Archives for October 2016
Basketball coaches needed for winter youth recreational league
Basketball season is just around the corner, and at Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) that means hundreds of Seattle youth will be coming in to the community centers to sign up for teams.
It also means that we will need volunteer coaches for those teams. If you’re 18 or older, have a love of basketball, and want to be a positive influence in youths’ lives – consider becoming a coach! Visit our website at http://www.seattle.gov/parks/volunteer and register as a volunteer. We require that all coaches also pass our background check before working with youth.
You can coach at a center near your home or work with any of the 26 centers across the city. Not all centers get enough kids of the same age group for a team, in which case more than one center may put together enough kids to form a team. If your child and/or neighborhood kids are interested in playing, and you are interested in coaching, the staff at any community center can help form a team.
To register online please go to: https://www.volgistics.com/ex/portal.dll/ap?AP=1483382340.
Celebrate Indian Arts and Culture at Diwali: Lights of India
Join us for Seattle Center Festál: Diwali: Lights of India, 12 p.m.-6 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 6, in Seattle Center Armory. The final Festál event of 2016 is also the newest – in its first official year at Seattle Center – sharing the story of Diwali as it presents Indian music and dance, crafts, children’s activities and flavorful Indian food.
Non-stop performances on the Armory Stage allow festival-goers to travel across India, exploring the diversity of Indian classical and folk dance traditions. Nrityalaya Dance and Preetha Babu & Students present Bharatanatyam classical dance from Tamil Nadu, Urvasi Dance Company offers Odissi classical dance from Odisha, Telugu Bharati shares dances from Andhra Pradesh and a performance by STAR Kalai Kuzhu features the parai, a symbol of Tamil culture and one of the oldest percussion instruments in India. Other dance highlights include showcases by Srishti Dance Company, Dance Tantra, Shwetha Nirmal Group and Naosheen & Group. The festival closes with a danced drama by Abhinaya School of Performing Arts based on Geeta Govinda, a work composed by the 12th century poet Jayadeva, 4:05 p.m.-6 p.m.
Interactive activities and workshops provide engaging learning opportunities for visitors of all ages. Artist Annie Penta offers instruction on making flower mandalas, circular designs filled with intricate patterns to represent wholeness. Join artist Sudha Rajasekaran in the creation of rangoli, floor patterns created using dry flour, colored sand and flowers, or mold a playdough statue of Ganesha. Festival-goers may also decorate cupcakes, sample free vegetarian Indian cuisine, mix their own Indian spices, cook roti (Indian flatbread), try a class fusing yoga and dance and explore saris through a lively fashion show.
As Seattle Center Festál prepares for a milestone in 2017, the 20th anniversary of this illuminating series of ethnic cultural events at Seattle Center, we celebrate the diverse arts, crafts, foods and family activities presented on weekends throughout the year. The 24 Festál events, organized by ethnic/cultural organizations in partnership with Seattle Center, form the bedrock of our free, public offerings, captivating and enlightening festival-goers as they experience the distinct cultures that influence the character and course of our broader community.
Seattle Center Festál is a program of Seattle Center Productions. Admission is free-of-charge. For more information on this collection of ethnic cultural events and other Seattle Center public programming, visit www.seattlecenter.com or call 206 684-7200.
Seattle Center Festál
Seattle Center Festál 2016, a collection of 23 cultural events presented on weekends throughout the year, highlights the diverse cultures and common threads of ethnic communities in our region with traditional and contemporary art, music, foods, youth activities, workshops, marketplaces and more. Seattle Center Festál is produced with the generous support of KUOW 94.9 Public Radio, Coca-Cola, Alaska Airlines, T-Mobile, RealNetworks, 4Culture and ArtsWA. Additional support is provided by the City of Seattle and Seattle Center Foundation.
Seattle/King County Clinic Will Highlight Urgency for Dental Care Access Volunteers
Seattle/King County Clinic Will Highlight Urgency for Dental Care Access Volunteers expected to treat more than 2,000 in desperate need of dental careThe Washington Dental Service Foundation (WDSF) will join nearly 3,800 volunteers and organizations in a massive effort to deliver an estimated $3.5 million worth of free care this week at the Seattle/King County Clinic at the Seattle Center.
The Seattle/King County Clinic, organized by the Seattle Center Foundation, is expected to provide dental, medical and vision care to more than 4,000 individuals at no cost from October 27-30, with the majority seeking dental care treatment. Dental services include root canals, extractions, fillings, crowns and cleanings.
