Tracking Money and Influence in 2016 Presidential Campaign
Transcription
Tracking Money and Influence in 2016 Presidential Campaign
Presorted standard .s. postage paid wilmington, N.c. permit - no. 675 50 cents Established 1987 Theme: "Prepare For The Harvest" I NS I D E 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Opinions & Editorials Health & Wellness Career & Education Business News & Resources Events & Announcements Spirit & Life Classifieds 3 Persistent ADHD Associated With Overly Critical Parents 4 Urban Prep Academy Turns Boys Into Scholars in Chicago’s Roughest Neighborhoods Tracking Money and Influence in 2016 Presidential Campaign As the 2016 presidential campaign attracts more money and bigger political donations than any campaign in U.S. history, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business has created a financial index to capture the influence that corporations and special interest groups have on politics and the economy. The George J. Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State at Chicago Booth launched the Campaign Financing Capture Index to measure the concentration of campaign funding in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The index ranks the concentration of funding for each candidate with an eye toward predicting how political donations could influence policy decisions under a new president. The creation of the index comes as the U.S. courts have lifted limits on the size of political donations, and special interest groups, in the form of super PACS, are playing a bigger role in how campaigns are financed. “The more concentrated the sources of funding to a political campaign, the higher the risk a politician will be influenced by special interests,” said Professor Luigi Zingales, director of the Stigler Center. “Candidates receiving large donations from few donors may be less willing and able to lead reforms in markets where powerful special interest groups benefit from the status quo.” The Campaign Financing Capture Index, published quarterly, will track when and how big-money political donations shift during the course of the campaign. Researchers at the Stigler Center 7 United Not Divided: Economic Inequality and Opportunity Gap Celebrities Talk Diversity at 47th Annual NAACP Image Awards Entertainment Tonight’s Nichelle Turner interviews the cast and producer of ABC’S “black-ish.” Cast members (l-r) Laurence Fishburne, Marcus Scribner, Tracee Ellis Ross, Yara Shahidi, Marsai Martin and Miles Brown. (Mesiyah McGinnis) By Amen Oyiboke, Special from the Los Angeles Sentinel expect there to be significant changes in the concentration of donations as the race progresses. The index measures “concentration” by the number of donors and the amount of each donation. Candidates with highly concentrated funding have the fewest donors giving the most amount of money. Candidates with low concentration of funding have the largest number of donors giving the smallest amounts of money. The Stigler Center defines large donations as contribution of $5,000 or more. “We think that when donations start to exceed $5,000, donors are not just expressing a political preference, they are trying to influence future policies,” said Zingales. First Round of Results Republican candidate and former Florida governor Jeb Bush ranked as the candidate with the highest concentration of big donors at 77 percent of total campaign contributions above $5,000. Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida ranked second at 59 percent, closely followed by Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas at 58 percent. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton fell in the middle of the pack with 32 percent of political contributions above $5,000, followed by Democratic former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley at 17 percent, Republican Ben Carson at 12 percent, Republican billionaire Donald Trump at 2.9 percent, and Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont at 0.1 percent. The candidates ranked in the same order when tracking donations of $100,000 or more. Bush had the highest concentration of $100,000plus donors at 58 percent, followed by Rubio at 47 percent, Cruz at 45 percent, Clinton at 29 percent, and O’Malley at 4.3 percent. Figures for Carson were inconclusive. Sanders and Trump are the only candidates to have received no political contributions over $100,000. Sanders’ campaign is dominated by individual donations of $200 or less. Trump is in a category of his own, digging into his own pockets to fund much of his campaign. The funding results are for the campaigns are through Dec. 31, 2015. Analysis is based on Federal Election Commission data collected by the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research group. The Stigler Center is a nonpartisan, academic research institution that is focused on the creation and dissemination of research on competitive markets, regulatory capture and the ways in which special interest groups distort markets. The Campaign Financing Capture Index is led by Professor Luigi Zingales, along with the University of Chicago’s Milena Ang and Chicago Booth’s Eran Lewis. • Forty Years After Fair Credit Laws, Racial Discrimination Continues: Toyota Motor Credit to Pay $21.9 Million for Discriminatory Practices By Charlene Crowell Each year observances and events offered in recognition of Black History Month offer opportunities for people of all colors and locales to reflect on the unique experiences of Blacks both past and present. Many of the annual observances chronicle progress since the passage of laws adopted years ago to ensure that Black citizens and others of color would enjoy all freedoms and benefits that come with citizenship. Yet in recent months, too many headlines have illustrated how multiple forms of injustice still plague Black America. Whether from Ferguson to Flint or Chicago to Cleveland, the barrage of assaults remind us how far our journey towards justice has yet to go. And when it comes to credit and financing, racial disparities remain despite a 42-year old federal law guaranteeing fair treatment in lending. Four decades ought to be long enough for businesses and corporations to ac- February 11 - February 17, 2016 Volume X XIX, No. 6 cept and comply with the law of the land. The Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) of 1974 requires financial institutions to ‘‘make credit equally available to all creditworthy customers without regard to sex or marital status.’’ It is illegal for ‘‘any creditor to discriminate against any applicant with respect to any aspect of a credit transaction on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex or marital status, or age.” T he above la ng u age seems clear and yet, just a few days ago another financing arm of a major auto manufacturer reached a multi-million dollar settlement with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) for its failure to treat consumers of color fairly. Toyot a Motor Cred it agreed to pay $21.9 million in restitution to thousands of Black, Asian-Americans and Pacific Islander borrowers. These borrowers paid higher interest rates than White borrowers for their auto loans due to the lender allowing dealers to mark up a borrower’s interest rate for compensation. Toyota Credit also agreed to change its pricing and compensation system to significantly reduce the dealer’s ability to manipulate the interest rate. “No consumer should be forced to pay more money for a loan because of their race or national origin,” said U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker of the Central District of California. “This settlement resolves our claims by providing compensation for affected consumers and seeking to ensure that future loans funded by Toyota ref lect equal terms.” Toyota is only the latest perpetrator, extending a series of actions by law enforcement to address discrimination in auto lending. Last May, Evergreen Bank Group, based in Oak Brook, IL settled charges that it violated the ECOA by charging Latino and Black borrowers higher interest rates on motorcycle financing. The bank settled the claim by paying $395,000. Toyota continued on page 7 (NNPA) The 47th annual NAACP Image Awards was a hit at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, Calif., as Black entertainers showed their support for one another and the show, while some expressed concerns over the lack of diversity in other major award shows like the Academy Awards. “I think it’s very unfortunate that we are not included more often in the Oscars. Whether to boycott it or not that’s up to each individual’s discretion,” said Andra Fuller, star of TV One’s “Here We Go Again.” “The boycott will bring awareness. If you want us to be at your award shows, then recognize us.” The Image Awards honor the achievements of African Americans in television, music, literature and film. ABC’s “black-ish” star Anthony Anderson hosted the show, opening with a “Straight Outta Compton” rap performance spoof that talked about the lack of diversity in this year’s award season. Diversity continued on page 5 My Head Says Hilary, My Heart Says Bernie By Julianne Malveaux NNPA News Wire Columnist I am looking forward to November 8, 2016, and to voting for Hilary Rodham Clinton to lead these United States. I am so extremely excited that a woman of character, experience, and discernment can lead our nation. Even as I look forward to the November vote, I am fully enjoying the path to November. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has provided tone and texture to this race. He has forced Senator Clinton to hone her positions on health care, Wall Street and income inequality. He came so amazingly close to toppling her in Iowa that it gave me Post Dramatic Stress Syndrome. She didn’t make my drama hers, though. She has managed, with stoic dignity, to stake her claim for this presidency. My head is with Secretary Hilary Clinton, but my heart is with Senator Bernie Sanders. I realize that he has promised everything and hasn’t shared how he might pay for much of it — free tuition, universal health care, or Wall Street reform. Still, his energetic bluster has been a galvanizing factor in a race that might otherwise have been seen as a cakewalk or a coronation. Hilary needs to be pushed as hard as Senator Sanders can push her. And even though Sanders says he does not care about her “damn e-mails,” the e-mail conversation has to remind Senator Clinton that she has to figure out ways to restore trust among those who support her positions but look askance at the ways she has been too frequently presented. There is an element of sexism in this. Hillary Clinton has been on the national stage for several decades, from the time when her husband, was elected governor of Arkansas in the 1980s. Heart continued on page 3 Page 2 Week of February 11 - February 17, 2016 The views and opinions expressed in each edition of GDN are not those of our staff, websites or affiliates. Greater Diversity News www.GreaterDiversity.com Co-publishers Peter & Kathy Grear Editor in Chief John T. Holt NNPA Contributing Writers Marian Wright Edelman, Judge Greg Mathis, Harry C. Alford, Farrah Gray, George Curry, The Die Is Cast: Elected Officials Reject Economic Exclusion Office/Accounts Receivable Manager Sr. Graphic Designer Jacentia Kinsey Web Editor Data Entry/Clerical Shanasa Scott Fayetteville Distribution manager Michael Riley Wilmington Distribution Manager By Peter Grear CEO Peter Grear ______________________ On Monday, February Appointments only: 1, 2016, Pitt County Board of Greater Diversity News P.O. Drawer 1679, Wilmington, NC 28402 Phone: 910-762-1337 Fax: 910-763-6304 National Watts: 1-800-462-0738 ______________________ Subscriptions: $37.71 Yearly $71.65 Two Years $101.82 Three Years ______________________ Office Hours: Mon. - Thurs. 9:00 a.m. - 4 p.m. Fri. 9:00 a.m. - 1 p.m. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Greater Diversity News, P.O. Drawer 1679, Wilmington, NC 28402 Education officials served notice, to all that care, that the economic exclusion of communities and people of color is totally unacceptable. Board members, the Honorable Mary Blount-Williams and the Honorable Mildred Council asked, during a Board discussion about awarding a building design contract, for details of expected minority business participation in numerous building projects expected to total nearly $25,000,000.00 of public spending. (See link No. 1 below @ the 1:06-1:25 timeline). It is safe to say that they did not like the answers they received during the Board’s discussion of minority business participation in their building projects, past, present and fu- ture. It is also safe to say that their discussions will be repeated around North Carolina and around the country. Their discussions made it clear to all that the status quo of economic exclusion would not stand. Theirs is a Third Reconstruction Discussion. (See link No. 2 below for a 3rd Reconstruction article). The die is cast. The status quo will not stand. This issue, at this moment, will not go away. In order for our elected officials to succeed in their efforts to create economic equity in our communities and businesses of color, voters of color must vote like never before. As we continue with this issue, voters of color must understand that this issue strategically addresses the issue of voter apathy by showing the direct connection between the politics of voting and economics. On Saturday, February 6, 2016, in Martin County, North Carolina, the Alliance of North Carolina Black Elected Officials (ANCBEO) participated in a candidate’s forum and reported on the results of an economic disparity study conducted under the guidance of the North Carolina Caucus of Black School Board members (NCCBSBM). The Martin County gathering was hosted t Your Community, Buy from nd Medium Local Businesses: GDN and GreaterDiversity.com accept credit cards for services and subscriptions. Call 800-462-0738 GreaterDiversity.com Opinions & Editorials Marc H. Morial Larry Mills Greater Diversity News Drivers of Change Mildred Council by the Eastern North Carolina Civic Group (ENCCG) and was very well attended by Black Elected officials. Many Black and White candidates competing for numerous statewide offices participated in the forum. The economic disparity study was done under the supervision of Dr. Forrest D. Toms of A&T State University. He reported on the findings of the disparity study which concluded what most of us already knew; that any notion of equity in the spending done by North Carolina public bodies was a total fiction. The study confirmed that businesses of color are systematically excluded from billions of dollars spent by public bodies. Although the report has yet to be posted, please monitor the website of the ANCBEO for its availability. (See link No. 3 below). Also, Dr. Toms is writing two articles that will outline the findings and conclusions of the disparity study. Greater Diversity News will bring you those articles when they are available. The audience was both outraged and frustrated with the findings and many pledged to engage in the same type inquiry made by Council and Williams. They agreed to become a part of a pilot study designed to discover the diversity attitude and spending done by their public bodies. They agreed to use our survey document “Equity in Public Hiring and Contracting” as a guide when raising the issues with their public Mary Blount-Williams bodies. (See link No. 4 below). I should also note that the question of equity in public hiring and spending was also an official question asked of several candidates interviewed during the forum. Equity in public hiring and spending is truly a Third Reconstruction issue. The issue of economic equity by public bodies and as seen by Black Elected officials is also being played out in Portsmouth, Virginia. It was highlighted when Portsmouth’s Mayor, Kenny Wright, persuasively argues that Portsmouth’s politics is about race. Interestingly, his pursuit of economic equity for people of color resulted in widespread attacks by people of historical power and privilege. (See link No. 5 below). As with the Pitt County Board of Education, economic equity is the issue of the Third Reconstruction. The economic equity in public spending was raised in Portsmouth when Mayor Wright made the following observation: “That elite group controls most of the city’s economics, but it is losing power because the new City Council is asking why are we giving contracts to the same developers, the same law firms and the same architects,” Wright told the New Journal and Guide, a paper that focuses on African American news. This is the essence of the questions posed to the Pitt county Board of Education by its minority members. Additionally, if it is not already clear, there is a major mo- bilization behind this initiative of addressing economic equity and it is important that the entirety of the communities of color get involved or more involved. Last week we announced an important suggestion that resulted from our economic equity discussions. We announced that we’re asking these candidates and elected officials to support the creation of “Diversity Plans” in their particular public entities. This suggestion has been embraced with vigor. Greater Diversity covers news that is vital to social justice, unrepresented and underserved communities. We need your financial support to help us remain viable. Peter Grear, Esq. writes for Greater Diversity News with a primary focus on political, social and economic justice. To support our efforts, to unite our politics and economics, please “Like” and follow us at www.facebook. com/greaterdiversitynews, “Share” our articles and post your ideas and comments on Facebook or at our websites www.GreaterDiversity. com. He is available for radio commentaries upon request. Follow Peter on twitter. com/yourrighttovote. Finally, please ask all of your Facebook “Friends” to like and follow our page. Links: No. 1 https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=8Coq1embDuQ &feature=youtu.be No. 2 http://greaterdiversity. com/third-reconstruction-finishing-job/ No. 3 http://ncbeoalliance.org/ No. 4 http://greaterdiversity. com/political-equity-survey No. 5 http://pilotonline.com/ news/government/local/acloser-look-at-mayor-kenny-wright-s-assertation-that/ article_a3d09a0e-64c6-532cb4ab-aabe07c4647f.html • What We Blacks Need to Do: Are You Running Toward The Right Goal? Wilmington, NC Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, 719 Walnut Street, Wilmington, NC St. Phillip AME Church 815 North 8th Street Johnson's Beauty & Barber, Inc. 116 South Kerr Avenue, Suite C Food Lion 45 South, South Kerr Avenue Food Lion 2601-A Castle Hayne Road Food Lion 2432 South 17th Street Food Lion 3905-A Independence Blvd. Food Lion 1929 Oleander Drive Suite 300-A Wilmington Health Center (VA Office ) 1705 Gardner Drive Wilmington, NC Rockingham, NC: Ellerbe Grove Missionary Baptist Church Life Changing Ministries 4875 New Centre Drive Spiritual Educational Outreach Ministries 515 Ann Street, Wilmingto, NCWilmington, NC 515 Ann Street, Veteran's administration 200 Ramsey Street THE PROBLEMS: More than fifty years ago (1965) in a professional football game between the Minnesota Vikings and the San Francisco 49ers, an unbelievable event happened. Jim Marshall, defense end, of the Vikings picked up a fumble and ran to the wrong goal line scoring a safety (two points) for the other team. • You are running to the wrong goal if: • ou are listening to and believing confused preachers who say your religion does not believe in voting but does believe in paying taxes. • You are not researching, registering and voting in every election. • You are failing to practice what you were taught about politics, religion and education from your grandparents and parents. • You are running downhill with negative people who live just for the moment. #NOTE: In my family, we have a leader from each of the 11 children born to my grandparents. They share their family news at our yearly family reunions. Our matriarch is Aunt Ophelia McLean. She is the last living member at the young age of 93. In her church, Norrington AME-Zion in Lillington, NC she was the leader of leaders until she developed health problems. She is the leader of leaders in our family. Those of us who take time and listen to her advice are running toward the “right’ goal. THE SOLUTIONS: Listen to your teammates. Jim Marshall’s teammates were yelling for him to stop running to the wrong goal. Any preacher that tell you not to vote for a candidate because of their positions on five of the 75 important issues is leading you toward the wrong goal. We all must compromise, within reason, for the betterment of all. The only perfect person or politician is GOD and I don’t think he is running for School Board, General Assembly, Governor, U.S. Senate or President of the United States in 2016. Every family has many leaders, some negative and some positive. We have to listen to all of the leaders’ position, add in our position then make a decision. We must research the issues and candidate positions, weigh them against our family needs then register and vote in every election. We must remember or discover the higher power our grandparents and parents taught us about then as they say in some churches “govern yourself accordingly”. Running to the right goal requires you to run away from negative people who only sell wolf’s tickets and run with and toward visionaries. Run toward the right goal in 2016. Vote and take three with you!!! To learn more about the issues and candidates in our life changing 2016 election, read and support your local Black newspapers. Ruth 1:16 (Paraphrased) And Ruth said “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go, wherever you live, I will live, your people will be my people and your GOD will be my GOD.” James J. Hankins graduated from all Black Williston Senior High school, served in the U.S. Army for three years, NC A&T state university alumni, retired vocational education teacher, past president of the New Hanover County NAACP, member of Friends of Abraham Galloway, and author of the book “What We Blacks Need To Do”—to comment or buy his book—you can reach him at www.jhankinsrealty.com. • Greater Diversity News GreaterDiversity.com Week of February 11 - February 17, 2016 Health & Wellness More News and Resources online at GreaterDiversity.com Page 3 Persistent ADHD Associated With Overly Critical Parents WASHINGTON – For many children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, symptoms appear to decrease as they age, but for some they do not and one reason may be persistent parental criticism, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. “Why ADHD symptoms decline in some children as they reach adolescence and not for others is an important phenomenon to be better understood. The finding here is that children with ADHD whose parents regularly expressed high levels of criticism over time were less likely to experience this decline in symptoms,” said Erica Musser, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at Florida International University and lead author of the study. It was published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology. Musser and her colleagues studied a sample of 388 children with ADHD and 127 without, as well as their families, over three years. Of the children with ADHD, 69 percent were male, 79 percent were white and 75 percent came from two-parent households. The researchers measured change in ADHD symptoms over that period and measured the parents’ levels of criticism and emotional involvement. Parents were asked to talk about their relationship with their child uninterrupted for five minutes. Audio recordings of these sessions were then rated by experts for levels of criticism (harsh, negative statements about the child, rather than the child's behavior) and emotional over-involvement (overprotective feelings toward the child). Measurements were taken on two occasions one year apart. Only sustained parental criticism (high levels at both measurements, not just one) was associated with the continuance of ADHD symptoms in the children who had been diagnosed with ADHD. “The novel finding here is that children with ADHD Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Commends Request to Congress: Increase Funding to Food and Nutrition Programming and Research C H ICAG O – T he Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics commends President Obama’s budget request to Congress, which prioritizes food, nutrition programming and research. “Academy members in all areas of practice understand the need for food, nutrition and diet-related chronic disease research and the detrimental impacts of child hunger,” said registered dietitian nutritionist and Academy President Dr. Evelyn F. Crayton. Each year, the president requests Congress to provide funds for programs and research that are a priority for the country. Budget requests regularly highlight the need for nutrition assistance programs like School Meals; the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC); Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); and chronic disease prevention initiatives and research. Heart continued from front As First Lady, she had to juggle her smarts and her secondary role, blundering as she tried to offer clarity around health care, soaring as she provided rhetorical leadership on women and children’s issues. And since the Clintons left the White House, she has been nimble and focused as a Senator, managing to make friends in both political parties, and managing to provide solid international leadership as Secretary of State. Were she a man, would she be judged as harshly because some find her “unlikeable”? Would her every facial expression be parsed? Would opponents feel free to comment on her marital business? Thricemarried Donald Trump has spoken of Bill Clinton’s fidelity, but it is documented that he was a big time philanderer. Carly Fiorina says she would have left her husband if he’d cheated like Bill, but we don’t know that, do we? What we know is that Hillary’s gender is a double-edged sword. I cringe whenever she says, “I am woman,” or “the only woman,” or some reference to her clear self-evident gender. But I also cr inge when the gender-bashers seem incapable of interpreting her words and her work fairly. T hat’s not why I’ll vote for Hilary, though. I’ll “The Academy, as the largest organization of food and nutrition professionals, is encouraged by President Obama’s bold requests to Congress to increase funding for food, nutrition and dietrelated research and healthy food access to help Americans develop and maintain healthy and active lifestyles,” Crayton said. The Academy supports the White House’s requests for Congress to: • Double the funding for nutrition and agriculture research through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, the premier competitive, peer-reviewed grants program for fundamental and applied agricultural and nutrition sciences. • Fill the hunger gap in summer months by expanding the Summer Meals Program, which will ensure low-income children have year-round access to food they need to learn and grow. • Invest in the cancer “moonshot,” which aims to coordinate and enhance the work to prevent, treat and ultimately cure cancer. This initiative will highlight the role of nutrition in cancer prevention and treatment. “The Academy advocates for these programs and research priorities, which spotlight the unique contributions of Academy members to improve the health of all people. We look forward to working with Congress, through the budget and appropriations process, to make these important funding priorities a reality,” Crayton said. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. The Academy is committed to improving the nation’s health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy. Visit the Academy at www.eatright.org. • vote for her because she is a center-left moderate (Bernie Sanders is not in charge of who gets to be a progressive, and I really don’t care as much about labels as about outcomes) who will pragmatically work toward social and economic justice. She isn’t perfect and may, indeed, be fundamentally flawed (as most politicians a r e), but she h a s b e e n a consistent advocate for the least and the left out – for children and for elders. Is she weak on Wall Street reform? Absolutely. But as Bernie Sanders pushes her, she gets stronger. A year ago, many predicted this race as a dynastic smack down, with Jeb Bush and Hilary Clinton w i n n i ng pr i ma r ies toe to-toe. Who would have thought that an unhinged demagogue, Donald Trump, would suck much of the air out of the Republican space, leaving babbling bumblers t o con f u se a d hom i nu m ignorance with issues? The collective performance of the Republican team could not equal that of either Sanders or Clinton, but those R’s keep slogging on. To what end? Do we really want a President who will trash talk Putin, Mexico and the United Nations? Do we want sons of immigrants who so vilely disrespect their ancestors that they’d offer punitive possibilities for citizenship? I ’m n o t r e a l l y t o r n between my head and my heart. I’m simply enjoying the excitement of Bernie Sanders, and the way he has galvanized young people, e s p e c i a l l y, t o b e c o m e politically engaged. I am hoping that his commitment to the process is such that he will encourage his supporters to remain involved, even after Hilary wins the Democratic nomination. And I’m sad that a woman who might knock it out of the park can also be kicked to the curb if this campaign becomes corrosive. Congressman Stephanie Tubbs Jones was a sorority sister (Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, of course), and a fierce legislator. She stuck by Hilary Clinton in 2008 even af ter then-Senator Barack Obama entered the Presidential race and earned the endorsement and support of ma ny “mai n st rea m” African Americans. Stephanie and Hilary had “heart” with each other. As a woman, Hilary can’t out shout Bernie without appearing shrill. She can’t o u t- s n id e h i m w it h o u t appearing b*tchy. But she can out heart him if she channels Stephanie’s energy. Stephanie Tubbs Jones was in it to win it. Julian ne Malveau x is a n aut hor, e conom ist and Founder of Economic Education. Her latest book “Are We Better Off? Race, Obama and Public Policy” is available for pre-order atjuliannemalveaux.com. • whose families continued to express high levels of criticism over time failed to experience the usual decline in symptoms with age and instead maintained persistent, high levels of ADHD symptoms,” said Musser. While the findings indicate an association between sustained parental criticism and ADHD symptoms over time, this doesn’t mean one thing causes the other, said Musser. “We cannot say, from our data, that criticism is the cause of the sustained symptoms,” she said. “Interventions to reduce parental criticism could lead to a reduction in ADHD symptoms, but other efforts to improve the severe symptoms of children with ADHD could also lead to a reduction in parental criticism, creating greater well-being in the family over time.” • Page 4 Week of February 11 - February 17, 2016 Greater Diversity News GreaterDiversity.com Career & Education More Resources and News online at GreaterDiversity.com Urban Prep Academy Turns Boys Into Scholars in Chicago’s Roughest Neighborhoods Photo by Curtis Bunn By Curtis Bunn, Urban News Service CHICAGO – In some of Chicago’s lowest income neighborhoods, AfricanAmerican teenage boys are overcoming their challenging surroundings. They are the young men of Urban Prep Academy, an all-male charter high school with a 100 percent graduation rate. All of those students earn college scholarships. And it all starts each morning with a sort of pep rally in the school’s gym. There is blaring music with inspirational messages. A five-piece drum band performs African-themed beats. The students – about 125 black teenagers – line up in rows, dressed in blue blazers, white shirts, red neckties and khakis. A video appears, featuring black trailblazers from various disciplines around the world. A student leads his classmates in a punctuality pledge. In the bleachers, Principal Dion Steele grips a microphone. “You are black, proud, beautiful young men,” he tells the students. “There is a battle out there, and the battle is yours to win.” When Steele says, “It’s time to show some love,” the students greet each other with handshakes, hugs and laughs. When they line back up, Steele updates them on the highestscoring groups in particular classes. They cheer each other. Then, in unison, they recite the school’s creed – a 17line treatise that begins and ends with “We believe.” In between, its principles champion success, integrity, self-commitment, community and family. This daily wake-up lasts about 30 minutes. It ends with Steele directing the young men to first period at 9 a.m. “Exit through the Door of Solidarity,” he says as they disperse through various parts of the gym. “Exit through the Door of Integrity. Exit through the Door of Resiliency.” This display represents one of this dynamic charter school’s guiding principles: elevating students’ self-esteem while focusing on test scores. Eighty-five percent of the students come from single-mom homes in impoverished areas, according to Roosevelt Moneyham III, the school’s student recruitment chief. The only admissions requirement is to be a Windy City resident. A lottery selects 450 students among some 1,500 applicants to attend one of Urban Prep Academy’s three campuses in inner-city Chicago. The faculty at these schools brims with black men, a rarity in U.S. education systems. Moneyham, a former Chi- Homeownership a 'Dream Deferred' for Millennial Generation CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – For previous generations of Americans, homeownership was seen as one of the final rites of passage into adulthood and financial independence. Despite the Great Recession and the subsequent housing crash, more than 85 percent of the millennial generation -- that is, those born between 1980-2000 -still believe that owning a home makes more financial sense than renting. But according to a new paper cowritten by a University of Illinois expert in household and individual financial behaviors, millennials still face significant hurdles in their quest for homeownership. Although millennials are most associated with their embrace of the sharing economy and a preference for splurging on the latest electronic gizmo rather than on big-ticket items, the general public has the wrong perception about their attitude toward owning property, said Yilan Xu ("E-Lan SHE"), a professor of agricultural and consumer economics at Illinois. "The perception is that millennials are the generation that would rather have the latest smartphone than a new car, so it stands to reason: Why would they want to own a home?" Xu said. "It doesn't seem like they would want to. But it turns out that millennials still do eventually want to own a home. They just face significant obstacles in doing so." In the paper, Xu and her co-authors examined the factors that affect housing demand of the millennial generation. They draw three conclusions: Mortgage accessibility is a key constraint to homeownership for millennials. The burden of student loan debt among millennials impedes their transition from renters to homeowners. Millennials are taking a longer time to settle down, so family events related to home purchases -- such as marriage and having children -- are being pushed back. "All of those factors indicate that the American dream of homeownership is not dead -- it's just deferred," Xu said. As a result of the Great Recession, millennials who were underemployed may cago police officer, “decided to stop arresting little brothers and find a way to keep them out of trouble,” he said. The teachers and staff call the students “Mr.” followed by their surnames. The students refer to each other the same way. “It took a while to get used to this school,” said Dashawn Cribbs, 17. “It’s better than I thought it would be because the teachers push you, everyone cares, and you gain a lot of pride in the process.” This school is a return to the sometimes-controversial single-sex education system. It was founded in 2006 by Chicago educational entrepreneur Tim King and a group of African-American business, civic and education leaders. The Englewood campus of Urban Prep is its original location, in one of this city’s most impoverished and violent regions. NBA stars Derrick Rose, Anthony Davis and Jabari Parker and singer and actress Jennifer Hudson hail from southwest Chicago, which has a 44 percent poverty rate – quadruple the 10.4 percent average across Chicago, according to the Illinois Commission on the Elimination of Poverty. “ T he neig hb or ho o d doesn’t exactly inspire future success,” said Nakkia Burn, whose son, Trevon Lucas, 15, is an Urban Prep student. “He has black male mentors that really care, so the students feel connected to them. . . And they don’t just push them to get to college; they emphasize getting their degree.” Jessie Mack, a member of the school’s first graduating class in 2010, earned a communications degree from Denison University and now works as an assistant to Urban Prep’s CEO. “My time here as a student made up for what I missed by not having a father growing up,” Mack said. That parental element permeates the school. “It’s a personal connection many of us have,” Steele said. “We try to fill in the gaps, with positive reinforcement about their strengths as a key part of our message.” “I was always curious about the school because I would see how the guys were dressed, in their jackets and ties,” said Malik Johnson, 16, who lives in Englewood. “You just didn’t see that in my neighborhood. . . And it’s turned out to be a great place. We love each other, but are too manly to say it. But we’re put in a position to pursue success.” Added Moneyham: “The unbelievable part is watching some of them walk in as [kids] who don’t want to be here … and years later watching them walk across that stage at commencement as mature young men about to go off to college ... It’s a powerful thing.” • C.O.D.D.E Coalition of Organizations Dedicated to Diversity & Empowerment Millennials face significant hurdles in their quest for homeownership, said Yilan Xu, a professor of agricultural and consumer economics at Illinois and co-author of a new paper examining homeownership trends among those born between 1980-2000. not have enough money for the initial down payment necessary for a mortgage. Or they may have a low credit rating, which often translates into a higher interest rate on a home loan or completely disqualifies them as a borrower, Xu said. "Economic downturns are a great time to buy real estate, but millennials did not have the chance to take advantage of that opportunity," she said. "They were trapped in a cycle of student loan debt payments and underemployment. So they were and continue to be at a disadvantage in that regard." With millennials getting married and having children later in life, there's also no incentive for them to move from a bachelor pad to the suburbs. "Millennials consider their homebuying decisions along with their family decisions," Xu said. "We don't have real good data on millennials, but the trend is that millennials are getting married and having children later in life; therefore, there's no real urgency for them to own a home." But the biggest factor impeding their transition to homeownership is student loan debt, Xu said. "Student loans are the biggest problem for this generation, potentially disqual- ifying millennials for mortgage loans due to low credit scores and high debt ratios," Xu said. "It is estimated that millennial student-loan debtors have to spend about half of their monthly income to make debt payments, but if they wish to finance a home while they are paying the student loan debt, the high debt-to-income ratio effectively disqualifies them for almost all mortgage loans. Even among those millennials who are doing well financially, just a general aversion to debt is also discouraging them from taking out a mortgage." The silver lining: Student-loan holders are more likely to simply delay buying a home rather than giving up on homeownership altogether. "Student loans are a factor, but it only has a temporary effect," Xu said. "They're probably just going to postpone homeownership rather than rent for the rest of their lives. So it's a dream deferred further into the future. But what's not clear is just how much further millennials will postpone homeownership." Dream continued on page 5 “Bridging the Gap” Purpose: To build a relationship with organizations that will facilitate economic empowerment and success in our communities and businesses at large. Goal: To inform and encourage readers about organizations that provide economic, social and empowerment opportunities throughout communities. Let’s face it; we all know that there is strength in unity. That is why Greater Diversity News is launching this initiative to build partnerships and relationships with organizations to promote their efforts and in turn ask them to do the same for us. Benefits of C.O.D.D.E.: • Promote and market the