REPORT:Rise InHealth

CareSpendingLowest On

Record

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RAPPIN’RAPPIN’RAPPIN’RAPPIN’RAPPIN’Tommy WyattTommy WyattTommy WyattTommy WyattTommy Wyatt

Vol. 41 No.28 Phone: 512-476-0082 Email: vil3202@aol.com November 29, 2013

#ThisisObamacare #ThisisObamacareREPORT:Rise InHealth

CareSpendingLowest On

RecordUSA Today // Kelly Kennedy

The new report reflects earlier studies that show lower-than-normalincreases in health care costs and spending.

WASHINGTON — Health care spending since the 2010 passage of theAffordable Care Act has risen by 1.3% a year, the lowest rate ever recorded,and health care inflation is the lowest it has been in 50 years, a report re-leased Wednesday by the White House shows.

An economy hobbled by the recession and 2008 economic crisis playeda role in some of the reduced spending growth, officials said, but the reportcited “structural change” caused, in part, by the law.

The report’s release comes as President Obama and his administrationstruggle with the political fallout associated with the problem-filled open-

See PER CAPITA SPENDING, page 2

ON THE DOTTED LINE: Sauls proudly pictured with her mother the day of the signing. Photo byMargaret Licarione

REALIZING HER DREAMREALIZING HER DREAM

By Alta Y. AlexanderHigh school senior

Essence Sauls is on herway to realizing herdream!

On Wednesday,November 13, Saulssigned her NCAA Letterof Commitment to attendSt. Edward’s Universityon a full athletic ANDfull academic scholar-ship for Fall 2014.

Destine to over-come the odds of beingraised in a single-parenthousehold, Sauls set hermind and discipline toher studies and her loveof basketball.

When most her agewould have been

stretched far beyond theircapacity, Sauls added apart-time job to her de-manding schedule.

”My family work-ethic emphasizes wework – wanting to do sojust comes natural. Webelieve in hard work ineverything we do!” Saulsproudly stated.

While the signingand ultimate accolade onthe horizon is her finestaccomplishment to date,Sauls has been accus-tomed to receivingawards. Last year, shereceived 2nd Team All-District and AcademicAll-District; AcademicAll-District in volleyball,basketball and track; 2nd

All-District in basketball;honorable mentions inbasketball; 1st Team All-District in track; and hermost treasured achieve-ment – National Jr.Honor Society all years inhigh school.

”There’s nothingmore gratifying than tosee your child accom-plish their goals. Since4th grade all she everwanted to do is to go tocollege and play basket-ball. Her dreams are be-coming reality. We aretruly blessed and I amthe happiest, mostproud and gracious par-ent in the world today!”exclaimed Saulsmother, Sheronda

Speed.”I thank God for

the support of my fam-ily and the love and sac-rifice of my mother.With their continuedencouragement andGod’s blessing, I willrealize this goal andmany more dreams tocome,” exalted Sauls.

Although, not thefirst in her family to at-tend college, she cer-tainly is the first to re-ceive not only a full ath-letic scholarship, butalso a scholarship cov-ering all her academiccosts.

Sauls is presentlycompleting her senioryear at Del Valle High

School, where she is setto play her fourth yearon the school’s varsitygirl’s basketball team,continue taking APclasses, and maintainher current 4.59 (on 5-point scale) grade pointaverage.

Sauls plans to ma-jor in medicine and be-come a pediatrician.

The Austin Indepen-dent School District isnow in the process ofplanning for the 31st Af-rican American HeritageProgram. The committeeis requesting assistance inidentifying members ofthe Austin communitywho deserve recognitionfor their exceptional ef-forts in supporting publiceducation.

Each year the Dis-trict celebrates the achieve-ment of African Ameri-cans and recognizes andhonors exceptional indi-viduals or community-based organizations thatdevote their time and tal-ents to make a differencefor our students.

The district is nowaccepting recommenda-tions for this honor. Therewill be several awardsgiven in honor of peoplewho have given time andservice to the District. Theyinclude: W. Charles AkinsAward; H. L. Gaines Hu-man Relations Award;Friends of EducationAward; Spirit of GivingAward; and the VolunteerService Award.

The program andawards presentation willtake place February 23,2014 at the Palmer EventCenter, 900 BartonSprings Road at 3:00 p.m.

The deadline fornominations is Friday,December 13, 2013. Tonominate someone forone of these awards,please contact ShirleyAlexander at (512) 414-0145 to get an applica-tion. The form can besent back by fax.

While all of thedeserving people can getan award this year, it isgood to be nominated.And maybe the ones whodo not win this year, willbe eligible for the nextyear’s awards. There aremany “Unsung Heroes/Sheroes” in our commu-nity who make valuablecontributions to our edu-cation system each daywhile never being recog-nized for their contribu-tions. And our school dis-trict is the better for it.

Do not underesti-mate the value of the con-tributions of our parents,educators and commu-nity members. Everyoneis important and shouldbe recognized.

The 2014African-AmericanHeritage Awards

L. M. RIVERS HOLDSTOYS-FOR-TOTS BENEFIT

L. M. Rivers, left, held his Seventh Annual Pre-Thanksgiving/Birth-day Bash Sat., Nov. 23, at the Doubletree Hotel, 6505 IH35 North to benefitthe Toys-for-Tots Foundation sponsored by the U.S. Marine Corps. Alsotaking part in the program were Oneal Mims, center, and Marine GunnerySergeant Eric Johnson. Rivers is a fitness instructor and teaches classes atthe Conley Guerrero-Center and other locations. Photo by George Hardin

L. M. RIVERS HOLDSTOYS-FOR-TOTS BENEFIT

Pirates Give Old ChristmasStory a New Twist

By Shirley A. Hammond ~ twitter.com/xtremeridewish1

Librarian Philip Yates has written two piratebooks for Christmas.One, A PIRATES TWELVEDAYS OF CHRISTMAS, is pictured here. Photoby Shirley A. Hammond

Story on page 2

PIRATES, SEAHORSES & PRESENTS, OH MY!

Pirates Give Old ChristmasStory a New Twist

GOOBLE‘TILYOU

WOBBLE

GOOBLE‘TILYOU

WOBBLE

Van de Putte’selection intention

stirs up demographicconversion.

See GOVERNORPage 6

TX scholars reflecton the relevance ofCivil Rights in thenew millennium.

See LBJPage 3

Experience themagnitude of finance

and leadership.See TEXAS

Page 7

Page 2 ~ November 29, 2013/THE VILLAGER www.theaustinvillager.com

THE COMMUNIQUÉ

ing of the federalhealth care exchange,the online marketplacewhere uninsuredAmericans can shop forand buy insurance. Theexchange’s website,H e a l t h C a r e . g o v ,opened Oct. 1 and hasbeen hampered by out-ages and delays, par-ticularly in its firstweeks of operation.

Per capita spend-ing has grown at a rateof 1.3% since 2010, thelowest recorded rate forany three-year periodon record, according tothe report, which wasconducted by the WhiteHouse Council of Eco-nomic Advisers.

Price inflation roseby 1%, the councilfound — the lowestsince 1962.

Because of cost re-ductions, the Congres-sional Budget Office re-duced Medicare andMedicaid spending pro-jections in 2020 by $147

PER CAPITA SPENDING HASGROWN AT A RATE OF 1.3%

SINCE 2010 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

billion since 2010, thecouncil noted.

The lower increasesin spending as theeconomy has recoveredis a sign the changes arestructural, said JasonFurman, the chairmanof the Council of Eco-nomic Advisers. Pricesremain low, he said, andMedicare spending,which he said doesn’ttypically reflect trends,remains low.

