8 10 291 https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/5514effdc513a98bd66d0139c8cbcc4e.pdf ea9724e19fbb60793ef47cde4371f474 PDF Text Text �2 EDITORIAL Restore Human Services From the Director JOSH SPRING Executive Director I t’s that time again. And no, I don’t mean the holidays. It’s city budget time. The Homeless Coalition has extreme familiarity with city budget time. It typically means lots of meetings planning strategy, meetings with council people, getting people out to speak at council meetings, press conferences, emails, many long hours at city hall- late, sometimes real late- hours at City Hall. Every year the Homeless Coalition puts a lot of focus on Human Services. Human Services are dollars that go to what you might guess- human services, meaning shelter, housing, senior services, youth services, violence prevention, job programs, etc. In the 1980s, it was set that 1.5% of the city’s General Fund was to go to Human Services and then through a process distributed to qualifying organizations. Nearly a decade ago, city council started cutting Human Services, and has done so nearly every year since. Every year we struggle and there is less of a cut. Last year there was no cut at all. This year the City Manager has proposed a 29% cut, that would eliminate a category within the funding called “Self-Sufficiency.” There are signs that some city council members are supportive of keeping Human Services funding at the same level it was at in 2012, without a cut. Despite this, we must continue to push for no cut, because, as we at the Coalition well know, much with the budget can change at the ninth hour- or as previous years have shownat midnight just before Christmas- whenever everyone wants to leave City Hall. Beyond no cuts, we need to push for something else. Some council members are saying they support Human Services. Let’s continue to give them encouragement to do Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1.50 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati. so. A clear way to show support for Human Services would be to increase the allocation to more than it was in 2012. We must make this need known. We have spent the majority of a decade with regular cuts. Let’s start going the other way. -Josh Spring, LSW, Executive Director Dec. 7th-Dec. 20th, 2012 Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls 513-352-3604 roxanne.qualls@cincinnati-oh.gov President Pro Tem Cecil Thomas 513-352-3499 cecil.thomas@cincinnati-oh.gov Council Member Laure Quinlivan 513-352-5303 laure.quinlivan@cincinnati-oh.gov Council Member Chris Seelbach 513-352-5210 chris.seelbach@cincinnati-oh.gov • Council Member Yvette Simpson 513-352-5260 yvette.simpson@cincinnati-oh.gov • Council Member P.G. Sittenfeld 513-352-5270 pg.sittenfeld@cincinnati-oh.gov Council Member Christopher Smitherman 513-352-3464 christopher.smitherman@cincinnati-oh.gov • Council Member Charlie Winburn 513-352-5354 charlie.winburn@cincinnati-oh.gov • Council Member Wendell Young 513-352-3466 wendell.young@cincinnati-oh.gov Karen Chatman, Chris Fowler, Rubye Goode Justin, Jeffre, Josh Spring, Angela Pancella, Jason Haap, Jim Luken, Willa D. Jones, John Cranley, Bill Woods, Mimi Rook, Dylan Speeg. Gopal Sharma, Stella Paul, EcoWatch Journal, Sonny Williams Justin Jeffre David Sorcher, Justin Jeffre, Darren Whiteside, Enny Nuraheni, Stringer Russia, Akhtar Soomro, Kahled Addullah Ali Mahdi, Stringer Nepal, Jane Pendergrast, Stella Paul, Monisha Ringler. Deborah Poindexter. Josh Spring Jeni Jenkins Education & Development: Kristin McGee Leslie Moorhead Jeff Kelly Jerry Davis Pete Roper �Dec. 7th-Dec. 20th, 2012 LOCAL 3 Places to go, people to see I took my family to the Balluminaria in Eden Park on November 17th and we all had a fantastic time. Thousands gathered around Mirror Lake and enjoyed great food, jugglers, clowns and all sorts of entertainment while awaiting the spectacle that was about to unfold. Just before dusk, a bunch of hot air balloons were inflated around the lake much to the crowds delight. My 20 month old daughter was blown away. The balloons were so colorful and beautiful. Their beauty was doubled by the reflection in the water. It was a real treat for photographers. It’s a very cool event for the entire family. You should check it out next year if you get the chance. It’s free so what do you have to lose? DYLAN SPEEG Contributing Writer Do you want to know one of my favorite things in the world to see? Santa. Throw in scuba diving and I am in paradise. Check out Scuba Santa at Newport Aquarium at Newport on the Levee. See beautiful seasonal decorations throughout the Aquarium, Scuba Santa’s Post Office and Reindeer Roundup game. Scuba-diving Santa Claus performs in dive shows with sharks every day. It is happening right now up until December 22nd and admission is $23, $15 ages 2-12, free under age 2. For more info visit www. newportonthelevee.com The Ultimate Holiday Craft Expo, December 16th from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., will be stuffed with aisles of unique holiday gift ideas. For one day only, local artisans, vendors and boutiques will display all the very best in products and services for the holidays, including the best selection in beauty products, one-of-a-kind jewelry, clothing, health, nutrition, fitness, home decor, children’s stuff and so much more! Bring your mom, kids and boyfriends out for a day of pampering, shopping, and holiday fun while the featured local businesses show off their holiday treats and specialties. You can get a free facial, purchase beautiful “just for me” items, or find a gift for that special someone. Whatever it is that you like, they have just the right thing! There will be something for everyone at this event. You won’t leave empty handed. Great raffles, giveaways and samples too! It all goes down at Receptions Banquet and Conference Center Erlanger on 1379 Donaldson Road in Ft Mitchell, KY. To order your free Dylan Speeg with his daughter Clara. Photo: Monisha Ringler tickets, simply go to ultimate boldly re-envisioned this classic for Cincinnati. holidaycraftexpo.eventbrite.com. After the outstanding success of its world premiere in 2011, this holiday season she may When young girls dream they discover prove to have a few new tricks up her sleeve. It the most fantastic places like The Nutcracker, happens December 14th -23rd at the Aronoff which is a holiday favorite. The Cincinnati Center for The Arts. You can visit www. Ballet makes it all come to life. It’s a ballet cballet.org for more information. set to the music of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, performed by the Cincinnati Symphony You simply must check out the ice skating Orchestra, conducted by Carmon DeLeone. on fountain square, bundle up and walk This visually decadent production has across the Purple People Bridge, see a local surprises around every corner. Clara takes us band of musicians and create some holiday on a journey through battling kitchen mice and traditions of your own this December. Visit a storm of snowflakes to arrive at a Land of myfountainsquare.com/features-ofSweets that will surely defy even the highest of the-square/us-bank-ice-rink/ for more expectations. Revel in the joy and wonder that info. comes only once a year with a new tradition See you around town, that is extravagant, comical and overflowing Dylan Speeg with holiday spirit. Artistic Director/CEO Victoria Morgan has Attorney for the people JIM LUKEN Contributing Writer W e’ve all heard lots of lawyer jokes; “Lawyers believe a man is innocent until he is proven broke” or “The shyster lawyer has become a stereotype.” But there is a flip side to this generalization, explains Cincinnati attorney, Rob Linneman. “I’m licensed in both Ohio and Kentucky and both have very high profile programs encouraging all members of the profession to give back in terms of service.” Then he adds, “There are always endless opportunities for public Rob Linneman service lawyering.” Linneman himself seems to need very little of this encouragement. Along with Jennifer Kinsley, Brennan Grayson and Geoff Miller, he was an attorney for us, Occupy Cincinnati (OC) activists, in the fall of last year. Linneman along with Kinsley as lead attorneys gave hundreds (maybe more) hours to the myriad of legal entanglements that emerged as the Occupy movement took center stage in our town. “Looking back,” Rob reflects with a smile, “this seems like a pretty casual pace that I’m living in, compared to last winter and fall.” More recently, Linneman donated his services to Josh Spring of Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition. In June, Spring found himself attempting to calm a tense situation involving police officers. He was arrested and charged with obstructing official business, a criminal offense, which was anything but minor. After all the legal battles related to Occupy Cincinnati, Spring was very familiar with Linneman’s work ethic and his generosity. He asked Linneman to take the case. Rob obliged. “From the very beginning,” Linneman states, “he [Spring] and these witnesses I interviewed were clear that it was the police officer who had made a bad decision in a tense situation.” The two police officers who were involved obviously didn’t agree. “We were offered a plea deal, offered Rob Linneman and Jennifer Kinsley representing Occupy Cincinnati. a less severe [but still substantial] October 2011. Photo: David Sorcher. charge.” But Spring would not fold. “His conscience wouldn’t let him and a half hours of deliberation, the jury anplead guilty. So he stood up before a jury of his nounced its unanimous verdict. Not Guilty. peers. He was convincing. He was resolute.” Both defendant and lawyer reflected on the As the September trial closed out, trial. Linneman gave a forty minute summation, in Spring: “Rob defended my basic civil rights which, he says, he pointed out that speaking to with passion, and I think also, wisdom. What a police officer is not a crime, that a citizen has I noticed—outside of his passion—was that he a first amendment right to petition an officer was extremely thorough. He hit every mark, if he has a grievance. The trial lasted two days. made sure he covered every thread.” On the morning of the third day, after two {Continued on page 4} �4 LOCAL Dec. 7th-Dec. 20th, 2012 Attorney for the People {Continued from page 3} Linneman: I feel like it was a great case; a good case to take. I thought he was very courageous in standing by his principles.” Linneman recalls that, not long after the trial, he ran into one of the officers. “He was very polite. He congratulated me.” Rob Linneman is a Cincinnati native from Western Hills. He went to St. X High, where he was involved in a number of community-oriented projects. With classmates, he went to Peru and Appalachia, and was involved with the mentoring program Big Brothers, Big Sisters. “Those Jesuits, they’ve got a way with consciousness-raising…I’ll say that,” he says. Linneman pursued his bachelors at Miami University, earning a BA in International Studies. During his college career he was a canvasser and worked for Greenpeace, work that he continued for several years after college. Following this, he became a carpenter and tile setter with (among others) a company in New Mexico that focused on sustainable—green—housing. At age 28, Linneman began his studies in law. “Even at that age, I was a non-traditional student.” He completed his degree program when he was 31. For the past twelve years he has been with a Cincinnati law firm, Santen & Hughes (S&H). His primary practice is in civil litigation, which he describes as “asserting the rights of clients, or defending the rights of clients, that are civil, not criminal.” But his longest list of clients has come from defending arrests in criminal cases that occurred on the streets of Cincinnati, most of them at Piatt (Garfield) Park, just two blocks west, and Rob Linneman addresses the court regarding Occupy on December 8, 2011. Photo: David Sorcher. easily visible from his 27th floor office and march held on October 8, an injunction against further at S&H. There were 2011. police actions against the approximately 100 Occupiers who • Working on early scheduling demonstrators. spent at least one night in jail. and logistical planning. • Filing a lawsuit seeking, Linneman is no longer certain of • Consulting with activists and later winning, to the exact number. But, he can list who were considering civil establish a place where open those things which “occupied” disobedience. demonstrations could be held his free time (and business time) • Representing demonstrators 24 hours a day, seven days a during those hectic months. after they received citations, week. That settlement received Here is his summary: but prior to actual arrests. national attention. • Helping organizers plan and • Filing a civil lawsuit seeking secure permits for the first rally {Continued on page 5} Cincinnati Living Green Compost Cincy MIMI ROOK Contributing Writer R ecently, sustainability has become a popular word. Living sustainably is living within and supporting the circular natural systems of our planetary ecosystems. Sustainable businesses reject the reckless abuse and destruction of our natural resources. They practice careful, conservative use of the earth’s resources and they take additional steps to enrich, restore and return to nature what was taken for use in their business operations. Begun this year, Compost Cincy is one of Cincinnati’s first cuttingedge models of a sustainable business, receiving large volumes of food, yard and manufactured organic waste originating from various local businesses and city sources. Within less than 3 months, that waste transforms into clean, nutrient-rich compost, coveted by landscaping firms and local gardeners. Grant Gibson, the managing owner of Compost Cincy says, “I always wanted to do something renewable. I like being outside and I truly wanted to do something environmental…we live in such a throwaway society.” On the Compost Cincy website, a quote from the US EPA states, “The amount of food wasted in the US is staggering. The US generates more than 34 million tons of food waste each year. Paper is the only material category where we generate more waste, but we also recycle more. Food waste is almost 14 percent of the total municipal solid waste stream. Less than three percent of the 34 million tons of food waste generated in 2010 was recovered and recycled. The rest —33 million tons— was thrown away. Food waste now represents the single largest component of municipal solid waste reaching landfills and incinerators. Gibson says his idea for Compost Cincy originated in September, 2011. He was ready for something new. During a networking event he attended he met an executive from the Castellini produce group, the largest and most successful produce wholesaler and distributor in the Greater Cincinnati area. Gibson called this initial encounter his “idea on a cocktail napkin”. He pitched the idea and was encouraged to come back and approach Castellini group with a solid business proposal. Months of serious homework to refine the idea followed. Castellini has over 2,500 fruit, vegetable and floral items in their inventory, much of it housed at a massive warehouse in Wilder, Kentucky. Such a sizable, perishable inventory also means the company generates a formidable waste stream. Gibson credits Bob Ostop at Castellini for helping him to completely and thoroughly analyze and build the business proposal that convinced the wholesaler to contract with his little startup business, something highly irregular in the business world. To divert such a sizable waste stream to a composting facility meant it had to be a big one, easily accessible by the trucks delivering Castellini’s tons of food waste. The site had to be big enough to lay out the 300 to 450 foot windrows of composting material and to allow enough space between them for the enormous equipment needed to lay down and turn the windrows. Gibson found his solution in January of 2012 when he looked at site on Este Avenue at the bottom of Center Hill. It was a perfect fit - 65 acres of contiguous land, a former municipal waste landfill opened in the 1950’s and closed down in 1971, during the dawning years of the EPA. He approached the city’s Office of Economic Development, presenting a March 2012 proposal to lease the site from the city for his business. Cincy Compost was a tough sell for Sam Stephens, the Senior Development Officer who would okay the decision. His office is responsible for jobs creation. His objection was that the compost site required only a minimal staff to run the machinery at the site and to orchestrate the trucks entering, depositing or picking up product and exiting the site. But there were multiple compensating factors that convinced him to do so, including the written endorsement of the project by Larry Falkin, director of the city’s Office of Environmental Quality (OEQ). Falkin had heavily questioned Gibson about his business plan and the sustainability and environmental objectives of the business. He came away convinced Compost Cincy was a perfect solution to divert large waste streams away from local landfills. While the compost business might not have met the criteria of jobs creation in the Department of Economic Development, Gibson hit a home run for the objectives within both OEQ and also the Hamilton County Solid Waste District. As Stephens put it, “It may not get jobs into the city, but it meets other criteria… It’s a nice start, it serves a great purpose… it helps put other company’s waste streams to good use and diverts them out of landfills. Based on Falkin’s recommendation, and because, as Stephens said, “Nobody else was beating down the door to use the site,” the Este Avenue site was granted to Compost Cincy. Gibson also had to complete detailed paperwork for the environmental permits required to operate the business. Rule 13 was the first, a shorthand name for a permit issued to those operating on former landfills. Rule 13 requires a detailed proposal explaining how the business will construct, excavate and operate on the site without disturbing the waste mass beneath the site. It was granted. The next permit required Gibson’s plan to handle storm water diversion so as not to contaminate local watersheds by erosion and surface water runoff from the site. The third was the state EPA permit to operate a Class II composting site, granted in June of 2012. Finally, in July he got the final permit, issued by the Board of Health, his only formal presentation during the whole process. As Gibson said, “from February to August of 2012, everything was due diligence… you have to have a lot of patience going into this, everybody has protocols, (you get) put through a test.” With permitting completed, Gibson opened the gates of Compost Cincy in August 2012 and the parade of deliveries �{Continued from page 4} Then came the arrests. “We had a lot of people to talk to, consult, advise. We had to research and draft and argue motions before twelve different judges, and then trying the cases of course, and negotiating the settlements. We had numerous arguments and court cases, but we ultimately had one evidentiary hearing before judge Mallory that lasted two days.” And the result? “Dismissal of all the charges.” Linneman says his company and colleagues at S & H were very supportive of his work on behalf of Occupy. At a Christmas party in December they acknowledged and honored his accomplishment. And Linneman’s own take on the whole Occupy endeavor? “It was fun. It was a blast. In hindsight, there is no way I would have missed it. Because I saw a lot of relationships come together, a lot of synergies formed among different parts of the community that hadn’t worked together before. It opened my eyes to a lot of things that were going on in the Occupy discussion outside the courtroom. Photo: David Sorcher. began. Every week Castellini trucks in an estimated 200 to 250 tons of food waste. Smucker’s is another 150 tons of weekly waste. Givaudan, an international flavor manufacturing firm, is another customer with a factory delivering waste from nearby Elmwood Place, as do St. Bernard Soap and Emery Industries in St. Bernard. John Morrell, the meat packer located in Tri-County disposes of spent sausage casings and a sludge material with the acronym DAS, which is pressed meat scraps. Gibson humorously described DAS as looking like concrete, but having a consistency between jello and whipped cream. He receives about 40 tons of Morrell waste a week and observed that the sludge is a wonderful composting aid. Local municipalities are also using Compost Cincy, which accepts the yard waste from their public works departments, saving them significant fees formerly spent on hauling and disposal. Currently Wyoming, St. Bernard and Elmwood Place use Compost Cincy to dispose of their yard waste collections. Compost Cincy has also completed another milestone, the first EPA tests on its finished compost. EPA testing is mandatory for every 10,000 yards of compost. To get an idea of how much compost that is, imagine a thousand semis filled with loads of dirt. The test results, costing Compost Cincy $1,000, came back clean – no heavy metals, no toxic bacteria and a good soil chemistry balance between carbon, nitrogen, potassium and sodium. The test is expensive, but 5 LOCAL Dec. 7th-Dec. 20th, 2012 gains the business compost sold with the golden stamp of EPA approval. Gibson is working to solve another challenge -- spent food waste from large institutions such as restaurants, hospitals and universities. Such operations most often use disposable but non-compostable plastic ware. Compostable food waste ends up mixed with non-compostable plastic ware into trash receptacles lined with non-compostable plastic garbage bags. It is too complicated right now for the service of Compost Cincy. Gibson hopes institutional food service will eventually move to compostable service ware and to food waste tossed straight into unlined garbage bins and then easily incorporated into his composting system. Sustainability creates abundance – abundance of resources, abundance of employment and shared opportunity. It is far preferable to the corporatocracy which profits only a few through scarcities. This model creates profitability not at the expense of others, but rather as a shared benefit to all within its framework. Compost Cincy is a great example of sustainability and vision. It is not only sustainable, but it is also the very first urban composting site in the nation located within a major city’s boundaries. He said, “I like being out in the forefront where there is no competition, at the leading edge.” ------------------------ city by people who were involved in the movement.” And his conclusions? “I’m glad for the things that Occupy Cincinnati did. I was happy to see that the movement [OWS] manifested itself in Cincinnati in a really outspoken way. I believe that Occupy Cincinnati has played an important part in this city’s history.” Currently, Rob is seeking the reform of certain Cincinnati Police policies through a civil suit on behalf of a citizen journalist, Lloyd Jordan. Jordan was arrested while documenting one of the major Occupy Cincinnati demonstrations at Piatt Park last November. He was charged with taking photographs of undercover policemen who were doing surveillance and infiltration of OC. Like Josh Spring, Jordan was charged with obstructing official business, plus disorderly conduct. His camera was confiscated and held by the police for a number of months. “He was literally prevented, physically, from carrying out the mission that he wanted to carry out.” Thanks to the work of attorney Danielle Anderson, a good friend of Linneman, all criminal charges against Jordan have already been dropped. But Rob’s civil suit is one of a wave of similar cases nationwide in which citizens are attempting to establish the right to bear witness to police conduct through photography and video. Linneman refers to the police response to Jordan’s work and others as what is known in First Amendment law as “the Chilling Effect.” He spells out the concept. “When a citizen is threatened with arrest for simply documenting the activities and workings of our government, that’s bad for democracy. It prevents us citizens from doing a good job as citizens. That is the heart of the first amendment.” Lawyer jokes, like the shyster lawyers they lampoon, are not going to go away but the next time you hear one, you might mention to those laughing that there are some really special lawyers doing really special work…for all of us… and doing it for free. Example: Rob Linneman. His approach in a nutshell: “I believe that part of my job as a lawyer is to ensure that our justice system is accountable to our citizens.” ------------------------ A Humorous take on the 2012 Election JUSTIN JEFFRE Streetvibes Editor A re you so relieved that the election is over that you can now enjoy a few laughs when reminded of some of the political absurdities that occurred during the past year? If your answer is yes to this question, you will want to read “The Un-Divine Comedy of Campaign 2012: Political Commentary in Rhyme.” Since last winter, Bill Woods has written for Streetvibes a series of political spoofs in the form of short poems that provide a running commentary of each phase of the 2012 campaigns. From “A Plethora of Preference Polls” to “Binders Full of Women,” the author offers rhymes that skewer the current world of politics. Now they are available in book form published by Blurb, an on-line publishing outfit. Besides satirizing the candidates and events leading up to November 6th, Woods also pokes fun at some of the icons of the right such as Rush Limbaugh and Fox News, and his piece entitled “The Polarized Pooh” offers a humorous depiction of how the right wing media brainwashes its clientele. Apropos of these pieces initially appearing in Streetvibes, a number of them deal with the failure of the politics of 2012 to confront the issues of poverty and a badly tattered safety net. His poem, “A New Kind of Safety Net,” is particularly telling on that subject. Although serious themes can be found in quite a few of his spoofs, many of them are written purely for laughs. “The Not So Secret Service,” a poem that deals with the escapades of Secret Service Agents in Columbia, falls into that category. By day, Woods is President of Applied Information Resources, a nonprofit community research and public policy corporation here in Cincinnati. The author of numerous reports on homelessness, urban issues, and government, he has also published humor pieces over the years. “I don’t consider myself to be a poet,” said Woods, “but I do enjoy playing with words to create humorous rhymes. The politics of 2012 provided an irresistible target for such writing.” ------------------------ �6 LOCAL Dec. 7th-Dec. 20th, 2012 21c Hotel Ribbon Cutting: Business District. Can you imagine a company buying your homes and over 200 homes around you and then telling you and all of your neighbors you must leave, because they want to bring people with more money in? We must remember that this is the same fight the women of the Anna Louise Inn are involved in. Western and Southern would like to own the Anna Louise Inn in order to remove all of the women and open new condos or a luxury hotel. Western and Southern like 3CDC did with Metropole - is working to displace people with low-incomes from the Central Business District. decided in January. To top it off, the city continues to state that the streetcar will not jeopardize the operating budget of the City, but the $3 million needed annually to operate the streetcar comes directly from the operating budget of the city and makes the City’s structural deficit worse. Increasingly, under the leadership of Finance Committee Chair Roxanne Qualls, who is the leader on every one of these issues, we are not told what the City is doing with our tax dollars, our city assets, our energy bills, and the prevailing culture is to mortgage city assets on a generational basis in order to get through next year’s election. This is wrong. I promise to restore our proud tradition of good government, but I just hope that there are some parts of the City that haven’t been hawked when I get there. Giving the parking garages and meters, the rates, and the enforcement powers to an out-oftown company for 30 years will have a profound negative impact on the vibrancy of downtown and will put at risk the progress we have made. Please join me in asking City Council to deal with its budget honestly rather than selling out our future for a short term political fix. A Celebration Of Discrimination JOSH SPRING Executive Director O n November 26th the ribbon was cut to open a 21c Boutique Hotel. 3CDC displaced 208 people from their homes in order for 21c to open this Boutique Hotel. The primary cause of homelessness is a lack of affordable housing. 3CDC destroyed about 223 affordable apartments in the Central Business District. The Metropole Tenant Association fought 3CDC for two and a half years, eventually filling a federal lawsuit. Tenants secured the first settlement in favor of displaced Tenants ever in Cincinnati history. It is important that the public knows that those celebrating the opening of the 21c Boutique Hotel are also celebrating the forced removal of 208 people from their homes- young people, old people, black people, white people, men, women, veterans, people with disabilities, conservatives, liberals, etc. All of these people were displaced. The recent celebrations celebrates discrimination- the belief that only certain people with lots of money should live in the Central Business District and that if we forcibly remove everyone with lowincomes, the downtown will thrive. This is not only a wrong belief, it is immoral and hateful. We should not praise discrimination, bullying or disrespect. We should not praise public and private dollars going into the forced removal of people. We should not praise the economic cleansing of our Central Tenants of the Metropole at a meeting in 2010 Photo: Streetvibes. John Cranley’s take on the city budget and transparency JOHN CRANLEY Contributing Writer L ast week I announced my candidacy for mayor and focused my announcement on my plans for job growth, better schools, and enhanced safety. But I also will restore our city’s good government tradition, which is now in crisis. Recently, without a public hearing or a vote of our elected officials, the City decided in effect to sell through a long-term lease the City’s downtown parking garages and meters. The stated purpose is to generate a large cash payment in order to solve the City’s ongoing operational deficit for just one year—next year, which happens to be an election year. However, in order to receive the money they need to paper over their structural deficit again, they will have to give a private company the power to raise parking rates and issue tickets for 30 years, effectively mortgaging our future for a short term fix. Much worse, rising parking rates controlled by an out-oftown company will deter jobs and retail from locating and staying downtown just when downtown is gaining momentum. Chicago has already experimented with this scheme and the results have been disastrous. Sadly, this is just the latest chapter in an increasing pattern of violating the City Charter. Last year, without a vote of our elected officials, the City settled with Convergys for not meeting its stated job targets in exchange for massive tax dollar assistance for LESS than the Convergys incentive contract required, then used that one time settlement payment to balance the 2012 City budget. The Smale Commission, placed into the Charter by the voters, recommends that 122 lane miles be paved per year, but last year the City paved only 62 miles. Two years ago, to paper over the operating deficit, City Council took $2 million from the transit tax, which the voters put into the Charter by referendum as a dedicated source of funding for the bus system, which people depend on to get to and from work. Four years ago the City agreed to drop its opposition to the regional increase to our electric and gas rates—rate increases that cost the region over $500 million per year—for $4 million for the streetcar project. Now, the City claims that the additional $15 million it approved for the streetcar will be paid by Duke Energy’s corporate profits and that the proposed “rider” to our utility bills for the streetcar will not occur. However, the City isn’t even formally opposing the “rider” that is in front of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, to be ------------------------ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor, I was opposed to the city’s attempt to move the Drop Inn Center from Over-the-Rhine, from the earliest, when the late Eric Kunzel started his attempt to buy the property for a music school. Then the city got Cincinnati Public Schools to close Washington Park elementary school. As a lifelong Over-the-Rhine resident that was born in that neighborhood and lived there for 50 years, I have stayed at the Drop Inn Center in the winter for several years and it saved my life. I agree with Josh Spring that the city and county should spend more money fixing up low income housing for the homeless and homeless families rather than spend money on new shelters. Sonny Williams Clifton �Dec. 7th-Dec. 20th, 2012 7 STREET VOICE Elementz Q&A: Building community with Hip Hop culture JUSTIN JEFFRE Streetvibes Editor Streetvibes: What is Elementz? Brother Abdullah: Elementz is a nonprofit hip hop youth arts center. At Elementz we engage and inspire youth, unleashing creativity and respect, engaging them in performance, community development and leadership through the values of Hip Hop culture. Streetvibes: How did it come about? Brother Abdullah: Elementz was founded by young activists who were seeking to build community in Overthe-Rhine after the 2001 riots. The founders focus became to create a safe space that had programming within in it that was relevant to youth from the urban core. This led to the idea of a youth center themed upon hip hop and urban arts. Prior to the opening of Elementz our founders initially surveyed over 1,000 young people to decide what our work should be based on and over 500 youth to pick the name of our center. Streetvibes: What’s the average age of kids in your program and what neighborhoods do they come from? Brother Abdullah: Elementz has served teenagers and young adults 14-24 for its general programs. We recently have begun to expand to doing after school programing for children K-5th grade and to teaching adults DJing, & hip hop dance. Our youth generally come from downtown and surrounding neighborhoods such as Mt. Auburn, Avondale, Walnut Hills and Westwood. Streetvibes: What has your experience there been like? Brother Abdullah: It’s an amazing experience to work with such talented young people many of whom face much adversity in their lives. These youth don’t let the adversity keep them down but they rather keep striving and use Elementz as a positive outlet to express their selves, to meet friends who have similar interests and pursue their dreams. Because we have been for nearly 8 years we have literally seen youth grow up in front of our eyes. It has been great to see many of our youth abandon street life, finish high school & further their education, become leaders within Elementz and grow as human beings. We have successfully been able to create a bridge for the outside community to have perspective on the lives of urban youth. Streetvibes: What have you learned? Brother Abdullah: Working around youth on a day to day basis over the last 7 years has helped me mature as a man. Not all but many of the youth that I’ve come across over the years have had a lack of involvement from parents and in particular fathers in their lives. Through my observation of this I’ve been inspired to be a role model to our youth through my own character and actions. I’ve also learned that Cincinnati’s urban core has very gifted young artists. Streetvibes: How would you like to see the organization grow or evolve in the future? Brother Abdullah: Our near future goals are to work more closely with inner city schools to find opportunities for us to teach workshops that are related to our urban programs to youth within these schools and also to inform students of the after school services that are available to them here at Elementz. Our other goals are to continue to help the community understand that the Elementz brand has expanded from being a hip hop center to becoming an Urban Arts Center that offers a wide variety of programs that are relative to the urban core. We think of ourselves as an Urban Neighborhood Arts Center and we’d like for Elementz to be filled with passionate arts leaders and passionate youth on a daily basis. We - Brother Abdullah also hope to continue to be a place where Cincinnati can come to see and hear the artistic gifts and the inside perspective on urban youth. Where it makes sense we also will look to expand our programs to other areas of Ohio and abroad. Streetvibes: How can people support Elementz? Brother Abdullah: People can support us by donating to our programs, attending our youth’s performances, and helping to spread the word about our mission. ------------------------ February 15 to March 10, 2013 Tickets On Sale Now! �8 PHOTO ESSAY Dec. 7th-Dec. 20th, 2012 �Dec. 7th-Dec. 20th, 2012 9 PHOTO ESSAY REUTERS Staff writer A child eats breakfast in a garbage dump, where hundreds of people live and make a living by recycling waste and making charcoal, in Tondo, the Philippines. Photo: REUTERS/Darren Whiteside Children living at a dump site play in a toy house they constructed out of debris in Tondo, Metro Manila, Indonesia. Photo: REUTERS/Enny Nuraheni A boy jumps off a derelict boat in the former Aral Sea port of Aralsk in Kazakhstan. Photo: REUTERS/Stringer Russia - www.street-papers.org / Reuters Children living at a dump site play in a toy house they constructed out of debris in Tondo, Metro Manila in the Philippines Photo: REUTERS/Darren Whiteside Three-year-old Sabir wears an old helmet on his head, which he found in a dumping ground, while playing in a Karachi slum, Pakistan. Photo: REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro A boy swims in polluted water to beat the heat in the western Yemeni city of Hajja. Photo: REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah Ali Al Mahdi �10 INTERNATIONAL Dec. 7th-Dec. 20th, 2012 From trash to treasure: Everest litter becomes art GOPAL SHARMA Reuters www.street-papers.org T he 75 sculptures, including one of a yak and another of wind chimes, were made from empty oxygen bottles, gas canisters, food cans, torn tents, ropes, crampons, boots, plates, twisted aluminum ladders and torn plastic bags dumped by climbers over decades on the slopes of the world’s highest mountain. Kripa Rana Shahi, director of art group Da Mind Tree, said the sculpting - and a resulting recent exhibition in the Nepali capital of Kathmandu - was aimed at spreading awareness about keeping Mount Everest clean. “Everest is our crown jewel in the world,” Shahi said. “We should not take it for granted. The amount of trash there is damaging our pride.” Nearly 4,000 people have climbed the 8,850 meter-high (29,035 feet) Mount Everest, many of them several times, since it was first scaled by New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa in 1953. Although climbers need to deposit $4,000 with the government, which is refunded only after they provide proof of having brought the garbage generated by them from the mountain, activists say effective monitoring is difficult. Climbers returning from the mountain say its slopes are littered with trash which is buried under the snow during the winter and comes out in the summer when the snow melts. The trash used in the art works was picked up from the mountain by Sherpa climbers in 2011 and earlier this year and carried down by porters and trains of long-haired yaks. The yaks were commemorated in one work. For another, empty oxygen cylinders were mounted on a metal frame to make Buddhist Art made from trash picked from Mount Everest are pictured at a visual art symposium in Kathmandu prayer wheels. November 20, 2012. Photo: REUTERS/Stringer Nepal Another, by wall painter turned into useful items. artists and the rest to the Everest Krishna Bahadur Thing, is a “It shows that anything can Summiteers’ Association (ESA), Tibetan mandala painting showing be utilized in an artistic way and which sponsored the collection the location of Mount Everest in nothing goes to waste in art,” of garbage from the mountain, the universe - made by sticking said 18-year-old fine arts student organizers said. yellow, blue and white pieces of Siddhartha Pudasaini. “Garbage on Everest is discarded beer, food cans and The art is on sale for prices shameful. We are trying to turn other metals on a round board. from $15 to $2,300, with part it into gold here,” ESA chief Visitors said they were amazed of the proceeds going to the Wangchu Sherpa told Reuters. at the way waste products were �Dec. 7th-Dec. 20th, 2012 11 LOCAL Cincinnati passes resolution requiring GE food labeling EcoWatch Journal www.freepress.org O n November 30, the city of Cincinnati became the first in Ohio to pass a resolution to require the labeling of genetically engineered (GE) foods, citing that consumers should have the right to know what is in their food. The consumer advocacy organization Food & Water Watch brought the resolution to city council as a part of their “Let Me Decide” campaign to make GE labeling the law. GE foods have not been fully tested for their impacts on human health and the environment. Alison Auciello, Ohiobased organizer for Food & Water Watch said, “genetically engineered foods are potentially unsafe, and consumers should have the right to decide for themselves if they want to eat GE foods. It took regulation to get food processors to label ingredients and nutrition facts on labels, and now we’re calling for federal lawmakers to require the labeling of GE food.” The majority of processed foods are genetically engineered, but unlike fat, sodium and sugar content, labels do not disclose which foods contain genetically engineered (GE) ingredients. Biotechnology companies submit their own safety-testing data, and independent research is limited on GE foods because licensing agreements that control the use of patented seeds prohibit cultivation for research purposes. Genetically engineered foods are made by inserting the genetic material from one organism into another to achieve a desired characteristic such as resistance to herbicides or pesticides. Roundup Ready varieties of corn, for example, are engineered to withstand treatment with the Roundup herbicide. But, the unintended consequence of increased use of herbicides has been a rise in “superweeds,” aggressive weed species like ragweed and pigweed that have become immune to Roundup. Cincinnati Council Member and resolution co-sponsor Wendell Young said, “this is about transparency, about ensuring that people can make informed choices about what they feed themselves and their families. Consumers have a right to know what is in their food, especially until we know for certain whether genetically engineered foods are truly safe.” Some of the independent research that has been conducted on biotech crops has revealed troubling health implications, including deteriorating liver and kidney function and impaired embryonic development. However, the Food and Drug Administration has no way to track adverse health effects in people consuming GE foods, and because there is no requirement for labeling GE ingredients, consumers don’t know when they are eating them. “As consumers, we have a fundamental right to know about the safety of the food we’re eating,” said Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls, who co-sponsored the resolution. “With so much still unknown about the long-term risks of genetically-engineered products to our health and the environment, labeling of these foods is just common sense.” -----------------------Food & Water Watch works to ensure the food, water and fish we consume is safe, accessible and sustainable. So we can all enjoy and trust in what we eat and drink, we help people take charge of where their food comes from; keep clean, affordable, public tap water flowing freely to our homes; protect the environmental quality of oceans; force government to do its job protecting citizens; and educate about the importance of keeping shared resources under public control. STREET VOICE Life is a treasure or life be can a jewel Life is made of choices made of win, draw or pull Looking back on my life not to mention the bridges I’ve burned Understanding that I do have a choice which way my life will be turned Having this knowledge I wonder what changes could I have made in my life Seeing my past and believing in God, knowing with him there will be no strife Treasures of reconizing my past and always asking would I have changed to be younger or right Treasures are things I cheerish from childhood up to date, anything else is out of sight Knowledge of my past and in the belief of a change which would come with a new day Having lived and grown into who I am right now, question: “who are you?” ANSWER I SAY!! Treasures to me are things of the past that I have memory of, where making changes is too late Treasures, my belief in God and to know with faith his love and grace is forever great! Are you frankly getting quite bored stiff Of daily coverage about “The Fiscal Cliff?” I wish those words would simply go away, As they’ve turned into a meaningless cliché. Let’s talk about “The Next Financial Crash,” Or possibly “The National Loss of Cash.” We then could give one long collective sob, And plead with Congress just to do its job. WILLA D. JONES Streetvibes Distributor When a person of fame’s sex life goes sour, The news will řash updates every half hour. Abuses of power are more worthy of telling, But as entertainment are far less compelling. So people striving for respected public lives Better not cheat on their husbands or wives. BILL WOODS Contributing Writer DEBORAH POINDEXTER Streetvibes Distributor This photo was submitted by Streetvibes Distributor Deborah Poindextor (right) who attributes Josephine Baskerville (left), a fellow Streetvibes Distributor, as a guiding light and mentor when she was at her lowest point while on the streets. Deborah says Josephine helped her when she needed it most. �12 LOCAL Dec. 7th-Dec. 20th, 2012 Writing for your life with justice seekers ers Writing for Our Lives. Bonnie Neumeier, one of Peaslee’s founding mothers, and Kristen Barker of Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center welcome women to this writing circle. The series happen quarterly (each Peaslee Neighborhood Center. Photo: Justin Jeffre. season). Each series consists of 4-5 weekly sesANGELA PANCELLA sions between noon and 1 p.m. Contributing Writer on Tuesdays. Attendees can also linger afterward for snacks and conversation—the fare might ou enter the piano room include hummus and veggies, at Peaslee Neighborhood Center in Over-the-Rhine. homemade cookies, apple cider and tea. This room used to be a When asked about the classroom back when this buildgroup’s founding, neither Bonnie ing was a public grade school. nor Kristen could recall an exact Chalkboards, bulletin boards, date, though a flyer for Januand pianos line the perimeter. ary 2007 shows it will soon be The middle of the space catches at least six years old. When they your eye—chairs are arranged began, they identified what they around a rectangle of fabric laid wished to accomplish: “Our goal like a picnic blanket on the rug. for Justice Seekers Writing for A potted succulent, a candle, Our Lives is to inspire us to creand a Navajo storyteller figuate more conscious lives through rine arranged on the patterned the art of writing and the practice cloth create a simple oasis in the middle of the floor, in the middle of building community. Through participation in this writing of this building, in the middle of series we hope those of you who a workday. come will strengthen your voice, Welcome to Justice Seek- Y tions for the group as a whole. June Alexander, art instructor and board member at Peaslee, has been part of the group for three or four years. “I write a lot—to have people to hear [my writing] makes a difference,” she says. The opportunity to hear from like-minded writers, all active in causes related to social justice, is a key part of the group’s appeal for June: “I get some of my best ideas from the ladies.” Amy Silver, Resident Services Coordinator at Over-the-Rhine Community Housing, has been involved with the group for at least four years. “The circle is a place to connect with people at a level that we don’t usually tap into on our own time,” she says. “The process in the circle brings out the most wonderful, powerful, simple, and important stories of each woman present. Each voice is honored and I know that people leave feeling heard and valued—something that we all need but don’t always get in such an intentional way.” Kristen says simply, “I love the circle. It grounds, connects, and inspires me. I find it to be a soulful experience that helps me pay attention.” ------------------------ Hey, good good loo lookin’. kin’. Asa Franckewitz and Bruce Cromer. Photo by Sandy Underwood. Give yo your sp spir irits its a lift. lift. for the holidays. enhance your health, and appreciate your own capacity to create positive change wherever you live and work.” “It still rings true for me,” Kristen says of this goal. The process Kristen and Bonnie use for the group was learned from Women Writing for a Change. When the group gathers and after everyone briefly checks in with each other, there is time for twelve to fifteen minutes of writing at a pace that outstrips any voice inside your head that might say “That’s not good enough.” A poem provides the context—a poem such as Mary Oliver’s “It Was Early,” which (among other things) says, “Sometimes I need/ only to stand/wherever I am/to be blessed.” Various prompts are given from the poem to jog your creativity, but there is also the possibility to (as the prompt paper instructs) “FOLLOW YOUR MUSE!” Everyone is then given the chance to share what they have written—all, part, or none, as you wish. During this time the listeners jot down words or phrases that caught their attention. These words and phrases are then spoken aloud after everyone has had the chance to speak, each taking a turn, creating an effect not unlike polyphonic music. Each session ends with a chance to provide written feedback on index cards, sharing some gift or challenge of the week, encouragements or sugges- for country music. presents By Charles Dickens Adapted by Howard Dallin Nov. 29 – Dec. 30, 2012 A must-see family favorite for the holidays. “For my money, there’s no better local holiday entertainment.” – The Cincinnati Enquirer Special price for kids and students! Recommended for ages 5 and up. Under 5 not admitted. The Music and Legend of Hank Williams By Randal Myler and Mark Harelik Nov. 3 – Dec. 23, 2012 Featuring more than 20 of the singer’s most popular songs, including “Your Cheatin’ Heart” and “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.” “Exhilarating!” – Rolling Stone Sponsored by Clark, Schaefer, Hackett & Co. Call 513-421-3888 or visit www.cincyplay.com for tickets. Season presented by The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation and Heidelberg Distributing Company. �LOCAL Dec. 7th-Dec. 20th, 2012 13 It’s budget season in Cincinnati I t’s budget season in Cincinnati. That means we’ll start hearing from JASON HAAP people Contributing Writer like ViceMayor Roxanne Qualls and former City Council-member John Cranley – two front-runners for the next mayoral election. We probably won’t hear from people like Jim Berns, though. That’s because he’s a fringe candidate always engaged in a losing campaign for one public office or another. Now that he’s expressed an interest in running for Cincinnati’s mayor, we should think about whether the public should pay nearly half a million dollars to subsidize his vanity campaign. Several years ago, I threatened to run for mayor myself. That race would have featured me, Mark Mallory, and Brad Wenstrup. Cincinnati faced a budget crisis back then, too. Had I inserted myself as the third candidate, I would have forced an obscure mayoral primary election on a weird date with typically low turnout. That election would have cost Cincinnati around $413,000 from its general operating fund. Think about that: in the midst of a budget crisis, I could have singlehandedly cost the city nearly half a million dollars, all to make a point. Instead, I staged a press conference and presented the city with one of those “big checks” representing the money I saved them. I wanted to draw attention to this weird electoral issue. The idea was for the city to enact common sense reforms – like eliminating this pointless and wasteful mayoral primary. I vowed to make sure there would always be a primary from that day forth – but, now that Jim Berns has entered the arena, I can take a break. He only needs to gather 500 valid signatures to get on the ballot. That’s not very hard. Just spend a few late afternoons and early evenings down at Fountain Square and the Metro bus stop one block away, and you can get tons of signatures. Ludlow Avenue in Clifton is also an easy hot spot. I don’t mean to rally against the right of candidates like Jim Berns to be on the ballot. That’s part of the democratic process. But why should we foot the bill for a mayoral primary, which runs on an obscure date with nothing else on the ballot? It is completely unnecessary. Instead, we should let Jim Berns, and anyone else who can collect signatures, run for whatever office they desire. And they should all have a shot during the general election in November. Some will say that whoever wins the mayoral race should have more than 50% of the vote – and that, therefore, through narrowing the field to two candidates via the primary, we can accomplish this allegedly important goal. If that really is significant, however, we could simply adopt democratic solutions like other cities have, such as Instant Runoff Voting. With IRV, you rank your candidates. If you vote for Jim Berns and he doesn’t have enough to win, then your vote gets transferred to your number two choice. This would guarantee a winner with more than 50% of the vote while eliminating our expensive and wasteful primary election. The real reason the politicians instituted this primary was to eliminate certain voices in the final month prior to the Jason Haap at the Board of Elections. Photo: Jane Pendergrast mayoral election, wastefulness, adding more money focusing instead on the two canto Cincinnati’s constantly strained didates with the biggest campaign operating budget. coffers. Living in a democracy, -----------------------however, should mean having access to alternative voices and choices – even if those choices include Jim Berns. His ideas might be bothersome to candidates like Qualls and Cranley, but that doesn’t mean the public should foot the bill to silence him with a pointless primary. City Council should act now to eliminate this INTERNATIONAL There’s life in the AIDS ribbon Stella Paul Inter Press Service www.street-papers.org S he bends over the bundles of red silk ribbon spread on a reed mat, swiftly cutting and stitching dozens of upsidedown, teardrop-shaped loops, each of them two inches long. On AIDS day these shiny ribbons are being worn by thousands of government staff and social activists in a symbolic show of their fight against the deadly HIV/ AIDS. For Swapna, who has been living with HIV for past 11 years, these ribbons are more than a symbol; sold at a rupee (two cents) a piece, they are also an important source of sustenance. “AIDS control in India is still largely limited to providing free counseling and ART,” says Swapna, founder and former president of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) in the southern Indian city Hyderabad - a network of HIV positive men and women with 2,00,000 members. “But most of the HIV infected or affected people in the state (of Andhra Pradesh), especially women, are ostracised by society, thrown out of their homes and have no way to support themselves financially. So, besides counseling and medication, what they also need is a way to earn a living.” Swapna’s belief arises from her own decade-long personal struggle to survive as a HIV positive person. At the age of 20, she was infected by her husband. Following her husband’s death two years later, Swapna was on her own, fending for herself and her Many women living with HIV earn a living making ribbons to promote AIDS awareness. Photo: Stella Paul/IPS toddler son. A counseling job in an NGO gave her the chance to interact with thousands of HIV positive people across the state, and she gained deep insight into challenges and possible solutions. “I have HIV, but I can still live like a normal person.” The main challenge, she said, was that every woman feared her health would deteriorate to a point when she could not travel out of her home to take up a job. In 2007, Swapna formed the PLHIV network in Hyderabad and started to train HIV positive women in making candles and Christmas trees, beads and paper lanterns, in embroidery, making flower bouquets and garlands and above all, stitching clothes, banners and ribbons. “So far, more than 500 women have been trained in Hyderabad alone. Each of them is a member of a self-help group. The group gave each woman a micro-loan of 2,000 to 3,000 rupees to start a business. Some of them are now earning as much as 10,000 rupees a month.” Nillamma Marakka, a 47-year-old HIV positive woman was a commercial sex worker who migrated from the coastal district West Godavari to Hyderabad in 1999. Three years back her failing health forced her out of sex work, pushing her close to starvation. In 2011, Nilamma joined the PHLIV network and received training in tailoring for three months. Today, she has a comfortable life stitching ribbons of different colours, each symbolising a fight of a certain kind - red (AIDS), purple (domestic violence) pink (breast cancer), orange (leukemia) and white (peace). Nilamma says demand for red ribbons is the highest. Government departments, NGOs, political parties and churches buy thousands of red ribbons around AIDS day, which is observed with growing enthusiasm in the state. According to the National {Continued on page 14) �14 INTERNATIONAL Dec. 7th-Dec. 20th, 2012 There’s life in the AIDS ribbon {Continued from page 13} Aids Control Mission, Andhra Pradesh has a quarter of India’s 2.4 million HIV positive patients. “For every thousand ribbons, I spend about 250 rupees (five dollars) on buying silk ribbon, thread and safety pins. So, I can save at least 3,000 rupees (60 dollars) out of every order of 5,000 ribbons. Since these are bought directly by the customers, there is no need to pay a middleman. These are indeed ribbons of life.” K. P. Rangacharylu, a livelihood expert working on several state government HIV/AIDS projects says the recently concluded health programme ‘Bal Shyayoga’ found that most HIV positive women in the state were incapable of laborious jobs. “The programme ran from 2007 to 2012, during which we found that 42 percent of the HIV affected families in the state were headed by women. Of them, nearly half were above 50, unable to work for hours together or travel outside their homes. “The best way to support them was to build ‘soft skills’ like making candles, stitching blouses and banners and making ribbons. As an initial investment, each woman was given 8,000 rupees (160 dollars) by the government.” The programme, he says trained 56,000 people. Encouraged by the success of Bal Sahyoga and NHPLIV, positive women networks in other states of India have started to promote ribbon making as an alternative livelihood. Muthu Kani, a 29-year-old HIV positive woman in Chennai says that making ribbons has not only helped her earn a living, but also overcome to recurring suicidal thoughts. “In 2006 when I first learned that I was HIV positive I wanted to kill myself. I felt very helpless and didn’t how to take care of myself or 006 from puzzlechoice.com Across 1. Actress, ___ Berry 6. Prod 9. Golf club 13. Movie starring Sigourney Weaver 14. Nocturnal creature 15. Ambit 16. Wanderer 17. Body of water 18. Relative 19. Push down 21. Wrongdoing 23. Forty winks 24. Used as fuel 25. Man or boy 28. Small stream 30. Nuance 35. Part of the eye 37. Burden 39. Oddity 40. Solitary 41. Coherent 43. Secret agent, James 44. Remedy 46. Used to calculate net weight 47. Rim 48. Consortium 50. Rip 52. Long fish 53. Peel 55. Be seated 57. Monolithic 61. Enchant 65. Obviate 66. Fish eggs 68. Empower 69. Circumvent 70. By way of 71. Rhonchus 72. Actor, ___ McGregor 73. Tree 74. Surname of actress who played Arwen in The Lord of the Rings Down 1. Part of a clock 2. Succulent, ___ vera 3. Hobble 4. Gain knowledge 5. Make attractive or lovable 6. Chinese god 7. Wonder 8. Incrimination 9. Magician’s baton 10. One time only 11. Stare at 12. Action 15. Pastoral 20. Tumble 22. First name of actor who played Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings 24. Notice 25. Fragrant plant 26. Perfume 27. Buffet car 29. Oaf 31. Regular hexahedron 32. Wear away 33. Undertone 34. Alpine call 36. Transported 38. Desperate 42. Impenetrable 45. Mock 49. First name of actress in 74 across 51. Compilation 54. Effrontery 56. Large marine food 57. Manufactured 58. Affirm 59. Soft drink 60. Part of the zodiac 61. Ray 62. Object of worship 63. Traditional knowledge 64. Pitcher 67. Fuel Many women living with HIV earn a living making ribbons to promote AIDS awareness. Photo: Stella Paul/IPS my two children - one of whom was also HIV positive. Four years ago I met some people from the Positive Women Network who trained me in basic accounting, screen printing, embroidery, and red ribbon making. “Of all these, I find screen printing and ribbon making the least physically exhausting. I get orders all through the year and can earn about 6,000-8000 rupees each month. I feel confident of my own abilities now. I have HIV, but I can still live like a normal person,” she says with a smile. �Shelter: Women and Children Central Access Point Bethany House Grace Place Catholic Worker House Salvation Army YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter Shelter: Men City Gospel Mission Drop Inn Center St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House Mt. Airy Shelter 381-SAFE 557-2873 681-2365 762-5660 872-9259 Shelter: Both Anthony House (Youth) Caracole (HIV/AIDS) Drop Inn Center Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center (Youth) Housing: CMHA Excel Development OTR Community Housing Tender Mercies Tom Geiger House Volunteers of America Anna Louise Inn Cincinnati Union Bethel Food/Clothing Lord’s Pantry OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry Our Daily Bread St. Francis Soup Kitchen Churches Active in Northside FreeStore/FoodBank Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 961-4080 761-1480 721-0643 471-1100 221-3350 721-4580 632-7149 381-1171 721-8666 961-4555 381-1954 421-5211 768-6907 621-5300 961-1983 621-6364 535-2719 591-2246 241-1064 271-5501 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 St. Vincent de Paul Treatment: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House Prospect House Starting Over Treatment: Women First Step Home 241-5525 721-0643 381-4941 661-4620 562-8841 15 RESOURCES Dec. 7th-Dec. 20th, 2012 Treatment: Both AA Hotline CCAT Joseph House (Veterans) Hamilton County ADAS Board Recovery Health Access Center Sober Living Talbert House Advocacy Catholic Social Action Community Action Agency Contact Center Franciscan JPIC Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 784-1853 921-1613 961-2256 961-4663 Health Center for Respite Care Crossroad Health Center Health Resource Center Homeless Mobile Health Van McMicken Dental Clinic Mental Health Access Point Mercy Franciscan at St. John NAMI of Hamilton County PATH Outreach Center Independent Living Options Emmanuel Community Center Peaslee Neighborhood Center Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart Goodwill industries Healing Connections Mary Magdalen House 241-2600 241-2563 621-5514 381-0111 771-4800 751-0600 721-4811 1223 Main St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 351-0422 381-6672 241-2965 946-4888 281-7422 681-0324 641-4300 421-3131 569-1840 381-4242 721-4700 421-7803 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. Legal Aid Society Ohio Justice & Policy Center Faces Without Places Other Resources 579-8547 241-9400 421-1108 363-3300 621-1868 381-2247 357-4602 352-2902 352-6363 558-8888 981-5800 458-6670 977-4489 351-7921 631-1114 211 977-5541 421-5211 People Working Cooperatively The Caring Place United Way Women Helping Women Off The Streets Hamilton/Middletown 863-3184 863-1445 422-8555 868-3276 St. Raephaels Salvation Army Serenity House Day Center Open Door Pantry Northern Kentucky Brighton Center ECHO/Hosea House Fairhaven Resuce Mission Homeward Bound Youth Mathews House Homeless & Housing Coalition Parish Kitchen Pike St. Clinic Transitions, Inc Welcome House of NKY 859-491-8303 859-261-5857 859-491-1027 859-581-1111 859-261-8009 859-727-0926 859-581-7745 859-291-9321 859-491-4435 859-431-8717 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 Women’s Crisis Center VA Domiciliary VA Homeless 859-491-3335 859-559-5011 859-572-6226 �16 Dec. 7th-Dec. 20th, 2012 All Streetvibes Distributors must abide by the following rules. 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Distributors agree to treat all others – customers, staff, and other distributors – respectfully. Distributors will not use abusive language or force someone to buy a paper. Distributors will not give a “hard sell” or be aggressive. Distributors will not continue to ask someone if they want a Streetvibes after they have verbally or non-verbally said no and they will not make someone feel threatened. Distributors will not panhandle while distributing Streetvibes. Distributors agree to stay off private property when distributing Streetvibes. Distributors will not distribute Streetvibes door to door. JERRY DAVIS SINCE 5/2011 JOHN JOHNNY KERNS GAINES SINCE 12/2009 SINCE 9/2012 JIMMIE GIPSON SINCE 2001 JON DARBY SINCE 2/2006 Distributors will not stand in front of doorways, walkways, crosswalks or parking meters nor will I impede traffic or sit down while distributing Streetvibes. Distributors understand they are not employees of Streetvibes or the Homeless Coalition but a contract worker responsible for their own wellbeing and income. JOSEPHINE BASKERVILLE SINCE 9/2008 JULIE WALKER SINCE 6/2007 KEITH EUTSEY SINCE 2/2011 KENNETH STONITSCH SINCE 12/2007 KIM GREEN SINCE 1/2010 Distributors agree not to distribute additional goods or products when distributing Streetvibes. Distributors will not distribute Streetvibes or purchase Streetvibes under the influence of drugs or alcohol. There are no territories among distributors. However, distributors must respect the space of other distributors, particularly the space of distributors who have been at a spot longer. KAREN COLLETTE SINCE 7/2008 LARRY BROWN SINCE 10/2007 LARRY FILES SINCE 6/2012 LEE MCCOY SINCE 7/2009 LEONARD JACKSON SINCE 2/2005 MARK SHEARS SINCE 12/2007 MARY MUELLER SINCE 5/2005 RAYNARD JONES SINCE 10/2008 RAESHAWN GIPSON SINCE 3/2009 RICHARD SCHULTE SINCE 5/2012 Distributors will not deceive the public by saying they are collecting for a nonprofit charity or collecting for the “homeless” in general. Distributors will be honest in stating that all the profits from the sale of Streetvibes go to the distributor. Distributors will only use the word “donation” when referring to themselves, not the Coalition. TAMMY GRIES SINCE 5/2011 TERRY RANSON SINCE 10/2008 There are special rules for distributing at Findlay Market. Only distributors with approval may distribute at Findlay Market at a time. Other rules as established by Streetvibes and Findlay Market. RICHARD WIGGINS SINCE 2012 TIM NEUMANN SINCE 7/2011 SAMUEL RONNIE JACKSON PHILLIPS SINCE 10/2009 SINCE 10/2006 TOMMY THOMPSON SINCE 2/2009 WILLA JONES SINCE 1/2010 WILLIAM W. KENNETH BURDINE BUSSELL SINCE 10/2009 SINCE 8/2009 Streetvibes is distributed by individuals who purchase the paper for 50 cents per copy and sell it for a $1.50 Donation, keeping the profit they have earned. Becoming a Distributor is a great way for individuals who are financially poor to get back on (or stay on) their feet. This program provides supplemental income for those unable to secure other employment. Money earned helps meet basic housing, food and health care needs. The program is a hand up for people who are often in a place of getting only a hand out, or even no hand at all. All Distributors wear a badge and usually a vest and can be found selling the paper in Downtown Cincinnati, Clifton, Northside, northern Kentucky and area churches. It is unacceptable for any distributor to persuade or ask customers not to purchase Streetvibes from other distributors. Coercion will not be tolerated. If a customer prefers to purchase from certain distributors that is up to them. Distributors will attend monthly meetings. Monthly meetings occur every 4 weeks on Fridays at 1PM, (dates are posted in the lobby) these meetings are mandatory. Anyone who cannot make the meeting must talk with the Distributor Program Coordinator, before distributing Streetvibes for that month. Ten papers will be given to those who attend the meeting. It is the responsibility of each distributor to police fellow distributors or former distributors. Distributors will report violators of the rules to the Homeless Coalition. The value of the paper depends on keeping it credible. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2012 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource December 7-20, 2012 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Cover Page Pg 2: Restore Human Services Pg 3: Places to Go, People to See Attorney for the People Pg 4: Cincinnati Living Green Pg 5: A Humorous Take on the 2012 Election Pg 6: 21c Hotel Ribbon John Cranley’s Take on the City Budget and Transparency Pg 7: Elementz Q&A Pg 8: Photo Essay Pg 9: Photo Essay Pg 10: From Trash to Treasure Pg 11: Cincinnati Passes Resolution Requiring GE Food Labeling Pg 12: Writing for Your Life with Justice Seekers Pg 13: It’s Budget Season in Cincinnati There’s Life in the AIDS Ribbon Pg 14: There’s Life in the AIDS Ribbon Continued Pg 15: Resources Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource December 7-20, 2012 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Justin Jeffre Josh Spring Jeni Jenkins Jason Dean Leslie Moorhead Jeff Kelly Jerry Davis Pete Roper Jim Luken Willa D. Jones John Cranley Bill Woods Mimi Rook Jason Haap Dylan Speeg Gopal Sharma Stella Paul EcoWatch Journal Sonny Williams David Sorcher Darren Whiteside Enny Nuraheni Stringer Russia Akhtar Soomro Kahled Addullah Ali Mahdi Stringer Nepal Jane Pendergrast Monisha Ringler Deborah Poindexter Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF 21c Hotel Aids Akhtar Soomro Bill Woods Budget Cincinnati Darren Whiteside David Sorcher Deborah Poindexter Dylan Speeg EcoWatch Journal Election Elementz Enny Nuraheni GE Gopal Sharma Hip Hop Human Services Jane Pendergrast Jason Dean Jason Haap Jeff Kelly Jeni Jenkins Jerry Davis Jim Luken John Cranley Josh Spring Justin Jeffre Kahled Addullah Ali Mahdi Leslie Moorhead Living Green Mimi Rook Monisha Ringler Pete Roper Photography Sonny Williams Stella Paul Stringer Nepal Stringer Russia Willa D. Jones https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/2596cef9891db2743d9364840f3a6fea.pdf a5fd001ee3888f91fd192816ddef2537 PDF Text Text Eight Minutes Page 3 3CDC Bans Tenants Page 14 Remember Miep Gies Page 11 STREETVIBES $1 Feb. 1 - 14, 2010 • Advocating Justice, Building Community • Issue 170 Demanding Justice for Immigrants Large rally backs reform legislation By Samantha Groark Contributing Writer M Current U.S. immigration law sometimes splits families. Photo by Aimie Willhoite. ore than 1,500 immigrants and activists gathered Jan. 16 at the Hartwell Community Center, chanting, “Si se puede!” and “Yes we can!” The rally was part of a nationally organized campaign supporting an immigration-reform bill in Congress. The Archdiocese of Cincinnati, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 75, Su Casa, AMOS project and the Cincinnati Interfaith Workers helped organize bus transportation for immigrants in various neighborhoods and provided child-care services during the rally. The rally was coordinated with nationwide demonstrations led by Reform Immigration for America to gather support for the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity Act of 2009. U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill) introduced the bill along with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and more than 90 House Democrats in December. In a press release, Gutierrez said, “This bill is not complicated. … It keeps families together, but understands we must secure our borders. It keeps people working, but understands the needs of our economy. It gives a pathway to citizenship, but understands that immigrants must learn English, pay taxes and contribute to their communities.” The immigration-reform movement is in a critical phase because it is now up to the Senate to produce a similar bill, according to Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, who is running for the Senate. “This legislation is important and it will take courage on everyone’s part,” Brunner told the crowd. “That is why we are here. This is about families, legal or not, tax payers and employers working for a better America.” U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), the Chairman of the Senate Immigration Subcommittee, is tasked with creating a bipartisan bill that would likely include curbing illegal immigration, focusing on family reunification as a key value of the immigration system and initiating the registration of undocumented immigrants as a path toward U.S. citizenship. This path toward citizenship would require a criminal background check, a good employment record and fluency in the English language. Esther Lopez, director of the Civil Rights and Community Action Department of the UFCW, spoke over the crowd’s chanting. “Today Ohio, like the rest of the United See Justice, p. 9 Homecoming of Reggie Williams Stop AIDS remembers hometown AIDS activist By Larry GroSS Contributing Writer “I have had a wonderful life – I can’t say that enough. If I had to die tomorrow, it would be just fine, as I have lived. You have to have lived to be able to accept your own death. I’ve had a lot of love and support from my family, my lovers, my friends. I have been lucky enough to have been surrounded by wonderful people and have tried to circumvent those who have not been.” — Reggie Williams, 1987 E leven years after his death, Reggie Williams, one of this country’s first and leading AIDS activists, is coming home. Stop AIDS will host the Reggie Williams Exhibit from Feb. 7 through March 7, during Black History Month, to raise awareness of HIV in Cincinnati’s African-American and gay communities. The Cincinnati exhibit completes a three-city tour. The first was in Los Angeles in 2001, then in San Francisco in 2002-03. Williams lived in all three cities. “People can expect a very colorful exhibit of the lifetime of Reggie Williams,” says Wolfgang Schreiber, who’s bringing the exhibit here. “We’re going to have several computers where people can watch videos, but it’s mainly photographs that give you an impression of who he was. “He described himself as the little black boy from the projects, and I want to share what he had achieved.” Schreiber is paying homage to his friend and to his late lover, who had AIDS. Originally from Germany, Schreiber moved to Amsterdam in the early 1980s. He met Williams there in 1992. Williams was in Amsterdam for an AIDS conference, and Schreiber knew immediately that there was a connection. “There was a group in Amsterdam called Strange Fruit, for immigrant gays and lesbians, and I had always been wanting to go, so I went,” Schreiber says. “I’d been dancing my ass off, and he was sitting at the bar when we smiled at each other. I thought maybe he was looking at somebody else.” This encounter eventually led Williams to live in Europe after leaving Cincinnati and spending time in Los Angeles and San Francisco. See Williams, p. 4 Reggie Williams was an AIDS activist until his death in 1999. Photo by Andrew Anderson. �2 The Vibe By The Numbers 72 The number of years before personal information is made public by the U.S. Census (see page 7). 46 The number of vendors selling Streetvibes (see page 13). $560 The price of a ticket to a Tea Party convention in Nashville (see page 12). Zero The cost, in dollars, of a ticket to the Reggie Williams Exhibit at Stop AIDS (see page 1). 69866 The text-message address to request information about supporting justice for immigrants (see page 1). One at a Time The word count by which InkTank plans to change Cincinnati (see page 10). 107 The number of days Haleh Esfandiari was held in solitary confinement in Iran (see page 6). 100 The age at which Holocaust hero Miep Gies died last month (see page 11). 2011 The year in which the NFL might field no football games (see page 6). 4 The hour of the morning at which outreach workers awakened homeless people sleeping outdoors (see page 2). StreetWise By GreGory FLannery editor Homeless people are women and children. Homeless people have jobs. Homeless people do volunteer work. Homeless people care about their appearance. Homeless people vote. Homeless people attend parent-teacher conferences. Homeless people live in shelters, with friends, with relatives, in cheap motels. Some homeless people in Cincinnati – and they are the small minority – live in conditions straight out of the Dark Ages, in lean-tos, shacks and tents in tufts of urban woods or along the banks of the Ohio River, without electricity or running water. Some live without even that feeble shelter, staying under highway overpasses. This small sub-set of homeless people was the subject of the Homeless Count conducted in the very early hours of Jan. 26. Non-profit agencies that serve homeless individuals and families work to prevent the kind of living conditions endured by the unseen homeless, living in camps that are by turns primitive and resourceful. We know how many people live in shelters in Cincinnati. The purpose of the Homeless Count was to ascertain the number of people living outdoors, sleeping on the courthouse plaza, on downtown benches or near a produce warehouse in Queensgate. The Homeless Count is a requirement for funding of services to homeless people by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It was near that produce warehouse, under a highway overpass, behind a support pillar adorned by a mural of the crucifixion of Jesus, painted by a Xavier University student, that a team of outreach workers showed up in the wee hours. Leevaughn Brown, who works for Project for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH), approached a tent and announced, “We’ve got some food. Do you need anything?” Josh Spring, executive director of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, explained the need to obtain basic information – the occupant’s name, date of birth, the last four digits of his social-security number and how long he’d been camping there. From inside the tent a man said, “It’s 3 o’clock in the morning.” “It’s a necessary evil,” Spring replied. “It’s not a necessary evil for me,” said the man in the tent. Some homeless people do not want to be helped or counted. Some homeless people are on the run. Under the Eighth Street Viaduct was a man who declined to give his name or answer any questions. There was no sign that he’d been there any length of time – no belongings besides those he might have had in his pockets. “We’re not here to turn you in,” Brown said. “We just want to help.” Some homeless people want help but don’t know how to find it. That, too, was part of the reason behind the Homeless Count. Spring left business cards at each site he visited. Brown urged people to visit Tender Mercies, a partner with PATH. Along the Ohio River below the Underground Railroad Freedom Center, in a “tent” barely worthy of the name – essentially a plastic tarp supported by a pole – was Chris, 39, who said, “What can I do when I’m out here? What are my alternatives?” Near the Holiday Office Park, sleeping on a steep slope beneath an overpass, Lonnie, age 62, asked, “You don’t have a pair of underwear you could give me, do you?” Lonnie said he has lived there “a couple months. My wife passed away and I had to pay her funeral. I want to get off the streets.” Lonnie doesn’t actually live on the streets. He lives under the streets but the point still holds. Some homeless people are hospitable. Awakened by strangers at 4 a.m. on a frigid night after snow has fallen, sleeping on concrete littered by hundreds of cigarette butts, Lonnie told the outreach workers as they were leaving, “You guys watch that path now. It looks slick.” Spring pointed out the site near the off-ramp from River Road to Linn Street where a man was found dead last year. Along the riverbank, where a person’s feet were sticking out of a dilapidated tent – the tent wouldn’t close properly or the occupant was too tall – Brown kept trying to get a response. “Just grunt or something,” he said. “Let us know you’re all right in there.” George, 51, was “all right.” It’s just that he had to sleep outside in winter, or believed he had to. People who work with homeless people speak of the frequency with which they talk about respect – or, more precisely, about how often they feel dis-respected. Knowing that their arrival would be intrusive at best and frightening at worst, the outreach workers behaved as though they were in the living rooms of the people they roused. Kevin Finn, executive director of the Hamilton County Continuum of Care, ended one brief interview by saying, “Thank you very much. We’re sorry to bother you so early.” Some homeless people live in crates three feet high. Some sleep with the incessant roar of cars passing right overhead. Some live as couples in homemade structures large enough to stand in, with a barrel to hold a fire indoors, plastic chairs to sit on, pots and pans to cook with, trash bags of straw providing insulation, the Ohio River lapping the shore just three feet away. The Homeless Count tallied 78 people, up fro last year - and some people were no doubt missed, Spring said. Word came Jan. 27 from the National Weather service that the river is set to flood this weekend. The outreach workers will go back to warn the people camping there. Sometimes homeless people die outside. STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax: 513.421.7813 Email: streetvibes2@ yahoo.com Website: www. cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes. wordpress.com Streetvibes Staff Editor Gregory Flannery Art Director Lynne Ausman Vendor Coordinator Jeni Jenkins Contributing Writers Michelle Dillingham, Samantha Groark, Margo Pierce, Paul Kopp, Jeremy Flannery, Michael Henson, David Heitfield, Kelissa Hieber, Jeni Jenkins, Stephanie Dunlap, Saad Ghosn, Lynne Ausman, Lew Moores, Larry Gross, Eli Braun Photography/Artwork Aimie Willhoite, Lynne Ausman, Jeni Jenkins, Anthony Williams, Bill Haigh, Clarissa Peppers Proofreaders Jennifer Blalock Lynn Baker Jeremy Flannery The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati through coordination of services, public education, grassroots advocacy and Streetvibes. We are members of: �STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 8 Column 3 M I N U T E S with a Bench Warmer and Cheerleader Sitting with the homeless, sometimes for years, in order to help By marGo Pierce Contributing Writer it can take four years. “I tell them there are some resources. I may name a couple of f your job is to “watch the Clifton area,” that resources available in the commakes it hard to leave if you’re a conscien- munity. Ask them their opintious worker. You certainly can’t leave your ion about it. … (if) they say, no, bench, you might miss something. That makes OK. We don’t force anything on it difficult to get some food to eat and have a safe anyone. The next day we’ll take place to sleep. them food, water, make sure While this might sounds a little weird, it can hap- that they’re OK. Need socks, pen to a homeless person as a result of mental ill- underwear? We take them that, ness. whatever they need. Sometimes “Someone maybe thinks it’s his or her job to it’s just sitting down with them, watch the Clifton area. They were told to do that, letting them know that someone and so the will sit there and literally watch the Clif- cares.” ton area,” says Arnita Miller, lead PATH worker. PATH workers are particularly “They’re unable to meet their own basic needs be- sensitive to the challenges mencause of their mental illness. tal health or substance abuse PATH stands for Project for Assistance in Transi- can add to the struggle of being tion from Homelessness. We work with people on homeless. the street who are homeless, who have a mental “It’s difficult. Some of the isillness and/or substance abuse to get them into sues they may face because of housing, to get them into case management servic- the mental health issues may es, substance abuse services – to connect them up prevent them from going into with what’s available in the community.” a shelter,” Miller says. “Because That assistance translates into seven outreach the shelter is so crowded with workers being out on the street with homeless peo- lots of people, and some people ple Monday through Friday 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Some- are just used to being alone … times that means walking, and sometimes it means people can become paranoid sitting. that someone is trying to do “We meet them where they’re at,” Miller says. “If something to them.” Arnita Miller helps homeless people who have mental illness. they’re on the bench, then we meet them on that When PATH workers aren’t Photos by Margo Pierce. bench. We continue to meet them on the bench. on the street, they can be found If it’s a weekly, daily thing, we do that and we con- at 1209 Elm St., the first floor of tinue that process until they become comfortable the Tender Mercies facility next to Music Hall and that’s why PATH partners with other organizations with us. As we’re going along we explain the pro- around the corner from the Drop Inn Center. Regu- such as the individuals conducting the homeless cess – explain what they’re options are. Sometimes lar office hours are 10 a.m.–noon daily (no weekend census count each quarter. hours) and those in need of assis“PATH’s role will be to assist the census worker tance can go there, too. in going out to the area, location where homeless Miller is also responsible for individuals are,” Miller says. “Because those inguiding and assisting other out- dividuals have a rapport with us, we feel it will be reach workers. She’s been with the much easier, better for us to go with them … so organization for nine years and has they can feel safe. We’re not going to ask anything, a wealth of experience to share. She PATH isn’t.” also works with Housing First client And it will be business as usual at 4 a.m. when case management. These are indi- the count begins. Miller says the workers will take viduals who have made a success- hygiene products, food, clothing and other essenful transition from homelessness to tials and make them available to anyone who has living in their own apartments. a need. This hands-on approach to makThis year PATH will also be assisting with the U.S. ing sure people have the help they Census for the first time. need is reflected in the way the “I was informed (by) the Census Bureau that PATH outreach workers special- Over-the-Rhine was the most difficult community ize – one specifically focuses on for individuals to be counted because people not the needs of military veterans and returning the questionnaire,” Miller says. “No one another is stationed at the Justice to my knowledge has ever asked for our assistance Center. A homeless person who is in making sure that those individuals who are unutilizing PATH services fills the role sheltered be counted.” of peer specialist. Whether she’s walking the streets, warming a People on the street get to know bench, scheduling services for a client or driving who is who and what each person someone to an appointment, Miller has a ready does and this familiarity is an asset smile and an easygoing manner that puts people at in doing the work. ease. Anyone who tries to fake that kind of concern “It helps because once you es- wouldn’t be able to gain the trust of those who need tablish a bond with individuals, you help. She’s straight up in a way that makes it clear know them and they know you and she knows her stuff and won’t bullshit you. they know when you’re coming,” “There are outreach services out in Hamilton Miller says. “They know where to County,” Miller says. “(If an individual) is on the find you, versus a stranger coming verge of becoming homeless who is homeless – up to them and they’re suspicious whether it’s a family member, a friend – feel free to that maybe the police are under- give PATH a call.” cover.” PATH is a partnership of the Greater Cincinnati PATH will help census workers find homeless people, Miller says. Being known is an asset for oth- Behavioral Health Services (513-354-7500) and ers trying to help the homeless, and Tender Mercies (513-639-7043.) I Many people work hard to make a difference for the less privileged in the Queen City. “Eight Minutes” is an opportunity to learn who those people are and what motivates them to be a positive influence. �4 Local News STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 Homecoming of Reggie Williams Wolfgang Schreiber, friend and partner of Reggie Williams organized the exhibit in his memory. Photo by Andrew Anderson. Continued from page 1 After Williams and his partner moved to Los Angeles, he spent the next 10 years working as a radiology technician at a hospital, but he had dreams of becoming a model or actor. Playgirl featured “I am the second oldest of her nine children. Most of all of him as one of the “Guys Next Door” in its June 1979 edition. Williams separated from Freeman when he met Tim Isbell. The us have different fathers. I did not know the identity of my father until I was 16 years old. But my mother always stressed two of them moved to San Francisco in 1981 – the same year an to us that, because we were all born from the same womb, we unknown disease was being diagnosed in gay men. In 1986, at the age of 35, Williams tested positive for HIV. were all brothers and sisters.” —1996 “He talked about having panic attacks,” Schreiber says, recalling Williams was born April 29, 1951, at the Cincinnati General Hos- when Williams would speak about first hearing the news. “Working pital; now known as the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. in the hospital, he had seen the first AIDS cases, so he knew what Born to Jean Carpenter Williams, Williams spent the first nine could happen.” years of his life living in Washington Terrace, a large housing projWanting to get involved in the fight against AIDS, in 1988 Wilect in Walnut Hills. Built after the Great Depression, it was a pre- liams became one of the co-founders of the National Task Force on dominantly black district. AIDS Prevention, the first nationwide organization advocating for At the age of 6 or 7, Williams felt attracted to boys and liked to black gay men. He served as its executive director. In 1989, along do things that were un-boyish – like trying to with five men, he started the San Francisco cook or playing with his sister’s dolls. He liked Gay Men of Color Consortium, supporting to comb his mother’s hair. HIV treatment and early intervention. The AIDS conference had been “He was very close to his mother,” Schreiber moved from Harvard to Amsterdam Williams was very open about his illness says. “She passed away in 1990. She had canthat year because of a law passed and became a leading spokesperson on AIDS cer. They would talk on the phone everyday. awareness. He was featured in several articles, by Congress in 1987 that banned He had lost one brother, got shot in L.A., so she HIV-positive persons from entering including two in the Wall Street Journal writhad already lost one son. At first, he hesitated the United States. Breaking this law ten by Marilyn Chase. In 1992, he was one of telling her about having HIV, but he was honfour HIV-positive African-American gay men could mean ending up in jail but est to her, open to her.” Williams, who moved to Amsterdam featured in the film No Regret produced by In regard to Williams’s sexual preference, in 1994, and Schreiber, who is also Marion Riggs. Schreiber says, “If you read all he wrote about In July 1992, Williams, still living in San HIV-positive, continued to travel to growing up in Cincinnati in the ’50s and ’60s, Francisco, attended the International Conferand from the United States. he never had a coming out because in the ence on AIDS in Amsterdam, where he met hood, he was special. Everyone knew that.” Schreiber. In his teens, Williams and some of his friends would spend time “When I met Reggie, I had just come back from San Francisco,” downtown in a gay bar called “223,” named after the street address. Schreiber says. “My sister, who lived there, had passed away. I told In some of his writings, Williams says at this bar he “stepped into a him I had just recently been in San Francisco. He asked, ‘Vacawhole new world,” and he came to terms with his sexuality. tion?’ And I said, ‘No, a funeral.’ In a way, the tone was serious right Williams graduated from Withrow High School in 1969. Within away.” a few years after graduation, Williams and his partner at the time, The AIDS conference had been moved from Harvard to AmsterAlphonso Freeman, moved from Cincinnati to begin a new life in dam that year because of a law passed by Congress in 1987 that Los Angeles. banned HIV-positive persons from entering the United States. Breaking this law could mean ending up in jail but Williams, who Ignoring the ban moved to Amsterdam in 1994, and Schreiber, who is also HIV-positive, continued to travel to and from the United States. “(AIDS) education programs need to be targeted to the black, “I never cared about the travel ban,” Schreiber says, “I just travgay and bisexual communities. We hope that will help them eled. When my sister passed, I just went, ‘You know?’ I always thought this was so discriminating – it’s nonsense, because if I get to do what they need to do to save their lives.” —1990 ‘A whole new world’ See Williams, p. 4 �STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 Local News Homecoming of Reggie Williams Continued from page 4 engaged with anybody, I’m going to have safe sex anyway. It never kept me out of the U.S. I just ignored it.” President Obama lifted the travel ban effective Jan. 4 this year. A Dutch housewife “I live my life as a Dutch housewife with a German lover. Who would have thought two years ago, while I was attending the International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam, that I would someday soon be living here?” —1995 5 didn’t believe it. You know, Amsterdam is so tolerant and accepting. But it was true. People would just look. In America, people would just say something.” In 1996, Williams was diagnosed with colon cancer. Despite many hospital stays, he and Schreiber continued to travel, visiting France, Germany, Britain and the United States – again ignoring the U.S. travel ban. When his health allowed it, Williams continued to write articles about AIDS and took part in several conferences in the United States and around the world. ‘You can be open’ Because of his declining heath, Williams retired from “So, what is this (AIDS) all his position as executive direcReggie Williams as a teenager. Photo by Andrew Anderson. about, you may be asking. I tor of the National Task Force guess what all this is about on AIDS Prevention in February is learning to use a walking 1994, moving to Amsterdam two stick when you just don’t months later. have the strength to walk “One of his dreams was to live in Europe,” Schreiber says. “In a way, when without one. It is about life turning when you least expect it and learnyou look back at it, it was meant to be. I had this American connection; he had ing to accept the shelter of a lover and friends because you can’t survive this dream to live in Europe.” without them. It is about my body beginning a process of giving up the Legally immigrating as Schreiber’s life partner, he could also get health inghost and me learning to live with that.” —1995 surance through Schreiber’s plan. “This has been in Holland since the 1980s,” Schreiber On Feb. 7, 1999, at the Academisch Medisch Centrum says. “Same-sex relationships were just the same as the In Amsterdam, Williams Hospital in Amsterdam, Williams passed away. other. It made it all so easy.” The funeral took place at Westerveld Crematorium. Mecontinued to be an activist Schreiber says that, for his first year in Amsterdam, Wilagainst AIDS. He wrote articles morial services were held in Amsterdam, San Francisco and liams suffered from depression. for gay publications and became Cincinnati. His ashes were buried at his mother’s grave. “When he moved to Amsterdam, he had his feeling of Since 2001 Schreiber has been trying to find a home in involved with “Strange Fruit: guilt: Why am I still here?” Schreiber says. “He had lost so The Real,” a group for gays and Cincinnati for his Reggie Williams exhibit. Last year Stop many, you know, and he felt like, ‘I’m still here and I can lesbians of color. They organized AIDS showed an interest. even move to Europe.’ ” “In May, I sent out e-mails again to several organizations safe sex and culture workshops. In Amsterdam, Williams continued to be an activist and David White at Stop AIDS replied he was interested,” against AIDS. He wrote articles for gay publications and Schreiber says. “He’s a blessing, because all I needed was became involved with “Strange Fruit: The Real,” a group for gays and lesbians one person who thinks it’s interesting, and we’re going to do it.” of color. They organized safe sex and culture workshops. “It was my goal all the time to bring the exhibit here because Cincinnati During the last years of his life, Williams began dressing more in African needs to know about this guy who lived here but moved away and who acclothing. complished so much in his life. He really made an impression. If this exhibit “He was really into his appearance,” Schreiber says. “He had this beautiful inspires one or two people to say, ‘Oh yeah, you can be open about being HIVwalking stick and would walk the streets of Amsterdam like a prince and lots positive,’ it’ll be worth it.” of people knew him. People would stare at him. I followed him once, because I The Reggie Williams Exhibit is sponsored by the Black AIDS Institute (www.blackaids.org) and will be on display at Stop AIDS (www.stopaidscincy.org) from Feb. 7 through March 7. Stop AIDS is at 220 Findley St., Over-the-Rhine. Admission is free. For more information about Williams, visit reggiewilliams.net. Interested in volunteering with Streetvibes? Contact Greg Flannery at 513-421-7803 x 12 or by e-mail at streetvibes2@yahoo.com STREETVIBES Only purchase Vendor Streetvibes from BADGED vendors. Vendors wear their WHITE badges while they sell the Mary paper. If you like what you read, but don’t live in the Cincinnati area, you can subscribe to Streetvibes. Call us at 513-421-7803 x 12 to learn more about subscribing to Streetvibes. �6 Local News End of the NFL Bengals might have one more chance By B. cLiFton Burke Contributing Writer open-market value even more than restricted free-agent status does. Franchise-tagged players receive a ell, that was fun. The Ben- one-year contract equaling the avergals brought the Queen age of the five top-paid players at that City some entertainment position (Shayne Graham was paid and enjoyment throughout most of around $2.5 million last season under their season and invigorated a bit of the terms of the franchise tag). Othoptimism for the er teams can sign team's future. tagged players, too, The problem is, The league’s collectivebut must give up there might not be two first-round draft bargaining agreement with much of a future – picks in compensaplayers is set to expire after at least not an imtion. This would be the 2010 season, and the mediate one – for negotiations on a new one in near suicide for any the Bengals or any team and is rarely time to play the next season other team in the seem as bleak as the Mayan worth trying. NFL. That means the calendar. A worst-case The league’s col- scenario is no NFL football in Bengals could tag lective-bargaining Graham again and 2011 and beyond. agreement with tag Tank Johnson or players is set to other unrestricted expire after the 2010 season, and the free agents this off-season. But on the negotiations on a new one in time to list of Bengals unrestricted free agents play the next season seem as bleak as – Graham, Johnson, Roy Williams, the Mayan calendar. The fear is that Reggie Kelly, Larry Johnson and othowners won’t agree on the percent- ers – not one seems worth the hefty age of team revenue that the players price of a franchise tag. demand and will lock out the players That frees up money to get somewithout a new agreement in place. A one else then, right? Well, maybe. I worst-case scenario is no NFL foot- always assume owner Mike Brown ball in 2011 and beyond. would rather work with what he's alA best-case scenario is that every- ready got than spend a lot on outside thing remains as is; a salary cap and improvements. Signing Laveranues salary floor stay in place, ownership Coles last off-season has been a huge shares specific types of revenue and letdown thus far, and it makes sense parity among teams remains the that management might be wary of league's strength. The two sides sit making that mistake again. But there down for 20 minutes, agree that noth- are some alluring names at wide reing needs to be changed and go have ceiver that will be tossed around by drinks. fans and media as nice fits with CinOf course, it won't work out that cinnati. way. Before his untimely passing in Some Bengals fans will surely 2008, Gene Upshaw – former execu- clamor over the verbose and illustritive director of the NFL Players As- ous Terrell Owens, and I could see sociation (NFLPA) and Hall of Fame why. He's a big target who remains a lineman – said that, difficult match-up once the salary despite the fact that cap disappeared, The big-market teams might his career is firmly in it would never be try to make a serious splash by its twilight. Brown is agreed upon by the overpaying lots of free agents well known for proNFLPA again. The viding a home for in light of no salary cap, but owners have alBrown and the Bengals can’t explosive personaliready voted to opt ties cast off by other compete that way. out of the last two teams, and TO peryears of the current fectly fits the mold. agreement, which means no salary Owens is beyond the big-paycheck cap next season and potentially no phase of his career, and if he chooses football after that. to play again next year, his motivation So what does it mean for the Ben- would likely be driven by a potential gals? championship and not by personal First and foremost, without a cap, glory. players ending their initial contracts The big-market teams might try to (signed out of college) are now re- make a serious splash by overpaying stricted free agents until their sixth lots of free agents in light of no salary season, rather than after four. A play- cap, but Brown and the Bengals can't er drafted in 2005 by the Bengals, compete that way. Nabbing one or entering his sixth season, can still be two crucial pieces to make a run for signed by another team, but the Ben- next season makes more sense than gals can match any offer and prevent financially strapping the team on a him from signing elsewhere. Should superstar contract for years to come, the player leave Cincinnati, his new especially if there truly is only one team would also have to compensate year left. the Bengals with draft picks. The NFL has enjoyed about 12 That means Brandon Johnson, years of a fantastic pro-sports league Frostee Rucker, Dennis Roland and that provided hope for every team’s others who would have been unre- city that this was their year, and instricted to sign wherever they chose toxicating this country with its sport. are now are essentially “stuck” with Football won't die completely –Amertheir team. ica needs it – but serious change is The other quirk in 2010 brought afoot, and it's hard to think that it will on without a cap is teams get to fran- be better than it is now. Here's to the chise-tag two players instead of one. Bengals of next year, because we can't The franchise tag is very unpopular see beyond that. with players because it restricts their W STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 Academic Freedom Fighter Scholar recounts Iranian captivity Haleh Esfandiari visited Xavier University to speak about her book, “My Prison, My Home: One Woman’s Story of Captivity in Iran.” Photo by Stephanie Carson. By ariana Shahandeh Contributing Writer body else." Following her lecture, members of the audience asked questions. One ranian-American academic person asked, “Why are they so paraHaleh Esfandiari visited Xavier noid? Does this mean they are not University on Jan. 19 to speak confident in their leadership?” Anabout her book, My Prison, My Home: other person had a contrasting view, One Woman’s Story of Captivity in Iran, saying, “The United States is a huge in which she chronicles her time as a consumer of oil … and the United prisoner of Evin Prison in Tehran. States invaded (Iran's) neighbor Iraq, “I never cried in front of these also an oil-rich country. In 1953 the people,” she said. United States was “If I wanted to cry, involved in the I cried under the “I never cried in front of these overthrow of Iran's shower or at night people. If I wanted to cry, I cried government, Moswhen I slept on the sadegh's governunder the shower or at night floor.” ment. Finally, the when I slept on the floor.” In late 2006 Espassage by the - Haleh Esfandiari fandiari was in Iran U.S. Congress of to visit her mother. the Iran Freedom As she was preparing to leave the in Support Act … My question is, ‘Is it country, the Intelligence Ministry of fair to characterize the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran charged Iran as being paranoid?’ ” her with endangering national seAsked how she kept hope alive durcurity and plotting a “velvet revolu- ing her darker moments in prison, Estion,” a term used to describe gradual fandiari said, “I'm a very disciplined persuasion through academic talks, person by nature.” conferences at universities and other She explained her attempt to cremeans of affecting public opinion. ate a routine, even of something as The charges against Esfandiari simple as a structured way to pace her stemmed from her work as an instruc- cell, in order to keep her mind from tor at the Woodrow Wilson Center in straying to a dark place. Washington, D.C., where she teaches Esfandiari’s memoir recounts an about Iranian foreign policy, culture event before the 1979 revolution in and history. Iran that demonstrated her disciIt was her extensive plined nature. As the record as an instructor first female journalist at at Princeton University Esfandiari’s memoir Kayhan, a newspaper in that indirectly led to her Iran, Esfandiari took a recounts an event release from Evin Prison stand against censorship before the 1979 in 2007, after 105 days of revolution in Iran that and quit the paper when solitary confinement. a government appointee demonstrated her “What moved me replaced the head editor. disciplined nature. more than anything else “Leaving Kayhan was was my former Princedifficult for me,” she ton students,” Esfandiari says. “When wrote, “It was the country's leading they heard about my ordeal, they newspaper; I took pleasure in the got together, they found each other work and in being a part of the Kayaround the world and they started han family. But I am proud of having another Free Haleh site. … You know, refused to work under a governmenteventually what you teach the young imposed editor who represented evpeople helps you. At the end, they erything I disdained in a profession I come to your rescue more than any- loved.” I �STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 7 Housing Issues The 2010 Census: Don’t Cheat Your Descendants Doubling-up, hidden dwellings, the disenfranchisement of not being counted 1 By Michelle Dillingham Contributing Writer A n army of 140,000 U.S. Census workers and postal workers delivering census forms will descend upon an estimated 134 million housing units across America in a couple months. The census, mandated by the Constitution, was born of the need to spread the debt of the Revolutionary War fairly across the 13 colonies – and also to help establish a truly representative form of government. In more recent times, the outcome of the census determines how much a state gets of about $400 billion dollars in federal funds allocated for schools, highways and programs such as Medicaid. Most households will receive a census form by mail in midMarch. The questionnaire asks for a count of all people who live and sleep in the household “most of the time” as of April 1. This does not include those who are living away at college, in the military, in a nursing home, or in a jail, prison or a detention facility. They are counted separately. An accurate count is important because the census count determines a state’s federal funding and representation. Many are noting that the effects of the recession will make it harder to find and count people. Individuals and families are doublingup due to job loss and foreclosure. answering questions they feel are too personal, too intrusive. Subsidized housing units and many private landlords have strict Despite worries that personal information will be shared, the Cenrules about how many people can live in a unit, and they have to be sus Bureau assures us they use statistical methods so that the inforon the lease. Clearly, the lack of affordable housing will impact an ac- mation they release does not identify individuals or businesses. The curate count. information collected by the census becomes public record only after Consider the following scenario: I live in a two-bedroom subsi- 72 years. For example, all census data from 1790 to 1930 was released dized apartment. About six months ago my sister lost her job, lost her in 2002. In addition, Title 13 of the U.S. Code protects the confidenapartment and so she and her two children temtiality of all your information, and violating this porarily moved in with me. Due to the job marlaw is a crime that carries severe penalties. The ket, “temporarily” stretched into six months. I The U.S. Department of Better Business Bureau (BBB) is advising people am very concerned the property manager might to be cooperative but cautious, so as not to beCommerce’s Office of Audit and find out they are living with me; they are not on come a victim of fraud or identity theft. For exEvaluation did a dress rehearsal the lease. ample, census-takers should not be asking for for the census in 2008 and found We go out of our way to avoid coming in and that canvassers were not counting your social security number. Some advocates are out a lot, especially when the property manager suggesting that people who are uncomfortable “hidden” dwellings such as sheds is around. I do not want my sister and her chil- and makeshift garage apartments. with the questions, “Are you of Hispanic, Spanish dren to leave, having nowhere to go, but I do not or Latino origin?” or “What is your race?” leave want to be evicted. those answers blank but at least answer the quesI receive the 2010 Census form in the mail, and it asks that I list all tion, “How many people are living or staying in the home?” the people living in my apartment and their dates of birth. Given our As I began researching the census, my mother coincidentally tells situation, how likely is it that I will provide this detailed information? me she is doing a genealogy search. The main source of information The census form says my sister and her children should be counted about our family she finds from the census. She excitedly tells me that in my household, because they have been living with me “most of the the census reveals our great-grandparents’ birthdates, their siblings, time” and they are not being counted anywhere else. But will they be when they immigrated, their occupation and marriage status. As she counted? Not likely. shares what she has learned about our distant relatives, it hits me. The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Audit and Evaluation It’s not just the state budget that suffers from an under-count; there did a dress rehearsal for the census in 2008 and found that canvassers is a familial deprivation. Those who fear being counted, those who were not counting “hidden” dwellings such as sheds and makeshift avoid being counted and those who aren’t even approached to be garage apartments. Also, individuals and families in trailer parks that counted – all are excluded from our national treasury. In 200 years only display lot numbers corresponding to a unit’s physical space – their descendants will look them up, and they will not be found. One but not unit numbers – were not accurately counted. Additional prob- more unfortunate consequence of the affordable housing crisis. lems of an accurate count include issues related to culture, language, As they say, “Everybody Counts” – even people who don’t have acdistrust of government and the fact that some people tend to avoid cess to safe, decent, affordable housing. Streetvibes vendors keep 75% of sales. Consider helping Streetvibes with our publication costs by making a tax-deductible donation or by purchasing a subscription. Streetvibes is the activist newspaper, advocating justice, building community. Your gift is tax-deductible and will go to producing the paper every two weeks. Started in 1997, Streetvibes is distributed by homeless and formerly homeless vendors who purchase the paper for 25 cents and sell it for $1, keeping the 75 cent profit. Make checks payable to “Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless” I want to support Streetvibes and the vendors. $25 Please return your contribution to: GCCH 117 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Name: Address: E-mail: $50 $100 $150 Other $ _______ �8 Recipe Veggie Stir-Fry Yummy Roasted Veggies 6 tablespoons olive oil 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 4 cloves garlic, minced Salt and pepper One spice option from below Various types of root vegetables: 2 onions, quartered (red, yellow, white or a mix) 6 potatoes, quartered (red, Yukon gold, russet or a mix) 1 butternut squash, cubed 1 sweet potato or carrot, quartered 1 zucchini or other squash, cut in 1 inch slices and quartered 1-2 types of other vegetables: 2 sweet peppers, quartered (red, green, yellow, orange or a mix) 1 cup broccoli florets 10-12 whole button mushrooms Anaheim peppers Poblano peppers Serrano peppers Quartered Eggplant Spice options: Italian spice, 1 tablespoon fresh basil and 1 tablespoon fresh oregano Mexican spice, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro and 1 tablespoon chili pepper or 1 package taco seasoning Summer style, try 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary combined with 1 tablespoon fresh thyme Indian spice, 3 tablespoons curry powder Spicy twist, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper and 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, diced “Feed Me, Seymour, 1 Feed Me All Night Long” Photo by Jeni Jenkins. By Jeni JenkinS Staff Writer T STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 his delicious roasted vegetable recipe is extremely versatile in that you can prepare it for a number of occasions, as well as mix it up to be used for a side dish or a main dish. For example, the vegetables you choose are completely dependent on your taste, the type of food it will complement and what vegetables are in season. Every vegetable in this recipe is completely optional. Serving Size: 5 or 6 bellies Quick hint: For a breakfast burrito, make the night before using the Mexican or spicy spice option. Scramble an egg or egg substitute in a skillet, sprinkle with your favorite cheese, add the veggies and heat until warm. Wrap in a warm soft tortilla. Pre-heat oven to 475 degrees F. Prepare a roasting pan or glass casserole dish with baking spray. Combine half of the olive oil and half of the vinegar in a bowl; add one of the spice options and mix. Take the root vegetables (onions, potatoes, squash, carrots) and toss in a Ziploc bag or large bowl with the sauce mixture until they are well coated. Bake in pre-heated oven 30 minutes, stirring after 15. Toss the remaining vegetables with remaining sauce mixture. Stir into other vegetables and bake an additional 15-20 minutes. Voila, FEED! Happy Valentine’s Day By Anthony Williams ! ? t ha W y Sa ___________________ “The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn.” -- Gloria Steinem, “Women’s Liberation’ Aims to Free Men, Too”; Washington Post, 1970 �STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 9 Local News Demanding Justice for Immigrants Continued from page 1 States, is letting our government know that it’s time to fix the broken immigration system. … We are here to make sure we get the votes needed to cross the finish line, mobilizing every supporter in the country and educating those confused by the noise of our opponents. … The price of failure is unimaginable,” Lopez said. “We need to make sure Ohio politicians hear from every one of us.” Lopez, along with other community leaders, spent time debunking common misconceptions that have prevented immigration reform in the past, specifically those linking immigration to the poor economy. “The current economy is not an excuse for deterring immigration reform,” Lopez said. “They want us to believe all work is equal. They want you to believe workers are laid off because of immigrants, as if a New York banker who lost his job will go to California to pick strawberries. All while executives continue to make millions in bonuses. What they pay for their luxury could pay for a school in a poor community or health care. Blaming immigrants for the economy is an insult and distracts from the real problem and potential solutions. In reality, good immigration reform would earn the U.S. billions in revenue.” President Barack Obama has promised to address immigration reform in 2010. As a candidate in 2008, he said, “We need immigration reform that will secure our borders, and punish employers who exploit immigrant labor; reform that finally brings the 12 million people who are here illegally out of the shadows by requiring them to take steps to become legal citizens. We must assert our values and reconcile our principles as a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws. That is a priority I will pursue from my very first day.” With Congress wrapping up health care reform, some demonstrators, including the Rev. Jorge Ochoa, pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Church, blah blah blah blah. Photo by Aimie Willhoite. see an opportunity to be seized. “The time for action is now,” he said. “America needs a solution that works for small business, taxpayers and immigrants. … Every day I meet families affected by the unfair immigration sys- tem; and as a member of the Catholic Church, as part of a faith community, we cannot let families suffer under injustice.” Griselda Geigel, one of the hundreds of Hispanic activists, said the rally sent a clear message. “We made a point here today, and President Obama, Congress and the entire nation needs to listen,” she said. The reform campaign plans to host public events in Cincinnati and throughout Ohio in the coming months. Those interested in receiving information are asked to text the word “Justice” or “Justicia” to 69866 or visit www.ri4a.org. Bridging the Religious Gap Muslims and Christians seek understanding By dan rozier Contributing Writer I slam is arguably the most misunderstood religion in the United States. Despite the fact that there are 1.2 billion Muslims worldwide – 7 million of whom live in the United States – there seems to exist an “us versus them” mentality in this country. That mentality was undoubtedly perpetuated by the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and media coverage that relentlessly peddled the attacks as the result of a holy war undertaken by Muslims. Reconciling that perception was one of the goals of a Muslim-Christian dialogue Jan. 17 at St. Monica-St. George Parish Hall in Clifton Heights. The program was sponsored by the Franciscans Network. Before the construction of the first mosque in Cincinnati, Muslims used St. Monica-St. George as a place to worship, so it was fitting that the site be used as a convergence point for the two faiths. Three guest speakers led the discussion: Roula Allouch, president of Cincinnati chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR); Homa Yavar of the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati and Muslim Mothers Against Violence; and Zeinab Schwen, president of CAIR Ohio. The speakers’ assessment of the religious dichotomy was that ultimately Christianity and Islam have the same message but different ways of praying. “What people need to understand is that there is a difference between Roula Allouch, center, is a Syrian-born attorney. Photo courtesy of Franciscans the teaching of religion and understanding the history and culture of a Network. people,” Yavar said. “There are many Christians that have the misconception that Muslims don’t believe in the prophet Jesus, which isn’t true. reiterating Yavar’s argument that one must differentiate between religious This is why discussions such as this one are so important.” teachings and historical and cultural makeup. Roula Allouch, a Syrian-born attorney, shared her experiences in Syria, speThe discussion touched on the conflict in the Gaza Strip. The area has seen cifically the city of Damascus, and its significance within the context of Mus- fighting between the Israel Defense Forces and Hamas, the Islamic Resistance lim-Christian and Muslim-American relations. Movement. “Syrians love American culture,” she said. “When I visited in 2008, right be“I am a Palestinian-American Muslim,” Schwen said. “Israel is empowered fore the Democratic candidate had been chosen, it was amazing to see how by the silence. They have land-grabs, killings of innocent civilians go unpuninterested and knowledgeable the Syrian citizens were in American politics. ished, the wall, and the U.S. sends $3 billion in taxes there every year. It is imThe democratic thought process is inherent in people.” portant that we remind ourselves, because the media doesn’t give it the attenThe Syrian Arab Republic, on Iraq’s western border, has a population of ap- tion it deserves. I mean, I don’t know how much worse it can get.” proximately 18 million people, 12.6 million of whom are Sunni Muslims. Alawi, Because Israel tightly restricts access to Gaza, some consider it the world’s Ismaili and Shi'a Muslim groups include approximately 2.2 million people, and largest open-air prison. various Christian denominations total 1.7 million people. Coincidentally, the dialogue occurred the same day that protesters gathered Syria has a notorious human-rights record. Censorship, travel bans, torture in Beirut to rally against Egypt’s own border restrictions along the southern and gender discrimination are among the accusations against the nation. Gaza Strip. “In terms of gender equality, yes, much progress does need to be made – but To arrange a dialogue for your school, church or organization, write to franthis doesn’t stem from religion. It is from historical patriarchy,” Allouch said, ciscansnetwork@cinci.rr.com. �10 STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 Local News A Rising Star, A Laid Back Starr By PauL koPP Contributing Writer and though they approach songs like “Cousins” and “California English” from the Vampire Weekend – polished live-band setting they explored on their first Contra album, they seem to be interampire Weekend ested in branching out, takwas perhaps the ing the melodies and rhythms most hyped indie they are known for and craftband the past couple of years ing them into dense soundbecause of the success of its scapes such as the opening debut, self-titled track, “Horchata.” album, recognized The song is a swirlfor its unique apEvery band ing combination of proach in combin- needs a heart, echoing vocals and ing afro-beat, new someone stable dreamy vibraphone wave and early ska. enough to keep and strings tied toUnique, in so much gether with a rinkyeveryone in as it was played by dink drum-machine check. a group of preppy beat. looking Columbia Frontman Ezra University graduates. Koening also puts his college When I initially heard of degree to work with strange the band’s rapid success, I and inventive lyrics. Examwas quick to write it off as a ple: “In December, drinking “next big thing.” Though they horchata I'd look psychotic were good live, it seemed they in a balaclava.” Make sure to had somehow become media Google those strange words darlings for the wrong rea- to find out what they mean. sons. That puts their album, The band has kept up its Contra, in the position of be- approach to world music ing the potential “sophomore while simultaneously growslump.” How can a band that ing as song writers and arhas developed such a unique rangers, taking the template sound so early grow creatively of what they did well on their while still retaining the quali- first album and placing it ties that made it popular? in a more complex musical On Contra, Vampire Week- structure. Contra sounds like end does a good job of doing a band that is getting coma little bit of both. Drummer fortable in its boat shoes and Chris Tomson propels the maybe growing out of its fassongs with his jovial playing, cination with collegiate life. V Ringo Starr – Y Not Ringo Starr will forever be remembered as the lighthearted and goofy member of The Beatles who sang lead on “With A Little Help From My Friends.” Judging from the majority of his solo work, he is OK with that. On Y Not, Starr continues his lighthearted legacy with a set of songs that seem to focus mostly on reflecting on his storied life, looking ahead to his later years with a sense of satisfaction and peace. Starr keeps good company on the album, which features Joe Walsh of the Eagles, Ben Harper, Joss Stone, Richard Marx and a vocal duet with Paul McCartney. Musically, Starr isn’t trying to do anything new here, but in a way, that is comforting. The songs are mostly simple bluesbased rock, with a few ’80s radio rock moments, such as the guitar in the beginning of “Mystery of the Night.” On the album’s opening track, “Fill in the Blanks,” featuring Walsh’s signature, purposely cheesy blues guitar, Starr seems to reflect on his frustration with the meaningless things in his life. But even in his angst, it is easy to tell he is still having fun. This sentiment is the emotional back- drop for the whole record. He has the ability to talk about his experience and emotions in songs through the eyes of a simple storyteller, who doesn’t get too caught up in idealistic matters, like that of his former band mates. When Starr sings about peace on the aptly titled “Peace Dream,” he seems to feel that world peace would be nice, but it might not work out, so he’ll take what he can get. He even references John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s famous bed-in in Amsterdam. Starr sings with McCartney on the sentimental ballad, “Walk With You,” which Starr says is a song about friendship. Their voices don’t necessarily blend together as McCartney’s and Lennon’s did, but it doesn’t sound bad. It’s just not particularly memorable. I always thought Starr was the key element that kept the Beatles together. It seemed he kept the group grounded and having fun as long as he could. Every band needs a heart, someone stable enough to keep everyone in check. He was that guy. With a legendary image fully intact, and a laid-back and fun approach to songwriting, you can’t help but enjoy Y Not in some form, even if it’s not as influential and memorable as the other Beatles’ work. Words Can Change Everything InkTank wants you to share them By keara anita muLLen Contributing Writer J ai Washington comes bounding into the room with an energy that is instantly contagious. The executive director of Inktank, Cincinnati’s urban literacy and writing center, Washington is known in local circles as the exuberant host of Cincinnati Conscience, an Internet radio show where “the citizens are the celebrities.” This determination to get to know her neighbors and introduce them to everyone else fuels Inktank’s rebirth under Washington’s direction as she flings open the doors to the community, welcoming anyone inside to share their stories. Inktank was founded in 2004 in order to establish dialogue “from the trenches” after the unrest in Cincinnati earlier in the decade. Trying to create a legacy that values all citizens’ contributions, Inktank has brought free writing workshops to the Drop Inn Center, First Step Home and other recovery and socialservice settings, providing a voice to homeless people, to youth and to anyone who walks through the door. Open-mic nights are a mainstay, as is the Writers Salon, where writers of all experience levels and backgrounds are welcome to join in an active, sharing community of work. The Book Bank, located in Inktank’s 1311 Main St. storefront headquarters, houses the city’s only bookstore exclusively dedicated to local writers. Valuing locals’ creative voices is Inktank’s foundation. The organization’s revamped logo, “Rewriting Cincinnati’s Future One Word at a Time,” capitalizes on that very local energy that Washington thrives upon as she unlocks the doors everyday. “I live in a kick-ass city,” she says, pointing out the work of local artists adorning the walls and chatting with a local musician who stopped by to see what was going on at Inktank that day. Propelled by the efforts of volunteers enthusiastic about the mission and initiatives, the idea of “passion and empty pockets” bringing people together is what has kept Inktank dipping into its deep well of potential and inspiration. Inktank was on the verge of closing in recent years, even contemplating “going virtual” by keeping the Web site and leaving its building, but the consensus among those who are involved with the organization is that “the place is the face.” It provides a gathering space for pursuing community consciousness through live connections and sharing with one another. What Inktank and Washington offer when you walk in – a cup of coffee, an ear to listen and a pen to write – melts any cynicism that the power of community has disappeared. These notions are revolutionary in their simplicity; they are changing lives and giving dignity not out of pity but as a moral obligation. While Washington admits that sometimes she finds the “tortoise” pace of authentic community-building in tremendous conflict with the jackhammer pace of the corporate world she left behind, she would have it no other way. Emphasizing quality over quantity, the success of an organization like Inktank is measured by experiences and connections created through its ever-expanding network of impact. These networks, however, do not always meet the standards of “convention” in a city where too often the underprivileged are relegated to the “island of Misfit Toys”, as Washington puts it. “Society has decided that we are not the adequate representatives, but we are uniquely Cincinnati,” she says. Washington is constantly seeking ways to ask, “What makes our city great?” Then she pursues those leads as though to patchwork a quilt of experience that can be showcased for all to see. Bringing together voices in a “polyphonic salad” (in which one ingredient, or voice, would change the flavor completely), she is excited that Inktank is based in the city’s heart, Over-the-Rhine, once considered the Paris of the Midwest. All she needs from “you” is one hour to share coffee and conversation. She acknowledges that not everyone will walk away with the urge to help directly, but as long as that idea is planted – that there are many ways, needs and obligations to help someone – she thinks that one critical hour well spent. Washington explored other outlets before attending an Inktank poetry reading at Findlay Market last summer. She was drawn to Inktank because of the holistic and grassroots approach it takes. Inktank is community-based, only as successful as the people walk through the door. It’s a collaborative effort, with everyone from volunteers, panhandlers, musicians, the mail carrier and whoever else wants to chime in to have a voice and a place. The beauty and energy of Inktank stems from the fact that anyone can become involved, share their ideas, actualize projects and plans and use the space. Many community members have hosted workshops and events there, including tutoring programs, typewriter circles, monthly theater performances, musical events, poetry readings and open sessions for an endless variety of expression. Providing a venue for all of the people of Cincinnati to express themselves in any way they can muster is what Inktank opens its doors for everyday. Washington’s unrelenting enthusiasm for her city is propelling Inktank into a new era of urban initiative, changing Cincinnati’s future one – and ultimately many – words at a time. �STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 Guest Column Remembering Miep Gies 11 Gentle educator, fierce battler for justice By Steve SunderLand Contributing Writer “ sistance fighters who tried against unimaginable odds to keep people alive during the occupation of the Netherlands during the Nazi siege. I had come to meet her as part of my work for the Anne Frank Foundation and with the hopes of having a group of Cincinnati teachers meet with her in Amsterdam the following summer. A group of Cincinnati teachers had come together, along with Frank Harkavy, Fr. Bruggerman and the Cincinnati Interfaith Holocaust Foundation to find funds for the trip to Amsterdam and to one of the concentration camps. As teachers, we wanted to either create a separate curriculum that focused on Anne and/ or find critical materials to incorporate into high school classes about Anne and the Holocaust. I shared with Miep that knowledge about Anne and the Holocaust was minimal in our schools. Indeed, most students and teachers were unaware of the killing of Anne I hate all Austrians and Germans,” Miep Gies said with a bitter but quiet tone. “But, Miep, have you forgotten?” said her dear friend, Cor Suijk, then director of the Anne Frank Foundation. “You are an Austrian.” Miep looked up, distracted from her memory of the last day she saw Anne Frank and her family as they were carted off to the Westerbork transit camp on the way to the concentration camps. Miep gazed into Cor’s eyes and then shifted to look at me. And shrugged. This was my first meeting with Miep in 1987. We met in her comfortable second-story apartment in Amsterdam, the An unidentified visitor of the Anne Frank Museum signs a book of condolences for Miep Gies. Netherlands. With her was her She died at age 100 last month. REUTERS/Michael Kooren. husband, Jan, a retired social worker and former member in the Holocaust was little East,” a Nazi euphemism for I argued with Miep and Jan of the Dutch resistance in known and understood. Fol- concentration camps. Anne’s that so few Dutch Jews were World War II. Surrounding lowing the invasion of the sister, Margot Frank, was saved, so many turned over us in their living room and Netherlands in May 1940, the on such a list. Learning this to the Nazis and so few Jews spilling into the little dining Dutch resistance fought for prompted the Franks to put were left at the end of the room were stacks their plan of hiding war that she really couldn’t of boxes with letinto action. In July say that what she did was not ters from children Miep was uncertain and even uncaring about her place in the world. The 1942, the family en- heroic. Ninety percent of the and teachers from universe had come to learn of her courage in taking care of the Frank family tered the top floor Dutch Jews were taken and around the world of the warehouse killed in the death camps. and the other families hidden in the “attic,” the top floor of the warehouse who had questions and hoped to out“Nonsense, Steve,” she previously owned by Otto Frank. It was only because she immediately about Anne Frank, last the war. quickly replied. “I am a plain scooped up Anne’s diary, after the Nazi’s had left the warehouse, that the her life and death, Some of my person and did what I had to world has had the chance to read and reflect on Anne’s diary. and questions questions for Miep do.” about Miep, too. concerned Anne’s We continued our talk for “I will answer everyone in the Bergen-Belsen concen- a while but finally stopped energy and her dedication many hours, eating a large of these letters somehow,” tration camp. The power of when Hitler threatened to to her diary. “How could she bowl of Dutch chocolates, unshe said. “The children must the words of Anne’s diary, so bomb one of the great cities, keep going, writing so much, til I had asked all of my quesknow about Anne and her di- personal, so intense, so hope- Rotterdam, and kill thou- keeping her hopes alive and tions except one. I knew from ary, and I will tell them.” ful, seemed to communicate sands unless the Dutch capit- not being overcome by the Cor that Miep’s grief continMiep was uncertain and to many a belief that Anne ulated. Following the Dutch fear and anxiety of living in ued and that each August, on even uncaring about her place was indestructible. As teach- surrender, many of the Nazi hiding?” I asked Miep. the anniversary of the Nazi’s in the world. The universe had ers, we worried about sharing laws discriminating against “Anne never lost hope, nev- taking of the Frank family, come to learn of her courage a message that said that Anne Jews went into effect. Jews er gave up, never stopped be- Miep went into a period of in taking care of the Frank had died, and her hopeful- were required to wear a Star ing curious about the move- mourning. I wanted to know family and the other families ness was incorrect. Miep of David whenever they went ment of the Allied troops and how she was doing now that hidden in the “attic,” the top nodded her concern and said into the streets, Jewish busi- whether they were close to Anne’s book had been around floor of the warehouse previ- that many Dutch people ei- nesses were closed, children the Netherlands," she said. the world and that her own ously owned by Otto Frank. ther didn’t care about Anne or were forced from schools and “But Miep, she kept her book was helping to tell the It was only because she im- were unsure about her death. colleges began to spout Anti- hopes alive because of you,” story. mediately scooped up Anne’s Miep’s book about her experi- Semitic doctrines. Cor added, “because you “I continue to be angry,” she diary, after the Nazi's had left ences with Anne had recently Many Jews tried to leave visited every day with food, said. She paused. “I should the warehouse, that the world been issued, and she received but were caught in the web of newspapers and information have gone with Anne and has had the chance to read some letters that were angry Nazi regulations. As the Nazis about what was happening in Otto and Edith. I would have and reflect on Anne’s diary. about her “stirring up old prepared to empty the Neth- the war. You were her hope.” helped them in the camps. I Thanks to the play and wounds.” erlands of Jews and ship them Miep argued that she was was spared because I was an the movie about Anne, many “We all have a lot to re- to concentration camps, they merely a friend of Anne’s fam- Austrian. How stupid. I miss people have a picture of Miep member, a lot to understand set up the Jewish Councils. ily. She insisted she did noth- my best friend, Anne, and I in their mind. Yet, in fairness, and be responsible for, and a These groups, composed of ing unusual and “nothing she shall always miss her.” no picture or play can capture lot to learn,” she said to Cor Dutch Jews, had to come up wouldn't have done for any I knew that I had met a the spirit and soul of Miep, and me. with a list of Jews who were to friend. I was their close friend. great soul. She will not be forJan and every one of the reThe Dutch experience be sent to “work camps in the I had no choice. Did I?” gotten. Have something on your mind? Let us know: 117 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 streetvibes2@yahoo.com �12 TV Review STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 The Tao of the Clear Channel Bill Cunningham is destroying our brains By david heitFieLd Contributing Writer entists in his pocket all agreeing with him, which led to Springer’s best line of the show: “Yeah, you and Joe McCarthy.” Tiger Woods was another topic. The show was set up like ESPN’s Paret me help you with the facts,” Bill Cunningham lectured don the Interruption, except instead of sports the topics were news, on the pilot episode of The Jerry ’n’ Bill Show. “To be poor in with the truthiness promise that “nothing is off limits.” Cunningham America means you’re probably morbidly obese, you have opined that Tiger Woods’s scandal was also the fault of liberals, spea cell phone, you have big screen TVs, you own your own home, you cifically the Great Society of LBJ, which apparently legislated against might own your own car, and you have charge accounts. morality through Medicare and the Civil Rights acts. Cunningham had “There are poor people but they’re fat. America has fat poor people. his best line here: As he wailed against “a few powerful men (who) can’t Most nations have skinny poor people. We have fat ones. Why? Because keep something in their pants,” he looked at Springer and said, “You we give them too much freebies because of people like you.” might know something about that.” “You” would refer to his co-host, Jerry Springer, and his liberal The show wrapped up with each giving their hopes for the new year. brood. Springer hoped for increased access to health care; Cunningham hoped “There are a lot of wealthy people who are fat,” Springer said. “What for the impeachment of Barack Hussein Obama. is that about?” The problem I “Yeah, but they have with the Tao pay for their own of CC is living with food.” the impact of its I don't much care message among my for Cunningham’s neighbors. Long shtick, but there’s gone are the days no denying his sucof “Better to remain cess and popularquiet and let others ity. Cunningham has think you’re a fool won two Marconi than to open it and Awards, in 2001 and remove all doubt.” 2009, took over Matt Now fools not only Drudge’s old synthink it better to dicated radio show talk, but they also in 2007, is BFF with believe they have an Sean Hannity and intelligent opinion appears on his Fox on matters, parrotNews show. Eric Deing something they ters wrote his biograheard on The Big phy, published a few One or Fox News. months ago. You can’t converse It’s not his politics with people who I dislike, because think “politics” is the man has none. simply hating mythThe late comedian ical liberals and big Bill Hicks once did a gubmint. And neudisturbing riff on his rology shows us that old friend Jay Leno, Jerry Springer arrives at the Daytime Emmy Awards in Hollywood in 2007. no matter your age, where Leno blew his REUTERS/Fred Prouser. if you challenge your brains out during a brain, your brain typically inane intergrows; and if you fail view on The Tonight to do so, your brain Show, “a company withers away. The man to the bitter end.” Cunningham likewise is just a chinless mouth- lack of opportunities for challenging discourse hurts all brains. piece for his Clear Channel overlords, a corporation that probably Then there’s the contempt for the audience factor. Take Cunningbenefited more than any outside of financial institutions via the “Let’s ham’s description of poor people in America – fat, stupid, live for their deregulate everything and watch the shit hit the fan” big screens; he’s describing his audience as he sees theosophy of the past 30 years. it. The part of the Tea Party movement I rather liked So, naturally, the topic of why politics has gotten Take Cunningham’s was some awareness that the Republican Party had so nasty was broached on the show. Springer sugcontemptuously sold them a bill of goods – “privadescription of poor people gested it had something to do with the 24-hour news tization” didn't mean smaller gubmint, but shifting in America – fat, stupid, live cycle. Cunningham, the man who earlier said all poor money from the public to the private sector, among for their big screens; he’s people are fat and happy, blamed liberals. Hollywood other things. But of course their focus is skewed and describing his audience as and Connie Chung, to name two. they’re again set up to be used. The Tea Party Convenhe sees it. The part of the This is the Tao of Clear Channel: Government has Tea Party movement I rather tion in Nashville next month is selling tickets for $560, no role in society except to field a military to protect according to Frank Rich, and offers a jewel-encrusted liked was some awareness copyrights and profit channels; and you should har- that the Republican Party had tea bag for $90. Sarah Palin is reportedly getting paid bor nothing but contempt for people who cannot afcontemptuously sold them a $120,000 to speak. The Tao of Teabagging: All gubmint ford to pay $150, plus a private corporate tax called bill of goods – “privatization” is bad (except the part that tells you when life begins “processing fees,” to watch a live show. didn’t mean smaller gubmint, or whether sodomy is outlawed), and if you can’t be At the beginning of the pilot, reportedly filmed at financially fleeced, you’re useless. but shifting money from the Fox 19 studios and produced by WGN in Chicago, So I’ll go back to my local watering hole, where the public to the private sector, when Cunningham started railing against Barack conversational arc always repeats: Something bad among other things. Hussein Obama, Springer asked him to simply say about Obama; liberals are to blame for everything; “our president.” Cunningham refused. Instead, he aren’t we superior to everyone else for thinking so? asked Springer to call Reagan or either Bush “our president,” which That is followed by debates about whether the new Angus burger at Springer did – explaining that he didn’t like them, but each was still our McDonald’s is better than the Quarter Pounder; why we need more president). “common sense;” the evils of political correctness; why no one makes Cunningham – who frequently goes by “Willie,” and if you likewise music as good as it was when I was in high school. All enlivened by witabbreviate his surname, he becomes “Willie Cunnie,” a name that for- ticisms such as calling a guy a “girl,” old movie or television references, nicates itself – kept the same company line throughout the program. or some variation of “I'm not but you are.” Global warming? A liberal myth, empirically proven by cold weather People’s brains are dying, and it’s in no small part because they Willie in the Midwest in January, designed to seize the American economy Cunnie themselves. and government. Cunningham said he had the names of 10,000 sci- “L Want more Streetvibes? Check out the StreetvibeS blog http://streetvibes.wordpress.com �STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 13 Vendor Voice Ask A Vendor To the Editor Dear Vendor Riccardo, To the editor: I would like to know if 3CDC tells vendors not to sell Streetvibes on Fountain Square. Also, do you get good sales reception in Westwood/Western Hills and Madisonville/Mt. Washington? 3CDC has a plan for Cincinnati, and it does not include you, the working citizen. Catering to the upper economic classes, this agency is determined to undermine democratic principles of the rights and values of average people. 3CDC is acting as the private contractor at the behest of Cincinnati city government – or lack thereof. We, the people of Cincinnati, take issue and do wish to weigh in, not be run over roughshod by corporate mouthpieces and pirate bankster capitalists. You have sold the square to upper-end businesses and hired security to enforce anti-public use by all citizens. Fountain Square belongs to all of us. Sonny Williams Clifton Dear Reader Sonny Williams, It was very appreciating to hear your question for “Ask a Vendor.” The first part of your question asks if 3CDC prohibits Streetvibes vendors from selling Streetvibes on Fountain Square. I would have to answer no to that. The fact is that Streetvibes vendors are not allowed to sell the paper on private property without permission from the owner or, in this case, certain public property. People can sell things on Fountain Square only if they are licensed or have permits from 3CDC. We can sell on the public sidewalk. To answer the second part of your question, I am sorry to say that sales in Westwood/Western Hills and Madisonville/Mt. Washington are perhaps not as great as it could be. Of our 46 vendors, few if any sell in those areas. I do believe that our sales could/would be better if vendors established themselves in these neighborhoods, but there are no other reasons for fewer sales in these neighborhoods. Riccardo Taylor Vendor Editor’s note: Cincinnati City Council passed ordinances banning sales of items on Fountain Square without a permit from the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC). This includes Streetvibes. To submit a question to “Ask a Vendor,” write to streetvibes2@yahoo.com or Streetvibes, 117 E. 12th St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. Gonzo Rob Meehan Clifton Go Ahead: Ask a Vendor Invitation to a dialogue with our readers Streetvibes vendors see a lot that you might not. For example, some can describe what goes on in an abandoned building at night when they sleep there. Have you ever wondered what it’s like to stand on a street corner selling newspapers? That’s hardly a common occupation anymore. How much money do Streetvibes vendors make – and what do they do with it? Do they have other jobs? If you have questions, some of our vendors would like to answer them. “Go Ahead: Ask a Vendor” will be an occasional feature, with questions submitted by readers and answered by Streetvibes vendors. You may direct your question to a specific vendor or we’ll invite one to respond. Only include your name if you want to. Send questions to streetvibes2@yahoo.com Or to Streetvibes, 117 E. 12th St. Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. Go ahead. Ask. Are you interested in helping with Streetvibes? Are you a proofreader, writer, poet, artist or photographer? If so, contact Greg Flannery 513.421.7803 x 12 or email streetvibes2@yahoo.com �14 STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 Local News 3CDC Bans Tenants For a Better World 2010 Leeper still won’t talk By roB GoeLLer Staff Writer S ince the purchase of the Metropole Apartments in November 2009 by the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC), Steve Leeper, president of 3CDC, and Adam Gelter, project manager, have refused to meet with the Metropole Tenants Association. This continued Jan. 19 when 3CDC held a meeting at Music Hall with the purpose of updating the community about its projects. At 7:45 a.m. members of the Metropole Tenants Association arrived outside Music Hall with members of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and other housing advocates. During the demonstration, tenants demanded justice, declaring, “Homes Not Hotels” and “Renovation, not Relocation.” The tenants association demanded that two delegates be allowed to attend the 3CDC meeting. At 8:15 a.m., 3CDC spokeswoman Kelly Leon emerged from Music Hall and spoke with Josh Spring, executive director of the Homeless Coalition. Leon told Spring that a single member of the coalition could go into the meeting, but no Metropole tenants would be allowed to attend. The Homeless Coalition said that it would not attend unless Metropole tenants could attend. Tenants and supporters yelled, “You send police to our meetings – why can’t we come to yours?” Image by Blair Gibeau. Poems and Drawings on Peace and Justice by Greater Cincinnati Artists, edited and curated by Saad Ghosn. Kennedy Heights Arts Center 6546 Montgomery Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45213 513-631-4278 or www.kennedyarts.org January 16 - February 27, 2010 Opening Reception: Sat, January 16, 6-8pm Metropole tenants demonstrated outside Music Hall while 3CDC held a meeting to decide the fate of their homes without tenant input. Photo by Amy Silver. Panel Discussion: Art as a Vehicle for Change facilitated by Jeff Hillard with Mary Pierce Brosmer, Greg Flannery and Jimi Jones February 27, 4-6pm; closing reception at 6pm Gallery Hours: Monday-Friday 10am - 5pm Saturdays 10am - 4 pm 1128 Walnut St Pizza by the Slice Tues and Thurs Buffet($7.00)-11AM-2PM Wed-Thur-Fri-Sat 9PM-3AM become a Fan of Streetvibes on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/streetvibescincinnati �STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 15 Resources Need Help or Want to Help? Shelter: Women and Children Central Access Point Cincinnati Union Bethel 300 Lytle Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Bethany House 1841 Fairmount Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 6037 Cary Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45224 Salvation Army 131 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter Churches Active in Northside 381-SAFE 768-6907 557-2873 681-2365 1419 Elm Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 1437 Walnut Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 112 E. Liberty Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 3600 Erie Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45227 St. Vincent de Paul 1125 Bank Street, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Charlie’s 3/4 House 2121 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 DIC Live In Program Prospect House 682 Hawthorne Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45205 Starting Over 661-4620 Crossroad Health Center 241-1064 Health Resource Center Homeless Mobile Health Van McMicken Dental Clinic 562-8841 784-1853 721-0643 921-1613 961-2256 2728 Glendora Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45209 961-4080 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mental Health Access Point Mercy Franciscan at St. John 961-4663 First Step Home 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Center Independent Living Options Emmanuel Community Center 1308 Race St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 351-0422 381-6672 1223 Main St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 761-1480 AA Hotline CCAT Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Joseph House (Veterans) 241-2965 471-1100 221-3350 Hamilton County ADAS Board Recovery Health Access Center Sober Living Talbert House 946-4888 281-7422 681-0324 641-4300 Hamilton/Middletown 421-3131 569-1840 381-4242 Northern Kentucky 721-4700 421-7803 ECHO/Hosea House Fairhaven Resuce Mission Homeward Bound Youth Mathews House Homeless & Housing Coalition Parish Kitchen Pike St. Clinic Transitions, Inc Welcome House of NKY 1821 Summit Road, Cinti, Ohio 45237 217 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center (Youth) 3330 Jefferson, Cinti, Ohio 45220 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. Cinti, Ohio 45214 1522 Republic Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Housing: CMHA Excel Development OTR Community Housing 114 W. 14th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tender Mercies 27 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tom Geiger House Dana Transitional Bridge Services Volunteers of America 721-4580 632-7149 381-1171 721-8666 961-4555 751-0643 381-1954 Food/Clothing Lord’s Pantry OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry 621-5300 961-1983 OTR: 1620 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Our Daily Bread 1730 Race Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 St. Francis Soup Kitchen 621-6364 Advocacy Catholic Social Action Community Action Agency Contact Center 1227 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Franciscan JPIC Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. Legal Aid Society Ohio Justice & Policy Center Faces Without Places Stop AIDS 579-8547 241-9400 421-1108 363-3300 421-2437 St. Raephaels Salvation Army Serenity House Day Center Open Door Pantry Brighton Center 799 Ann St. Newport, KY 381-0111 771-4800 751-0600 721-4811 351-7921 631-1114 211 977-5541 863-3184 863-1445 422-8555 868-3276 859-491-8303 859-261-5857 859-491-1027 859-581-1111 859-261-8009 859-727-0926 859-581-7745 859-291-9321 859-491-4435 859-431-8717 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 Health Center for Respite Care 535-2719 People Working Cooperatively The Caring Place United Way Women Helping Women 241-2600 241-2563 621-5514 Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart Goodwill industries Healing Connections Mary Magdalen House Treatment: Both 558-8888 981-5800 Other Resources 214 E. 14th St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Treatment: Women 357-4602 352-2902 352-6363 458-6670 977-4489 NAMI of Hamilton County PATH Outreach Peaslee Neighborhood Center Shelter: Both Anthony House (Youth) 381-2247 5 E. Liberty St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 872-9259 241-5525 591-2246 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 271-5501 Treatment: Men Justice Watch 241-0490 St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 381-4941 Mt. Airy Shelter FreeStore/FoodBank 762-5660 Shelter: Men City Gospel Mission 4230 Hamilton Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45223 3550 Washington Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45229 621-1868 Women’s Crisis Center VA Domiciliary VA Homeless 859-491-3335 859-559-5011 859-572-6226 A Call to Greater Cincinnati Poets aFFordaBLe rateS etvibes? tre nS rested in Advert Inte isin gi many SizeS (full page, 1/2 page, 1/4 page, 1/8 page) BLack & White and coLor avaiLaBLe diScountS For nonProFitS Contact Lynne at 513-421-7803 ext. 11 or lynneausman@cincihomeless.org for more information. Write for ‘For a Better World 2010’ 1 It’s time to get your verse on. SOS Art, the annual exhibit of art on themes of peace and justice, publishes a collection of poetry each year. Saad Ghosn, who organizes SOS Art and writes the “Artists as Activists” column for Streetvibes, is now collecting submissions for For a Better World 2010, the seventh edition to date. Any poet from or connected to Greater Cincinnati may submit up to three poems related to themes of peace and justice. All submissions will be considered. The editors will be looking for quality, inclusiveness and appropriateness to the themes of peace and justice. If space becomes limited, priority will go to poets not published in previous books. The poems selected for publication will be illustrated in black and white by Greater Cincinnati artists. Poets included in the book will be invited to read their poems at SOS Art 2010. For a Better World 2010 will be released in May 2010. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 15, 2010. Send submissions as “Word” attachments or in full text By e-mail to saad.ghosn@uc.edu or On a CD to Saad Ghosn, 216 Erkenbrecher Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45229. �16 Artists as Activists STREETVIBES February 1 - 14, 2010 Lifetime of Art and Moral Outrage Dorothy Fraembs: Illustrating injustice for decades “Drawing is such a part of my life that I can hardly speak without a pen in my hand,” says Dorothy Fraembs. “When I make lists, I often use little sketches instead of words.” Fraembs is an illustrator and visual artist. Her early memories with art are in the kitchen watching her mother artistically cooking and setting up a beautiful table. Her own introduction to art was in kindergarten and succeeding years when she received encouragement for her drawing skills in school clubs, Girl Scouts and at home. World War II was the focus of her high school years, 1942-1946, and a major influence of her life. At a high school club conference, she heard a teenage Japanese girl tell of her internment at a post-Pearl Harbor camp, describing the prejudice and hardship she and her family endured. That ignited her abhorrence of injustice in any form. Fraembs studied to become an illustrator and worked as such in a Chicago advertising agency, then in Urbana, Ill., for Our Wonderful World, a young people’s encyclopedia, then at General Electric in Cincinnati, where she relocated with her husband. In 1959, with the turmoil in China, Chinese fleeing commuDorothy Fraembs. Photo by Bill Howes. nism and children being abandoned, she and her husband adopted their son – and a year later their daughter – from Hong Kong. Fraembs quit her job and became a stay-at-home mother. Her young black kid murdered for whistling at a white woman; civil rights parenting years coincided with the Civil Rights Movement and the workers killed for their beliefs; and activists slaughtered for helping Vietnam War and their with voter registration in the South. At the bottom of the board was associated injustice and attached a page from the Bible, splattered with blood, and an enlargviolence. The events of ing lens in front of it to emphasize its message, “What you have done these tumultuous years, to the least of these, my brethren, so also you have done to me” – a in addition to the experi- reminder of the real teachings of Christ. The work also included the ences of her children, in- figure of a rat and a crumbled can, references to the poor neighboras spired her to start making hoods where these victims would most likely be remembered and social-commentary as- mourned. War incorporated plastic figures of soldiers, sculpted Vietsemblages. namese people and other elements of their life going through a meat By Saad GhoSn “I had little free time,” grinder, being smashed and destroyed. It emphasized the annihilaContributing Writer she says, “but whenever I tion of life caused by war. could, I would steal some “That’s the way it is,” a viewer commented. “ People don’t want to moments and go to my face the reality of war, and we want to believe that good guys always basement studio to paint, draw and work on my assemblages. I was win and innocents don’t get hurt.” God’s Favorite Child was trigfeeling pain and frustration that I needed to express, and art was my gered by the verbal discrimination Fraembs’s kids experienced due outlet.” In the 1960s and early ’70s, Fraembs created many statement to their Asian origin, also by the prevailing racism of the period. The pieces. Who Cares was in response to the many killings of innocent front showed grey shadows looking all alike against a translucent people, motivated by racism and discrimination. It consisted of a wall background and the question, “Which one is God’s favorite child?” on which were written names of many victims such as Emmett Till, the The other side included sculpted clay figures of children of different colors standing side by side with Fraembs’ answer: “All the children God shaped and styled.” She also produced this theme in smaller, silk-screened versions. Thoughts about the terrible happenings of the time kept coming fast, so she began a weekly human-relations cartoon panel that appeared in the Rochester, New York, Times-Union and the Philadelphia Inquirer. The drawing and text panels consisted of social commentaries presented under the heading, “My Mother Told Me...” An example of the content: “My mother told me with what we do and what we say, each of us makes the world the way it is today.” These later were compiled and printed as booklets. In 1973, Fraembs’ husband suddenly died of a massive heart attack. Needing to financially support her children, she taught commercial art at a vocational school for seven and a half years, an experience she treasures. She continued doing her panels. After retiring from teaching, she started a new series, based on family experiences, dealing with the absence of loved ones. The booklets she published included When My Father Died, When My Mother Died and When My Sister Died. She intended them as conversation starters between grieving adults and children to foster sharing and understanding of thoughts they might not otherwise express to each other. In 1996 her son, a police officer, was killed in the line of duty. Fraembs and her daughter again found themselves coping with untimely death. Fraembs’ commentaries also have been channeled through yearly Christmas cards in which she conveys her thoughts and her hopes for the New Year. They have dealt, for instance, with the Oklahoma City bombing, the Berlin wall, 9/11, oil and the environment and famine in Africa. They are not traditional but there are people who collect them. In the past few years she has also been a regular participant in SOS Art, exhibiting some of her old assemblages and new ones made especially for the occasion. At 81, Fraembs intends to continue sharing her values, beliefs and wisdom through her art; she would like her social commentaries to be used as thought-provoking discussion starters in places such as the Underground Railroad Freedom Center. “My mother wanted me to become a nurse. My husband thought I would have been a good God’s Favorite Child, showing front and back, assemblage by Dorothy engineer,” she says. “I cannot, however, imagine anything better than Fraembs. Photo by Bill Howes. communicating with people through art or teaching.” A rtists ctivists Artists as Activists is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati artists who use art as a vehicle for change. Saad Ghosn is the founder of SOS Art. Ghosn can be contacted at saad.ghosn@uc.edu. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2010 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource February 1-14, 2010 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Demanding Justice for Immigrants Homecoming of Reggie Williams Pg 2: Street Wise Pg 3: Eight Minutes with a Bench Warmer and Cheerleader Pg 4: Homecoming of Reggie Williams Continued Pg 5: Homecoming of Reggie Williams Continued Pg 6: End of the NFL Academic Freedom Fighter Pg 7: The 2010 Census Pg 8: Veggie Stir-Fry Pg 9: Demanding Justice for Immigrants Bridging the Religious Gap Pg 10: A Rising Star, A Laid Back Starr Words Can Change Everything Pg 11: Remembering Miep Gies Pg 12: The Tao of the Clear Channel Pg 13: Ask a Vendor To the Editor Pg 14: 3CDC Bans Tenants Pg 15: Resources Pg 16: Lifetime of Art and Moral Outrage Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 1-14, 2010 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gregory Flannery Lynne Ausman Jeni Jenkins Michelle Dillingham Samantha Groark Margo Pierce Paul Kopp Jeremy Flannery Michael Henson David Heitfield Kelissa Hieber Jeni Jenkins Stephanie Dunlap Saad Ghosn Lew Moores Larry Gross Eli Braun Aimie Willhoite Anthony Williams Bill Haigh Clarissa Peppers Jennifer Blalock Lynn Baker Jeremy Flannery Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF 3CDC Aimie Willhoite Anthony Williams arts Bill Cunningham Bill Haigh Census Christians Clarissa Peppers David Heitfield Dorothy Fraembs Eli Braun Gregory Flannery Immigrants Injustices Iran Jeni Jenkins Jennifer Blalock Jeremy Flannery Kelissa Hieber Larry Gross Lew Moores Lynn Baker Lynne Ausman Margo Pierce Michael Henson Michelle Dillingham Miep Gies Moral Muslims NFL Paul Kopp Reggie Williams Religion Saad Ghosn Samantha Groark Stephanie Dunlap https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/0c26ef02a38962d0946f5679d36c9471.pdf b0953594a6f4ee585808133958f0609f PDF Text Text February 10th - February 23rd 2017 | Vol. 20 Issue 30 (No. 349) advocating justice | Building community Art Exhibit Inspired by the #BlackLivesMatter Movement | 8 This issue sponsored by (Retired) Judge Mark P. Painter INSIDE THIS ISSUE Making Sense of Our Two Selves | 5 Who we are, what we do |2 Duke Defends Pipeline | 3 Language Matters: Talk Like An Advocate | 5 Find previous issues of Streetvibes online at: cincistreetvibes.org Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition 113 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 ! streetvoice | 13 �2 LOCAL From the Director: We Need an Affordable Housing Trust Fund JOSH SPRING Executive Director O n February 3, the city’s Planning Commission voted to recommend that the city sell significant portions of two public alleys in Overthe-Rhine to the private company Source 3 for a project that has been repeatedly opposed by neighborhood groups, most notably the Community Council. In fact, after the Planning Commission recently voted to approve the construction of the exclusive wealthy housing and commercial development in spite of months and months of community push-back, the Community Council legally appealed the decision. So in short, the Overthe-Rhine Community Council along with other neighborhood groups has opposed this proposed development at hearing after hear, went as far as to appeal the Planning Commission’s decision and while in appeal, the Planning Commission still voted to recommend the sale of the public right-of-way to a private, exclusive developer. This proposed development at the corner of Liberty and Elm streets would include more than 100 units of class-exclusive, wealthy housing. The developer has refused to include any homes affordable to people with low-incomes or even to partner with another developer to do so. Plan Cincinnati, the city’s relatively recently approved comprehensive plan calls for inclusive neighborhoods and the development of low-income affordable housing. The comprehensive plan for Overthe-Rhine also calls for inclusive development and certain percentages of low-income affordable housing. Further, a recent study of housing in the neighborhood completed by Xavier’s Community Building Institute shows that in the last decade or so Over-the-Rhine has lost approximately 2,300 units of housing affordable to people at thirty percent or below the area median income. In addition to all of this, every adult or family shelter in Cincinnati is full or over capacity and the numbers of people outside are higher. There is Who We Are, What We Do JUSTIN JEFFRE Staff Writer F irst of all, I'd like to thank you for reading and supporting Streetvibes. Streetvibes is an important part of how the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition spreads the word about issues related to social justice, our hard working member agencies, what's happening in our community, why it matters and what you can do to help bring more justice about in our community. Most importantly, we try to let you know how you can help us meet our ultimate mission, the eradication of homelessness. For those of you that don’t know, the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a unified social action agency, fully committed to its ultimate goal: the eradication of homelessness with respect for the dignity and diversity of its membership, the homeless and the community. The Coalition works towards this goal by coordinating services, educating the public, and engaging in grassroots organizing and advocacy. The Homeless Coalition does a lot of great work with a very small staff and small budget. One of the things I've learned after being a part of this organization for nearly five years, is that we don't do a great job of talking about all of our work, our victories, our failures and our ongoing struggles. So I'm going to tell you about some of the many things we've been working on, why they matter and what you can do to help. F e b 10 - F e b 2 3, 2 0 17 | N o . 34 9 such a deficit in affordable housing availability that the family shelter system must turn families with children away every day. So despite the fact that the city’s own plan, and in fact, the Planning Commission’s own plan calls for low-income affordable housing development and inclusivity, studies show the housing is needed and daily life experience for many show the housing is needed, the Planning Commission sees it fit to err on the side of the developer and wealthy people who already have adequate (likely more than adequate) housing. This is not surprising, but it remains infuriating. People on this Commission say they support affordable housing, but that it is not their jurisdiction. If it is not their jurisdiction, why did their staff write and they approve a city comprehensive plan that calls for it? The fact is, it is their jurisdiction. That said, if we are really serious about developing low-income affordable housing in this city and if we are really serious about ending homelessness, we must generate local revenue to do so. We need to develop a local affordable housing trust fund that is funded through compulsory means and enforced by the city. Developers in this city will not decide to build affordable housing on their own. We coordinate services by holding regular meetings with our member organizations (65 member organizations total) to make sure we are all aware of what each other is doing and so we can support each other’s work. Our Director of Education works with high schools, colleges and other organizations in the Greater Cincinnati area and beyond to educate the public about the causes of poverty and homelessness and the (Continued on page 11) Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by individuals experiencing homelessness or on the edge of homelessness, in exchange for a $2.00 Donation. Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati. 113 East 12th St. Cincinnati OH, 45202 Ph: 513.421.7803 FAX: 513.421.7813 WEB: www.cincihomeless.org BLOG: streetvibes.wordpress.com EMAIL: streetvibes@cincihomeless.org Editor: Justin Jeffre Executive Director: Josh Spring Director of Development: Leslie Moorhead Director of Education: Dr. Mark Mussman Distributor Program Manager: Justin Jeffre Layout: Key Beck Reception: Derrick Hudson, Iolanda Barton, Patricia J. Brown, Larry Johnson Maintenance: Pete Roper CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE Writers: Josh Spring, Justin Jeffre, Michael Earl Patton, Key Beck, Dr. Mark Mussman, Steve Sunderland, Gretchen Marie Semancik, Bobby Morris, Lee McCoy, Kim Green, Bill Woods, Willa Denise Jones Photography/Artwork: Daulton King, Duke Energy, Michael Earl Patton, Wikipedia, YouTube, Gretchen Marie Semancik, Bill Woods, Mark Mussman Thank You For Reading Streetvibes And Supporting Our Mission To Build Community And Advocate Justice. Mail Room at the Homeless Coaliton Credit: Daulton King THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED Streetvibes and The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless do not endorse candidates for public office. �3 LOCAL Duke Defends Pipeline No. 349 | F e b 10 - F e b 2 3, 2 0 17 MICHAEL EARL PATTON Contributing Writer I ! n my last article I wrote about the January public meeting by N.O.P.E., Neighbors Opposed to Pipeline Extension. On January 26 I went to the informational meeting by Duke Energy at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Blue Ash explaining the need for the pipeline. The meeting was indeed informative, although it was clear that C314, which comes in from the north, will feed into the proposed Central Corridor Project pipeline. Pipeline C314 has a maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOP) of 720 pounds per square inch (psi). The proposed pipeline will have a MAOP of 500 psi, so the pressure will be less. It will be tested to 1.5 times the MAOP, or 750 psi. This San Bruno, California in 2010. Mr. Hebbeler acknowledged that it is not impossible for there to be an explosion – one cannot exclude every possibility of this happening -- but it would be extremely unlikely. The pipe is very robust, will be inspected on a regular basis (more about this later), and for there to be an explosion the concentration of natural gas has to be between 5 and 15%. If it is too little (below the lower explosive limit) or too much (above the upper explosive limit), it is impossible for the gas to explode just based on the chemistry. If the gas leaked to the atmosphere, it would dissipate. It would have to collect in some kind of enclosed space and the concentration be in the proper range before it could explode. Otherwise, if ignited, it would just burn. Going back to the San Bruno pipeline, Mr. Hebbeler emphasized that the wrong kind of pipe had been used, one that had long axial welds, and had not even been pressure tested. If it had been properly tested, it would have failed before it had been placed in service. As for periodic testing, Duke Energy will do a leak survey using detection equipment over the entire length of pipe annually. Representatives will walk the length of the pipe four times a year making certain that the pipe has not been disturbed. “Third party” damage, such as someone using a backhoe without regard to the presence of pipelines, is the leading cause of damage. If this kind of work has to be done in the area, Duke Energy will come out and mark the pipeline route on the ground and even send someone to observe the digging, if necessary. Because the route will have to be walked, property owners will have to have gates in any fencing that would otherwise prevent access. Further, every few years the pipeline will be inspected from the inside using automatic devices called “pigs” to check for corrosion. Altogether these inspections go beyond what is required by regulations. To some in the audience this exposes a weakness since there is no legally binding guarantee that the robust inspections would continue for all the decades that the pipeline might be in use. Nearly 65% of the preferred route is on industrial or commercial property, or in a public right-of-way. Less than 4% of the pipeline would be on residential land. There was a lot of skepticism in the audience that the two routes identified were really the best overall from the point of view of safety or economics. Indeed, two people pointed out to me that the latest revision goes around Kenwood Country Club, which they attributed to the power of influence. One person pointed out at the meeting that to minimize the number of homes close to the pipeline the pipeline should go through Indian Hills instead of Blue Ash. I thought that Mr. Hebbeler Duke Energy Route Map Credit: Duke Energy the opponents of the pipeline remain very much concerned. Duke Energy provided a booklet for attendees, Your Questions Answered, that actually answered many questions. There were also two presentations by Gary Hebbeler, the Duke Energy Vice-President for operations. At the second presentation he took multiple questions from the audience and even stayed afterwards. I give below many of the main points made by Mr. Hebbeler and also the main concerns by the opponents. The first natural gas piped to Cincinnati came from West Virginia. What this meant was that the existing gas network was built over the decades from the south to the north. Even today 55% of the system is fed from the south. The existing pipeline means that the pipeline could not be pressurized to more than 500 psi once in operation because that would mean that the pipeline would have be shut down and first tested to 1.5 times that higher pressure. Although technically possible, Mr. Hebbeler said that this would mean so much additional work, and public notification as is being done now besides, that increasing the pressure is not realistic. Because this pipeline will be classified as a distribution line, the actual strength of the pipe will be designed to be at least 5 times the MAOP in order to provide a sizeable margin of safety. If the pipeline were to develop a problem, this would almost certainly be in the form of a leak, not an explosion like the one in Pipeline Marker Credit: Michael Earl Patton THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED (Continued on page 7) �4 LOCAL THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED F e b 10 - F e b 2 3, 2 0 17 | N o . 34 9 �5 LOCAL Making Sense of Our Two Selves No. 349 | F e b 10 - F e b 2 3, 2 0 17 KEY BECK Contributing Writer "I t is a peculiar sensation, this doubleconsciousness, this sense of always looking at one’s self through the eyes of others, of measuring one’s soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. One ever feels his two-ness, —an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.” These are the words of W.E.B. Du Bois from his book, The Souls of Black Folk. It talks about the concept of “double-consciousness.” For those who may not know, when originally written it referred to early AfricanAmericans trying to reconcile their identity as black Americans (citizens of their country) versus their identity as an “African” American (people on borrowed land waiting to go back home). It was a concept to illustrate the confusion many black people at the time felt calling America home. They didn’t feel like citizens of America nor Africa, so an internal identity struggle began to brew. Du Bois’ words eloquently describe the psycho-social struggle of feeling both free and oppressed in a country that uses systematic violence and oppression to enforce its rules. African-Americans, really all marginalized identities, continually struggle to feel like true Americans in this unjust society. The current flurry of Executive Orders further illustrates this point. How can we feel like citizens when our identities are under attack? Women, immigrants, and queer people are being targeted by laws, restrictions, and bans. My W. E. B. Du Bois Credit: Wikipedia hair is very long and my complexion allows me to be confused for different ethnicities. If I am targeted because I look “suspicious” in the airport, how can I believe that civil and human liberties actually exist for me? I have been mistaken for a wanted criminal multiple times due to us both being black. Is that the common experience for white citizens? The concept of doubleconsciousness isn’t just about race. It can be applied to many marginalized identities. I often write about the issues faced by queer POC, especially trans* and non-binary folx. Due to those groups being the most marginalized they are often plagued with a nagging double-consciousness. Will they be considering authentic? Will their decisions be medicalized? Will people be open-minded enough to accept them how they present? As marginalized people, we must criticize our bodies and mindsets to ensure we fit what is acceptable. The alternative can mean social and economic discomfort, or even worse violence or death. Due to double consciousness, some non-binary and trans people can spend hours in front of the mirror figuring out the best way to present to the world. This routine may seem frivolous to some, but this could mean getting home safely or not. This could mean getting that job to pay rent or not. This could mean getting placed in a shelter or not. Marginalized people must second guess how they present to the world for fear that their identity will be misunderstood. This means that black men for example will go to great lengths to prove they are not the “angry, black man” or “one of those terrorist guys.” The process of double-consciousness could lead to internal oppression and selfhate. We shouldn’t want to change things about ourselves in order to be deemed less offensive. It is a tedious process full of stress and anxiety. Double-consciousness shouldn’t be viewed as the sole issue here. The bigger issue is the fact that we uphold racist and supremacist regimes who support systematic oppression. They present fallacies through the rhetoric and the media in such vast quantities that people begin to accept them as facts. We need to quit applying stereotypes on people and cultures that we don’t understand. We need to open our minds and use empathy rather than hate. Sadly, due to systematic racism, people of color will continue to be demonized through news reports, film, music, and other forms of media. But we should agree to quit supporting those outlets. WE need to talk with our money and our mouths. We should never stop when we learn of a barrier, but instead work to break it down. Language Matters: Talk Like an Advocate DR. MARK MUSSMAN “W Staff Writer hat you say about somebody else – anybody else – reveals you. What I think of you is being dictated by my own necessity, my own psychology, my own fears and desires. I am not going to describe to you when I talk about you, I’m describing me.” James Baldwin, 1963 When I was in college, I had a classmate that we called “Crazy” Katie. Looking back at it now, I see how clueless we were, and still are, about understanding how bullying and name-calling can have a chilling effect on our community. Now, I cringe whenever I hear someone describe something as “crazy,” thinking not only of the impact it has on those who may be quietly suffering from mental illness, but also for the individual who using such an heavy word in such a flippant way. Language matters. We are constantly barraged by words that are patently offensive on TV and on the streets. I’m not talking about the obviously pejorative words, but words that seeped into our collective vernacular that we don’t even think are offensive: lame, crazy, and even little. Each word may seem harmless, but in sum they have the ability to maim and diminish someone’s ego – and you may be doing it James Baldwin Credit: YouTube unconsciously. I used to try to hold my friends to higher standards. When I hear someone use these words, I tried to gently push them towards using THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED more clearly defined and appropriate words. A statement that I would make looks something like this: (Continued on page 11) �6 LOCAL F e b 10 - F e b 2 3, 2 0 17 | N o . 34 9 (Continued on page 12) THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �LOCAL CANCER NAVIGATION AT STAGE 4 7 No. 349 | F e b 10 - F e b 2 3, 2 0 17 STEVE SUNDERLAND 1. Introduction: For the past two years I have been working with a team of volunteers to close a gap in cancer care. The gap exists for patients that feel uneducated about the meaning of cancer, how cancer can grow without any known reason, how cancer can go from stage one, small and just beginning, to stage 4, the highest and most dangerous evolution of cells, how to get advice about taking steps to be examined and treated, how to face the reality of cancer with an ally that will help with obstacles, be they financial, be they medical confusion, and be they figuring out the insurance maze, and, especially having some confidence in the logistics of getting to and from cancer exams and cancer treatments. This gap is large and made even bigger by the general absence of medical direction for patients as to the right path. There is no clear road map for patients to either become educated about cancer or to find a doctor or to find an easy way to be transported to and from treatments. Trying to fill this gap has been the pioneering work of Harold Freeman, MD, former president of the American Cancer Society and a surgeon. Freeman reviewed the death rates of his patients and realized that too many came too late to be treated; their cancer had progressed to stage 4 and his skills were not able to be used to stop the uncontrolled growth of the cancer. He refused to accept this reality. His approach was to identify community workers who could visit in the community and convince people to come early in their potential development of cancer. Over five years, with his team of people he called, "patient navigators," he was able to reverse the death rate from 70% dying to 70% living. Early exams for cancer led to catching the cancer in time for treatment. Freeman's program gained national recognition and is now a part of the accreditation of every cancer hospital. Freeman's research and publication of his achievement, now over 30 years, is still seeking compliance. Sadly, "(m) ore than a quarter of Americans and Europeans who die before the age of seventy-five would not have died if they'd received appropriate medical MICHAEL EARL PATTON (Continued from page 3) answered the questions honestly and was speaking sincerely when he said that the pipeline was safe, but it was apparent that the audience remained highly skeptical. There are probably several reasons for this which I will touch on only briefly. One I had mentioned above, which is the suspicion that the preferred route was chosen in large part due to the relative lack of political influence Contributing Writer care for their conditions, most of which were chronic." (A. Gawande (1/23/17). "Tell me where it hurts?" The New Yorker.) I started my program when two members of my family contracted cancer. During the search for treatment, I came across the work of Freeman and wondered why no physician or hospital had connected us to a navigator. I checked with the leaders of cancer programs and heard that, while they had heard of navigation, their hospital did not offer it...yet. I also wondered about the confusing choices we had in my family and I inquired about the decisions that are facing newcomers to health care insurance who probably didn't know the realities of cancer. Again, I learned that that no programs existed with the hospitals to educate the general population, or the low income population in specific, about the importance of early screening. I called Dr. Freeman and invited him to Cincinnati to meet with hospital staffs and discuss his method of reducing cancer death. Dr. Freeman came and delivered a powerful talk about the success of his program. Accompanying him was a researcher from Ohio State University's James Cancer Hospital, Electra Paskett, PhD, that affirmed Dr. Freeman's research with a review of navigation programs from around the nation. Navigation worked, navigation was a requirement for accreditation of cancer programs, but navigation was nowhere to be found in Cincinnati. A group of Cincinnati citizens sought to change this situation. 2. Cincinnati's pioneering navigation program: Today, there are 50 navigators as part of an organization called, The Cancer Justice Network. These navigators have been through a training program that followed many of the ideas developed by Dr. Freeman. We have volunteers from the students of the UC medical school, faculty and students from the UC school of social work, UC's health communication department' students, Xavier's students in the school of nursing, and a group of community organizers. Also volunteering is our medical director, Nemat Moussavian, MD, five physicians as primary care providers, and partnerships for screening with Crossroad Health Center, the Cincinnati Health Department's health centers, Cris Collinsworth ProScan, Jewish Hospital's Woman's Center, and 20 human service agencies, including the FreeStore Food Bank, Christ Church Cathedral, Madisonville Education and Assistance Center, Churches Active in Northside, St. Vincent de Paul, Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities, and others. There is a board of directors headed by Robert Harris, DD, and a website: cancerjusticenetwork.org/ We visit these churches and human service organizations and introduce cancer education and the need for early screening. Over 600 people have been involved in our programs since October, 2016. 3. What does a navigator do with the patient? The navigator, a free volunteer, helps the patient with their mobility to early screening and timely treatments. Figuring out how to get to and from screenings and treatments has been a major obstacle for Cincinnatians and now there will be assistance in transportation. Equally important, is the gaining of some critical education about cancer and the way cancer can grow and, in some cases, kill people. Navigators have information from the American Cancer Society as well as access to our medical director. At meetings, in churches and human service agencies, questions can be asked about family history, or any topic that relates to the health of the patient. The navigator will connect the patient to physicians at the health centers for more in depth discussions. The navigator will accompany the patient, if wanted, through each step of the educational and treatment process. In sum, the navigator is the patient's ally as they navigate what is too often a confusing and fearful process. In this way, following Freeman's approach, we hope to change the death rate in Cincinnati and spread the word that cancer, caught early, may be a curable disease. 4. The pain of Stage 4: My brother's colon cancer has existed during the same time as the development of the Cancer Justice Network. He is a powerful teacher of the by the residents who would live near that route. Bolstering this suspicion are the checks being mailed on the Williams vs. Duke Energy court settlement, allegedly because Duke had given preferential rates to its large customers so they would not contest a rate increase. And the refunds were much later than expected. Another is the mistake that Duke made at the first presentation when they refused to answer questions from the audience – a mistake for which Mr. Hebbeler apologized at the second session. Based on my own experiences, poor customer service may be another factor. Finally, Duke Energy is not local in the way that the old Cincinnati Gas & Electric was. Remember the Christmas train display downtown? Before C.G. & E. was bought by Duke the display (and cookies) were free. People stood in line to see it, and I did, too. Now one has to pay admission to the Museum Center in order to see it, and it wasn’t even shown this year because of renovations to the museum. Good- THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED realities of facing cancer, logistically, financially, and psychologically. He is a convincing advocate for navigation even though no hospital he works with has a navigator program. Thankfully, he had sufficient funds to hire an independent physician to review all of his records and the suggestions for treatment. He has been Stage 4 for the past two years and has learned that he is his best "navigator." He has taught me that the patient's full participation in their own treatment, review of records, consultation with resources, and friendship are critical factors in surviving this difficult stage. His physicians have missed too many elements in his case to give him the feeling that they truly understand his condition. Or, that they are convinced about what are his next steps. Facing the unknown about his disease and treatment, he has demonstrated a good sense of humor, a healthy dose of skepticism, and a dogged review of research. These are key factors in his survival. Yet, the unknown can also deliver a terrible punch to the emotions as numbers indicating the spread or cancer continue to rise and confusion exists about appropriate steps. In our daily conversations about next steps, we are reminded that navigating can be an emotional roller-coaster. We are never prepared for the next twist or turn, whether good or bad. But, and this is the key, partnership between us reduces fears, builds courage, lightens the load of depression, and reminds us that our love cannot be broken by the disease. Being a navigator means venturing out into the unknown and without the certainty of a happy ending or even the reduction of pain. Facing, together, many of these horrors, makes my emotions a bit stronger and, I know, strengthens him as the road continues without a road map. Navigation is critical for the survival of people's emotions and the logistics of managing a very difficult disease. The lessons from my personal experience mirror the realities of Cincinnati. The gap of isolation, confusion, false suggestions, and medical avoidance must be changed and filled out in a different way by navigators. We continue down this path, helped by many friends, and agencies, and toward the development of a realistic expectation for all cancer patients: you will have a friend, an ally, a comanager, and a critical person we call a "navigator." ------------------------ will gestures are important in building a trusting relationship. Then there is still the question of eminent domain to seize the right-ofway for the pipeline. Compensation does not mitigate the fact that the right-of-way would restrict the use of your land. The effect is worse if you have a relatively small lot. This may mean that you will not be able to build the addition to your house or the garage that you want. (Continued on page 10) �e 8 NATIONAL Art Exhibit Inspired by the #BlackLivesMatter Movement F e b 10 - F e b 2 3, 2 0 17 | N o . 34 9 GRETCHEN MARIE SEMANCIK O n February 3, an exhibit at the Carnegie Center for Art and History, New Albany, IN, opened called “#BlackArtMatters”. The exhibit was born out of the Black Lives Matter movement, and features the talents and values of local and national African American artists. The curator of the center and organizer of the exhibit is Daniel Pfalzgraf. Pfalzgraf became the curator of the Carnegie Center for Art and History two years ago, and this is the first exhibit he has put together there. Contributing Writer Pfalzgraf says he was inspired to put an exhibit like the “#BlackArtMatters” exhibit together because, from previous work he has done as a curator, he noticed there was an underrepresentation of African American artists in the area. The artists featured are Ray Dalton, Stephen Flemister, Robyn Gibson, Natasha Giles, Christina Long, Fahamu Pecou, LaNia Roberts, Dread Scott, Scheherazade Tillet, and Shawn Michael Warren. Pfalzgraf says he “feels more inspired by connecting with the artists through working with them on the exhibit” about sharing their lives, stories, and values. Many of the artists are nationally known and come from all around the country. Artist Dread Scott, who works in ranges of media like performance, photography, installation, screenprinting and video, who is known for his 1989 installation called “What is the Proper Way to Display a U.S. Flag?” Pfalzgraf, also, wished to include regional artists Robyn Gibson, Natasha Giles, and LaNia Roberts. Gibson, a 2014 graduate from the University of Louisville, was one of the first artists asked to be a part of the exhibit. For fear of the exhibit being looked at as an exhibit specifically for Black History Month, Pfalzgraf says he didn’t want to open the show in February, but due to the availability of the space in the Carnegie, it was Images from the #BlackArtMatters Exhibit Credit: Gretchen Marie Semancik THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED the earliest he could open the show or else he would have had to wait until December. Since the exhibits opening on Friday night, February 3, Pfalzgraf says the show has received an “overwhelmingly positive reaction”. Sculptor Ed Hamilton, residing in Louisville, KY, and most famous for “The Spirit of Freedom” memorial in Washington D.C., and Nicole Yates, president of the New Albany branch of the NAACP, checked out the exhibit. The permanent exhibits that are at the Carnegie are the “George W. Morrison Gallery”, “Remembered: The Life of Lucy Higgs Nichols”, and “Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage: Men and Women of the Underground Railroad”. The “#BlackArtMatters” exhibit is open until April 8, 2017. �WORLD Europe of the future: the people behind Germany’s experimental village 9 No. 349 | F e b 10 - F e b 2 3, 2 0 17 BENJAMIN LAUFER T he plot for a new Europe is just 100km from Hamburg. You can get there by train from the city in less than two hours. On arrival, you only have to walk a short distance from Hitzacker Station to reach the large meadow where the 21st century experimental plot is located. “Europe will be as attractive as we make it,” says Sonja Deuter as we walk around the 55,000m2 plot. Her co-operative has purchased the land on which to an entire village and vision of a new Europe will be built on. Planned is housing for refugees, families and the elderly who will live together and have equal rights. “There won’t be any fences,” adds Sonja enthusiastically. “The main principle is community.” A community already exists, even before the first sod has been cut. Twelve of its members are sitting in the evening sun in front of the train station. The Construction Team discusses the prototype for the residential buildings planned to be built on the green meadow. Which type of windows will be used? Can the apartments on the first floor be obstacle free… and affordable? Courtesy of Hinz&Kunzt / INSP.ngo further 100 have expressed interest. Democratically, every member can have a say on the creation of the village. Decisions are first taken Clay builder Stefan Neumann demonstrates what the experimental village will look like. Credit: Lena Maja Wˆhler in a working party, and then in the larger plenary. It’s a real challenge says Frank. “This planning is more time-consuming than it is for a block Mara and Sabrina don't have much money, but can still afford to move into the village. Credit: Lena Maja Wˆhler “It’s a matter of trying to calculate every clip, nail and gutter with this house,” explains Hamburg architect Frank Gutzeit to the group. It’s an important process as all the houses will be built using this model. A total of 100 housing units are planned for 300 people. There are currently 80 members in the co-operative and a cost should be 4.90 euro per square metre (service charges not included e.g. heating and hot water). Government offices will cover the new village in Hitzacker must contribute 13,500 euros. Land, electricity cables, roads – it all costs money. “I can’t afford to join the project without support,” says 34-year old Maria Stöckemann. Since successfully completing cancer treatment, this single mother has been living on unemployment benefits and desperately wants to move from her anonymous block of flats. “There are a lot of people here of rented apartments,” he says. “But it’s worth the effort. We discover new construction methods and the users are more involved.” The main challenge is the fact many of intended villagers have very little money. Yet no one has stated that an apartment will be unaffordable. The maximum rental the costs for asylum seekers and unemployed members. An essential element is that construction materials must to be sustainable and sourced who want to make that possible for us,” she says. “They are incredibly strong.” Enough money has been contributed into a solidarity fund to Omid Kuhestani had to leave Afghanistan when the Taliban threatened his family. He's building himself a new home in Hitzacker. Credit: Lena Maja Wˆhler from the local region. Sonja says, “We have to make a significant contribution ourselves to make it possible for others to live here. There is another financial hurdle in addition to the construction costs; everyone who wants to move into THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED make it possible for people like Maria to live here. Around 88,000 euros has been collected in total. Omid Kuhestani will also benefit from the fund. The 23-yearold Afghan arrived in nearby (Continued on page 11) �10 Lots of Protests These Days T WORLD F e b 10 - F e b 2 3, 2 0 17 | N o . 34 9 JUSTIN JEFFRE Staff Writer here have been a lot of protests nationally, around the world and locally ever since President Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20. On January 21, there was the Women’s March on Washington – and across the nation. Police estimated at least 10,000 marched here in Cincinnati. On January 30, hundreds gathered to protest President Trump’s Muslim ban and support City Hall’s call to make MICHAEL EARL PATTON (Continued from page 7) Businesses may not be able to expand as planned. A close-up of the route shows that the pipeline would take dozens of unexpected twists and Citizens gather to protest President Trump's Muslim ban and to support City Hall's call to make Cincinnati a Sanctuary City. Credit: Dr. Mark Mussman Signs at Washington Park Cincinnati a Sanctuary City. President Trump is now saying there maybe consequences for that decision. He’s threatening to pull federal funding. On February 3, there was a protest at City Hall over the nomination of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education. On Wednesday February 8, there was a protest at Fountain Square because the Army Corp of Engineers has granted the easement to begin drilling in North Dakota on Treaty land. Following the rally there was a march to the Federal Building where the Army Corp of Engineers has an office. turns in a way that is perhaps best described as “gnarly.” It is certainly not even close to a straight route. Again, why? Were there engineering factors involved or was this again the result of influence? There is no way to tell from the material that Duke provided. I do want to discuss the situation of overall natural gas supplies, but that will be in another article. For now, here are the main websites for both sides on the pipeline: Duke Energy’s website on the pipeline is: https://www.duke-energy.com/ home/natural-gas/central-corridorpipeline-ext The website for the main opposition group is: www.NOPEcincy.org Credit: Dr. Mark Mussman THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �No. 349 | F e b 10 - F e b 2 3, 2 0 17 BENJAMIN LAUFER 11 LOCAL (Continued from page 9) Dannenberg in 2010 after fleeing from the Taliban. He has since trained as a bricklayer in Hamburg and can’t wait to get to work in Hitzacker. “You can just get involved and make your own suggestions,” he says. Omid admits he’d like to live in the village with his parents and siblings one day. “We’re going to build the village and I’ll get my high-school diploma and go to university,” he says confidently. He’d like to become an architect, like his father, and has already completed an internship with Frank Gutzeit. Later, Omid sits in the large plenary session with Sonja, Frank, Maria and 30 other members of the cooperative. This group has already hatched a lot of very impressive plans since the idea of a multicultural, intergenerational village emerged last year. The timeline is ambitious: DR. MARK MUSSMAN (Continued from page 5) Friend: “We couldn’t even get in to the club tonight – the bouncer was being so lame!” Me: “Wow, that’s no good – but that’s not the word I would use to describe the bouncer.” Friend: “What do you mean?” Me: “Ok, let me explain. You used the word ‘lame’ but you probably mean something like ‘strict’ or ‘selective’ or even ‘difficult”, but using ‘lame’ can be seen as an insult to someone with disabilities.” Friend (feeling offended): “Well, I didn’t mean it that way!” In an attempt to save face, the friend looks up “lame” in the dictionary and tries to make some statement about how there is one definition that doesn’t have to do with disabilities. After awhile, it became obvious that policing people’s language isn’t going to be productive, mainly because of mass media’s effect on us. If you turn on almost any TV show, you will hear, crazy, insane, lame, etc. JUSTIN JEFFRE (Continued from page 2) solutions to eradicating them. (Please contact Dr. Mark Mussman at 513421-7803 x 14 or markmussman@ cincihomeless.org if you know of any schools or organizations that might be interested in our programs.) The Homeless Coalition does grassroots community organizing. To give you a few examples in recent years, we helped organize many protests against Western & Southern when they were trying to push the Anna Louise Inn out of the downtown business district. While W&S prevailed, we believed the added pressure from the public forced them to give Cincinnati Union Bethel a better deal for the construction of a The construction team discusses how to keep costs down on the sustainable plans for the village. Credit: Lena Maja Wˆhler construction started at the end of 2016, with the first house due to be ready to live in by July 2017. The rest should be completed by the end of 2018. Is there any doubt that this vision of Europe will really come to fruition in Hitzacker? “None whatsoever,” says Sonja. Translated from German to English by Johanna McCalmont / Translators Without Borders over and over. You can’t even watch the news without hearing these words used to describe inane and mundane things. This isn’t to say that we should abandon our language conventions altogether, but it offers us an opportunity to be more clear in our language. One of my co-workers has one of the most impressive vocabularies – in that they are able to list off synonyms of any word you throw at them. By pointing out the misuse of the term of “insane” this coworker was able to rattle off about 10 synonyms in about 20 seconds: “incomprehensible” “astounding” “unbelievable” “loose” “inconceivable” etc. So, it’s clear that we have the vocabulary, so why do we still use these offensive words? We are tremendously lazy when it comes to our language use. Most Americans use less that 300 distinct words in their vocabularies. This limits us and ultimately, limits our future generations. If we can not model for them proper and ambitious language usage, our collective vocabulary will diminish. But more importantly, if we are unable to detangle these words from our accepted linguist repertoire, we lead them in a direction that alienates and inadvertently hurts people. I have no idea what Katie is doing these days. We lost contact after graduation, but I can guarantee that she was well aware of the language we used in describing her. Whether this had an impact on her, I may never know, but I know that when I turn on the TV or hear people using these words, it has a huge impact on me. I try to be forgiving, but it says more about the individual using the word than the person/thing/event to which it refers. Our community in college purportedly was close-knit, but how close were we when we participated in such egregious behavior? Today, schools participate in NoName-Calling Week and other events to point out how damaging this form of bullying can be to the school’s fabric. When I hear name-calling I think about James Baldwin’s quote and what does it say about someone who uses “crazy” or “insane” or even “lame,” etc. incessantly. What does it say about a society that not only allows these words to float around the ether, but also rewards people for using them? Just one last note about the word “little” which is used to devalue the importance of certain things and events. On February 1st, the Republican President took a few moments to say something about Black History Month. The content of the speech is offensive and degrading on so many levels, but the first thing that hit me the most when I read the speech, was how the word “little” was used to describe the Black History Month breakfast ceremony. Whether intentional or not, the word “little” clearly defined the value of Black History to the current administration. “Well, this is Black History Month, so this is our little breakfast, our little get-together.” One word can reveal all. James Baldwin (1963) concluded: “The only way to get through life is to know the worst things about it. I know that a person is worth more than anything else – anything else. I’ve learned this because I had to learn it. But you still think, I gather, that the “negro” is necessary – well it is unnecessary to me, so it must be necessary to you. I give you your problem back.” new Anna Louise Inn building. More recently we helped organize tenants that are dealing with an out of town slum lord. With the assistance of Legal Aid and the City of Cincinnati the buildings have now been put into receivership and an independent management company is working to address many of the problems. There’s still much work to do in that area. Due to our advocacy work we’ve been able to get increases to the health and human services budget which helps provide much needed funding for our many membership organizations that do direct services. This is after many years of cuts to those services We worked with city council to add people experiencing homelessness to our city’s hate crimes legislation in order to create stiffer penalties for people who attack those they perceive as being homeless because and vulnerable. That made Cincinnati the third city in the nation to have this type of legislation. One thing most people probably don’t know about us is that we are essentially a small post office. Thousands of people that don’t have an address in our area use our address and get their mail here. We also let people use our phone to make calls. For many trying to get a job, find housing, or some other type of service, this is very important. Recently we’ve worked with the city to create an employment pipeline for those experiencing homelessness and seeking employment. Of course there’s also our Streetvibes program where our distributors buy this paper for 75 cents and sell it for a $2 donation, empowering them to earn much needed income. These are just some of the things that we do. On page 4 you can read about some of the other things we’ve been up to recently. The Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition doesn’t take any government funding. We rely upon the generosity of private donors like you. If you would like to help us with our mission to eradicate homelessness, please consider making a donation at cincihomeless. org or sending a check to the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition at 117 E. 12th Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. Thank you for your support! THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED ------------------------ �12 Happiness BOBBY MORRIS I Contributing Writer was once asked what makes me Happy? I gave the appropriate answers, Family, a good job, and my health. At the time, I would have said that was an honest answer, but it wasn’t. Happiness to me has been an illusion. I thought being with a certain person made me happy, working with close friends made me happy, STREET VOICE having money in my pocket made me happy. NO!! I haven’t been truly happy in years. I don’t know what makes me happy. I know what doesn’t, and that is something I work very hard on every day to stay away from. I have been looking at my past for those truly happy occasions. The one that sticks out the most. Is being their when my twin nieces were born. I became an uncle that day and 2 months later I was off to serve my country. I was the first in my family to see those two girls and I could have F e b 10 - F e b 2 3, 2 0 17 | N o . 34 9 cried, (I didn’t, MEN DON’ T CRY). Today those girls are raising their own families and I am proud of them. Talked to a friend today about happiness, he told me where he gets his happiness. It’s within his heart. His Faith brings him happiness and that is all that matters. I have searched my own heart for that happiness and it’s their I know it. I believe over time I will be able to feel it more prominently as I grow in my Faith. Speaking of Faith. I always had some sort of Faith but I never actually relied on it like I do now. I have Faith that my life will get better, I have Faith that no matter what I will always get my needs met. I have Faith that I was put here on this earth for a Purpose. What that Purpose is I am waiting for that to be revealed to me. It may have already been revealed, but I am not ready to see or understand it. You see by that, I HAVE FAITH! So back to the “What makes me Happy Question”? Today it’s knowing that I don’t have to walk this earth alone or for that matter ever feel lonely. I am Happy knowing that. And that my friends, “IS FAITH”!! Here’s to 2016 LEE MCCOY W Contributing Writer ow, 2016. What a year you had been and I’m glad you’re now history. Some of our greatest artists have been laid to rest. Thank God their songs and accomplishments will live on forever. Here’s a list of the best of my ability and if I omitted anyone (I’m sure I will) please forgive me. You ever hear a song and it just stays in your head? Or you sing it all day. Or maybe you were with somebody and every time you hear that song memories are just embedded in your head and heart. Thank God the music lives on forever. In 2016 we saw police kill so many people all over this nation. It was caught on camera and yet no police officers have been convicted of these crimes even when a jury can watch it happen. Real talk now people, even Stevie Wonder can see they are guilty, yet they walk. The home team really took it on the chin. The Reds came in last place, but they got rid of their better players. I guess they got what they wanted, your money, huh. The Bengals really disappointed us in so many games they had a chance to win, but they found a way to lose. But if you are like me, you will still say ‘Who Dey’. We will see what 2017 brings. “Breakdown Stereotypes” “Eradicate Misinformation” The Coalition for the Homeless provides Education and Service Programs that help to portray a more accurate and holistic picture of homelessness in Cincinnati. We believe an educated public can be a more compassionate public, willing to dedicate time and effort towards creating solutions to homelessness. The “Voice of the Homeless Speaker’s Bureau” program is made up of individuals currently experiencing homelessness or who have experienced homelessness, who share their experiences. The program is designed to put a face on homelessness and raise awareness about those struggling in our community. To schedule a speaker, contact Dr. Mark Mussman at MarkMussman@cincihomeless.org. THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �13 STREET VOICE No. 349 | F e b 10 - F e b 2 3, 2 0 17 ON ALTERNATIVE FACTS Orange Barrels Orange Barrels, Orange Barrels They’re everywhere Kellyanne Conway got caught in a lie, But Trump's advisor slyly made this reply. Each day the construction workers are there She said the press should show more tact, Putting up the construction signs By calling her falsehood an alternative fact. Placing Orange Barrels all around BILL WOODS Contributing Writer From block to block, from street to street HOME ALONE I feel so blessed that being homeless for me has ceased Construction work is on the streets Ceased meaning yesterday looking at today, I still pray for peace So just sit down and take a seat I just knew being home alone, finally after living on the street with a slide Orange Barrels are what you’re gonna see KIM GREEN Streetvibes Distributor & Contributing Writer That I could finally rest with my memories and let my spirit glide I've learned that being home alone doesn't always make one happy Especially, to wake up to the reality that the world you live in actually is crappy I hear a security guard involved in the death of a young man I hear for double murder you get twenty-five years in this land! I find myself after all is said and done, I'm lonely, bored, behind the times or missing people I need to be able to talk, enjoy, laugh, respecting history with loud chimes on the steeples I've learned in order to a make a change it takes some serious work and a lot of effort for me I've learned that I cannot change people, I must take the challenge to change myself you see I 've learned to keep my spirit clean for only God knows the truth there is NO DOUBT I'm learning to be honest with myself and living my life is what it's all about For everyone needs to be aware, rather it be now or later that the CONSCIENCE KILLS Whether you be good or bad to live in denial just listen your conscience will get you… YOU JUST BE STILL! WILLA DENISE JONES Streetvibes Distributor & Contributing Writer THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �14 PUZZLES CROSSWORD PUZZLE NO. 118 Across 1. Acute 6. Remain 10. Fake 14. Quibble 15. Undulation 16. Counterbalance used to obtain net weight 17. Olfactory sensation 18. Being 20. Novel 21. Roman god of love 23. Correct 24. Throw forcefully 25. Male offspring 26. Misprints 29. Singing voice 31. Beer 34. Rodent 35. Weirdo 36. Hawaiian garland 37. Look with amorous intentions 38. Slumber 39. Preside over 40. Golf accessory 41. Walk stealthily 42. Hew 43. Make a mistake 44. Insect between larva and adult 45. Rag 46. For each 47. Open river valley 48. Jewelled headdress 51. Fervid 53. Joke 56. Musical instrument 58. Danger 60. Maize 61. Not in favor of 62. Transparency mounted in a frame 63. Leg joint 64. Ray 65. Frequently Down 1. Make a wide, sweeping search of 2. Leporid mammal 3. Affirm solemnly 4. Flange 5. Appease 6. Cleared with a brush 7. Cab 8. Esurient 9. Affirmative 10. Beer mug 11. Suspend 12. Curved masonry construction 13. Encounter 19. Cavalry unit 22. Country, initially 24. Portable container 25. Pace 26. Represent 27. Pirate flag, Jolly ___ 28. Measuring stick 29. Sports venue 30. Edible plant, related to the onion 31. Warning 32. Depart 33. Kind of duck 35. Small metal fastener 38. Disparaging remark 39. Tardy 41. Lance 42. Sea nymph (Mythology) 45. Bitumen 46. Having a tendency 47. Coarse durable cotton fabric 48. Stable gear 49. Graphic symbol 50. Land measure 51. Amercement 52. 9th letter of the Greek alphabet 53. Fortitude and determination 54. Auxiliary 55. Narrow secluded valley 57. Light touch or stroke 59. Fairy F e b 10 - F e b 2 3, 2 0 17 | N o . 34 9 SODOKU PUZZLE NO 248 - MEDIUM PUZZLE SOLUTIONS ISSUE 343 CROSSWORD PUZZLE NO. 117 SODOKU PUZZLE NO 247- MEDIUM PUZZLES from puzzlechoice.com and puzzles.ca THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �RESOURCES No. 349 | F e b 10 - F e b 2 3, 2 0 17 Central Access Point 381-SAFE Shelter: Women and Children Bethany House 557-2873 FreeStore/FoodBank 241-1064 McMicken Dental Clinic 352-6363 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti Mental Health Access Point 558-8888 NAMI of Hamilton County 351-3500 PATH Outreach 977-4489 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 271-5501 Other Resources St. Vincent de Paul 562-8841 215 E. 14th St. 45202 1730 Race Street 45202 St. Francis Soup Kitchen 535-2719 Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 4230 Hamilton Ave. 45223 1841 Fairmount Ave. 45214 The Esther Marie Hatton Center for Women 2499 Reading Road 562-1980 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 681-2365 112 E. Liberty Street 45202 4600 Erie Ave. 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 6037 Cary Ave. 45224 Salvation Army 762-5660 131 E. 12th Street 45202 1125 Bank Street 45214 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 872-9259 Treatment or Supportive Recovery: Men Shelter: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 Shelterhouse 721-0643 2121 Vine Street 45202 411 Gest St. 45203 Prospect House 921-1613 1437 Walnut Street 45202 Starting Over 961-2256 1805 Dalton Ave. 45214 Treatment or Supportive Recovery: Women St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 381-4941 682 Hawthorne Ave. 45205 City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Parkway Center 661-4620 First Step Home 961-4663 Shelter: Youth 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Sheakley Center for Youth (18-24 y/o) 2522 Highland Ave. 45219 569-9500 Lighthouse Youth Crisis Center (10-17 y/o) 3330 Jefferson Ave 45220 961-4080 Shelter: Family Interfaith Hospitality Network 15 Northern Kentucky 241-2965 Hamilton County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board 946-8000 Recovery Health Access Center 281-7422 Sober Living 681-0324 Talbert House 221-HELP 114 W. 14th Street 45202 Talbert House 221-HELP Tender Mercies 721-8666 27 W. 12th Street 45202 Tom Geiger House 961-4555 Volunteers of America 381-1954 Anna Louise Inn 421-5211 Advocacy Catholic Social Action 421-3131 Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Center 381-4242 Franciscan JPIC 721-4700 Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 2401-2411 Reading Rd. 45202 Cincinnati Union Bethel 768-6907 2401 Reading Rd. 45202 VA 977-6800 VA Homeless 859-572-6226 Food/Clothing Hamilton/Middletown Joseph House (Veterans) 1522 Republic Street 45202 Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 761-1480 CMHA 721-4580 Excel Development 632-7149 OTR Community Housing 381-1171 1223 Main St. 45202 People Working Cooperatively 351-7921 The Caring Place 631-1114 Talbert House 751-7747 United Way 211 Women Helping Women 977-5541 Off The Streets 421-5211 AA Hotline 351-0422 CCAT 381-6672 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. 45214 Housing: Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart 381-0111 Goodwill Industries 771-4800 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. 579-8547 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 St. Raephaels 981-4200 Salvation Army 863-1445 Serenity House Day Center 422-8555 Open Door Pantry 868-3276 Treatment or Supportive Recovery: Both 471-1100 Center Independent Living Options 241-2600 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621-5514 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Ohio Justice & Policy Center 421-1108 UpSpring 363-3300 Brighton Center 799 Ann St. Newport, KY 859-491-8303 ECHO/Hosea House Fairhaven Resuce Mission Homeward Bound Youth Mathews House Homeless & Housing Coalition Parish Kitchen Pike St. Clinic Transitions, Inc Welcome House of NKY 859-261-5857 859-491-1027 859-581-1111 859-261-8009 859-727-0926 859-581-7745 859-291-9321 859-491-4435 859-431-8717 Women’s Crisis Center VA Domiciliary 859-491-3335 859-572-6202 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 Health Center for Respite Care 621-1868 3550 Washington Ave. 45229 First Lutheran Church 421-0065 1208 Race St. Food - Last Monday 12-1 Clothing - second Monday 12-1 Lord’s Pantry 621-5300 OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry 961-1983 Cincinnati Health Network 2825 Burnet Ave. 45219 961-0600 Crossroad Health Center 381-2247 Want to advertise in Streetvibes? 