Washington Informer

Vocational Programs Work

Dorothy Rowley's article, "Vocational Program Honors Youth Who Exceeded Expectations," August 23, 2012 is a fine example of why schools should offer some kind of vocational education to its students. All students should have the opportunity to go to college, but all students may not want to go to college. Learning a trade can be a rewarding experience, and having a marketable skill can lead to a lifelong career or business ownership.

I applaud Toyota Motor Corp., and DARCARS Automotive Group for their Support of this program at Ballou Senior High School. I want to wish all the success to the young men and women participating in the program.

Caleb Johnson

Washington, D.C.

Kudos for Spotlighting Comic Con, Jennings

What great stories on the recent Comic Con in Chicago and artist John Jennings! I just read both stories at washingtoninformer.com and was floored. Too often great African American artists that show their works and make us cringe with fear are overlooked. The Informer got the story and provided tremendous insight. The pictures were also awesome. I love, love, love monsters and crazy looking things! How wonderful that the Washington Informer is the only newspaper to cover the world of science fiction and comic conventions from a Black perspective. Bravo, Derry Sexton and Shantella Sherman!

K. Lynn Brousard

Lansing, Michigan

Marginalizing African-American Businesses

Let's face it, we now have a city government workforce full of individuals with no clue of the struggles African-American businesses had to go through just to be able to bid on city government contracts, let alone be awarded one. Knowing the history of a city's government is probably not a prerequisite for getting a high-ranking, decision-making position in the city government, but knowing the law should be.

Your article in the August 23rd issue, "Informer Fights City Agency's Contract Decision," is just another sign of the beginning of the marginalization of African-American businesses and the African-American community in this city. But there is a much sadder part to this story: we now have a mayor and city council running scared, scared that if they stand up for something that's fair and just happens to be against the new order, they too might be smeared and voted out of office. Well, they might as well stand for something now, because they will more than likely be voted out of office anyway.

Thomas Lockingley

Washington, D.C.

The Michael Brown 2012 re-election campaign issued the following statement on behalf of the at-large council member:

"[The Aug. 29] preliminary Board of Elections hearings showed that the complaints against my campaign are without merit and were made in bad faith. Our campaign counsel argued to the Board of Elections that we have hundreds more valid signatures than required to qualify for the ballot. Fair-minded people reviewing the petitions and the challenges will conclude that hundreds of signatures were challenged without any basis and in bad faith.

"In addition to the large volume of frivolous challenges, further evidence of bad faith on behalf of the challengers is found in the large number of the challenged signatures that include high profile individuals in the District who both Ms. Brizill and Mr. Grosso should know are registered voters. Such invalid challenges include DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, Councilmember Tommy Wells, Councilmember Michael A. Brown, council staff, ANC Commissioners, State Board of Education President Ted Trabue, my own campaign spokesperson, and many others.

"My campaign looks forward to putting these proceedings behind us, appearing on the ballot, and talking about issues that matter like jobs and housing. Please allow me also to this opportunity to thank our campaign's hard-working volunteers and legal team, who worked tirelessly to address these challenges."

Residents Urged to Dispose Properly of Household Hazardous Waste at Monthly Drop-off

A Department of Public Works trash collection crew was exposed to a toxic vapor this week while working in Northeast Washington. The three-person crew was decontaminated on the scene by the Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services. Although, two of the workers were transported to the hospital for additional treatment, the injuries they sustained were not life-threatening.

"This was a preventable incident that has harmed three valuable employees," said DPW Director William O. Howland, Jr. "We urge District residents to bring their household hazardous waste to our monthly drop-off, held the first Saturday of each month, so that our crews, the residents' families and the general public are not exposed to dangerous substances."

The next Household Hazardous Waste/E-cycling/Personal Document Shredding event is Saturday, Sept. 1 at the Ft. Totten Transfer Station. Residents may bring items such as pesticides, batteries and cleaning fluids to Ft. Totten between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.

For a list of all household hazardous waste and e-cyclables accepted by DPW, please click on the HHW link at www.dpw.dc.gov.

Directions to Ft. Totten: Travel east on Irving Street, NW, turn left on Michigan Avenue, turn left on John F. McCormack Drive, NE and continue to the end of the street.

More than 13,400 Homeowners Invited to Free Event Sept. 13

LANDOVER, MD -- Wells Fargo & Company is hosting a free Home Preservation Workshop for Prince George's County Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Wells Fargo Financial, and Wells Fargo Home Equity customers facing financial hardships.

Wells Fargo has invited more than 13,400 mortgage customers to the free workshop which will be held on Thursday, Sept. 13, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the Prince George's Sports & Learning Center, 8001 Sheriff Road in Landover. Attendance and parking are free.

"Although less than 2 percent of homeowner-occupied loans in our servicing portfolio have resulted in foreclosure sale over the past year, we understand that some of our customers are going through difficult times during this economic recovery," said Marie Day, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage regional servicing director. "During this free workshop Wells Fargo Home Mortgage customers, who are faced with payment challenges, will have the opportunity to meet face-to-face with our home preservation specialists to explore the options available to them. Our goal with this workshop is to help as many people as possible preserve homeownership."

