NDG Staff | North Dallas Gazette

Cougars Cruise – yes, Cougars Cruise

February 21, 2012 By NDG Staff No Comments

Just in case cougars and cubs do not have enough opportunities to hook-up on dry land, they now have the 2012 International Cougars Cruise.

Cougars (women who are attracted to younger men) and Cubs (men who are attracted to older women) are invited to party non-stop on a 5 night Western Caribbean Cougar Cruise, December 8-13, 2012, aboard Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas. The ship departs from Tampa, Florida and visits Key West, Florida and Cozumel, Mexico.

The cost per person starts at nearly $500 for an inside cabin, based on double-occupancy, including government fees, taxes, and port charges. Cruise includes:

5 nights accommodation aboard ship
All meals
Variety of clubs, bars, lounges, and lounge shows
Live entertainment and comedy acts
Rock climbing, basketball court, jogging track, and mini-golf course
Pools, full casino, duty-free shopping

Rich Gosse, of CougarEvents.com, will escort the cruise.

“Our annual cougar cruise is the best way for younger men and older women to explore the extremely popular worldwide phenomenon of cougar dating,” says Gosse.

Filed Under: Entertainment, Latest News

Super Bowl, Super Dollars

February 15, 2012 By NDG Staff No Comments

By Cheryl Pearson-McNeil

Being that I’m not a football fan, it stands to reason that the Super Bowl isn’t normally high on my priority list. But I felt I had a vested interest in tracking the results of Super Bowl XLVI this year for a few reasons. First of all, I’m from Fort Wayne, Indiana (don’t hate) and since the big game was being held in Indianapolis this year I wanted to be sure my state delivered a quality product of which I could be proud. Secondly, I was interested in seeing if this year’s Super Bowl XLVI could deliver more viewers than last’s record setting game (including African-American viewers). And lastly, I love creativity and wanted to see how much was apparent in the commercials that usually debut during the game. So of course I did not actually watch the game. But hey, I work for a research company, so I know exactly what happened!

Apparently, Indianapolis delivered. There were no major catastrophes or mishaps that will make the state hang its head in shame. In fact, I dare say I had a couple of East Coast friends who attended the game say how impressed they were with the city. That they were surprised not to see corn stalks growing in the middle of downtown. Yes, we Hoosiers can be sophisticated when we need to be.

As for delivering viewers – Super Bowl XLVI did not disappoint. I have observed in previous columns that the popularity of football seems to have replaced baseball as that age-old American pastime – at least when it comes to television viewing. Last year, Super Bowl XLV, ranked as the #1 Most Watched Show for African-Americans (ages 2+), with 12.5 million viewers, from January 2011 – June 2011. This year’s Super Bowl XLVI upheld that new tradition, and attracted even more viewers, an estimated 111.3 million total viewers. Whether you are a diehard fan or a non-football enthusiast such as myself – that’s pretty impressive. (At press time I didn’t know how many of this year’s viewers were Black, but of course I’ll share that information with you as soon as I get it).

What’s even more impressive was the $3.5 million advertisers were willing to pay for each thirty second commercial for a chance to reach those millions of viewers. That’s up from $3.1 million from last year’s Super Bowl. I watched every single one of the 54 commercials online back to back. Even minus the football game itself, that took me a while. Nostalgic, confusing, goofy, bad taste, sentimental, action-packed, morbid, sexy, intriguing, fantasy-filled, hilarious – although there were a couple of spots that were unremarkable, there was most assuredly at least one spot that resonated with every viewer (and what’s a Super Bowl game without a cameo appearance by Betty White or a shout out to Aretha Franklin these days?) Of course I have my favorites. We all do, which is why those spots cost so much. They grab our attention and are discussed around the water cooler – or, er, in the age of Twitter – tweeted about ad nausea for the next few days. The types of ads that dominate the Super Bowl scene historically tend to be the same each year. According to Nielsen, five advertising categories dominated Super Bowl broadcasts from 2007 – 2011:

Automotive: $172.2 million spent over that period

Beer: $126.9 million

Motion Picture: $120.7 million

Regular Soft Drink: $81.2 million

Tortilla Chips: $42.5 million

Advertisers make such substantial investments because data, analysis and the bottom line – brand awareness, which translates into spending dollars – prove that the Super Bowl is a sure thing. The investment returns are measurable. Ads that aired during 2011’s Super Bowl XLV were, on average, 58% more memorable than commercials which ran during regular programming in the first quarter of 2011. That all important brand awareness for commercials airing during the Super Bowl time slot was nearly 275% higher than awareness for the same spots which ran during regular programming.

