After days on life support, Florida A&M University marching band director emeritus Dr. William P. Foster transitioned early this morning.

The FAMU family expected Doc to pull through this latest episode as word of his improvement circulated the Internet. Alas, this was not to be.

Of course we will post more on this tremendous loss in the near future. Rest in Peace, Dr. Foster.

The Marlins’ refusal to disclose the organization’s financial position should have been a deal breaker in the public financing request for their stadium but it wasn’t. Now, the outrage over learning the Marlins misled the public is ludicrous. By approving the deal without the Marlins' financial position, our elected officials were complicit in this charade. Shame...shame...shame.

 

Posted on Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2010

Outrage simmers over Florida Marlins' stadium deal

By ADAM H. BEASLEY AND CHARLES RABIN

Revelations this week that the Florida Marlins had turned a $37.8 million profit at the same time they were negotiating a sweetheart stadium deal has some elected officials and a local activist charging the team misled the public during the contentious, drawn-out debate.

``[The idea] is horrible and the financing is even worse. And now you see they took us for a ride,'' said Miami-Dade County Commissioner Carlos Gimenez, who voted against the stadium plan that ultimately secured city and county funding.

As the Marlins made their final push for a retractable-roof stadium in Little Havana in early 2009, team president David Samson framed the issue as a struggle for the franchise's existence.

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The Vernon Carey Foundation celebrated the start of the 2010-11 school year in Miami-Dade County with a Back-to-School event at St. Paul AME Church in Miami. More than 150 kids had a great time with bounce houses and face painting. The highlight of the event was the distribution of backpacks and school supplies to help the kids start the school year off on a positive note. Parents also signed up their children for free tutoring.

Related links:

Vernon Carey Foundation

St. Paul AME Church

Tired of the same old same old when it comes to education in our inner-city schools? On August 24, 2010, get out and vote for Vanessa Woodard Byers for Miami-Dade County School Board District 2 for real change in our public schools. We need NEW LEADERSHIP! Touch #109

Yackety-YAC, Time to Talk Back

Urge teens in your programs to mail in their application requests to serve on The Children's Trust Youth Advisory Committee (YAC). Now in its fifth year, this dynamic program advises The Trust from its unique youth perspective, while performing a host of community service projects and learning advocacy techniques. A highlight of the year is a trip to Tallahassee during legislative session.  Click here to access and download the application form - and then mail it in. Only mailed-in applications are accepted. Get on board the 2010-11 YAC team.   

Miami, FL – August 2010 – For the past 20 years, the South Florida chapter of 100 Black Men of America, Inc. has been providing guidance and leadership for over 10,000 young black males in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. One of 116 chapters around the world, 100 Black Men of South Florida, Inc. is a 100% volunteer organization, dedicated to volunteering their time to make a difference. This year marks its 20^th year of “Real Men Giving Real Time.” To celebrate, the organization will host a “Golf Classic” on Friday, October 1, 2010 and their signature gala “Preserving the Legacy in Paradise” on Saturday, October 2, 2010 at the luxurious Doral Resort and Spa in Doral, FL.

The 100 Black Men of South Florida, Inc.’s efforts support their innovative “Four for the Future Initiatives” of mentoring, education, health and wellness, and economic development. They have sent over 100 young males to college and have prepared them for their future by providing them a solid foundation, positive role models, and a great deal of support.

By “Mentoring the 100 Ways Across A Lifetime,” 100 Black Men of South Florida, Inc. have offered holistic and hands on programs to enrich and empower young men for their lives ahead. The Leadership Academy, one of the 100’s signature mentoring and education programs, reaches students in over twenty Miami-Dade and Broward County schools. In this program, the “Young Leaders” are given the opportunity to travel, receive academic tutoring, and participate in discussions and presentations from mentors and community leaders. The Positive Youth Development Program, targeted to middle school male students, teach and empower young men through team building, positive behavior, and career planning.

“Through hard work and a commitment to our mission, we have been able to develop and establish multiple tutoring programs, a robust mentoring program, sponsor several community health fairs, and grant college scholarships to more than 40 current college students. We hope to build on these accomplishments in the coming year.” states Bobby L. Hall, President of 100 Black Men of South Florida, Inc. and Zo’s Summer Groove Chairman.

 

The 100 doesn’t stop at mentoring; they also have a well-implemented health and wellness initiative. Every September, the 100 Black Men of South Florida, Inc. hold their annual Sickle Cell Walk-A-Thon to raise money for sickle cell research. Together with the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, the 100 was able to raise $150,000 to go toward sickle awareness, aid, and research. This September 11^th, the Sickle Cell Walk-A-Thon will take place at the Sun Life Stadium at 7:00am.

The 100 Black Men of South Florida, Inc. salute their corporate strategic partners that include: Burger King, Target, American Cancer Society, State Farm, AXA, Sierra Club, Bilzin Sumberg, FPL, Physicians Access, Aventura Hospital, Assurant, SenLex Environmental, Orange Bowl Committee, Publix Supermarket Charities, Sun Life Stadium and Alonzo Mourning Charities.