efforts of your organization on GreaterDiversity.com by providing a website section dedicated your organization’s history, mission, press releases, events and news. • Your members will have free access to all of GDN’s benefits and features. • Publish press releases and events in GDN’s print edition Greater Diversity News. • Link exchange program, linking special events and announcements on GreaterDiversity.com to your site. • Publish your organizations latests posts in GDN eNews emailed directly to our online subscribers in the Greater Diversity Network. What Organizations Can Provide: • Send a memo or notice to their members informing them of our partnership • Ask members to subscribe online to get the FREE digital edition of Greater Diversity News delivered weekly by email or subscribe for a low cost to have our newspaper mailed directly to them. • Advertise bid and employment opportunities in GDN print and online for one flat rate. Join the CODDE Initiative! Contact Kathy Grear at kgrear@greaterdiversity.com or call 1-800-462-0738. . Greater Diversity News GreaterDiversity.com Week of February 11 - February 17, 2016 Page 5 Business News & Resources More Resources and News online at GreaterDiversity.com Whistle While You Work Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ve probably heard the hit song “Happy” by Pharrell Williams. The lyrics encourage listeners to “…clap along if you know what happiness is to you.” Which begs the question, what is the key to being happy? More specifically, what is the key to being happy at work? More money, more time off, family benefits? That’s what researchers at The University of Alabama want to know and they may have found some answers. Dr. Jonathon Halbesle- Diversity continued from front “Hollywood needs to know that this is what diversity is supposed to look like,” Anderson said after his performance. Since 1967, the Image Awards has celebrated “outstanding achievements and performances of people of color in the arts, as well as those individuals or groups who promote social justice through their creative endeavors,” according to the NAACP website. Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith attended the Image Awards after publicly announcing that they would not attend the Academy Awards due to the lack of diversity. After the Smiths and director Spike Lee announced their plans to skip the Oscars this year, several actors of color have been more vocal about their views on diversity in Hollywood. “We don’t need to ask for acceptance from anyone,” said “Empire” star Taraji P. Henson when she received her award for outstanding actress in a drama series. “We are enough, we’ve been enough and we always will be enough.” Creed actor Michael B. Jordan went home with two awards for outstanding actor in a motion picture and entertainer of the year. “Straight Outta Compton” received an award for outstanding motion picture. Both films were snubbed during the nomination process for the Academy Awards. “I’m excited to have the NAACP Image Awards to recognize African American artist and talent. But, it doesn’t say to me that we don’t have a role or place at ben, associate professor of human resource management and organizational behavior at the Culverhouse College of Commerce, has spent his career researching what makes people happy and more productive in their jobs. “When people feel like they have meaningful work and it’s adding to what the company is trying to accomplish—particularly if they buy into the company goals— that can be the most powerful force to keeping people happy,” says Halbelsleben. Halbesleben’s research shows that pay and benefits the Oscars. We’re not mutually exclusive. We can be here tonight celebrating each other and we can be there on the [February] 28th,” said attorney Areva Martin. Actress Sheryl Lee Ralph noted the importance of viewing African American-branded award shows in the same light of shows like the Academy Awards. “We shouldn’t look to others to validate how wonderful and beautiful we are,” Ralph said. “I am a great actress and I’ve been in the game for a long time. Remember, we weren’t always celebrated by others that’s why we created shows like this.” The show paid great attention to those in entertainment and public service. Sanaa Lathan received the award for best actress in a motion picture for her role in “The Perfect Guy.” Pastor Jamal Bryant, Jussie Smollett of the hit show “Empire,” activist group Concerned Student Collective 1950 at the University of Missouri at Columbia, and five other recipients received the NAACP Chairman’s Award, which honors those with distinguished public service. The ceremony also featured performances by Smollett, singer Alice Smith and Grammy Award-winning artist John Legend, who received the NAACP President’s Award for his philanthropy. John Legend said that, “Despite the daunting problems, I am hopeful that our generation will demand and achieve radical change in our lifetime.” • only get employees so far and these benefits don’t necessarily contribute to workplace happiness. “What you need to do is have that (pay) at a baseline level that people can be satisfied with it, and then these social factors like how meaningful their work is, how well they get along with their coworkers—these things play a much larger role,” explains Halbesleben. “The people that ask a lot of questions about pay and these basic things, they tend not to be real happy in their jobs. The people that stay in their jobs Dream continued from page 4 It's a finding that should give policymakers pause, since homeownership is associated with a number of good outcomes, Xu said. "Prior research indicates that homeownership carries numerous benefits," she said. "The children of homeowners typically perform better in school than those of renters, for example, and homeownership reduces the risk of divorce among couples. So there are a lot of benefits. It's definitely a policy target that should be promoted, which is why policymakers should worry." Xu noted that homeownership has been promoted in the past through the commercial credit expansion through the government-sponsored lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. "There's also the Community Reinvestment Act, which ensures that there's credit available for underserved communities. All those efforts dramatically increased homeownership in the late 1990s and early 2000s," Xu said. Then, of course, the housing market crashed in September 2008. "If we think about what happened during the credit expansion, many people who were not really ready for homeownership were lured into homeownership, and that's certainly not what we want to see again," Xu said. "Ultimately, I do see some upside in millennials delaying homeownership. The more stringent credit conditions will select the more financially prepared millennials for homeownership. As a result, and are really happy are people who often, from the beginning, are asking about opportunities for growth. Companies known for making their employees happy like Google and LinkedIn often pay less than expected, but they may have found the key to creating a happy workplace. “Those are really good examples because many of those companies act ually pay below average,” says Halbesleben. “I think a lot of people don’t even know that people often take a pay cut to work at Google. And the reamillennials' homeownership will be more sustainable, and their financial stability and wealth accumulation may be enhanced. If that's the case, then maybe a little delay in buying their first home isn't too bad if they're a more responsible homeowner." The paper was published in the Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal and was selected as 2015's best paper in housing economics. The paper's co-authors are Suzanne Bartholomae of Iowa State University; Michael S. Gutter of the University of Florida; Carrie Johnson of South Dakota State University and Barbara O'Neill of Rutgers University. The paper was the product of a multistate research project titled "Behavioral Economics and Financial Decision-making and Information Management Across the Lifespan." The participating universities in the research project were the University of Delaware, the University of Florida, the University of Georgia, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of the Incarnate Word, Iowa State University, Kansas State University, the University of Maryland, the University of Missouri, Pennsylvania State University, Purdue University, Rutgers University, South Dakota State University and Utah State University. The activities of the research project were partially supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. • son is, they do a really good job at identifying talent that can contribute in meaningful ways, and then they give them the space to contribute in those meaningful ways.” Halbesleben adds that companies like Google give their employees freedom and room to grow. His research indicates that companies need to find people they trust to do the job and then let them do the job. “At Google, there is a set percentage of time within the workweek that an employee can do whatever they want with that time, and it’s not whatever you want as long as it makes Google more profitable, it just gives them the freedom to develop these new, crazy ideas that they don’t have to worry about it intruding on the other work that they should be doing,” explains Halbesleben. “So rather than coming into work each day and you’ve got this to-do list and you’re just checking it off, it’s a chance to sort of shape the job in a way that you really, truly enjoy. I think a lot of these companies do a really good job of that and as a result people are really happy there.” So why aren’t more companies following Google’s lead? “I think a big part of it sometimes is hard for companies to give up sort of the control. Standardization has just been ingrained in everything that has been produced in America for so long,” says Halbesleben. There is also new research in something called job crafting. The idea behind job crafting is that the employee creates the job description they’re interested in, one that suits their skills, and that makes them happy. “ O n t he s u r fa c e t h at sounds really scary because you’re like, look at all these people doing their own thing, Halbesleben says. “Take for example professors at a university—the courses have to get taught. You don’t all decide that you’re going to craft your jobs, but not teach. The work gets done, but employees might naturally reconfigure how the work gets done and who does what work in a way that better suits their desires, their talents, and their aspirations for the future. And as an employee, working with your coworkers to craft your jobs in a way that puts you in that place that makes you happy, that’s going to be really important.” A nother factor to job happiness that is important, but often overlooked is the time employees are not on the job. Research consistently shows it’s a huge contributor to job satisfaction. “So actually switching off from work for a while, not checking your email at night, these types of things, go a long way to the time at work being happier and more productive,” says Halbesleben. “There’s a whole line of research about recovery that looks at that issue of what people do in their off time. And it consistently finds that having time away from work—truly away from work—gives people a chance to recharge their batteries and come back to work in a much better place, be more productive and less stressed.” • Page 6 Week of February 11 - February 17, 2016 Greater Diversity News GreaterDiversity.com Events & Announcements More event details online at GreaterDiversity.com Black History Month Power Networking Exclusive Social Gathering of Business Leaders for a Discussion of the Economic State GREENSBORO, N.C. – Black Pages USA will host the ‘Black History Month Power Networking’ event. The event will feature guest speaker, Richard Kaglic, the Senior Regional Economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. He joined the Research Department in 2009 and is responsible for analyzing regional economic conditions and developments, as well as educating the region’s diverse constituents on the role of the Federal Reserve and its Districts Bank. The purpose of the net- Richard Kaglic, the Senior Regional Economist at The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond Moral March/HK on J Rally This Sat. By Cash Michaels The political stage is set for this Saturday’s Tenth Annual Moral March in Raleigh/HK on J People’s Assembly, kicking off at 8:30 a.m. with a pre-march rally at 2 East South Street near Shaw University in downtown Raleigh, with a march down the Fayetteville Street Mall to the steps of the State Capitol kicking off at 10 a.m. It is called the “Get Out The Vote Gathering and Mobilization,” sponsored by the NCNAACP and the Forward Together Movement. The People’s Assembly at the Capitol will end at 12:30 p.m. At the assembly, there will be voter registration for the tentative March 15th primaries (tentative thanks to a federal appeals court ruling last Friday throwing out redistricting maps for the First and Twelfth Congressional Districts, and ordering that they be redrawn within the next two weeks). Following the Moral March on Raleigh, there will be a Souls to the Polls training about how faith communities can register, educate, and mobilize their congregations and communities to the polls. On Friday evening, Feb. 12, there will be a pre-Moral March/People’s Assembly mass meeting and wor- ship service, featuring Rabbi Fred Guttman, starting at 7 p.m. at First Baptist Church, 101 S. Wilmington Street in Raleigh. The agenda, as always, for the Moral March, includes the expansion and protection of voting rights; economic justice