Did your affinity toward any of your favorite brands increase because of their commercials? Or, were you enticed by the elaborate advertising to try the other guy? That’s what it’s all about. While we are certainly entertained, we are also presented with a myriad of choices. How and where we choose to spend our hard-earned consumer dollars is up to us. As always – even for the non-sports fans among us – that’s power, people.

And oh, by the way – I saw streaming video of the halftime show after the live broadcast. Madonna, girl, if that’s what 53 looks like, I want to be like you when I grow up!

Cheryl Pearson-McNeil is senior vice president of public affairs and government relations for Nielsen. For more information and studies go to www.nielsenwire.com.

Filed Under: Business, Latest News, National, Op Ed

Dallas Marshall’s office arrests suspect for illegal dumping following tip from witnesses

February 15, 2012 By NDG Staff No Comments

Witnesses tipoff Dallas Marshalls of illegal dumping in progress (Source: City of Dallas)

The Dallas Marshal’s Office Illegal Dump Team was recently dispatched to a violation in progress. Witnesses provided a good description of the suspect, who had dumped furniture, a mattress and box springs and other debris in a vacant lot, directly under a “No-Dumping” sign. Deputies apprehended the suspect immediately and he was arrested on a Class B Misdemeanor charge of illegal dumping. Thanks to the watchful eyes of concerned citizens and the prompt action by the Dallas Marshal’s Office, the case was brought to a successful conclusion.

“I encourage all Dallas citizens to report illegal dumping or other environmental crimes,” said Dallas Marshal’s Office Chief Deputy Paul Hansen. “These violations are criminal offenses and affect the quality of life in our city.”

Citizens who see environmental crimes in progress should call 911; if the offense is not in progress, call 311. All those who report these crimes can remain anonymous.

Filed Under: Community Spotlight, Latest News

Texas receives over $72M from HUD

February 14, 2012 By NDG Staff No Comments

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan awarded last week public housing authorities in Texas $72,552,552 that will be used to make major large-scale improvements to their public housing units. Dallas.

The grants are provided through HUD’s Capital Fund Program, which provides annual funding to all public housing authorities to build, repair, renovate and/or modernize the public housing in their communities. This funding can be used to make large-scale improvements such as new roofs and to make energy-efficient upgrades to replace old plumbing and electrical systems.

“This funding will help housing authorities address long-standing capital improvements, but it only scratches the surface in addressing the deep backlog we’re seeing across the country,” said Donovan. “Today, we are closer to helping housing authorities and our private sector partners undertake their capital needs over the long haul. With the passage of HUD’s 2012 budget, Congress gave HUD the go-ahead for a new, comprehensive and critical demonstration tool that we believe will help preserve and enhance America’s affordable housing, including public housing.”

In November 2011, Congress gave HUD the approval to test a comprehensive tool to preserve public housing and other HUD-assistant housing. Congress authorized HUD to begin a Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) as part of the Obama Administration’s comprehensive strategy to keep these public and other HUD affordable homes on firm financial footing. Public housing authorities need nearly $26 billion to keep these homes safe and decent for families. But given our budget realities, HUD proposed this innovative way to confront the decline of the nation’s public and affordable housing stock.

In FY 2012, RAD will enable public housing authorities and owners to continue to make standard life-cycle improvements to their inventory and modernize or replace obsolete units to stem the loss of stock from private sector partners choosing to opt-out of affordable housing programs. The demonstration will bring more than 60,000 properties into a reliable, long term, project-based rental assistance contract – and allow public housing authorities to raise more than $6.1 billion in private financing to reduce the large backlog of capital repair needs and in the process, support significant job creation in communities across the country.

