By: C. Harrison/April 29, 2015/3:37 pm

The Republicans have just seen what everyone else and their peers have already seen, the truth and ability of Loretta Lynch. Was that 5-months or more they held up her nomination? Why, they never bother to tell the populous.

That was a crying shame, the historical First Black Woman, Loretta Lynch, to held the post of State Attorney General of the United State….and the nomination got pushed back for this long until April 28, 2015. But in our book it is better to be late than never getting what is rightfully yours.

Congratulations! State Attorney General, Loretta Lynch

NEW YORK CITY TAKING ANOTHER LOOK AT PRE-K

By: C. Harrison/April 24, 2015/8:42

New York, NY….The deadline for signing up and filling out applications for the New York City Pre-K program is midnight tonight,  April 24, for New York pre-k children, first come first serve. The good news is, that if you (The parent) miss this deadline you can apply and fill the application over the Summer, but your child or children might not get what you preferred.

According to the Mayor’s press office, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today that the second phase in the expansion of Pre-K for all is off to a strong start, with 21, 938 families applying for free, full-day, high quality seats in the first day, up from 6, 500 in the first day  of applications last year.

Last year 53, 000 children in full-day pre-k at district schools, charter schools, and NYC Early Childhood Centers. This year’s expansion means more programs, seats and opportunities in every borough and neighborhood, ensuring enough capacity to accommodate every child regardless of zip code or means. This means the average family saves more than $10,000 each year in child costs.

70, 000 expected to apply for free, full-day, high-quality pre-k

application process open through April 24 at nyc.gov/prek, by calling 311, or at a family welcome center.

Incidentally another free program for kindergarten  pre-kers is  not given to children here and I believe children in New York should also get this: About Eye See….Eye Learn

Eye see…Eye Learn was developed by the Alberta Association of Optometrists to help children reach their full potential.

Through Eye See…Eye Learn, Doctors of Optometry detect, diagnose and treat eye health problems in children as they enter the school system. Alberta Health Care already covers the cost of comprehensive eye exams for all children in the province. This program takes that one step further by providing free eyeglasses to kindergarten students who need a prescription.

I feel strongly about this especially because children who do not pay attention in class more or likely do have an eye problem and really cannot see the board or even see the Teacher’s mouth to hear what she or he is saying.  Sometimes if children can’t see children don’t listen.  Glaucoma is a silencer, doctors to date, do not know what causes it. No, it doesn’t start in your old age, there are children as young as 9 -years old, who have one or more form of Glaucoma…..which by- the-way, turns into cataract at some point in the process, among other eye disease.

We need to find some way of caring more for our pre-k children and catch whatever health-class-room-related issues, they may have before its too late for them.

By: C. Harrison/April 24, 2015/7:09 pm

A 21ST CENTURY TRADE AGREEMENT FOR AMERICA

New York, NY……The President has just put out a very Innovative Ambitious TPA, modernistic trade plan for America and its foreign assets (Those countries who want to do trades with America). He introduced the Trade Promotion Authority legislation, according to OFA, TPA or “fast track;” which is  a series of guidelines for trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership the Obama administration is currently working on.

“TPA, is now Congress sets the rules of the road for trade negotiations. They set guidelines that the President and the administration use to negotiate an agreement with other nations,” OFA.

The new progressive Trade Bill will enforce tougher labor laws, tougher environmental  protections standard laws and the process will be transparent.  “Past trade deals haven’t always lived up to the hype. That’s why I’ve made it clear that I won’t sign any agreement that doesn’t put American workers first,” President Obama said.

We should pay attention because its important for working families and for the economy that we get this right. The U.S. exports  supported by expanding trade have contributed nearly a third of U.S. economic growth in the recovery…supporting more than 11.7 million jobs according to the international Trade Administration and almost 300,000 small and medium-sized businesses in every state according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

Don’t pay any attention to the uncommonly recent fuss between the President and Elizabeth Warren: Here is what my thoughts are…

“I love Elizabeth Warren I have worked with her on  numerous issues but she is dead wrong on this,”  the President said on MSNBC, regarding  (TPA ).