and livable wages per labor rights; educational equity through proper funding for quality public schools and support for historically black colleges and universities; health care for all Medicaid expansion, women’s health and environmental justice; equal protection under the law through justice without regard to race, creed, class, gender, sexual orientation or immigration status; and police reform. According to the USA To d ay n e w s p a p e r, ove r 80,000 demonstrators participated in the 2015 Moral March/People’s Assembly, making it one of the largest social justice gatherings in the nation at the time. This year organizers say they are trying to attract even more participants in an effort to register as many as possible for this year’s state and national elections. A highlight of Saturday’s People’s Assembly will be an address by David Goodman, the brother of the late Andrew Good- man, who, along with fellow civil rights workers Michael “Mickey” Schwerner and James Chaney, was killed by the Ku Klux Klan in Neshoba County, Mississippi in June 1964. They were there to help register black people there to vote. David Goodman, along with his wife, heads up the Andrew Goodman Foundation, which promotes creative and social action among young people nationwide. Mr. Goodman will serve ambassador for the assembly. Last year, the foundation recognized actor/social activist Danny Glover and “Selma” director Ava DuVernay, among others, with the 2015 Hidden Heroes Award, named after Goodman, Schwerner and Chaney. Many of the speakers this year will be persons negatively impacted by the 2013 voter restrictions passed by the Republican-led NC General Assembly, and signed by Gov. Pat McCrory. The entire event will be live streamed across the nation. For more information call the NCNAACP office at 919-682-4700, or go to www. naacpnc.org or www.hkonj. com. • Aging in Place Downtown Presents "Tuesday Talks" Dinner and a Movie, etc. Wilmington is home to an abundance of restaurants, and a remarkable number of theaters, both stage and screen. It’s hard to keep track of all the changes. Our Tuesday Talk will take a look at the best restaurants in the area and those that are expected to open soon. We will get a sneak peek at upcoming theater productions and movies expected in Wilmington, and may even get a preview of the Oscars. Our Experts: John Staton is Arts and Entertainment Editor of the StarNews, where he has covered the beat since 2000. Previously he was edi- tor of Encore Magazine and is an avid Thalian Theater-goer. Paul Stephen began at the StarNews as a photographer in 2004 but soon became the full time foodie. He covers all the dining trends, restaurant buzz, and reviews the local eateries. • Tuesday February 16, 2016, 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm • Main Library · 3rd & Chestnut Sts. · New Hanover Room • FREE! Please RSVP: AgingInPlaceDowntown@hotmail.com or leave a message at: 910-805-HOME (4663) • Free 2 hour parking on the ground level of the deck on 2nd Street • working event is to bring together business professionals to discuss and share collective ideas about the economic state of corporations worldwide and the vital roles consumers play. Kaglic will discuss the state of the general economy in North Carolina and across the United States. “The microeconomic conditions being faced by black owned businesses or other ownership is the same when we take a look around the overall economic environment. It’s important to all businesses. He will also talk about t he st at e of educat ion i n North Carolina as it pertains to African Americans and job readiness in order to contribute in economic growth. “I would like to see business leaders come away with a better sense of where the economy is going and what that may mean for their own businesses.” The event will take place inside the International Civil Rights Museum on Thursday, February 18th, 2016 from 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. The museum’s location address is 134 S. Elm Street Greensboro, NC 27401. Black Pages USA is a magazine published and distributed by McCants Communications Group, Inc., highlighting African American owned businesses. To RSVP by February 12th contact the office at (336) 2741709 or by email at gerry@ blackpagesusa.com T h e s p o n s o r s of t h e event include McCants Communications Group, City of Greensboro Minority and Women’s Enterprise, Wells Fargo, James C. Byers II and Leslie Garner from Prudential, M&F Bank, Black Pages USA, Emma S. Allen from State Farm, and Reliable Home Care Services. About Rick Kaglic: Rick Kaglic is the Senior Regional Economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond serving the Carolinas. He joined the Research Department in 2009 and is responsible for analyzing regional economic conditions For 28 years GDN has made change happen with the help of our sponsors and advertisers and developments, as well as educating the region's diverse constituents on the role of the Federal Reserve and its District Banks. Prior to joining the Richmond Fed, Rick served as a Senior Economist for Eaton Corporation, a diversified manufacturing firm headquartered in Cleveland, OH; as Chief Economist for the Washington State Employment Security Department; and spent eleven years as Senior Business Economist for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Rick is currently participating in Leadership North Carolina and has served in leadership roles in the Chicago and Cleveland Associations for Business Economics and provided economic analysis for Governor’s Economic Advisory Councils in four states. He completed both his undergraduate and graduate work at Youngstown State University with specializations in regional and urban economics. • Greater Diversity News GreaterDiversity.com Spiritual Wisdom, Health and Life Resources Week of February 11 - February 17, 2016 Spirit & Life Page 7 More News and Resources online at GreaterDiversity.com United Not Divided: Economic Inequality and Opportunity Gap Public Forum at Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards – March 30-31, 2016 The distribution of income and wealth in the United States has been widening steadily for several decades. The American middle class is shrinking. Children of disadvantaged families lack access to the quality educational resources and the opportunity gap between the poor and affluent Americans is increasing. The trend is alarming, but many believe that it can be reversed. “United not Divided: Economic Inequality and Opportunity Gap” is a two-day public forum where scholars, community leaders, policy makers, students and the general public will discuss issues of economic inequality and the opportunity gap with the goal of exploring ways to mitigate their negative impacts on the social, cultural and political fabric of the nation. The second day is devoted to discussions on Baltimore and its efforts to transform low-opportunity neighborhoods. The forum will take place at the Marriot Inner Harbor at Camden Yards, Baltimore, Md., on March 30-31. The event is organized by the Center for the Study of Democracy at St. Mary’s College of Maryland with the National Center on Institutions and Alternatives (NCIA) and St. Mary’s County Arts Council. At the end of the forum, attendees are invited to participate in the Theory Meets Practice Tour of NCIA, a nonprofit organization that provides support services to adults and children with intellectual and emotional disabilities and develops credible alternatives to incarceration and institutionalization. The tour will last 1 hour 15 minutes; it is free and open to the public. Bus transportation is provided. This forum is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required. Attendees should register by March 25, 2016 at www.smcm. edu/baltimoreforum or by calling 240-895-4215. Topics to be explored: • What does scholarly re- search say about economic inequality? • What do we mean by the opportunity gap? • What are the specific enduring challenges faced by many communities in American cities? • What strategies are available to meet these challenges? • How hopeful can we be in our efforts to transform low-opportunity neighborhoods in cities such as Baltimore into neighborhoods of greater opportunity? Forum Chair: Dr. Maija Harkonen, Executive Director, Center for the Study of Democracy at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Co-Director and Moderator: Dr. Helen Daugherty, Professor of Sociology and G. Thomas and Martha Myers Yeager Chair in the Liberal Arts, St Mary's College of Maryland. Forum Speakers: Hon. Steny Hoyer (U.S. Representative, 5th Congressional District, Maryland), Dr. Tuajuanda C. Jordan (President, St. Mary’s College of Maryland), Mr. Kurt L. Schmoke (President, University of Baltimore, former Mayor, City of Baltimore), Dr. Karl L. Alexander (Chair and the John Dewey Professor of Sociology, Johns Hopkins University), Mr. Michael Cryor (Chair, OneBaltimore), Mr. Herbert J. Hoelter (CEO and Co-Founder, NCIA), Dr. Nasir M. Khilji (Senior Economist, Office of Economic Policy, U.S. Department of the Treasury), Ms. Diane Bell McKoy (President and CEO of Black Charities), Dr. Branko Milanovic (Visiting Presidential Professor, Luxemburg Income Center, Graduate Center of University of New York), Mr. Keiffer Jackson Mitchell (Special Adviser to Maryland Governor Larry Hogan), Mr. Antero Pietila (Baltimore Sun Reporter, Author of Not in My Neighborhood: How Bigotry Shaped a Great American City), Mr. Arloc Sherman (Senior Fellow, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities), and Dr. Margery Austin Turner (Senior Vice President, Planning and Management, The Urban Institute). The Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) explores contemporary and historical issues associated with the ideas of democracy, liberty and justice in national and international contexts. It supports research that enhances our understanding of liberal democracy and its critics. Isaiah 61:8-9 New Living Translation (NLT) 8: For I, the LORD, love justice. I hate robbery and wrongdoing. I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering and make an everlasting covenant with them. 9: Their descendants will be recognized and honored among the nations. Everyone will realize that they are a people the LORD has blessed.” • CSD facilitates activities that strengthen democracy and the rule of law; enhance security and individual freedoms; invigorate the civil society; encourage free enterprise; and increase economic, environmental, educational and cultural equity. St. Mary’s College of Maryland, founded in 1840, is Maryland’s only public honors college. The College is consistently ranked as one of the top public liberal arts colleges in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Kiplinger’s and The Princeton Review. The National Center on Institutions and Alternatives The National Center on Institutions and Alternatives (NCIA) is a Baltimore-based nonprofit organization providing support services to adults and children with intellectual and emotional disabilities. It works in sentencing advocacy, parole release advocacy, and the development of credible alternatives to incarceration and institutionalization. NCIA also offers a Youth In Transition School and vocational training programs for those who have not done well in traditional academic settings. The St. Mary's County Arts Council is a non-profit organization whose goal is to cultivate the arts to enrich the quality of life in our community. It also aims at increasing the awareness of and access to the arts; providing a supportive environment for local artists and arts organizations to thrive; fostering economic vitality through the arts; and developing the St. Mary's Arts Council as a high performing organization. • www.gospeljoy1490.com A Division of CLI Radio, LLC P.O. Box 695 Wilmington, NC 28402 910.343.6005/910.232.5433 The Living Word Toyota continued from front Months later in July, Honda Finance Corporation agreed to pay $24 million on similar violations. In September, Ohioba se d Fi f t h T h i rd Ba n k agreed to pay $18 million and cooperate with an independent administrator appointed to identify affected borrowers and distribute restitution. The largest of the recent cases came two years earlier when in 2013 Ally Bank agreed to pay $98 million in civil penalties and restitution. This enforcement action found that approximately 100,000 Black borrowers, 125,000 Latino borrowers, and 10,000 Asian/Pacific Islander borrowers paid higher rates for their auto loans than similarly situated White borrowers. Even more troubling, just one year later Ally paid an additional $38 million to borrowers for discrimination that occurred after the initial settlement. Despite progress resulting from these recent enforcement actions, discrimination in the market remains, says Chris Kukla, a senior vice present with the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL). “The terms of the settlement continue to move in the right direction,” noted Kukla. “However, dealer discretion to mark up interest rates remains an unfair and hidden practice with continued potential for discrimination. The only effective way to completely eliminate the discriminatory impact and the unfairness of hidden dealer interest rate markups is to end the practice altogether.” A t $1 t r i l l i o n , a u t o lending is the third-largest source of consumer debt, behind that of mortgages and student loans. CRL has also determined through survey research that even though Black and Latino consumers make more of an effort to negotiate auto interest rates than others, they still wind up paying higher rates. “ L aw e n fo r c e m e n t must continue to vigilantly and swiftly act when they uncover discriminatory or unfair lending as they have done with other