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For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2017 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource February 10-February 23, 2017 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Cover Page Pg 2: From the Director Who We Are, What We DO Pg 3: Duke Defends Pipeline Pg 4: GCHC Pg 5: Making Sense of Our Two Selves Language Matters Pg 6: How to Respond to Panhandling Pg 7: Cancer Navigation at Stage 4 Pg 8: Art Exhibit Inspired by the #BlackLivesMatter Movement Pg 9: Europe of the Future Pg 10: Lots of Protests These Days Pg 11: Benjamin Laufer Continued Pg 12: Here’s to 2016 Pg 13: Street Voice Pg 14: Puzzles Pg 15: Resources Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 10-February 23, 2017 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Josh Spring Justin Jeffre Michael Earl Patton Key Beck Dr. Mark Mussman Steve Sunderland Gretchen Marie Semancik Bobby Morris Lee McCoy Kim Green Bill Woods Willa Denise Jones Daulton King Duke Energy Wikipedia YouTube Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Bill Woods Black Lives Matter Bobby Morris Daulton King Dr. Mark Mussman Duke Energy Germany Gretchen Marie Semancik Josh Spring Justin Jeffre Key Beck Kim Green Lee McCoy Michael Earl Patton Protests Steve Sunderland Wikipedia Willa Denise Jones YouTube https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/b68a63822ecba68f8973329ef3b02383.pdf 21e7e639905567d57310a8ec007e1206 PDF Text Text February 12th - February 25th 2016 | Vol. 20 Issue 4 (No. 323) advocating justice | Building community March and Vigil in support of Immigrants on Ash Wednesday | 12 This issue sponsored by (Retired) Judge Mark P. Painter INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Director: We Get To Work with Some Powerful People | 2 Xavier’s Town Hall meeting reflecting on the civil unrest in 2001 | 11 Making Cincinnati Preschool Promise a Reality | 7 This 30 Day Challenge Changed Our Community | 5 Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition 113 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 streetvoice | 13 �2 LOCAL From the Director: We Get To Work with Some Powerful People JOSH SPRING Executive Director On Monday, February 1st, the Alms, Entowne and Burton Residents’ Associations, along with Legal Aid, the City of Cincinnati and the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition made history. Six-hundred local households representing thousands of Cincinnatians won in Judge Beth Myer’s courtroom. Judge Myers put the five properties in which we have been organizing residents into receivership, meaning that all rent monies and managerial responsibilities will now lie in the hands of the Milhaus Management Company. Milhaus has been appointed by the court to abate the nuisance the Puretz family, represented by local attorney Steve Rothstein, have turned these five local properties into. In December Judge Myers ruled that the owners had turned these properties into public nuisances after organized residents allowed city inspectors into their homes. Inspector cited 1800 violations. For more than a year we have worked with residents to form official Resident Associations. As these Associations have formed, they have elected Legal Aid to represent them and have voted to join the lawsuit filed against the owners by the city in February 2015. Milhaus will work with the Resident Associations to improve each of these homes and make the properties safe, healthy and sustainable. This court-appointed manager will report on a strict schedule to the court and the Residents’ Associations to show the improvement plan is being followed and is successful. Considering rent monies from residents and the federal government as well as two mortgages, the Puretz family and their partners have received approximately 32 million dollars in two years. Despite claiming that they have spent large sums on improving these properties and further claiming they have not had enough money to do full repairs, there is no proof they have actually spent any remotely significant dollars on these properties. Instead a roof has caved in, ceilings are falling, plumbing is leaking, doors are broken, mold is growing, hallways are unlit, sewage is backing up, the heat isn’t working, floors are coming up, elevators are getting stuck, electric outlets are creating fire hazards, there are not proper means of emergency egress, there has been no security… We do know the owners purchased a luxury building in the state of New York recently for approximately $28 million. Now, finally the millions of dollars in rents collected here, forward will have to be spent honestly for the purpose they are intended, improving and maintaining the properties. The receivership will last until the court is satisfied that the properties are safe, healthy and fully livable. In addition to these five properties, two additional properties owned by the Puretz family were part of this order. These properties were not a part of the December public nuisance finding, primarily because of time constraints, but are in similar conditions. These two properties, Georgia Mason and Founders’ Home in Walnut Hills are a part of the same defaulted mortgage as the other two and therefore were included in the receivership order. For two years, thousands of people have had to incur the pain that comes with living in buildings not maintained, repaired or kept safe. Finally, after a year of fighting, residents should start to see improvements soon. We still have a ways to go and a lot of work to do to ensure these buildings become what they should have always been, but we took a major step forward at saving these invaluable affordable homes. P2 Residents with Legal Aid at the courthouse Photo: Josh Spring We hope that this success thus far and the hopeful eventual full success can serve as a model in cities across the country. Often slumlords like these get away with injustices because cities, press and the general public tend to blame the people living in such properties for the conditions. This either results in conditions worsening to the point of closure or the use of laws similar to our public nuisance ordinance to shut the properties down, displacing people and creating more homelessness. This happens in cities across the country and has happened in Cincinnati in the past. In this situation we have shown a productive way of dealing with slumlords. Residents have been at the core since the beginning; we reached out to the press early on and the Resident Associations shared their situation, hopes and demands; the city’s building, health, fire and law departments have been able to cite the many problems with the properties because the residents were prepared to allow inspectors into their homes, these departments have kept the focus on improvements for residents and responsibility falling on the owners; the Law and Public Safety Committee of City Council and City Council as a whole has publically shown support for the residents and encouraged city staff to hold them accountable and the public nuisance decision of the court squarely put the public nuisance decision on the owners. It is angering that all of this and more to come has to be done to save peoples’ homes. We wish that people were honest and cared about the health and safety of fellow humans instead of caring about getting as financially rich as possible, while walking on whomever it takes to do so. That is not the world in which we live however. Therefore we need additional legal resources to protect the human rights of home; living wages, health care, affordable rents, protections against money laundering, quick acting governmental bodies working for those experiencing the problems, more checks and balances, just cause eviction laws, rent control, etc. We are so thankful, as a coalition to have a mission statement that requires us to work alongside people living in the Alms, Entowne Manor, Burton, Reids Valley View, Shelton Gardens, Georgia Mason and Founders’ Home; some of the strongest, most powerful people in our midst. ------------------------ THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED Feb 12 - Feb 25 , 2016 | No. 323 Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by individuals experiencing homelessness or on the edge of homelessness, in exchange for a $2.00 Donation. Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati. 113 East 12th St. Cincinnati OH, 45202 Ph: 513.421.7803 FAX: 513.421.7813 WEB: www.cincihomeless.org BLOG: streetvibes.wordpress.com EMAIL: streetvibes@cincihomeless.org Editor: Justin Jeffre Executive Director: Josh Spring Director of Development: Leslie Moorhead Director of Education: Mark Mussman Distributor Program Manager: Justin Jeffre Layout: Peter Kobak Reception: Derrick Hudson, Iolanda Barton, Patricia J. Brown, Larry Johnson, Dante Williams Maintenance: Pete Roper CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE Writers: Josh Spring, Bill Woods, Dr. Mark Mussman, Jason Haap, Michael Earl Patton, Thomas A. Dutton, Valeria Degutis, David Burns, Sarah Busemeyer, Justin Jeffre, Kim Green, Willa Denise Jones Photography/Artwork: Josh Spring, Dr. Mark Mussman, Justin Jeffre, Bill Woods, Renae Banks Thank You For Reading Streetvibes And Supporting Our Mission To Build Community And Advocate Justice. Streetvibes and The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless do not endorse candidates for public office. �LOCAL Student Reflections on OTR 3 No. 323 | F eb 1 2 - F eb 2 5 , 2 0 1 6 THOMAS A. DUTTON Director T he completion of our Fall 2015 Miami University Overthe-Rhine Residency Program marks its tenth year of this special community-university collaboration. Offered through the University’s Center for Community Engagement in Over-the-Rhine, students from many walks of life moved to Over-the-Rhine for a full semester, living together, taking courses, engaging in reflection, and serving deep community need with neighborhood organizations, residents, and organizers. Like the prior nine iterations of this Program, a primary goal is for students and community members, through the relationships and trust they build, to come to see the humanity beneath the narratives that circulate about Over-the-Rhine. Too often these narratives dehumanize; we come together to develop empathy. Below are a few samples: Valeria Degutis (ARC) Over-the-Rhine and all its glory, it was all a misunderstanding. The once impressive place I thought was all about the people and redevelopment, I found out it was not. You might say, “well look at how great it is”, but I say “what defines greatness?” Is it the businesses and bars? Or is it the little neighborhood centers and services? So maybe I’m biased, but after living here for a semester and experiencing Overthe-Rhine as a resident every day, I think I’m allowed to go against the popular vote. I’ve done a lot of reflection this semester and one of my first reflections stemmed out of someone asking me how my soul felt. At this point my eyes had been opened to another Over-the-Rhine and here’s what I said three days into this Residency Program: All this is, is writing in a journal, but this night of journaling is too hard. Why can’t I just write my thoughts today? I think the answer to that is that there are too many. There are so many things to wrap my head around today and every day, but more so now. I feel the beginning of a difficult semester ahead. How does my soul feel? My soul feels shattered. I am shattered and torn. My values, beliefs, preconceptions along with my passion and attitude lies before me like a shattered mirror. I can see myself, but I’m distorted. The pieces of me and everything that makes me are up in a mess of unknown and discomfort, of desire and passive attitude. The shattered pieces of my soul lie scattered before me, waiting for me to pick them up and glue them back together. Even if my soul isn’t shattered, I want to break it so that I can put it back together and feel whole and fixed again. The uncertainty leaves me feeling desperate for answers and change. Change. The good kind. The kind that makes us relate and love one another, bringing us all to be one. This is how I felt about Overthe-Rhine before classes had even started and before I had the chance to sit and talk about it in our talking circles and journaling circles at buddy’s Place or the Senior Center. There’s been hope since that initial entry, but I’m struggling to find myself outside of Over-the-Rhine, forgetting about the people here and their unjust issues and things that I’ve witnessed. I’m not sure what I’ll feel about life after this. I’ve seen a sign and it reads, “How can I go back to living the way I did, knowing what I know now?” That is one of the truest statements to describe my feelings at the end of this semester. I am dreading going back to Oxford and dealing with the ignorance, especially the ignorance of those who do not wish to see outside of the life they know. Why does the world that I once knew have to be the world I now dread? I’ve found myself so enraged by this semester, festering over the injustices and inequality that exists. The way that I’ve felt has inhibited me from seeing things in other ways and subduing this anger is still something that I am working on. There have been countless debacles with friends and family members over my safety and my being here. They act as though they have a right to be dissatisfied with what we’re doing or where I’m living. And then there have been silent four-hour car rides home because my traveling companions just could not handle what I had to say. I think they just haven’t seen the beautiful side of Over-the-Rhine. The side that provides endless love and support to their community members, even temporary ones like me. The side that is so kind and friendly it could startle you based on the world we live in today. The side that sustains one another with service and justice. The side that lends itself freely to your service and benefit, and the side that allowed themselves to be vulnerable with me. This experience and these feelings and emotions have led me through such an impactful journey of growth throughout my time here. Over-the-Rhine is such a beautiful place, and not because of its architecture. It is beautiful because of the people that live here and the way that they are. They’ve provided me with an endless comfort and support and made me feel like their own family. I’ve grown to love Over-the-Rhine for the sense of community amongst long-time residents and the members of various organizations. This beautiful place has a heartbeat, and I am glad to have been a part of that even if just for a few short months. Unfortunately, my time here went by too quickly, but I am forever impacted by my experiences here. David Burns (ARC) Throughout my life I’ve heard people compare their personal experiences to a new set of polarized lenses. Peers return from their studyabroad trips and announce that their time across the pond has appended a different color to their perspective. It’s an additive process that keeps what you have already learned and gives you something extra to keep in your pocket when it’s needed. However, when I think of my time here in Over-the-Rhine, the comparison is just the opposite. I feel a polarized lens has actually been removed from my vision and a new level of clarity and truth has been added to my perspective instead. At my last journaling session, I was given a prompt that asked me to choose three things to take with me when I leave. I chose “big words, conversations, and empathy.” The first thing I saw when I removed my polarized lens was a world of racism. Through the courses, I learned that the civil rights movement never ended, and racism has been at the forefront of this country from the beginning. But let’s be real, it took more than reading from a book to understand the concepts of neo-colonialism. It took more than a film to understand that oppression lays beneath the facades of the newly developed downtown. Most that I learned came from interactions with people, who have been at the spearhead of activism since the days of buddy gray. The daily conversations with Over-the-Rhine residents have provided my life with clarity. In a conversation with a man who spent fourteen years in prison for shoplifting, I discovered truth. I found closure when my peers and I helped a traumatized woman home with the assistance of two men, who were experiencing homelessness. Then, above all, I discovered empathy when I realized that every person in this city is a beloved human being, that deserves more than they are given. I’ve always thought I could be there to help someone when they needed it. But this experience has made me understand that there is no level of help that is greater than walking side by side with the people in your neighborhood. On the last day of our studio, while our architecture group was boring holes in the walls of the Peaslee Neighborhood Center, a woman with wisdom beyond her years told me something that stuck. She said that college students, above the rest, have the most power to make change in the community. If college students didn’t fight for the freedom of African Americans, she said that she would still be sitting at the back of the bus. She made it clear that my role as an individual with resources and knowledge is to “stand up for the people who can’t stand anymore.” As architects, we have the choice to design within our own heads or with respect and empathy towards others. The beauty of getting out of a studio and into the real world is that my stance will affect the daily routines of human life. The work we did at Peaslee is about people. It’s about the need to open up a room to welcome all members of the neighborhood and to provide yet another space for people to sit and have a meaningful conversation. So much of my clearer lens calls for change that it is overwhelming at times. As I finally reflect on my time here, I realize that I don’t feel wiser, nor smarter, and it doesn’t seem like I’m going to walk away from this ex- THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED perience and say, “ah, well that was nice.” My back has been broken and my bones have been rattled; yet it feels amazing. I was given so many tools this semester, and yes, when I first picked them up, I hurt myself, and maybe even bled a little bit. But now I know how to use those tools, and I’m excited to teach others how to use them as well. When I took off the polarized lens, I realized that the truth is permanent. I don’t intend on ever putting the lens back on my perspective, because that would be choosing to live a lie, utterly ignoring the fact that this year I grew in Over-the-Rhine. Sarah Busemeyer (FSW) Being in school for five years now, I was over-the-moon excited to have an opportunity to live and study in Over-the-Rhine, work with other majors, while completing courses that would work towards graduation. I happily applied, and after acceptance, started to get acquainted with a city that I soon found out that I truly knew nothing about. I have been well-acquainted with various suburbs throughout my life, but nothing compares to the ever bustling life of the city. Professionals in suits and ties in the bars or hustling down the sidewalk, individuals homeless on the stoops, and vendors on the corners. Once it hit me that this place was my new home for four months, the comfort of familiarity was nowhere to be found. With the exception of some welcome greenery in the trees and lawn of Washington Park as our front yard, nothing familiar welcomed me here in my beginning days. This feeling of discomfort is one that we all came to know, not only in our unfamiliarity with the city itself but what lessons and experiences it had to offer. Soon enough, we would begin to know them well. Early on in the Program we discussed subconscious biases and past personal experiences, as all good social justice focused efforts should do. Thanks to my psychology and social work background, I was already fairly aware of perceptual misconceptions that can stem from growing up as a child of white, middle-class parents. I began to realize in these discussions that certain things I considered to be a personal preference may instead be a cultural difference. This has become more important to me than any other lesson about race or class. A person shouting ‘Hey baby!’ from the corner does not always mean you’re being hit on, nor do people gathering and talking on sidewalks mean they’re doing a drug deal. It could mean that you’re used to a different way of life, and a different way of communicating. I soon started catching myself subconsciously treating this unfamiliar behavior as confusing, wrong, or something to be wary of, instead of using what I know to make a conscious decision to change how I react to it. As you may have noticed, though, that is a common theme with things unfamiliar; treating it as dangerous is much easier than trying to understand and engage with it. Fortunately for me, I entered a Program that encourages engagement, so much so that the learning environment here is actually called the “Center for Community Engagement.” Our hours were spent reading and discussing articles that explain and argue disparity, and using (Continued on page 10) �4 LOCAL Feb.12- 25 , 2015 | No. 297 �LOCAL This 30 Day Challenge Changed Our Community No. 323 | F eb 1 2 - F eb 2 5 , 2 0 1 6 5 DR. MARK MUSSMAN Staff Writer “U ltimately, the 30 Day challenged helped us ‘rethink homelessness’ and ‘shatter stereotypes’ that hinder and desensitize our community.” Renáe Banks, Youth Program Director, of the Future Leaders of OTR (FLOTR), a strong advocate for people experiencing homelessness. With the help of the Homeless Coalition, Ms. Renáe has exposed the dedicated youth of FLOTR to the realities of homelessness and she has empowered them to get involved in ways that they can. Often youth feel that they are powerless against the forces of the world, but Ms. Renáe has helped them build empathy, understanding, and compassion for people experiencing homelessness. The 30 Day Challenge is a great way to get students involved in the struggle to eradicate homelessness. The challenge is a mix of educational, hands-on, and reflection activities. It is a powerful tool to raise awareness, and I hope that more teachers and students use it to deepen understanding and to provide opportunities for dialogue. One thing that I’ve noticed, as the Director of Education at the Homeless Coalition, is that student’s perceptions of things are easily changed when they are given all the information that they need. Sometimes, students might find service to be a chore, or in the case of the FLOTR, a punishment. According to Ms. Renáe, “I believe the youth originally perceived the 30 Day Challenge as a punishment. To some extent, they may have felt that they were paying for the few privileges that they have: apartments, cell phones, access to internet, toilets, clean water etc.; however, they soon realized that these small amenities were assets that people experiencing homelessness do not have access to. At that point, placing a few dimes or quarters in a jar seemed like a small token.” The students’ perceptions had changed dramatically through the 30 Day Challenge, when they became more aware of inequity and had a few experiences to help them put a face on homelessness. Ms. Renáe made sure the students actively kept a journal through the process. Reflective journal writing helps students understand the complex feelings that they are having while preparing them to have their own thoughts to look back on. “As our Future Leaders wrote about their experience, they became more invested in taking action to advocate for those experiencing homelessness, as a result the youth engaged with: job shadowing with Streetvibes’ distributor Lee McCoy; planning and assembling care packages for the winter PIT Count; hosting a day-long lockout with great activities to express themselves and learn more; donating canned goods to the Freestore Food Bank; engaging with a Homeless Coalition Speaker, Melissa Mosby; and taking a Social Justice Walking Tour with Dr. Mark.” Ms. Renáe’s work is often difficult and unpredictable. FLOTR is a program that is continuously up against barriers of attendance, due to the changing demographics of the neighborhood. There have been times when families have been displaced out of the neighborhood, but recognize the importance of FLOTR, so they do everything they can to keep their child in the program. In my interactions with FLOTR, I can see how important it is to everyone – from those who support and run it, to the junior and high school students who participate. The program helps expose the participants to work-readiness and job skills, as well as, social FLOTR participates work on personalizing their donation bottles. Photo: Renáe Banks justice and neighborhood issues. It is the type of program that everyone who gets involved is better for being a part of it. Ultimately, it is about getting the students to see themselves as philanthropists to our community – no matter how much, or how little, they have to give. Ms. Renáe saw the change in the FLOTR participants as they became more aware of the injustices surrounding homelessness. She is even impressed by the effect on the participants: “Ultimately, the 30 Day challenged helped us ‘rethink homelessness’ and ‘shatter stereotypes’ that hinder and desensitize our community. Outside of giving tangible goods we are spreading awareness to our community. We want neighbors to know that homelessness is primarily due to the lack of affordable housing and/or livable wages and we (the community members) should advocate that all people to have access to Bottles slowly filling up! Photo Credit: Dr. Mark Mussman THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED both. In addition, we encourage our community to change its vernacular: instead of saying, ‘homeless people’ we invite our community to be more compassionate, empathetic, and understanding by saying ‘people who are experiencing homelessness.’” I want to encourage all teachers and students to become advocates by participating in the 30 Day Challenge. There is a link to it under the Education and Service Learning on our webpage. Although it is a fundraiser for the Homeless Coalition, students are asked to give what they can. Even if they can’t contribute monetarily, (most individual donations through the challenge are less than $10), part of the challenge is to teach other people what you’ve learned. Spread the word about the 30 Day Challenge and see what can be done at your school or community group! ------------------------ �6 LOCAL Feb 12 - Feb 25 , 2016 | No. 323 The Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition would like to thank 4EG, The Lackman and Lachey’s Bar for sponsoring the 2015 Streetvibes Music Fest at the Woodward Theater! The 2016 Day by Day calendar is now available online at http://cincihomeless.org/ THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �7 LOCAL Making Cincinnati Preschool Promise a Reality Community Issues Forum Focuses on the Next Steps for This Initiative In 2016 No. 323 | F eb 1 2 - F eb 2 5 , 2 0 1 6 BILL WOODS Contributing Writer C incinnati Preschool Promise is an initiative with the goal of making quality preschool available for every local three and four year old. Buttressed by research and examples that show how a rich preschool experience provides a foundation for success, CPSP-supporters are at the stage of implementing a plan to make their dream a local reality. At the Community Issues Forum on January 28th, Greg Landsman, the Co-Convenor and organizer of the project, outlined the current status of CPSP and responded to questions about the next steps. “National and local examples of quality preschool programs,” noted Landsman, “reveal how such experiences make a significant difference in early childhood development. Beyond the long standing studies of educators and experts on the learning capacities of young children,” he continued, “we have the results of good preschools here and in other communities across the country. The goal, then, is how to make this experience available to every preschooler.” Problems of cost and availability put such programs beyond the reach of a majority of parents, especially families living in poverty. Landsman pointed out that 80-percent of Cincinnati’s 9,000 three and four year olds live in families with incomes near or at the poverty line. That means that finding adequate funding support to cover the preschool costs of these children is crucial. Finding that proper funding mechanism has occupied a lot of the time of the Steering Committee that guides this initiative. According to Landsman, members have looked at a variety of sources including a Hamilton County property tax. Although a final decision has not been made, a specific City earning’s tax appears to be the most likely approach, and Vice Mayor David Mann, who serves on the Steering Committee, believes that Council will support such a tax. Besides covering the tuition assistance that so many families will need to pay for preschool, the revenue source will also provide grants to improve the quality of many preschool programs. Quality is as much a part of the promise, emphasized Landsman, as making preschool available to all three and four year olds. Therefore, adequate funding will be needed to raise the standards of many of the preschools that will want to be included in the official Preschool Promise network. Instead of working exclusively with Cincinnati Public Schools while it increases its preschool classrooms, CPSP decided to use the whole mix of public, private, parochial, and home preschool facilities in order to have a sufficient number of places to potentially absorb all the Queen City’s three and four year olds. Thus the need for a funding resource that both provides tuition assistance to parents and enriches preschool environments. Landsman praised the fortyplus Preschool Promise Steering Committee for its hard work and dedication to bringing this initiative to fruition. Racially balanced, the Committee is comprised of parents, Weed, Murder and the Price of Prohibition JASON HAAP Contributing Writer L ast November, mostly wellto-do liberals bemoaned the threat of “monopolies” and “legalized drug cartels” as a way to stump against the legalization of marijuana in Ohio. Even though it’s not easy to get something on the statewide ballot, and even though none of these naysayers had any desire to become commercial marijuana farmers themselves, they scared supporters of legalization into voting against legalization, promising a better ballot initiative later. It’s later. I’m still unfamiliar with a credible recreational marijuana ballot proposal, and just this month a recent high school graduate - accompanied by his three friends - shot and killed another over a dispute involving marijuana. In other words, we have a dead teenager, and “Breakdown Stereotypes” Greg Landsman at community forum Photo: Justin Jeffre education providers, and community leaders. This very diverse leadership means that CPSP is not another “establishment project” that is suddenly foisted on the community. If we believe in equal education opportunities for all children, emphasized Landsman, then we need Preschool Promise now. It is morally wrong and economically fool hardy to have only a minority of our children receive the extraordinary benefits of good preschool programs. Not only will CPSP level the educational playing field for children, but its tuition assistance will help economically squeezed families in their efforts to improve their quality of life. Finally, if an initiative like Pre- school Promise succeeds, concluded Landsman, it will show leaders and citizens alike that transformational projects for this city can and should be undertaken. Preschool Promise is an initiative designed to overcome these barriers, and it is at a stage of seeking funding and support in order to make quality preschool available to all Cincinnati three and four year olds. As usual, time will be available for questions and comments. Lunch can purchased for $6.50. Next Forum is Feb. 11th. four more with the rest of their lives ruined - which, apparently, is better than a “monopoly.” For those who don’t know, a group of kids, including a gun-toting Demarcus Staley, went to Tyler Kassow’s house in West Chester to steal his illegal weed. Staley was known for being a star football player at Princeton High School. Full disclosure: I used to teach at Princeton High School. I never taught Staley, but I recognize him. One of the other kids was from Princeton, too. I recognize him as well. (From their published mug shots.) So, maybe this is slightly more personalized for me, however loose the connection, than a typical “someone got shot” item in the news cycle - but I can’t help but wonder if the lives of these kids was worth the avoidance of so-called marijuana monopolies in Ohio. If it’s possible for a “better” recreational initiative to come later, it’s possible to fix less-than-perfect solutions later, too. I don’t know what the future holds for legalization in Ohio - but whatever the next option is, I certainly hope more people will vote “yes,” not because of some obscure intellectual point about a political philosophy, but because they realize the cost to people’s lives when we keep things like this illegal. * See Page 10 for a rebuttal ------------------------ *See page 10 for rebuttal ------------------------ “Eradicate Misinformation” The Coalition for the Homeless provides Education and Service Programs that help to portray a more accurate and holistic picture of homelessness in Cincinnati. We believe an educated public can be a more compassionate public, willing to dedicate time and effort towards creating solutions to homelessness. The “Voice of the Homeless Speaker’s Bureau” program is made up of individuals currently experiencing homelessness or who have experienced homelessness, who share their experiences. The program is designed to put a face on homelessness and raise awareness about those struggling in our community. To schedule a speaker, contact Mark Mussman at (513) 421.7803 x14 THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �8 WORLD Photo Essay: All You Need is Love Feb 12 - Feb 25 , 2016 | No. 323 STAFF WRITER www.INSP.ngo / Reuters W e’re getting close to that time of year again when love isn’t just in the air - it’s everywhere, and all over the world. Ahead of Valentine’s Day, we’re spreading the love with a series of romantic images from Reuters that can be used separately or as a photo essay. It’s packed with hearts, passionate smooches, red roses, weddings and a car plastered in Post It notes, naturally Two men kiss each other during a pro-gay demonstration in front of the Nossa Senhora da Paz church in the Ipamena district of Rio de Janeiro, August 03, 2003. Photo: REUTERS/Bruno Domingos ------------------------ A youth selling balloons counts money on Valentine’s Day at a shopping district in Beijing February 14, 2013. Photo: REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �No. 323 | F eb 1 2 - F eb 2 5 , 2 0 1 6 9 WORLD A customer selects roses at a flower shop ahead of Valentine’s Day in southwestern China’s Chongqing municipality February 13, 2007. In a sign of the increasing influence of Western customs on Chinese culture, the celebration of love has become a hugely popular festival in China in recent years. Picture taken February 13, 2007. Photo: REUTERS Revellers kiss on a street during the Carnival of Sao Luis do Paraitinga, 170 km (106 miles) from Sao Paulo, March 7, 2011. The event is part of the ongoing Carnival celebrations taking place across the country. Photo: REUTERS/Nacho Doce Donald Smitherman, 98, kisses his wife Marlene at the end of a dance in Sun City, Arizona, January 5, 2013. Sun City was built in 1959 by entrepreneur Del Webb as America’s first active retirement community for the over-55’s. Today’s residents keep their minds and bodies active by socializing at over 120 clubs with activities such as square dancing, ceramics, roller skating, computers, cheerleading, racquetball and yoga. Photo: REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson Men kiss among other couples participating in the Guinness World Record attempt in the longest continuous kiss in Pattaya February 12, 2012. The “Longest Continuous Kiss” event is organized to celebrate Valentine’s Day in Thailand, started out with seven couples trying to set a new record of kissing for more than 46 hours 24 minutes and 9 seconds. Photo: REUTERS/Damir Sagolj THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �10 LOCAL THOMAS A. DUTTON (Continued from page 3) the remaining hours to explore the disparity for ourselves in our servicelearning environments. Our engagement faces the disparity that still exists in a neighborhood that claims there is none. We would learn a lot about systemic reasons of disparity, who it is coming from, and why it is here. Many questions posed in those articles poked at areas I had never considered before, and made me squirm a little. When we would hear the same ideas posed in a different fashion from people who have experienced the disparity first-hand, everything started to become real. Originally, I pulled myself away from my ignorance too quickly and walked through the neighborhood with a nose held high and a fiery glare towards everyone white and middle- class. It took me a while outside of the classroom to come to terms with the idea that not everyone who looked the part may have alternative intentions for those lower class. In fact, thanks to deeper reflection in my social work processing, I realized that most of the actions, reactions, or lack of actions from the ‘new’ people of the neighborhood has resulted from my same ignorance, rather than stemming from a brooding seed of malice. This world is not full of fairytale good guys versus bad guys, like we often discuss as a picture of the ‘OTRCH vs. 3CDC’ struggle, but instead, brimming with people who believe their way is the best way to achieve their priorities. We all have different views of what is truly right. I’m personally still wrestling with a lot of ideas and a good number of questions. Many were too against the flow to feel safe to discuss in the classroom, but many more also wrung my Do We Have Enough Laws? MICHAEL EARL PATTON Contributing Writer E ric Garner died in 2014 while being arrested for supposedly selling a legal substance – tobacco cigarettes. His crime was that he was supposedly selling them loose from packs that did not have the state tax stamp on them. He denied to the New York City police that he was selling them, but they grabbed him, put him in a chokehold, and suffocated him. We will probably never know all the details about what happened, first because he died on the Feb 12 - Feb 25 , 2016 | No. 323 heart out for the people that continue to experience the thrash of “progress.” My relationships with the people that experience the anguish of disparity have opened my conscience a little broader than I came in with, a conscience that will continue to question the consequences of action. I cannot argue that what has happened in this city has been a certain type of progress, even success, for some. After hours in the classroom with Tom and Bonnie, I can also argue that it has created regress and distress for others, and that the city is not unique in its struggles. Some people may choose to push it out, tear it down, repaint it, cover it up, or simply keep focused on their own goals, but the problems people face here are real. As I gear up to leave this place, at least I can say I am confident that the city and people have made their mark on my life. The weeks have flown by, I have come to enjoy the energy that it gives me and the warmth that I feel from familiar faces and voices, in place of the unfamiliarity I felt before. Yet, there are not only more places to explore, relationships to build, but lessons to learn and questions to be answered. Not having the perfect answer may be the most difficult realization while I’ve been here. I can say that I enjoy Over-the-Rhine, and everything that it incorporates, and also admit that my time has been too short to fully appreciate all that it is. I leave more thankful now to have learned so many important lessons in this short period, and am happy to have called this place home for a time. sidewalk and second because the police were never brought to trial for their actions. While there are several lessons that can be drawn from this the one that I want to focus on is that purported violations of even minor laws can lead to someone’s death. Assuming that the laws will be enforced in the first place (many are not), then the more laws, and the more complicated they are, then the more opportunities there are for misfortune – and even tragedy. Another way to look at it is that most laws reflect a failure of society. Oh sure there are some that are needed in order to co-ordinate large numbers of people living in close proximity to each other, such as laws so everyone knows that red traffic lights (and not yellow or green or blue) mean stop. But laws about speeding, honking horns, tall weeds, theft, rape, homicide, etc., food safety, house repair, burnedout car headlights, etc. wouldn’t be [Editor’s note: We will run more of these Student Reflections in upcoming issues of Streetvibes.] ------------------------ (Continued on page 12) Now Hiring Caracole Caracole.org - Medical Receptionist - Sanitarian 1/11 Center for Chemical Addiction Treatment catsober.org Hamilton County Planning and Development hamiltoncountyohio. gov - Resident Assistant - Accepting Ongoing Applications Cincinnati Union Bethel cinunionbethel.org - Executive Assistant - Off the Streets- Case Facilitator - Family Service Worker - Teacher - Assistant teachers - Special Needs Assistant - Cook - Plan Examiner Imani Family Center imanifamilycenter.org *Volunteer based - Freelance Photographers, Filmmakers and Documentarians League of Women Voters lwvcincinnati.org - Donor Relations and Development Campaign Director Hamilton County Public Health hamiltoncountyhealth. Legal Aid Society of org - Water Quality Technician 1 Greater Cincinnati lascinti.org - Client Service Specialist - Paralegal- Co guardian- Ad Litem - Staff Attorney - Paid Internship Lighthouse Youth Services lighthouse.org - Case Manager - Resident Aid - Facilities Maintenance - Service Assignment Specialist St. Vincent DePaul svdpcincinnati.org - Communications Coordinator - Conference Manager *Multiple openings including: - Thrift Store Employees - Software Developer - Case Managers UpSpring - Therapists/Counselor upspring.org - Wrap around Service Aids *Below are positions for the - Registered Nurse 2016 Summer Program - Class Intern - Residential Manager - Office Manager - Service Coordinator - Volunteer Manager - Street Outreach - Instructional Assistant - Intervention Specialist - Intervention Specialist Volunteers of American - Youth Worker Shelter House shelterhousecinti.org THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED of Greater Ohio voago.org - Clinical Social Worker �11 LOCAL No. 323 | F eb 1 2 - F eb 2 5 , 2 0 1 6 Xavier’s Town Hall meeting reflecting on the civil unrest in 2001 JUSTIN JEFFRE Editor O n February 2, Xavier University hosted a 2 hour Town Hall meeting called “Fifteen Years Later: The Cincinnati Riots and the Future of the City”. It featured an interactive panel that reflected on the civil unrest in 2001. Nearly 500 people packed in to XU’s Cintas Center. In 2001 three days of civil unrest followed the death of Timothy Thomas, a 19 year old unarmed black man that was shot in the back while running from police in an alley in Over-the-Rhine. Following that, then Mayor Charlie Luken declared Marshall Law. At the time there had already been a civil rights lawsuit going on. Thomas had been the 15th African American killed by police from 1995-2001. The tension between the community and police was high well before Thomas’ death. Many different community or- Iris Roley speaking to a packed house Photo: Justin Jeffre ganizations led a boycott of Cincinnati which led to black entertainers like Bill Cosby, the Temptations, Xavier’s well attended Town Hall meeting Photo: Justin Jeffre Wynton Marsalis and others to cancel. The National Urban league and others also cancelled their conventions. The following year many organizations participated in tense negotiations and finally in 2002 a Collaborative Agreement was reached with the Cincinnati Black United Front, the ACLU, the city and the Fraternal Order of Police that would change the way policing is done in Cincinnati forever. The Department of Justice oversaw these changes. Former Mayor Luken gave opening remarks and a panel featuring civil rights attorney Al Gerhardstein, Rev. Damon Lynch, III, longtime community activist Iris Roley, Cpt. Maris Herold, and was moderated by Donna Jones Baker. After a lengthy discussion they brought up Brain Taylor, an organizer for Black Lives Matter Cincinnati. According to Brian Taylor real change only occurs when people take to the streets. “Where does our power lie? In mass actions,” said Taylor. Lynch agreed later, saying to the younger activists, “Don’t go on the inside. You will lose your power.” Rev. Lynch described how at the time of the unrest he received calls from people he didn’t know in Indian Hill. “They said Damon, Damon, what are we gonna do,” said Lynch. He continued, “I was like, who are you?” “If there is unrest in Over-theRhine, there’s unease in Indian Hill. The symphony is in Over-theRhine and the people in Indian Hill couldn’t go to the symphony,” he said. Then they opened the discussion up to questions and comments from the audience. Many people spoke passionately and it was clear that this conversation was long overdue and the wounds still run deep. Many spoke of the continuation of deep inequities between blacks and whites, rich and poor in the criminal justice system and our other institutions here in Cincinnati. Lynch referred to recent reports about the ongoing inequities in our community. “We’re number 2 for child poverty is how it’s being described. We know the reality is if the children are poor their parents are as well,” said Lynch. Iris Roley said that we must continue to build upon the work of the Collaborative Agreement and these conversations will continue. There’s more Town Hall style meetings coming up April 14th-16th at the New Prospect Church. ------------------------ Now Hiring: Part-time Peer Specialist (20-25 hours/wk) Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services Minimum Qualifications: High School Diploma or GED, Personal experience with homelessness, mental health, and/or substance use issues. Duties include working as part of a housing support team and engaging clients who have housing related needs. Position requires frequent driving of own vehicle. Valid driver’s license, vehicle and insurable driving record required. If interested in applying, please contact HR at 513-354-5200 to submit resume. THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �12 LOCAL Feb 12 - Feb 25 , 2016 | No. 323 March and Vigil in support of Immigrants on Ash Wednesday JUSTIN JEFFRE Editor F ebruary 10th was a bitterly cold day, but that didn’t stop about 40 people from coming out to support immigrants in our community. They gathered in a circle on the corner of 5th and Walnut Street. After Sr. Paula spoke to the crowd they began MICHAEL EARL PATTON (Continued from page 10) needed if we all treated each other as we would like to be treated ourselves. I remember some years ago when Cincinnati passed a law forbidding people from keeping lions in their homes. For almost two hundred years there had been no need for this law. The reason they passed it was because there was a house in the West End whose owner kept a couple lions inside. I remember this house and seeing the lions through the windows myself. Rumor was that the owner was a drug dealer and kept the lions in the house for security. It may have been more secure for him but it certainly wasn’t for the neighbors. So the city passed the ordinance, the lions were gone, but the underlying problems remained. The neighborhood didn’t become a nice place to live just because the lions were gone and there were enough laws now. Human nature being what it is, we do need at least some laws. But I am skeptical of the cry “there oughta be a law” to every problem. (Trivia note: that was also the title of an old to march around the federal building repeating “Lead us to justice or Lievanos a la justicia” and biblical quotes in between. Like this one: “Do what is just and right; rescue from the defrauder him who is robbed; do not wrong the immigrant, the fatherless, and the widow; commit no lawless act, newspaper comic strip that some readers may still remember.) I bring all this up because another article in Streetvibes is looking again at Issue 3 – the Ohio Marijuana Legalization Initiative – and arguing it should have passed. While I agree with the legalization of marijuana, all the other laws that would have come along with the amendment weighed more heavily. Only a relatively short abridgement of the proposed amendment was actually on the ballot. The full text was several pages long. There would have been hundreds of restrictions. Yes, you would have been able to grow a small amount, but only after obtaining a license and inside an enclosed, locked facility that is inaccessible to persons under 21. Other regulations and rules were to be written by a commission after the amendment passed. You would NOT have been able to give marijuana you grew to your sick child, even if the child had a prescription for it. You would have to purchase such marijuana from a licensed, not-forprofit dispensary. The not-for-profit dispensary could only obtain its marijuana from one of the 10 for-profit growers al- lowed in the state, and only on very limited areas. As for the price, well, all the amendment says it that the growers will sell their marijuana to the dispensaries “at their lowest wholesale prices.” There is no guarantee that the medical marijuana would be in any way affordable to the majority of patients. And that is important because I seriously doubt that insurance companies would be covering the costs of a treatment that is still banned by the federal government. The amount that is grown in Ohio would be greatly restricted because the number of growing sites is restricted to 10 with the possibility of increasing that by ONE after four years. And that is all. This is totally unlike the situation in Colorado which has no such restriction. The same 10 sites are also the only places where so-call recreational marijuana could be grown. If the demand in Ohio is high, the prices would be much higher than in Colorado because of that restriction. Interestingly, while medical marijuana could only be sold by not-for-profit stores, there is no such restriction on stores that would sell recreational marijuana. A commission could, though, restrict the Sr. Paula addresses the crowd Photo: Justin Jeffre (Continued on page 13) number of such stores in any precinct. So much for the free market. Because this would have been an amendment to the Ohio constitution, changes would also have had to be through the constitutional amendment process. This amendment was written by business interests who hoped to profit greatly from its passage; it is to be expected that any citizen initiative campaign would be greatly outspent by those same interests. I rate the chances of significant modification as nil. So, while I am in favor of the legalization of marijuana, Issue 3 just had too many restrictions favoring a select few. All of these restrictions would have wound up hurting others, such as those who could not afford the high prices for medical marijuana, those who didn’t follow all the regulations while growing their own, and those who try to undercut the prices from the state-controlled monopoly. Ohio voters made the right choice by voting down Issue 3. We deserve much better. ------------------------ For tickets please call (513) 381-2273 Purchase tickets online at www.cincyshakes.com AD Donated by Mark and Sue Ann Painter season sponsored by the Otto M. Budig Family Foundation THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �STREET VOICE No. 323 | F eb 1 2 - F eb 2 5 , 2 0 1 6 JUSTIN JEFFRE (Continued from page 12) and do not shed the blood of the innocent in this place.” Jer 22:3 Nationwide, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been conducting targeted enforcement ac- March for immigrant’s rights Photo: Justin Jeffre tions, focusing on immigrant women and children who have arrived from Central America in the last two years. With the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Price Hill just last week, fear continues to plague the local immigrant community, many are afraid to leave their homes for work or school. Cities across the nation including Chicago, Minneapolis, and Raleigh have held public protest and vigils in opposition to these enforcement tactics asking DHS to stop separating families. Local community members and organizations, including Church of Our Savior, Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center, Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center, LULAC of Greater Cincinnati, Nuns on the Bus Cincinnati came together to plan the march and vigil. President Obama has deported over 2 million undocumented immigrants. Hardline Republicans say Sarah Gets Back Her News Media Coverage Sarah Palin dropped out of the news. The loss of attention gave her the blues. She then decided to take to the stump, And there to endorse The Donald Trump. The event won her a big news media day, And a new impersonation by Tina Fey. BILL WOODS Contributing Writer 13 he is soft on immigration, but he has deported at least as many as he predecessor George W. Bush. Advocates for immigrant rights disagree and call him the ‘Deporter in Chief’. Organizers chose to hold their vigil on Ash Wednesday. They say, “The significance on this Christian day of repentance is to commit to personal change and societal change as we reflect on welcoming the stranger and the local immigrant and refugee community.” ------------------------ The Sorrow of Tomorrow The sorrow of tomorrow Is here today The future looks Dim and gray The Earth has been Polluted Children in the world Are starving and crying Many animals are now extinct But this doesn’t affect the way The killers of them think Their motives are furious And notorious Wash your hands Rinse your food These are the basic rules Our waters are polluted Ozone layer’s almost gone A whole lot of viruses People are dying and crying Farm land unreliable People are getting killed Mankind is dying The sorrow of tomorrow is here today! KIM GREEN Contributing Writer & Streetvibes Distributor Now Do you know what you feel? Do you hear yourself when the world is standing still? Do you recognize the difference in the sounds that you hear? Do you believe that you can make a difference in this world today? Be for real!! Do you recognize the world and hear the world as it so slowly revolves around? Do you understand that it is your life that you are hearing and only your life you’ve found! Do you know your rights to live without disrespect, being happy, and loving your life? Do you know anything about your past, present, not to mention being born in strife? Realizing that we are born from one womb and destined to die in one tomb ALONE With all this knowledge do we know right from wrong or how to be strong?! Now knowing everything and living our lives, and forgetting where we derived from. Now seeing deceit and can’t do nothing about it, NOW don’t we all feel dumb! NOW I believe that there is a power greater than any man’s understanding right here today! Looking around today trying to distinguish what was and what I see NOW! Every day I have to Pray!! Changes everywhere I look, from where to catch a bus to where do the hungry eat Changes in every walk of life and that includes if you’re homeless NOW where do I SLEEP? NOW think are you happy, sad, disillusioned, misunderstood, confused or simply LOST? WILLA DENISE JONES Streetvibes Distributor & Contributing Writer THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �14 PUZZLES Feb 12 - Feb 25 , 2016 | No. 323 CROSSWORD PUZZLE NO. 92 Across 1. Box on a pole handle for carrying bricks 4. Air pollution 8. Group of animals 12. Rescue 13. Rate 14. Relating to birds 16. Kitchen appliance 17. Length by width 18. Subway system 19. Strong suit 21. Attire 23. Necessitate 24. Perform 25. Tibia 27. Consume 29. Whirl 30. Small indefinite quantity 31. In the past 34. Forever 37. Brought into existence 38. Steal 39. Closed circuit 40. Regret 41. Heap 42. Male title 43. Wading bird 45. Unwavering 47. Single 48. Chromatic color 49. Jump 50. Understand 51. Do business 52. Egyptian cobra 55. Powdery starch 58. Fodder 60. Voice part 62. Expiate 64. Seaweed 66. Tusked swine 67. Marine colonial polyp 68. Stride 69. Redact 70. Fringe benefit 71. Fruit filled pastry 72. Decimal base Down 1. Mayhem 2. Open 3. Impression in a surface 4. Health spring 5. Permissible difference 6. Large body of water 7. Cogwheel 8. Amateur radio operator 9. Circumstance 10. Customary observance or practice 11. Challenge 12. Couch 15. Indicate assent 20. Catch sight of 22. Ale 26. Belonging to him 28. Appendage on the bracts of grasses 29. Deplete 30. Enemy 31. Elaborate song 32. Precious metal 33. Comply 34. In addition 35. Cut of meat 36. Had on 37. Public transport 40. Relieve from 41. Livelyness and energy 43. Anger 44. Cattle reared for meat 45. Division of 6 Down 46. Fine grained mineral 49. Account book 50. Echo sounder 51. Greek letter 52. Positively charged electrode 53. Blot 54. Larboard 55. Pouch 56. At the peak 57. Bloodshed 59. Compass direction 61. Assist 63. Moose 65. Pertinent SODOKU PUZZLE NO 222 - MEDIUM PUZZLE SOLUTIONS ISSUE 322 CROSSWORD PUZZLE NO. 91 SODOKU PUZZLE NO 221 - MEDIUM PUZZLES from puzzlechoice.com and puzzles.ca THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �RESOURCES No. 323 | F eb 1 2 - F eb 2 5 , 2 0 1 6 Shelter: Women and Children Central Access Point 381-SAFE Bethany House 557-2873 1841 Fairmount Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Mercy Franciscan at St. John OTR: 1620 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert, Cinti, Ohio 45206 2825 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45219 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 1730 Race Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 The Esther Marie Hatton Center for Women 2499 Reading Road, Cinti, OH 562-1980 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 681-2365 6037 Cary Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45224 15 St. Francis Soup Kitchen 535-2719 Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 4230 Hamilton Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45223 FreeStore/FoodBank 241-1064 981-5800 112 E. Liberty Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 271-5501 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Salvation Army 762-5660 4600 Erie Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 131 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 872-9259 St. Vincent de Paul 562-8841 1125 Bank Street, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Shelter: Men Treatment or Supportive Recovery: Men City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 1805 Dalton Avenue, Cinti, OH 45214 Shelterhouse 721-0643 2121 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Prospect House 921-1613 411 Gest St. Cinti, Ohio 45203 St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 381-4941 1437 Walnut Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 682 Hawthorne Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45205 Parkway Center 661-4620 Starting Over 961-2256 Shelter: Both Treatment or Supportive Recovery: Women Lighthouse on Highland (18-24 y/o) 2522 Highland Ave Cincinnati, OH 45219 569-9500 Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 761-1480 First Step Home 961-4663 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Treatment or Supportive Recovery: Both AA Hotline 351-0422 CCAT 381-6672 1821 Summit Road, Cinti, Ohio 45237 Interfaith Hospitality Network 471-1100 Lighthouse Youth Crisis Center (10-17 y/o) 3330 Jefferson Ave Cincinnati, OH 45220 961-4080 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. Cinti, Ohio 45214 Joseph House (Veterans) 241-2965 1522 Republic Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Hamilton County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board 946-8000 Recovery Health Access Center 281-7422 Sober Living 681-0324 Talbert House 221-HELP Housing: CMHA 721-4580 Excel Development 632-7149 OTR Community Housing 381-1171 114 W. 14th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Talbert House 221-HELP Tender Mercies 721-8666 27 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tom Geiger House 961-4555 Volunteers of America 381-1954 Anna Louise Inn 421-5211 Cincinnati Union Bethel 768-6907 Advocacy Catholic Social Action 421-3131 Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Center 381-4242 1227 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Franciscan JPIC 721-4700 Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 300 Lytle Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Ohio Justice & Policy Center 421-1108 Faces Without Places 363-3300 Stop AIDS 421-2437 Food/Clothing First Lutheran Church 421-0065 1208 Race St. Food - Last Monday 12-1 Clothing - second Monday 12-1 Lord’s Pantry 621-5300 Mercy Franciscan at St. John 981-5800 Health Center for Respite Care 621-1868 3550 Washington Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45229 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry 961-1983 Cincinnati Health Network $100 for 26 issues 961-0600 $150 THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED Crossroad Health Center 381-2247 5 E. Liberty St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Health Resource Center 357-4602 McMicken Integrated Care Clinic and Mobile Medical Van 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio 352-6364 McMicken Dental Clinic 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti 352-6363 Mental Health Access Point 558-8888 Mercy Franciscan at St. John 981-5800 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 NAMI of Hamilton County 351-3500 PATH Outreach 977-4489 Other Resources Center Independent Living Options 241-2600 Emmanuel Community Center 241-2563 1308 Race St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621-5514 215 E. 14th Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202 Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart 381-0111 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Goodwill industries 771-4800 Healing Connections 751-0600 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. 579-8547 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 1223 Main St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 People Working Cooperatively 351-7921 The Caring Place 631-1114 Talbert House 751-7747 United Way 211 Women Helping Women 977-5541 Off The Streets 421-5211 Hamilton/Middletown St. Raephaels 981-4200 Salvation Army 863-1445 Serenity House Day Center 422-8555 Open Door Pantry 868-3276 Northern Kentucky Brighton Center 799 Ann St. Newport, KY ECHO/Hosea House Fairhaven Resuce Mission Homeward Bound Youth Mathews House Homeless & Housing Coalition Parish Kitchen Pike St. Clinic Transitions, Inc Welcome House of NKY 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 Women’s Crisis Center VA Domiciliary VA Homeless for 26 issues and a $50 donation 859-491-8303 859-261-5857 859-491-1027 859-581-1111 859-261-8009 859-727-0926 859-581-7745 859-291-9321 859-491-4435 859-431-8717 859-491-3335 859-559-5011 859-572-6226 �16 S Feb 12 - Feb 25 , 2016 | No. 323 treetvibes is distributed by individuals who purchase the paper for 75 cents per copy and sell it for a $2.00 donation, keeping the profit they have earned. Becoming a Distributor is a great way for individuals who are financially poor to get back on (or stay on) their feet. This program provides supplemental income for those unable to secure other employment. Money earned helps meet basic housing, food and health care needs. The program is a hand up for people who are often in a place of getting only a hand out, or even no hand at all. All Distributors wear a badge and usually a vest and can be found selling the paper in Downtown Cincinnati, Clifton, Northside, Northern Kentucky and at area churches. ALMA SIMS SINCE 5/2014 ALFRED WOOLFOLK SINCE 10/2003 ASRES AYENAW SINCE 2012 BELINDA CHERRY SINCE 8/2015 BERTA LAMBERT SINCE 1997 BRANDON NELSON SINCE 4/2008 CRANDALL COBB SINCE 2004 DEBORAH POINDEXTER SINCE 9/2012 DONALD YOUNG ELMORE MORRIS SINCE 5/2014 GINA MARTIN GRADY COOK SINCE 1997 GREGORY RAY SINCE 4/2015 JAMES BROWN SINCE 3/2009 JAMES DAVIS SINCE 8/2003 JIMMIE GIPSON SINCE 2001 JONATHAN SLATER SINCE 5/2014 JOHN GAINES SINCE 12/2009 KAREN COLLETTE SINCE 7/2008 KEITH EUTSEY SINCE 2/2011 KIM GREEN SINCE 1/2010 KRISTINE HOFSKY SINCE 3/2015 MARY MUELLER SINCE 5/2005 MAURICE GOLSBY MAXINE GRANT SINCE 4/2015 QUEENACELESTINE LEVY RAESHAWN GIPSON SINCE 3/2009 TARA HILL SINCE 4/2014 TIA CASS SINCE 11/2007 JOHN HORN JOSEPHINE BASKERVILLE SINCE 9/2008 J’TORI TYMAN SINCE 5/2014 W. KENNETH BUSSELL SINCE 10/2009 LARRY FILES SINCE 6/2012 LARRY BROWN SINCE 10/2007 LEE MCCOY SINCE 7/2009 LEONARD JACKSON SINCE 2/2005 MEACO WAITE MELISSA MOSBY SINCE 9/2014 MICHAEL BEHYMER MYRA WILSON RAYNARD JONES SINCE 10/2008 RICKY WOODS SINCE 4/2015 RICCARDO TAYLOR SINCE 2001 RONNIE PHILLIPS SINCE 10/2009 TINA SINCE 4/2015 TODD HANLEY SINCE 5/2014 TONY THOMAS SINCE 3/2005 VICTOR MUMPHRY LOTTIE MANNER NEBRASKA SINCE 3/2015 SAMUEL JACKSON SINCE 10/2006 WILLA JONES SINCE 1/2010 PERVIS MENTON SINCE 8/2015 TALINA HILL SINCE 2/2015 WILLIAM BURDINE SINCE 8/2009 THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED CLEO WOMBLES SINCE 10/2003 CRAIG SMITH SINCE 5/2014 GLENDA CANTRELL GREGORY WILSON SINCE 1/2012 JON DARBY SINCE 2/2006 JOHNNY KERNS SINCE 9/2012 WILLIAM SIMMS SINCE 4/2014 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2016 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource February 12-February 25, 2016 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Cover Page Pg 2: From the Director Pg 3: Student Reflections on OTR Pg 4: GCHC Pg 5: The 30 Day Challenge Changed Our Community Pg 6: GCHC Pg 7: Making Cincinnati Preschool Promise a Reality Pg 8: Photo Essay Pg 9: Photo Essay Pg 10: Do We Have Enough Laws? Pg 11: Xavier’s Town Hall Meeting Reflecting on the Civil Unrest in 2001 Pg 12: March and Vigil in Support of Immigrants on Ash Wednesday Pg 13: Street Voice Pg 14: Puzzles Pg 15: Resources Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 12-February 25, 2016 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Josh Spring Bill Woods Dr. Mark Mussman Jason Haap Michael Earl Patton Thomas A. Dutton Valeria Degutis David Burns Sarah Busemeyer Justin Jeffre Kim Green Willa Denise Jones Renae Banks Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Bill Woods Cincinnati Civil Unrest David Burns Dr. Mark Mussman education Immigrants Jason Haap Josh Spring Justin Jeffre Kim Green March Michael Earl Patton Over-the-Rhine Photography protest Renae Banks Sarah Busemeyer Thomas A. Dutton Valeria Degutis Vigil Willa Denise Jones Xavier https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/e5403a3c26f637e079bf27c5e1f9518f.pdf 2dd7b2ed60ca191547f3e45e3a8652fa PDF Text Text 36 C R O S S W O R 37 S U D O K U D A N P A G 38 D E 12 Film Review Page 9 STREETVIBES $1 Feb. 15 - 28, 2010 • Advocating Justice, Building Community • Issue 171 The ‘Madness’ of Hate Downtown Attack leaves Streetvibes vendor badly injured By GreGory FLannery editor T he circumstances of the vicious beating endured Jan. 24 by Robert Meehan were fraught with irony. The attack occurred a few steps from the Metropole Apartments, purchased last year by the Cin­ cinnati Center City Development Corp (3CDC). Just days before being assaulted, Meehan wrote a letter to the editor of Streetvibes, criticizing 3CDC, which plans to convert the subsidized low-income apart­ ments into a boutique motel. The attack occurred soon after Meehan took training to become a vendor for Streetvibes, pub­ lished by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Both the newspaper and the coalition have been publicizing a recent spate of hate crimes against homeless people in Cincinnati. The attack was allegedly perpetrated by a man Michael K. Taylor, aka Madness (left), was apprehended by Las Vegas Police after a nationwide warrant was issued. Taylor allegedly attacked Robert Meehan (right), on Jan 24. Photo on right by Josh Spring. See Madness, p. 5 Postcards from Hell Lynching exhibit captures hatred’s horror By Lew Moores Contributing Writer Not all of the images depict AfricanAmerican men. Among the first images a visitor sees are of Laura Nelson and he images are beyond graphic. her son, L.W. Nelson, 14, hanging from a They are horrific. African-Amer­ bridge in Okemah, Okla., in 1911. Laura ican men hang from power lines Nelson wears a dress that reaches to her and bridges, a light pole, most from trees. calves, her arms and hands at her sides. A blooming dogwood, a cedar. Many of Her head is sharply angled to her left the images are – remark­ shoulder. In an image of ably – postcards. They them both hanging from “I would like students were sent through the the bridge, her son dan­ to focus on that third mail, postcards not from gles at least 100 feet away section. To understand – separated in death – as vacations, but sent from hell. On the back of a post­ that it just wasn’t in the a crowd stands on the card of a burned corpse, past, that it certainly is bridge and watches. one correspondent wrote Of the nearly 5,000 relevant to what is going about having a barbecue. on in their everyday lives lynchings that occurred About 75 of these imag­ – not physical lynchings in the United States be­ es are arranged on walls tween 1882 and 1968, anymore, but there that cover five rooms and certainly are hate crimes.” 3,437 were African 3,000 square feet of space Americans and the oth­ - Dina Bailey at the National Under­ ers included white, His­ ground Railroad Freedom panic, Chinese, Jewish Center. Without Sanctuary: Lynching and Native Americans, according to the Photography in America opened at the Tuskegee Institute. As signage in the ex­ Freedom Center Jan. 19 – the day after hibit points out, 70 women were among Martin Luther King Jr. Day – and contin­ those lynched, and lynchings occurred in ues through May 31. Halfway through the 41 states, mostly in the South. There were exhibit is a room called “Respite,” with 581 in Mississippi, 531 in Georgia, 493 in benches and two boxes of facial tissues. Texas, 391 in Louisiana. There were two And at the end are tables with “Reflec­ in New York and one in Vermont. tion” Journals, where visitors can leave There were 205 lynchings in Kentucky, their thoughts: 47 in Indiana and 26 in Ohio. Hangings This exhibit was way too sad for me. … took place in Butler and Clermont coun­ I can’t believe the things America let hap- ties. None are known to have occurred in pen. … It was very painful to view the pic- Hamilton County. tures and facts. We have come a long way but we still have a very long way to go. See postcards, p. 4 T Lynching, circa 1905, location unknown. Photo courtesy of National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. �2 The Vibe By The Numbers 31 The percentage of homeless people in Louisville who lost their homes last year because of inability to pay their rent or mortgage (see page 7). 5 The denomination of dollar bills depicted in Pachyderm’s Progress (see page 16). 144 The number of years in the future in which Avatar is set (see page 9). 644 The number of peace cranes created by a young victim of the U.S. nuclear attack on Hiroshima (see page 6). 45,000 The annual death toll caused by lack of health insurance in the United States (see page 3). 14 The age of L.W. Nelson, the victim of a lynching in 1911 (see page 1). 79 The percentage of people in Cincinnati who, when asked, signed a petition for the legalization of marijuana (see page 7). StreetWise By GreGory FLannery editor First, I Screwed Up A photo caption on page 9 of the Feb. 1-14 edition contained this statement: “Blah blah blah blah.” This error was an oversight on my part, and I apologize to the people in the photograph, the reporter and the photographer. This is how it happened. A “dummy line” was placed under the photo to indicate that a caption was needed. The editor was supposed to change the dummy line. In this case, the editor was a dummy. We Get By with the Help of Our Friends Homeless people and economically struggling people are so often maltreated that acts of kind­ ness – and even more rare, solidarity – deserve mention. Last week Streetvibes received a call from a woman who bought the paper in Northside from Riccardo Taylor. Hours later she saw Taylor downtown. She had parked at a broken meter, and Taylor offered to watch her car in case a meter attendant came by. The woman called to say that she was impressed by Taylor’s thoughtfulness and wanted to do something for him. This came a week after another vendor reported that employees at a pancake restaurant in Northern Kentucky came to his defense when he was about to be arrested. The vendor had nodded off in the restaurant, and another patron called the police to complain. But when the vendor was about to be arrested, restaurant employees intervened and told the officers he hadn’t done anything wrong. An Award and a Lawsuit for the Dalai Lama Last week the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center announced that it will bestow an International Freedom Conductor Award on the Dalai Lama in October. The Dalai Lama is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, a distinguished teacher of Tibetan Buddhism – and the de­ fendant in a lawsuit in India accusing him of violating the human rights of other Tibetan Bud­ dhists. Kuten Lama, abbot of a monastery in Colerain Township, is one of the founders of the organization suing the Dalai Lama. At issue is the alleged persecution of Tibetan exiles who honor Dorje Shugden, a deity banned by the Dalai Lama (see “Rejoicing Against Oppression,” issue of Sept. 15-30, 2009). Don’t Touch That Dial: ‘Streetvibes’ is on the air Streetvibes is now on the radio. Our writers are working with WNKU (89.7 FM) to put stories about homelessness and other social-justice issues on the air. Contributing writer Margo Pierce launched the effort last week by interviewing Kevin Finn, executive director of the Ham­ ilton County Continuum of Care. WNKU News Director Craig Kopp says he hopes to broadcast a new Streetvibes interview once a month. Visit the station at wnku.org. Street papers are growing in number and in circulation. In late 2009 two new street papers began publishing: One Step Away in Philadelphia, Penn., and St. Petersburg Homeless Image in St. Petersburg, Fla. One reason for the success of the street-paper movement is collaboration. Streetvibes is a member of both the North American Street Newspaper Association (NASNA) and the Interna­ tional Network of Street Papers (INSP). Like other professional or trade organizations, NASNA and INSP give members access to shared resources such as photographs by Reuters photogra­ phers and stories syndicated by the Street News Service. In early February, Streetvibes enjoyed a visit from Emma Kernahan, distribution manager for The Big Issue UK, a street paper headquartered in London, England. Kernahan came to see how our distribution works and told us about distribution at her paper. She also shared information about Streetwise, a street paper in Chicago. Kernahan is spending two months there as a volunteer helping to organize this year’s NASNA conference. 3 The number of women who stood and watched while Robert Meehan was beaten in downtown Cincinnati (see page 1). Competition is a time-honored convention in journalism. Collaboration has its own set of ben­ efits. 2010 The year that you should get over your fear of tofu (see page 8). Zilch The amount of food a charity can legally distribute to poor people in a Cincinnati park (see page 12). Emma Kernahan, ‘The Big Issue UK,’ visited ‘Streetvibes’ and ‘Streetwise’ (Chicago). Photo by Lynne Ausman. NASNA is working on its first continental collaborative article, with Streetvibes and other mem­ ber papers contributing research for a report of international scope with local relevance. You’ll see what we mean in the March 1 edition. Writers from street papers in the United States and Can­ ada are working on a story that will be published in both countries. Andy Freeze, executive director of NASNA and former education coordinator for the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, says he hopes NASNA members will collaborate on national articles several times a year. STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax: 513.421.7813 Email: streetvibes2@ yahoo.com Website: www. cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes. wordpress.com Streetvibes Staff Editor Gregory Flannery Art Director Lynne Ausman Graphics/Layout Intern Veronica Glass Vendor Coordinator Jeni Jenkins Contributing Writers Michelle Dillingham, Samantha Groark, Margo Pierce, Paul Kopp, Jeremy Flannery, Michael Henson, David Heitfield, Valerie Fessler, Alecia A. Lott, Stephanie Dunlap, Saad Ghosn, Lew Moores, Larry Gross, Eli Braun Photography/Artwork Aimie Willhoite, Lynne Ausman, Jeni Jenkins, Anthony Williams Proofreaders Jennifer Blalock Lynn Baker Jeremy Flannery The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati through coordination of services, public education, grassroots advocacy and Streetvibes. We are proud members of: �STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 Issues 3 Health Care Reform on Life Support People are dying for lack of insurance 1 By eLi Braun Contributing Writer care. “We’re losing more Americans every day be­ welve-year-old Deamonte Driver died of cause of inaction ... than an abscessed tooth that a routine $80 tooth [because of] drunk driv­ extraction could have prevented. His fam­ ing and homicide com­ ily lacked health insurance and could not afford bined,” said study author to pay a dentist. So they waited, thinking they had David Himmelstein in an time for a toothache. While the toothache festered, interview with Reuters. bacteria from the abscess spread to Deamonte’s Himmelstein, a profes­ brain. The boy was hospi­ sor at Harvard talized. Then, after two op­ Medical School, erations, six weeks of hos­ In a study of people with favors extending pital care, and $250,000 in Medicare to all. appendicitis, uninsured bills, he died. People with­ people were 18 percent Was the cause of death a more likely to suffer a burst out health insur­ tooth abscess, or was it lack ance have more appendix than those with of health insurance? to worry about private insurance. It has been well docu­ than just death. mented that people with­ Besides pre­ out health insurance face poorer health prospects. mature death, uninsured Why? Perhaps they engage in riskier behavior, people with diabetes are smoke more cigarettes, or eat more junk food? Or, at greater risk of blind­ as a growing body of evidence suggests, uninsured ness and amputations, people face poorer health prospects simply because according to the Insti­ they are uninsured. For decades, covering the unin­ tute of Medicine, which sured has been a central goal of health-care reform. found that one in four While the current bill in Congress delights neither uninsured adult diabet­ the left nor the right, it represents the best chance ics go two years without in years to achieve this goal. If it dies, so will thou­ a doctor’s visit, compared sands of Americans. to one in 20 insured adult diabetics. T ‘Enough to make you sick’ What happens when sick people don’t have health insurance? In a study of people with appendicitis, uninsured people were 18 percent more likely to suffer a burst appendix than those with private insurance. Re­ searchers found that the people whose appendices burst tended to have waited longer before seek­ ing medical attention. In fact, the delay in seeking medical care was “the most important predictor” of rupture. These individuals waited because they could not access “primary and hospital care without cost con­ cerns.” That is, people who were uninsured waited. Insurance status was the most important predictor even after researchers controlled for age, sex, socio­ economic status and hospital type. As with Deamonte Driver, whose $80 barrier led to a $250,000 bill, delaying timely medical care has expensive repercussions. An appendicitis opera­ tion leads to a longer hospital stay and a larger bill if the appendix has burst. Insurance status affects the prognosis of people with ailments besides tooth abscesses and appen­ dicitis. Uninsured people are also more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage cancer. Consequently, uninsured people were almost twice (1.6 times) as likely as insured people to die within five years. “The truth is that our national reluctance to face these facts is condemning thousands of people to die from cancer each year,” wrote Elmer Huerta, president of the American Cancer Society, in an ed­ itorial that accompanied the study. “For too many hardworking ‘average Americans,’ paying for can­ cer treatment means not paying rent, mortgage (re­ sulting in foreclosure or eviction), or utility bills, or even going hungry.” The American College of Physicians tracked similar evidence in its 2000 report, No Health Insurance? It’s Enough to Make You Sick. In 2002, the Institute of Medicine calculated that 18,000 unin­ sured adults died each year because, lacking in­ surance, they do not seek medical care. The Urban Institute estimated that between 2000 and 2006, 137,000 people died who would still be alive if only they had had health insurance. The most recent estimate in 2009 found that nearly 45,000 people die in the United States each year – one person every 12 minutes – because they lack health insurance and cannot access medical Too little, too expensive House Minority Leader John Boehner is Dr. No on health-care reform. More than 46.3 million REUTERS/Yuri Gripas. U.S. residents, 15.4 per­ cent of the population, were uninsured in 2008, according to the U.S. Cen­ ance companies from excluding people with pre­ sus Bureau. One in 10 children – 7.3 million – were existing conditions. That would address one flaw uninsured. Only people who lacked insurance for of the current health-care system. Insurance com­ the entire year are counted as uninsured in the Cen­ panies cherry-pick customers, prioritizing profit at sus Bureau’s methodology, so these numbers might the expense of the sickest. understate the true number of uninsured Ameri­ The bill does not, however, change the for-profit cans. If you count people who were uninsured for model of the American insurance industry. Even if at least one month in 2006-07, 86.7 million. this bill passes, companies can continue to mini­ Comprising one in 3 Americans under the age of mize payouts and require higher co-pays. Medical 65, had limited access to medical care. bills are a frequent cause of bankruptcy, some crit­ The numbers vary by geographic region. In 2007­ ics note, and insurance is not serving its purpose if 08, Texas had the largest percentage of uninsured an illness can wipe out the family savings. residents (25 percent) while Massachusetts had the Despite the weaknesses of the existing system, smallest (5 percent). Ohio ranked toward the mid­ the public appears reluctant to tinker with it. A poll dle, with 12 percent of its population uninsured. conducted by the Health Foundation of Greater That’s one in eight Ohioans, or a million people to­ Cincinnati found that likely-insured Ohioans be­ tal. lieved that the proposed changes go too far. Insured The current health-care reform bill, despite people comprise the vast majority of the electorate, its faults, would reduce the number of uninsured which perhaps explains why health-care reformers Americans, according to the non-partisan Congres­ have been so modest in their approach. sional Budget Office. It would provide subsidies for Not surprisingly, according to the Health Foun­ poorer Americans, expand Medicaid eligibility to dation poll, Ohioans who were likely to be unin­ 150 percent of the federal poverty level (133 per­ sured thought the proposed changes don’t go far cent in the Senate version) and enough. institute various reforms to slow People with health insurance health care’s rising costs. Emergency-room care is have better access to health care Rising health-care costs are and better outcomes. Critics of too little, too late and too partly responsible for the numhealth-care reform sometimes expensive. It can hardly be ber of uninsured Americans. Bequip that uninsured people called satisfactory care for a tween 2001 and 2007, insurance patient with late-term cancer or can always go to an emergency premiums rose 78 percent while room. And yes, the 1986 Emer­ a ruptured appendix. wages rose only 19 percent. And gency Medical Treatment and as health-care costs rise, employ­ Active Labor Act guarantees ac­ ers drop benefits. The Census Bureau found that cess for everyone to emergency services. the percentage of Americans who receive health But many health conditions are chronic and re­ insurance through their employers has decreased quire routine attention. Emergency-room care is from 64 percent in 2000 to 59 percent in 2008. For too little, too late and too expensive. It can hardly many people, employment comes with fewer ben­ be called satisfactory care for a patient with lateefits. In fact, one in six full-time workers, or 21 mil­ term cancer or a ruptured appendix. It did not save lion people, were uninsured for the entirety of 2008 Deamonte Driver, and it can’t prevent another. meaning 45% of uninsured people actually worked Health-care reform might still pass Congress this full-time. year. But for the 45,000 people who died last year Of course, the current bill in Congress does more for lack of health insurance – or at that rate, the 123 than cover the uninsured. It would prevent insur- people who died today – it’s already too late. Read this article with links to sources at http://streetvibes.wordpress.com. �4 Local News STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 Postcards from Hell Continued from page 1 ‘I wish I didn’t know’ As much as Terryl Meador prepped the 39 juniors in her Advanced Placement U.S. history class at Northwest High School before visiting the exhibit in late January, they were still shocked. Even Meador, who as a teacher knew of this dark side of American history, was taken aback by the breadth of the cruelty. “It never stops shocking you, even after going through the teacher training, even after doing outside readings and a lot of other research and prepping the kids, both academically and emotionally,” she says. “There were a lot of times when I found myself very close to tears. “I felt frustrated and ashamed and embarrassed and shocked, thinking, ‘How did I not know this?’ And then thinking, ‘Oh my God, I wish I didn’t know this.’” Of the nearly 5,000 Paul Bernish, spokesman for the lynchings that occurred in Freedom Center, says the center the United States between worked to prepare the region as far 1882 and 1968, 3,437 back as October for the exhibit. “We went out of our way to pre­ were African Americans pare the community,” he says. “We and the others included white, Hispanic, Chinese, told people what it was going to be about, so that by the time it opened, Jewish and Native Americans, according to it opened with some degree of so­ lemnity.” the Tuskegee Institute. Bernish also says the Freedom Center learned from past venues where Without Sanctuary was displayed that incorpo­ rating some new features in this exhibition would help. One was having the Reflection Journals. “We took lessons from past exhibits,” Bernish says. “For some, there wasn’t an opportunity for people to vent their emotions. We’ve given people an opportunity to express themselves, their reactions and emotions. The number of people who have taken the time to write their journal entries is a very good indicator of the im­ pact it’s having.” And that impact has been for the most part positive, Bernish notes from both the journals and oral reac­ tion. “The response has been sober, reflective,” he says. “People feel it’s very powerful. We’re showing this be­ cause of our belief that freedom is a value that needs protecting. Beneath the veneer of civilization is an el­ ement that allows hate to overcome reason and that The lynching of Bennie Simmons. June 13, 1913, Anadarko, Okla.. threatens freedom.” Photo courtesy of National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Katie Johnson, public programs manager for the Freedom Center, says the center recruited more than two dozen education partners to get input on the pos­ sible reaction the community might have and how to mitigate ‘Have you stood up?’ against adverse reaction. Dina Bailey, associate curator at the Freedom Center, says there Images of a bludgeoned African American sitting in a rocking are three things they want visitors to take away from Without Sanc- chair, his clothes covered in blood; a charred corpse; dead Africantuary. American men tied to fences; a corpse chained to a tree face-first. “The first being a The more disturbing images are of crowds standing in the fore­ “So we talked about how hate doesn’t spring look back at histo­ ground of a lynching – staring, gesturing and even smiling at the ry, understanding camera. There is the image from July 19, 1935, of a black man hang­ up in one day, how it grows if you allow it to be unchecked. All of us have this potential of having a better where this ing in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., with children looking on. And the infamous photo of the lynching of Abram Smith, 18, and little dark side of ourselves. And if you don’t actively lynching era came work to stay on top of that, it overtakes you. That from and how it Thomas Shipp, 19, hanging from a tree in Marion, Ind., on Aug. 7, possible,” 1930. Some in the crowd look at the camera. One man points to the liberty is best protected when you guard against was Bailey says. “The hanging men. An entrepreneur mass-produced the photograph hate. That’s what I hope they took away.” second is bearing and sold copies for 50 cents each. - Terryl Meador witness, under­ Meador, the teacher at North­ standing what the west High School in Colerain lynching era was about. The third is reminding people there are Township, where African Ameri­ The more disturbing images are of still vulnerable populations today that we need to keep watch over. cans represent about 25 percent crowds standing in the foreground of I would like students to focus on that third section. To understand of the student body, attended a a lynching – staring, gesturing and that it just wasn’t in the past, that it certainly is relevant to what is teachers’ workshop at the Free­ even smiling at the camera. There is going on in their everyday lives – not physical lynchings anymore, dom Center in early December in the image from July 19, 1935, of a but there certainly are hate crimes.” preparation for visiting the exhib­ black man hanging in Ft. Lauderdale, “Homeless is one. I think it is one of the hate crimes that is on it. The Freedom Center was very Fla., with children looking on. the rise. We’re looking at different forms: LGBT, homeless, religious supportive, she says. Her students affiliations. They may not be in the exhibition, but it is a program spent the better part of the day at idea that we want to talk about. One of the things I’ve noticed is the Freedom Center and Without Sanctuary. that, the worse the economy, the more hate crimes there are. When “It was a very full day, but a very rich day,” Meador says. people are worried about not having enough of their own mon­ The students had been prepared. Some had sought out some im­ ey, then they look to blame immigrants, or illegal immigrants, or ages online or saw one or two in a textbook. But nothing compared homeless people. It goes back to those vulnerable populations.” to the enormity at Without Sanctuary. All I feel is sadness. … This exhibit is as important as it is disturbThe students lingered. They began to read every accompanying ing. … Their fight (and even their fear) created my grandmothers explanation at every image – so much so that Meador had to nudge and grandfathers, my mother and father, those women and men of them along, she said. the civil rights movement. From great pain and sadness there has been victory. See postcards, p. 5 �STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 Local News 5 The ‘Madness’ of Hate Downtown Continued from page 1 initially known to police only by his nick­ name, Madness. At about 3:48 a.m. Meehan was bodyslammed, punched and struck with a beer bottle during what Cincinnati Police Lt. Mi­ chael John called an unprovoked attack. Three women stood and watched the assault, captured on a surveillance camera outside the Metropole. For nearly two weeks Meehan was in a medically induced coma as a result of his in­ juries, which John described as so severe that he was surprised Meehan survived. Josh Spring, executive director of the Home­ less Coalition, launched a media blitz to bring attention to the attack and to encourage peo­ ple to provide information for the suspect’s capture. The effort paid off when TV coverage led one of the three women who were pres­ ent during the beating to contact police. John said police identified the other two women and interviewed all three of them. “I think they felt some pressure to come forward, but none the less they were help­ ful,” John wrote in an e-mail to a TV reporter. “They were all shocked to see the nature of Michael Stoops, National Coalition for the Homeless, spoke at the Cincinnati Homeless Mr. Meehan's injuries.” Coalition’s forum on hate crimes, where advocates were first informed of the attack. Equally shocking was the suspect’s behav­ Photo by Josh Spring. ior after the attack. “The night of the incident, Madness was Spring says. operating a white or cream colored late model Cadillac,” John wrote. In fact, Spring learned of the assault during a forum on hate crimes “He actually drove the vehicle southbound on Walnut, passing Mr. sponsored by the Homeless Coalition. Meehan (after the beating) before slowing outside the Subway to inLast year a homeless man was assaulted downtown by two drunk­ vite an unknown individual to the Anchor Grill in Covington.” en suburbanites, one of whom knocked a bottle of insulin out of the Police succeeded in tracking Madness to Las victim’s hand. The assailants were arrested and Vegas, Nev., where he was arrested Feb. 6. The fined. Last month a homeless man was set on suspect, now identified as Michael K. Taylor, is At about 3:48 a.m. Meehan was fire downtown by four youths. No one has yet wanted in Cincinnati on a charge of felonious body-slammed, punched and struck been charged in that case (see “Set Afire,” issue assault. of Jan. 15-31). with a beer bottle during what Spring visited Meehan at University Hospi­ Spring says these cases, like a series of stun­ Cincinnati Police Lt. Michael John tal on Feb. 8 after he was transferred out of the called an unprovoked attack. Three gun attacks in Cleveland, point to the need for intensive-care unit. hate-crimes laws to protect homeless people. women stood and watched the “He will have to go through rehab,” Spring assault, captured on a surveillance Bills are pending in Congress and in the Ohio says. “He was markedly exhausted physically General Assembly. Spring says Cincinnati City camera outside the Metropole. and mentally. He was in the office before this atCouncil should also pass an ordinance includ­ tack, and he spoke very fast. This time, if I didn’t ing homeless people as a protected class. talk, there wouldn’t be any conversation. Relative to what happened “People who are homeless are one group that it’s still OK to hate,” he’s doing very well, but it’s clear that this will change his life. He said he says. “We’re hoping at the local level someone will put forth a mohe was having trouble trying to remember what happened. He asked tion to protect people based on housing status. It doesn’t do a lot beme why someone would do this.” cause municipalities can only affect misdemeanors but it does signal Spring says he didn’t venture to answer Meehan’s question, but he to the state government that it’s important. We’re hoping this will be has a theory. The assault on Meehan was the latest in a series of hate a wake-up call. It’s gotten progressively worse. It’s important Cincin­ crimes against homeless people, according to Spring. nati doesn’t forget. We had a man almost beat to death. If we don’t do “Mr. Meehan has been known to have been homeless on the street something now, it’s going to get worse. This should be an eye-opener as well as regularly moving from the home of one friend to another,” for everybody.” Postcards from Hell Continued from page 4 “It was just conflicting emotions throughout the entire exhibit,” she says. “It ran the entire spectrum. I saw kids crying in the exhibit. I saw kids an­ gry. I mean just angry, like, ‘How could this happen? How could this happen in America?’ they asked. There was a lot of horror. As much as we talked about this, the graphic nature of the pictures was very stunning to them. It’s one thing to talk about women being lynched, but then to see that very famous picture of the woman (Laura Nelson) being hung off the bridge …” What did she want her students to learn from this? “What I wanted to resonate the most for them was that hate does not exist in time and place,” Meador says. “Hate ex­ ists. I think one of the blessings of living in America is that we do have free speech. I think the other thing really crucial for them to understand is the importance throughout American history of people in shaping and changing of America. “We talked about how, if you see things wrong, you have to stand up. It’s your duty as an American citizen. You can’t get caught up in these kinds of things. No one of you ever participated in a lynching, but have you stood up and cheered when a fight was happening? Have you watched a kid be bullied and not stand up for them? “So we talked about how hate doesn’t spring up in one day, how it grows if you allow it to be unchecked. All of us have this potential of having a little dark side of ourselves. And if you don’t actively work to stay on top of that, it overtakes you. That liberty is best protected when you guard against hate. That’s what I hope they took away.” �6 STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 Local News Walking to End the Nuclear Peril Footprints for Peace opposes nuclear bombs and plants 1 By VaLerie FessLer Contributing Writer H ow are walking and nuclear weap­ ons connected? By the people who dedicate their time, money and resources to peacefully raise awareness about alternative energy and sustainable lifestyles while exposing the deadly effects of the nuclear industry. On Feb. 13, Footprints for The 2010 Nuclear Peace began its three-month 2010 Nuclear Free Future Walk Free Future to the United Nations in New Walk is open to anyone interested York. The march began at the Y12 Nuclear Facility in Oak in walking for a nuclear-free future. Ridge, Tenn. Footprints for Peace is a global community of people dedicated to creating change through peaceful action. They organize events throughout the world in order to deepen others’ understanding of environmental is­ sues. Their goal is to educate, inspire and empower individuals and communities in building a sustainable future. Every five years, the Nuclear Non-Pro­ liferation Treaty, also known as NPT, is reviewed at a conference at the United Nations. The treaty calls on countries “to achieve at the earliest possible date the ces­ sation of the nuclear arms race and to un­ dertake effective measures in the direction of nuclear disarmament.” The NPT Review Conference begins in early May. Sophie Morel, 48, and her son, Noé, 12, of France came to Cincinnati to join Foot­ prints for Peace. They have participated in past anti-nuclear walks in Europe. Last year they walked from Geneva, Switzerland, to Brussels, Belgium, stopping at many nu­ clear power plants and nuclear weapons bases. “It was great, but sometimes it was hard because of rain,” Noé says. Participants walk an average of 15 miles per day. The distance depends on the phys­ ical capabilities of the group and on ac­ commodations. At night, towns and com­ munities provide shelter and hold potluck dinners for the walkers. “Walks are physically demanding,” says Jon Blickenstaff of Cincinnati, a member of Footprints for Peace. “You are not sleeping in your own bed, and you’re in a strange en­ vironment.” Although the walks are demanding, Blick­ enstaff says the group dynamic intensifies, Noé Morel (fourth from right) participated in an anti-nuke march in Europe last year. Photo courtesy of Footprints for Peace. and everyone makes decisions together. get better. She only made it to 644 before “It’s an amazing experience,” he says. her death. People from numerous countries, includ­ Noé Morel says he is “very sad about the ing Japan, Australia, France, children affected by bombs”. Canada and the United States, Not only does nuclear power come together in order to walk Participants walk an harmfully affect human beings, for peace. Nuclear weaponry average of 15 miles it poses a threat to the environ­ and nuclear power are con­ per day. The distance ment as well. cerns for the entire world. Mining uranium causes both depends on the “The French army tests new physical capabilities water and soil pollution, and nuclear missile, which is a of the group and on the process constantly releases contradiction with the NPT,” radioactive substances into accommodations. Sophie Morel says. “They don’t At night, towns and the environment, according to honor the treaty and are still communities provide Réseau Sortir du Nucléaire, or building nuclear weapons and “Network for Nuclear Phaseshelter and hold reactors.” Out.” Radioactive waste re­ potluck dinners for Both Morel and her son are mains dangerous for hundreds the walkers. passionate about stopping the of thousands of years. use of nuclear weapons and “Nuclear waste is a problem power. Each morning during the walks, the with no solution,” Blickenstaff says. group holds a “morning circle” in order to More than 20 people are expected to take thank their hosts for the shelter and food part in the 2010 Nuclear Free Future Walk. and give them gifts of peace cranes. A peace The group will walk through Tennessee, crane is an origami bird, with roots in Japan Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New and the atomic bombs that were dropped Jersey and finish in New York. They will also there by the United States during World War be holding a rally in Piketon, Ohio, where II. a new nuclear power plant is to be built by The story of Sadako, a young girl who Duke Energy and Areva, a French energy lived in Hiroshima when the first atomic company. bomb was dropped, inspired Footprints The 2010 Nuclear Free Future Walk is for Peace to fold peace cranes to symbolize open to anyone interested in walking for a the harmful and deadly effects of nuclear nuclear-free future. weapons. Sadako made cranes while in the For more information, visit footprints­ hospital as she died from radiation poison­ forpeace.net. To find where the march is ing. Legend stated that, if she made 1,000 at any given time or to contribute financial cranes, she would be granted the wish to support, call 513-843-1205. Streetvibes vendors keep 75% of sales. Consider helping Streetvibes with our publication costs by making a tax-deductible donation or by purchasing a subscription. Streetvibes is the activist newspaper, advocating justice, building community. Your gift is tax-deductible and will go to producing the paper every two weeks. Started in 1997, Streetvibes is distributed by homeless and formerly homeless vendors who purchase the paper for 25 cents and sell it for $1, keeping the 75 cent profit. Make checks payable to “Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless” I want to support Streetvibes and the vendors. $25 Please return your contribution to: GCCH 117 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Name: Address: E-mail: $50 $100 $150 Other $ _______ �STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 Housing Issues Out of the Cars and into Homes 7 “Perplexity is the beginning of knowledge.” --Kahlil Gibran By Michelle Dillingham Contributing Writer I t is perplexing that it is 18 degrees outside tonight, and there are families sleeping in cars on the streets of Cincinnati. Why is this happening? What is going on with the availability of affordable housing in our city? Affordable Housing Advocates (AHA) has entered the new year with an ambitious policy agenda for 2010. There is so much to advocate for in the area of housing – from issues around accessibility and visitabil­ ity, to the lack of understanding about barriers to creating more afford­ able housing, to ensuring affordable units are lead-safe and many more. AHA has nar­ Cincinnati’s family shelters rowed its focus to a few key areas. One area is the need for public education about afford­ now have waiting lists. able housing. At present there is no compre­ Louisville’s data analysis hensive assessment on the current state of shows what many of us know to be true here, that affordable housing in Cincinnati. The Metropolitan Housing Coalition in the economy and families’ inability to pay their housing Louisville, Ky., released its 2009 “State of Met­ ropolitan Housing Report,” which it calls “an costs have caused a substantial increase in the ongoing report card of the fair and afford­ number of individuals who able housing challenges and successes in the are homeless in Cincinnati. Louisville metropolitan region.” The Metro­ politan Housing Coalition is a formidable advocacy organization and has been pub­ lishing housing reports since 2003. The coalition considers nine hous­ ing measures in its assessments: Concentration of Subsidized Housing, Housing Segregation, Renters with Excessive Cost Burden, Production and Rehabilitation of Affordable Housing, Homeownership Rate, Ac­ cess to Homeownership, Foreclosures, Homelessness and Community Development Block Grants and HOME Funds. This year AHA has a goal to identify resources in order to conduct a similar assessment for our region. We recognize the critical importance of having objective measurements by which to gauge where we stand with respect to affordable housing in Cincinnati. One of the Metropolitan Housing Coalition’s measures is home­ lessness. The coalition reports, “A study released this year by the Kent School of Social Work at the University of Louisville examined the cost of housing, healthcare, correctional facilities, and shelters to de­ termine the true costs of homelessness to our community. The study found that Louisville spends about $88,802,380 every two years to aid 7,108 adults in our community (Coalition for the Homeless, 2009), an amount that is unsustainable.” It is information such as this that is use­ ful when trying to convince policy-makers that investing in permanent supportive housing is indeed more cost-effective than simply ignoring our citizens who are homeless. The coalition also reports, “About one-third (31 percent) of the sur­ vey respondents became homeless because of an inability to pay their rent or mortgage, up from 29 percent the previous year. Inability to afford housing costs is now the most-cited cause of homelessness by survey respondents, up from the third most cited cause last year. Only 16 percent became homeless because of substance abuse and only 6 percent because of mental illness. … Taken together, these data show that many of the people who are homeless in Louisville are educated and employed, have families, and often became homeless because of an inability to pay for housing costs.” Cincinnati’s family shelters now have waiting lists. Louisville’s data analysis shows what many of us know to be true here, that the economy and families’ inability to pay their housing costs have caused a sub­ stantial increase in the number of individuals who are homeless in Cin­ cinnati. The creation of a local State of Housing Report will hopefully bring us from perplexity to knowledge, from knowledge to informed advocacy, to no more families sleeping in cars. Chapter Wants to NORML-ize Pot Working for legalization By Jill Span Contributing writer many in the national orga­ nization working to end the prohibition of marijuana in group of 22 advo­ the United States. cates for the Miami “Our main goal is to edu­ Valley chapter of the cate the public about the re­ National Organization for the cent science behind canna­ Reform of Marijuana Laws bis,” Huber said. (NORML) gathered around The chapter supports the a small laptop screen on a complete use of cannabis, table in the dining room of including everything from the Hideaway Café in North- medical purposes to recre­ side at the start of their Feb. 6 ational use, according to Hu­ meeting. ber. They watched a new marWith supporters in attenijuana-legalization ad being dance ranging from college aired on television sets across students to middle-aged California. store owners, the members “Wow. That’s good,” said first discussed their individ­ one member ual reasons of the group for joining as they all “We’re demonizing a part of NORML. For stood in mo­ our population and making many, their mentary sithem hide in the shadows approach to lence when it the legaliza­ and feel like criminals.” was over. tion of mari­ “This is juana is both the type of ad I want to see on a civil-rights issue as well as a TVs in Cincinnati,” said Will personal one. Huber, the chapter’s meet-up “We’re demonizing a part organizer. of our population and mak­ The Miami Valley chapter ing them hide in the shadows of NORML, which started and feel like criminals,” said last September, is one among one member. “If we’re going A The National Organization for the reform of Marijuana Laws has a new local chapter. Photo by Rob Ryan. to be a caring nation, we have to stop harming our people.” Members discussed the overcrowding of jails by those charged with possession of marijuana, as well as the medical benefits and personal well-being of marijuana use. “In my mind, it’s a legalized hate crime,” said Rob Ryan, treasurer of the Miami Valley Chapter of NORML. “That’s what it boils down to.” Ryan shared with the group his experience of creating a petition last fall to send to elected representatives with signatures of people who be­ lieve that the drug war is a failure. He went around areas of Cincinnati and randomly polled 100 people. “I didn’t go to any hippy hang-outs,” Ryan said. “I didn’t wear any buttons. I just had my clipboard and asked people their thoughts.” Of the 100 people he polled, 79 signed the petition, he said. “A lot of people have been flying under the radar, and it’s time to change that,” Ryan said. Members of the chapter shared ideas for fundraising opportunities and future goals to get their mission statement out to the com­ munity. Ideas included in­ volvement in Comfest, an annual community festival in Columbus, and the annual Northside Independence Day Parade. Participants pulled togeth­ er to consider their resources, offering their store spaces for NORML’s effort, financial contributions and personal skills such as marketing. They also hope to run an ad promoting legalization of mari­ juana. Outreach is essential, Hu­ ber said. “What we really need is people to step up and write a letter to the editor because people don’t talk about this enough,” he said. The group meets monthly and has an active Facebook page titled “Miami Valley NORML,” where supporters can find more information on upcoming events and meetings. �8 STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 Recipe Sexy,Yummy, Veggie Your tour guide into the steamy side of vegetarian cuisine 1 10 ounces (approx.) wide, flat rice noodles ¼ cup tamari or soy sauce 3 tbsp. peanut butter (smooth or chunky, your choice) 2 ½ tbsp. fresh lime juice 1 ½ tbsp. sugar (more or less to taste – I like a sweet sauce.) ½ tsp. red pepper flakes ½ tsp. fresh ginger, minced 1-2 tsp. peanut or canola oil 2 cups broccoli florets 1 ½ cups seitan, cut into strips 1 large carrot, shredded 2 handfuls cashews or peanuts (I prefer cashews.) Lime slices for garnish I Photo by Alecia A. Lott ent is seitan (pronounced say-TAN), which is a proteinrich meat substitute made of wheat gluten. In fact, it’s also sometimes referred to as wheat gluten or just glu­ ten. You can make it yourself (maybe some other time?) or you can find it at health food stores, most Asian markets or even some Kroger locations. Like many meat substi­ tutes, it is not meant to taste like meat. It is meant to stand in for meat to provide protein Adapted from Vegan Yum Yum, by Lauren Ulm Serves 2 noodle fiends or 4 normal people By aLecia a. Lott Contributing Writer ’m so happy and proud to be writing for Streetvibes again. Did you miss me? No need to an­ swer—I know you did. When I wrote my column last summer, I made a list of ingredients I would not use in my recipes because I thought they were too “out there” and therefore might “scare the meat-eaters.” This list in­ cluded such vegan staples as tofu, soymilk and the various meat/cheese substitutes that are widely available. My job, however, is to share things that I, a “typical vegan,” like to eat, and I eat the above things all the friggin’ time. Ex­ cluding an occasional recipe that calls for at least one of these items is not being true to myself. Also, I’m not giving you, the reader, the opportu­ nity to try something new. Besides, does tofu really frighten you? Well, it’s 2010. Get over it. Today’s “scary” ingredi­ Lime Peanut Noodles with Seitan, Broccoli, and Carrots and possibly a meaty texture, but be enjoyable in its own way. You can’t possibly dislike seitan when it’s covered in a loverly, lickable peanut sauce that’s bursting with tangy lime flavor, as in today’s rec­ ipe. Enjoy, and be brave! Alecia Lott also writes for her food and travel blog,BangBang’s Quest for Yay,Yum, and Yes. http://bangbangquest. wordpress.com 1. Boil the water for the rice noodles. While that’s going, make the peanut sauce by combining the tamari, pea­ nut butter, lime juice, sugar, pepper flakes and ginger. Set aside. 2. Cook the noodles until just softened, then rinse with cold water and drain well. Use kitchen shears to “chop” the noodles into bite-size pieces, if you’d like. Set noo­ dles aside. 3. Heat the peanut oil in a large pan (or wok) over medi­ um-high heat. Add the broccoli and stir until slightly browned. The broccoli should be heated through but still crisp. Add the seitan and carrots, then reduce the heat. 4. Add the noodles and the sauce, reserving about a tea­ spoon of the sauce. Stir until everything is well com­ bined. 