Print News for the Heart of our City. Volume 53, Issue 19 December, 2015 Read us daily at www.city-sentinel.com Ten Cents Page 5 Page 6 Page 8 Positive Tomorrows 25th Annual Sonja Martinez Christmas AIDS Benefit Paseo Events Local Amnesty group plans letter writing event for human rights By Darla Shelden ed to partic- City Sentinel Reporter ipate. “ D u r i n g The world’s largest annual the Write human rights event, Amnes- for Rights ty International’s (AI) Global event we Write-A-Thon, will take place will write from Dec. 4-18 in schools, cof- letters on fee shops, community centers, behalf of and street corners around the prisoners of globe. conscience The Oklahoma City affili- all over the ated chapter will hold a Write world,” said for Rights event on Saturday, John Wal- Dec. 5 at Full Circle Book Store, ters, Legis- lative Coordina- “By taking part in the Write 1900 N.W. Expressway, from 10 tor, Amnesty USA-OKC Chap- for Rights Write-A-Thon you a.m. - 1 p.m. The public is invit- ter. continued on page 2 Vespers Concert Sings Christmas Praises Oklahoma City University at Christmas – bringing cheer and good tidings Staff Report Dec. 4 through 12. Performance times are 8 p.m. Tickets for all performanc- Dec. 11 and 4 p.m. Dec. 12. Oklahoma City University es are available for purchase The OCU Symphony Or- will give the gift of entertain- online at okcu.edu/tickets chestra will perform with ment with three productions or by calling 405-208-5227. four OCU vocal ensembles: by its performing arts schools OCU’s Christmas shows are University Singers, Ad Astra in music, dance and theater in sponsored by The Oklaho- Women’s Chorus, the Uni- December. man and Newsok.com. versity Men’s Chorus and the The Wanda Bass School of Chamber Choir. Music will present its annual Vespers Concert Sings “Among the many ways Christmas Vespers concert Christmas Praises that these talented students Dec. 11 and 12; the Ann Lacy More than 250 Oklahoma contribute to the community, School of American Dance & City University singers and perhaps none is more mov- Entertainment will bring it orchestral musicians will cel- ing than the combining of all “Home for the Holidays” Dec. ebrate the 37th annual Christ- of our choirs with our sym- 10 through 13; and the School mas Vespers concerts at First phony orchestra and organ of Theatre will invite “The Presbyterian Church of Okla- at Christmas Vespers,” said This year, from Dec. 4-18, members of Amnesty International will write letters to Prisoners of Conscience all over the world Man Who Came to Dinner” homa City, 1001 N.W. 25th St. continued on page 4 during the annual Write for Rights - Amnesty’s Global Write-A-Thon event. Photo provided. Annual PAMBE Ghana Global Market offers fair trade goods for holiday shoppers By Darla Shelden City Sentinel Reporter The 8th annual PAMBE Ghana’s Global Market, a sea- sonal fair trade shop, is now open from 12 - 6 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays through Dec. 23. The market is held at 6516 N. Olie in Oklahoma City and provides destination shop- ping for unusual holiday gifts, including a wide selection of folk art from around the world. Staffed entirely by vol- unteers, the Global Market sells products from around Last month a celebration of PAMBE Ghana themed “Red Dirt Rising” took place at St. Paul’s Cathedral, in Oklahoma City, featuring dinner, music and a pho- the world purchased directly tographic presentation of the La’Angum Learning Center by Executive Director On Friday, Dec. 25 the annual Red Andrews Christmas Dinner held at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City will pro- from artisans or from certified Alice Iddi-Gubbels. Photos provided. vide a holiday meals for those in need plus new toys for children of all ages. Photo provided. members of the Fair Trade Fed- eration. tend the Global Market Grand as Guatemala, Haiti, Peru, Gha- Annual Red Andrews Dinner offers the A non-profit organization Opening on Friday, Nov. 13 na, Burkina Faso, India and In- based in Oklahoma City, PAM- from 6 - 8 p.m. Executive Di- donesia. Christmas spirit to Oklahomans in need BE Ghana is a partnership with rector Alice Iddi-Gubbels, This year, there is a special By Darla Shelden the Event Hall on the south- taken with Santa and each will local communities in north- founder of PAMBE Ghana and focus on products made by City Sentinel Reporter west corner of the Cox Conven- receive a toy. ern Ghana. Its name stands the La’Angum Learning Center Nepali artisans, who were ad- tion Center, at 1 Myriad Gar- Board Chair Robert Gold- for “Partnership