regular social circles we become family with someone whom we just like and feel close to.  Without  any ties, we will make them our family. I found myself a close-by-family, because of the far away distance of my own. I am so proud to be part of the Miller family. This family’s got it going on. When they welcomed me to the fold and to become part of their family, I felt honored.
The Miller family is familiar to me. Comforting each other with reassurance when one is having special needed attention moment. Their exceptional concerns for each other is phenomenal. Taking pictures and their celebrations for any and all occasions is just remarkable. Since starting our new kinship, I have been to their family gatherings. The celebrations  are sometimes consistent with national holidays, Thanksgiving festivities with all the trimmings, Christmas, New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, Fourth of July, TV football games, barbecues, chicken dinners, fish fries, pork chop dinners, the children trampoline activities, wrestling championship, icy cold bebops (one of my hot summer day favorite treats), extravagant birthday parties and there is nothing like their family activities and dinners. One of the sons married and had a beautiful, elaborate, wedding, another Miller’s joyous celebration. Their family’s next summer cruise to the Islands is another highlight for their family. All of the family is getting ready to go on the big ship. Their celebrations are always well-organized. The weekends are filled with laughter and relaxation, this is very important to the Miller family. Even the smallest  children celebrate with plenty of fun-filled recreation. Neighbors and friends are welcome to come to join in the Miller’s celebrations. Another noble community involvement of the Miller family was the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Linn Park. When the family participated in this race it was one of their significant, meaningful contributions.
Good behavior and manners of the Millers is established as a golden rule. A death of one family member, who was an all around guy and well known in the City of Brighton, was sudden. They supported and comforted each other; emphazing their shared feelings. The community surrounded the family with their condolences. The Miller family is a very close family. Sometimes in our efforts to improve we forget that change and growth take time. We should not expect overnight perfection from either ourselves or other family members. Enjoying our families is one of the joys we should accept. Togetherness and closeness will give an extra bond to the unity of family.
Our families help us see where we have come from so that we may more clearly decide where we’d like to go. If we can learn to accept our families for who they are, then we go out into the world armed with the ability to deal with anyone. Some families are better than others at preparing us for the world. What we learn from our families, even if they are simply blank spots on our family trees, becomes the basis of our identities as individuals. Rather than denying our connections, we can choose to accept their presence in our lives. Acceptance does not mean we have to like them; we simply acknowledge that we are connected to them and honor that connection – for like it or not, there is a reason. When we can embrace all that they bring into our experience, we may be grateful for all we have learned from them and have to learn, while we experience everything that comes with family fully and completely. The Miller’s Mother, Mrs. Susie Mae Miller and Father, Mr. Isaac Miller, left a tremendously strong, caring and active family of Brighton, Alabama.

Featuring Ball Drop and Fireworks Show
GATLINBURG, Tenn. – Gatlinburg will welcome the arrival of 2015 in unique style with the 27th New Year’s Eve Ball Drop and Fireworks Show.  The family friendly celebration is one of the largest organized New Year’s Eve events in the nation.
Nearly 50,000 people will gather around the intersection of Parkway and Historic Nature Trail Drive at the base of the Space Needle late Wednesday night, December 31 to welcome in the New Year. Leading up to midnight, there will be free music in the parking lot adjacent to the Gatlinburg Convention Center, which is the perfect vantage point for viewing the fireworks show.
At the stroke of midnight on January 1, 2015, fireworks will blast off the rooftop of the 400-foot tall Space Needle with special music choreographed for the fireworks show produced by Pyro-Shows of LaFollette, Tennessee.  The Space Needle has added rhythmic LED lights to the tower, making for a spectacular display.
“New Year’s Eve in Gatlinburg is special. The ball drop and fireworks from the Space Needle create a unique experience for our visitors,” says Jim Downs, Special Events Director for Gatlinburg Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We expect to have another big crowd to help us usher in 2015 in a big way.”
Visitors are encouraged to arrive early to take advantage of the celebration specials offered by many Gatlinburg restaurants and businesses.  For more information on New Year’s Eve in Gatlinburg, call the Gatlinburg Convention and Visitors Bureau at 800-588-1817 or visit www.gatlinburg.com/nye.