5. Toss the nuts with the remaining teaspoon of sauce. Plate up your noodles, and garnish them with the nuts. Artwork by Anthony Williams ! ? t ha W y Sa ___________________ “Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.” - Fannie Lou Hamer �STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 9 Film Review No Super Bowl on Planet Pandora ‘Avatar’ might be just what we need 1 By DaViD HeitFieLD Contributing Writer I went in with trepidation – anything as wildly popular as Avatar has got to suck – and came out physically shaken, a visceral reaction to immersion in a world de­ signed to appeal to an older part of my evolutionary brain. Herein lies the problem with this review. When Editor Greg Flannery asked if I'd be interested in reviewing the film, he e-mailed me that “I hear it's either anti-American or racist or both.” Anything that reeks of controversy gives an oldschool journalist like Flannery a boner, almost as much as using a word like “boner” elicits a wet dream of angry Catho­ lics threatening to set homeless people on fire for selling a newspaper that has dirty words in it. Since I loved the movie, does that mean I'm either antiAmerican or racist? I'm probably both, but I try to hide it most of the time. Doesn't that count for something? At the very least, it should make me an honorary Catholic. Avatar is set 144 years in the future. The allegory is pretty simple: A corporation wants to mine for the ore “unobta­ nium” on Pandora, because of Earth's environmental prob­ lems, and it has employed American mercenaries to wipe out the “blue monkeys” who interfere with their potential profits. The Na'vi are tall, blue beings with golden eyes who live in harmony with their environment – they have tails with nerve endings that allow them to either commune with other animals, such as flying horse-like thingies, or make love (which is a spiritual act of “mating for life”). The corporation had established mining operations on Pandora three decades earlier, and because the environment is toxic to hu­ mans, they use “avatars” to interact with the natives and search for the unobtanium. These avatars physically resemble the Na'vi, but move­ ments are controlled by the human living in a large MRI-looking con­ traption. An ex-military paraplegic, Jake Sully, is recruited at the last moment to become one of these avatars because his DNA matches his recently dead twin brother, for whom the avatar was created. The paraplegic – he explains there is a cure for his spinal condition, but budget cuts did not allow the American military to pay for the operation – who lacks the proper indoctrination for his mission, just can't wait to start running around in his avatar, and thus his adven­ ture begins. If all this sounds vaguely like Dances With Wolves, you'd be correct, but you'd also be missing the appeal of the movie. The 3D effects are so wonderfully executed that the immersion just feels real – the ap­ peal to that old fish or monkey brain. Words are not as important as the feeling, so the ideas are kept simple: Greed is bad, living with na­ ture is good, people who use phrases like “shock and awe” in dealing with indigenous people are evil. The world is beautiful, with hues and colors I've never seen. It's a world where honor and honesty are the important currency. There would be no Super Bowl on Pandora, let alone commercials filled with neurotic men who need pants and cars and Viagra to feel whole again. None of the females own shoes. And because it all comes alive so re­ alistically, you have no problem believing that the paraplegic would rather live in Pandora's world than his own. “How does it feel to be­ tray your own race?” Jake is asked at one point, and while he doesn't answer, he doesn't have to. You know the answer – it feels pretty damn good, if you must know. The conceit works – Jake is of course your avatar. The difference be­ tween this avatar and other avatars that we use to communicate online or in video games is that this avatar dares to dream of a world that is better in almost all respects, instead of a creating the same world but placing ourselves higher in the pecking order. And that, to me, is the true genius of James Cameron's movie. I remember when I started working at LexisNexis, and we were starting a large project where we would hire 700 attorneys working from home, writing summaries for every judicial decision ever writ­ ten. Our corporate leader said at the time, “We're free to create what­ ever world we want to. We can avoid all the unnecessary entrapments of working in a corporate office. We can create our own culture.” What we ended up creating, of course, was the same old shit. Meaningless virtual office meetings proliferated. One manager kept an enemies list. Rather than the size of the desk, people became pre­ occupied with the size of their phone cards or inboxes. Management became paranoid and fearful, and the worker bees learned that qual­ ity was not nearly as important as finding short cuts and kissing the right asses. And it's all the same – despite the thoughts of some that technol­ ogy will revolutionize how we communicate, interact with each other and live our lives, all evidence I see is that people just want the same old shit. From The Sims to blogging to dating sites to comments on online materials, we seem hell-bent on simply regurgitating the world we know. Cameron has invited us to use technology to at least envision a bet­ ter world. Yes, it's an unabashedly liberal world (Cameron is a Cana­ dian, although it's worth pointing out that the film is making money for Fox News Corp.), and I'm still not convinced that tail sex is bet­ ter than the human kind, but that Avatar allows people to experience something beyond the same old shit is itself a gift that a lot of us need right now. And for my friend and editor, Greg: Those who see Avatar as rac­ ist or anti-American should be pitied. Apparently, it's the only shitty world they'll ever know. Do you remember the magic of your First Book? Please consider giving the gift of reading to a low-income child in Cincinnati this year. Established in 2001, First Book - Greater Cincinnati has already granted more than 45,000 books and over $60,000 to local nonprofit literacy programs serving thousands of low-income children in Greater Cincinnati. Make checks payable to “First Book - Greater Cincinnati” I Want to Bring the Magic of Books to Children Who Need Them! $20 (10 books) Please return your contribution to: First Book Greater Cincinnati 572 Northland Blvd. Cincinnati, Ohio 45240 Name: Address: E-mail: $40 (20 books) $80 (40 books) $100 (50 books) Other $ _______ �10 International News STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 Disasters are Not Created Equal Responding to earthquakes, ignoring homelessness 1 By Jesse caLL Contributing Writer T he ground began to shake, and in just a moment the lives of hundreds of thou­ sands of Haitians changed drastically. In an instant, many of them became homeless. An outpouring of support from Americans has been continuous to the region, providing much needed funds and supplies to the devastated country as it deals with the emergency and looks ahead to rebuilding. Many of those donors have been from right here in the Cincinnati area. “There has been an outpour of support from the Tri-State area from those who have been touched by the Haiti earthquakes,” says Nikki Williams of the Cincinnati Area Chapter of the American Red Cross. “When people see that level of devasta­ tion, they are compelled to help, and it has shown through donations to the Red Cross International Relief Fund tremendously.” Who cannot be moved by the images from Hai­ ti? The suffering there is unimaginable for many of us. Haiti will need our help for years to come. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton is helping in Haiti. Where is the response to homelessness here? But from where is all that money coming? How REUTERS/United Nations/Sophie Paris. is this affecting local donations? “I'm told that it can have a slight impact on local donations, as donors focus The people who experience homelessness have numerous causes, includ­ on the immediate issue,” says Bill Schinkal of the Southwest Ohio-Northeast ing natural disasters, financial disasters, relationship and familial disasters Kentucky Division of the Salvation Army. “However, we also observe that many and health disasters. donors for a disaster relief situation are new or additional donors, who are The victims in Haiti suffered from a circumstance beyond their control. For moved by what they see and hear about the disaster, and want very much to many people experiencing homelessness, the circumstances that placed them help. As such, their donations are above and beyond what is being contributed in that condition were also beyond their control. for our local programs.” Is it any less tragic when someone beAbove and beyond? That’s definitely true. comes homeless because of a man-made By Jan. 15 the American Red Cross raised “There has been an outpour of support from the Tri-State circumstance? Does that victim need or de­ $37 million. The Cincinnati chapter raised serve any less help? area from those who have been touched by the Haiti $134,000 in donations to the Haiti Relief earthquakes. When people see that level of devastation, they People might be limited in the financial Fund by Jan. 21. are compelled to help, and it has shown through donations to resources that they can give to others. Most In any given year, 3.5 million people will of us are not able to go to Haiti and offer the Red Cross International Relief Fund tremendously.” experience homelessness in America, achands-on assistance, but there is the oppor­ - Nikki Williams, Cincinnati Area Chapter cording to the National Law Center on tunity to do that here in the Cincinnati area of the American Red Cross Homelessness and Poverty. But funding and through several organizations. Remember donations to homelessness relief programs that many of the tragedies occurred in Haiti has not seen the same outpouring that this disaster has. happen around us everyday. Homelessness is a disaster of its own in the United States. It might not be The people of Haiti need help in recovering from their tragedy. And those concentrated in one area or have resulted from a single event, but it affects just battling homelessness everywhere need your support. as many each cold and wintry night – and almost half of them are children. To donate to the relief efforts in Haiti, visit http://www.redcross.org or text Haiti to 90999. Contact your local homelessness relief agencies to donate or volunteer to their efforts. Contact the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at 513-421-7803 or at 117 E. 12th St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. Go Ahead: Ask a Vendor A Call to Greater Cincinnati Poets Invitation to a dialogue with our readers Write for ‘For a Better World 2010’ Streetvibes vendors see a lot that you might not. For example, some can describe what goes on in an abandoned building at night when they sleep there. Have you ever wondered what it’s like to stand on a street corner selling newspapers? That’s hardly a common occupation anymore. How much money do Streetvibes vendors make – and what do they do with it? Do they have other jobs? If you have questions, some of our vendors would like to answer them. “Go Ahead: Ask a Vendor” will be an occasional feature, with questions submitted by readers and answered by Streetvibes vendors. You may direct your question to a specific vendor or we’ll invite one to respond. Only include your name if you want to. Send questions to streetvibes2@yahoo.com Or to Streetvibes, 117 E. 12th St. Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. It’s time to get your verse on. SOS Art, the annual exhibit of art on themes of peace and justice, pub­ lishes a collection of poetry each year. Saad Ghosn, who organizes SOS Art and writes the “Artists as Activists” column for Streetvibes, is now col­ lecting submissions for For a Better World 2010, the seventh edition to date. Any poet from or connected to Greater Cincinnati may submit up to three poems related to themes of peace and justice. All submissions will be considered. The editors will be looking for quality, inclusiveness and appropriateness to the themes of peace and justice. If space becomes limited, priority will go to poets not published in previ­ ous books. The poems selected for publication will be illustrated in black and white by Greater Cincinnati artists. Poets included in the book will be invited to read their poems at SOS Art 2010. For a Better World 2010 will be released in May 2010. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 15, 2010. Go ahead. Ask. Send submissions as “Word” attachments or in full text By e-mail to saad.ghosn@uc.edu or On a CD to Saad Ghosn, 216 Erkenbrecher Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45229. �STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 11 Poetry Page To Old St. George’s Haiti, Le Monde Vous Écoute By anne skoVe By MaLcoLM o. Varner Proud people of the Haitian Isle, Stand firm with head held high. Though days may last for a while, The world has begun to hear your cry. Le monde écoute les voix criantes; On voit et ressent même votre douleur. Avec vous, on est priant. Avec vous, aussi on pleure. Two plus centuries ago, You proved strength and gained liberty. For your great past, there’s a greater tomorrow, In spite of the now, pursue prosperity. Le monde écoute votre voix d’éspoir; On voit tous votre courage. Quel beau pays et beau peuple noir – À vous, on dit “soyez brave, soyez brave!” Photo by Ben L. Kaufman. You were burning, breaking news. I removed my shoes, stepped closer to the blazing TV screen. Such a calamity to strike Port-au-Prince; May you raise capital walls and the hearts therein. Like those of Katrina, you will be remembered since; This time, may justice and compassion speedily win. This time, the dragon slayed you. Its flaming tongue licked your steeples. Fire trucks lined the street like beer vendors at a festival. Here friends’ older sisters married for the first (and sometimes last) time. After baptizing my brother Fr. Fritz fed worms to the turtles in the courtyard. My birthmother went into labor during 5 o'clock mass. Walgreens wanted to level you. Archbishop Pennychick sold you with a kiss. Theologians, never having slain anything, dismiss you as mere legend. Haïti, le monde écoute les cries de votre terre; On voit que vos avez tellement de besoins. Il nous semble qu’un parmi d'autres, c'est un frère. Donc, à vous on dit, “On vient!” Giving the Nameless Names The OCD group met Saturdays, 3 p.m. sharp, in neat rows. The historical society labeled you endangered. UC turned you into a holy rolling Starbuck's. Coming soon: a boutique hotel! By aLanaH GaBrieLLe knox Inside, little boy Christ sports armor and a Little Lord Fauntleroy haircut. I tried to fit my small feet into the shape of the tiles in the aisle. Blue and red votive candleglow warmed me. Small fingers extinguished long matches in soft white sand. Once I was tall enough I turned and lifted mine eyes to the balcony. The rosetta window blazed back with its match-blue glow. When I was little mom and I danced in the back pew. The folkies sang "Though the mountains may fall And the hills turn to dust." As though the blind flutist could see the future fire, flaming spires falling on power lines. Driving up Vine Street hill all that is visible, all that remains in this time of war and aftermath are two neatly wrapped stumps, amputated out of mercy just above the clock, which (call it a miracle) never stopped. Fanni Edwards, Derek Gibson, Frank Roper, Rodney Sosby, Eric Smothers, Eugene Burgess, Anthony Wright, Joseph Wright, Ken Tucker. On street corners, in dirty old clothing holding signs, huddled: they now have names and stories. on the side walk on the way to Paul Brown Stadium they’re given a wide berth cast a hurried glance with sympathy or concern, maybe curiosity often fear and even anger Nameless and faceless people. Fanni Edwards, Derek Gibson, Frank Roper, Rodney Sosby, Eric Smothers, Eugene Burgess, Anthony Wright, Joseph Wright, Ken Tucker. Feisty, Brother, mild mannered, middle-aged, spirited, drugs and alcohol, heart attack, navy veteran, victim of cancer. Believe It By wiLLa D. Jones Believe it when you see someone bundled up sleeping in the street believe it when you see someone looking in garbage cans for food to eat believe it cause all of these things are real and none are made up believe there are many men, women, and children just down on their luck believe with the economy all twisted and heading straight for hell believe there are many who just give up, commit suicide or simply go to jail believe to the homeless, jail with 3 meals, cell buddies for friends and a cot believe to some may mean nothing but to the homeless means one hell of a lot believe with faith all things are possible for all including you and me believe in God, have faith, pray constantly and change will come all you do is believe!!!! �12 Vendor Voice STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 Parks Aren’t so Kind to Poor People “If you have a problem seeing homeless folks you should end homelessness.” - Georgine Getty, former executive director of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless By George Herrell Streetvibes vendor How many swing sets, jungle gyms, swimming pools, etc. were paid for by donated monies or materials? How many were erected by donated labor? Why then would an organization whose whole purpose is supposed to be ’ve heard a lot of quotes in my lifetime but none has ever rung stronger “public service” deny organizations the right to provide assistance to those or more true. It seems like such a simple solution to an overwhelming who are most in need? problem: House those who are homeless, feed those who are hungry, Most of these charitable organizations are “faith-based,” meaning they are help those who are truly in need and begin right here at home. churches – churches that not only provide the food and materials but serve it In Cincinnati City Parks it is against the rules to pass out food or clothing to as well and clean up afterwards. those in need. Sounds absurd, but it’s true. I sought to find out the origins of According to the Enquirer’s article, Julie Horne, who was the manager of this ruling back in June 2009 beginning at City Hall. I ques­ business services for the park board, said, “Those organiza­ tioned several officials, including those at the city attorney’s tions who want to distribute food or blankets are referred to office; however, no one was able to find any city ordinance The commissioner put me the Drop Inn Center or other social-service organizations.” prohibiting such actions. My next stop was to speak to the But my question is: Why should they be referred anywhere? in touch with one of his city’s health commissioner, who I found one Sunday after­ directors, Douglas Springs, Public parks are for use by the public; and although folks are noon attending an inspirational service in Washington Park. homeless or hungry, they are still citizens of the city of Cin­ who sent me an e-mail The commissioner put me in touch with one of his direc­ cinnati and should have the same courtesy as other citizens. stating that there wasn’t tors, Douglas Springs, who sent me an e-mail stating that The census people expect us to be counted so that the city a health department code there wasn’t a health department code that prohibited any that prohibited any one from of Cincinnati can receive the maximum amount of federal one from giving away food or clothing for free in any city park giving away food or clothing funding possible, and yet we can’t even receive a charitable or anywhere else for that matter. for free in any city park or hot meal within a city park. I continued to seek answers by asking policemen and fire­ anywhere else for that matter. To Julie Horne I say this: A man named Ebenezer Scrooge men, yet none of them claimed knowledge of or responsibil­ once said, “The poor should die and thus decrease the sur­ ity for any such ordinance. plus population.” Just as he realized the error of his thinking, Finally, I turned to one of the most informationally rounded organizations so can you. I know of, the public library. At the main branch, with the assistance of staff To the citizens of Cincinnati who are more fortunate than the homeless: Re­ members who helped me search through local history books and microfilms member covering up a problem won’t make it go away. There is a homeless of past newspaper articles, I finally found my answer. problem in the city of Cincinnati – 8,300 homeless in 2008, and that number A Cincinnati Enquirer article titled, “Feed My Lambs,” published Nov. 20, has grown in the past two years. 2007, stated that the Cincinnati Park Board doesn’t allow charitable organiza­ You can’t hide that many people and simply act as if they don’t exist. As hu­ tions to pass out food or clothing to those in need in city parks. In learning this, man beings, you shouldn’t want to. However, if you aren’t willing to help, then I began to wonder, “How many charitable organizations’ donations have the at least don’t hinder others from doing so. Cincinnati Park Board accepted on their own behalf?” I Crossword Puzzles Sudoku across 1. Stays 4. Brand 8. Ottoman Empire (7,6) 13. Lots 14. Shut in 15. Minor role 16. Stay too long 18. Lascivious 19. Ruptured 21. Female name 23. As well 27. Thoroughfare 31. Swordsman 33. Resort lake 34. Tall palm tree 35. Piece of news 36. Security operative (5,8) 37. Cold-shoulder 38. Contraction of need not Fill in the blank squares so that each row, each column and each 3-by-3 block contain all of the digits 1 through 9. Down 2. Harsh 3. Installment 5. Lure 6. Sand and cement 7. To do with religious study 9. City in central New York 10. Recognized 11. Troublesome person 12. Knowledgeable about 17. Yeah 20. Owns 22. Thing 24. Spiking 25. Polluted air 26. Expression of discomfort 28. Curse 29. Mild warning 30. Website 32. Helicopter feature The fundamental goal of a Sudoku puzzle is to use the provid­ ed numbers, or givens, to discover which numbers logically fill in the empty squares. The only rule of Sudoku is that each of the nine rows, each of the nine columns, and each of the nine 3x3 subsections must contain all of the numbers from one to nine, and each number consequently can occur in each row, column and subsection only once. �STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 13 Vendor Voice Lots of Room and an Endless View For a Better World 2006 Image by Blair Gibeau. One man’s take on street life 1 By Booger Love Streetvibes Vendor look back. But that’s life. What they don’t know: They could someday be out here with us. You will eing out on the streets is not know what it’s like being out there fun. It is a hard life to live. when you ask someone for help. They Every day you have noth- will walk right by you. Yes, it happens ing to do, nowhere to be. All you have all the time to us. It will happen to to do is walk around or hang out any- you. They don’t care how you are or where you can. Life is how long you been out hell out there. there. The streets is not The streets is not where We help each other. where you want to live That is all we have. If we you want to live at any at any time at all. Peo- time at all. People don’t didn’t help each other, ple don’t care about care about you being out we would not have any you being out – the – the men or the women. help at all. We are one men or the women. Some of them has little big family out there. Some of them has little So come take my kids. They don’t care kids. They don’t care hand. We will walk and about the women with about the women with talk about our time out the little kids. the little kids. here. We have lots of It’s not only here. It’s room with a good view everywhere. When you’re out there, as far as you can see. don’t nobody care. If you’re a man, So look down in your heart and you woman or a little kid, they see you on will see you could be out here with the streets, they walk by you like you me. was not there – keep walking, don’t B Check out the Streetvibes blog @ streetvibes.wordpress.com Poems and Drawings on Peace and Justice by Greater Cincinnati Artists, edited and curated by Saad Ghosn. Kennedy Heights Arts Center 6546 Montgomery Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45213 513-631-4278 or www.kennedyarts.org January 16 - February 27, 2010 Panel Discussion: Art as a Vehicle for Change facilitated by Jeff Hillard with Mary Pierce Brosmer, Greg Flannery and Jimi Jones February 27, 4-6pm; closing reception at 6pm Gallery Hours: Monday-Friday 10am - 5pm Saturdays 10am - 4 pm Venice on Vine Pizza and Hoagies 1301 Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine Hours Monday-Friday 9:30 a.m. -8:00 p.m. 513-221-7020 Good food for a good cause in a friendly neighborhood restaurant. Dine in or take out. Hoagies, pizza, salads, soups, weekly specials, wifi and organic coffee too! Venice on Vine and Venice Catering are social enterprise programs of Power Inspires Progress (PIP), a nonprofit employment education program for inner city adults. STREETVIBES DISCOUNT: Present this coupon for a free drink with any large hoagie or medium or large pizza. One per customer, valid through March 1, 2010. �14 STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 Letters to the Editor To the Editor: To the Editor: To the Editor: I am a high school student at Cincinnati Country Day School. I really appreciated your first article, “Bad Words are a Matter of Perspective” (issue of Jan. 1-15). Along with giving a very persuasive argu­ ment, there was some incredible writing in there. I was particularly struck by, “His paean to the pursuit of justice perverts the meaning of the concept.” It was a cleverly crafted article and I was left fully con­ vinced by your opinion on the issue – although I was biased in favor of your position to begin with. This person who complained about Streetvibes needs to take a look at history and realize that people need to hear the truth. Censorship is the breeding ground for corrup­ tion and oppression of all kinds. You mention Adolf Hitler in your next article. Just look at Nazi Germa­ ny from 1933 to 1945 under Hitler if you’re deluded enough to favor censorship. It disgusts me that someone would disturb the sale of this newspa­ per because it tells the truth. The truth needs to be told, and I think it commendable that this newspa­ per works to expose the truth about such a thing as misunderstood as homelessness. Who is this person? Is he responsible for all the children who may or may not read and be offended by this paper? I think not. It’s a parent’s or guard­ ian’s responsibility to decide what they want their children exposed to – yes, a form of censorship, but not one as harmful or less imbedded in society as the censorship this person is suggesting. I was lucky enough to grow up in a school and household that held the right freedom of belief and speech to the highest importance. It is something I guard aggressively and I thank you for your article promoting it. I have just finished reading the article “New Voic­ es of the Voiceless” (issue of Jan. 1-15), and I find it to be outstanding. Rappers like Jasari X and Radiant Amar are poets, and they deserve to be recognized as one. Such commentary is so real that it strikes a chord within me, although I have never experi­ enced what they have. It is these rappers that make Hip Hop art, while mainstream “rappers” produce flat, recycled tracks in order to make money. Describing despair and poverty, these artists write for a better tomorrow and offer a medium to share their sentiments with others. While some look down upon them, I find them inspiring and uplifting. Talented, driven, and benevolent, they take their cause to the streets and remain true to themselves. I think that my parents would find them off-putting, but I see true art and spirit in their words. It’s possible to feel their emotion and their struggles and know that there are many out there like them. Music can be relaxing, fun or good for dancing, but this music is something special, and more people should listen to it. This H.E.R. is art in its purest form, like it is meant to be. As of mid-January of 2010, Xavier Bertrand, head of the French conservative party, “wants a law” that Muslim women cannot wear face coverings and be citizens. “Clothes make the man” is one kind of ad­ vice to wear appropriate clothes. What is appropri­ ate where? When someone else makes the decision of what I have to wear, I may be a prisoner or be in for out­ patient surgery. Clothing used as a devotion or protection includes hijabs, yarmulkes, the habits of some Roman and Anglican Catholic men and women, surgical face masks, hats to protect fairskinned persons, scarves or caps for persons who have lost their hair, police and military uniforms. Costumes in theater can show us how clothes make theater in ordinary life. But when worship services, work, special duty or theater is completed, when Mardi Gras or surgery is over, the special clothing in which the person could not easily play golf, operate equipment, garden or do a variety of manual labors is reserved for the next appropriate occasion. For generations in the mid-East and in medieval Europe, clothing “made” and protected the wom­ an. When at home, some of these women can enjoy dressing up or down. Perhaps someday Muslim cul­ ture will develop like Western culture. This may or may not be good. In all events, reactionary imams, prelates or profiling politicians may be around to tell the women they have to put the veils back on. Whether veils or collars are experienced as secu­ rity risks, or when they have, as in the cases of child abuse in the past, been misleading, or when they are genuinely protective, there’s a whole new nexus in which no one law or dictum is always helpful. Some of the people I pray with really want wom­ en in religious vows to be put back into habits. Most of the people I know respect the choices of senior nuns who wear habits and are not in active min­ istry. The majority of vowed women in the Unit­ ed States wore period costume before the 1970s. (That’s costume from the eras in which their com­ munities were founded, not the wads the menstru­ ating women sat on as referenced in Genesis 31: 35.) Today some find exotic clothing unhelpful to their imitation of Jesus and the disciples, who did not set themselves apart from the community or need protection from it or special status within it through clothing choices. Why some persons would make clothing a major factor in their choices of persons to associate them­ selves with or persons to trust interests me. Will Duncan Cincinnati Kathryn Black Cincinnati Have something on your mind? Do you agree or disagree with an article? Let us know: 1 To the Editor: Thank you for including the article titled “An ‘AHA!’ Moment in Cincinnati” in the Jan. 1-15, 2010, issue of Streetvibes. I appreciate having the chance to learn more about housing advocates and their methods of advocacy. This can often be an ambiguous subject, so it was great to read an article that clearly explained advocacy to those of us who do not completely understand this vital method of support for the homeless. 117 E. 12th Street 1 Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 1 streetvibes2@yahoo.com 1 Lilly Fleischmann Cincinnati aFForDaBLe rates etvibes? tre nS sted in Adve e r e t rtis In ing i Many sizes (full page, 1/2 page, 1/4 page, 1/8 page) BLack & wHite anD coLor aVaiLaBLe Discounts For nonproFits Contact Lynne at 513-421-7803 ext. 11 or lynneausman@cincihomeless.org for more information. Vickie Cimprich Fort Mitchell, Ky. �STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 15 Resources Need Help or Want to Help? Shelter: Women and Children Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 4230 Hamilton Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45223 Central Access Point Cincinnati Union Bethel 381-SAFE 768-6907 557-2873 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 241-1064 112 E. Liberty Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 3600 Erie Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45227 St. Vincent de Paul 1841 Fairmount Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45214 681-2365 1125 Bank Street, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Treatment: Men 872-9259 Charlie’s 3/4 House Shelter: Men DIC Live In Program Prospect House 241-5525 961-2256 Treatment: Women First Step Home 961-4663 961-4080 761-1480 721-0643 Joseph House (Veterans) 1821 Summit Road, Cinti, Ohio 45237 351-0422 381-6672 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. Cinti, Ohio 45214 217 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 241-2965 471-1100 221-3350 Hamilton County ADAS Board Recovery Health Access Center Sober Living Talbert House Hamilton/Middletown 421-3131 569-1840 381-4242 Northern Kentucky Advocacy 721-4580 632-7149 381-1171 114 W. 14th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 721-8666 27 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 961-4555 751-0643 381-1954 Food/Clothing Lord’s Pantry OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry 621-5300 961-1983 OTR: 1620 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 1730 Race Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 St. Francis Soup Kitchen People Working Cooperatively The Caring Place United Way Women Helping Women 946-4888 281-7422 681-0324 641-4300 Housing: Tom Geiger House Dana Transitional Bridge Services Volunteers of America 771-4800 751-0600 721-4811 351-7921 631-1114 211 977-5541 1522 Republic Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 3330 Jefferson, Cinti, Ohio 45220 Tender Mercies 381-0111 1223 Main St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 AA Hotline CCAT 2728 Glendora Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45209 CMHA Excel Development OTR Community Housing 621-5514 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Goodwill industries Healing Connections Mary Magdalen House Treatment: Both Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center (Youth) 1308 Race St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart 661-4620 241-2600 241-2563 214 E. 14th St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Drop Inn Center Center Independent Living Options Emmanuel Community Center Peaslee Neighborhood Center Shelter: Both Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 458-6670 977-4489 Other Resources 721-0643 921-1613 1437 Walnut Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Anthony House (Youth) 558-8888 981-5800 784-1853 682 Hawthorne Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45205 Starting Over 1419 Elm Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Justice Watch 241-0490 St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 381-4941 Mt. Airy Shelter Mental Health Access Point Mercy Franciscan at St. John NAMI of Hamilton County PATH Outreach 2121 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 City Gospel Mission 357-4602 352-2902 352-6363 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 762-5660 131 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter Health Resource Center Homeless Mobile Health Van McMicken Dental Clinic 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45202 562-8841 6037 Cary Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45224 Salvation Army 381-2247 5 E. Liberty St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 271-5501 300 Lytle Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Bethany House FreeStore/FoodBank Crossroad Health Center Catholic Social Action Community Action Agency Contact Center 1227 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Franciscan JPIC Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 721-4700 421-7803 579-8547 241-9400 421-1108 363-3300 421-2437 Health Center for Respite Care Brighton Center 863-3184 863-1445 422-8555 868-3276 859-491-8303 799 Ann St. Newport, KY 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. Legal Aid Society Ohio Justice & Policy Center Faces Without Places Stop AIDS St. Raephaels Salvation Army Serenity House Day Center Open Door Pantry ECHO/Hosea House Fairhaven Resuce Mission Homeward Bound Youth Mathews House Homeless & Housing Coalition Parish Kitchen Pike St. Clinic Transitions, Inc Welcome House of NKY 859-261-5857 859-491-1027 859-581-1111 859-261-8009 859-727-0926 859-581-7745 859-291-9321 859-491-4435 859-431-8717 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 621-1868 3550 Washington Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45229 535-2719 Puzzle Solutions Women’s Crisis Center VA Domiciliary VA Homeless 859-491-3335 859-559-5011 859-572-6226 �16 Artists as Activists STREETVIBES February 15 - 28, 2010 Re-shaping Ideas and Forms Stephen Geddes’s sculpture challenges conventional perceptions S tephen Geddes grew up in Wisconsin in a small rural community. He always wanted to be an artist. As a child he was good at painting and liked to carve wood with his pocketknife. His mother, whose own grandfather was an artist, and art teachers at his school encouraged his artistic inclina­ tions. Geddes attended the University of Wisconsin at Lacrosse, got a bachelor’s degree in art education, then got a master’s degree in sculpture at Ohio University. He intended to become a full-time college teacher. But due to limited available positions at the time, he worked instead as an artist in residence for the Kentucky Com­ mission on the Arts, then as a toy sculptor for various companies and later as a freelancer. Geddes’s art education emphasized both formal technical considerations and judicious use of ideas in order to give life and purpose to a product. “I am between a craftsman all about material and an artist all Stephen Geddes next to his sculpture of Pope Coleman’s head. about ideas” he says. “Ben Shahn’s writings, especially his book, Photo by Bill Howes. The Shape of Content, influenced me greatly. They taught me that successful art needed content and that content needed to be sculpted body of a rhinoceros on roller skates; influenced by the last shaped well.” gasp of roller derby as an organized sport, it was also partly based on Geddes has always been concerned about perfecting the form of Ionesco’s play Rhinoceros, a parody of the Nazi takeover in Germany his work in order to give it visual authority and thus become a strong and Austria. Hindu Wrestlers depicted wrestlers, each with four or five vehicle for his viewpoints, most often social commentaries. arms, stressing the exaggerated production value of the sport. In college at a time While in college, Geddes was against the Vietnam War and did not when minimalism was want to be drafted; he was not an activist, though, and all he desired very popular, Geddes, was to be left alone in the studio to do his art. The Reagan presidency, critical of the movement, however – with its cowboy mentality, the significant social changes created sculptural pieces it imposed in favor of the wealthy at the expense of the poor, the that included hard edges, wretched excess and entitlement it allowed – greatly offended him as curves, sharp angles, ma­ and served as a turning point in his political involvement and the di­ sonite, welded steel, ele­ rection of his art. ments and materials that Geddes’s works since then have dealt with violence, the role of By saaD GHosn composed a strong me- religion in politics, the hypocrisy of philanthropists, wealth and the Contributing Writer chanical image in which domination of the poor. Cylinder Head is the simplified image of a re­ human figures would be volver shaping into a human head, the bullet points of the chambers embedded, subjugated becoming the eyes. Fundamental Church-State Discrimination Test and trapped. He also worked on carousel imagery, replacing the tradi­ includes the sliced and fragmented heads of Christ and Uncle Sam tional horse with beautifully carved and painted fanciful figures such positioned on a checkerboard. Geddes intended their loose parts to as a muscleman centaur or a sphinx with a lion’s body, alluding to the be mismatched when reassembled, his reflection on the dangerous fantasy and escape into new identity that one usually lives during the and blurred overlap between state and church during recent adminis­ ride. trations and the powerful intrusion of religious zealots and extremists In the mid 1980s, influenced by his job as an industrial toy sculp­ into politics. tor that required frequently reassembling body parts, he developed a Carnegie Dream, a meditation on the nature of philanthropy in the sculptural technique of splitting and fragmenting the human head, American culture, represents a tower, its base referencing industrial afterwards mismatching its various sections. Geddes used the ap­ steel mining that made Carnegie’s fortune possible; and its top, a bed­ proach to comment on the misdirection that corporate structure was room-library depicting Carnegie in bed surrounded by books. Books imposing on citizens’ life. In a time when all was becoming very fast, and libraries were how Carnegie tried, as a philanthropist, to buy his he also sought to slow down the viewer’s eye to scrutinize the non- way back to heaven, having built his money at the expense of poor conventional, non-immediately recognizable form and to reflect and, workers. Another sculpture is of HC Frick, a coal and coke magnet as a result, see more. and partner of Carnegie, sitting in a coal car inside a carousel with Other works concerned the prevailing societal preoccupations with a golden dome. Frick holds a frame of a painting, a reference to the spectacles and contrived sports and the emphasis placed on super­ huge art collection he had amassed while exploiting the poor. Geddes ficial show business lacking content. The Roller Rhino represented a uses both businessmen to also reflect on the permissive and empow­ ering role that government imparts to the wealthy. Pachyderm’s Progress, a finely crafted wood sculp­ ture, represents an ornate sedan chair in which an oversized elephant is seated, alluding to both wealth and Republican affiliation. At its front and back, a scroll cage contains powerless mice expected to constantly run and move it forward. Geddes carved on its sides ornamental motifs taken from $1 and $5 bills, thus directly connecting money to privilege and politics. Jurassic Ark or Noah Saves the Dinosaurs was in response to the recently built Creation Museum. It is a sarcastic comment on how religion and fear are always used to trap, control and keep vulnerable people ignorant, providing simple answers and for­ mulas, dismissing any critical thinking. Geddes’s works always strike by their refined craftsmanship and elegant beauty. They also chal­ lenge by their thought-provoking, strident and of­ ten ironic, social and political viewpoints. They transmit his messages with potency and eloquence. “I do not expect my art to change many people,” Geddes says. “I expect it, however, to have formal authority, speak by its quality and clearly convey my ideas. My art is directly connected to my life; it Pachyderm’s Progress, wood sculpture by Stephen Geddes. Photo by Stephen Geddes. wakes me up in the morning, it keeps me going.” A rtists ctivists Artists as Activists is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati artists who use art as a vehicle for change. Saad Ghosn is the founder of SOS Art. Ghosn can be contacted at saad.ghosn@uc.edu. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2010 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource February 15-28, 2010 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: The ‘Madness’ of Hate Downtown Postcards from Hell Pg 2: Street Wise Pg 3: Health Care Reform on Life Support Pg 4: Postcards from Hell Pg 5: The ‘Madness’ of Hate Downtown Continued Postcards from Hell Continued Pg 6: Walking to End the Nuclear Peril Pg 7: Out of the Cars and Into Homes Chapter Wants to NORML-ize Pot Pg 8: Sexy, Yummy, Veggie Pg 9: No Super Bowl on Planet Pandora Pg 10: Disasters are Not Created Equal Pg 11: Arts & Poetry Pg 12: Parks Aren’t so Kind to Poor People Pg 13: Lots of Room and an Endless View Pg 14: Letters to the Editor Pg 15: Resources Pg 16: Re-Shaping Ideas and Forms Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 15-28, 2010 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gregory Flannery Lynne Ausman Veronica Glass Jeni Jenkins Michelle Dillingham Samantha Groark Margo Pierce Paul Kopp Jeremy Flannery Michael Henson David Heitfield Valerie Fessler Alecia A. Lott Stephanie Dunlap Saad Ghosn Lew Moores Larry Gross Eli Braun Aimie Willhoite, Anthony Williams Jennifer Blalock Lynn Baker Jeremy Flannery Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Aimie Willhoite Alecia A. Lott Anthony Williams Arts & Poetry Avatar David Heitfield Earthquakes Eli Braun Gregory Flannery health care Jeni Jenkins Jennifer Blalock Jeremy Flannery Larry Gross Lew Moores Lynching Lynn Baker Lynne Ausman Margo Pierce Marijuana Michael Henson Michelle Dillingham Nuclear Bombs Parks Paul Kopp Saad Ghosn Samantha Groark Stephanie Dunlap Stephen Geddes Street Life Super Bowl Valerie Fessler Veronica Glass https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/9acc241b48ef67d24743fddae133f79d.pdf 6ef5f0fb2d238d321b1afc6f56da9e64 PDF Text Text Van Jones: Pg 8 An intimate conversation with a visionary for change Prison System Overhaul Pg 5 Feb. 15-28, 2011 • ADVOCATING JUSTICE Issue 193 • • One Dollar BUILDING COMMUNITY To so many African Americans, Cincinnati was a symbol of freedom, a place that once they reached their voices may finally be heard. We honor those who came before us; the brave men and women who made their ideas reality, who fought in the face of adversity, and those who dedicated their lives to equality. A Look at “the greatest local and political pioneer of race relations in the 20th century” Remembering the Legacy of Theodore Berry (1905-2000) By: Dr. Michael Washington Professor of history & Director of afro-aMerican stuDies, northern KentucKy university D uring the month of February, citizens of Cincinnati should take the time to honor and commemorate the extraordinary accomplishments of the greatest local and political pioneer of race relations in the 20th century, the Honorable Theodore M. Berry. After graduating class valedictorian from Woodward High School in 1924, Berry went to enroll in the University of Cincinnati, where he earned a law degree in 1931. A year later he was admitted to Ohio Bar and became the head of the Cincinnati Branch of the NAACP serving in that capacity until 1946.  In 1938 he was appointed the first black assistant prosecuting attorney for Hamilton County. His political career began in 1947, with an unsuccessful bid for City Council. Redemption came in 1949 when he won a Council seat and became chairman of the finance committee. From that position he led a controversial battle to create a city income tax.  In 1955, he was elected Vice Mayor of Cincinnati, which created fears among whites that he would become the first African American mayor to lead the city. That fear became real when almost two decades later in 1972, he was elected mayor of the city and served for four years. It is important for local citizens not to forget that Mayor Berry’s contributions to society are not restricted to the Cincinnati area but include the nation.  In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Berry to head the Office of Economic Opportunity’s Community Action Programs that included Head Start, Job Corps and Legal Services. Berry’s initiatives proved to be some of the most successful victories in President Johnson’s war on poverty. Source: www.libraries.uc.edu African American Achievements ­ B lack History Month originated in 1926 by Carter Godwin Woodson as Negro History Week. The month of February was chosen in honor of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, who were both born in that month. • C.B. Brooks invented the street sweeper in 1896. It was a truck equipped with brooms. • Henry Brown created what is now known as a “strongbox”, a metal container to store money and important papers that could be locked with a key. • Mark Dean along with his co-inventor Dennis Moelle created a microcomputer system with bus control means for peripheral processing devices. This invention allows the use of computer plug-ins like disk drives, speakers, scanners, etc... • African-American surgeon Charles R. Drew is often credited with the invention of the first large-scale blood bank. • Sarah E. Goode invented a bed that folded up into a cabinet in 1885. Contrary to popular belief, she was not the first African-American woman to receive a patent, but the second. • In 1899, African-American golf fan Dr. George Franklin Grant received a patent for the world’s first golf tee. Grant, however, never marketed his invention, instead giving the tees away to friends and fellow golfers. • Thomas L. Jennings was the first AfricanAmerican to receive a patent in 1821. It was for a dry-cleaning process in 1821. He used the money earned from the patent to purchase relatives out of slavery and support abolitionist causes. • Frederick Jones held over 60 patents, with most of them pertaining to refrigeration. His portable air conditioner was used in World War II to preserve medicine and blood serum. • Dr. Maulana Karenga created the AfricanAmerican holiday, Kwanzaa, in 1966. • History has credited Thomas Edison with the invention of the light bulb, but fewer people know about Lewis Latimer’s innovations toward its development. Until Latimer’s process for making carbon filament, Edison’s light bulbs would only burn for a few minutes. Latimer’s filament burned for several hours. • Joseph Lee invented a bread-making machine that mixed the ingredients and kneaded the dough in 1895. • John Love invented the pencil sharpener in 1897. • Thomas J. Martin patented a fire extinguisher in 1872. • Bridget “Biddy” Mason founded the First African Methodist Episcopalian church in Los Angeles. • Alexander Miles of Duluth, Minnesota patented an electric elevator in 1887 with automatic doors that would close off the shaft way, thus making elevators safer. • George T. Sampson invented a clothes dryer that used heat from a stove in 1892. • Radio personalities Hal Jackson and Percy Sutton co-founded the Inner City Broadcasting Corporation (ICBC). They also acquired WLIB, which became the first African-American owned and operated station in New York. • Joseph Winters invented a fire escape ladder in 1878. • Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall said he was punished for misbehavior in school by being forced to write copies of the Constitution. He said this later piqued his interest in politics. • Buffalo Soldiers is the name given to the allblack regiments of the U.S. Army started in 1866. More than 20 Buffalo Soldiers received the highest Medal of Honor for their service—the highest number of any U.S. military unit. The oldest living Buffalo Soldier, Mark Matthews, died at the age of 111 in 2005. • For a time during his youth, future politician Barack Obamareferred to himself as “Barry.” Barack Obama won Best Spoken Word Album at the Grammy Awards for the abridged audio book of his autobiography Dreams from My Father and the nonfiction work, The Audacity of Hope. • In addition to her career in Washington D.C., Condoleezza Rice is an accomplished pianist See Achievements, P. 3 �2 Editorial ­ BY ThE ­ NUMBERS ­ 1969 The year “Die Nigger, Die” was published. This was a powerful auto biography by H. Rap Brown who was a revolutionary in the Black Power Movement as chairman of SNCC and ex- officio member of the Black Panther Party. (Page 5) 7-4-2011 The national campaign called 1Voice. It is aimed at uniting communities and working towards lifting people out of poverty. (Page 8) 23 The numbers of years Caracole has been involved in the HIV/AIDS Community in Ohio. (Page 6) 14 Years to life, the sentence for being convicted of a homosexual act in Uganda. (Page 10) 16 The amount of years Thomas and Mary Chapman have been playing music in Over the Rhine on Sundays. (Page 14) 14 The age Martin Zeinway came to the United States from Liberia. (Page 16) Streetwise I tried several times to sit down and write an editorial. I had a bunch of ideas though none could justify the celebration of this month. As a white girl in my twenties I can respect the struggle but my words can never truly justify the emotions of a people who had to fight tooth and nail for equality. I received a submission from one of our distributors; I will let him give his opinion on Black History Month as my editorial. Love, Peace, Equality Jen Martin, Editor My Salute to Black history Month ­ lee Mccoy streetviBes DistriButor anD contriButing Writer Mom and Dad: I wish you could have been there to see it, a historic moment. I remember when I was a little boy, ya’ll used to tell me “A black man will never be president”, and you had me believing that I would never see this happen in my lifetime. You didn’t get to see it, but I did. January 20, 2007, I saw what you thought would never happen, it was unbelievable. I remember back in 1968, I was a teenager and Cincinnati was on fire after the assassinationof MLK. I believe the term was “burn, baby burn!” Word spread, no pun intended, like wild fire. They had killed our greatest leader, MLK. All of Avondale was on fire. You see back then it wasn’t black men, it was a nigger. Here was a man who was preaching a simple beliefthat one day a man will be judged not by the color of his skin and we will be free at last, free at last. And even as you read this, there is so much prejudice today. In any city there is a Justice Center. Or as anyone in any hood calls it, the “Just for us” Center. Our founding fathers came here with a constitution, even today it’s a joke. There is a different set of laws and it’snot justice for all. Those who can pay, they will go free. I don’t have the actual number but common sense will tell you that all across the greatcountry there are more black people locked up than whites. I gave you the law of the land, you do the math. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this out. 2 + 2 is still 4, or is it? Only in America it could be something else. Let’s look at something, in my mind the greatest heroeswere the slaves captured by their own brothers for some promise and then imprisoned by the very ones they helped. Hauled away in the belly of ships, where so many died and became shark food, all in the pursuit of this ‘Great America’. Where their sweat blood and tears on their backs. I don’t have to tell you who I am talking about, even Stevie Wonder can see this. They came to a new country where they had to learn a new language and they were taught greed through one simple response, “Yes Master”. The greatest of these people were the black women, fareand fine. The master would take them and the women had no say in the matter. This countrypromised 40 acres and a mule, big shit. Did ithappen? I think not. One thing I don’t understand, Black History month is in the shortest month of the year. Come on America, don’t you know that Black people celebrate when it’s hot…when we can barbeque, fixin; greens, and corn bread. Where the scent of food is everywhere, I love that smell. While I am talking about love, I have to remember February is also the month of Valentine’s Day. Love is supposed to be in the air, cupid shooting his arrow. I hope he is a good match maker and not just shooting happy. STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by people who are or once were homeless, in exchange for a $1 donation, Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax 513.421.7813 Email: streetvibes2@yahoo.com Website: www.cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes.wordpress.com Streetvibes Staff Editor Jen Martin, jenmartin@cincihomeless.org Art Director Elizabeth Schulenberg Contributing Writers Jeni Jenkins, Saad Ghosn, Lee McCoy, Jen Martin, Jim Luken, Josh Spring, Willa Jones, Corey Gibson, Laura Osborn-Coffey, Catie Dargue, Malcolm O. Varner, Riccardo Taylor, Justin Jeffre, Joe Opio, Dr. Michael Washington Photography/Artwork Aimie Willhoite, Jeni Jenkins, Jim Luken, Saad Ghosn, Rob Vinit Murthy, Martin Zeinway The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati through coordination of services, public education, grassroots advocacy and Streetvibes. �3 Local Issue ­ STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 African American Achievements ­ Continued from page 1 who has accompanied cellist Yo-Yo Ma, played with soul singer Aretha Franklin, and performed for Queen Elizabeth II. A serious student, Condoleezza Rice entered college at the age of 15, and was an assistant professor at Stanford by age 26. • Before Branch Rickey offered future hallof-famer Jackie Robinson the contract that integrated professional baseball, he personally tested Robinson’s calm reactions to the racial slurs and insults he knew the player would have to endure. • After retiring from baseball, hall-of-famer Jackie Robinson helped establish the African-American owned and controlled Freedom Bank. • Reverend Al Sharpton preached his first sermon at the age of four, and toured with world-famous gospel singer, Mahalia Jackson. • Upon her death in 2003, singer Nina Simone’s ashes were spread across the continent of Africa, per her last request. • Phillis Wheatley was the first published AfricanAmerican poet with her 1774 collection, Poems on Various Subjects. In order to prove she was the author, she had to submit her work to examination by a group of Boston intellectuals, and defend her literary ability in court. • Before Forest Whitaker was a film star, he was accepted to the Music Conservatory at the University Of Southern California (USC) to study opera as a tenor. • NFL player John Williams competed in two Super Bowls before he quit the league to become a dentist. • Lewis and Clark were accompanied by York, a black slave, when they made their 1804 expedition from Missouri to Oregon. York’s presence aided in their interactions with the Native Americans they encountered. • The first major black super-hero, the Black Panther, made his debut in Fantastic Four No. 52 in July of 1966. • The banjo originated in Africa and up until the 1800s was considered an instrument only played by blacks. • According to the American Community Survey, in 2005 there were 2.4 million black military veterans in the United States -the highest of any minority group. • The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon honored Ira Aldridge with a bronze plaque. He is the only AfricanAmerican actor to receive this tribute. • BET was the first African-American controlled company to sell shares on the New York Stock Exchange. • In 1993, Maya Angelou recited her poem “On the Pulse of Morning” at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration. She was the first poet to do an inaugural recitation since Robert Frost spoke for President John F. Kennedy in 1961. • Two years after she played the role of Dorothy Dandridge, the first African-American woman to earn an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, Halle Berry actually became the first African-American woman to win the Oscar for Best Actress. • Dominique Dawes was the first AfricanAmerican to win an individual event medal in gymnastics. • In 1989, African-American David Dinkins, became the first non-white Mayor of New York City. • Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five became the first rap group to earn induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. • The first African-American woman to make it into the U.S. Cabinet was Patricia Roberts Harris, the 1977 Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. • Thurgood Marshall was the first AfricanAmerican to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. • Robert Robinson Taylor was the first professionally-educated black architect in the United States. • Booker T. Washington was the first AfricanAmerican invited to the White House. • On April 7, 1940, educator and author Booker T. Washington became the first African-American to be depicted on a United States postage stamp. • Oprah Winfrey became the first female U.S. billionaire in 2003. Street Life A Way of Life riccarDo taylor contriButing Writer h oW often Do We finD ourselves in a DileMMa, in Which We have no reaDy ansWers to correct or otherWise relieve ourselves froM? i WoulD suggest that in Most cases it is soMething that We never thinK aBout, yet there is a reality to its occurrence. often We encounter oBsta­ cles, or again DileMMas in our lives, anD We Put theM either asiDe, or on the BacK Burner, never seeKing relief or a reMeDy for the ProBleM, anD i WoulD suggest that it is inDeeD a ProBleM in Most instances. yet i finD it to Be in accorDance With the nature of Man to not vieW these occur­ rences as such. insteaD We looK uPon theM as just a MoMentary Delay, or MoMentary set BacK. hoWever, i realize that it is Much More than that, esPecially When the occurrence haPPens over anD over again! it BecoMes a Way to hanDle life’s situations, anD our Way of Dealing With aD­ versity. hoW easy is it for us to say that Was just one of the MoMents that We have to Deal With, insteaD of vieWing it for What it really is? Well, it’s just a way of life! Counting the up and downs as if they are equal. Taking everything in stride, as if the good and the bad are all one and the same. Some say it is what it is. Others just shrug and keep the step. Yet, for the majority of us it comes back to haunt us. Accepting things the way they are, when it’s not healthy or productive we tend to chalk it to the game. It becomes a way of life. To walk that walk or talk that talk, never looking ahead, or behind for that matter we tell ourselves, that’s life. Our reality is put on hold until the obscure takes its place and the whole thing is turned upside down. Life’s circumstances become a challenge beyond our ability to cope, so we just forge ahead with what ever comes along. It’s a way of life. So, in a Kafkvian way of thinking, does it appeal to the senses? The answer again lies in our perception. Is it a way of life, or perhaps the life of our ways? The unquestionable reality says that it is! As our perception goes so does our reality. Often we believe a thing, and it is our reality, yet there is another reality that says different. Knowing and respecting the difference is the key for understanding “a way of life”. The idea that our perceptions are different, and that our realities will be different is the crossroad that intercepts our contracts of community engagement. How easy is it for me to see that you are out of touch with the happenings, when you are thinking the exact same thing about me! So, as we both sulk in our own realities we search for ways and means to dislodge each other’s position. At odds with our ideas, concepts and realities we become unspoken enemies viewed with distrust and ambience towards one another we continue the charade of acceptance. It’s a way of life! Standing on one’s own principal, playing by one’s own rules giving no ground to the outsider, fraught with the suspicions, pressing the exclusion while giving that everlasting sneer concealed by a bright smile which says all are welcomed, but please don’t come. Riccardo Taylor Source: Aimie Willhoite �4 Local News ­ STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Die Nigger Die! ­ Excerpts from the 1969 autobiography, Die Nigger Die! By h. raP BroWn M y first contact with white america was marked by her violence, for when a white doctor pulled me from between my mother’s legs and slapped my wet ass, I, as every other negro in america, reacted to this man-inflicted pain with a cry. A cry that america has never allowed to cease; a cry that gets louder and more intense with age; a cry that can only be heard and understood by others who live behind the color curtain. A cry? Or was it a scream? Whatever it was, we accepted it. I had been born in “america, the land of the free.” To insure my country’s freedom, my father was somewhere fighting, for this was a year of the second war to end all wars — World War II. This was October 4, 1943, and victory was in the air. The world would now be safe for democracy. But who would insure my freedom? Who would make democracy safe for Black people? America recognized long ago what negroes now examine in disbelief: every Black birth in america is political. With each new birth comes a potential challenge to the existing order. Each new generation brings forth untested militancy. America’s ruling class now experiences what Herod must have at the birth of “Christ”: “Go and search . . . and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.” America doesn’t know which Black birth is going to be the birth that will overthrow this country. The threat to america, however, does not exist in negro america, but rather as a result of negro america. If one examines the structure of this country closely he will note that there are three basic categories: they are white america, negro america, and Black america. The threat to the existing structure comes from Black america, which exists in contradiction to both white and negro america. It is the evolution of these contradictions that has given rise to the present revolutionary conditions. Revolution is indeed inevitable, and, as the cycle of change closes around america’s racist environment, the issue of color becomes more pertinent. Color is the first thing Black people in america become aware of. You are born into a world that has given color meaning and color becomes the single most determining factor of your existence. Color determines where you live, how you live and, under certain circumstances, if you will live. Color determines your friends, your education, your mother’s and father’s jobs, where you play, what you play and, more importantly, what you think of yourself. (Al-Amin, J., excerpt from chapter one). In and of itself, color has no meaning. But the white world has given it meaning — political, social, economic, historical, physiological and philosophical. Once color has been given meaning, an order is thereby established. If you are born Black in america, you are the last of that order. The biggest difference between being known as a Black man or a negro is that if you’re Black, then you do everything you can to fight white folks. If you’re negro, you do everything you can to appease them. If you’re Black, you’re constantly in and out of trouble, because you’re always messing with “the man.” If white folks say it’s more cultured to whisper, you talk loud. If white folks say gray suits are fashionable, you go buy a pink one. If they say america is great, you say america ain’t shit. Chairman Mao says, “Whatever the enemy supports, we oppose. Whatever the enemy opposes, we support.” I hadn’t read Chairman Mao when I was in high school, but I already understood that fundamental revolutionary principle. I knew white folks couldn’t do wrong right, so whatever they thought was good, I knew wasn’t. A lot of people, Black and white, have the impression that those of us who got involved in the Movement, when it started in 1960, were fighting for integration. That’s the way the white press interpreted the sit-ins and freedom rides and all that. But what they didn’t understand was that none of us was concerned about sitting down next to a white man and eating a hamburger. Anybody who thinks that is reflecting white nationalism. That’s that white supremacist attitude. Nothing is good unless it can be done in the company of white people. We would’ve been some kind of fools to get beaten up, spat on and jailed the way a lot of folks did just to sit down at a lunch counter beside a white person. Integration was never our concern. In fact, integration is impractical. You cannot legislate an attitude and integration is based upon an attitude of mutual acceptance and respect between two racial or cultural groups in the society. A law can govern behavior, but attitudes cannot be forced or enforced, and what the Civil Rights Movement was concerned with was controlling the animalistic behavior of white people. I resented somebody telling me I couldn’t eat at a certain place. It wasn’t that I wanted to eat there. Hell no! I always knew we had the best food anyway. But as part of that constant battle waged by Black people against white america, if white folks didn’t want me to eat there, in the door I went. If I had a free choice, I’d sit in the back of the bus. That’s where the heater is. We weren’t fighting for integration. We were letting white folks know that they could no longer legislate where we went or what we did. Every Black person belongs to the Movement, whether he’s been on a demonstration or not. The lives of Black people are political, because Black people carry on a constant war against “the man.” So I was political, even before I knew the word, but it wasn’t until I got into high school that I became involved in more overt political activities. (Al-Amin, J., excerpt from chapter five). SNCC, as an organization, had come into Alabama after the summer of 1964… People were sent in to organize Black voters. I went to work in the state in the fall of ‘66. The election was coming up… We had candidates running in Lowndes County, Dallas County, and potentially, Greene County, where I was working. However, in Greene County we would have to fight just to get the candidates on the ballot… At first, we just spent our time going to meetings and getting to know the people, just basic organizing. As it got closer to election time, we found out that the power structure didn’t have any intention of putting the Black candidates’ names on the ballot. So we began to talk about a “Freedom Election,” which would create a parallel government; Black people are 87% of the country. We were trying to get people to see that people are the real government. Establish your own government in opposition to this corrupt government and if it calls for a confrontation, be prepared for that… People began to dig the idea. So I drafted a letter to Johnson, the Attorney General, the Governor and the Attorney General of Alabama. And I told them that we, the Black Panther Party, were gonna hold freedom elections and boycott the regular election, because our candidates’ names would not appear on the ballot. It was surprising what started to develop then. The oldline negro leadership, the ministers, and even Mr. Gilmore, didn’t want to be labeled the Black Panther Party. Gilmore had some experience working with SCLC and he was still in that integration bag and he liked to take trips up north to talk to white folks and shit like that. But we were working with the poor people out in the community and were developing a base. We were gonna hold our own election and let the people decide who they wanted. One day, a week before the election, George Greene and I went downtown… While we were there they accused us of trying to steal a gun and arrested us for grand larceny. …It was just a way to get us out of action until after the election. They held us on $1,000 bond. While we were in jail, we saw in the newspapers that they had postponed the election as a result of the pressure that we had mounted in the community. They were claiming that the Freedom candidates had been nominated illegally, although Alabama has a law which says that they can be nominated by mass meeting. Getting the elections postponed was a victory for us. When we got back to Greene County, we found out that George Wallace said his wife had won every county but one — Greene County. No greater tribute could have been paid to our work than that. Wallace said that his wife lost Greene County because of the Black Power niggers over there. (Al-Amin, J., excerpt from chapter nine). Al-Amin, J. (1969, 2002). Die, Nigger, Die!. Lawrence Hill Books. These excerpts are drawn directly from chapters one, five and nine of Die Nigger Die!, an autobiography by H. Rap Brown who was a powerful revolutionary in the Black Power Movement as chairman of SNCC and ex-officio member of the Black Panther Party. Rap later changed his name to Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin and for years lead more than twenty-five Muslim groups in Atlanta, Georgia. He is now serving a life-sentence in prison after being convicted of murdering a sheriff’s deputy, a crime many believe he never committed and was in fact falsely convicted of as a means to imprison him. �STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 5 Local Issue Prison System Overhaul With a prison population that is housing 33% more inmates than it is designed to, legislators have taken it into their own hands to change the prison system. By corey giBson contriButing Writer A n overhaul of the Ohio prison system was set out earlier this month. The main goal of the new legislation is to manage the growth of the prison population, reduce spending on corrections, and improve the cost-effectiveness of existing criminal justice system resources and reinvest in strategies that can increase public safety. The new proposal contains elements, such as shortened sentences for inmates who complete certain programs. These new terms housing 33% more inmates than it is designed to, legislators have taken it into their own hands to change the prison system. Stephen JohnsonGrove, an attorney at the Ohio Justice and Policy Center, said the new legislation is going to increase safety, reduce prison overcrowding and saving the state over $42 million. “It saves money by reducing the ability of judges to put people in prison for low-level nonviolent offenses,” said JohnsonGrove. “Those include drug offenses, property offenses and reduce those offenses in varying ways.” State Sen. Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati, who was enthusiastic about the new reform, spoke at a Statehouse news conference in the beginning of the month and introduced the legislation. “My mother used to tell me you can’t fit 10 pounds in a 5-pound bag. That’s what we’re trying to do in Ohio,” Seitz said. “The time for talk is over. No more sticking our heads in the sand.” Sen. Seitz previously tried to get the legislation passed last year but was turned down by the democrats. That legislation, called Senate Bill 22, sought to use state taxpayer dollars in a more efficient way. Some of the provision he set forth were “Locking up more and more people was not helping the problem. Incarceration was a bad choice.” would allow inmates time off their sentences and diverting first time property and drug offenders to probation or treatment and not prison. Proposals like this were rejected by voters in the past. By following the blueprint crafted by the Council of State Government’s Justice Center, the state is going to be able to cut back on the $8 billion deficit and start sending more money to education and medical priorities and out of the prison system. Two different ballots in the past 10 years that petitioned for prisoners to be given time off their sentence and treatment for incarceration, have been turned down by voters. But with a prison population that is raising the felony theft threshold from $500 to $1,000, increasing the potential number of credit days inmates can earn based on the type of offense, and give the Director of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation the authority to petition for an inmate to be released based on good behavior if the inmate has served at least 85% of the prison term. These provisions are going to be rolled in with the new legislation. Some of the key points in the new proposal are toughening sentences for the most serious and violent crimes, studying better methods of restitution payment to victims, and offering counties $2,000 for each person on felony probation who does not go to prison. “For so long the lock-em-up mentality has been cavalier in costs,” said JohnsonGrove. “It was ‘we don’t care, we have to lock them up because that is good and tough on crime.” JohnsonGrove said this mentality turned out to be a bad idea and not just because it was a waste of money. “When you start to throw people into jail all will-nilly, you are more likely to make them rescind,” said JohnsonGrove. “Low level non­ violent offenders get put into prison and they learn more and they become more hardened. Locking up more and more people was not helping the problem. Incarceration was a bad choice.” And with this new legislation less people will be put into the prison system and more people will be put into treatment programs. JohnsonGrove said that locking up a drug addict is not helping them treat the addiction. By putting these people into treatment the addicts can get help with their addiction and be less likely to commit drug related crimes again. “A mental and health oriented perspective on drug abuse is far more productive than any corrections oriented perspective on drug abuse,” said JohnsonGrove. Another big change to the prison system is going to be the way probation is handled. As of right now more than 254,000 people are under some form of probation by 187 different agencies. Since there is no coordination between the agencies, no standards for what type of probation should be joined with certain crimes and no studies that show the effectiveness of probation, people can easily be lost in the probation system. “No one knows what is going on in probation,” said JohnsonGrove. “Sometimes they are putting low-risk offenders in intensive probation, which means more hoops to jump through. When you do this you damage that person and give them more of a chance to rescind.” The legislation has received backing from the American Civil Liberties Union, the Buckeye Institute and the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. It has also received bipartisan support, in which both parties want to stop the revolving door system; a system that gives short prison sentences, releases the criminal back into society unsupervised and then allows the person to be put back into prison. Seitz described such inmates as getting “a short course in Crime University.” The legislation is expected to be reintroduced in the 129th General Assembly. Great Books! visit www.cincybooks.com facebook.com/streetvibes cincinnati twitter.com/ streetvibesnews streetvibes. wordpress.com �6 Issue ­ STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 My Life at Caracole ­ Hope for Those Who Need it most anonyMous Let me start with a little about myself and why I am here. I have always had a good life with top paying jobs and could do just about anything I wanted. I was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS about five years ago. In April 2010 I became ill with pneumonia and my health started to go down hill from that point, also the company I was working for went out of business around the same time. The company was paying me cash and that meant no benefits and no more money when the company closed. I left the life I was so accustom to and ended up in the Cincinnati area homeless. My case manager at Stop AIDS told me about Caracole and how they provide housing for homeless people living with HIV/AIDS. Caracole has a recovery and a traditional housing program. The recovery program is for people living with drug addictions that need housing. The traditional program is for people who just need housing. Both programs have the same goal, to help each resident accomplish their goals and independence. When you move in to Caracole, you share a threebedroom apartment with up to two other people. You don’t only have the support and knowledge of all the staff, but also the other residents in the program are going through the same things you are. The apartments are fully furnished and secure. There is staff on the premises at all times. Caracole provides you with just about everything you need to succeed. You are provided a home atmosphere with your own bedroom, food, personal hygiene products and a bus card when you need transportation for appointments. All the case managers and staff are very supportive and willing to help you with any problems or things you may need. Caracole is committed to keeping you safe and your information confidential. One thing I truly believe is that you could try your entire life and never be able to assemble a top-notch team like you have working for you at Caracole. As a resident of Caracole I feel fortunate to be in the program and working to get my independence. I have had the experience of trying to enroll in programs…setting appointments…and being told they don’t have any openings. Then my case manager would call and accomplish all I needed. Living at the Caracole house is a comfortable situation with no discrimination toward anyone. I believe there is no shame in having HIV/AIDS or being homeless. The shame is when you do nothing to improve your condition and quality of your life. I have been in Caracole for less than three months and I’m in the process of getting my GED, having necessary dental work, and I have started to look into permanent housing. I don’t think I would be even close to any of this if it wasn’t for Caracole. Caracole: 23 Years of Service to the HIV/AIDS Community Caracole’s mission is to provide safe, affordable housing and supportive services for individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS. Founded in 1987, Caracole House was the first licensed adult care facility in Ohio for people living with HIV/AIDS. Today, Caracole provides direct care services and housing to people with HIV/AIDS and their families along a continuum of care. More than 1,200 people have been housed through Caracole’s programs. For more information please call 513.761.1480 or visit www.caracole.orgv A Shooting at Tucker’s:The Follow Up In the previous issue, Streetvibes published a lengthy story dealing with reactions in Over-the-Rhine to the violent crime at Tucker’s Restaurant, a favorite eatery in the neighborhood. On Tuesday, February 1, exactly two weeks after the shooting, I visited the diner one more time to check on the situation. jiM luKen contriButing Writer tJoe Tucker seemed in a good mood as he prepared hamburgers and Tucker’s famous pancakes on the grill. Carla, Joe’s wife— injured in the shooting—was still not back to work. The telephone rang, and Rick, the waiter, told Joe that Fox News was coming in to shoot a segment and that Channel Twelve was on the way. I asked Joe what was the occasion, and he informed me that the police had apprehended a suspect whom they were convinced was responsible for the shooting. Information available at the time indicated that each of the two intruders has used shotguns, but Joe said that only one had carried a gun, which was a combination shotgun and .22 caliber rifle. The gunman fired using each side of his weapon, Joe said, hitting Carla with birdshot from the shotgun, and, apparently, paralyzing 18 year-old Ranisha Burgin with a .22 round. I asked Tucker how everyone was doing, physically and emotionally at this point. “We’re all going to get better, but it will take time.  The whole thing was terrifying,” he said. “You don’t get over that kind of thing easily.” According to Joe, the good thing is that, contrary to his expectations, business at the restaurant has been better that it was before the shooting.  Loyalty seems to be one of the virtues in Over-the-Rhine. The Enquirer (Feb 1) reported that the suspect was living in the neighborhood on McMicken Street.  According to the police report, the 21 year-old man had finally come out of hiding in order to sell some drugs, at which point they were able to apprehend him. He was charged with two counts of felonious assault as well as a number of other charges.  His bail was set at $382,000. Streetvibes apologizes for last issue’s caption under its front-page picture from Tucker’s Restaurant. The woman in the photo was Maynie Tucker, mother of the owner, not Carla Tucker, the wife. �STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 7 Local Bye Bye Berding! ­ “They handed out tens of millions as they diligently worked to slash funding for basic human services, swimming pools, health clinics and battered women’s shelters.” Jeff Berding’s Shameful Legacy justin jeffre Is Berding quitting because he can’t get the job done? Berding doesn’t seem to want to clearly explain himself to the voters.  While there does certainly nothing wrong with a person who wants to spend more time with his family, what if it’s just a lie to try and save face? Sen. Chris Dodd graciously said at his recent retirement announcement, “There’s nothing more pathetic, in my view, than a politician who announces they’re only leaving public life to spend more time with their family.” Like Dodd, Berding’s chances of being reelected looked slim after he pissed off everyone from his own Democratic Party to the Fraternal Order of Police by saying one thing and doing the exact opposite. Jeff Berding will leave office because his job with Mike Brown’s Bengals is in trouble. Berding’s job entails selling high end boxes which have becoming increasingly vacant and even hard core fans have had enough. According to one unhappy box owner, who wished to remain anonymous, “Not only does the team suck, they treat the people that waste tons of money on their over-priced boxes like crap.” He wasn’t hesitant to give a disappointing example how. According to our source, his company asked the team if they could get two on-field tickets so they could bring two terminally ill children on the field. The Jeff Berding Source: The Cincinnati Beacon team said yes, but once they got to the game Jeff Berding said they weren’t going to give them the tickets for the terminally ill kids because their company wasn’t renewing their boxes next year. This kind of behavior is Jeff Berding’s legacy. Even before his stint on council, Berding helped Mike Brown sell Hamilton County voters on a scandalous stadium deal that, at the time, must have made even the biggest corporate Welfare Kings blush. The Bengals lied in these shady negotiations—which have left the county with budget problems that continue to get worse and worse. And Mike Brown doesn’t even have the decency to field a respectable NFL team. Berding—along with his corporate owned cabal made up of Chris Bortz, Leslie Ghiz, and Chris Monzel—have been referred to as “fiscally responsible”, but they have consistently handed out corporate welfare like drunken sailors. They handed out tens of millions as they diligently worked to slash funding for basic human services, swimming pools, health clinics and battered women’s shelters. They had the “courage” to do that despite the fact that they told human services advocates they supported human services on the campaign trail. They had the “courage” to hurt our community’s most vulnerable despite the fact that a 2007 poll showed overwhelming support for funding human services. What else can we count towards this bird­ brained legacy? How about City Hall’s “Hurry Up Offense”?  Berding heralded in a set of rules that allowed every council item to get rushed through as an “Emergency Ordinance.”  This hurry-up strategy frustrates any attempt by interested citizens to get organized and to represent the people’s interests before council.  Perhaps we should also count the useless “strong mayor” form of government, an initiative for which Berding had an instrumental role before joining council.  It was the brainchild of the Cincinnati business community.  This system has done nothing to improve government, unless you count adding ceremonial positions and full staffs with high price tags. How could anyone forget the panhandling tax?  Trying to criminalize homelessness wasn’t enough for Berding.  He went so far as to try and tax the spare change thrown into a homeless vet’s cup! Taken as a whole, it’s clear the trajectory of Berding’s career:  a shill for corporate interests, an enemy of the poor and downtrodden, and an activist working to pervert democracy in an attempt to jam legislation through without public input.  The only thing worse than Berding’s legacy is the fact that his “brother” Chris Bortz gets to pick someone just like him as a replacement. 2011 �8 Local ­ STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Van Jones: ­ An intimate conversation with a visionary for change Prominent leader provides OTR Community with a message of optimism jeni jenKins staff Writer In 1976 President Ford told the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” The US and Canada continues to celebrate the lives and achievements of great African American leaders during Black History Month every February. While it’s necessary to remember prominent African Americans from our past, it’s equally important to distinguish the contributions of our contemporary leaders who are making a difference today. Van Jones is one such leader and a visionary for change. As the co-founder of three non-profit organizations centered on empowering the disadvantaged (The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Color of Change and Green for All) Jones has already achieved admirable status; still his list of accomplishments runs even deeper. The author of the New York Times bestseller The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Solve Our Two Biggest Problems, Jones offers an insightful framework for stimulating our economy while simultaneously tackling global warming and environmental degradation. This scholarship led him to positions as special adviser on green jobs at the White House Council on Environmental Quality in 2009 and as a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress. Additionally, Jones’ received special recognition in several publications including Essence Magazine’s 25 most inspiring African Americans in 2008 and in 2009, Ebony Magazine’s “Power 150,” as well as one of Time magazine’s 100 people who most affect our world. On January 20, this Yale-educated civil rights attorney and professor at Princeton, paid a special visit to Miami University to speak on, “Environmental Justice and the Green-Collar Economy.” Prior to his larger presentation, a small group of around 20 Over-the-Rhine community members participated in an intimate luncheon at the Miami Center for Community Engagement, where Jones spoke openly about his perspective on the economy and how small grassroots groups can come together and make a difference. According to Thomas Dutton, Director of the center, “Jones visited Over-the-Rhine to learn about the struggles that continue in urban areas for human rights.  The conversation was powerful as community residents, students, and construction workers met to discuss his uplifting and visionary message.” After hearing from voices around the room about the major concerns facing our community including poverty, joblessness, homelessness Van Jones’ Visit to GCCH Source: GCCH and gentrification, Jones offered a macro-level explanation of the complexities of our current energy situation and its connection to the local economy. As you fly into Cincinnati, Jones explains, “you see rooftop after rooftop and every one of those could have solar panels on them generating clean free electricity and that could be entrepreneurial opportunities. We have a lot of good carpenters here, you are already 80% trained just based off that. If we have the right policies in place you can start powering America with clean abundant energy that could democratize the grid.” According to Jones, one barrier to improving our economic situation is that those who control energy sources spent millions of dollars de-railing President Obama’s green agenda to prevent clean energy programs from taking off. The reason these companies can do this is because “they make 62 million dollars a day in profit, every day… these big oil companies are the most profitable companies in the history of the world.” And with energy as “the big money maker and job producer globally” some of us will likely live on a planet with 10 billion people—and all of them are going to want to have access to products that use energy. While human civilization has been powered on non-renewable resources the question Jones poses is “how are we going to keep powering human civilization?” Jones says we must recognize that the demand for energy is going to go up while the supply for fossil fuels is going to go down, leaving a big gap. As a result, we have to either bring our demand for energy down or fill that gap with new energy sources. The creation of new energy sources will create a tremendous set of opportunities to launch new businesses, hire people and make the country less dependent on foreign oil sources. Unfortunately, standing in the way are corporate interests who don’t want to see successful green policies in place because “one of the key struggles with democracy right now,[is] who is going to control the energy future of America and therefore the world.” Jones draws parallels to those corporate interests standing in the way of making the Over-theRhine neighborhood good for the people who live here instead of for those who don’t. As Indiana, Michigan and Ohio are starting to shed populations due to the economic situation, this could be circumvented if we found a way of turning the “rust belt” into a “green belt.” Jones was tasked with figuring out how to do make his ideas a reality, “I can tell you right now it’s doable. The thing about green products, wind turbines, solar panels—they don’t make themselves, they don’t put themselves up, and they don’t distribute themselves around the world. That’s all labor, that’s all jobs.” With successful green policies in place we can “put all your auto workers back to work, and all your steel workers back to work” and “you don’t have to wait for any new technology, you don’t have to wait for any workers, if you can make a car you can make a wind turbine.” At the same time we have carpenters out of work and while “we may not be building a lot of new houses…we are going to have to re-build and re-green all this existing housing stock and while we are doing it throw a solar panel on top.” For Jones it’s important for Americans to understand that both political parties signed off on legislation that sent our jobs overseas, created the housing crisis and led to the decline of our education system and while the people are divided as a result, we need to know that “it’s a puppet show, and at the end of the day it’s going to come down to people like me and you. We changed history when we elected president Obama… but we sat down and now we need to stand back up.” According to Jones, in all of these little struggling communities “we have to unite... America is going down the drain because we are not united.” Jones’ talk with the small group was just one of hundreds of talks he is having in the coming months as he travels around the country talking to people from disadvantaged backgrounds, advocates and “ordinary people” getting them on the same page making his proposal for a clean energy economy a little more real. For Catie Dargue of the Coalition for the Homeless, Jones’ talk made a real impact “It’s an inspiration to Cincinnati and our country that someone cares enough about the future of Americans that he would sit down and learn about our community.  Being able to communicate his vision for our country while listening to our successes as well as concerns, gives me hope.” On July 4th of this year, we will see the launch of a nationwide campaign called 1Voice. This campaign is aimed at uniting communities and working towards lifting people out of poverty. For more information about Van Jones and his 1Voice Campaign visit www. vanjones.net. �STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Continued ­ 9 �10 International News STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Kato murder re-ignites gay rights debate ­ It’s often said that the first casualty of war is truth. That time-honored truism has gathered more weight in Uganda over the past week as conservatives and human rights campaigners exchange conflicting theories over the demise of prominent gay activist, David Kisuule Kato. joe oPio  WWW.streetneWsservice.org F or the government of Uganda, the timing of Kato’s death couldn’t have been more unfortunate. Kato was killed on January 26, a national holiday perennially reserved to commemorate the ascent to power of the ruling National Resistance Movement party. Kato was the face of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), an advocacy group actively campaigning against the controversial Anti-Homosexuality Bill. It’s a story that has proved enduring ever since, forcing the government on the defensive. The international press, foreign governments and gay rights activists have cast Kato’s death as the inevitable result of the prevailing climate of homophobia in Uganda; a charge the government refutes. Kale Kayihura, the Inspector General of Police, insists that Kato’s murder had nothing to do with his activism, adding that he was just a victim of a private disagreement. “The circumstances surrounding this incident have no indication regarding Kato’s campaign against the Anti-Homosexuality Bill before Parliament,” Kayihura said days after the murder became public. Human rights activists, though, beg to differ. They maintain that it’s no coincidence that Kato got killed a mere month after his face appeared in a local tabloid that published pictures  and addresses of Uganda’s “Top 100 Homosexuals” under the screaming front-page headline, “Hang Them!” In a press release soon after the police’s statement, the activists wrote: “The Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) and the entire Ugandan Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex Community stand together to condemn the killing of David Kato and call for the Ugandan Government, Civil Society, and Local Communities to protect sexual minorities across Uganda. David has been receiving death threats since his face was put on the front page of Rolling Stone Magazine, which called for his death and the death of all homosexuals.” Kato’s lawyer claims that the activist had feared for his safety prior to his death, even alerting police. But the government and conservatives believe that by condemning the Kato’s murder as homophobia-driven, the local gay rights movement and its foreign supporters are intent on pushing their agenda by converting a victim of random violence into a martyr. The heated war of words between the conservatives and human rights activists has cooled down a notch since police arrested Enock Nsubuga, who confessed to perpetrating the murder. But the two sides continue to exchange harsh rhetoric. “The killing was an act of thuggery,” Information and National Guidance Minister Kabakumba Masiko stated at a recent press conference. “It was not organised because of what he was. Much as homosexuality is prohibited by the Constitution, his death was a (private) mission gone bad. The government is doing whatever it takes to ensure that those who killed Kato are brought to book.” Val Kalende, the Chairperson of the Board at Freedom and Roam Uganda however asserts that the government can’t wash its hands clean of its culpability. Human Rights activist Sarah Mukasa talks to the media during a press conference organized by gay rights campaigners in uganda. Source: Joe Opio “David’s death is a result of the hatred planted in Uganda by US Evangelicals in 2009. The Ugandan Government and the so-called U.S Evangelicals must take responsibility for David’s blood!” But who exactly is telling the truth? Gay activists remain bitter that soon after Kato’s death, local police tried to dismiss the murder as just the latest in a spate of crimes orchestrated by iron-bar wielding thugs. The police maintains that its initial position was a logical assumption, given that Kato was a resident of the same Mukono area which has seen over a dozen people clobbered to death using iron-bars in the last two months. The police has since changed its stand, especially after arresting Nsubuga, an ex-convict. Nsubuga admitted guilt over Kato’s murder in an extra-judicial statement he recorded at Mukono magistrate’s court. The 22-year old Nsubuga revealed that he killed Kato for enticing him into homosexual practices with material and financial promises that never materialized. “The suspect was working in Kato’s garden at the time of the activist’s death,” revealed Police chief Kayihura. “According to the suspect, Kato, 46, promised to pay him money for having sex with him. But Kato never fulfilled his promise. The suspect then took a hammer from the bathroom and fatally beat Kato. The attack was not a hate crime, as has been widely reported, but rather stemmed primarily from the suspect’s desire to get money from Kato.” Kayihura nevertheless cautioned the public and anti-homosexuality pastors against being insensitive to the gay community in the country. “You must be sensitive. You should stop engaging in extremist campaigns that can be interpreted differently.” If the police had hoped that Nsubuga’s confession would put the matter to rest, they must have been monumentally disappointed. Gay rights activists have questioned the veracity of Nsubuga’s confession, stating that, if anything, the latter’s claims are designed to further portray gay people in unflattering light. “Nsubuga’s reasons for murdering Kato depict Kato as a deceitful human being,” a SMUG official said. “He’s also portrayed as someone who used promises to make Nsubuga do things the latter didn’t want to do. This is consistent with messages from homophobes who have accused the gay rights movement of using gifts and money to entrap and entice young students into homosexuality. This is wrong. It’s also a calculated attempt to smear Kato’s name even in death and to further depict the gay rights movement in Uganda in negative light. By showing that Nsubuga murdered Kato because of lies, the police might even be trying to send out a message that all gay relationships are bound to end this way; in cold-blooded murder.” Some activists have gone on to express fear that Nsubuga might just be a fall guy, as the government strives to deflect the international scrutiny that could fall upon Uganda were Kato’s death to be proven to have been motivated by bias toward gays. It’s an understandable, if not verifiable suspicion, seeing as Uganda’s sodomy laws that punish homosexual acts by 14 years to life in prison and the 2009 Anti-Homosexuality Bill that seeks the death penalty have already foisted an unforgiving international spotlight upon this land-locked East African nation of 30 million inhabitants. WANT MORE STREETVIBES? | CHECk OuT THE STREETVIBES BLOG http://streetvibes.wordpress.com �11 STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Egypt in Crisis Human Rights Activists and Journalists Endangered laura osBorn-coffey, aMnesty international usa grouP 86 coorDinator The government says the protests are illegal and has launched a crackdown, reportedly arresting up to 1,000 people. Source: AFP/Getty Images. Imagine that you go into work on an ordinary morning. Only this morning, you are arrested and pulled out of your ordinary office, just for doing what you have always done - working towards ending human rights abuses. Not many of us have had this happen - but on Thursday February 3rd, in Cairo Egypt, an Amnesty International staff person, and a Human Rights watch staff were both taken from their office and arrested. Larry Cox, Executive Director of Amnesty USA reported to the Amnesty USA membership on Thursday February 3rd: “Our hearts nearly stopped this morning when we heard the news… one of our own, a member of the Amnesty International staff, was detained by police in Cairo after the Hisham Mubarak Law Center was taken over by military police. Our colleague was taken along with at least three others, including a delegate from Human Rights Watch. We do not know their current whereabouts.” He pleaded with the American activists to step up to the table and take action. Many people ask, “Why should Americans be concerned with the human rights abuses occurring in the wake of the protests and violence in Egypt?” Amnesty’s simple response is: because violence to the human rights of people in one country is violence to human rights anywhere around the globe. It always seems that the first people targeted in any such protests are the journalists, for this is the group of people who make sure that the rest of the world knows what is going on and the human rights defenders, who report on abuses by governments. We have seen pattern this recently in such other countries such as Myanmar, Sri Lanka and China. Amnesty’s stance is that human rights monitors, including journalists, be allowed the freedom to do their crucial work at this time of crisis, in whatever country the crisis may be occurring. A second and more immediate reason is that any disruption in the Middle East usually causes an immediate rise in our national gas prices, which then increases the prices of all of our goods, which we see at the groceries and other stores. Leading up to the present conflict in Egypt was the parliamentary elections in November 2010, which were marred by violence and irregularities. Eight people were reported to have died, scores more were wounded across the country, and Amnesty International called for Egyptian authorities to open independent investigations into the deaths. The organization is also concerned that the election violence bodes poorly for expected presidential elections later in 2011. On Jan. 1, 2011, a bombing of a Coptic Christian church in Alexandria killed 23 and injured many others. Amnesty condemned the attack, and noted that the government had failed to protect Copts and other religious minorities. In addition, government security forces harassed and intimidated people who were engaged in public displays of support for victims of the bombing. Amnesty International has called on the Egyptian Vice President, Omar Suleiman, to stop the violence unleashed by pro-government supporters in Cairo and across the country amid fresh reports of a renewed crackdown on journalists and activists. Journalists were reportedly detained, and activists harassed by security forces following recent violence that saw at least five killed and several hundred wounded in the fighting between pro- and anti-government supporters in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. One of the most pressing human rights concerns that Amnesty International has documented is the use of emergency legislation to arrest and detain people without charge or trial; especially after the protests. Last week these concerns were made very real with the arrests of our fellow human rights workers in Egypt. Larry Cox pleaded with our American membership: “Please, we need you to speak up with the voice of the international human rights movement. Tell Egyptian officials to release Amnesty International’s staff member and all human rights monitors.” And they and Amnesty members worldwide did so. On February 5th, in Cairo, the Amnesty International staffs were reunited with their missing colleagues. They stated, “While we were incredibly relieved by the news of their release after 32 painful and sleepless hours of anxiety, and excited by our few quick phone conversations with them, we could not rest until they were in a place of safety and were able to get a much needed meal, shower and clean beds. Our anxiety was heightened by the fact that they were released some four hours after the curfew began. We weren’t sure where they were being dropped off by the military police who had detained them, without any proof of identity, taken from them at the time of arrest. “Luckily, there was a happy resolution and a happier reunion not too long after in front of a hotel. We were incredibly proud of our colleagues, who despite their fatigue and clearly difficult ordeal, were joking about parts of their experience in detention. A foreign photographer held with them who had been surprised that when told “five minutes” in Egypt this did not actually mean five minutes.” There are still many other people who remain arrested or detained in Egypt, and many people worldwide are watching with great interest to see what will occur in neighboring countries, such as Syria and Jordan. Go to www.amnesty-usa.org to take immediate action on the human rights crisis in Egypt. Whether in a high-profile conflict or a forgotten corner of the globe, Amnesty International, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, campaigns for justice, freedom and dignity for all. Laura Osborn-Coffey, MSW, LISW-S Laura has been dedicated to the field of social work for the last 25 years. She graduated from the Salem International University with a Bachelors of Science in Equestrian Studies, then attended and graduated from the University of Cincinnati, School of Social Work in 1986. Experienced in a variety of fields including mental health, alcohol/ drug, and the aging populations, she recently worked at Bethany House Services, a non-profit homeless service agency in Hamilton County, OH. Laura has been an active member of Amnesty International, on the local and Mid-west levels over the last 25 years. She is the coordinator of the Cincinnati Local Group 86 – the community based chapter of Amnesty International USA. She is also Amnesty’s ‘Area Coordinator’ for the state of Ohio, a role in which she stays in touch with the Amnesty groups statewide. She has been a ‘trainer’ within Amnesty, has done workshops at the local, regional and national level; and she has assisted with coordinating three Midwest Regional Amnesty conferences in Cincinnati since 1989. Within Group 86, Laura and the local volunteers have organized events over the years to bring the plight of worldwide human rights abuses to the attention of the greater Cincinnati community. In her spare time, Laura does spinning, weaving, quilting, writing, and gardening; she has five cats and two horses, a husband and two grandchildren (not in that order). �12 Interest ­ STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Aliens with Extraordinary Skills ­ A review about illegal immigrants not E.T. catie Dargue staff Writer F ive minutes into the play and I’m still waiting for the UFO to land and these so-called Aliens to emerge. Instead I’m watching a Moldovan Clown make balloon animals and wondering if I’m in the right play. Oh, I get it. You’ll have to excuse me, I was thinking space aliens. The Know Theatre’s production of Saviana Stanescu’s play is full of all sorts of hidden surprises,making you think twice about what you’re seeing. The play starts with Nadia from Moldova and her Russian clowning pal Borat (yes like the movie), running away to New York to attempt to blend in the crowd, escape from a couple of agents that are chasing them for their fake circus Visas, and maybe even find happiness or a Green card. However, Nadia (who refers to herself as Ginger), finds it more difficult than expected to come up with the $750 rent to sleep on her roommate and budding friend, Lupita’scouch. Meanwhile, Borat gets stuck working as a cab driver and feels exhausted by the work hours as well as the people of the city. It’s your basic story of boy and girl go separate directions, boy stalks girl’s roommate, random guy from Craigslist stalks both girls, and everybodyends up okay in the end. Or something likethat. The play has a fun and light atmosphere magnetically pushingagainst the very real problem that the two immigrants face. The INS agents (played by two women: Beth Harris and MJ Jurgensen) provide a very haunting reality for Nadia along her journey, however, their characters are so ‘clownish’ in many ways that they come across as comic relief and less of a threat. Almost unnecessary to the script,they are the most confusing of characters. Liz Vosmeier’s balances her naturally comic Ginger with therealities that face Nadia. That said, Kaitlin Becker’s performance of the aspiring actress roommate Lupita is close to stealing the show from Nadia. Matthew Lewis Johnson has some very touching moments as his character Borat struggles to find if it’s love or if it’s a Green card he’s after. My favorite line had to be, “That Mexican Pizza guy was really hot for you and he just got his Visa.” Bob, played by George Alexander, captures the annoying guy you learn to love. My only observation about the character’s situation is that as someone who is personally married to a Green card holder, I know it’s not as easy as just getting married to stay in the country and I questioned the Liz Vosmeier and Matthew Lewis Johnson clown around in Aliens with Extraordinary Skills. Credit: Deogracias Lerma. playwright’s research on the subject which becomes one of the major themes of the show. Besides that, my biggest criticism was probably of the set. The idea was creative enough but perhaps didn’t translate as well from the design board to the construction. Three movable walls form the various locations for the actionand set pieces can be moved in and out through holes in the walls. The entire wall is lined with 8.5 x 11in paper immigration forms;however I couldn’t see this until after the show when I ventured on set to see what I had been staring at for the last couple of hours. The holes in the setare covered by paper too but only in long rows which allow for items to be rolled in or out. Think those big floppy clothsyou drive under to enter a car wash. My first thought was, ‘will this set last for the whole run of the show?’ An interesting concept but the construction didn’t translate well and in places the assembly looked a bit messy. Some inspired designs with video recording and projection were produced thatdidn’t distract from the play but rather enhanced the scene. My favorite was a car driving through New York for Borat’s cab. The costumes are fun and there’s an effective use of staying with a theme for each character. Nadia in a giant hamburger suit saying, ‘Everything is possible’ is one of those perfect ephemeral moments enhanced by the costuming. All and all, it’s worth the wonderfully priced tickets at Know Theatre and is a very unique way of looking at a current hot topic and political event from the point of view of the people most affected. I’ll even forgive the playwright for suddenly breaking the forth wall at the end to catch the audience up on what transpired. Just be ready for anything in this play as nothing is too farfetched. Except for UFOs and space Aliens, don’t get your hopes up as they are not in this play. Jan 29th – Feb 26th 2011. You can purchase tickets online at www.knowtheatre.com or call the Know Theatre box office at (513) 300-KNOW (5669). �STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Excerpts from Looking Beyond the Storm: Selections of Poetry By MalcolM o. varner Beyond the Storm True Love Reverberate When Art gave birth to Writing, May the melodies of my words echo hope across hopeless hearts. she had no idea how deeply for her daughter I’d fall. A belle dame is she, so pure in every way, upon each occasion we meet is sure to brighten up my day. Of her I dream at work and likewise why I come home running. Her body is filled with sounds that titillate my ears, the rhythm of her movements brings me to tears. Let me soar on high like an eagle, and while gliding in this here great sky, let me look below and marvel, knowing how far I’ve come. And when we’re apart, Let me soar on high like an eagle, and while flying high in the air, let me look beyond the storm, and prepare my wings to get me there. But then, when we become intertwined as one, Let me soar on high like an eagle, and while gaining new heights above storm clouds, let me use adverse winds to propel me toward my goal. and I will live to show her beauty as long as I can. Let me soar on high like an eagle, and while floating with turbulent winds to my back, let me look far ahead, flying gracefully into blue skies. 