for Mother located in northern Ghana, will versely affected by that coun- The Red Andrews Din- dens. man said, “It has been incred- Tongue-based Bilingual Educa- be in attendance. try’s deadly earthquakes in ner will once again take place “Last year we fed approxi- ible to witness Oklahomans tion” in West Africa. Products at the Global Mar- April and May. in Oklahoma City on Christ- mately 7,000 people and gave working together in the spirit The public is invited to at- ket come from countries such continued on page 2 mas Day. It has been provid- away thousands of toys,” said of serving our neighbors. We ing warm meals for those in volunteer Mary Blankenship are all united in that we recog- need and toys for children since Pointer. “The Red Andrews’ nize what a highly-valued and the 1940s. Christmas Dinner is our gift to impactful event this has been Members of the Red An- the community, it is free and on the community for many drews family, local community open to the public. People from decades. members and event volunteers all walks of life attend.” “Last year a donor gave us a are preparing to serve needy Everyone attending will one time donation of 1200 coats Oklahomans on Friday, Dec. 25 receive a warm meal of tur- which we gave to our guests. from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. key with all of the trimmings. We are trying to at least du- The dinner will be held in Children will have their photos continued on page 5 A note to advertisers and potential advertisers Here is The City Sentinel print edition production schedule for Dec. and the first three months of 2016. January 2016 edition March 2016 edition Ad space reservation: Friday, Dec. 18 Ad space reservation: Friday, Feb. 19 Ad content deadline: Tuesday, Dec. 22 Ad content deadline: Tuesday, Feb. 23 February 2016 edition April 2016 edition Ad space reservation: Friday, Jan. 22 Ad space reservation: Friday, Mar. 18 Ad content deadline: Tuesday, Jan. 26 Ad content deadline: Tuesday, Mar. 22 Last summer, women at the Go Home project, in Gambaga, entertain PAMBE Ghana visitors in West Africa. Page 2 www.city-sentinel.com December, 2015 NEWS See us online, and on Facebook and Twitter Local Amnesty group plans letter writing event for human rights continued from page 1 can help bring about the re- lease of a prisoner of con- science or an end to the harass- ment of someone standing up for Human Rights.” Every year, close to Human Rights Day on Dec. 10, hun- dreds of thousands of people around the world each send a message to someone they’ve never met to demonstrate their support. For 54 years, Amnesty Inter- national’s human rights cam- paigns have been instrumental The Oklahoma City chapter of Amnesty International will hold its annual Write for Rights, Write-A-Thon event on Saturday, Dec. 5 at Full Circle Book Store, from 10 in obtaining freedom for pris- a.m. - 1 p.m. Participating last year are (L-R) Bill Bryant, Doug Latham and John PAMBE Ghana’s Global Market, a seasonal fair trade shop, opens Thursday, Nov. 5, from 12 - 6 p.m., Tuesdays through oners worldwide through pres- Walters. Saturdays through Dec. 23. Photos provided. sure from letters, faxes, and e- Photo by John Walters mails written by Amnesty In- ing a letter. nesty International OKC chap- ternational activists. “At this event we will also ter project. Annual PAMBE Ghana Global Market AI has 3 million supporters write Christmas cards to all “It is one more way we can who take action each year in prisoners on Death Row in let those prisoners on Oklaho- offers fair trade goods for holiday this event. Oklahoma.” ma’s death row know that they “You are joining your voice Currently Oklahoma has 49 are not forgotten. I hope with with others around the world inmates on death row. all my heart that it also signals shoppers to demand that the rights of Adam Leathers, OK-CADP to them that we are working continued from page 1 individuals be respected and spokesperson, “The Oklaho- tirelessly to end this travesty of protected,” Walters said. “You ma Coalition against the Death ‘killing people who kill’ to show “These items are something have the power to change Penalty (OK-CADP) is proud to that killing people is wrong.” you can feel good about buy- someone’s life by simply writ- participate in this annual Am- Oklahoma death row in- ing,” said Linda Temple, mar- mates Richard Glossip, Benja- ket volunteer product coordi- min Cole and John Grant were nator. all scheduled to be executed Fair trade principles in- this fall. After a mix up in the clude a guarantee that artisans drug protocol on Sept.