Sandra B. Henriquez, HUD Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing, added, “We see Congress’ decision to allow this demonstration to begin as a victory, not only for HUD, but for countless communities that desperately want to improve their public housing and other affordable housing, as well as a victory for families who need quality housing they can afford and who want more options on where they might choose to live.”

Last year, HUD released Capital Needs in the Public Housing Program, a study that updated the national estimate of capital needs in the public housing stock in the U.S. The study found the nation’s 1.2 million public housing units are facing an estimated $25.6 billion in much-needed large scale repairs. Unlike routine maintenance, capital needs are the large-scale improvements required to make the housing decent and economically sustainable, such as replacing roofs or updating plumbing and electrical systems to increase energy efficiency. This study updates a 1998 analysis and includes costs to address overdue repairs, accessibility improvements for disabled residents, lead abatement, and water and energy conservation that would make the homes more cost effective and energy efficient.

Over the last 75 years, the federal government has invested billions in the development and maintenance of public and multifamily housing – including providing critical support through HUD’s Capital Fund, the grants announced today. Still, the nation continues to lose thousands of public housing units annually, primarily due to disrepair. To protect the considerable federal investment and respond to the growing demand for affordable rental housing, the Obama Administration proposed RAD. The details of the demonstration’s timeline and application are being prepared and HUD expects to issue a notice for public comment in the coming months.

HUD’s mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and http://espanol.hud.gov. You can also follow HUD on twitter @HUDnews, on facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD, or sign up for news alerts on HUD’s News Listserv

Filed Under: Business, Latest News, National

Throughout Dallas working together to instill community pride

February 14, 2012 By NDG Staff No Comments

Ensuring that neighborhoods are free of litter and debris goes a long way in instilling community pride. The City helps neighborhoods organize cleanups, such as the one that took place in the Trinity Heights-Brentwood neighborhood.

Dallas volunteers working together to clean up areas (Source: City of Dallas)

The City of Dallas, Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce, Mountain View College, Dallas Zoo, Bishop Dunne Catholic School and neighborhood crime watch groups all teamed up for the clean-up day. A total of 94 people participated in the event which included 33 residents from the Trinity Heights-Brentwood neighborhood. The team’s efforts resulted in more than 100 bags of trash picked up, foliage pruned and trees cut to spruce up the neighborhood.

Filed Under: Community Spotlight, Education, Latest News

Spread Valentine’s Day Love By Being The Match

February 13, 2012 By NDG Staff No Comments

Annual bone marrow drive encourages participants to get typed to save a life

Every year, more than 10,000 patients in the U.S. are diagnosed with life-threatening diseases such as leukemia or lymphoma, and their only hope of a cure is a bone marrow transplant from an unrelated adult donor. Only half of these patients end up receiving a transplant. Children’s Medical Center and Be the Match Marrow Registry® will host the 21st annual “Be the Match” bone marrow drive, the world’s largest listing of potential marrow donors, according the organization’s Facebook page.

Volunteers from around the Metroplex are encouraged to take the first step to become a bone marrow donor by joining the national bone marrow registry. Joining is easy. Anyone between the ages of 18 and 60 can stop by throughout the day Feb. 14 at Children’s Medical Center’s Ambulatory Care Pavilion lobby in Dallas or in Children’s Medical Center at Legacy’s lobby in Plano for a quick cheek

swab, which will allow your bone marrow to be typed. Minorities are seriously under-represented in the national bone marrow registry; only 7 percent are African-American, while only 10 percent are Hispanic. A family member can only provide a positive match in about 25 to 30 percent of the cases; so many patients are in need of a stranger’s generosity for successful transplants to take place.

If you can’t make it on the 14th, you can sign up online at http://ww.bethematch.org to receive an in-home registration kit. Use the code “Children’s” to have your kit mailed to you for free. Although the special code is only good through February, you can register through http://ww.bethematch.org anytime.