13 Story & Poetry Corner I contend with a void where empty echoes live in my heart. the consummation of our love shall not be undone. As a woman, she will complete me as a man, May the sounds of my words pierce peace into minds in misery like darts. May the rhythm and grace of her dance inspire an incessant will to win. May the style of her steps propel impoverished feet towards prosperity. May the slender lines of his smooth sculpture give awe to opportunities. May the depth of details in his design help discover hidden potential. May the cheery chirps of birds at dawn energize eyes to see newness. May the consistency of their calls inspire positive mantras to be muttered. May the light of the symphonic morning sun radiate daily delight. May the warmth of its rays renew commitment to compassion. May the acts of inhaling and exhaling give reason to fight and prevail. May the essence of life justify the act of completely playing one’s part. My Fathers house Willa D jones In my Father’s house there are many mansions Many mansions, with many rooms to rest and pray in In good times, in bad times, day, night, sleep or wake times All the time I spend in my Father’s house because his house is mines When I was homeless, a drunkard, a drug addict and all alone I found much comfort and peace just praising in song When I was hungry, hair nappy, dirty and smelling really bad I held onto my sanity, when my belief in pray was all I had As in any house with rules, my Father has commandments of ten Even though I would make mistakes, I’d always repent of my sins And ask for forgiveness with the understanding to make a change A change for the best so there would be no more fear or pain Taking what each day brings in pray and always believe Having faith to know that my Father’s will is best for me While searching for God’s love, wisdom and understanding I come into the realization of just what my heart was demanding I began to go to church to learn more about my Father’s house I found peace and my soul was saved I could finally announce I learn that there is a place in my Father’s house for everyone The young, the old, the lost and the sick at heart and mind I learned the mistakes I’d made were all of one kind I understand today that we must learn from the mistakes we’ve made And know only by the grace of God can our souls be saved So won’t you come visit in the house of my Father Learn the bible and know that with my Father there is no other Take your time and search you soul to truly find yourself An understand that in our Father’s house is where we’ll be forever safe with plenty of help �14 Sightings ­ STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Beautiful Music, Come Rain, Snow, or Shine Thomas and Mary Chapman have been visiting Over-the-Rhine every Sunday afternoon for the last 16 years, come rain, snow or shine. They sing songs of hope and worship which lifts the spirits and gives hope to people living in this part of town. Here is a true act of social service. �Shelter: Women and Children Central Access Point Cincinnati union Bethel St. Francis Soup kitchen Churches Active in Northside FreeStore/FoodBank 557-2873 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 4230 Hamilton Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45223 241-1064 112 E. Liberty Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 1841 Fairmount Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 681-2365 762-5660 271-5501 4600 Erie Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 St. Vincent de Paul 6037 Cary Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45224 Salvation Army 535-2719 591-2246 381-SAFE 768-6907 300 Lytle Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Bethany House 562-8841 872-9259 Crossroad Health Center 381-2247 5 E. Liberty St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Health Resource Center Homeless Mobile Health Van McMicken Dental Clinic 357-4602 352-2902 352-6363 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mental Health Access Point Mercy Franciscan at St. John 558-8888 981-5800 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 NAMI of Hamilton County PATH Outreach 1125 Bank Street, Cinti, Ohio 45214 131 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 15 Resources ­ STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 458-6670 977-4489 Treatment: Men Other Resources Shelter: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 2121 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Prospect House 241-0490 381-4941 Starting Over 1419 Elm Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 682 Hawthorne Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45205 Justice Watch St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 961-4663 Treatment: Both 761-1480 1821 Summit Road, Cinti, Ohio 45237 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Interfaith Hospitality Network Lighthouse Youth Center (Youth) 471-1100 221-3350 3330 Jefferson, Cinti, Ohio 45220 Housing: CMHA Excel Development OTR Community Housing 721-4580 632-7149 381-1171 114 W. 14th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tender Mercies 721-8666 27 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tom Geiger House Dana Transitional Bridge Services Volunteers of America Anna Louise Inn 961-4555 751-0643 381-1954 421-5211 621-5300 961-1983 OTR: 1620 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 1730 Race Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 351-0422 381-6672 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. Cinti, Ohio 45214 Goodwill industries Healing Connections Mary Magdalen House 771-4800 751-0600 721-4811 241-2965 People Working Cooperatively 351-7921 The Caring Place 631-1114 united Way 211 Women Helping Women 977-5541 Off The Streets 421-5211 1522 Republic Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Hamilton County ADAS Board 946-4888 Recovery Health Access Center 281-7422 Sober Living 681-0324 Talbert House 641-4300 Advocacy Catholic Social Action Community Action Agency Contact Center 421-3131 569-1840 381-4242 1227 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Food/Clothing Lord’s Pantry OTR/Walnut Hills kitchen & Pantry AA Hotline CCAT Joseph House (Veterans) 217 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 381-0111 1223 Main St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 2728 Glendora Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45209 Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 621-5514 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 961-4080 Peaslee Neighborhood Center Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart First Step Home Anthony House (Youth) 241-2600 241-2563 214 E. 14th St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 661-4620 Shelter: Both Center Independent Living Options Emmanuel Community Center 1308 Race St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 961-2256 Treatment: Women 1437 Walnut Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Mt. Airy Shelter 921-1613 St. Raephaels Salvation Army Serenity House Day Center Open Door Pantry 863-3184 863-1445 422-8555 868-3276 Northern kentucky Brighton Center 859-491-8303 799 Ann St. Newport, KY Franciscan JPIC Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 721-4700 421-7803 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. Legal Aid Society Ohio Justice & Policy Center Faces Without Places Stop AIDS 579-8547 241-9400 421-1108 363-3300 421-2437 Health Center for Respite Care Hamilton/Middletown ECHO/Hosea House 859-261-5857 Fairhaven Resuce Mission 859-491-1027 Homeward Bound Youth 859-581-1111 Mathews House 859-261-8009 Homeless & Housing Coalition 859-727-0926 Parish kitchen 859-581-7745 Pike St. Clinic 859-291-9321 Transitions, Inc 859-491-4435 Welcome House of NkY 859-431-8717 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 621-1868 3550 Washington Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45229 Women’s Crisis Center VA Domiciliary VA Homeless 859-491-3335 859-559-5011 859-572-6226 �16 Column ­ STREETVIBES February 15-28, 2011 Forging the Universal human ­ Martin Zeinway rebels against war and divisive identities “My artwork is a commentary on my war-torn origins and on the search for my identity”, says Martin Zeinway. “As a child I had to leave Liberia, my country of origin, devastated by an ongoing civil war, and resettle as a refugee in the USA. Before moving here I never considered myself By saaD ghosn contriButing Writer to be ‘Black’. I was Liberian, then African. To Americans, however, I am first Black, then African, then Liberian; and to Black Americans, an African, who is Black, from Liberia. Who am I in reality?” Zeinway, a Cincinnati visual artist, arrived to Alliance Academy, a Cincinnati charter school. In undergrad, Zeinway mostly developed technique, acquired skills and learned the academic side of art. Preparing for his Master in Art Education, he started questioning himself, remembering his past experiences, allowing them to emerge. Painful memories, silenced until then, resurfaced. The war he lived as a child and the damages it caused and that he experienced when visiting back his country, had never left him. Images of violence, desolation, destruction, human loss and suffering, dormant for many years, started reappearing in his drawings. “I found myself sketching bodies without limbs, exploded bleeding heads, crying individuals, displaced families…” he says. “I knew where they were coming from.” Encouraged by his professors to explore his feelings and concerns, he decided to create works about himself and his past and inform the viewer. War, violence and their negative effects, the destruction of his country and of its culture, the loss of life, disintegration of communities, became all part of his painted works. They spoke of the ugliness of armed conflicts and of the need to abolish them. A Mother’s Cry, represents an African woman crying, her sons gone, recruited to be soldiers, her daughter forced to become a sex slave. Nothing is left to her, not even food depicted as fruit in the painting, alluding to both starvation and loss of her children, essential ingredients of her life. Zeinway was also indirectly referring to his own mother, sad, separated form her son she sent away not to be killed. In Decisions, a young pregnant lady stands next to writing that says: “All I wanted is some food, and now I carry the baby of the rebels,” illustrating the unjust and inhuman pressures war places on individuals, especially women, for survival. The Peace Keeper, points to the irony of war; it shows a soccer ball next to 2 groups of fighters laying down their arms. During the war, fighters would often reunite and stop fighting just the time of a football game, the ball, thus, an elusive symbol of peace. The Role Reversal addresses the changes arm power inflicts on the traditional functioning of a community. It shows elders and elderly, in time of peace wise decision-makers of the tribe, silenced and replaced by powerful young gun-carrying fighters. Who Am I, lithographic print with watercolor. Print and Photo by Martin Zeinway the United States, with his uncle’s family, at age 14. He lived originally in Cleveland, OH, received a Bachelor’s degree in Studio Art from Central State University, Wilberforce, OH, a Master’s degree in Art Education form Miami University, Oxford, OH, and a Master in Fine Art degree from the University of Cincinnati (UC). He currently teaches art at Central State University and at In The Future Is Dead, an image of a man holding a gun and shooting overlaps silhouettes of kids. It refers to all the kids who lost their future becoming children fighters or who were, as well as their culture, killed due to war. Zeinway did many more paintings in his series, all focused on war, its detrimental effects on his country and life in general. In addition to his visual art, he also started writing down the outline of his life and experiences from the moment he was born. This led him to introspective analysis, to questioning about his identity, his role in a country different from his birth one, his future. It Martin Zeinway in his studio. Photo by Saad Ghosn also coincided with the beginning of his graduate school at UC. “Being at UC was challenging and frustrating at the same time,” he says. “I wanted to do something different but did not know what. I felt unable to define myself, asking constantly: Who am I? Am I an artist, an educator, a student, a Liberian, a Black, an African, an American…? I felt lost with so many layers of identity.” This is when Zeinway resorted again to his artwork for help, visualizing his dilemmas and, in the process, working towards their resolution. To emphasize his African identity he included in his new drawings and paintings Adinkra symbols from West Africa, representing popular proverbs and maxims. He also delved into the world of fashion, applying African fabrics and designs to western cloth and garments he would wear, thus pointing to the intricate stitched-up duality of his being. Who Am I?, a lithographic print with watercolor, displays the ongoing conflict between the 2 sides of his personality, the African Liberian and the American. It consists of 2 of his portraits shown back to back, one dressed in a western suit, the other in a suit layered with African fabric. In the background is the image of a child holding an AK47 gun, sitting in a classroom. Red, white and blue refer to the American flag and in the center is the Adinkra symbol of knowledge. Zeinway thus incorporated references to his African origin, his past as a child in a warring country, his experience in the West, his educated status wearing a suit, his search for knowledge… all sharing the surface of the same page, overlapping, yet coexisting in harmony. “Liberia created me and showed me how to love and care for humanity; America taught me how to live and work,” he says. “I am a man of the world, rich of many experiences; I do not want to choose. The more categories we draw, the more divisiveness we generate.” Zeinway will continue to use his art to oppose war and fight racial and social classifications. He wants his work to educate on the issues of identity, race, discrimination, and motivate for equality, peace and justice. He hopes one day to build an art school in his native Liberia to give children the opportunity to develop their creative talents at the service of a better world. Artists as Activists is a regular column highlighting Greater Cincinnati artists who use art as a vehicle for change. Saad Ghosn is the founder of SOS Art. Ghosn can be reached at saad.ghosn@uc.edu. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2011 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource February 15-28, 2011 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: African American Achievements Pg 2: Street Wise Pg 3: African American Achievements Continued Pg 4: Die N-Word Die! Excerpts from the 1969 Autobiography Pg 5: Prison System Overhaul Pg 6: My Life at Caracole Pg 7: Bye Bye Berding! Pg 8: Van Jones: An Intimate Conversation with a Visionary for Change Pg 9: Continued Pg 10: Kato Murder Re0Ignites Gay Rights Debate Pg 11: Egypt in Crisis Pg 12: Aliens with Extraordinary Skills Pg 13: Poetry Pg 14: Poetry Continued Pg 15: Resources Pg 16: Forging the Universal Human Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 15-28, 2011 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jen Martin Elizabeth Schulenberg Jeni Jenkins Saad Ghosn Lee McCoy Jim Luken Josh Spring Willa Jones Corey Gibson Laura Osborn-Coffey Catie Dargue Malcolm O. Varner Riccardo Taylor Justin Jeffre Joe Opio Dr. Michael Washington Aimie Willhoite Jim Luken Saad Ghosn, Rob Vinit Murthy Martin Zeinway Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Activists African American Aimie Willhoite Black History Month Catie Dargue Corey Gibson David Kisuule Kato Dr. Michael Washington Egypt Elizabeth Schulenberg Gay Human Rights Immigrants Inmates Jeff Berding Jen Martin Jeni Jenkins Jim Luken Joe Opio Josh Spring Journalists Justin Jeffre Laura Osborn-Coffey Lee McCoy Malcolm O. Varner Martin Zeinway Poetry Prison Riccardo Taylor Rob Vinit Murthy Saad Ghosn Van Jones Willa Jones https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/d5e7518c9f8174c8245a22ce8fa8e64b.pdf c28c8bd2e957c3e2d1cd5224d39ab4b6 PDF Text Text Remembering buddy gray by Bonnie Neumeier buddy gray made a commitment very young to dedicate his life energies to the cause of freedom, justice and peace for all humanity. He never wavered on that commitment. To buddy, every person had a face, a name. He was a man with great passion and soul. A man who was motivated by his inclusive love and just anger so that we all could live free with basic human rights. buddy used all that he was in the service of his vision. He give endless hours of dedication/determination because he believed we must be about building a healthier neighborhood and world community for all of us. buddy's life as a revolutionary, a public servant, a poet, a carpenter, a friend, an organizer, an advocate, a prophet, a brother, a keen strategist, a preserver of life, a justice-seeker, a consistent challenger, a planter of trees and flowers, a lover of people, and an enthusiast for the simple joys of life challenged many to take an active part in something so much greaterto be a part of the historic movement for ~ Cincinnati Homeless Grapevine is Now STREETVIBES be planted well, planted deep, for our hope lies in the coming together of all of us creating a new world with compassion for all earth's creatures. Some of the ways in which he carried out his commitment: by hi Clillod 11 11 If you are reading this article you know that there's something a little different. The paper you are now reading is called "Streetvibes." We were formerly known as the Cincinnati Homeless Grapevine. We thought the name change necessary for our Cincinnati street newspaper to have its own identity since this is the first issue we are laying out and. printing locally. We are eternally grateful to Brian Davis and the staff of the Homeless Grapevine in Cleveland for their tireless support and extremely valuable technical assistance in the birth of "Streetvibes." The name "Streetvibes" was an idea that was introduced by the vendors who write for and sell the paper. We thank everyone involved in producing the paper. W e promise to continue to work with the North East Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH) in our joint efforts to end homelessness and regularly share stories in our papers. This past December and January saw the wind chill index dip below 0 degrees nine night~ . . As a result, shelters saw their already crowded conditions become worse, and potentially life threatening. When shelters are full, the City of Cincinnati Winter Shelter Emergency policy goes into effect, A Winter Shelter emergency is called by · the-Director of the Health Department, currently Dr. Malcolm Adcock. In order to be called, two criteria have to be met: the wind chill index must be at 0 degrees or below and the shelters have to be full. When the criteria are met, the Mayor of the City of Cincinnati, by executive authority, opens up the Over-theRhine Recreation Center from I0 pm to 8 am as a temporary shelter. Shelters who are overcrowded can transport people to the Center or people can just walk in from the T 'I ' See Remembering buddy gray on page3 Cold Weather Packs Shelters. 11 11 FREEDOM. He knew that this serious task was not without its difficulty and pain, but he helped many feel the joy in being part of the freedom train. buddy's strong, life-giving spirit was felt and impacted many people and places, but his soul lived specially deep in the people and soil of the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. He walked side by side with us, his neighbors, with little or no resources using all we had in us to claim the right to stay in this land for IT IS OUR HOME that deserves and needs to be respected by the power forces grabbing our land for their profit interests. He had a deep care and compassion for people who are homeless and with little or no incomes. He believed in peoples ability to overcome addictions and hopelessness. He was an advocate of the people to whom he gave hope by what he said and what he did, he never brushed people off. buddy worked hard at developing and sharing leadership for he believed in the power of the people. What he thought was just and right, he took action with others to carry tt out. He knew seeds had to surrounding community. The Winter Shelter Emergency was triggered nine times: December 18, 19 and January 2, 3, 4, 16, 17, 18 and 25. Each night, the OTR Recreation Center hosted between 25 and 42 people. Shelter workers feel that the need for overflow shelters during the winter is becoming more extreme. Denise Crew, senior worker at the Drop Inn Center Shelter, said, "One night our numbers went up to 320 when our capacity is only 250. People are packed in like sardines." As-a result of the need, City Officials and shelter leaders are meeting to come up with ways to expand the program. Possible aspects of an increased plan include: assistance to the Recreation Department to provide a decent sleeping environment, improved communications and an automatic temperature trigger and partnerships with existing shelters to share overflow. 1. i' r - The Drop Inn Center faced severe overcrowding during the January cold snaps. Photo by Susan Knight / �. ------------------------------::-------=-~----,-------- STREETVIBES -_--- -- -r . The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes, the Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine, is a newspaper written by, for and about the homeless. It is compiled by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Vendors buy the _paper for 20 cents and then sell it for a dollar donation to get back on their feet. All vendors sign a code of conduct before being given a badge. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. The Streetvibes Committee meets monthly to plan our issues and increase circulation. If you are interested in helping or have a comment, please call 421-7803. Staff Pat Clifford, Coordinator Donald Whitehead, Outreach Coordinator Photographers James Heath Susan Knight Berta Lambert Writers Penny Caudle Pat Clifford Denise Crew David Dietz Mary Ann Gleason Jude' Haley James Heath Leslie Horner Tom Mulroy Bonnie Neumeier Gregory Payton Shadd on Melissa Tuckey Kate Uhlir Spencer Wells Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Refer all stories or inquiries to: Streetvibes clo Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless I506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 Subscribe to Streetvibes Subscriptions to Streetvibes cam be purchased for $12 per year. Please send a check to the above address and the paper will be mailed to you each issue. Your subscription helps keep our paper alive. Page2 I Chose Honest by Gregory Payton My name is Gregory and I'm homeless. When I became Homeless I wasn't ashamed, I was confused. I knew I needed a job and a place to live. I really didn't know what to work on first. I needed something to eat so that's all I could think about. I wanted help but not pity. I wanted guidance and direction, not laughter and insults. I wanted constructive criticism not destructive criticism. So I searched. I learned early in life that there's only two kinds of people that share with you. So I had to take a chance. I asked a guy if he knew where I could get something to eat. He replied," at the store." I said , "oh" and walked away. I knew then I had to decide. Honest or dishonest. That was easy (honest). So I walked a little and thought a little. And tried again. I asked again rather quickly because of the _ need to eat. This time I asked a woman. She paused and asked me, "are you homeless." I paused and, being somewhat embarrassed, said yes. She asked "are you from Cincinnati." I paused again wondering where this conversation was leading and said," yes, but haven:t been here in a while." She said it showed. I asked how while looking at my appearance. She said, "don't be ashamed to say you're homeless." I said I was gathering information, being thankful she wanted to share. "First do you know-where the Drop Inn Center is located." said, " no, what is it." She said it's a center that help homeless people downtown. "You might be able to eat and sleep." I perked up asking where downtown. She said, "do you have any money." I said I don't. She looked in her purse and handed me a dollar bill and a pack of crackers, and said catch a bus downtown, ask the driver where the center is exactly located and eat one cracker every seven blocks I passed on the way. I thanked her and the main man upstairs (GOD), happy that I met someone that was ~illing to share, instead of laugh. On the bus doing what I told made that pack crackers feel like a meal. When I got to the center and knocked on the door a lady opened it and asked " what do you want sir". said "if possible something to eat". She said "step into that line" before. I left she said thank God. I quickly did while moving closer to food. Before I got to the stack of trays a man asked me my name and age. Wondering why after I gave it to him. I didn't think about it long because I was given a drink and then a plate of food. I thanked the ladies while moving toward some dessert. When I got to the end I gave thanks and said I will enjoy this. When I sat down I started eating fast for some reason maybe thinking that they might come back and get what they just gave me. Then it hit me, stop and thank God for I'm already eating. I did that fast too. Once I finish eating, I decided I should say some grace just in case he didn't hear me the first time. After that they told me to go to the front and sit down. A few minutes later, a man came up front and welcomed us and gave a speech on the policy of the center, then turned on the television, I asked the man next to me was he homeless and he replied, "everyone in here is buddy." I looked around and then asked him where are all the people going to go when this place closes. He said is this your first time, I said yes, he the_n told me they gave shelter when you're homeless also. I looked up and thanked God again. While I was standing in line receiving a number for a place to sleep, I asked the guy behind me, do they give jobs here. He laughed and said they do everything here. I turned around after I got back to the bench. I said at least I made another day. And I thank God. It was a few minutes before I went into the other room when I decided to ask around about jobs. I talked again with a man, and he told me to sell the Grapevine newspaper. I asked him about it some more and he said when you're homeless, they help you get a vendors license and you help the homeless by spreading the word of homelessness. And then I asked him how I get paid and he said that's the part. I told him, that's what I want to do. He gave me some information and who to talk to about it. He then said he had to leave. I said, while not trying to get in his business, that it's night and late, why do you have to sleep on the street. He stopped came back and said when you sell enough papers, you'll make enough to get an apartment and a down payment of deposit. Then he turned and left. I looked down to make sure I still had my information. Then I looked up and Thanked the main man (GOD). Honest Greg. Future vendor of the Homeless Grapevine. Urban -Land Institute Update by Leslie Horner The Cincinnati neighborhood of Overthe-Rhine, like almost anywhere else in the world, has had groups struggling with differing ideas of development, different ideas of what is best for people for years. Those groups are each active and vocal .with their opinions, sometimes making it seem as if there is never any consensus. However, Over-die-Rhine also has a strong history of groups who have consistently worked together, even in the hardest of times. In the I970's, organizations like the Over-the-Rhine Community Council, Race Street Tenants Organization C9operative (ReSTOC), and the Drop Inn Center Shelterhouse began to fonn, in order to vocalize concerns, to protect the rights of lowincome residents, and to provide shelter for the homeless residents of the neighborhood. The founding of these organizations, and others which soon followed, was evidence of the strength of the residents and their ability to work together. The Over-the-Rhine Community Council says that they will negotiate with the OTR Coalition members only when these four points have been agreed upon: I) Protect the 5,520 "No Net Loss" policy for low~income housing in Overthe-Rhine, discussed in the comprehensive plan of the I980's 2) End the City Economic Development Department's effort to eliminate Peaslee Neighborhood with a parking lot for Main Street bars 3) Stop the effort (simply end the discussion) to move the Drop Inn Center UL/ Continued on page 7 �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page J How Did It Happen? by buddy gray i don't know it happened ... many events, witnesses, years .. but more important-it has ... rampant in this place of advanced technology, toxic waste ravages this once beautiful country i don't desire to be happy unless happiness is a unive rsal right i don't plan to be non-disruptive of the "order" around us i don't care to be at peace when teenage rs of the third world must learn to sho ot ant i-airc raft guns at American invadi ng planes i do n't yet choose to be a carpenter, if nuclear bombs production still st eals the housing construction budget i don't want to be acceptable as long as rape, racism/sexism multinational profit, Cl.A. destabilization of governments, joblessness, homelessness are acceptable i don't intend to be calm, pleasant and likable if the stink of injustice must be raised i don't expect to be patient until there is "Housing Now"for everyone i don't know how to be quiet when our voices may be the only counter to the rich's media controls, limits, inversions of the truth. i don't think about being respectful hunger exist in the land of plenty poverty exist in this nation of wealth uneducation and ill health ru n . ·~ hese ·Bones will Rise Aga in by Melissa Tuckey (inspired by traditional 'them bones will rise again') Over the Rhine is under attack by the rich who neglected her and now want her back and everywhere i look i see the signs of war led by bankers and bulldozers and greed to consume more buddy gray was a friend of mine he was under attack for feeding the hungry and teaching them to fight back for loving the children of Over the Rhine for standing in the way while others just stood by You can kill buddy gray but not Over the Rhine the spirit that lives here cont inues to rise these bones will rise again these bones wi ll rise again these ho mes will rise again these ho mes will rise again the sun will shine again in Over the Rhine again you can kill buddy gray but not Over the Rhine the spirit that lives here has been around a long time · these bones will these bones will until we all have until we all have rise again rise again homes again homes again. \ I \ As long as churches and synagogues and temples do reverent, rituals for rights and speak in pious platitudes of peace and take no angry action that stops American Business as usual to end homelessness, imperialism As long as business lunches still happen in the glass condos looking out over the homeless and hungry on the cold streets I0 stories below As long as the City Fathers can work 8 hours a week for $35,000 and do little to learn of the peoples problems over whom they rule i fully intend to dream of happiness-and peace when i sleep--food, clothing, shelter, medical care, education, equality, green space and peace for all - And meanwhile awake to live as unacceptably, non-calmly, unpleasantly, dislikably, impatiently, loudly, disrespectfully, and disruptively, and as contagiously collectively as i am able, as long as is necessary ·- · Remembering buddy from page 1 * refused to participate in the Vietnam War and actively organized against it. * consistently did individual service work: tutoring children, organizing recreation trips for children t o area parks; individual advocacy against Welfare Bureaucracy and absentee landlords; assisted with many moving jobs when folks suffered evictions; offered help in fixing space heaters, apartment repairs; advocated for people getting Public Assistance; advocated in court for treatment rather than prison. * Supported the founding of the Drop Inn Center Shelterhouse for the Homeless and led the effort to stop its close down. Organized the ShelterHouse Volunteer Group to own and operate the shelter as a peoples program. * Active in tenant organizing work; advocate for individual tenants' rights; organized tenant strikes; active in creating Tenant/ Landlord legislation both in the State of Ohio and th e City of Cincinnati. * One of three original t enants that fou nded ReSTOC (Race Street Tenant Organization Cooperative), formed as a nonprofit, racially-integrated, low-income housing cooperative in o rder to fix up old buildings long neglected by absentee landlords so that housing for low income people could be preserved and maintained. * Helped found the Over-the-Rhine Housing Network, coalition of non-profit low income housing development corporations in Over-the-Rhine, united to save housing under community control. * Helped develop and pass the Housing Retention Ordinance in Over-the-Rhine, model legislation that requires public hearings Please send donations lo: buddy gray memorial fund Drop Inn Center Sheller 217 W. 12/h SI. Cincinnati~ OH 45210 before an apartment building can be demolished. *Worked as one of 13 members to develop the Over-the-Rhine Comprehensive Plan which fought to establish a minimum base of 5,520 low income housing units in Over-the-Rhine. * Trustee since 1978 of the Over-theRhine Community Council; chair of its Housing Task Force. * Board member of the National Coalition for the Homeless; one of the original founders at the founding convention in Chicago, 1983. * Board member of the Coalition for Housing and Homelessness in Ohio; one of the founders in Columbus, OH, March 1984. * One of the founders of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition fo r the Homeless, May 1984. Active in political action for the rights of homeless people. On January 20, 1997, buddy received the Martin Luther King Lifetime Achievement Award in Cincinnati. buddy had many accomplishments to his credit, just as Martin Luther King did. But neither man is remembered most for the things he accomplished, but rather the vision, hope and DREAM they shared with others. Both dreamed of a world where all women and men could live and respect each other as equals. Our greatest tribute to buddy gray and Martin Luther King is to continue the vision they worked so hard to carry out. �STREETVIBES . The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine From. /This Corner of the Reflecting Pool · by Mary Ann Gleason~ Director of the National Coalition for the Homeless Page4 A Cleveland Tribute to buddy by Kale Uhlir On the morning of November 15th, a taking us to that place of honor.;. where we very special friend, mentor, founding and truly belong. As Trinity Cathedral's evening bell tolled current Board member of NCH, and a truly Blessed is Buddy who worked tirelessly November 20, its upper room, full of prayerful selfless, persistent advocate for those homeless for justice, without counting the cost or homeless supporters, recalled their friend, and poor among us, died of a gun shot wound. surrendering to the consequences, for stanley buddy gray, 46, who was shot and killed His name was Buddy Gray; he was 46 years old. now he shall know peace. in Cincinnati's Drop Inn Center, an Over-theBlessed is he who cried out for a rightful The gun never should have been made, let Rhine shelter he founded 23 years ago. All place in the sun for everyone, for the aloneI allowed on the streets. The anger that Cleveland shelters turned off all lights for a pulled the trigger should never have been warmth of God's love shall be his. minute of silent prayer that evening - their incited against a man who simply wanted to Blessed is he whose tongue,spoke the 1 · small memorial for a giant idol. distrib ute the collective resources more equitapassion of his spul, without retreat, for · Gray, known as, "buddy gray," spelled his bly am\,ng all of us. the seeds of his message will flower our name with lower case letters and was considFb r greater than 25 years, Buddy Uved, earth with the scent of t_ruth. ered the strongest and most articulate voice for and the~ died, among the poor that he served Blessed is he who planted a tre.e whose the homeless in the United States. The Plain · faithfullt1 with tireless commitment and pershade he will never lie in, but which Dealer quoted Lemuel Israel, 42, a Cincinnati sonal de~otiori. There are few people in history brings relieffro.m ·the heat of oppression Grapevine vendor, "My first thought was that · who have~nt~grated an~ t~en ac~ed on, with to the thousands who do.· . , ifs over now. We don't have a chance.'' Blessed is he who comforted the :lost.and constancy; ,their humanitarian behefs as Buddy At Trinity, Cleveland shelter leader, Sister ·did; few willing to make the personal·sacrifices brought them home, for ~e was the · . Donna Hawk, C.S.J., asked, "Is this.the end of his life represented; few with the integrity.of carrier of hope and the ·bearer of dreams an era?" She lowered her head and wiped her . purpose that guided and motivated ·him .always. long sought. . ., . . eyes and recalled gray's ardent, relentless and His absence from us leaves ·a deep and :pen.Saddened are we 'wllo wa!ked .by his side, intimidating advocacy. "He was passionate, with connected to one another by the Jong etrating abyss, ·which no ·1onger able to be filled · a deep love for the .homeless; a strong sense of by a single man, must now be filled by us as a stretch of his ariTis oflove. · .· · · the rights of the poor. Who can speak for the · collective, if we are to do· honor to his 1ife and Mournful are we who knew _lived, . poor. like buddy spoke? [He] didn't make memory. l"he following is my -reflection on his simply, so that others might.live-:. .friends of politicians." . . life and his words: more fully, more safely, more q1refuily: .• Sister Mary Frances Harrington, C.S.j., · Weeping are w~ made whole by him •. who He said we had·to remain discontent, Executive Director of Cleveland's Family · · vigilant. He said we couldn't be seduced by . he accompanied from the dep~hs of. · Transitional Housing Inc. recalled, "Somehow · · mercy, if justiee would never come. He said he isolation and despair into :the light of · buddy always got,homeless people 'to the didn't care to be .a t peace as long as racism, day. . . ... . . Coalition [Coalition for theHomeless ·and· '· sexism, homelessness; excess r ealth, multina- . Touched are we by him,..irrevbcably.~. .Ho.using in Ohio] _meetings·every month. H~'.d ·; tional profits are all acceptable displacements of thank you, d~r friend . . . . '· : come through.~he dQ()r ·with his,hair 'in ·ii "long_ ., . . · true communiey.. He 5aid. he didn't know how ', ·t· .•· ·· ' , pony _tail and a 'couple of 'homeless peop1e on · · •· to be quiet whe~ . 6°ur voices maybe ~e 0nly The· Dropl~n Ceilteran~l:R,est~care :. .. . ··. . . .each arm. · ·. . ·· . . . . ·. . counter.to thos_e :who deny thetruth and pain ... . < ··programs founded and admil'liste!-"ed .J;>Y ·Buddy , .... · friends .:provided additionalinsight into · ~of poverty, exclusion, disregard. From deep ·. .· that ;provi'de emergency and transitjonal h~us- ·. · .g rats .sentiments. '/lf'you have two·pair of inside! his soul, this mari believed in the equa~ity . ing, treatment.and recovery programs, and ' . ·shoes, that's too ·many·when there are :homeand ulideniable 'w orth of each'.of us, in the . many hundreds of units of ;pemianent, ·afford- . . less:;• "He was always giving 200% to the · urgency of justice as the redemptive force for · able housing to faniiltes and individuals who poor." both those without and those with enough · have become homeless in the downtown area "He never let you down." He believed in resources. He called us al.I brothers and sisters of Cincinnati called Over The Rhine. There are justice and diversity," stated fellow COHHIO because the human family was his own. He led housing complexes in this still compromised Board member, Sharon Parries, Associate us to a place of honor - where all human beings neighborhoo·d that they have bought inexpenDirector of.Transitional Housing. are treated equally. He called each of us to sively because they are in very poor condition. Sister Donna continued her prayer, "let never be content with less than our own They have rehabilitated hundreds of units as nothing in buddy's life be lost. He was passionhighest virtue, to be the best of ourselves ... for they got the money to do so, making very ate. Buddy wasn't afraid of anything. He always significant contributions to the stability and others, until together we share collective called a spade a spade. Was his death a waste? resources in a manner that insures stability and quality of the neighborhood. The community of Or a wake-up call?" quality of life for all members of the human dedicated people of which Buddy was a part is community. He could settle for nothing less, trying to start an Endowment Fund in his name simply because he sought out, integrated, the to continue the incredibly meaningful work that unmasked truth of human life and the holy he, with them, did. privilege of the human soul. He knew we could pass through this life, taking more than we give, running the race to nowhere, being enticed by the sirens of excess, and yet more, of control and domination, or even of simply being content with what we have without noticing what others don't have, but need ... a home, love, honor, hope. He knew, as too few of us push ourselves to know, how unjust it is that some get so much more than they need, while others are left to seek out food in dumpsters, to live in At his doorways - often ill or confused or deeply sad, memorial, and most often not because of anything they did buddy gray's or didn't do. He knew that the relentless bike was pu rsuit of private wealt h, the blinded misuse of decorated with power, the dominance of the individual over the symbolic items common good had ravaged the sou l of America, and escorted throug h the had stripped it of the very community it was streets of Overmeant to create. It is time now to listen to his the-Rhine. call; to hear and heed his word, to seek out his Photo by truth that we may be as faith fu l to what is good Brewster and right as he was Thank you, Buddy, for ,, .~ Rhoads. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Granevine r P.-age5 Chain of Moments by Jude' Haley She's a woman without a face. At least she thinks she has no face and that alone makes it true. "I want me back!", she yelled out before . leaving to go to work. Her eyes spoke even ... louder. She'd crumbled inside and her soul· · ached at the loss of herself., .It .was as if .she · .. :.:;; were viewing he.rself at her own funeral ::: .:':: .::_~ ''!-:Worked hard for.twenty-five years to· · ... ·· build a home, raise a:family1 ~ad to ;bave:some,,,,, •<. one .tO.gtow .old "w~t~ . I'm clini€ally-depressed, on meqicatiQD fQf ;t he fir.st .time. io.:. my.:life;,and .h .. don't knowwhen :or how this- napp,ened. _rm::.:: the Sj!,ffie'. a~s :garbage . ~et . out: 6n..the,,curb..-· No -- · ·~ one pa)'?·atte1Jticm 't~ gitrpage..~: LleeLdead ."":,, ,, :-: inside.': . . .: .1 ·1 ·,.,~_, ~ ,.,. -. ~ ..... ,*;....1 ..... ~~. . ..-. . . , --- n· ........... ~, , I told~h~r.~be\t j( gets .b,¢tt~)f:. Howr~~;h"'.~;::. momer;it . gf1\Q~ :hoJ<l~ tO> qnc:itber;. . H9-.w::hop.e-, turn-sj ntc;>-str¢ngtb qver.and.over until ·she'5- n ,.,, · it · She ~,·dn!t 1 b- 1 1·e• 1 e' .J 1.~-- .~L b .. ·healed.:of . - . • - - i '' · ~ · """ ~ L'-' , JI;;,!, !', l)le.., i 4.•:1.e n•$ ·e Ii •J Tbe:se~women ,sr;T-he,$e·,wo:r·~~.hov,.er. in.,,tbe:air :fr~~ .·;";2 beca_4$~tf!T1e..Q'J.~i~_s} c;>/ h~~ past{le'.f,t,;t;e_r,,~impn-:i She stepped off the pormw.itlk~d;throiJgb ; 11 t_h e ch~~!f-lin~·.g.at~1 ilfl~ f Yelted-,t~i ·At ,lea~t !it\S ,a nice day! '-';1;(',l;f~ ~ · gr&~,t,,d..,.a.yJ'1 --1 y.~jledi tia~i t;;y,:,-::1 Maybi:tsh~rl~d . d~ !lk>'l f.<liny~ d~si u L pre.t!!OP~ £·ff to like th~IJl ....~oS! ~ d s~~ d~~pente_,;fQ ~elp.;~rb ud find sort.1.eti..iBgtgeoA . !j "·-• ,.,~··• • ..~~;J.... -) , ., • · ~ ~ ....- ..,,". . . ~. Wl' ... _.1, 1v : 11vL., ,... 1 rH.h:thso....,, b' ;)f $tQ,OJ;l.l8fi\tq_~~ h!li • a5.c"fib.ei:~:ed• ~~ ..-.}-J won~ei:ing (wh~e<.She~d Jost, berself. d!tw.ait.edJtGP:· pinpoioteit~c.tak,e.:. h:Em ·hacl< :la:efcb.~e~hat :.mo~nt"oo rl:);:;~ S:be : sw~m Jrt:sadnesstthalJ pulle~ .it ,her) body J:pan--·\ -:~:; icked =.at 1my·hil~ ~attempts t,o .pulhhen·autb But ;;. I tried. Becau.s.e Jn: ber::J sa\'fmyseJf.~..:.I saw'." ·.:·:I: everyone who has come into my life and dared" "l to love me: -Ever,yone,fve dai;:ed1to_.lon.::--;·· "Look::WheteTmdiY.ing!.::l'-bere:'S :ncr'place··for::!:' .. me to go.· .How-can there be-no -pla<!e •for ,me?"• ..:; She felt misplate..dtbmmuning with •. 1., ~ ; : womel) who were· beaten er-.:raped and ·stripped of their dignity. They were vktims of abuse and she didn't Identify herself as.a .v.ictim, but she was. She was embarrassed. She had-no energy ·-~ to fight for her self. - : . . . . . ~·· : When I went back to see her she was gone. She wouldn't be back. I wondered if she really liked dark, rainy days or if it was all she was able to take notice of. I wondered how she would make it through another day; another moment without me ·- or someone like me who would care enough "I'm dead. They just haven't buried me yet." Her state of mind was a classic representation of many women living in abusive environments. In every age, ethnic, and economic group there are women confusing love with something that hurts, and they are chained to that-pain in various degrees. Some are held hostage, locked up like caged animals. They don't establish friendships. They don't engage in conversations. They aren't allowed money, clothes, transportation. Some are bound by religion and other practices that are justified with intent to control and camouflage cycles of abuse. Some are ' shattered into tiny pieces by words that explode within them. Some are jailed for defending themselves. Some use drugs as .a defense. Some die! · spirit like· qu~s-and'.'p.uffs iat· ~fl~ 1 ..... :;,. - :",. ,;._ - ~..... : :tzambied?:, of.their•greatness;."J;iTtley don't know thatJ_q~e cloesn't show, itselfin a slap or a ki~k ... ·Gigarette : burns, :clio.~~· holdS"., broken bone.s :-.. denial of food, medicitie;4ind cloth!og~~r:~ -n9t.:_a~ts, of .lov.eL ,. . , . 1· ~ ; ,~, P o(i,-"'flC:t:Wbat-.about ·the czhjl.dren? . A.t·verry' young ag~s .-th~y.,,call .her:: /:bitc;h ,~~J n stead oft mom. !¥.'l,~n they~d,e.n:t..get. :t tieir_w.a.y.tth:ey will hit, kick, scratch, spit and scream at her!r Gl°hese little p~~:.wat.ch; l~ten~t.o.,and-imitate~abU'se. Then the. y grow up '· ·· '· ·,J.,._ · •·' ...~....,; · u:· ....... To the women trying to stay a step ahead of the one Gbsesied-with·hurting her;ifi'eprff chilq_'s ibell~v.ior: is. not;her major cbn~ehi.011..,~cnq ·.>Sb:e{~ ;had the· barrel qf a·gµn push'ech<!J.; i£th her templ.e because she didn't Want -tC>Shal/e; !' . -;P) · sex. ·She';s ·dodged·iron skillets ·becaasetshe.1 'r · ;~ ~­ made meatloaf.il'lstead of chicken.• ·Whd 'is slie? itShe's~or,wittrno. hope otg~tting . oot" - She's ·.• · weaithyiwith a-·sta'ttts to keep: She's in the f'I .... i( middle·class. trying to hold :on·to. "diings":and a- ·". certain. lifestyle'tbat:she's:wor.ked hard-to build. · -· , She's the -unsuspecting·- Ol,lt for the ,., , , evening charmed by a handsome,man she just· '" met one moment - and hiding bruise-s .for the ·.. _ first time in -her life the next She's you she's ' · , me. Who's hurting -them? ... .. A .husband, a boyfriend; a lesbian~ lover. Her father, her brother, an acquaintance, a· . stranger and so-called ex-associates. Some of these women choose to live the abuse their whole lives. Some repeatedly leave - to return to their abusers. For some, running and hiding is the way they stay alive. As discouraging as it is, there are some who become able to change their minds about _ themselves and their place in the world. They notice a moment of truth, latch on, and begin the journey of realizing the truth ·about themselves, and love, with the help of someone who cares enough to lead them by way of chaining the moments. Remembering these women means remembering the needless pain experienced for entire lifetimes, or half lifetimes, or even a day. Remembering the pain means remembering brutal deaths experienced by our grandm~thers, mothers, sisters and daughters. And coming together ih remembrance of these women means knowing that we as · women must continue to grow in truth about ourselves and our place in the world. · Dar~ to care! • "a.I .I ; 'j. J i • /• • •. .....<(.· :.;.;/'" ,_;.:; ,.:--.. •;ii.. I -V ,-:t "1 .1-";_~; l ··d'.··" ,'. viomen· ~-sft&Y,e,·r., ~., b so.. . d. ;,r.:;;1., .. r 6 \0) . : t.~·rE:-. r i.'':/ ·i ~ - .... .> ·; .... ~ i I,,,,;"'; ......1h :-9'·i · '.; :"·'.·· ....,.,., ... ;.·.: qs!;ib z-s··./4:~1 ,.:i. •. f'l..:- ~1 ,.;,4'·f•.... .• "":- • '.. ~ -i.l:~ G -. (fltLr 'tf')~ lT•r")~ :)r" ,' .. ,-; .•.· ;i:; .. ·dJI .: ' .. 1 · ~:;';~ t;~;o~ . i; :'.:.c ;;a~:1 -~;- f-,')!'C.:'.-'ci ~~;,, J •• :.,,,. v: 11' ~-: •.·~;; . . :. :,,· ,, c:(1arH'bil f~ a·})ri!>k~ri <i6$n :~ n~lf.p r, -~ '" 1::S<'k•• ~ 1 :Mycb8dy;Pa1P&atter~ci; 'a:riai r.ao~ l fe~rnS','." .2i':.~c··l1· ;.:.,q i:'nh ~1•·~:. well. 1·~~. gd~·~·l eif o'WWWhfi~d-:r~rY.6lt1l~t ~m heal in 'tltrt~~ ..·ub'.l;: 9C! J n!:11w:u 9 L'!S\l sr-: :i11th::;:; ~<l 1rtifi"tisho~rn~t -1~v::;:-t'.r,ic..,.,.,, s "H '"u ~ 1~. ·• ' ·~~rn ... ·~ . . •... ,, ~m~ ions tney re a:1 . . \; .... locked i li~ld[' ~b snot c.r. ~.;tsq JS: !jrJ f) ] ;;;·:.w .l ;ib:o ,·1·~~}~st, h1t~~1~.:~este'en{~~;: ~~t m~pr,ide~ 0 e p.. J~tReJf~~fi';~,,iiit ~~... .r~2r2~ - -·. r:/,l.o . ,-'!.•,.~wjJx . ti""",.., . ,, h I ~-·~·--~- 1 1 .J Sg ~hitilJ'it' ~JtmJ~\3{. ri-:-'~e"'a\6~ ~\.~j'it{P ....!"Y ~jct> or.--~ '1 1~ ~ , ~·r {'- r" myseJt W: . . . u, 0 ;f,..rL 1,'k~ea !J~~~ alo~e'. ;.-;'1 ,1·~:3·-,; f" 5 ..;, ...... -°'!•"'. •"' .... _,,. it~)~~i.1 ".-u V <"'o ·.:io'i . , . , · ~,( · c::- h!-~i' ~a6~ 1 l'l'i'~~, d~ t~~'~' ' 0 · : 1 l°'"'~ '1S:i' '.-1 !.J'. }i· ,_,.,.- ' ,it_.• l'\ ':-~ °' '1 :. . ,·~ ..,. .,~: ~-? '.'-1>' ,:: - ~ .. ,; ~"! .-,,; p'm~' sta'.ri: afi~~e~r t6i~cii:~lcif1' r~~~ Hef strong. "!.~~·· ,..J.i! . .1 .... :-!·,· ~ , -- .: bt' · · · " .. , · · · · .. " "' · 1 • ...... ; ·.~ ..~-, ..... --~ .•...• - ;~ ' -. "· • ':. 1 •. ' ~ .• ", !;:!~ar[t)x ~~~r: ~'1 1 )/e~qn pa_in:, :·~ ,: , ,:•.· . '. ·1 ... • .. "· . He~l1 mt~.'~~,~~t~ all C?f:~~is Jtrain,.;, . , _ 1 .~ave}o m~riY qu~stions I don't .know were to '-start. " I •-,' • >' • '• The answers ar~ hid.den deep .~ithip my, ~~ . So carry me God help me get on my feet Show me the way. Oon't l~t ~e give in to defeat. Amen Need Help for Domestic Violence? 557-2873 Bethany House 762-5660 Salvation Army 431-8717 Welcome House 751-6900 Catherine Boothe (pregnant teens) 961-2604 Alice Paul House (abused women) Second Mile Ministry 684-9354 (women, couples, kids) Lighthouse 961-4080 (youth's shelter) ..... _..;; -~· . - A;- .e·. .a·.1 _1. e·.·r·:e · ft wc;>m~n miS:.siQn,,;1 'm,.gl~. ,she~had;a fq,~ ~f, ~u~jf)ed ,b · "' .r.,·1~ and cut, deep;-.and :then deeper until they feel-compJet_ely:-aloee': Vivid m~!J\Qri~: harden .them.. Sod0t they··learn :to survive _by lylng,:..(:he.ating, :stealing;;dri9king, dr;uggingi and, lashing out.~ -t'~bat -could be worse than thisr'' '• ,- ·. rbi ...-5he .wa,s . riJJ,r;n.b, put~sdmel;\Qw.able. ttb < tre4lf;b :1 ; 1-v.. sh"'·;c~v,,;~ . I.. fo p i he · ·:· L t, '1-j"'"".., ,., " . " . - .kind .. .•..of n·· 'IY .. .,,, , ..,.."" · ""' "" ""' ~ ;) • .., '(VaS.,r1e and remind her of her brilliance. werthless,~helpless, asb~~~k .:iT be:~e~{eeliAgs. wou:ldn't~ b1.1~A ha~ ,tp-5_ay;: W~a~~t.:::;::n b:1;; .<:Ji,) her are ... . �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 6 STREETVIBES Editorial Page Just·Say No to Child Care Cuts by Lynn Williams On December 17th, the Welfare Rights Coalition led a demonstration against cuts in child care subsidies when Governor Voinovich came to Cincinnati. We protested to let the Governor know he should "do the right thing" and restore the $5 million needed in child care funds for working parents up to 185% of the poverty line. In Hamilton County, women who have left welfare to go to work have already saved the state government $20 million by leaving the welfare rolls. Now the Governor refuses to fund child care to keep these women from going back on welfare. Money is NOT the issue! There is $1 BILLION in the State Rainy Day Fund to be used for emergencies. This is a matter of policy! Governor Voinovich does not perceive poor working women as having any political clout. He even bragged at his Cincinnati meeting that he has had 13 requests for emergency aid, and has never yet relinquished any $$$(our tax dollars!!!) from the Rainy Day Fund. We can only wonder if those 13 requests came from poor people for poor people's survival assistance. So far, Voinovich has shown very little concern ~or poor people's survival in his administration. We notoriously remember him for cutting off IOOO's of single people from General' Assistance, their only means of survival, and Medicaid. Now he has made public statements that he considers child care subsidies will become the "new" welfare!! This is an insult to the hardworking, underpaid low-income women struggling to survive and pay his $100,000 plus salary from taxes. Not to mention the $1 OOO's of dollars spent to fancify the State Capital and hand-out "welfare" for new stadiums! Thanks to the people who braved the cold to rally in unity for the Governor to restore the $5 miilion. Our work is far from over - we need to keep the pressure on Voinovich and other public officials. We will not be silenced on this issue or any other issue that will cut out the poor from getting a "piece of the pie", not the leftover crumbs. We urge you to continue calling and writing Governor Voinovich for an accounting of where our $20 million went, and why $5 million is not coming out of that pot of money. Mandating that women work without providing for adequate child care is not welfare reform; it's a welfare massacre. As we chanted at the protest: "One, two, three, four Stoi:f the war on the poor! Four, three, two, one We won't quit until we've won!" Call Governor Voinovich at 614-466-3555. You can call free from the Contact Center. Write him at: 77 S. High St., Columbus, Ohio 43266-060 I. Text Changed With Author's Permission Ebonics is Not the Answer by Donald Whitehead While advocates like myself are called "bleeding heart liberals" every time we talk about spending funds to solve problems in this country. I don't mind. I've been called worse. I feel I must lend my "bleeding heart" to another issue. This issue is one of the most controversial to reach the African-American community in some time. The issue is Ebonics. I applaud the members of the Oakland school board for their efforts to find an answer to halt the increase of a startling illiteracy rate. I definitely recognize the language barriers that exist between races in this country. However, I believe that the teaching of ebonies may be more harmful than helpful. Ebonics may set a dangerous precedent for African-American students. Although language barriers do exist, African-American students have as much ability to learn English as any other student. Having come from an innercity neighborhood, I am as comfortable talking to people in my neighborhood as I am talking.to corporate heads or elected officials. I believe that children must be taught that they can achieve regardless of where they come from. We as a people must not be distracted from the real issue. The real issue we must focus on is the inequality of resources available for inner-city schools as opposed to those resources available at suburban schools. We need to somehow make a few less bombs, subsidize fewer super corporations and put a little more money into educating our children. Even if E_bonics was the answer to the language barrier, we would still have overcrowded classrooms, underpaid teachers, and crumbling puildings in most cities. Ebonics won't keep community schools from closing or gang recruiters away. What will do those things, however, are legislators made to be more accountable for insuring that education is a priority in the United States. Americorps Houses the Homeless in Cincinnati by David Dietz I spent the year of 1996 replacing floors, fixing pipes, finishing banisters, and becoming better acquainted with d!J~pst.ers. All these jobs and many less glamorous ones were part of my year as an Americorps "Houses the Homeless" member. The Ohio program is administered by the Coalition on Housing and Homelessness in Ohio, and funded by the Governors Community Service Commission. My jop of housing Rehab work"took place at an organization at which I had previously volunteered called ReSTOC (Race Street Tenant Organization Cooperative). In 1993 I became semi-regular Saturday ReSTOCer. In 1995, I became in intern and moved down to Over-the-Rhine. One of the great aspects of the "Americorps Houses the Homeless" program is that the site receiving an Americorps position interviews and selects their member. Setting up the program in this way allows the sight to choose someone who has previous involvement with the organization and the community. If I had been from another city or state, at the end of one year, I would just be getting acquainted with my job and my community. Since I was already living and working in Over-the-Rhine, my year was much more effective and personal. In the past year, I learned how strong theses old buildings are and how they were put together that way inside and out. I learned about the history of the neighborhood from senior construction staff members and tenants who have been in the community since they were children (Some tenants have lived in the same apartment for 30 +years). I also learned more about the everyday people struggling with homelessness and/or addictions. I learned the truth that people deserve the chance to begin See Americorps page 7 �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Dear Homeless ... our city stronger. Because there's one less homeless person. So I sal!Jte you with the highest level of respect Because we are meeting our goals by Myron Thank You, Myron Dear Myron, Dear Myron, I bought your paper from a vendor last week. I enjoyed it and now have a few questions. Your vendor said he happened to be homeless at the time and that the .funds he received from me would help support his way of living. Explain this please: If he was homeless, how did he get a vendors license without a home address. I'm homeless and I would like to know how I can clean up myself and my clothes some. I would like to be able to walk around without getting unpleasant looks. I'm tired' of getting that from people who don't even know me. I figured this might be what's keeping people from talking to me. What do you think? . Anonymous Signed, Confused Dear Brother in life, Dear Confused, Let me say this first, thank -you for buying that paper from our vendor. He was telling the truth, our goal is to help, the vendor, the reader, the city. When we give a vendor a license, doors open up. He sells the paper to the reader. From that he gets a portion, and earns a living honestly. You the reader get the paper and the valuable information inside. With this you get an opportunity to learn more about the homeless problem in our area. From there' you may make a choice of helping in more ways; meaning through contributions of clothes old or new, time (volunteering your time) or giving or passing information to a friend or someone homeless that just doesn't know. We thru partnership, become stronger, which makes Continued from Americorps page 6 their lives again. A lot of folks aren't familiar with Americorps. At our orientation, we were told that one way of explaining the program to others is to say, "It's like the Peace Corps, but it's a national service corps, not an international one." I feel that statement is a good way to generally describe the program, but it's far from complete. I believe Americorps is the humbler of the two programs. Like Jimmy Stewart, in "It's a Wonderful Life" most Americorps members stay in their communities working on problems they have known their entire life; while their sisters and brothers in the peace corps co.n~ front new challenges and different cultures. Americorps members aren't globe trotters but they've usually got good roots. Americorps could signify a big change in the way our country goes about solving their own problems. I hope it does·. When President Clinton signed the program into law, he touted it as a community driven way of revitalizing our crumbling social and material infrastructure and healing our environment. Unfortunately, since taking office, our President has been under siege and has backtracked or spun 180 degrees on every issue that is close to his heart. For most of 1996, it was unclear whether the program would be funded in the future period. So far, Americorps has survived the budget process. I believe this is due to the program's strengths. The program gives people a start and gets them back on their feet. Americorps members get a small living stipend and an educational award. After a year of service, members j:rave a few thousand dollars I feel warm when I read your story, because I feel you coming back together. Before I answer your question I want to say thank you for sharing and trusting me. Together we could do this step by step. Please continue to write I will be with you all the way. Now if you have the Streetvibes paper turn to the section called Need to Help Want to Help. You will see a listing for the Mary Magdalen House 721-481 I . Now brother call that number and ask to be entered into the computer, this will enable you to use the telephone, receive toiletries, take a shower and will even fix you up with a fresh change of clothes. And the best thing is the clothes you left will be clean for you when you go back. Thank you, Myron to apply toward outstanding student loans or higher educational or vocational training. For many people who have a difficult time saving money for school, the voucher is a great relief. The education award can't be spent for anything besides education so it will be there at the end of the year. Many Colleges and Universities are matching education awards this means after two years of service one could have two to four years of tuition paid. For people who are struggling (or being forced) to get off the welfare rolls or people who have had an experience of homelessness this award can greatly broaden ones opportunities. Americorps slogan is "Getting things done for America". Cheesy or not, it describes the program fairly well. Much of the conservative leadership in our country has a hard time admitting things aren't getting done. important problems aren't being successfully addressed. Drugs and violence are choking our youth. Our cities are crumbling. Addicts and the homeless are misunderstood and shoved to the side. Our environment is being deplorably degraded. When I heard of a national service program that would offer Americannhe opportunity to give of their talent, sweat and hard work in an attempt to solve these problems, I got excited. The politicians who attempted to cut Americorps were trying to deny that America has profound needs that are linked to basic problems. I believe the program is here today because it offers common sense community based solutions, to national problems. The need for this program is undeniable. Was I "Getting things done ... " in 1996? I took part in the completion of a 20 unit project that provides long-term transitional housing for recovering addicts and alcoholics. led stu~ent volunteer crews every Saturday and ; Page 7 UL/ Continued from page 7 and Tender Mercies in order to make way for gentrification projects . 4) Recognize the Over-theRhine Community Council as the legitimate representative of OTR residents and to halt the expensive attempts by ULI to set up a puppet government Only when the threat of gentrification has been quelled and when low-income and homelessness issues are given the attention they deserve by City officials and by members of the business community will it be possible to establish a real medium for consensus-making. The sooner this happens, the sooner there will be real growth in the neighborhood-a balance of rewarding economic growth and attentj,on to the needs of a low-income community. Dear Homeless ... accepts letters. Please send your questions to: Myron c/o Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 We will attempt to answer all letters in a timely manner. helped fill 30 plus dumpsters. A lot Qf !=rud comes out of buildings left vacant by neglectful landlords. I helped with I00 plus tenant repairs cm tenants apartments from replacing broken floor tiles to fixing busted pipes. I helped rehab more than 20 apartments and hauled countless modern stoves and refrigerators up and down narrow turn of the century stairways. I got some things done, but I feel our work as a nation has just begun. I and the 36 other 1996 Americorps Houses members worked full time to help Ohio's homeless to get back on their feet. In many cases, we offered people the chance to live or start their lives anew. What Americorps has meant for me is I have been supported, trained and encouraged while doing the work I love. If you have any questions about the Americorps program or think the program might be right for you call the National office at 1-800-942-2677 or if you are interested in working for the homeless in Ohio call COHHIO at (614) 280-1984. Words of Wisdom by Denise Crew Welcome. While visiting this houseold, please follow our rules -Greet tenderly -Touch gently -Speak softly -Listen lovingly -Share honestly · -Live freely -Love unconditionally We are a gentle, peace filled people, We thank you. �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Ho.me/ess Grapevjne_ , PageB The Homeless Are People Too W(\RD ON THE · That's Just a Littl·e Rude ,STREET by Penny Caudle by Donald Whitehead They seem so dreary the problems of today They're taking all the poor people rights , away They've ended welfare,. they've cut SSI, low -income housing programs are in disarray There-are no treatment centers, shelters · ' -are 'shuttin down WE can't even' sleep on park benches even , ,. ' . . , )• ' ·'there ihey push us around · In Atlanta It's really gettirig_a~rk, you might.~ " ' just go. tcr pri_s6n t~~-~le~pi~g'iri the p~r~ , As poor people struggle fro111 town to .. . , . . Leah Danielle (Daughter) Heaven must surely wonder where you have gone By my son's side to keep hini strong · Your·woman sense helps keep him strong Loving wife, mother you reign suprem~ . .town -· . "'...;c: ~ • .. , Short. nights ~f r~~t ~P.~~ ~9 yo,u . 5!~eamf . Th~x.'~~~ -n~~,~t.a~iµ,ms. P.P'ening, ~.r)·d;~:·,, ... ,. i~ In ~y ~re~rt;lS, (di.-;ea!)'l f~r, you ~~!it, :. , , scb,oQ!s. ~no. ~hJ.,lrc.h~s pl9~i.ng. dpwf! · ·· ,"'ff' :..t ~11 .th,e ~re;lf!"!S you ·~~~~m Come true · c':T .If~ ~1 l~rg~..: respc>rJsibility, ..caliing for. your.'· . While they use a poor man tax dollars tG <;·-r~· ' ?'t'"'!: -,,,..-!&! / ·r .;. ~ bailout~~b.~S .._i • .; i; ~· f'C. 1 ; ..,,Lr fa.mi~X ,t ,,,, : .· · - · b i... , f ' '"' ·' . ·:' ,, n·-.., •,;;i·, Doing-all 'to keep .things"rightl.:·i!,) J .~ · I"-: H".. There- not-"buildi'rig hlm-hol!Jse.s there·onlf~' ·:, _:~· ~~~:tJ.:"~ i-"·buirding:.1 j3.il~ ::r'*~'~· -~~ 1 -~ ~ ··j;,_\v ~· 1:, From eady morn·to ~ate, at · nighb-' ), .- Lii~c· ' i , ,l , 1.: fl " 1·; ·< w ~ .. -' r·,l- ' 'J""'l l • Whire'tne" helj:l'payfcirbattl~ship~ '('.' ~~' ca:n-. rt:a y: ~no ··' ·.~---· , ,. " . N o one· 0 1 1 .. bf'wa'.r"-" i;v '' How' de~p' yotfr 1ove can;'r6C:St i ntf gra'w·,;..,.• t.l.,., ...... w t fiav'€ an"it:i-eat' ·_;_, · ,,,~ · c · •• ,, :, - ·· .. .. The~~'t!o1a M8ii~f1:b''heip"illeffi's'e1ve~ isn't ,, ·,: ' ·, • ' ·~ .- I t • 1 • '-L-t "" • , • ., f -·· - ·"·'i(•hJt, ~ ~ "/ ;~ fiJ ••• {_f' ~ ~ ~~ _:'>., • ~., t ·~·r f1 ·~[""{ ('~~\' :)t°1 $. '- ' :-~ ~(it b:·;'t i .,~nJl~..l?le .~nymore,, ., ~· .. q·'"~v ,. · w~H~;,w~· ~~s~~g PO<?r; ~~!P ~ar, 4.r;pi~J~_,,.fa ,rn T ' ,,._, , •· ::#tl£:.:.J<.1' . n_ O'row a11v. food.. ..' , ,.- -. -• ,.,;., · .;, -o • • t to,1CJ ~ ... / .;.., '~ •. .,_ Thr9yg~.. ¥-~4r ..sN11!.ng §.m i.L~J:~,.e~.1s ·"iifb ,:~ri - Th~}(fr~ \he A..l\~~s .who a~e .starvir.ig a,~dJioiv · rt1 ... .........Cl •. st a· l'1ttle rude'''· . . ..· --.' "' <:5ff10fl 1rf.tCl;.. ·,.·f4 .. ·. ' ... . ·~·- .,,,·~ ,..,_ . .,., ,.. ~·<'i.. The daughter my son cb,,~~e-J.Qfi m0e,::i11s:H0~ ~}. r~t\J1 5;~i~~' ~W~ 1~f;..n~i~fk1'3Sd ,9qr.:n ·wn k· ~t, ··-~i ,~\.... ; ""v~·•.ri?- ....,; r;- r·rr~('\N ~~ .,..... ,.. .,· f-t;t:7 ~- wrOrjg~ ~.: ~ ; ,.~ ·~ -N ~ •• ~ ~ ~> :- ·".:rbelieve what we ne·ed to' do is help them. We think we do~ b..ut..the~ti:uth, ~~ ,~hat we just .~... m~ke it worse. W:e'7is1aB dojng\hai"'by b¢1ieving " in them. If you keep telling a person that they are stupid after so long they staFt\l;ieli~f~[ng•. t'1.~t · We _have ,d9wn_ed ,o~ thes~ pe°"_p_le_ fo~ so l?ng they ha\lt{no-f.Htlf irnh-enj selves: · 1f you have no f.ti'th~then::rou"wilr ~o~'.be _able to .'gi:!J,any-' thin a8ne~ S6''tli~ fi'rs't 'tliing ,;;e·<:1o"is'pelp·· g ,~...,, ·~.) ~Y" r·:• them to:-get ' th~ir · f.ci·ith'!>;tck., _help 'them ~a· ··. · ~ ,: belie~~ again~" 'o f' Co~rse t'n'i t will riot g~t ih~m -' . a b~tte"rl l\fe' righiawa~; l:>tJi~it 'will g~(the.;,"I; :·' ":-' j h " r>""""I ·'f"'-' • f.0:-c. - - -'• . - . - , '.. started.::;~--~::::rc:-1 ~;::.c;, ''·_':: 4q \ •H 'Jf" ")' ,,. , • '·:: ·;• ' ) . ~u1 '. . .J '·" A lot of thepedpib 'that 'are1'J'ior1i'~less' haYe.:..i .. .,.... ' .. a ·' : ... _-, that ihe'fneE!ia1 'cJofiol-~io'1lJi~~ttiehf.1 ·Y {fii'nk'':":ri ;:: pr~ -:.•c't:- t-.- ... r J "'~~ 1~ J"'"l 1": '-')di'){' n~·(;r..,;~1~ U the governrneHc~hcSUld gr(e sqme rponey to .1 have these1 p'eoP,fe .s~il'~'t9~ pili1e t'b'-lh'~lpJii"'t;f1):' 0 ~' I am no!-iali<ilfg!1nHfl:it}~r1;; ~Lt ~a::fi6spital?;' t-'1:1.t:~ ~' '"3.t.Q I' t 'f'~ ';; ci1 ~ ·:uJl .'N "''1~'HW 1Hh ,•;ch . ·111, ~·~.-~ " 1~1ust t> tne peop eon t e. str~ets av~ . ""' , 1 had soffi'el<rn!:i~t mi:k'lh'iirmt'~R~nll l:l\J'il~~n un: They could have l~st a jop pr had a jo~ thai f.d'!~ would ncft ~ly tH~lffi8~f R~~ci¢~ft6¥-:rt~ bills. \tiies~·peopf&H~~~PS"c:ri'J9f i~~6_1 r1~1f ')m 9 .,1x"" a.· ,o ~ j11 1·~w-rl, ~irJ~ r,f.,t~(! OJ U~.? U't~t ~ ~)n.6~9 ""!1[) )~ training: • - - , ·"' <,, i. --~--; - ~;-· t "'- t ..... ~ ... ;.!-~ ~t ... ~,..fAr.-•"t- ., • roblerfu' ~ittfdtin ki'ri'g"6t ',Cl rugt' :T'h'en'th_e · • ~ ~eed fittll!~ n1b"re'.'lierp':':VVi\~f'r?iffi'·i~riifg".fs 1 An d t at s 1or rea ."clnivi; ;·, ;·i 0 - 1 ~r'""' Because wit~ yQ,u W.' P ,all ca~,. fe_~J .... ~ ·-1 ~f'} -- ~') ~I i.f J~, i!.:..;2 1.6..~ i~ ' ~.-:.< :·; CJ v j~· ~-s.~ . ' .... l. ,. : \ • .. obrcan ~ r·· -, ,&~o~~~wea-pon; • . If there is a homeless person on the street you are walking on what do you do? If you are walking. past a homeless person and they drop a bag, that they are having trouble picking up, what do you? If you said you would cross the street or walk ·away from the homeless pe.rson, just, because_ they,.. are .hom, eless you. .,. , are so.. ·' ..,. "'*"' ... ., ." . - ,.. . I;,_;!.• 11. in-:ef '1~~( . e -fn~~a 't,i~<Ypt~th1{t·: lla\te' 'ti~d: tij~ tRLid ir.m ho<:»cr~lri7J''~m1fJt ~ilA 1d~11&g_'\Y,tlfihal ' ~ 'w8u1d:: h'e ~d,a·;~4ici!1Y&~ttt>F?;i!ricf nf~~-b~-- )~ This · c1asses·tfo1t wiltfietp' illt!il; Ciea(wif1f~l1efr'pafr1,' :·· , their th"bllgfiis," and"(~~lin'M ~)·n {})~,.,,_,,. ,;,:-, :--,,,, "1 by Tom Mulioy· · • . . • - ~ •• \j ,._. s.,,( r ~ .,,,_r_ .. ':~ l!::n; ·,·,:; • "Jt"i .t•('' .·;. ''.J ,_ ,:_,{ ~ ·,J;..' I c~n;t c~uni the num.b~r· oftimes fve -· y1 heard _low income, peopJ~)~~in~i~n~~i s;~y ;t hat there's no way to ~in in ,cou,g ~gai.ns.t pe9ple .. With money. lt'~hey W,a nt you Ol;Jt you ~ett~~ "Start packing. Don't even think about winning in Tenant Landlord Court. Now I grew up in Washington D.C. In D.C. nobody even knows who the big money people are. Big money isn't what makes things happen. The people who have schwang are the ones who know how to work the system. Most of these people don't have a hell of a lot of money... some of them are downright poor. What makes them powerful is that they know how to work the system. They know ~ow to get out the troops .. .lean on city council...push stuff through the courts until their cases get to a high enough court that the judges make decision based on law and fairness, not on who 'they play golf with. Buddy Gray was a D.C. style activist. He was aggressive ... abrasive ... his enemies hated his guts. But he got the job done. His people ...the poor...the homeless ... had a champion who never let them down. But Buddy is gone now. People like Buddy are awfully scarce in Cincinnati. The people he helped are going to have to learn to start helping themselves. With rich developers trying to throw all the low-income renters 0ut of places like Over the Rhine it's time to get active or get packing. For what it's worth here are some suggestions. The first thing to remember is not to be afraid or pessimistic if your faced ~i~h a la~d~ 1 .' ~ • " • ~; ); . ,t.:, ~fC·~ ,j'°{'t.\~"1 - ~"I•/ .. '·" ·c, )-"'-·.' ~ -:1,,; I I ~ ,, ..-:{ lord whe,would ,ljke t~' p~t.yotJ'~on the bricks. A ) lot of land.lords-.co1.mt on ·the fact ,tha·t ·low- ' · "'· iv incor.ne renters will be ignorant' of their, rights ·, 1' .,. and afraid to go to court. This allows a·iot· o.f. ~· .. •;: unfair -actions -against low income renters. .. ,, .... ..,.,..., A perfect example of people being frightened out oftheir homes occurred during ''Big money isn't what makes things happen. The people who have schwang are the ones who know how lo work the system." the emptying of the El Rancho Rankin. The word was spread among the tenants, probably originating with the employees, that people who weren't out of their apartments by midnight would be handcuffed and taken to jail. Their belongings would be set on the curb. I know enough about the law to realize that the rumor was ridiculous. No eviction papers had been served on me. The only court action was directed against the management of · the facility. If I were arrested and jailed and my belongings put on the street I would have had a really colossal false arrest and illegal eviction lawsuit. I hoped that I would be dragged to jail. · But, just to be sure, I asked one of the Hamilton County Deputies who was stationed in the El Rancho parking lot. He explained that the _deputies were only there to mai_!'tain o~der. : · "ffi~::ma:in<1:h'irig tAii~e· ri~~i:l ·~~'db~iJii~v~:-"~ faith. we-:a11 i. need ' t:o.,do'olinllar~'tcf fi'el~ ,,)"'.") -~ these·p«fo~le• .( ..,,;4;11. . the~'n~~d i~l ~ 'lihl~~iai~h· ii'!.~=-~~ . µJ· · .... ...., ..... _ ..... ,_ :.., ~ -,.~ -~ ~ them selves; and' 1teople·that wi11-be there for them. "They neecl' ia(riendly"pla~e to turn 'just likethe 'r est'ofus>'·, ,._,,, ·~-.. '- c: · c They were 'af~id that the· t~n~~ts ·.~ight be so angry that they might lynch the staff or burn the place. _As it occurred'! was one of the only tenants to,ask the_ClepiJties wily they were there. Maybe a lot of the tenants were afraid that they would be cuffed on the spot or have their ID- run turning up some old capias for traffic violations or parking tickets. I was careful to be polite with the Deputies when I spoke with them. I wasn't jumping up and down and screaming accusations. The Deputies, in turn, showed no desire to run my ID for warrants ... they didn't even ask my name. They were helpful. They don't make a lot of money. They were sympathetic with bunch of low income people being forced out of their homes. I'm not saying that all law enforcement people are your good buddies. God knows there are plenty of racist, sexist, violence prone pigs. But the vast majority of cops and deputies in a nonviolent situation involving something like a tenant landlord dispute will respond to a polite question with a polite and truthful El Rancho Continued on page 10 �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine CLEVELAND HOMELESS GRAPEVINE Homeless Set for Trial Against City of Cleveland by Max Johnson On October 4, 1994, members of the homeless community with the assistance of the American Civil Liberties Union as well as the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless filed a law.suit against the City of Cleveland to seek protection from the cou11s for a policy by the City of Cleveland of dumping homeless people. on the outskirts ofthe city. Four homeless individuals were wtlling to risk possible police retaliation and put their names on this lawsuit to reverse this unconstitutional policy of picking up and dumping homeless people. This dumping was not confined to these four individuals, but they were the four that were W;illi.ng tO stand up for their rights to freely r;nove in the downtown . area·. After: two years of depositions arid an e~tremely~ difficulJ: _di$.cov.ecy. process, tbe City of Cleveland .refused to settle this .lawsuit, and a tri~l -~ate ha~ been set for ' February I8, 1997. ·· . ·. T he ,homeless ~Jld _tbe ACLU contend that , to combat a perceived panhandling prob1em in the Downtown area and the flats they set .a police van aside to pick up. homeless people against their will, and transport them to distant locations (usually off the bus route). Brian Davis, Director of the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless said, "This was not confined to a few rouge police officers, but a broad policy to deliver the message that panhandling is unacceptable in Cleveland. This was an attempt to use extra legal measures to slam the door on panhandling because of its impact on downtown businesses." One of the plaintiffs has said that not every homeless person was dumped during this time period. He claims that the city set up "sacred ground" in which panhandlers and homeless people were not welcome. These off limit sites include Gateway stadiums, the Tower City Center side of Public Square, and the Flats entertainment district. The City said in its memo to police announcing th is policy that it was an attempt to deliver the "less fortu nate" to needed services. This despite the fact that the van was "delivering" homeless people to services at 4:30 p.m. when very few homeless services are open. Some of t he police officers did not li ke t he policy, but were told t hat City Hall demanded that t hey "remove" homeless people fro m these high t raffic areas, according to one of the plaintiffs. A deposition of former Third District Commander Martin Flask was recently completed. The ACLU is planning to subpoena Cleveland Mayor Michael White. They are asking for a jury trial, and will seek damages for the four named plaintiffs as well as a commitment from the city that dumping will never be policy again in Cleveland. Page 9 Domestic Violence Solutions in Cleveland by Melissa W. very jealous. If a guy looked at me he would get mad and start calling me derogatory names. It Domestic violence has proven to be a major was mostly verbal abuse at the beginning." cause of homelessness both in Cleveland and "Then it got worse. I learned to cope with nationally. Every year, literally thousands of the different abuses as each one was dealt, and at battered women fleeing violence to protect t_be same time I was becoming isolated from my themselves and their children are forced to live in friends and family. While the battering was shelters or on the streets. happening I felt too embarrassed to tell my Statistics show that in America 1500 women parents and friends about it. His parents wita year are killed by an abusive male partner. nessed the violence but chose to ignore it." Equally disturbing is the fact that domestic In desperation Dawn looked in the televiolence is the greatest cause of serious injury to phone directory and found a hodine number for domestic violence victims, which put her in touch American women, and that roughly 21,000 domestic crimes against women are reported with Templum House. every week. There are more than one million . "I was terrified of going to a shelter. I assaults, murders and rapes in a year. It is estithought it would be like living in a gym with lots of mated that, including unreported crimes, there cots everywhere and with all sorts of strange are an estimated 1.8 to 4 million incidents of people in them, but it's not like that at all," Dawn domestic violence a year. Sources vary.on the remembered.· ''The staff at the shelter.was really · estimates. · kind and the residents were very nice.·· I think my There are many complex issues surrounding children, who [were] aged three and four years at ·domestic violence, such as: Why do women stay the time, thought it was like a vacation . .They in a violent relationshipl Why do men batter? .would ask when we were going home." Why does the court system seem to 1et abusers "I couldn't stay with any of my friends or:off lighdy? And should domestic violence become re@tives, or even tell them where I ~ going a crimin~I act against the State, like Child molest~ · because there was a chance my husband would ing? ' find me. He calls my mom to try and·find out When a woman is faced with a life threatenwhere l'rnliving." ing abuser, she may only have the option of living DaWll wanted to press charges at the time in a shelter or on the streets in order to escape of her escape, but later, after fearing for her and the violence. As a safety precaution, they often her children's safety, she thought it would be have to leave behind their siblings, friends, homes ·better to ,b~ .left alone. , and jobs in order to start fresh in a new part of She said, ''The woman is always in a difficult tovin. -Moving out oh.violent household and ·.· position. tfshe presses charges $he runs the risk staying with a friend or.relative doesn't always ofbeing atticked by her abu~e,r.. If sorne0ne else, .... 'tead :to successful n~w ~rt. · The batte~r usually . ;such ·as thiState, were allow~ to bring charges .· . · krlows Where to ,find his victim and WiA ~Uy do · "· agaii)st:tier'abuser, even if she refuses, then again . ' whatever it takes-to convinc:e her to come~back ·the abuser ~I blame her. II'.' ·the eyes'. ofthe~ ·. to him. .When she does, he continues to abuse . ·batterer it~~, always his partner's'fauit.". .. her ~ physically, verbally, sexually or em.otion~lly. Oawrf stayed at the shelter for two months · Michelle Clay, Domestic Violenc;:e coordinaand then sh~ spent a year in Family Transitional tor for the East Side Emergency Shelter in housing. Dtiring this time she has gained help Cleveland, explained how difficult it is to help from one qf,Templum's many counseling provictims who have jobs: ~'If a woman wants to grams. Tert'Plum House saw the need to provide make a clean break from an abusive partner, then a good sup.port network for women after they unfortunately, she may have to give up her job made the initial escape from an abusive partner. because her abuser will follow her from her work The additional support has been instrumental in to her new home so that he can harass her again." helping women live independently from a vi01ent There are seven shelters in Cleveland which partner. 'We realized more had to be done t~ just cater to homeless women and their children. Two of these shelters have comprehensive providing beds in the shelter, because once the support programs to help victims of domestic women and children left the shelter they wer,e violence. returning to their homes and their violent partTemplum House is one such shelter and its ners because they had nowhere else to go," said Executive Director, Diana Cyganovich, said that Cyganovich. "We aim to keep women and children together. We encourage women, during her ten years with the agency she has seen a rise in the number of victims seeking refuge at through our support network, to help them the shelter. "When I started here we were not become independent. A staff member will go full for weeks at time, but now we don't have with the victim's children to make sure they are empty beds for more than a day or two. When enrolled in their new school." ' they are empty it's because a family has just left," It has been some time since Dawn escaped she said. her violent husband. She has, with the help from Every year, T emplum receives over 17,000 T em plum, successfully started a new life for :'"· crisis calls from women in the local area. The herself and her children in a new home, w.hiCh she shelter's legal help program serves over 1,500 is renting to own. Furthermore, she has ret urned women, and helps around 500 women to take to college and is proving to be an excellent their batterers to court. student. Dawn, who is 24-year-old mother of two, Unlike many cases, Dawn's had a positive had been physically battered and verbally abused ending. But it seems that if a victim wants to lead by her husband for six years. In 1994, she finally a non-violent life she has to give up everything ,to found the strength to say enough is enough when stand a chance of gaining it. her husband turned his abusive attention to their And if a woman stands up and fights her , two young c~ildren. case, not only does she run the risk of log~-;r Dawn·~~elationship with her husband life, but sl:Jt1las to struggle with a court · ... ' started off o~: s~emingly normal terms. "If I'd that is ·i~ ~king up to the issue and known what signs to look for, then I could have society'-$ att'ltude towards violence within prevented the relationship. At first he was just home. · ./ '1 ./ ,: �STREETVIBES I "I- f I The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine , Page 10 Memorial March Pays Tribute to Gray by Spencer Wells There were probably more people in the room at the Drop Inn Center than would comfo rtably fit un de r no rmal ci rcumstances, but today people wanted to be close and share their memo ries and their grief. Friends of buddy's passed along narrow paths between knots of folks talking quiet ly, shaking hand s, hugging, crying, comforting. One woman came up to me and said, "You gave me shock. From the back, I thought you was buddy. The last time I saw him [he] was laying there, not moving." Staff of the Drop Inn Center were slipping into new T-shirts bearing buddy's likeness and the message: WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED. The march stepped off promptly at Noon from 12th and Elm with the words "Buddy would have loved this" and a thousand people set forth to walk the streets lined with hand painted posters, escorted by police who stopped traffic and followed respectfully by the media. The pace of the march varied, speeding up when the street was wide and slowing to a crawl when folks bunched up on narrow side streets, lined with buildings that ReStoc and other community organizations had strived to save. O ve r one thousand people marched through the streets of Over-theRhine in tribute t o buddy gray. Photo by Brewster Rhoads. The crowd of black, white, poor and middle-class folks walked largely in silence, often with heads bowed, joyless ... but determined. "Jobs" said one sign on a building. "JUSTICE" cried out another sign. "Housing NOW" proclaimed a second floor banner. We passed a community garden and a number of small and large churches as we wound our way to Washington Park, where buddy's friends gathered to remember his life and their struggles. At a gazebo in the park, speaker after speaker called upon the crowd to take up the fight that buddy had put down so suddenly and so involuntarily. The choir sang "We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest." Buddy's El Rancho Continued from page 8 answer. If a law officer is being really disrespectful don't get agitated. Make a mental note of his car number or name or badge number. (If a cop is being hostile it's best not to demand his name and badge number. This will most likely make things worse.) Politely excuse yourself for bothering him and then report him. If all you do is get mad and walk off bitching about the "system" nothing is going to change. The next thing you need to do is ask questions. Some landlords who want you out will try to bluff you with bogus eviction actions. Other landlords might let your building get so run down that it's uninhabitable and try to get you out that way. Some might just tell you that you have to be out of the building tomorrow or they'll put you out. None of these tactics are legal. So, if something looks fishy, call legal aid, or t he U.C. Law school Tenant Project, or the Coalition for the Homeless. Call right away. Time is really impo rtant. Be persistent. Burn up the phone. If legal aid is overloaded, as it often is, they will at least tell you who else you can call. Another crucial point is to be sure t o go to court. Even if you don 't think you have a defense. Give it a shot. You 'll at least be allowed to explain your side of the situation on t he record. Some people are scared to death to go in front of an eviction judge. The best example I can think of comes, once again, from the El Rancho. One of the tenants told me that in a pervious case of his the judge sentenced him to two months but suspended the sentence since he had moved out and paid his back rent. I never could figure out where that guy had been but it wasn't Hamilton county Landlord-Tenant court. In the first place the landlord-tenant court is a civil court run by a referee ... not technically even a full fledged judge. T & L court doesn't "You can bet that once they throw out your neighbors they will be coming for you." send people to jail. The worst they can do if you appear is evict you which is what they would do if you didn't appear. If you went berserk in Tenant-Landlord court you probably be found guilty of contempt and jailed. But if you went berserk on the sidewalk in front of th e court house you'd probably get t hrown in jail. Some people worry t hat they might be arrested for some traffic or parking tickets if they appear in Tenant-Landlord court. All I can say is I've never seen anybody collared there ... and I've been th ere pretty often. Civil courts like T & L don 't have the time o r money or mandate to pull the police records of all the peo ple who come t hrough. I doubt I'd appear if I was wanted for bank robbe ry but otherwise you 're prett y safe. A lot of people in t his town t hink that if you don't have money you don't stand any chance in court. So why go? Hamilton County T & L court is pretty pro-landlord. But if you have a valid case you will more than likely be scheduled for a trial in aggrieved brother compared buddy's life to the life of Jesus. In a moving speech, the director of the Drop Inn Center which buddy founded in 1974, told the crowd a story about a media personality who told her cameraman, "Oh, that's nobody" referring to a Drop Inn Center employee. The director went onto say that no one makes sure that the hungry are fed, that the light bills are paid and that the homeless are brought in from the cold. "We are all no one." Buddy's life was seized and destroyed by a neighbor and former client of the Drop Inn Center who came into buddy's office and shot him-ostensibly to stop the voices in his head that told him to kill buddy front ah-ioealjudge. If the referee bends~ law to rule in favor or the Janc:ttorct;afleast your side is on the record and you can appeal. The important thing is that you should attend their hearings. Especially now when big money developers are trying to evict masses of low income renters out of areas like Over-theRhine. A referee might hand down a bogus ruling or two to help out the big money boys. But the same referee will think twice about handing down ten or twenty bad rulings in a short span of time. He will look bad. He will get reversed on appeal. He might get a bad rating when he runs for judge. And believe it or not some referees want to do the right thing. I've seen referees ask questions to clarify the tenant's case so that they can rule for the tenant. In the end, even if you get a bad deal...get screwed real good in court ... wind up evicted, at least you've added to the numbers. Big numbers of bad cases are a lot more likely to co me to t he attention of a higher court or the state legislature. You neve r know. Five years down t he line that big batch of rotten cases might get reexam ined. You might be compensated for what happened. There are some really good civil liberties lawyers who make it t heir business to end legal abuses and get compensation for the victims. It's a long shot but the lottery is a long shot and people play that eve ry day. Finally, get active in your community... especially if t he developers are making a move. There's strength in numbers so join your community council. If you find the developers are trying to evict a building full of your neighbors, get active. Picket, write letters, raise a fuss, get some media attention. You can �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine · Page 11 Is It A Crime to Be Homeless: Part Two by Leslie Horner C inci nnat i Police O fficer questions ho m e less people in Washington Park. On the home front, the United States is in the midst of a crisis. Just before elections last year, President Clinton signed a bill which states-among other blows to the nation's poor and homeless population-that no new government subsidies for housing will be issued this year, and there is no reason to believe that will change in the future. This comes at a time when we are already faced with a scarcity of affordable housing. In Cincinnati, there are 1,800 men and women without homes, 635 emergency shelter beds to accommodate them, and 323 transitional housing units. Other cities around the country are challenged by similar or even greater gaps in affordable housing. Oakland, California has between 4,000 to 8,300 without homes, with an astounding 290 emergency shelter beds(+ 60 in the winter) and 430 transitional housing units to address the problem of homelessness. Since there is this gap between the number of affordable homes available and the number of people in need of homes, it is common sense that those who fall through the cracks and do not find assistance will have no other choice but to make their home on a sidewalk, or in a park, or in an alley, or anywhere else they can feel relatively secure. It also seems obvious that we as citizens and public policy-makers need to work towards creating long-term practical solutions to the number of homeless people we encounter on our streets. Instead, there has been a national trend towards making homelessness a crime, with the adoption of anti-homeless policies and selectively enforcing_existing criminal laws and ordinances. In. December of 1996, The National Law Center of Homelessness and Poverty published a study called Mean Sweeps-A Report on Anti-Homeless Laws, Litigation, and ·Alternatives in 50 United Sta~es Cities. The study looks at civil rights violations against homeless individuals, and case studies in fifty major cities, including four major cities in Ohio: Toledo, Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati. After interviewing homelessness and housing advo~ cates in each of the 50 target cities, the study verified that there is a national trend of creating new anti-homeless ordinances against actions such as sleeping in public places, loitering, and panhandling. For example, Cincinnati has passed ordinances making it illegal to "obstruct" sidewalks and other public ways (i.e. sitting in doorways, resting against a building). Begging in certain areas of the city and "aggressive" . panhandling [to be defined by whom?] have also become criminalized. Yet actions which are trying to prevent the need for begging, such as selling items on public transportation-formerly a major sale area for Streetwise, another homeless newspaper_:have also been prohibited in cities like Chicago. The specific areas in which these ordinances are most strongly enforced are areas of high people-traffic, and especially business areas. Mean Sweeps, in examining ordinances and civil rights violations in Alabama, stated that "the business community . ... believes that the sight of homeless people adversely affects commerce, and is a motivating force behind the recent 1 ordinances." This sentiment seems to be expressed by city officials and wealthy businessowners nationwide, as the general effect of each anti-homeless ordinance is to drive homeless individuals out of sight of the general public. Out of sight, out of Mind?! The actions that are targeted in this national law-making trend are actions that result from very basic human needs. Without a home, and when shelters are filled , where else can a person sleep, but in public places? Battling physical illness, mental confusion, or fatigue, what can a person do but loiter? Experiencing the day-to-day reality of federal, state, and local cutbacks in funding for social service programs, what can a person do but ask another person for spare_change? Let's pretend, just for fun, that these ordinances-and the selective enforcement of laws such as public intoxication-are not blatant infringements on every American's (homeless or with a home) constitutional right. Then, what is the point? What are they accomplishing? They certainly are not cost-effective, considering the costs of police time and resources. The average cost, in 1993, of "housing" someone in jail (not including processing costs) was slightly higher than the cost of providing transitional housing (including food , transportation, and counseling services). [Information from U.S. Dept. of Justice and U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development] The court costs of civil rights challenges to the ordinances alone will reach phenomenal levels. - I . Secondly, the ordinances only provide shortterm answers for the problem of homelessness, and actually create barriers to self-sufficiency. I Ottaway Washington Death Still Under Investigation I by Donald Whitehead :; /' Though death is a reality for all that are born in the world, sometimes it seems that by some act of kindness, it c;ould have just possibly been prevented. The nightmare of day to day existence for homeless individuals in this country are even scarier in the winter. The winter brings new demons to deal with and new dangers to avoid. Sometimes those demons catch up and the dangers are unavoidable. On an evening in December, Mr. Ottaway Washington was discovered unconscious and bleeding in an alley by a security guard at Tender Mercies a transitional housing facility for hom·eless individuals suffering from mental illness. The security guard flagged down a police car and informed an officer of Mr. Wash ington's situation. The officer preceded on his way promising to check out the situation. Several hours later the security guard, making his rounds again, was shocked to find Mr. -Washington lying in the exact same place in the exact same position, there was one difference however. This time Mr. Washington was dead. Mr. Washington's death seems to have been to say the least preventable. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless has asked I the Cincinnati City Council and the Safety Director for a full scale investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mr. Washington's I death and the conduct of the offic~r that received the report on his conditfon. Our office received a response from Mayor Roxanne Qualls promising t tlat our request for a full scale investigatio~ would be honored. At press time calls to the Safety Director's office were answered with informat ion stating that the investigation was being handled by the Internal Investigations Unit. ·/ I �STREETVIBES The Tri State's Homeless Grapevine Page 12 Catch the Streetvibes Cable Show and Radio Hour Vendor Profile: Berta-lambert by James Heath "-._ Berta Lambert is our STREETVIBES vendor of the month for February. Berta has strong ties to the Over-The-Rhine community where he is a current resident and so-cial _ activist. In addition to being a top STREETVIBES vendor, Berta remains active in many social causes that bring attention to the plight of the poor and the disenfranchised in his community. Some of Berta's notable past accomplishments include walking in the Great Peace March across America, the Poor Peoples March to Columbus, ana carrying the Olympic . Torch this past year. Selling STREETVIBES gives him the freedom to be vital as a community activist and make a living at the same time ... Thanks to Those Who .Helped We would like to thank all those who helped make th is-first issue of Streetvibes a . success. Jerry Galvin and Amy Dwyer of Galvin Kemper Advertising helped with the new design for the paper an d gave helpful hints on layout. Bob Bullock of RJ Bullock Consulting helped us with the computer end of the layout and helped us out of a tough spot when our computer broke down. Dan Weitzel of Press Community News is our contact at the printers and has given us good advice on printing the paper. Tom Choquette and Kristi Schulenberg of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Campaign for Human Development gave us a generous grant to subsidize the paper in its early stages. Most importantly, the paper is a result of the dedicated vendors on the Street Newspaper Committee_and the Homeless Coalition Staff who have provided the energy and ideas to make this dream a reality. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is proud to announce "Street Vibes," a talk show dealing with issues related to homelessness has began airing in the Greater Cincinnati area. The show is hosted by Donald Whitehead and features people who experience homelessness first hand, either through their work, or through actually being homeless. The show is filmed live every second Monday of the month. The staff at Cincinnati Community Video have given rave reviews on the shows' first three episodes. The Coalition also has started a live radio program that can be heard on WAIF radio on the second Saturday of each month at noon. This show is co-hosted by Mary Burke, Pat Clifford, and Donald Whitehead. Both of these projects along with "Street Vibes the newspaper are the Coalition's continued effort to bring issues causing and effec~ing homelessness to the public's awareness. If you would like to help with show ideas, be a guest, or write a story please contact the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at 4 21-7803. The following is a list of viewing dates for the cable show in February. Channel 7 Live February I0: 7:00 p.m. _ Channel I0 Taped February 3: 6:30 p.m. February 6: 9:00 a.m February 9: 4:00 p.m. February 16: 4:00 p.m. February 27: · 9:00 a.m. Streetvibes Radio, WAIF 88.3 fm February 8: 12 noon ' Homeless Memorial a Chilling Reminder by Leslie Horner Homeless Memorial Day is a time set aside for people who are with or without homes to recognize the fact that many Americans suffer living on our streets. In an age which seems to be increasingly dictated by comfort, we Americans usually find no shortage of things to complain about-not finding a parking space close to the mall; having to wait fifteen minutes in the check-out lane at the grocery;' etc. On December 19, a night with temperatures close to zero, about thirty people gathered in Washington Park, trying to squeeze into the circle to feel the warmth of the shanty-style fire, squinting half in pain at the wind and half in pain at the glaring light of a television camera. · Not one person spoke of his/ her discomfort. Dr. Robert Donovan, from the Homeless Health Van, read a list of nineteen names of people who either died on the streets or died as advocates for Cincinnati's poor. He spoke slowly, pausing for peoples remembrances-silent or spoken. These men and women died without homes , or died struggling to ensure the basic right of homes for all. Richard Bachelor James Murphy Owen Byrnes Ernie Mynatt Susan Byrnes Grace Raines ---- ester Clark RaySh~e~pra arrcr-~~-=-~~~~- Ricky Cobble James Smith William Cooper TC Stewart Frank Espy William Tapp buddy gray Ottoway Washington Kenneth Joiner EE Williams Ricardo Lopez Some of the names were easily recognized by all; others were known to just a few. All names were greeted with humility, because each one of these people never had the luxury of worrying of the things that trouble the rest of us. Still Needed We are still in need of several items to make our operation run 'more smoothly: Stories and Letters, on IBM disk if possible Volunteer Typists and Copy Editors, people with access to IBM computers Copier Mini Van to Transport Vendors Funds to Buy Aprons and Badges for the Vendors, aprons cost $6 each and badges cost $1 each Advocates gather before a warming fire for Homeless Memorial Day 1996. Photo by Berta Lambert. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1997 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Language A language of the resource English Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Paper Text Any textual data included in the document - Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource February 1997 Vol 1, issue 1 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 1997 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Language A language of the resource English Description An account of the resource Issue covering: commemorating buddy gray, homeless shelter issues, homeless narratives Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project (curated by Katelyn Lusher) Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Penny Caudle Pat Clifford Denise Crew David Dietz Mary Ann Gleason Jude' Haley Leslie Horner Tom Mulroy Bonnie Neumeier Gregory Payton Shaddon Melissa Tuckey Kate Uhlir Spencer Wells Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/"></a><br />This work is licensed under a<span> </span><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License</a>. Relation A related resource - Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Newspaper Type The nature or genre of the resource PDF Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context - Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant - Bonnie Neumeier buddy gray David Dietz Denise Crew domestic violence Donald Whitehead Gregory Payton homeless Jude' Haley Kate Uhlir Leslie Horner Lynn Williams Mary Ann Gleason Melissa Tuckey Pat Clifford Penny Caudle Shaddon shelter Spencer Wells Tom Mulroy https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/11e4f613bdda55b9f579b37bc0f0a355.pdf d6454d43a595681b86cb208332f43e76 PDF Text Text Streetvibes Celebrates A Birthday Looking Back Twenty Years: January 11th 1978--The People Move Streevibes Staff The staff, writers., vendors and supporters of Streetvibes would like to thank all of our loyal readers for helping us make it through our first year of existence. One year ago, Streetvibes first hit the streets. We are very proud of the progress it has made; since our humble beginning. we have come to distribute almost '4000 copies per month. We currendy have over 200 subscribers, and we have had 145 vendors attempt to sell Streetvibes at least once. Of the 145 vendors that have given Streetvibes a chance, many have become regular vendors. Among these regular vendors, Streetvibes has had a I00% success rate; all vendors who have tried to sell Streetvibes and have continued to do so on a regular basis have gone on to find permanent or transitional housing. In the second year of Streetvibes' existence, we hope to continue its growth by increasing our distribution to I0 ,000 copies per month by February of 1998. The attainment of this target will allow us to reach our other goals: to have Streetvibes become completely self sufficient by opening a Streetvibes office run by hired staff and to increase our vendor services. We are extremely grateful for the many volunteers who have been a part of Streetvibes. Our doors are always open for those who wish to find a way to give of themselves. Lasdy, we thank all of our subscribers - you have made all of these accomplishments possible. We hope that the quality of our little paper contin­ ues to improve. If you are buying Streetvibes for the first time, we hope you enjoy our paper and realize that by reading it you are helping to improve the lives of other human beings. Contents Page3: Page 4: Page6: Page B: Page 12: Page14: Page 16: _. News: EBTCards arive in Cincinnati. Tender Mercies open new building. Streetvibes Poetry. Streetvibes Celebrates Black History Mon/h News from around the world Announcements and ClassifiedAds Need Help Want Help Years ago on a cold blizzardy Friday night a momentous event occurred whkh has gone down in our Over-the-Rhine history as THE PEOPLES MOVE The ShelterHouse Volunteer Group, operators of the Drop Inn Center Shelterhouse, consciously planned and organized a secret. "illegal" midnight move from its second home at 1324 Main Street to our current location at 217 W . 12th Street, which had been owned and not too long vacated by the Team­ sters Union. This group decision of conscience f. was made deliberately to get out of a dilemma we believed to be inhumane. Our story unfolded like this.Drop Inn Center began in 1973 as a volun­ teer people's program in a one room storefront at 171 I Vine Street, a much needed place' in our neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine for men who were homeless and suffering from the disease of chronic alcoholism. As numbers grew and government money secured to build a program and hire paid staff, Drop Inn moved to a five room place at I324 Main Street in 1974. In the following couple of years the program got into the hands of social professionals who were not based in our neighborhood and had different ideas about the direction of the program. The community was angered when a decision was made without community input to dose the Drop Inn on weekends in Spring of 1976. We were angered further by talk of eliminating the overnight shelter and running a daytime program only. The winter hawk would soon be upon us and we did not want to see our people freezjng to death out on the streets or in abandoned buildings. People had to be alive first before any hopes of recovery from chemical addiction. This pushed us into organizing a grassroots effort to reclaim our D rop Inn Center, we named our­ selves the ShelterHouse Volunteer Group. We were determined to keep the shelter open on weekends even if we had to do it ourselves. And we e nded up doing it ourselves with food donations we husded and use of only two of the five rooms. During that winter of 1976-n the ShelterHouse Volunteer Group raised more grievances and these conflicts resulted in the professional staff quitting. On March 31st, 19n the community, through the ShelterHouse Volunteer Group, took back control of the Drop Inn Center and have been running it seven days a week ever since. Those were hard times, for when we got control the funds were withdrawn and it took a long lobbying effort to get those state funds restored. From that day forward we would stand firm on the principle that neighborhood people had the right to staff and run their own shelter. And residents of the shelter had the right to participate and give their strong voice to the operations of their ~ry home. AND EVEN HARDER TIMES WERE TO COME Within a very short time the Health Department threatened to close down the Drop D rop- Inn­ Center has chang\e a lot since the midnight m o ve Inn Center. They claimed our kitchen and building had 36 code violations even though this very same kitchen two months earlier was approved for a food license. We were given no reasonable time to comply. Many of the major building violations were the responsibility of the landlord, Leslie Fox, who for years neglected the building and now in much need of repair. We were being blamed for the slumlord's neglect. We marched to City Hall and pleaded with City Council to not carry through with the close down orders. We were willing to comply with the orders, but we needed more time. The inspectors came in like storm troopers. When we had complied with all orders, new violations were cited. Inspection after inspection, and we still could not pass the test. It was clear to us that we were selectively being harassed by the Health Depart­ ment. We would never pass inspection because the powers at be did not support community people running a corrmunity program at Drop Inn Center - we were not professional enough in their eyes. By this time we were feeling the c.r unch of overcrowdedness. We were getting nowhere with the landlord. Nowhere with passing inspections. Rat holes, water leaks, sewage backup were every­ day problems. Conditions in the building were unlivable for persons homeless sleeping there, many on the hard cold floors. We could not see surviving another winter in this rundown place where icicles dangled from the walls in the back storage room. The requirements demanded of our shelter by the Health and Building Departments could never be met by the I324 Main Street facility. We started dreaming of a better and bigger facility. We wanted a place big enough to house men AND WOMEN. �STREETVIBES T/~c Tn St,11e's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES The Tri Slo le 's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes, the Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine, is a newspaper written by, for and about the homeless. It is compiled by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Home­ less. Vendors buy the paper for 20 cents and then sell it for a dollar donation to get back on their feet. All vendors sign a code of conduct before being given a badge. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending home­ lessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. The Streetvibes Committee meets monthly to plan our issues and increase circulation. If you are interested in helping or have a convnent, please call 421-7803. Staff Donald Whitehead, Coordinator Frank Corrino, Vendo r Support Ron Otrter, Vendor Support Photographers James Heath Writers Stacey Adams Raymond Avrutus Frank Carrino Ron Carter Pat Clifford Denise Crew Brian Davis John Dietz Matthew Eisen Mike Fontana Sherri Franklin Darlene Guess James Heath Max Johnson David Miller Leonard Odom Gregory Payton Mataka Sanders Mark Salte r The Shadow Don Stark, Sr. Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Sonny Williams Volunteer Editors Pat Clifford James Heath Bonnie Neumeier ·TammyEackles Malaka Sanders Becky Renalo Katherine Servantas Editorial Policy: Streetvibes accepts all letters, poems, comments or editorials. We will print everything we have room for, giving preference to those who are homeless or vendors. Please send all material to the following address: Streetvibes do Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless I S06 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 4S2 I0 (S 13) 421-7803 fax (Sl3) 421-7813 e-mail: homecoal@primax.net http://cinci.com'gcch Quote ofthe Month "Ifyou just believe all things are ossible" Page 2 Hamilton County Sends 11 11 Troubled Boys To Ranch by Mike Fontana Arizona Boys Ranch has three sites in the Arizona desert between Tucson and Mesa, near Phoenix. They focus on "troubled" boys from ages 8-18, including those whom they describe in their literature as "emotionally disturbed." As of Thurs­ day, December 18, 1997, 20 boys from Hamilton County had been placed at the Ranch. Representa­ tives from the Ranch and other agencies. Local referrals to the Ranch come from the Hamilton County Juvenile Court System, the Hamilton County Department of Human Services, and the Hamilton County Community Mental Health Board. These entities pool taxpayer funds of $12 million through Hamilton County Family and Children First Management. The focus of Family and Children First Management is to place kids in community-based (as in their own communities) and keep families together, neither of which the Ranch appears equipped to do. According to the Ranch's own literature, parents are invited to visit only once a year, for football homecoming weekend, and letters and phone calls from kids to parents are allowed on a ''weekly" basis. Hamilton County spends approximately $122 per day for each boy referred to the Ranch. According to the agency's own 1997 annual report, the Ranch collects 97 cents of every operating dollar (over $20 million in FY 1997) from govern­ ment sources. ~ccording to the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger Ouly 1994), a 17-year-old Fulton, Mississippi boy drowned while trying to escape from Arizona Boys Ranch. In its November 14, 1996, edition, the Los Angeles Times reported that "On June 22, 1994, Lorenzo Johnson went AWOL and drowned in a canal after being pursued by three staffers." Out of this incident, the Mississippi Department of Human Services ceased referrals to the Ranch. According to the March I0, 1996, edition of the Arizona Republic, a California family filed a million-dollar lawsuit against Arizona Boys Ranch. The suit alleges gross negligence in training and supervision of staff. It was filed after an Arizona Boys Ranch staff member allegedly o rdered a boy to put his foot in a bucket of hot water. Parents claim that the boy was burned so badly he required a skin graft. In its September 25, 1996, edition, the Arizo na Re public reported that the Arizo na Department of Economic Security renewed the license of the "controversial" Arizona Boys Ranch over protests by Arizona Children's Protective Service social workers who had visited the site. One allegation made by social workers was that an Arizona Boys Ranch staff member had broken a young man's thumb. The Los Angeles Times, November 14, 1996, story continues by saying that Arizona Children's Protective Services "alleged 30 cases of abuse" "including one that claimed a boy was hit on the head with a shovel." The state of Arizona was able to substantiate 13 of the abuse allegations against the Ranch. The Times states that "As a result, Alameda County, California pulled S9 kids out of the program..." A Gannett News Service story, dated June 17, 1996, places the number of kids withdrawn from the Ranch by Alameda County at "67." The Gannett News Service story quotes a letter written by Alameda Chief County Judge Wilmont Sweeney which states that, "I detennined that there was systematic child abuse by ABR staff as an intrinsic part of their rehabilitative program." Arizona Boys Ranch conducted its own investigation of the allegations, which concluded that n aforementioned incident of a boy being forced to put his foot in boiling water "had merit." Another issue at the Ranch appears to be an unwillingness to separate different populations of residents. The Los Angeles Times reported staff describing one guest at the Ranch as having "killed a lady." Others were described in the article as " being charged with strong-armed robbery and grand theft auto" and "assault to attempt great bodily injury." The story notes that " ...at last count, there were boys representing SS gang affiliations." Yet according to its own literature, the Ranch also takes boys who are "School Failures," "emotionally disturbed," and "Pre­ Delinquent/At-Risk." According to the Gannett NeW's Service, June 17, 1996, Alameda County "hired University of Tennessee psychologist William Murphy to look at the sex-offender programs (at the Ranch), but he largely was denied access. Even with limited access, Murphy learned unqualified counselors conducted therapy sessions mixing offenders and victims. 