Incidentally my take on Rep. Elizabeth Warren’s argument on the Trade issue:  In an interview with Elizabeth Warren, on the Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC)…….Inspite of what Rep. Warren stated or said, I believe that Elizabeth Warren is not against what the President said or stated so much and have put into the trade deal agreement….what I am hearing from her is that she is worried about the way and manner that the Agreement, is being put or going through Congress…..with only according to her, corporations and lobbies groups getting to see the product (The Trade Deal-Agreement) before the American people have a chance to see it and comment on it. This, even though the administration promised that the public will get a chance to see and comment on it, as well as Congressional members can see that deal now. Rep. Warren, I believe is worried that other incoming Presidents will do the same thing with little or no oversight, which will become problematic for us all.

I am sure that the President will make it so that this doesn’t become an easy process for incoming Presidents to manipulate.

Posted By: C./ Harrison

Come Meet & Talk To Your Senator And Local Leaders Regarding Issues And Make Suggestions

What:       Bringing “Your Office” to you

Where:   South Jamaica Cornerstone  Community Center (40 Houses) 109-04 160th Street, Jamaica New York

When:  Thursday April 30, 2015

Time:    7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

For more information call (718) 523-3069 or email Horsham@nysenate.gov  

Posted By: C. Harrison

MUSIC BRINGS LIFE TO HOLD “CODE RED CONCERT” AND BLOOD DRIVES TO PROMOTE BLOOD AWARENESS IN NEW YORK CITY

Urban non-profit initiative announces its 2015 program to obtain blood donations from diverse populations

New York, NY…..Music Brings Life Inc., a non-profit blood awareness organization, is taking an innovative approach to ensuring  a stable community blood supply within New York City’s minority communities. The Brooklyn-based organization will hold a free concert and Summer blood drives to educate people in the Black, Latino and Caribbean communities about the importance of donating blood.

The CODE RED Blood Awareness Concert will be held on Friday, May 15, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at St Francis de Sales School (260 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11225). This free concert will promote Music Brings Life’s three Summer blood drives, which will be held inside Brooklyn Borough Hall (209 Joralemon Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201) on Wednesday, June 10, Wednesday, July1, and Wednesday August 5. Performers at the CODE RED concert will include dancehall and reggae superstar Serani as well as Music Brings Life President and Founder Keenan “Special” Bristol, who will perform his original song, “Superman 1, 2, 3 Away,” in keeping with the organization’s slogan of “Heroes Donate Blood.”

“In order to make people want to donate blood, we first need to get their attention, ” said Bristol. “As a performer, I try to accomplish this through music.”

“When one unit of blood is donated, it gets broken into components that can be used to help as many as three patients,” explained Bristol.  “You are a hero when you donate blood because you are helping save lives.”

The first 200 people who come out to donate at Music Brings Life’s three Summer  blood drives will receive a free ticket to the 5 Alarm Blaze Music Brings Life Blood Awareness Concert on Labor Day Weekend. That concert will feature live performances of the hottest Caribbean music artists on the scene.

Over the past four years, Music Brings life has held several “blood awareness concerts” in Brooklyn that doubled as blood drives.  To date, the organization has raised over 3,000 pints of blood for the Black, Latino and Caribbean communities in New  York City.

Music Brings Life’s partners in 2015 are Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams, the American Red Cross and Sickle Cell Thalassemia Patients Network.

For more information about the CODE RED concert and blood drives, visit www.musicbringslife.org

Founded in 2009, Music Brings Life Inc., is a 501 (c) (3) not-for- profit organization that educates young people in the Black, Latino, and Caribbean communities about the importance of donating blood.

By: C. Harrison/April 17/3:12

Massive evacuation at Mount Siani Hospital earlier today. The evacuation was due to odor of the hospital’s 4, 5, 6, and 8 floors, so I was told by a hospital worker standing next to me who smelled the odor. The building evacuated was the 17 East 102 Street Building. The Hospital did a great job of people vacating the building. Con- Ed was on the premises.

Posted By: C. Harrison/April 17, 2015/3:04

Posted By: C. Harrison/April 17, 2015

Carol Muschette-Kirk,  NAJASO Historian, Ph. D, (ABD), MBA, MSM, BA, Cert. Ed. died on March 25, 2015 in Baltimore, MD after a brave and courageous battle against breast cancer. Carol was a leadership scholar, journalist and founder of CKM Productions, a multimedia international group promoting leadership in the: African, Latin American, and Caribbean Diasporas.