Where possible, borrowers will receive a decision on a workout, loan modification, or other options, on site or shortly following the workshop. Options include Wells Fargo's own loan modification program and the federal government's Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP).

About 75 Wells Fargo home preservation specialist team members – including bilingual specialists – will be on hand at the upcoming workshop to assist customers.

While Wells Fargo has participated in several home preservation events locally to provide assistance for its Prince George's County-based customers, this is the first Home Preservation Workshop Wells Fargo has hosted in Landover and the 74th the company has hosted since September 2009.

The Prince George's County event will be the 24th workshop Wells Fargo has hosted in 2012. Wells Fargo has met with more than 37,000 customers at 70 Home Preservation Workshops since September 2009 nationwide.

About Wells Fargo's Home Loans

• Wells Fargo originates one in every four home loans in the country, and services one of every six.

• In the second quarter of 2012, more than 93 percent of Wells Fargo's mortgage customers nationwide remained current on their loan payments.

• From January 2009 through June 30, 2012, Wells Fargo has modified 781,099 mortgage loans. Of those modifications, 84 percent were done through Wells Fargo's own modification programs and 16 percent were through the federal government's Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP).

• As of the second quarter in 2012, Wells Fargo's delinquency and foreclosure rates remain significantly below the industry average.

• Less than 2 percent of the loans secured by owner-occupied homes and serviced by Wells Fargo resulted in a foreclosure sale in the last 12 months.

• Just 7.14 percent of the first mortgage and home equity loans Wells Fargo services were past due or in foreclosure in the second quarter of 2012 compared to an industry average of 11.37 percent. Wells Fargo's totals are down from a peak of 8.96 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Walk-ins are welcome, though registration is strongly recommended in order to guarantee the ability to meet one-on-one with a representative. Sign up by Tuesday, Sept. 11 at www.wfhmevents.com/leadingthewayhome.

For more information call 1-800-405-8067. Customers facing mortgage payment difficulties also can call 1-800-678-7986 for more information about potential options to avoid foreclosure.

Cholera Epidemic Envelops Coastal Slums in West Africa

DAKAR, SENEGAL — A fierce cholera epidemic is spreading through the coastal slums of West Africa, killing hundreds and sickening many more in one of the worst regional outbreaks in years, health experts said.

Cholera, transmitted through contact with contaminated feces, was made worse this year by an exceptionally heavy rainy season that flooded the sprawling shantytowns in Freetown and Conakry, the capitals of Sierra Leone and neighboring Guinea.

In both countries, about two-thirds of the population lack toilets, a potentially lethal threat in the rainy season because of the contamination of the water supply. Doctors Without Borders said there had been nearly twice as many cholera cases so far this year as there were in the same period in 2007 in Sierra Leone and Guinea, when it said the area experienced its last major outbreak.

Already, more than 13,000 people suffering from the disease's often fatal symptoms — diarrhea, vomiting and severe dehydration — have been admitted to hospitals in the two nations' capitals, and 250 to 300 have died, Doctors Without Borders said.

In Sierra Leone, the government declared the cholera outbreak a national emergency last week, while aid workers in Guinea said the outbreak was unlikely to have reached its peak yet. Both countries have been wracked by years of civil and political unrest, with Sierra Leone still recovering from a decade of bloody civil war that drove thousands from rural areas into the city's slums, and with Guinea emerging from a half-century of often brutal dictatorship.

Rains have already contributed to cholera deaths in the landlocked nations of Mali and Niger as well, health officials said.

Aid workers said the number of cases of the highly contagious disease continued to increase, particularly in Freetown, where most live in slums and children swim in polluted waters. Often, patients arrive at treatment centers in poor condition.

"They come barely conscious because they are severely dehydrated," said Natasha Reyes Ticzon, a cholera field coordinator for Doctors Without Borders in Freetown. "We've had some deaths because they come too late."

There have been more than 11,600 cholera cases in Sierra Leone since January, at least 216 of them fatal, according to the country's health minister, Zainab Bangura. More than 1,000 new cases a week are being recorded in Freetown, health officials said.

In Guinea, there have been 80 deaths out of 2,700 cases so far.

Rushed Assumptions Made Basis of Conclusion in Death Investigation

MEMPHIS – The Rev. Jesse Jackson recently joined Cochran Firm managing partner Benjamin Irwin and the family of Chavis Carter at a press conference surrounding  unresolved matters in the death of Carter 21, who died earlier this summer while in custody of the Jonesboro, Ark., police.

Addressing a crowd of citizens and media at the Monumental Baptist Church in Memphis, Jackson called for justice.

"We appeal to the Department of Justice and the FBI to engage in a thorough investigation and leave no stone unturned until justice is realized," Rev. Jackson said. "The good news in this tragedy is that there is a credible, able law firm, the Cochran Law Firm, making the case for the Carter family. Chavis is dead and cannot speak for himself."

