Blogging Black Miami

FYI: Temporary change in water treatment at regional water facilities

2009-11-08T05:24:15-05:00

Received this message from a friend:

Miami-Dade has notified us that their water treatment procedures will change for the next two weeks. The following is a summary of their notification.

November 9th thru November 22nd, the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (WASD) will temporarily change its method of chlorination at each of its regional water treatment facilities. The free chlorine treatment will be used to provide a stronger disinfection and bleaching process than the combined chlorine treatment which is normally used. During this period a consumer may experience unusual chlorine taste or odor in the tap water. These temporary conditions will not cause adverse health effects. This annual treatment will ensure adequate disinfection levels in the water.

The free chlorine residual produces trihalomethanes (TTHM’s). The combined residual chlorine, as normally applied, greatly reduces the formation of TTHM’s. Consuming water with elevated TTHM levels during this two-week treatment period will not result in any adverse health effects; however, consumers with tropical fish should contact their aquarium supplier or pet shop for specific guidance regarding water changes during this period.

Public Notices announcing the “Free Chlorine Treatment Period” was published in local newspapers. All hospitals, kidney dialysis centers and pet shops were notified individually by certified mail.

Volunteer for Super Bowl and Pro Bowl host committees

2009-11-08T04:41:25-05:00

Message from Tyler Perry: PRECIOUS is Rated R

2009-11-08T04:28:52-05:00

Okay, I want all of you to know that PRECIOUS is Rated R. RATED RRRRRRR!! (for strong language, sexual content and soooo on) RATED RRRRR!!! This ain't no MADEA movie....LOL. Don't come out of the theater after seeing it saying, "Why didn't Tyler warn us?" HERE IS YOUR WARNING! Pass this on please...

This is not a TYLER PERRY BRANDED MOVIE. I did not write it, I'm not in it, I did not direct it. I want you to know that the language and subject matter are rough.

Some of you may say, "Then Tyler, why are you involved with it?" Glad you asked. It's certainly not for money, because I haven't gotten a dime, nor will I. Anything I make, 100% is going to charity. With that said, it brings me to my reason for wanting to get the word out about this film.

One word - POWERFUL! People think that this does not happen and these people don't exist. Not true! This is the most REAL film I've ever seen on this subject matter.

Seeing it, I realized that I was watching a lot of my childhood played out in front of my eyes, and by the end of the movie I was filled with so many emotions. When I sorted them all out, the one that stood out the most was Gratitude! I had to thank God that I made it through. I know, for a fact, that if you have been through anything like this, by the end of this film you will have a flood of emotions. I hope you leave feeling the same gratitude I did, thanking God you made it through. For those of you who haven't been through anything like this, I hope that you still have that level of gratitude...being thankful for the parents you were born to, and also that it will make you want to reach out and help some child. There are Preciouses everywhere. One word can make a difference in their lives. Believe me, I know about that one word.

Also, PRECIOUS is opening on different dates around the country.

Click the link below to find out when it's playing in your city.

http://www.tylerperry.com/_Movies/preciousSchedule.php

Miami Book Fair International Offers Mix of Literary Talent With Popular Evenings Series and Various Author Presentations Nov. 8-13

2009-11-05T06:40:03-05:00

Miami, Oct. 28, 2009 - Miami Book Fair International (Fair) will again treat book lovers to a week of cultural and educational activities, including a bevy of author presentations beginning Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009 at Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Wolfson Campus.

The author presentations will begin with award-winning poet, essayist and scholar Elizabeth Alexander at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8. Alexander is best known for writing and delivering President Barack Obama’s inaugural poem, Praise Song for the Day. She is the author of five poetry collections, most recently American Sublime (2005), a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in poetry, and is currently a professor of African American Studies at Yale University.

The beloved Evenings With series will kick off with Margaret Atwood and continues with Barbara Kingsolver, Jeannette Walls, Richard Powers, Isabella Rossellini, and Orhan Pamuk. Other evening programs include a presentation by food critic Ruth Reichl and Color of Comics: Does It Matter, a discussion on race and multicultural representation in comics and graphic novels featuring a panel of authors and artists who work in the format. There is also a free program dedicated to Francophone novelists and poets, entitled An Evening of Francophone Literature, at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, 2009 in Room 3208-09 of the Chapman Conference Center at MDC’s Wolfson Campus.