 

President of National Urban League Marc Morial Scheduled to Appear as Keynote Speaker at the Second Annual Conference

Washington, D.C.—August  2010 Blogalicious Weekend, the largest blogging conference celebrating diversity in social media, will host its second annual conference at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach in Miami, FL from October 8 to October 10, 2010. The three-day event dedicated to celebrating diversity in social media will bring together a group of savvy, influential and talented women bloggers to share ideas and inspiration in the context of Web 2.0.

Founded by Mamalaw.com bloggers, Nadia Jones, Nyasha Smith and Stacey Ferguson, Blogalicious Weekend was launched after these three practicing attorneys, who between them have seven children, realized that there was a dearth in the blogosphere when it came to the multicultural voices of women bloggers. They are also the founders of Mamalaw Media Group (MMG), a company devoted to raising the profile of women of color online. 

 

“We believe this is an exciting opportunity to discuss the importance of blogging across ethnic communities,” says Mamalaw Media Group. “The conference will once again ignite a sense of unity within the multicultural blogging community, as well as educate marketers on the importance of our demographic in today’s marketplace, all while networking, building relationships, and promoting inspiration and success for each other.”

Blogalicious 2010 is expected to have an attendance of hundreds of social media influencers from various backgrounds. Featured workshops include Marketing to Women of Color, Building Your Social Media Tribe and The Value and Metrics of Diversity at Conferences.

Marc Morial, president of National Urban League is set to appear as one of the keynote speakers. He will speak on Sunday, October 10, at 9 a.m. The National Urban League is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities. The Urban League recently celebrated its centennial in Washington, D.C.

Other speakers include Miriam Muley, The 85% Niche; Elisa Camahort Page, BlogHer, Inc.; Wayne Sutton, Social Wayne; and Dr. Otis Brawley, American Cancer Society.

Event sponsors include representatives from General Mills (My Blog Spark, Que Rica Vida, Feeding Dreams); General Motors (Buick and OnStar); McDonald's; and Kellogg's.

The CBS4 I-Team has been responsible for bringing South Florida viewers ground-breaking investigations that have uncovered a number of frauds, scandals, scams and hidden dangers.  On Sunday, August 22 at 6:30 PM, CBS4 News will present the sixth in an ongoing series of eye-opening half-hour specials, "The I-Team Investigates: A CBS4 News Special" hosted by CBS4's Antonio Mora and featuring special reports from award winning I-Team reporters Stephen Stock, Jim DeFede and David Sutta.  Like the I-Team's earlier specials, the new program breaks new ground with in-depth investigations that affect the South Florida community.  
 
The segments: 
 
Brothers to the Rescue Declassified - Stephen Stock
 
The CBS4 I-Team has spent more than two years investigating what really happened in the "Brothers to the Rescue" shoot-down over the Florida Straits in 1996. Now the I-Team has obtained more than 300 pages of previously secret and classified documents exchanged between the U.S. Embassy, the U.S. Secretary of State and the White House.  The CBS4 I-Team has also obtained secret reports from foreign embassies such as Switzerland, Norway, Greece, Romania and France as well as the U.S. Interests section in Cuba and Cuban Interests section in Washington regarding the shoot-down. The documents were declassified at the I-Team's request and reveal some never-before-seen information that proves especially revealing.  
 
No License No Problem - David Sutta
 
Every day, South Florida drivers share the road with people cruising without a license or a suspended license. Now, a new program launched in Miami-Dade is giving those illegal drivers a free pass. The program launched in June by the state attorney's office and chief judge allows anyone pulled over without a license the ability to pay $150 for a driving class and have the ticket removed from their record. The program was established because our courts are overwhelmed with traffic cases. Recent estimates are that there are 300,000 cases backlogged and with the current support staff, it would take years to get a new case through. But does this approach put bad drivers back on the street and place all of us at risk?
 
Deadly Voyage - Jim Defede
 
On May 9, 2009, more than 25 Haitians crowded onto a boat designed to carry only 12 passengers and set off from Nassau.  The passengers believed they were just four hours from a new and better life in Miami. Instead, four days later at least nine of them were dead, and the rest were pulled from the sea after their boat capsized just fifteen miles off the Florida coast. CBS4 I- Team investigator Jim DeFede tells the story of that deadly voyage.  DeFede presents exclusive eyewitness accounts from seven of the survivors, including the parents of an eight month-old baby girl who drowned after slipping from her father's hands when he was thrown into the water. 
 
WFOR-TV/CBS4 and WBFS/My 33 are part of CBS Television Stations, a division of CBS Corporation.
 
CBS4 is "always on." For local news, sports scores, weather updates, traffic reports, entertainment news and the best video experience available on the web 24 hours a day, go to CBS4.com.