Nathaniel Sanders Case Settlement

On Thursday (Aug. 25) the Austin City Council approved an item to settle with the Nathaniel Sanders case for $750,000. The issue passed by a 5 to 2 vote with Mayor Leffingwell and Counciman Martinez voting no. I believe that this was the right decision and Mayor Protem Sheryl Cole and Council person Kathie Tovo should be commended to sponsoring the measure. What do you think?

Restoring Our Historic Mansion

                                        

                                           Governor Perry, Please Finish
                        Restoring Our Historic Mansion

Governor’s Mansion

before the fire (top) and

after the fire (bottom)

          has been under restoration since the June 8, 2008 fire

                                                                                                                                                                               

By T. L. Wyatt Editor

Last week, Governor Rick Perry made the announcement that we all knew that he would, that he is running for the President of the United States. It was interesting, however, that he would make such an announcement outside of the State of Texas. Most politicians want to have friends and supporters around when they take such a huge step.

It could be that the Governor did not want to open himself up to the Texas media, one on
the toughest groups in the country. He also did not want to answer the questions that linger
over the recent legislative secession. But, my question is a very simple one
"Governor Perry, when will you complete the repairs of the Governor’s Mansion?"

The Mansion was damaged by fire during the early morning hours of June 8, 2008.
The 152-year-old building was unoccupied at the time, because the Governor
and his wife Anita had temporarily moved out a year earlier so that a $10 million
renovation project could take place. At the time of the fire, they were in Europe
on an economic development trip.

Four years later, the building remains in disrepair. At the same time, the tax payers of Texas
are paying an exorbant amount ($10,000 per month plus expenses) to rent the
governor and his family with a resident that comes up to his standards.

One has to wonder, if the Governor cannot supervise the completion of this small project
to a successful conclusion, how can he be expected to deal with the
many problems facing our nation.

The fire is suspected to be the work of an arsonist, but no prospect has been officially charged. However, the investigation continues.

The Texas Governor’s Mansion is the oldest continually used executive residence
west of the Mississippi, according to the group Friends of the Governor’s Mansion,
which works to preserve and show the public the historic building. According to their
web site, the restoration should be complete by late Spring 2012.



                                                                                                         

ART EXIBIT

Sacred and Secular

A Dual Photo Exhibition By George E. Hardin

Presents art of East Austin Churches and

Memphis' Beale Street

Held @  The George Washington Carver

Museum and Clutural Center

August 11, 2011 -  October 15, 2011

   

Serena Williams resumes her winning ways in tennis

By: George Hardin

SportsBeat

Serena Williams

Serena Williams has made a brilliant comeback in winning the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, Calif., Sunday. She had been sidelined for almost a year because of foot operations and blood clots in her lungs—events that put her career in jeopardy. It was her first title since she won the Wimbledon in 2010

Williams defeated three of the four semifinalists before surging past Marion Bartoli7-5, 6-1 at Stanford University. It was revenge of a sort because Bartoli beat Williams, formerly ranked No. 1 in the world, at Wimbledon this year. A 13-time major champion, Williams moved past two breaks in the first set to claim her victory. She said she’s glad to be back in the game and hopes to move up to a single-digit number from her position now in the top 80, moving up from 169th because of her victory.

It was Williams’ best performance this year in the longest-running women only professional tennis tournament in the world. Now in its 41st year, the tournament is the first event leading up to the Olympus U.S. Open Series.

Venus Williams is one of the past champions of the Bank of the West Classic. Venus has been nursing a hip injury, which has kept her off the courts. The prospect of the sisters playing against each other in the WTA Tour event that begins Aug. 6 in Toronto is still likely. Venus is 31 and Serena is nearing her 30th birthday, Sept. 26.

Some experts are saying the sisters are nearing the end o their best playing days. But Venus told a reporter recently, "I feel like I’m a talented player and I have the experience, and that makes me more confident even when it seems I shouldn’t be as confident as everyone else in the field. People have realized how valuable it is to play into your late 20s and 30s. You really understand the game. And it’s just about staying fit and healthy."

The sisters’ standing shows once again the path their father chose was a wise one. Richard Williams became his young daughters’ main coach after tennis academies in Compton, Calif., were not willing to accept them. Williams was denounced by some coaches and columnists who said he was ignorant because he was not highly educated. But his teaching was not one-sided. He told his daughters, "Education is power, not chasing around some tennis ball."

His coaching techniques were ridiculed by those who said he should let experts teach them because he was hindering his daughters rather than helping them. He responded by rebuffing his critics in strong language and expressing indifference to the mainstream tennis world.

Williams also coached his neighbors’ children in Compton, but none of them reached the upper pinnacles of tennis like his daughters.

Table of Brotherhood Project!!!!

Chevrolet Announces ‘Table of Brotherhood Project’

Chevrolet is sponsoring the “Table of Brotherhood Project,” a four-city tour honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. that culminates with the Aug. 28 dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, D.C.