The Clinic will offer much-needed dental care for thousands of Washington residents, many of whom have Apple Health (Medicaid) coverage. Last year, less than a quarter of adults with Apple Health coverage were able to access dental care in their communities.
“Even with the great work of Community Health Center dental clinics and other providers, too many people in King County and our state still endure pain and health risks because they don’t receive regular dental care,” said King County Board of Health Chair Rod Dembowski. “The Seattle/King County Clinic is providing our community with a public service, but also is a reminder that we have work to do to ensure everyone in our state has access to care.”
In response to the unmet need in Washington State, WDSF and other dental care advocates are urging lawmakers to make investments in our state’s Medicaid dental program to increase access to care, starting with a measured approach that would allow for pregnant women and patients with diabetes to get the dental care they need to improve their health and prevent expensive medical complications down the road.
“Ensuring our state’s most vulnerable have access to preventive dental care is a smart investment that has the potential to save taxpayers and the state money in the long term,” said State Sen. Joe Fain (R-Auburn). “Participation in this event is an effective Band-Aid, but local and dependable access to dental care is proven to improve quality of life and overall health outcomes for patients.”
This is the third consecutive year of the Seattle/King County Clinic. And in spite of the Puget Sound region reporting great economic prosperity, organizers say that the need for the Clinic and other charitable efforts persist.
“Visible decayed or missing teeth, pain and gum disease can impact job prospects, school attendance and grades, nutrition and quality of life,” said Diane Oakes, President and CEO of the Washington Dental Service Foundation. “This four-day clinic is a call to action. Our legislature should support meaningful solutions toward dental care access so that one day soon, such clinics will be no longer necessary.”
The Seattle/King County Clinic will operate October 27-30 at the Fisher Pavilion at the Seattle Center. Doors open at 12:30 a.m. and free admission tickets are given first come, first served. Attendants are encouraged to wear comfortable clothing, and bring water and snacks.
For more information, go to www.seattlecenter.org/patients.
About Washington Dental Service Foundation
Washington Dental Service Foundation is founded and sustained by Delta Dental of Washington, a non-profit organization that is the leading dental benefits company in the state. WDSF is dedicated to improving overall health through sustainable programs and public policies that improve oral health. For more information, visit: www.deltadentalwa.com/foundation.
Moms on Early Learning Programs Town Hall Meeting with Jay Inslee
Governor Inslee at Town Hall with Moms on Early Learning Programs and Paid Family and Medical Leave Inslee, local parents and Moms Rising discuss ABCs of preparing our kids for school success, from funding basic education to the future of paid family and medical leave in Washington
Jay Inslee will be at a Town Hall event, hosted by MomsRising, for a discussion of recent wins and the future outlook for high-quality early learning programs like preschool and childcare and access to paid family and medical leave in Washington State. Governor Inslee will answer questions from local families in the audience and submitted via social media.
As Washington debates how to fully fund basic education under the McCleary mandate, the Town Hall is focusing on the ABCs—critical foundations early in life that build school success and support our families. High-quality early learning programs, like childcare and pre-k, are a fundamental part of education that lay the path for school success. Paid family and medical leave ensure that new parents have the time to transition successfully to the demands of parenthood and won’t lose paychecks when they need them most.
Local moms and families will have the opportunity to ask questions about how Washington will prioritize kids and families. Moms like Angelica Gonzalez, a local single mom with three children who knows firsthand how investing in early learning supports working families: “A small bump in my income meant I lost the child care support that was keeping my budget in line and keeping my family stable.”
Co-President and Owner of PRR, Colleen Gants, will discuss how paid family and medical leave will benefit their staff and business. The event will be moderated by MomsRising CEO and Co-Founder Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner. There will be activities at the event for toddlers in tow and young kids will present Governor Inslee with an art project created at Causey’s Learning Center, to remind him of the importance of the ABCs of early learning.
Governor Jay Inslee at Town Hall Forum
MomsRising
MomsRising.org is an online and on-the-ground grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to achieve economic security for all families in the United States. MomsRising is working for paid family leave, flexible work options, affordable childcare, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes so many others. MomsRising also advocates for better childhood nutrition, health care for all, toxic-free environments, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families. In 2013, Forbes.com named MomsRising’s web site as one of the Top 100 Websites For Women for the fourth year in a row and Working Mother magazine included MomsRising on its “Best of the Net” list. MomsRising also maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org
Rock the Vote to Encourage Voting in Support of a Stronger Criminal Justice System
Only 50 percent of Millennials have faith in our criminal justice system, and community trust in police is at the lowest point in decades. A provocative new video ad released today by Rock the Vote, in partnership with digital media powerhouse Render Media, emphasizes the dramatic dissatisfaction in America’s criminal justice system among Millennial voters and encourages viewers to change more than just their social media status by voting next month.