Carol was formerly  the Jamaican Information Service (JIS) information attache’ at Jamaica’s New York Consulate and Jamaica’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. She worked in several capacities at the Embassy of Jamaica in Washington, DC for over a decade, in roles that includes: JIS national community relations officer, assistant information attache’ and assistant JAMPRO trade representative.

Carol is the author of four books on Amazon.com, including her most recent publication of the book, NAJASO:  A Catalyst for change, which  chronicles the history of the National Association of Jamaican and Supportive Organizations, Inc. In 2007, the Smithsonian Institute contracted Carol and Northern Lights Production of History Channel to produce the audio of the video “Discovering Rastari” for its historic exhibition at the museum of Natural History in Washington, DC which reported over seven million visitors.

Carol is from Mandeville, Jamaica and attended Bishop’s High School, Knox College, and Shortwood Teachers College, majoring in English and History. She earned a BA degree in Journalism and Music from Rutgers University, MBA and MSM degree from the University of Maryland and graduate management certificates from John Hopkins Business School and Harvard Law/MIT Negotiation Program. She completed course work for a Doctor of Philosophy in Organizational Leadership with a focus on international leadership.

“A truly dedicated, talented, intelligent and astute Jamaican American, Jamaica the United States and NAJASO has lost an icon.” (B. Roy Davidson, NAJASO Immediate Past President)

The funeral will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2015 at Trinity Episcopal Church, 7500 Piney Branch Rd. Washington, DC 20012. Tribute and Visitation: 10:00am; Funeral Service: 11:00am

Expressions of Sympathies can be directed to Pauline Muschette, at paulinearb@gmail.com

Posted By: C. Harrison/April 17, 2015

Equal Pay Day was April 14, and a few weeks ago according to Kelly Byrne, National Issues Campaign Manager of Organizing for  Action, Senator Barbara Mikulski and Representative Rosa DeLauro reintroduced the Paycheck Fairness Act in Congress.  If passed the common sense legislation would update the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and help close the pay gap for women who are still paid less than men.

“This affects every family that works hard to make ends meet,” she said.

To earn the same as their male counterparts, full-time working women have to work on average of another 104 days.  THIS IS NOT RIGHT PEOPLE.

Posted By: C. Harrison/April 17, 2015/12:30 am

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Memorial Day Weekend

The 9th Annual Best Of The Best 2015 Music Fest Brings  Jamaica’s Biggest Stars to Miami

New York, NY…..Planning to go away this Memorial Weekend well, the biggest concert and an entire weekend is planned just for you. All you have to do is pack your bags and head for Miami.

South Florida’s longest running Memorial Weekend concert Best of The Best, returns to Bayfront Park,  301 Biscayne Blvd. Sunday, May 24, 2015. The event is produced by Best of The Best Entertainment..in association with Rockers Island Entertainment and Massive B–the 100% Caribbean Show is celebrating it’s 9th year, will once again feature a smorgasbord of Reggae, dancehall and Soca giants.

The years lineup includes: Shabba Ranks & Friends, legendary Josey Wales, the fire man Capleton, king of the dancehall Beene Man, queen of the dancehall Lady Saw, aka Marion Hall, Silky singers Sanchez and Wayne Wonder…plus Tiger, Morgan Heritage, Admiral Bailey, Spice, Johnny P, Anthony Malvo and Warrior King.

The star studded Soca lineup includes: Fay Ann, Lyons, Kerwin DuBois, Lyrikal and Rupee.  More artist to be added later.

General Admission ticket currently on sale for $49 and VIP w/Open Bar ticket on sale for $139. Both early bird deals are available until May 1st.

Following the show Sunday, all roads lead to the BOTB 2015 Offficial  After Party, at the all new Café Iguana Pines…in Pembroke Pines (8358 Pines Blvd). Music by: Massive B Foota Hype, Steelie Bashment, Noah Da Powa, Dutty Dex House Arrest, Berrie Hype and Scotch Bonnet