One key area inwhich the law helpeddrive costs down, thereport said, are the pro-visions that allow Medi-care to reduce overpay-ments to providers andhealth plans. Anotherfactor, Furman said, arefines for hospitals thatreadmit Medicare pa-tients within 30 days oftheir release and the in-creased use of account-able care organizations.

“For a long time,[readmission rates]werehovering around 19%,

and now they are con-tinuing to go straightdown,” Furman said.“A very important partof the structural story isthe Affordable CareAct,” he said.

The ConsumerPrice Index statistics re-leased Wednesdayshowed that “year overyear health inflationslowed,” Furman said.

Private insurancespending grew at an an-nual rate of 1.6% in thelast three years, Furmansaid, while Medicarespending had 0.0%growth rate and Medic-aid spending was “actu-ally minus 0.5%.”

“Health spendingis certainly cyclicalwhen you see a down-turn,” Furman said.

But increases incost-sharing, such ashigh-deductible insur-ance plans, as well asmedications coming offpatent, helped decreasecosts, Furman said.

PiratesGive Old

ChristmasStory a New

TwistBy Shirley A. Hammond

He could certainlybe mistaken for GoodOle St. Nick. With thejolly countenance, whitehair and friendly de-meanor, he would cer-tainly fit the bill. How-ever, since one is mostlikely to see him sittingbehind a library desk,there is a definite liter-ary air to his life. PhillipYates, assistant man-ager and librarian atCarver Library at 1161Angelina is all thingsbooks. This includesbeing the author of sev-eral of his own delight-ful titles. It was not himwho disclosed this deli-cious secret, instead itwas a librarian at an-other branch. I talked toYates about this under-the-radar gift, and hegave me a copy of oneof the books, and toldme about a couple ofothers.

Two of his booksare about Pirates, one ofthem is”A PiratesTwelve Days ofChristmas”and he usesthe ship matey as themain character fromwhich he respins the

beloved tale and songknown as “Twelve Daysof Christmas.” The storyis nautical, as it takesplace entirely on a ship.I was so blown awaywhen I read this book,that I turned around andread it again to enjoy ita second time.

One poor charactergets left behind to swabthe deck while the restof the ship mates go outon an adventure. Theyoung cabin boy is dis-mayed at being left be-hind to do the workwhile the others embarkupon fun times. Beforehis sadness sinks in, hestarts receiving gifts inincreasing abundance.The gifts are all thingsworthy of a pirate, andhe and readers wonderwhere the bountifulgifts come from andwhat will be next. As inthe English Christmascarol, the gifts becomemore deluxe andgrander with eachround.

The same cumula-tive structure that’scommon with the origi-nal storysong are pre-served in the marvel-ously illustrated 2012book. Serra Sebastiaserves as illustrator ofthe Sterling Books forChildren title.

It would be hard tomention the illustra-tions without pointingout that they are plenti-

ful and elaboratelywrought. The hardbackjacket cover is incred-ibly bright and vividwith images and textwhich feature gifts, thepirates and a series ofcolorful gifts that teasethe imagination..

All parts of thebook are top-tier inquality and enjoyment.Writer and illustratorobviously worked to-gether very closely be-fore bringing the bookto market.

Holiday cheer,great characterization,and a fresh new ap-proach makes this a dy-namic read. Available inhardcover with a color-ful jacket cover, it is afeast for any reader orlover of all thingsChristmas.

Yates is also authorof “A Pirates Night Be-fore Christmas,”wherehe uses his creativity torespin another populartraditional Christmastale. Serra also offers hisillustrative genius tothis project. Both of theholiday-themed booksare must-reads forChristmas, as well asgifts that many will ap-preciate and treasuredown through theyears.

The hardcover booksare available for purchase,but are also in limited cir-culation at Austin PublicLibrary branches.

www.theaustinvillager.com THE VILLAGER/November 29, 2013 ~ Page 3

CHURCH & TOWN BULLETIN

Ebenezer Baptist Church1010 East 10th Street 512-478-1875 Fax 512-478-1892

Sunday Services Worship Service 8:00 A.M. Sunday School 9:00 A.M. Discipleship Training 10:00 A.M. Worship Service 11:00 A.M.

WednesdayMidweek Prayer Service 7:00 P.M.Child Development CenterAges 0-5 years (Daily) 512-478-6709

Bus Ministry Call 512-478-1875

Dr. Ricky Freeman, Pastor

Mount Sinai Missionary Baptist Church 5900 Cameron Road Austin, Texas 78723-1843

(512) 451-0808 (512) 302-4575 Fax Web Site - www.themount.net

WORSHIP SERVICESSunday Worship - 7:45 a.m. & 11 a.m.Church School - 9:45 a.m.Bible Studies - Mon, 6:30 p.m. & Wed., 12 noonWednesday Night Worship - 7 p.m.

“Ministries For Mankind” Luke 4:18

A.W.. Anthony Mays, Senior Pastor

True Hope Apostolic ChurchThe Apostle Gerald E. Loveless, Senior Pastorwww.thcm.org 8863 Anderson Mill Rd.

Austin, TX 78653

512-744-5851 Cell

512-547-HOPE Church

512-767-4979Assistant, Elder Walker

St. Peter’s United Methodist Church 4509 Springdale Road Austin, Tx 78723

Office 512- 926-1686 Fax 512-929-7281Christian Web Site-

stpetersaustintx.ning.comstpetersaustintx@att.net

THE PLACE WHERE WE STEP OUT ON FAITH.COME AND STEP OUT ON FAITH WITH US

Sunday School 8:45 a.m. Praise and Worship 10:15 a.m.Wednesday Bible Study 12:00 p.m.

and Praise /Bible Study 6:30 p.m.(to include Children’s Choir Rehersaland

Bible Study with age appropiate Activities)

Rev. Jack C. Gause Pastor

Agape Baptist ChurchIn “The Centre” Bldg. F-15 7801 N. Lamar Blvd. (SE Corner of N Lamar and 183)

AGAPE is a chuch for all people. “Where Jesus Christ is Magnified and the love Heexhibited is Exemplified.” Come, receive God’s unconditional lovefor you.

For there is no greater love!

Church ServicesSunday School 9:30 AMSunday Worship 11:00 AM

Mid-Week Service Thursday: Praise,Prayer and Bible Study 7:00 PMCall 454-1547 for Transporation

Website www.agapebcaustintx.orgRev. H. Ed Calahan

Pastor

Imani Community ChurchDavis Elementray Auditorium 5214 West Duval Road

Sunday School 9:00 A.M.Worship Service 10:00 A.M.•Power Hour Bible Life Group 6:00 P.M.

Imani Complex & Office,11800 Mustang at Duval Austin, Texas 78727

Visit:imanichurch.comOffice: 512-343-9300Rev. Dr. Jacquelyn Donald-Mims

Damon LuckettSales Consultant

Charles Maund Toyota8400 Research Blvd.

P.O. Box 1608Austin, TX 78758

(512) 458-2222damon_luckett@

charlesmaundtoyota.com

7801 N. Lamar Blvd,Suite D 102,

Austin, Texas 78752

Worship: Sunday--10:00 am - 12:30 pm

Tuesday Bible Studies--7:30pm - 9:00 pmFriday Prayers--7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

The Church of Pentecost, USA Inc,Austin offers a wide variety of opportuni-ties for children, youth, adults, and olderadults to be involved in worship, spiritualgrowth, education, community outreach,and making a tangible difference to thosein need in our community. You too, canmake a positive difference in our commu-nity through your prayers, your presence,your gifts, your service, and your witness.Tel: 512 302-1270

Leading People to Experience God’s Love, Know Jesus Christ & Grow in His Image

The Church of Pentecost

Olive Branch Fellowship of Austin / All Faith Chapel4110 Guadalupe St Bldg #639 Austin, TX 78751

Sunday MorningWorship @ 11: am

Romans 5:1 Therefore,having beenjustified by faith, we have peace

with God through our Lord Jesus Christ

This life, therefore, is not righteous-ness, but growth in righteousness; not health,but healing; not being, but becoming; not rest,but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be,but we are growing toward it. The process isnot yet finished, but it is going on. This is notthe end, but it is the road. All does not yetgleam in glory, but all is being purified.