The bold new digital ad, voiced by actor and television personality Terrence J, reveals a deep divide between young Americans’ just and inclusive vision for the future and a broken criminal justice system that seems to produce too much injustice. It encourages viewers to take action on these critical issues by voting — not just for a new president, but up and down the ballot — this year.
“It will take more than just outrage,” Terrence J. states in the video. “It will take a generation of voters united selecting the sheriffs, prosecutors, mayors and president who will put justice first.”
Since 1990, Rock the Vote has inspired young audiences to become politically engaged and active using a unique combination of pop culture and technology, while focusing on important issues that impact and shape the lives of young people. Through innovative and creative collaborations with nonprofit, corporate, media and celebrity partners, Rock the Vote has registered nearly 1.5 million voters this year alone.
“Young people across the country are outraged — and rightfully so — by a criminal justice system that too often abides injustice and resists progress,” said Rock the Vote Vice President for Civic Engagement Jesse Moore. “We’re working to help young people channel their anger, passion and frustration into meaningful change at the ballot box this year. By electing the next generation of state and local law enforcement officials, we can usher in a new era of trust between communities, law enforcement and our courts system that will make us all safer and more proud of our country.”
Render Media, a digital media powerhouse based in Los Angeles co-founded by Eytan Elbaz and Vic Belonogoff, reaches over 30 million Facebook fans across its various platforms, including political vertical Opposing Views, and achieves over 400 million monthly video views.
“We feel that this partnership between Render Media and Rock the Vote is indicative of a new trend in how the millennial generation will respond to political messaging,” said Vic Belonogoff, CEO of Render Media. “Rock the Vote has always been quick in pivoting to respond to developing technologies that open up new ways to reach young people, and this election, social media is the leading platform on which this critical voting bloc is interacting with political news and information. Render Media’s audience is majority millennial, so we have massive amounts of data and experience at our disposal to determine what type of content young people respond to on various social platforms.”
Through inventive, topical video content, the creative team at Render Media consistently reaches and engages a diverse, hyper-engaged audience.
This latest video, released in collaboration with Rock the Vote, speaks to the immense power that social content has to empower young people to raise their voices and fight for meaningful change at the ballot box this election season. The way to inspire millennials to vote is no longer just on street corners or door-to-door; social media is becoming an increasingly powerful tool for political engagement and activation.
This video is the final installment in the partnership between Render Media and Rock the Vote, which previously included a 60-second PSA created in collaboration with Participant Media and a 30-second video that aired on all Virgin America flights in the month of September, encouraging passengers to register to vote via in-flight wifi.
About Render Media:
Physicians Prescribe Food as Medicine for Nov. 1 Health Challenge Fruits and Vegetables Will Fight Obesity, Diabetes, Heart Disease
Physicians Prescribe Food as Medicine for Nov. 1 Health Challenge
Fruits and Vegetables Will Fight Obesity, Diabetes, Heart Disease
On Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016, four Atlanta physicians prescribe a plant-based diet to help patients and local residents treat the root cause and early symptoms of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease for 21 days.
The Kickstart Your Health Atlanta medical team (left to right): Jennifer Rooke, M.D., M.P.H., Neil Cooper,M.D., Reginald Mason, M.D., and Karen Goodlett, M.D.
The dietary pattern—rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes—is scientifically proven to boost metabolism, lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol, and stabilize blood sugar.
“Patients often think that their chronic diseases are inherited because everyone in their family has the same health problems,” says Jennifer Rooke, M.D., M.P.H., a board certified preventive medicine specialist and medical director of the Optimal Health and Wellness Clinic at Morehouse Health Care. “In fact, what they share with their families is their lifestyles and eating habits. We’re here to empower everyone with the knowledge and skills to change their eating habits by moving vegetables from a side dish to the main entrée.”
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention finds adults in Georgia consume 2.6 servings of fruits and vegetables each day—half of the recommended daily five.
The good news is small changes count: Consuming 1.5 daily servings of leafy greens slashes type 2 diabetes risk by 14 percent. While adopting an entirely plant-based vegan diet reduces diabetes risk by 62 percent.
Outside of the latest scientific research and federal recommendations to encourage Americans to eat more plant-based foods, Dr. Rooke knows about the power of “food as medicine” firsthand: She is the only one in her family who doesn’t take medications to control hypertension, elevated cholesterol, or type 2 diabetes.