On Friday December 19th, The STRAP Foundation “Board of Directors” and “friends” partnered with private sponsors to provide a full catered meal by Jordan’s Delight Catering to the homeless and addicted at the Birmingham Salvation Army. Donald Shepherd, the Founder/Executive Director of The STRAP Foundation had once lived at the very shelter in which they fed on this Friday evening .
STRAP’S DJ – Brandon Djsource Warren and Magic City Sound and Entertainment started playing inspirational music as the dining hall of the Salvation Army was being transformed into a banquet hall with a sanctuary for our honored guest. It was so awesome to see so many organizations going together decorating tables, lighting candles, singing and laughing.
At 5:30 p.m. the guest were escorted into the hall and they were seated as if they were in a five star restaurant and on this evening, it was. Judge Clotele H. Brantley who serves as the board President was the “mistress of order” for the evening. At 5:40 Elder Darron Hurst who serves as Chaplin of the board gave a heartfelt opening “prayer” and Matteus Rhoden ministered a power Mime Dance.
At 5:45 Judge Dorothea Batiste, who serves on the board gave everyone a warm welcome. The residents and homeless of the Salvation Army were fully engaged in this evening event. At 6 p.m., the homeless and addicted were told to remain seated and that their dinner would be brought to them by a server. Our servers included: Judge C.H. Brantley, Judge Dorothea Batiste, Elder Darron Hurst, Kristle Smith, Errick and Regina Gray, Doretha Causey, Abdul Alwahiid, Kribbe Perryman, Eddie Smarr, Michael Taylor, Debra Lindsey and Attorney Bobby L. Davis.
Reverend Cedric Mitchell gave prayer to bless the dinner. Jordan’s Delight Catering served Turkey with Dressing, sweet potatoes, green beans with salad and tea.
Donald Shepherd spoke these words, “It wasn’t long ago that I sat in these same chairs and ate with many of you at the same table. Many of you showed me around the city, to churches and other organizations that fed those who could not feed or house themselves. Many of you guided me to people or organizations that provided clothing to those who could not clothe themselves. I’ve experienced the same emotions of having to walk around all day, hoping to get a bed at one of the shelters. In the midst of all of this, I had to fulfill my assignment from God when it relates to the ministry of STRAP. My brothers and sisters, your present situation, is not your outcome. What God has done for me, he will do the same for you.”
The STRAP Foundation would like thank its sponsors: Saved By Ministries, Elder Darron Hurst, Abdul Alwahiid, Poole Funeral Chapel, Law Office of Nakita R. Blocton, Attorney Bobby L. Davis, Gray’s Pest Control.
The STRAP Foundation Board of Directors: President – Judge Clotele H. Brantley;Vice President – Carolyn Johnson; Secretaries – Sylvia Watkins and Jovita Operton; Treasurer – Regina Gray; Chaplin – Elder Darron Hurst. Board Members: Judge Patricia Stephens, Judge Dorothea Batiste, Attorney Nakita Perryman Blocton and Attorney Bobby L. Davis.
We are indeed thankful for Larry Dancy and Barbara Carlton (directors of the Salvation Army) for allowing us to come and serve. All supervisors (Debra Kilow, Randy Dinkins and Alonzo Johnson) and their staff offered great assistance throughout the evening. This will be an annual request.

Saved By Grace Ministries located at 409 11th Court North Birmingham, Alabama 35234 is the HOME of the STRAP Foundation.

by Jesse J. Lewis, Sr.