--- Martin Luther

Kenneth Hill, Pastor

DOUBLE

GROCERY“R”

450l East Martin Luther King Blvd.

*We cash ALL Tax Refund*Checks *Check Out

1179 San Bernard Street,Austin, TX 78702, 512-478-7023

Sunday Morning Bible Study, 9:00 A.M.Sunday Morning Worship, 10:15 A.M.

Visit our website @ www.obcaus.org

Globalizing the Gospel

A Ministry That Ministers

Edward M. Fleming,Sr. Pastor

OLIVET BAPTISTCHURCH

The bills don’t stop whenyou’re sick or hurt and

have no income statefarm.com

INSURANCE THAT IS!

Richard Glasco, Agent11824 Jollyville Rd

Suite 300Austin, TX 78759-2300

(512) 250-5533

Ask me about DisabilityIncome Insurance the

State Farm Way.

HEALTH?HOW’S YOUR

Call for details on coverage, cost, restrictions and renewability

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company

*Home Office: Bloomington, Illinois

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

SpearsSpearsSpearsSpearsSpearsLaLaLaLaLawwwww

Wes SpearsAttorney

spears.law@aol.com

Personal Injury,Criminal andFamily Law

512-696-2222512-687-3499

401 Congress AvenueAustin, Texas, 78701

Suite 1540

*Austin and Kileen | *Principal Office

30 Years Experience

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Felix Bamirin, Pastor

GRACEWAY CHRISTIAN CHURCHExperience Grace For Life

(By Parmer Lane Baptist Church building, behind Wells Fargo)

Call: 682.472.9073 l Email: gracewayaustin@aol.com lVisit: www.gracewaycca.org

JOIN US This SUNDAY / THURSDAY@ 12424 Scofield Farms Drive, Austin, TX 78758

SUNDAYS 10:30 A.M., THURSDAYS 7:30 P.M.

ADOPTION COALITION

OF TEXAS NEEDS

DONORS FOR ITS

2013 SECRET SANTA

GIFT PROGRAM FOR

FOSTER CHILDREN

Would you like tohelp make the holidaysbrighter for CentralTexas foster children!The Adoption Coalitionof Central Texas is onceagain conducting its Se-cret Santa Gift Program,

a special holiday projecthelping Child Protec-tive Services and fosterfamilies provide giftsand spread holidaycheer to nearly 500 Cen-tral Texas foster chil-dren through the gener-osity of community do-nors.

They urgently needyour help to be a SecretSanta this year and pur-chase holiday gifts for aCentral Texas fosterchild. If you are inter-ested, please email

your name, email ad-dress and contact phonenumber toACTSecretSanta@gmail.com.Cash donations willalso be accepted.

The gift drop-offdays will be at severalAustin-area locationson Wednesday throughSaturday, December 4 –7, and caseworkers willbe picking up the giftsthe following week. Forinformation about ACTand adoption, visitadoptioncoalitiontx.org.

LBJFoundationAnnounces2014 “Civil

RightsToday”Essay

Contest.

AUSTIN, Texas –The Civil Rights Act of1964, signed into law byPresident LyndonJohnson, is consideredone of the most sweep-ing civil rights reformssince Reconstruction.The act guaranteed free-doms and rights for allAmericans. To com-memorate the 50th anni-versary of the signing ofthis groundbreakinglegislation, the LBJFoundation announcesthe 2014 “Civil RightsToday” Essay Contest.The competition is opento all 12th grade Texasstudents attending pub-lic, private, parochial,and home schools. The

first-place winner willreceive $2,500 andtravel expenses to theLBJ Presidential Libraryin Austin, Texas, to at-tend the Civil RightsSummit, April 8-10,2014. The winner’ssponsoring teacher willreceive a cash prize of$1,000 and will also beawarded travel ex-penses and accommo-dations for one night toattend the Civil RightsSummit. The second-place winner will re-ceive a cash prize of$1,000.

The essay contestrequires students toconsider the impact ofthe Civil Rights Act of1964 and its relevance intoday’s society, high-lighting how civil rightslegislation personallyaffects them today. Top-ics may include dis-crimination, minorityrights, gender rights, re-ligious rights, rights ofpersons with disabili-

ties, and other civilrights issues. Submis-sions will be acceptedbeginning January 1,2014. The deadline ismidnight on February10, 2014.

“We’re pleased toprovide students withan opportunity to re-flect on the relevance ofCivil Rights in the newmillennium,” saidLarry Temple, Chair-man of the LBJ Board ofDirectors. “We hopethat this essay contestwill inspire many con-versations about theimportance of equalrights for all Ameri-cans.”

The contest is co-sponsored by the LBJPresidential Library,The University of Texasat Austin College ofEducation, and the LBJSchool of Public Affairs.

More informationis available at on theLBJ Library website,www.lbjlibrary.org.

AYOAustin Youth

OrchestraSPRING SEMESTERSTRING AUDITIONS

Austin YouthOrchestra (AYO)

string auditions forthe 2014 Spring

semester have beenscheduled as follows:Monday, December 2,

2013Stephen F. Austin

High School1715 West CesarChavez Street

Austin, TX 78703Registration: 6:00 P.M.Auditions: 6:30 P.M.

Membership in AYOis open to all interestedorchestra students fromthroughout the centralTexas area - publicschool, private school,charter school, andhomeschool - and will bedetermined by the audi-tion process. Studentsfrom schools with orches-tra programs must be amember in their schoolorchestra. For additionalinformation, visit theAYO website atAustinYouthOrchestra.comor contact Thomas H.Waggoner, AYO Coordi-nator.

YOUTH BRIGADEYouth of Today

Hope of Tomorrow Black RegistryBlack RegistryBlack RegistryBlack RegistryBlack Registry

Page 4 ~ November 29, 2013/THE VILLAGER www.theaustinvillager.com

Genesis StiggersElgin Elementary

Basketball

Wesley DickersonCedar Ridge H.S.

Basketball Season

Basketball is a sport with2 teams with 5 players on eachteam and the players play on arectangular court. The object ofthe game is to throw a ball into10 feet hoop with a diameter of18 inches with a board in backof it. The hoop is on 2 sides ofthe court lengthwise. When a

team throws the ball into thehoop inside the three-point linethe team gets two points for theirteam but if it’s outside the three-point lines they get 3 points.The team with the most pointsat the end of the game wins butif there is a tie, more time willbe added.

The ball can be ad-vanced when passing to a team-mate or, dribbling the ball whilewalking, jogging, or running. Ifa foul, or a violation, to step with-out dribbling or hold the ballwith both hands then resumedribbling. If a personal or tech-nical foul occurs the oppositeteam get a free throw and if theymake it the get an extra point.So if you want to try out go for it.And remember to always followthe rules!

Footbal l season isover for the most part and itis time for a new type of sta-dium lights to turn on. Thisis basketball season. I amvery excited because I amfinally apart of high schoolbasketball. Also basketballalways takes a back seat tofootball in Texas so I’m gladchange has come.

Varsity sports alwayscome first no matter if itsfootball or bowling the var-

sity team will be treated likepro athletes. For freshmanand junior varsity playersthis causes both envy andmotivation to get to thatlevel. Although it’s mainlyenvy. Varsity basketball isa big deal because it prob-ably the hardest team tomake in high school sports.Being on varsity basketballmeans that you are one ofthe top 10-12 players in theschool.