All Evenings With presentations will be held in the Chapman Conference Center (Bldg. 3, 2^nd Floor) at the MDC Wolfson Campus, 300 N.E. 2^nd Ave., downtown Miami. All Evenings With require a ticket that must be purchased for $10 in advance. To purchase, visit www.miamibookfair.com.

Evening programs include:

Elizabeth Alexander (Praise Song for the Day) – 5 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 8 – Free.
Margaret Atwood (The Year of the Flood) – 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 8 - $10 admission.
Ruth Reichl (Gourmet Today: More Than 1,000 All-New Recipes for the Contemporary Kitchen) – 6 p.m., Monday, Nov. 9 – Free.
Barbara Kingsolver (The Lacuna) – 7:30 p.m., Monday, Nov. 9 - $10 admission.
Jeannette Walls (Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel) – 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 10 - $10 admission.
Richard Powers (Generosity: An Enchantment) – 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 11 - $10 admission.
Isabella Rossellini (Green Porno) – 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 12 - $10 admission.
Orhan Pamuk (The Museum of Innocence) – 7:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 13 - $10 admission.
Color of Comics: Does It Matter? – 6 p.m., Friday, Nov. 13 – Free.
An Evening of Francophone Literature – 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13 – Free.

As a precursor to all the presentations, Fair organizers will introduce Twilight Tastings, where on each evening leading up to the special sessions, local fine eateries will offer a complimentary samples of their cuisine along with a drink. Some of the featured restaurants include: Hard Rock Café; Mamajuana Café; and Miami’s Finest Caribbean Restaurant.

Other highlights of the week-long Fair include author readings, book signings, the IberoAmerican Authors program, the popular Street Fair (Nov. 13-15 on the closed streets of downtown Miami surrounding the Wolfson Campus), Children’s Alley, Comix Galaxy, and much more.

For regular updates on these and all other related events please go to www.miamibookfair.com, call 305-237-3528 or email wbookfair@mdc.edu.

South Florida Caribbean News: Two Jamaican Icons honored by South Florida community

2009-11-05T06:14:09-05:00

South Florida Caribbean News

MIAMI GARDENS - A large number of Jamaicans paid tribute to two Jamaican icons, Professor Mervyn Morris and Mrs. Norma Darby at a program of cultural performances in their honor at the Holy Family Episcopal Church in Miami, yesterday (Oct. 29). "A Celebration of two Jamaica Icons" as it was aptly titled brought out several artists... Read More...

Financial Tip of the Month by Lisa Rogers-Cherry: Don't Spend Money to De-Stress

2009-11-04T05:36:37-05:00

Lisa Rogers-Cherry

Don’t spend money to de-stress. As we approach the festive season, a time that is considered by some as one of the most stressful times of the year -- I ask that you do not spend money to de-stress. Some people will often make purchases to make themselves feel better. Think of what big ticket items you have purchased when you were sad, depressed or were simply having a bad day. I used to spend money just to wind down after a stressful day. Sometimes I would end up buying things that I didn't need to make myself feel better. Now, I’ve found that I feel better by finding something constructive to do like writing in a journal, trying a new recipe, reading a book, or spending time with my family. Can you think of several things that you can do instead of spending money?

Lisa Rogers-Cherry is the author of Lifting the Burdens of Debt: A Helpful Guide to Getting Your Debts Paid and Your Life Back on Track (2005; $14.95). Lisa writes monthly financial tips for www.bloggingblackmiami.com and can be heard on www.wmbm.com on the Let's Talk Money Show. If you have a question or for more information go to www.redpenpress.com, e-mail her at Lisa@redpenpress.com, or write Lisa Rogers-Cherry, Red Pen Press, P. O. Box 1196, Dania Beach, FL 33004.

Regalado wins; Spence-Jones stays in

2009-11-04T05:30:50-05:00

In closely watched local races, Miami’s longest sitting commissioner, Tomas Regalado won in a landslide over Joe Sanchez while District 5 Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones held on to her seat with an easy victory over challengers Jeff Torain and David Chiverton. Spence-Jones caught a lot of flack during the campaign, found herself at odds with ministerial support and no major newspaper endorsement but she prevailed.

