A very important meeting on redistricting school board areas is schedule for 6-7 PM, Wednesday, November 2, 2011 in the auditorium of the School Board Administration Building, 1450 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami, FL 33132.

This meeting is required by law and decisions will be based on the 2010 Census. If you care about your schools and your Board Member representation, be there. The meeting will be televised live on WLRN Channel 17 but it is always good to show a physical presence.

Rest assured there has already been some discussion between concerned individuals about how the boundary lines should be drawn and if the number of districts should be increased or decreased. Stay alert. Pay close attention to what's said, who says it and what's not said.

For more information, contact the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Citizen Information Center at (305) 995-1128. Questions and/or comments should be sent to Redistricting@dadeschools.net.

If you have any comments before or after the meeting, feel free to post them here or on the Blogging Black Miami Facebook page.

REP. CYNTHIA STAFFORD PRAISES JUDGE'S DECISION
TO HALT ENFORCEMENT OF LAW MANDATING
DRUG TESTING OF ASSISTANCE APPLICANTS

Rep. Stafford Sponsors HB 4065 To Permanent Repeal TANF Drug Testing Mandate

MIAMI, Fla. -- As the result of a lawsuit brought by the ACLU of Florida and the Florida Justice Institute (FJI), today U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven halted enforcement of Florida’s new law mandating drug tests for all applicants for the state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.

The judge ruled that the compelled drug testing is a search under the 4th Amendment, and that individuals retain a right of privacy against such intrusive, suspicionless searches by the state, even when applying for temporary assistance.

Representative Cynthia Stafford (D-Miami) issued the following statement pertaining to today's judicial order:

"I commend the ACLU of Florida and the Florida Justice Institute for pursuing what many consider an unjust attack on lower-income people and a very vulnerable population in Florida. The vigorous attempts to squash the legislation that mandated this testing are supported by today's court order.

"I also am the proud sponsor of House Bill 4065 for the 2012 legislative session to permanently repeal this unjust requirement. I look forward to the passage of HB 4065 by the Florida Legislature."

The movement is moving! The 99% are waking up and moving across the country, and here in Miami. The Occupy Miami encampment is holding stong at the Government Center, and next Tuesday the 99% are marching on Bank of America.  

The 99% March on Bank of America

Tuesday November 1st, 10am

Greater Bethel AME Church

245 NW 8th Street 

MIAMI, FL _ City of Miami Gardens Councilman Oliver G. Gilbert, III, was officially installed as Chairman of the Miami Dade Black Caucus of Elected Officials (MDBC-LEO) on Friday, October 21, 2011 at the annual installation reception hosted by Becker Poliakoff, P.A.

Dr. Lewis Accepts Health Secretary’s Appointment
to National Library of Medicine

United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Kathleen Sebelius recently appointed Florida Memorial University (FMU) President Dr. Henry Lewis III to the Board of Regents of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The secretary expressed “delight” in Lewis’ appointment in a formal invitation letter. He hopes his appointment inspires others.

“I am truly humbled and honored to receive this appointment,” Lewis said. “I hope this appointment inspires our students to leverage all of their available resources and opportunities so that they may achieve their dreams.”

Lewis, a nationally renowned biomedical researcher, will serve a four-year term on the Board of Regents ending August 2015.  The board serves as the advisory body to HHS, NIH and NLM on all important aspects of policy regarding the Library and is the final review body for NLM's external grant program. The Board meets three times a year in February, May and September.

“I am looking forward to serving on the board and expanding research on issues that impact our communities,” Lewis added. Lewis served on as chairman of the NLM’s environmental health and information outreach panel.

The men of Sigma Alpha Chapter of Omega Psi Fraternity, Incorporated in Miami, FL in Partnership with the Omega Activity Center Foundation, Inc., have scheduled several local activities in celebration of the fraternity’s 100^th anniversary.

Omega Psi Phi (ΩΨΦ) is an organizational brotherhood and the first black fraternal organization founded at a historically-black college as it was founded on November 17, 1911, at Howard University in Washington, DC. Some prominent Omega Men are Bill Cosby; Shaquille O’Neal; Rev. Jesse Jackson; Tom Joyner; Steve Harvey and Michael Jordan.