Basketball is treatedoddly in high school thereis a class for it and youhave to try out for that. Afteryou try out for that you arenot guaranteed a spot. Soit is a new system that I haveto adjust to. Although I havemade the team I am stilllearning a lot about highschool basketball and I amlooking forward to keepingmy readers up to date onRaider Hoops.

Zachariah WashingtonCedars Academy

Diabetes Awareness

Diabetes is a diseasein which blood glucose lev-els above normal. Most ofthe food we eat is turned intoglucose or sugar, for ourbodies to use for energy. Thepancreas an organ that liesnear the stomach makes a hor-mone called insulin to help glu-cose get into the cells of ourbodies. When you have dia-betes your body either doesn’tmake enough insulin or can’tuse its own insulin as it should.This causes sugar to build upin your blood. There are 2types of diabetes type 1 and2, 1 is which previously calledinsulin dependent diabetesmellitus or juvenile onset dia-

betes, may account for about5 percent of all diagnosedcases of diabetes. Type 2 iswhich was previously callednon insulin dependent diabe-tes mellitus or adult onset 90percent to 95 percent of all di-agnosed cases of diabetes.

You are at increasingrisk for developing prediabe-tes and type 2 diabetes if youare 45 years of age or olderand overweight, a person thathas a family history of type 2diabetes, are physically ac-tive fewer that three times perweek, ever gave birth to ababy that weighed more thannine pounds. Well, mygrandpa suffers from type 2diabetes and I want to sharewith you what he thinks abouthaving diabetes. He saysyou have to change your dietbecause a lot of foods youeat turn into sugar. You haveto exercise, at times youmay get tired of taking medi-cation but you have to foryour health, and if you dothere is a good chance that itwill go away.

Aubri Allen-BrentDel Valle High School

Latrice LipscombManor High School

Montrae NelsonRiverplace Elementary

Cheerleading Competition

Sunday, November24th I went to acheerleading competitionin San Marcos TX. I wasvery excited and anxious toperform in front of thecrowd. When we got therewe watched other great per-formances from differentage groups. It was cool see-ing other girls put a lot into

their performances. Afterwatching them, we went toa set of pre-stations. Thissuch thing is basically forwarming up and getting thebutterflies out your stom-ach. We then made ourway to the stage to wait un-til they called our name.Standing there made myanxious feeling intense.

Next thing you know,they called our name andwe spirited onto the stagewith big smiles on our faceready to show them what wehad been working hard on.When our routine was overthe crowd cheered for us, Iwas so proud. In the end weput our all into our perfor-mance and i had fun doingit!

Do you know what aguitar is? A guitar is an in-strument that has six stringsused for plucking or strum-ming to play songs. I playclassical guitar. My teacheris named Mr. Pollini at Aus-tin School of Music. I havelessons once a week forthirty minutes. During my

Guitar

This week the DelValle Cardinal Belles wentto New York to be in Macy’sThanksgiving Day parade.The belles left Saturday

morning, and got there Sat-urday morning at 10:00. I’mreally excited for them. Ican’t wait to watch themdance on TV Thursdaymorning.

Basketball season isfast approaching, and thatmeans i t ’s t ime to startcheering again. We cheerat our first game December3rd against Manor. Cheertryouts are coming up , OnJanuary 21st . This year Mygoal is to make varsi tycheer. Unti l next t imeGOOOOOO CARDS!!!!!!!

Thanksgiving Day parade

lessons Mr. Pollini and Iplay songs that I have prac-ticed through the week. Mr.Pollini has an electric gui-tar and I have a classicalguitar. We play duets to-gether from my music bookand we always sound reallygood! I practice my guitareveryday because I want tobe really good at it. I likeplaying for my family for en-tertainment to show off newsongs I have learned.

The guitar is a verypopular musical instrumentand I think everyone shouldplay the guitar because it isa cool and fun instrument! Ilove guitars! And I think youwill too but remember nomatter what instrument youplay, you have to practice,practice, practice!

Kiara MyersVista Ridge H.S.

Sarah RobertsonPioneer Crossing Elem.

California

Thanksgiving Lunch

For Thanksgiving thisyear, my family and I flewout to Los Angeles, Califor-nia. I had not been since Iwas a little girl, so it wasexciting to think about go-ing back. Once we gothere, the weather wasbeautiful and scenery waseven better. The soaringmountains made the hills ofAustin look like the GreatPlains. First, we visitedPepperdine University in

Malibu and the campus hadgorgeous views over look-ing the Pacific. It was defi-nitely a school I could seemyself at in two years, do-ing homework on thebeach. Then, we left andheaded back down thecoast towards the metropo-lis. After a quick stop at thebeach, we journeyed intodowntown Santa Monicaand walked along a retailstrip.

It’s funny how the timedifference is only two hours,yet my body feels so out ofwhack. I wake up at 6:30a.m. and am back in bed by8:30. Maybe we are just do-ing too much and I just can’tkeep up without mini powernaps. Luckily, I have an ex-citing week ahead withThanksgiving dinner andDisneyland. No one is evertoo tired to go to Disneyland!

Jaylon KnightenDel Valle High School

Off to a Good Start

Basketball season hasstarted and last week the DelValle Cardinals freshman A &B team played. The freshmanA- team played McCallumand the B team playedagainst Travis. Both teamswon their games. Scoreswere A- team 56-50 and Bteam 28-18. The next gamewill be against Stoney Point

High School when we re-turned back from our Thanks-giving break.

In Cardinal Band news,now that we are done withMarching Band we are nowpracticing for concert band.We have three bands: WindsEnsemble, Symphonic, andConcert and we are all look-ing to take all ones in the UILcontest in the spring so weare not only practicing for ourupcoming Winter Concert inDecember but also practic-ing so we can reach this goal.

This week the VillagerYouth Brigader will be takingpart in our Annual CommunityService event helping the MtOlive Baptist Church with pre-paring meals on Thanksgiv-ing Day.

On last Friday Pio-neer Crossing Elementaryhad their Thanksgivinglunch. During the Thanks-giving feast a lot of parentsand grandparent came toeat with us. My dad cameand had lunch with me. Iwas so excited becausemy mother normally comes,so it was special to havemy dad. My dad and Italked until my lunch periodwas over. For lunch we hadturkey, sweet potatoes,corn bread dressing,Greens bean, orangessalad and a roll. This willbe my last Thanksgivinglunch at Pioneer Crossing.

I love Thanksgiving.Every year at my home wecelebrate thanksgiving, atime when my grandparentscan come over to eat withus and some other familymembers and friends. Ilove cooking with my mom,we have so much food.

Also, my sister and Iperform our piano and vio-lin recitals pieces for enter-tainment, my mother readsa poem, and before we starteating each person’s goesaround the table and sayssomething about what theyare thankful for. I am thank-ful my parents, sister, grand-parents, fr iends and mychurch.

This year we are serv-ing thanksgiving dinner tothe homeless, sick and shutin. This is an event the vil-lager newspaper staff doesevery year. My family willcome to help. I know that Iam still young but I do real-ize that I have so much tobe thankful for. I am reallyexcited to give back tothose that don’t have what Ihave. I hope everyone hasa great Thanksgiving!

www.theaustinvillager.com THE VILLAGER/November 29, 2013 ~ Page 5

YOUTH BRIGADE

Imani DempsDel Valle High School

Are You Done Yet

So as everyoneknows Del Valle has gottena new principle. Since hehas been there he has notdone anything but make

things worse. He haschanged the bathroompolicy. He has changed theending time for ISS to 5:30.He is real ly trying tochange things and I don'tthink it's for the better.