In a surprise, Frank Carollo, avoided a runoff in the crowded District 3 race while not a surprise, Manolo Reyes and Francis Suarez are in a runoff for District 4.

Go to the Miami-Dade Elections site for details: http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/FL/Dade/11058/18889/en/summary.html.

Congratulations to the winners! Stay tuned for runoff info and the results of other races.

UM Law professor sues site for racist rants

2009-11-03T17:16:17-05:00

Law prof sues 'Above the Law' site for 'viciously racist series of rants'

Karen Sloan
November 02, 2009

It's the kind of story that tends to get big play on the legal blog Above the Law: A prominent University of Miami School of Law professor and civil rights advocate arrested on suspicion of soliciting an undercover officer for sex.

The blog had plenty of fun with the story in October 2007 with a series of posts about Donald Marvin Jones, whom it dubbed "The Nutty Professor."

The only problem was that it didn't happen that way, and the blog's coverage veered into racism, according to a lawsuit Jones has filed in federal court. He alleged that Above the Law portrayed him in a false light, invaded his privacy and infringed the university's copyright on his faculty photo. Jones seeks $22 million in damages.

An online article about the arrest by David Lat, Above the Law's managing editor "instigated its readers not only to read the post but also to join in what was clearly a viciously racist series of rants" directed at the African-American professor, the suit claims. [More]

ALONZO MOURNING CHARITIES AND UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI HEALTH SYSTEM PARTNER TO PROVIDE HEALTH SERVICES TO CHILDREN AT OVERTOWN YOUTH CENTER

2009-11-02T13:05:29-05:00

One of South Florida’s Leading Youth Advocates and Medical Facility Come Together for the Community

MIAMI, FL (November 2, 2009) – Alonzo Mourning Charities and UHealth-University of Miami Health System have joined forces to offer vital and convenient health services to the hundreds of children and families of Miami’s Overtown Youth Center (OYC), the first youth enrichment center Mourning opened in 2003. Volunteer physicians from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s UHealth joined Alonzo Mourning and other special guests on October 29^th, 2009 for the unveiling of OYC’s mini-clinic.

Alonzo Mourning’s dedication to South Florida’s youth paired with UHealth’s vast knowledge and excellence in medical care make for the perfect team to provide Miami’s inner-city youth who attend the Center with the health services they so desperately need. Alonzo Mourning personally spoke at the opening celebration, thanking UHealth representatives for their commitment and gave guests a tour of the new clinic. UHealth volunteer physicians were on-hand to answer questions about the various services that will be provided. Speakers at the unveiling also included Carla Penn, Executive Director of the Overtown Youth Center, Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D., Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs and Dean of the Miller School of Medicine and CEO of UHealth and OYC parent, whose child continues to receive services, Gwen McNair.

Local community members were also invited to the clinic opening, and a heart-wrenching story from one OYC parent described the importance of offering these services to local children and their families. Gwen McNair, mother of two young boys and one girl who attend OYC shared the story about her son with asthma who wasn’t able to pursue his passion for sports because of ongoing concerns. Her child now receives routine check-ups and monitoring from UHealth doctors and will now be able to pursue his dream.

The program will bring volunteer UHealth physicians to the Overtown Youth Center three times a week to provide check-ups for enrolled children and their families. Doctor visits will occur Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Services will include: health education, promotion of health literacy, mental health screenings and referrals, community outreach – such as linkages with school nurses, first aid for sports injuries, school physicals, pre-participation physicals for OYC recreational events, select primary care services for uninsured OYC youth and their parents, and marriage/family therapy.

The Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, the Area Health Education Center (AHEC), the Department of Otolaryngology and the Jay Weiss Center for Social Medicine and Health Equity, all part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, are collaborating to provide services through UHealth at the Overtown Youth Center.

“Our partnership with the University of Miami Health System allows us to take care of our students both physically and mentally now,” said Mourning. “We’re thankful for UHealth’s commitment to the community and look forward to the benefits OYC’s children and families will receive.”

“The Miller School of Medicine and UHealth-University of Miami Health System are proud to take part in this partnership with the Overtown Youth Center, working together in this way we are able to bring the best medical care to our patients and to our community, as we strive to make sure our children can be the best they can be,” said Dean Goldschmidt. “We are honored to be able to extend our clinical and social services to the Overtown community and to partner with Alonzo Mourning Charities and the Overtown Youth Center in this effort.”