“We admire and respect Dr. King's eternal legacy and all that he represents,” said GM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dan Akerson.  “This is an important moment in our nation's history and we hope this memorial will inspire others to turn their own dreams into action”.

The dedication will mark the 48th anniversary of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech following tour stops in Atlanta, Memphis, Chicago, and Washington, where diverse community leaders will evoke King’s spirit though dialogue on topical social issues.

Tour stops will feature a table designed by Scott Tucker of Raunjiba furniture, where people of all backgrounds and opinions are invited to participate in culturally and socially relevant conversations around King’s vision.  The discussions will be moderated by Roland Martin, a CNN News contributor and commentator for TV One Cable Network.

The Table of Brotherhood Project is highlighted in a TV ad that aired during the recent BET Awards.  The ad features Americans from all walks of life taking their seats at an endless table weaving its way through beaches, schools, streets and restaurants to Washington, D.C. The ad was created for Chevrolet by SpikeDDB, its African-American advertising agency of record. 

To date, General Motors and the General Motors Foundation are among the largest sponsors of the King memorial, having donated more than $10 million to the Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc.  Both are committed to raising public awareness of the Memorial in the nation’s capital.

The Memorial will be positioned in a direct line between the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials on the National Mall, where King delivered his most famous speech on Aug. 28, 1963. The centerpiece of the Memorial, the "Stone of Hope," will feature a 30-foot likeness of King made of natural elements.  It will contain excerpts of his sermons and public addresses to serve as living testaments of his vision of America.  It will be the first memorial on the National Mall to honor someone other than a U.S. President.

“We are deeply grateful to General Motors and the General Motors Foundation for their consistent and steadfast support, which has helped build the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in our nation’s capital,” said Harry E. Johnson, Sr., president and CEO of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. “We look forward to the conversations the Table of Brotherhood project tour will create and are certain they will be a meaningful prelude to the August 28 dedication of our nation’s memorial to Dr. King, one of the world’s most influential leaders.”

The Chevrolet.com/MLK site is the hub for all information related to the Table of Brotherhood Project. The site also has space for visitors to join a virtual Table of Brotherhood conversation by posting thoughts through video and photos around a number of topics inspired by King.

American Youth "Aspire To Be Me"

        ANNOUNCING the 2011

"Aspire To Be Me" WINNERS!

Event "Keep It Digital"

All of the Talented Contestants

Aspire To Be Me

Greetings!

The second annual "Aspire To Be Me"

Talent Showcase and Fundraiser

was a huge success!!! Mehcad Brooks being the
primary highlight of the evening,
made us laugh, dream and believe; along with

leaving us with many thing to ponder,
in paticular, that "Success is a

Choice....Choose Success."

All of the talent contestants were fabulous!!!
Please keep them in mind for future entertainment
opportunities with your organizations.

This year's winners walked away with
 $500 for 1st place, $300 for 2nd place
and $200 for 3rd place winnings!

1st Place Winners - Peterson Brothers Band   

2nd Place Winners - Ballet Afrique Youth Company                     

Two Artists Tied for 3rd Place                      

    

This year's panel of judges:

Jennifer Cumberbatch, Mehcad Brooks,

Bernard Wong 

                    

Emcees for the evening!

 Tamra Cobbins and Martin Egwuagu Jr.

                     

Tennis: is it just a country club sport?

　

The Davis Cup just made an appearance here in Austin. The Davis Cup is an international competition between 125 countries that occur on an annual basis. This year the number one ranked country in the world Spain beat the sixth ranked United States. The crowds were good the hospitality was excellent, the games were even great. However something is missing with this sport there is not a ground swell of passion like we have for football, basketball or even baseball. People reschedule you’re their life in order to make football and basketball fit in.

What happened to the love of tennis in this country? There are only three times a year I may pay attention to tennis, Wimbledon, the US Open and if a major professional tournament is in town. There are very few Americans that are playing at the top level of the game now. Most people may know Serena and Venus Williams, Marty Fish and local hero Andy Roddick.

Tennis is a very inexpensive sport to play and can be readily made available to the masses, but it isn’t. The Williams Sisters are watched and adored, but they do not inspire people to play the game. Arthur Ashe was a well-respected and he inspired us to play tennis. Even the video playing generation does not clamor to play the game via their XBOX or Wie consoles. If you go ask the average person to name four Americans that are currently playing on the professional tour, less than 10 percent surveyed would be able to pass this test.

What can be done to restore the broad appeal? The powers that be needs to remove the stigma of Tennis being only a Country Club sport and bring it back to middle America and most importantly back to the inner city. Tennis should increase their marketing and courts need to made available to the entire community. In the 80’s there were plenty of public tennis courts for the average person to play on at a very reasonable price.

Today I see tennis courts at some apartment that are in vast need of repair and most public courts not being used. Tennis need to adopt a program similar to the Pro Golf Association First Tee program which bring the game of golf to people who may not be able to afford to play or get quality teaching from a professional at no cost. Tennis needs some variety, color and not just the clones that are playing the game. Doing these things may just restore the domination the Americans once had across the world in tennis.

By Terry Davis