I think Del Valle wasfine when Mr. Lipton wasthere never had a problemwith him. Something else isgoing to change and it's go-ing to be even worse. I don'tunderstand these rules be-cause it's like there treatingus like kids and where al-most out of high school.

Thanksgiving is al-most here and by the timeyou read this, it will havecome and gone. I t has

Thanksgiving News

Erika LipscombManor Elementary

been cold and rainy outsidelike winter. It really helpsthe season seem real. Theleaves on the trees arechanging colors and fallingon the ground. There isThanksgiving shows on TVand lots of Christmas com-mercials. On the first coldday, me and my momsnuggled up and drank hotchocolate. We are doingholiday activities at schooltoo. This week we are outon Thanksgiving break.Happy Thanksgiving every-one.

Alon RodgersHendrickson Highschool

Welcome Colorado Sand Dr.

The City opened Colo-rado Sand Dr., the officialconnection for the KellyLane to FM 685 route andcirculation for Murchison El-ementary School andHendrickson High School.Colorado Sand Dr. offersgreat connectivity with alter-natives to the MurchisonElementary School,Hendrickson High Schooland access to FM 685 (with-out having to go through theSH 130/FM 685/Kelly Laneintersections). The firstEast-West access street isnamed Autumn Slate Dr.,which leads to the Elemen-tary School and the secondEast-West access street itnamed Copper Mine Dr.,which provides direct ac-cess to FM 685 (by cross-ing a bridge over SH 130).

Dayne Otto's Busi-ness Law class visited the

425th District Court underthe direct ion of JudgeLambeth. They had theopportunity to visit with theDistrict Attorney and heardcourtroom deliberations.

Mr. Robert Youens ofCamera Wings Aerial Pho-tography stopped by HHSand asked, "Since I needto burn off some battery onthe camera drone, do youwant some pictures ofHHS?" A retired engineerand pilot, Mr. Youens in-vested in this high techpiece of equipment that usu-ally does geological sur-vey work and photography.Check outwww.camerawings.com tosee Mr. Youens qual i tywork, l ike the picture ofHHS. He graciously offeredto come back again toteach CTE classes aboutthe engineering and phys-ics behind the drones.

The Hawks basketballseason got off to a greatstart with a home victoryover A&M Consolidated.We have three homegames this week againstLanier, Eastview andTemple. The gir ls teamplays at Connaly andMcNeil at home next week.

De’Ja HillLamar Middle School Averill Topps

Pease Elementary

Lanette DempsDel Valle High School

Zyon HillReagan High School

Flu Shots

This week my brotherand I went to get flu shots.My mom said that we werejust going to get a check-upfor our asthma. Surprisinglya nurse comes in withneedles and alcohol wipes.

Like always I went first andmy brother went after I did.To me the shot feels like alittle pinch as long as thenurse squeezes my musclebetween her thumb and fin-ger. I was afraid that I wouldget a fever from the shot, butthe only thing I felt was a littlesoreness for a few days. Al-though, I cannot stand to geta flu shot every year; I knowthat because I have asthmait is important for me to getone. So for all of you whohave not gotten your flu shotmake sure you do not waittoo long.

Staying on Task

This week there wasnothing eventful that hap-pened. This week I wentto get a flu shot, which wasthe last thing I wanted to

do. The only thing I con-cen t ra ted on t ry ing tokeep my grades up to mysatisfaction. Last semes-ter I was absent a fewdays because I was outsick, then I had to workext ra hard to br ing mygrades back up to a pass-ing level. This semesterI am working hard on nothaving to do that again.So for all of you that careto listen try to stay on topof your grades.

Until next time,Zyon

The Meaning of Thanksgiving

Jory HendersonAnderson High School

College Bound

Anderson high schoolhas a lot to be proud of. OnFriday the fifteenth we hadsigning day in the cafeteriawhere seven seniors signedto the college of their choice.Three being Lady Trojan Bas-ketball players, two beingVolleyball players, one be-ing a diver for the TrojanSwim Team, and one La-crosse player!

There was post MaryGrace Bilby who is the cap-tain of the basketball teamwho signed to go and playat the University of Chicago.Post Saundra Guillory signed

From left to right. Lyle, Mary Grace, Kaitlyn, Honor,Murphy, Tory and Saundra. Photo by Jory Henderson

to go and play for Sam Hous-ton State University. Andthere was also point guardKaitlyn Arnold who signed togo to Oklahoma State Uni-versity, not to play basketballbut to compete in equestrian

On the volleyball sideof things captain right sidehitter Tory Paranagua signedwith Florida State Universityto play sand volleyball. Andcaptain outside hitter HonorBaker signed with CaliforniaState University at Bakers-field to also play sand vol-leyball. These two Lady Tro-jans have made history bybeing the first ever athletesout of Austin to go to the nextlevel playing sand volleyball.

Representing for themen there was swim teamcaptain Lyle Markman, whosigned to dive at South Caro-lina. And there was lacrossecaptain Murphy Wood whosigned to play for Thiel Col-lege in Greenville, Pa. Wayto go Trojans!

Dezhia GorrerLBJ High School

SaNaya WhiteCedars Academy

In the English tradi-tion, days of thanksgivingand special Thanksgiving

became important duringthe reign of Henry the 5th.I th ink the mean ing o fThanksgiv ing is to ce l -ebrate the Americans andIndians making peace. Ithought that Thanksgivingwas to get closer to youfamily and friends. But af-ter some research I foundout that it was started as aresult of Americans and In-dians making peace.

I hope everyone hasa good thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Break

I am so happy

LBJ’s Thanksgiving Dinner

Boys Game

The cheerleaderscheered at the boys basket-

ball this past Friday. I wouldsay they did very well! All ofthem played hard and did notgive up. The weather wascold and rainy but most of thecheerleaders showed upand cheered loud! We evenperformed during half time,that was fun! The game wasn'tvery long and there were lotsof fans there from the otherteam there. It was a goodgame! Our jags only lost by1 point... We will get themnext time, Go Jags!!

The smiles, laughs,hugs, and conversations iswhat you’re supposed tosee at a family dinner. I sawall of those things at myschool when everyonecame together like a lovingfamily. LBJ had a thanksgiv-ing dinner for families tocome enjoy a goodcooked meal. Manypeople came to the school,some not knowing anythingabout the school but every-one was welcomed! HEBdonated thirty turkeys to theschool so we could makethe dinner happen. We had

student’s volunteers,coaches, and teachers thathelped out a lot to make itsuccessful.

LBJ gave people thatdon’t get to have a dinnerwith their family a chance toeat and enjoy a homecooked meal, surroundedby people who care. I havenever saw homelesspeople so happy andthankful that they got a nicecooked meal. A&M gaveaway a five hundred dollarscholarship to a studentwho won the drawling theyhad. There were guest thatplayed the piano and sangmusic for us while we satdown and ate our food. Theschool had different rafflesplayed and prizes to win ifyour number got called.There were multiple winnersincluding my mom. I love tosee people come together,and have a good time be-cause after all thanksgivingis about being thankful andgiving!! Until next time…. GoJAGS!!

www.TheAustinVillager.com

@TheVillagerATX

TheVillagerAndBlackRegistryCompany

thanksg iv ing b reak i shere . You guys don ' tknow how long I beenwaiting on this break . Wedone had so many thinghappen a t my schoo l Icouldn't wait to get out.Now when I go back I willhave to d i l l w i th theschools weird schedule .I hope Everyone has agreat Thanksgiving , be-cause I know I will.

