POV_December_1_2012_POV_December_1_2012.qxd 11/30/2012 10:38 AM Page 1 OINT OF IEW www.afampointofview.comP V december 1, 2012 Our Community Newspaper CHRISTMAS MUSINGS. 688 Boston Road WE WON! SKIP THE SWEATER, LET CHRIST COME GIVE AN EXPERIENCE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS By Magdalena Gómez By Dr. Brett Snowden is the season” of people going into debt, the giv- Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and ing of obligatory gifts, “T opens the door, I will come in and gluttony, anxiety, resentment, mall eat with that person, and they with stress, and for many, having to spend me. Revelation 3:20 (NIV) time with people you wouldn’t choose Photo by Ed Cohen – 16 to have in your life, but are stuck with t’s that time of year again. LIVING THE GOOD LIFE due to familial pressures. Then there December has come and with it are the meals and the expectations sur- all the joys of Christmas. But what “Shouldn’t we try a little harder to consis- I rounding those meals. Pressures all is the real meaning of Christmas? Is it tently give of ourselves? Living the Good around, some of which are competi- the gifts under the tree, the lights in Life should be viewed more broadly than tive and even classist. Does giving a the windows, the cards in the mail, what’s in it for me….self-mastery requires Burberry scarf make you a better dinners with family and friends, snow ruthless candor….stop the blame shifting friend than giving a home-made batch in the yard, stockings hanging in the for your errors and shortcomings….Don’t of cookies? How much cortisol do living room, and shouts of “Merry be a Prosperous Fool….Kindness to oth- you release deciding what to give your Christmas” to those who we meet in ers is a good habit…” employer? How do you measure suc- the corridors of life? Is this really By Patricia Spradley – 7 cess? Why does it take a diamond to Christmas? say “I love you”? Who started that tradition? I can assure Of course, much of the popularity associated with THE WORK CONTINUES you that it was not begun by those who are worked to Christmas, especially in the Western part of the world, is “…we cannot return to business as usual death for meager wages in the mines. Attendance at due to the commercial promotion of the holiday. In when it comes to educating our children, recovery meetings escalate during the holidays; so do many Protestant churches through the eighteenth and not when only half of Bridgeport stu- accidents. Corporate advertisers exploit unchallenged early nineteenth centuries, Christmas was noted but not dents graduate from high school.” continues to page 13 continues to page 26 By Maria Zambrano – 8 IT WORKS! CASINO CORNER TOBACCO TREATMENT By Frederick A. Hurst GAME CHANGE! “Tobacco use is the leading preventable first heard about “Y-AIM” during a casual meeting at By Frederick A. Hurst cause of illness and death worldwide. In my office with Kirk Smith, president and CEO of the United States, it adds up to 96 billion his casino business gets more exciting by the day. the YMCA of Greater Springfield. Kirk was express- dollars in medical costs annually to health I Holyoke Mayor Alex B. Morse, who was elected care spending….In 2010, 19.3% of U.S. Tat age 22 on the promise to block casino devel- adults, or 45 million people, smoked opment in Holyoke, recently announced plans for a casi- cigarettes. Approximately half of them no at Holyoke’s Mt. Tom on the former site of the will die of a tobacco-related disease.” Mountain Park Amusement Park. Holyoke’s entry into By Anne Awad & Doris Harris – 10 the race almost guarantees that at least three proposals will be submitted to the state gaming commission from THE SLEEPING GIANT Western Massachusetts. IS AWAKE Holyoke would be one. Holyoke residents have “…voter suppression efforts designed to already voted twice to approve a casino and it is highly make it difficult for certain segments of unlikely they will reject the Mt. Tom proposal. The the population to vote woke up a sleeping Palmer casino proposal is another. It was considered a giant that showed its defiance on shoo-in after Palmer residents voted for it long before November 6, 2012, by re-electing Y-AIM students Kendrik Vasquez and competition from Holyoke and the three Springfield President Obama to a second four-year Tadaja Murphy with YMCA President and casino developers. And, of course, one of the three term.” CEO Kirk Smith from Springfield will find its way to Boston. By Rev. Talbert W. Swan, II – 14 continues to page 5 continues to page 25 POV_December_1_2012_POV_December_1_2012.qxd 11/30/2012 10:38 AM Page 2 african american point of view page two december 1, 2012 HOSPITALITY MINISTRY CANAAN BAPTIST CHURCH OF Announcing the CHRIST HOSTS 20TH SENIOR Presentation and Book Signing EXTRAVAGANZA of a new inspirational book by Dr. W.C . Watson, Jr., Sr. Pastor Canaan Baptist Church of Christ Saturday, December 8, 2012 Canaan’s Rev. Dr. W.C. Watson, Jr., & Hospitality Ministry Chairperson First Lady Dr. Annie B. Watson Willette Johnson DiscoveringDDisissccooveerring thethhe ProfoundProofofofououundnd ValueVaalluue of thethhe JoyJoy WithinWiiththhiin Honorees top row from left: Thomas Hodges, Sr., Deacon Marlow Keith Freeman, Rev. Amos L. Bailey, Rev. Dr. Brett Snowden; Center row from left: Dr. Priscilla Bolden, Dr. Gloria B. Williams, Gladys Cuffie, Carol Murchison, Mrs. Ambrozine M. Snowden, and James McLean; Front row from left: Nancy Castleberry, Catherine Forrester, Dolores A. Nichols, and Mother Mary Martin Presentation and Book Signing for two hours on Saturday, December 8, 2012 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. and 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. (Refreshments will be served) Canaan Baptist Church of Christ 1430 Carew Street Springfield, MA 01104 Pre-order your book from the Canaan church office at (413) 781-1232 or (413) 739-5053 Canaan Hospitality Ministry front row from left: Sherry Washington, Richea Cost of Book: $11.00 Jackson Deloach, Natalie Dorm, Katherine Thomas, and Alice Edmonds Paterson; Center row: Ella Holman, Lue Ann Allison; Top row from left: Joyce Calhoun, Juanita Beamon, and Chairperson Willette H. Johnson POV_December_1_2012_POV_December_1_2012.qxd 11/30/2012 10:38 AM Page 3 african american point of view page three december 1, 2012 COVER AN AFRICAN AMERICAN POINT OF VIEW SKIP THE SWEATER, GIVE AN EXPERIENCE AN AFRICAN AMERICAN Point of View LET CHRIST COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS CON 688 Boston Road, Springfield, MA 01119 CON Phone: (413) 796-1500 l Fax: (413) 796-6100 IT WORKS! E-mail: [email protected] l Website: www.afampointofview.com CASINO CORNER: GAME CHANGE! Point of View is a monthly news journal with an African American orientation. It is distributed free to select locations in Hampden and Hampshire counties and BUSINESS & FINANCE in Connecticut. Letters, articles and comments appearing in the newspaper Financial “Cents”........................................................................................9 Financially Yours ........................................................................................9 reflect the opinions of the contributors and do not constitute an endorsement by CLASSIFIED..............................................................................................32 POV and are subject to editing. POV assumes no responsibility for photos, arti- COMMUNITY cles, letters, press releases or unsolicited materials. Decisions as to the editing Call to the Cause.........................................................................................15 and publishing of material are based on space availability and the discretion of Community Focus ......................................................................................17, 20-21 the publisher and editor. Distribution locations are listed on our web site. POV Community Information...........................................................................13, 25 assumes no financial responsibility for failure to publish an advertisement, Community Perspectives ...........................................................................14 incorrect placement or typographical errors in its publication. Advertisers are Congratulations Corner.............................................................................16 solely responsible for the content of their advertising and claims and offers con- Events...........................................................................................................33 tained within their advertising. POV reserves the right to refuse advertising for Latin@ Groove (continued from Cover) ...............................................13 any reason. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without written Leadership Pioneer Valley.........................................................................14 permission. EDITORIAL PUBLISHER: Frederick A. Hurst EDITOR: Marjorie J. Hurst AF-AM Newsbits.......................................................................................4 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: THIS ISSUE Connecticut Bits .........................................................................................22 TENTS TENTS Black Sports International Melvin Wm. Bell, Editor Inhale Music < Exhale Life Heshima Moja From the Publisher’s Desk........................................................................24 Call to the Cause Kirk Smith Inspirational Thoughts Willette H. Johnson Letters to the Publisher .............................................................................24 Children’s Book Corner Terri Schlichenmeyer Latin@ Groove Magdalena