It doesn’t make any difference whether you are Black or white, killing anyone in retribution is wrong. Even if you were to kill someone who murdered an individual close to you, it’s still wrong. As the old saying goes, two wrongs don’t make a right.
One of the first to speak out was Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York, who said:

“What happened was an assassination, which we haven’t had since 1988. It could be connected in an insane way, but it’s not unfair to create a connection between these two things,” said Giuliani, “and it’s certainly true that we have been treated to about three to four months of propaganda about how the police are the enemy; the police are the problem; the major problem between the police and the Black community.”

From the words of the killer, Ismaaiyl Brinsley, the killings were connected to the deaths of Eric Garner in New York and Michael Brown in Missouri. The two officers were shot while sitting in their marked car in the Bedford-Stuyvesants section of Brooklyn after Brinsley posted messages on Instagram saying. “I’m Putting Wings on Pigs Today.”
He had seriously wounded his girlfriend about 5:45 a.m. After shooting the two policemen, he killed himself.
The most gratifying article I read regarding these two officers was written by Frank James Matthews, founder of Outcast Voters League. He called for a candle-lighting/sitdown for the NYPD police officers doing their job.
As two candles are lit in honor of the two killed police officers, the Outcast Voters League President will spend Christmas Day in front of the Birmingham Police Department Headquarters from 12 to 2:45 p.m., almost the time the officers were shot.
The President of the United States and the Afro-American community have spoken in one voice. That voice says this was a senseless killing and, in no uncertain terms, it was despicable.

By Associated Press

The economic recovery has not been equal among the races, according to a Pew Research Center study released Friday.
The study found that the wealth gap between white households and minorities has widened in recent years.
The wealth of white households was 13 times greater than that of Black households in 2013, versus eight times the wealth in 2010. And the wealth of white households was more than 10 times that of Hispanic households, up from nine times the wealth in 2010.
Pew researchers – analyzing data from the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances – found that the gap between whites and Blacks has reached its highest point since 1989. The wealth ratio for whites-to-Hispanics is at a level not seen since 2001.
Net worth is a measure of the difference between the household’s assets and their liabilities. The typical household had a net worth of $81,400 in 2013, according to the Fed’s survey.
The recession was universally hard on American families as a stock market crash and plunging house prices ate into their net worth. From 2007 to 2010, the median net worth of American families fell 39 percent.
Researchers say a number of factors may be responsible for the uneven recovery: falling income, lower savings rate and different asset holdings.
The median income in minority households fell 9 percent from 2010 and 2013, versus a 1 percent drop in white households. And in turn, researchers say, minority households may have either been forced to draw down from savings to get by or were unable to replenish their savings as much as white households.
Additionally, certain financial assets, such as stocks, recovered more quickly than housing since the recession ended. And white households are more likely than minorities to own stocks, putting them in a better position for a recovery.

 The legal industry is the primary resource used to resolve family disputes in Alabama. What’s the impact on our kids, their future, and taxpayers? Are there alternatives to protect our children’s relationships with both of their parents and extended family?
Alabama is currently ranked 44th among the 50 states in overall child well-being, based on measures in four categories: health, education, economic well-being, and family and community. We firmly believe the cause of such a low ranking is due to an outdated model of the Alabama courts attempting to resolve family disputes in a legal environment. Approximately 40,000 Alabama children are annually subjected to being restricted by court orders to only seeing one of their parents four to six days a month as a remedy to resolve family disputes.
The Alabama Family Rights Association is pursuing better ways to safeguard the parent-child relationship during and after custody situations. We are seeking better practices to help facilitate parents dealing with family disputes. I have met with several Marriage & Family Therapists (MFT), specialized in family systems and individuals that work in the family law industry to discuss better ways to handle family disputes. Many agree parents sometimes will use Family and Domestic Relations courts to punish the other parent for countless reasoning, none of which are legal matters. Although these are family disputes, they are currently treated as legal issues, and directed to the courts to be litigated. Such disputes are re-litigated over and over until their child(ren) reaches the age of majority, without ever actually addressing the family issue, which only inflames a hostile emotional relationship between the parents. Such abuse of the family court systems places an unnecessary burden on the courts and child(ren). The legal community is struggling with how to handle such conflicts, especially when parents have equal custody. The Alabama Family Rights Association is seeking Marriage & Family Therapists specialized in family systems and courts that are willing to facilitate a model by deferring parents with family disputes to MFTs to help these parents work through their family disputes instead of using the legal system and resources that seldom resolve family disputes.
If you would like to schedule a meeting to discuss further or participate in our efforts to filter family disputes out of the courts to individuals specialized in family systems versus legal systems, contact ALFRA at info@alfra.org.