CHUY’SCHILDRENGIVING TOCHILDREN

PARADESaturday, November 30, 2013

11:00AM - 12:00PMFor a list of street closures, alternativetravel routes, parking or transportation,

visit austintexas.gov and orwww.capmetro.org

Page 6 ~ November 29, 2013/THE VILLAGER www.theaustinvillager.com

CITY ~ STATE ~ NATIONAL ~ WORLDLeticia Van De PutteAnnounces Run for

Lieutenant Governor

Leticia Van De PutteAnnounces Run for

Lieutenant Governorby Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon

On November 22,2013 Texas State Sena-tor Leticia Van de Putteannounced her inten-tion to run for the po-sition of Texas Lieuten-ant Governor. TexasState Senator LeticiaVan de Putte held herkickoff event where shefirst entered Texas poli-tics in the early 1990’s.During her 13 years instate government, theHonorable Leticia VanDe Putte first served inthe Texas House andTexas Senate, in whichshe represented partsof Bexar County andthe city of San Antonio.Now, the Texas StateSenator believes that

the best way to helpTexas families is to runfor a statewide office.

In this statewiderace, Democrats have alot of odds to overcomedue to the fact that ithas been over a decadesince they have held astatewide office. In thepast years, Texas hasbecome a “red State”due to the fact Texanshave over whelminglyvoted for the Republi-can candidates in state-wide races. Therefore,Democrats must find amethod of winningstatewide races. Ac-cording to experts, theDemocrats can win byincreasing the voter

turnout on ElectionDay.

Moreover, somepolitical experts be-lieve that Leticia’splacement on the state-wide ballot would mo-tive women’s votes.The recent Republicancontrolled Legislatureover reached inwomen reproductiverights has galvanizedwomen throughout theState. Therefore, asurge of women voterscan also turn the Stateof Texas from Republi-can to Democrats. Inaddition, the demo-graphic change inTexas can cause Demo-crats to win.

Texas State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte

ThePrecinct II

Raceby Tsoke

(Chuch) Adjavon

As the DemocraticPrimaries for Precinct IIdraws near, the threecandidates have beenworking hard to getelected. In this race,there are three candi-dates each having threedifferent backgroundswho are all trying to be-come the next Commis-sioner of Precinct II.Bridgette Shea servedon the City Council ,while Garry Brown hasspent his time workingfor a former CountyCommissioner and Ri-chard Jung comes fromthe business world. Asa result, each of thesethree candidates bringsa different perspective to

(L to R) Brigid Shea, Richard Jung, and Garry Brown.Photo by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon

the County Commis-sioner court race.

Bridgette Sheacame to Austin in 1988to start the Texas Chap-ter of Clean Water.Then, she was electedto the Austin City Coun-cil and served 1993-1996. She has “cham-pioned consumers,electoral and environ-mental reforms, includ-ing the 1994 electricrate case.”

Richard Jung is abusiness owner, a law-yer and has also beena community activist. Asa community activist, Ri-chard has been theChairman of the Boardof the Asian AmericanResource Center andhas served on the Aus-tin Travis County EMSAdvisory Board, includ-ing the Austin Sustain-able Development Com-mittee.

Furthermore,Garry Brown has

worked for a formerCounty Commissioner.Therefore, he has expe-rience and knowledgeregarding the Commis-sioner Court. As a result,these three candidatesbring their collective ex-periences and perspec-tives to the County Com-missioner Court race.

Moreover, thesethree candidate vyingfor the County Commis-sioner Court Precinct IIhad the opportunity toattend the Austin BarAssociation Questionand Answer forum. Dur-ing this event, the attend-ees at the opportunity tohear about their back-ground and position onvarious issues. For in-stance, they all agreedthat the CommissionerCourt should collabo-rate with the other localgovernment enti t ieswhen it comes to devel-opment aspect of TravisCounty.

In the past decade,there has been an influxof African immigrantsthroughout the State ofTexas. As these newimmigrants come to theUnited States for a bet-ter lifestyle, some havedecided to give back totheir fellow compatri-ots. One such groupthat seeks to give backto their growing com-munity is called theYouth Empowering So-ciety (YESS). YESSseeks to “encourage,

South Sudanese WillHold an Event to

Support TheirCommunity

by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon

foster and sponsor theSouth Sudanese youthin the United States.”

YESS was foundedin 2011 in order to helpthe youth of the SouthSudanese communityliving in the state ofTexas. YESS offers sev-eral types of programs,such as a mentoringprogram, educationalseminars, health pro-grams, cultural devel-opment and communityfund-raising. Accordingto the YESS they aspire

for South Sudaneseyouth to be committedto volunteerismgrounded in service; allwhile preserving theirheritage by maintainingthe South Sudanese val-ues, culture, principlesand language.

On December 7,2013 the group YESSplans to hold a fund-raising in Austin, Texas.YESS plans to hold theirevent at a hotel locatedat 7800 North IH 35 from7:00 pm to 2:00am. Theattendees will have theopportunity to see afashion showcase, thespoken word, live mu-sic; and visual arts.Moreover, the proceedsof this event will beused to further YESSmissions and objectivesthat provide a better lifefor South SudaneseYouth living in CentralTexas.

YouthArt Show

12.11.2013Artwork created bystudents from the

Emma S. BarrientosMexican American

Cultural CenterEducation Program.

There will be areception and an

award ceremony from6:00 PM - 8:00 PM.Free admission and

parking.For more information

call 512.974.3772

SAVE THE DATEAn URBAN Affair

Fundraising Cocktail BashOn Saturday, December 14th, the

Austin-Area Urban LeagueYoung Professionals (AAULYP)

will host: “3rd Annual An Urban Affair:An illuminating Night in Black and White”

at Wanderlust Studios located at206 E. 4th from 7-10:30pm.

The evening features a Live DJ,Fashion Show & Live Auction.

For Ticket Informationcontact J. Brown @ 312.720.9980

SOUL FOOD: The Surprising StoryOf An American Cuisine

Adrian Miller - The Soul Food Scholar - comes to Hoovers todiscuss and sign his new book on the history of soul food onMonday, Dec 2 at 5:30pm. Reserve your place for this deliciousafternoon of food and conversation as space is limited.

FMI: www.hooverscooking.com/blog

www.theaustinvillager.com THE VILLAGER/November 29, 2013 ~ Page 7

CLASSIFIEDS ~ PUBLIC INFORMATION

City of AustinPurchasing Office

EMPLOYMENTPROPOSALS

PUBLIC INFORMATIONFOR SALEFOR RENT

BIDSMISCELLANEOUS

The City of Austin Purchasing Office invitesyou to view current bid solicitations at https://www.c i . au s t i n . t x . u s / f i nanceon l ine /vendor_connection/solicitation/solicitations.cfm.Vendors are encouraged to register on-line in theCity’s Vendor Self Service System. Once yourcompany is registered, you will receive notifica-tions about new bid opportunities. For addi-tional information regarding current bid opportu-nities or Vendor Registration, please call the Pur-chasing Office at 512-974-2500.

For information on the City of Austin’s Mi-nority Owned and Women-Owned ProcurementProgram and the certification process, pleasecontact the Small & Minority Business ResourcesDepartment at 512-974-7600 or visit their websiteat http://www.austintexas.gov/smbr.

“SOLICITATION FORQUOTES:

QuestCivil Constructors, Inc. issoliciting proposals from M/WBE’s for the City of Austin,Shoal Creek Restoration project,IFB 6100 CLMC470, which bidspublicly 12/12/2013 at 10:00am.For infor- mation concerningsubcontracting and/or purchasingopportunities contact FeliciaHendricks at 623-581-9700.”

We wantYOU!