The Kickstart Your Health Atlanta team, led by Dr. Rooke, Neil Cooper, M.D., Reginald Mason, M.D., and Karen Goodlett, M.D., is eager to show residents how to put this powerful prescription into everyday practice. Free grocery store tours and nutrition classes starting on Oct. 26 coincide with National Diabetes Awareness Month.
To sign up for the 21-day plant-based nutrition challenge or to learn more about local events, visit www.KickstartYourHealth.org.
“Ted Strong Jr.: The Untold Story of an Original Harlem Globetrotter, Negro Leagues All Star’ finally revealed in recently released book
“They picked him (Jackie Robinson) for his intelligence, but we had a lot of ballplayers we thought were better ballplayers. We always thought that Ted Strong was about the most ideal ballplayer. He had all the tools… (he was) a switch hitter, and could play just about anywhere. Anywhere you put Ted, Ted was at home – first base, shortstop, outfield. From the outfield he could really throw; you couldn’t take a turn from first to third on him.” – Negro League player Othello Renfroe, from the book “Voices from the Great Black Baseball Leagues,” by John Holway.
The storied history of sports stars from Chicago is rife with triumph and tragedy; scandal and deceit; victory and defeat; and always a passion for excellence. It is also the story of giants who broke barriers, transcended circumstances, and secured their place in history. Such could be said about Theodore (Ted) R. Strong, Jr., the two sports athlete who not only excelled in the Negro Leagues, but led the famed Harlem Globetrotters to a World Basketball Championship.
Strong’s story has been elevated from an afterthought in sports history, and brought front and center by veteran public relations and economic development executive Sherman L. Jenkins in “Ted Strong Jr.: The Untold Story of an Original Harlem Globetrotter and Negro Leagues All-Star,” In Jenkin’s first book, he tells the story of Ted Strong Jr.’s fascinating life, career and the times surrounding his rise to prominence in two sports. The book is drawn from hours of interviews with Strong Jr.’s father, family, friends and teammates of his brother Othello. Further enhanced by Jenkins’ extensive research of newspapers and sports archives, the book provides rich insights into an unsung hero in the American sports landscape.
Strong’s baseball career began in the 1930s with the Indianapolis ABC’s and the Chicago American Giants. During the 1940s, his stardom increased with the Kansas City Monarchs where he played with such greats as Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell, Buck O’Neil, Willard Brown, and contributed to the success of Black America’s superb baseball team – the Kansas City Monarchs. Selected to play in seven Negro League All-Star games, Ted, Jr. at the same time excelled with the Harlem Globetrotters, joining the team in the Fall of 1930, and going on to become one of the captains that lead the team to win the 1940 World’s Basketball Championship. He remained the ideal two sports star until he retired from sports in the late 1950s, living on Chicago’s South Side until his death in 1978.
TED STRONG JR
This two sports star athlete is now having his name permanently enshrined with the marquee names of Negro League Baseball. The recently released book by International publisher Rowman & Littlefield “Ted Strong Jr.: The Untold Story of an Original Harlem Globetrotter
and Negro Leagues All-Star” finally details his greatness. Jenkins has crafted a book from his personal experiences interviewing Strong, Sr., whose kids he grew up with on Chicago’s South Side. Strong, Sr., himself a baseball player and manager of Negro League teams, introduced Jenkins to the accomplishments of his oldest son, Ted, Jr. Sadly, Strong, Jr. passed away before Jenkins could interview him personally, but the stories of his excellence in two sports are now captured for posterity.
For baseball and basketball fans of all ages, Ted Strong Jr.’s biography captures for the first time the determination and guts of a man who was idealized by many African Americans in the early twentieth century. The book is available now wherever books are sold. An electronic book (eBook) version is also available at www.rowman.com and www.tedstrongjr.com. Follow the Ted Strong, Jr. story on Facebook and Twitter (@TedStrongJr).
#VotingWhileBlack: Color Of Change PAC Launches Unprecedented, Digital-Based Black Voter Engagement Program
Over a thousand volunteers have signed up for the Black voter mobilization effort, aiming to hold politicians up and down the ballot accountable to Black communities before and after Election Day
Color Of Change PAC—the PAC arm of the nation’s largest online racial justice group—is launching #VotingWhileBlack, a first-of-its-kind program that uses cutting edge digital communications tools to engage Black voters in a massive modern-day volunteer effort aimed at getting out the vote in races up and down the ballot in swing states and holding politicians accountable to Black communities after Election Day.