'It does not appear that there is any recognition of the controversy surrounding this or the significant issues involved clinically when one mixes victims and offenders in a sex offender/victim specialty group,' (Murphy) wrote." The same article quotes Arizona Boys Ranch President Robert Thomas as affirming that the Ranch does "occasionally get" sex offenders and victims. "'We don't call it sex offender treatment,' said Thomas. 'We call it socialization, and it's part of the overall treatment. You can't put kids in little boxes and say he's this, he's that. Everyone wants to find little boxes to put youngsters in."' This attitude would seem to substantiate a willingness to place sex offenders with sex abuse victims. The Gannett article also quotes " Donna Noriega, who oversees juvenile programs for the Arizona Supreme Court." Ms. Noriega states that "'We never know who Boys Ranch has contracted with until the (complaint) calls start coming in...They're not licensed (in Arizona)' to conduct sex-offender therapy." Ronald Davidson, a consulting psychologist with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, says in the same Gannett article that "W e had one Illinois kid (at Boys Ranch) when I did my review. He said he had been physically abused, and we pulled out." In terms of outcomes for Arizona Boys Ranch services, I mosd y found Ranch materials which talked about it changing boys' lives. The only outside view I could find on the subject was from the January 22, 1997, edition of the Arizona Repub­ lic, which told the tale of a 16 year old boy who was killed in a shoot o ut with police just three weeks after his re lease from the Ranch. Free Testing Offered The Early Prevention and Intervention Project (EPIP) will be offering free anonymous testing and counseling for HIV, at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless Office located at I 506 Elm Street. EPIP is a collaborative project of the Central Community Health Board and the Drug and Poison Information Center. This project provides prevention, education, and counseling for persons in chemical dependency treatment or at high risk for substance abuse. For questions about the counsel­ ing and testing dates call EPIP offices at 961-9930. Ask for Uz ,Priscilla, or Paula. �STREETVIBES Tt:p T11 St jre'~, Homeless Grapevine p 1ge 3 STREETVIBES News They•re Here.'.. EBT Card Comes to Hamilton c·ounty by Lynn Williams The 1996 federal welfare law requires all states to have the EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) card by 2002. Ohio is starting to implement this requirement. In Hamilton County, food stamp recipients will be required to get their "Ohio Direction Card" sometime between January and July of 1998. Required, that is, if they want to continue receiving food assistance. If you have concerns about when you will be required, call 946-5526 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. When a recipient is required to make the changeover, she will receive a notice in the mail of the training date. If you receive an appointment date and can't attend at that time, you can call 9461582 to reschedule. Some Saturday trainings will be available. All new food stamp applicants will automatically be enrolled in the training and receive Loveland Residents Win Eighteen Month Battle To Save Park by David Deitz Loveland voters won a victory when The Drees Company announced their decision to return the deed to the Simpson Farm. The 4 I acre farm was acquired by the City in I994 to more than double the size of Loveland's Philips Park, but in a turn-around was sold to the Drees Company for a condo project in 1996 after residents circulated an Initiative Petition to dedicate the farm a "Conserva­ tion District". , In response to the petition drive. city council met behind closed doors with the Drees Company and then declared a public emergency, selling the property to Drees in a special session of council. The initiative petition passed overwhelmingly at the polls, but a judge later upheld the emergency sale. Citizens were unthwarted, and when Drees asked for the necessary zone change for the condo project, again turned to the ballet box. The zone change was soundly defeated and Drees was then faced with only being able to build single family homes on _fairly large lots. Drees has now opted out of the purchase agreement which leaves Loveland residents who battled for eighteen months to save the parkland, smiling. The residents still face the huge legal debt they incurred defending their right to vote and encourage fellow voters to help pay down the bill, but offer proof to the contrary for those who say you can't fight city hall and unpopular development. The Human Services Department has begin placing the new EBTCards their Ohio Direction Card. ,Each recipient will select three grocery stores where she can "load" her benefits each month. When she first gets her card, she will have to wait 72 hours (3 days) before she can use it. If she tries to use it earlier than this, the card will "lock," so that the card will have to be reserviced again at the Welfare Department. She will need to call the 24­ hour Helpline at 1-800-944-3273, not her case­ worker. When she gets her card. she will oecide on 5 numbers (that she alone knows the combination of) to use on the EBT machine to access her benefits. This is her "PIN" number. The idea behind this is, that it will make it much harder for her food "stamps" to be stolen. She alone will know the PIN combination and anyone else whom she authorizes. The EBT machine will state how much she has in her benefits "account" when she dials in her PIN number. It is recommended to also save food receipts from stores, which will record the amount currently available to use. If, at any time, the card becomes " locked", she will need to go back down to the Welfare Depart­ ment to have her card serviced. She must then wait another 72 hours to use her card again! Cards can become "locked" if the wrong PIN number is used a third time in a row. The Ohio Direction Card can ONLY be used in Ohio, and only in counties that are currently EBT card ready. You will not be able to use it over the border in Kentucky. You will be out of luck' if you work in Kentucky and live in Ohio, and rely on food "stamps" for your meals! You will be out of luck if ·you travel to other states in the country. especially if you will be gone for any great length of time. It is possible that your benefits can be exchanged to food stamps, but this will be permitted only after you call the Help-Line and explain in great detail why you need this special assistance. It is not likely this will be allowed too many times without drawing down a full-fledged investigation of your household and your travel destination. All groceries that currently accept food stamps are given the option of having the EBT machine installed in their store. Stores that have this will have a sign posted of a lighthouse, reading "Ohio Direction Card. In large stores, some check­ out lanes wilt also have this sign to show which aisle the food stamp recipients can use. Hopefully, food stamp recipients will not be singled out and further stigmatized by this system. by stores having only one check-out lane designated for recipients! There is also ~oncern that some outdoor vendors, lacking electricity, who sell fresh produce, will not have access to the machine. These vendors offer highly nutr··ious produce af"ld food stamp recipients should have access to it. We have also had concerns about the elderly with poor eyesight, or anyone with incorrectable poor vision, will not be able to use the card. We have been assured that anyone with this disability will be permitted to stay on food stamps. If they are denied this right, they may request a Hearing. They will have a right to keep their food stamps, and all efforts must be made to ensure they get it! The Federal government appears to be particularly eager to require the EBT system be used throughout the land. We can only wonder what kinds of corporate interests a.r e invested in this major change. Who is going to be making huge profits with the government's blessing? Eventually, all government assistance programs are expected to use the electronic transfer system. Let's just hope the computer systems don't go into overload and massively breakdown. Coming To America The Big Issue, a London -based paper is ready to print it's paper in Los Angeles by April. Members of the North American Street Newspa­ per Association (NASNA) fear this publication will infringe on and threaten the current street papers territory. Jennafer Waggoner, editor of Making Change, a Los Angeles street paper, points out "...with TBl's lack of communication and planning, TBI violated the INSP charter they helped to create. Provision 7 of the· ISPN Street Paper Charter forbids the competative challenge on an existing street newspaper, the likes of which TBI is currently mounting against Making Change''. Although NASNA sources admit that " a respectable percentage of articles in TBI are advocacy related. Tim Harris ( Chair of the NASNA Executive Committee). after a visit two years ago to TBl's London offices, has commented that he was impressed with the quality of services TBI offered to vendors and the number of groung­ level staff that had been hired from among them" (Paul Murphy). The real argument seems to be one of David vs. Goliath. The street papers that boast NASNA membership are mostly written by the homeless, from their perspective and have limited resources and distribution, whereas, TBI is seen as a large corporation with nearly unlimited resources. It's papers "persue business with a socially respon­ sible edge" (Paul Murphy), �STREETVIBES ---:: -. ~, ." '- Homeless Grapevine How To Get Free Food From AQuality Resturant Page 4 STREETVIBES Services by RaymondArtivus The following information is a survival strategy for having a full belly. Do not abuse my system! Ifyou can aHord to buy food after paying rent. do so. Those pretending to be poor and eat at one time! needy who really aren't may have the reality of Walk into your city's finer hotels. poverty thrust upon them in their next life, perhaps Every large hotel has a good restaurant, in a foreign country. Amen. whose workers are not as far removed from your own economic situation as you Every day, restaurants throw out enough might think. I'm sure that more than one food to feed both you and many other people who, restaurant employee takes food home for just like yourselves, are hungry but don't have the the family, for example. money to pay for their food. I( you go to I0 restaurants and With a $ 7 or $8 investment - spare (shudder!) get no food - this shouldn't change actually- for a 3-liter plastic container happen- change your image. Buy (gasp!) a with a tight-fitting lid, sold in hardware stores, and business outfit or two at the local thrift by acting humbly and politely, you should get enoughstore -again, for spare change. Tell the free food to feed both yourself and those who thrift store manager that you need the depend on you. Here's how. clothing for job interviews and that you're Knock on the back door of any restaurant broke. You may get a discount or free after the mealtime rush (If the place has no back clothing. But never steal ! door, or if no one answers, go in the front door. Showing up in good clothes (which I've done this.) you could wear only for food gathering Just say you're hungry, "ma'am" or "sir'', purposes) makes you look more respectand would (s)he please give you some leftover food able. Middle-class looking people usually that will otherwise be thrown out. If the person get a better, more willing response from refuses, ask to speak with the manager. If you're others than do those who look like told to, "scram", merely say, " God bless you", in a bumslobs. Anything you do to improve nice voice, encouraging them to have guilt pangs, andyour appearance may help your chances of perhaps making it easier for the next person who getting free food (actually, even if I dressed tries to get fed for free from that restaurant. well, I would ~till look like a beatnik). If you have small children, taking a child or You do people a favor by allowing them to be generous. It costs a restaurant worker nothing two with you will generate symathy and should to give you food that would normally be thrown increase the amount of food you receive. out. And I'm sure we all have had a minimal In November, 1996, President Ointon exposure to religion, i.e. by helping poor people you signed an Executive Order making organizations that get into heaven (this is not the only item the feed the homeless and hungry eligible for all Federal Creator considers, but I sense it is a very important cafeteria leftover food that would otherwise be factor in the Final Analysis!) thrown out. Even though you're not an "organiza­ lf you're able-bodied, offer to mop the tion," show up S or I0 minutes before breakfast or floor in exchange for a meal. This can tum a " no" lunch ends at your nearest Federal building's cafete­ into a "yes''. and if you mop up for a few minutes, r ia. and see what you can get for nothing. Whatever you do, don't argue with anyone! you may be rewarded with more food than you can Don't create a scene. .That would sour everything eat. Sometimes, you are fed anyway and are not for others, including for XQY the next time. Talk in a asked to work. If you go to a restaurant at, say 8:00 p.m, reasonable tone. Ask for the supervisor. If you get and it doesn't close until 11:00 p.m or so, and you fed, fine; if you don't. just go to the next place. are refused food, ask if you should show up a few Lunch buffet places usually have many leftovers. At the end of the day, there is usually very minutes before closing time to mop up. If you're traveling, or have no container for litde left in any of the more delicious bowls, but your food, just ask to work for food. If the person there should always be something that the restaurant shakes their head no, negotiate, say something else. staff can pour into your container. Beggars aren't supposed to be choosers, but Encourage personal interaction. You may be fed. If you can, go to a different restaurant one hippie place gave me a lot of zucchini squash; I every day of the week. Vegetarianism places and don't like that particular vegetable. so I asked not to eateries staffed by hippies are often good for many be given any more of it when I went there again. free meals. Often, your container is f~led with They happfiy obliged. more than you can eat in a day - so you'll have to Again, vary your routines. Go to more than manage your own leftovers. one place that will help you out. If they're friendly, Be sure to clean your plastic container after3Sk them for free food more often; if they serve you each successful free.food foray. I was once refused but aren't friendly, go less often. Go where you get food because my container was dirty. Oeanliness is service with a sincere smile. And always, always, say, very, very important to restaurants (ever heard of "Thank you" and/or "God bless you," except if the Board of Health?). you're atheist or an agnostic. Then say something Vegetables ~ be refrigerated within two like, "Thank you very, very much, and when you hours after they're cooked, or hanrlul bacteria will need a favor, ma'am. I hope someone gives it to grow. If your container has veggies in it, don't let it you." stand at room temperature! If you can't refrigerate Eat well! it. eat all you can within two hours, dump out or give away the rest. wash out your container, and go Raymond Avrutis, currendy unemployed, coout again when you're hungry. authored, " How to Maximize Your Unemployment Don't go to fast food joints. They only Benefits: Complete Information for All SO States" make sandwiches to sell them, and at the dose of (Garden City Park. NY: Avery Publishing. 1994. 216 business, they make 'em only as fast as people order PP· $8.95. l-800-S48-S7S7.) Mr. A.vrutis, who holds a BA in sociology from American University them. But you can go to a donut or bagel shop and an MA in sociology from New York University, did his field research in Washington, D.C. and kind, you may get a bagful - more than you can and ask for free donuts or bagels and coffee. The worse they'll do is say no, and if you're gende and nice Crews Continue Work On Tender Mercies Expansion. Tender Mercies Expands Program by John Dietz Do you know someone who needs a home? Does this person have a history of emotional or mental disabilities? If so, Tender Mercies can provide housing for him or her. Tender Mercies is a non-profit housing agency located in Over-The-Rhine. In February 1998, TM will open its new housing facility at 2S W . 12th Street. This newly-rehabbed expansion building is designed to house thirty-nine adult males and females. Its unique features include handicapped­ accessible rooms, 2.._hour staffing and kit.chen facilities. Tender Mercies exists to serve homeless persons with histories of emotional or mental disabilities by providing them with housirng and related services. To fulfill its mission, Tender Me rcies is convnitted to the goals of security, dignity, and community for its residents. In addition to housing, Tender Mercies offers professional, individualized supportive seTVices including medication monitoring, financial planning. living skills and stress management. For more information, call John Dietz or Chris Engle at 9n-4473. �STREETVIBES ~;"~ -. Food by Mary Ann l11derer If an evil person wanted to destroy the United States from the inside, he could simply alter the food supply: I) by destroying the nutrients in the food (nutrients give us our vitality) and 2) by adding a large variety of chemicals (drugs) which wouldcombine in the body in billions of unpredictable ways. Number I would weaken; number 2 would poison. This method is guaranteed to create an increasingly inferior society with slowly accelerating problems, a myriad of new diseases, brain damage and learning disabilities, ·w eight problems including obesity and other eating di.s orders, a drug epidemic, immune deficiencies, lack of emotional control over anger, fear, and hatred, depression, and more. Slowly America would destroy herself.Now that is exactly what the major food companies have done to America. Slowly and increasingly over the last fifty years, some of our most prosperous citizens have made a fortune destroying our food. Each generation of Americans has more problems than the last, as the cumulative effects of devitalized drugged foods are\genetically inherited. America is now producing "kids without conscience" and their kids will be even worse A large percentage of the U. S. population is employed in the food destruction business. Most Americans are " hooked.. on processed or junk food. Most have no idea what good healthyfood is. WHAT IS HEALTHY FOOD? Quite simply, healthy food is WHOLE LIVING FOOD. Whole food is still alive (or as near alive as possible). Eating directly from the garden is best. The human race survived throughout history by eating directly from the land. Every minute that the food leaves its source, it loses its vitality, its vitamins, its minerals, its strength. EAT FROM THE GARDEN! RULE#I : EAT WHOLE LIVING FOODS. All the drug programs, diet programs.teaching programs, and crime programs will not have lasting solution until people return to eating fresh foods as Nature intended. Processed foods - which include all over-cooked foods, canned foods, frozen foods, partial foods - are pure junk. You might aswell eat plastic. RULE #2: DON'T EAT PROCESSED FOODS. RULE #3: EAT ORGANICALLY GROWN FOODS, foods free of drug additives. Fruits and vegetables should be grown in drug-free soils, richly composted, and free of chemical pesticides. Animals (if you are not a vegetarian) should be raised on drug-free foods. So RULE #4 is: NO DRUGGED FOOD. So many children are born with drug addiction problems, not because their parents took illegal · drugs, but because their parents ate the legal foods obtained in the supermarkets and most restaurants. Do not buy frozen, canned, or packaged foods.Ask in restaurants to what extent the food is prepared from scratch. Legally obtained drugs are the predecessors of fuwre drug problems. Addicted adults were hooked long before they ever took illegal drugs, by the enormous number of drugs accumulated in their bodies. RULE #:4 Eat a broad diversity of foods, though not all at the same meal or on the same day. Over time try each and every fruit, vegetable, grain, bean, seed, and nut available to you. No food has all the nutrients you need. Eat a wide selection. Therefore, RULE # 4 is DIVEl(SITY. EAT A BROAD DIVERSITY. RULE #5: Seek to know the truth about how your foods are grown and treated. If you feel you must eat animals, then be sure they were treated kindly and raised naturally. Be sure they ran freely. Eating anything raised with cruelty can only lead to physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual problems. Understand how your vegetables are grown. The sooner they are eaten after being picked and harvested, the better for your health and well being.The source of all food is the earth. How is our food grown and treated~ RULE #5: TRY TO S1 .r.~\ Hon1e/ess Grapevine TRACE THE HISTORY OF THE FOODS YOU EAT. Understand and appreciate the source of food. Then RULE #6 is: EAT SIMPLY, SLOWLY, AND DO NOT OVER-EAT. Simple meals are easiest to digest. Relax. Take your time. CHEW. Meals should be attractive, delicious, and healthy. ENJOY AND BE GRATEFUL THANKS FOR OUR FOOD. There are so many wonderful books with a wide variety of nutritional philosophies which are available in the high quality natural food stores and public libraries. RULE #7 is: OPEN YOUR MIND to whole new experiences and a wonderfully improved life style. So strongly do I believe that devitalized­ drugged-dead-processed foods are destroying the bodies, minds, and hearts of Americans, and particularly of each new generation of children, that I am conducting my own personal boycott. I neither allow these products in my home nor do I purchase them under any circumstances. Moreover, food processing companies will not change - they will not produce healthy fresh drug-free foods ­ until the people of our nation join together and demand it. Only when Americans replace their three junk food meals each day with a diet of whole living foods will the bodies, minds, and spirits begin to revitalize. However, time is running out. As children can nolonger sit still in our classrooms, as youths are shooting each other over a mere article of designer clothing, as the rape rate soars on college campuses and elsewhere, and America is nolonger on the forefront of intellectual progress, this situation must not be taken lightly. We must each endure th initial struggle with drug·withdrawal from an addictive diet. We must tum our lives and our nation around. And we must return to the intimate relationship with the earth that our ancestors had. We must team to live in harmony and peace with our planet. WHATS GOOD TO EAT~ The diet of history is grains, beans, seeds, nuts, vegetables.and fruits. I've heard it said that there are not enough food choices on a vegetarian or plant based diet, so here are a few suggestions: GRAINS: Amaranth, barley, brown rice(short,' medium, long),buckwheat, toasted buckwheat groats (kasha), bulgar wheat, kamut, millet, oats, quinoa, spelt, teff, whole wheat berries. BEANS: Aduki, black, black eyed peas, garbanzo (chick peas).great northern, kidney, lentils, limas, navy, pintos, soy. SEEDS: Sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, pinenut, ' flax. NUTS: Almonds, Brazil, hazel, peanut. pecan, walnut. VEGETABLES: Artichoke, arugala, asparagus, beans (green, pole),beets, bok choy, broccoli, brussel sprouts, burdock, cabbage(green, red, savoy), carrots, cauliflower, celery, celerycabbage. chard, cilantro, com, cucumber, daikon, dandelion, eggplant, endive, escarole, garlic, ginger, greens (collard,kale, mustard, turnip), herbs (basil, chives, dill, mint.oregano, rosemary, sage. thyme), kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce (bibb, Boston, greenleaf; iceberg, redleaf, rOl'Tlilin), mushroom.mushroom-portabella, mushroom-shitake, napa, okra, onions(green, red, yellow, Spanish, vidalia, white), parsley, parsnip.peas, English peas, gingersnap peas, peppers (green, banana hot,jalepeno, red, yellow, orange), potato (Idaho, red, sweet, Yukongold), radichio, radish, rapini, rutabaga, snowpeas, squash(acom, butternut, spaghetti, yellow, zucchini), spinach,tomato, turnip, watercress, yams. Sprouts: Alfalfa sprouts, mung bean sprouts, lentil sprouts,sunflower sprouts. Many grains, beans, and seeds can be sprouted. Seedweeds: Arame, hijiki, kelp, kombu, nori, wakame. FRUITS: Apple (braebum, fuji, gala, golden delicious, grannysmith, ida red, jonathan, macintosh, rnutsu, paula red, red.delicious, rome, winsap). apricot, avocado, bananas, blackberry, blueberry, cherry, grapefruit, grape (black. concord, green.red), kiwi, lemon, lime.mango, melon (canta­ loupe, honeydew.Indiana, crenshaw, watermelon), nectarine, orange, tangelo, tangerine, papaya, peach, pear (bardett, bosc, d'anjou, red), persimmon, pineapple, plum. pomegranate, raspberry, straw­ berry. Dried fruits: apple, apricot, fig (black mission, calimyma),currant, date, pear, prune, raison. Pages SAMPLE MEAL SUGGESTIONS (Meals may be in the order you prefer. The fruit meal does nothave to be the first meal. Find your own comfortable lifestyle.) DAYI : BREAKFAST: Fresh fruit and/or dried fruit. LUNCH: Raw salad with dressing. MILLET: I cup dry Millet 3 cups water I chopped onion I chopped carrot Bring to boil and simmer on low flame forapproximately 40 minutes Season with Tamari Soy Sauce. Sprinkle I tsp. or tbsp. of granulated Lecithin oversalad or millet. SUPPER:Raw Vegetables for dipping: Oean and cut carrots, celery.broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, or any vegetables. --Bean Dip or Spread Soak I cup of dry Gar­ banzo Beans (Chick peas) or anybean in 3 cups of water over night or for noless than 6 hours. Add onion, garlic, parsley and cook until tender, approxi­ mately 2 to 3 hour Place in blender and puree with: Sesame Tahini - I or 2 tbsp. Spices: coriander, nutmeg, thyme (or your choice) - I tsp. each Tamari Soy Sauce to taste Note: If you're in a rush, simply dip the fresh vegetables in the Sesame Tahni and forget the beans; forget cooking and eat! Or forget the Tahini and just eat the beans. DAYl: BREAKFAST: Fresh fruit, banana, your choice. LUNCH: Raw salad with choice of dressing. Lentil Stew or Soup: I cup lentils with 3 or 4 cups water Add vegetables: onion, garlic, carrot, what­ ever. Bring to boil and simmer for I hour. Add Tamari Soy Sauce as desired. Note: Never add saJt or tamari to beans until almosttotally cooked. Salt will slow down cooking time.) SUPPER: Salad with choice of dressing. GRAIN: Cool< any grain, brown rice, for example. Boil one cup of rice in two cups of water for one hour. VEGETABLES: Place small amount of olive oil or sesame oil infrying pan. Saute onion and garlic and any vegetables you like Add grain to mixture and continue sauteing. Add a little Tamari Soy Sauce and spices of your choosing. Sautee a little more. Sprinkle with a few pine nuts and serve. Note: Tamari Soy Sauce should be used with the same concern as salt depending on individual health needs. ECONOMICS The meat industry currently receives enormous government subsidies, in spite of the fact that nutritionists advise peopleto eat far less meat and far more vegetables. Not only is our meat industry horribly unhealthy, but it is perhaps the cruelest institution ever on the planet. The torwre of animals for profrt is immoral and unconscionable. Were the government to subsidize organically grown vegetables and fruits instead of meat, we would all be much healthier and happier. For many people the cost of healthy food is too high. However.grains such as brown rice, millet, and barley and beans such as chickpeas, black beans, pintos, navy beans, soy beans, lentils.and split peas are actually not as expensive as meat. Fresh vegetables are often less expensive than canned and frozen ones.and fruits are less expensive than most desserts and soda pops. Healthy food is a birthright. It is an essential ingredient in the making of healthy happy people. And since it is notaffordable for many, it is a political issue. We must stand up and demand healthy food for all of us. For more information on healthy diet. nutrition, cooking, vegetarianism, call 929-236] �STREETVIBES The Tn State's Homeless Grapevine . Page 6 WORD ON THE America You Just It's ADream STREET Don't Seem To . by Belinda la/ham Arts and Poetry Understand by Darlene Guess Martin Poem by Bea/rice BurseWooten CounneyEvans Shawn/el Evans Von Shae James David Smith Marched for peace Always worked hard Respected people Told people not to fight It was good that he changed the laws Never lied Loved all people Understood people Took care of poor people He had a dream that white people and black people could live together America you just don't seem to understand America you just don't want to see. I thought I lived in the land of the free. How could this be so, Regardless of your income rent is too high and pay is too low. The pfaces I could afford, most decent people their dogs they would not board. Tonight where do I tell my children to lay their heads, That tomorrow they might not be fed. I'm not looking for things to be free, An equal chance is all I need. I want to pay my way, But rent is too high, even you would have to say. If we can rescue other people in other lands, Why oh why, can we not rescue our own, Why oh why, can we not provide them with a home. . Let's not close our eyes, While men, women, and children die. A dream coming true is a joy to life a hope a far sought vision given breath but if I dream and it passes away not truly to belong just the taste of a sweet longing How sweet the taste has been For if I dream and it passes each memory will linger in sweetness but if I dream, and this is a dream I am not ready to be awaken for whether it passes or stays I right now enjoy the dream Let me sleep Do not awaken me Homeless People Have Feelings Too by Ron Caner You know that Roses are Red And Violets are Blue But do you ~ow That Homeless people have feelings too Equal rights for all Reasoned with people Kind to people In 1968, he was shot Never mean Homelessness is not by choice, If it were something to choose most people would choose to be rich of course. · Concerning our Vendors you see on the street Let's get together help our neighbors and friends until this disgusting situation ends, Making sure it doesn't happen ever again. Selling their papers to get something to eat Or even a place to stay from day to day Do somethin•go.-----Speak out­ ----~Reach out While trying to rebuild their self esteem And waiting for that Precious Dream Great speaker Justice for all And want to be treated the same as you So Joe So That some day someone will open the Door And there will be Homelessness no more Responded to people's needs Peaslee Neighborhood Center's writing group wrote this poem in response lo a story about Manin Luther King Jr. by Denise Crew So self described, reaching for a dream Living in the moment because there is no promise for your tomorrow Not a word about love, and commitment Nor of being the one for anyone, shall pass your lips Sweet maneheld from the Grim cold street, I give you room to grow I see in you what no one else can see Can you stop cursing that barking dog to all damnation Get a grip on your actions, stop seeking a reaction from women you meet Feed your ego if you must, Do the dramatics if you must. But stop the destruction Strive to survive, drive the vehicle of life you've led. into your next action for reaction, in attraction Spi.rit Of Over­ the-Rhine by Sonny Williams, 1997 \Black, Latino, White 12th Street is the People's right. Cincinnati rulers tried to shut it down, but the Homeless rebelled in that town. Letters of support from N.Y.C. Spirit of Soweto is the national call, It's Right to Rebel Down with displacement, Gentry out of 0.T.R. �STREETVIBES Tre Tn St1Jre ' ~ Homeless Grapevine Page 1 °' It~ '")/(ae 11 1U"'- &/wed ~""'4# ie¥u ?i'M ~ & CoRPoR~ WELFAR~ CAl>ILL.AC 1U"'- 7~ ~ 1flatd g'eca"4e ~ ~ p~ 41«1. ?"OIUHeli ~ Paid tor by Friends ofJustice Walch Women on Track Helping empower people through sewing. "Sam .....! trust you 're keeping up with the payments." The Shadow Reviews ''Amis/ad'' I highly recommend this work of art for those who respect their history and culture. It is not recommended for Arnold Schwartenegger fans, who I think should be jailed for acting. The star is Djimon Housou, who portrays Joseph C inque. His performance is unforgettable. Morgan f reeman does an outstanding job portray­ ing Theodore Joadson, a Northern abolitionist. The film tells the story of 53 brave Africans who killed their captors. As a skeptical country and world watched, their case was tried before the United States Supreme Court. The movie touches upon an important factor that no one will discuss ...._ how Black people sold their own brothers into slavery. The only difference today is that we sell one another out for a Lexus, Mercedes Benz, position etc. The movie shows that working collectively with faith and hope, the impossible can be possible. I was disappointed in the long drawn out courtroom drama. That element prevented it from entertaining the audience. I wrote some­ thing years ago that best describes this movie; "What I like or dislike isn't important, what's important is that my success be in making the world a better place". We as African Americans must support Amiscadbecause it is an important and positive movie and the story must be told. I would like to thank Debbie Allen and Steven Spielberg for not ignoring Black history. Dnly$5each 100% While Collon Shirts and long Sleeve Sweat Shirts XL Purple logo T-shirts and Sweat Shirts are available t our office at I 506 Elm Street. Please stop b and see us. We Should Just Start Over by Frank Carrino That this government for the people, by the people, of the people , shall not perish from the earth, shall be changed to for the govern­ ment, by the government , and of the gov­ ernment, shall continue on indefinately. There are so many laws a person cannot go a day without breaking one. The government is so enmeshed in it's own web that it must create a committe to untangle a committe, to investigate a committe and so on , with each committe there must be a well paid staff that does little or nothing who sit around in tailored suits, polished fingernails , styled haircuts and stand around trying to look important to justify the high salary they tkink they deserve. We the people are the govern­ ment but this has slowly changed to where the peopleare the servants and the goyern­ ment is the master. The best thing to do is junk the whole thing and start from scratch which will take hundrd years or more to reach the level of incompetence that now prevails. Streeetvibes Wish List The staHand friends ofStreelYibes would like to thank each and evefY person who has contributeditems to our wish list. Your kindness has contributedgreatly lo what we believe is a wonderful/project. The Following is a list of items we stil badly need. Adobe Photoshop Software for IBM to save scanning cost Zip Drive VCR to Show Streetvibes Episodes to groups Volunteer Copy Editors Stories Advertisers to help support the Paper A Vehicle to transport vendors and members of our newly forming speakers buruea, New Ideas 727 Ezzard Charles Dr. Cincinnati, OH -45203 513/333-0288 Jimmy Heath Photography Cincinnati. ­ (513)564-9856 E-Mail - jimmy_heath@iuno.com Friends and Neighbors of Over-the-Rhine 1e~~s~~IM p~ Ue ~·.i U4t ~~ Clittord Jones Represent11lve 8075 Reading Rd.. Suite 1 • Cincinnati. OH 45'"37 Res. (513) 761·3464 • Bus. (513) 821 ·3332 Vo:ce Mail· (5131230.6353 A ~ltmbtr orTta1't:trsGroup An 1'1tt ptlldlAC rtPrtW!Ullift o4 '"mtflC.I F111andll Sel'W'Ut RcpftHn11t1~ · Ptimtntl lli! l:"•Wfinct Comu'""~ !1~11\''t Otticu· 0. ;;- 6to:Ol'J A ..... OT H E U ('L,\.l-'l-i PROI >t "CTIO~ Disc-Jockey Service CLIFFORD JONES (513) 761-3464 Whitehead Brothers Productions Inc. orAll Your Entertainment Needs 81-058-4 or 221-1537 Let us entertain you •' �STREETVIBES T,1-:e Ti. ~f . .'re 's Homeless Grapevine PageB Streetvibes Celebrates Black History Month Where Are We Now Is America Making The Grade ???? ANight To Remember by Donald Whitehead! It has been 30 years since we lost Rev. Or. Martin Luther Kjng Jr. to an assassins bullet in Memphis Tennessee on April 4th, 1968. It was the assassins belief that, to kill the dreamer was to destroy the D ream As we celebrate Martin Luther King day around the country many wonder if the assassin may have been right. This article is an attempt to find an answer to the question on the minds of many African-Americans today: How close are we to Or. King's dream becoming a reality? In order for us to answer that question, we must first examine "The Dream". As on many occasions historians and journalists have condensed Dr. King's dream, in order to make it more socially acceptable. Children today learn parts of Or. King's dream, they are spared the seemingly more contro­ versial parts. The immortal words, "I Have a Dream" will always be associated with substantial gains of the sixty's Civil Rights Movement. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 opened doors that have seen many African-Americans achieve parts of the American D ream His call for the end to the war in Vietnam and an equal distribution of wealth are less frequendy mentioned in writings about Dr. King and his great accomplishments. In this article I will try to examine other parts of Dr. King's dream let us first address the most popular part. On many days in America, freedom does ring from the prodigious hilltops ofNew Hampshire, freedom rings from the mighty hilltops ofNew York freedom rings from the heightening Alleghenies ofPennsylvania, freedom rings from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado. And not only that. some days freedom rings from the Stone Mountain ofGeorgia, freedom rings from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee, freedom rings from every hill and molehill of Mississippi, from every mountainside, freedom does ring. America has come a very long way towards making those immortal words a reality. Yet on close inspection we still have a mighty long way to go. While acts of institutionalized racism, like the infamous tapes from the board rooms of Texaco still occur in today's America, they are now met with outrage and are not simply business as usual. While African-Americans are still the number one victim of hate crimes in America, these actions are usually performed by individuals or loose-knit groups of hatemongers. While organized hate groups still exist, their membership and effectiveness has fallen on hard times. Today racist are of the more subde variety. They hide behind loan denials, fair lending discrimination and red lining, instead of the pillow cases of the fifties and sixties. On many days litde black girls and litde black boys walk hand in hand with litde white girls and litde white boys. Dr. King would be pleased about a lot of what has transpired in America, but we still have a long way to go. It is still an uneasy feeling to be an African­ American in today's America The other less publicized part of Dr. King's Dream, the struggle to end poverty, continues to be far from reality. When D r. King was assassinated he was planning the Poor People's Campaign and a March on Washington. The batde to e nd poverty, a noble cause indeed, has proven to be an even bigger challenge than racism While African-American people were unified in their efforts to end racism, something that effects us all, unanimity ended when whispers of economic equality were heard. Dr. King would be astonished by recent trends in this country. As some of our people have moved up the economic and social ladder others have been left behind to "pull themselves up by the bootstraps". Poverty continues to di.s proportion­ ately affect African-Americans. More and more African-Americans are finding themselves homeless in the richest country in the world. Recent trends in legislation have placed the blame for poverty on those that are in poverty. In a sane, civil, intelligent, and moral society you don't blame the poor people for being poor. "I predict that 25 years from now America will be just as embarrassed about home­ lessness as we are about racism", said Andrew Young, former member of congress, United Nations Ambassador.for Jimmy Carter and two term Mayor of Adanta, Georgia and Dr. King's right hand man. While we constandy hear about the economic boom that America is experiencing, the boom has some­ how avoided most of inner-city America. Shordy after Dr. King death we did see an end to the Vietnam War. War still plague much of the world. On the eve of Martin Luther King Day young men stand alert poised for yet another encounter with Saddam H ussein and the people of Iraq. This conflict pales in comparison to Vietnam, however people still die and Martin would not be pleased. This part of Dr. King's dream has pro­ gressed. Vietnam has ended but the need for bloody conflict has not. Hopefully, in our lifetime, we will find a way to setde conflicts without the loss of lives. To grade the progress of Dr. King's Dream would be impossible on a normal grading scale; the scale must be expanded to include an I for incom­ plete. America still has a lot of unfinished business when it comes to the first part of Martin's dream The day will come when there be an equal amount of CEOs of all races. Soon we will be able to stop documenting hate crimes. There will be a time when my walk across the street is not accompanied by the sound of automatic doorlocks. I truly believe that America will become a land of harmony between people of all colors. The other part of the dream can receive a conventional grade. It is hard to believe that we haye failed so terribly in making this country equal along economic lines. Not only have we failed, we continue to slip farther apart. As the gap between CEOs and workers continues to increase, housing becomes out of reach for more and more of America. Affordable housing is becoming more and more scarce with each new housing reform law. Welfare reform will set this nation back farther than any single piece of legislation in the history of America!! An Fis the grade possible for the other part of the dream In conclusion the assassin was wrong, the dream did not die. Although it is incomplete in parts and fajling in others, America still has a chance. Let us just pray that we don't wait too long to exercise it. by Don Stark, Sr. It truly brings me great pleasure to share with the many readers of Streetvibes the joy I received when I was asked to attend the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration on January 18, 1998. This event was sponsored by The Committee for Outreach to African Ameri­ cans, Diocese of Covington. My counselor and friend, Mr. Thomas lee, was a guest speaker in the program The scripture that was so well read by Mr. lee was Revelations 4: 1- 11. I must say that I was somewhat scared when I first ar rived, and it was because I didn't know just how I would be accepted in such a very large Catholic diocese. After the program opened and the welcoming prayer was given by Bishop Muench, plus the readings as well as the wonderful gospel groups that were there, I truly felt apart of the celebration. I could feel the love in the church, and it was a joy to see so many walks of life come together with so much love. My highe r power is just that, a power greater than thyself. I would like to thank Sr. Ruth Kettman for inviting Mr. Thomas lee, and I would like to thank my friend and counselor for giving me the honor of going to such a meaningful event. Thank you, Mr. Thomas Lee. and may your higher power bless and keep you always. Struggles by Gregory Payton God help open my eyes. I struggle with the term Black History Month. Just twenty eight days to teach, remember and to be thankful for a few things. Things like freedom, civil rights, voting rights, human rights, fair housing, educa­ tion, voices from the past, that say, "free at last, f~ at last, thank God Almighty, free at last.". I look at today and I cry- you ask why. They wanted fair housing. where is affordable housing~ They wanted voting rights; how many times have they changed precints, and voting districts, to help who, and to take the power from who? When we think about civil rights, we look at rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States, I say one thing look at the homeless and see the numbers growing in the United States. We look at human rights- no, let's look at the humanitarian; after all, he or she stands to protect and ensure human rights. Humanitarian means a person devoted to promoting the welfare of humanity, especially through the elimination of pain and suffering. When will we open our eyes? God help me. Next month: Struggles II �STREETVIBES The Tr )r The Pain Of Drugs Leonard Odom (Photo By James Heath) This article is co-authored by an alcoholic and drug addict, who share a room together at their recovery center. It's a great pleasure for the both of us to share with other addicts our story. The addicted person is in great pain. It is a pain that he/she doesn't share with anyone because he/she is already convinced that nobody experienced life in quite the way he/she does. As far as the addict i.s concerned, the people he/she comes into contact with, whom he/she observes on the streets, in the supermarkets, in his/her home, all seemed to have found the key that he/she thinks we all must find in order for life to work. Little does he/she realize that life, once given, works by itself . .. except when someone decides to take matters into his/her own hands and becomes convinced that finding a magic formula will solve life's problems. Our addict is now an adult in his teens, in other cases he's aged 20-90. This spiritual disease knows no race and no age. It can appear anywhere, anytime, and in anybody. From an imperceptible, invisible, and at times unconscious, beginning in the spirit of the person, the disease gradually progresses by surfacing to the emotions and the mind. At whatever the age this occurs, the addicted individual is now more and more alienated from his/her feelings. There are some feelings he/she doesn't like and doesn't think he/she should have. He/She has the same feelings, and he/she experiments with ideas that cross his/her mind. In his/her way of looking at things, some thoughts are justifiable and others are not. In the latter case, he/she believes he/she should simply not have them. A recovering alcoholic's thoughts and feelings only increased his/her guilt and low selfesteem No, the addict never shares this strangeness with anyone. A mistake... but an understandable mistake when you consider that the addict, as much as he/she would like to unburden him'herself, decides to retreat into an ever-increasing and destructive silence. He/She has to do this because there is no word to express the pain that he/she feels. The addict is, by instinct, keenly aware on the level of experience that his/her pain is inexpressible. If a friend were to ask him'her, "What's wrong?" he/ she couldn't answer except to say, " I don't know." For a lot of us, and especially for the addict, not to know, not be able to express in human words, is tantamount to being out of control, to being odd, which invites the sneer, the judgment, the conde~ nation ... the alienation of the rest of the human race and ultimately the condemnation of oneself. So the addict doesn't share his/her pain. As a result, the pain intensifies. By now, he/she is a walking time bomb - going through the motions of living, but really unliving, disconnected from the very situations and people with whom he/she is interact­ 11,_: ' _) Homeless Grapevine ing. It's a little like being dead while alive. The worst of the worst. Not only is the drug a strain, the drug is the connection that makes all other connections with people, places, events, or things totally unmeaningful and inconsequential. The process is fascinating. From seeking out isolation to avoiding connections that don't work and cause pain, the addicted person makes a connection with a drug that takes him'her out of his/her isolation by making other connections painless, to immerse him'herself finally into an isolation so terrible that only more of the drug can conceal and remedy. The addict declares war with the tools used by the disease itself. They are lies, hate, concealment, denial, manipulation, violence, crime, and destruction of the unlimited kind. May the God of his/her understanding comfort him'her in his hour of need and show him'her the way of life. Time To Face The World With My Higher Power By My Side by Mark Saller Well, it's finally come down to the wire; graduation is six months nearer. Now I will put to use the coping skills I've developed from the program - living life on its own terms. Perhaps there are some people who fee! that if one is in a program, one had it made, or those people may think to themselves, "Wait until they got out. I bet they feel it then." Who knows? I've watched others who have had jobs and clean time, and I have seen those who have had no drug addiction problem whatsoever. I have also seen active users, and I prefer not using. I can seem to do without the stress that seems to burden the recovering addicts and some of the holier-than-thou attitudes of those who have not experienced drug addiction. I am not address­ ing anyone's issues nor taking stock and inventory of another; I'm just sharing my observations, the ones that have helped me. It would be unfair to name one person who has helped me thus far, indirectly and directly. Thank you to all of you. The thing that bothers me is that people criticize the Drop Inn Center program openly and verbally. Yet, never once have I heard them openly and verbally criticize themselves. Go figure. To me, this indicates that these people think they are perfect and have all of the answers. Yet, if that was truly the case, they'd be I ) running a program or 2) wise enough to know everyone on this planet that was born, without any guide books. We should all do the best we can when we have the capacity to do so. We should all recognize that everyone is a reflection of each other. Think about those days when you're feeling down. Or the days when you feel good and have energy. Or those days when you make shortcuts or other days when you don't mind the long form. Multiply them by a million and double it; for any given day you'll meet someone who feels like you felt yesterday, who thought as you thought yesterday, or vice versa. This is just in observation. I used to think like that; I used to think, "I can run it better than they can," until I Page 9 STREETVIBES Sou/2Soul Whereis the Safety Net I am a forty-seven year old female who has had, on a couple of occasions, needed to use the welfare system. The first time was when I was nineteen and bore my first child out of wedlock. had moved away from home at that point and needed money for survival because I had no job skills. Having a desire to do more for myself in a round-a-bout way led me to marriage. My marriage ended up in an abusive relationship. I stayed at this marriage for ten years and it ended up being either get out or be killed. I had lived in Virginia when I was married To get away, I sold everything so I could get back to Cincinnati. I was frantic. By this time, I had two small children to care for and I tried to find help from anywhere I could think of, includ­ ing the Red Cross. I ended up staying at the Salvation Army for a limited time. They only allowed people to stay three weeks and then you were out. Because of my need for money and a place to stay, I applied for help at the Welfare Department. I didn't fee! bad about applying because I had been working at jobs since I was IS and a half years old. I had worked summers since dlen when I was a teenager. I always viewed welfare as a tool you could use whenever situations arose warranting the need for welfare assistance. Not being a person to stay home for any long periods of time and having worked since I was IS and a half, I looked for jobs and job-training pro­ grams. Previously, before I went to Virginia with my husband, I had taken a year of nursing training at Bethesda Hospital. I had already taken a nursing exam while in Virginia, but that was the same time I had a broken arm from my abusive relationship. They thought it was a "motor dysfunction" and tried to deny me entrance in the school for this reason. I persevered and got in! In Cincinnati, I saw an ad for the WIN Program. They offered professional skills and training positions. They offered the nursing profes­ sion as an option and I took it. WIN helped finance the schooling. Another program, CETA. also helped by providing school uniforms, books, shoes, and even buying my graduation uniform and cap. I graduated! It took a year and a half for me to finish, but I became a licensed practical nurse. I graduated August of 1982. I was pregnant at the time with my third child. I graduated on Thursday, and I was offered a job at Jewish Hospital on the following Saturday! However, I didn't take the job. It was only for part­ time work. and I couldn't feed my family on part­ time work. I was afraid I would lose everything, including health benefits, if I took a part-time job. Back then, going to job-training and working was voluntary. It wasn't required in order to get welfare assistance. I just had a lot of drive to go out and do something. I started applying all over the city and finally got my first job at Manor Care Nursing Home. It paid $6.95 an hour and was full-time work. When I took the job, I immediately lost all of my benefits. It was quite a transition for me. Our family lost its health care coverage because the job did not provide it. I remember there were times when I said I wished I was back on welfare because of the medical needs of my children. Fortunately, my children were healthy most of the time. It did hurt my oldest daughter in her schoolwork. She did not Continued on page 14 Continued on page 11 �-- --- - - - - STREETVIBES ~. ·· - '..··' STREETVIBES Editorials and Letters Police Need Better Training Hon1e/ess Grapevine Advocates Promote Increased Housing Opportunities January 7, 1998 To the Editor of the StreetVibes I am writing you in regards to the newer police officers who are coming into the force and replacing the old school officers. I am writing to you with both respect and concern. The police force here in Cincinnati is creating a ~ster through lack of training in diplomacy, a new 1~erance, and a Robo Cop mental~._ They are bu1ld1ng the foundation for an explosive atJnO­ s~here. The problem with our youth is bad enough without Cincinnati's finest resorting to physically and verbally abusing our children while in custody, under restraints. There are some officers who are currently doing this, and they include officers from a variety of different racial backgrounds. ...... I mourned for Officers Jeters and Pope; they were good men and what happened to them was appalling. However, taking it out on everyone else is not the answer. We must come to an under­ standing on what is acceptable restraint and force ­ this is Cincinnati, not Nazi Germany. Too many cases are arising with the police having to make a disclaimer. Sincerely, Sherri Franklin 1750 Fairmont Cincinnati, OH What Makes A Good Drug Rehabilitation ,, Program _? by Mark Saller What makes for a "good" drug rehabilita­ tion program? or a successful one? I think that, in essence, they are all good. However, a place of " recovery" is different where recovery is possible and growth inevitable. The Drop Inn Center has a live-in drug treatment program that lasts for six months and has only one requirement to stop using. Three people graduated in November 1997 and are still going strong. Truly, no matter how good or bad a drug tteatment program is, not everyone graduates. Yet, three graduates at one time is something to behold. I suspect the counselors and program coordinators feel responsible for the ones that leave, perhaps even questioning themselves, "What did I do wrong?" or "Could I have done more?" Although their professionalism tells them that it's not their fault, they still have feelings. They prob­ ably don't even care about recognition; the mere knowledge that a person sought, found help and that the Drop Inn Staff was able to assist that person can mean a whole lot to all involved. It's your choicde. If you come to the Drop Inn Center for help, you will receive the help you desire because help is here. An Editorial from the National Low Income Housing Coalition and the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless President Ointon is expected to release his Administration's fiscal year 1999 budget request to Congress on February 2. 1988, for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The budget request includes important increases for housing and community development dollars. The President will request an increase for HUD Home­ less Assistance Programs from $823 million to $958 million. The impacts on local communities of the HUD budget should not be underestimated. HUD's housing and corrrnunity development programs have been the key to success for many local programs. Indeed many corrrnunity-based services and pro­ grams would not exist if HUD funding was not available. Local communities take advantage of these federal opportunities for increased home ownership, dece nt rental housing, increased employment and entrepreneurial opportunities. For example, Tender Mercies utilized funds from the Stewart B. Mc Kinney Act (a HUD program) to create more units of permanent housing this year for people who are mentally ill. Their efforts will ensure that over two dozen homeless people have a supportive and caring place to stay instead of wandering the streets of Cincin­ nati. The fiscal year 1999 HUD budget request allows the Department and Its local partners to build upon these successes and embarl< on helping new families. For example, the President has requested I00,000 new rental assistance vouchers34,000 of which will be used to house homeless persons and 50,000 set aside for welfare to work programs. The budget also includes increased public housing operating subsidies. Adequate funding for public housing authorities will help house families with the most need. Operating subsidies are supposed to cover the difference between manage­ ment and maintenance costs and the rents paid by low income residents. The budget request continues and moderately expands programs that are vital to enabling corrrnu­ nities to better address their housing and convnu­ nity development needs. Many families making minimum wage in our convnunity continue to need housing assistance. Rental assistance will enable families moving to work and from homelessness to have a place to call home. Local programs are working. Federal pro­ grams that support our efforts and encourage partnerships with other state and local efforts are critical. We are optimistic that the President's 1999 budget will help us continue our work and that it will be supported by Congress. You can Subscibe to Streetvibes for $12 a month Call or write us at 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati Ohio 45210 or call us at 421­ 7803 Make any Check payable to Streetvibes P.7gc 10 The Government Continues to Play The Shell Game by Max Johnson Let me tell you a litde secret about a con game played by the Federal Government. It is called Block Granting or turning control and decision making over to the locality. It is a big lie, because in the end the Feds don't think a bunch of Yahoos from Iowa can decide where millions of Federal dollars go. We have played this con for the last two years and have been stung. We were told that there was a new sheriff in Washington and money for homeless services would be distributed to the country based on local decisions in what was touted as a "Community Gaps Analysts" process to deter­ mine which projects were funded. What it turned out to be was a summer of folly to distract us from the real work that needed to be done-getting American citizens into housing. While the homeless and the local providers were busy filling out surveys 3nd ~uating programs, the Congress was taking the Housing out of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and removing the word entidement from our dictionaries. First, they told us that money would be set aside for communities based on their need. Since we do not accurately keep track of the need how would this be possible. Also, some of our local communities deny they even have homeless people so how would that need be reflected. The formula for the amount of money was secret so that we would not get our hopes up. Next, we are told that we can use this money for new or expanding programs and those programs that are requesting a renewal of funds. The only problem is that we were not allowed to see the audit of the existing programs. We did not know what impact the existing programs were having on reducing the homeless population. Our only infor­ mation was from the programs that were asking for renewal funds. " Did you serve your community over the last year, Homeless Shelter Xt' They answer, "Yes we did and we did a darm fine job. Can we have some more money?" Then we go through the time of identifying the largest gaps in service. We ask for submissions of grants in areas that we see as those of the greatest need. We (the homeless of Cleveland) rank the programs in order of importance, and submit that to Washington. When it comes back we see that the rankings did not mean anything. Not all projects were funded and many projects, including some of our highest priority projects, were skipped and lower projects were chosen. We say, "A pox on your house you faux block granters." We will never again fall for your "local control" tricks. We will ask for the check first and we will give you the details later about how we spent the funds. Pass the money on to those on the streets and we will make it work. Don't tempt us with community oversight, and then go back to business as usual. If you want homeless input then you better damn well use our decisions. We get enough of government lying to us from local politi­ cians and case workers.,need, how would this be possible?,the results We have better things to do than evaluate programs-like standing in long lines for food, checking on affordable housing opportunities, and looking for work in a job that pays the same as our parents made when they graduated from high school. �STREETVIBES The Tn Stute 's Homeless Grapevine King's Image Whitewashed? by Ma/aka Sanders Word Search stubborn extremists of what the whole country new was right. At least that's the message I got from school, the mainstream media. and others who, in not talking about his whole vision for a new world effectively whitewash his image. Is it any wonder that today's kids prefer the strength of Malcolm X as compared to this watered­ down visionary~ Another negative effect of this whitewashing is the grave disservice it does to today's activists; one in glorifying past activists after they're dead and only highlighting their gains without the benefit of the whole picture (knowing only what they got as compared to what they wanted and why), the status quo asserts that all the battles are wt:7f1 and that today's followers of King, the anti-poverty, anti­ war, and anti-racism (or, basically, anti-status quo) activists still kickin' around today ( and here in OTR!!!) are simply "radicals" disrupting things. Or, as Ani Difranco sang. " ...they'll sing you right to sleep and then they'll screw you just the same." Also, by popularizing them after their death, people are encouraged to forget that only a small segment of the population helped to bring about lasting change- because with that knowledge could possibly co me the will to fight now. At present people feel that "things'll never change" l:iecause we don't have the numbers that "they had then"; but when ya look at how folks are organizing all over the country, ya see that that's simply not true. So let the great myth of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. be put to rest : his goal was not simply to integrate African-Americans into the status quo, but to challenge it (lest we forget that integration at that time was one huge challenge to it...). King was a radical And for those present day radicals out there, let his words help sustain you. "We must come to see that human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts and persistent work of men willing to be co-workers with God, and without this hard work time becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. We must use time creatively, and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do the right thing." Ha/aka Sanders can be e-mailed do the Homeless Coalition at homecoa/@primax.net G I N s u 0 H K N B E M 0 D E E I L T B R I G H H Al G N I T 0 c C H B T s IC N KWO R c Ml y R E V A L s 4 L TT 0 c y 0 B 0 p p 0 R T U N E D U C A T 10 Continued from page 9 get adequate eye care, and we found out she needed glasses. My third child now needs glasses. Besides eye care, we didn't get dental care. I couldn't afford it. I'm sitting here toothless as I say this! I stayed in that job for two years. Then I started working at another nursing agency in 1984 for $9 to $11 an hour starting out. I'm very thankful that I could rely on welfare assistance to complete my nursing training. I'm thankful that I didn't have to worry about basic survival while trying to finish my job training. It would have been much harder if I would have had to do a work requirement at some minimum wage i<>b while trying to complete it. and take care of three small children at the same time! Now they are making it much harder on people! They are punishing these people by putting them out into the work force at any job paying minirn.tm wage! The system is very corrlortable about putting people in jobs with no future, and even mothers with 12 week old infants! It's very upsetting for me to see all these work forces coming in here who think people will be happy with a minimum wage job and no health beneftt.s. You're just working for the sake of working if you take a minimum wage job. The syst.em is creating a short fuse for people. The sanctions are saying, "It's OK to put people out on the street, but your kids will get their food stamps. You won't have a place to cook your kids' food, but they will get their food stamps. You, of course, will not eat!" It's hard enough for a single mother to successfully uphold her household, let alone if she has an infant three months old. It's irresponsible of the government to make these mothers work. A mother wants to take care of her children. What kind of care can you get from a mother working all night, trying to go to school for her G.E.D. to better herself, and then trying to nurture and care for her children in the time left. Many single mothers, especially those living in poverty without support netWOrks of family & friends, won't be able to handle it all. Do you know how hard it is to find quality child care for your children, especially infants~ Who will be taking care of these infants when their parents will be forced to leave them with someone else~ To support yourself and your children, you must get a skill. You have to be allowed to get education and training to be able to get independent of the system I'm thankful for the schooling I was able to get while on assistance. I've landed many excellent jobs in nursing homes and through private duty. My present job pays $1 S an hour; with the potential to make $18 in a nursing agency. The government is being very short-sighted to not allow the work requirement to be fully used for getting an education & job training. Interview with Pam McBride . January 1998 by Gregory Payton K K R F T s v T A R J u 6 G s G E L N E ~ "Safety Net" Ravings of a Mad Womyn With the observance of Martin Luther King Day this year, as in recent years, there was lots of press coverage on King day events, Coretta Scott King's activities, and pundits and newscasters discussing lots of old film of lots of old speeches by King, Or should I say one old speech. Ya see, it's not just mere oversight that explains why the words, " I have a dream my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." are well known to every American, but not the words, "And one day we must ask the question, 'Why are there forty million poor people in Americat [ it's over twice that number now...) And when you begin to ask that question, you are raising questions about the economic system, about a broader d istribution of wealth. When you ask that question, you begin to question the capitalistic economy. And I'm simply saying that more and more, we've got to begin to ask questions about the whole society. We are called upon to help the discouraged beggars to life 's marketplace. But one day we must come to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restr ucturing." In fact, these " news" accounts often get so nostalgic, they make it easy to forget that everyone wasn't on King's side, in fact most weren't. We now know that the FBI followed King very closely throughout the 1960s.; in October of 1963 King's home and office were bugged, and in November, the SCLC wiretaps were activated in Atlanta and New York. In the book, The FBI an Martin Luther King Jr., author David B. Garrow talks about Hoover's plans to plans to plant a beautiful woman in the SCLC office in order to entrap King. In explaining these actions, the author wrote, "Though nowadays most reformers would prefer to ignore that point,... the enemies chosen by the FBI were the same targets that much of American society would have selected as it's own foes. American popular thought long has had strong themes of nativism, xenophobia, and ethnocentrism These very same qualities were writ large in the FBI.". So in presenting the only one of his goals, institutional integration, achieved in his lifetime as his o nly cause andby ignoring most people's fear of his actions at that time (even that of , what he called, 'moderates' who he said in his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" [ 1963) • " ... are more devoted to order than justice... who constantly say, "I agree with you in the goal(s) you seek, but I can't agree with your methods of direct action.") King is presented, not as the revolutionary that he was, but as sort of a nice guy who had to convince some Page II Scramble by Ron Carter opportuns EDUCATION Try to unscramble these HOUSING h.oliday words: LYCHING SLAVERY itUNOEYAW RACIST REFEREOST BLACK OERSOSRC WHITE VAOTINLSA YMHA FREEDOM LESRVARTJOA VOTING EROCTS KKK CTATNOC JIM CROW AA NE/LOTH RIGHTS A.C. T.C 19-­ 19-­ ANSWER ON PAGE 15. �STREETVIBES ~. :. ~. News From Chicago Federal Judge Wayne Anderson will hear closing arguments on a motion for a temporary injunction on Wednesday designed to stop the City of Chicago from discarding on the personal prop­ e rty of homeless Lower Wacker Drive residents. Judge Anderson is likely to rule in the case following closing arguments on Wednesday, January 2 I. The homeless people flied the motion after the city allegedly vio lated court-supported, temp<> rary procedures for off-street cleaning of Lower Wacker Drive on December I, 1997. On that date, police and sanitation worke rs conducted a "sweep" of the homeless, told them to leave without their belongings, and used racial slurs and threats of arrest to intimidate them In violation of the agreement, homeless people were not allowed to move their belongings. When people tried to leave the scene with their property, it was taken out of their hands. City workers allegedly discarded blankets, important documents including a marriage certificate, asthma and diabetes medicines, and personal remembrances including family photos. In January, I996, homeless residents of Lower W acker Drive flied a class action lawsuit against the City of Chicago alleging that the city's "sweeps" violated their rights by seizing and/or destroying their personal property. In March 1996, lawyers for the homeless and the C ity of Chicago developed court-supported temporary guidelines for carrying out cleanings of Lower W acker Drive. Pursuant to the guidelines, the city must · Provide 12-hour advanced warning of the sweeps by posting signs and making verbal an­ nouncements under Lower W acker D rive. · Give homeless people the opportunity to move their belongings fifty feet from the area to be cleaned. Possessions not moved will be discarded. Prohibit Streets and Sanitation cleaning personnel from disposing any possessions moved by the homeless individuals The homeless have been organized by the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH). CCH believes that housing is a basic right in a just society. With the current cr itical shortage of affordable housing in C hicago, CCH supports the right of homeless people to live on Lower W acker Drive. Through systematic research and intensive organiz­ ing of homeless people, CCH is working to end homelessness in metropolitan C hicago. CCH focuses on the root causes of the problem, including a serious shortage of affordable housing, the increasing scarcity of living wage jobs, and a lack of health and supportive services for poor people. News From Washington State Inquiries into Washington States Workflrst plan have revealed many problems with the state's welfare reform plan. Many of their DSHS social workers were poorly trained in the new program and find themselves unable to address client's needs. In addition, client's have found industry unwilling to provide jobs with livable wages. "By flooding the wo rkforce with people who can be hired without fai r wage or benefits, and simultaneously removing the safety net of welfare and Medicare, welfare " reformers" and employe rs will be able to offer less to workers everywhere. Put in classic supply and demand terms, there aren't e nough jobs for all those who must be moved from welfare to work. This makes workers less valuable and they will be t reated as such."(Real Change Vol. 5 N o. I, Jan 1998 Hearing Faults Workf.ire) ' ..:.-' Hon1e/ess Grapevine What to Do For Fun If You're Homeless Well John and Joyce spent Chr istmas under the Detroit Street bridge. I walked to John's 'stick'. The homeless substitute the word stick for home. "I said Hi, Joyce and John s houted Hi there as I crawled through the ho le in the fence and walked up they slope to whe re I saw a mattress surrounded by garbage and r ubbish. John and Joyce tell me Christmas is depressing. They say people would pull up in cars and vans Hi Me rry Christtnas and hand them bags of groceries, cooked dinners usually cold and shopping bags full of clothes. Joyce says none of the clothes flt. The only thing that frts out of about fifty pieces of apparel was a red knit skull hat in which she was still wearing. We went to the comer where people were passing out Christmas lunch and we got one for each of us. A little brown paper sack, like you take to school when you were a kid with you're lunch. Two hot dogs, ketchup and mustard packets were in it and then we got this other good stuff. Joyce reached somewhere underneath the mattress they lived on this mattress. Clevelands Homeless Grapevine The British Are Coming!!! Yet another aspect of ho melessness has gone corporate. Street newspapers. The Big Issue, glossy paper started in England and sold by homeless people has landed on the shores of Los Angeles. Having already spread throughout Europe, South Africa, and Australia they have turned their greedy little eyes on here. The paper calls itself The Big Issue leaving people (especially advertisers) with the impression that the big issue is homelessness. Yet homeless issues by their own admission is only about 20% of the paper's content and homeless people are an even smaller percentage of the paper's multi­ national staff. The vendors, who are charged per issue to sell this product, don't reap any of the economic benefits of the millions that are brought in annually through the vendor charges, advertising sales, and foundation support. Instead, the Big Issue has established their own foundation so as to dole out grants and gifts in communities (countries) where they plan to set up shop. If they have this kind of money, why can't they pay the salespeople (ven­ dors) a living wage with benefits, etd You can bet their advertising staff are paid and paid well. The Big Issue is about big bucks pure and simple. Dishing out a few nickels and d imes to some ho meless people doesn't change that and doesn't make them any less of a "Poverty Pimp" . They are exploiting homelessness to sell their advertising and homeless people as a cheap (charged) labor source to sell their product. For The Big Issue to claim, as they do, that they lift people out of poverty through the sale.s of their paper is nothing short of bullshit. No street newspaper can claim the vendors leave poverty with the money they get from selling the paper. That kind of life is right up there with "the wealthy panhandle r" and "the Cadillac-driving AFDC recipient ". Paoe 12 0 STREETVIBES Nationwide Everything they needed could be reached fro m there. They were C hristians. We've got two toothbrushes. Both John and Joyce's teeth are rotting and they say they never use them. They offer me the two new · brushes, after all they say you've go t teeth. We share a laugh. Then they continue their inventory. I got a little plastic razor, it would take about thirty of these to get rid of this beard. Joyce pulls out a really fancy bar of soap, the kind they have at hotels. She says she likes the way it smells. A little bit later, John describes life's philosophy. You are born - you live and you die. And I'm just putting in my time. That's what you do between being born and dying, he explained. It's all meaningless to me. Who cares? Joyce speaks of loneliness. One night Joyce wakes John and he says well what are you waking me for? She looks me straight in the eye . She was upset 'Tm lonely, will you talk to me~" So I looked at her and oh! all right let's have fun it's Christmas, I'll talk to you. So we talked about how much fun people were having in the cars, trucks and vans hurrying to and fro probably in a hurry to make it home this C hristmas day. Joyce and I can taste the depression and despair in our th roats. Oh well, tomorrow is another day. Bob .. .. The inevitable consequence of this corpo­ rate move is the liscencing of the sale of homeless street papers and thus less opportunity for homeless people to vend them. Street papers in their simplicity benefit everyone involved. The organization that publishes them gets to present to the gene ral public homeless and poverty issues from a perspective/depth that will never be in the mainstream press or even the alternative press. Homeless and poor people have an opportunity to positively express themselves through writing, artwork and poetry and to see their works and feeling out in the convTitmity, while at the same time others are able to panhandle with their dignity intact. The general public gets the best benefit of all: They get to learn about an issue that people seem to universally agree is tearing this country apart. And they get to learn about it without the barrage of cOl'TVTlercialism and sensationalizing so comnon in the mainstream media today. ''The Big Issue" corporate approach to this important social contract severely threatens to kill it. Please don't buy one and please write them at The Big Issue, Fleet Ho use, 57-61 C larkenwell Road, Farringdon, London EC I MSNP o r e-mail them at London@bigissue.co.uk and tell them that their exploitation of poor people will never sell he re. Volunteers Rewarded On December 17 in the Veteran's Adminis­ tration Hospital Auditorium, 75 V. A Standown emloyees and volunteers received an a.p preciatlon award - a pen with "Standown '97" on it from Judy Bacon, Chairperson of the Standown Committee. Thanks for serving at least 1,000 homeless men and women in the T ri-state area, including '400 veterans at the Drop Inn Center. �STREETVIBES --;.-.: ~-. ,, . 1 • '- Hon1e/ess Grapevine Body of Disappeared U.S. Priest May Be Exhumed in Honduras by Paul Jeffrey Tegucigalpa, Honduras, January 14 (ENl)­ Honduran human rights activist hope to dig up the body of a U.S priest who disappeared here more than 13 years ago , Berta Oliva, director of the Committee of Relatives of the detained and Disappeared in Honduras (COFADEH), told ENI that her group has received information that will allow it to locate the remains of James Cam ey, a priest who disappeared in September 1983 while accompanying a guerrilla column that entered Honduras from neighboring Nicaragua. Oliva said three people have approached her group in recent weeks with new information about Camey's whereabouts. All three contacted COFADEH following a 45-day fast late last year in front of the embassy here. That protest, conducted by three U.S. Catholics who demanded that the U.S. gover nment release classified information regarding Carney's di.s appearance, generated renewed interest in the case throughout Honduras. Oliva refused to name the new informants. She said that while they approached COFADEH independently of each other, they all agreed on the spot where Cam ey was buried, O liva declined to identify the location where Carney is allegedly buried, though she did admit that it was located in the eastern province of O lancho. "We've got to be very careful how we manage the informa­ tion about Father Carney," she told ENI. "There are a lot of military officers with desi res to rise in the ranks who would be negatively affected by these revelations.". O liva's concern for the safety of the informants appears well founded. In the last two years, several former low-ranking military officers have been killed in what appear to be incidents of common crime. Yet according to Ramon Custodio, president of the Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras, many of the dead were "living archives" who were assassinated to prevent them from revealing secrets from the government's "dirty war" during the eighties. Oliva said that one of the new informants is a former soldier who partici­ pated in the capture and torture of Ca.rney. Oliva revealed that members of a Honduran army unit participating in "Operation Patuca" - a counterinsurgency operation designed to capture carrying U.S. $50,000 in cash, and that members of the unit which captured him would be allowed to split the money among themselves. " Yet following Camey's capture, the head of the patrol didn't keep his word," Oliva stated. "Some members of the patrol are still angry." . Oliva said the former soldier's testimony collaborates that of Florencio Caballero, a former member of the Honduran army's elite U.S.­ trained counterintelligence unit, Battalion 3-16. Before his death in exile in Canada last year, Caballe­ ros had testified that heard from associates that Camey had been thrown alive into the jungle from a military helicopter Oliva said that at least one of the new informants reported Carney was tortured on the ground and then thrown alive from the helicop­ ter, but that army troops then landed the aircraft to make sure the priest was dead. He was reportedly buried on that spot. Oliva said the former soldier also revealed how his unit participated in raping and torturing women members of the guerrilla column before killing them. Oliva indicated that one of the new informants possesses a map that indicates the exact location where Camey was buried. It is reportedly beside a river, though Oliva llefused to reveal which one. Besides Carney, a Jesuit who submitted a resignation letter to the Society of Jesus on the eve of his departure into Honduras, Oliva said three other guerrillas are reported to be buried at the site. She said one is possibly Jose Maria Reyes Mata, the leader of the hapless guerrilla group, which Wcl.S affiliated with the Central American Revolution­ ary W orkers Party. O liva said COFADEH is con­ tinuing to investigate the information. When that is finished, O liva said they will follow established legal procedures and contact the judge in whose jurisdic­ tion the burial site is located. " But doubt the judge will want to he lp us," Oliva said. "So we'll ask the Special Prosecutor for Human Rights to instruct the Department of Criminal Investigation to protect the area.". Such protection necessary prevent tamper­ ing with the evidence, Oliva explained. Oliva also said COFADEH planned to contact Camey's family for medical information that would help identify the priest's remains. She said her group would invite foreign forensic specialists to Honduras to conduct the exhumation. Oliva has. already had initial conve rsations about the matter with one of the persons who supervised the exhumation of Enersto "Che" Guevara in Bolivia last year. Oliva said she hoped the ex humation could get underway by April at the latest. "After that, the rain will make the area inaccessible until at least August," she said COFADEH has carried out the e xhumation of three of the 184 persons that the Honduran government's national convnissioner for human rights, Leo Valladares, claims were "disappeared by government security forces dur ing the 1980s. Cam ey is one of the 184. Oliva is the widow of another of the 184 disappeared. Her husband, T ornas Nativ Galvez. a professor and union organizer, was kidnapped June 11, 1981, fro m the couple's home in Tegucigalpa. Oliva was beaten and knocked unconscious dur ing the kidnapping. C OFADEH has also taken a leading ro le in demanding that military officials res ponsible for the disappearances be punished. Currently, 13 high-ranking Honduran military officers are fugitives, wanted by Honduran courts for human rights violations committed during the 1980s. Oliva predicated the exhumation of Camey will, " put to a test the political will of the new government" of President Carlos Flores, who takes office here on January 26. Human rights activists are worried Flores will thwart their efforts to bring military officials to justice. The Camey case plays a major role in a new report by Valladares to be released simultaneously in Washington and Tegucigalpa later this month. The 200 page report, "In Search of Hidden Truths", will criticil:e the Ointon administra­ tion for its "exceedingly frustrating" response to Valladares' request four years ago for U.S. docu­ ments on six disappeared persons, including Father Camey. The U.S. government has released more than 3,000 pages of declassified documents related to the Camey case, but most have been heavily censored, and are characterized in the forthcoming Valladares report as "scant, fragmented, and vague." P.1,ge IJ Solutions by Brian Davis In our on going communication with our readers, we have heard the criticism that we only complain about the problems and do not offer any solutions. So in an effort to address the concerns of our readers in 1998 we are featuring a series called Homeless Solutions in cooperation with the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless. The staff of the Coalition will take on this issue with the assistance of homeless people to put forth ideas that if implemented would show a reduction in the homeless population. ISSUE I Stability First Services Second This seems such a simple concept, but it is rarely followed in the current landscape of social services. N o matter how many services are thrown at an individual they rarely stick if a person does not have a stable place to live. All locaJ se rvices need to establish a person in a long tenn stable place to live first and the n treat them for their disability or health concerns. As an American citizen, we should expect o r demand a minimum level support. N o matte r if a person is lazy, rude, a criminal, smelly, ugly or dumb, they still have a r ight to life and othe r liberties oudined in the Declara­ tion of Independence and the C onstitution. If a person lives on the street they are being denied a right to life. Therefore all services need to esta.blish housing or long tenn shelter as their primary focus, and build support services around the housing. The housing rnJSt be a healthy environ­ ment that allows an individual to grow to indepen­ dence. The housing cannot be contingent on the services. Stability should be the primary focus for the County, and services revolve around the housing. Specifkally, areas such as the Alcohol and Drug System need place people in stable housing then treat their addiction. Currendy, the treat­ ment is offered for a period of time, and then the person is released back into the world. If Alcohol­ ism and Drug Addiction are truly a disease, then why don't we treat it as a health issue. A policy of releasing an individual back onto the streets after treatment is a waste of resources, and bad public policy. Bad News From Massachusetts My Higher Power The demise of rent control in Massachu­ setts has had a dramatic effect on homelessness in that state. Many landlords are now choosing to evict current residents when their leases expire and rent to new tenants at exhorbitant rental rates. This move has affected residents of all ages as well as families. Many residents report being forced to move after 2S years of occupancy in the same place. Despite Chapter 239, (a just cause to evict law) a record 7, 158 evictions were filed in Suffolk County Housing Court last year alone. An increase in the minimum wage and/or bringing back the rent control laws is viewed as the only viable permanent solutions. Subscribe to Streetvibes Streetvibes can be mailed to you each month for a very reasonable $12 per year Please send a check or money order to The Greater Cincinatl Coalition For The Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati Ohio 45210. Continued from pace 9 thought about my life now. I can't criticize any program simply because miracles are being reborn in them every day. To my knowledge, there has not been any group of people entering a program and seeing it through to the end. It would be grand if each year programs could boast group graduations. You can't blame the programs or the coordinators; you can't even blame the people for not making it. If you do, you are wrong and for that, I'm sorry because it means that there is a hard lesson left for you to learn. This, again, is only my observation. God is the ultimate authority. God is looking out for us when we can't look out for ourse lves. My graduation occurred with the help of everybody at the Drop Inn Center. I could not have made it without them. However, first and foremost, I thank my higher power, God, for being God. �STREETVIBES -·he '1i St 1te's Homeless Grap evine Page 14 Drop-Inn-Center Wins Title Congratulations to the Drop-Inn-Center for the recent victory in the inaugural Recovery Basket­ ball League Tournament. The Drop-Inn-Center team lead by player coach Donald Whitehead won a hard fight championship game against a feisty N.A squad led by Player Coach Courtney C. The D.I.~ team made up of D.l.C alumni and other supportive individuals also claimed the regular season Recovery League Championship with an almost perfect 9win I loss record in I0 regular season games. The Recovery league will begin the second half of the season on February 14th with an All-star Game. The Game will feature the Recovery League All-stars -Vs- Lexington Recovery All-star Tearn. The regular season will begin February 2 1st. The league hopes to expand to I0 teams for the second half of the season. If you have a team that is interested in joining this league please contact Donald Whitehead at 42 1-7803. The cost of the league is $30 per team The Drop-lnn_center has come a long w ay since the"M idnight Move" (Phot o by James Heath) People's Move Continued from Page One We wanted a warmer, safer, dryer place. W e wanted out from under this landlord who refused to do needed repairs. So we started scouting around the neighborhood for a building large enough to meet our needs. (We were not interested in going out to Lunken Airport where it was suggested we look. We were determined to find a place in our own neighborhood.) Of all the buildings we looked at, the former Teamster Union Hall at 2 17 W . 12th Street had the best possibility. We started negotiat­ ing with the Teamsters on a rental leas~ agr~ment. We kept the site quiet for we knew this location would be controversial, being one of the top spots for future profit-making development so close to Music Hall. But it was our top spot for a home for the homeless, and that was top priority. We were not making headway fast enough with the Teamsters, and feeling the moral urgency to get out of the unsafe environment, we plotted THE PEO PLES MOVE for midnight on January 13th, 1978. We did not plan for the blizzard. Though the blizzard made the move more treacher­ ous, it was a blessing in disguise.. It gave us time to get somewhat settled in before the City discovered we were there. The City's reaction to our move was to wage a vicious campaign to close us down. On January 20th we were forced into court. The Building Department ordered our immediate eviction and our leadership was threatened with cr iminal charges. That day with 14 inches of snow on the ground and zero temperatures, the 120 homeless residents of. the shelter were waiting with intense anxiety their fate as buddy gray on the witness stand defended our decision to "illegally" move into our new home. The prosecutors grilled him unmercifully. The Spirit moved with us that day. Judge Outcalt ruled on behalf of the homeless. It was a victory for the people. THE PEOPLES POWER RAN THROUGH OUR VEINS T HAT DAY As I reflect on our courageous action twenty years ago I can still feel the peoples power that ran through our veins that day. It was no small feat to do what we did. Many people, including the resi­ dents, staff, neighborhood and community-wide volunteers, participated in the midnight move. We were taking control of our lives and detennining our own history. We were actors, not victims. We were powerful, not powerless. We were hopeful'. not despairing. We were risk-takers and not afraid to stand our ground. We stood our ground despite obstacles and determinedly weathered many torrential rains that came pouring down on us as a result of the location we chose and the City feeling threatened by our i>eoples action. Inspired by the Spirit of our peoples just anger I wrote this song during that rumultuous time in our history. 1rs TIME YOU REALIZE THAT WE ARE ORGANIZED CHORUS: It's time you realize That we are organized And our spirits can't be killed By your lies and underhanded .... deals We've worked ·t oo long and hard To have our program busted By your cold e ncrusted...bureaucrats. You claim you understand But still it's NO to our demand As you debated, studied more Flooding waters drenched our floors. Just look at where your money goes To f0< up stained glass windows And you pay your Manager More than double what we asked for. Does this say that one man's pay Can mean more to you today Than a YES vote for a place For hundreds of people to stay. Now that Donaldson has staged To care for animals in a cage We know that monkeys in a zoo mean More to him than homeless people do. On a cold and blizzard night We moved into an old union site Our Peoples Move was bold and wise Ha-Ha...we caught you by surprise. You tried so many dirty tricks To trap us by your code-stick Your midnight raids and fire drills Failed at the Board of Appeals. Every move that you did make Help~d our cause, was YOUR mistake Every plot that you designed Brought more people to our side. Your underhanded Master Plan To force us fol ks from our land It will never go your way Cause we will fight you day after day. There are many more chapters to our Drop Inn Center story. My hope is that we continue to remember the fighting spirit that was a part of our beginnings...and never lose sight of that. The story and the spirit needs to be passed on so those who join our effort along the way can feel and claim in their own veins the power of the people and carry this struggle forward...so that someday all our sisters and brothers will be afforded a safe and decent place to call home. I believe to remember and honor our peoples history reminds us that where we are today was made possible by those who labored and loved before us. Our participation in this important work is our ticket on the Freedom Train which has been going down the track for centuries. Once aboard we must continue to tell the stories of people seeking justice and freedom. by Bonnie Neumeier (This story is dedicated to all those who gave their hand and heart to The Peoples Move.) �STREETVIBES T11e Tri Sr J1e ' ~. Homeless Grapevine FebruafY 7 STREETVIBES Announcements Please Send your annoucements to Streetvibes Announcements. 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati Ohio 45210 or fax them to 513-421-7813 by the 20th of each month. FebruafY4 Streetvibes Planning Meeting, Spm, The Homeless Coalition office 1506 Elm Street, call 421 -7803 for more info FebtU8fY 4-5 "Building Support for More State fonding: Affordable Housing, and Homeless Programs." State wide conference sponsored by the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio at the Hyatt on Capitol Square. Columbus Ohio for info call 614­ 280-1984 STREETVIBES Classified Ads The Odd Cookie Awards for reading will be presented at the Cincinnati Black Book Fair at the C incinnati Convention Center. Guest Speaker will be Edna Howell of WIZF FM radio station. FebruafY8 The A Philip Randolph Institute is sponsoring a Black History Month program and tour of the Randolph Exhibit. Tickets: $5 ($2 for age 17 and under). For more info, 621-8882 FebmafY 14/h The Over-the-Rhine Steel Drum Band will perform Saturday, February 14th at l:OOp.m at Memorial Hall. For more info., call the Peaslee Neighborhood C enter, 621-5514. FebruafY 16 Entertaing Angels a Paulist Press Movie about the life of Dorothy Day. The movie will be followed by a discussion on the Catholic Worker Movement! Xavier University Campus, Alter Hall Kelley Audito­ rium 7:30 pm. Donations beniflt ST. Francis/ St. Joseph Catholic Worker House. Labol'W' Band looking for wortc Streetvibes (the Band. We loke to party. RAb. Oldies. Blues. Jazz. Reggae. Helping the Homeless. Hetp themselves king for laborer? wortcecl at Rivwfront. s willing to do any kind of ork. Call Sonia Craig at DroiMnn-Center, 721· 3 Scramble Answers from page 11 UNITED WAY LegalAid FREE STORE RED CROSS SALVATION Army Travelers Aid ReStoc Contact Center AAHodine C.C.AT orChilclren for sale Native American Cookies: orders beind accepted: R. C. James (fax) 891-8663 .rientatecl · ·Icing forjoba Community du.ling th etderty or c hildren. 3 ear outreach wortcerf ounseler aide at YMCA. 13 years typing Jelll>eri·enc,e. Computer Cashier experience udlng Windows, tus, and any word cesser. Call Anjul adyun at 721-0643 Construction - · Workers .'. Do you have a High School Diploma. GED or do yo need to obtain your GED? Do You Want to earn a special trade would learn a skittecl trade? Local Union trades are now taking applications for apprenticeship programs. Starting pay $8.00 to $ 11.00 an hour depending on the Trade. (pay incntase every year. For more information stop by the West End Community Council 15•43 John Street Cincinnati Ohio 45214 or call 381-4280. Degreed successful grants admlnistratorlwriter - 0 commissioned, r.... lance position as same; ten percent commlsion per award. Contact J. Janus Jr. (fax) 891-8663 Native American Hispanic female seeks sit down slow paced factory position; physically c hasHenged. (fax) 891 ­ 8663 STREETVIBES provides Classified Ads free to low income job seekers. Others may place ads for only $1 per line. Ca/1421-7803 for info. Streetvibes Vendor Code of Conduct Each vendor has to sign the following code to be able to sell the paper. I. Streetvibes will be distributed for a $I voluntary donation. I agreenotto ask fer donations more than $1. I also understand that I will be able to keep 80 cents of each dollar collected. Future issues of Streetvibes will be purchased from the Homeless Coalition for 20 cents. 2. I agree that I will never distribute Streetvibes while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 3. I agree that I will not ask for donations after 12 midnight. 4. I agree to treat others with respect. I will not use abusive language or force some.one to give a donation. I will not give a " hard sell" or make someone feel threatened. S. I agree that I will not supply copies d FebruafY 19 1998 Stand Down Planning Committee Meeting 12 pm at the Drop-Inn-Center. Everyone is encouraged to attend. Please help us recreate last years success. FebruafY 19 The Annual joint meeting of the Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati Coalition For The Homeless. I :30 pm at the Drop-Inn-Center. Discussion on the simillarities in our struggles. We will also be joined by Micheal Stoops from the National Coalition for the Homeless. Febma,,21 Tentative date for the CMHA Homeless Coalition Strategy Conference. The Conference will be held at the CMHA leasing office at 1621 Western Avenue ~2pm. The Conference wil;I explore ways to speed up ithr transition to Public Housing Februa,,21 Homeless Think Tank. 2 pm at the Drop­ inn-Center. Sales Representative mUSIC call 421-7803 Streetvibes is now accepting Classified Ads For items for Sale, Apartments for.Rent and other non personal items. The rate is only $1 per line, approxiamately four words per line. Classified ads are due by the 20th of each month. People living below the poverty level will be allowed five free lines for six months to advertise their skills o r products to our readers Otherwise payment must !be recieved before the ad will run. No refunds will run. No refunds will be made. Also, if there is an error, notify us after the first printing. You will given an extra month of ad time. Hail the ad copy to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati Ohio or fax to 421-7813 Page /5 Streetvibes to persons who are not registered distributors. 6. I agree not to deceive the public by saying that I am collecting for a not-for-profit charity or that I am collecting for the "homeless., in general. I will be honest in stating that all the profits from the sale of Streetvibes will go to the individual vendor. 7. I agree that I will not contest territories with other distributors. 8. I understand that Streetvibes strives to be a self supporting paper created by people who are homeless or formerly homeless. To help in this effort, I will try to spread the word and write stories if possible. 9. I understand that the failure to comply with any of the above statements will result in me no longer being able to distribute Streetvibes. Looking for a position as a sales ,..,,_,.c:ative or Manapr. Has excellent bookkeeping skills. Has experience in retail managen-.t, customer service and sales. Is available to wortc immediately. Call 0ea Harris nt-1976 Resturant Work Responsibte older pnan looki111 for position In a resturant. Has extensive experience as a cook, diswasher, and maintenance person. .He is very dependable and available • help wanted Condnseng F- Lawxer t afraid of the Catholic Chwch or PUCO. Send office ho..-s and name of law school on letterhead paper to I 111 Elm Stnet No. 431 Cincinnati Ohio 45210 Qftke Worker Seeks 10­ 30hour s.it down job o n Bus line. Either Ohio Or Kentucky. Contact Box lStrMtvibes 1506 Ehn Call Wiley Powell at 831-8404 Stneet Cind Oh 45110 Streetvibes Radio Hour On WAIF88.3 Im The Homeless Coalition has a live radio program which can be heard on WAJF radio on the second Saturday of each month at noon. The show is co-hosted by Mary Burke, Pat Oifford, Gregory Payton and Donald Whitehead. The show mixes talk focusing on the stories in this paper·and eclectic musical selections. Here are the next show dates. WAIF88.3 fm Saturday. January I0, 1998, noon to I pm Advertise in Streetvibes! Advertising in Streetvibes is a chance for businesses to help a good cause while promoting themselves to 4,000 concerned people each month. The rates are shown below. Business Card S ize 2" x 3 112" $I 0 per month Two Business Card Size 4" x l 112" $20 per month A check or money order must accompany the ad copy. We reserve the right to deny any ad, especially those which promote alcohol or tobacco products. You will receive a full refund should your ad be denied. For larger ads, call the number below. Ads are due by the 20th of each month. If you need assistance in preparing your ad or have any other questions, call the Homeless Coali­ tion at 421-7803. Mail ads with payment to: Streetvibes 1506 Bm Street Oncinnati. OH 45210 �STREETVIBES- -.~-=' '. ~· ... '. Hon1e/ess Grapevine Page 16 Vendor Profile: Shalom Davis by O,onald Whitehead Up to this point we have featured adult Streetvibes Vendors. As a matter of fact we only had adult vendors. A couple of weeks ago a very bright articulate young man came to the drop-inn­ center were his Mom worked and saw a copy of Streetvibes. He talked to longtime Streetvibes vendor/writer Gregory Payton. He asked Gregory a question that we had never encountered before at Streetvibes, "Can children sell Streetvibes? " This question was not easily answered. After all this would probably set a precedent for Street Newspa­ pers, we hadn't heard of it being done any where else in the country. We were forced to examine the mission of our paper. The mission of Streetvibes is to empower people, be a voice to the voiceless and help individuals begin to earn an income again. Chidren are becoming an ever increasing segment of the homeless population, they are certainly voiceless at times. I asked several people Shalom's question. Should children be allowed to sell Streetvibesl I recieved many different opinions. It became apparent that the question would have to be answered by me, noone was willing to make the decision for me. After careful! consideration I reached a decision. Any person who lives at or below the poverty level Check us out, We're on TV! Streetvibes is produced at the facilities of Cincinnati Community Video. Some viewers might not see the show appear at the right channel or time during the next couple months as Warner Cable changes around channels on us. Shalom Davis Streetvibes first Child Vendor Should have the opportunity to share in the success of Streetvibes. We have decided to let Shalom or any other child sell Streetvibes as long as their parent or guardian agrees with the code of conduct and they abide some additional rules to protect them. Children will not be allowed to sell Streetvibes during school hours or after dark. We prefer that they be accompanied by a parent or Adult. Shalom and the rest of Streetvibes were featured on the 19 in the morning show we hope to show the tape at the next Streetvibes meeting lease ·oin us. Vendor: 80 cents Printing and Production: 20 Where Your Goes SHELTERS: Women and Children 241-2757 Alice Paul House (abuse) 557-2873 Bethany House 762-5660 Salvation Army 431-8717 Welcome House SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission Garden Street House Joseph House (veterans) St. Francis- St. Joseph House Mt. Airy Center Volunteers of America 241 -5525 241-0490 241-2965 381-4941 661-4620 381-1954 SHELTER: Both Caracole (AIDS) Chabad House Drop Inn Center (singtes) Friars Club Haven House (Hamilton) Interfaith Hospitality Network 76 1-1480 821-5100 721-0643 381-5432 863-8866 244-7226 Channel 10 Saturday, February 7, 1998, 4 pm Friday, February 13, I998, I I am Slreelvibes TVFebruary February show will be filmed on the streets. We hope to interview individuals who have suffered harassment because of there homelessness. The show will have interview from people willing to speak up about the abuse that to often is associated with the everyday life of those living on the street. Channel 7 (Sb Basic in most of Hamilton Streetvibes has a minimal overhead cost so that the vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. If anyone selling Streetvibes claims to be collecting for a private charity, please call our office at 421-7803. Thanks for your support. Need Help or Want to Help? If for some reason you find yourself homeless, contact a Coalition Member Agency for Shelter, Treatment, Housing or Services. If you have any questions, feel free to call the Homeless Coalition at 421-7803. Streetvibes TV January January Streetvibes was a rebrodcast of the June Streetvibesa program. This show was called faces II it was our second program that showed people that have recovered from homelessness and have gone on to lead happy productives lives. The show guest were Glen Collins a Representative from the l.R.S: Darlene Guess Director of the Bethany House Shelter. Gregory Payton Streetvibes vendor and writer , and Don Sawyer director of the mens treatment program at the Drop-Inn-Center. The show highlighted the personal journey of these four individuals from homelessness to housing. The show also featured the first live performance from Streetvibes the Band. Ughthouse Youth Center St. John's Temporary Housing 961-4080 651-6446 HOUSING CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTR Housing Network ReSTOC Tender Mercies (Mental Ill) Tom Geiger House 721-4580 241-9683 241-0504 369-0004 381-0954 721-8666 961-4555 TREATMENT: W omen 0 .0.AAT First Step Home 24 1-7343 921-7324 TREATMENT: Men Charlie's 3/4 House Prospect House Starting Over 784-1853 921-1613 751-3260 TREATMENT: Both NA Hopeline AA Hodine CC.AT. Talbert House Transitions, Inc. VA Domiciliary 820...2947 861-9966 381-6660 684-7956 491-4435 559-501 I Monday, February 16, 7 pm Channel 10 Friday, February 20 I I am Monday Februa~y 23, 10 pm Saturday February 28, 4 pm Please help us make our T elivision Show better. If you have a subject or would like to be a guest please don't hesitate to give us a call. At 421-7803 or fax us at 421-7813 OTHER SERVICES 421 -2437 AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati Appalachian Identity Center 621-5991 Center for Independent Uving Options 241-2600 591-ll46 Churches Active in Northside 961-0600 Cincinnati Health Network 569-1&40 Comnunity Action Agency 381-4242 Contact Center 241-2563 Emanuel Conmunity Center 241-1064 Freestore/Foodbank n 1-4000 Goodwill Industries 621 -7149 Hamilton Co.Mental Health Bel. 632-7186 Hamilton Co. TB Control 357-4602 Health Resource Center 352-2902 Homeless Mobile Health Van lll-3679 House of Refuge Mission 241-9400 legal Aid Society Madisonville Ed. & Assistance Ctr. 27 1-5501 721-4811 Mary Magdalen House 621-0248 Oral Health Council 621-6364 Our Daily Bread 621-5514 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 721-7660 Travelers Aid 721-7900 United Way 559-6656 VA Homeless Program 491-3335 Women's Crisis Center � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1998 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource February 1998 Vol. 2, Issue 13 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Page 1: Streetvibes Celebrates A Birthday Looking Back Twenty Years: January 11th 1978--The People Move Page3: News: EBTCards arive in Cincinnati. Page 4: Tender Mercies opens new building. Page 6: Streetvibes Poetry. Page 8: Streetvibes Celebrates Black History Month Page 12: News from around the world Page 14: Announcements and Classified Ads Page 16: Need Help Want Help Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project (curated by Katelyn Lusher) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 1998 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Stacey Adams Raymond Avrutus Frank Carrino Ron Carter Pat Clifford Denise Crew Brian Davis John Dietz Matthew Eisen Mike Fontana Sherri Franklin Darlene Guess James Heath Max Johnson David Miller Leonard Odom Gregory Payton Mataka Sanders Mark Salter The Shadow Don Stark, Sr. Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Sonny Williams Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" src="https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-sa/4.0/88x31.png" /></a><br />This work is licensed under a<span> </span><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License</a>. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF addiction Brian Davis Darlene Guess David Miller Denise Crew Don Stark Sr. Donald Whitehead Drop Inn Center Frank Carrino Gregory Payton HIV James (Jimmy) Heath John Dietz Leonard Odom Lynn Williams Malaka Sanders Mark Salter Matthew Eisen Max Johnson Mike Fontana Pat Clifford People's Move Raymond Avrutus Ron Carter shelters Sherri Franklin Sonny Williams Stacey Adams Tender Mercies The Shadow vegetarianism welfare https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/d83d3c88e8f0d6983c6372be19ac38ff.pdf f1dd8b225c16a47423bbfee344a59eec PDF Text Text MORE DEMOLITION PROPOSED IN THE WEST END Photo by Jimmy Heath by Tyrone Smith Last year Cincinnati's homeless advocates agonized at the loss of 800 units of housing slated for demolition in the Hope VI application for the tincoln Courts Housing Project. Little did they kn.ow it was just the tip of the iceberg. This St;eetvibes reporter has learned that a proposed plan to renovate the laurel Homes project, a so­ called Master Plan put together by Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) and a few member.s of the Laurel Homes community, was conceived back in 1996. The plan would actually · eliminate 500 units of public housing located in Laurel Homes in Cincinnati's West End. The plan .. . . was signed off and endorsed by Laurel Homes resident Ms . Shirley A. Colbert and the Director of CMHA, Mr. Donald Troendle. The Hope VI plan for Lincoln Courts, a·lso in the West End, and the plan for Laurel Homes would bring the total loss of housing in the neigtlborhood to over 1300 units. If this sounds bad to you, then guess what? The numbers have just gone up. On January 26th, 1999, Donald Troendle, Director of CMHA, asked the City for $9 million 1o demolish Laurel Homes. As many Streetvibes readers know, in 1987, the Laurel Hornes Community was placed on the Federal Historic Register, as the first public housing community built in the country. Who knew that Donald Troendle would show up some day with a plan to displace more of the people in the West End? Where is this going, and what is being done about it? Since last year community leaders and organizations have had the opportunity to discuss this displacement and the consequences of the Master Plan with the Assistant Secretary of HUD, Eleanor Bacon. When she came to our city Ms. Bacon met with and discussed the Hope VI Plan with the Lincoln Courts residents and community leaders . The Baptist Ministers Conference, CMHA, representa­ tives of the local Catholic Parish Church, Donald Whitehead of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, and myself, were just a few of the community leaders involved in these discussions. At the end of the discussion Ms. Bacon said, '~hat the project is not a done deal, that there is a level of distrust between the community and CMHA and I recommend that the community, their leaders, and CMHA continue to meet and discuss their differences." Additionally, Ms. Bacon added that she would be back for another visit in a couple months. If you are wondering why you did not read or hear about this prominent government officials' visit to the Laurel Hornes community, it is because she wanted to be here without a lot of publicity. After all, she is the one who granted the infamous Hope VI proposal - the plan that would eliminate homes for 800 families in our community. A community which is neither 'DEMO' cont. on page 1.4 Marchers Celebrate the Life and Work of Martin Luther King Jr. January 18th - Cincinnati's Fountain Square was the focal point for today's celebration in . remembrance of Martin Luther King Jr.. Dignitaries from around the city spoke from the Fountain Square stage honoring the work and life of Dr. King. Afterwards, hundreds of the Fountain Square program particippnts took to the streets to march from Fountain Square to Music Hall. The line of marchers at times stretched for more than six city blocks. Police escorts led the marchers through the blocked-off streets to their final destination at Music Hall in Over-the-Rhine. In Music Hall , parade participants were treated to music, by the Martin Luther King Choral, and speeches presented to celebrate the work of Martin Luther King Jr. The gathering at Music Hall and Fountain Square was only one of several events held in the city. Many churches and civic groups honored the memory of King including the annual King Day Breakfast at downtowns' Hyatt Regency Hotel. King is remem­ bered as the voice of justice for the rights of African­ Americans and all oppressed people during the 1960's. But his work and his words still ring true today. On January 17th, the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. would have celebrated his 70th Birthday. Thousands of marchers gathered for a parade from Cincinnati's Fountain Square to Music Hall. Photo by Jimmy Heath The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes, the Tri-State's Home­ less Grapevine, is a newspaper written by, for and about the homeless, social justice and poverty related issues. It is published once a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Vendors buy the paper for 20 cents and then sell it for a dollar donation. The Streetvibes Vendor Program gives our vendors an opportunity to get back on their feet. All vendors are given an orientation and sign a code of conduct before being given a badge. A file is developed on each vendor so that we may track and help facillitate thier move from poverty to self­ sufficiency. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. The Streetvibes Planning Commit­ tee meets monthly to plan our issues and increase circulation. If you are interested in helping or have a comment, story or editorial that you would like published please call 421 -7803. Staff Donald Whitehead, Director Jimmy Heath, Coordinator Ron Carter, Vendor Support Photographer Jimmy Heath Writers Tom Billman Ron Carter Denise Crew Brian Davis Dave Dietz Jimmy Heath Cliiford Jones Farshid Kamali Susan Knight Mary Ann Lederer Vikki Lynn James Pryor Rodney Sutton Daniel Thompson Vampire Donald Whitehead Lyn n Williams Editorial Policy: Streetvibes accepts all letters, poems, comments or editorials. We will print everything we have room for, giving preference to those who are homeless or vendors. Please send all material to the following address: Streetvibes c/o Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 4521 O (513) 421-7803 fax (513) 421 -7813 e-mail: homecoal@prim ax.net web. page: http://cinci.com/gcch Page 2 longer resent them but I wholeheartedly resent what they do. On this night I have pity for them. What drives a person to stand on a street corner night-in and night-out peddling destruction one rock, one pill, or one bag at a time? What kind of society do we live in? Could any amount of money make a person stand on a corner all night when its too cold to cry because your tears freeze. I realize that they have fallen through the cracks too. There destiny may have been shaped by inadequate education, single parent homes and exploitation. These young. men have a future that is all to predictable; prisons or cemetery's. Again, I ask what if? What if their hero's wore lab coats instead of $180 dollar gym shoes? What if MTV and BET and Country Music TV gave way to the Discovery Channel? From one traveler to another I just hope that since so many have fallen through the cracks that the cracks don't get so wide that we all fall through. The Traveler by Donald Whitehead This months traveler is once again not a very long trip. it is a trip of both mental and physical nature. This trip begins with a trip that all of us take at one time or another in our lives. This trip can be effected by rewards as well as punishment to ourselves and to others. This trip is commonly known as a 'guilt trip'. . As I travel slowly through the streets of downtown Cincinnati I can still hear my wife's words "You can't save the world, Donald''. I know this to be true but I still am driven to try and save just a few of its occupants and attempt to give back what was freely given to me. Every night for the past three days I have driven the snow covered streets of Cincinnati hoping not to find anyone. A few days ago a man froze to death less than a mile from our office. Intellectually, I know there's probably nothing I could have done. Spiritually I feel personally responsible . It may be incredibly egotistical to think I or any other human being can somehow prevent what is inevitable, but I can't help but agonize for this human being who must have suffered tremendously. There's a lot of people that do not realize that there are some people that are possessed by evil forces they we cannot attempt to understand. One such man is a man I will call Isaac. I have tried on several occasions over the last three days to convince Isaac that his shelter, a heat grate in the central business district is not adequate for his physical well being, especially on this night when temperatures have dipped below zero. Isaac is oblivious to the temperature because his mission, as he tells me, is to fight Satin. I offered Isaac some hot coffee which he gladly except because he needed to stay up all night to fight Satin. On my second visit to the grate, Isaac had a companion who was fast asleep. Isaac and his friend had somehow fallen through the cracks; I do not remember ever seeing either of these men throughout my time working with the homeless population. For some reason outreach had not reached these two. Isaac was not the only person I encountered out in these terrible conditions. Other people I would encounter on this night also had fallen through the cracks somewhere along the way. Two gentleman getting their last drink before the 10:00 P M curfew at the Drop-Inn-Center Shelter walked down 12th Street unaware that the overflow shelter was in operation. Gratefully, they rode with me to the Center, happy that their judgment hadn't cost them more than a few minutes more than usual. These two gentleman were also unaware that the Drop-Inn-Center has a very flexible curfew in the winter time. There were ·several others I approached on this frigid night who had braved the bitter cold for other reasons. Because of the slow speed at which I traveled to make sure.there wasn't people who had stopped moving in the many doorways and alleys I passed I was often mistaken·tor a customer. Several young women approached me to offer company for the night. Their plight to me was just as sad as Isaac's. The demons they battled can be defeated with a little intervention. Those that think addiction is not a disease need only see the men and women who stroll the streets on a night that no human being should be out. One can only wonder what might they be able to accomplish if we built more treatment centers and fewer stadiums; would these men and women be compelled to risk life and limb for that next high? Others are possessed by demons of a different nature. I am the last person to defend drug dealers - I have grown in my spirituality to a point were I no Cin'cinnati Chose.n as a Federal Empowerment Zone. Submittedby the. Over-the-Rhine Community Council Cincinnati is one of 15 cities nationwide to be chosen as a Federal Empowerment Zone, receiv­ ing $3 million in funding. Over-the-Rhine was chosen as one of nine neighborhoods in the city to receive this funding for neighborhood improve­ ments. The Cincinnati Empowerment Corporation will oversee how the money is spent for each neighborhood. This agency has a 33 member board consisting of 11 representatives of govern­ ment and nonprofit agencies, 11 business repre­ sentatives , and 11 community representatives. The University of Cincinnati Institute for Commu­ nity Partnerships and the Evaluation Services Center will serve as watchdogs over decision­ making. It is important that members of the Over-the­ Rhine Community Council get their voices heard about what the funding should be used for in Over­ the-Rhine. When the $3 million is split up be­ tween the nine city neighborhoods, the funding will not be enough to fund all the improvements necessary. However, Congress may fund addi­ tional millions in the future for the Federal Empow­ erment Zone program. Responses from 20 members of the Over­ the-Rhine Community Council and residents of the neighborhood comprised a wish list of the follow­ ing: "more affordable housing," "fix up the vacant buildings so poor people can live in them," and "use money to keep our neighborhood schools open." Other responses included money for small business start-up and job training programs . Also, a majority of residents were critical of t~e decision­ making process . One person stated that "the powers that be will make the decisions over who gets the money. It won't be made by the people of Over-the-Rhine." It is up to the citizens to partici- ·· pate and make their voices heard and to make our opinions count! For more information call 381­ 2956 or 381-4242 �~------------------------------ ~-~----- STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine National Coalition for the Homeless Releases Report: Lack of Resources for The Chemically Dependent The National Coalition for the Homeless recently released a comprehensive report entitled " No Open Door: Breaking The Lock On Addic­ tion Recovery for Homeless People". The report reissues the call for serious action regarding addictive services and recovery supports for homeless persons, launched by the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) and others as early as the 1980's. The publication is arranged in · four parts . Part one: Addictive Disorders and Homelessness highlights the difficulties in obtain­ ing an accurate national estimate of the percent­ age of the homeless population with addictive dis.orders. Part Two; Community Profiles is a comparison of the addictive disorder treatment and recovery continuums for homeless people and gaps therein in thirteen communities across the nation. The Community Profile provides an opportunity to make observations about the current state of ~ffairs of homeless persons with addictive disqrders in those locations and by extension, the nation. Part three of this well researched study: Environmental Assessment explores both program-level obstacles within the existing treat­ ment and recovery continuum and more vexing system level hurdles that deny's the homeless and other individuals from access to addictive disorder treatment opportunities . The fourth and final part of the study: Policy Recommendations lists a number of recommendations by the National Coalition for the Homeless that call on the federal government to take several concrete actions to end perpetual homelessness for persons with addictive disorders. Open Door: Breaking the Lock On Addiction Recovery For Homeless People is available for $10.00 (plus $1.50 for shipping and handling.) To purc hase copies , contact NCH at 202/737-6444 (Phone); 202/737-6445 (fax); nch @ari.net (E-Mail), or NCH, 101214th St. NW, Suite 600, Washington, D.C 20005-3406. Contact Bob Reeg, Health Policy Analyst. Contents The Traveler Welfare News The Broken City Arts & Poetry Nationwide News Jail Facts Prisoners News School of Americas Letters & Editorials Streetvibes Etcetera Scramble buddy's place Cleveland News Martha's Woodshop Announcements & Classified TV Schedule Page2 Page4 Pages Page6 Page 7 Pages Page B· Page9 Page 10 Page 11 Page11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 ------- Page 3 COLD DRIVES HOMELESS TO MISSION sweatpants, adidas running pants, a T-shirt, a flannel shirt, a sweater, another flannel shirt, a gray hooded sweatshirt and finally, a black stocking cap. "I'm a pretty hardy individual," said Alan, 29, who moved to Eugene from Portland four years ago. "And it's good practice. We may all have to b e out Copyright © 1998 The Register­ here sometime." Alan shares the enclosure with his black lab Guard mix , Digger, and three to five other men at any given By ANNE WILLIAMS The time. A couple of those men, he said, had decided to move indoors until things warm up. While tarps, Register-Guard blankets and sheets keep out much of the wind and rain, they have no heat source, other than a small As the temperature on Monday plunged to a cookstove and candles. But Alan, an unemployed frigid 12 degrees, Tammi Hilliard counted her screen printer who used to follow the Grateful Dead blessings to be indoors in the cozy, Christmassy on tour, said he'd take chilly temperatures over rain mothers-with-children shelter of the Eugene any day. When the rains come, the ground -rock­ Mission. Meanwhile, her friend, "Alan ," put on a hard on Monday - turns to muck and the carpeted few more layers and hunkered down for another floor turns soggy. "There's no way to keep things night outside. dry," he said. "But you can always put on another Hilliard, 35, had been living out in the brush layer." with Alan and other friends in what she calls "The Should Alan or others like him ever decide Tarp Palace" -an elaborate warren on the outskirts they've had too much , they'll be welcome at the of Eugene filled with rug scraps and furniture Mission, Simmons said. "No one is turned away," he recovered from trash bins. But three weeks ago, said. Even if all 400 beds were full, he said, they'd Hilliard took the pelting rain and a windstorm that haul mattresses out to the floor of the common blew away her tarp as a message from God to get room. The nonprofit mission serves 650 meals a inside. For others , it took the weekend's subfreez­ day, more during cold snaps, he said, and - unlike ing temperatures to persuade them to seek many other missions - offers all-day access to a shelter. The mission saw one of its biggest crowds common room. of the year Monday, as more than 30Q men, St. Vincent de Paul Society also houses the women and children sought refuge from the cold homeless, through its car camping program with the and the possibility of snow. "There's definitely city of Eugene and its Interfaith Shelter Program, more people here than would be on a normal, 40­ which hosts homeless families in churches through degree Oregon day," said John Simmons, mission fall and winter. At its First Place Family Center and spokesman. Eugene Service Station, men, women and children But even under extreme conditions, when the can find donated items and a range of social possibility of hypothermia or even death becomes services. very real, more than a few independent types such Both St. Vincent and the Mission said dona­ as Alan opt to stay where they're most comfort­ tions of blankets, boots , socks, mittens, gloves, able - under bridges, by the river, in the woods. "I haven't set foot in the mission since I came coats and hats are especially welcome in the winter months . "It's always this time of year that people here," said Alan, who asked that his real name not rememberthe homeless," said Jake DuDell, St. be printed. He also asked that the location of his Vincent de Paul's emergency service director. "But encampment not be disclosed - such camping is it's a year-round problem, and it doesn't go away illegal in Eugene, and he already has been ousted after Christmas. It doesn't go away after the cold from a previous camp. weather." John "Mac" McFadden of St. Vincent, who "I've heard good things about it, but I don't is coordinating the program to place vehicle camp­ know - I've got friends in town and my own situa­ ers in city-sanctioned sites, said propane is also tion here." badly needed. "People are freezing their butts off On Monday afternoon, Alan emerged from out there" in school buses, vans and trailers, he one of several individual tents in the tarp-covered said. enclosure to greet Hilliard, who's now working at the mission as a night floor supervisor. He wore sneakers, two pairs of socks, lon·g johns , MORE MINORITIES TO HELP BUllLD CINCINNATI'S STADIUM By Andrea Y Carter, Cincinnati Herald Staff Reporter Hamilton County commissioners released new figures Tuesday [ 1/19/99} regarding the increased participation of minority workers in helping to build the new Bengals stadium. Approximately 25 percent of the labor on the public works project are minority while 7 percent or $16.4 million of $219 million in awarded contracts go to women or minority firms , according to the commissioners. 'We are very pleased with the workforce participation numbers," Hamilton County Commis­ sioner Bob Bedinghaus said. "Quite honestly, we continue to struggle to get much beyond the 7 or 8 percent minority contracting." Bedinghaus believes the limited number of contracts awarded is due to a limited number of minority companies in the construction industry. "We are working with some people in town to see what we can do to address this issue," he said. Bedinghaus noted even if the problem is addressed and new companies come forward they may not be able to participate in building the Reds stadium. Hamilton County's figures so far exceed the goals established in the 1995 agreement with the city, officials said. The agreement established a 15 percent participation of minority and women­ owned companies and a number of minority work hours with the stadium project. 'We have been confident in the approach we 'STADIUM' cont. on Pg. 16 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Third Annual STREETVIBES Empowerment Welfare News Coalition Conference Set For April In "The Cincinnati Enquirer" (Dec. 29, 1998) editorial, the editor paints a picture of how well "welfare reform" is working. The mea­ sure of the s uccess appears to be the caseload reduction numbers and how much money Ohio has saved by not spending it on Ohio'. s poorest families. The editor goes on to report that the success is nationwide, not just for Ohio. He then urges people to pay no attention to advocate­ types who portray a different picture. However, for citizens who have a sense of community responsibility, we should be paying attention to reports from advocate groups. Recently, the National Coalition forthe Homeless and the National Children's Defense Fund re­ leased a preliminary report on their national monitoring project, Welfare to What?. While the report shows that some states are creating innovative programs to assist recipients to find good jobs (and not just any job), the picture the preliminary report shows is dismal. The report states some of the following findings: "Only a small fraction of welfare recipients' new jobs pay above-poverty wages; most of the new jobs pay far below the poverty line." "Extreme poverty is growing more common for children, especially those in female-headed and working families. The number of children living below one-half of the poverty line (or less than $6,401 for a three-person family in 1997) grew by 400,000 between 1995 and 1997. Although this increase was small, it is startling at a time of strong economic growth ... when extreme poverty should have been declining. Extreme child poverty is a more appropriate indicator of welfare impacts than is overall child poverty because most children on welfare are already poor." *"Ma ny families leaving welfare report struggling to get food, shelter, or needed medical care; many are suffering even more hardships than before." "Many families are not getting basic help (such as child care, medical coverage, food, or transportation) that might enable them to sustain work and care for their children on very low wages." "Many families a re denied cash assistance through little or no fault of their own; states often penalize families without assessing their ability to complete required activities." Caseloads have fallen by 64 percent in Ohio since 1992. However, this is a very simplis­ tic way to depict a success if we genuinely care about the lives of human beings, including children. Sanctioned (punished) households are also included in caseload reduction numbers . These families with children are thrown off unwillingly, losing all their cash assistance. Monitoring studies, including the report cited above and a more local monitoring project in Montgomery County, show that oftentimes these sanctions are imposed having nothing to do with whether or not a recipient is willing to work. Until we know that the majority of families are moving into jobs that not only get them off of w elfare but out of pove rty will we truly.be able to say that "welfare reform" is a success. Submitted by Lynn Williams, Over-the-. Rhine The Ohio Empowerment Coalition's third annual statewide welfare conference promises to be the best OEC conference yet. Mark your calendars now to attend April 14th & 15th at the Lenox Inn, Reynoldsburg, Ohio. Day One will be Lobby Day with meetings with our state legislators, and Keynqte speakers & Reception in the evening. Day Two will offer a variety of educational workshops to select from, including Ohio Works First, Recipients' Rights, Sanctions/ Terminations, Child Care, Medicaid, Disability issues, and Education & Job Training. Trainings will include Coalition & Organization Building, Alternative Media, and other informative presentations on leadership/ organizing skills. Cost to attend the Conference is free to low-income individuals; hotel rooms are $55 with potential scholarships. One to four people may share a room. Cost is $25 for non-low-income to attend the Conference plus $55/hotel room. For more information on the Conference and/or to register, call the Contact Center (Katy Heins or Lynn Williams) at {513) 381-4242. MEDICAID: A Necessity For Welfare Transition Ann, who left welfare (including Medicaid coverage) for a job, shared her thoughts about her job versus being on welfare. "I don't know what I'll do if I get really sick and need hospital care. Or how I'll afford even routine screenings. It's so expensive. Fortunately, I've been in good health so far but now I'm getting older. It worries m e what I'll do if a health emergency hits. My job doesn't cover health insurance and I can't afford to pay for it out of my low salary." Approx imately 50% of the low-income working poor !ack health insurance. These numbers could be reduced if Ohio would make changes in conjunction with the Medicaid rule changes brought about by the 1996 federal welfare law. The federal law now permits states to allow low-income individuals to be eligible for Medicaid. The 1996 federal law separated the. link between Medicaid and welfare. States can now allow individuals to apply for Medicaid even if they are not applying for welfare cash assistance . However, in Ohio, this federal policy has not been implemented. We ask, why not? Page 4 In Ohio, Ohio Works First (welfare recipients) are automatically eligible for Medicaid. After they leave welfare for a paid job, they are eligible for one year of Transitional Medicaid, depending on their income level. For the first six months on Transitional Medicaid they are eligible regardless of income level. After six months on, they can remain eligible for another six months of Transitional Medicaid if their income is below 150% of the poverty level. Federal law allows up to 185% of poverty level. After twelve months of transitional Medicaid, former recipients are no longer eligible for Medicaid in Ohio. Considering the three year time limit in Ohio, almost all recipients will lose their Medicaid eligibility. This does not need to happen. Other states are extending the Transitional Medicaid period and allowing low-income working people, both welfare and non-welfare recipients, to be eligible for .Medicaid . Ohio needs to change current policies and seize this golden opportunity to allow more poor & low-income adults to have health insurance. Because federal law has separated eligibility requirements for welfare and Medicaid, it should be easier to get Medicaid . This is one good thing that came out of the 1996 federal law. Also, within the last year, the d iscriminatory policies against two-parent families to get Medicaid were ended. This is another victory at the federal level for welfare & health care advocates & recipients. Because of the federal Medicaid changes, children of low-income parents can now receive health care under CHIPS. In Ohio children can be eligible in households with incomes up to 150% of the poverty line or approximately $20,000 per year for a family of three. Pregnant women are also eligible for Medicaid up to 133% of poverty. Federal Medicaid changes now allow both children and pregnant women to be covered at even higher income levels. However, it's up to the states to accept these changes. It makes more sense to assist people with preventative health care than having them later show up at emergency room doors because they couldn't afford early-stage treatment. Health care should be a basic right for all people, not just the affluent. It is basically an issue of valuing human lives. Information Sources: Families USA Foundation and Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Subscribe to Streetvibes Subscriptions to Streetvibes can be purchased for $12 per year. Please send a check to the below address and the paper will be mailed to you each Month. Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cin cinnati, OH 45210 Please make checks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for t he Homeless--Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 421 ­ 7803. �- . - --··- ----- --- STREETVIBES --~----------~---- -------.._- -------------~ The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine The Broken City... by Jimmy Heath Page s automatic, "Not important." His next question was, "You got a man?" I kept my cool with "You ask too many questions." After t hat he offers his phone number. My retort was, "I'm not interested." Then I turned my head to look him straight in the eyes to make sure he got the message. Finally he got in line to play his number(s) and mumbled something under his breath. Often too many men come at women the wrong way and then wonder why we walk · away or look at you like you're aliens. If she doesn't smile when you approach her, please consider that it might not be her day. Everyone likes a comment or lite flirts but don't wear it out with what, why, where, and how many? Take note when you are told to take a hike. She obviously has good sense enough to know you are not the one, and be on your way, or you may end up licking your wounds later down the road. Thank you. Tony's Story by Susan Knight BLIZZARD OF '99 by Clifford Jones I drove with my Mother, sister, nieces and nephew to Chicago on the 1st of January. The snow fell and kept on coming. With prayer we finally made it to our destination. Once there, we rejoiced and visited with my brother. As time grew late and the snow continued to fall we felt it necessary to return home. 21.6 inches of snow and we're driving around in it. Well as fate would have it the van got stuck. Looked like there was no way out the stress and frustration compounded. But then all of a sudden a homeless man came by and ask if he could help. How did I know he was homeless? During the process of asking about and providing assistance all he said was help the homeless. With his boots and hands he cleared a path for the van to travel, we broke free. Telling this story to some friends they say that was an angel. In a community were no one knew me it was a miracle. This brought to mind, several years ago in my'community on a cold winter day my car would not start. A neighbor noticed my distress came to my rescue so I thought. Once he gave me a jump to start my car he said that would be ten dollars. Well of course I was dumbfounded. That just goes to show you don't need a home to have a heart nor does being homeless diminish yqur care and concern for mankind .. Thank you who ever you are. tearing of fabric. Only yards from where I stood, a woman was being attacked. Should I get involved? I was frightened for my own ·safety, and cursed myself for having suddenly decided to take a new route home that night. What if I became another statistic? Shouldn't I just run to the nearest phone and call the police? Although it seemed an eternity,- the deliberations in my head had taken only seconds, but already the girl's cries were growing weaker. I knew I had to act fast. How could I walk away from this? No, I finally resolved, I could not turn my back on the fate of this unknown woman, even if it meant risking my own life. I am not a brave man, nor am I athletic. I don't know where I found the moral courage and physical strength-but once I had finally resolved to help the girl, I became strangely transformed. I ran behind the bushes and pulled the assailant off the woman. Grappling , we fell to the ground, where we wrestled for a few minutes until the attacker jumped up and escaped. Panting hard, I scrambled upright and approached the girl , who was crouched behind a tree, sobbing. In the darkness, I could barely see her outline, but I could certainly sense her trembling shock. Not wanting to frighten her further, I at first spoke to her from a distance. "It's OK," I said soothingly. "The man ran away. You're safe now." There was a long pause and then I heard the words, uttered in wonder, in amazement. "Dad, is that you?" And then, from behind the tree, stepped my youngest daughter, Katherine. TESTING THE Courage Pays THEORY by Pat Box by Vikki Lynn God has a way of allowing us to be in the right place at the right time. I was walking down a dimly lit street late one evening when I heard muffled screams coming from behind a clump of bushes. Alarmed, I slowed down to listen, and panicked when I realized that what I was hearing were the unmistakable sounds of a struggle: heavy grunting, frantic scuffling, and I would to write to you guys who don't really know how to talk to women properly. What ever happened to the one liners? Like, "It's a lovely day?" Or "Where's that bus at?" Something polite and not personal. The olher day I was in a hair shop getting hair supplies and this guy walks in and starts his rap, "Hey baby, what's your name?" My response was Amidst the noisy urgency of the Drop Inn Center exists, often times between the lines, personalities. Tony Brown sits quietly on the edge, absorbing much of his new surroundings but always apart from the somewhat ·chaotic bustle that overwhelms the Drop Inn Center in the evenings. Originally Tony was confined to a chair because of his bad foot. Now, however, he sits, able to move, but not without pain. So instead, Tony chooses to absorb his surroundings, growing and reflecting upon his new title of homeless and all that now means to him. Tony grew up in Avondale. Like many, Tony did not know what he wanted in life. His mother died when he was 2 and his grandmother, off of a social security check, raised 10 children. Tony never had the opportunity to "know what he wanted from life" because his grandmother became very ill and Tony was not able to stay in school. The state intervened, and Tony was sent to live in Forest Park as a foster child. This was his first taste of the middle class. Tony grew up like many of us. He met his wife through a mutual friend, had a good steady construction job, moved to College Hill, and the next thing he knew, found himself middle class and celebrating 15 years of marriage. Then the work stopped. Tony severely injured his foot in an accident and found himself out of work and physically unable to look for another job. The tensions between him and his wife mounted as Tony began to deal with the realities of the situation and the impending financial crisis. Unable to provide for his wife and her children and unable to work through growing tensions and stresses, Tony and his wife sepqrated. Ashamed, feeling as if he failed, Tony refused to look to family for help. Instead, he has come to Over-the-Rhine and the Drop Inn Center. Until, however, the human spirit dies, a person continues to grow and to learn. And although Tony does not know why fate has left him here, he is still trying to heal his foot and his pride, and is still alive, learning and growing from this experience. He observes a world of addic­ tion, pain ridden and angry, but he is also seeing many men and women who need special atten­ 'Tonys Story• cont. on page 14 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine . THE LIFE WE WORD ON THE LIVE ... STREET Farshid Kamali Arts & Poetry BACK-ALLEY BEGGAR Living in a North Side Chicago hotel ­ $40 a week, lobby TV by the quarter. Social Security Income is a chain tying me to an empty room- to wait - for death, insanity or the first of the month, whichever comes first. So I cram a change of clothes into a pack, sling my $15 guitar over my shoulder and heaq for - some place, where some thing - anything, is moving. I build a tent out of packing plastic on top of the remains of an ancient river wharf..... watch the fresh Lake Michigan tide displace the dirty sludge-muddy Chicago River water. Watch moss grow on the river bank. Make pets out of mud-dauber wasps that come to gather mortar. Summer is fever, for a recluse, a tramp hiding from the tenuous trap of social insecurity. I am too weak to say "howd'ya do" to the lily­ white daytime Loop walkers, 40-hour-a-weekers. They are slaves to dubious corporate occupations. I am a slave to the remnants of respectability that keep me from scrounging food in broad daylight. So I starve in the light, and indulge to excess in evening's shadows. And fever keeps me running ........ ...... t. bi/Iman SOLIDARITY by Denise Crew Speak quietly to our hearts With thoughtful acts and deeds Listen as we sing to you our song Want no more from us than we give Give to us freely without condition that which we are w illing to accept Join in, sing our song of freedom, struggle and woe Stand with us, to d efend the ground where we stand, we do stand strong. Band together, h and in hand to protect this our land. Share with us our labors, in your leisure Come break community bread at the peoples table. ~ We wear this mission upon our brow, but never lightly is its touch The raging waters of struggle, makes for different wading. though the deadly undercurrents threaten our existence We take the leap of faith for love, for tomorrow, for our lives We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints; we spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less. We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts , but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness. We spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too seldom, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom and lie too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life; we've added years to life, not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbo~. We've conquered outer space, but not inner space; we've done larger things, but not better things; we've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; we've split the atom, but not our prejudice; we write more, but learn less; plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait; we have higher incomes; but lower morals; more food, but less appeasement; more acquaintances, but fewer friends; more effort, but less success. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, 'but have less communication; we've become long on quantity, but short on quality. These are the times of fast foods and slow · digestion; tall men and short character; steep profits, and shallow relationships. These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more leisure and less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition. · These are the days of two incomes , but more divorce; of fancier houses, but broken homes. These are the days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw away morality, one­ night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the show window, and nothing in the stockroom. Indeed it's all true. Think about it...read it again. JUDGMENT DAY Page 6 . NAKED HEARTS by Daniel Thompson When my mother Sunbathed on the roof Planes would sometimes Buzz the house On an afternoon At home after her operation She was proud Vacuuming the rug Naked Of her lone breast And her scar Out of her mind In a time of violence (0 forgive me, Mother My brutality) She ran from the trailer Out of the camp Without a stitch on In time To wrestle home The angel of death A tree Or a whole forest May have fallen The night no human woke To hear her dying breath After that My life in pain­ Wounded, aggrieved - Oejavued by love again A breakup Leading to a breakdown To my endless Manic panic· pacing In the empty apartment Suddenly I found my mother In the dark Cave of sorrow And spoke to her Naked heart To naked heart Help Wanted Social Services/Cheinical ependency Program Weekend Monitor (Part Time, II shifts.) needed at by Vampire esidential program for hemical dependent women. Race, sex, and religion; or be it my personal favorite; 'the handicapped.' egin a career in social Let me give you a prime example, ervices or make extra $. a man or woman who has been called to ust be supportive and war, their butt on the line! otivated with High School Some come back, or some just die. Those that have made it back, iploma or equiv., min. one may not look the same, ear relevant experience & an arm, a leg lost to war. river license with auto ins. You look at them and it is all you see. IF YOU WRITE POETRY AND ax resume & letter ASAP to They are the same men and women, and this is how you repay them , WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOUR iz Hughes at 921-2375 or making them handicapped! WORK IN STREETVIBES, CALL ail to FSH, 2118 St. Michael That is just like you. 421-7803 OR FAX US AT 421­ t., Cinti, OH 45204. EOE. I'm sick of all the pointing and taunting. 7813 What a shame, a pity. It is coming, your day of judgment! �- : STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Nationwide PANHANDLER ­ RIGHTS ADVOCATE DIES Copyright <C> 1998 The Register-Guard By JANET FILIPS The Register-Guard A homeless Eugene man who in 1996 won the constitutional right to panhandle along roadways died Saturday in his pickup camper. Rick Aquizap, 46, died while living in a city-sanctioned parking spot at Alton Baker Park. The medical examiner performed an autopsy and ran toxicology tests Monday, said Don Major of Major/Fredericksen Springfield Funeral Home, which is handling the arrangements . The cause of death was not yet known. Aquizap told friends he suffered from leukemia and had been in remission until a few months ago when he began undergoing chemotherapy. He smoked and drank heavily, friends said, and for the past few months often stood at the intersection of Coburg and Belt Line roads to beg. "I think he probably just wanted life to be OK, and it never really was for him," said Tom Musselwhite of Eugene's Homeless Action Coalition. "His life was very much a tragedy." Aquizap will be cremated and his ashes sent to his family in Hampton, N.H. Despite the difficulties of his own life, Aquizap made a lasting mark on homeless rights. He had been in Eugene since at least 1992, and often was at the center of public issues related to Lane County homelessness. His most visible battle began in 1994 over the right to solicit for work and contributions while on roadways - at the time, a violation of an Oregon statute. In 1996, the Oregon Court of Appeals agreed with Aquizap -represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon and attorney Edmund Spinney - that a state law forbidding the solicitation of work or money while on a highway violated freedom of speech as guaranteed in the Oregon Constitution. Spinney, a Eugene criminal defense lawyer who volunteered to represent Aquizap, remembers him well for "his commitment to persevere and do what he felt was right and what he felt was going to help other people in similar situations." Aquizap had been cited in January 1994 at Pioneer Parkway and Q Street in Springfield, where he regularly held a sign that read: "homeless, willing to work for food, gas, money." In November of that year, an Oregon State Police trooper -responding to a complaint about a panhandler - cited Aquizap for displaying a similar sign in the window of his motor home while parked at a rest stop on Interstate 5 in Linn County. Lower courts found him guilty of both violations . The appeals court overturned those convictions. His angry views about society's mistreatment of homeless people were regularly reported in issues of a one-time street newspaper, Houseless Journal, written and produced by a former partner, Bridget Reilly. When news crews covered homeless camping controversies, Aquizap "was the one who was always right there in front of the · camera, quick to let you know if you were homeless, by golly, you'd have a different attitude," Musselwhite said. "And by golly, you probably would." Aquizap, who served in the Army during the Vietnam era, was among the first in Lane County to be registered to vote as a homeless person, said homeless advocate John "Mac" McFadden. McFadden met Aquizap in 1992, during the conflict over homeless people camping on the McKenzie River across from Armitage State Park. "The first time I ever saw Rick, he was standing on a corner holding a sign saying, 'Where are we supposed to go?' I guess he got his answer." Aquizap was born in Kittery, Maine, on Sept. 1, 1952. He told various reporters, friends and his lawyer that he previously lived in Massachusetts and Portland, worked in the shoe industry, had a degree in history and an associate's degree in oceanography and was last employed at Harvard University, where he grossed $1 ,200 a month. He is survived by his parents, Bruce and Patricia Aquizap of Hampton, N.H.; sister Victoria , also of Hampton; and partner Daisy Putnam, of Eugene. A memorial service will be held in New Hampshire. Copyright CO 1998 The Register­ Guard Page 1 Please Support Our Advertisers ANOTHER C L ASS PRODC'CTIO=" Oise-Jockey Service CLIFFORD JONES (513) 761·3464 (513) 230"°353 George E. Ferguson Typin2 Service By Appo intme nt Only 7 East University Ave. Cincinna ti, Ohio 45219 (513) 559-9908 Cfjnj cal Trja] ·{' Schizophrenia / Schizoaffective Disorder The Psychotic Disorders Research Program is currently conducting outpatient clinical trials with an investigational atypical antipsychotic. Persons who have been outpatient for at least two months and have been on a stable dose of an oral antipsychotic for one month or longer may be eligible lo participate. Those who are en­ rolled in the study will receive medication and follow-up at no cost. Please contact Monique at (5 13) 558-6195 for more information. Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority Looking for a place to call home? Subscribe to Streetvi bes Subscripti ons to Streetvibes can be purchased for $12 per year. Please send a check t o the below address and the paper wi ll be mailed to you each issue. Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnat i, OH 4521 O Please make checks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless--Streetvibes. If you have any questions, call 421-7803. Call the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority ... Affordable rent that never exceeds 30°/o of your income ... Many bu!ldings . equipped with security systems ... Units located on buslines and near stores, schools, hospitals, banks Rental units are available in these family and senior communities: Avondale Hopple Street/Fairmount West End Winton Place For more information, call 421-8190 today. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Prisoner's News TO STREETVIBES from D. Hi bro! I just went up in front of the Parole Board again yesterday, and my records were still screwed up! So, the Parole Board gave me another 60 flops to get the records straight. This is the second 60 day flop I've gotten over my records being messed up. I should have been released this week! If my records hadn't been falsified back in November of last year. Now the earliest I can get out is the first week of May - if I'm lucky! I already have more than twice the maximum amount of time called for under my guideline - but they won't let me go. This is just one form of retaliation. Mess up a prisoners records so I can't make parole. Raymond Capots of the Parole Board called the administrative assistant, Ms. Stasha Doty, before I left the building, and determined that my records were wrong! But, instead of correcting my records right there and then and giving me a parole - I have to wait another 60 days! These new parole guidelines don't mean anything - because they aren't going by them. Being a prison activist, I expect retaliation from prison officials and the parole board. But the general public doesn't believe, or doesn't care, that reprisals take place frequently in here. We got the Ohio EPA reports on our drinking water here and discovered that our drinking water has actionable levels of lead and copper in it. Even worse than that, they've been exceeding the maximum contamination levels for coliform for years. Coliform indicates fecal pollution in our drinking water. No wonder none of the guards or staff drink the water here. But, we have .no choice but to drink it. Then when we get sick and go to the hospital we're charged $3.00 for medical treatment. But, since it's the drinking water that's causing the problems t here's very little the medical staff can, or will, do for us. In Struggle. WHAT TYPE OF CORRECTIONAL STAFF DOES DORC EMPLOY? The Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (DORC) is a branch of the state criminal justice system designed to house Ohio prisoners. Yet, one must question what type of correctional staff DORC employs to maintain security at its numerous prisons. The reason I ask this question is because of the continuous abuses and neglects of duties I've witnessed in my time incarcerated at Orient Correctional Institution (OCI), one of the most mismanaged correctional institutions in the State of Ohio. I was recently witness to incidents by correctional staff in the dining hall, behavior that was sexual in nature and in clear violation of the rules forbidding obscene gestures or comments toward another employee. These behaviors and others are a regular occurrence here at OCI. I reported this incident to the Deputy Warden of Operations here at OCI. His response, nearly a month ago, was that he would contact the investigator of the Ohio State Highway Patrol. However, like other ignored incidents of abuse and neglect of duty, an investigation never materialized. So, the Deputy Warden himself, has failed to carry out his duty. Sexual misconduct, though one of the main abuses carried out by correctional staff - others include bringing in drugs, sleeping on the job and allowing security issues to be ignored. Just as recently as October 26th, 1998, a nurse at Frazier Health Care Center located at OCI was charged in the Pickaway County Court with smuggling marijuana into the prison. A similar incident occurred on October 8th , 1998 when a correctional cook was arrested at London Correctional Institution after accepting 20 grams of marijuana and advance payment to smuggle drugs into the prison. These are surely not isolated incidents, and are prevalent within the prisons throughout Ohio, mainly OCI. Since my incarceration here, I've witnessed so much neglect of duty by correctional staff, that it would take forever to write about. The sad part is that it goes unchecked by the DORC's administration. Not only do these incidents of abuse and neglect threaten security at the institution, but it threatens society also. Society entrusts the DORC with maintenance of its correctional institutions, and puts forth billions of dollars in taxes for a system that is in trouble. In struggle, James W. Pryor DEAR STREETVIBES My name is #####. I am currently housed at the fairly new supermax prison in Youngstown (Ohio). And I want to describe an incident that occurred to me last night. Around 9:00 PM, I began to complain about getting the shower that I was told I would receive earlier. Shortly after I had complained to the officers upstairs in the control booth, a 2nd shift Lt. Carter came storming into B-3 pod to go into B-5 pod for me to take a shower (this is not normal procedure). And when I.got over there with Lt. Carter and 5 other guards, instead of being given a shower, he (Carter) began to spray me with his mace container for no reason at all. Furthermore, he then had my two escorts walk me upstairs towards the upper range shower in 8-5 pod, and halfway up the stairs, he then pushed me down the stairs so that I fell on the bottom landing and sustained a cut to the back of my head. (There should be a medical report to indicate this injury). Again , on the floor, I was maced for the second time. And afterwards was taken to the unit strip cell and was made to stand in there with mace in my eyes for around an hour. Then I was taken back to my cell in B-3. I must explain how this incident was not a usual use. of force occurrence. Firstly, the use of mace may be used to subdue a prisoner but truthfully, I offered no resistance to my escorts at no point between walking from 8-3 pod to 8-5 pod . So, in this,case, Lt. Carter spraying me with mace was unjustifiable. Secondly, I know for a fact that under no circumstances whatsoever is an inmate to be pushed down a half-flight of stairs in handcuffs. Lt. Carter did Page a push me and I did fall with an injury. Therefore, his actions constitute making the incident last night very unusual. I've just written a formal complaint to Major Ishee here, and it is pending. I have in mind Jo start a civil action against Lt. Carter for violating my rights. Would you please advise me about the issue after you review this letter? Will my federal complaint stand up in District Court? STREETVIBES PRISONERS NEWS JS THE WRITINGS OF PERSONS INCARCERATED IN OUR NATIONS JAILS AND PRISONS. SEND YOUR COMMEN TS OR QUES TIONS TO STREETVIBES @JUNO.COM Facts What Role does Jail Play in Present Day America? Jails are becoming America's new mental hospitals. Increasing numbers of seriously and chronically mentally ill persons are detained in jail each year. Alarmingly high numbers of severely mentally ill persons are steadily causing our nation's jails to replace public mental hospitals as primary mental health service providers. * Approximately 670,000 mentally ill people· are ad".'itted to US jails each year. * As many as 13% of the individuals arrested each year suffer from severe mental illness, compared to less than 2% in the general population. • In Seattle's King County jail, approximately 8% of the inmate population is severely ·mentally ill, making this correctional facility King County's largest institution for the mentally ill. * Miami's Dade County jails house more mentally ill persons than any single institution or hospital in the county. • Suicide is the leading cause of death in jails. * Over 50% of suicides are committed within the first 24 hours of incarceration; 29% are committed within the first three hours. * Over 95% of those who commit suicide in correctional facilities have a treatable mental illness, 75% communicate their intent in advance, and 30% have made previous attempts. • The rate of suicide among those inmates who have made previous attempts is more than 100 times the rate in the general population . Compliled from Research Brief, The Center on Crimes, Communities and Culture �1 STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS: The ultimate union buster. Why should unions work to close the SOA? The U. S. Army School of the Americas (SOA) , located at Fort Benning, Georgia, is a combat training school for Latin American soldiers. In its 50 year history, the SOA has trained 60,000 Latin American troops in commando tactics , military intelligence, psychological operations, and sniper fire. These soldiers are taught to make war against their own people. They have massacred entire villages of women, men, and children. SOA graduates target grassroots leaders for assassination, torture, rape and intimidation - especially religious workers, student organizers, and local union leaders. The School's unstated mission is to silence leaders who organize for the rights of working people and the poor. Our tax dollars train Latin American union busters at the SOA. Union members in the U. S. know that an attack on workers anywhere is an attack on the rights of workers everywhere. U.S. workers must speak out and join in solidarity with those trying to close this ~nti-uni on, anti-Ameri~an institution. SOA "Muscle" enforces NAFTA in Mexico Workers on both sides of the border know that NAFTA is anti-labor. NAFTA puts U. S. jobs in jeopardy and guts the bargaining power of both Latin American and U.S. workers. When transnational companies can hire Latin American workers for shamefully low wages and get away with inhuman shop conditions, U.S. plants close to chase higher profits in the South. Workers in the U.S. and Latin America suffer. Hours after NAFTA went into effect, Mexican indigenous workers rise up to say "NO!" and they have paid a dear price for their opposition. The Mexican military moved in immediately with troops, !ielicopters, and artillery. At least 13 of the high level officers who planned the repression campaign trained at the School of the Americas. The elite few in the Mexico and the U. S. who benefit from NAFTA acted quickly to bolster the military "muscle" to silence the opposition. Shortly after the initial uprising, Mexican soldiers began to pour into the School of the Americas for training. Mexico now sends more soldiers to the SOA than any other country. Page 9 SOA Training Manuals Advocated Targeting Those Who ... Report: "Nunca Mas" ("Never Again'') • "do union organizing or recruiting" • pass out "propaganda in favor of the interests of the workers" • "sympathize with demonstrations or strikes" • "make accusations that the government has failed ...to meet the basic needs of the people" This 1998 report from the Archdiocese of Guatemala chronicles the violence during the 36 years of civil war. Numerous military officials cited in the report were SOA graduates. For example: * 3 directors of the notorious 0 -2 intelligence agency • 2 of 3 cited for the murder of, Myrna Mack • 3 officers cited for cover-up of Michael Devine murder Columbia: A Case Study of SOA Terror Tactics against Unions Consistently, the countries in Latin America with the worst human rights violations against labor leaders and others have received the most SOA training. Columbia, for example, has sent over 10,000 military personnel to train at the School of the Americas - more than any other single country. Tragically, the training has worked. Colombian SOA grads have left a trail of blood and suffering in their home country, and union members have been a prime target. In the early 1990's, one Colombian trade unionist was killed every other day. 180 a year. By 1996, the number increased to 253. Of every 10 trade unionists killed in the world in recent years, 4 were from Columbia. SOA grads are trained to help lead the campaign of terror intimidation against union members. SOA Graduates Cited in United Nations Truth Commission Report The UN Truth Commission Report on El Salvador, released March 15, 1993, cited over . 60 Salvadoran officers for the worst atrocities during that countries brutal civil war. Over two thirds of those named were alumni of the U. S. School of the Americas. For example: • 3 of 3 cited for the murder of union leaders • 2 of 3 cited for the assassination of Archbishop Romero • 10 of 12 cited for the El Mozote massacre of 900 villagers • 19 of 26 cited for the massacre of 6 Jesuit priests 'T his institution costs millions of dollars a year 2nd identifies us with tyranny and oppression." -Rep. Joseph Kennedy (MA) According to recent Pentagon figures, the SOA costs U. S. taxpayers almost $20 million a year. "The money spent on the SOA could be put to much better use in programs that support working people." -Basil "Buzz" Hargrove, President, Canadian Auto Workers "For 50 years the school has participated in the training of foreign despots and mercenaries operating well outside the bounds of freedom, democracy and decency." -Veterans for Peace, National Convention Resolution "...the SOA n,ms contrary to the very principles of humari rights and democracy for which our nation's veterans have sacrificed ..." -Veterans of Foreign Wars, Santa Cruz chapter, Resolution to Close the SOA "Be it resolved that the 40th Constitutional Convention of the Minnesota AFL-CIO go on record to join with others to call the close of the U. S. Army School of the Americas ." -submitted by UAW MN State CAP Council, passed 1997 'The School of the Americas is a cold war dinosaur and should be closed." -Maj. Joseph Blair, U. S. Army, Ret., former SOA instructor Unions are· "Enemy" targets In 1996, the Pentagon was forced to release training manuals used at the SOA up until 1991. These manuals advocated interrogation techniques such as torture, execution, blackmail , and arresting the relatives of those being questioned. Lab9r organizers were one of the groups singled out in these groups. ''!need you to look depressed Imagin e you \rorked in the sweatshop that 1\!!ADE those clot/res." �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine 11 STREETVIBES •Kudos to the Editorials & Coalition Letters Oonald, Dear STREETVIBES "Unacceptable Racism " My name is Shana Owens and I was compelled to write you all. You see, the article on page 10, "Unacceptable Racism" really hit home deep in my heart. You would think in 1998-99 th e world would. now be over that racism bullcrap, but as we all see, hatred seems to have a way of rearing its ugly face over and over again. As a human it really hurts to think someone could be so cruel as to attack another human, I will never understand. We sometimes forget that on Judgment Day the Good Lord will see no color, only our earthly deeds. I pray that he will see me as one of his children and not judge me by my color, but by my deeds. If we all live as Christ and learned to love one another by our ways and deeds, not by our color, then we would all be much happier. Sincerely, Shanna Owens I just read Bill's copy of Homefront newsletter (I snatched it from the trash). Just wanted you to know how much I admire and appreciate the work that you are doing. I was amazed to see all that GCCH is doing! Of course, I was most moved that you continued to have a critical, authentic voice about economic and social justice. On those dark days, please know that I send out my spirit and warm wishes to you to uplift and comfort. Keep keeping on! Mac and buddy look down and smile (I know that some days they smile on me, too). Page 10 At that time, my undocumented Mexican migrant worker siblings brought to my home our Black brothers and sisters they found in the streets in Dayton, Ohio, to celebrate the holiday of Our Lady of Guadalupe, our common mother. And walking back to Africa this year, our every step was a prayer for our own liberation that will only come when Leonard Peltier, the Puerto Rican prisoners of conscience and Mumia Abu Jamal are set free. Please read Peltier's statement, and send it to all your friends. Let the world know that both of them , Peltier and Jamal, as all the prisoners of conscience in the jails this empire and its allies have, are at the center and the very reason for our own small struggles, no matter how dissimilar or contradictory the causes may appear. Hasta la victoria! Pio. Celestino In awe, Barb STREETVIBES Dear FRIENDS 'Opens Eyes• Talking with some of you we concluded that we can not say we stand for justic~ if we do not join our cry and our actions to actively protest and refuse to accept the fact that the best of our people are either in jail for crimes they did not commit, or, worse yet, they are set to be killed for simply refusing to be mockeries of themselves. It is with a great sense of responsibility that I ask you to read the following statement that Leonard Peltier, the unjustly jailed son of our lands, writes on behalf of Mumia Abu-Jamal, the Black poet who is to die for refusing to be the ideal "little N@#$&*#" this system expects all of us to be. Praying in front of the Marion, Illinois prison, where this government had Leonard Peltier, many years ago, I met some of you. I just finished reading the January 1999 edition of Streetvibes. Thank you for such thorough and high quality writing in each and every edition. Streetvibes makes an effort to cover many of the issues that have an effect on, and in turn, are effected by homelessness. There are no easy answ~rs to resolving any of the issues covered by Streetvibes, but by writing about and hopefully opening peoples eyes to issues that are often hidden, such as prison labor, more people will ·have the information they need to remove the blinders we all wear to the injustice around us. Thank you, Michael Flood t> Months ~ . . later: ,.. ·­· . \ Lost ff'i"( Job~ ,I I �STREElVIBES, The Tri-State's - . l.. 4.r - }; ">' '. ,~'.. STREETVIBES~" Etcetera ... DOES SPEAKING O.U TEVER WORK? by Mary Ann Lederer On Monday, January 4, 1998, Sonny Williams was watching the Channel 5 evening news. A man, Isaac Miller, had frozen to death in the hallway of an apartment building on Race Street. The Channel 5 News team was broadcasting f rom the Over-the-Rhine Community Center, a heat center which provides shelter in freezing weather to people whose furnaces are broken or where power lines are down or for those just needing shelter and warmth . Sonny noticed, from the broadcast , that people in the Over-the-Rhine Center were sleeping on the floor. Appalled by these conditions, Sonny began his own campaign to obtain cots for the heat centers. The following morning, Tuesday, Sonny called WCIN radio, Lincoln Ware's show, and put out a plea for citizens to call the city council representatives and request cots for the heat centers. On Wednesday morning Sonny went to council person Minette Cooper's office and spoke with her aide , Andrea Johnson. She said she would see what she could do. Sonny continued lobbying on WCIN WORDS FROM THE EVANGELIST... ACJmet~ss Grapevine throughout the week. On Thursday morning Sonny visited council member Paul Booth's office and spoke with his aide, Diana ·Fry. According to Diana Fry, she made a number of phone calls to try to get cots for the centers. Then Sonny went to Tyrone Yates' office and spoke with his aide, Samantha Herd. On Friday, he visited Charles Winburn's office and spoke with his aide about the matter. Sonny Williams also called the Cincinnati Recreation Commission and the Cincinnati Health Department. On Monday morning Sonny phoned the new heat center at the McKie Recreation Center in Northside. Sometime between Friday and Monday morning 50 cots had been delivered. Then Sonny called the Over-the Rhine Community Center. Again, 50 cots ha~ been delivered there also. Now people seeking warmth and shelter no longer have to sleep on the floor.. Thanks Sonny for making a difference. Page 11 Scramble by Ron Carter Try to unscramble these related words: (Names of GCCH Members) NKTONISH FILDFROC EITHWEDAH EBRUK SIENH NOJSE TEHAH ERNIUMEE RAMWCIKE SN HJ ONO Answers o n page 15. Notice $300 in Gift Certificates will be paid to mothers with children, ages 6 to 8, to participate in a National Study. -Mothers must be currently in Treatment for Substance abuse or have completed treatment within the past 12 months. Sonny Williams And I, Pastor/Evangelist Rodney L. Sutton, Sr. will close on February 3, 1999 at 7:00PM. This will be an event you will not want to miss, because·God is doing great work and He has a special blessing for all who will attend this Winter Revival; which will be held in South Cumminsville at 1810 Powers Street. REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED . It is now the year of our Lord 1999 and _ _ _ _Yo11 will have the opportunity to hear the who knows, but our Lord when He shall return. life changing word of God from several anointed Yet we are exhorted to watch and be ready ones, and praise and worship from the Whole (Matt. 24:42). Lite Choir and some special selections from In the 24th Chapter of the Gospel of Jane Woods of the House of Joy, and other Matthew we are given answers by Christ musical guests; plus you will have the Himself about the signs of the end of the age opportunity to learn more about Helping Hands and tlie sign of His coming. Outreach Mission Ministries social service I bring this to your attention because there programs. So come on out and fellowship. is a spiritual awakening taking place in HHOMM is sponsoring a Sweetheart Cincinnati and throughout the whole world. If Bowling event on February 6, 1999 at 3:00PM. you are a child of Go I'm sure you have noticed This event will be held at Delfair Lanes at a cost this spiritual awakening among the Brothers and of $7.00 per person. If you are interested in Sisters in your church body. coming out and fellowshipping, call Elder It is because of this spiritual awakening Leonard Williams, Jr. (542-6837) for details. that Helping Hands Outreach Ministries is HHOMM is still receiving donations for our hosting a "Winter Revival" titled "Preparing for food pantry and other outreach ministries the Millennium." The revival will begin on (clothing, furnishings, etc.) Please mail Sunday, January 31 , 1999 at 4:00PM with monetary contributions to 1810 Powers Street, Brother Jim Nune, and his wife Prophetess Cincinnati, 45233, and call 681-2400 for delivery Sandy Nune from Bowling Green, Kentucky. or pick-up of other donations. On Monday, February 1, 1999 at 7:00PM I look forward to seeing you at the Winter we will have Evangelist Cordelia Nowell of Revival. In His Service, Rodney L. Sutton, Whole Life Church of Christ. Sr. '-----~---- · CALL GLAD HOUSE FOR MORE INFORMATION 641­ 5530 or 636-591 7 Subscribe to STREETVIBES! For only $12 per year you can have STREETVIBES delivered to your home every month. National and Local Stories on Issues regarding homelessness and the poor. News, Information, Personal Stories and more, written every month by homeless and formerly homeless persons... Send Check or Money Order for $12 to: Streetvibes C/O Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 4521 O ------ �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 12 BUDDY'S PLACE: A PERMANENT SOLUTION TO HOMELESSNESS IN CINCINNATI ... Submitted by ReSTOC, a low­ income housing co-op in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine community It is one of the first of its kind, if not the first. buddy's place - 20 units of permanent housing for homeless individuals is serving as a national model in the effort to address the causes of homelessness and not just its ramifications. buddy gray was always known for his innovation and for his tireless commitment to ending homelessness. He was one of the founders of ReSTOC and the Drop Inn Center and was nationally recognized as a voice for low-income and the homeless. Now, over two years after his death, 1300 Vine Street, in Cincinnati's Over-the­ Rhine neighborhood, is being given new life. buddy's place was slated for demolition in the late 80's, having been vacant and ne­ glected for over a decade. With city shelters already at capacity and low-income housing in Over-the-Rhine being destroyed at alarm­ ing rates, buddy realized the potential of this "old building''. Amidst the decay, the burnt walls and missing floors, he saw housing that was safe, decent and affordable. The principle of ReSTOC is that housing is a human right, not a privilege. Many people work at day labor jobs at minimum wage or less. They cannot afford market rate hous­ ing. And so buddy's place, 1300 Vine Street, will stand as an opportunity for men and women to take control over their lives and experience a sense of freedom and self that life on the streets strips you of. It has taken many donors - individuals, public and private - and hours upon hours of volunteer labor, but buddy's place is nearing completion. It will be 20 furnished single room occupancy apartments. There will be an elevator, community room, tenant court­ yard, parking and a roof deck. The first 1O apartments are completed and applicants are being interviewed. The final 10 will be completed this month. Exterior improve­ ments will be completed in the spring. In order to complete these final improvements, we still need to raise $10,000. The "Buy a Brick for buddy's place" campaign will help us reach this goal. A brick can be pur­ chased for $50. Individuals or groups who "Buy a Brick" will have their names painted on a brick in a permanent mural on the side of the building at buddy's place. The obstacles seem insurmountable at times, the numbers of homeless grow every year and housing is continually being lost to demolition and gentrification. Life, however in Over-the-Rhine continues to thrive and continues to build community. buddy's spirit and outspoken voice lay in the completion of the buddy's place project as it represents, like virtually no other community in this country can offer, a solution to ending homelessness. *Individuals interested in applying for housing at buddy's place may contact ReSTOC at 381-0954. buddy's place, at 1300 Vine Street nears completion Photo by Jimmy Heath res t oe buy a brick ·~ tor budd 's lace ,:. b uddy's place is a community effort to help alleviate the tragedy of homelessness. We invite you to take part in this community effort and provide housing to our sisters and brothers who are homeless. Thank you for your on-going support. RESTOC 114. W. 14th Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45210 • 513-381-0954 -··- - - - -•-•u.•-••-.-••-•••••--•••o•H-•-·--·-•••••••••-••••••••••••-·•••--••••---""'-·-·•••.--...-0...0...•••·•••••••••-•-•••-••••••oo•••..••••--•.o••-•••,.••••••••-•••-••••----•-••-•·•-•-••••-•-•---•-•­ - \ yeS \ .J 7 I \ we would like to buy_ brick(s) to support the construction of buddy's place gr' .......................................................................................... name ·········································i>f-ian·e················································· ···························sc'fioo1·c;·;·c;;·9aiiii"iiili:iii··································· amount enclosed ($50 per brick) .................. please m ake checks payable to RESTOC. In the space below. please Indicate name you would like painted on brick �STREETVIBES I The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine News From. Cleveland's Grapevine Cleveland Vendor Profile: Marguerite Perdue By Staff of Grape vine, Cleveland's Street Newspaper - Page 13 Homeless Grapevine vendor Marguerite Perdue has a message for Cleveland. She wants you to know that there is an urgent need to increase the housing options specifically for single women who are struggling to make the transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency. Growing up in Cleveland, Marguerite had "a pretty good child life." She was adopted into a loving family when she was five months old, and has younger brother. Marguerite went to area schools, went to community college for three years , and became a Certified Nurses Assistant and a Home Health Aide. She has two grown sons and a grandson. Although, her father was killed in an accident at the PepsiCola Bottling Company when she was eight, Marguerite is proud that her family was never on Welfare. She has never lived in low-income housing, has always had her own house, own apartment, own car. About ten years ago, Marguerite lost her Nurses Assistant license, and began attending school and working at factory jobs through some of the area temporary employment agencies, while waiting to become eligible for recertification in 2000. She was self-sufficient, living at the Jay Hotel where she was renting her own room which she obtained with the help of a social worker at the Salvation Army and either AEA or CEOGC . And then everything fell apart. Marguerite became homeless about a year and a half ago. On a day that her rent was due, she called the landlord to let him know that she was at work and that she would pay him at the end of the day when she got home from work. But when she arrived back at the hotel, she found a lock placed on her door. Paying $35 rent for the day (because the room could have been rented that day) , a $15 fee for packing up her possessions, and a $1.50/day storage fee was more than she cou ld manage, so she left and the landlord kept her possessions. "I don't understand how [the landlord] took all my stuff like that. The Jay is really not a bad place. It's the best place there is, but I had just got everything together. He knew I was working." Marguerit e moved back in with her mother until her mother got sick and was unable to walk, which made it necessary to let a cousin buy the family's house. Marguerite's mother went into a nursing home, her brother moved to Detroit, and Marguerite moved to Akron, where she stayed at the Haven of Rest Center shelter. She was able to make arrangements to move into an apartment for single women next door to the Haven of Rest, but shortly before she was to move in, her mother went into respiratory failure. Marguerite immediately came back to Cleveland to be with her mother. "Since my cousin got the house, ever since I came back here from Akron, I've been homeless. I mean, I called all the shelters. There's nothing for a single woman. No where. nothing, ever. No rooms. No nothing. and that's basically the way it is" Marguerite has explored most of the . housing options avaihl:>le to her. She has b"'en ui · der to get shP 11 to three Oh1c now 11 is imperative 1or Marguerite to sta} , 1 Cleveland; she needs to be near her mother at the nursing home. Marguerite is afraid that away unless she is living close enough to the nursing home to stop in every day, she won't be contacted immediately if her mother passes. Because she committed a felony some years ago, CMHA housing is not an option. An outreach worker found Marguerite a room at a three-quarter-way house run by the Community Reentry program (prison reform) but, although the rent was only $125/month, she didn't feel that it was appropriate for her to have to follow the mandatory regulations and programs designed for the rest of the residents who were recently released from prison, on parole or on probation. Marguerite also tried getting a room at a hotel on Detroit and West 65th street. She went to the hotel one Thursday with $85 for rent in hand only to learn that the weekly rental cycle went from Saturday to Saturday, and she would have lo pay $35/day for the two extra days. After having walked all the way carrying all her bags she was discouraged and left, realizing too late that she could have paid for the week and then spent Thursday and Friday nights in the womens' shelter. It is difficult to get into the hotel, and having the money at the right time is hard for Marguerite. Finding trustworthy roommates to share housing expenses in rented situations has been difficult, also. Twice Marguerite has lost apartments because roommates didn't work out and the expense was more than Marguerite could manage on her own. Last summer, Marguerite went through a 30-day program for drug rehabilitation at the Hitchcock Center for Women. A week before coming out, Marguerite was promised housing at Transitional Housing, Inc., but two days before she was released, she was told there was no space available. She made an arrangement to room with another woman who had been in the treatment program with her, but that didn't work out either. At that point, Marguerite began staying at Project HEAT site C, the womens' emergency shelter at the First Methodist Church, (East 30th at Euclid) . When she has the money, she also has paid a couple of friends $10 or $15 dollars to sleep at their places for a night. Marguerite believes that if she had dependent children, finding housing would be possible. "Women with children , they've got it made," she says. "But I'm not going to have kids just to get someplace to live.". She also observes that too many people are no longer able to cope with societal pressures. "Half the population is taking psyche meds because they can't cope with life. You just have to cope. That's all." Marguerite refuses to let that happen to her, even though she admits that she has considered giving up and signing herself into a psych ward just to have a place to live and convenient meals. Lately, Marguerite has been selling the Homeless Grapevine, and working for $6.50/hr as a machine operator at a factory in Strongsville-a job that she got through MinuteMan. Work there has been slow, however, because of the holidays and the recent bout of inclement weather. Although her training is for the health care industry, Marguerite can do any kind of factory work. She can drive a tow motor and weld, or do any kind of assembly work. But what she likes to do is the nursing. 'Without a permanent residence," she points out, "how can you find a permanent position? I can get a job, but I need a place where I can take a shower. You can't, being homeless, deal with all that and be expected to get up and go to work everyday." Marguerite hopes to find her way out of this Catch-22 by landing a live-in position as a e close recently, but home health aide. She c lost the opportunity bee, 1se she didn't have I enough money for the required uniforms, shoes and a stethoscope. "If I could just find a room for myself­ an efficiency- I do not make enough money. Mostly, the landlords want first month's rent and a deposit. I can't come up with that. I have to eat every day to survive. Wash my clothes. There's no way I could do it." "They should open up something, a rooming house for women just like they do for men, you know what I mean? Because it's really hard. A single woman can't get a place to live." Marguerite would like to see someone open up a house , rooming house or boarding house for women. Even a three-quarter way house like the Community Re-entry ones would be of help, but one without the mandatory rules and restrictions that are necessary for the residents in those situations who are making the transition from prison to lite in the community. "The housing-that's the main thing," Marguerite insists. "Somebody needs to-not needs to, but it would be appreciated if somebody could try to come up with some kind of solution that would help single women. The single men have everything. They've got VOA, they've got St. Herman's ... there is no place that is suitable for single females." 'Community Voice Mail' Awarded Murphy Family Foundation Grant By Todd Neumann at NEOCH, (Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, Cleveland) (216)241­ 1104. Cleveland Community Voice Mail was awarded a grant by The Murphy Family Founda­ tion to support the introduction of a Community Voice Mail System in Cleveland. Community Voice Mail(CVM) is an innova­ tive concept designed to assist the homeless, jobless, domestically abused, and other at risk clients in facilitat ing improvements in their lives. The premise is simple. People can not find housing or jobs without a number where they can be reached. Community Voice Mail gives them that. CVM contributes to the self-esteem of its users by taking away the stigma of their homelessness or phonelessness. Community Voice Mail empowers people by giving clients control over retrieving messages, allowing them to stay on top of their job or apartment hunt. Community Voice Mail (CVM) was pio· neered by the national non-profit, Community Technology Institute (CTI) . The organization was founded in 1991 when it set up its first CVM system in Seattle, WA. Since then the non-profit has been honored with the "Innovations in State and Local Government Award' by Harvard's Kennedy School of Govt. & The Ford Foundation. The Coalition through the work of AmeriCorps"VISTA's organized 19 local social service agencies to participate in Cleveland's Community Voice Mail System. The goal is to be operational by the end of summer 1999. �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 14 Martha's Woodshop Provides Income and Pride for CTR Community By Dave Die tz Combining the ideals of environmental sustainability and social justice is a challenging task. The Buckeye Forest Council is working toward this goal through our 100% recycled wood craftshop. If someone asked me, "What are the most important things Over-The-Rhine needs?" high on my list, along with housing and shelter, would be a dignified source of income for current residents in the community. Martha's Woodshop is accomplishing this goal we employ a technical director and two apprentices. Even the small amount of money our shop provides has an impact on the lives of people who are meeting the basic needs of a roof over their heads and food on the table. Martha'.s Woodshop is in this way a homeless prevention program. The job helps maintain a sense of dignity and a source of income. We have been blessed with a technical director who is an artistic genius. Victor Siffel learned wood carving from his father while growing up in the Over-The-Rhine 'Tony·'s S~ory• from page 5 ... tion, who are mentally and physically challenged. His stereotypes about the label of homelessness that he now bears the burden of, are being broken. But still, he worries about what people will think of him. What if somebody recognizes him, standing in a soup line, or worse still, will people think differently of him, when he does finally leave here and they know of his past. Tony struggles with such thoughts on a daily basis, as the day he can work comes closer and closer. He says, however, he will not forget the Drop Inn Center or its residents although you can see he has difficulty reconciling this time in his life. Tony is not alone. .....•·· Working in Martha's Wood Shop... and West End area. Mr. Siffel currently works as a free-lance artist doing sculpture and historic restoration work for many individuals and busi­ nesses including The Wooden Nickel. Victor is involved with our program because he sees the urgent need for forest protection when he thinks of his children and their future. He also sees the · shop as an opportunity to pass along his skills as a wood carver to future generations. Martha's Woodshop is at an exciting phase of development. Our apprentices have been learning carving skills for a few months and we have been selling our crafts since August. Christmas was a busy time and we all worked extra hours to get the orders out. Now we are in the process of reaching out to the greater Cincin­ nati community with our line of 100% recycled Photo by Dave Dietz wood crafts. If you enjoy beautifully carved wooden crafts and jewelry or are part of a busi­ ness that would be interested in carrying our line don't hesitate to contact us. We have a flyer with photos and prices of our craft line. We can also custom create any type of wooden object that you describe. Contact us by mail or telephone and we will send you a flyer and any other inforn:iation you need. Thanks for you support! Buckeye Fo rest Council 1542 Elm St. Cin. Oh. 45210 Attn: Wood Crafts Ph. # (513) 665-4900 Steve or Dave OVER-THE-RHINE COMMUNITY ---­ COUNCIL T-SHIRTS FOR SALE!!! Be Proud to be a Member of the Over-the­ Rhine Community Council. T-shirts are in Large Size; Colors Available P urple or Burgundy Cost: ORCC Member $4 Resident, non-ORCC Member $5 Others $10 Call 381-2956 or 381-4242 for information 'Demo' from page 1 ... run-down or dismal - the major impetus for the awarding pf the Hope VI Grant. This is why we must be ready as a commu­ nity. Ms. Bacon needs to be reminded that homelessness in our community is unacceptable. We know that the Hope VI Plan would add to the homeless problem in our city. And to add to the irony, with the loss of 1300 units of low-income housing, where is the so-called economic mix? So pleasP keep your ear to the street ahd be ready to stand for the p eople in this city when Ms. Bacon returns. on where T-shirts are sold. You can also purchase them at the monthly ORCC meeting. OVER-THE-RHINE COMMUNITY COUNCIL The creative design is by Jimmy Heath �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES Announcements Live Studio Audience Wanted STREETVIBES TV SHOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE A PART OF OUR LIVE STUDIO AUDIENCE? SHOW IS LIVE ON STREETVIBES Classified Ads Streetvibes is now accepting Classified Ads for items such as Help Wanted, Items for Sale, Apartments for Rent and other non-personal items. The rate is only $1 per line, approxi.mately four words per line. Classified ads are due by the 20th of the month. ­ People below the poverty level will be allowed five free lines for six m_onths to advertise their skills or products to our readers. Otherwise, payment must be received before the ad will run. No refunds will be made. Also, if there is an error, notify us after the first printing. You will be given an extra month of ad time. Mail the ad copy to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati , OH 45210 or fax it to 421-7813 THE SECOND MONDAY OF EACH MONTH AND IS BROADCAST FROM THE STUDIOS OF CINCINNATI COMMUNITY VIDEO, 2114 READING ROAD, FROM 7 TO BPM. STREETVIBES TV COVERS NEWS ON POVERTY, HOMELESSNESS AND RELATED ISSUES. CALL US AT THE GREATER CINCINNATI COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS FOR MORE INFORMATION-421-7803 music Band Looking for Work Streetvibes (the band). We like to party. R&B. O ldies, Blues/ Jazz, Reggae. Helping the homeless to help themselves through free enterprize. Call 421·7803. Dwight Wise 1. Streetvibes will be distributed for a $1 voluntary donation. I agree not to ask for donations more than $1. I also understand that I will be able to keep 80 cents of each dollar collected. Future issues of Streetvibes will be purchased from the Homeless Coalition for 20 cents. 2. I agree that I will never distribute Streetvibes while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 3. I agree that I will not ask for donations after 12 midnight. 4. I agree to treat others with respect. I will not use abusive language or force someone to give a donation. I will not give a "hard sell" or make someone feel threatened. - jI Scramble Answers from page 11 ... • Jones Heath Neumeier Wickrema Johnson HVAC Technician for hire. 24 Service! Call 751-3182. Thank You! ••••••••••••••••••••••••• • • STREETVIBES provides Classified Ads free to low income job seekers. Others may place ads for only $ 1 per line. Call 421-7803 for info. Support Your Local Vendor... Tell A Friend About Streetvibes Radio Hour On WAIF 88.3 fm The Homeless Coalition has a live radio program which can be heard on WAIF radio on the second Saturday of each month at -noon. The show is co-hosted by Mary Burke, Donald Whitehead and other monthly guest hosts. The show mixes talk focusing on the stories in this paper and eclectic musical selections. Here are the next show dates; WAIF 88.3 fm Satutday, March 13th, 1~99, noon to 1 pm Streetvibes! Advertise in Streetvibes! Streetvibes Vendor Code. of Conduct Each vendor has to sign the following code to be able to sell the paper. 1s In Memory of "Mac" Who Believed In Human Rights For Everyone & Who Founded Justice Watch ... Because 'Everyone' includes Prisoners and Former Prisoners. Hinkston Clifford Whitehead Burke Heins position wanted Page 5. I agree that I will not supply oopies of Streetvibes to persons who are not registered distributors. 6. I agree not to deceive the public by saying that I am collecting for a not-for-profit charity dr that I am collecting for the "homeless" in general. I will be honest in stating that all the profits from the sale of Streetvibes will go to the individual vendor. 7. I agree that I will not contest territories with other distributors. 8. I understand that Streetvibes strives to be a self supporting paper created by people who are homeless or formerly homeless. To help in this effort, I will try to spread the word and write stories if possible. 9. I understand that the failure to comply with any of the above statements will result in me no longer being able to distribute Streetvibes. ' . Advertising in Streetvibes is a chance for businesses to help a good cause while promoting themselves to over 5,000 concerned people each month. The rates are shown below. ***Business Card Size 2 11 x 3 1/2 11 $1 O per month ***Two Business Card Size 4 11 x 3 1/2 11 $20 per month A check or money order must accompany the ad copy. We reserve the right to deny any ad, especially those which promote alcohol or tobacco products. You will receive a full refund should your ad be denied. For larger ads, call the number below. Ads are due by the 20th of each month. If you need assistance in preparing your ad or have any other questions, call the Homeless Coalition at 421-7803. Mail ads with payment to: Streetvibes 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati , OH 45210 .. �f_ f STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine 'STADIUM' cont. from page 3 ... .... had taken from the beginning," Bedinghaus said. The commissioners' approach incurred the wrath of ,many city and community leaders when they decided not to meet the 25 percent goal because of a court ruling that struck down minority set-aside programs. Bedinghaus said the commissioners' strategy included meeting with people who would work constructively toward a better situation. He explained that he continu­ ally meets with Or. Milton Hinton, president of the Cincinnati branch of the NAACP, and Jonathan Holified, first vice president of the NAACP, to discuss the stadium issue. The commissioners' also created a new position to assist minority and women-owned business participation on the stadium projects. Jonathan Railey, on loan from Cinergy, who served in that capacity, left the position last week. Reprinted by permission by the Cincin­ nati Herald. STREETVIBES, Streetvibes TV TV Schedule The Streetvibes TV Show is produced at the facilities of Cincinnati Community Video, 21 14 Reading Road. If you would like to be a part of our live studio audience please call the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at 421 -7803 for more information. Streetvibes TV MARCH Schedule March's Live TV show will begin at 7PM, Monday, March 8th, and will be broadcast from the Reading Road Studio. The new show format includes a studio audience along with a guest panel discussion. Channel 7 LIVE CALL-IN SHOW. March 8th at 7PM. Rebroadcast Dates for Show on Channel 10: Saturday, March 6, 1999, 4 PM Friday, March 12, 1999, 11 am Friday, March 19, 1999, 11 AM Monday, March 22,1999, 10 PM Saturday, March 27, 1999, 4 PM Broadcast schedules are subject to change - consult your local TV directory. l Page 16 Vendor: SQ cents Printing and Production: 20 cents Where Your Dollar Goes Streetvibes has a minimal overhead cost so that the vendors can keep as much of the proceeds.as possible. · If anyone selling Streetvibes claims to be collecting for a private charity, please call our office at 421­ 7803. Thanks for your support. If you have any ideas for future STREETVIBES TV shows please contact our office at 421-7803. We always enjoy hearing from our viewing audience. Ideas should address subjects related to homelessness and poverty in our city. We are always interested in viewer ideas, so please give us a call... Streetvibes Wish List Streetvibes is published monthly on a shoe­ string budget. We depend heavily on the goodwill of many volunteers and donors. If you can help out with some of the items on our wish list please give us a call. .. >35 MM Film for Streetvibes photo's >Laser Printer >Advertisers to help support the paper > Good used or new Photo Copier >Office Supplies >Supplies for Vendors Lounge (coffee, cups, etc.) ;:-Computer for Streetvibes layout and writing >·Subscribers Call the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at 421-7803 if you can help! • Need Help or Want to Help? If for some reason you find yourself homeless, contact a Coalition Member Agency for Shelter, Treatment, Housing or Services. If you have any questions, feel free to call the Homeless Coalition at 421-7803. SHELTERS: Women and Children 241-2757 Alice Paul House (abuse) 281-5770 YWCA Transitional Living Prog. 557-2873 Bethany House 762-5660 Salvation Army 431~8717 Welcome House SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission Garden Street House Joseph House (veterans) St. Francis- St. Joseph House Mt. Airy Center Volunteers of America 241-5525 241-0490 241-2965 381 -4941 661-4620 381-1954 SHELTER : Both Caracole (AIDS) Chabad House Drop Inn Center (singles) Friars Club Haven House (Hamilton) Interfaith Hospitality Network 761-1480 821-5100 721-0643 381-5432 863-8866 244·7226 Lighthouse Youth Center St. John's Temporary Housing HOUSING CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTA Housing Network ReSTOC Tender Mercies Tom Geiger House TREATMENT: Wom en O.D.A.A.T First Step Home TREATMENT: Men Charlie's 3/4 House Prospect House Starting Over TREATMENT: Both N.A. Hopeline A.A. Hotline C.C.A.T. Talbert House Transitions, Inc. VA Domiciliary OTHER SERVICES AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati Appalachian Identity Center Beech Acres 961-4080 651-6446 721-4580 632-7149 241-0504 369-0004 381-0954 721-8666 961-4555 241-7343 921-7324 784-1853 921-1613 751-3260 820-2947 861-9966 381-6660 684-7956 491-4435 559-5011 421-2437 621-5991 231-6630 Center for Independent Living Options 241 ·2600 591-2246 Churches Active in Northside 961-0600 Cincinnati Health Network 569-1840 Community Action Agency 381·4242 Contact Center 241-2563 Emanuel Community Center 241-1064 Freestore/Foodbank 771-4800 Goodwill Industries 621-7149 Hamilton Co.Mental Health Bd. 632-7186 Hamilton Co. TB Control 357-4602 Health Resource Center 352-2902 Homeless Mobile Health Van 221-3679 House of Refuge Mission 241 -9400 Legal Aid Society Madis.onville Ed. & Assistance Ctr. 271-5501 721-4811 Mary Magdalen House 621-0248 Oral Health Council 621-6364 Our Daily Bread 621-5514 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 721-7660 Travelers Aid 721-7900 United Way 559-6656 VA Homeless Program 491-3335 Women's Crisis Center � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 1999 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource February 1999 Vol. 3, issue 26 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: More Demolition Proposed in the West End Marchers Celebrate the Life and Work of Martin Luther King Jr. Pg 2: The Traveler Pg 4: Welfare News Pg 5: The Broken City Pg 6: Arts & Poetry Pg 7: Nationwide News Pg 8: Prisoners News Jail Facts Pg 9: School of Americas Pg 10: Letters & Editorials Pg 11: Streetvibes Etcetera Pg 12: buddy's place Pg 13: Cleveland News Pg 14: Martha's Woodshop Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project (curated by Katelyn Lusher) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 1997 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Tom Billman Ron Carter Denise Crew Brian Davis Dave Dietz Jimmy Heath Cliiford Jones Farshid Kamali Susan Knight Mary Ann Lederer Vikki Lynn James Pryor Rodney Sutton Daniel Thompson Vampire Donald Whitehead Lynn Williams Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Brian Davis buddy gray buddy's place civil rights Clifford Jones Daniel Thompson Dave Dietz Denise Crew Donald Whitehead Farshid Kamali James Pryor Jimmy Heath Lynn Williams Mary Ann Lederer panhandling prisoner ReSTOC Rodney Sutton Ron Carter Susan Knight the broken city The Traveler Tom Billman Vampire Vikki Lynn welfare West End https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/f971ea6b710191ca0673c958b2e89575.pdf 61629606d0ed268d029888b31b6a944a PDF Text Text (BoY from badeed vendor ONLY!] by Steve Lansky and Mike Henson The Southgate House hosted an unprecedented mix of music and music lovers at an artists·· benefit for the homeless last Saturday night in Newport. Over 700 people; young and old, came out in support of the Drop Inn Center the Over-the-Rhine homeless . ' shelter threatened with demolition by mainstream arts organizations and their officials, headed by Cincinnati POPS conductor Erich Kunzel. The Newport venue's event, entitled "Not in Our Name," was part celebration, part fundraiser. It featured eight bands and five singer-songwriters running the gamut from folk to punk. Action was on two fronts--the main ballroom (with a comfortably packed balcony) and the wood-paneled library style room on the second-floor which filled and emptied several times as the acts transitioned smoothly throughout Denise, Bonnie, and Paulette on stage Tracy Walker the night. Rockers The Simpletons fa9ed their largest crowd ever. Their first CD will be released at the Southgate House February 19. Headliners Ray's Music Exchange were broadcast live on WAIF 88.3 FM thanks to Al Ringhauser and crew. Other performers who donated their services were rockers Thistle, blues singer Tracy Walker with her band Sprawl, Chris Treter's Savory Mull, Norah Salmon's Hemline punk "grll" band, Ginny Frazier's Native American and Appalachian band Circles and Arrows, and folks from Paulette Meier's Carry It On. Singer-songwriter Todd Ethan hosted the stage upstairs with Mike Landis, Rebecca Vie, Mad Frog, Savory Mull, Thistle, and Eric Gray. Bob Donovan of Big Bang Productions, who practices medicine for the city health department's Health Care Cincinnati City Council targets immigrant workers Lady Liberty, move over a little more ... by Sonny Williams Two city o rdinances were just proposed by Councilperson Todd Portune and former Councilperson Ty_rone Yates: that employers in Cincinnati be criminally prosecuted for hiring undocumented workers and that the Department of Buildings and Inspections have a new ordinance that would allow the department to cite property owners and landlords for housing undocumented workers. The ordinances were introduced to try and stop employers from abusing undocumented workers; but advocates fear it may have the opposite effect. On Tuesday afternoon, at the Law and Public Safety Committee meeting, several opponents of the two proposed ordinances spoke against them. I believe that our appearance at that co mmittee delayed a vot e on the ordinances because the ordinances were indefinitely delayed. Speaking at the Committee meeting were Sonny Williams , from Prisoners Rights Advocacy Network; Mary Merrill, with the Central American Task Force, and Margaret Sanger, a representative of the Latino Community in Cincinnati. For further information on this issue, contact the office of Todd Portune at City Hall: 352-3000 �ST REE TV I BES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES The Tri - State ' s Homeless Grapevine Streetvibes, the Tri-State's Home­ less Grapevine, is a newspaper written by, for, and about the homeless, social justice and poverty related issues. It is published once a month, 12 issues a year, by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Vendors buy the paper for 20 cents (to cover printing costs) and then sell the paper for a dollar donation. The vendor keeps the profits. Becoming a Streetvibes Vendor is a great way for homeless and other low­ income people to get back on (or stay on) their feet. Streetvibes vendors are given an orientation and sign a code of conduct before being given a Streetvibes vendor badge. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. Director Administrative Coordinator Streetvibes Editor Assistant Editor Editorial Intern Vendor Support Homeless Civil Rights Warren Perkins, Tenant Organizing Rapid Exit Program Melissa Samhan, Susan Knight, Tom Billman, John Halpin Jess Ballew Ron Carter, Writers Mike Henson Tree Mosolf Steve Lansky John Halpin Warren Perkins Berta Lambert Tom Billman Sonny Williams Lynn Williams Rodney Sutton Te'troAmaru Pat Mitchell Joan Rohrer Carl Walker ...... and more ........... . Graphics Photographs by Jimmy Heath and Berta Lambert, Sketches and Cartoons by 0. Jackson Streetvibes accepts letters, poems, stories, essays, original graph­ ics, photos.... We will print everything we have room for, giving preference to those who are homeless or vendors. Please send all material to the following address: Streetvibes c/o Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless 1506 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45210 (513)421-7803 fax(S13)421-7813; e~mail: streetvibes@juno.com (text-only) or homecoal@primax.net ( attached files) 'Mlbpage: http://cinci.com/gcch City Plants Replacement for Community Council Imagine there were a group of people who were created to bypass advocates for the poor. This same group of people are planning to displace poor people and tear down buildings, and want to make Over the Rhine a neighborhood where 80% of the people are middle income. This group re­ ceives huge amounts of funding to sustain it even when it falters. Unfortunately, this is not some bad dream, it's a reality. This group of people exists, and th~y're called the Over the Rhine Coalition. Recently the City Council agenda revealed that Council is trying to find $6 million to fun 2 or 3 special mega housing projects in Over the Rhine to try to rehab 30-70 vacant buildings. This doesn't sound too bad. Not yet, at least. It gets more disturbing when you find out more about it. City documents explain that 60 percent of the city's funding for hous­ ing in Over the Rhine goes to "unrestricted" units, also known as middle income market rate units. While this might be enough reason to be concerned, the document goes on to state that the city is partnering with the Over the Rhine Coalition to develop a Master Plan for Over the Rhine. "Wait a minute," you might be saying. "I thought the Over the Rhine Community Council is the representative link between our neighborhood and City Hall." Or perhaps you have never heard of the OTR Coalition. Who is the OTR Coalition? Who is the ULI? The OTR coalition was founded following the visit of a think tank called the Urban Land Institute (ULI) in 1996. The basic goal of the ULI was to give the city direction in "revitalizing" Over the Rhine. Unfortunately, they saw OTR not as a neighborhood where low income people live but as a resource to be exploited by developers for the city. When they visited, they barely spoke with any low income residents of the neighborhood at-all, but instead spoke with middle income people and developers. When reading the ULI report, one can surmise from the language used what they had in mind for the neighborhood. Regarding social services, ULI says that they should promote "self sufficiency, reducing low self esteem and dependency." Are they implying that social services have been promoting dependency and low self esteem all along? When one considers the underlying motives of the ULI, it sounds as if they are saying that the people who need social services in OTR should be gotten out of the way so their plans for the neighborhood can proceed . They sound rather naive, as if they have never worked with poor, minority, mentally ill or homeless people. The ideology of the writers of the ULI report is further revealed when they write that OTR needs to be developed as a "community of choices." By this they mean a choice of income levels, a choice of housing cost. Apparently though, they didn't mean choice for low income people, who would have no choice but to move out when prices rise. In fact Ult openly discusses displacement and how to "manage" it. Here's a quote: "Guiding criteria no. 6: Ensure that a plan accompany each proposal, outlining developer's method r . ,, 1 • • 0 t ,. \ o t -t ~ l • • ·' 0 • \ • I • ,..I Page 2 by Patrick "Tree" Mosolf of moving tenants out of his or her existing buildings with minimum disruption to their lives. Displacement hardships must be minimized. " Another of the bold strokes of the ULI report is its proposal to tear down buildings in order to create more parking. In the drawings in the ULI report, almost 1/2 of an entire block· is destroyed to make room for parking. Not only would this reduce the potential for low income housing, but it is not consistent with the architectural design of the neighborhood. It is also not sound environmentally. The original design gives residents a more ecologi­ cally sound limit on the number of parking spaces, but the ULl's proposal makes OTR more like a suburban neighborhood with a low population density. Finally, the ULI proposed the creation of the Over the Rhine Coalition to overcome what they see as fragmented leadership. The stated goal for such an organization was to promote collaboration, but the circumstances would prove to make this very difficult. The report did not mention that the Coalition would supplant the Community Council as the legitimate voice of the community. How could they expect to get collaboration if their very starting point was to snub the Community Council? In general, the ULI report has a utopian flare, with wording designed to sound good to city bureaucrats impatient to turn OTR into a jewel for middle incQme taxpayers. But the motives and values of the panelmembers invariably limit the vision presented. In fact, excluded from the utopian vision are any significant plans to help low income people. Thus, when viewed from the perspective of the whole city, the ULI report involved the rather dystopian idea of pushing the poor out of sight, out of mind. The reality is, any plan to redevelop OTR which does not specifically provide for preserving low income housing will probably damage and eventually displace the low income community. What has the OTR Coalition Done? Admhtedly, the author of this article does not know too muct1 about what has happened with the OTR Coalition. But a brief overview of events since ULI left town follows. Even without much information, it becomes clear that in the three years since ULI left town, The OTR Coalition has not accomplished very much. Yet it still continues to get city backing as the group which will create a Master Plan for Over the Rhine. Immediately after the ULI left town, Damon Lynch held five picnics in OTR to promote the Coalition, which were described in an OTR Community Coundl document as very disorganized. Soon afterward the city and DCI (Downtown Cincinnati, Inc.) hired another consultant to come in. Following this there were talks held between all the parties involved, including the Community Council and the Chamber of Commerce. However these talks failed when DCI representatives stated that they would have the ultimate decision making authority (not any groups located in the neighborhood.) In 1997 the city gave the OTR Coalition. $150,000 in funding, which truly reveals the city's role in propping up this institution. This 0 • �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 3 Drop Inn Center (continued from page one) for the Homeless, presented an incredible state-of the-art light show in the ballroom featuring powerful civil rights movement related video. Master of Ceremonies Michael . Burnham spoke eloquently about the homeless struggle, reading from works by Robert Bly and other poets, as he did on WAIF FM in 1977. The audience represented all ages, from seven to seventy with a range of social backgrounds as well. There were men with long hair wearing black leather coats, women in overalls and T-shirts, one man with a bold mohawk, women with . platform shoes, and even men in traditional suits and ties. As gatherings go, it was peaceful and energetic, with dancing on both floors: clogging upstairs and pogoing downstairs. The happening was in part a celebration because on January 7, the school board announced that the effort to move the region's largest homeless shelter was no longer a part of plans for an arts academy. Drop Inn Center representatives were pleased with the news, but concerned. "We are cautiously optimistic about it," Center coordinator Pat Clifford told the Post. "But it still has to go to the full board and there's a chance these recommendations may not be accepted. If it is accepted then we would be pleased but still cautious because there are a lot of details that need to be worked out. We want to be sure the community is involved as it goes forward ." Artists for the Drop Inn Center was formed in May 1ggg in response to the January announcement by a group headed by Kunzel of plans to develop a new, kindergarten through high school arts campus that would replace the current School for the Creative and Performing Arts. City Plants (from page 2) funding came despite the fact that at that time the Coalition did not have bylaws and wasn't incorporated. To give this amount of money to an organization with no track record and no accomplishments.to speak of is highly irregu­ lar. Certainly, no neighborhood group which has acted on behalf of the poor has ever received this kind of liberal funding. Around this time, the Coalition tried to get involvement from the Community Council by offering an advisory position on a board to choose a consultant to conduct the OTR Master Plan. The Community Council respectfully declined. The Coalition also went through a period of disorganization and conflict, center­ ing on its ineffective director Linda Kirkland. Kirkland apparently alienated almost everyone involved in the Coalition before she was fired, so that the organization was barely a shell when she was dismissed. Even after it was restarted there was still a great deal of conflict over bylaws and the structure of the organiza­ tion. Despite efforts to get participation form low income community residents, it was and Second Floor Crowd, Southgate House, Artists for the Drop Inn benefit concert SCPA is currently housed in the old Woodward High School at 13th and Sycamore, which some claim is dilapidated and inadequate. The proposed arts academy would provide state-of-the-art studios and performance space for an expanded student body. The proposal called for placing the new campus near Music Hall and the WCETstudios. And , in some versions, it called for demolishing the site currently occupied by the Drop Inn Center. Naturally, homeless activists were concerned. But they were not the only ones. Three artists--a videographer, an actress, and a dancer--issued a call to musicians, artists, writers, performers, and arts workers to take a stand against displacing the homeless in the name of arts education. Videographer Barbara Wolf said she taped the Christ Church Forum discussion about the Kunzel plan from the Drop Inn Center's perspective. Wolf was behind the video camera listening to a broad base of comments. Current residents of the Drop Inn Center spoke about how their lives had has been overwhelmingly dominated by professional elites and "big players". Thl;JS, it has failed to get collaboration from all groups or to build broad based support. A letter from the Coalition from June of '99 states, "Since May, after a period of organizational setbacks, the first order of business was to rebuild the OTR Coalition Board with broad based community repre­ sentation pursuant to the recommendations of the Urban Land Institute." Thus, the Coalition is continuing with its mission as decreed by the uu. rn fact, it hopes to produce the OTR Master Plan by December of this year with the help of city employees. Yes, despite its problems and lack of accom­ plishments, the OTR Coalition is still trying to get something done. What Should We Do? We should do something about this situation in order to stop this group from getting its way in our neighborhood. Here are some suggested actic;ms: 1. Speak out about the Coalition­ People need to spread the word about what the Coalition is doing and what its objectives been changed by .the support they had received at the Center. "They mentioned recovery from alcohol in a deeply personal way," Wolf said. "They wondered how artists could do this to them. I thought, I must say as an artist I cotJldn't agree with Kunzel." Thus the group, Artists forthe Drop Inn Center was formed. The "Not In Our Name" concert was conceived as a way of showing that artists throughout the area stand in solidarity with the homeless. Some of the top bands and musicians in Cincinnati were there to show it loud and clear. The concert was supported by The Citizen, AMP Alert e-zine, City Beat, WARM 98/MoJo's Brian Ewing, Capital Coverage News Service, CincyRing.com , Ethanonics, Vindu Indian Restaurant, Sitwell's Coffeehouse, DNN, Blue Jordan Records, and WAIF 88.3 FM. Earthsave Cincinnati, the Welfare Rights Coalition, and Greater Cincinnati Mumia Committee staffed tables at the hall to help broaden.the ooo night's political outreach. are. The motives and makeup of this group need to be revealed for the residents of OTR and the public to see. 2. Petition the city to take back the Coalition's authority- The city gave the Coalition its power by making them the agent producing the OTR Master Plan and by giving them funding. OTR residents should approach City Hall and ask them to return the power to the Community Council. 