enforcement actions,” continued Kukla. “The recent news that Ally paid an additional $38 million in restitution to compensate borrowers harmed after Ally’s settlement with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Department of Justice shows that the issue of discrimination due to car dealer interest rate markup is real and needs to end.” Here’s hoping this Black History Month fair-minded people of all races and ethnicities will better understand that the struggle for justice must continue. Charlene Crowell is a communications manager with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at responsiblelending.org. • February 11, 2016 February 17,21, 2016 Week of March 15,-2012 - March 2012 Office Hours Monday through Wednesday 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Thursday 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Friday 8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. email: ads@greaterdiversity.com _______________________ Telephone / Fax Toll Free: 1-800-462-0738, Local: 910-762-1337, Fax: 910-763-6304 _______________________ Corrections & Cancellations Please check your ad the first day it runs to see that all of the information is correct. This will ensure that your ad is exactly what you want readers to see. Greater Diversity News will only assume responsibility for the first day. We must limit our financial responsibility to the charge for space. For changes, corrections or cancellations, call your sales representative or a Classifieds advisor at 1-800-462-0738. Deadline for cancellations is Monday by 5:00 p.m. the week of publication. _______________________ Deadline & Rates Wednesday 12:00 Noon, $2.50 Per Line (Average 36 Characters Per Line) ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS BakerMechanical,Inc.SeekingMinority prices for work relating to HVAC. Contact: John Williams P.O. Box 2284 Wilson, NC 27894-2284 Telephone: (252) 291- 4460 Fax No.: (252) 291- 7204 Invitation to Bid February 18, 2016 2:00 PM Project: NCDOT New Hanover County Contract ID: DC00130 WBS Element: 17BP.3.R.28 Work Description: Culvert Replacement – Structure #640028 Greenfield Lake Overflow Estimator: Michael Griggs, (P) 910-675-2554 (F) 910-675-3709 Plans and specifications may be viewed at the following address and at https://connect.ncdot.gov/letting/Pages/ Letting-Details.aspx?let_type=3 Barnhill Contracting Company 4901 N. College Road Castle Hayne, NC 28429 Invitations to Bid February 25, 2016 11:00 AM Project: City of Goldsboro – New Hope Road Multi-Use Path Work Description: The work shall consist principally of: Installation of 10 foot wide multi-use path along New Hope Road from hare Road to the City of Goldsboro property line at the corner of Wayne memorial Road and new Hope Road and to include a bridge installation across Reedy Branch. Estimator: Ricky Russell, (P) 252-527-8021 (F) 252-527-4739 Plans and specifications can be viewed at the following: Barnhill Contracting Company, 604 E. New Bern Rd., Kinston, NC 28502 City of Goldsboro, 214 North Center Street, Goldsboro, NC 27533 Download at www.ci.goldsboro.nc.us ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS C. M. Lindsay & Sons, Inc. Equal Opportunity Employer Is seeking subcontractor/supplier quotes from NCDOT Certified DBE/MBE/WBE contractors for the following project. RE: NCDOT HIGHWAY LETTING BID DATE: FEBRUARY 16, 2016 CONTRACT ID: C203781 COUNTY: COLUMBUS Quotes and Sub Bids should be submitted to our office by 12:00 pm on August 17, 2015. Quotes can be faxed to 910-7392820, by email to lindsaycm@aol.com our by phone 910-739-8988. Attention: C. M. Lindsay, Jr. Invitation to bid New Hanover County Schools invites General Contractors to bid on the Renovations to New Hanover High School’s George West Building located at 1307 Market Street, Wilmington NC 28401. Sealed single prime Bids will be received by the Office of Facility Planning and Construction in Conference Room 101 of the New Hanover County Schools’ Administration Building, 6410 Carolina Beach Road, Wilmington NC 28412, at 3:00 pm on Thursday, March 3, 2016. All Bids will be opened and read aloud starting at 3:00 pm. This project will be bid and awarded in accordance with G.S. 143-128 and G.S. 143-129. The project generally consists of the renovation of approximately 28,000 sf of the NHHS George West and ROTC buildings including selective demolition, concrete slab and masonry construction and repair, roofing repairs, exterior and interior finishes, equipment, fixtures, plumbing, HVAC and electrical systems. A mandatory Pre-Bid Conference will be held on Wednesday, February 17, 2016, at 2:00 pm in the Media Center of New Hanover High School, 1307 Market Street,Wilmington NC 28401.The Design Consultant, Becker Morgan Group, and a representative from New Hanover County Schools will be available at that time to answer questions concerning the project. A walk through of the George West and ROTC buildings will be conducted at the end of the meeting. Contractors attending the mandatory Pre-Bid Conference will have additional opportunities to visit the site on Friday, February 19, 2016 from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, Tuesday, February 23, 2016, Wednesday, February 24, 2016, and Thursday, February 25, 2016 from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm. Questions after the PreBid Conference shall be submitted in writing to Rick Collins, AIA, Becker Morgan Group, 3205 Randall Parkway, Suite 211, Wilmington NC 28403 (fax #910.341.7506; email rcollins@becker morgan.com), or to Eddie Anderson, Director of Facility Planning and Construction, New Hanover County Schools, 6410 Carolina Beach Road, Wilmington NC 28412 (email Eddie. Anderson@nhcs.net). Complete full sets of plans and specifications may be obtained from Copy Cat Print Shop at no expense upon receipt of a refundable $300.00 plan deposit. Partial sets will not be available. Plan deposit checks shall be made payable to New Hanover County Schools and mailed or delivered to Becker Morgan Group, 3205 Randall Parkway, Suite 211, Wilmington NC 28403, attention Rick Collins, AIA. The deposit will be refunded upon return of the Contract Documents in good condition within thirty (30) days after the Bid opening. Complete sets of digital plans and specifications are available from Becker Morgan Group beginning Monday, February 8, 2016 upon receipt of a signed “Release for use of Digital Media” form by Becker Morgan Group. The form is included in Section 011000, “Summary of Work”, of the specifications, or available upon request from Becker Morgan Group (phone #910.341.7600). Contract Documents are also available for review at New Hanover County Schools’ Office of Facility Planning and Construction and the following regional plan rooms. AGC FW Dodge East Coast Digital Plan Room Carolinas Plan Room/McGee Cadd Hispanic Contractors Association of the Carolinas Copy Cat Printshop A Bid Security in the amount of five percent (5%) of the Base Bid Amount must accompany each Bid in accordance with Section I - Information for Bidders of the project specifications. No Bid may be withdrawn for a period of forty-five (45) days after the opening thereof. Greater Diversity News Online at GreaterDiversity.com Sealed proposals from contractors will be received on March 8, 2016, in the office of the Wake County Public School System, Facilities Building, Reception Desk, 1429 Rock Quarry Rd., Suite 116, Raleigh, NC, for the construction of Rolesville Elementary School Additions and Renovations. All bids will be opened and read aloud starting at 2:00 p.m. For a complete description of the proposed work and bidding specifications visit www.wcpss.net/page/250. Minority and women-owned businesses are encouraged to participate. The Wake County Public School System reserves the right to reject any and all bids. ATTENTION DBE/WBE/MBE SUBCONTRACTORS Smith-Rowe, LLC, 639 Old US 52 South, Mount Airy, NC 27030 will be bidding the following projects on February 23, 2016 at the North Carolina Department of Transportation Division 8 bid opening: Contract # DH00191 County Randolph Description Replace Bridge 84 Over Muddy Creek With Box Culvert on SR 1603 (School Rd) Contract # DH00192 County Randolph Description Replace Bridge 366 Over Unnamed Creek on SR 1311 (Bescher Chapel Rd) We are interested in your quotations for hauling, grading & drainage, asphalt, shoulder berm gutter (DH00192), guardrail, temporary traffic control, paint pavement marking lines, waterline, trenchless installation of utilities, temporary silt fence, seeding and mulching, and vertical concrete barrier rail (DH00192). A pre-bid conference will be held on February 16, 2016 at 10:00 A.M. to discuss the proposed projects. Please call 336/789-8221 if you would like to attend the pre-bid conference. You may call in your quotes to our Mount Airy office at 336/789-8221, fax 336/789-6807, or email Frank Fulp at frank@smithrowe. com . ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Sharpe Brothers is actively requesting quotations from certified state of North Carolina HUB MBE/WBE Subcontractors and suppliers for the City of Greensboro Resurfacing of City Street Projects. We are looking for quotes for the following items: Trucking Asphalt & Millings Milling, traffic control sub and materials, sidewalk & curb ramps, manhole & water valve adjustments, striping, silt fence, & seeding & mulching. We request the receipt of quotations prior to 5:00 p.m. on Feb 17, 2016 in order to fairly evaluate all quotations. If interested please contact Kenny Alston at 336-235-2756 or Kenny. alston@sharpebrosvg.com The successful Bidder will be required to furnish a 100% Performance Bond and a 100% Labor and Material Payment Bond. New Hanover County Schools has a verifiable ten percent (10%) goal for participation by minority businesses in the total value of the work. Bidders are required on school construction and renovation projects covered by N.C. G.S. 143-128 to make a “good faith effort” to meet this goal. Bidders shall identify on the Bid Form the minority businesses that will be used on the project. Bidders shall submit along with the Bid, Affidavit A - Listing of Good Faith Efforts pursuant to subsection (f) of G.S. 143128.2, and the total dollar value of the bid that will be performed by the minority businesses. A Bidder that performs 100% of the work under the Contract with its own workforce must submit Affidavit B - Intent to Perform Contract with Own Forces in lieu of the aforementioned affidavit otherwise required under this subsection. ADVERTISEMENT FOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK The New Hanover County Schools reserves the right to reject any and all Bids, waive informalities and irregularities in bidding, and to accept Bids which are considered to be in the best interest of the New Hanover County Schools. ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS INVITATION TO BID WeaverCooke Construction invites all qualified MWBE / HUB subcontractors and vendors to submit proposals for the following project: Sumner Ridge Apartments in Greensboro, NC – The new construction of a 72 unit Apartment Community, with Clubhouse. Bids due Tuesday February 16, 2016 5:00 pm. Contact: Courtney Field at 336-3787900, email cfield@weavercooke.com or fax 336-378-7901 for information on this and other projects and for assistance with plans and specifications. Davis Bacon and Section 3 Program compliance may be required. WeaverCooke, LLC is an equal opportunity employer. Page 8 INVITATION TO BID WeaverCooke Construction invites all qualified MWBE / HUB subcontractors and vendors to submit proposals for the following project: River Oaks Village in Little River, SC – The new construction of an 190 residential town-homes community, with detached garages. Bids due Thursday February 18, 2016 5:00 pm. Contact: Courtney Field at 336378-7900, email cfield@weavercooke. com or fax 336-378-7901 for information on this and other projects and for assistance with plans and specifications. Davis Bacon and Section 3 Program compliance may be required. Weaver Cooke, LLC is an equal opportunity employer. ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Sealed proposals will be received until 3:00 PM on Thursday, March 3, 2016, at Wake Technical Community College, Main Campus, Montague Hall, Room MHB343, 9101 Fayetteville Road, Raleigh, NC 27603, for the construction of Buildings A&B Renovations Northern Wake Campus at which time and place bids will be opened and read. Complete plans and specifications for this project can be obtained from Accent Imaging, www.accentimaging.com or www.planscope.com, 8121 Brownleigh Drive, Raleigh, NC 27617, 800-280-0755 phone, 800-477-0755 fax after Sunday, February 7, 2016. A refundable plan deposit of one hundred and fifty dollars ($150.00) in cash, check payable to Accent Imaging, or credit card is required for each set. Contractor will be required to pay for all shipping. Contractors are required to attend the mandatory pre-bid and preferred brand alternates meeting, which will be held on Thursday, February 18, 2016 at 2:00 PM, at the Wake Technical Community College, Northern Wake Campus, Building B, Room 239, 6600 Louisburg Road, Raleigh, NC 27616. In Accordance with GS133-3 and SCO procedures, the following preferred brand alternate items are being considered for this project: interior panel signage by Corum Signs, parking control gates by 3M, and lock cylinder hardware by Schlage. Wake Technical Community College reserves the unqualified right to reject any and all proposals. Architect: HH Architecture 520 S Harrington Street Raleigh, NC 27601 919-828-2301 phone 919-828-2303 fax Signed: Daniel Edwards Wake Technical Community College Facilities Operations Division Main Campus, Montague Hall, Suite 208 9101 Fayetteville Road Raleigh, NC 27603 Phone: 919-866-6167 UNC Hospitals, acting through KSQ/ Peterson, is accepting applications for Construction Manager at Risk for the project entitled “Medical Vacuum Pump Replacements”. Sealed applications for prequalification will be due no later than 5:00 pm, Monday, March 7, 2016 at KSQ/Peterson 2115 Rexford Rd. Suite 500, Charlotte, NC 28211. Qualification questionnaire may be obtained from KSQ/Peterson, telephone (704) 319-5341 or email Pam MacMillan at pmacmillan@ksqpeterson.com The project involves the removal and disposal of two (2) existing medical vacuum pumps (work includes removal of existing plumbing water supply – cooling water, along with floor drains and drainage piping to be terminated at source) and the installation of two (2) new medical vacuum pumps and associated power and controls, new distribution piping, cutting and patching of ceilings, floors and walls, fire stopping of penetrations, removal and installation of lay-in ceilings and dust partitions. The project shall comply with NFPA 99 for Level 1 medical gas systems as well as other applicable NC Building Codes, NC Hospital Licensure codes and Federal codes governing Hospital construction. The project will take place in an active Hospital building and shall be constructed in accordance with UNC Hospitals policies governing construction, infection control, life safety and fire safety. The project construction budget is: $1,210,000.00. A Mandatory Pre-Proposal Conference will be held on: Conference Date: February 23rd Conference Time: 10:00 AM Conference Address: 9th Floor Memorial Hospital, Plant Engineering For purpose of coordination, primary contact for project information is: Project Manager: Michael Rogers, PE Title: Principal Mailing Address: 2115 Rexford Rd Suite 500, Charlotte, NC 28211 Phone Number: 704-319-5370 E-Mail: mrogers@KSQPeterson.com NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS BIDDER PRE-QUALIFICATION REQUEST Choate Construction Company, as Construction Manager at Risk, is seeking to pre-qualify construction trade and specialty contractors for the 05F-Stair Railing System and 07F-Water Repellent, Waterproofing and Caulking bid packages for the Mary Ellen Jones Building R e n o v a t i o n p ro j e c t o n t h e U N C campus in Chapel Hill, NC. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This project includes extensive renovations to approximately 220,000 sf of existing lab, mechanical a n d o ff i c e s p a c e s i n c l u d i n g n e w mechanical systems, selective site work improvements and building envelope. For these packages, the bid date is early 2016. Historically underutilized business participation is encouraged. Bids will be accepted only from pre-qualified firms. Deadline for interested contractors to submit their completed prequalification submittal is 5PM EST March 01, 2016, to: Ms. Sharon Lee, Choate Construction Company, 4800 Falls of Neuse Road, Suite 106; Raleigh, NC 27609 or via email to: slee@choateco.com. Prequalification forms are available at the Choate Construction Company offices in Raleigh, NC or via email from: slee@choateco .com. Questions may be directed to Mitchell Puryear at mpuryear@choateco. com, Eric Bendixen at ebendixen@ choateco.com or Sharon Lee at slee@ choateco.com at (919) 508-1989. WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS COMPLEX SCO ID # 07-07389-02A GENERAL CONTRACTOR PRE-QUALIFICATION SUBMITTAL Pre-qualification submittals for the W O R K F O R C E S O L U T I ON S COMPLEX – Project at Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC) will be received by Phillip Steele, of ADW Architects, 101 W. WorthingtonAve, Suite 270, Charlotte, NC 28203 no later than 2:00 PM on MARCH 3RD, 2016. Prior to that time, pre-qualification submittals may be hand delivered to Mr. Steele. Applicants are to provide two (2) complete hard copies and one (1) digital copy (on CD disc) of the pre-qualification submittal by the date submittals are to be received. A non-mandatory informational meeting will be held in The Instructional Conference Room on the CVCC Campus - Main Administration Building on February 24th at 2:00 PM. The Contractor Qualification Statement form can be obtained from Mr. Steele at adwarchitects.com or by calling ADW Architects at 704.379.1919 during normal office hours. February 11, 2016 - February 17, 2016 INVITATIONS TO BID FEBRUARY 24, 2016 11:00 AM Project: NCDOT Carteret County DB00252 Work Description: Intersection Improvements on US 70 in Morehead City Estimator: RYAN HOLTON, (P) 252-527-8021 (F) 252-527-4739 Plans and specifications can be viewed at the following: Barnhill Contracting Company, 604 E. New Bern Road, Kinston, NC 28502 https://connect.ncdot.gov/letting/Pages/ Letting-List.aspx?let_type=2 BID REQUEST BARNHILL CONTRACTING COMPANY Attention MBEs & WBEs Barnhill Contracting Company is requesting bids from any interested firms for the following projects: NCDOT Contracts: #DA00293 Dare County; #DA00294 Gates & Perquimans Counties; and #DA00295 Camden, Currituck & Pasquotank Counties. Pre-Bid Meeting is on Wednesday, February 10, 2016 at 10:00 AM in our Elizabeth City Office at 1304 US 17 South, Elizabeth City, NC. These projects bid on February 24, 2016 and include opportunities on hauling, milling, temporary silt fence, and seeding & mulching. Plans can be viewed in our office at the address listed above or on the NCDOT website: http://www.ncdot.gov/ doh/operations/division1/BidRequests. html. Please contact James Spivey at (252) 335-9503. AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER PUBLIC ADVERTISEMENT HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF WILMINGTON NORTH CAROLINA The Housing Authority of the City of Wilmington North Carolina (WHA) invites proposals from contractors for Landscaping Services / Painting Services / Cleaning Services & VCT Flooring Removal & Replacement . Please go to www.wha.net for bid package and further information. Advertisement for bids State Utility Contractors, Inc. solicits subcontract proposals for the following work: Demolition, Hauling, Clearing and Grubbing, Erosion Control, Asphalt Paving, Fencing, Grassing, Concrete, Insulation, Painting, Electrical for Wa s t e w a t e r Tr e a t m e n t P l a n t Improvements, Phase 1, Granite Falls, NC. The bid date for this project is February 18, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. Minority businesses are encouraged to submit proposals for this work. If additional information is needed, please contact. David Lucas at (704) 289-6400. EOE M/F ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Yates Construction Co. Inc. is seeking certified MBE/WBE quotations on the following projects: Project: North Carolina Department of Transportation DG00281 – Guilford County Replace Bridge with Culvert Bid Date: February 18, 2016 @ 11:00 AM Trucking, Milling, Paving, Masonry Drainage Structures, Guardrail, Pavement Marking, Erosion Control, Seeding & Mulching, Signs & Safety, Clearing and Grubbing ** Quotes must be submitted to our office no later than 4 hours before bid to be considered. Please fax bids to 336-548-1903 Attn: Leslie Gaines ** Interested parties may contact Bret Arnold at (336) 548-9621 or lgaines@ yatesconstruction.com for further information. Plans and specifications can be reviewed at our office located at 9220 NC Hwy 65 in Stokesdale. ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Agency: Johnston Community College 104-0202 2016 Project Name/Number: Ta r t & S T E A M B u i l d i n g R o o f Replacement / NCCCS Project No. 2090 Design Services: Engineering/Roof Design Scope: Engineer/Roof Designer is needed to provide design services and construction administration for approximately 75,000 square feet of roof replacement on 2 buildings. There will be no JCC guided tours or meetings prior to the submittal of the letters of interest. Contact: Michael Massey Telephone: 919-209-2087 Fax: 919-209-2133 Email: mtmassey@johnstoncc.edu Total Project Budget: $1,225,000 Source of Funds: County Bond Funds Publish Date: February 11, 2016 Closing Date: February 18, 2016 @ 2:00 pm Submit THREE (3) Copies of Letter of Interest and SF-254: (Include also in CD form) Michael Massey Phone: 919-209-2087 Fax: 919-209-2133 Johnston Community College U.S. Postal Service: PO Box 2350 Smithfield, NC 27577 UPS/FedEx: 245 College Rd Smithfield, NC 27577 NC Licensing Statement: In order to offer architectural, engineering, or landscape architectural services in response to this solicitation, the proposing firm must be properly licensed to practice Architecture, Engineering, or Landscape Architecture in the State of North Carolina. More information on the North Carolina state boards may be found at the following websites: NC Board of Architecture: (http://www.ncbarch.org) NC Board of Examiners for Engineers & Land Surveyors: (http://www.ncbels.org) NC Board of Landscape Architects: (http://www.ncbola.org) SELECTING CRITERIA In selecting designers, the selection committee should take into consideration qualification information including such factors as: 1. Specialized or appropriate expertise in the type of project. 2. Past performance on similar projects. 3. Adequate staff and proposed design or consultant team for the project. 4. Current workload and State projects awarded. 5. Proposed design approach for the project including design team and consultants. 6. Recent experience with project costs and schedules. 7. C o n s t r u c t i o n a d m i n i s t r a t i o n capabilities. 8. Proximity to and familiarity with the area where the project is located. 9. Record of successfully completed projects without major legal or technical problems. 10.O t h e r f a c t o r s w h i c h m a y b e appropriate for the project. SUBMITTAL CRITERIA Please submit THREE (3) copies of current SF 254 Form with the required letters of interest and the information package. In the interest of costs-savings to the designers, consistency of the submittals and more efficient use of time by the pre-selection committee, the submitted information package should not include any notebooks, binders, tab, clips, etc. The format should be 8-1/2” x 11” pages stapled in the upper left-hand corner. The package length should not exceed ten (10) pages plus the SF 254 Form. Greater Diversity News Online at GreaterDiversity.com ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS American South General Contractors, Inc. is accepting bids for the New Elementary School in Gaston County, North Carolina. All bids are due no later than 1:00 pm on March 3, 2016. Send all questions, request for plans, and bids to the following: Seth Chambers schambers@ americansouthgc.com 828-777-6889 or Cameron Howellchowell@american southgc.com 828-777-0653. ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Sealed proposals will be received from General Contractors, on March 10, 2016 at 3:00 pm in the Municipal Building Boardroom at 504 S Broad Street, Edenton NC and bids shall be reviewed by the Owner for the furnishing of labor, material and equipment entering into the construction of the New Facility for Edenton Police Department. Bidders shall be advised of the results. Bids will be received for Single Prime Contracts. The Project consists of the construction of a 9,440 square foot single story building including plumbing, mechanical, and electrical, along with related site development. Construction includes slab on grade, load and non-load bearing steel stud walls, pre-manufactured wood roof trusses, engineered framing, steel stud and masonry interior walls, brick veneer and a single ply membrane roofing system. An open Pre-Bid Meeting will be held on February 24, 2016 at 10:00 am in the Municipal Building Boardroom at 504 S Broad Street, Edenton NC. This meeting will address project specific questions, issues, bidding procedures and bid forms. Complete plans and specifications for this project are available free of charge for a Digital Download or for $150.00 (refundable) deposit by cash or certified check for hard copies. Either format can be obtained from Oakley Collier Architects, 109 Candlewood Road, Rocky Mount, NC 27804 (252.937.2500) beginning February 10, 2016, during normal office hours. Plans will also be available in the plan rooms of the Associated General Contractors, Carolinas Branch, Raleigh, NC, in the local North Carolina offices of McGraw-Hill Dodge Corporation, and in the Eastern Regional Office of Reed Construction Data in Norcross, GA and in Minority Plan Rooms in the Hispanic Contractors Association of the Carolinas (HCAC) in Raleigh and in East Coast Digital – Minority Plan Room Provider, Greenville, NC. The owner reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive informalities. Owner: Town Of Edenton Bud Powell 400 South Broad Street P.O. Box 300 Edenton, North Carolina 27932 Architect: Oakley Collier Architects, PA 109 Candlewood Road Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27804 252-937-2500 NOTICE MBE/WBE/DBE ENTERPRISES Young McQueen Grading is currently soliciting bids from NCDOT certified DBE certified contractors and suppliers for the project below. We will be receiving bids for all materials and for the following scopes of work, if applicable: hauling, erosion control, seeding storm drainage, asphalt, guardrail, signage, striping, retaining walls, structures, clearing & grubbing, curb & gutter, surveying, and all other areas related to the projects. NCDOT #DM00159 Replace Bridge #202 over Brummett Creek in Mitchell County and #DM00160 Replace Bridge #204 over Bird Creek in Mitchell County. Bid Date: 3/2/2016. Plans and specs may be examined at our office, at the NCDOT office in Raleigh, or downloaded at NCDOT.gov. ALL DBE Subs and Suppliers are encouraged to participate. Please notify us at the email address below if you intend to bid. Young & McQueen will consider a reasonable request for