Carter family representatives have launched an investigation to determine how and why he died of a gunshot wound to the temple on July 28.

While police have agreed to cooperate in The Cochran Firm's investigation, many things remain behind closed doors.

Jackson called attention to missing sections of an edited police dashboard camera video from the night of the shooting released by the Jonesboro Police Department.

"While this case is surrounded in mystery, there are certain things we do know," Jackson said. "He was alive when they stopped him. Alive in police custody. They frisked him twice and found no weapon. The second time he was handcuffed. Then we get this mysterious information that he did a Houdini act somehow. He then, handcuffed with no weapon in site, used his left hand to shoot himself in the right temple. That is hard to believe. Moreover, at that point there is a gap in the (video) tape. We need not only the tape be released, but the tape they have not released. They make the position that there is no more information in the gap because of technical difficulty. This seems to be a convenient explanation but not an acceptable one."

Irwin stated that the basis for conclusions derived by the police investigation and the autopsy are unclear. Many of the questions regarding the origins of the gun and how Carter could die while in police custody after being searched twice remain unanswered.

While his concerns with the investigation are many, Irwin describes a rush to conclusions as the overarching problem.

"Too many assumptions and opinions have been adopted as facts in this case, and that can only slow down our search for the truth," Irwin said. "An investigation should never begin with a conclusion and be followed by a search for facts that support the previously stated, premature conclusion. When that happens, relevant evidence is not gathered and possible contradicting conclusions are ignored. That is exactly what is happening here. Uncovering the truth should be the top priority."

"How do police officers who did not find a gun on Chavis in two searches, and allege they did not see the shooting, determine so quickly that Chavis shot himself," Irwin continued. "Ever since that snap judgment without the benefit of evidence like gun powder residue tests, police have been too busy trying to prove their conclusion to consider any other possible scenarios. New information is not being gathered, and unsupportive evidence is ignored. We still do not know where the gun came from, how the gun ended up in the car or who shot the gun. Police say Chavis hid the gun in the car when placed in custody. Where is the evidence to prove this allegation? Just because someone says it, does not make it true."

Ultimately, how and by whom the trigger was pulled does not make a difference regarding the matter of responsibility.

"Chavis died while in police custody, a time when he should have been safe," Irwin said. "Even if some aspects of this case remain a mystery, the Jonesboro Police Department showed great negligence in not protecting him from this tragic death. This issue is important to not only the family, but to all people. Everyone needs to know that they can feel safe when taken into police custody."

According to Irwin, the family is prepared to accept whatever outcome is presented by the facts, but conclusions based upon a rush judgment and opinions with few supporting facts continue to fuel the investigation.

Dr. Calvin E. Woodland has been named interim CEO of the University of the District of Columbia Community College.

Dr. Woodland takes over leadership of the rapidly growing community college as it begins its fourth year of operation and will serve in the interim capacity until a permanent executive is named.

Woodland has served in various higher education capacities over his career, from professor through president. Most recently, he was president of Capital Community College in Hartford, Conn., where he oversaw initiatives to grow student enrollment and graduation rates. Woodland has also served as a member of the American Association of Community College's Commission on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and the Commission on Academic, Student and Community Development.

"Dr. Woodland's dedication to student achievement will certainly help continue our Community College's upward track," said University of D.C. President Dr. Allen L. Sessoms. "As our whole University continues its growth, having professionals like [Dr. Woodland] on our team is a boost to our efforts."

Former UDC Community College CEO Dr. Jonathan Gueverra left in May to assume a similar position at Florida Keys Community College in Key West, Florida.

Woodland, who holds a Doctor of Psychology degree from the Southern California University for Professional Studies and a Doctor of Education from Rutgers University, expressed excitement over his new post.

"The University of D.C.'s Community College has brought an exciting dynamic to higher education in the nation's capital," said Woodland. "I am looking forward to strengthening a vital educational link for students."

Aug. 20 marked the first day back to school for students across the state of Maryland, and for the 40 sixth-graders at Seat Pleasant Elementary School, a surprise awaited them as Mayor Eugene W. Grant joined the Carl Mann Johnson Foundation, bearing school supplies, prizes and an original skateboard signed by professional kateboarder Darren Harper.

Also, in attendance to offer words of wisdom and motivational speeches to the young minds were local R&B and Hip-Hop recording artists Deangelo Redman, Garvey the Chosen One as well as Carl Mann Johnson, who graduated from Seat Pleasant Elementary School. The students, who got to spend time with the celebrities, were also provided a special pizza lunch.

Mayor Grant was on hand in the morning to meet and greet parents and students as they checked their children into for the first day of school, bringing Seat Pleasant Elementary's total student population to about 350 students for this year.

The Carl Mann Johnson Foundation has worked with Grant for the past three years attending the first day of school at Seat Pleasant Elementary and providing supplies for a good start to these children's school year.

Each year the mayor and City Council appropriate $10,000 for Seat Pleasant Elementary to provide much-needed aide to the school's already strained budget.