Filed Under: Community Spotlight, Health, Latest News

Dallas To Host Black Education Symposium For Boys

February 13, 2012 By NDG Staff No Comments

The city of Dallas will become the first city to host a powerful educational symposium called “Love for a Black Brotha” – a historical new holiday to uplift education, love and honor. The program utilizes the history of Black men of the past to the present, to connect with today’s African American boys by using a strategy of mirroring, founded by Sistah Shabazz.

The actual event will be held on Friday, February 17, 2012, 11am – 9:30pm, at the African American Museum, 3536 Grand Ave, Dallas, TX 75210 (In Fair Park). An honorary ceremony at noon will also be held to honor Dr. Robinson, John Wiley Price, Minister Louis Farrakhan, Dr. Umar Abdullah Johnson and others.

Nationally certified school psychologist, Dr. Umar Abdullah Johnson, will present a highly acclaimed educational workshop from 2pm – 3:30pm for Dallas ISD educators and community educators. The theme is “Changing Behavior Without Drugs: Effective Behavior Modification Strategies for the Classroom & Home and Navigating the World of Special Education Successful Tips & Strategies for Parents.”

10,000 Strong as One created this day to inspire and educate families on the importance of how Love is an inspiration to education.

Love for a Black Brotha Day will feature a consortium of Black businesses working as one: Vendors, Dallas’ Bandan Koro: African Dance and Drum Ensemble, Love Expressions, Health Services, Righteous Foods, Town Hall Meeting for Brothas Only.

$10 donation, www.loveforablackbrotha.com / Door

ITINERARY FOR FEBRUARY 17, 2012

Part 1
11:00am Museum Tour
12:00pm Luncheon & Noon Honor Ceremony
2:00-3:30pm (1.5 hours Educational Workshop for Educator)

Part 2 – Community Festival @ African American Museum 3536 Grand Ave. Dallas, TX 75210 (In Fair Park)
4:00pm Doors Open Introduction of Vendors
6:00pm Welcome, Mission – Jam Session
6:30pm Opening, Award acknowledgement and Introduction of guest speaker
7:00pm Dr. Umar Abdullah Johnson
8:15pm Love Expressions
8:30pm Talk It Out (Brothas Only)
9:30pm Love Dance

Filed Under: Community Spotlight, Latest News

Dallas and DART working together on Hall Family Project

February 13, 2012 By NDG Staff 2 Comments

Hall Family Project in Southern Dallas area

The Hall Family Project is a proposed mixed-use development located within proximity of the MLK, Jr. DART rail station. Project plans call for 230 residential units and 40,000 square feet of commercial/retail space to be built in four phases.Pedestrian access will be provided from the project to the DART station to create a true transit oriented experience.

The City Council approved $700,000 in 2006 Bond and HUD Challenge Planning Funds to facilitate project development. Construction on the first phase (a 38 unit apartment building) is expected to begin this summer.

Filed Under: Community Spotlight, Latest News

WWI Aviator Eugene Bullard

February 12, 2012 By NDG Staff No Comments

By Tom Keener

NDG Special Contributor

All Blood Runs Red author Henry Harris of Fairview discusses the extraordinary life of Eugene Bullard, the first African-American aviator to serve in a war, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, February 16, at the Allen Public Library.

Through exhaustive research, Harris uncovered a treasure trove of long-forgotten documents about this American hero denied the opportunity to serve in the US military. Bullard’s motto was “Do not accept defeat if you are doing the right thing.”

Sponsored by Bach to Books, Adult Services and Armistice Memorial Post 2195, this program is free.

Harris’ quest to learn more about Eugene Bullard began in 2004 while visiting a museum in Gunther, Alabama. Here, he recognized the valuable, yet overlooked, contributions of Bullard and realized that more information was needed. After six years of diligent research, Harris composed an extensive biography that is presented as an interview with Bullard.