assistance from contractors for equipment, supplies and other items necessary to perform work. We will also break work out into economically feasible units. Please call to discuss any requests you may have prior to bid. If you have questions regarding this project please call 828-682-7714, ext 40. All project item lists, specifications and plans are available in .pdf format at: http:// ncdot.org/doh/preconstruct/ps/contracts/ letting.html or can be viewed at our office: 25 Crest View Road Burnsville NC 28714 ALL QUOTES MUST BE RECEIVED BY 3/1/2016 AT 12:00 PM. Send quotes to 828-682-9286 or email to atipton@youngmcqueen.com ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Page 9 INVITATION TO BID MWBE/DBE SUBCONTRACTORS Sealed proposals will be received from all Bidders by The NC Department of Transportation, attn: Priscilla Tyree Williams, PE, in the NCDOT Morehead City DMV Office, 5347 Hwy 70 W, Morehead City, NC 28557 up to 3:00 PM, Thursday, March 17, 2016, and immediately thereafter publicly opened and read for the furnishing of labor, material and equipment entering into the construction of: Bar Construction Co., Inc. is soliciting quotations for the following: City of Graham Park Complex Phase One - Jim Minor Road. Bids are due at 11:00 am on 02/23/2016. Interested subcontractors should contact Bruce Guarini at 611-A Industrial Ave, Greensboro, NC 27406, (336)-274-2477, or bguarini@barconstruction.com. NCDOT MOREHEAD CITY DMV ADDITION SCO ID #14-11258-01A INVITATION TO BID MWBE/DBE SUBCONTRACTORS Mandatory Pre-Bid Meeting;Wednesday, March 2, 2016 at 2:30 PM at the Project site. This meeting will be followed immediately by a HUB information session for bidders, subcontractors, and vendors. Contractors who do not attend the mandatory pre-bid will not be allowed to bid the project. Complete plans and specifications for this project can be obtained at JKF ARCHITECTURE, 625 Lynndale Ct., Suite F, Greenville, NC 27858, during normal office hours after February 15, 2016. Plans and specifications available for viewing at AGC-Raleigh, NC, McGrawHill Dodge Corporation- Raleigh, Eastern Regional Office of Reed Construction Data, Norcross, GA, Hispanic Contractors Association of the Carolinas (HCAC), Raleigh, NC, and East Coast Digital Plan Room, Greenville, NC. Plan Deposit: $100. The state reserves the unqualified right to reject any and all proposals. Signed: Priscilla Tyree Williams, PE NCDOT Facilities Management Division 1525 Mail Service Center 1 South Wilmington Street Raleigh, NC 27699-1525 ADVERTISEMENT ROOFING CONTRACTORS INVITED TO PREQUALIFY FOR J. C. Sawyer School Roofing-Elizabeth City-Pasquotank County Schools PROJECT: J. C. Sawyer School Roofing LOCATION: Elizabeth City, North Carolina OWNER: Elizabeth City-Pasquotank County Schools DESIGNER: LS3P ASSOCIATES LTD. PREQUALIFICATION REQUIRED: The Owner will accept bids only from Roofing Contractors that have prequalified. Bar Construction Co., Inc. is soliciting quotations for the following: High Point Library Plaza Improvements Phase One. Bids are due at 2:00 pm on 02/24/2016. Interested subcontractors should contact Bruce Guarini at 611-A Industrial Ave, Greensboro, NC 27406, (336)-274-2477, or bguarini@barconstruction.com. INVITATION TO BID MWBE/DBE SUBCONTRACTORS Bar Construction Co., Inc. is soliciting quotations for the following: Dudley High School Traffic Improvements. Bids are due at 3:00 pm on 03/01/2016. Interested subcontractors should contact Bruce Guarini at 611-A Industrial Ave, Greensboro, NC 27406, (336)-274-2477, or bguarini@barconstruction.com. INVITATION TO BID MWBE/DBE SUBCONTRACTORS Bar Construction Co., Inc. is soliciting quotations for the following: North Carolina State University – Tucker Hall Renovations. Bids are due at 2:00 pm on 03/01/2016. Interested subcontractors should contact Bruce Guarini at 611-A Industrial Ave, Greensboro, NC 27406, (336)-274-2477, or bguarini@barconstruction.com. INVITATION TO BID MWBE/DBE SUBCONTRACTORS Bar Construction Co., Inc. is soliciting quotations for the following: North Carolina A&T State University – FORT IRC Lab 222 Renovations. Bids are due at 2:00 pm on 02/25/2016. Interested subcontractors should contact Bruce Guarini at 611-A Industrial Ave, Greensboro, NC 27406, (336)-274-2477, or bguarini@barconstruction.com. education Roofing Contractors are required to have a General Contractor’s license. DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISESAND HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESSES ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY FOR PREQUALIFICATION EITHER INDEPENDENTLY OR AS PART OF A TEAMING ARRANGEMENT. SCOPE OF PROJECT: The Project consists of approximately 26,667 sq. ft. of existing single-ply membrane and built-up asphalt roofing systems which will be removed and replaced with new rigid foam insulation and adhered PVC membrane roofing system. Alternate bid to include 2,436 sq. ft. of built-up asphalt roofing system removal over kitchen and replacement with adhered PVC membrane roofing system. TIMELINE: Construction is anticipated to begin approximately mid June 2016 and to be completed by mid August 2016. APPLICATION: Interested General Contractors may obtain an Application for Prequalification on or after 15 February 2016 by contacting the Designer via email: elliottoneal@ls3p. com. S U B M I TTA L O F B I DD E R QUALIFICATIONS: The Owner will evaluate each Bidder’s qualifications pursuant to its procurement policies and North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 143. The Owner’s Application for Prequalification must be delivered to the Designer no later than 5:00 P.M. Wednesday 9 March 2016. Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: Psychology Instructor English-as-a-Second Language Instructor For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal at: https://faytechcc.peopleadmin.com/ Human Resources Office Phone: (910) 678-8378 Internet: http://www.faytechcc.edu An Equal Opportunity Employer SOUTHEASTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES English Instructor Minimum requirements, position description and required application for this position can be found on the SCC website at www.sccnc.edu or call 910642-7141, ext. 310. SCC application, resume, letter of interest and educational transcripts must be submitted in order to be considered for this position. Application deadline is listed on the position announcement. AA/EOE February 11, 2016 - February 17, 2016 Greater Diversity News Online at GreaterDiversity.com Page 10 bids continued NOTICE MBE/WBE/DBE ENTERPRISES Young & McQueen Grading is currently soliciting bids from NCDOT certified DBE contractors and suppliers for the project below. We will be receiving bids for all materials and for the following scopes of work, if applicable: hauling, erosion control, seeding, storm drainage, electrical, security guards, NAVAIDS, surveying, and all other areas related to the projects. Appointment only: professional Permanent Runway 17-35 Construction – Bid Package 3 – Site Preparation and NAVAIDs. Bid Date: 2/25/2016. Plans and specs may be examined technical yy yy The Orange Water and Sewer Authority UTILITY MECHANIC I Fayetteville Technical Community College is now accepting applications for the following positions: Programmer/Analyst II Accounting TechnicianAccounts Payable For detailed information and to apply, please visit our employment portal at: https://faytechcc.peopleadmin.com/ Human Resources Office Phone: (910) 678-8378 Internet: http://www.faytechcc.edu An Equal Opportunity Employer THE CITY OF STATESVILLE T H E C I T Y O F S TAT E S V I L L E I S CURRENTLY ADVERTISING TO FILL THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS. APPLICANTS MUST APPLY ON-LINE AT WWW.CI.STATESVILLE.NC.US RECREATION/PARKS DEPARTMENT AIRPORT/PUBLIC GROUNDS & PARK MAINTENANCE DIVISIONS TEMPORARY LABORERS HOURLY RATE: $10.00 RECREATION/PARKS DEPARTMENT POOL MANAGER HOURLY RATE: $12.00 ASSISTANT POOL MANAGERS HOURLY RATE: $10.50 POOL STAFF HOURLY RATE: $8.50 LIFEGUARDS HOURLY RATE: $9.00 RECREATION SUPERVISORS/ SUMMER CAMP HOURLY RATE: $9.00 INTERN HOURLY RATE: $9.00 WATER RESOURCES DEPARTMENT LAB TECHNICIAN/PART-TIME 30 HOURS PER WEEK SALARY RANGE: $18,204.58 - $30,037.02 The Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA), a progressive water utility p r o v i d i n g w a t e r, w a s t e w a t e r a n d reclaimed water services to the Towns of Chapel Hill, Carrboro and to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, seeks highly motivated and qualified candidates for Utility Mechanic I positions. Duties include installing and maintaining water, sewer and reclaimed water lines. Tasks include servicing meters, valves, hydrants, manholes, easements, etc. Position reads water meters using a hand held device and downloading data, as well as connecting and disconnecting services. Position uses a wide variety of equipment including air compressors, jack hammers, dump trucks, backhoes, compact rollers, metal detectors, etc. Successful candidates must have the ability to work outdoors in all kinds of weather and respond to after-hour situations as necessary. Prior experience in a water and wastewater utility preferred but not required. Requires a High School Diploma or equivalent and a Valid NC Driver’s License. Candidate must be able to obtain a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). yy yy At our office. McGraw-Hill Construction Dodge Online Plan Room – www.construction.com Carolinas AGC Online Plan Room – https://ibuild.cagc.org Electronic files by contacting the Program Manager RS&H at 704-752-0610. Young & McQueen will consider a reasonable request for assistance from contractors for equipment, supplies and other items necessary to perform work. We will also break work out into economically feasible units. Please call to discuss any requests you may have prior to bid. If you have questions regarding this project please call 828-682-7714, ext 27. ALL QUOTES MUST BE RECEIVED BY 2/24/2016 AT 12:00 PM. Send quotes to 828-682-9286 or email to atipton@youngmcqueen.com EDUCATION REQUEST FOR BIDS Salary range: $33,124 - $51,012. Apply online at www.owasa.org. Closing date is February 22, 2016. SOUTH PIEDMONT EOE. Thompson Arthur Paving & Construction COLLEGE is seeking bids from COMMUNITY qualified subs and suppliers for traffic POSITION AVAILABLE control, concrete patching, milling, signs, markings, material supply, and hauling on Systems Technology Adjunct THE CITYAutomotive OF STATESVILLE the Division 9 - DI000126 I-40 NCDOT Computer and Industrial Technologies Department THE CITY OF STATESVILLE IS From Harper Rd to NC 801 project CURRENTLY South Piedmont isADVERTISING seeking applications for an the Automotive and 9 - DI00121 NCDOTSystems DivisionTechnology TO THE FOLLOWING AdjunctFILL Instructor. This is a part-time teaching located on64 thetoOld Charlotte I-85position from Old Hwy Holly Grove POSITION. APPLICANTS Highway Campus in Monroe, NC. Required Qualifications: Associate’s degree in Road project. MBE/WBE firms are MUST APPLY ON-LINE AT Automotive Systems Technology or relatedencouraged field with a minimum of two (2)will yearsbe to participate and WWW.CI.STATESVILLE.NC.US of full-time equivalent experience in the field and ASE Certifications. afforded the maximum opportunity in the COLLECTIONS/REVENUE performance of this work. Fax quotes to See job description for complete details. Position is open until filled. MANAGER (336) 767-7427 before 5 PM on Mon, Feb FINANCE DEPARTMENT To apply, visit jobs.spcc.edu or contact us at employment@spcc.edu or 704-993-2478. 22, 2016. Complete plans and specs can be reviewed at NCDOT Division 9, 375 Access, Equal Opportunity Employer SALARYEqual RANGE: Silas Creek Parkway, Winston-Salem, and $41,513.89 - $68,498.35 Thompson Arthur, 4130 N. Glenn Ave. POSITION OPEN UNTILL FILLED Winston Salem, NC 27105. For questions, call Tyler Beam at (336) 354-1213. EOE TECHINCAL Join the Campaign to Defeat Voter Suppression! Enriching Lives u Creating Futures Craven Community College is currently recruiting for the following position: Information System Specialist/Programmer: Associate degree or higher in Information Systems, programming, or related field (consideration will be given to students expecting to graduate in May 2016). Bachelor’s Degree is preferred. Strong HTML, XHTML, XML, XSL, CSS, MySQL, JavaScripts and graphic design skills. Deadline to apply: Feb. 19, 2016. Employment date: March 1, 2016. Candidates should have good interpersonal skills, an understanding of the community college mission, and excel in a team environment. Minimum qualifications listed only. Additional information can be obtained at the college Website www.cravencc.edu or by calling (252) 638-7375. EOEE Thanks advertisers and readers! We appreciate your support! We care that you have access to us! ALL DBE Subs and Suppliers are encouraged to participate. Please notify us at the email address below if you intend to bid. POSITIONS OPEN UNTIL FILLED EOE Mobile COLLEGE OF THE ALBEMARLE seeks applications for a Web Content Manager. Req.: associate’s degree in web design &/or development, information technology, business management information systems, communications, journalism, technical writing or related field; 1+ yrs. exper. managing content & production for high traffic websites; basic/intermediate knowledge of HTML & exper. w/ popular content management systems (Drupal, Wordpress, CMS Made Simple). To apply for the positions, visit the college’s web site at www.albemarle.edu Click on “Jobs at COA” & “Search & Apply for Jobs Online”. Greater Diversity News (GDN) is a statewide publication with national reach and relevance. We are a chosen news source for underrepresented and underserved communities in North Carolina. 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