Faces Around the Bay: Winston Bastom
June 25, 2008
Winston Bastom stands at the corner of O’Farrell and Mason in San Francisco, usually on Friday nights, playing the steel drum. The drum and Bastom are from Trinidad. The beautiful bell like sounds of the drum fill the block with familiar melodies, and people occasionally drop coins/dollars in his case. Bastom has been in this country for 13 years!
Photo and text by Barbara Fluhrer.
Fun-Filled Fiji Festival in Haywarrd on July 5-6
June 25, 2008
2007 Fiji Festival Contestants.
The Fiji Festival which attracts over thousands of people to Hayward will be held at 25800 Carlos Bee Blvd., Hayward on July 5-6.
The 2-day festival showcases the multi-racial, multi-cultural society of the Fiji Islands and is full of fun, sports, games and delicious food and music and dancing.
Fiji Festival is an undertaking of the Fiji American National Association (FANA). It was founded in 2002 and is located in Union City, CA.
Fiji Festival provides a medium for Social, Economical and Cultural enrichment for the people of Fiji origin and those of the South Pacific. [Read more]
Faces Around the Bay: Gabriel Hampton
June 25, 2008
Gabriel Hampton graduated from Hercules High and was crowned Prom King in the same week. He is shown here at one of the after parties following the graduation. Hampton was offered a four year football scholarship to Southern University, but chose to enroll at S.F. City College instead. He has already started football practice there, and classes begin this week.
Hampton hopes to play professional football. He also loves to cook and would like to open his own restaurant one day. He will major in Business Administration, and his grandfather Waheed Zafir, has urged him to minor in a technical trade. Hampton’s parents, Tim and Sarah Hampton live in Hercules; he has three brothers and one sister.
Photo and text by Barbara Fluhrer.
California Endowment Awards $249,214 to RYSE Center in Richmond
June 25, 2008
The California Endowment has announced that it has awarded a two year grant to the RYSE Center in Richmond. The grant, totaling $249,214, comes at a time when RYSE organizers are completing plans to create a positive space for young people in West Contra Costa County.
“This youth driven, multi-sector collaboration is poised to help Richmond and West Contra Costa County confront its challenges and create a healthy, safe and vibrant city,” said Diane Aranda, program officer for The California Endowment, a private, statewide health foundation.
The RYSE Center will serve as a hub where West Contra Costa County youth to gather and work together to develop leadership skills, promote peace and multiracial unity, and participate in a range of programs including tutoring and career support, health services and health education, media arts, performance arts, recreation and community building. [Read more]
Barbara Lee Nominates Two Local Programs for National Award
June 25, 2008
Community programs recognized for battle against hunger through education
Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-09) recognized two local programs for their fight against hunger by nominating them for a prestigious national award. The Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) Network for a Healthy California Garden and Cooking Program and People United for a Better Life in Oakland (PUEBLO) were both nominated for the national Victory Against Hunger Award.
The Congressional Hunger Center, a bi-partisan anti-hunger training organization, presents the award annually to programs that battle hunger and work to improve a community’s health through education and hands on experiences.
BUSD and PUEBLO were both nominated by Congresswoman Lee in recognition of their outstanding achievements in the ongoing fight against hunger. “It is always a great pleasure to acknowledge the hardworking organizations and agencies in my Congressional District,” Lee said. “I am particularly happy to nominate these two groups for their fine work in addressing hunger in our communities.” [Read more]
Congresswoman Lee Introduces Haiti “Next Steps” Legislation
June 25, 2008
Bill provides critical assistance to Haitian people
Last week Congresswoman Barbara Lee introduced The Next Steps For Haiti Act which would create a professional exchange program designed to improve critical sectors of the Haitian economy from education, health, energy, transportation, to disaster preparedness. The bill is intended to help expand Haiti’s capacity to absorb development aid and improve the welfare of the population.
The need for the legislation is significant. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and most sectors of its economy face significant challenges. The recent 40 percent rise in global food prices and subsequent 50 percent rise in the cost of Haiti’s staple foods since mid-2007 has placed additional stress on the economy and has severely impacted the Haitian people. [Read more]
Obama As A Grass-Roots President
June 25, 2008
Presidential candidate Barack Obama speaking at one of his rallies.
It’s far from clear that he could run the country the way he’s running his campaign.
More than any other candidate, Barack Obama has used the power of the Internet to involve millions of people in his campaign. His bottom-up approach tapped a wellspring of money and votes. But organizing from the grass roots is one thing. Could he govern that way?
He says he wants to, if elected. “Real change doesn’t begin in the halls of Washington, but on the streets of America. It doesn’t happen from the top down, it happens from the bottom up,” the presumed Democratic nominee told an Indiana crowd in April.
Only vigorous citizen involvement can overpower special interest groups and move dead-weight issues through Congress, Mr. Obama preaches. He and his potential White House advisers imagine mobilizing an e-army of millions with a keystroke, then steering it toward Washington on behalf of universal health care or reduced greenhouse gases. [Read more]
Attles and Powe to Play in First AME Church’s Scholarship Activity Game
June 25, 2008
Al Attles, Warrior Executive and former Hall of Fame Player, shown dribbling balls that have the faces of Leon Powe,(left) Boston Celtic Forward from Oakland Technical High, who will referee the game and right Dr. Harold Mayberry (right)-, pastor of First AME who plans to pay forward in the game. Graphic Design by Alapi Bhatt
Faces Around the Bay: Paul Hampton
June 25, 2008
Paul Hampton grew up in North Berkeley, and graduated from Berkeley High. He attended College of Alameda, majoring in Psychology. Since then he has held several jobs including First Data Resources in Omaha for 3 years, Chiron in Emeryville for 3 years in Administrative Services and Pac Bell for 4 years. He currently works with ETNA doing claims pre-certification.
He enjoys surfing on the net, likes to work out and is a “good cook”. Hampton is concerned about the break down in moral values in our society. He feels, “the responsibility is in the home and in our schools as well.”
Photo and text by Barbara Fluhrer.
Bella’s Chocolate Surprise Fair Trade Kid’s Book
June 25, 2008
Bella’s Chocolate Surprise* by Adam Guillain and illustrated by Elke Steiner is one of the first children’s picture books to focus on Fair Trade. It stars inquisitive, adventurous heroine, Bella Balistica, and takes readers from Bella’s home in London to Ghana, West Africa. In Ghana, Bella befriends a group of children who work in the cacao fields to make chocolate as part of a Fair Trade CertifiedTM collective.
Transfair USA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is one of twenty members of Fair Trade Labeling Organizations International (FLO), and the only third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the United States. They audit transactions between US companies offering Fair Trade Certified products and the international suppliers from whom they source, in order to guarantee that the farmers and farm workers behind Fair Trade Certified goods were paid a fair, above-market price.