AdvertiseWith The

VILLAGER

Texas Conference for Women Hits Austin

Dr Wright discusses fibromyalgia. Photo by Shirley A. Hammond

AUSTIN - Scoresof females convergedupon the Austin Con-vention Center on Tues-day, November 19 forthe Texas Conference forWomen. Men were inshort supply, with someserving as security of-fices or exhibit vendors.

by Shirley A.Hammond

Otherwise, from thespeakers to the attend-ees – it was a woman’sthing. One exceptionwas Dr. Randall Wright,who is a neurologist atthe Mischer Neurologi-cal Institute in theWoodlands, Texas (nearHouston). He alsoserves as medical direc-tor of a couple of orga-

nizations in the greaterHouston area, as well ashaving experience as asleep medicine, epi-lepsy and stroke practi-tioner. While manyspeakers discussed fe-male empowerment,philanthropy, commu-nication, finances, lifebalance and other sub-jects, Wright talkedabout a disease that hehas seen impact andimpair the life of many

HAPPYTHANKSGIVING

females.Wright indicated

that fibromyalgia ismostly a female disor-der, which is character-ized by bodily pain.

“It is predomi-nantly found in ladies,”he told the crowd. TheMayo Clinic website in-dicates that the diseaseis characterized bywidespread muscu-loskeletal pain whichcause sleep problems,fatigue, mood andmemory issues. The sitealso indicates that itthought that the braininterprets or processespain sensations differ-ently.

Wright said hecould count on twohands the number of menhe’s treated for it. Hestated that trauma sur-gery or infections maycause fibromyalgia ortrigger episodes of thedisorder. According tohim, 5% of the popula-tion suffers from the dis-

order. “So that’s a lot ofpeople,” he qualified.

He said there was atime when it wasthought of as a mentalcondition, a psychologi-cal disorder. “We nowknow it to be a neuro-logical condition,” heexplained.

He explained thata simple touch fromsomeone might pro-duce pain, and that ahug might be rejectedby a sufferer due totheir hypersensitivity,or dramatically intensesensations.

While there is nocure for fibromyalgia,he stated that he andothers are looking forways to treat the disor-der.

Wright’s biographylists community serviceand leadership as im-portant personal andprofessional founda-tions of his life. Hisbook, “The WrightChoice- Your Family

Prescription for HealthyEating, Modern Fitness& Saving Money,” waspublished in April 2011.

The founder/owner/CEO of My FitFoods was anothermale speaker partici-pant at the conference.Mario Mendias’ com-pany provides healthytasty and fresh gluten-free meals to a wide ar-ray of clients in fivestates, including Texas.The meals are conve-niently pre-propor-tioned and pre-pack-aged. Many HEB storescarry his meals, but hehas Austin area storesspanning from WilliamCannon to Georgetown.

Also presentingwere celebrity chefRachel Ray, writers, phi-lanthropists, a NobelLaureate, award win-ners in every conceiv-able area, and others.The conference washosted by Texas’ firstlady Anita Perry.

TEXAS LOTTERY® MAKES HISTORY WITHRECORD- BREAKING SALES AND REVENUE

Record-setting year results in more than $1.2 billion for Texas

(AUSTIN) – TheTexas Lottery Commis-sion today reportedrecord results for fiscalyear 2013, its best yearfor sales and revenue inthe Lottery’s 21-year his-tory. Sales of $4.376 bil-lion topped the previ-ous sales record of $4.19billion set in 2012 andresulted in a total con-tribution of $1.214 bil-lion to the state ofTexas, the Lottery’ssingle largest transfer ofrevenue to the state, in-cluding a contributionof $1.149 billion to theFoundation SchoolFund.

“This is the 10th con-secutive year that theTexas Lottery generatedmore than $1 billion incontributions to the stateof Texas,” said GaryGrief, executive directorof the Texas Lottery. “Weare thrilled to have sur-passed our previous rev-enue record and I want tothank all of our players,retailers, vendors andstaff for this outstanding

achievement.”The Texas Lottery’s

sales for fiscal year 2013saw an increase of $185.5million over sales forfiscal year 2012 with in-creases across its gameportfolio. Scratch-offticket sales totaled morethan $3.22 billion, thehighest instant ticketsales in Texas Lotteryhistory. Sales for theTexas Lottery’s drawgames, which includePowerball®, Mega Mil-lions®, Lotto Texas®,Texas Two Step®, Pick3™, Daily 4®, CashFive® and All or Noth-ing® totaled more than$1.15 billion, the highestdraw sales since fiscalyear 2004.

Sales of the Veter-ans Cash scratch-offgame resulted in $6.2million for the Fund forVeterans’ Assistance,which is administeredby the Texas VeteransCommission. OtherTexas Lottery funds, in-cluding unclaimedprizes, resulted in a

transfer of $59.9 millionto other state programs.

In addition to ro-bust sales, the TexasLottery’s careful spend-ing kept administrativeexpenses to an all-timerecord low of 4.4 per-cent of fiscal year 2013sales.

Texas Lottery play-ers had a great year aswell, with a record $2.77billion collected in cashand merchandiseprizes, surpassing thepast record of $2.63 bil-lion set in fiscal year2012. For the state’smore than 17,000 TexasLottery retailers thatcollect a five percentcommission on everylottery sale, those com-missions amounted to arecord $218.9 million in2013.

On top of therecord-setting sales,prizes, commissionsand revenue increases,other highlights for fis-cal year 2013 include:

(A) In January, theTexas Lottery surpassed

$15 billion in transfers tothe Foundation SchoolFund.

(B) Texas saw itsfirst ever Powerballjackpot prize winnerand its 10th Mega Mil-lions jackpot prize win-ner.

(C) The world-record $590.5 millionPowerball jackpot forthe May 18 drawing andother large Powerballjackpots.

“We are extremelypleased with the resultsof the last fiscal year,”said J. Winston Krause,chair of the Texas Lot-tery Commission. “TheTexas Lottery continuesto set new standards ofexcellence in its missionto generate revenue forthe state of Texas, andwe’re looking forwardto continued success.”

Diabetesand

PhysicalActivity

By Alessandra Pluchino, Ph. D.Special to the NNPA from TheMiami Times

Joan Smith hasbeen a diabetic patientat the Jefferson Reaves,Sr. Health Center inOvertown for more thanseven years. Throughthe center’s high riskdiabetes managementclinic, 62-year-old Smithrecently began a physi-cal activity program tohelp control the disease.

During her firstseven months of exer-cising she has recordeddramatic improvement.Her hemoglobin A1C –

a common blood testthat reflects the averageblood sugar level of dia-betics – has decreasedsignificantly. This con-siderable improvementin such a short amountof time can be attrib-uted to her activelifestyle.

“I am so happy andfeeling so much better,”Smith said. “The exer-cises are helping me alot. I’m walking on thetreadmill and using thebicycle. I’m exercisingwith weights, some-times three to four timesa week. It excites me.”

Part of JacksonHealth System, JeffersonReaves offers compre-hensive primary careservices. Its high-riskdiabetes managementclinic, along with thephysical activity clinic

and the nutrition clinicare combined initiativessupported by the col-laboration between theUnited Health Founda-tion and the Departmentof Family Medicine andCommunity Health ofthe University of MiamiMiller School of Medi-cine. The clinics are freefor low-income and un-insured patients withdiabetes and otherchronic diseases.

At the physical ac-tivity clinic, patients areeducated on the healthbenefits of exercise. Wealso teach them generalconditioning exercisesthat they can perform atthe clinic and at home.

When we thinkabout exercise, we havethe tendency to associ-ate it just with weightloss and fitness. But

what we don’t realize isthat an active lifestylecan also prevent andmanage chronic dis-eases like diabetes. Inaddition to complyingwith the medicationsthat are prescribed by aphysician, we must con-sider that exercise isalso a medicine.