Created and run by Black leadership, #VotingWhileBlack focuses on the issues affecting Black communities that are central to this country’s success—from police violence and an unfair criminal justice system to a changing economy and the lack of investment in our schools and communities—in a way that other groups linked with specific political parties or candidates cannot be. While there are other campaigns focused on bringing Black voters out to the polls, #VotingWhileBlack puts voter persuasion at the center, getting out the vote for specific candidates whose positions matter for Black communities—and collectively impacting races from the presidential race to down ballot races like those for Senate and district attorneys, where the winners will have the power to make important decisions that will significantly impact Black communities.
“This is a truly unprecedented program that’s laser-focused on mobilizing Black voters around the issues that matter most to our community,” said Color Of Change PAC spokesperson, Rashad Robinson. “Down ballot races, like those for district attorneys, often don’t get much attention. But, we know all too well how much the perspective and practices of these local prosecutors impact Black communities. Rather than shoving these races to the sidelines, #VotingWhileBlack puts them front and center in our voter outreach—and we’re doing so by engaging our communities not on the basis of political parties, but based on building independent political power that will be around after the election to hold those we support accountable. We’re translating the presence and visibility of our issues into the power to change the rules.”
#VotingWhileBlack engages voters and communities with text-a-thons, online voter guides, social media activations, digital chase ads, and email engagement, and provides a full suite of digital tools and graphic content to help Black voters and allies reach out to other Black voters. Using cell phones to directly communicate with Black voters, #VotingWhileBlack is driving engagement in down ballot races that are often neglected by other voter outreach programs, including district attorney races in Franklin County, Ohio (Columbus); Orange County, Florida (Orlando); Hillsborough County, Florida (Tampa); and Harris County, Texas (Houston). The program is also targeting key Senate races in Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Florida, where wins could prevent the Senate from coming under the control of far-right politicians.
“A key part of our program is holding politicians accountable after Election Day,” said Arisha Hatch, Director of Color Of Change PAC. “For far too long, elected officials have pursued Black folks’ votes, but then failed to champion our issues once they’re in power. We’re mobilizing Black communities to vote strategically, shape political agendas, move the needle on key issues, and ultimately hold elected officials accountable for the promises they make at election time.”
Already, #VotingWhileBlack has held text-a-thons—virtual or in-person gatherings where highly motivated Black voters come together in a lively atmosphere to text other Black voters about key races—in major cities including New York, Washington, Miami, Oakland, Houston, and Philadelphia, with plans to hold more in states including Illinois, California, and New Jersey. The goal of these text-a-thons is to ensure that 2 million contacted voters go to the polls and that they’re equipped with all the information they need—including local down ballot voter guides and turnout reminders—to make informed choices in races across the ballot. So far, over 1,000 volunteers have sent over 800,000 initial texts to eligible Black voters.
Color Of Change PAC is engaging partners including: John Legend, who’s hosting virtual text-a-thons; and National Nurses United, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., which hosted or participated in in-person and virtual text-a-thons with their members.
The #VotingWhileBlack campaign follows Color Of Change PAC’s high-profile campaign pressuring corporations to divest from the RNC in protest of Donald Trump’s bigotry, which resulted in companies like Coca-Cola, Apple and HP withdrawing or reducing their financial support of the convention, and cost the Republican Party millions of dollars.
For more on #VotingWhileBlack, visit http://votingwhileblack.com.
Color Of Change PAC is a Political Action Committee focused on building independent Black political power, amplifying Black voices, electing candidates who share our values, and holding them accountable to our communities.
In Loving Memory of Harold R. Taylor, Jr.
Harold R. Taylor, Jr.
Born August 19,1969 to Harold R. Taylor, Sr. and Coy M. Taylor who preceded him in death. He passed October 14, 2016. He graduated from Cleveland High School in 1987 and pursued higher education receiving several certifications and his bachelor’s degree. His interests were in the medical field where he traveled from Seattle to California, Kansas, Washington D.C., and Florida to pursue his career. He enjoyed life. He leaves his children Brianna Taylor, Enriquez Taylor, and Jailynn Taylor. His sisters Harolyn (Lorraine) Taylor and Pamela Taylor. Aunt and uncle Delma Thompson and Luke Woods. Along with a host of family and friends.
Preceded by parent Harold and Coy Taylor, brother Jeffery Slack, grandmother and grandfather Henry and Aria Jackson. Aunt and uncle Patsy Woods and Al Thompson, Sr.
Services held at Bethany Church-Christ and Holiness, 2417 S. King St, Seattle @ 10:00 a.m. Viewing at 9:00 a.m on October 29, 2016.
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