ALFRA’s Mission:
To preserve, promote and protect family relationships. We support and initiate changes to the Alabama Child Custody Law, enacted in 1852, to guarantee that no child is placed at risk.
Our Belief:
Families have a fundamental right to be involved in each other’s lives regardless of marital status. Research has shown children thrive better with the love and support of both parents.

Kenneth Paschal
Director of Governmental Affairs
Alabama Family Rights Association
US Army Retired
205-626-9458
www.alfra.org/commercial/

Alabama Family Rights Association
Working to preserve, promote, and protect family relationships.
PRESERVE parental fundamental rights;
PROMOTE equal parenting time with each fit parent;
PROTECT children from being placed at risk by safeguarding the parent-child relationship.
Healthy Children, Healthy Economy

Talking about childhood hunger creates 
teachable moments between parents & children

The struggle is real. There are a ton of people in our neighborhood who face hunger.  Having a sound effective relationship with your children is priceless.
Knowing when to talk to your children about serious problems they may face sooner rather than later can be difficult for parents.
While burdening a child with a complex issue at too early of an age may frighten or confuse them, it’s important to ensure they’re prepared for what they most certainly will be exposed to, says former Peace Corps volunteer and children’s author Lois Brandt.
“When I was a young girl, I opened my best friend’s refrigerator and discovered that her family had no food,” Brandt says. “I didn’t know what to do as a child facing this horrible issue. I didn’t know how to help my friend.”
Twenty percent of American children – one of every five — live in households that struggle to afford food, according to a 2012 report from the United States Department of Agriculture.
Chances are that your child will have classmates whose families are struggling to put food on the table.
“Children follow where parents lead. Talking to your children about hunger shows them your empathy for others; it prepares them for the moment they may encounter hunger among their friends or classmates, and it assures them that they can talk to their parents about this problem,” says Brandt, author of “Maddi’s Fridge,” (www.MaddisFridge.com), colorfully illustrated children’s picture book inspired by Brandt’s experience with her childhood friend.
She offers tips on how to talk to children about the widespread problem of child hunger.
•  Young children may not understand complex issues; keep the discussion  age-appropriate. While it’s important to be honest with children about issues they may encounter, adults do not have to scare or confuse them.
“When I read ‘Maddi’s Fridge’ in classrooms,” Brandt says. “I’ll ask what the book is about. The very first hand in the air always says ‘friendship.’ I was very careful to ensure that the story gently entertains. First- through fourth-graders laugh at eggs in backpacks and Vin Vogel’s great illustrations.”
•  Have a brainstorming session on what makes a good friend. This puts the discussion in terms that children are comfortable with. Talk about times when you were a child and helped your friends. Ask your child to tell you about a time he or she helped a friend on the playground or in the classroom. Emphasizing the web of relationships we all live in will empower your child with a sense of community, even when facing large problems.
•  Discuss with your child ways they can help. Children want to know where they fit, what their role is. Let you child know that he or she can be part of the fight against childhood hunger. Bring food to a food bank, take meals to a needy family, support food drives by your school and religious organization.
Suggestions for ways to help can be found on websites for organizations  like Feeding America (www.FeedingAmerica.org), a national network of food banks, or on Maddisfridge.com.