Eugene Jacques Bullard was born in Columbus, Georgia, in 1894, to William and Josephine Bullard. As a teenager, Eugene emigrated to the United Kingdom and worked as a boxer and in a music hall. Later, he traveled to France and joined the elite French Foreign Legion. After being wounded in battles around the area of Verdun, Bullard was awarded the distinguished Croix de Guerre. After recovering from dreadful wounds, he flew in the Lafayette Flying Corps, participating in at least 20 missions.

With the entry of the United States into World War One in 1917, the United States Air Service recruited Americans serving the Lafayette Flying Corps. Although Bullard passed all examinations, black pilots were not permitted in the U.S. Air Service. As a result, he continued to serve in the French military until the armistice.

After the War, Bullard remained in Paris and eventually operated a restaurant frequented by notables such as Josephine Baker, Louis Armstrong and Langston Hughes. After the outbreak of World War II, Nazi officers dined at the restaurant and discussed military strategy, unaware that the black owner was fluent in German. Bullard secretly relayed valuable intelligence to Allied forces.

After this war, Bullard returned to the United States. He worked in New York’s Rockefeller Center as an elevator operator and lived meagerly. At his funeral in 1961, no representative from the U.S. military attended the service, but Bullard was buried with military honors by French officers in the French war veterans section of Flushing Cemetery in the New York City. Before his death, he uttered to a retired French officer who was assisting him, “This is beautiful on the other side.”

The Allen Public Library is located at 300 N. Allen Dr. For information, call 214-509-4911.

Filed Under: Community Spotlight, Latest News, Uncategorized

First Lady Michelle Obama visits Dallas with “Top Chefs” for Let’s Move

February 12, 2012 By NDG Staff No Comments

First Lady Michelle Obama was joined by some famous faces on the second day of the Let’s Move birthday tour. A group of former “Top Chef” winners came out to a Dallas recreation center for a new kind of Quick Fire challenge: make a quick, kid-friendly lunch inspired by the new school lunch standards unveiled earlier this month.

First Lady Michelle Obama, with Sam Kass assistant White House chef and Food initiative Coordinator, center, and Top Chef Head Judge Tom Colicchio, left, talk with Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin at the “Schools and Chefs Working Together” event at the Kleberg Rylie Recreation Center in Dallas, Texas, Feb. 10, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

The chefs paired off into three groups — each assisted by a sous chef from a Dallas elementary school and a Dallas Cowboy — and after thirty minutes they presented their work to a trio of tough judges: Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio, Let’s Move’s Senior Policy Advisor Sam Kass and First Lady Michelle Obama.

The Red Team, with chefs Paul Qui and Grayson Schmitz, assisted by DeMarcus Ware, prepared a kid-friendly combo of whole wheat turkey tacos with a pureed melon juice. The White Team partnered chefs Spike Mendelsohn and Jennifer Carrol with Cowboy Miles Austin, who whipped up a classic combo of pork chops, homemade applesauce and roasted sweet potatoes. Blue Team chefs Fabio Viviano and Richard Blaise had two Cowboys on their side, as Felix Jones and DeMarco Murray helped them put together a colorful farro salad that featured feta, tomato and carrots simmered in fresh carrot juice. (Stay tuned, because the chefs have promised to share the recipes with Let’s Move!)

After careful consideration, the judges announced a Top Chef first: all three teams tied. The reason, Mrs Obama explained to the crowd, is that when you pair great chefs with schools, “everybody wins.”

The First Lady then announced an expansion of the Chefs Move to Schools initiative, which helps connect chefs with schools in their community to educate children about healthy food choices through cooking lessons, planting gardens and other activities. Approximately 3,400 chefs and 3,350 schools have signed up for Chefs Move to Schools.

Mrs. Obama also unveiled the new Chefs Move to Schools website, www.chefsmovetoschools.org, a one-stop shop for chefs and schools, where they can sign up for the program; access training, recipes and resources; and learn how chefs and schools across the country are partnering to create a healthier school environment.

Filed Under: Community Spotlight, Entertainment, Health, Latest News, National