Having seen suchpositive results, JoanSmith is committed tosticking with her exer-cise program. One ofher motivations is hergranddaughter, whowants Smith to teach herthe exercises she haslearned at the clinic.

“That’s my biggestinspiration,” Smith said,“especially because mygranddaughter is al-ready learning the im-portance of being physi-cally active.”

Hensel Phelps Construction Co., Construction Manager @ Risk, isactively soliciting proposals from subcontractors for the

construction of The New Central Library, CIP ID 7235.001 and2nd Street Utilities, Sub Project ID 7328.013. Proposal Package 2B

consists of Fencing and Gates, Electrical Grounding, GraffitiResistant Coatings, Rough Carpentry, Precast Concrete, SiteConcrete and Foundations, Storm Drainage, Earthwork and

Limestone MSE Walls. A current set of plans and specifications canbe reviewed at our office, address mentioned below.

Proposal selection will be on a best value basis.We will accept proposals for this package at our office,

8326 Cross Park Drive, Austin, TX 78754on Thursday, December 19, 2013 at 2:00 pm

A Pre-Proposal Conferencewill be held at the jobsite located at 299 West Avenue,

Austin, TX 78701 at 10:30 am onTuesday, December 3, 2013 followed by a site visit.

All City of Austin Certified Small, Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises are encouraged to submit proposals.The City of Austin SMBR Department has established the

following participation goals for this Proposal Package: AA-2.07%;His-7.26%; NA/A-0.80%; WBE-2.44%. Hensel Phelps

Construction Co. is available at(512) 834-9848 or fax (512)834-9844.Our company is an E.E.O. Employer.

We encourage and actively solicit proposals fromminority and women owned enterprises for all projects.

Page 8 ~ November 29, 2013/THE VILLAGER www.theaustinvillager.com

PROGRAMS ~ AWARENESSIdris Elba? Or Alfre Woodard?

They All Look Alike, Says ArmaniIdris Elba? Or Alfre Woodard?

They All Look Alike, Says Armani

Idris Elba (l), and Alfre Woodard (r). (Courtesy Photo)

by Blair AdamsSpecial to the NNPA from the

Afro-American Newspaper

During the fifth an-nual Governors Awards inHollywood recently theGiorgio Armani team—known for their sleek andunusual fashions—couldn’t tell the differencebetween a well-known fe-male actress—and a maleactor in a “they-all-look-alike” gaffe.

On Nov. 18, starswalked the red carpet,which has historicallybeen linked to a time forcelebrities to show offtheir tailor-made ap-parel. Alfre Woodardwas labeled Idris Elba—a male star—in a cap-tion on its Instagram ac-count triggering howlsonTwitter.

“Idris Elba posing ina gorgeous Giorgio#Armani dress at the 5thAnnual GovernorsAward,” the luxury fash-

ion house posted onTwitter when Woodardwalked the red carpetand posed for cameras—wearing their gown.

Armani quickly de-leted the mistake, butnot before severalcyberspace followersnoticed the error, espe-cially #Black Twitter.

Noting that it was awoman gracing the redcarpet in a black, cap-sleeve dress, on-linecritics said the confu-sion between the twowas offensive.

According to Roll-ing Out—a Black enter-tainment website, “themistake, which washighly offensive consid-ering that Woodard wasmistaken not only foranother Black enter-tainer, but for a man.”

On Instagram, fol-lowers posted repliessuggesting that incor-rect name was embar-

rassing and a fashionline that held in such ahigh regard, shouldhave known who shewas and not messed upsomebody’s name.

Therealqueenofenglandposted, “this is seri-ously embarrassing. Ofcourse they can’t tellone Black person fromanother. Even if one is aman and this is clearlya woman. Help yourself#armani. Google existsfor idiots like the personwho runs your IG.”

That same evening,the Armani folks, in an-other caption gaffe, re-portedly labeled a pic-ture of Elba with actressNaomie Harris errone-ously, indicating thatHarris and Elba are a ro-mantic pair, according toThe Grio. It is untrue.Harris is Elba’s co-star ina movie about South Af-rican icon NelsonMandela.

Black Nativity, acelebrated “gospelsong-play” by ac-claimed poet/novelist/playwright LangstonHughes, was firststaged in the 1950s withAlvin Ailey andCarmen De Lavallade.Director/writer KasiLemmons (Eve’sBayou) adapts that pieceinto a modern, urbanmusical/drama wherecharacters seek to mendold wounds and cleansetheir souls. The spirit ofHughes’ work endures.The music from this hy-brid film will, too.

A Baltimore single,working mom (JenniferHudson) and the teenson she named Langston(Jacob Latimore) have hitthe wall. Money is tightand an eviction noticehas put a crimp in theirholiday season. Know-ing she can no longerguarantee a roof over hishead, she puts him on abus headed north toHarlem to stay with hisgrandparents, fromwhom she’s been es-tranged for years.

Upon his arrival,Langston is to meet thevery stern and rigidRev. Cornell Cobbs(Forest Whitaker) andhis congenial wife,Aretha (Angela Bassett).What should have beenan easy rendez vousgoes awry, and NewYork shows the boy itscruel side. He’s arrestedand jailed. Welcome toNew York, city of hard

knocks – Christmas bedamned.

Turning a musicalplay into a viable movieis a difficult task. KasiLemmons’ screenplaygallantly tries to mold aclassic dramaticstoryline involving aloving mother/son rela-tionship, strained par-ent/adult child conflictand an abandoned sonsearching for his elusivefather around showtunes. In between thedrama, the cast ear-nestly breaks out insong. The effect is jar-ring. It never quiteblends effortlessly, likesay Les Misérables. Youalmost wish the filmhad picked eitherdrama or music.

While you ques-tion the overall format,what pulls you throughthe process is lively, en-ergetic music that ex-presses thoughts andemotions the charactersthink or feel. The musi-cal score by pop/souls i n g e r / m u s i c i a nRaphael Saadiq (Pre-cious) and co-composerLaura Karpman liftsspirits. Latimore,Whitaker and Bassetthave decent voices, butit is Hudson and acameo by Mary J. Bligethat take the music andthe movie to a higherlevel. The blend of pop,soul and gospel is abso-lutely enchanting andwill make the film’ssoundtrack a holidayclassic.

Bassett ‘s take onAretha feels a bit tootheatrical for such asmall movie. Whitakeris more in tune with hisstern interpretation ofthe reverend. Hudson issweet. Lattimore showsgreat strength and deter-mination in a pivotalrole. Vondie Curtis Hallplays a very wisepawnshop owner.Tyrese, as a smarmyjailbird, makes youwish he appeared inmore movies. He’s gotwhat it takes.

Interspersed in theplotline are two home-less characters whowander the streets ofHarlem. She is preg-nant; he is a nurturingsoon-to-be father. Thiselement puts the “Na-tivity” in the movie, butit seems like an unnec-essary device.

At the movie’sheart is story of forgive-ness that transcends theholidays. That’s evidentas the characters try tocome to terms with oldwounds and learn lifelessons. Says Langstonto his stressed mom:“You’d rather leave mehere than forgive them(her parents).” After thefinal credit’s roll, youmay not remember spe-cific trials and tribula-tions, but rememberingthe catchy inspirationaltunes such as ‘Rise Up’sung by Mary J. Blige,will put a smile on yourface that lasts past theNew Year.

By Dwight BrownNNPA Film Critic

Black NativityA Review by Dwight Brown

Black NativityA Review by Dwight Brown

Jacob Latimore, Angela Bassett, Jenifer Hudson and Forest Whitaker starin the drama musical Black Nativity.

HAPPY THANKSGIVINGFrom the VILLAGER