Alonzo Mourning Charities has a long-standing history with South Florida’s youth through the various programs they organize throughout the year and positive change they encourage. In 2003, Mourning teamed with donors to build the OYC, a state-of-the-art facility in Miami’s inner city. OYC programs are designed to engage children in educational and recreational activities that promote their physical, cognitive, motor, social, and emotional development. The OYC’s mission is to inspire and empower youth and families by fostering hope through enrichment services.

For more information on the Overtown Youth Center and its services, call 305-349-1204 or visit http://overtownyouth.org.

Black women needed for participation in study on attitudes about physical activity

2009-11-02T12:23:09-05:00

eMAPA is a NIH/NINR funded study (1R01NR010568-01) entitled "Ethnic Specific Midlife Women's Attitudes Toward Physical Activity".

The changing racial and ethnic makeup of the U.S. will require health professionals to practice with cultural competence in areas such as promotion of physical activity, where cultural beliefs may mediate health promotion behaviors. Although the benefits of physical activity are now widely accepted, midlife women, especially ethnic minority women, have low participation rates in physical activity, and prevalence rates of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and hypertension, and all-cause mortality among ethnic minority women (that can be effectively reduced by increasing physical activity) have been reported to be much higher than those of White midlife women. A plausible reason for the low participation rate is that the women's ethnic-specific attitudes toward physical activity have rarely been incorporated into relevant interventions.

The purpose of this study is to explore attitudes of midlife women from four ethnic groups [Hispanic, Non-Hispanic (N-H) White, N-H African Americans, and N-H Asians] toward physical activity while considering the relationships between their attitudes and their actual participation in physical activity within the ethnic-specific contexts of their daily lives. Data will be gathered via Internet survey and ethnic- specific online forums to allow for a national sample.

Study announcement
Eun-Ok Im, PhD, MPH, RN, CNS, FAAN, School of Nursing, The University of Texas at Austin and her colleagues are conducting a study to explore ethnic differences in midlife women's attitudes toward physical activity.

You are eligible to participate in this study if you are a midlife woman aged 40 to 60 years old who does not have any mobility problems; who can readand write English; who is online; and whose self-reported ethnic identity is Hispanic, non-Hispanic (N-H) White, N-H African American, or N-H Asian. Data will be collected through an Internet survey among 500 midlife women in the U.S. starting Feb. 1 2008 and ending May 21, 2011. Your involvement will consist of about 30 minutes to complete the Internet survey questionnaire. You will be reimbursed with a 10 dollar gift certificate for filling out the Internet survey.

For more information and to begin the survey, please visit our project website (http://mapa.nur.utexas.edu/MAPA/)and/or contact us.

Contact Information: Emily Webster, Research Assistant
School of Nursing, University of Texas at Austin
1700 Red River, Austin, TX 78701
E-mail: emily.webster@mail.utexas.edu
Eun-Ok Im, PhD, MPH, RN, CNS, FAAN, Professor
School of Nursing, The University of Texas at Austin
1700 Red River, Austin, TX, 78701
Phone: (512) 475-6352
E-mail: eim@mail.utexas.edu
Project Website: http://mapa.nur.utexas.edu/MAPA/

Forbes: S. Fla. at bottom of safest city list - South Florida Business Journal:

2009-11-01T19:10:57-05:00

Forbes: S. Fla. at bottom of safest city list - South Florida Business Journal:.

The Miami-Fort Lauderdale metro area ranked dead last on Forbes list of the safest largest cities in the U.S.

The rankings are based on a city’s levels of violent crime, workplace fatalities rates, traffic death rates and natural disaster risk. [More]

Game of the Week: FAMU edges Morgan State in OT

2009-11-01T19:08:00-05:00

Game of the Week: FAMU edges Morgan State in OT

Trevor Scott booted a 35-yard field goal in overtime as Florida A&M took sole control of second place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with a 31-28 victory over Morgan State at Hughes Stadium in Baltimore Saturday.

FAMU quarterback Curtis Pulley put the Rattlers ahead 28-21 in the fourth quarter with a 26-yard scoring run. Almost six minutes later, Edwin Baptiste caught a 53-yard scoring strike from Morgan State QB Carlton Jackson to even the score. [More...]

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