Celebrity chefs Michelle Bernstein, Douglas Rodriguez, and 11 top Miami chefs, will join culinary students from three Miami-Dade County adult education centers at "Cooking Up Dreams," Tuesday, Nov. 1, where they’ll be dishing up gourmet bites from 7-9 p.m., at the DoubleTree Grand Hotel Biscayne Bay.

Tickets are $75 via Ticketweb.com, and proceeds will benefit The Foundation for New Education Initiatives, Inc., supporting innovative programs for Miami-Dade County Public Schools. The DoubleTree Grand is located at 1717 North Bayshore Drive, Miami.

Heading the stellar lineup of Miami’s culinary stars are Chef Michelle Bernstein, owner of Michy’s and Sra. Martinez, and Chef Douglas Rodriguez, owner of De Rodriguez Cuba and OLA at the Sanctuary. Joining them are Chef Sarah Paz Claro from The Office Cake; Chef Richard L. Ingraham, Personal Chef to Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade; Chef Timon Balloo from Sugar Cane; Chef Susan Bleemer from Catering the Event; Chef Steve Calandra of the DoubleTree Grand Hotel, Biscayne Bay; Chef Makoto Okuwa of Makoto Bal Harbour; Chef Horacio Rivadero of The Dining Room; Chef Carmen Trigueros of La Bottega; Chef Berni Matz from Books and Books Lincoln Road; Chef Kris Wessel from Red Light Little River; and Chef Peter Vauthy of Red Steakhouse.

Participating schools are Robert Morgan Educational Center, Lindsey Hopkins Technical Education Center, and Miami Lakes Educational Center.

Sponsors include Doubletree by Hilton Grand Hotel Biscayne Bay, Bacardi USA, Inc., Thunder Electrical Contractors, Inc., Hilton Bentley Miami/South Beach and Vinecraft.


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Washington, DC – Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (FL-17) today announced nearly $2.3 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The grants will be awarded to the state of Florida and will be directed to Miami-Dade County and the City of Miami for urban disaster and emergency preparedness.

“This critical funding will create jobs and better prepare South Florida to deal with a natural disaster or large-scale emergency,” said Congresswoman Wilson. “I thank FEMA for awarding these funds to our communities during a time of need.”

The two grants – $1.147 million for Miami-Dade and $1.149 million for the City of Miami – will go towards continuing “the development and maintenance of National Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Response System resources” for urban disaster relief and emergency preparedness.


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Miami, FL – Known for her motivational speeches and a progressive career track in college athletics, famed Miami Dade College (MDC) Head Women’s Basketball Coach Susan Summons will share her insights with a national audience when she hosts a live remote during the Internet blog talk radio show, Sports Inside and Out: When Legends Speak, on Saturday, Nov. 5 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Kendall Campus.

Summons’ co-host is Chuck Hatcher, a former NBA veteran and the radio show’s founder. The show’s segment will also include interviews with sports celebrity legends such as former NBA stars Wali Jones of the Philadelphia 76ers, and Sam Stith of the New York Knicks; Bobby Hunter of the Harlem Globetrotters, Bermuda Soccer Pro Legend David Bascombe, and more.

The show will stream live via http://www.blogtalkradio.com/legendsofsports.

WHAT: Live Remote of the National Broadcast of Sports Inside and Out, Hosted by MDC Coach Susan Summons

WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 5, 9-11 a.m.

WHERE: MDC Kendall Campus, 11011 S.W. 104th St., Building 8, directly in front of the bookstore

For more information, contact Susan Summons, 305-237-2378 or Chuck Hatcher at 301-377-4443.



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The Miami-Dade Young Democrats will hold their monthly meeting tonight, 6:30 pm at City Hall The Restaurant, 2004 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami. Special Guest Speaker is Alberto Carvalho, Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools. He will address the Future of Public Education in our State and how public education budget cuts have affected the schools in Miami-Dade County.

Bring canned goods or non-perishable food items for deserving families in Liberty City for Thanksgiving.