3. Create our own vision and Master Plan for the neigh­ borhood- We cannot be put into the position of reacting negatively to every plan put for­ ward. The flip side of criticism of the Coalition is the preparation of our own vision and dream for the neighborhood. Our Master Plan can be used to challenge the legitimacy of the Coalition's plan and state our view in a positive way. To get involved with this or other issues relating to the neighborhood, call the Over the Rhine Community Council at 381-2956, visit the Council at 1713 Vine St., or come to the Community Council meeting which is held on the last Monday of each month at 5:00 p.m. •- • • • - - . 0 . - - .Cl • 0 �ST REE TV I BES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine THE PURPLE TURTLE Page 4 Berta Lambert Save Over-the-Rhine... from Kunzel's Nightmare (the so-called Greater Cincinnati Arts and Education Center) Painting a more complete picture of Over-the-Rhine: I) The central issue has never been saving the Drop-Inn-Center, but the protection of the neighborhood and in saving Over-the­ Rhine. The Drop-Inn-Center is protected. II) O ver-the-Rhine population is 7,000­ 9,000 people, 70 % African-American and another 70% below the poverty level. Over­ the-Rhine is small in land area with its largest public open space being Washington Park. A $ 100 million dollar project which will grow in the coming years will have an enormous negative impact on a small poverty ridden community. Ill) At its base, the purpose of all the interlocki ng proposals for Over-the-Rhine are to remove African-Americans and others in poverty as part of Kunzel's Nightmare to open the possibility of two new arts auditoriums: expansion of Memorial Hall, and a new Nightmare Performing Arts Center at 12th and Elm Street. IV) Early press discussion of Kunzel's scheme included the American Classical Music Hall of Fame, now temporarily housed on West Fourth Street. Music Hall is still being discussed as a site. It seems not unreasonable to expect a classical music museum to be no smaller than C leveland's Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame. For O ver-the-Rhine, this means ­ more land taken, more displacement of residents, higher prices and more traffic. Rhine, downtown gobbles up the area, making DCI so happy. VI) The so far unsuccessful redevelopment of Findlay Market wishes to play a role in this "social cleansing" process. It appears to have two physical objectives: A) Expansion of the marketarea l ) to Liberty, 2) to Vine Street, and 3) to Central Parkway. B) Acquire through city purchase the Zone Economic Empowerment Center (ZEC) by buying from Hamilton County the building in which Our Daily Bread is located . (there goes the soup kitchen) ....Thereby giving a long­ term home to city planners and bureaucrats. Non-r~sident Damon Lynch ill, who through his New Prospect Baptist Church played handmaiden to the creation of the illegitimate ULI Coalition (the so-called Over-the-Rhine Coalition which the late buddy gray fought so hard), is now being rewarded by the location of a much ballyhooed Busken Bakery in one (1) of his church's seven (7) empty building. The so-called Coalition was formalized in 1997 to usurp the function of the 30-year-old Over-the-Rhine Community Council (ORCC). By early 1999 all the Coalition's resident board members had resigned (seeing outside business interests dominated its agenda). However, through the efforts of John Hauck, more resident quislings were brought in, and now city planners are trying to_use this group to develop a new neighborhood plan instead of ORCC playing the lead roll as it was done in the past and is done by all the other fifty-one (5 1) community councils in Cincinnati. Vlll) A few more details: l )Police are proposing a fence around Washington Park. 2) Over $2 mm ion has been spent over the last I 0 years at the current SCPA site, and there is plenty of room for adjacent expansion. 3)Parking and traffic problems would become very large indeed with a new performing arts auditorium, school 5 days a week, special events, tourists and ongoing Music Hall events. 4)Cincinnati public schools need to spend the proposed $26 million on fixing up schools and not on elitist private -projects! 5)The Drop-Inn-Center and Tender Mercies would eventually be isolated and those they serve would no longer feel comfortable in the area, a slow agonizing death for DIC and V) An important part of this effort to "steal the neighborhood" is the ending of low mcome Section 8 \. housing in Over-the-Rhine. \ \ In the past, owners of bui !dings could choose to sig n for 5 add itional years. Now, they are only able to sign for 1 year at a time. Every year a landlord seeing "changes in the community" can switch to higher rents, pricing minorities out of Over-the-Rhine. VI.) Meanwhile, Kroger is underwriting the rehab of Emery Theatre (n low income folks up stairs and is likely to bui ld a super store at I 21h and Vin (when " low income residents" are replaced by "market rate residents" in the nearby West End). If Kroger acts as an anchor, then, along with the other proposals for Over-the- Tender Mercies! IX) And given this picture .... death to the present Over-the-Rhine Community. In stopping Kunzel's Nightmare, all the other projects listed above and those not yet made public can be either stopped, modified or assimilated by the Over-the-Rhine community or by the so-called market forces. The unspoken elements driving Kunzel's Nightmare are greed and racism. (Continued Next Column) �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine US Army School of the Americas Grad Arrested for Murder of Guatemalan Bishop CLEVELAND: (Courtesy ofSOA Watch) Homeless win ban on arrests By Martha Grevatt Cleveland PURPLE TURTLE Continued Social cleansing is its name! POSTSCRIPT: Kunzel's Board met Monday, Jan. 31. Following standard meeting business, including the approval of the Minutes of their last meeting of May 4, a treasurer's report was given: ASSETS: Bank Accounts (1) l ,739, 2) $163. DEPTS: 1) $8 1,000, 2) $14,000, and 3) $ 1,200 - All thi s after four years. They are not in good shape. Care was taken to introduce Mr. Kunzel, and emphasize he would introduce a resolution with four parts supporting a personal letter he sent to the Cincinnati Public School Board (CPS). The context suggested a conflict among the insiders of his Board on the 1si part of his resolution: a commitment to have SCPA remain a public School rather than a charter school. A division of the resolution was made. All passed. On part three(3) a cornmjtment to raise matching funds for CPS's $26 million, several questions arose: A) Raise how much money? 26, 46, or 60 million dollars ? B) Which of the four Kunzel Nightmare plans would be used? C) What is the relationship of these monies to the closing of the three remaining elementary schools in Over-the-Rhine. Board members representing the interests ofOver-the-Rhine voted against part 3. A motion was made which in essence prevented Kunzel's people from seeking Drop Inn Center properties in any phase of this nightmare. It failed to pass, with an 8 to 8 tie (3 abstentions). In summary: The Kunzel board seems to be on its last gasp. Political advisors have suggested to them that their only chance of survival is to focus exclusively, for now, on a new SCPA. (Seems is a key word). From where is a group which has less than 2,000 and is in debt for nearly $ 100,000 going to get money to hire a firm to rai ~ ·- ,...,. 60 r1... •; - · . dollars in the next 6 months? Hidden Assets? Page 5 New York is not the only city where it is a crime to be homeless. Just in time for the busy holiday shopping season, the city of Cleveland instituted a policy of arresting homeless people caught sleeping on the streets or "panhandling." After five people were arrested, homeless advocacy groups began orga­ nizing to defeat the ordinance.The North­ east Ohio Coalition for the Homeless demonstrated and packed City Council chambers. On Dec. 22, the coldest day of the year, Food Not Bombs erected a tent shelter on Public Square in front ofTower City shopping mall. The group, which has been feeding homeless people every Sunday for the past four years, served hot meals and distributed blankets and cloth­ ing. At 7 p.m., city officials informed demonstrators that they were in violation of the law, but there was no order to disperse. It was not until 3 a.m., when the streets · were empty and the media were inacces- ·: sible, that police surrounded Public Square. Eyewitnesses state that dozens of police cars, a fire truck, and an ambulance arrived on the scene. Cops tore down the shelter and confiscated food .blankets and all other provisions that had been left for the homeless. Five people were arrested while Mayor Michael White watched from above in a cozy Renaissance hotel room. Home­ less people and their supporters were arrested. They have since been released. Despite the arrests, the protest was tremendously effective. On the same day as the demonstration, the American Civil Liberties Union issued a letter to the mayor expressing its intent to sue the city to block the unconstitutional arrests. Lawyers for the ACLU offered not to file the suit ifthe sweeps were halted, but the city refused. The victory came when Federal District Judge Paul Malia issued a tempo­ rary restraining order stopping the arrests of the homeless. While feeling good about the victory, homeless people and their advocates will not rest until the ordinance is overturned. * WASHINGTON, DC ­ SOA-trained Guatemalan Col. Byron Disrael Lima Estrada was arrested, along with his son, January 21 for the 1998 murder ofRoman Catholic Bishop Juan Gerardi. According to a declassified US Defense Intelligence Agency biographic sketch, Lima Estrada took Military Police training at the US Army School ofthe Americas (SOA) now located at Ft. Benning, GA. Lima Estrada went on to head the infamous D-2 (G-2) Military Intelligence agency at the height ofthe genocide campaign in Guatemala's civil war. Bishop Gerardi was bludgeoned to death in his home two days after he released a human rights report that implicated the D-2 in human rights atrocities committed during the war. The report, "Guatemala: Never Again," based on thousands of testimonies collected by the archbishop's office, provided a chilling catalog of the mechanisms of violence. In a chapter titled "D-2: The Very Name of Fear," the report severely criticizes the military intelligence agency headed by Lima Estrada from 1983-85. It cited the D-2 for playing a "central role in the conduct of military operations, in massacres, extra-judicial executions, forced disappearances and torture." The arrest of Lima Estrada will add to the mounting evidence against the US Army School ofthe Americas. The SOA bas come under increasing criticism by groups in the United States and Latin America who cite numerous human rights reports and US State Department reports that link SOA graduates to atrocities in Latin America. The 78,000-member Leadership Conference ofCatholic nuns and the 13-million member AFL-CIO are two of the spectrum of organizations that have called for the closing of the infamous US Army school. In commemoration ofanother SOA-linked assassination in El Salvador, over 10,000 human rights activists gathered to protest the Ft. Benning combat training school last November. Twenty­ three now face six month prison sentences for their nonviolent protest. In July 1999 the US Congress voted 230-197 to cut funds to the SOA. The measure failed in the conference committee, but another vote is expected this year. Rep. Joseph Moaldey (MA) and Sen. Richard Durbin (IL) have introduced companion bills calling for the SOA's closing. The arrest in Guatemala will bolster their efforts and counter Pentagon and Congressional supporters who argue that SOA atrocities are a thing ofthe past. For more information, contact Carol Richardson, SOA Watch, (202) 234-3440. �( .. ST REE TV I BE 5 The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 6 Center Helps Drug Users in · Nepal Find Hope hyJohnHalpin Nepal is the world's only Hindu kingdom, a small country of 22 million people nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, between India and Tibet (China). I had the opportunity to live for three months in this nation, the home of Mt. Everest and some of the world's other highest mountains. The physical beauty of this land is unsurpassed. I saw breathtaking sunrises, snow-capped mountains reflecting the setting sun, and rainbows arching over the earth's deepest valley. In the midst of all of this beauty, stands something equally beautiful, the indomitable spirit of many of the Nepali people with whom I became friends. This was demonstrated to me by a small group of men recovering from drug addictions. Nepal, unlike most of its other South Asian neighbors, was never colonized, and its borders remained closed to foreigners until the 1950's. Westerners often speculated that the mysterious Kathmandu Valley was "Shangri-la," or the land of paradise. This proved not to be the case, but I believe that life was in some ways better in this country of isolation than it is now, afterthe recent influx of foreign aid, Western culture, and the many social problems associated with the West. Perhaps one of the most tragic results of this meeting of cultures was the birth drug use among Nepali youth. Historically, drugs such as marijuana had always been available in Nepal but were only used by wandering ascetics, older men who had left their material lives to roam the country in search of religious enlightenment. This changed in the 1960's when young American hippies came to Nepal in search of these inexpensive and legal drugs, settling along a street in Kathmandu that became known as Freak Street. In the 1970's, several years after the hippies had been living in Kathmandu, the king outlawed drugs and sent them back to America. Their visit left a legacy, however.. Influenced by these Americans, Nepali youth began to experiment with drug use. Other reasons may have contributed to this rise of drug use, but most experts agree that the Freak Street residents had a profound impact on the development of drug use in Nepal. Today there are countless Nepali youths addicted to drugs, in a country that has virtually no support services to fight this problem. The only drug rehabilitation center in the country is a residential home for men called the Freedom Center. Located just south ofthe capital Kathmandu, the center was started in the 1970's by an American Jesuit from Cleveland, Father Tom Gafney. Established shortly after king outlawed drug use, the facility was always controversial. Father Gafney's outspokenness was a main source of this controversy as he became a loud critic of corruption in the police force. The police know who the drug addicts are and will often stop them, take their drugs, and either use them or sell them for profit. Gafney also aroused suspicion that other powerful people were behind the Nepali drug trade. The priest's activism on behalf of the countless men he treated cost him his life. In December, 1997, he was found murdered in his small apartment. The murder has never been solved, most likely because those investigating simply c;io not want to find those responsible, if they already do not know who they are. Despite this tragedy, Fr. Gafney's work has continued. The Freedom Center today continues to treat Nepali men from all ov~r the country. The two most deadly drugs present in Nepal are brown sugar (a distilled form of heroin) and tidigesic, a highly addictive painkiller that was once legally available. Drug users inject both of these drugs intravenously. Clean needles are expensive, so needles are often shared. About one-half of the men at Freedom Center have contracted HIV this way. For three months last fall, I had the opportunity to study in Nepal along with 12 other Xavier University students. Part of our academic program was a class in service learning. Through this class, I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Freedom Center and to meet some very remarkable people. Recovering from an addiction is difficult no matter where you live, but the social conditions of Nepal make recovery much more difficult here. Only a small fraction of Nepali drug users get the chance for rehabilitation at this center, the only one of its kind in the nation. When they return to their homes, they are spread out all of the country. There are virtually no support systems for them to tum to. There is no Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous. Unless they are from Kathmandu or Pokhara, the two largest cities, there probably are no other. recovering addicts in their area. They are on their own, oftentimes with untrusting families. In the communities in which they live, they have been labeled drug addicts, a label that sticks. Sometimes, the only friends they have to turn to are their friends who are still doing drugs. Coupled with HIV/AIDS, one's situation is even harder. The social stigma of this disease is great, treatment is too expensive, and there are not even any facilities to care for people in the last stages of the disease. It is not an easy life, and the men and boys at Freedom Center know that. Yet in their faces, I see a lot of hope. There is Reuban, a resident for six months, who returned home to take care of his terminally ill father. Their relationship had never been a good one, but Reuban's commitment to staying clean and his father's illness has brought them together. Every morning he goes to college, hoping to get a degree in advertising. He wants to educate people in Nepal about drugs and HIV and other social issues that they are often un-infonned about. There is Subaas, always with a smile, with whom we spent hours talking on the sunny front porch. Unable to get a conclusive HIV test, he does not even know if he is really positive for the virus. He faced this agonizing situation with courage, though. His dreams were of starting a business, maybe even going to America. There is Suraas, who at twenty­ seven kicked a drug habit that controlled him since his teenage years. Meeting many HIV-positive men at the Freedom Center has inspired him to make plans to open a home for people in the last stages of AIDS. He wants to provide them with a place where they can really be loved, even as they are dying. The list could go on and on. Sharan hopes to visit Tibet this autumn and go to school afterwards. Peruj reads his philosophy and religion books in his spare time. They are all tiny examples of people building a life out of hope, even in the midst ofgreat suffering and obstacles. The guys at Freedom Center struggle every day with their addictions, but they courageously build lives upon their dreams of a better future. That is a lesson for all of us. Never give up hope ... you can build a marvelous life with it. Food For Thought Don't down the one that's down today but cheer him in his sorrow For this old world is a funny old world and we may be down tomorrow ... .Pat Mitchell lf four cars pulled up to an intersection All at the same time, And there was no traffic cop or light, Which car should go through the intersection first? · Give up? Welt, ...The one that feels the luckiest! �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 7 PROVERBS 14:20 One quarter that's all they ask for But sometimes I have it but look in their eyes and say no. Can you give me two dollars so I can get something to eat? How I know you don't just want something to drink? I know you have it hard out here on the streets But Westaff is hiring and they pay every week. They are the homeless. But why do we make them the helpless? Walk down the street and see the food less, but restaurants like Mc'donald's and Burger King throw food away like they're foolish, and we do the same because we're heartless or maybe we're Godless. Living witho_ut God is the true definition of homeless I use to be homeless but now my st)elter is God. WINTERWOOD E. Joan Rohrer Winterwood is all good. A tree's energy goes within To make way for leaves in spring. Baren though the tree may seem, It's much like me with my dream .. . Which hibernates within my soul .. . To blossom forth in time. WORD SCRAMBLE RMOST ONATORO NRHUCIRAE LHIA WSON LADZBZIR OHTPONY ETLES (answers on page 19) He's my protection in good time and when it gets hard. God love's a cheerful giver and the homeless is a good start. Let's get them off the streets the right way, that's by everyone having a giving heart. On Sunday, February 20,2000, TENDER the acclaimed Back to Broadway group will stage a production benefiting Tender Mercies. Founded in 1979, by Mary Jo and Al Katona, Back to Broadway was designed as an MERCIES event to ~rovide funds to local non-profit organizations. This year's production of Back to Broadway will include songs form Guys and Dolls. Annie Get Your Gun, My Fair Lady, Chorus Line, Miss Saigon, The Phantom of the Opera, and Saturday Night Fever. SPIRIT OF 2000 in Over the Rhine. ...... Carl A. Walker ,12111199 By Sonny Williams THOUGHTS ON MUTUAL AND · MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION Black, Latino, White 12th Street, Drop Inn Center is the people's right Erich Kunzel's plan failed to shut it down; The Homeless United in Cincy-Town. In the theme and spirit ofwhat one thoughtful soul said with "If I can't dance, <ion't invite me to your re>.1olution" ­ Ifwe can!t iaugh Of cry and have you and others listen to ~ur.jokes, stories and whatever else we may have to say, don't bother invitjng us to your meetings or conferences or caus.e s and expect us to listen to.your jokes, stories or speeches. · BACK TO BROADWAY PRODUCTION TO BENEFIT TENDER MERCIES Letters of support from N.Y.C., Cleveland, Marion Ohio. Spirit of Soweto is the national call, It's right to rebel. Down with Displacement, A Victory for the Homeless! Ron Bohmer is scheduled to appear with the cast of Back to Broadway at this show. Mr. Bohmer most recently starred as the lead in the Frank Wildhorn and Nan Knighton musical The Scarlet Pimpernel on Broadway at the Neil Simon Theatre. He has also starred in lead roles in national tours of Aspects of Love, Sunset Boulevard, and The Phantom of the Opera and enjoyed a two-year Broadway engagement as "Enj olras" in Les Miserables. Proceeds from the show will benefit Tender Mercies, a non-profit corporation that provides housing and supportive services to mentally ill homeless persons. Tender Mercies currently houses 150 permanent and sixteen transitional residents in seven buildings in Over-The-Rhine. The show will be held at the College of Mount St. Joseph Auditorium , 5701 Delhi Road, Cincinnati. The show starts at 4:00 p.m ., with a reception at 2:45 p.m. Tickets are $20 for the show only, $35 for the show and reception. To order tickets, call Tender Mercies at 639-7054. �ST REE TV I BES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page B Street Corner PolitiX Poetry in Motion From the minds of many gathered in discussion on topics dropping from this to that, we intellectually and respectfully converse and debate life in it's essence... frequently questioning che Devilz methods ofmadness that often prevents our own peoples happiness as we dwell daily through earth's hell with the belief of a heaven to come (in which no one has seen or known ofanyone to return from). Now whose the dumb ones? Those who require to acquire heaven on earth or the so-called 'Christians' insisting we all turn the other cheek in che face of cheir devilishness in return for che promise land in che life hereafter. The frequent glances from chose who drive by only stopping for red lights hear our language as 'ebonic' mumbo-jumbo while thinking chat it's simply irrelevant nonsense without ever having the patience to listen and thoroughly comprehend the rhetoric's relevance. Then they say, "Let us help ..." infiltrating our administration under che guise ofdesegregation in a covert effort to annihilate and/or assimilate ... "Let us help" is what's said, but "Lee's help ourselves" is what's meant As a fe:w (growing to many) of you mislead-wanting-to-gee-ahead Niggas char figure chat they'll place their crust within the Devilz foolishness. "Not I", says Te'tro! Eicher I stand with my peoples or I die alone. Because ifl don't have love to show love who will? You ... Your God above? The one whose son you portray with the blond hair and blue eyes, who supposedly gave his life for our lives? And whose truth you hide within your bible's lies to maintain chat we continue to 'Try' while never succeeding in actuality? Your smiling faces doesn't displace your hatred. I know the truth. The truth of how you systematically backwards teach our youth, devastate and separate our athletes through divide and conquer techniques which leave us to believe chat we must put our trust in you for your donations of financial funds. But our take is a mere fraction ofwhat you make on the backs of our God-given talents. And as if chat is not enough, you hit us below the belts with your no ass (now-a-days a little plump) big titty, duck sucking, and forever ready to f_k ... hillbilly co-co loving whores - better known as your mothers and daughters. by Te'tro Amaru And fo r those of us who lust the flesh we get caught-up in the Devilz quest to have us forget, neglect, and even disrespect the women who became our mothers, loving us steadfast regardless. But never the less, Black Amerikkka's thinking has us sinking as we are misled to believe that the deeds ofsome speak for the beliefs of everyone. But please try to understand: It's like when a snake bites your child. You don't run wild l~oking around for the snake with blood on it's mouth? Any old snake will do! Any old snake will do! Indeed it's a puzzle to unravel when contemplating exactly who we can trust, but with time all things are revealed and in time o~y can we tell??? Now pass the heat in the brown paper bag - caking control of our minds while warming the soul in these trying times ­ Yet I'm not a drinker. I am a thinker with God-sent rhetoric reaching the minds ofmen teaching each of them to beware of the consequences ofour actions. Since every cause has an effect I affect the cause to project the flaws in man's laws to force him to chink, rethink, and chink again of che dialect I inject which transforms boys to men. Justice or 'Just-Us' leave us the victims pleading the perpetrators for fairness as we're told to pray and turn the other cheek and that God will hear our plea? All awhile, we continue to be profiled racially, held back institutionally, and systematically taught to hate ourselves through Amerikkka's education while dam near facing extinction at the hands of ourselves and assisted by Amerikkka's police brutality. Now rotate the dungee to the left. Inhale deeply to propel swiftly through che Devilz hell? Food for che ffiindzeye that transcends man's chinking far beyond che visions of money and women. Still .. . I catch wreck from the second-hand smoke as the Kings toke until they choke inhaling to exhale the remedies ofAmerikkka's foul society as we ignite to rewrite 'His-story' of our 'History'. In essence Street Corner PolitiX is simply what you fail to see or perceive to be ghetto nonsense. But yet, it's purely us in abundance. So as you pass by with a smile while silently voicing a snicker of'Nigger'. My peoples continue to strive through the strugg~e to survive with the pride of being a 'Real N igga'! �STREETVIBES Prison The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page g News A DEATH-ROW INMATE TELLS HIS OWN LIFE STORY lnterviewbyDavidlsay and Stacy Abramson Dear Sonny, Thank you for your letter and the full page editorial from "Streetvibes" concerning O .S.P. Upon receipt of your letter and the notification of John Perotti ' s heart attack, I called O.S.P. in ho p es of prying information out of them. I was pleased to learn he was released and back at O.S.P. I have since received a letter from John but I want to than you for bringing his heart attack to my attention. The conditions·described at O.S.P. sound horrifying in addition to unconstitutional. Sonny, I'm curious as to know if the Northeast Regional Director has ever interviewed prisoners at O.S.P., do you have any idea? Do you receive copies of any complaints from priSoners at O.S.P. I guess I'm asking if you receive actual documentation that would give someone "a leg to stand on In pursuing human rights violations. I can ask the next time I write him, also. Society has no idea what truly occurs behind the wire and that is one of my missions (one of many), upon my release, that I'd like to address. One in five families have or know someone who is incarcerated and that number is growing every day. It infuriates me to know that society believes we are "well kept" by the state and that we are treated "as we should be" treated when, in fact socity obliterates any thoughts of wrong doing on behalf the state because of fifty plus years of "brainwashing" ideas such as "get tough on crime," "lock em up and throw away the key", or the lie of the century, "'ODRC rehabilitates." There has to be a "prison beat" in major newspapers to expose major atrocities, as described in the editorial placed in "Streetvibes." I'm convinced that once one major newspaper picks up a "prison beat", others would follow, if for no other reason than competition. If you can't tell, the media disgusts me with their half-truths and blatant lies. The worst part is, Sonny -- society believes it to be the gospel. 1plan to attack the media and be heard. 1won't stop until I succeed! Poor "them"! I've taken up enough of your time so I'm going to close for now. 1 wish you a wonderful New Year and many more to come. John Lamb was the Bl'h death-row inmate executed this year, and the 587'h since the Supreme Court upheld the death penalty in 1976. On November 10 he was interviewed at the Ellis Unit, a state prison near Huntsville, Tex., one week before his execution. I was born in San Jose, California. Been unhappy from the time I was born. Never had a moment of happiness in my life. I was raised by my stepfather and my mother. My stepfather was abusive. He built R.V.'s. Very hard worker, very succesful. I respect him for raising two kids th~t weren't his, but he was under a lot of pressure and he was violent. He would get mad and hit and then get madder as he hit, and if I cried, he'd hit me more, so after a while I learned not to cry and pretty much just toughed it out. When I was a kid I didn't talk to nobody. Didn't talk at all. I attempted suicide when I was nine years old - as much as a nine-year­ old can, right? I took a whole bottle of Excedrin headache tablets, mixed in a cup of water and drank it. I just didn't want to live no more. But I don't blame my stepfather. Anybody that blames their crime on somebody else - on child abuse or anything like that ­ that's just an excuse. N I left home when I was 15 and-a-half and stayed on my own until I was twenty-five, when I was arrested for this crime. I shot a man and killed him. In Greenville, Texas, off Interstate 30. I've never denied it. I had just gotten out of jail in Arkansas - 100 days for receiving staler) property. Detective in Arkansas drove me to the county line, told me to get out and don't come back. No wallet, no ID. So it's getting near dark, and I'm walking down Interstate 30. I see this .shed-type thing and I say, 'Tm going to go in there and sleep." I go in, and they had an arsenal - shotguns, handguns. I grabbed me two handguns and I walked down the road . I started talking ot this guy standing out fron of this Ramada Inn. He says "Where you headed?" I said, "Dallas." He said, "All right." He was in the process of moving and had to get his things into the car. So we got into his motel room and the guy come over and put his hand on my leg. And I told him, "I don't go for that crap." So he got mad and told me to get out. I don't remember pulling the gun out of my pocket but I know I did - there's no doubt about that . I reme m ber he was t ryrng · to hand me his wallet. I knocked the wallet out of his hand and said, "I don't want that." And I started shooting. There wasn't no blood, but he lay down and he died. Shot punctured his lung and he drowned in his blood. I don't know why I shot the guy. I could have beat him uphe was half my size. It was almost as if I was shooting my bad luck or something. All I had witnesses, no fi ngerprints. But I took his car and stayed in it. Didn't sleep for days. Used the guy's credit card to buy beer and stayed up drinking. Got caught in Florida seven days later. They sent me back to Texas, and the district attorney.offered me 40 years. I turned it down - thought I could do better. This is my fourth execution date. Had three in my first three years and then didn't have any for 14 years. They told me about the execution four months ago. It's kind of shocking because you go on and go on and years go by and you hear nothing. Then all the sudden, bam, they tell you in four months they'll kill you. I'm supposed to be executed Wednesday, I believe at six· o'clock at night. I believe I have until then. I have a minister, Father Walsh , who's going to be there. He's a friar, Fransiscan. Known him for a long time. He's helped me with my burial, funeral - whatever it is. Tuesday night I'm going to be rebaptized over again by him, given my last rites and all that. Noon Wednesday they'll come take me over to the Walls [the prison in Huntsville where executions take place] where I'll have my last meal. What happens after that I don't want to think about. I don't like needles, so that's the worst part. I wish they'd just take me over there and use a guillotine - something quick and painless. I'm not afraid of dying, I'm just afraid of the process. I don't think the man's parents are going to be there, so I'll probably just tell everyobdy that I've known that I'm sorry that I didn't live up to their expectations. Then I'll probably tell God that I'm sorry for disrupting his world. I'm not sorry to society, though. I feel bad about the man that died, and if my death could bring him back, I'm all for it. But as far as society goes, how can I feel bad? I mean, all these people say, "Go ahead and kill him" are no different from the people that. knew my stepfather was whipping the hell out of me and my brother and my mother, and they didn't have guts to step up and say anything about that, yet they got enough guts to say go ahead and kill me now. So that's how I look at it. Then I'm going to be cremated,. My mom's going to get my ashes and that'll be the end of it. You're going to die someday anyway, so it's too late to cry about it now. guess I've been lucky to last this long. That's one way of looking at it. John Michael Lamb received a lethal injection at 6:13 P.M. on November 17, 1999. He w as pronounced dead six minutes later. His last words were: " I'm sorry - I wish I could bring him back. I can't. Goodbye. Do it." · •.. , , ,. .. ,,.,, ,.. ,.. , , , -~ ~ .....................................tq .P.P. !.~.~~.l~..~~~Y.i J~§l!'~,~ IL ~~~~~ ~~~ ,_flq ~· ... .... ~ -- .. !.~~~~!~~~ . - ~-~?~ndportraits.org .. .. . ....... ......... ... . .......... �, STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine The Death Penalty Taken from December, 1999 "Issue Paper," by permission of /JPC. Indeed, signs of hope, countering the growing number of executions, can be found . Over a dozen states have considered legislation regarding either moratoriums or abolition. Since the US Supreme Court decision in 1976, thirty­ eight states have re-installed the death penalty. This year, Michigan, Maine,. . Massachusetts, and Iowa considered bills tht would have adopted the death penalty; but all failed . During the discussion in Massachusetts, State Senator Greem spoke out against pro-exiectuion Governor Paul Cellucci. "I believe that when a government of the people engages itself in murder, whatever the rationale, we do not deter crime but in fact desensitize our people to its horror and contribute to its p~rrnissibility. " (Boston Globe 3/23/99) A frequently quoted Gallup Poll found 71 % of Americans supporting the death· penalty. Yet other studies suggest that given the choice of an alternative to the death penalty (life imprisonment without parole) the public support falls to 44%. These percentages are not divided down religious lines, but rather seem to be related to education and awareness of the issue. Most perceptions and myths used to foster support of the death penalty can be easily argued with proper information. Is it fair? The death penalty is applied rather arbitrarily throughout the United States. It seems that the most important variables which send 1% of convicted murderers to death row each year include race, economics, education and community pressure. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall found "[it] is evident that the burden of capital punishment falls on the poor, the ignorant, and the underprivileged members of society. " Does it save taxpayers dollars? No. A recent study from Duke University concluded, "the extra cost of adjudicating murder cases capitally outweighs the savings in imprisonment costs. As it is currently implemented, the death penalty cannot be justified soley on grounds of economy." In fact, incarcerating a person for life costs a fraction of the e·xpense of capital cases. Is it legal? Cruel and unusual punishment violates the 8th Amendment of the US Constitution. Additionally, the death penalty is in.opposition to the United Nations International Covenant on C1vil and Political Rights. Does it save future lives? No. A 1988 United Nations report stated, "[research on deterrence) failed to provide scientific proof that execution have a greater deterrent effect than life imprisonment." In 1997 the average murder rate per 100,000 population was 6.6 in death penalty states; 3.5 in non-death penalty states. (Amnesty International) Will we execute the innocent? In 1999 the College of Social and Behavior Science Center for Survey Research at Ohio State University found 68% of Ohioans think wrongful executions are likely to occur compared to 32% who found it unlikely. Since the re-instatement of the death penalty in Illinois, eleven people have been executed; interestingly, the same number have been exonerated. Across the country for every seven executions one prisoner on death row has been found innocent. (US News & World Report 11 /9/ 98) Do we execute juveniles? Yes. Since 1976 juvenile offenders (at the time of the crime) have been executed in seven different states. Of the 13 juveniles executed, 7 were executed in Texas. (source: V. Streib, "The Juvenile Death Penalty Today") How do the mentally ill fare? Poorly. In violation with international standards (and UN recommendation), the US ~xecutes mentally ill and mentally retarded persons. Justice Thurgood Marshall said, "It is no less abhorrent today than it has been for centuries to exact in penance the life of one whose mental illness prevents him from comprehending the reasons for the penalty or its implications." (1986) Is race a factor? It is a fact - blacks convicted of killing whites are more likely to receive the death p~nalty than any other group. In a 1990 report, the US General Accounting Office found , "a pattern of evidence indicating racial disparities in the chargin, sentencing, and imposition of the death penalty." The 1993 Keil and Vito sutdy (KY) found , "the data indicating that blacks who kill wh ites are singled out by the capital sentencing process ... were l.ikely to be charged with a capital offense and receive a death penalty." Page 10 Prison Rights Activists Investigate Lucasville Uprising . For the pas~two years, Alice and Staughton Lynd have bee.n investigating the Lucasville uprising ofApril 1993. In an effort to summarize the results of their investigation and to present them to the public, they plan to produce a docudrama ' that presents the facts in the form of a play. The text of the docudnima will, to t he greatest ex;tenr: possible, consists of ·dialogue that was actually spoken during the rebellion or at trial. Footnotes will iden.dfy the exact source of the spoken words. A transcript ofchis docudrama to be critiqued by interested individuals is being offeted. The Lynds want to hear from readers as to whether you understand what is presenre~ whether there are still questions in your mind wh.en you finish reading, whether you have ideas about how to present the material more effectively. In other words, what you receive in the mail should be understood as a drafr, still capable of revision after you make your input. To receive these transcripts send your name and addr~ss to George Skatres Supporters,, P.O. Box 1591, Marion, OH 44301-1591. (The lyn'ds are veteran workers ofthe Civil Rights and An~ Vietnam \\'tar movements. As lawyers they have fought for the rights of workers and their families who were locked out oftheir jobs with the plant closings in Youngstown, Ohio. · As historians they havepublished many books ofbenefit to working class people. They help edit IMPACT, the monthly Rank and File Newsletter. As prisoner rights activists, they organize to expose the horrors associated with the new "Supermax"prison in Youngstown arid Ohio's new private-for­ profitprison~Y .So how ought we to encourage signs of hope in the midst of prosecutors who scurry to execute? How can we voice a no against state legitimated homicde? Before we can do any of this we must learn to heal and forgive as individuals and as a community. We can learn much from Mary Nell Verret, the sister of Ja,mes Byrd, "Our family has no use for destructive hate .... Will we ever forgive the men who did this? Forgiveness is when you le tgo of resentment. We resent now. But when you carry resentment inside, it tears a way at you. You become sick. You become a victim all over again. It can keep you from sleeping, eating, and thinking straight. It can keep you from going forward . One day we won't resent anymore." (USA Weekend, July, 1998) . lntercommunity Justice and Peace Center has many educational · resources on the death penalty. Call 513-579-8547 to borrow. Sl1l&1VIB£S Prisoners News contains the writings ofpersons incarcerated in our nation's jails and prisons. Subscribers within the walls receive Streetvibes free. If you want to support us - in this effort, please sponsor someone.on the inside by sending us $12 for a year's subscription Sendyour comments anii questions to streetvibes@juno.com mail : STREETVJBES, 7506 Elm Street Cincinnati, Ohio 452 70 �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine In Memory of ''Little Rock Reed'' Today, January 15,2000 is a day of great sadness. We received word today that Timothy "Little Rock" Reed, our friend and.brother, who was also a longtime activist for prisoners rights, was killed last night in a car crash. It happened in New Mexico. ''Little Rock" will be forever missed, but n~ver forgotten. ...... Sonny Williams PAN - Ohio - Cincinnati ...... .Jackie Bowers, Ron Bowers PAN - Ohio- Marian 'Little Rock' Reed killed in auto accident Reprinted from an article in the Columbus Dispatch/A.P. Timothy "Little Rock" Reed, who crusaded in Ohio for Ame1i can Indjan prisoners he said were being abused, died yesterday morning at a New Mexico hospital of injuries he suffered in a car accident. Greg Johnston, spokesman for the Umversity of New Mexico Health Sciences center in Albuquerque, said Reed, 39, died at 4:35 a.m. while being treated in the intensive-care unit. Reed rear-ended the vehicle in front of him, which caused his sport-utility vehicle to roll over and the vehicle in front of him to crash into a southbound vehicle, Patrolman Max Miranda said yesterday. Several people were injured, but Reed was the only fatality. Drugs also were found in Reed's car, Miranda said. Reed's attorney, Stevan Douglas Looney, said he was informed of the accident yewsterday by Reed's wife, Leanna Brownlee-Reed of · Albuquerque. He said Reed 's mother, Nancy Scull of Cincinnati, was on her way to New Mexico. "He was in my office just hours before the acddent. He dropped off a tape of hi s music with about eight or nine songs that were to be turned into CDs," said Looney, who had represented Reed in federal courts. Looney said Reed 's music reflected his human rights and advocacy experiences. "He was a compassionate person who was interested in justice for everyone and saw little of it in his own life," Looney said. Reed, who had said Ohio authorities wanted to silence him for speaking out agajnst alleged abuses oflndian prisoners, fought for five years to prevent being extradited from New Mexico to Ohio. He had served a decade in prison in Ohio for armed robberies and drug theft, and became an activist for inmates. Six weeks Page 11 before his parole would have ended in 1993, he fl ed to New Mexico. He was picked up in Taos, N.M., in 1994. But a New Mexico judge ruled he had fled Ohio "under duress and under a reasonable fear for his safety and life," and released him. That state's Supreme Court agreed in 1997, calling him a "refugee fr9m injustice." However, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered Reed returned to Ohio. Ohio officials could have sent him back to prison for 15 years, but they let him finish out the six weeks of parole living with a relative in Cincinnati. He 3was freed in March. Cary Cooper, a lawyer in Toledo, represented Reed in Ohio. Reed had a civil­ rights case pending in federal court in Columbus, Cooper said. "He went to prison as a confused guy, but while he was there he decided to do the best he could in terms of developing his education and setting goals for himself," Coooper said. Brownlee-' Reed was preparing memorial arrangements for her husband yesterday. The two were separated and have a son, Jasper Col.e Reed, 2. "I think he would love the fact that his service (was) held Monday - on the same day people recognize.the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.," Brownlee-Reed said. She described Reed as a devoted father who enjoyed the outdoors. "This is very sad. I have a lot of fond and loving memories. Little Rock loved humanity. In spite of all his turmoil in pris·o n, he was very optimistic and always trying new challenges." ,. PAN-OHIO Prisoners Advocacy Network A Victory for Human Rights in Cincinnati contact (513)241-8014 ••• by Berta Lambert In 1996 Cincinnati activists Mac Mccrackin, buddy gray, Sonny Williams and I raised our voices in protest against Phil Heimlich sponsored "banning law" for Over-the-Rhine. Mr. Heimlich has pushed for an anti-panhandler ordinance (ruled unconstitutional) and advised the use of $25,000 "spy cameras" in public areas. On January 20, U.S. District Court Judge Susan J. Diott.granted a motion for summary judgment by two plaintiffs, Patricia Johnson and Michael Au France. The city law banned from Over-the-Rhine , for 90 days, anyone arrested for prostitution or drug charges. If convicted, the ban was extended to a year. If anyone banned was found in the area, they were charged with criminal trespass, which carries a maximum fine of $250 and 90 days in jail. In 1997 Mr. Heimlich sponsored a similar anti-gay ordinance for sex-related offences in Mt. .Airy Forest and Burnet Woods. Thursday's ruling will also spell the death of this ordinance. Under the Over-the-Rhine ban Patricia Johnson was prohibited from caring for her grandchildren or visiting double jeopardy as a second punishment for her daughter. She was arrested March 18, 1998 the same offense. and banned March 24 on charges of trafficking Judge Diott's ruling may result in the marijuana. A grand jury refused to indict her and reversal of hundreds of drug convictions and the city may be forced to pay ACLU's legal the charge was dropped but not the 90 -day ban. On April 8, 1998 she was arrested for violating the fees and compensation to anyone held on ~harges of violating the ban . a a a ban. The charge was later dismissed. Michael Au France is a homeless man. After being convicted of a drug related crime in the AFDIC Benefit Concert October 1998 he was banned. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ­ He spent more than 100 days in jail for repeatedly violating the law which prevented him from seeking food, clothing, shelter and visiting his lawyer (Bernard Wong the lead ACLU lawyer in this case). in Over-the-Rhine. Through the efforts of Scott Greenwood, general counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio and Mr. Wong, human rights in our nation have been strengthened. U.S. District Judge Susan J. Diott ruled that city COL!nsel can not usur'f) court powers and the Bill of Rights , grants substantial protection to . freedom of association, espe­ cially from government interfer­ ences; and there should be no .:r �ST REE TV I BES 1ne Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 12 Welfare News WEEK OF WELFARE AWARENESS by Lynn Williams, Cincinnati Welfare Rights Coalition The Week of Welfare Awareness was held on the UC Campus by UC People Inter­ ested in Social Transformation (PIST), in conjunction with the Cincinnati Welfare Coali­ tion. A week of information tables and an art display of children affected by Ohio's three year time limit occurred at Tangemann Hall Student Center. On Tuesday of the week a forum featured recipients, former recipients, and a former employee of the Ohio Depart­ ment of Human Services. According to the panelists, welfare reform clearly is not working, citing the puni­ tive nature of sanctions, time limits, and lack of educational opportunities. The ever present t.hreat of fraud investigators intimidating innocent people is also punitive. Donna from Pike County, east of Cincin­ nati, spoke about the effects of sanctions on her children. She was sanctioned erroneously by a caseworker who lacked understanding of the law. The Pike County woman is surviving only by leaning on her relatives, people who cannot afford to help out. She stated, "It's very humitiating to ask my people to help me, because they're barely making it themselves. But now I have nothing for my family to live on." Charmaign, another panelist, shared her bad experience. "I was investigated by the fraud investigative unit. I had done nothing wrong to my knowledge , carefully reporting every change in my income. I've held down jobs that lasted for a time, but I was back on assistance again , either because the unem­ ployment compensation ran out or the job didn't offer any. Well, the fraud investigator claimed I had not turned in an unemployment form from way back, more than five years ago or so . I happened to see it in the edge of the folder & pulled it out for the investigator. Then she started interrogating me about details from ten years ago! After that, she claimed I was overpaid and never reported it, but I d idn't know what I was supposed to be receiving after the earned income disregard was counted in . All that was very confusing to me. Well, to make it short, they now claim I frauded the system even though the case­ worker made the mistake of miscalculating my benefit check. Where is the justice in this?!!! " Linda Howell-Perrin, a staff member at Bethany House, told her story. "I was able to get a four year degree while I was on public assistance. This isn't allowed now. I was fortunate . Ohio's three year time limit does not allow women time to get a four year degree so they can get a livable wage job. They won't be able to make it on minimum wage jobs. What is needed is to give these women time to get a good education and learn job skills. You need adequate time to get a livable wage job. Welfare reform should be about women getting livable wage jobs, not sinking further into poverty." "Because I'm working at a homeless shelter for women and their children I'm seeing the numbers of families who 'need shelter in Cincinnati. Many are coming to us who cannot even get public assistance. That's a point that is not often brought out: how hard it is to get back on assistance once you're off. We are seeing women who've been laid off from fast food, seasonal and temporary jobs. They often can't get public assistance because the former employers won't fill out and sign the lengthy employer verification forms. Without these forms turned in, these women cannot get help they badly need to provide for their families. They end up at Bethany House with zero income. " Emphatically she stated, "The fastest growing numbers of homeless people in America right n.ow are children! Welfare reform is the main reason we are seeing this tragedy happen!" For more information call the Cincin­ nati Welfare Rights Coalition at 513/381­ 4242 or PIST at 542-2819. WELFARE REFORM: Pain with no ga.i n ldon'tknowthestatisrics. Andlhaven't done a survey. At best, myknowledge aboutWelfare Reform is from my personal experience.... standing in line at Food Pantries, listening to the complaints ofseniorcitll.ens like myself. ....through conversation at the welfarewith working mothers (which affects my kids and grand kids.) The issues ofthe seniors are numerous. But most important are their issues about Medical andFood. Ifthey buymedicine, they can't buy food. Or ifthey (like myself) are given medical spend-downs, this means no medical at all. · Personally, I was employed 20-years in the samejob. Now I am disabled and struggle to survive on a small amount ofmoney..Yet I receive only 10 dollars monthly for food. Most seniors have to pay for their medicine, glasses, and food, in some instances. They have to pay for medical, which is taken out of their monthly check. So they are forced to stand in line at the Food Pantries. Then there are the mothers trying to raise their children and work, relying on childcare provided byWelfare Reform; and they have to pay their earnings for daycare, along with their vouchers. This iswhere my kids come in. In almost all cases, you hear (caseworkers say), "You make too much money''. So then you are denied food stamps. And then there are those mothers struggling on welfare. Most ofthem are never going to succeed because there is always some barrier. Like 3 years maximum on welfare. Working for minimum wages. Poor Housing, etc. Yes, there are success stories. But we never hear about the ones thatweren' t successful because everyone doesn'thave survivalskills. I could go on and on. But who will listen or hear me. And who will care. I sometimes wish I could help all these people I hear crying for help. How long must we rely on such unfair systems? .. ..Or maybeI'm misinformed. 0 . . ... ... .PatMitcheU. Subscribe to Streetvibes Subscriptions to Streetvibes c.an be purchased for $12 per year. (Get 'em now before the rate goes up!) Just send a check to the below address and the paper will be mailed to you each month Streetvibes, 1506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 4521 O Please make checks payable to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless If you have any questions, call 421-7803. If you have subscribed, but are not receiving your Streetvibes, Please let us know. Our dog (Streetvibes computer) ate some addresses during a recent crash . ... �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine News from Across the River Struggles as a Homeless Person in Covington ....... byMARKP. Hi! my name is Mark and I have been living homeless on the streets off and on now for the past 6 years. It was suggested that I write something to be published in your paper. We as a group of homeless people have been meeting over at Goeble Park every Sunday for the past 4 or 5 weeks. We all have been discussing the attitude and actions that we are encounter­ ing from the Kenton County Library and the Covington Police Department. I mostly have hung around Covington because I am a member of AA and have been sober for 6 years now and an AA clubhouse was there to hang out at. They are in the process of moving to another building and the AA meetings have moved but I still go over there because most of the people I know in AA hang out there. So I am not the stereo-type alcoholic you would see laying drunk in the street. I am usually somewhat clea n and well groomed other: than the beard I choose not to lose, but even that I keep trimmed. Most of the guys in the street that know me also know I have been sober for the past 6 years which is a testimony to the power of God and the love in Alcoholics Anonymous. I really had no problem with the library officials or the cops till the old library direc­ tor Mike Olberdick stepped down and a Mary Ann Mongam took his place, from there she made my business hers to a degree and any change of policy that would change concerning use of their computer system I was the first to be told, and in no way a kind way either. I had her come over and in a very nasty way one day tell me that "You only get 2 hours!" I wasn't even quite sure of what she was referring to and her attitude towards me prompted me to start asking some questions about this new policy that they had not bit of which in writing. A police officer heard our discussion and Brady has a reputation of zero tolerance of anything so I was ar­ rested for trying to iron out the new policy they had established. I wanted a jury trial and not surprisingly Officer Brady had insufficient evidence to convict me so another case dismissed was on my record. I had another encounter with Covington Police years before when I was told to leave an AA meeting sober, when I refused I was arrested. A week after I had an altercation with some fellow that lives and alternative lifestyle. Officer Brady and I have had a few other meetings before this incident at the library. Seems that there was a fellow who thought he could take a threaten me with a ball bat after a little name calling and when he did not like what I called him after the threats he went over and told Brady I was prejudice. Brady threw us both out of the library that day. That same black fellow had taken a swing at me outside a soup kitchen over the same thing, the black guy would get smart and nasty and the name calling would begin. One day I was walking through an alley and look who comes walking through but the same black guy. All I said was what's up? We passed each other but as I walked on I saw a rock hit on the street next to me. The black guy started picking up chunks of asphalt and throwing them. I got away and called 911, Officer Brady shows up and says "You called?" I said, "That's right, I have rights too!" Brady said anything that happened between me and a black man I brought on myself that I was a racist and a bigot. I told him that I didn't want to hear it and he went ballistic. Got out of his car screaming that I was going to hear it and arrested me for disor­ derly conduct. I am handcuffed and up against the car not struggling and he maces one of my eyes. Brady failed to show up in court that next day so the judge said that the state was not going to go forward with thecharges. Just this September I walked into the Kenton County Library and had a off duty police officer, Dan Jackson the one who is in charge of security at the library, came over and grabbed my arm and started dragging me out the door telling me that I had been terrorizing and menacing chil­ dren. I spun around and called him a liar, he called for back up and another police officer showed up. I was not going to leave that library, I had done nothing wrong. They took me out to the parking lot and started torturing me. They threw me in the cop car, took me out by my neck, almost dislocated my shoul­ ders when one took my handcuffed hands and held them over my head for his own sadistic pleasure. I was then told that if I did not get back in the car I was going to be maced. One officer mad the comment, no let me show him a ninja move. That officer put his fingers in the hollows of my ears and then drug me into the car. I never once resisted, but as the law books state, passive resis­ tance is not punishable. So if they told me to do something I did nothing. Again the case was dismissed in the court room , I wonder where these children are that I was accused of doing these things are? They could not show up because the incident never hap­ pened. Lt. Jackson shows up in court the day the case was dismissed and had the director Wayne Onkst there with him. They told the judge they did not want me back in their library. The judge said that it was not by his power that they cou ld kept me out and that the police and officials had talked it over with their lawyers and found a way. I am still trying to find out if they have a court order to keep me out but I will not rest till I am treated like every other citizen of ~ovington . I am also in fear of my life after all the threat and torture that I went through in that parking lot in Covington, and the sad thing is it is not from crack heads and hoods, but from police officers. Those people put in charge of protecting all, including me. Page 13 Public Spaces in Covington Not for Use of Homeless Article by Gary: I am writing to tell of my ordeal with the Covington Police. I was sitting at the Point sitting area (corner of Washington and Pike St.) and three cops came over to me and said I had to leave. I told them that there was no sign saying I had to leave. With that, they got me down and arrested me for disorderly conduct. I told them I had a metal rod in my leg. With that, they twisted my leg more. I ended up doing four days in jail. After I got out of jail, I went back to the Point sitting area again. I was with six other people and the cops showed up again and said we had to leave and this time we all did. I would like to put a lawsuit against the Covington Police for harass­ ment. Sleeping is a Crime for Some of Us by Rev. Rick Dalton: (December 7, 1999): After having coffee at the Jacobs Well, I went down to the Kenton County Public library in Covington and I sat down to read my Bible on the south side of the building in front of the bay windows. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. After reading a few chapters, I began to warm up and happen to drift off to sleep. It wasn 't long until the library guard (Covington Police Officer) was shaking me to wake up. Once I woke up I said I was sorry. Without a second going by the guard said I would have to leave. In the past I have noticed other people dressed in nice clothes, not dirty or layered, who had fallen asleep just as I have and nothing was done about it. But, I was asked to leave, which I did. Even though I felt degraded and my rights had been violated. I have noticed in the past other Home­ less people were asked to leave and they, like myself, were only reading, not causing any problems. We the homeless pay taxes, read newspapers, books, use computers, go to church and if we could wash and wear clean clothes everyday we would. (December 13, 1999): I'm now back in the Kenton County library writing this articles and there is a couple using the copier who are talking very loudly and making quite a lot of noise but no one is warning them or asking them to leave. I asked these people if they would mind holding it down so I could read my bible. Once aga in.. .I was asked to leave. Right or wrong, I was heard this time by everyone in the library. The Security officer walked over to me and started to put his hands on me and I strongly advised him that wouldn't be a good idea. He backed up and said he would call for more police if needed. I asked him to step outside where we could take care of this matter between us and the security officer declined. All I can do is pray. 0 0 0 �.­ STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 14 · Street Scopes Letters By Alanna Maloney The Urban Astrolo2er Happy Birthday Aquarius! Dear Mr. Kunzel, I'm writing this.letter publicly to ~pplaud you on your vision. It Syems you've really struck Why do I get the feeling that you have been reading this paper backwards or upside down? This February, don't become trapped by your own talents. Are you over or undere mployed? When will you have the time to pursue your creative . bliss? pay dirt with your dream for a· new ARTS The Big Picture: We are at the ve'ry nexus EDUCATION CENTER, a place where the youth can gro·w and learn about esoteric l ife and bow to kick a man in the teeth when he's lost his vision. A place where your youth can enjoy the scores of Bach and .Beethoven while ignoring the sc ores of c h ildre n who s uffer from dysfu nctional situations. Let them enj oy the paintings of the Renaissance and tum their backs on the signs "HOMELESS PLEAS E HELP", painted by a man who is part of life's canvas. Yes, let's teach them all ab011t how to build a set of tenement slums for a production of "WEST SIDE STORY", whi le eliminating the homes of hundreds who partiaHy due to inadequate systems and waivering politicians don' t have a chance at adequate housing. Let's not forget the bru nches and lunches that wrn be held to pat on the back all those concerned for their contributions to the Arts. while some wayward teen goes to jail for i;hoplifting since ifs the only way he and his younger siblings will eat djnner. Wasn ' t it Spencer Tracey in the roll of Father Flanagan in "BOYSTOWN", who said THERE A RE NO BAD BOYS". see even the homeless enjoy the arts. of Uranus' travel through its native sign, Aquarius. In the coming years there will be unprecedented changes in the fields ofhistory, social activism, science, technology, and, of course, the "I-word" . You may find yourself attracted to your friends these days. Your home life may feel like work this year. You may be having a freeze with a parent or spouse. Many delays are possible in home-improvement projects. Work on the foundation and bide your Hey Eric how about letting us use the gold plated shovel that you will be usi.ng for the ground breadking to bury one of the homeless vets who passed away with no one but those here at the DROP INN CENTER to call family, or the little child killed in a random act of street violence "OOPS, ~ONG PLACE, WRONG TIME", since her school was closed. Seems you've been shovelfog a long ti me, old pal;. It's amazing, Mr. Kunzel, how progress just ro lls along, yes it just steamrolls rightover what once was homes, businesses and peoples livelihoods. I once sayw progress in action and it was amazing, yes the.KILLING FIELDS were amazingly vile. For one who says they lov·e the arts and ·then proposes to commit such. an unforg ivable ac t ~gain st ·one of GODS GREATEST iytASTERPIECES, "MAN", is a gross contradiction ... So consider yourself on notice, Mr. K un zel from one of GOD ' S MASTERPIECES in the OVER-THE-RHINE area. What you 're considering is very ugly and GOD DON'T LIKE UGLY, Homeless Veteran never afraid, Kevin L. Deal you. Seize opportu nities to socialize, start new projects, and assert yourself overall: Take pho tos, write screenplays, and stop worrying that you are too weird. Express all that · rebellious c r e ativity which is lo o king for an o u tlet. Watch your fe et a nd a nkles . Aries The Big Pictur e: You can effect profound change in this peribd ofyour life by focusing on its deeper meaning. Education, philosophy, and travel are good investments at this time. The go, go, go - ofnew ventures and socializing will be cooling down soon enough. Continue to seize the day­ especiaJly opportunities from mentors and benefactors. Setbacks in finance and creative areas are part of a greater lesson. Don 't get depressed! Realize that throughout this year - aspects of your structure will be lying fallow like a field in winter. Things die so that new life may later flomish. This Month: W hile you may be time. This Month: Focus on your dreams by expressin g your id eas in unique and surprising ways. You may fee l motivated · to buy, sell, or build­ fin a nciall y, arti s tica lty, and spiritu ally . You may enjoy a short trip with friends or a visit with your siblings . You are in a position to take the lead in many forms of communication. Your career and reput.a tion in t he community may be a secret source ot shame for you. Now is a good time to process th e se feelings by s ha ring the m with a friend or lover. You may also enjoy rene\ ving your connection with the earth and your body in a spiritual way such as Reiki or Yoga . 1 Pisces The Big Picture: You may have found it difficult to stabilize your career in recent years. Profound changes may be occmring in eve1y field you pursue. Try to go with the flow and focus on education, travel, and spirituality. You have been experiencing a feeling of restriction in communication, and sibling-type relationsh ips. Your car may also be acting up. Some of these limitations will end up blossoming after this period of delay. If relationships are suffering, look beneath the surface for drama related to your parental dynamics. Expect continued expansion in areas of finance and growing projects. These ventures may never be :finished, but grab yow- chances while they last. This Month: Your acquaintance network, g ro u p s., a nd lon g- term goal s w ill be h ea ting up. Spending t i me wi th , meeting a mate t h rou gh one of these areas may be sat isfying. Yo u will be making appearances. You m ay find yours._e lf more m otivated than usu al to remake some things about your look or how peo ple see or experiencing setbacks financially, you could make important career connections this· month. You might also find love or friendship at work. Communications regarding your social groups, acquaintance network, or goals are important now. Expect radical change and upheaval to continue. Get thee on the web! Beware of buried anger or sexual issues smfacing. The best cure is something spirirual and intangible like meditation, Reiki, or prayer. Taurus The Bi g Pi ctu re : Saturn has transited your sun, and you have been exp eriencing crisis in identity and career during parts of the past year. You might have made multiple starts and stops and a(e perhaps feelin g especially thwarted by n ew ventures and perso nal appearan ce. Big daddy Sat urn is taking you tG task and will c'ontinue to do so fo r the rest of the year. be patie n t. Saturn de lays; he doesn't de ny. Guard your self-esteem and plot for t he days ahead when all your res olve will be rewarded! This.Month: You may find your career an d rep utati o n under fi re. You need to integr ate t he newest tech nologies wisely into y our f u t ure pl a n s . State y our o verall c aree r go a l s n ow . Gemini The Big Picture: You are in a long period · w h e re re lations hip a nd partners hip a r e o u t to chan ge y ou profoundly. Weeding out childhood blocks to YOU! spirit a nd your dream s should become ·a long-term goal starting now. �STREETVIBES This Month: Enjoy exciti ng developments in your acquaintance network. Nourish yo ur intellectual goals, a nd technological aspirations at this time. Education and travel are also important factors to consider. Now is the time for you to shine in all things philosophical. If you can do your taxes this month, your return may be bigger than you expected. Let upheaval and change become par for the course. Your physical energy may be low this. month, but brainpower is high. Cancer The Big Picture: Work is where you find the most profound change during this period in your life. You may experiment with many different gigs or volunteering opportunities. Many could have educational or travel related benefits. This period is the perfect time to pursue healing work- explore being healed by alternative earth-based medicine. Embrace radical change in your psychological approach and spiritual outlook. This year brings opportunity for expansion and growth in your career especially through mentors and friends ofthe family. This Month: Please do your taxes correctly. Be cautious of business or insurance deals that seem too good to be true. Be wary while making investments with other people's money. Take a class or pursue a martial art. Leo The Big Picture: You will make major changes The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine This month: Now is a good time for romance and self-expression through the arts or your work. You may qave been having a hard time ·stabilizing your dreams in areas concerning work or health. You may experience revolt or upheaval on the job or a stress-related illness. Communicate your unique ideas. Assess any anger in relationships and find ways to be more active with your mate or best friend. j Libra The Big Picture: It is essential that you use this period to communicate, write, and take short journeys. Work to repair relationships with siblings. Your thoughts can have profound and lasting impact on your generation. Romance and self-expression may be rocky and filled with change these days. Again, I implore you to communicate your unique genius at_this time. While the last year has been filled with opportunities for love, friendship, and even marriage; beware of too many buds spoiling the soup. Also beware of burdensome investments and overly limiting financial partnerships. Delays will become gains in this area as this year comes to a close. This month: Like Cancers, you also have to take pains to do your taxes correctly. It's a good time to beautify your home or find a good home. Try to repair relationships with family. in your approach to self-expression, attitudes toward children, and creative output. You very likely will renew a bond with a favorite sport or physical activity. Travel and educational goals are vital yet burgeoning The Big Picture: This period brings themes during the next twenty years of your life. The slow but radical changes to the way you erratic is becoming every-day in your relationships. approach your finances as well as your self-esteem. Think of something like Stay open to the changes being wrought. Scorpio architecture or ceramics as a kind of This Month: Take the extra time you need to occupational therapy. Write love letters. communicate with partner and friends. You may find Submit that book you have hidden under a job you love or find a love on the job. Suddenly, your bed to a publisher this month. At you may feel a need for spiritual or psychological the very least, read it to somebody self-exploration. Allow time to discover yourself special. Upheavals in home and family through self-help, counsel, or occult study. Travel and may not be settling down soon, but by education keep coming up. You may already have now you must be getting used to the seen lucky opportunities in these areas. They may unexpected. well materialize into solid career openings soon. Yet, This month: Now is a good time to talk career may have you stumped just now. It may be all about it all. I need to stress that it about waiting for the right moment. Work on is essential for you to be working with maintaining self-esteem while you wait for your work computers at this time. If you don't have to bring harvest. one at home yet, think about how you can acquire one or get access to one-be resourceful. Assert yourself romantically Virgo and creatively. Don't forgo a ny The Big Picture: You are undergoing opportunity to exercise or play a sport! profound and long-term changes in your Luck is on its way to rescue your poor, sense of roots, home, and family. Before beleaguered relationships. If friendship this period is up, you may need to seek and love have seemed slowed this year counsel regarding a parent's hypocritical its 'cause they are! Work on building attitudes during your childhood. Stay something worthwhile in partnership but on top of the latest developments in expect delays. health and social work, or science and technology. Be aware ofjob opportunities in these areas. A year of looking deeper into your psyche and soul will soon culminate in educational or travel .opportunities. At the moment however, development in these areas may feel unnecessarily stalled. Be patient. Sagittarius The Big Picture: Youareina long period of deep, slow changes in your appearance and approach to projects. Others may feel threatened by the psychic and/or sexual power that you are emanating. Practice .meditation, martial arts, or some other method to channel this energy. Luck is on its way to save you on the job front. The last year or so you have really tried to buckle down and it's really Page 15 trying you. During this delay at work think of future expansion and possibly incorporating more travel into your job. \ This Month: Luck is with you in money and the arts. Communicate, write, communicate-especially regarding techno logy and social reform. Turn everything that you are doing backwards and maybe it will turnout right at long last. Beware of anger and accidents on the road or on the Internet. Go swimming or start a home improvement project. If you feel a sudden urge to move try Feng Shui or a psychic house blessing first. Capricorn The Big Picture: You are in a period of deep change d ealing with your unconscious and spiritual approach to life. Counsel or self­ help may help bring shadows safely to the surface. After a time of restriction in this area, gear up for expansion in romance, creativity, and matters to do with children. This Month: You are looking great and finding new love or friends at a party or in a new environment. But whoah! What's going on with your.finances? It is just one upset after another in all your carefully laid plans. During this period expect the unexpected and pegin to pursue your most far-out dreams. In fact this month you could begin to map out all those dreams. Watch out for flaming with siblings, on the road, or on the Internet. Strive to find out what you are really angry about before trouble starts. Squeeze that Horoscope 'til it yelps! Often we complain that Horoscopes are generalized. This is because they are! Each of us has at least 36 variables that make our astrological profile (birth chart) unique. Newspaper horoscopes can only cover 3 of these variables at most. You can, however, use a horoscope more to your advantage and bring that variable number much higher if you know your chart. If you have an interest in using horoscopes to your best advantage learn your rising (ascendant sign) and your moon sign from an astrologer, book, computa' program, or the Internet. Then read those signs every month. This will give you a more personalized horoscope. Example: if your sign is Taurus, your moon sign is Pisces, and your rising sign is Leo; then you read Taurus to learn about your self- expression (sun). Pisces for your emotional life (moon), and Leo (rising) for your social expression. This will help to make horoscopes make more sense and bring meaning. Readings with Alanna: I do Tarot consultations at SitwelJ's Coffee House 404 Ludlow Ave. from 9pm to Midnight on Tuesdays. Astrology and Tarot are available by appointment at the Occult Shop471-5200orby E-mail at psi_chic@hQtmail.com. �ST REE TV I BES Action Alert The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine 142416th St. NW, Ste 404 Washington, D.C. 20036, Ph: (202) 328-0002, Fax (202) 462-2183, e-mail: nirsnet@nirs.org, http://www. nirs.org Nuclear Information & Resource Service Your Action Needed Now More Than Ever to Stop Mobile Chernobyl and the Yucca Mountain Dump! For the past several years while I still lived in Kalamazoo, Michigan, I regularly heard my U.S. Representative Fred Upton-sponsor of the Mobile Chernobyl bill in the U.S. House - claim that Yucca Mountain is the perfect place to store high-level nuclear wastes because it's bone dry and located in an uninhabited desert wasteland. Well, last week on my tour deep within the tunnels of Yucca Mountain, imagine my surprise to see drips from the ceiling and puddles of water on the floor: an experiment to see what the high temperatures of nuclear waste would do to the rock of Yucca Mountain. It is forcing out water trapped in pores and fissures; it then forms condensation, drips and puddles. While standing atop the mountain, a Nevada geologist pointed out how rainwater sometimes vanishes instantly into the ground, flowing downward. Looking out to the horizon, I could see Amargosa Valley not far away, a farming community d irectly downstream that will receive radioactive contamination via the groundwater. Guess Yucca Mountain is not a bone dry, uninhabited wasteland after all. Loo.king out at all the solar powered instruments atop Yucca Mountain (yes, this is the world's first solar powered nuclear waste dump!) - seismograph.s measuring earthquake activity, weather stations recording which way the wind will blow the radioactive gases that will inevitably escape, the global positioning satellite antenna studying how quickly the Earth's crust is expanding (which could mean there's a magma pocket beneath), I can't fathom how the nudearestablishment could do anything but disqualify the site from further consideration. Yet, moves are on within the U.S. Congress and the Department of Energy (DOE) to lock-in the proposed high-level atomic waste dump at Yucca Mountain, Nevada - and thus launch tens ofthousands of truck and train shipments through 43 states in the years and decades to come . NIRS has been instrumental in fending off this nuclear madness for 6 years thanks to help from supporters like you, and we need your help again right now. Senator Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska) is Chairman of the Energy and Naturai Resources Committee and the nuclear industry's point man in the U.S. Senate. He has publicly announced that his 'Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2000' is his highest priority in this new session of Congress. Murkowski's bill, S. 1287, would gut environmental standards at Yucca Mountain, doom the underground aquifer to radioactive contamination, condemn 1 in 1,000 exposed downwinders (down­ streamers) to fatal cancer, make the Nuclear Regulatory Commission rather than the Environmental Protection Agency guardian of public health (talk about the fox guarding the hen house!) and loc~-in the site even before its suitability has been officially determined. Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.), who decides the Senate's calendar, has indicated that S . 1287 is high on his list. Rumors in D.C. are that this bill may be one of the first to hit the Senate Floor in the new session, requiring our immediate action. Our job is to make sure that we hold on to the 34 votes in the Senate needed to sustain President Clinton's promised veto - or, even better yet, we could head off a vote from happening at all. Now is the time to contact YOUR Senators and Rep. and urge them to vote NO on S . 1287 and H.R. 45. Tell them about the faults mentioned above, and that these Mobile Chernobyl bills would needlessly endanger over 50 million Americans living within half a mile of high-level atomic waste transport routes by senselessly rushing tens of thousands of tons of atomic wastes to a site that the DOE's own studies show will almost certainly leak. These wastes are so deadly we must be sure that our moving them around actually im proves the situation, not make it worse! Phone calls and simple, concise hand-written letters are most effective. Members of Congress always Page 16 WORD FROM THE EVANGELIST... This t ime last year I was em p loyed at VIP Bakery o n State Avenue w hile building a foundation for A.W.O.L. M inistries., however, VIP Bak ery closed its do ors o n check their phone log and file of letters received before their votes, so your action now can make a big difference on S. 1287 and H.R. 45. White House: Phone 202-456-1414, Fax: 202-456­ 2461 and 202-456-2883. Phone the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to be patched • through to your U.S. Senators and Representatives. For addressing letters: To Your Senators: The Honorable [full name] United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senator {last name): 19, 1999 l eaving hundreds unemployed. Simultan eously I w as about to February become h o m el ess on ce again, bur by the grac1 of G od I had been offered a position as a l ive· in Personal Caregi ver prior to this closing;; sc simply w alked through the door which Goad h ad open ed . Many of m y co-workers were n so fortunate. R ecently I talk ed w ith o ne o f m y former coworkers, who had put, twen ty-five years in at VIP Bakery, and she is now employed with Sp auldi ng L ighti ng; but the rep ort sh e gave o n m an y o thers w as not as To Your Representative: The Honorable [full name] United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 p rom ising. One coupl e h as married and attend church regularly. I applaud them. Another young woman lost her husband co a Dear Representative (last name): h eart accack. H e w as under forty. Sh e is no~ Be sure to tell your Members of Congress: middle aged woman has chosen to retire, living off of his soci al security. Yee another •Vote NO on S. 1287 (Senators)/H.R. 45 (House Rep.) *Support EPA, not NRC, as the stand.ard setterfor Yucca Mountain. • NRC is not independent, and would be the fox guarding the hen house. • Protect groundwater at Yucca Mountain and all nuclear sites. * Radiation standards should protect the most vulnerable exposed persons - the unborn children. * 10,000 years' compliance is not enough; these wastes remain deadly for hundreds of thousands of years. * These bills would needlessly endanger over 50 million Americans living within half a mile of atomic waste transport routes. The DOE's deadline for public comment on its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed Yucca Mountain dump - and Mobile Chernobyls by the thousands that go hand in hand with it - is fast approaching. Public comments need to be in to DOE by February 9th, 2000. Your comments can be submitted in writing, via the Internet. or by fax. Written comments should be sent to: Ms. Wendy R. Dixon EIS Program Manager Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Office Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management U.S. Department of Energy P.O. Box 30307, M/S 010 North Las Vegas, NV 89036-0307 Written comments can also be faxed to 1-800-967­ 0739. Be sure to include 'Yucca Mountain Draft EIS' as an identifier on all written comments. Comments can also be submitted via the Internet at http://www.ymp.gov. Click the 'Environmental Impact Statement' on the left hand side selection bar. Then select 'Submit a Comment on the Draft EIS.' because h er limited skills do not provide man opportunities. M any others I am sorry co say h ave drawn their unemploy m ent, and are eith still unemployed o r in low-p aying j obs. The sad fact is many of these men an• w omen do no t have a personal relationship with God , and therefore do n o t know that ti. way of life is above to the wise, that he may departfrom heel beneath (Proverbs 15:24). I uied to b e a living w itness w hile I worked at VIP Bakery, and altho ugh there were scoffers, there were also those w h o were mindful of their conversatio n and actions in m y presence n eedless to say th at w as not enough. For scripture says that th e fear (respect) of the Loi is only the beginning ofknowledge (wisd om ) If these m en and w o m en h ad gone beyond their respect of m e as a man of G od, and sought after understanding then possibly they could h ave escap ed the h eel they are presently exp erien cing; b ecause G od i s faithful and a rew arder of those w h o diligently seek Him. T herefore I challenge you to put G od to the test. Seek Him search o ut His will for you and be obed ient to H is word , and watch h ow H e w ill open doors in you r life. I am presently forming a B ible Study G roup w h ich (God willing) will begin m eetiJ in M arch . If you are interested in b eing a par of this group wri te A.WO.L. Post Office Bo 36065, C incinnati, Ohio 454236 . Include your n am e, address, telephone number, best time and d ay for you to attend, and name of y our local congregation if applicable. The purpose o f this group i s to strengthen God's p eop l e with prayer, fellow ship, and the study Thank you for your actions to fend off efforts within Congress and the DOE to launch high-level atomic wastes onto our highways and railways, to dump them in a leaking hole in the ground. Together, we've stopped this nuclear madness for many years, and togetherwe can continue to defend present and future generations against the deadly wastes ofthe nuclear industry. of the w ord . All are w elcome. Altho ugh the holiday season is past A.W.0.L. Ministri es is still in need of don ations w h ich w ill assist indiv iduals and fam ili es in their way ofli fe. Please call 2 10­ 4 181 for pick-up o f food and clothing item s and mail contr ibutions to the above address. If you need any assistance, contact Kevin Kamps atN IRS: ph. 202-328-0002, or kevin@igc.org Prepared by Kevin Kamps on Thursday, Jan. 20th, 2000. In H is Service, Rodney L. Sutton, Sr. The Evangelist �.... STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Street C·orner PolitiX A Glimpse of Te'tro DELIVERANCE #1 A quarter through life and I entered the new millennium wondering could my life become any more hectic, acknowledging that only fools fall in love, and questioning whether or not my recent misfortunes of life has anything to do with a warped sense of humor from God? Life up to this point has been sort of a rollicoaster ride filled with various highs and lows with the occasional loop-to-loop here and there. My childhood, fr~m what I've failed to erase from my memory (due to my biological mother disowning me in 1992) was pretry much pleasant and consumed with happiness, which was primarily due in part to my dad who transcended beyond a father figure the moment I took my first breath and as yet to cease being my mentor, . advisor/counselor, and best friend. When I think back long and hard of those childhood days, I can vividly remember my biological mother and I having our apartment robbed by this Jamaican guy that she was messing with (after her and my dad divorced) and, more importantly, my father coming to the rescue. I sit back and laugh whenever I recall the time my biological rµother chased me around our apartment dinning room table until she was exhausted because she was anempting to whip my backside for taking my big-wheel out in the snow. I also recollect my older cousin, Beverly, lening me puff on a cigarette when I was only two years old and that being the last time that my father ever allowed her to baby-sit me again! Or, the various episodes of fun-loving-near-death adventures that my cousins (Littles, Mike, Babe Rick, and Ronnie) th.at my cousins (Littles, Mike, Babe Rick, and Ronnie) and I got ourselves into, more frequently than Audry Townsell Does Reno, Nevada? Amaru .. with thoughts on life, love, and God . . . • • • by Te'tro Amaru Although memories like these and numerous others, such as doing back-flips on a dirty mattress in a vacant lot, may not appear as fond as vacationing on a cruise ship during the summer months (or whatever it is that that people with a much higher financial status experience within their childhood), I'll go out on a limb and say that both experiences probably equates the same level of joy. From what I can recall I've always lived with my father for most of my life, except when he was hospitalized for a bout six months (although at the time it seemed like two years). My father uprooted me from Philadelphia and into the Maryland suburbs in an effort to better my life with the abundan~ of opportunities as well as placing me within a better environment in which to elevate my thinking. Still, as a very mischievous youngster, the newly found comforts within the suburbs of Maryland had nothing on the treasures found within Philly's ghetto heaven. So to his dismay, he allowed me to return to Philadelphia to live with my biological mother in the sixth grade on the condition that I kept my grades up (honor­ roll and nothing less) and that I stayed out of trouble. However, these arrangements only lasted for about two months before I almost found myself six feet under green grass for attempting suicide. As I've stated and written of previously, I was a spoiled brat use to my biological mother being a friend rather than the disciplinarian who had now began enforcing a sense of responsibility, among many other things that were not to my liking. .And confused about Ehe fables of the bible, I found myself in a hospital bed with an I-V­ needle in my arm and a tube that ~an from one of my nostrils through my throat and into my Page 17 stomach (in which I was fed chalk to force me ro vomit m.y younger biological sister's asthma pills that I had attempted to overdose on). I remember laying in the hospital for about four or five days, in unbelievable pain, not ready to die, and begging for God's mercy - for God's help and not receiving any reply. And then the night that changed my life, my focus, and my thinking came to me in a dream wherein the EKG meter that I was attached to flat-lined ... Where was God's love as He watched his misled/confused child die? Couldn't He hear me yelling and screaming in agony as I fought for my life? 'Tm sorry! Lord, please forgive me . . . please help me Lord!" And still nothing . . . until I, Te'tro Amaru, decided that if He's like f_k me, than I'm f_i5, Him too! And from that point, I stopped asking for help and began helping myself I was able to use the bathroom after about three days of nothing, my fever finally broke, and the tube running through one of my nostrils and into my stomach was removed. Everything was looking better (my outlook on life) and I began feeling an awful lot better as well. .My father came to my rescue and transported me back to Maryland where I underwent psychiatric sessions for about four months until my dad realized that his firs~-born wasn't crazy but just thoroughly confused. It was fun while it lasted! I quickly realized that although my psychiatrist said that anything and everything we discussed would be completely confidential, that he told my father about whatever we talked about (~ajor or minor issues). So naturally, me being the mischievous child that I was, I decided to use this to my advantage. And let me tell you, I could have urinated on his favorite suit (d,µr ing that period only), and he would have somehow found an explan:\tion that did not put me at fault! Those were the days!! ........... . ......... To Be Continued ........ • Mount Auburn's Glencoe Apartlllents go through restructuring ... Warren Perkins, Tenant Organizer As many people know, HUD (department of Housing and Urban Development) helps low­ income individuals and families afford housing with subsi.dies given co private landlords for housing. HUD oversees these with the intent of providing safe decent and affordable housing to those who would not ordinarily have access to such. The contracts that HUD signed with property owners in the past tended to inflate the value of the apartment units. Tha.t meant that many building owners enjoyed added income that they would not have received at a normal market rent. Recent budget concerns in Congress have pushed HUD ro make changes in the way it makes contracts with owners. Now HUD employs people in each state who determine the value of the property and how much rent should be paid. The inspectors who visit the projects also hold meetings with tenants to get their insight. One such meeting happened at January 21, 2000 at Glencoe apartments in Mount Auburn. The Buildings at the sight ¥e 137 years old and have many problems associated with age. The Drug traffic on the corner is brisk and many residents are afraid. Despite this and maybe because of it many people assumed that the residence would not be interested in working to better the environment. Many people assumed that tenants at Glencoe would rather find other places to live than to work to better this one. They were wrong. The meeting starred at 10:30 with several residents of Glencoe waiting outside in the cold for HUD inspecrors and tenant organizers to open doors and ser up. The number tenantS who came ro the meeting out number the HUD officials and ocher guest. This is a rare occurrence since the HUD officials and guest tend to number around 15 people. Approximately 25-30 residents were in attendance. The meeting was held in an empty apartment, which gave non-residents the chance ro see the condition of an actual apartment. The Apartment had high ceilings with tall windows over looking an empty lot in the back and the street from the front. Steps led up from the foyer ro the living room space. More steps led from rhe first level ro the two bedrooms and bathroom. With the chairs setup in the living room area, people took seats and the meeting was called ro order. The HUD representative went over some basic facts about tenants housing and then started to ask tenants about conditions. The tenants were very forthright with answers to the question. The main areas of concern seem to be the lack of a working play area for children and heating. le seems that many residents are forced turn on . their srove and open them for heat. Residents say that the furnace does not properly heat the building. The temperatu re inside their apartments often does nor feel that much warmer than the outside. Another concern is the lack of proper playground for the children. The sire currently has two play areas designated. One site is made up of a platform with stairs and has wood planks leaning up against it. The other sire has no recognizable playground equipmenc. The Residents also expressed concern with overzealous police. The police are accused of covering their badges when they tell residents to go back into their homes. They also say that the police are quick to draw guns and that they once pulled guns on a person with an orange colored water gun. One resident said, "I don't know what is worse the drugs or the police?" The Residents also expressed positive things about their community. Many people find that access ro area attractions and services are a plus. Many parks are in walking distance of the apartments. Kroger's, Walgreen's, and Blockbuster are minutes away. Churches of all faiths are in the neighborhood also. The biggest draw is that residents live in the shadow of Christ hospital. Overall residents said that they wanted the problems with their homes fixed so that they could enjoy the large apartments and access to neighborhood resources. Other meetings will be held when HUD and the owner come to an agreement rent cost. �STREETVIBES COLERAIN CONNECTOR · MONSTER REAPPEARS Proposed Colerain Conne~tor, Northside Neighborhood destroyer, may not be dead after all. Certain unnamed political figures in Hamilton County and ODOT are trying to resur­ rect a portion of the Viaduct ( bottom of Colerain Ave.) at the last minute, trying to spoil the two-year community effort to incorporate these lands for neighborhood use. If you are interested in helping us defeat this monster, contact Mike McCleese, Coalition Against the Colerain Connector, 542-8609 DONALD WHITEHEAD RESIGNS as Director of the Greater Cincin­ nati Coalition for the Homeless?? Yep! Gone to the greener pastures of Goodwill, Inc., Gone to rustle up some Jobs for people. All of us at GCCH are going to miss him alot (though he still pops in from time to time) You can reach him at his GoodwilJ office: 421-4501, ...... and resumes for Direetor of GCCH are being accepted by our Coordinating Commit­ tee. Call 421-7803 for more information The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine ~~~ ~ II .Fund Page 18 Calendar of Events • liomeleaa,Children'• DON'T MISS THE 34th Annual "Children's Faces Without Places" BENEFIT on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2000 ­ We are seeking donations ofany value. T he benefit will be held on. All donations will be recognized at the benefit and are fully tax deductible. Over 1000 invitations will be senc and the benefit will be well publicized. The Project Connect Homeless Children's F und was created to support Project Connect, which endeavors to provide educational opportunities for homeless children and youth. Project Connect provides a strong voice ofadvocacy paired with specialized educational services as well as life-style edu cation ah enrichment opportuni ties for children who have neither a voice nor a choice in being homeless. Project connect is the only program in our area exclusively serving homeless children. Since its inception in 1996, the program has served over 5,000 children. Project Connect is me sole beneficiary of funds. In response, Project Connect Homeless Children's Fund offers scholarships to homeless children for a variety ofreasons, including music, art and spores. Questions, call 513-357-5720 Project Connect Ho~eless Children's Fund P.O. Box 23300, Cincinnati, Oh 45223 Ph: (513) 588-8754. Fax: (5 13) 559-0449 Streetvibes VENDORS' NEWS Canvas Bags for Streetvibes vendors will soon be_available. Come by to give us your ideas on design changes. There are presently three sites where vendors are specifically invited to sell papers - Bellarman Chapel at Xavier University, Ursuline Academy in Blue Ash, and now, First Unitarian Church on Reading in Avondale. Usually two vendors are chosen to sell at these events. Ifyou are interested in the opportunity, please let us know. The times of the month for these events vary somewhat, so come in and find out for sure. Currently, vendors receive 25 extra papers for selling 100 within any particular week (7-day period), and 100 extra papers for selling over 500 papers during the month (issue to issue). Don't forget, you can get free papers for submitting stories, poetry, art work, or photography that is used in Streetvibes, the number subjectively dependent upon how much the editor ne~ds your stuff at the moment. (usually anywhere from 10 to 100 papers[for a major story]) Free papers also given for tips leading to stories. If you want to tack a shot at photojournalism, you can obtain a one-time-use camera at the - Homeless. Coalition office.... . ..... - - - ­ This month Srreervibes is starting a calendar ofevents to keep you informed ofhappenings ar(Jund the Greater Cincinnati area. Please callus ifyou have an item to list. Any submission is welcome: local community council meetings. and programs, socialjustice forums or protests, community festivals, art shows, etc. ~ hope it can serve as a resourcefor those wanti,ng to get involved in their. communities. Ifyou would like to add your organization's events to Streervibes' Calendar, please contact john, ]£ss, or Tom at 421-7803, fax us at 421-7813, or e-mail at streetvibes@juno.com. FEBRUARY 2 Spruce Up Grant Park meeting 12:00 pm, Contact Center, 1641 Vine St. 381-4242 3 Welfare Rights Coalition meeting (potluck) 12:00 pm, Contact Cenrer, 1641 Vin 38 1-4242 4 Safety Committee meeting 1:30 pm, Contacc Center, 1641 Vine St. 381-4242 5 Statewide Ohio Empowerment Coalition meeting, 11:00 am, First Old Presbyterian Church, 1101 Bryden Rd., Columbus (for cransportarion call the Contact Center, 38 1-4242) 8 Organizing Over-the-Rhine, full group meeting 12:00 pm, Contact Center, 1641 Vine Sr. 381-4242 10 Save Our Schools meeting 5:30 pm, Peaslee Neighborhood Cence~, 215 E. 14'h St. 381-4242 16 Park & Recreation Com~ittee meeting 12: 15 pm, Contact Center, 1641 Vine 381-4242 . 17 Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless membership meeting 1:30 pm, Drop Inn Center, 217 W. 12th . St. 421-7803 28 Over-the-Rhine Community Council , meeting, 5:00 pm ,, Nast Trinity UMC, 1310 Race St. Looking Ahead... APRIL 14- 14 Statewide Welfare Conference, sponsored by the Ohio Empowerment Coalition Francis Fox Piven, Keynote Speaker Lenox Inn, Reynoldsburg (Q �STREETVIBES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine Page 19 Homeless Civil Rights VISTA position ~till open Streetvibes TV covers news on poverty, homelessness and related issues. If you would like to be a part of the audience, or if you have ideas for future shows, call us at 421-7803 Streetvibes Live Radio Hour ADVIRTISI IN STRllTVIBIS Tune in to WAIF 88.3 fm! on the second Saturday of each month at 12:00 noon for The c: CD ce > Help a good cause while promoting yourself to over 5,000 concerned people each month. _ Homeless Coalition's live radio program. c: The show is co-hosted by Mary Burke, Donald Whitehead and other monthly guest hosts. The show mixes talk focusing on the stories in this paper and eclectic musical selections. Business Card Size <¢, ~ 2" x 3 1/2" $10 per month ~Two Business Card Size 4"x31/2" $20 per month Larger Adds also available ANSWERS TO WOR D SCRAMBLE Bl h zar~ , ' . Storm Typhoon Tor na do S lee t Hu rri cane Thunder S now Hai I If you ·need assistance in designing your ad or have any other questions, call us at 421 -7803. Please send your add by the 20th of preceeding month, accompanied by your check I money order, to Streetvibes, 1506 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45210 (See Front Page article, January Streetvibes) Gina Miller, former Rapid Exit housing specialist at the Greater Cincinnati Coaltion for the Homeless, has decided not to .take this GCCH Cincinnati-based position, So ---It's still available! Qualifications: Education: Bachelor's Degree preferred. Experience: Organizing skills, expe­ rience with homeless people or desire to work with fragile populations., acministrative experience, fund raising experience, leadership qulaities. A strong desire to work on constructing a project to protect the rights of homeless people. Skills: Basic computer skills in word processing and/or data processing helpful, and communication skills are important. Worki ng Hours: 40 hours/week. No more than one weekend per month; no more th<:m two evenings per week. Project ends one year after start date. Second year possible. Compensation: About $728 per month+ Medical insurance: and $4,700 education award --or smaller cash stipend --after a year of service in VISTA. Apply to: NEOCH, 2012 West 25th ST. #717 Cleveland, Ohio 44113, FAX 241 -1047 For information or an application, call 241 -1104 We reserve the right to deny any ad, especially those which promote alcohol or tobacco products. You will receive a full refund should your ad be denied. Streetvibes accepts Classified Ads for items such. as Help Wanted, Items for Sale, Apartments for Rent and other non-personal items. The rate is only $1 per line, approximately ten words per line. · People below the poverty level will be given five free lines for six months to advertise their skills or products to our readers. Call 421-7803 for more information :J/(aleup, :J/(ash, 7/ccessories j9.J c:Sprins 9 r ot1e, Y!t1e. Ginc ir111a!t; Mail the ad copy, or deliver, to: GCCH, 1506 Elm Str~et, Cincinnati , OH 4521 O or fax it to 421-781 3, or e-mail to streetvibes@juno.com Oliio 4S22J Sl!J-S4/ -MOJ Caren '!Jou119 -- ....._ r Rapid Exit , assists families and individuals Coming Soon: in moving rapidly from homelessness to permanent housing T he Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless Calendar, featuring the incomparable photography of Jimmy Heath. for more information contact The Greater Cincinnati Coalition For The Homeless : 42 1-7803 and ask for Melissa Samhan ~ es:. . ~\. ~ .•. ·. ¥' ~ .... ANOTHER CLASS PRODUCTION ,. Disc-Jockey Service ~s~ CLIFFORD JONES Stayed tuned to find Ol;lt how to get your very own! (513) 761-3464 e-mail: jonesacp@tbol.net ~ \... •-. • • t .. # # . . . .,, # • • . , . . . . . . . ._. . . . . ~ ,,.. . . . .. . . . _.. . . . . . . . . . . . , •• ~• • • . , . . . . . . . . . , ! . . ., • • -- --....----- ..... . .. ------.. - - . - ... - . - ...... ,.--...--- ..-- ,..--. .... .. ...... - .. - -----.. - -- - ... . ~ ~ ~ �ST REE TV I BES The Tri-State's Homeless Grapevine STREETVIBES TV Schedule Check us out, We 're on TV! The Streetvlbes TV Soow is produced at the facilities of Media Bridges (Cincinnati · Community Video), 2114 Reading Road, Cincinnati Ohio. If you would like to be a part of our live studio audience please call the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at 421-7803 for more information. February Schedule Broadca~t Dates for January's Show on Channel 24: (Please check your schedule) Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 10 PM Saturday, Feb. 19th, at 5 PM Tuesday, Feb: 22nd, at 10AM Thursday, Mar. 2, at 1OAM . Broadcast schedules are subject to change - consult your local TV directory. StreeMbesVendor code Volunteers Needed! Each vendor has to sign the following code to be able to sell the paper. 1. StreeMbes will be distributed for a $1 voluntary donation. I agree .not to ask for dona­ tions more than $1. t also understand that l will be al>le to keep 80 cents of each dollar collected. li'uture Issues of Streetvibes will be purchased from : the Homeless Coalition for 20 cents. 2. I agree that I will never distribute StreetVibes while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 3. l agree that I will not ask for donations after 12 midnight. 4. I agree to treat others with respect. I will not use abusive l~age or force someone to give a donation. I will not gtve a "hard sell" or make someone feel threatened. 5 . .J agree that I will not suppty copies of 'Streetvibe~ to persons ·who are not regts(ered ~ Page 20 Streetvibes is looking for volunteer writers, reporters, photographers, etc. interested in serving on the Streetvibes Editorial Board. For more information, please call the office at 421-7803 6. I agree not to deCetve the pub]c by saying that I am co'Uec;ttng for a not-for-profil chartty or that I am collecting for the "homeless" ln general I will be honest In s~ that all the profilskom the saleof Streetvi.beswill go to the individual vendor. 7. I agree that I will not contest terrttorteswlth other - ~ 8. I ungerstand l:hatSlreet.uibes st:rtves tobe a self­ supporlingpaper created by peoplewho are homeless or formerly homeless. To help In thi$ effort. I will try to spread the word and wrtfe stortesJf po8§ihle. 9. I undCrStand thatfailure to c.OinP1Y With:aey of tlieaboveStatements wtllresulf in meno longer being able to distribute StmetvlheS. Wish Lis't Streetvibes newspaper is published monthly on· a shoe-string budget from the offices of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. We depend heavily on the goodwill of many volunteers and donors. If you can help out with some of the items or our wish list, please.give us a call ... o Supplies for vendor's lounge (coffee, cups, paper towels, cream and sugar, etc.) O Photography Help of all sorts for Streetvibes- photographers, film, developing , {a digital camera?) o Advertisers and Subscribers o Computers/components (monitors, hard drives, etc.) for story-writing, editing, research, and future home­ less computer lab- Streetvibes has a minimal overhead costs so that the vendors can keep as much of the proceeds as possible. If you can help!, contact us at: Streetvibes, clc Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, 1506 Elm Street If anyone selling Streetvibes claims to be collecting for a. private charity, please call our office at 421-7803. Cincinnati, OH 4521'0 ph: (513) 421-7803, fax (513) 421-7813 e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com Thanksforyoursupp~rt. Need Help or Want to Help? If for some reason you· find yourself homeless, contact a Coalition Member Agency for Shelter, Treatment, Housing or .S ervices. If you have any questions, feel free to call the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. SHELTERS: Women and Children YWCA Battered Womens Shelter 872-9259 (Toll Free) !-888-872-9259 YWCA Transitional Living Prog. 281-5770 557-2873 Bethany House 762-5660 431-871 7 Salvation ArmY, Welcome House SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission Garden Street House Joseph House (Veterans) St. Francis- St. Joseph House Mt. Airy Center Volunteers of America SHELTER: Both Caracole (A IDS) Chabad House Drop Inn Center (Singles) Friars Club Haven House (Hamilton) Interfa ith Hospitality Netwoi:t< •• -:· :i'"" 4 • • • • ",:' .: ... • .,,.. • - .; .... .. ·_ 241-5525 241-0490 241-2965 381-4941 661-4620 381 -1954 761 -1480 821-5100 721-0643 381-5432 863-8866 244-7226 ~ - AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati 421-2437 Appalachian Identity Center 621-5991 Beech Acres 231-6630 Center for Independent Living Options 241 -2600 Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 Cincinnati Health Network 961-0600 Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Genter 381-4242 Emanuel Community· Center 241-2563 Freestore/Foodbank 241-1064 Goodwill Industries 771-4800 Hamilton Co.Mental Health Bd. 621 -7149 Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-7186 Health Resource Center 357 -4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 House of Refuge Mission 221-3619 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Madisonville Ed. & Assistance Ctr. 271-5501 721 -4811 ­ Mary Magdalen House Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 961-4080 St. John's Temporary Housing 651-6446 HOUSING CMHA Excel Development Miami Purchase OTR Housing Network ReSTOC Tender Mercies Tom Geiger House TREATMENT: Women O.D.A .A.T First Step Home TREATMENT: Men Charlie's 3/4 House Prospect House Starting Over TREATMENT: Both N.A. Hopeline A.A . Hotline C.C.A.T. Talbert House Transitions, Inc. VA Domiciliary OTHER SERVICES .. -. . ~. ~. I, . 721-4580 632-7149 241-0504 369-0004 3'81-0954 639-7056 961-4555 241-7343 961 -4663 784-1853 921-1613 751-3260 Oral Health Council Our Daily Bread Peaslee Neighborhood Center Travelers Aid 820-2947 861-9966 381 -6660 684-7956 491-4435 559-5011 United Way VA Homeless Program Women's Crisis Center Women Helping Women . ... . ~ ··---~. ~ .. ·;,;.. -~ ... • - l' - 621-02~8 621-6364 621-5514 721-7660 721-7900 572-6226 491-3335 872-9259 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2000 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource February 2000 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Artists Rally and Jam in Support of the Drop Inn Center Pg 2: City Plants Replacement for Community Council Pg 3: Drop Inn Center Continued Pg 4: The Purple Turtle: Save Over-the-Rhine…from the Kunzel’s Nightmare Pg 5: National News Pg 6: Center Helps Drug Users in Nepal Find Hope Pg 7: Arts & Poetry Pg 8: Arts & Poetry Continued: Street Corner PolitiX Pg 9: Prison News Pg 10: Prison News Continued: The Death Penalty Pg 11: Prison News Continued: In Memory of “Little Rock Reed” A victory for Human Rights Pg 12: Welfare News Pg 13: News from Across the River Pg 14: Editorials & Letters Street Scopes Pg 15: Street Scopes Continued Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 2000 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Susan Knight Tom Billman John Halpin Jess Ballew Ron Carter Warren Perkins Melissa Samhan Jimmy Heath Berta Lambert D. Jackson Mike Henson Steve Lansky Warren Perkins Lynn Williams Te’tro Amaru Joan Rohrer Tree Mosolf John Halpin Berta Lambert Sonny Williams Rodney Sutton Pat Mitchell Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Artists Arts & Poetry Berta Lambert Carl Walker community council Covington Death Penalty Drop Inn Center Editorials & Letters Human Rights Joan Rohrer John Halpin Lemuel Israel Lynn Williams Mike Henson nationwide news Over-the-Rhine Pat Mitchell prisoners news Rodney Sutton Sonny Williams Steve Lansky Te' Tro Amaru the broken city The Traveler Tom Billman Tree Mosolf Warren Perkins welfare news